《Femme Fatale: The King&#x27;s Deadly Temptress》


 Foreword ~ Please Read!

    Foreword ~ Please Read!

    Once upon a time, there was a human named Karmee. She went on an adventure and met this other person named Prince who was so beautiful that she fell in love right away. She wanted to talk to him, however, she was so shy and didn''t have the confidence. And so, she went home and searched the inte about all the things that she could do in order to improve herself. She really wanted to be noticed by Prince.

    One day, she stumbled upon a very interesting book promising her the help that she needed in order to make Prince fall in love with her. Upon checking the book, she was surprised to see that the only way to read it was to use a fast pass or to use coins. She had to read the book fast and she wanted a short cut.

    A friend told her to go to . nameofpiracywebsite. or use a Piracy App where she could binge read the book for free! And so she did.

    Karmee was so happy that her friend told her about it because she finished the book in no time and she didn''t even have to spend money or wait for a daily free fast pass to unlock chapters.

    Her confidence was boosted and she finally thought that she had everything figured out. She started with one book and then another and then another until she continuously read illegally downloaded and copied books from legit websites.

    Feeling so confident, Karmee went out again and looked for Prince. The two had a really great time together and she even thought that Prince was going to love her back. It wasn''t until a goddess appeared out of nowhere and interrupted their happy time together that Karmee started feeling nervous.

    The goddess knew about her reading from piracy websites and apps and so the goddess cast her off from the face of the earth and banished her into a ce of no return. Karmee spent the rest of her life in a very dark ce with no food and water and a voice that constantly haunted her about all her sins.

    Prince was so disappointed in Karmee and asked the goddess to erase his memory. He didn''t want to remember anything about her.

    And that''s how Karmee became alone. Shunned. And forgotten.

    So, you Yes, you reader, make sure that you''re reading this novel only on  or through the webnovel app.

    ~~~

    Works:

    1. Serendipity - A Chance Encounter (Completed) [Ongoing slow revision]

    Daniel and Samantha

    2. Femme Fatale: The King''s Deadly Temptress (Ongoing)

    Damien and Katherine

    3. The Mafia Prince''s Naughty Angel (Ongoing) [SACE''s spin off]

    Gael and Ang

    As of writing, I am currently working on Femme Fatale: The King''s Deadly Temptress and it is my priority which is why the updates on The Mafia Prince''s Naughty Angel is only 3-5x per week. I am trying my very best so I hope you all understand.

    If the novel''s chapters are locked, I would appreciate that you would use coins to unlock them. That would help me out very much. If you don''t have money to pay for coins, it''s okay to use a fast pass too! (Authors don''t earn from fast passes but that''s okay~ As long as you keep supporting my novel and read it here on ) Do drop some paragraph and chapterments so I know that you are reading my work. I always appreciate all my readers and I hope to talk to you all even for a small Hi.

    Thanks for the continued support! You all are amazing!

    If you want to buy me coffee, you can do so at /nixxxie

    If you want to talk to me and other readers in my novel, read updates, announcements, or see the reference pictures for my chapters, you can join my discord server /nixxxie

 Advisory, Disclaimer, and Authors Note

    Advisory, Disimer, and Author''s Note

    All rights reserved.

    No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any meanselectronic, recording, or mechanicalwithout asking permission from the author.

    <strong>The author owns the rights to the cover of this book.</strong>

    This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, ces, brands, media, and incidents are either used fictitiously or the product of the author''s imagination.

    <strong>The story in this novel that you are about to read is intended for ages 18 and over due to its sexual content andnguage, and assault/violence. It may not be appropriate for all audiences. Please read at your own discretion.</strong>

    <em><strong>[ A/N: In order not to spoil the readers before they get to read the chapter content, I will no longer write an advisory or warning at the start of the chapter. This novel has already been tagged properly, so read at your own risk. ]</strong></em>

 Chapter 1: Deadly Thoughts

    Chapter 1: Deadly Thoughts

    "Let''s all wee the star for tonight''s performance, the very alluring and extremely seductive performer, Tiffany Stone!"

    The curtains were pulled up and a woman with sexy, silky white legs wearing a long-slit gown appeared in the middle of the stage. She had her back facing the crowd and as soon as her name was called, the audience pped their hands and whistled, excited to see how good of a performer she was.

    Katherine snapped her fingers a few times in sync with the rhythm of the background music and swayed her hips from side to side until she turned around to face the people, seemingly entrancing the audience with her moves. Walking forward, she danced her way down until sheid on the floor. Raising her legs up high, she moved them slowly Her dance moves made her movements look very sleazy and slutty, which only served to get the audience even more riled up.

    Inside The Gentlemen''s Club where it was elite members only, Katherine danced like she was a whole different person. That night, she was Tiffany Stone, the seductress of a dancer who could steal people''s souls away.

    For the past month, she had gone undercover for a mission. Their target was a man among the audience, Mr. Koh. This man was suspected as an essory for moneyundering and Katherine posed as his temporary assistant-sh-mistress to get the necessary proofs before they move on to the next, bigger mission, which was to catch their boss.

    Being an assistant was only an excuse so that Mr. Koh could bring her anywhere like a trophy girl, but her cover as an entertainer in the night club was how they got him to like her. Knowing that Mr. Koh had a specific taste in women and always frequented the club, Katherine had him wrapped around her finger.

    Unfortunately, because Mr. Koh was so hooked on her, she was having a hard time getting out of his sight.

    "Queen, we''ve already received the intel just now. Time to wrap up this mission." Styles, the head IT guy of where Katherine worked, informed her through the secret earpiece that she was wearing. It was so small and colored darkly that, under the dark lightings of the nightclub, it was impossible for anyone to even notice.

    "Mhmm."

    Not caring about any thoughts but her own, she danced in a very slinky manner, yet her thoughts were nowhere as sexy as at that moment. She tried so hard to think about how she was going to end her connection with her target, to the point even murder was on her mind.

    "Can I just kill him?" she whispered just loud enough for Styles to hear.

    "Well he''s no longer needed. Although it''s not really against the rules as long as you can justify your act, what would your reason be?"

    "I don''t like him. Isn''t that enough?"

    Styles scoffed when he heard her response. "You don''t like a lot of people, Queen."

    "Should I poison him? Hmmm that would be no fun. It might even cause me to be heavily suspected."

    "You have a knife on your thigh" He humored her.

    "Ehh Wouldn''t that be too bloody? Plus, there are too many people here"

    "What about a gun?" He snickered.

    "Nah that''s too loud Oh, I know! Guns with silencers!" She became excited. ''Bang!'' She imagined the scene in her head as she looked at the target from the audience with a smile on her face. ''Pfff.. that''s too boring. I want more from his death.''

    Styles only shook his head as he waited for Katherine''s performance to end. "You''re one crazydy. Enough of your fantasies, you''re not killing anybody tonight. Let''s get back on track."

    With all these thoughts in mind, her dance number came to an end. After smiling seductively and waving her hand to the crowd which earned her a standing ovation, she bowed before walking down the stage.

    "That was hot!" Stylesplimented.

    "Of course, Styles."

    "Have you ever thought of doing this as a livelihood if you ever get out of this job?" He asked. She could hear him munching over his snacks from behind theputer. The sounds of crackers being munched on was pretty loud in her ears, but she didn''t mind it at all.

    "Who said I was going to get out of this job? I love what I do. And it''s not like I have another choice."

    "You can dream, honey."

    "Someone might hear you over there, Styles. Be careful of what you say. You''re supposed to keep me in, not kick me out. Right?"

    "Yeah yeah."

    Katherine aka Queen was an agent under a secret organization called Shadow.

    Shadow was a ck-ops branch of the government. It was hidden from the public and the people who knew about it were the agents, the higher officials and the people running it underground.

    After six years, she had secured one of the top positions of the best agents in the organization. Katherine was rescued by her handler, Chris from a massacre where she lost her parents and she had been a part of Shadow since she was fifteen years old. Since then, Shadow was the only family that she had known and cared for. If one day, Shadow was on the verge of death Then she would fight back to defend it with her life.

    Katherine was still twenty-one years old but at 5 foot 10, she could pass as someone who was in herte twenties.

    Seeing that Katherine had already gotten off the stage, Styles started, "There''s a drug in the charm of your bracelet. Let him drink it and the team will take care of him once he gets to the hospital. This is yourst task for this mission."

    Taking a ss of vodka from the waiter, she cat walked her way through the sea of people until she reached a man in his early forties.

    As soon as she arrived, her target snaked an arm on her waist and said, "You looked amazing up there tonight."

    The man was very touchy and that was the one thing that she disliked about him the most. Even though she had acted as his mistress for a while just to get close to him to gain some intel, she had never gone beyond hugs. She wouldn''t even allow him to kiss her.

    Smiling, Katherine held the charm on her bracelet, her finger hovering over the tiny button on it. "You are too kind, Mr. Koh. Here Let me pour you a drink to celebrate my early sess." She pressed the button to release the drug and poured it on the vodka before giving it to him.

    Just after Mr. Koh downed the drink, a woman''s high-pitched voice sounded from behind them. "You skank!"

    When she turned her head towards the direction of the voice, Mr. Koh''s wife had her hand raised striding towards her. A few momentster, she was already in front of Katherine and gave her a loud and resounding p.

    Katherine did not evade the p and just let it happen instead because just before the woman''s palmnded on her face, a thought shed before her quickly. ''I guess this one works too.'' She nned to use this chance as her escape from the leech of a target who wouldn''t get off her back  in this case, her waist. Maybe this drama was going to let her get out from his grasp.

    "Ah!" Katherine immediately pressed her cheek with her hand and covered her face as the wife continued her scandalous outrage. No matter how hard Mrs. Koh tried to hit her, she was barely hurt yet she screamed like she was in so much pain.

    The wife simultaneously berated her for being a mistress and for shamelessly seducing her husband. After so much effort from Mr. Koh to stop his wife, she finally stepped away from Katherine.

    And like the drama queen that Katherine was, she looked at Mr. Koh in the eye and with a tear-stained face and trembling lips, she raised her hand and pped the man so hard on the face that her hand immediately burned from the strike. "You told me you were divorced! Liar! Don''t you ever contact me again!"

    Turning around and heading towards the exit, she wailed her way out until she exited the backdoor.

    Mrs. Koh''s eyes widened upon hearing her words. "You said you were divorced? How dare you?!" She pped her husband with her bag plenty of times.

    "Honey! I don''t even know who she is! Ouch! Stop hitting me!"

    Soon after, Mr. Koh clutched his chest and he dropped to the floor.

    ...

    When she was in a safe distance, her crying stopped right away, and her expression went from pitiful to heartless as she wiped her tears with her hand. She removed the nted mole next to her lip and the blue contact lenses from her eyes, revealing her brown ones. She then took off her wig, making her look entirely different from before.

    "You are such a drama queen," Stylesmented through herms, making Katherine smile as she walked towards a ck motorbike from the sidewalk. "Great job tonight, Queen Mission aplished. Report to Castle for the briefing of your mission next week."

    Swinging her leg to ride her Ducati, she wore her helmet over her head and kicked the stand back to its ce. The Ducati roared to life. Curling her lips into a sly smileshe answered, "Copy that."

 Chapter 2: A Blessing or A Curse

    Chapter 2: A Blessing or A Curse

    Castle

    Katherine arrived at Shadow''s underground base which was situated in Cona, Florida. After going through a series of security measures, the elevator opened and she entered the lobby of their headquarters.

    There were quite a lot of agents walking around leisurely like the ce was their homeit was the same for Katherine, Shadow became her home for six years now.

    "There she is, my seductress Tiffany Stone." Styles draped his hand over Katherine''s shoulder. "I liked that name it sounds so slutty." He danced his brows up and down.

    Styles was a hot nerd. He wore wayfarer sses that sat on his sharp nose and contrary to most, he knows how to dress up nicely. The button-down shirt paired with grey pants fit him perfectly.

    She smiled at him and handed him a brown paper bag with cronuts inside. "Here," she said.

    A huge grin appeared on his face as he excitedly took the pastry from her. "See, this is why I love you!" He smacked a kiss on her temple before he walked away, already eating the cronuts and entered the IT station, Styles'' own kingdom. "Alright, nerds! Time to flex those fingers, show me what you got."

    Katherine shook her head and chuckled. She loved Styles but she only saw him like a brother not a lover. Turning to her left, she hurriedly went to the next floor going down where Chris'' office was located. As her handler for years, Chris became her immediate boss.

    On her way, she bumped into Alicia. Katherine hated this woman. Alicia seduced everyone and anyone. Alicia looked at her from head to toe and a nasty chuckle escaped from her lips as she walked past her.

    Katherine rolled her eyes, seemingly annoyed by her, as usual.

    Before entering Chris''s office, she quickly fixed her hair, checked her reflection on the ss wall beside her and knocked.

    "Come in."

    Opening the door to his office, Katherine saw Chris''s side profile. He was looking over the ss window, watching the dozens of agents during their daily training.

    Chris was also an agent until he got his spot in the senior officials. Tall, broad shoulders, soft blonde hair and he has clear blue eyes. The color of the suit he wore matched his eyes impably. She sighed when she thought that she could never have this man before her.

    Noticing that the person who just entered did not move from her spot, Chris turned his head and shed his gorgeous smile. "Why are you just standing there?" He asked as he walked over to her. "How was your mission?"

    Katherine swallowed when she saw him nearing. His perfume wafted in her nose, making her heart beat a little faster than normal.

    She cleared her throat andposed herself as she handed him her report. Then she briefed him about her mission that night. She was proud of her work and she knew that she did a great job.

    Receiving the file, Chris scanned her face and saw the small wound on the corner of her mouth which she got from the p that Mrs. Koh gave her earlier. He reached and gently touched her cheek, his thumb lightly grazing the area around the bruise, worried that she was hurt. "Why did you let her p you like that?"

    Katherine felt a chill down her spine when his fingers touched her. His hand was warm and she fought the urge to ce her hand over his. ''No, Kath. You can''t give in. This is ridiculous, he is your savior and your boss. You should not have these feelings,'' she told herself.

    Averting her head away and walking towards the ss window, she shrugged. "Don''t worry about it. This is nothing."

    Chris nodded. "You have a new mission." He was already on his chair whe he tossed a folder with the word ''Confidential'' marked on the cover onto the table. Every mission she had was confidential, she already knew that.

    She turned to retrieve the folder and immediately skimmed through the paper. "This isn''t connected to the Money Laundering case?"

    "No. You did a great job on that mission. However, Alicia is going to cover the next one rted to that."

    ''That cunning little! No wonder she looked at me like that!'' she cursed inwardly. "So she stole my mission."

    A smile appeared on Chris'' face. He stood up and walked towards her, stopping just a foot away. He ced his warm hand on her shoulder and patted it lightly. "This is your new mission. I need you to do this for me. I trust no one else."

    And with that, Katherine did not have any choice. After Chris told her that he would forward more detailster, she excused herself to go home.

    "You should get that checked. Stop by at the infirmary on your way out," Chris said, referring to the small wound on her mouth.

    She gave him a sweet smile before closing the door to his office. As soon as she got out, she let out a long exhale and fanned her face with the folder in her hand.

    "You, missy, are in trouble." Styles clicked his tongue, teasing Katherine as he walked closer. He knew that Katherine and Chris liked each other but it was obviously not going anywhere.

    She looked at him, ready to shut him up, but she could only roll her eyes. "I''m heading home. Goodnight, Styles."

    "Sleep tight," he replied before entering Chris'' office.

    Katherine''s apartment...

    Her ce took the entire 18th floor of an apartment building. It had ss walls around the area, brightening the entire space. The ce was styled with a modern minimalist vibe, which she decorated herself.

    Amidst the tranquility, there''s a feeling of darkness looming over the bedroom.

    Beads of sweat covered Katherine''s forehead. She had been dreaming the same dream for years over and over again. In her dream, she heard gunshots firing in all directions. Footsteps and screams filled the ce while she was hiding in her bedroom. Her dream was about that night many years ago when she lost her parents.

    She was so scared that time and she had been reliving the same scenario in her dreamsa nightmare that happened for real. She fought so hard to wake up, yet a part of her wanted to stay asleep... because that was thest night that she ever saw her parents. She wanted to see them again.

    "Ahhh!" Katherine gasped for air when her teary eyes shot up open. She panted and noticed that she was clutching the thick white nket on her, just as usual. Her hands rxed and saw the clock beside her bed; it was three o''clock in the morning.

    Reluctantly, she got out of bed and changed into a hoodie, leggings and running shoes before she headed out on the street to run. She did not like the feeling lingering within her and the only way she knew how to get rid of it was to exercise. But after running for twenty minutes, the cold air outside still did not help her at all, so she turned and went back home.

    As soon as she stepped inside her apartment, her phone beeped. It was a message from Chris.

    [Chris: Friday at 7pm. Formal. Crown Hotel and Casino.]

    After reading, she tossed her phone on the counter and headed straight to the gym room where she beat the hell out of a punching bagonly then did she feel better. She took a shower before going back to bed.

    She slept through the whole day and only woke up in the middle of the afternoon. Sighing, she strolled across herrge apartment with her bare foot. Reaching the kitchen, she opened the bottom freezer of her double door refrigerator, and like usual, she took out a pint of icecream and brought it to the living room.

    Katherine flopped on thefy sofa, turned on the TV showing her favorite cartoon Spongebob, and ate her ice cream in silence.

    She had been like this for as long as she could remember as she had always been alone. So most of the time, she chose to stay at home whenever she did not have any missions.

    Surviving that tragic night, she did not know if it was a blessing or a curse.

 Chapter 3: Delicious Scent

    Chapter 3: Delicious Scent

    Friday came very fast.

    After doing yoga, she took a shower and started preparing for her mission.

    The walk-in closet in Katherine''s apartment was huge and was mostly made out of ss. There were rows of formal wear in different colors on the right and pairs of shoes that ranged from casual to formal, also in different colors on the opposite side.

    Her wardrobe was always up to date and was packed with designer or luxury items  all of which were, of course, courtesy of Shadow.

    She looked at her reflection in the mirror and gave herself a thorough check. She was wearing a ck soft satin dress that covered her shoulders halfway which flowed down into an elegant halter neckline. It''s a snug fit which entuated her breasts, but it did so in an elegant manner.

    Katherine applied a light make-up on her face and put on a bright red lipstick. When she was satisfied dolling herself up, she nced at the time and saw that it was already six in the evening.

    Just in time, her phone rang. "Queen," she answered as she ced a Bluetooth earpiece in her ear, then she grabbed her purse and walked out of her apartment.

    "I''m sending you further information about the target for tonight. His name is Mr. Nang," Styles said and soon after, Katherine heard a beep on her phone. She checked it while she was in the elevator going to the basement parking.

    "Got it."

    "This man is the financial consultant of Mr. Cook. He will be present in tonight''s event as a guest and your mission is to retrieve a ledger file from him."

    "A ledger?" Katherine asked. She took her keys out when she reached the basement parking and pressed the key fob, a ck Chevy Corvette from the corner blinked and beeped.

    "Mhmm. You need to get that file tonight before he releases it out in the open. We received intel that he nned to use the crowd for tonight''s event."

    "What am I going to look for?"

    "It should be an external sh drive."

    Knowing her ce, Katherine was not to ask any further questions and just do as she was told. Her mission was to go there and get that file, that''s it  and that''s exactly what she was going to do.

    "There''s an ice cream van on the west side of the hotel. Go there and get your invitation."

    She got inside her car and turned on the engine. "Alright."

    Soon, Katherine arrived at the location. "One vani ice cream please," she told the man attending the ice cream truck.

    The man inside the truck bent over to the window and gave her ice cream in a cone, along with a white envelope. "Here you go."

    "Thanks." Katherine received the items and as soon as she did, she walked away. She opened the envelope and took out a small dark earpiece and ced it in her ear. She licked the ice cream once and threw it in the bin before she headed straight to the entrance of the hotel. "What a waste," she muttered to herself.

    "Tch. Now, I want ice cream too," Styles said over thems.

    "Me too and it''s your turn to buy me one."

    "Fine," he sighed.

    Katherine shed a flirtatious wink when she sashayed her way in, making the security guard smile and feel good about himself. He did not even bother to look at the invitation that she gave and just let her pass through without questions.

    Styles started checking through the CCTV cameras around the room while Katherine familiarized herself with the area.

    The event hall was full of people in theirvish formal attire. It was apparently theunch of a newpany and everyone who was anyone was invited.

    Her target, Mr. Nang, was a close confidant of one of the major investors, Mr. Cook, that''s why he was supposedly going to be present there that evening.

    After scanning the room and not finding her target, Katherine slowly walked towards the bar and got herself a drink.

    "Queen, the subject has just entered the hall. He''s by the door," Styles informed.

    Calmly, Katherine turned her head towards the door and sure enough, she saw Mr. Nang. The subject was in his early thirties and was looking dapper in his grey suit with a beauty next to him.

    He was on his way to the dance floor with hisdy and then the two of them swayed to the music in the middle of other pairs who were also enjoying the evening.

    She downed the remnants of her ss and got off the high stool. Turning to the first man that she saw next to her, she tapped his shoulder, "Do you know how to dance?"

    The man turned and smiled, his teeth were yellowish brown and he looked very creepy with his bloodshot eyes; not to mention, his breath stank! "Why yes,dy!"

    It gave Katherine the heebie-jeebies and backed away. "Eh, sorry. I thought you were someone I know. My bad."

    "Oops." She bumped her back against a hard chest and when she turned, she quickly scanned his face. He wasn''t bad looking at all, so she instantly improvised. "There you are! Come let''s dance!" She grabbed his hand and headed towards the middle of the dance floor.

    The man was bewildered but he didn''t seem to mind what was happening, so he allowed her to drag him away.

    "Boss..." mumbled the other man who was with him.

    Katherine did not pay attention to the man in tow and when they reached the dance floor, she readily nted his hand on her back and held his other handall without taking her eyes off of Mr. Nang.

    "You should focus on your dancing partner instead of looking at others." The man whispered in her ear and pulled her against his body so abruptly that Katherine yelped in surprise. "Ah!"

    She instantly straightened her back and her posture because of the way he held her. ''What is with this guy?'' she wondered as she slowly looked up at the man, but what she saw made her brain go fuzzy. He had the sexiest jawline that she had ever seen. She pursed her lips when her eyes focused on that curve and traced her gaze towards his lips. How could a man have such perfect lips?

    She began to marvel as she lifted her stare upwards and met his eyes that were also gazing down at her. Her heart skipped a beat, seeing his pair of dark eyes that seemed to be pulling her in.

    She inhaled and her nose caught something nice, making her swallow. ''Oh my god... He even smells so good! There''s citrus, pear... *sniff*... is that vani? *sniff*... ooh and spicy too!'' She couldn''t help but be seduced by his delicious scent.

    A smile slowly appeared on the man''s face when he saw the way the interesting woman''s face was slowly closing in on him. Was she sniffing?

    "He''s heading towards the backstage," Styles said in her ear, drawing her back to the mission.

    Styles''s voice broke her trance and Katherine''s head snapped to the side just in time. It looked like Mr. Nang was heading towards the small operator room of the hall.

    She immediately let go of the man she was dancing with and pushed herself out of his embrace. "Thanks for the dance," she said casually without looking at him and walked away to follow the subject.

    "You''re just gonna go?" the man she danced with asked, but Katherine no longer heard him.

    "Where is he?" Katherine lost sight of Mr. Nang.

    "Ten o''clock."

    As soon as she turned in that direction, Mr. Nang saw her. They did not know each other but in his gut, he knew that she was there to stop him. Without thinking twice, Mr. Nang turned on his heel and ran towards the exit.

    She sucked in air and excused herself through the crowd. "Stupid heels," she muttered to herself, regretting that she chose a pair of sexy high heeled pumps. What could she have done? It went with her dress really well!

 Chapter 4: Shaky Hand Over Underwear

    Chapter 4: Shaky Hand Over Underwear

    On the twentieth floor of Crown Hotel and Casino, a slim woman with long, jet ck hair was walking in the hallway. The pair of heels that she picked was new and she swore never to wear them again on missions like this. She hated running on them.

    "Where is he?" She scanned the hallway from left to right when she reached an intersection. As she waited for a response, she heard tapping sounds from aputer keyboarding from the inconspicuous earpiece. "Styles!"

    "He''s heading northeast of the building. It''s ten meters away from where you are," he said. "Say... I was wondering... you like Chris, right?" He asked a question which was totally not rted to their current mission.

    In fact, Chris was standing next to Styles when he asked that question. He was there to check on Katherine''s mission and Styles decided to ''get some intel'' from her while Chris was listening.

    "Chris is my handler, Styles. And he''s my boss too. I don''t... ''not'' like him. Why are we talking about this right now?" She wondered while she hurried over to the location that he said. She wasn''t annoyed by the question but she found it difficult to talk about things like that. Mainly because she did not know what Chris thought about her too.

    "I just think that it''s a shame how you and Chris are not in a rtionship. You know that he loves you, right? And obviously, you also- Aw!" Styles flinched when Chris hit his head and red at him.

    "I do...''like him''. I admire the person that he is because he has always been there for me for years. What we have is nothing romantic; he''s only my handler, my mentor and that''s it."

    Styles looked up to Chris to see his reaction but the man had an emotionless expression  he was unreadable. Trying to get something more from Katherine, Styles pressed on. "Aya yay. What if he proposes to you? Would you ept it?" Chris rolled his eyes and ced his hands on his waist; he nned to have a serious talk with this nerd after the mission.

    A door slightly ajar at the end of the hallway has caught Katherine''s attention. Stepping outside, she found herself on the rooftop, "I can''t see him. Where''s the subject?" Her brows knitted as she scanned the surroundings but could not see anyone. The wind blew past her and the skirt of her dress swept, exposing her legs from the now parted slit. The air was a bit chilly and her hands were getting cold.

    More tapping sounds were heard as Styles tried to narrow down the location, "That''s strange... there are no other exits. You should be able to see him there. Queen, are you sure you''ve checked thoroughly?"

    "I''m positive. Help me out here," she searched over the edge of the wall and saw the twinkling city lights below her. From the rooftop, one could see how beautiful the city is at night. If only she was there to appreciate the view, but no...

    In the office, Styles examined the different angles of the camera but even he did not see where the subject was hiding.

    Just when Katherine was about to turn around, she caught sight of what looked like a cloth that fluttered in the wind below where she stood.

    "Oh! Look who we have here... Well, hello there, Mr. Nang. Are you not afraid of falling down?" She spoke to the man who was standing on the t roof edge that was just about a foot wide. Any mistake on footing would surely cause him to slip and fall. Katherine peeked with a wicked smile on her face, wondering what he was going to do now that she found him.

    Peering in, she leaned over the edge and gave him a slight nudge using her delicate finger, "Why don''t I help you up? Just promise me you''ll give me what I ask for."

    Her poking caused the man to pale when he thought that he was about to fall. ''This woman was crazy!'' If she had pushed him harder, he probably would have already died!

    But even after being scared, he still refused to give her what she wanted. He already had a feeling that someone was watching him. He hated having to do ounting fraud for Mr. Cook but what could he do? He had to earn for a living... however, recently, his conscience was already eating him up. He couldn''t sleep anymore and so he decided that he would expose the truth.

    He should have made copies! That''s what he failed to do. He thought that he was going to get away with his ns that night. With a contorted face, Mr. Nang reacted, "You bitch! You''ll never get it from me. I''d rather die!"

    "Oof. Tsk Tsk Tsk You have such a bad mouth. Don''t call me that, Mr. Nang. If you anger me, I might ''<em>identally</em>'' push you off the building." Katherine prodded him again, making the man almost shit his pants from the fright. "Oopsies! We don''t want that to happen, do we?"

    "Get me out of here!" he shouted, realizing that he did not want to die yet.

    "Not until you give me the file first."

    The man did not believe that she has the guts to kill him so he retorted, "Over my dead-"

    "Fine, have it your way," she said as she pushed the man''s back. His body tipped over the building but her hand was fast since she caught his cor, keeping him from falling, "Hand it over."

    The man''s soul almost left his body from the terror, making him shriek and give up. "Aaaah I- I- I will! Bring me up!"

    As soon Katherine was able to bring him back safely on the ground, she held out her hand, asking for the sh drive. He quickly reached inside his coat as if he was going to give her what she asked for but to her surprise, he hit her head with a hip sk. She was not able to evade in time that she stumbled slightly and her vision went hazy.

    Mr. Nang scrambled to get away but she managed to grab his leg, causing him to trip. In one swift move, she took a syringe that was hidden in a strap attached to her thigh and injected him with a drug that made him lose consciousness. "There you go. When you wake upter, you will not remember a thing from tonight."

    She slumped on the side to catch her breath. "Everything okay, Queen?" Styles spoke through thems, bringing her focus back to the mission.

    "Yes." She shook her head to concentrate though she felt a bit dizzy. She then started to look for the sh drive on the man''s body. She searched his coat, his pockets, and even his shoes but she did not find any.

    Her brows furrowed as she wondered where he could have ced the sh drive until a sudden thought shed before her. Clenching her fists, she gritted her teeth in frustration when she realized where he might have hidden it.

    Her eyes widened as she shook her head. "Oh no no no!"

    "No!!!"

    "No way!"

    "What''s wrong, Queen?" Styles questioned from the other line. Katherine and the subject were at a blind spot which was why Styles could not see what was happening at that moment.

    She groaned. And like a child, she shook her body, grossed out with the idea of what she had to do just to get the file.

    "Nothing, Styles!" she said through gritted teeth. She would never speak about this to anyone!

    Breathing in and out, she closed her eyes and talked herself into doing it, "Just do it, Kath."

    She looked at the unconscious man''s face and was somehow thankful that he was at least good-looking before she unzipped his pants and undid the button.

    She squinted her eyes and bit her lip as her heart drummed in her chest, hovering her shaky hand over his underwear.

 Chapter 5: Why Are You so Hostile?

    Chapter 5: Why Are You so Hostile?

    The night was cold while Katherine was on the rooftop, crying inwardly as she debated with herself whether or not she should just ditch the body or go through with the ridiculous and unpleasant task. ''Why did it have to be me tonight?''

    After what seemed like a hundred seconds had passed, she was still not moving.

    Chris began to worry so he grabbed a spare headset that was connected to Katherine''sms and spoke to her. "Queen, what''s wrong?"

    Startled by Chris''s gentle voice, Katherine snapped out of her trance and convinced herself to focus. "Nothing. Just... give me a second."

    Clenching her hand into a fist to regain herself, she looked at the man''s briefs and ignored the bulge on it. She then slowly reached into the secret pocket of his briefs that was just below the garter of the front side and quickly retrieved a small device from inside it.

    She retracted her hand extremely fast like Usain Bolt''s speed and breathed out a sigh of relief, patting her chest to calm her erratic heart.

    ring at the man in front of her, she pped his face as she stood up, "You are a very bad man, Mr. Nang!" she growled before leaving him behind.

    "File acquired. Missionplete," she spoke to thems.

    "Great job, Queen," Chris remarked proudly.

    Standing by the door, she looked back at Mr. Nang''s unconscious body on the floor. "What am I going to do with the body? It''s freezing out here."

    "Leave it. A team will handle itter. Report back to the Castle."

    "Copy," Katherine replied before themunication was turned off.

    She found a restroom on the same floor and she hastily washed her hands before stepping into the elevator. The moment that she got inside, she felt slightly lightheaded and was even a little nauseous.

    She massaged her temple gently and felt the bruise that was starting to form  that man must have hit her pretty hard. She winced in pain and clicked her tongue upon seeing blood on her fingers. She was clearly annoyed that she was not able to avoid it.

    Arriving at the ground floor, Katherine walked straight out of the Crown Hotel and Casino and crossed the street to get to her car. Her head throbbed and she became really dizzy but she kept walking despite the pain pounding in her head.

    Just as she reached the middle of the road, a speeding car came from her left, making her eyes widen in shock. She managed to move to the side just in time that the car came to an abrupt stop. But despite her evasion, the car''s bumper still lightly hit her thigh.

    "Seriously! This is so not my day!" she eximed and pped the hood of the car that had just bumped her, ring at the driver inside the vehicle though her vision was still a little blurry, ''Stupid sk'' she thought as she became really cranky. Out of nowhere, she cursed Alicia for stealing her mission. Because of her, Katherine suffered such a humiliating task just earlier. And now this... great. Just great!

    Inside the car, a man in his twenties who was sitting on the passenger''s seat nervously spoke to the one who was driving, "B-boss you hit a woman."

    Damien Park who insisted on driving that night gripped the wheels as he looked at the woman in front of them. She looked like she was drunk and cranky.

    He finally decided to get out of the car. "Miss? Are you alright?" His voice was clear and gentle, catching Katherine''s attention.

    Irritated at the question that he just asked her, she snapped at the man who was wearing an expensive tailored suit, "Do you even know how to drive?!"

    The man was not surprised that she was mad at him, after all... he was indeed driving quite fast. But he scoffed at her behavior, ''Unbelievable.''

    "Miss, you were the one who didn''t watch where you were going."

    With an intense gaze, she scowled at the man in front of her but was slightly dazed at how he looked form where she stood. They were standing a few meters apart and with the light from themp post shining on his magnificent figure, she began to notice his features.

    His hair was neatlybed making his face very pleasing to look at and his dark eyes stared back at her as his brows furrowed. She wondered why he was looking like that at her.

    Walking closer, Damien took out something from the inside pocket of his coat and he reached his hand out to her. As if by nature, Katherine did not think twice to block his hand and twisted it to defend herself.

    Surprised by her movements, the man''s instincts kicked in and he countered her moves by swiftly grabbing both of her hands before he spun her around that her back ended up pressing against his chest  his arm strongly holding her in ce making her unable to move. "Easy why are you so hostile?" His voice suddenly turned cold.

    Katherine''s breathing hitched at their sudden proximity, he was so close to her that she could feel his breathing on her ear and the warmth of his torso on her back. She gulped and wanted to escape from his grasp but judging by how he turned the tables rather quickly, she knew that he was more skilled than her. "Let go of me," was all that she could say.

    At one moment, she was still hazy but after what the man did to her, she somehow sobered up. She was confused as to why she could not let herself get away from him.

    "Hold still," he told her, and she felt a soft fabric brush against her forehead. She flinched a little when it stung.

    "You have blood on your temple." He handed her his white handkerchief that was now stained with her blood. He let go of her gently and she turned to face him, her eyes full of curiosity as to who this man was.

    Damien Park gazed back at her. Meeting her eyes, he suddenly found some familiarity. He refocused his gaze and remembered, ''Ah... she is the woman I danced with just earlier.''

    He continued to observe the changes in her expression. She seemed to be studying him as well. Her eyes were clear and unwavering yet there was something sad with the way that she looked back at him.

    Katherine''s heart fluttered at how his stare bore into her like electricity that invaded her every sense. The sudden gust of wind snapped her out of her daze and then she heard him speak.

    "Let me take you to the hospital." He was aware that his car had bumped her but the head injury was obviously not from the same incident.

    Composing herself, Katherine put on an indifferent look as if nothing happened. "I''m fine," she insisted and started to walk away.

    "You are clearly not fine, just let me help you."

    She walked past him and bit out, "You don''t have to."

    Katherine hurriedly got inside her Chevy and turned the engine on. She stepped on the gas and left the area, speeding off on the road.

    Tossing the handkerchief onto the passenger''s seat, she reached her hand to her head and removed the wig that she was wearing  her long and soft chestnut hair bounced and flowed over her shoulder.

    Stealing a nce at her rearview mirror, she saw the man watching her drive away until she was no longer in sight.

    "Find out who that woman is andpensate her for what happened tonight," Damien told his assistant as soon as he got inside his car.

    Already used to his boss'' orders, Damien''s assistant could only answer, "Yes, Boss."

 Chapter 6: Everybody Has Secrets

    Chapter 6: Everybody Has Secrets

    Castle

    Inside Chris''s office, Katherine reported about what happened during that night''s mission. She had already changed into her casual clothes  leather jacket, tank top, pants, and boots  all in ck.

    "You did well," Chrisplimented as he walked around his desk to face her.

    "What is in that file? Why did we need to take it?" She asked curiously. The thing was, Katherine could not inquire to anyone else in Shadow because ever since she was trained, she was told not to. But from time to time, she''d ask Chris as he was the only one she could dare to and not others.

    "It''s a ledger for Mr. Cook''s" he waved his hand in the air as if trying to think of a way to say it, "...unauthorized expenses." He chuckled.

    "But he owns thepany... He''s stealing from his ownpany?"

    "We don''t know why people do things," Chris shook his head in resignation.

    "Then why did we prevent Mr. Nang from exposing the truth? CEO Cook is obviously cheating," she questioned.

    "Cook''s empire is an essential bnce in the economy. If he fails, our economy suffers. We don''t want that to happen, do we?"

    "But" Katherine still thought that it wasn''t the right thing to do. Did she just allow a man to continue cheating?

    Chris moved an inch closer and ced his hand on her shoulder like he always did to get her attention, patting it lightly to calm her down. Tilting his head, he smiled lightly and reminded her using his gentle voice, "No more questions."

    She could only nod and let it go.

    "Katherine, my dear, your face..." He grimaced as he stared at the cut on her head. Her skin was soft and milky white, now it''s tainted with a wound. Chris felt bad that she had to go through things like this.

    "I''m already used to it," she responded while lowering her head to avoid looking at his crystal blue eyes that mimicked the ocean.

    The door suddenly opened and in came Parker, the director of Shadow and also one of its founding members. He was in histe forties and acted like the "father" to all the agents in the organization.

    "Oh, I didn''t know that our Queen is here." Parker walked to the center of the room that made Chris lower his hands and ced them in his pockets as he greeted his boss. "Parker."

    "I was just on my way out." Katherine smiled politely before she exited the room. Though she had stayed with them for six years, there were only a handful of people she was really close with. She did not feelfortable around Parker. This old man felt very dark and secretive. Though who didn''t have secrets?

    As soon as Katherine was out of the room, Parker nonchntly walked over to the ss window and watched his agents in their training. "You and Queen are very close." His voice was emotionless but Chris knew him well enough to know what he meant.

    Chris then replied, "I can assure you, I''m just looking out for her. After all"

    "After all You saved her. Isn''t that right, Christopher?" Parker turned to Chris and stered a fake smile. Chris turned away to retrieve something from his table and then handed it over to his boss.

    Taking the sh drive in his hand, Parker patted Chris''s shoulder and walked out of the room. "Good good I can always depend on you," he said, cing the sh drive that Katherine got from her mission that evening inside his pocket. "Very good."

    Later, when Parker had left the Castle quarters, he did not go straight home. Instead, he drove towards a dark area of River Park and looked for someone. "Ah there you are," he muttered when he saw a man in a dark grey coat walking towards him.

    "Mr. Green," the man greeted Parker.

    "Mr. Cook. It''s lovely to see you tonight." Parker shook hands with the other. And while their hands were joined, Parker handed the sh drive discretely.

    "Your men are fast," Mr. Cookplimented.

    "Ah well, they''re very well trained, of course."

    "And my subordinate, Nang?"

    "He''s already taken care of in the hospital. You won''t have to worry about anything. There will be no traces. It will be as if he justvanished into thin air."

    Mr. Cook gave a satisfied smile. He no longer needed to worry about that idiot worker of his. He took out a slim white envelope and gave it to Parker. "As agreed, get the ledger and you will get what you want."

    With a grin on his face, Parker received the envelope. "A pleasure doing business with you."

    "Likewise."

    Parker went back to his car and drove away, whistling that he had his hands on a property that he always wanted. All without ''dirtying his hands'' because in reality, he used his power to make his agents do everything for him.

    For the past years that Katherine worked under Shadow, she hunted, she hurt and she killed people. People whom she believed were enemies of the state or a threat to their nation. And she was okay with it because she believed that she was making the world a better ce.

    And that''s what she needed to believe because that''s what Parker wants his agents to believe in.

    Later that evening, Katherine arrived at her apartment.

    And like usual, the moment she closed the door, she removed her jacket and boots, took off her top, stripped off her pants and left them on the floor. She was then only wearing her bra and panties as she casually strolled in her kitchen, fetching water from the fridge and drinking the whole bottle.

    A faint stomping from the living room caught her attention.

    Her head snapped towards the direction of the sound. She quietly grabbed a chef''s knife from the side, slowly walked into the living room, and then she saw a dark figure standing near the window.

    Without hesitation, Katherine threw the knife towards the figure but to her surprise, the man noticed her right away and dodged. The knife stuck on the wall at the same time that the man had turned to face her. "Woah, hey easy, Katherine, it''s just me."

    She quickly turned on the lights and saw her mentor in her living room. "Chris?"

    Chris was equally surprised when he saw her almost naked across the room. "Umm clothes," he said as he looked away.

    She instantly remembered herself and swiftly took a robe from the bathroom. "What are you doing here? Why didn''t you tell me that you wereing?" She tied the robe securely in ce, trying to forget about the embarrassing incident and had to calm down her rapid heart rate because the man she liked just saw her practically naked.

    "I didn''t n oning here."

    "Okay so why are you here, then?" Then she thought, ''Surely it''s not because you just wanted to see me, right?''

    "Six years ago, I promised you that we will find who was behind your parents'' murder."

    The moment that Katherine heard him, all her senses heightened up. She pressed on and moved closer, "And?"

    "I found a lead and I will give it to you, just like I promised."

    She gasped, her hands flew to cover her mouth in surprise.

    "But this stays between us," he added. "No one can know about this, not Parkerand not even Styles. Do you understand?" Chris handed over a small envelope to which Katherine received excitedly, nodding her head and checking the content with only one name in it.

    Katherine found the lead like a treasure map and was willing to do whatever it would take to get to the bottom of it. No matter what, she was going to find out the truth.

    To her excitement, she threw herself and pounced on Chris which took him by surprise. "Thank you! Thank you so much!" she repeatedly said as she hugged him very tightly.

    Their closeness caused his body to react in ways he did not expect. He stiffened at first, and then he couldn''t help himself but return her embrace. So he wrapped his arms around her small waist and smiled.

 Chapter 7: She Doesnt Exist

    Chapter 7: She Doesn''t Exist

    Katherine''s parents were murdered when she was twelve and after she was saved from the tragedy, she was sent to an orphanage and stayed there for three years. Then Chris came to pick her up and asked her if she wanted to go with him to her new home.

    Katherine was ted to see him at that time which was why she agreed to it. She felt lonely in the orphanage. She was then brought to Shadow''s base and she was happy that she had found a ''home''. Later, she agreed to be trained as an agent but she asked Chris to promise her that he will help her find who killed her parents.

    It took her six years and finally, she was closer to what she had wanted since the beginning  to avenge the untimely death of her family.

    Receiving the news, Katherine was overjoyed. She could not contain her excitement that she unknowingly hugged Chris tightly in her arms. She only snapped out of her daze when she felt the warmth of his arms around her body as he returned her embrace.

    Katherine suddenly became nervous; her heart drummed in her chest as she slowly let herself back down, yet Chris still kept his arms locked around her, refusing to let go.

    He did not know when he started to like her as he was always around her. He watched her grow into who and what she was at present and as their faces drew close, that''s when he saw her eyes. Her eyes looked innocent yet she had already seen how dark the world was. They looked happy yet he knew how sad she would get once she''s all alone.

    His heart yearned for her. He wanted to protect her as much as he could and telling her about the lead just now was his way of protecting her.

    Katherine still had her arms hooked around his neck. She had wanted to lower them but she froze on the spot, especially when Chris looked at her like that.

    She wondered what he saw in her. Is he looking at her the way she was looking at him? But that would be wrong right?

    In their line of work, it''s basically a rule not to fall in love it''s a mortal sin for all the agents. Shadow needed their agents to be in their best condition  clear-headed and do not ask questions. Katherine knew and even witnessed how ruthless Shadow could be. If they find out that someone disobeyed their rules, there will be no questions asked. They would do only one thing  and that was to cancel the agents.

    So whatever they felt they both knew that it''s not going to be possible. However, what did Katherine really want?

    Their foreheads touched and Katherine noticed him leaning forward, tilting his head to the side. She slightly parted her lips and closed her eyes as if she was already anticipating what wasing her way.

    His lips were just an inch away and yet he could not seem to go any further. His heart was saying yes but his mind was telling him otherwise.

    Her breathing hitched as she waited but what she hoped for did not happen. ''What''s wrong?'' she asked in her head.

    It wasn''t until Katherine felt his warm lips on her forehead that she finally opened her eyes. She pushed herself away from him, the hurt was evident in her eyes that she could only lower her head. ''Is there something wrong with me?'' she wondered, unsure why the kiss did not happen. She knew why he did not go for it, yet she was in denial that it was the only reason.

    Chris saw the expression on her face and he, too, was also hurt. He obviously had fallen for her but he couldn''t possibly have her.

    Brushing his thoughts aside, Chris formed a smile on his face and Katherine returned oneone that did not reach her eyes.

    "Thank you...for this... I will make sure to keep it a secret and will make a move on my own," Katherine reassured.

    "It''s not only about keeping this a secret. This is dangerous, Kath. Promise me, if this one is not going to work...promise me that you will stop looking."

    Katherine understood that Chris was just looking out for her and so she nodded. Apart from it being a dangerous matter, Shadow will not tolerate if she was caught privately investigating personal matters.

    "You know I always try my best."

    Chris nodded. "I knowjust...be careful. You know you can call me anytime if something happens."

    "I''ll be careful," she replied.

    "I should get going. You need to rest... I''ll see you tomorrow." Chris patted her shoulder gently before he walked away.

    When Katherine was alone, she slumped on the huge sofa. Shey there, brought her knees up and hugged herself.

    She had never thought that something like that would happen that night. Did it mean that Chris liked her?

    She did not dare assume because if she would know how he felt about her, she was afraid of what she might do.

    If she knew how he felt, she would probably do whatever it takes just so that they could be together. And those thoughts scared her the most.

    Crown Resort Group, Florida

    Thevish room of the Chairman was located at the top floor where a young man in his mid-twenties sat behind a desk with a gold namete on it, typing away on hisputer keyboard. Despite his age, this young man had already proven his worth as the Chairman of Crown Resort Group for almost two years since it was established.

    Damien''s family was wealthy but wanting to get away from their family business, he built his own from scratch and made it flourish.

    Exuding confidence and charisma, twenty-four-year-old Damien Park had the right attitude in handling his business through his sheer determination and passion which was why he didn''t go unnoticed by hispetitors and of course, his admirers as well.

    Fame, power, money and an attractive face and body; which woman wouldn''t want to get involved with a man like him?

    And contrary to most CEOs, Damien was actually approachable... That is, as long as no one touches his bottom line.

    Assistant Markus Lee rushed inside with a tablet in his hand towards his boss''s desk with a serious expression.

    Markus Lee was two years younger than Damien but the two of them knew each other since they were kids. He was average in height and he wore sses yet he looked charming. This young man never had a girlfriend since birth, unlike his boss who was very famous with thedies, he was a workaholic that he never had time for petty things like dating.

    Damien, on the other hand, was used to having women throwing themselves at him from left and right  front and center.

    "Boss" he called Damien when he arrived in front of his huge white desk.

    Without looking up, Damien answered, "Yeah?" He was so immersed with whatever he was working on hisputer that he did not even nce at his assistant.

    "The woman from that night you asked me to look for her?"

    "Mhmm.. Have you found her address yet? Send a check for hospital bills along with aplimentary stay in the Bayside Resort." Damien''s brows knitted, he seemed very troubled. "Damn it!"

    Markus breathed out a sigh, if he did not know any better, he would think that his boss was actually busy with business. Unfortunately, the truth was, Damien Park was doing online gambling and had been at it since morning. Markus could only shake his head  he figured his boss must have lost the round.

    "That may not be possible."

    Noticing his assistant''s hesitation, Damien closed the window on hisputer and turned to Markus. "What''s not possible?"

    "I''ve looked everywhere and cross-checked everything. I even asked Zero''s help for facial recognition but the results showed nothing," Markus exined.

    Zero was a hacker whom they knew. For whatever purpose, they go to Zero for help and he would surely be able to give them whatever information they needed, however, this task made Zero''s head hurt.

    "Nothing?" A bewildered expression appeared on Damien''s face. He rubbed his jaw and knitted his brows as he tried to recall what happened that night.

    "None. It''s as if she doesn''t exist."

    Damien got up from his chair and walked towards the window. With his hands in his pockets, he looked over the beach and the city view before him. He found it very intriguing why the woman did not show up in the results. That night when he met her, was she in disguise? But why would she do that?

    A small smile danced on his lips as he thought of how interesting it was to have met a woman like her. "She has no identity? How fascinating..."

    "Boss?" Markus wasn''t sure what his boss meant. ''What''s so fascinating about it?''

    Without turning around, Damien ordered, "Keep digging. I refuse to believe that someone in this world is a ''<em>nobody</em>''."

 Chapter 8: On Top?

    Chapter 8: On Top?

    Several years ago, Chris took Katherine in and Shadow made her abide by the rules and one of which was to keep everything a secret.

    She must forget what happened in the past and continue living under aliases that Shadow gave her. If ever she still had living rtives, then she could never contact any of them. One of the reasons for this was to keep her safe because if the enemy of her parents knew that she was still alive, then they mighte for her life.

    Katherine treasured the second chance that was given to her so she followed Shadow''s rules and regtions to the T.

    However, she saw hope when Chris came to her that night. Bending a few rules won''t hurt, right?

    ...

    It had been a couple of months since Katherine started secretly investigating her family''s misfortune. But she had beening up short because the name that Chris gave her was a bust. But because she had already worked so hard to get to the bottom of it, she did not want to give up. She must find the person who was responsible for her parents'' death.

    One evening, Katherine was getting ready to attend a social gathering. That night, she expected to find someone whom she thought was a friend of her father. If she finds him, then she might be able to gain more information.

    Katherine scoffed at the card in her hands. "Rich people and their parties."

    Wearing an off-shoulder burgundy evening dress made of satin with a long slit on her left leg, Katherine looked sexy yet unassuming. The colorplimented her silky white skin really well. She brushed up her hair, painted a red color on her lips and she was done. Unlike other women, she didn''t take up too much time getting dressed or dolled up. So in less than fifteen minutes, she was ready to go.

    The party was held at one of the city''s famous resorts  Bayside Resort. Apparently, it was the resort''s second year anniversary and the owner decided to throw avish party inviting a lot of people.

    Just as Katherine stepped out of her car in the parking lot, a hand suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled her to the side. She immediately tried to break away but when she saw the person who held her, she stopped. "Chris, what are you doing here?"

    "I should ask you the same question. What are you doing here, Katherine?" Chris looked at her from head to toe. Even though she wouldn''t answer him, he already knew where she was going. His gaze became fierce though he tried his best to hide it from her.

    He looked especially gorgeous that night wearing a formal suit. Katherine thought that if they would go inside together, they would definitely look amazing. But she didn''t let herself go far ahead.

    Seeing the look on his face, Katherine wasn''t sure why but it felt like she had done something wrong. "I I''m" She felt nervous with the way he looked at her.

    "Are you here because you are still on a chase?" Chris studied her eyes and knew that he was right. For the past few weeks, he had noticed her activities and he began to worry.

    She looked away and retracted her hands from him. "I need to go, Chris."

    "I thought you already stopped that day when you told me you would." Chris'' voice was stern. He was disappointed that Katherine had been doing things behind his back.

    When her first try was not sessful, she had told him that she would stop but her stubborn self just wouldn''t allow her to stop.

    "What you''re doing is dangerous. You''re on your own with no back up. If you end up messing with the wrong people... you will die, Katherine."

    For the first time, Katherine hated him; she didn''t like being doubted. She could feel that she was already near... so why the hell would she stop?

    Fixing her dress, she looked at the entrance of the hotel and said, "You trained me. I''m your best agent, remember? I can take care of myself." She walked out and headed towards the party.

    Getting inside was not a problem for Katherine. When she gained ess, all she had to do was blend in. With champagne in her hand, she walked around slowly as she scanned the entire room, looking for that one person whom she thought was somehow connected to her chase.

    Across the hall, Damien Park was busy entertaining his guests when a woman''s figure caught his attention. For the past months, he had people looking for this woman who appeared to be nobody and was nowhere to be found.

    His interest was piqued. He had seen her face plenty of times from the video footage that they had acquired from that night''s party. So even without her wig, he could recognize her.

    With such sharp eyes, no wonder Damien was sessful in his career because even from afar, he was capable of seeing a sparkling treasure amongst the sea of dirt.

    "Excuse me, gentlemen," he said before he walked towards thedy in a burgundy dress.

    Katherine was busy observing people that she did not even notice a person standing next to her.

    "Enjoying the party?" Damien asked.

    Katherine slowly turned her head towards the handsome man who seemed familiar but she just couldn''t remember where he could have seen him. "Mhmm it''s fine." She said nonchntly, turning her attention back to the crowd.

    His brow slightly knitted. Usually, women would throw themselves at him the moment theyid eyes on him. What was this woman''s problem? He started to question her standards.

    "Do you know anyone from this party?" he casually asked. His interest had been aroused that he couldn''t find out who this woman was and now she suddenly showed up to his party. So exactly how were they connected?

    Without any efforts, Katherine threw the mostmon answer that she would use whenever she was questioned, "Yes, I know the owner," she said, still without looking at Damien.

    The corners of his mouth slowly curled up when he heard her answer. This woman dared to lie to him. ''We know each other?''

    "Huh Is that so?" He bent a little to her side until his head was at the same level as hers. "You two must be very close" His voice was warm and seductive. Even with the background music, it was evidently smooth.

    Katherine was surprised at the sudden nearness that she stiffened.

    He was so close that she felt his breath on her neck.

    He was so close that she could smell his fragrance Ohh how luxurious She inhaled.

    That smell that familiar scent that voice and before she knew it, her mouth had already betrayed her modesty, "You smell very nice."

    The moment that she heard herself, her eyes grew wide. She wanted to smack her lips from how shameless she just said that to a stranger.

    She wasn''t usually that careless. She was a top agent for god''s sake! She was there to observe and not to draw attention to herself but there she was, casually flirting.

    Damien, however, was surprised to hear that from her. She looked aloof and uninterested but she suddenly told him that. What was he supposed to do?

    He was obviously satisfied. "Really? I''m d you like it Miss...?" He waited for her to say her name but all he got was a mysterious smile on her face.

    "When I was young, my parents used to tell me that I should not tell strangers what my name is."

    Damien chuckled, the sound of hisughter made Katherine feel butterflies in her stomach. "Did they also tell you to tell strangers that they smell very nice?"

    Katherine pursed her lips. ''Okay... you got me there.''

    He took a sip from his wine and asked, "Why don''t you tell me what you think of it?"

    "Excuse me?"

    "My perfume I''m curious to know what you think."

    Katherine saw the amusement on his face and she was inclined to humor him. "Alright let''s see I think it''s masculine because of the mint seductive because of the citrus and spicy mixture but it also has its delicate aroma like vani."

    ''Seductive huh?'' Damien was quite impressed with her observation. He thought that her senses were on point. "Hmmm not bad. If you like it, then it must mean that you have great taste."

    "Sure it''s like fruitcake with cinnamon on top." A small seductive smile formed on her face without her even knowing that she''s doing it.

    Damien''s cheek twitched at what he just heard. She''sparing him to a fruitcake?

    From the side, he saw Marcus calling his attention.

    Feeling challenged, Damien moved until he was standing behind her before he leaned slightly to whisper in her ear. With a devilish smile and husky low voice, he said, "Good observation But I''d prefer you to be on top."

    Shameless! Truly Shameless!

    Katherine''s face flushed crimson red. How could this man say something like that to her? Who the hell was he? She turned her head but he was no longer behind her.

    "Enjoy yourself. I will be back real quick." Damien waved his hand as he walked away in an elegant manner.

    Thinking that he finally found her again, he was thrilled and was in a hurry to finish what he needed to do so that he can go back to her. ''You better be there when Ie back.''

 Chapter 9: She Is Dangerous

    Chapter 9: She Is Dangerous

    Katherine fanned herself with her hand, feeling hot and bothered because of that man''s bold move. He was definitely a lookera charismatic gentleman who appeared to be very confident about himself. Then she realized that she didn''t even know his name.

    ''Wait why would I want to know what his name is?'' She rolled her eyes. That wasn''t what she went there for. There were more important matters that she needed to do!

    Clearing her throat, sheposed herself and continued to scan the room. Not long after, she found the person that she was looking for at the other side of the hall. She leisurely walked towards the man and observed his every move.

    Katherine had been very careful ever since she had been tracing leads and that night was no different. Covertly, she did what she needed to do to get some information without being detected. Listening observing and then when the man went out of the hall, she followed.

    Meanwhile, Damien had just finished talking to one of his investors when he turned to look at the side of the room where he met Katherine. His brows knitted instantly when she was nowhere to be found. He was currently at the top of the stairs and was overlooking at the crowd below. His eyes scanned the event hall but there were just too many people.

    He lost her again.

    He lost her and he had not even gotten her name yet.

    "Boss I tried, but she was quick. This woman seems capable of getting in and out without being noticed. One minute she was just there and now she''s gone."

    "Check the footage. See if you can find any clues." Damien casually drank the remnants of his champagne, a slight smile threatened to form on his lips and Markus saw it.

    "If I may ask why are you so interested in her?" Markus couldn''t help but wonder. This woman was probably someone shady so why would his boss try to uncover something hidden?

    ncing at the empty ss in his hand, he ced the flute down and was deep in thoughts.

    Exactly! Why was he so interested in her? It seemed like Damien thought that it had be a fun chase. The more that he came up with nothing, the more that he was eager to know who she was. This game that he created for himself gave him such a thrill and he wasn''t even going to win anything probably only knowing who she was.

    "French fingertips, red lips Sheisdangerous." A devilish smirk appeared on his handsome face as he turned to leave. "I like it."

    "Boss?"

    Markus who was following behind Damien tilted his head to the side when he heard what he said. Why did his words sound so familiar?

    And did he just say ''She is dangerous and he likes it?'' Does his boss have a kink that he didn''t know about?

    And with that, Damien Park was drawn to the woman whose identity was unknown.

    Will he ever see her again?

    One yearter.

    A throbbing headache.

    Katherine''s head was pounding and curses lingered in her mouth. She instantly swore never to drink again. She slowly fluttered her eyes open and saw that she was not in her bedroom.

    Where was she?

    She closed her eyes once more and her face grimaced. She rubbed her forehead as she tried to see where she was one more time.

    When she had fully opened her eyes, that''s when she noticed that there was a man lying next to her.

    Katherine brought her hands up to her mouth to stifle a gasp when she just remembered what had happened to her, seeing that she was naked under the sheets.

    Careful not to wake the man up, she collected her clothes that were on the floor and slowly wore them as she found her way into the bathroom that was located across the bedroom.

    The moment that she closed the door, her heart thrummed in her chest loudly; it was heavy. She did not know why she was feeling that way. Wasn''t she supposed to be happy? After all she had just spent the night with Chris.

    Banging sounds were heard from the main door, bringing Katherine back to the present. She wasn''t sure if she was supposed to go out but soon after, she froze when the main door opened and she heard Parker''s voice from where she hid, scaring her a lot.

    "Can you exin this to me?" Parker threw a load of pictures on the table.

    Chris scanned the images and saw that they were all Katherine''s while she was investigating the death of her parents. This was what he had feared  for Parker to know about her activities.

    "Queen has been going around privately investigating! Alone! I thought you already took care of thatst year! You gave me your word, Christopher!!!" Parker was extremely furious. His eyes were fierce and evil. He was infuriated about what he had just discovered.

    "And I did! I gave her a dud. I made it so that she won''t be able to go anywhere near Operation Scorpion. She told me she was going to stop since she found nothing and agreed on that but she went behind my back." Chris was also feeling unpleasant. He ran a hand on his face and sighed. "I will fix this."

    "She is your f*cking responsibility! I shouldn''t have agreed on your request that day years ago. You better fix this, Christopher or I will have to order her cancetion." Parker left the room angrily, banging the door on his way out.

    "Shit." Chris was truly in a dilemma. How was he supposed to protect Katherine now?

    Just as he was in deep thought, he heard the sound of the door opening from behind him. His eyes went wide when he saw Katherine standing there with tears in her eyes. But her expression didn''t tell him that she was sad. Katherine looked like she was enraged. Like she was ready to kill.

    "Kath I didn''t know you were still here." Chris was shocked. He knew that she had heard everything. "Let me exin." His eyes were full of concern at the same time that he was feeling guilty.

    Katherine strode towards him. Raising her hands, she gave him a hard, resounding p that threw his head to the side. "You lied to me!"

    Her p was painful but the pain was nowhere near what Katherine was feeling at that moment.

    Betrayal.

    "All this time you made me believe that you were helping me? You gave me a false lead just so that I will stop searching? I can''t believe you deliberately" She sighed and brushed her fingers through her hair in frustration. She couldn''t believe that she was yed. "You told me that you didn''t know anything else! So what''s Operation Scorpion? And what did Parker mean? What did you mean?" she yelled. There were so many questions in her head.

    Chris couldn''t look at her in the eyes and could only clench his teeth. How could he tell her something that she shouldn''t know? No matter what it was, she was not going to like it.

    Seeing that he wasn''t answering, she became even pissed. She wanted to hurt him.

    Katherine punched his arm and Chris allowed her to vent her frustration on him as she repeatedly hit him. "Say something! How dare you lie to me?!" She was crying and yelling and hitting him at the same time. "Tell me the truth!!!"

    Chris managed to grab her wrists to stop her. He then pulled her into his embrace and tried to calm her down, stroking her head. "I''m sorry I did everything to protect you."

    "Protect me? You expect me to believe you now?" Katherine scoffed and pushed him away forcefully. She looked at him and felt even more pain in her heart and with trembling lips, she told him, "What happenedst night was a mistake. I think everything is a mistake. Meeting you, joining Shadow" She didn''t know what else to say. She was done.

    Katherine walked past him and left his apartment.

    "Katherine, wait!" Chris called and tried to go after her but she was already gone.

    Several minutester, she arrived at her apartment and the first thing she did was strip.

    She headed towards the bathroom and took a hot shower to calm herself down. Her head was a mess and she needed to do something or she would go insane. She was afraid that there was so much more than what she thought there would be.

    Drying herself with a thick towel, she went to her huge closet and put on some clothes. Whatever the truth was, she needed to find out and she needed to find out stat!

    She needed to know what Operation Scorpion was and the only way to do that was to go to Castle.

    After changing into dark casual clothes, Katherine stared at herself in the mirror. Whatever she was going to find out that day, she was sure that it was going to change her life.

 Chapter 10: Best and Worst Decision

    Chapter 10: Best and Worst Decision

    Arriving at Shadow''s base, Katherine kept her usual attitude when she got inside despite her troubled heart. She went directly to her own bedroom which was on the west wing of the base  every agent in Shadow had their own quarters even though they have their own ces outside the base after they be full-fledged agents so going to her own room was not out of the ordinary.

    When she entered her room, she locked the door, opened the ceiling vent and pulled herself up gracefully like she had done it plenty of times in the past.

    Crawling her way through the small space, she pushed herself forward until she reached a certain office which was on the opposite wing. Reaching her destination, she stopped and peeked through the hole to make sure no one was there before she pushed the vent cover and climbed out of it. She was now in Parker''s office.

    "Sh*t." A curse escaped her mouth when her arm got scraped as she tried to get out.

    Deciding to get into Parker''s office was very dangerous for her but she had to do it because she was sure to get the information that she needed from hisputer. It was impossible for her to do so in Chris'' office because it had ss walls and the agents on the training ground would definitely see anyone who came inside his office.

    "Alright, let''s see what you''re hiding in here, Parker." Katherine sat on his chair and started typing on his keyboard.

    Every agent was taught a certain level of hacking, therefore, getting into Parker''s security was not going to be a challenge  or so she thought.

    Except, she did not know that to gain ess into the confidential files on hisputer just like Operation Scorpion, there was another security measure: Parker''s blood. Her eyes darted to the side and saw that there was a small device beside theputer that had a tiny needle poking out of it.

    "Son of a-" Katherine scoffed. "You sure are very meticulous." Resigning, she didn''t have a choice but to leave. Hearing footsteps and noises from outside the door, she hurriedly climbed in the vent again and was able to close it just in time when Parker and Styles came in the office.

    Katherine heard them talking about the next missions and how they were going to go about it. Hearing Styles''s voice, an idea suddenly hit her.

    ''Time for n B,'' she thought.

    She crawled once again until she reached her bedroom. Fixing her things like nothing happened, Katherine put on her normal-looking face before walking back to the hall and headed towards the IT station.

    Entering the room, Katherine saw that there were only a couple of people inside. One IT guy looked at her as if questioning her presence inside their domain. She shed him a friendly and flirty smile and ced her delicate hand on his shoulder, subtly running her finger on his nape like it was unintentional. "Don''t mind me, sweetheart. I''m just here to do some research." She winked at the already blushing IT guy, making him go red even more.

    Katherine was doing it so casually that she seemed so natural but the poor IT guy almost bled his nose and peed his pants because a really beautiful agent with the softest fingers just touched his neck.

    He didn''t say anything and just faced hisputer, trying to avoid Katherine''s sticky gaze while she sat down at Styles''s table very slowly.

    As soon as her face was covered by the monitor, Katherine''s serious look reced the slutty one. Her expression changed in a split second and no one even noticed it. With quick fingers, she was able to get into her personal mission.

    Her fingers danced across the keyboard like she was very used to what she was doing and in a matter of seconds, she had already hacked into Chris''sputer remotely from Styles''s desk. Because of her close rtionship with Styles, he gave her free ess to hisputer. Chris wasn''t in his office at the moment so she had the chance. Using Chris''s login credentials, which she secretly got a couple of years ago, she was able to ess the file that she wanted. Unlike Parker who had more secrets, Chris didn''t have that friggin'' blood security measure.

    Without reading the file that she wanted to see, Katherine copied it to her sh drive. She had just closed the windows from Chris''s drive when she saw a bunch of the agents'' folders in Styles''s hard drive including her name. Her brows furrowed when she opened it and saw hundreds of files inside. She wanted to read them right there but she didn''t have any more time so she quickly copied those instead.

    "What are you doing in here, my Queen?" Styles appeared in front of her when she had only managed to close everything that she opened.

    Smiling like nothing happened, Katherine casually flipped her hair and acted nonchntly as she stood up. "Nothing much, I just did a research about my next mission. Are you heading home already?" She changed the subject smoothly.

    Styles didn''t notice anything unusual from her so his response was also just like usual. "Not yet, I need to finish up some things first."

    "Okay, well... I have to go. I need to doundry." She rolled her eyes like it was annoying for her to do the chore. She patted Styles on the head before she finally headed out of the base.

    ...

    Katherine''s Apartment

    Katherine was in her living room, painstakingly going over the file in herputer. She had just discovered the most heartbreaking thing after opening the Operation Scorpion document.

    She could not fathom how that person could do that to her parents. Her parents were the most kindest people in their city yet they were killed cold blooded because of that wretched human being.

    Katherine then swore to avenge her parents'' death no matter who they were and no matter who was in her wayshe will persevere.

    But she did not stop there as she opened the other files that she found on Styles''s drive and learned the disgusting and painfully distressing truth. Every file she opened was like digging her own grave in the darkest soil. It felt like she had reached hell after knowing everything, causing her to rush to the toilet and puke her guts out.

    She was horrified and repulsed.

    Katherine felt like she wouldn''t be able to recover from the shock that she just experienced. Tears streamed down her face as her heart continuously broke into pieces as if that was possible to happen over and over again. The more she walked, the heavier she felt.

    Unknowingly, she had already reached herrge walk-in closet.

    Seeing everything that Shadow gave her for her missions like the clothes and essories, she felt sick.

    "All those people All those people died" Katherine copsed on the floor as she let out a sorrowful scream.

    Katherine had just found out that among the people whom she had killed before, there were actually innocent lives who died in her hands because of the lies that Parker fed her. All the missions that were direct orders from Parker were actually "assassination missions". She was ordered to kill with no questions after telling her that this and that man did horrible things when the truth was, some of them were just innocent enemies of vile politicians or wealthy people.

    Because she did not doubt Shadow before, she believed that everyone she killed or every mission that Parker ordered was for the good of the country.

    Katherine had just discovered that she was not actually raised by Shadow just to be a secret agent but rather she was trained to be an assassin.

    She was broken.

    After some time, Katherine''s tears had stopped flowing however, she was still enraged. Getting up from the floor, she pressed a button on the table and the center shelves in her closet opened, revealing her equipped armory.

    She scanned the rows of weapons before picking out a few things. "You raised me to be an assassin. How could I ever disappoint you?"

    ...

    Riding her Ducati, Katherine arrived at Shadow''s base in just a few minutes. She entered it as per usual and went to some specific locations of each wing, secretly stashing something on inconspicuous ces.

    Katherine had just made the best and the worst decision in her life. She was already going to hell anyway... so why not go with a st? Literally. To hell with Parker and his Shadow. She knew what she was doing was probably not the best idea there was but because of her hatred and extreme rage against Shadow, she no longer cared.

    "Tonight, I will show you Queen''s wrath. You must be proud."

    Meanwhile, Chris had just discovered something on hisputer screen when he sat in his office chair. Looking at the notification, his eyes went fierce and his jaw clenched.

    In the IT station, Styles received a text message from Katherine in which he quickly responded.

    Queen: [ You home yet? Wanna grab dinner? ]

    Styles: [ Soon. 5m and I''m out. See you. ]

    About five minutester, Chris entered the IT station with a murderous aura. When he found Styles, he angrily walked towards him and without second thoughts, he grabbed his cor and dragged him out of the station until they reached an area where there were no other people.

    "Hey! What''s going on? Where are you taking me, goddamit!"

    Chris pushed Styles against the wall and almost choked him with his hand. "Why the f*ck did you hack into myputer? Do you have a death wish?"

    "What are you talking about? Why would I do that?"

    "Then if it wasn''t you, why would I have a notification that it came from yourputer? Huh?!" He pushed harshly again and Styles winced in pain.

    "It wasn''t me! I swear!" Styles denied until his voice trailed off. "Katherine"

    "What?"

    "Katherine was at my desk when I arrived."

    Chris'' face went pale and the two of them headed back right away but before reaching the main lobby, they saw Katherine leaving through the exit.

    "Katherine!" Styles called out making her snap her head to his direction. Her eyes went wide as she yelled out, "What are you still doing here?!"

    Before Styles and Chris could even say anything else, an extremely loud and groundbreaking disturbance cracked through the entire base.

    And just like that, Shadow''s base blew up.

 Chapter 11: The Awakening

    Chapter 11: The Awakening

    She once thought that the world was so nice and colorful; that those who were kind were spared and those who were evil were punished. But howe her parents were killed?

    Katherine Young was the daughter of Mason and Natalie Young, and heir of Young Corporation. Her grandfather built their empire from scratch and had passed on the legacy to her father Mason. Growing up with very loving parents, she was modest, warm-hearted, and yful.

    But the image of that loving family died when she was twelve. She was young then but her eyes had already seen how bleak the world was.

    For her, it seemed that the only way to survive and to avenge her parents'' death was to live and be trained in Shadow.

    She was once an innocent child who was groomed to be an assassin and she didn''t even know.

    That was her life.

    At least that was before she blew up Shadow''s base.

    "You get to save the world. You''ll be doing this for the good of the country," they said.

    Lies.

    Spring Grove Hospital  Harbor City, Esmea

    Muffled background noises.

    Beeping sounds.

    Her eyes moved under her closed lids, seemingly trying to be attentive as to what was going on around her but none of it made sense. She tried to open them but she couldn''t.

    Everything remained ck like she was looking into a dark bottomless pit.

    ''What''s going on?'' she wondered.

    Feeling that something was not right, she tried to move at the same time that she tried opening her eyes, still she couldn''t.

    "Miss?" She heard someone say but she could not make out who it was.

    It took her a long while before she was finally able to open her eyes, blinking a few times until she was able to adjust to the light as it was the first time in a long time that she saw brightness again.

    "Oh my god, you''re awake," someone said. "Doctor! She''s awake!"

    She scanned the room and wondered where she was when all she saw was white. Looking down at her body, she was lying on a bed with a tube connected to her arm. She wanted to take it off but it felt like moving even just a little was tiresome. "Who''s there?" she groggily asked but her throat was so dry, her voice sounded hoarse.

    A man came in and stood by her bed to check her vital signs. "Hello. Can you hear me? My name is Dr. Keith ke. You were in an ident how are you feeling?"

    "Nggh" she groaned.

    The nurse gave her some water and assisted her to sit on the bed in afortable position.

    "You''re in Spring Grove Hospital. Do you remember what happened?" the doctor continued to probe.

    She stared at Dr. ke and noticed his oddly smooth skin, but she was still feeling weird that she averted her gaze and looked around as she tried to focus but her mind was nk. Shaking her head, she answered, "I...don''t remember."

    "What''s your name?" Dr. ke asked patiently, observing the way the woman in bed was reacting to his questions.

    Turning her head towards him, she suddenly found his question surprising. "My name?"

    "Yes, what''s your name?"

    Lowering her gaze, she tried to remember but nothing came up. She squinted her eyes as if doing that would help her remember, however, there was really nothing. "I I don''t know."

    Her brows knitted in confusion and frustration because she couldn''t think of anything; it was as though her mind was swept clean.

    Seeing her expression, Dr. ke thought that she must be overwhelmed and disoriented because she had just woken up so he helped her. "Your name is Katherine Miller. Do you remember?"

    "Katherine Miller" she mouthed, trying to familiarize herself with the strange name. However it felt like it did not totally belong to her.

    "You have been in aa for four months..." Dr. ke told her about her car ident that happened four months ago as well as some things rted to her health.

    Before that day, she had already woken up a few times but fell unconscious shortly after. Yet Katherine did not have any recollection of those times. This was the first time that she was responsive.

    The doctor left her room so that she could rest. She felt very strange after waking up and the feeling lingered even while she looked at the things in her hands. They said it was in her purse when she was brought to the hospital.

    Inside the small bag, she found a wallet with a few cash inside and an ID with her picture and ''Katherine Miller'' was written on it.

    Feeling stressed, she ced it on the bedside table and stared outside the window. There was a beautiful view outside. Even though it was a hospital, there were lots of green grass, trees, and flowers. Looking at the smiling patients with their families outside, she wondered if she had one too.

    Katherine was all alone when she woke up and it had been half a day since, yet no one came to see her. Did it mean that she had no family?

    ...

    Five yearster.

    Outside a convenience store, a woman sat on the bench with her legs up. She hugged them as she stared at the bill in her hand.

    "Kath!" Emma Chang approached and called her best friend who was in a daze again. "Hey" She poked Katherine''s cheeks.

    The corners of Katherine''s mouth curled downwards. "I can hear you."

    "Then why aren''t you answering?" Emma sat down next to her. "Did you remember something?" She tilted her head, curious if that was why her friend was in deep thoughts.

    "No." Katherine shook her head. After five years, she still had no memories of her past before she woke up in the hospital, rather, before the ident that the doctor told her.

    Turning to Emma, her expression looked very worried. "Ems this is the only money I have left." She shook the fifty dor bill in her hand. "How am I going to survive with only this until the end of the month?"

    "Are you just going to give up?" Emma''s brows scrunched up.

    With a heavy sigh, Katherine slumped her shoulders and she fell onto Emma''sp. Sheid while looking up at the starry sky and pictured the face of one man whom she thought was a friend but ran away with her money a couple of months ago. She raised her hands and wrapped them around that man''s image, squeezing it with so much frustration. "Ugh!!! I swear, if I see Steven"

    "You will poke his eyes until it bleeds and squeeze the life out of him." Emma finished her sentence for her. "Yeah yeah I know that already. I heard you like a hundred times."

    Katherine darted her gaze to her best friend, annoyed that she pointed that out. "Oh believe it! I will do it!" She reassured but Emma justughed at her words.

    "How are you gonna do that? He''s already gone far away. I doubt that he will evere back. Who would dare after what he did?"

    Emma''s response made Katherine even more annoyed. Her money flew away with that bastard.

    "Look, there''s nothing you can do now. So instead of sulking, move on. Just treat this as a lesson learned."

    "Fine." Katherine got up and looked at the time on her broken watch. "I need to hit the sack. I still have work tomorrow. I could already feel Mr. Sun''s re if I show upte again. Bye Ems!" She waved before heading towards her apartment several meters away.

    Emma could only shake her head at the sight. Her friend had always been like this since the day she met her five years ago. She had already gotten used to it but Katherine''s tardiness was almost always the reason for her to lose her previous jobs that is if she hadn''t been fired from not doing her job well.

    She had always wondered what happened to her friend but even Katherine did not know the answer. The way Emma looked at Katherine, she could see that she was not suited in the neighborhood where they lived in and the lifestyle that she had. Herplexion, her looks, even her bodynguage appeared like she was from an affluent family.

    But she did not have any skills. Because she could not remember anything from before her ident, the only source of money that she could have were from part-time jobs.

    Inside the small shabby apartment, Katherine closed her eyes and forced herself to sleep but her thoughts were still running around like a headless chickens. She felt too irritated to rest because her rent was already dyed and the money she had left was not enough tost her for the whole week.

    pping her cheeks in an attempt to clear her thoughts, Katherine became resolute. "You can do this, Kath!"

    In the end, Katherine ended up falling asleep only after midnight.

 Chapter 12: Misfortunes

    Chapter 12: Misfortunes

    Katherine yawned as she woke up from her sleep, wondering why she didn''t hear her rm clock. Lazily getting out of bed, she walked towards the bathroom to do her morning routine. When she was done, she nced at the clock and realized that it had stopped moving. She rushed to check her phone and her eyes widened when she saw that she only had thirty minutes left until her shift started.

    "Crap! I''mte!!!" She quickly changed clothes, wore shoes, and walked out of her messy apartment without even having any breakfast.

    She ran to the bus stop, thankful that she was able to catch a ride. She was alreadyte since it takes thirty minutes to get there but there was nothing that she could do.

    It was more or less like a routine for Katherine everyday. Waking up, catching the bus, going to morning job, quickly eating lunch, going to afternoon ''til evening job, and then go home.

    After getting discharged from the hospital five years ago, Katherine followed the address that was on her ID card which led her to her current apartment. On the day that she arrived, that''s when she met Emma who lived nearby and became her best friend soon after.

    Her apartment was small and was just enough for one person yet everything that she found inside felt very foreign to her  like she was not attached to any of those things. She asked Emma back then but thetter told her that it was the first time they metthe day Katherine came to her apartment. The neighbors said that someone moved in around the time of the ident but they didn''t get to meet her.

    During her adjustment period, Katherine discovered some documents like her biodata, transcript of records, and other things. She found out that she was an orphan and had a degree in Business Management through a schrship. But after discovering all that, she thought it was useless because she didn''t have a recollection of her past. It also did not help that the money she found in her possession onlysted for a couple of months.

    From then on, she had decided to study her degree again so that she could find a better job. So she worked day and night to get by.

    Because of her situation, she had taken all sorts of jobs left and right but she had been unlucky and was not able to keep and find a stable one. There were a couple of times when her employers would recognize her hard work and nned to give her a better position but even before that happens, she would get fired. She wondered if the gods hated her and wanted her to stay in poverty.

    Katherine thought that it was just how life was.

    She had saved up some money and was thinking of ways on how to improve her life when one friend whose name was Steven contacted her in the middle of the night to borrow some money for his mother''s hospital bills.

    She had known Steven for about a year and knew that he was actually someone who was generous to let other people borrow money too. Even Katherine had borrowed from him several times and he did not even ask any questions. And since her friend was in need, she had let him borrow even if it was more than half of her savings and was told that he was going to pay a week after that.

    But the bastard ran away and never came back. Katherine then found out that he lied about the family emergency and was actually in trouble from a loan shark. He went AWOL and was never heard from again.

    Katherine was so pissed that she trusted the person. She cursed him plenty of times and was still mad about it every time she remembered.

    ..

    Arriving at her station, Katherine got off the bus, dashed towards the supermarket, and entered the employee''s entrance. As soon as she did, she halted when she saw her boss waiting for her with a furious look on his face. "You''rete again!"

    She stopped just in front of him and repeatedly bowed her head to apologize. "I''m so sorry, Mr. Sun, it won''t happen again."

    "You said that a hundred times already! I can no longer tolerate this behavior of yours. You are fired! Go to HR and collect your pay. Don''te back anymore!" Mr. Sun closed the door on her face.

    Katherine flinched but right after, she stuck her tongue out in frustration. However, the corners of her mouth curled downwards immediately. Now what?

    After taking herst pay from HR which was not enough tost for the rest of the month, she slumped her shoulders as she turned around and walked towards the nearby bus station. She sat there with a very disinterested look on her face until her phone beeped.

    She received a text message saying that she had to pay her rent that was already dyed for two months or else she had to leave and live on the streets.

    Katherine wanted to shout in frustration and she actually did. "Aaaaaaaah!!!" The people around her moved away, afraid that she had gone crazy.

    Feeling deste, she went back home.

    Later that afternoon, she stayed outside of the convenience store where she and her friends usually hung out and satzily with a chocte drink in her hand. She stared into space. If only she had a better life, she would not have these problems.

    "Katherine," a man''s voice called from the side, making her look up. "Oh hey, Adam," she greeted.

    "What are you doing out here? Aren''t you supposed to be working at this hour?" He asked as he sat beside her.

    Adam Lee was also Katherine''s friend who lived in the same neighborhood. He had an average height, ck hair, and a sharp nose. He was kind of cute, even Emma had a crush on him.

    "Yeah I got fired." She pouted her lips.

    Adam thought she looked so adorable acting like that but his brows knitted when he heard her news. "Again? Hmmm Don''t worry, I''ll help you look for another job."

    Running footsteps sounded from the side and the two of them gazed up to see Emma running towards them. "Kathy!!! Guess what! Guess what!?"

    "What? What is it?" Katherine became excited when she saw her friend looking so ecstatic.

    Emma took the chocte drink from Katherine''s hand, bending forward as she panted from all the running that she did, and then sipped the drink. Katherine''s mouth twitched when she saw her drink taken away from her.

    "Hey! I wasn''t finished with that!" sheined. Her face scrunched up when her best friend sucked her drink dry. She no longer had extra money to buy another one, making her even sadder. ''Goodbye choco.''

    "I''ll get you another one, Kath." Adam shook his head at Emma before heading inside the store.

    When Emma was finally able to calm down, "Kath! I found you a job! You are not going to believe it! The pay is so huge and you don''t have a lot of things to do! You even get to travel!"

    Katherine shot up from her seat and her eyes sparkled in excitement, "Really?! You''re not ying me, are you?"

    "Of course not! But you still need to submit your application and be called for an interview but I''m very sure that with your skills, you will snag that job!!!"

    "Why are you so confident about my skills?" Katherine wondered and was feeling doubtful that she could have a decent job.

    "You have a degree in Business Management, right? So this is perfect for you!"

    "But I don''t have any idea what to do with it, Emma. You know I don''t remember anything." She went back to being dispirited.

    "But you self-studied for years. At least you have some idea!"

    Katherine''s curiosity and Emma''s excitement got the best of her. "How much does it pay?"

    "I don''t know the details yet but it''s probably five times more than how much you''re earning right now!"

    Katherine gasped, her heart thrummed in her chest. "No way!"

    Emma nodded her head dramatically.

    Thinking that there was no harm in trying, she convinced herself that if she gets this job, her life would definitely change.

    Katherine pursed her lips, a new determination brewing inside of her and she was already feeling excited. Fixing her sses that were sitting on her nose, she formed her hands into fists and brought them up in front of her. "I can do this!"

    And with that, Katherine started to prepare for her job application.

 Chapter 13: You Need to Get Laid

    Chapter 13: You Need to Get Laid

    Katherine was fortunate that she was called for an interview. She did a research on thepany and was impressed that even though it only started about eight years ago,pared to itspetitors, it was flourishing.

    *Crown Resort Group, Harbor City.*

    When she arrived at the building, she was thoroughly impressed by the interior design. From the walls to the furniture used, it screamed luxury andfort. It was as if she had walked into arge spa because of the soothing music that filled the air and even the smell of the lobby was quite rxing.

    A graceful smile formed on her face as she walked towards the information booth.

    "Excuse me? I''m here for an interview." She said to the receptionist where she was greeted with a smile. In the TV dramas that she had often watched, she was used to seeing receptionists with a bad attitude and would look down on women like her. But thedy from the reception area was very weing and polite.

    "This way, please." The receptionist gave her a pass and led her towards the elevator. After pressing a button on the elevator, the receptionist stayed outside and smiled at her again. "Good luck."

    Because of the very nice atmosphere and personnel in the building, Katherine''s morale was boosted. She was first feeling nervous, but that feeling was soon reced with excitement. Soon, the doors of the elevator opened and with a huge smile on her face, she stepped out and followed the signs that led her to a hallway.

    The smile on her face was immediately wiped off when she saw ten other applicants were waiting outside the interview room.

    ''Of course, there will bepetition! That''s a huge monthly sry!'' She told herself as she sat down and behaved while she waited.

    She was thest one to be called and so she had to wait for almost two hours until it was her turn. But because of the long wait, Katherine fell asleep on the bench. She really had to hand it to them, even the bench wasfortable enough to sleep on.

    "Miss? Miss?" A staff patted her lightly on the shoulder.

    Startled, Katherine wiped the drool on the side of her mouth as she quickly fixed her clothes andposed herself before she entered the interview room.

    The interview did notst for a long time. She was there for only about ten minutes or so then was told to wait for a phone call regarding the results.

    Not knowing what she was going to expect, Katherine began to feel nervous. She had no choice but to wait for the news.

    ...

    At the convenience store where Katherine worked from afternoon until evening, she stared at her phone while anxiously waiting for "the" phone call. The interview only happened yesterday morning but she was already looking forward to the result.

    Staring nkly at her phone, she bit her nail and was in agony for the long wait. She was so preupied that she did not even notice the tall gentleman who came forward to the counter, waiting for her to punch in his purchase.

    Noticing that the cashier was not paying attention to her surroundings, the man leaned forward and peeked over her phone screen but found nothing. "Are you waiting for something important?" He asked with a smooth and gentle voice.

    Absentmindedly, Katherine nodded her head while still staring at her phone.

    The man ced the can of cold coffee aside and set his elbow down so that he was casually leaning as if he was doing likewise: waiting and staring at her phone. "What are you waiting for?"

    "News from the job interview that I had yesterday. Darn it. What''s taking it so long?" Katherine clicked her tongue and threw her phone lightly on the counter, evidently frustrated by theck of news. "They could just say I didn''t make the cut or something. Why do they have to make applicants wait this long?!"

    "Whichpany did you apply for?" The man asked, opening the can of coffee that was still unpaid for.

    "Crown Resort Group." She heavily sighed.

    Taking a sip from his coffee, he stared and observed the interesting woman. "Yeah, bigpanies do usually take a long time to reply."

    "Mhmm." She hummed and casually turned her gaze towards the man who was talking to her. She instantly straightened up when she saw that it was a customer. Scratch that, he was a handsome customer. "I''m so sorry, sir. I I didn''t notice that you were a customer." She bowed her head and bit her lip, afraid that she was going to get in trouble again for her blunder.

    The man stood ramrod straight, a charming smile lingered on his lips. He was wearing a dark grey business suit with a scarf on his neck. He looked very posh yet did not look out of ce inside the convenience store. "Don''t worry about it. You did no harm." He said kindly, cing the coffee can on the counter and taking out his wallet. "How much is the coffee?"

    Feeling guilty, Katherine raised her hand and patted her chest, "I-I-I''ll pay for it."

    The man''s hand stopped and he looked at her, raising his brow in question, "Huh?"

    "I''ll pay for your coffee, sir," Katherine said as she quickly ced a bill on the registry, punching the purchase.

    "You don''t have to-"

    "I already did. I''m sorry again, please take this as my apology." She said, bowing her head once more.

    Surprised, the man held his wallet back and retrieved the coffee from the counter. "You really didn''t have to, but thanks. I''ll return the favor one day." He shed another fetching smile before turning around.

    He was about to exit the store when he turned back a little. "Good luck with that job. I hope you get it." He said before he disappeared into the street.

    Katherine raised her head and tried to peek but she could no longer see him. She smiled when she remembered what he said, feeling good that a handsome gentleman just wished her good luck. Whoever he was, she hoped that he was an angel and that his words were going to give her good fortune.

    "Why are you standing there and being idle?! Go and arrange the snack aisle!" Her manager Ruby who did nothing but always scold her for every little thing, ordered her with an ugly sneer.

    Katherine thought that this woman was such a pain in the butt. If only she had any other choice, she would have already quit. She swore she was going to walk out of this ce in style and Ruby can kiss her ass goodbye.

    With an obvious fake smile stered on her face which made Ruby even more irritated, Katherine walked to the snack aisle to start organizing and put new stocks on the shelves.

    It was almost five in the afternoon when she received a phone call from an unknown number. With a box of beer in her hand, she bnced it on her left and took out her phone from her jeans pocket. "Hello?" She answered, cing her phone in between her ear and her shoulder as she multitasked.

    "Yes."

    "Okay"

    Katherine''s eyes widened. The phone call ended quickly and she received a text message that confirmed the call just happened. She had just received the news that she was epted at Crown Resort Group.

    "Aaaaaaahhh!!!" She squealed at the top of her lungs. Letting go of the box of beer in her hand, it sttered across the floor  liquid flooded the aisle but Katherine was too excited to even care.

    Ruby saw what happened and her nose almost emitted out smoke because of anger. "What the hell did you do, you idiot!"

    That was when Katherine snapped out of her trance and noticed the mess that she made.

    "You!!!" Ruby red, her finger pointing at Katherine''s face. "You clean up this mess and you are fired!!"

    Raising a brow, Katherine let out a mockingugh. She thought that Ruby was so amusing. "Oh no, you can''t fire me, Ruby because I quit!"

    Shocked, Ruby could only gasp, her mouth formed into an O. She could not believe the nerve of this woman. "What did you just say?"

    "This" Katherine dramatically waved her hand on the mess that she made. "You can clean this yourself. I have had enough of your bullsh*t. If you have problems with your love life, don''t take it out on me. You need to getid, woman. Your hormones are everywhere."

    Ruby almost choked hearing what Katherine just said. She was speechless as she watched Katherine walk past her and took some money from the cash register.

    Katherine counted the money in her hand and nodded that she had taken the right amount for her weekly sry.

    Waving the cash in the air, she said, "This is my pay for this week. Goodbye!" Katherine hastily grabbed her bag and walked out of the store with her head held high.

    As soon she was out of the store, she found the nearest corner and held her face. "What have I done?"

    She ced her hand on her chest, feeling the drumming of her heart and patted it as if she was calming it down. "How brave of you."

    A bright smile etched on her face and she was again feeling very excited fornding on the position that she applied for.

    Seems like her life was looking very positive from here on out.

 Chapter 14: How Dare You Show up in Front of Me Five Years Late?

    Chapter 14: How Dare You Show up in Front of Me Five Years Late?

    "Hi, I was told toe here. My name''s Katherine Miller," she spoke to the woman who sat at the front desk in the HR department.

    "Hello, Ms. Miller. Please have a seat." She extended her right arm and shook hands with Katherine. "My name is Andrea Johnson and I''ll be assisting you with your onboarding process. Here is your contract and here is a pen. You can go over it and sign when you''re ready. I''ll have to get some files but I''ll be back right away. Take your time." She said before heading out towards the room on the right.

    "Oh okay." Katherine was impressed that everyone seemed to be courtly no matter what job position they have. She started skimming through the contract and her eyes almost popped when she saw her monthly sry. "Oh, my lord." She covered her mouth, butterflies in her stomach started roaming around. It was five times her monthly ie with two of her previous jobsbined.

    It was not even two minutes yet when Andrea came back. "Are you done? Do you have any concerns?" She asked as she sat down on her chair.

    Katherine''s smile was so bright, she didn''t know what other concerns she had in mind. Why would she have any concerns in the first ce?

    "Is there a problem with thepensation? Is it too small? You will still be on a probationary period for the months stated in the contract but after that, there will be an adjustment on your sry. If you-"

    "No no there''s no problem at all. Hehe" Afraid that the sweet offer would slip out of her hands, she immediately signed the contract. Hearing herst sentence, she swallowed. Her monthly ie will still increase? How much do people earn in thispany?

    Smiling, Andrea stood up from her chair and offered her hand in which Katherine dly epted. "Then wee aboard, Ms. Miller."

    Andrea then brought Katherine around the office, introducing her to some staff and telling her about the different departments on each floor. Katherine thought that Andrea was being very thorough for her and she was delighted.

    "Will I meet the boss this morning?" She asked curiously as they stepped inside the elevator.

    Looking at the time on her watch, Andrea bit her lip and pressed a button on the control and swiped a keycard. "Mhmm I''m not sure if the CEO is here already. I think he has a meeting early in the morning."

    ''Why I wouldn''t dare to meet the CEO.'' Katherine''s brows furrowed. "CEO? Oh no, I meant my immediate boss, the marketing director?"

    It was Andrea''s turn to knit her brows. "Marketing director?"

    "Umm yeah? I''m in the marketing department as the director''s secretary, right?" Katherine was utterly confused.

    "Dear, I thought that you have thoroughly read the contract? There''s only one big boss here, the Chief Executive Officer, the owner of Crown Resort Group and you''re his new secretary."

    The elevator doors to the top floor opened with a ding. Andrea stepped out and Katherine froze, her eyes widened and her breathing hitched. Did she hear Andrea correctly? There must be some mistake!

    "Follow me, chop-chop," said Andrea, snapping Katherine out of her shocked state.

    Walking into the top floor, there was only one long desk on the hallway that was next to an oversized door.

    Katherine followed behind Andrea, her mind was still out of sorts. ''Was that why her monthly sry was sky-high? No wonder! She was perplexed why Andrea was quite keen on telling her almost every minuscule detail about thepany''s departments when all the while she thought that she was simply the marketing director''s secretary. She didn''t know whether she was supposed to be happy about it or be nervous.

    What does she know about being the big boss'' secretary?

    "This is Ms. Natasha Saunders, the current secretary. She''ll be leaving in a few days and you''ll be recing her post." Andrea spoke without reservation, pointing at the tall blonde female behind the desk. Natasha sneered at her, obviously bitter that she was asked to leave thepany.

    "Hi, I''m Katherine Miller," she introduced herself as she extended her hand but Natasha only rolled her eyes at her.

    ''Okay so there was at least one rude person in this building.''

    The private elevator doors opened and footsteps echoed in the hallway. Andrea immediately turned around and bowed respectfully. "Good morning, President Park."

    Noticing Natasha and Andrea''s actions, Katherine turned to see two men invish business suits nearing towards them. She got startled and bowed just like Andrea but she did not say anything.

    Damien Park''s sharp eye noticed the neer''s features while he was walking halfway. He stopped in his tracks and scrutinized her before his feet brought him forward until he was directly in front of Katherine.

    Katherine''s eyes widened seeing a man''s shoes almost below her whilst she bent her body to bow. ''Why is he standing there? Did I make a mistake? Am I going to get fired on the first day?'' She could feel her muscles tighten, afraid of what was happening as she did not understand.

    "President, this is Ms. Miller, she will be your new secretary." Andrea gestured as she introduced Katherine.

    Curious, she slowly lifted her head to take a look at the man who stopped in front of her. When she met his eyes, she gulped. He had an expressionless face but those eyes those were some fierce-looking eyes. ''Why. why is he looking at me like that?''

    Without saying a word, the man''srge hand grabbed Katherine''s wrist and dragged her to his office. "Aaah!" she yelped in surprise, her feet struggling to keep up with his long strides.

    The moment that they reached inside his office, he mmed the door shut with his foot, the rest of the people in the hall were left speechless. ''What just happened?''

    Damien Park pushed Katherine against the wall. He held her hand firmly beside her head while his other hand rested on the side of her face, trapping her in a corner as he towered over her. "What are you doing? Let go of me!" She bit out.

    With a smirk on his devilishly handsome face, he stared into her clear eyes as if he was challenging her. "How dare you show up in front of me five yearste?"

    Surprised by the forceful antics of the man in front of her, Katherine furrowed her brows as she blurted, "Mister, whoever you are, let me go!"

    Damien''s brow twitched upon hearing her response. "What? ''Whoever'' I am?" He scoffed. "Kitten, you better not think that you can get away with feigning ignorance. After disappearing that night, I thought you would already be on the other side of the world. Is being my secretary another one of your lies? Laughable."

    "I don''t understand what you''re talking about, sir! Please let me go!" Katherine tried to break away from him but his strong grasp kept her in ce.

    "You sure have many faces, Katherine. If you wanted me to let go then why did you throw yourself at me back then, huh? Or were you just acting?" His body was so close to her that she could feel the heat that was emanating from him.

    Katherine was even more confused. It was the first time that she saw that man but why does he say it like he knew her back then?

    "This is sexual harassment! If you don''t let me go this instant, I will scream!" She threw a fierce gaze at him. His grasp wasn''t painful but it was enough to keep her from moving.

    Feeling annoyed, a chuckle escaped from Damien, making Katherine swallow. Hisugh sent shock waves to her body, making her feel like her insides were melting. "No matter how much you shout in here, Katherine, no one will dare to help you. Sexual harassment? I''ll show you harassment, alright!"

    Damien lowered his face until he was inches away from hers. Katherine gasped and was unable to move as she watched his sexy, parted lipsing closer. Closing her eyes, she managed to raise her leg and kneed him in the groin!

    "Ugh!" Damien instantly let go of her.

    Feeling his weight off of her, Katherine did not waste time and scrambled her way out of his office, leaving Damien on the floor with his knees bent, groaning in pain.

    Katherine closed the door behind her as soon as she got out. She was out of breath with what had just happened.

    "Ms. Miller?" Andrea who was still confused about the turn of events was unsure of what to ask. "What''s going on?"

    Markus Lee who stood at the side looked at the woman who just came out of Damien''s office and that''s when he saw how she resembled a lot like the woman from five years ago. ''Was that the reason why the boss did that?''

    With a serious face, Katherine marched towards Andrea and snapped, "I am not going to work for a pervert like him! I quit!" She stomped her feet off towards the elevators and disappeared.

 Chapter 15: She Said That?

    Chapter 15: She Said That?

    The rest of the people in the hallway were left speechless. They didn''t know what transpired inside their boss'' office that made Katherine Miller so mad, she quit right then and there.

    Regaining his senses, Markus dashed towards the CEO''s office and found his boss was still kneeling before writhing in great pain on the floor.

    "Boss!" Markus rushed to Damien''s side and helped him get up. "What happened?"

    "Sh*t!" Damien''s pain made him curse a lot. Katherine used a lot of force on her kick. He could not believe that she could do that much damage to him.

    "That woman dared to kick me." He managed to utter while still trying to manage the pain. He tried bending and jumping, thinking that it was going to help ease the pain but it''s not doing anything at all. Damien feared he wouldn''t be able to have kids one day.

    "Why did she kick you? What exactly happened?" Markus assisted him towards the sofa. Damien curled up in a fetal position, waiting for the pain to go away.

    Damien told him about what happened and Markus shook his head. "Why would you do that?"

    "What do you mean why? She can make the first move, seduce me, but I can''t even tease? It''s not as if we haven''t kissed before." Damien scoffed. He shifted into a sitting position andid his head on the backrest of the sofa.

    "But that was five years ago. Things have already changed. She may not even be avable anymore."

    Damien red at Markus. "She disappeared on me and now she suddenly appears in front of me after all these years. What is she trying to do? Who is she this time? And why the hell was she acting like she doesn''t remember me at all?"

    Markus also tried to think about it but he came up short. "Andrea said she''s your new secretary."

    Sighing, Damien rubbed his forehead when he felt a headacheing. "Where is she right now?"

    "She left and said she''s quitting."

    Damien abruptly turned his head to Markus. "What!? Why did she leave? What did she say?"

    "Well, she said she doesn''t want to work under a pervert like you." Markusughed, throwing his head back as he recalled Katherine''s reaction after she escaped from Damien.

    "She said that? Ha!" Damien scoffed. "Who''s the pervert? She got the nerve saying that. Don''t tell me she forgot everything that she did to me before?!" Standing up, Damien walked towards his desk and retrieved something from the locked drawer. He stared at it as he said, "Find her. Don''t let her leave."

    Arriving at the lobby, Katherine angrily stepped out of the elevator and headed outside of the building. She was so pissed that she looked up at the top floor and clenched her hands. How could a man just suddenly drag her like that and trap her?

    Yes, he was handsome and smelled really good but that''s not the point! She wouldn''t want to work with a boss like him who takes advantage of his employees. It doesn''t matter how much she was going to be paid, she doesn''t care.

    Just as she was cursing Damien in her mind, a gentleman walked closely behind her.

    "I take it that you passed the interview?"

    Katherine was startled to hear the man''s voice next to her. She studied his smiling face and instantly recalled the incident yesterday. "Ah It''s you. You were the one from the convenience store. Hello, sir." She politely greeted.

    "You don''t have to call me sir. My name''s Caleb." Chuckling, he extended his hand to her.

    "Oh, okay," Katherine shook his hand briefly and introduced herself. "I''m Katherine. Do you work here?"

    "Yeah sort of." He scratched his head. "What are you doing here outside? I can show you the way to the HR department."

    Shaking her head, Katherine exhaled a sigh. "No, thanks. I''m quitting!" Katherine sneered and looked up the top floor of the building again. She could still remember the devilishly handsome face looming over her.

    "You''re quitting already? Why?" Caleb asked, confused as to why she furiously looked up at the top of the building.

    "Well, your big boss is a pervert! I don''t want to work for a man like him!" She crossed her arms in front of her as she was still enraged because of what happened earlier.

    Seeing the expression on her face, Caleb threw his head back as heughed heartily. "Big boss? Do you mean the CEO?"

    Katherine nodded in agreement and continued to re at the topmost floor wondering why the man knew her name and acted like they knew each other.

    Caleb couldn''t believe that someone would dare to call Damien a pervert. While most people would curry favor and women would scramble and throw themselves at him, thisdy whom he just met was unique. He couldn''t help but smile at her bold character.

    At the lobby of the building, Markus Lee scanned the ce from left to right and found Katherine with Caleb outside. "Ms. Katherine?" he called as he walked towards them, pausing to greet Caleb briefly before he faced Katherine. "May I speak with you for a moment?"

    "What is it about?" Katherine was not aware who Markus Lee was so she was not sure how to respond to him.

    "My boss would like to talk to you. Will youe back with me to the office?"

    Katherine''s brow furrowed, she looked at Markus Lee seriously, making him gulp. "I won''t go back to that ce anymore! I already quit! You can tell him that."

    Markus thought that Katherine was being difficult. If he can''t make here back to the office, he might as well send in his resignation as Damien will surely make things difficult for him. After contemting, a friendly smile appeared on his face as he responded, "Well, if you have really decided to resign, then I will escort you to the HR department so that you can finalize your exit."

    "Okay." Feeling relieved that she was no longer forced to go back, Katherine exhaled a sigh of relief and smiled. "It was nice meeting you again, Caleb." She waved her hand and walked back inside.

    Markus tilted his head, puzzled how Caleb and Katherine knew each other. Should he tell his boss about it?

    Caleb returned her wave with a charming smile before casually entering the lobby, employees greeted him politely as he walked.

    When Katherine reached the HR department, Markus told her to wait for Andrea and then he left. While she sat on the chair, her heart felt heavy as the huge sry slipped out of her hand.

    "Hello, Ms. Miller. Wee back." Andrea sat on the chair behind the desk with a smile. Even after the incident earlier, she was still professional in front of Katherine. "Mr. Lee told me that you want to leave?"

    Katherine bit her lip and nodded, feeling embarrassed. She had just signed the contract and now she was already resigning.

    "Not a problem. Kindly sign this part right here," Andrea pointed at the document in her hand. "And make a deposit of the bond on this ount then you can go once it''s settled."

    "What?" Katherine scanned the document and saw the part where Andrea highlighted. Her eyes almost popped when saw the scary amount. In her previous job, she would have to work for half a year without spending any cent just to be able to pay the bond. "I-I-I have to p-pay for this?" Her words stumbled along with her fluctuating heart.

    Maintaining a professional smile, Andrea answered, "Yes. ording to this section on the contract that you signed this morning, you are not allowed to resign within the year. But since you insist on leaving thepany before that, you will have to pay for the bond. I''m sure you are aware of it since you signed the contract."

    Katherine felt like a huge boulder had fallen on her shoulders upon hearing Andrea. ''What is wrong with you Kath?! Why the hell were you in a hurry to sign without reading everything?!''

    Katherine did not know how she was able to reach her neighborhood in a daze. Andrea allowed her to go home so that she can think over her decision and sleep on it.

    Arriving at her apartment, she noticed a paper was taped on her door. It was another reminder for her to pay her rent. She removed it and entered her apartmentzily, stepping on the pile of envelopes on the floor. Picking it up, she checked it one by one but was dismayed to see that they were all bills that she had to pay. She felt even more depressed than she already was. She couldn''t possibly go back to her old job. Ruby must be waiting for her with her sharpened ws and a baseball bat.

    There was no way that she could ever pay that ridiculous amount of money for a bond just so she can leave thatpany. She had bills to pay, her own mouth to feed and not to mention, she was possibly about to be homeless if she could not pay her rent on time.

    Feeling defeated, Katherine slumped on her bed and closed her eyes.

    Tomorrow

    She''ll just worry about it tomorrow.

    Without changing her clothes, eating and even thinking about anything else, Katherine slept from afternoon until dawn.

 Chapter 16: A Sexy Librarian

    Chapter 16: A Sexy Librarian

    Katherine''s long chestnut hair was tied into a ponytail with a soft curl at the end. Her outfit was a simple white shirt and ck pencil cut skirt that stopped just right above her knees. The pair of polished ck heels that she wore wasn''t too high as she was already blessed with the height. She didn''t look toocking and her clothes were just right for function. Yet despite all these preparations, it did not calm the fast beating of her heart.

    She had just stepped out of the elevator as she arrived at the top floor of Crown Resort Group when she noticed that Secretary Natasha was not at her desk. Pursing her lips, Katherine braved herself to walk towards the oversized door.

    Standing outside, she could feel the pounding of her heart. She bit her lower lip so hard that it almost bled while she was trying to talk herself into facing the big boss again. The man who seemed to know her name but no matter how much she thought about it, she really did not know who he was.

    With this in mind, the image of yesterday''s scene shed before her once again and she could only imagine her erratic heartbeat whilst anticipating his perfectly chiseled jaw and soft lips approach her face.

    Exhaling a long and deep breath, Katherine shook her head clear, adjusted therge frame eyesses on her face, and pped her cheeks as if she was trying to erase the memory from her mind. ''Stop thinking about it, Katherine!'' she scolded herself.

    Clearing her throat, she straightened her back and stered on a forced smile as she raised her right hand to knock on the door. Just as her knuckles were about to hit the hard door, it opened and Damien Park appeared before her.

    Startled by the unexpected appearance of someone by his door, Damien''s brows raised as he looked at the woman whom he had been waiting for since yesterday. His gazended on her raised hand and wondered if she was going to hit him with it. He could still remember the agony he felt from her attack yesterday.

    Shocked that her boss suddenly showed up before her, Katherine stepped back and abruptly lowered her hand. "Good morning, President Park," she greeted, bowing her head slightly.

    Seeing that she looked ''tamed''pared with yesterday, Damien rxed and tried a more gentle approach. "You''re here. I thought that you said you were going to quit?"

    Katherine''s eyes darted to the side, pursing her lips while she thought of how she was going to go back on her words in front of this obnoxious yet handsome man. Her thoughts were obviously fighting against each other.

    She straightened up and looked at him in the eye without reservation. "I apologize for my behaviour yesterday, President Park. But I need this job," she spoke with a smile on her face. ''I also need to know what you know about me.''

    ''And I''m apologizing not because I''m really sorry but I just really need the friggin'' money,'' she reassured herself in her thoughts. She could feel her mouth almost twitching from what she just said but she forced herself to maintain her immacte appearance.

    Noticing that she tried so hard to say those words, Damien chuckled inwardly and a faint smile slipped on his face. "Come inside."

    The two of them sat opposite to each other on therge andfy sofa in the middle of the spacious office. Damien crossed his legs, one arm resting on the armrest of the sofa while the other on his leg. He stared at her who was sitting on the opposite side while noticing the way she carried herself even while sitting down looked like she had been taught proper etiquette  one that can''t be learned just overnight. Just like the Katherine that he knew.

    Damien was still feeling bitter about the kick that she gave him yesterday but Markus'' advice of keeping it cool and not giving her pressure kept him from crossing the line. ''Just be patient. You''ll get the answers in time.'' Heforted himself.

    Without looking forced, Katherine stared directly at Damien''s gorgeous ck eyes and said, "I want to apologize for what I did yesterday. I hope that it you''re okay." She gulped.

    "Why? What did you do to me yesterday?" Damien''s face was expressionless, making Katherine unable to read his true feelings.

    She didn''t intend to but her eyes unconsciously nced at hisher regions. It was just a quick second but Damien caught it all. He clenched his jaw as he tried topose himself. He wasn''t sure if he found it funny, though it was definitely painful, but the look on her face was too amusing for him. Deciding that he should help her a bit, he nodded. "Apology epted."

    Shifting his position, he uncrossed his legs and bent a little forward. With a serious expression, he slightly lowered his eyes and said, "I also apologize for what I did yesterday. I was out of line."

    Nodding, Katherine did not want to linger on the subject anymore and so to put things aside, she added, "I hope that it won''t happen again. I would like to adhere in maintaining professionalism in thispany. I would like to work for you as your secretary, President Park. I hope that I can be of service to you."

    Tilting his head, Damien thoroughly studied her expression. She looked exactly like the Katherine that he knew back then, but howe she feels different? No matter how he tried to think of reasons, he still could note up with an answer because even though she used to look different almost every time he saw and met her years ago, he would still recognize the dangerous aura that emanated from her. However, at this moment, everything just felt different and he could not exin it.

    "I want to ask you something. Can you promise to answer me honestly?" Damien lightly rubbed his chin.

    Katherine had nothing to hide, so whatever his questions were, she was ready to answer. "What is it?"

    Damien inteced his fingers together and observed every little change in her expression as he asked, "Where were you five years ago?"

    Katherine slightly raised her brows, seemingly unsure why her boss would ask her this question. Weren''t employers supposed to ask ''Where do you see yourself in five years?'' Her boss seemed very strange and obsessed with what had happened five years ago. She also recalled the same question he asked yesterday about her being five yearste.

    "Why do you ask?" Her brows knitted. ''Even I don''t know where I was five years ago.'' That''s when Katherine decided to brave herself in asking her boss. "Do you possibly know-"

    A knock on the door interrupted their conversation. A secondter, Markus Lee came inside Damien''s office.

    "Boss, the car is ready. We should leave."

    "Alright. Let''s go." Standing up, Damien grabbed his coat from the hanger and headed towards the door.

    Katherine hastily followed after them and bid goodbye. "Have a good day, President Park."

    While Damien was fixing his coat, he nced at her, "What do you mean? You''reing with me."

    "M-me?" She pointed at herself.

    "Try to keep up. I walk fast." Damien hurried towards his private elevator with Katherine following him from behind, still confused why she was going with them. Wasn''t she supposed to be learning her responsibilities from Natasha?

    Since no one else was allowed to use the elevator except him, they did not have to wait. As soon as they got inside, Katherine asked, "Where are we going? Do I need to go? I mean, I thought I was going to learn from Ms. Saunders before she leaves."

    Damien remained facing forward as he tapped his phone. "As my secretary, you have to always and constantly be with me. You go wherever I go. Stick with me like a gum sticking on a shoe."

    Katherine''s lip twitched upon hearing her boss'' ridiculous words. Did he just told her to be a gum on a shoe? ''I don''t know how to feel about that.''

    "Also" Damien looked at her from head to toe. "Why are you dressed like a librarian?"

    Confused, Katherine looked at her reflection on the elevator mirror. "Librarians wear this?" She didn''t see anything wrong with her outfit. She was actually wearing decent clothes.

    Reaching the ground floor, the elevator doors opened. With a teasing smile on his lips, Damien stepped out of the elevator and replied, "Yes. A sexy librarian."

    Katherine bit her lip as a blush crept on her cheeks. She clenched her hands as she watched his sexy broad back walking towards the exit. ''This guy''

    "Let''s go, Ms. Miller," Damien called, making her walk faster to catch up. Katherine sighed and did not dare to respond to hisment. She wasn''t sure if she should take hisment as apliment.

    When she caught up with them, she was supposed to hold the door for her boss to allow him to go inside but to her surprise, Damien let her in first. Something was weird about the scene but she did not have time to ponder too much on it as they were in a hurry. So for now, she''ll just zip her mouth shut and endure the rest of her ''first day'' with her boss. Everything will be okay, right?

 Chapter 17: Playing Hooky

    Chapter 17: ying Hooky

    The car drove away and while Katherine tried to stay unaffected by her boss''s presence less than a meter away from her, she couldn''t help but sneak a nce at him. She hadn''t heard about Damien before she applied for the job opening but ording to what she had read online that morning, he was the fourth richest man in the world and currently at the top of his field  resorts.

    Katherine thought that he looked young but he was already thirty years old this year. Damien''s long hair that was parted to one side would sometimes fall on his forehead and he would brush them off out of habit. He had longshes for a guy, making her envious whenever it fanned up and down. Her gaze trailed down to his jaw and she didn''t know why she suddenly swallowed. She wasn''t aware of how she was attracted to his manly yet beautiful looks. Have jawlines always been that sexy to her?

    Realizing that she had been staring too much, Katherine adjusted her eyesses and scanned the interior of the car instead. Damien actually noticed her stare but pretended that he wasn''t aware of it; a small smile cast on his lips though he tried to hide it.

    "Interesting choice," Katherine muttered as she scanned the interior of Damien''s Jaguar XJ.

    "Hmmm?" Damien closed his tablet and turned to face the person in question.

    "Your car I find it interesting that you chose this model, Sir." She continued to look around.

    Crossing his legs, he found afortable position as he asked her, "Are you knowledgeable about cars?"

    "Not that much but I used to work in a luxury car dealership for a couple of years so I know a thing or two." Curious, she looked at him and asked, "Why did you choose this particr car?"

    Damien found it engrossing that this woman talked about other things apart from anything that was rted to his identity, his wealth, or his interests in women. It was one of the reasons why he asked Natasha to resign. Though he appeared quite approachable all the time, he didn''t like it when people take advantage of him. Natasha thought that because her boss was very nice to her, she could strike a move to "upgrade" her status. So when she tried to seduce Damien, he asked her to submit her resignation so she could have a "vacation".

    Since he was in a good mood, Damien willingly conversed with her, "I like how it has both sporty and luxurious feel."

    "Hmmm It fits you," she whispered softly but he was able to hear it.

    Katherine bit her lip, suddenly feeling thirsty and her thirst was apanied by hunger. She woke up early this morning after she overslept from yesterday but she did not have any appetite to eat breakfast. Touching her stomach, she pressed her lips into a thin line and thought that she would have to drink plenty of water when they get off. No money  No food.

    Unbeknownst to her, Damien was casually observing her moves. There were so many questions in his head that he wanted to ask her, like why she left without saying anything five years ago. When he caught sight of her little movement, he knew that she was hungry. "You haven''t eaten anything, have you?"

    Smiling brightly, Katherine shook her head like there was nothing wrong. "I''m okay."

    Ignoring her response, Damien instructed Markus as he took out a wad of cash from his wallet: "Drop by the Busy Bean Cafe at the corner and get us two croissants, ck coffee for me."

    He then turned to Katherine and asked, "What do you want to drink?"

    Shaking her hands in front of her, she declined his offer. "I''m okay, really you don''t-"

    "Do you drink coffee?"

    "No, only hot chocte," she answered without thinking, making Damien smile. Katherine realized what she just said and she could only stare at him in horror.

    "Markus, get a cup of hot chocte and order whatever you want for yourself, too." He handed the money just as Markus pulled over to the curb.

    "I''m really okay Ummm, President Park. You didn''t have to buy me food."

    "I don''t like my people starving." Casually leaning back and looking at her, Damien saw her biting her lower lip. It''s exactly how Katherine was before whenever she was thinking of something. "Do you really not know me?" He asked with a curious gaze. He was frustrated at what was happening.

    Unsure of what he meant, Katherine just answered truthfully. "To be honest, it''s the first time that I have met you. I have not heard much about yourpany before and I am also not aware that the CEO is this young."

    Her answer was very natural that Damien couldn''t find any ws. Trying to find ways on how to catch her lies, he thought of what other questions he could ask.

    Katherine''s phone beeped and she excused herself to take a look at it. She clenched her fingers when she read that it was another reminder for her unpaid bills. Not wanting to deal with it at the moment, she sighed and ced her phone back to her purse.

    Sensing her distress, Damien became hesitant about asking her questions. He was afraid that if he kept on pressing the matter about five years ago, Katherine might run away again.

    Markus came back with their food and they ate carefully while they rode towards their destination.

    Arriving at a luxury hotel in the countryside, Katherine saw the name but was unfamiliar with it. "Is this one of your hotels?"

    Fixing the button on his coat, Damien walked leisurely towards the entrance and told her, "No, this hotel belongs to Mr. Wu and we''re here to y hooky." A dangerous smile appeared on his face, making Katherine even more curious. Why would they be ying hooky in another person''s hotel?

    They reached the bar and restaurant where Damien had chosen a table in the middle of the area.

    Katherine followed and sat opposite him while Markus sat next to him. As soon as they were seated, a waitress came by and handed them the menu. The waitress greeted them politely and introduced some items from the list before taking their orders.

    Katherine was still full from the croissant that she had eaten earlier so she only ordered soup yet she was still unsure why they were dining at the restaurant at ten in the morning when they were supposed to be working. Were they meeting someone here?

    "So, tell me about your previous jobs. What did you do before you came to mypany?" Damien took a sip of water from the ss on the table while he waited for her to answer his question.

    "Ummm well I worked at several supermarkets and convenience stores recently" Katherine thought that there was no harm in answering her boss'' questions so she told him about her work experiences.

    Damien''s brows scrunched up a little as he listened to her tale about her part-time jobs. There was nothing wrong with them but he wondered why she was doing those things for the past few years; he was utterly confused. The Katherine that he knew back then was an independent woman who didn''t have problems with money.

    Just as she finished answering, a man in histe forties walked towards their table with two bodyguards following him from behind.

    "Mr. Park, to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"

    Damien stood from his chair and shook hands with him. "Ah, we were just in the neighborhood and wanted to have brunch. I figured I should try your popr dishes that I have heard a lot about."

    ''What a smooth liar,'' Katherine thought. ''We weren''t in any way near this ce. We traveled for almost an hour just to get here and there wasn''t even traffic!''

    "Well, I''m d that you thought about this ce. I won''t keep you for long. I hope you enjoy your food. Do take a look around and enjoy." Mr. Wu replied without a hint of malice in his words before he turned around and left. But Damien knew too well how stressed the man must be feeling seeing that hispetitor was on his territory.

    Damien sat down and acted like nothing happened whilst Katherine looked at him strangely. Soon after, their food arrived and they started eating. She found the food really tasty and so she enjoyed and finished all of it. The two men however only ate about half of the food before they started to enjoy their wine.

    Katherine wondered, ''Did wee here just to eat?''

    "Are you done?" He asked in which Katherine replied with a nod. "Good, let''s go to the pool."

    Her brows furrowed even more. She still did not see the point ofing to the hotel. Certainly, they weren''t here just to pass the time right?

    But to her surprise, her boss sat at the barstool, set his coat aside and ordered a cocktail drink. "What would you like to drink?" Damien asked as he rolled his sleeves up to his elbow. He was looking casual as if he was there to rx before gently pulling Katherine by the hand and leading her to sit right next to him.

    Caught off guard, Katherine felt her cheeks burning by how gentle and warm his hand was when he held hers. But as if she was in a daze, she could not say anything and just followed suit.

 Chapter 18: A Three Way Fun

    Chapter 18: A Three Way Fun

    The hotel has a rooftop pool and bar with a scenic view of mountain ranges and the ocean, a ce perfect for a weekend getaway.

    Damien and Markus were discussing some things that they needed to take care of for the week while Katherine sat next to Damien sipping her Kiwi Mai Tai, the cocktail that he ordered for her.

    "I''ll see you back at the office, Boss." Markus got off the stool and headed towards the elevators.

    "He''s leaving?" Katherine watched as Markus left without even ncing at her. She figured that he was not much of a talker.

    "He has some things to do." Damien turned to face Katherine who went back to quietly sipping her drink. "How''s your drink?"

    "It''s really good. I like the sweetness of the pineapple in this drink. It''s actually refreshing with just the right amount of alcohol." Shemented as she swirled the stirrer in her drink.

    "Mhmm you''ve always liked pineapple." He muttered to himself before drinking the rest of his own drink.

    "Huh? Did you say something?" Katherine tilted her head to ask but he just gave her a smile and shook his head.

    "Nothing." He swiveled his chair around so that he was now facing the pool where hotel guests were enjoying the amenities. "What do you think of this ce?"

    Suddenly faced with a question, Katherine thought hard about it as she looked around seeing everybody having fun. "It seems lively. It''s barely noon and there are people who are already drunk." She caught sight of a group of guests by the pool who were partying hard at that hour.

    "Mhmm And you? Are you having fun?" He ced his ss back on the counter and waited for her to answer, resting his chin on his hand as he looked at her.

    Katherine tried to ignore his stare and continued to look around  seeing family with kids and drunk people mixed together in the pool. Her eyes narrowed and she bit her lip. "I don''t know, but if I was with that family, I don''t think I would enjoy having my kids be surrounded by drunk people wearing skimpy swimwear and making out with everyone." She almost rolled her eyes but stopped herself knowing that her boss was watching her.

    The woman that she was looking at turned her head towards their direction and she saw her smile beforeing out of the pool. As the woman in a two piece swimsuit approached them, she kept on looking at Damien who was still facing Katherine.

    "Damien? Is that you?" She called, making him spin around.

    "Oh, hi!" he responded briefly with a smile. Katherine saw his expression and found it interesting.

    Even with the short span of time that she had known him, she had already noticed that the smile he formed when he faced the woman and Mr. Wu earlier were mirthless smiles. Although he looked attractive with his fake smile that people might think he''s d to see them, it told Katherine otherwise. ''This man is full of surprises. Rich, young a smooth liar and also kept a facade under that whole business and flirty vibe.''

    Katherine quietly observed her boss as the woman sleazily traced her finger on Damien''s arm while she whispered something to his ear. Whatever it was, it made Damien chuckle at the same time that it made Katherine narrow her eyes at them.

    "...your little friend can join us," said the woman in a slutty manner as she nced at Katherine''s way. That was the only thing that Katherine heard which piqued her interests more. ''What are they talking about? And is she talking about me?''

    She saw Damien whisper something back and the woman''s reaction made Katherine even more confused. The woman blinked and gulped before she excused herself with a forced smile.

    ''Seriously, why do they have to whisper? I couldn''t hear a thing!'' sheined in her head.

    "Shall we leave now, Ms. Miller?" Damien retrieved his coat from the side and got off the stool, startling Katherine in the process that she could only hurriedly put her ss down and step on the ground.

    "Ah!" She slipped when her shoes brushed on the tiles; it was slippery because of the water that was seeping out from the pool. Fortunately, Damien caught her by the arm and straightened her up. She could feel his warm hand almost burning her skin.

    "Are you okay?" He nced at the floor and then at her feet as Katherine assured him, "I''m okay." She casually stepped aside to get out of his grasp.

    She could have avoided the slippery floor if she wasn''t so distracted by the two flirty-looking people whispering sweet nothings to each other. She chuckled to hide her embarrassment and walked ahead of her boss.

    Damien''s hands hung in the air and her reaction made him smirk. Running a hand through his hair, he followed her quietly from behind.

    Katherine tightly held her shoulder bag as they waited for the elevator while Damien gazed at her through her reflection  he was still trying to figure out how Katherine seemed exactly the same but also different. He already ordered Markus to investigate her background using the information from her job application and was merely waiting for the results.

    Five years ago, no matter what he did, he could not find anything about her and could only run into her in random or unexpected ces. So when she disappeared, just like their initial investigation, it was as if she didn''t even exist. He didn''t know where to find her and it made him crazy just to think about how she left him that night.

    And now she suddenly appeared and posed as his secretary except, she acts as if she doesn''t even know him. He constantly reminded himself to keep his calm and to keep his sh*t together, otherwise, she might slip out of his life once again. ''If you want to y I''ll let you y.''

    There was only one elevator and since they were at the fifteenth floor, they had to wait. When the elevator came, they entered the space and just when the door was about to close, other people who came from the pool had caught up with them.

    Katherine gasped as she instantly moved aside, backing away until she reached the wall of the elevator to avoid the guests who were dripping with pool water that even made Damien want to curse. The elevator stopped at the tenth floor and a few more people came in making wet and dry clothes mix inside the small space.

    Clenching his jaw, Damien moved in front of Katherine, blocking her from the rest but in return, his suit got soaked from a guest''s wet clothes and towel.

    Finally reaching the ground floor, the two of them got off sighing heavily. "I have a meeting in the afternoon back in the city. I''ll drop you off first at thepany." Damien said while they walked out of the hotel.

    "Understood." She nodded and that''s the only time when she saw his wet shirt. "President Park, your shirt"

    "I know. Wait for me here. I''ll just change real quick." Damien took something from the trunk of his Jaguar and disappeared into the men''s room in the lobby.

    Five minutester, he came out looking fresh and neat as if nothing had happened. "Let''s go," he said as he opened the passenger''s seat, urging Katherine to get inside.

    She stared at him with a confused look. "Shouldn''t I drive? I mean you''re my boss."

    "No, I will drive because this is my car. Now, get in."

    With only that simple answer, Katherine was left with no choice. She got inside the passenger''s seat and buckled her seatbelt. As soon as he was settled inside, he nced at her and a small smile etched on his face as he said, "Good."

    The ride going back to the city was quiet as neither of them attempted to speak. However, despite the silence, it wasn''t at all ufortable not even when the atmosphere was filled with only the soft music in the background and the humming of the car engine.

    But, it''s just that Katherine still did not understand why they went to that hotel in the first ce and did not do anything much. With this in mind, she stared at Damien and tried to understand what was going on in his brain as if what she was doing will help her.

    "Keep staring and I might do a trick." A yful smile shed across his face as he gave Katherine a wink before he put his focus back on the road.

    Realizing that she had been staring at him again, she cleared her throat and smiled indifferently. "I was just wondering what was the purpose of our visit to Mr. Wu''s hotel."

    "We''re just there to have fun." Arriving at Crown Resort Group''s main office, Damien stopped in front of the entrance. "You did well today, Ms. Miller. There''s a blue folder on my desk, read and familiarize yourself with it. You don''t have to wait for meter. I will see you again tomorrow."

    Katherine got out of the car and watched as Damien drove away before she entered the building.

    Inside the car, Damien was already on the phone with Markus.

    "How much is he losing for the past two years?" he asked.

    There was a short pause before Markus replied on the other line. "About fifty-eight percent. If it wasn''t because Mr. Wu is supported by the local government, that hotel might have already been closed."

    "Got it. And what about Katherine?"

    "I will receive the full reportter at seven. I''ll bring it to you right away."

    Damien nodded despite not being seen by Markus before they ended the call. He formed a knowing smile as though he couldn''t wait to learn whatever they were going to find out about his secretary.

    ~~~

    Bonus Scene

    Conversation back at the pool:

    The woman traced her finger on Damien''s arm and whispered into his ear. "I heard that you''re still not seeing anyone. Do you want to take me to my room?" She slightly leaned back and looked at his face, smiling seductively as she nced at Katherine. "Your little friend can join us."

    With a dangerous smile, he tilted his head to her and whispered back in a low voice, "If you don''t get out of my sight within three seconds, I''ll make sure your daddy retires early without receiving a single cent."

 Chapter 19: Broke

    Chapter 19: Broke

    Crown Resort Group

    In Damien Park''s spacious office at a quarter past seven, two men were studying the documents that they have spread out on the table. The files contained Katherine''s personal information and some medical records.

    "So, this is the reason why she doesn''t remember me?" Damien rubbed his forehead as he studied the paper and added, "But it still doesn''t make sense. Even if she has amnesia, why is she living like she does now?"

    Straightening his back, he tossed the file onto the table. "If what she told me in the past was the truth; that she''s an orphan then I would believe that she''s alone but I refuse to believe that she did not have any rtives or even friends at all. So why is she living in that tiny apartment in that part of the city? "

    "That was what I was wondering about too. She didn''t look like she was poor back then." Markus stared at the documents on the table as he recalled the past. Because of his boss''s orders, he had spent long hours trying to understand and learn as much as he could about the mysterious woman.

    "And she doesn''t remember anything at all not even me." There was a hint of dejection in his voice. It was masked but Markus certainly noticed it.

    "There''s one more thing," Markus said, catching Damien''s attention. "There''s something weird about the doctor that was keeping an eye on her while she was in aa."

    "What do you mean?"

    "Doctor Smith." Markus pointed at the picture on the paper. "The date that she was admitted in the hospital was the doctor''s first day. She was monitored by the same doctor until she woke up four monthster. And then, when she got discharged, the same doctor also resigned the next day. I mean that''s a huge coincidence."

    Knitting his brows, Damien leaned forward and seriously pondered over the information that they have acquired. "Is it possible that this is"

    "Yes, boss?"

    "I just have a feeling that her memory loss was intentional."

    Markus tilted his head as he waited for Damien to continue. He watched as his boss analyzed the situation.

    "I''m certain that Katherine was never alone. What with whoever she was talking to on the phone whenever I see her the ces, the timing it''s just too" Damien ran his hand on his face, evidently stressed about the piece of information. "When was thest time that she went to the hospital for a check-up?"

    Markus picked up the medical record and scanned it. "ording to the dates here, she goes every few months but thest one that she was supposed to go was a month ago but she didn''t."

    "Why would she miss an important appointment?"

    "I think it has something to do with her finances. I checked her ounts. She used to have savings until a few months ago. She''s having a hard time recently. This job basically saved her."

    There was a slight prick on Damien''s heart when he heard it. How could his woman be living like this? No wonder why she looked thinner. He recalled how she was back then and he remembered very well how she was always glowing. She had a slim figure but still looked strong. A lot has changed since then and Damien couldn''t help but sigh. If she hadn''t left him or if he had only found her sooner, he would have taken care of her and she wouldn''t have to suffer like this.

    Damien decided that starting now, he will make sure of her well-being. He will have to grab every chance he gets to make her eat. ''No she has to eat with me. That''s the only way I can make sure that she eats properly. That''s right!''

    "Keep an eye on her next doctor''s appointment and get me her primary care''s information," Damien ordered.

    "Yes, boss."

    While the two of them were busy discussing in the office that evening, Katherine was walking towards her apartment. Her legs and feet were tired from wearing heels all day. She was still a hundred meters away from her building when she finally gave up and removed her shoes. Walking barefoot on the street going to her ce felt so much better. She sighed when she realized that she had no choice but to wear it everyday.

    Finally reaching her building, shezily walked up the stairs to the second floor. She could not wait to get to her bed and food will just have to wait again.

    When she reached her floor, there were familiar things that were ced along the hallway. Her brows began to furrow as she walked past the pile until she realized that everything she saw was all her belongings. Her eyes widened in shock and she immediately ran towards her door but to her surprise, a huge lock was installed on it and a paper was taped on the door  it was a notice from herndy.

    Katherine was kicked out of her apartment.

    Without second thoughts, she hurriedly went to thendy''s house on the first floor and knocked. She pleaded so much and was already on the verge of crying but she strongly held it in. "Please, Mrs. Qin! I just got a new job and I will pay you as soon as I receive my sry. I promise! You can''t leave me out here in the cold. Where will I sleep?"

    The door opened and out came thendy with an arrogant expression on her face. "You should have thought about that when you didn''t pay your rent! This is already your third month, I can''t let you live here for free! I have five kids to feed! There are many people inquiring to rent in this building. They have money and you don''t. So unless you can pay what you owe, you can''t stay here!"

    "But Mrs. Qin.." Katherine clenched her fists. It was as if she had the urge to punch her in the face but she held herself back. She had noticed before that she has random violent tendencies but she doesn''t often act on her urges except for what she had done to Damien recently.

    She tried to plead one more time but Mrs. Qin did not relent. In the end, Katherine offered her twenty dors, asking if she can at least put her things in the garage for the meantime.

    She was exhausted after an hour of moving her stuff. Slinging a duffel bag on her, Katherine sat on the curb and took out her phone. She contemted calling Emma but stopped herself. Emma had a huge family and there was no way for her to stay with them or she will just be a burden. She couldn''t ask Adam as well since he was a man living alone in his apartment.

    Taking out her wallet, she counted her money again and stared at it. If she was to keep what she has left, she will have enough to eat until the end of the week but if she will look for an inn to stay for the night, she''ll only have money tost until a couple of dayster.

    "No. Paying for the night will be expensive." She told no one in particr.

    Katherine sat there for a few minutes trying to think of ways until an idea shed in her mind. She quickly stood up and pursed her lips before she started walking.

    An hourter.

    Katherine stood on the road as she looked at her office building. She swallowed as she thought of what she was going to do but she was left with no other choice. Feeling resolute, she marched towards the building.

    Crown Resort Group''s main office building was adjacent to their hotel in the city. The main office was already closed during this time but she could still enter through the main entrance of the hotel.

    Feeling brave, Katherine casually waltzed in the hotel, snuck into the ''employees only door'' and then headed to the staircase that lead to the main office building.

    She opened the door to a storage room that was two floors down from CEO''s office floor. The room was a small one but there were not a lot of things in there since there were other storage rooms on the lower floors. Apart from office supplies, there were a few nkets that she could use for the night. Dropping her bag to the floor, she started rearranging the room so that she can have enough space to sleep on.

    Feeling satisfied with her work, she rubbed her hands together while a smile appeared on her face, "This will have to do for now."

    Just as she said this, her stomach growled. It was ten in the evening and she had not eaten dinner yet. Patting her belly, she walked out of the storage room and headed towards the snack area on the next floor up.

    Katherine''s smile grew wide when she saw that it was fully stocked. There were cup noodles, bread, cookies, chips, and drinks.

    cing her hands on her waist, she was feeling better seeing that she won''t have to starve. Opening the beef cup noodles, she sighed andforted herself, "You''ll be alright, Kath."

    She felt at home by herself. No matter what''s in store for her starting that day, she''ll just have to brave through it.

 Chapter 20: A Tasty Scent

    Chapter 20: A Tasty Scent

    That same night in the CEO''s office

    Damien was busy going over the papers on his desk. Feeling his tensed muscles from all the sitting, he rubbed his nape and nced at the clock. It was already ten in the evening and he hasn''t had dinner yet.

    He turned off hisputer as he stood up and then started unbuttoning his shirt until every single button was undone. When he reached the other end of his spacious office, he pressed a button on the wall and a panel slid to the side revealing an entryway. He took off his shirt as he entered the secret passage. Damien was now topless when he arrived in his living room.

    The area that he just entered was actually where he lived within the main office building. It was a huge two-floor space that had a bedroom, a living room, kitchen, and dining. For the years that he had stayed in that ce, he hadn''t invited anyone in except for Markus but for rare asions only. It was more like a bachelor''s pad than a house as he meant to live on it alone without having guests over.

    Patting his sculpted abdomen, he headed towards his full-sized kitchen and started whipping up a quick meal. After fifteen minutes, he started eating his homemade beef ramen, slurping the noodles and biting into the beef that he personally marinated beforehand.

    Damien was used to living by himself since his father died many years ago while his mother had left them when he was eight. He wanted to continue being independent and did not want to be part of their family business so even though he had rtives, he did not ask for help from them and built his own empire since he turned twenty-two years old.

    He dated a lot back then and was known to be constantly seen with different women to social events until a few years back. Though he still asionally goes out on dates, he never saw them twice and it had been a while since he had been with someone. But this did not bother him as he had been long used to being by himself.

    Suddenly remembering someone, Damien took out his phone and opened his gallery. essing a folder that only had one image on it, he tapped his screen and the picture maximized. He wondered what she was doing right now and thought that since it waste, she must already be sleeping. "I hope you ate your fill tonight, Kitten."

    Damien suddenly had the urge to call Katherine so he scrolled through his contacts and his thumb hovered over her name. However, he stopped himself. ''What am I even going to say? She doesn''t even remember me.''

    Thinking that he shouldn''t disturb her at that hour, he closed his phone and washed the dishes. Heforted himself knowing that he was going to see her again tomorrow anyway so he just needed to be patient.

    Meanwhile, at the storage room two floors down from where Damien was preparing to sleep, Katherine had just finished her nighttime skin care routine and was about to sleep as well. Sheid down on the thin nket and pulled another one over her. The floor was definitely hard and ufortable to sleep in but she just had to suck it up as she was left with no other choice.

    "Two more weeks until your first pay and you will definitely be sleeping on a better bed," sheforted herself and stered a smile on her face as she closed her eyes and went to sleep.

    Her day was extremely long for a first day  she had to learn a lot from Natasha who was being unnecessarily bitchy and difficult. Katherine did not know the reason behind Natasha''s resignation but with the way that thetter was treating her, she figured it must have something to do with their boss.

    To make matters worse, Katherine was practically homeless with sore feet and painful blisters. Despite the situation that she was in, Katherine fell asleep almost instantly because of exhaustion.

    Katherine''s phone was buzzing loudly next to her head. She had set an rm very early in the morning so that she can have enough time to sneak around the office and "prepare for work".

    She was now thankful that Andrea had toured and showed her around thoroughly the other day so she knew where to go. There was an employee''s lounge where she could take a shower and change. It was a good thing that she was used to moving quickly that she was in and out of the shower in just ten minutes. She got dressed and the only regret she had was that she did not have an iron that''s why her clothes were a bit wrinkled and her hair was damp because there was no hair dryer.

    Left with no choice, Katherine collected her things and went up to the top floor where she stowed her duffel bag in a corner before she went to the snack station to eat her breakfast. Though there was still an hour before work started, she decided to head back up to her desk so that she could start with her work after she had gotten one piece of toasted bread. She usually skipped breakfast so she could only eat that much.

    Just as she arrived at her desk, the huge door of the CEO''s office opened and out came Damien Park looking spruce and stylish in his ck suit. It was still pretty early and he did not have any meetings that morning so he wasid back with no tie and his first button open. As soon as he got out, he immediately bumped into Katherine who was looking quite the opposite of him.

    With both of his hands in his pockets, Damien tilted his head as he gazed at the woman a few feet away who was staring back at him with eyes wide open, a toast in her mouth, damp ubed hair and wrinkly blouse. Though he had wanted to see her again that morning, he didn''t expect it to be so soon.

    Katherine had no idea what to say or do at that moment. She was absolutely dumbfounded seeing her boss at that hour and at her state. She looked like a mess and she waspletely unsure of what to do. Why is he here this early? Was she caught? Did her boss find out about her sleeping in the storage room? ''Am I going to get fired?''

    Ignoring her appearance, Damien nced at the time in his Patek Philippe before he asked, "What time did you arrive? You''re here early."

    Katherine who was on the verge of peeing her pants because of the shock she received that morning tried to swallow her fears.

    Taking the toast out of her mouth, she bowed slightly, "Good morning, President Park."

    A strained smile formed on her face as she lied, "I had some things to finish that''s why I came early."

    ''Lie,'' he said in his thoughts when he noticed her expression. However, he did not call her out. "Mhmm" Walking forward until he was in front of her, Damien raised his hand and using the back of his fingers, he gently brushed off the crumbs on the sides of her mouth. "Why are you eating only a toast for breakfast?"

    Katherine was feeling all sorts of hot and cold all over her body; the mixture of guilt and nervousness making her all giddy that her heart was beating loudly. Damien''s sudden affection made her stare directly in his eyes  it was a bizarre feeling but afortable one at that.

    Inhaling his scent, she thought that it was quite tasty. How weird was it that she thought of his fragrance as something delicious? She was normally very sensitive to perfumes but Damien''s was quite pleasant for her.

    Realizing that her boss had just asked her a question, she stammered, "Umm I I just grabbed what I could find in the station."

    Damien lowered his hand and Katherine strangely missed the warmth right away.

    He turned around to retrieve something from inside his office and when he came back, he had a hair dryer in hand. "Here, dry your hair thoroughly or you''ll get sick. I''ll wait for you in the lobby."

    shing his charming smile, Damien headed towards his private elevator and disappeared, leaving Katherine confused and huping due to stress.

    She ced her hand on her chest and felt her heart beat erratically. "I thought I was going to die."

    Snapping out of her daze, she quickly went to the restroom and dried her hair.

    When she arrived at the lobby, she found Damien leaning on his car with his hands in his pockets. Why was he casually waiting there for her like that?

    Katherine became nervous as she scanned the area to check if there were gossip mongers and luckily there weren''t a lot of people yet since it was still too early. She held her bag tightly and when she was near, Damien opened the passenger door for her. "Get in," he said.

    She stered a smile on her face as she could notin. To survive, she decided to follow her boss''s wishes to avoid getting into trouble. ''He seemed nice. He won''t hurt me, right?''

    As they rode the car, Katherine couldn''t help but ask, "Do we have a meeting this morning? I didn''t see it in the calendar."

    "No."

    She turned to him with a confused look, "Then where are we going?"

    The car stopped at a red light and at the same time, Damien gave her a friendly smile. "Breakfast and shopping," he answered with a wink.

    His response made Katherine even more perplexed. Why does it seem like her job was only to y around with her boss? Was she seriously getting paid that much just to do these things?

 Chapter 21: Dreaded Question

    Chapter 21: Dreaded Question

    Damien parked his car by the curb and the two of them alighted the car then headed towards a crowded street. They were still in the city, however, it was an area that Katherine had never been before. The street was narrow and had a lot of vendors on both sides. It was only seven in the morning yet it looked like the ce had been open sincest night.

    Katherine was looking from side to side wondering what they were doing in an area like that. She wasn''t reallyining about the ce but was only confused as to why Damien brought her there. Her eyes were too busy looking at the different stalls that she did not notice a bike that was approaching.

    "Watch out!" Fortunately, Damien had seen it just in time and was able to pull her to the side. He red at the man riding the bike as it passed by. "Seriously, you should watch where you''re going. Always." He scolded her but his voice was gentle that Katherine did not feel as if he was being mean to her. The memory from the night that he met her where he had identally bumped her thigh when she crossed the street shed before him.

    "Thank you." A blush crept up her cheeks when she realized that Damien was still holding her wrist. But before she could even react, he had already walked ahead and dragged her with him. "Try to keep up, we''re almost there."

    There was something about the way he held her  it was neither too tight nor too loose, and it wasn''t just that, Katherine did not feel like she wanted him to let go; so she let him do as he pleased.

    Damien stopped in front of a rundown diner and Katherine saw that he had a brief but genuine smile on his face as he pushed the door open.

    "Damien! You came! Come, sit!" An elderly woman in her seventies whose hair was all white was all smiles as she ushered them to sit in a booth. She had a small figure and was shorter than Katherine.

    "I already told you that I would, of course I woulde!" He let go of Katherine''s hand as they went inside. Damien greeted the olddy with a hug before he gestured for Katherine to sit in the booth while he did the same.

    Katherine observed their interaction and it was both strange yet natural to see Damien''s behavior towards the old woman.

    "Rose, this is Katherine." He looked at Katherine and gestured his hand towards the old woman, "This is Rose. She owns this diner."

    "Hello, it''s nice to meet you, Rose." Katherine gave her a sweet smile and Rose sped her hands together, returning Katherine''s smile with her own.

    "Me too, dear. You two make yourselffortable, I''ll go and get your food." Rose limped her way through the curtains in the corner of the diner.

    The space was small with only five booths inside, but it had a homey feeling despite it being old. Aside from them, there were three booths that were already upied. A jazz music from a jukebox filled the room, bringing a vintage vibe.

    "This ce looks nice," Katherine said as she observed, finding the ce clean and orderly. "Why did you choose this ce for breakfast?" She asked as she wondered why Damien had brought her to such a low-key ce. It wasn''t that she would have preferred an expensive restaurant, but it was just not what she had expected from a wealthy man like her boss.

    She thought that he would bring her to some luxurious breakfast club knowing his impable choices and tastes in things. So for him to bring her to a ce like this was interesting for her that she couldn''t help but ask.

    Feelingfortable, Damien leaned back and looked around the diner. "This ce has the best pancakes."

    "Really? I have never heard about this ce before."

    Damien decided to share his story, "When I was a teenager, I ran away from home and I somehow ended up in this neighborhood."

    "You ran away?" Katherine questioned as she imagined a younger Damien in his teens.

    Damien nodded but since he didn''t want to dwell on the reason too much, he brushed his thoughts off and continued, "I was being chased and I ended up hiding in here. Rose allowed me inside and let me sit in this very same booth." He patted the leather booth bench. "She asked me if I wanted to eat something, and I just looked at her and did not respond because I didn''t know how I was supposed to pay when I didn''t have any money on me that time." Damien let out a soft chuckle as he reminisced his past.

    "So what did you tell her?" Katherine suddenly felt engrossed with his storytelling that she leaned forward and rested her chin on her hand.

    "I smacked his head for not answering!" Rose appeared from the kitchen with two tes in her hands. She set each in front of them and put her hands on her waist as she looked at Katherine. "I told him that-"

    "If someone older than you asks something, you should answer!" Damien and Rose spoke the words together as if on cue, which made the two of them share augh.

    "This young man was so shocked that he could only nod his head," Rose continued.

    "And that''s how I first tasted the pancakes that she made for me."

    Katherine saw the same genuine smile that she saw just earlier and she couldn''t help but smile back at him as well.

    Katherine looked at the te in front of her after Rose left. It was actually a full breakfast serving  aside from a stack of pancakes, bacon strips, an egg, and some bread and jam filled her te.

    "I don''t think I can finish all of this," she said as she nced at Damien who had a smirk on his handsome face.

    "Just try it first, you don''t have to finish if you don''t want to."

    Nodding, Katherine started eating. And boy was Damien right about the pancakes! Katherine''s eyes involuntarily closed as the fluffy cloud-like pancake almost melted in her mouth. It wasn''t too sweet and with the right saltiness of the butter, the vors danced in her tongue, making it absolutely perfect! She resisted the urge to moan so she let out a sigh instead.

    She heard a soft chuckle and noticed that Damien was looking at her. "So?" he probed.

    "You''re right about the pancakes." Katherine shed a bright smile at him before the two of them enjoyed the rest of their meal.

    ...

    Inside the car while Damien was driving, Katherine had been forcing herself to ask the question that she had been dreading but she didn''t know what was holding her back.

    Noticing her uneasiness, Damien said, "You have something that you want to say. What is it?" He nced at her and his gaze fell on her clenching hands.

    After some time, she finally responded, "I have amnesia so I don''t remember anything about my life before I woke up from aa five years ago." She paused to look at him and saw that he was waiting for her to continue. She wondered if Damien had already known this about her but she decided to press on. "Do you know me back then? You seem to say things that make me feel as if we have known each other."

    Faced with the question, Damien recalled about that piece of information that Markus gave him the night before. On the doctor''s notes, it was written that a few years ago, there was an episode that she recalled a fragment of her memory, but she became too violent that she had to be restrained and sedated. When she woke up, she was confused and did not have any recollection about the things that she did a few days before that.

    Having known about this incident, Damien wasn''t sure how he was going to answer her question. No matter how much he wanted for her to remember him, what if he says something that will trigger her memories and will result in a bad way? How could he know what things to say that were safe?

 Chapter 22: You Seduced Me

    Chapter 22: You Seduced Me

    After contemting a bit, Damien decided to take it slow as to not overwhelm her with information.

    He squeezed the steering wheel with his hand briefly before a friendly smile appeared on his face and chose the safest words to say. "We have met each other several times."

    "So you know me five years ago?" Katherine became excited to know about her past. It was something that has been troubling her all these years. "How did we know each other?"

    "We met at a party one time about seven years ago." Damien had a small smile when he recalled.

    "We have known each other for that long? But I mean How What was our rtionship?"

    The moment that Katherine asked that, a fleeting devilish smile formed on his face, making her brows scrunch up in curiosity. Indeed, what their rtionship was, even Damien didn''t know how to answer her. "Let''s just say you seem to know me more than I know you."

    "I know you more? How is that possible? How would I know someone of your caliber?" Katherine didn''t see the possibility of them ever being in the same crowd. After all, she only knows about her current life.

    ''Oh, honey you have no idea. I don''t even know how you know all those other things.'' Damien chuckled to himself. "You were quite a feisty woman."

    "I was?" Katherine raised her brows, "Did I do something?"

    "Yeah." Nodding slightly, Damien parked the car at the parking lot of a fashion district. "You seduced me," he said before getting out of the car.

    Katherine''s eyes grew wide as she watched him walk around to the other side of the car to open her door. She was still agape when he offered his hand to her. How could she seduce him? Was she even capable?

    "Let''s go. We don''t have all day." Damien urged, taking her hand and pulling her out of the car.

    "But I still have so many questions!" Unconsciously, she allowed him to hold her wrist and drag her to a clothing store while she was still staring at him with a perplexed look. "Can I ask you-"

    "No, you may not. We''re on the clock, Ms. Miller. We have to be quick. You can ask more after work hours." Damien immediately stopped her. "Besides, that''s all you need to know for now."

    Thinking about what he just told her, Katherine imagined herself to be a feisty, seductive woman but she shuddered. "I don''t believe you. I don''t even know how to seduce people."

    Hearing her answer, Damien could only chuckle and shake his head.

    Inside a luxury clothing shop

    Katherine had no idea that Damien was very knowledgeable about fashion. No wonder why this man always looked as if he came straight out of a fashion magazine. Even in that morning where he lookedid back in a suit, he still looked great. How does he do that?

    "Mr. Park, we''re honored to have you here today. How can we help you?" The smiling saledy immediately greeted them as soon as they entered.

    Katherine stood on the sidelines as she watched Damien talk to the now very attentive saledy. From time to time, they would nce at her way, but she paid no mind.

    "Thank you," Damien said to thedy as he walked to the nearest rack and briefly scanned the clothes on it. It took him only a few seconds before he pulled out a ssy and elegant ck pencil dress.

    "Here, try this," he said as he handed the hanger to Katherine.

    Puzzled, Katherine did not receive the dress right away and questioned, "Why?"

    A smile appeared on his face as he inched closer, pulling her hand and cing the hanger on it. "Because you''re my secretary and you should always look presentable especially when you''re with me and we''re also meeting prospect business partnerster." He casually ced his hands on her shoulders, turned her around and led her towards the dressing room.

    An hourter.

    Wearing the ssy and elegant ck dress out of the store, Katherine still could not believe that she agreed for Damien to buy her clothes. It wasn''t as if she had a choice because no matter what she said, the evil man did not listen to her cries of "no".

    Walking towards the Jaguar, Katherine''s brows were furrowed as she and Damien carried paper bags in each hand, filled with different styles of clothes. She didn''t even have the chance to reject more than half of them because Damien had ordered them while she was changing inside the dressing room.

    She couldn''t act against him because he was still her boss and the people around them paid close attention to him. Left with no choice, Katherine could only clench her jaw and curse at him in her mind whilst she gave him a bright smile.

    They had just gotten inside the car when Damien received a call from Markus. After talking on the phone for about two minutes, he finally started the car and hit the road.

    She was quiet all this time. Her head was filled with ill sentiments about her overbearing boss. She liked free stuff but all those clothes were probably worth more than her yearly sry. For her, epting all of them meant that she now owed him a lot. It made her forehead crease. She didn''t notice that she let out a small sigh when her thoughts brought her back to when he said that she seduced him.

    ''As if I would do something like that! Did you think you are a god or something? At most, you''re only a King! And only a Queen would seed seducing the King! Tch. Wait, why am I even thinking about this?''

    The changes in her expression did not go unnoticed by Damien. He found her cute when her brows scrunched. Looking back on the road, he asked her, "Did you bring your work tablet?"

    After being bitter for awhile, Katherine decided to brush it off and answered her boss. "Yes," she said as she took out the tablet from her bag.

    "Good, we''re heading towards a new resort and we need to prepare for its opening in a month."

    "What do I need to do?" Katherine unlocked the tablet and waited for instructions.

    "Note down everything that you had noticed about Mr. Wu''s hotel: What you liked and disliked, what you hated, or what you would''ve wanted from that hotel."

    She turned and looked at him, curious why she had to do that. "Do you n to buy Mr. Wu''s hotel?"

    "What? God, no! I wouldn''t buy it even if he paid me to. That hotel is going down soon. He''s already losing money and it''s just a matter of time when it closes."

    "Then why?"

    "I''ll tell youter, we''re almost there. Draft as many as you can," he instructed before speeding up.

    Fifteen minutester, the car pulled up into a parking lot. Katherine had also just finished writing notes on what she could remember from their visit yesterday.

    Just like earlier, Damien helped her out of the car. Walking towards the entrance, there were many people that came to receive them. She instantly became conscious when she noticed the strange looks and whispers that they gave her.

    "Is there something wrong with my face? Or my clothes? Why are they looking at me like that?" She voiced her thoughts. She touched her face and hair before she smoothed out her clothes, wondering why they were staring at her.

    Damien, who was walking beside her couldn''t help but chuckle. "Nothing''s wrong. They''re looking at you because you''re beautiful," he said with a teasing smile before walking ahead that left her blushing like a red tomato.

    He had affected her in a lot of ways since early morning and it was not even noon yet. She got flustered back at the office because she thought he was going to kill her after finding out she slept in the office secretly.

    Next, she learned that he had known about her but refused to tell her everything. Why was he keeping them from her?

    Andstly, he practically forced her to ept all the expensive clothes that he had bought for her. How much more does she have to bear with this ridiculously hot yet annoying boss?

    Shrugging, Katherine raised her chin and walked faster, walking past Damien like she owned the resort.

 Chapter 23: Rarity

    Chapter 23: Rarity

    When Katherine stepped into the lobby of the resort, the very first thing that she saw was the sea. The lobby was designed to greet the guests with a spectacr view of the blue waters that seemed to invite her in for a dip. It made her instantly forget that she was there for work.

    Damien noticed that she was distracted but he allowed her to observe and react to however she wished so he kept his distance and just followed her as she walked down the stairs and headed towards the beachfront.

    As soon as she stepped onto the ground that led towards the front part of the resort, she closed her eyes and inhaled the briny air that had the right amount of sea salt smell in it. For thest five years, she worked non stop yet she was still at the bottom of the society and this was the first time that she finally felt that rxed.

    She opened her eyes to the sound of the soothing soft waves that were rippling gently through the shore. The sky was like a curtain of blue and white where fluffy clouds slowly drifted past. ''Ahh perfect.'' She smiled to herself.

    Noticing the presence next to her, she turned her head and saw her boss watching her with a curious look. She was still a bit mad at him about the whole shopping hubaloo and the look that he had at this moment was making it difficult for her to snark.

    How could he look gentle one second, flirty next and then bossy after? Also, can he not casuallypliment her like what he did earlier? Katherine bit her tongue to keep herself from blushing when she recalled him telling her that she''s beautiful.

    "Are you still mad about what happened earlier?" He asked when he noticed her expression.

    At first, she only thought of the many personalities he has but now, can he read minds too?

    "I''m not mad." She put on her poker face and diverted her gaze as if she was scanning the surroundings. ''I''m just annoyed.''

    A smirk threatened to appear on his face as he walked past her and headed towards the deck.

    Katherine followed him behind and as soon as they arrived, there were already eight other people on the tform.

    "Good morning, Mr. Park," they greeted and Damien returned with a nod.

    "Is everything ready for the opening?" Damien asked.

    "Most of the changes are already in the works. There are still a few that we are yet to start but we are positive that we can finish them in two weeks time," said Mr. Lim, the man who stood in the middle and had a General Manager title on his namete.

    "That''s great." Damien turned to Katherine then announced: "This is Katherine Miller. She''ll be providing us with some information about our experience when we visited the Wu Hotel."

    Nodding, she stood tall and just like what Damien told her in the car, she described everything in detail from the moment that they entered up until they left with the help of the notes that she wrote earlier; sparing the part about the womaning onto Damien while they were at the bar.

    "No wonder that hotel is about to close," said Mr. Lim. "Thank you for your input, Ms. Miller."

    "Give your notes to Mr. Lim before we leaveter," Damien instructed Katherine. Noticing the confused expression on Katherine, he added: "Mr. Wu''s hotel has been in this area for a decade and his hotel is the primary choice of guests; however, as what we have experienced, there were a lot of factors that are clearly neglected in his hotel. Actually, even without knowing his mishaps, our resort is more than enough to shake him already. But, why stop there when we can do more? What we''re going to do is to make sure we highlight the areas that he wascking to draw in customers."

    Katherine thought about it for a second and recalled what she disliked about the amenities.

    Damien continued, "Their restaurant is great and whatever''s great, well"

    "We take it" Mr. Lim finished Damien''s sentence with a knowing smile.

    Katherine raised a brow at them. Their smiles have a different meaning behind it but she couldn''t ce her finger into it. "Take?" she probed.

    "Mr. Lim, you''re confusing her. How could we just take it?" Damien chuckled as he nced at Katherine.

    He walked closer and the corners of his mouth pulled upwards. A devilish smile formed on his handsome face as he shamelessly told her, "We steal them."

    "S-steal?" Katherine''s eyes widened. She was even more confused than before. ''How? Why? Isn''t that bad?''

    Mr. Lim and the rest of the employees snickered at their big boss''s words. They were already used to his ways but seeing how he yed the woman like that, she must be special. They have seen him with a few women before but the way he looked and treated Katherine the entire time was totally different. He was always nice to those women but he never paid attention to them the same way that he does to her.

    Damien stared into her eyes. He wanted to see her reaction as he said, "Ms. Miller, staying at the top of this industry requires you to be ruthless. Being mild will only take you to the surface and when yourpetitors see you there, they will destroy you and won''t even give you a chance. The only way to avoid that is to crush them."

    Katherine could only marvel at the way Damien told her these things. Indeed, the higher the aim, the dirtier the game. This is true to many businessmen. She didn''t know why but she liked this side of him that it made her heart throb.

    What she didn''t know was that Damien wasn''t like this before, but he learned the hard way after being betrayed back when he had just started his business.

    Damien saw the glint in her eyes as if she was looking at her idol. He had expected her to flinch or back away from his words but she actually showed interest.

    She looked docile, a sight that he had seen only a few times. He was used to seeing Katherine''s different facade each time but it still surprised him nevertheless. The Katherine now was like a little animal making him want to take care of her.

    Turning his face to Mr. Lim, Damien asked, "How''s the Chef?"

    "Just like what you had predicted. He had been wanting to leave the Wu Hotel for so many years but couldn''t. After your offer, he''s more than willing to work in our resort." Mr. Lim proudly said.

    "You pirated the chef from Wu Hotel?" The news surprised Katherine. "Why? Is he really that good? I mean" Couldn''t they find another chef that they really have to ''steal''?

    Damien tilted his head as he answered, "Wu Hotel''s restaurant is a cash cow but Mr. Wu failed to take care of his people."

    Catching Katherine''s attention again, Mr. Lim added, "Bringing the chef in will bring thepetitor down. Besides, we are actually saving his career since Mr. Wu is neglecting him. We take care of people, Ms. Miller. We see potentials and we don''t let go. We see opportunities so we grab them. If we see people in need, we help them."

    This atmosphere was totally new to Katherine. Was it always like this behind the scenes of powerful businessmen? She never knew as she had only been amoner. Just as she wondered, a voice rang from behind.

    "It''s not even ten in the morning yet and you''re already scheming," said the man in a grey suit as he walked towards them.

    Damien turned and was about to respond when Katherine called the man first, "Caleb?"

    "Mhmm. Good morning, Katherine. You look nice," heplimented without restraint when he saw her appearance.

    Hearing them call each other by their first names, Damien couldn''t help but raise a brow. "You two knew each other?"

    Knowing Damien all his life, Caleb noticed the tone of his voice and he could only chuckle. This friend of his finally showed jealousy over a woman. ''How rare,'' he said inwardly. Caleb wondered what would Damien do if he acted on his jealousy.

 Chapter 24: Untie Me

    Chapter 24: Untie Me

    Wanting to tease his friend, Caleb answered indifferently, "Of course, Katherine and I know each other before she joined ourpany. She even bought me coffee."

    Damien''s lip twitched upon hearing Caleb call her by her first name again. ''How close are they? And she bought him coffee too?''

    Hearing Caleb''s answer and Damien''s questioning gaze, Katherine felt that she needed to clear the misunderstanding. "No, it''s not like that. Caleb and I well, h-he''s a customer." She stammered.

    Seeing Katherine panic, Caleb let out a chuckle.

    "A customer?" Damien continued to stare at Katherine who''s already starting to have sweaty hands.

    Realizing that she wasn''t making any sense, she tried once again. "I mean, I met him when I was still working at the store. He was a customer there and I paid for his coffee as an apology for my mistake."

    Damien somehow understood what she just said and decided not to press on the matter. Brushing off his thoughts, he turned to Mr. Lim and said, "We''ll check the facilities."

    They spent the whole day at the resort making sure that everything was running smoothly. Katherine learned that Caleb was actually Crown Resort Group''s COO. She had observed how Damien and Caleb''s personalities were quite different from each other but both of themplemented one another.

    For the first time, Katherine saw how Damien lead his people. He and Caleb were all business all throughout the day and Katherine was also busy learning and taking down everything that was needed to be noted. She had found another reason to admire this Resort King and it was all only because of how he was during the day while he was very thorough in the preparation of the resort''s opening.

    Damien had the kitchen staff prepare an early dinner for the three of them to eat before heading back to the city. It was already seven in the evening when they left the resort.

    "What''s your street address?" Damien asked as soon as he started the engine. His hands preparing the satellite navigation system.

    "What?" Katherine became rmed. "Why?"

    "I''m driving you home."

    ''But I don''t have a home right now.'' She bit her lip as she thought and her heart began to race. "I need to go back to the office. I still have some things to finish."

    Damien turned his face to her, "You don''t have to do it today. Working hours is over and you''ve already done enough."

    "But-"

    "No buts. Tonight, you rest," Damien insisted thinking that he was just concerned about her.

    How could he have known what was happening to Katherine?

    Katherine clenched her hands upon hearing Damien''s words. Uh-oh. What now?

    Left with no choice, Katherine could only tell Damien Park her old apartment building''s address.

    The Jaguar came to a full stop in front of what was once Katherine''s apartment building and she suddenly felt so attached to her seat that she did not want to get out. Getting off the car became harder for her. What is she doing there sticking around when she was already kicked out?

    The next thing she knew, the door of the car opened and Damien bent forward to check on her. She instantly shrank into her seat, feeling trapped when Damien''s smiling face was too close forfort.

    A very quick sh of someone''s smile appeared before her. A vision of someone with a blurry face but has the exact same smile. It was very quick but it distracted Katherine from Damien''s question.

    "Ms. Miller," he called her the second time. "Do you want to stay in my car longer?" He teased as he backed away to give her space.

    "Thank you, President Park." Katherine got off the car and received the shopping bags from him. She waited for Damien to leave but he waved his hand as if he was telling her to go inside.

    Gripping her handbag, Katherine nodded and turned towards the stairs taking several steps up until she heard him drive away.

    She breathed out a heavy sigh of relief as soon as Damien was no longer in sight. Katherine had to take the bus back to the city to get to the main office building. Since she was still homeless, she still had to spend the night inside the storage room.

    Stretching her arms and legs, she felt her bones crack before she finallyid on the floor. It was the same hard and cold floor like yesterday but who was she toin?

    That night, she had a dream. In her dream, she was wearing an elegant red gown while dancing with a faceless man. She was sexy and she looked very confident in her dance with her sultry moves while the man matched her perfectly, looking like he knew exactly what he was doing.

    The dance went on until the music ended and the crowd pped their hands for them. As soon as she let go of the man''s hands, everything went dark and the beautiful ssical music was reced with gunshots firing in different directions. Suddenly feeling her hands have be heavy, she looked down and saw herself carrying two guns.

    A sound made her look up and what she saw made her body tremble. In front of her, she saw herself pulling the trigger to a man she didn''t know.

    *Bang*

    Katherine woke up from the gunshot sound in her dream and found herself drenched in cold sweat. She was panting and was confused about why she had that kind of dream. Her heart was pounding in her chest as the scene was still fresh in her mind.

    Lowering her head, she looked at her hands and the image of her carrying guns in her dream shed, making her ball her hands into fists.

    It was the first time that Katherine had this kind of dream. A beautiful start with a tragic ending and her dream suddenly became a nightmare. Feeling too sluggish at three in the morning, Katherine fell asleep again.

    ...

    The next morning

    Katherine looked more polished despite the nightmare that she hadst night. She prepared coffee for herself and realized that her boss was already inside his office. There''s a ss panel separating his office from her desk. She saw Natasha standing in front of his table and she figured that they were probably discussing something important.

    Katherine and Damien''s eyes met briefly before she lowered her gaze and focused on the documents on her desk.

    "Ms. Miller, can you bring me a cup of coffee? Thanks." Damien''s voice sounded from the small speaker on the office phone, surprising Katherine. He had never used it before, even Natasha told her that. So suddenly hearing his voice from the speaker made her jump a little. She pressed the small button beside it and replied, "Yes, right away, Sir."

    Using the Keurig machine, Katherine made Damien''s coffee. She was thankful that she listened to Natasha when she taught her how to use it. She noticed that Natasha wasn''t a bad person after all the time that they have spent together but she was probably feeling bitter that she was going to leave so soon. When she was finally ready, she knocked on the door while bncing the tray on her hands.

    "Come in," he said.

    Carefully, Katherine brought the tray inside and ced the coffee on his desk. She did not notice what he was doing at first until she nced up. That''s when she saw Natasha helping him with his tie. She immediately excused herself and was about to walk away but Damien stopped her.

    "Ms. Miller, stay." He said before turning to Natasha. "I already told you Ms. Saunders, you don''t have to do this."

    He backed away from the woman, letting the tie fall back to his chest. He never let other people except Markus Lee help him with his tie or coat. And since Natasha was leaving, she insisted to help him onest time. So when she saw Katherineing inside the office, she immediately rushed forward and started to fix his tie.

    Damien immediately saw through her and it annoyed him. "Thank you for your service. I wish you good luck with your career."

    Natasha''s hands that hung mid-air fell awkwardly and she clenched her jaw as she bowed her head. "Thank you, President Park," she said before leaving.

    The CEO''s room was silent when it was only the two of them left inside. Katherine stood tall as she faced the desk. Her eyes avoided looking at her boss until he called her, "Come help me with this tie."

    She turned to him and saw him looking back at her with a questioning look. He waved the tie at her as if he was asking her toe.

    "Ah, yes. Of course." Katherine walked around the desk and stood before him. Although Katherine was already tall for a woman, she still had to look up to Damien who was a few inches taller than her. She decided to settle her gaze on his tie and her hand raised to touch it but stopped herself.

    "What''s wrong?" he asked.

    "I don''t remember if I know how to do it," she slowly lifted her gaze and stared at him.

    "Right." Damien revealed a yful smile as he recalled a certain memory and said, "That''s okay, I prefer how skilled you are at untying them more."

    Katherine almost choked when she heard his shameless confession.

 Chapter 25: Damiens Star

    Chapter 25: Damien''s Star

    Katherine bit her tongue to prevent herself from retorting. How she wished that Damien wasn''t her boss at this moment. She was annoyed by him and his shamelessness.

    Although she tried so hard to seal her reaction, her brows had already betrayed her. Noticing her expression, Damien''s lips formed into a thin line as he kept himself from smiling like a fool. He loved teasing and seeing her expressions.

    Wanting to be over and done with it, Katherine grabbed his tie forcefully before randomly twisting and inserting the end here and there. Her fingers danced before him making Damien watch her with a surprised look. He didn''t know if she was serious about it but her hands looked like they knew what they were doing.

    She skillfully finished it by tucking it properly despite having the urge to choke her boss for what he just said.

    A small smile appeared on her face, admiring the work that she just made. "There." She chuckled softly.

    Damien turned a little to the side to see the tie for himself through the mirror and was surprised at how well it was done. Katherine was able to make the truelove knot which is a sophisticated yetplicated knot that takes a lot of time to perfect.

    He turned to her once again and said, "I''m impressed. Where did you learn how to do this?"

    Katherine shook her head as she answered, "I don''t know I was just randomly tying it. Is it that impressive?"

    Nodding, Damien grabbed his coat from the hanger. "You''re very talented, Ms. Miller."

    "Am I? What else do I know?" Katherine tilted her head, evidently excited to know more about what else she was capable of.

    After fixing his coat on him, Damien stared into her eyes and thought of another thing to tell her. "One thing''s for sure you''re very" His eyes lowered briefly on her body before looking back at her eyes and continued, "...flexible."

    Damien saw the huge change in her expression from excitement to shock. Her eyes widened and her cheeks reddened as he walked past her. "I''m heading downstairs to meet someone for breakfast. In the meantime, send reminders for my meetings today," he said before he walked out of the office leaving Katherine all by herself  confused and embarrassed.

    As soon as she was left alone, she released the air that she didn''t know she was holding before she turned to look at the door. She sneered at it as if Damien was still there. ''This man! Why is he so damn shameless? How could he say things like those? How would he even know I''m flexible?!'' She scoffed and puffed as she stomped her way towards her desk.

    She scowled at the elevator and silently wished that it would break. "Stupid stupid King. Tch."

    "Who are you calling stupid?" A man''s voice startled Katherine that her pen flew.

    She looked up to the familiar voice from the side and instantly smiled to see the gentle COO. "Good morning, Mr. Yoo." Katherine got up from her chair and greeted, she was flustered because of his sudden appearance but was happy to see his smiling face that morning. Unlike her boss who only knows how to annoy her all the time. "I meant the thing this thing!" She raised the pen and smiled, "This thing is stupid. Stupid thing."

    Chuckling, Caleb thought that she was very amusing. "How could you call something stupid, Ms. Miller? Did it do something to you?"

    "Nothing much really, it was just a little annoying. What brings you by, Mr. Yoo? Are you here to see the President? He just stepped out."

    "Oh, I see. I guess I''ll juste backter then." Caleb was about to turn around when he remembered something. "By the way, I was going to call you earlier to ask if you were free to grab some coffee from the new coffee shop downstairs but I realized I don''t have your number. I still owe you a cup of coffee."

    "Ah, there''s no need, Mr. Yoo," Katherine politely declined.

    "Hmmm... I insist. I don''t like owing someone something."

    "Well, then okay." Katherine handed her phone for Caleb to copy her phone number.

    "Thanks. Have a great day, Ms. Miller," he said before heading towards the elevators.

    Katherine started going over today''s schedule and she made a face immediately. Her boss''s schedule was jam packed that day and she noticed that he didn''t even have time for lunch. Her brows scrunched up when she thought how Natasha crammed everything in one day without thinking about their boss'' health. She scanned through the rest of the week and saw that it was simr. Meetings from nine to seven in the evening for three days straight.

    Is this man on a marathon? Why does he need to work all day like this? She searched the schedule''s addresses and found that Natasha wasn''t efficient at all. She set one meeting to the next without considering the location and Katherine found a few that was a waste of time traveling back and forth when she could have just set up meetings that are near to each other instead of traveling across the city and then back on the same day.

    Fixing her eyesses, she stretched her arms and started calling numbers and changing her boss''s schedule.

    "Hi, I was wondering if we can change the schedule for today''s meeting? Instead of" Katherine continued to make calls for an hour. Although she couldn''t change half of the appointments, her boss''s schedule for today and the rest of the week looked better. After finishing the phone call, she smiled as she edited the calendar on herputer.

    "What are you doing?" A man''s gentle voice sounded from in front of her while she was busy with her work.

    Without looking up, Katherine ranted, "I''m rescheduling appointments to make it efficient because Natasha seemed to think that it''s okay for the President to miss his lunch and waste time on the road."

    "Hmmm so you worry about your boss?"

    "I just think that he should stay healthy, after all, a lot of people depend on him." Katherine sighed as she closed the window and looked up to the man who was talking to her. Her eyes grew wide when she realized that it was Damien Park.

    The chair squeaked when she got up abruptly and stood straight in front of her boss. "P-P-President Park." She gulped before she lowered her head, "I apologize."

    Though Katherine did not see it, Damien gave a genuine smile and lovingly looked at her for a few seconds before his smug look appeared. Patting her head gently, he said, "No need to apologize, you''re doing great."

    Damien ced a paper bag on her desk and a cup of hot chocte. "Here, eat your breakfast."

    She nced at the paper bag full of pastry before she responded, "You didn''t have to buy me this. What if I already ate breakfast? Then this will just be a waste."

    "Why? Have you already eaten?"

    "No"

    "Then it won''t be a waste." Damien answered briefly making Katherine bite her lip. She wasn''t used to having someone take care of her like this. Though she had Emma and Adam, Damien does things even without her consent and she felt weird about it.

    "I can take care of my breakfast you don''t have to keep buying for me."

    "Ms. Miller, didn''t you just say that I should stay healthy because a lot of people depend on me? Then it''s the same with you. I depend on you as my secretary, so I can''t have you getting sick. If I don''t take care of you, who will?" Damien tilted his head as if he was waiting for her to answer but Katherine only stared back at him. Unsure of how to answer his question.

    "Unless your boyfriend or husband would get mad?" he added.

    Katherine was quick to deny by waving her hands in front of her. "No no no I''m not married, nor do I have a boyfriend." Her brows scrunched a little at how fast she was to deny it. Why did she feel the need to do so?

    A smile threatened to form on his face but he held it in and only answered, "Good," before he turned and went inside his office.

    His answer confused Katherine. "Good? What''s good?" She sat back on her seat and peeked inside the pastry bag. Her eyes sparkled upon seeing the different kinds of goodies inside and it smelled so good.

    Damien just sat on his chair and saw the changes that Katherine had made on his calendar and a chuckle escaped from his throat. He had asked Natasha to cram his schedule that way to have more reason for Katherine to constantly be with him and so he can always have meals with her too. However, seeing how she managed to change the schedule because she was concerned about him, he was more than willing to follow the current one.

    Lowering his gaze, he patted the sophisticated tie knot and he nced at the woman outside through the ss who was happily eating the pastry. Damien was happy like a boy who received a star from his teacher.

 Chapter 26: Pulse

    Chapter 26: Pulse

    Following the schedule that Katherine prepared for them that day, Damien was able to have a pleasant day. He and Katherine had enough time for lunch before going to their next appointment. Though they maintained everything professional the entire time, he was very much satisfied that he got to spend the whole day with her.

    Katherine was tired but she felt so aplished that she was able to do a lot of things and was able to learn more about the business. She didn''t realize that her organizational and time management skills are actually above par as a secretary and her attention to detail did not go unnoticed by Damien.

    Because of the arrangements that she made, they were almost done before five in the afternoon.

    "What''s next on the schedule?" Damien asked as they alighted the car.

    "That''s all for today, sir. Mr. Picard called to reschedule tonight''s dinner for tomorrow instead."

    "Hmmm" Damien hummed as he contemted. Now that dinner was canceled, did that mean they couldn''t dine together too? "Markus, take us back to the office." Damien turned to Katherine and added, "Before you go home, finish the report that I asked you earlier. We need that for tomorrow''s meeting."

    "Understood," Katherine nodded. Feeling her phone buzz from inside her purse, she took it out and a smile appeared on her face. It was Caleb Yoo.

    Mr. Caleb Yoo: [ Hi, Katherine. I was wondering if you were free for coffee after work? I feel that the longer it takes for me to repay your kindness, the higher the interest it will incur. ]

    She pressed her fingers on her lips to keep herself fromughing too much as she found Caleb adorable at his attempt of taking her out for coffee.

    Tapping her phone quickly, she responded:

    Katherine: [ Sorry, Mr. Yoo. I''ll have to take a rain check. ]

    What she didn''t know was that Damien noticed her little reaction. Seeing her snicker like that, he wondered who was texting her at this moment.

    ''A lover? But she already said she didn''t have a boyfriend.''

    ''A brother? But she doesn''t have one.''

    ''Would she snicker like that for a friend?''

    ''It wouldn''t be suitor, right?''

    Damien was so bothered by just thinking who was making herugh like that. Trying to ignore it, he looked away and closed his eyes as he leaned back.

    Katherine peeked at her boss and saw him sleeping. He looked harmless and gentle when he''s asleep while he was quite unpredictable when he''s awake.

    Soon enough, they arrived at the Crown Resort Group''s main building. They alighted the car and the two of them entered the lobby. The employees greeted their boss with a bow as he passed by them, giving their utmost respect to their CEO.

    A woman who was standing by the elevator walked forward and said, "President Park, I''m afraid that your private elevator is currently under maintenance. For the time being, we may use this lift." She gestured to her right, her hand pointing to the elevator that everyone else uses.

    "I see." Damien Park only nodded and stepped into themon elevator with Katherine. He wasn''t the kind of person who would get mad irrationally. He didn''t want to bother with little things as long as it wasn''t going to harm anybody. Besides, one has to have a keycard for them to have ess on the top floor.

    Katherine and Damien were the only ones inside the elevator. The CEO''s office was located on the twenty-third floor of the building so it would take them a while to get to the top.

    Her phone buzzed and so she took it out and read the text that came from Adam.

    Adam: [ Kath, where are you? Why didn''t you tell me that you got kicked out from your apartment? Where have you been sleeping? Emma and I are worried. We tried to call you earlier but you did not pick up. We hope you''re okay. Call us soon. ]

    The moment that Katherine read it, her heart raced and she bit her lip as she thought about how to send her reply. However, before she could even tap her screen, arge hand snatched her phone away from her.

    Damien did not know what he was thinking! He only saw her troubled expression as she read the text that looked like it came from a man''s name and the next thing he knew, his hand had already reached her phone and grabbed it. He was surprised by his own action but not as much as Katherine.

    He had the urge to read the message on her phone for reasons unknown to him. Damien usually doesn''t act against his will but it seems like he always loses his control whenever he''s with Katherine or anything that''s rted to her.

    Katherine''s head snapped towards her cell phone that was in Damien''s hand and her eyes grew wide. "What are you doing?" she asked as she tried to grab her phone from him. She couldn''t let him read that text! If he does, he would know she became homeless and that would lead to her telling him that she''s living in his storage room. That can''t happen!

    Just as her hand almost touched her phone, Damien raised her phone high above his head. "Who are you texting?"

    His own question surprised him once again. ''What are you doing, idiot?!'' he scolded himself.

    "No one!" She tried to jump up and snatch her phone back but Damien was just too tall for her.

    "I won''t give you your phone back if you don''t tell me who Adam is," he said with a smirk as he continued to raise his hand in the air.

    "What is it to you? Whoever I text is my business! Now give me back my phone!" Katherine raised her voice a little, she was near her breaking point as she was afraid of what her boss will find out about her current state.

    "No." Damien firmly said but his mind was already cursing at him.

    Katherine struggled in retrieving her phone. She shouted once more, "I said, give me back my phone!" She kicked her feet on the ground and leaped very high. But subconsciously, she lifted her knees up and wrapped her legs around Damien''s torso while she reached for her phone in a panic.

    Damien was extremely surprised at her actions that he froze on the spot with Katherine locking herself on him, crazily reaching for her phone. His heart beat erratically while a blush started to creep on his nape. ''She''s so soft,'' his mind still had the time to notice.

    What''s more, he heard the ding of the elevator on the eighteenth floor. When it opened, three of his employees stood outside shocked to see the scene inside themon elevator.

    A feisty woman with disheveled hair climbed on their President''s body. The shock on their faces was priceless. Damien met their eyes and he was speechless.

    One employee dropped the water bottle in his hand and it sshed on the floor. Noticing the sound, Katherine turned her head and saw their faces. She looked down on herself then to her boss and that''s the only time she realized how intimate they looked.

    Katherine''s face turned beet red and she turned her head back to them wanting to exin to the employees that it was a misunderstanding. "No! This isn''t-" However, Damien''srge hand blocked her face.

    "Don''t," he said. He knew what she was about to do but he was more concerned about her face being known which was why he covered her.

    The elevator door closed once again, leaving the three employees outside dumfounded. And they will be even more shocked when they''ll see a hefty bonuster in their bank ounts.

    Reluctantly helping her down, he gave her phone back to her. "Here." He cleared his throat in his attempt to cut the awkwardness in the atmosphere.

    "T-Thanks." She hurriedly ced her phone in her purse and promptly smoothen her clothes and hair.

    Damien silently cursed that they were using themon elevator that afternoon. Though it was unintentional, wouldn''t it have been better if they were in his private lift? His eyes darted to the camera on the corner and his expression darkened.

    "Ah!" The security in the control room of the elevator jumped back on his seat when he saw his boss''s fierce re. He gulped and started to sweat as he swore never to tell anyone what he had witnessed in the elevator or else he''ll be dead.

    When Damien and Katherine reached the top floor, neither of them spoke. Damien speedily walked towards his office and closed the door behind him. He ced his hand over his mouth as he recalled what had just happened before ncing at his lower region.

    He clenched his jaw as he walked over to his desk and picked up a remote control. When he turned around, he saw Katherine staring back at him.

    To his surprise, he pressed a button on the remote control and the ss that separated them turned opaque.

    Katherine scoffed upon seeing it. "Seriously? You!!!" She was once again annoyed by her boss. "Ugh! Shouldn''t I be the one to do that?! Why don''t I have a button like that?!" She crossed her arms angrily.

    Meanwhile, Damien had already gotten inside hisir. When he reached his bedroom, he turned his head to the side as if he was looking at Katherine and knitted his brows. With his erratic heartbeat, he stripped off his clothes before going inside the bathroom to take a very cold shower.

 Chapter 27: Subject: Eat.

    Chapter 27: Subject: Eat.

    Tapping sounds of the keyboard, a faint humming of the air vent and the soothing music from her speaker apanied Katherine as she typed on herputer with her brows furrowed. It had been an hour since Damien switched the ss panel from clear to opaque, and an hour since Katherine felt bitter about the incident in the elevator. From time to time, she would nce at the opaque ss and re at it like a sneering cat.

    And because she still didn''t know that her boss resides in the same building, she nned to stay until he leaves.

    It had just struck six in the evening when Katherine heard the huge door to her right open. She turned her head and saw Damiening out from his office looking fresh, clean, and smelling minty. There were a good three meters between them yet his heavenly scent invaded her nostrils making her swallow. ''Thirsty much, Kath?'' she told herself.

    Damien was wearing a in white shirt with its sleeves rolled up to his elbow and navy blue pants. The long dark strands of hair that fell just above his eyes were still damp and he brushed his fingers through it as he closed the door behind him.

    He obviously had taken a shower but upon seeing him like this, Katherine''s thoughts have gone haywire. She was definitely smitten when she saw him looking like a snack but because she was so irritated, she started to think too much and misunderstood him.

    ''Did he take a bath because he wanted to wash away whatever part of me that got stuck to him earlier?''

    ''Am I smelly?''

    ''Am I dirty?''

    ''Yes, Damien you look and smell great but... did you have to shower?!''

    If only she knew why he had to...

    Katherine had an emotionless and unreadable expression but Damien could sense her irritation when he saw her eyes. Passing by her desk, he maintained an indifferent look as he said without looking at her, "Don''t stay toote. Go home before seven." He did not even wait for her reply. He turned on his heel and headed towards the elevators.

    Katherine red at his beautiful, broad back. He wanted her to make a long report but also wanted her to go home before seven? How would she do that?

    When Damien was no longer in sight, Katherine continued to work on herputer. Ten minutester, the elevator opened and a delivery boy stepped out with a paper bag in his hand.

    "Ms. Katherine Miller?" he asked as he was nearing the desk.

    Katherine raised her brows and got up from her chair. "Yes, how can I help you?"

    "This is the food that you ordered." The delivery boy ced the paper bag on her desk and was about to leave when Katherine held him back, "Wait!"

    He turned his head and responded, "Yes?"

    "You must be mistaken. I did not order any food." Katherine took the paper bag and handed it back to the delivery boy. "Maybe you got the wrong person. Here, take it back."

    ''How could I afford to order food?''

    He raised both of his hands in front of him as he refused to ept the bag. "You''re Ms. Katherine Miller, right? Then that''s for you."

    Knitting her brows, Katherine replied, "But I don''t have money to pay for it and I really didn''t order it!"

    "That''s already been paid for. I don''t know, miss. I''m just the delivery guy," he said before turning around and left in a hurry.

    Feeling perplexed, Katherine raised the paper bag in front of her and stared at it; it had the logo of a famous restaurant around the area. She walked back to her desk and checked the contents of the bag. There were three boxes inside and it smelled delicious. She was so tempted but because she was still confused where the food came from, she slumped on her chair.

    A notification on herputer screen caught her attention. She received an email from her boss. "Huh?" she wondered. Damien had already left the office so why did he send her an email?

    Clicking the mail, a white screen popped up containing a short message from her boss.

    From: Damien Park

    To: Katherine Miller

    Subject: Eat.

    I apologize about earlier. Make sure to eat the food while it''s still hot. Don''t skip meals because of work.

    Damien

    At first, Damien wanted to send her a text but the thought of Katherine reading the text on her phone just lead him to think about the elevator scene. In the end, he decided to send her an email so that she will receive it through theputer.

    After reading the email, Katherine nced at the paper bag again. Her boss apologized to her and even sent her dinner. Now, why was she suddenly feeling guilty?

    Why does he keep doing this? He''s mostly so kind, then suddenly he''s irritating, and now he''s nice again!

    Katherine recalled what happened in the elevator and her face went from pale to red. She was so scared when he took her phone from her and then out of nowhere, she just climbed on his body! ''How shameless, Kath! Who are you? I don''t know you anymore!'' she told herself. She was mad at Damien just as much as she was mad at herself.

    Covering her face with her hands, she whimpered and shook her body when the scene yed in her head repeatedly. She could feel her legs bing warm even by just thinking about it.

    Katherine sighed heavily and tapped her face to refocus. Damien already left, so what about her daily dose of ''getting to know Katherine''s past''?

    He had promised her that they could talk more about it after work but they still haven''t had the chance. With this in mind, Katherine hovered her fingers on the keyboard and typed in her reply.

    From: Katherine Miller

    To: Damien Park

    Subject: [Re: Eat.]

    I still have questions about my past

    Katherine didn''t know what else to say so she sent the email with only one line. She waited for five minutes but Damien did not reply to her message. Realizing that her boss might already be busy with something else, she decided to send another email to thank him for the food, he did think about her after all. So, with a smile on her face, she responded: "Thanks for the food."

    Almost instantly, she received a reply from her boss saying: "You''re wee."

    The smile on her face immediately disappeared as soon as her nose red. So he read her first email but he chose not to respond?! ''Why is he torturing me?''

    Katherine let out another sigh and started typing furiously on her keyboard. She began topose a long reply to send to her boss to give him a piece of her mind. She was having a bad day!

    Well, maybe a bad week.

    Just as she had started the fourth sentence of her ranting, another notification appeared  an email from her boss. Pausing herposition, she read the new mail.

    Damien: [ I''m meeting a friend tonight. We can talk about it tomorrow. Stop working and start eating. ]

    Upon reading his email, Katherine''s back rxed. She fidgeted with her thumb before she decided to delete her hate mail. What was she in a hurry for? He already said he''ll talk about it. ''Just be patient, Kath,'' she assured herself.

    Looking over the paper bag, she reached in and took out the expensive-looking boxes. Even the take out packaging was luxurious. She suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. "Rich people."

    Opening the box, the delicious smell intensified and she was greeted with scrumptious looking food. She salivated right away at the same time that her stomach grumbled.

    Giving in to temptation, Katherine scarfed down the food and moaned as the high-quality meat melted inside her mouth. If only she could eat it everyday.

    Meanwhile, Damien was at the bar of Crown Hotel that was just right beside the main office.

    Loud music filled the air but he tuned everything out and downed his whiskey. Today was his father''s death anniversary.

    The club in his hotel was lit. The whole area was huge and loud with lots of guests partying. But despite the lively vibe, Damien sat alone in the bar as he reminisces about his father.

    Earlier, he nned to eat dinner with Katherine but because of what happened, he decided to head out and drink instead.

    He med himself for his father''s death that happened years ago. No matter how many years have passed, the heaviness in his heart was still there.

    Just as he ced his ss back down, arge hand patted his right shoulder. Caleb sat down on the stool next to him and signaled the bartender for his drink.

    "I thought you''d meet me after dinner," Caleb turned to the left and looked at his friend. He knew Damien so well to know what he was feeling at the moment.

    "Change of ns," Damien briefly answered with a small smile.

    Raising his ss, Caleb clinked it with Damien''s before taking a sip. He apanied his friend the whole night.

    They didn''t have to talk and they didn''t have to pretend. Both of them knew what was needed and what was not.

    Who would have known that underneath the mask, one would find a broken man?

    What other secrets do you keep, Damien Park?

 Chapter 28: Sexy Bedroom Hair

    Chapter 28: Sexy Bedroom Hair

    It was already a quarter past ten in the evening when Damien reached the top floor of the main office. He had drunk so much so that his vision became blurry. However, he was still able to walk somewhat straight despite his mind bing muddled. With both of his hands in his pockets, he stepped out of the elevator and leisurely walked towards his office.

    Before he could reach his door, something caught his attention on the right. He turned his head towards the empty hall and squinted his eyes as though he was trying to observe something but unfortunately found nothing. The hallway leading to the stairwell was too dark and quiet. After a few seconds, he turned around and headed towards his door.

    As soon as he disappeared inside his office and the door had closed, Katherine sunk on the floor while clutching her chest. She feared that her heart was going to burst out of her soon with the way it was pounding inside her.

    What was she doing there in the first ce?

    A few minutes earlier, she was about to sleep when she suddenly realized that she had forgotten to turn off herputer. Reluctantly, she got up from her makeshift bed and sneaked out on the dark hallways and into the stairwell  she was only wearing a hoodie, pajamas, and slippers. The night was cold and without her warm nket, it was damn freezing.

    Reaching the top floor, Katherine hurriedly turned off herputer and ran back towards the hallway. However, the sound of themon elevator opening startled her that she jumped up in fright and scrambled to hide behind a thick curtain.

    She knew that it was a stupid move but at that moment, she really did not have any other choice. It was either the curtain or the trash can!

    Katherine heard heavy footsteps from the side and she froze when she realized that it was none other than her boss Damien Park. ''What is he doing here at this hour?'' Her eyes widened in shock as she gasped. She covered her mouth very quickly when she made a faint sound just in time before the footsteps hade to a stop.

    Damien was less than ten meters away from her and he was looking at her direction. Katherine could only see his silhouette through the curtain and she wondered if that was really the end for her.

    After some time, he finally entered his office and the moment that she heard the door close, Katherine felt like her soul had left her body that she fell to the floor.

    She swore that she was never going back to the top floor at that hour again no matter what! Or else, she would lose her job if she gets caught.

    The next morning.

    Katherine stood outside Damien''s door. She had been worrying about how she was going to face her boss after what happenedst night. She believed that he did not see her but she still felt very guilty. ''Kath, only several days more and you won''t have to live here anymore. You can go back to your apartment. Just suck it up.''

    After giving herself a pep talk, she knocked on the huge door and waited.

    "Come in," Damienzily answered and Katherine entered his office.

    Compared to his usual appearance, he was looking veryzy today. With just a white t-shirt, ck pants, and tousled hair on, he leaned back on his chair while his eyes were closed. "Have you rescheduled my meetings?"

    "Yes, I have already adjusted your schedule for the rest of the week. Here''s the report that you asked for." Katherine ced the folder on his desk. She looked at him and saw how tired he was, there was even a faint smell of alcohol on him. He didn''t look like his usual self but strangely, Katherine liked this look on him  just a shirt and pants guy with sexy bedroom hair.

    ''OMG! Katherine Miller, shame on you!'' she cursed herself.

    Breathing in deeply, Damien sat up straight and nced on the folder before he looked up at her. "Have you eaten?"

    Surprised by his question, Katherine straightened up and nodded, "Yes."

    He continued to look at her with gentle eyes and Katherine wondered what was going on in his mind. "Have you?" she asked.

    "Hmm?"

    "Have you eaten?"

    Damien shook his head and rubbed his temple. He was having a bad case of hangover mixed with a massive headache.

    Unconsciously, Katherine reached her hand forward and touched his forehead, surprising him with the sudden contact. Ever since they met again, she had been quite elusive and this was the first time that she had willingly touched him.

    He subconsciously raised his right hand to ce it on top of hers but she had already pulled her hand away fast enough. "At least you don''t have a fever. How about I make something for you to eat?"

    Damien''s brow raised upon hearing her, "You''re going to cook for me?"

    Almost an hourter, Katherine came back to his office pushing a cart towards the long meeting table. Thankful that her boss owns a hotel, Katherine was able to find everything that she needed in the five-star hotel''s kitchen. She was given special privileges by the CEO to do whatever she wanted to do in the kitchen. How could he not when she was going to cook something for him?

    Damien curiously walked towards the table and saw her carefully cing the hangover soup down along with other side dishes.

    Looking at the hot soup, he couldn''t help but ask, "Did you really make this for me?" Damien stared at the food on the table. It was not much but it looked really tasty.

    "Everything was readily avable like the beef bone broth. So I only added some other vegetables and cooked it for a bit. It''s really nothing." Katherine inteced her hands together and smiled. For her, this was the least she could do for her boss who was always concerned whether she had already eaten or not. What''s one soup, right?

    What Katherine didn''t know was that her little act of kindness was already etched in Damien''s heart. He was genuinely touched.

    Katherine pulled a seat for him and waited for him to sit down but Damien turned to look at her and questioned, "Why is there only one set? Aren''t you going to eat with me?"

    Shaking her hands in front of her, she responded, "Ah, no I still have a lot to do, Sir." Taking out a small paper bag with medicine inside, she ced it next to the ss of water. "Take this after your meal." She bowed her head slightly before leaving his office.

    Looking at what Katherine had prepared for him, Damien''s heart warmed. Since he had been alone most of the time, no one has taken care of him like this before. Though she was currently his secretary, he liked to think that she was doing it out of concern for him and not because of her obligations and responsibilities.

    Damien sat down to try the soup. He had only brought a spoon near his mouth yet he was already salivating.

    An hourter, Damien had called Katherine over to his office.

    The two of them sat opposite each other on the sofa and Katherine thought that she was in trouble. But when she nced at the bowl that she prepared, she was surprised to see that he had eaten everything and probably even licked the bowl clean. It turned out that Damien enjoyed the food that she made and had taken the medicine too.

    Feeling rxed and contented, she asked with a warmhearted expression, "Did you need something, Sir?"

    Damien stared at her and wondered how he was going to start. He wanted to help her regain her lost memories but how was he supposed to do that while making sure that she was going to be safe? "Tell me about your regr check-ups. Who is this doctor?" he asked despite the fact that he had already received the information from Markus''s investigation.

    Katherine did not expect his question but she didn''t mind answering. "His name is Martin Cheng. He is a Neurologist in Spring Grove Hospital."

    "When was thest time that you went to see him?"

    "A few months ago. I was supposed to go backst month but I had some financial troubles."

    Damien didn''t want her to be ufortable so he just nodded. Looking at his watch, he got up from the sofa and took his coat from the hanger. "Grab your things. We''re going to the hospital."

    Katherine was startled seeing that Damien moved so fast. He was already on the door waiting for her. "W-why are we-"

    "Didn''t you want to regain your memories? For me to help you, I must understand everything about your condition first." He also wanted to meet her doctor in person. Opening the door, he turned to face her again. "Are youing or not?"

    Katherine nodded profusely. The excitement in her eyes was evident making Damien chuckle. "Let''s go."

 Chapter 29: Im Her Fiancé

    Chapter 29: I''m Her Fianc��

    The car stopped at the entrance of Spring Grove Hospital. It had been a few months since thest time that Katherine visited the ce and a sudden uneasiness filled her heart. She didn''t know why, but she felt the urge not to go inside. Her hands balled into fists in an attempt to stop it from shaking.

    Damien got out from the backseat of the car and waited for Katherine to follow but she remained glued to her seat. He peeked in and his brow raised when he saw her in a daze. "Ms. Miller?"

    "Hmm?" Katherine turned her head and realized that he was waiting for her. "Ah  yes." Carefully, she alighted the car, and the two of them entered the hospital.

    Arriving at Dr. Martin Cheng''s clinic, they sat on the wide sofa as they waited for the neurologist to arrive.

    Damien, who was sitting next to Katherine, noticed her trembling hands. His brows slightly furrowed upon seeing her tensed expression. His gazended on the tiny scar on her left thumb that she constantly puts pressure on as though it was helping her to calm down.

    "If you don''t want to do this today, we cane back some other time," he stated.

    "I''m okay," she responded almost instantly.

    Feeling warm, Katherine nced down and saw Damien''srge hand on hers, his thumb stroking the back of her hand. Her trembling instantly stopped and her heart began to pound in her chest at the same time that her cheeks started to blush. His hand, although slightly rough, was very warm and she liked it. She turned to him and met his stare.

    "Don''t be nervous," he said, "I''ll be right here."

    As soon as Katherine heard those words from him, it was as if she was enveloped with a warm nket over her shoulders to keep her from getting cold. She had seen the doctor several times in the past but she was always alone. She didn''t like bothering other people and thus, she always tried to fix everything on her own. Having him there was definitely better than being alone.

    Wanting to say something but didn''t want to sound cheesy, Katherine ended up saying: "You''re paying for this visit, right? Because I''m broke."

    She saw his eyebrows scrunch up a little before he shook his head and chuckled. He couldn''t believe she was still thinking about something like that after what he just said. ''How cute.''

    "Don''t worry. I''m taking you under my wing. Naturally, I''ll pay for everything." Another excuse for him to pay for anything that has something to do with Katherine. He would love to spend his cash on everything as long as it was for her. May it be clothes, food  heck, he would buy a mansion for her. ''Chill, Damien. You''ll get there.''

    He tightened his hold on her hand, happy that she hadn''t brushed his hand away. ''This is nice.''

    "I''m sorry for making you wait, oh" Dr. Cheng was surprised to see that Katherine was not alone. And with her is this expensive-looking man who was holding her hand. It was the first time that he saw her with someone.

    "You''re not alone this time. Is he your boyfriend?" he asked as he searched for something in his file cab.

    "What?" Realizing that Damien was still holding her hand, she gently pulled away from his grasp and shook her head, "No umm h-he''s my b-"

    "Actually, I''m her fianc," Damien shamelessly admitted, making Katherine''s lip twitch and her eyes widen.

    ''What the hell?'' She red at him. "What ar-"

    Damien grabbed her hand once again and squeezed it as if he was telling her to keep quiet. "I''m here to know more about her condition."

    Feeling Damien''s hand again, her heart skipped a beat. ''Why is this man lying so casually? And why does he need to hold my hand?''

    "Of course," Dr. Cheng returned with a folder in his hand. He didn''t seem bothered at all and was ready to tell Damien about Katherine''s amnesia.

    "Today is May Fourth. It''s been five years and over two months since the patient was brought to this hospital" Dr. Cheng started exining Katherine''s memory and identity loss. But everything that he told Damien was nothing new as thetter had already read the notes from Markus'' investigation. And for some reason, Damien didn''t have a good feeling about the doctor. However, he kept his opinion to himself and let the doctor finish.

    As soon as Damien and Katherine stepped out of the doctor''s clinic, they got in the car and left the hospital.

    "Why did you lie back there?" she wondered.

    "What lie?"

    "You told Dr. Cheng that you''re my fianc. Why?"

    Damien shrugged, "I had to know your condition. Wasn''t it more believable that I said that instead of telling him I''m your boss? What boss would care about personal stuff like this?"

    Katherine suppressed the urge to roll her eyes, "You could have just said ''boyfriend''. Why fianc?" she mumbled to herself but Damien clearly heard her.

    "Would you have wanted that instead?" He tilted his head and formed a teasing smile.

    "Want what?"

    "Me, as your boyfriend," he responded seriously.

    Katherine turned her gaze away from him and looked at the window, ignoring the man next to her.

    ...

    A few minutester, Damien pulled his phone out of his pocket and turned to his assistant. "Markus, have you called Jeff?"

    "Yes, Boss. Shall we drop by his hospital now?" Markus nced at the rearview mirror.

    Damien nodded before he turned to Katherine. "You''re switching doctors."

    "What? Why?" She was confused by his announcement. "He has been my doctor for five years. Why do I need to change now?"

    Not wanting to worry her, he formed a smile on his face before he casually tapped on his phone. "Changing doctors isn''t a big deal as it happens all the time. I just feel that I can trust someone I have already known for a long time. Dr. Evans is a great doctor."

    Looking at Damien, she didn''t see anything unusual about his answer. Besides, he was already helping her so what was there to worry about? All she needed to do was meet another doctor and she can finally recall her memories.

    "When was your ident? He said you were brought to the hospital in February?" Damien carefully watched her expression as she answered.

    "Yes, February 22nd. I was transferred from another hospital but they couldn''t tell me anything else. So I don''t really know what happened before I was moved there."

    Damien narrowed his eyes and clenched his jaw. "What happened to you?" he muttered in a low voice, it was almost inaudible.

    Seeing the change in his expression, Katherine questioned, "Why?"

    "February 18th." After exhaling a sigh, he continued. "Thest night that I saw you was February 18th."

    Katherine knitted her brows and gazed at Damien whose stare was so intense. All of a sudden, she sensed that the man in front of her was someone familiar yet a stranger at the same time. ''Who are you, Damien Park?''

    Just as Katherine was about to ask further questions, they have already reached their destination.

 Chapter 30: Do You Want to Be Punished?

    Chapter 30: Do You Want to Be Punished?

    Katherine followed Damien to the right-wing of Hillcrest Hospital to meet Dr. Evans. As they entered the bright and huge lobby, a male''s voice called from behind. "Kath!"

    She turned her head and saw a tall man running up to her. He was panting when he reached her side and started, "I''ve been calling you for days. Why aren''t you answering?"

    "Adam." Surprised to see her friend in the same hospital, Katherine walked closer, "What are you doing here?"

    "I''m visiting a friend. Did you lose your phone?"

    "Umm No-"

    Confused, Adam continued to question her, "Then why aren''t you taking my calls?"

    Damien scrutinized the man who was demanding answers from Katherine. He didn''t intend to, but his expression looked very cold as he looked at Adam from head to toe.

    Katherine started to panic especially when Adam turned to the man next to her. "Who''s this?"

    "This is Mr. Park, he''s my boss," she answered quickly, not giving Damien the chance to make up stories again.

    Turning to the tall, brooding man next to her who was giving her the ''Who the hell is this'' look, she quaked, "Excuse me, President Park, I just need to talk to my friend for a while."

    Not waiting for Damien to answer, Katherine pulled Adam away and brought him to a corner to talk to him. She left Damien in the middle of the lobby bothered by that strange man with her. She hasn''t been back in his life for that long and there''s already a second fly he has to swat?

    Crossing his arms in front of him, Damien waited for the two to finish their conversation. His facial expression was unreadable but if he thought that his silent curses in his mind were safe, that''s where he was wrong.

    A loud mockingugh sounded from his side but he didn''t even bother to turn.

    "If someone were to tell me that I would see Damien Park with this expression, I wouldn''t believe him." Dr. Jeffrey Evans nudged his friend Damien who was soaking in vinegar at the moment. "Is this the secretary that Caleb told me about? My man she is fi-"

    Jeffrey choked on his words when Damien turned his face and gave him a cold re.

    Raising his hands before him, Jeffrey tried to survive from his friend''s fury. "Woah I''m justplimenting. She''s all yours," he said with a snicker.

    "Jeff, I trust you with this. Help me," Damien said in a low voice.

    Patting Damien on the shoulder, Jeffrey could not say no to him. "Anything for you, brother."

    ..

    "Who was that?" Damien questioned as soon as Katherine came back to his side.

    "Just my friend Adam. We live in the same neighborhood." She forced a smile, wishing that he would stop asking her questions.

    "Ah so that was Adam." Damien said indifferently but it only made Jeffrey chuckle. How could he forget the Adam that caused him to overreact in the elevator?

    Hearing the way he said it, Katherine blushed at the memory of her climbing on his body. She wished for the ground to just swallow her at that moment.

    Not wanting to dwell on it anymore, Damien introduced his friend to Katherine. "This is Dr. Jeffrey Evans, he''ll be your doctor starting today."

    "A pleasure to meet you, Dr. Evans. My name is Katherine Miller." She extended her hands and shook with Jeffrey. The doctor was a couple of inches shorter than Damien and was skinnier. He had dark hair, dark eyes, and tanned skin.

    "Katherine, huh?" Jeffrey nced at Damien and raised a brow. "I swear I have heard that name before"

    "Well, it''s amon name," she shrugged. She didn''t notice that Damien shook his head at his friend.

    "Amon name maybe, but not amon face." A teasing smile appeared on Jeffrey''s lips as he avoided looking at Damien who was already giving him a re.

    "Have you received the files?" Damien interrupted.

    "Yes. I may need to go over them first so why don''t we go to my office and discuss it further?"

    Tapping the screen on his phone quickly, Damien turned to face Katherine. "I have to go meet someone. I''ll just send a car to pick you up in an hour."

    "Wait, you''re leaving me?"

    "I''m sorry. This is urgent. Don''t worry, Jeffrey is going to take care of you." Damien looked at Jeffrey in the eye and continued, "I trust him."

    Jeffrey gulped at his words. It didn''t sound like a statement, rather it sounded like a threat. "Heh of course."

    Although that may be true, Katherine still felt ufortable that Damien was about to leave her alone. ''I thought you were going to do this with me'' she said in her thoughts.

    Damien ced his hand on the small of Katherine''s back and brushed his hand gently that she felt warm on that spot. "I will see youter." He gave her a gentle smile before he nodded at Jeffrey.

    Katherine''s session with Dr. Jeffrey Evans didn''tst that long. He only did routine questions and wanted to get to know more about her. He also asked further questions about her visits with her previous doctor.

    Just like Damien, Jeffrey had doubts but he did not dare say it to Katherine. He had to speak to Damien first. So after less than an hour, Katherine was already on her way back to the office.

    When she returned, she received a text from an unregistered number.

    Unknown: [ Are you back? ]

    Wondering, Katherine typed in her reply.

    Katherine: [ Back where? Who is this? ]

    At the backseat of the Jaguar, Damien clenched his jaw and narrowed his eyes. "Why does this woman not have my number? It''s been days and she doesn''t have my number?!"

    Damien furiously typed his response.

    Unknown: [ Kitten, howe you haven''t saved my number yet? You have phone numbers of several men on your phone but not mine? Do you want to be punished? ]

    Real Immature. Damien can be really immature.

    When Katherine read the text, her eyes almost popped from shock. "What?! Several men!? Ha" She wanted to curse but could only re at her phone. Damien was the only one who calls her Kitten. Realizing that it was her boss, she swallowed her annoyance and replied calmly.

    Katherine: [ I''m back at the office. ]

    King Damien: [ Good. You don''t have to wait for me. I''ll meet Mr. Picard tonight for dinner. I''ll see you tomorrow. ]

    Reading his text, a bright smile appeared on her face. It was Friday and she didn''t have to stay sote. Though she didn''t really have anywhere else to go, she was d not to have any more tasks to do.

    At midnight, Katherine went to the snack station to get some water. She had another bout of a nightmare. Waking up in a cold sweat and a rapid heartbeat, she couldn''t sleep anymore

    She filled up the ss in her hand with water from the dispenser and chugged it down. And when she turned around to go back to the storage room, what she saw in front of her made her drop the ss to the ground, smashing it into pieces.

    Standing before her was none other than her boss, Damien Park.

    Under the dimly lit room, Damien''s expression turned dark as he asked, "What are you doing here?"

 Chapter 31: His Hot, Wet Mouth on My Finger

    Chapter 31: His Hot, Wet Mouth on My Finger

    "Kill him." A man''s low voice whispered into her ear, "Aim and pull the trigger! Now!"

    The air around her was cold. Even his voice was cold. She could see herself breathing as she started to breathe faster when she saw her target through the scope.

    "Kill him, Katherine," he urged once more.

    She was startled by his voice that her hands began to tremble. Her right index finger hovered over the trigger but she just couldn''t squeeze it.

    "But I I can''t" she feared.

    "You can do it.

    "I can''t!"

    "Just pull the damn trigger!" he yelled to her ear. His voice gave her a fright that she identally pulled the trigger.

    *BANG!*

    The sound of a gunshot woke her up from her nightmare just like the other night. Katherine gasped as she opened her eyes and was breathing heavily. She blinked a couple of times before she was able to adjust her eyes from the darkness of the storage room.

    Getting up into a sitting position, she wiped the sweat on her forehead and reached for the water bottle on the side. "Great," she uttered when she saw that it was empty. She checked the time on her cell phone  it was five minutes after midnight. She hated going out as the stairwell going up to the next floor was dark and eerie.

    Wearing a white shirt, pajamas, and fluffy slippers, Katherine ambled from the storage room towards the snack station on the next floor up.

    The only light in the station came from the vending machines on the right side of the room. After making sure that the coast is clear, she walked her way past the machines and went straight to the water dispenser that was in the corner. She took an unused ss from the rack and filled it up with water.

    The night was a little chilly, but because of how Katherine woke up from that nightmare, she was feeling very ufortable. She closed her eyes and let out a deep breath before downing the entire ss of water. She actually had to drink two full sses to quench her thirst.

    Feeling satisfied, she turned around wanting to wash the ss that she used but as soon as moved, she froze on her spot. Katherine was frightened to see the man now standing in front of her with apletely baffled expression.

    Her heart almost jumped out of her chest the moment that his expression turned dark and he asked, "What are you doing here?"

    Damien was wearing a loungewear set and a dark grey hooded robe over it.

    Katherine felt like it was harder to breathe and swore she was choking on air! All of a sudden, her hand lost strength that the ss slipped out of it. The next second, the ss smashed on the floor surprising both of them.

    In her panic, she stammered, "I- I- I''m sorry." She immediately bent down and picked up the shards of ss on the floor.

    "Wait, no"

    "Ah!"

    It was toote, Damien''s warning was useless when a piece of ss had already made a cut on her right index finger. She winced in pain.

    "Sh*t, I just told you" Without second thoughts, Damien pulled her up from the floor, grabbed her injured finger and put it in his mouth. He sucked on it, making Katherine''s eyes grew wide and her heart beat faster like a horse galloping on the field.

    His hot, wet mouth circled around her delicate finger  she gulped each time he sucked.

    ''His mouth his tongue I can feel them,'' she gaped at him busily doing his thing as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

    With every touch of his tongue relieving the small cut on her finger, she could feel a jolt of electricity shot through her, melting her insides.

    Katherine did not know whether to stop him as it was making her feel hot and bothered or to leave him be for the exact same reason! Her problem was so huge. ''Someone help!''

    "Who''s there?!" A man''s voice came from the hallway, his footstepsing closer.

    Surprised, Damien let go of her hand. In one swift motion, he pulled her body towards his and used his robe to wrap it around her so she was snuggled very closely to him.

    The footsteps in the background came to a stop. "Show your face," said the security guard. It just so happened that he was doing his rounds and heard the noise.

    "It''s me, Bernard," Damien answered without turning around, his back facing the guard.

    It was only then when Katherine realized that he was trying to shield her.

    "President Park?" Bernard tilted his head and saw the back of his boss. "What are you doing here in the dark. Let me turn on"

    "No, it''s okay. I''m just here to get something." Damien took an empty ss using his left hand and filled it with water from the dispenser while his right arm was snuggly wrapped around Katherine, hiding her from the guard under his robe.

    Inside Damien''s robe, Katherine''s soft body was pressed against his hard chest. She stood there motionless, afraid to even breathe as she closed her eyes and listened to their conversation.

    She was feeling even warmer now that she was glued to him. It wasfortable yet she felt uneasy with the stranger''s presence in the room.

    "Are you sure?" The guard narrowed his eyes and saw the broken ss on the floor. "Let me help you with"

    "No need, Bernard. I will take care of it. You can leave now." Damien firmly said, his voice sounded authoritative that the security guard straightened his back and responded, "Yes, sir."

    When the guard finally left, Katherine and Damien were now alone.

    "Is he gone?" she whispered with her eyes still closed.

    Damien looked down at her, his eyes turning dark. "Mmm," he answered.

    He heard her let out a sigh before her forehead fell on his chest. She was relieved.

    A smile threatened to appear on his face because of their current position  her soft body was pressed up against him. She was leaning against him although she wasn''t aware of it, she was truly startled with the turn of events.

    Though Damien enjoyed their proximity at the moment especially the way he was holding her, he still had questions that needed to be answered.

    In a low raspy voice, he moved his lips just right next to her ear and spoke, "If you wanted to be cuddled, you could have just called me."

    His seductive voice snapped her out of her reverie that she immediately pushed herself away from his embrace.

    "I" she uttered as she backed away until her hips touched the counter. She stared back at him as he inched his way towards her.

    Walking closer, Damien firmly nted his hands on the counter she was leaning on. His hands almost touching the sides of her hips; Katherine had nowhere to escape. He locked his gaze on her and asked, "So, Kitten, care to exin what you''re doing here at this hour in your nightwear?"

 Chapter 32: Juicy Lips

    Chapter 32: Juicy Lips

    Damien was so close to her, she could feel the heat that emanated from him. Although the hug didn''tst long, it was enough to make her blush.

    His sexy bedroom hair was on point, if that was even possible. How could this man lookzy as if he had just gotten out of bed and yet still look this tasty?

    Her mind was running in all directions. She was bothered by their intimate positions, from earlier and the current one; as well as how she was supposed to tell her boss that she had been squatting in his domain. ''Can the time please stop right now?'' she wished.

    Katherine was on the verge of breaking down when she realized that there was no excuse that she coulde up with. How else was she going to exin what she was doing there at a time like this and only in her pajamas?

    ''Wait pajamas?'' She looked down on herself and felt a chill run down her spine when she realized that she wasn''t wearing a bra underneath her shirt! ''OMG!'' she gaped in shock just in time that she ced her arms over her chest in an attempt to cover herself up. "Y-you!"

    Realizing what she was so concerned about, Damien gulped yet his eyes never left her face. He was already aware of that fact the moment he pressed her body towards him and the situation earlier wasn''t exactly the best time for his body to ''react''.

    Now that they were both thinking about the same thing, his little buddy in theher regions gave him a salute. He clenched his jaw as if he wanted to control his urges. Will this be another cold shower session?

    "I can stay here like this all night long if this is what you want, Katherine. I''m still waiting for an exnation," he added in a low voice.

    He sounded gentle but Katherine knew that she doesn''t have a choice.

    She chewed on her lower lip, catching Damien''s attention that his gaze fell on it and he couldn''t help but tease, "Those seem juicy, would you like me to help you with it?"

    Her hands that were covering her chest flew to her lips in a sh. "Can you stop doing that?" she murmured under her breath.

    "Only if you start talking. If you don''t" Damien nced on the hands that were covering her lips.

    Katherine swallowed. ''Any minute now, Kath. Just start opening your mouth! How hard is it?''

    "Or do you want me to start guessing?" he added, making her even more nervous. "I don''t really know what''s going on with you. But this isn''t the first time that you were sneaking in the middle of the night in my territory."

    ''What is he talking about? Did he really see mest night?'' she wondered.

    "Five years ago, you also did the same. So what is this? Did you remember something? Are you here to steal from me, Kitten?" he paused when he saw her shocked expression and looked down at her outfit. "Surely you wouldn''t be doing that in your nightwear, right? Are you sleepwalking then?"

    "I snuck around five years ago?" she asked as she lowered her hands back to her chest

    With a sigh, Damien answered, "Yes, but that''s not what''s important right now, is it? So, are you going to tell me or are you going to keep stalling?"

    Breathing deeply, Katherine darted her eyes here and there, "I" she started, but Damien tipped her chin up so that she was now looking at him, "I want you to look at me straight into my eyes when you talk. Speak." He demanded and lowered his hand back on the counter.

    "I was kicked out of my apartment"

    "Why?" he narrowed his eyes.

    "Because I was behind my rent for three months... and I had nowhere else to stay," she hesitated and her eyes wavered but she looked at him in the eyes and told him the truth. "So I''ve been sleeping here in the office at night."

    How did he not know about this? He even dropped by that ce tonight to check on her and thought she was already asleep so he only stayed in his car for a while. Who knew that she wasn''t even there in the first ce?

    Damien''s hands gripped the edge of the counter until his knuckles had turned white. He felt a slight prick in his heart as he listened to her exnation. "Since when?"

    "Since the evening of May 1st" her whisper was almost inaudible.

    "Tuesday? Are you kidding me? You''ve been staying here for four nights?!" Damien backed away in frustration, his shoes sweeping off the shards of ss on the floor. Noticing it, he scanned the room and found a broom and a dustpan on the side.

    "Ah, I''ll do it!" Katherine dashed to clean the mess on the floor as she continued, "I''m really sorry, President Park. I would understand if you fire me for this. But can I at least stay until morning? I promise I will clean everything. I just don''t have anywhere else to go." She just finished cleaning up when arge hand grabbed her wrist, took the dustpan from her hand and threw the contents into the bin.

    "Wash your hands." Hemanded. His face had darkened and the air in the room had dropped its temperature. Katherine felt that Damien was really mad this time. ''I''m doomed,''she thought as she trembled while washing her hands.

    "Show me where you have been sleeping." He stared at her with an unreadable expression, so she could only nod and led him to the storage room.

    As soon as he saw her living condition, his hand balled into a fist. Damien wanted to punch someone or something.

    How could she sleep in that cold, hard floor? And in this small room? The two of them couldn''t even move around when they got inside.

    "Grab your things! I''ll wait for you in the hallway. You have five minutes." He coldly ordered as he stormed out of the storage room.

    Katherine choked back tears as herst hope was gone. She thought he would let her sleep for one more night but he was already throwing her out in the middle of the night. Tears threatened to fall but she forced herself not to cry. Wiping her eyes quickly, she grabbed everything she could in a sh.

    Soon after, she walked out of the storage room with a few bags in hand.

    Katherine bowed in front of Damien and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Pre-"

    Before she could even finish, Damien had already taken all the bags from her hand and he carried it all with his left hand. Without saying anything, he firmly grabbed her hand with his right and dragged her with him until they reached the top floor.

    At this point, Katherine was only able to utter: "S-sir?"

    She could barely keep up with his long strides but they finally stopped in front of his bookshelf. After punching in a code and pressing a button, that''s when Katherine saw a passageway that she had never seen before.

    "Where are we?" she managed to ask while she was still surprised to see Damien''s living room.

    "My house," he answered, dropping her bags to the floor. "And you''re going to stay here."

 Chapter 33: Smells Like Damien

    Chapter 33: Smells Like Damien

    Katherine''s heart thumped when she heard Damien''s words.

    ''His house?''

    ''Stay here?''

    She gawked at the spacious and luxurious yet minimalist interior of his house. It very much looked like a bachelor''s pad. How did she not know about this area? No wonder why her boss was always so early at work and that''s because he lives here! ''Oh my Lord, we''ve been living in the same building the whole time?'' Katherine became even more conscious.

    "President Park Sir, what did you mean when you said I''m going to stay here?" she probed as she watched Damien strode towards the huge kitchen.

    Her thoughts were exactly like Damien''s, they had been in the same building every night yet he didn''t even know about it. He was so pissed that she had been sleeping in that small roomand on that cold floor.

    Damien shook his head when he thought about it as he retrieved a medicine kit from the bottom cab and pulled her towards the white sectional sofa. "Sit." He ordered as he sat on the sofa. Katherine did as he asked.

    "It''s exactly how it sounds. You''re going to stay here and not in that" his voice trailed off. He was still mad and was trying to control himself from ring up. "Hands." He said as he extended his left hand out to her.

    Katherine slightly hesitated but she reached out her hand and Damien grabbed it halfway. They had been very close in thest twenty minutes and she''s starting to feelfortable and dependent on his warmth. She liked the feeling of his slightly rough, warm hands as he applied ointment onto her small cut. He was very gentle with her and even blew on her finger as he did. "Have you always lived here?" she wondered.

    "Mhmm."

    "Howe I didn''t know"

    "You didn''t ask."

    It was quiet for a good minute before she mumbled, "I thought you were going to throw me out on the streets."

    Damien sighed when he heard her, "Why would I do that? Did you really think I was the kind of person who would chase you out despite knowing that you don''t have anywhere to go?All this time, have you been thinking that I was a heartless person, Katherine?" He took out a band-aid and wrapped it around her finger. "Why didn''t you tell me?"

    She pursed her lips into a thin line and felt a stab in her heart because of his words. "I didn''t think that you are heartless... but I didn''t want to bother anyone with my problems which was why I didn''t tell anyone."

    "Am I just anyone?" He asked in a low, wistful voice before he turned his face to her and looked at her in the eye.

    Her brows furrowed at his question, wondering why he asked her in that tone. "I barely know you I just met you a few days ago."

    Shifting her gaze to the floor, she added, "Even if you say that we knew each other back then I don''t remember any of it. So how could I turn to you? I couldn''t..."

    ''Right. How could she when she doesn''t even remember me?'' he said in his head. "Why not? I''m your boss," he replied in a dismissive tone.

    Damien got up and returned the kit back in the kitchen. "Are you hungry?"

    "No, I''m okay thanks" Katherine was fast to shake her head. She squeezed her thighs together when she felt the urge to pee. Two sses of water was a bad idea.

    "What were you doing in the snack station then?" he came back to her side with a ss of water.

    ''More water. Great.''

    "I was thirsty. Umm Can I use your bathroom?" She clenched her hand when she felt the need to go.

    Nodding, Damien headed up to a flight of stairs. "Follow me."

    Katherine half-jogged to keep up with him, he really does walk fast. They entered a spacious bedroom that had mostly white, grey and ck decor which screamed masculinity. ''This must be his bedroom.''

    "Take your time," he said as he opened the door that leads to the bathroom.

    She did not waste her time and entered right away, locking the door as soon as she was inside.

    Damien rubbed his forehead with his fingers and brushed his hair with them before he turned around and walked to his closet. "I need to survive this night," he said to no one in particr.

    Fifteen minutester, Katherine came out and found Damien waiting for her by the bed with her bags next to it. "It''ste, you should get some sleep," he tossed a folded towel on the snowy white bed.

    With a pillow and a nket in his hand, Damien walked closer to her, "The sheets are new. I''ll be downstairs if you need anything." He stared into her eyes as if he wanted to say something else but he held himself back.

    "Isn''t this your room? You can stay here, I''ll stay in the other room instead."

    "There''s no other room. You sleep here."

    "But I but this is your room. How could I sleep on your bed? You should sleep on your bed," she insisted.

    "No more arguing. I''m tired. Now go to sleep." Damien formed a smile on his face and tilted his head to tease her one more time, "Unless you want me to sleep next to you... I''m totally fine with it."

    Katherine quickly shook her head making him chuckle at her reaction.

    "But where will you"

    He strolled out of the room, closing the door behind him.

    "...sleep?" she sighed when he was no longer in sight.

    ...

    With the lights turned off, Katherine slipped under the covers andid veryfortably in Damien''s wide King-sized bed. His bed was cool and soft like a cloud, that she instantly felt sleepy. It was simply perfect.

    Turning to her side, she nuzzled her head on the pillows. Although he said that the sheets were new, she could definitely smell his scent on them. The pillows and the sheets smelled like Damien. She wondered if she was going to smell like him too when she woke up. "Silly Kath," she mumbled.

    Will she really be sleeping on his bed tonight? Was this a blessing or torture?

    He just saved her tonight. It wouldn''t be wrong for her to ept his kind gesture, right?

    ''I have afortable bed tonight. I will worry about everything else tomorrow,'' she told herself in her head as she sumbed to drowsiness. In a matter of seconds, Katherine had already fallen asleep.

 Chapter 34: Sex Lines ツ

    Chapter 34: Sex Lines ��

    It was a dreamless sleep for Katherine this time. She was able to restfortably while hugging the soft, fluffy pillow and burying her face on it. She would have woken up at five in the morning to start her routine while the office was still empty. She was supposed to clock in at eight in the morning but it was already half-past eight yet she was still sound asleep.

    They don''t usually work on weekends, but today was a Working Saturday. There were several things to do and it was busier because of the new resort''s opening at the end of the month.

    Damien did not dare to wake her up and let her sleep in after knowing that she had been sleeping ufortably for the past few nights. This was probably the most that she had slept in a while and he was right. Ever since Katherine had been sleeping in that storage room, her back constantly ached and her sleep was irregr which only worsened her nightmares.

    Sleeping in a veryfy bed that smelled like Damien, who wouldn''t sleep well?

    Katherine slowly squinted her eyes she was still feeling groggy. She yawned and stretched her body like a cat waking up after a nap. She rolled herself out of the bed while her eyes were still half-closed and trudged towards the bathroom. Shezily ced her hand on the handle and pushed the door open.

    Standing by the door, she squinted her eyes to adjust to the bright lightsing from the bathroom. She sniffed and smelled the delicious scent of mint and men''s perfume mixed together that seemed to awaken her senses.

    She finally had the strength to open her eyes, and lo and behold  what stood before her was a tasty topless Adonis with only a towel lowly hanging around his hips.

    Damien''s long dark, wet hair fell just above his eyes. His firm chest was moist with water that dripped down to his little hard buns ''1, 2, 3, 4'' there were six of them, she counted.

    But her perverted gaze didn''t stop there. It settled just at the border of his V-line, she heard they were called sex lines and they were aesthetically pleasing. And how could she not notice the bulge on the fluffy white towel? She gulped.

    Her heart was slowly drumming in her chest and she only snapped out of her fantasy when Damien Park ced both of his hands that were white with shaving cream on his waist.

    "I could send you a selfie," he raised a brow. He just took a shower and was about to shave his face when Katherine decided to greet him with a gawking expression.

    "I I''m so sorry!" Katherine pulled the door shut and then started hyperventting. ''What a way to wake me up in the morning!''

    She was so flushed and feeling warm that she had to bounce out of the bedroom and marched towards the kitchen. She poured herself a ss of water to cool herself down, gulping it in one go. However, Damien''s tasty abs kept shing in her mind as if her cheeky brain didn''t want her to calm down.

    ''Water. I need more water.'' She drank another ss in a hurry as if it was going to quench her thirst.

    Ten minutester, she started to breathe better. Katherine climbed up the stairs and stood by the door. She bit the nail on her thumb when she felt tinglings in her core. ''Crap, now I need to pee.''

    ''But what if his abs are still there?'' she thought as she hesitated to enter the bedroom. She wondered if she should go to the employee''s restroom instead.

    Luckily, as she was about to go down the stairs, the door to his bedroom opened and Damien came out already fully clothed in a ck dress shirt and pants.

    She couldn''t  for the life of her  look at him in the eyes anymore. She was sure that he definitely caught her ogling at his majestic form. But who could me her? He was Damien-fucking-Park for Pete''s sake!

    "Sorry to keep you waiting. You can go inside now." He said gently as he decided not to tease her further though he was really itching to do so.

    "O-okay." Katherine entered the bedroom and just to be sure, she locked the door behind her.

    Damien chuckled upon hearing the click of a lock. Shaking his head, he strolled to the kitchen whistling a happy tune. ''What a great morning!''

    Katherine realized that she was alreadyte for an hour so she hurriedly did her routine and quickly dressed up. In twenty minutes, she was already done. She swore that she could even go faster than that if she wasn''t constantly worried that the door would suddenly open while she was dressing up.

    "Sit down. Let''s have some breakfast," Damien said when he saw her descending down the stairs and ced a te on the breakfast nook for her.

    She stood at the side with a tamed expression, "I''m sorry, Sir. I woke up veryte Shouldn''t I time in already?"

    "Yes, you did. And as punishment, you have to finish your food." He ced his te next to hers and sat on the stool, tapping the one next to him; urging her to sit down.

    Confused by the weird punishment, Katherine could only follow her boss''s order. She sat on the stool and started eating her fill.

    The food that Damien prepared was phenomenal! Katherine never expected that he could prepare food like that. She thought that he always had servants at his beck and call but they were obviously the only ones in his house; he actually made the food himself.

    There was nothing out of the ordinary in the food because it was only a simple meal of tomatoes, a toasted bagel with mashed avocado and egg on top. But it was ridiculously tasty! Maybe not as much as him, but whatever.

    Seeing that she was quiet after a few bites, Damien probed, "Is your food okay?"

    "Honestly?" she faced him with a serious look which made him raise a brow, "Are you a god?"

    Damien threw his head back andughed at her silly question. He was really amused. The sound of hisughter made her feel weird inside that she had to bite her lip and stifle augh herself. She found him cute.

    ''Would I be seeing more of hisugh?'' she mused in her mind.

 Chapter 35: Possible Fabrication

    Chapter 35: Possible Fabrication

    When they finished their meal, Katherine was quick to bring her te to the sink and started washing it.

    "Leave it," he said as he ced his te on the counter.

    "It''s okay, let me wash the dishes. It''s the least that I can do for staying here for the night." She nced at him briefly with a small smile on her face.

    Damien nodded and let her do what she wanted while he leaned his back on the counter and watched her. His expression was gentle yet his mind kept wondering how a tigress like Katherine turned into a mild domestic cat; he didn''t know which one he liked more.

    "Why are you staring at me like that? It''s making me conscious Are you worried that I''m going to drop your tes?" she chuckled.

    "I''m not worried. You can break all of them if you want." He formed a crooked smile as he took an apron from the drawer.

    Damien walked up behind her and instructed, "Raise your arms."

    As if by nature, Katherine raised her arms up, her hands bubbled with dish soap. Damien swiftly circled his arms around her waist, his hand slightly brushing as he ced the apron on her and then knotted the tie on her back. "You''ll get wet if you don''t wear this."

    "Mhmm thanks," she replied shyly, her cheeks faintly blushed. She wasn''t that stupid, she knew what he was doing... and it''s working.

    Damien took his time in tying the knot while he stood behind her. He caught a whiff of her shampoo that had a hint of coconut scent  it was sweet, fresh but not overpowering. A gentle smile grew on his lips just as he walked away and went back to leaning against the counter. Katherine was finally able to breathe again.

    "Were those the only things you have? They don''t seem a lot." He asked, referring to the bags that she had with her.

    Shaking her head, she answered while she continued to wash the dirty dishes. "I still have my other things stored in myndy''s garage. I couldn''t bring them all with me so I left it there and only brought what I needed."

    "Until when were you nning to camp in my storage room?"

    Katherine''s hands moved slowly as she tried to think about her answer. She finished rinsing thest dish and ced it on the drying rack before she turned to face her boss. "I was going to stay until I get the signing bonus."

    "You nned to sleep in that small room until next week?" His brows furrowed. He imagined the difficult state that she was in and it only made him angry.

    When Katherine nodded, he shook his head and walked towards his briefcase. His immediate n was to write off a check for her but he stopped himself before he could even walk a few steps forward. If he gave her money, that would mean she would have to move out of his room. He turned around and stared at her again, crossing his arms in front of him as he thought of other ways on how to help her. He needed to keep her close, not push her far away!

    "I don''t do advance payments. I can let you stay here until then but," he tilted his head and inched closer garnering her full attention to his dreamy eyes. "You''d have to work for your food and amodation. That only seems fair, right?"

    Katherine averted her gaze to the side, her brain tried to convince her not to agree right away.

    What if it''s a trap?

    But the weaker side of her told her to say yes. ''You don''t really have a choice. Would you choose the cold, dirty streets over the bed that smelled like him?'' It wasn''t as if she was going to be a freeloader. "What do I have to do?" she asked.

    A dangerous smile threatened to form on his devilishly handsome face as he nonchntly answered, "I don''t know yet. I''lle up with something." He turned around and headed towards his bedroom - smiling like a fool when Katherine could no longer see him. That should be enough to keep her by his side for now.

    A few minutester, he alighted the stairs wearing his suit coat. He was wearing all ck today making him look mysterious and cool. "We need to be at the resort in an hour. Are you ready?"

    Katherine shuffled towards him and nodded, "Yes."

    Walking to the entrance hallway of his ce, he pressed a few buttons on the control pad and the sliding door shifted to the side. Just as he stepped into his office, he stopped in his tracks halting Katherine who was following him from behind.

    "Jeffrey, what are you doing here so early?" he asked while he stood in ce  not moving an inch. His friend was sitting on his office couch, tapping the screen of his phone and was about to answer back when Damien held his finger up quickly, "Give me a second. Wait here." He walked back inside hisir and closed the door.

    cing both of his hands on Katherine''s shoulder, he spun her around and led her to sit on the white sofa. "You can''te out yet."

    "Why? Was that Doctor Evans?" she wondered.

    "Yes," he briefly answered. He wanted to protect her reputation so he nned on not telling anyone that she was staying with him  even to his close friends. And though Katherine did not hear it from him directly, she understood what he was trying to do so she could only nod and rx on the sofa.

    Seeing that she did not protest, he smiled at her and patted her head. "Call the resort and tell them that we''re runningte. I''lle and get you once he leaves. Just stay here for now."

    When Damien came back to his office, he closed the door and greeted his friend as soon as he sat down.

    "I texted you earlier, said that I''m dropping by because I only had time this morning," Jeffrey said as he ced a folder on the coffee table. "Anyway, I only have thirty minutes until my next appointment but here"

    "What is this?" Damien took the folder and browsed through it.

    "I studied her records and the doctor''s notes. But I was more interested in the time before she arrived at Spring Grove Hospital. So I called the hospital written in the file, it''s a small general hospital in the countryside and asked about her case. If we learn more about her ident, it will be easier for us to know what course or method we could do to help her regain her memories."

    "And? Did you find anything about her ident? Who was driving? Where did it happen?" Damien questioned.

    But to his surprise, his friend shook his head and stared back at him. "No the hospital said they never had a patient named Katherine Miller five years ago. Not even a Jane Doe on that day."

    "What do you mean? Did she go by a different name?"

    "No, Damien No patient with her records no transfers from their hospital to SGH. I don''t even know how the ident happened and how she arrived in that hospital."

    Damien brushed his hair with his fingers before he rubbed his jaw. "Are you saying her hospital records were fabricated?"

    Nodding, Jeffrey Evans responded, "Possibly. It''s either that... or someone deleted her records."

 Chapter 36: His Raspy, Seductive Voice

    Chapter 36: His Raspy, Seductive Voice

    Feeling apprehensive, Damien got up from the seat and went over to hisrge ss window that was overlooking the city and said, "That doesn''t make sense. Who would do something like this? Why her?"

    "I don''t have an answer for that. This is the extent of what I can help you with. I can help her medically but anything beyond that or whatever happened to her before, you''d have to seek help from someone else. You have your resources, brother. Why don''t you make use of it?" Jeffrey got up from the sofa as well and started to pack up his things.

    Damien didn''t respond and Jeffrey perfectly understood his silence.

    Jeffrey walked over to Damien, patted his shoulder and made him understand what he meant, "Look, I know you want to help her. You don''t have to do anything drastic but at least find out about that ident. That way we can figure out what to do next."

    "What if we don''t find anything else? Can''t you think of other ways on how to help her regain her memories?" Damien turned to his friend. He wanted to help Katherine gain back her life and he was helpless at the moment.

    "You know well from the notes. We can''t risk trying something that we are unsure about. This involves her overall health  physically and mentally. If she can''t handle whatever she discovers, it''s possible for her to be destructive just like the record says. If that happens, what then? Will you be able to handle it? Will she be able to handle it?"

    Damien understood what Jeffrey was trying to point out. It was what he was scared about in the first ce too. He didn''t want to risk having Katherine hurt anyone or herself. Although he didn''t know why and how she would be capable to do that; it was still a mystery for him.

    "You''re right. This is going to be tough. I''ll think about it and look for other means. Until then, let''s keep in touch." Damien shook hands with Jeffrey and walked with him to the elevators.

    "You really care about her, don''t you?" Jeffrey began as they waited for the elevator doors to open. "It''s the first time I''m seeing you like this since"

    "Don''t. Let''s not talk about the past." Damien said dismissively.

    Jeffrey made a small smile at his reaction. Brushing off the awkwardness, he added, "Just take it easy with her. Don''t force her to remember something. If she asks, consider your words first and answer carefully. We don''t know what might trigger her."

    Damien scratched his brow and sighed, "I don''t know a lot about her either, except for those times that we met. So I could only tell her that."

    After Jeffrey left, Damien strolled back to his office and opened the hidden door. The moment the door slid to the side, he was surprised to see Katherine''s body falling towards him. He caught her in his arms as she shrieked  flustered that she lost her bnce.

    Her eyes grew wide when she realized that Damien caught her red-handed. She pushed herself away from him and stood ramrod straight like a soldier. She couldn''t look at him in the eyes so she just settled on the button of his shirt.

    ''Yes, a button is good. What a pretty button.'' She convinced herself that she could get away with the obvious mishap.

    Seeing her reaction, Damien suppressed augh and made his expression grim as he walked around her like he was doing an inspection. "Were you eavesdropping, Ms. Miller?" He stopped behind her so that she couldn''t see his teasing smile yet he tried to keep his voice stern as though he was scolding her.

    "No Yes." Katherine clenched her eyes and bit her lip. ''How stupid can you be, Kath? Eavesdropping? Really?''

    Damien crossed his arms on his chest. "What did you hear then?" he asked in a low voice. He couldn''t get mad at her  not after catching her like that.

    "Nothing. I didn''t hear anything. I swear!" She answered right away and Damien believed her.

    He decided to let her go for now as they needed to leave already, but how could he possibly miss the chance to tease her just a little bit more?

    Bending forward so that his lips were right above her ear, he whispered in a raspy, seductive voice, "For future reference... the walls around this area are soundproof. You could scream as much as you want and no one will ever hear you." The corners of his mouth curled up just before he walked past her and headed out to the office.

    Katherine almost trembled when she felt his hot breath blowing against her ear. His voice, though hoarse, was like music to her ears that sent ripples of desire through her. She held her breath and the feeling only intensified. ''What are you doing to me, Damien?''

    She curled her toes hearing hisst sentence and thought about the different possibilities of why she would scream. ''He wouldn''t possibly hurt me, right?''

    As soon as she heard him walk away, she opened her eyes and immediately followed him out of the office clearing her throat, "This is going to be a long day."

    Damien and Katherine reached the lobby and were about to get into his car when Katherine heard a familiar voice.

    "Hi, I was wondering if there''s a way that you can reach an employee named Katherine Miller? She works as the Marketing Director''s assistant. She just joined recently. I''m her friend but I haven''t been able to contact her. Can you"

    "Emma!" Katherine called the woman at the reception. "Ems, what are you doing here?" she slowly walked towards her.

    "Oh my god! Kath!!!" Emma squealed as she ran to pounce on Katherine  thetter had to steady herself when she returned her hug. "Why aren''t you answering my calls? I have been worried sick! Adam told me that you met him in the hospital yesterday, are you okay? What happened?"

    "Calm down, Ems. People are watching" Katherine whispered as she nced sideways. "I''m fine. There''s nothing to worry about. I have just been busy that''s why I couldn''t call back," she lied. Although they had a lot of things to do, she definitely had the chance to call Emma but she held back so that she didn''t have to lie to her as to where she had been sleeping.

    "Busy? How can you be that busy to tell your friend about your problems, huh? Is your boss making you work too hard? Doesn''t he know that you''ll fall ill if you''re too exhausted? Where is he?! Let me give him a beating!" Emma continued to run her mouth. She was too worried about her friend the whole week and now that she finally saw her, she just couldn''t stop herself.

    "Emma! Just shhh!" Katherine''s eyes widened. Her hand flew up to cover Emma''s mouth to shush her and she red at her too.

    Just as this happened, Damien arrived at Katherine''s side. "Is everything okay?"

    Nodding profusely, Katherine forced a smile on her face. "Yes, Sir... It''s just my friend... heh she''s just so happy to see me."

    Emma brushed Katherine''s hand away when she noticed Damien and pointed at him, "Are you her boss?! Why are you making her work so hard? What if she gets sick from exhaustion? Are you going to take care of her?!"

    Katherine''s eyes grew wide at the same time that Damien''s brows raised. She could feel all her facial muscles twitch from embarrassment because of what her friend just said to the Resort King Damien Park...

    In the middle of the lobby

    In his ownpany

    In front of so many employees.

    What now, Katherine?

 Chapter 37: Freakishly Handsome Looking Devil

    Chapter 37: Freakishly Handsome Looking Devil

    Katherine felt a chill on her nape when she heard Damien let out a chuckle upon hearing Emma''s outburst. She didn''t know who to tame first  her friend Emma who just called out her boss? Or Damien who had a mirthless smile on his face?

    She gulped and quickly turned to face Damien, "I''m so sorry, President Park. Let me handle my friend real quick. She needs a knock on her head. Heh"

    Katherine dragged Emma out of the lobby with all the strength that she had. "W-what are you doing? I''m not done yet! He needs to hear it! It doesn''t matter how handsome he is!!!" Emma said loudly enough for others to hear.

    Damien tilted his head as he watched the two women walk away. A smile lingered on his lips when Emma''s words resounded in his head. He put his hands in his pockets and he nced at his employees briefly. "Carry on," he said before he strolled out of his building.

    Outside, Katherine started to scold Emma.

    "Are you crazy? How could you do that back there? Do you want me to get fired?" Katherine was exasperated. She was embarrassed and mad at the same time.

    With her chin raised and her arms crossed, Emma pursed her lips into a thin line. She realized that she may have crossed the line. "I was just worried about you, okay?"

    "I understand that but how could you say something like that to my boss? I work for him and now you just made it awkward for me. How could I face him now?"

    Feeling guilty, Emma grabbed Katherine''s hand and held it tightly in hers. "I''m so sorry, Kath but you did say that you''ve been busy. I just warned that Director not to give you a ridiculous workload that would cause you to get sick. I am only concerned about your well-being."

    Katherine wanted to roll her eyes but stopped herself. "He''s not just a Director, Emma. He''s the BIG BOSS and I''m not a Marketing Director''s assistant."

    "What are you talking about? If you''re not, then what are you? And what do you mean BIG BOSS?" Emma''s brows furrowed.

    "I mean He''s the Chairman and CEO of Crown Resort Group and I... I''m his secretary." Katherine sighed and saw Emma''s eyes grew wider by the second.

    "<strong>Th-that freakishly handsome looking Devil is the</strong>"

    "Shush! Keep your voice down!" Katherine covered Emma''s mouth again, she swore her friend was such a handful.

    "But I thought you applied for-"

    "Yes, I don''t know what happened."

    "Oh god and I I just told him" Emma''s eyes darted here and there, recalling the words that she spewed earlier. She pped her lips twice and cursed herself.

    "Enough." Katherine stopped Emma''s hands and smiled at her, giving her a huge hug. "I''m d to see you. And thanks for worrying about me."

    "You should have told me right away. You know that I would help you, right?" Emma pouted, feeling disappointed that her friend didn''t turn to her for help. "Where are you staying now? Are you" her voice trailed off when she saw Damien walking towards them.

    Emma let go of Katherine''s hands instantly and bowed to Damien, "I apologize about my behavior, President. I was just worried about my friend."

    "Mhmm," Damien nodded.

    "Oh right." Emma opened her bag and took out a thin envelope. "This isn''t much but I hope it can help you. It''s all I have." It was more than half of Emma''s paycheck but she was willing to give it to her friend.

    Katherine was taken aback by her kind gesture. She immediately shook her hands in front of her to refuse it. "I can''t take that. You need that too."

    "It''s okay, I''ll figure it out. You need it more than I do, so here take it." Emma tried to shove it to Katherine but Damien blocked her hand.

    The two women were surprised by his action that their heads snapped at him, wondering what he was doing.

    With an unreadable expression, Damien ced his hands on Katherine''s shoulders and told Emma, "Keep it. Don''t worry about Ms. Katherine. I''m not making her work too hard and I''ll make sure that she doesn''t get sick. <em>I''ll take care of her. You have my word</em>."

    The two women looked at him like he was glowing with a halo on his head. Both their hearts drummed faster than usual, especially Katherine''s.

    With his hands still on her shoulders, he gently pushed her towards the car and opened it for her to get inside, leaving Emma on the side gaping at their backs. Katherine was left speechless after hearing what he said to her friend. Why did his words sounded like something else? Do bosses say that for their secretaries?

    When Damien drove the car away, he nced at Katherine in the passenger''s seat and said, "Your friend"

    "I''m really sorry about what she said." Katherine started. "I didn''t know that she would look for me and do that."

    "Were you avoiding her?"

    "I couldn''t really tell her what happened to me. She already has a lot to worry about in her family."

    By this time, Damien already figured that Katherine didn''t want to bother other people with her problems. He took a mental note on this in case something happens in the future, he would be aware of it even if she wouldn''t tell him.

    The traffic light turned red and Damien stepped on the break as he responded, "It''s great that your friend worries about you."

    Katherine turned to face him, meeting his intense stare as he continued, "but I meant what I said back there."

    Her breathing hitched and her stomach felt funny when she heard his assurance. This man who has shown a lot of faces in front of her, whose smiles were different depending on who he was talking to And those eyes those eyes that looked at her differently when he said that he''d take care of her.

    Could I trust your words, Damien Park?

    The new resort''s progress has been excellent so far. It has only been a few days since theirst visit and the necessary adjustments have already been made. That day, they did a lot of inspections to make sure that every area passed President Park''s expectations. He''s very hands-on with his business. Something that was both good and bad for the employees.

    They met a few business partners in the resort and held meetings there until it waste in the afternoon.

    "Everything''s looking great. Let''s push the opening on the 18th." Damien announced as he walked down the stairs to the lobby.

    General Manager Mr. Lim and the team looked at each other, fear evident on their faces. Even Katherine thought it was going to be arduous.

    "But President Park, that''s two weeks earlier than the target date." Mr. Lim hesitantly voiced his thoughts that the rest of the team silently supported.

    "Judging by the current progress, I''m positive that we''ll make it by then. I believe that you won''t disappoint me." Damien said leaving no room for arguments. The team could only nod and follow their boss''s orders.

    "Now now let''s put work aside. It''s a Saturday. We should be having fun instead." Caleb stepped forward to Damien''s side and draped his arm over his friend''s shoulder. "Why don''t we celebrate and have dinner. What do you say?"

    "Celebrate?" Damien raised a brow.

    Looking at Katherine, Caleb winked at her and continued, "It''s Ms. Miller''s first week. I think we owe her a wee party, don''t you think?"

    Damien''s gazended on Katherine who had a questioning look as everyone''s eyes were glued on her. "Hmmm. Let''s go then, dinner and drinks are on me." An indifferent look appeared on his face as he turned around and headed towards his car.

    The employee''s eyes sparkled with delight when they heard their boss. They were already expecting an enjoyable night if it''s the Big Boss paying.

 Chapter 38: 1 Tequila, 2 Tequila, 3 Tequila, Floor

    Chapter 38: 1 Tequ, 2 Tequ, 3 Tequ, Floor

    The Harborview Paradise

    Damien took everyone to one of the restaurants that he loves. He asked what kind of food they liked to eat and most of them agreed on seafood and this restaurant serves it fresh. They get to pick the seafood raw and ask the kitchen to cook it however they like.

    In a private room that amodated all eleven of them, they found their seats and waited for the food to be served. This was what they liked about their Big Boss, he''s always generous whenever he takes them out for a treat. Unlike other bosses, Damien may be strict but he knows how to have fun after work hours.

    Katherine found an empty seat and Damien sat on her right while Caleb sat on her left side. It was like the Devil and the Angel sitting on either side of her.

    When their food arrived, Mr. Lim raised a ss of wine to make a toast. "To Ms. Miller, wee to Crown Resort Group."

    "To Ms. Miller."

    "To Katherine."

    They cheered in unison. Katherine blushed, yet she liked the feeling of belongingness.

    Katherine''s friend Emma would always tell her not to drink beyond one ss because that''s the only amount of alcohol that she could handle. Otherwise something dire could happen. However, Katherine would never remember what happens when she gets drunk. Raising her own ss, she took a sip and made a mental note not to drink too much that night.

    Once they started eating, Caleb was very thoughtful that he shelled a few shrimps and ced it on Katherine''s te.

    "Oh, thank you but you don''t have to. I can do it myself." Katherine politely said.

    "I know. Just think of it as a wee gift or the interest for that pending coffee treat." He chuckled and continued to eat.

    "Ah Thanks."

    Damien, who saw the whole thing, felt a bit sour. He already nned to give her food too but Caleb beat him to it. With a lobster on his te, he skillfully took the meat from its shell and ced the whole thing on Katherine''s te.

    "Oh."

    Surprised by his gesture, she nced at him but saw that he wasn''t even looking at her and was eating quietly by himself as if nothing happened. Her heart thumped as she looked at her te with all the food in it; she didn''t think that she would be able to finish them all. She thought for a quick second and before she knew it, she was already cutting a piece of the lobster meat, dipped it in her favorite sauce and ced it on top of Damien''s spoon. "This one is good You should try it," she said.

    The rest of the group saw what she did and they all froze. Although they knew that their boss was approachable, he never liked women who do this for him. They heard about Natasha''s sudden resignation and they knew she came on too strong to Damien thinking that she was going to get more from him  and that was her mistake. Damien initially tolerated her sly innuendos which made her think that he liked it. What she didn''t know was he only kept being patient with her and ignored her advances until he finally got fed up.

    However, his new secretary Katherine  what would his reaction be? Anticipating for their boss''s response, they quietly snuck nces at him. To their surprise, Damien stared at the food on his spoon before he looked up to see Katherine''s smile waiting for him to taste it. "Okay," he said and shed a brief but genuine smile before cing the food in his mouth.

    That very short reaction from him made the rest of the group breathe out a sigh of relief. They exchanged stares at each other and snickered, they realized that their boss was definitely biased towards his new secretary.

    The night was still young as it was only eight in the evening when they got out of the restaurant. Feeling energetic after the scrumptious dinner, one of them said, "It''s too early to go home for a Saturday night. Why don''t we go somece else and have a few drinks?!"

    "That would be great! It''s been a while since we had a gathering," Mr. Lim agreed and the rest of the group waited for Damien to approve.

    Katherine didn''t mind at all, she doesn''t have anywhere else to go that night. At least, she didn''t have to worry about spending the night alone with Damien in his ce.

    "Mhmm," was all that Damien uttered. His response made the group exim in excitement. Too bad he didn''t know that he was going to regret his decision that night.

    They didn''t have to go too far as there was a bar with private rooms for their group just right across the street. After ordering their drinks and snacks, some of them started dancing and singing on the mini-stage in the middle of the room. Mr. Lim ordered a round of shots for everybody to start their party and when the tray of tequ shot sses arrived, each of them took one.

    Damien got a little worried for Katherine who was sitting right next to him. But since this was her wee party, he let her enjoy.

    "Alright on the count of three," Caleb scanned the group with a naughty smile on his face and saw their waiting expressions. "Three!"

    Caleb''s trick surprised everyone but nevertheless, they downed their shot sses and cheers followed right after.

    The assistant manager named Jane grabbed Katherine''s hand and dragged her to the tform. "It''s your night, it''s against the rules not to sing!" She shoved the microphone to Katherine''s hand and an upbeat song sounded in the background.

    "I don''t sing." Katherine returned the microphone to Jane and was about to sit back on the couch when she was pulled back to the stage by the rest of the group.

    "No-no-no you stay here! At least dance with us!" Jane insisted and handed her a ss of beer. "Here, drink up! It will ease your nerves. You need to enjoy, Katherine. It''s your party!"

    "But I can''t"

    "We''re drinking with you!" Jane and the rest of the people on the tform raised their sses and shouted, "Bottoms up!"

    Feeling yful, Mr. Lim gently pushed the ss to her mouth and Jane helped, forcing Katherine to drink her beer together with them.

    "Yes!!!" They cheered once again and started singing and dancing to the song "Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga.

    Katherine winced, her eyes closed as she exhaled deeply, the beer was bitter and cold making her body shake involuntarily. But soon after, a smile on her lips appeared making Damien sigh thinking that she should be okay and secretly hoped that she would be ok for the rest of the night.

    The longer they partied that night, the more alcohol was consumed.

    And of course, the more Katherine felt untethered.

    The next morning, Katherine woke up having a massive headache and sore muscles. Squinting her eyes, she found herself inside the bathtub.

    Half naked.

    With a pillow under her head that smelled of choctes.

    She turned her head only to find a blob of chocte on the fluffy white pillow.

    She raised her hand wanting to touch the chocte mess only to find a banana in her hand.

    "Are you sober meow I mean, now?" Damien''s cold voice startled Katherine making her sit up inside the bathtub and saw him leaning against the doorframe  his hair disheveled, shirt torn, and lipstick stains on his face.

    He was expressionless when he added, "I promise I won''t take your chocte away from you ever again."

    What in the world happened to you, Katherine?

 Chapter 39: Carry Me, Boss

    Chapter 39: Carry Me, Boss

    "What happened to you?" Katherine wondered, a worried expression apparent on her face when she saw Damien''s appearance  he looked like somedy had attacked him.

    "Me?" He scoffed. "What happened to you?" His brows knitted together and his expression turned grim. Katherine could sense that he was angry with the way he talked.

    "As much as I want to look at you half-naked, you should cover yourself up or you''ll get sick," he said in a cold tone.

    She lowered her gaze as soon as she heard him and saw that she was only wearing her bra and underwear. Her hands immediately grabbed the clothing that was on her thighs and realized that it was Damien''s suit coat. She hurriedly covered herself with it despite feeling a little disoriented about what was going on.

    "What am I doing here?" She looked inside the huge bathtub and found a few more items along with the chocte smeared pillow and banana  a necktie, slices of apple that have already turned browned, a button and a piece of ck cloth. She had no idea why those items were there.

    Her head was pounding and she felt the urge to throw up but she held it down. Closing her eyes, she winced and tried to steady her breathing.

    "You should wash up. I''ll wait for you downstairs." Damien closed the door on his way out, leaving Katherine in a daze inside the bathtub.

    ''He''s definitely mad,'' she thought.

    Seeing her state and not remembering anything fromst night after their dinner, she figured that whatever happened afterwards was probably the cause of his vexation. But for how mad he is, Katherine would never know.

    She got out of the bathtub and went to the sink. She was horrified when she saw herself looking like a homeless person. There were some chocte streaks on her cheek and she had smudgy lips that were red with lipstick  something that she didn''t remember putting on yesterday.

    "Oh god I look horrible. And he saw me like this?!" She covered her face with her hands, she was very much embarrassed that she felt her chest tighten.

    What else has she done that night?

    She felt icky and wanted to shower so she quickly took one, making sure that she was clean before she stepped out of the bathroom to face him again.

    Wearing a casual dress, Katherine walked down the stairs and found Damien cooking in the kitchen. He had already changed into a in white shirt and dark grey joggers. He had tried to rinse off the lipstick on his cheeks in the kitchen sink earlier but with water alone, reddish marks were still visible.

    "Can I help you with that?" She asked gently when she saw him stir the pot. She clutched her dress, unsure how she was going to apologize to him and maybe ask details aboutst night''s incident.

    Damien sighed and shook his head, "No. Sit."

    Katherine bit her lip upon hearing his stony voice. Though he would always tease her and would at times be bossy, this was the first time she felt Damien''s cold treatment.

    She swallowed and decided to obey him for now. She couldn''t risk making him angrier so she sat down on the bar stool by the breakfast nook and watched him as he continued to work on his dish.

    After five minutes, there was a bowl of steaming beef noodle soup in front of her. "Eat." Damien said as he took the seat next to her.

    The two of them ate in silence and though Katherine wasn''t in the mood to eat anything, she did not dare protest and just ate quietly.

    How could shein though? The beef noodles that he cooked was absolutely delicious. The broth, the beef, the noodles  everything was just perfect. She wanted to tell him but she was just so anxious to talk at that moment.

    Actually, Damien wasn''t mad at her. He was rather mad at himself for not taking care of her better. If only he had not allowed her to drink, then the hurricane fromst night wouldn''t have happened. How could he have known that drunk Katherine would resemble her past self, only, she was a little crazy?

    And she purred and she meowed.

    He stifled a small chuckle and shook his head as he got off the stool. "Are you done?" he asked when he noticed that she had stopped eating.

    "Um let me wash." She offered and took her bowl with her to the sink.

    "It''s okay. I''ll do it." He insisted and took the bowl from her. "You can rest. You didn''t sleep much."

    Katherine looked up to him and saw the shadow below his eye. It looked like he was the one who did not sleep.

    If only Katherine knew that Damien spent the whole night cleaning up her mess since they arrivedst night and had not slept a wink at all. Good thing that it was a Sunday and they didn''t have to work.

    She balled her hands into fists and muttered, "I''m sorry aboutst night."

    Damien stopped washing and turned to face her. He studied the perplexed expression on her face and asked, "Have you finally remembered what you didst night? Which part are you sorry for?" He maintained an expressionless face. Though he wasn''t mad at her, it didn''t mean that he was happy about what happened too.

    Katherine shook her head and looked at him feeling extremely guilty. "If if I had done something unforgiving"

    "You''ll ept any punishment?" he finished her words. And to his surprise, Katherine nodded. He wanted tough but he breathed in deeply instead. ''Silly, Kitten. How do you want me to punish you?''

    His head started aching. He was probably having a headache because of her and not because of alcohol.

    Seeing the expression on her face, Damien recalled how she looked and actedst night and wondered how that woman fromst night and the woman in front of him today was the same person.

    Last Night

    It had only been an hour since they started drinking and partying but because Damien''s employees enjoyed a lot, they got drunk faster.

    Katherine, who had been initially guarded, felt like she was unleashed. With a bright smile on her face, she walked towards the table where Damien and Caleb were sitting. With three shot sses of tequ in her hands, she ced two in front of them and saved one for herself.

    "You!" She pointed at Damien, her finger swayed. "My handsome, good smelling boss," she chuckled and then pointed to Caleb, "And you, coffee!"

    "And me," she patted her chest. "One shot." She slurred.

    Katherine already had a few sses of beer and this was her third tequ. Damien, on the other hand, only had one shot and did not drink anything else. He was already set on keeping an eye on her that evening and he couldn''t do any more drinks.

    "That''s enough. You already had too much drinks." He reached out to take the shot ss from her but she pulled her hand away. "Eh you have your own, why do you want mine? This is mine."

    Caleb chuckled upon seeing her like this. Drunk Katherine was so entertaining. "Alright, on the count of three"

    "Three!" Katherine called and swiftly downed her shot, surprising the two men in front of her.

    Rubbing his forehead and then brushing his fingers through his hair, Damien got up from the couch and walked up to her. "That''s it. You''re going home."

    He quickly took out a ck card from his wallet and tossed it to Caleb.

    "You''re taking her home? Do you know where she lives?" Caleb asked but Damien only nodded.

    As soon as he held Katherine''s arm, she felt her body weakened. It was as if her limbs have turned into jelly. Grabbing her bag, Damien held her up and guided her towards the exit, leaving the wondering gazes of his employees that continued to enjoy the night after they left.

    When they came out of the ce, Katherine stopped walking.

    "We need to cross the street. Come on." He urged.

    Lazily, she shook her head and squinted her eyes as she looked up at him. "Carry me," she said in a small voice like an injured cat.

 Chapter 40: Dangerously Sexy

    Chapter 40: Dangerously Sexy

    Katherine stood unattractively as her body swayed a little, at the same time, her vision became blurry while she tried to shift her focus at the tasty smelling man in front of her. She slurred her words and acted cutely wanting to be carried as she could no longer move on her own.

    "Carry me." She pouted.

    Seeing Katherine''s attempt, Damien scoffed. Did he hear her correctly?

    He ced his hands on his hips and stared at her, wondering if she really meant what she said. He scratched his brow with a finger and probed, "What?"

    She put her hands together as if she was pleading and repeated, "Please carry me."

    Chuckling, Damien exhaled and inched closer to her. "Come here." He said as he simultaneously bent a little and lifted her up in his arms. As if by nature, Katherine hooked her arms around his neck andid her head.

    "You''re so warm" she whispered, her lips slightly brushing his neck making him stand rigidly. He closed his eyes and tightened his hold on her  he was trying to shake his mind off the sensual feeling that was building up his hard-on. This woman her effect on him was tremendous as it was only the slightest touch and he was already frustrated.

    "Keep still and don''t talk  or I''ll throw you off the street and leave you here," he said under gritted teeth as he started to walk towards his car on the other side of the road.

    Katherine let out a melodiousugh. Damn it  even herugh was turning him on. "You wouldn''t do that. You like me too much," she said in a slow, breathy pace making her voice sound erotic.

    Damien clenched his jaw and hurriedly walked towards his car, opening it as fast as he could. He gently ced Katherine on the passenger''s seat and buckled her seatbelt really quickly, closing the door all in a matter of six seconds.

    He breathed out and huffed as he walked to the other side of the car. He hoped that she would behave once they get home or he wouldn''t know what he would do if she continues her act.

    Katherine slept like a log the entire car ride and they arrived at the underground parking lot of the main office''s building in fifteen minutes.

    "Can you walk?" he asked, bending down to check if she was conscious. He saw her squint and stare back at him but she didn''t say anything. She got off the car and closed the door before she raised her arms up like a little girl asking to be carried.

    Damien ran his tongue on his inner cheek as he looked at the drunk woman who''s acting so coyly in front of him. He walked closer making her lower her arms and back away until she was pressed on the car and crossed his arms, "Are you aware of what you''re doing right now? Aren''t you afraid of being taken advantage that you''re acting like this? I''m no saint, Katherine."

    Not afraid of his warning, Katherine stared back with the same cold tone and responded, "What if I liked being taken advantage of? What are you gonna do?"

    The corner of Damien''s mouth curled up into a lopsided grin as he inched even closer, "Don''t tempt me," he growled.

    Katherine chuckled as she pushed him away and wobbled her way towards the elevator. She stepped on uneven ground and almost fell if Damien hadn''t gotten to her in time. "Damn it," he sighed and carried her again in his arms until they reached the top floor.

    She was mumbling incoherent words and he only let her down when they arrived at the door of his ce.

    "Where''s my phone?" She stroked her sides as if she was looking for the device while her eyes were closed. "I need my phone. Emma Emma will call again and scold me"

    "Just call her tomorrow," Damien responded and urged her to go inside but he froze on the spot when she threw her arms up and circled it around his neck, stroking his nape with her icy cold fingers and made feather-like touches on his ears. "Can you help me find my phone, Mister? Please?"

    Damien balled his hands into fists briefly as if he was trying to control himself. But Katherine''s advancements on him was pushing him to the edge. He breathed out another sigh, rxing his hands and sliding it around her waist to hold her up. He was already hugging her and she seemed to like the proximity as she pressed herself against him some more.

    "Where have you been for the past five years, Katherine? Why didn''t we see each other again earlier?"

    She giggled. "I was just right here. Maybe you closed your eyes and didn''t see me." With her eyes still closed, she added, "My phone please"

    "It must be in your purse. It''s in the car." Reluctantly, he let her go and took off his coat, putting it around her shoulders to keep her warm from the cold temperature. "I''ll go get it."

    "Don''t leave me."

    He cupped her chin and caressed her cheeks gently. "I''ll be back right away," he said before turning and headed towards the elevator.

    As soon as Damien left, Katherine walked into his dwelling and without hesitation, she shrugged off the coat and it fell to the floor. However, she did not stop there. As she walked in the hallway, her clothes dropped to the floor one by one until she was only wearing her bra, underwear and high heeled shoes.

    Cat walking towards the kitchen, she took out a bottle of water from the fridge and drank it all in one go. It was as if Katherine was like her past self. This was what she would do out of habit whenever she gets home  she strips and drinks water.

    She was really buzzed and her vision was making her stand unsteadily.

    "Food. I need food." She spotted a bright red apple in the fruit basket and reached out for it. A wicked smile appeared on her face as she grabbed a chef''s knife from the counter and started slicing the apple thinly, taking a slice and eating it every now and then.

    Her ears perked up when she heard heavy footstepsing from the hallway. Her eyes drifted to the side in a sh and her gaze became fierce. Raising her hand up, she swiftly threw the knife towards the hallway  it flew past Damien''s head by an inch just in time for him to dock to the side.

    His eyes grew wide in shock when he saw a knife stabbing his fifty million dor painting on the wall. His expression turned dark when he just caught Katherine''s clothes on the floor. Hearing the clicking sound of heels, he snapped his head to the side and saw Katherine approaching him half-naked.

    Damien felt the threatening aura around her as she walked closer to him wearing nothing but hercey undergarments and shoes making her look dangerously sexy. He felt the same vibe that she had when he met her years ago.

    His eyes never left her face as he studied her every expression. She looked at him quizzically as if she was trying to remember who he was before she questioned, "Who are you and what are you doing at my house?"

    Damien''s heart started to race as if he was ready to defend himself if she decides to strike him with the paring knife that she was twirling expertly in her hand.

    "You could get hurt. Give that to me." He said in a low, cold voice that sounded demanding.

    Katherine let out a sinisterugh when she arrived in front of him and recognized his face. "Oh, it''s you sorry" She draped her arms around his neck with the knife still in her hand and spoke in azy, seductive voice, "I didn''t recognize your delicious scent right away, Damien Park."

    Damien stiffened as he felt the t side of the cold steel de on his nape. He looked down at her and saw the smile on her face that seemed to mean a thousand words.

    Trying not to move too much so that he won''t get a cut, he gently brushed his hands along her sides to hold her up nice and steady  he could feel her smooth and soft skin under his touch. "Why don''t you hand me your knife, love?" He said in a low voice.

    Liking the sound of his raspy voice in her ear and the smell of his perfume that wafted her nose, she giggled and inched closer. Lifting her chin up until her lips were a few inches from his, she breathed, "Why don''t you try and take it from me?"

 Chapter 41: Give It to Me or Ill Shoot

    Chapter 41: Give It to Me or I''ll Shoot

    Damien could smell the alcohol and her sweet scent mixed together. Her lips that were now an inch away from his looked extremely tempting. All he had to do was to lean forward  he could im her and finally taste what he had been wanting to taste.

    He clenched his jaw when he felt her hands brush his nape  her every touch was making him walk to the edge of his death as he controlled himself, not wanting to take advantage of her drunken state.

    His hands even stopped moving and was only holding her up to keep her from swaying. His already hardened member greeting him in a salute didn''t seem to realize the danger that they were in  if anything, he may have even found the situation stimting.

    Damien could very well handle Katherine if he didn''t have to worry about hurting her in the process. He grew up learning martial arts and deadly tactics because he was forced when his father was still alive. So Katherine''s knife skill, though impressive, he found it cute.

    Katherine''s long, delicate fingers slid down to his cor and found his tie. "I feel hot Don''t you feel hot?" She held the tie with her left hand and loosened it a little bit, "You should take your shirt off starting with this." With one swift and smooth motion, she yanked his tie off his neck in a quick second  faster than he could blink, creating a swishing sound as it did.

    Damien softly chuckled right after. "I see your untying skills are still remarkable."

    She ced the tie around her neck and resumed, "Mhmm" The knife in her hand traveled towards his chest. "You have a really pretty button. But this one''s on the way you should take this off too." With one flick of her wrist, the knife cut the thread along with a small part of his shirt and the button fell to the floor. "Oops." She giggled.

    Damien sighed. There goes his nine hundred dor dress shirt. Should he start counting Katherine''s damages?

    He lifted his hand up to her face and waved her purse. "Your phone''s inside."

    As if a child with a short attention span, Katherine''s eyes lit when she saw her purse and as soon as her focus was somewhere else, Damien took the chance and removed the knife from her hand.

    "You found it!" She grabbed her purse and opened it as if she was looking for something inside, forgetting that she initially wanted her phone. While she was distracted, Damien walked past her, hid the knives from his counter and ced it inside the topmost cab.

    The first thing that caught Katherine''s interest was her lipstick. Opening the cap, she twisted the tube fully and applied it on her lips as if she was ready to go clubbing.

    Tossing her purse to the side, she followed Damien to the kitchen and nearly tripped. He practically jolted forward until he saw her giggle and steady herself. "You''re going to be the death of me, Kitten."

    Walking towards her, he just realized again that she was half-naked. "Aren''t you cold? Why did you take your clothes off?" He sighed, retrieved his coat from the hallway and ced it back on her shoulder, closing the button so it will stay in ce.

    "But it''s hot."

    Katherine wanted to take it off but Damien stopped her, "I swear if you take that off, you will sleep outside."

    He gave her a stern look and his expression made her pout. "Take off your shoes or you''ll trip again."

    "I don''t wanna." She crossed her arms.

    As soon as she finished her words, Damien hoisted her up and made her sit on the kitchen ind  she gasped in surprise but did not protest.

    Without saying anything else, Damien removed her shoes.

    "You are such a nice man, my good-smelling boss!" Katherine brightly smiled and jumped off the counter. Once her feet were steady on the floor, she tiptoed and gave him a smack on the cheek!

    Damien was surprised by what she just did and so he narrowed his eyes at her. This woman how could she kiss him just like that? What if it wasn''t him with her right now?

    "Oops!" She giggled when she saw the lipstick mark on his face. "Let me remove it for you." She smudged the lipstick stain on his cheek with her thumb but it only spread out.

    "Kitten" He clenched his jaw. "Are you having so much fun?"

    "Why yes!" She smiled. "Why do you call me Kitten, by the way?" She walked around him, her fingerszily brushing his body as she did. "Is that some kind of a fetish?"

    "Hmmm" She stopped just behind him, her lips almost touching his ears when she continued, "Do you like kitties?" She blew against his earlobe making him stiffen including his little friend who hasn''t rxed since earlier. "Or do you like it when they. Meeeeooow."

    Turning around with a perplexed expression, Damien probed, "Did you just meow?"

    Giggling, Katherine ced her hands on his chest. "I can do it again."

    "Meow!"

    Damien brushed her hands away and his eyes darkened as he spoke, "That''s it. You''re going to bed. Now."

    "But I''m hungry." She protested.

    She was really testing his patience but he still asked anyway. "Fine, what do you want to eat?"

    "Choctes."

    "It''ste for choctes."

    Inching closer, a teasing smile appeared on her face. "Well if you don''t give me what I want," she started before scratching his chest gently and letting out a purr. "I can always meo"

    Damien covered her mouth in haste. "Fine. Just stop meowing. God." He bit out.

    Getting what she wanted, Katherine happily climbed up the kitchen ind and swung her legs, waiting for Damien to give her a bar of chocte from the fridge.

    "Just one." He remarked. "And then you''re going to bed."

    She snatched the chocte from his hand and ran to the living room, slumped on the sofa and started eating. She was extremely hyper and wobbly at the same time.

    Just then, Damien''s phone rang. He talked on the phone for a bit before stepping into his office to retrieve something. The phone callsted for two minutes and when he came back, Katherine was no longer on the sofa.

    "Katherine," he called.

    Hearing the noise from the kitchen, he followed the sound and found her rummaging through the fridge, throwing out food and bottles on the floor and making a mess.

    "What are you doing?" He walked closer.

    "Choctes." She bit her lip and her eyes brightened when she saw what she was looking for. "Ah here you are!"

    She was just about to tear open the wrap when Damien jerked it away from her. "Wasn''t I clear? Bed. Now."

    Slowly turning her head towards him, Katherine''s eyes were intense as if she wanted to kill. "Give me back my chocte!"

    "Why don''t you take it from me?" Damien said with a devilish smirk on his wless face. But if he thought that Katherine was thinking like he did earlier, that''s where he was wrong. Because as soon as his words left his mouth, Katherine reached out and grabbed his shirt.

    She tugged it off tearing his shirt in the process at the same time that Damien backed away. Picking up an apple from the counter, she threw it towards him but he simply swatted the fruit away. "I don''t wanna hurt you, Katherine. Just calm down."

    "Oh, you''re going down." Katherine pounced on him but Damien was quicker, avoiding her attack. She tried again but still failed, making him chuckle as though he was obviously amused by what''s happening.

    Breathing deeply, she reached out for the banana on the fruit basket and pointed it towards him. "Give it to me or I''ll shoot."

    Damien''s brow twitched seeing the sight in front of him; he was both entertained and annoyed. Feeling the urge to y with her, he raised his hands up as if he was surrendering, "Put that down or someone could get hurt."

    She held her hand out asking for the chocte without saying anything.

    For the nth time, he sighed, running his hand on his face in frustration. "I''ll give this to you but you''re going to bed."

    As soon as Katherine had her hands on the chocte, Damien lifted her in his arms and carried her up the stairs and into the bedroom. He ced her on the bed and covered her with a nket while she was still eating the second chocte bar.

    There were a lot of things that he wanted to say to her but found it pointless. Who would have thought that it was this exhausting to take care of a drunk Katherine?

 Chapter 42: Fluffy Pillows

    Chapter 42: Fluffy Pillows

    Katherine was munching on the chocte bar while her eyes were half-closed. Her other hand was clutching on his torn shirt and the banana tightly as though she was afraid someone might take them away from her.

    Shaking his head, he strolled out of the room to get a ss of water for her but when he came back, Katherine was no longer on the bed.

    "Now what?!"

    cing the ss on the bedside table, he searched for her in his walk-in closet but didn''t find her. Noticing the bathroom door open, he walked inside and turned on the lights only to find her lying inside the bathtub.

    He sighed, relieved to find her there. Walking closer, he gently shook her arm to wake her up. "Katherinee on, let''s get back to bed."

    "I like it here I''ll stay here," she mumbled.

    Damien stared at her for a good minute before he decided to get up and leave. "I give up. Sleep there if you want. I don''t care." He grumbled on his way out, turning off the lights in the bathroom and shutting the door just before he left.

    The room fell quiet for a while before the door creaked open. Damien came inside with a pillow in his hand and gently ced it under her head. "At least sleep with a pillow," he whispered. Sneering at himself in his head for feeling irritated at her, and yet he can''t seem to have the guts to leave her and stop caring.

    "You''re in deep sh*t, Damien." He murmured, shaking his head as he walked out.

    Recalling the scene fromst night in his head, Damien didn''t know whether he shouldugh or cry. And now this sober Katherine just nodded, agreeing to ept any punishment. But how would he do that exactly?

    A devilish smirk appeared on his face as he inched closer to her. "Do you know how much damage you didst night?"

    Katherine shook her head and gulped. Everything in his ce seemed to be really expensive. Did she break something? "No matter how much it is you can take it from my sry."

    Damien chuckled upon hearing her response. ''With your sry, how long will it take you to pay me over fifty million dors of damage?'' He asked in his head. He didn''t really mind about the painting as he wasn''t a fan of the artist but it was an expensive gift. At most, he only felt bad that it was destroyed but he wasn''t even attached to it.

    "I don''t think your sry is enough to pay for it even if you work with me for ten years."

    Katherine''s eyes widened. She didn''t want to believe him but what reason does he have to lie to her? She looked around the room and didn''t notice anything missing. But since she wasn''t really in the position to question her boss, she could only swallow. "Then then what should I do?"

    "Instead of money, you pay me back through service. Starting now, you are going to follow everything I say. You are not allowed to ask questions. You only follow." Damien said with an authoritative voice. Katherine nodded and listened as he continued, "No more drinking."

    She began to feel nervous as she waited for what else the King wants. "Is there anything else?"

    In reality, Damien didn''t think this through. He only wanted Katherine to stay by his side so he could keep an eye on her. And apart from ''no drinking'', he couldn''t think of anything else. "That''s all for now. I will tell you the restter."

    He turned around and sauntered towards the sofa. He felt light-headed and he was drained from having no sleep. "I''ll just lie down for a bit," he said and as soon as heid down, he fell asleep.

    Katherine felt guilty despite not knowing what she did. Damien didn''t tell her what happenedst night but she convinced herself that it probably would be better not to know.

    She turned to the sink and finished washing the dishes before she walked up the stairs and brought some things from the bedroom.

    For the first time, she saw Damien sleeping peacefully. Bending down, she carefully lifted his head and ced a pillow under it before covering him with a nket. She sighed as she sat on the floor and stared at his gorgeous yet lipstick-stained face. Katherine had the urge to touch his sharp nose and slightly parted lips but her hands curled away just before she could do it.

    With a cotton pad in her hand wet with makeup remover, she gently wiped off the reddish stain on his cheek until it was clean. That''s when the thought came to her mind. Why would he have a lipstick stain? Moreover, it''s the same shade as the lipstick that she wore on her lips earlier.

    Shocked, she pressed her fingertips on her lips and although she couldn''t remember what she did, she had an inkling of it.

    ''OMG.''

    Katherine was on her feet in a sh and sprinted up the stairs, closing the door of the bedroom as soon as she got inside.

    A small smile formed on Damien''s face before he shifted in his position and continued his sleep.

    Meanwhile, Katherine leaned on the door with her hand on her chest. She could feel her heartbeat race under the palm of her hand. Did she did she really?

    Not knowing what happenedst night was frustrating for her but now, she was more afraid of knowing the truth. She breathed in and out several times as if she was calming herself down.

    After a couple of hours of contemtion, Katherine decided to act as if nothing ever happened. She looked at herself in the mirror and gave herself a pep talk. "You''re going to go out there, cook food, clean up, and ignore. You''re good at this!"

    Yes. Ignore the fact that he was an attractive and good-smelling Adonis. How simple.

    And that''s what she did. She cleaned up his ce until it was spotless and cooked a dish with whatever she could find in the fridge while he was still asleep. It was almost four in the afternoon when Damien strode in the kitchen and found her tasting the saucy chicken and mushroom dish. He observed that his ce was cleaner too.

    He gazed at her and felt a ticklish feeling in his heart as if tiny feathers were brushing it.

    Noticing his presence, she nced up briefly before focusing her attention back to the dish she was cooking, "Oh, you''re awake? You must be hungry I''m almost done. Why don''t you wash up and"

    Her words trailed off and she stiffened when she felt his arms wrap around her waist and his body pressed against her back. She could feel his warmth making her heart drum in her chest wildly. And the next second, Damien nuzzled his face on her shoulder.

    Her hands froze and she didn''t know what to do. She didn''t particrly hate what he was doing but was she supposed to just leave him be? Was it okay for her to actually like his embrace?

    Not knowing what to say, she tried her best to deflect her awkwardness and lightly nudged him. "What are you doing? I''m cooking the pot is hot, you could get burned."

    Damien smiled ever so slightly and responded, "Don''t move. If you do, we could both get burned."

    Katherine bit her bottom lip, wondering if she should push him away despite not wanting to. He felt her tense up and told her, "Just one minute. Just let me stay like this for one minute."

    And it became quiet.

    Two figures were still and their breathing gradually became in sync. Katherine''s uneasiness slowly went away at the same time that Damien felt satisfied as if he had been worried for a long time and was finally able to breathe again.

    It had been more than a minute but neither of them moved.

    It wasn''t only until Damien''s phone rang that he pulled away and walked out of the kitchen. "I''ll be right back."

    She watched him leave and step into his office and suddenly felt empty. How could she miss him as soon as he left?

    She patted her blushing cheeks and scolded her heart. "Calm down. Nothing''s happening."

    Not wanting any expectations, she fooled herself once again.

 Chapter 43: Boss, Shall We?

    Chapter 43: Boss, Shall We?

    In the CEO''s office of Crown Resort Group, Damien stood before his window and listened to Markus''s report.

    "So have you confirmed what Jeffrey found out?" he probed.

    "Yes, Boss just like what he said, there is no record of Katherine Miller being in that hospital five years ago. I have checked from February Eighteen to February Twenty-two but I came up with nothing after my personal visit."

    "Do you think someone might have tampered with the records?"

    "I doubt that I have talked to someone who has been working there for seven years and she said that there are not a lot of car idents that happen in their town so if there was a major one that would require them to transfer a patient to a bigger hospital, she would have remembered it."

    Damien was quiet for a while before he ordered, "Try to check the other hospitals around the area."

    "Got it."

    "And one more thing, Markus Check Dr. Martin Cheng''s history. His records or anything slightly shady that is connected to him."

    "Yes, Boss."

    Their conversation ended and Damien was quick to call someone on speed dial. "Zero, I need you to check something for me" he spoke as soon as the call was picked up.

    Zero has already been used to Damien''s orders. He doesn''t mind doing anything for him as long as he was getting paid for it and this boss pays him a hefty amount  enough for him to survive after retiring. And because they have worked together for a long time, Zero has already forged his loyalty with Damien.

    "Give me the deets." Zero had his fingers ready on the keyboard, waiting for hismand.

    "I want you to find a car ident that happened five years ago. Around February 18 to February 22" Damien gave more specific details regarding Katherine''s strange hospital transfer.

    "How soon can you get back to me?"

    "Five years is a long time. It might take me some time but give me a couple of days." Zero has already started to search on his software as they speak.

    "Alright. Call me as soon as you find out something."

    "Yes, your majesty," Zero said before ending the call. He had been calling Damien this for years now. At first, Damien found it really odd and told Zero not to call him that but he was ignored and eventually, Damien got used to it.

    Waiting for news that will take a while made him restless. He turned and opened the door to his ce and as soon as he got inside, he saw Katherine who was wearing a casual dress with an apron and potholders on her hand as she ced a bowl of the dish that she cooked on the table.

    She was decent. Absolutely covered up.

    Her skin barely showed. Well except for her fair smooth legs.

    But howe Damien''s body reacted to it when he saw her like this? How could King Damien be turned on from this view?

    Katherine noticed him walk inside so she spun around with a smile and her skirt twirled as she did. "Let''s eat?"

    Definitely definitely decent.

    But Damien Jr. didn''t seem to think likewise as it decided to greet him with a standing ovation. And it didn''t help that the image of him hugging her from behind shed in his mind.

    Damien fanned himself with his shirt, suddenly feeling hot all over. "I''ll I''ll wash up first," he said before he sprinted up the stairs and into his bathroom.

    "Oh okay" The clueless Katherine muttered and she continued to set up the table.

    Meanwhile Inside the bathroom, Damien tried to calm himself down with a cold shower.

    Several minutester, he came down the stairs wearing a fresh set of clothes  a light grey sweater and dark jeans looking and smelling tasty.

    With a bright smile on her face, Katherine forced herself to ignore that fact and instead, she focused on serving food for her boss.

    Unbeknownst to her, she was already looking and acting like a little wife. And Damien didn''t seem to mind at all.

    After their meal, the two of them cleared the table and washed the dishes without talking to each other. They have realized how awkward it had gotten after Damien decided to give in to his desire and hugged her earlier.

    Katherine was obviously trying to shake off the awkwardness but simply shutting her mouth and smiling wasn''t really helping at all.

    When they finished, she excused herself and was on her way to go up the stairs when Damien called her.

    "Katherine"

    "Yes?"

    "It''s a Sunday do you have any nster?" He asked as he walked closer to her. He originally wanted to tell her to just get ready and follow him outside just like how he would normally have done but for some reason, he tried to approach her nicely.

    Katherine shook her head and raised a brow. She saw him shift his gaze briefly before he asked her. It was the first time that she noticed him look nervous. "I mostly just stay at home when I don''t have work which rarely happens." She averted her gaze, remembering how often she used to have a few days off but since she had always worked part-time jobs, her schedule wasn''t really ideal.

    "Hmmm It''s still pretty early and not yet dark. Why don''t we... go out for a ride?" He gulped. Damien didn''t know why he was feeling mmy all of a sudden when he faced her. It hasn''t happened before.

    "A ride?" She questioned but he only stared at her as if he was waiting for an answer.

    Katherine suddenly found the impulse to tease this boss of hers seeing that he was a bit uneasy. Hasn''t he always done it all the time to her? Why not return the favor?

    Inching closer, she gazed up at him with an innocent look and tilted her head. "President Park are you are you asking me out on a date?"

    Hearing her question, Damien Park narrowed his eyes and stared at her as if he was studying her expression.

    She waited for him to react the way she expected him to but what he said only made her insides melt into mush.

    "As a matter of fact, yes. Yes, I am asking you out on a date."

    Katherine swallowed, realizing that she just had a taste of her own medicine. How could she have forgotten that this man was Damien Park? Did she expect him to get nervous and make up excuses to take her out? Did she expect him to get all fidgety because of her? He''s a shameless pervert. He''s damn straight forward and now she ended up being the one to take the impact.

    "Oh."

    The look on her face gave Damien pure pleasure as if he has read through her. "So what would it be, Katherine? Can I take you out on a date?"

    She clenched her dress, unsure of how to respond to him. Was it okay to go out on a date with her boss? She surely wouldn''t mind ying with a hunk like him but what was holding her back?

    ''It''s only a date, Katherine. He''s probably just bored. There''s nothing to it. It''s only two people going out and spending some time together. You''ve been on a few dates before. They''re harmless.'' She told herself.

    "You know what, I''m not asking. This is an order and your only choice is to follow. You''re going out on a date with me, Katherine Miller. Whether you like it or not." Damien said with a teasing smile. He knew what she did and he''s ying with her.

    Katherine crossed her brows upon hearing his ridiculous order. ''What kind of order is that? Did he think I would reject his invitation so he had to say it like that?! He''s doing this on purpose to y with me, isn''t he?''

    With all this in mind, she put on a brave smile and lifted her chin, "Yes, Boss. I would love to."

    "Do you mind if I change real quick?"

    "No problem. I''ll wait for you right here." He said as he plopped down the sofa.

    Fifteen minutester, Katherine walked down the stairs wearing a ck sleeveless dress with a pencil skirt that hugged her in the right ces. It looked like a simple ck dress but the highlight of it would draw men''s attention towards the mesh detail on her chest part that traveled down to her midriff, showing a glimpse of her soft round ones.

    Damien coughed and cleared his throat as he watched her walk towards him. "You''re wearing that?" He got up from the sofa and stood in front of her.

    "Why not? You said it''s a date. It''s only right to dress up for it." Smiling so brightly, Katherine responded. "Besides, you bought this for me."

    "I did?" He raised a brow and started scolding himself inwardly. "Why did I do that?" he muttered.

    Katherine did not know where her confidence came from but seeing that her boss wanted to constantly tease her. She should at least enjoy it.

    ''You want to y with me? Let''s see who wins.'' Katherine snorted in her thoughts. With an innocent smile on her face, she asked, "So Boss, shall we?"

 Chapter 44: All Sides and Kinds of Katherine

    Chapter 44: All Sides and Kinds of Katherine

    Damien grabbed his coat and walked with her towards the elevator. Stepping inside, Katherine stood with her chin up looking so confident than ever. A sight that he was familiar with; however, seeing it on her current self, he thought that it was quite peculiar but at the same time fitting.

    He loved the sexy and confident Katherine, yet he also loved it when she was being silly or awkward around him or even when she showed her annoyance or irritation. He liked all sides and kinds of Katherine.

    Wait Love? Like? He turned his head and nced at her as if he was trying to double-check what his mind and heart were telling him.

    Whatever it was, he liked the feeling.

    They reached the parking lot and when they got settled inside Damien''s car, Katherine started to panic. The confidence that she had a while ago was suddenly bidding her goodbye as if her own self was ying tricks on her. What the hell was she thinking? Agreeing to a date with her boss? Really? She realized her response to his invitation was rather bold. Did she think she could really stand beside this god-like man?

    "Your cooking was delicious. Thank you, by the way" he said without taking his eyes off the road.

    Katherine revealed a small smile and did not respond. Her heart jumped at the sound of his kind words.

    "Since we just ate, how about dessert?"

    "Uh yeah. Dessert is good. I''m fine with dessert." She nodded.

    "Good. I know a great gto shop downtown." A teasing smile formed on his face when he added, "You like chocte right?"

    "Hmmm?" She turned to face him and saw the look on his face. She had cleaned the tub and washed the pillow in the afternoon and she still didn''t understand how there was chocte on it. Was Damien teasing her? "Ummm yeah, I like choctes."

    ''In fact I love choctes so much. I will marry it,'' she told herself when she smiled back at him before she looked out the window. Damien chuckled softly, keeping the memory fromst night to himself.

    They reached a neighborhood in Harbor City where the district was known for its clubs, entertainment, and a ce where indie musicians are found busking especially on weekends.

    Katherine stretched her neck to check out the crowd and her eyes sparkled when she saw how lively the ce was.

    Noticing her fascination, Damien stepped on the breaks and parked the car on the side of the road. "Do you want to go and check it out?"

    Her smile reached her eyes when she nodded her head. "Can we?"

    Seeing her expression of course, they can.

    They got out of the car and walked towards the buskers that had the most crowd. There were three of them in the group  one was on the portable drum set, another with a guitar and the third man held a microphone.

    Katherine maneuvered her way into the sea of people until she reached the front with Damien following her. The musicians yed an upbeat song and the crowd joined the fun by dancing to the music.

    A man who was part of their group danced and moved to the rhythm of the music until he scanned the crowd and saw a stunning woman in a ck dress. With a grin on his face, he grabbed Katherine by the hand and pulled her to the middle of the mini-stage.

    "Wait" she tried to protest but the man didn''t listen and made her follow his steps.

    Damien jerked forward the moment Katherine was pulled by the stranger but he stayed in ce when he saw that they just wanted to have fun. And soon, he saw Katherine smiling and dancing along with them.

    Her hair flipped and her body swayed to the music; he was instantly reminded of that night five years ago when the two of them danced together. Both of them were wearing masks yet he knew exactly who she was and somehow, she also knew it was him. It was definitely a night he could never forget. Because that night... was the night that they had their first kiss.

    She was clearly having fun and he loved looking at her beautiful and radiant face. It''s an expression that he didn''t get to see years ago.

    The approving look that he had was immediately wiped off his face when two more men from the crowd went in and joined the dance, sandwiching Katherine in between. Quickly taking something from his wallet, he strode forward and grabbed Katherine''s hand at the same time that he pped a hundred dor bill on the performer''s chest and then he dragged her away from the scene.

    "B-boss" Katherine struggled to keep up with him but sheughed when she realized what he did just now.

    "All right, all right slow down" she chuckled.

    Damien stopped and faced her with both of his hands on his waist  he was annoyed that she wasughing at his reaction.

    "Come on, the gto shop isn''t far from here." He said as he walked ahead of her and Katherine tried to keep up with his pace.

    Later, the two of them sat on a bench right outside the shop while eating the creamy dessert. Katherine just had her second scoop when she thought to ask him something. "Can you tell me something about my past?"

    Surprised by her sudden question, Damien stared at her for a few seconds before he thought about his answer. He ced the cup on the side and looked at her as he tried to remember.

    "And be honest no jokes this time."

    Damien grinned at her warning. "You were confident and full of surprises. But you didn''t tell me much so I always thought that you were mysterious."

    "Mysterious? What kind of secrets would I have to be mysterious?" she scoffed.

    His grin was reced with a serious look as he replied. "I don''t know I never knew your secrets."

    Katherine saw a mixture of wonder and frustration in his eyes and she wanted to ask further questions but he was quick to change his expression into a gentle one.

    "I''ll go and get you a bottle of water." He stood up and walked inside the shop.

    Brushing off her thoughts, Katherine turned her head to the side and a figure caught her attention. A man was looking at her from a distance. He was wearing a ck outfit with a hooded jacket and he stood at the corner while he gazed intently at her. He watched her as if he was studying her every move, his eyes never wavered. She didn''t recognize the man and she wondered if he knew her.

    People were passing by in front of her and she tried to keep her eyes on the strange man. But when she stood up to look at him further, he was gone.

    Katherine furrowed her brows and spun around looking for him but she could no longer see him. The spot where the man once stood was now empty.

    "Katherine? Everything okay?" Damien came to her side and ced his hand on her shoulder.

    "Ah yeah I just thought I saw" she nced at the spot again and shook her head. "Nevermind it''s nothing."

    "Are you sure?"

    Katherine nodded as she received the water bottle from him. He removed his coat and ced it over her shoulders seeing that her dress was so thin and it was getting chilly. "Let''s go?" he casually ced his hand on her back as they walked towards his car at the end of the district.

    Later that night, Katherine tried to persuade Damien to switch sleeping arrangements with her. She felt guilty letting him sleep on the sofa while she stayed on his bed. But after so many attempts, she still ended up shoved to his bed as he "ordered" her to sleep on it before he went out of the room.

    She fell asleep nearly ten in the evening but despite thefortable bed, she didn''t have a good sleep.

    Katherine dreamt that she was being chased. Her body was weak but she ran so fast and pushed herself to get away from something she didn''t even know what.

    Just as she arrived at the corner of the street, a tall man captured her and no matter how much she fought, she was defenseless. The next thing she knew, she was on a bed and couldn''t see anything. All she could feel was how painful everything was.

    Katherine screamed at the top of her lungs.

    Pleading in between, "Stop! Please stop!"

    She was gasping for air like she was drowning, only she wasn''t and it was so painful.

    "Katherine." She heard his voice but she couldn''t see him.

    "Katherine!" Damien''s voice rang in her ear. It was so loud her eyes shot up open.

    She gasped when she opened her eyes and saw the bright lights in Damien''s room. He was holding her shoulders as she panted and tried to adjust to reality  anxiety was apparent on his face.

    "It''s okay it was just a dream," heforted as he pulled her closer for an embrace. "You''re okay" he chanted until her breathing returned to normal.

 Chapter 45: His Warmth

    Chapter 45: His Warmth

    Katherine was already awake but she could still feel the indescribable pain that she had in her dreams. She clutched onto Damien''s shirt as though it helped alleviate what she was feeling. She buried her head on his chest, feeling his warmth against her cheek as she tried to shake off her anxiety by listening to his slow chant and focusing on thefort that he gave. He could feel her whole body tremble and he was afraid to tighten his embrace as it felt as if she would break if he did so.

    ''Just this once let me lean on you just this once,'' she said in her head thinking that she was giving in to her selfishness.

    A few minutes have passed and it was only then that she calmed down. Sensing that her breathing had returned to normal, Damien lowered his gaze and peeked, meeting her weak stare.

    Katherine realized the position that they were in and despite howfortable it was to lean on him, she gently pulled away.

    "I''ll be right back," he said before he walked out of the room to get a ss of water for her. When he came back, Katherine was already sitting on the bed with her back against the white tufted headboard.

    "Are you feeling better?" He asked as he handed the ss of water.

    She took a sip and ced it on the bedside table before she nodded, "I''m sorry if I scared you."

    "You didn''t scare me. You got me worried."

    Katherine pursed her lips into a thin line upon hearing his words. It felt good that someone was worried for her and it felt even better that it was him. A blush crept on her neck that made her feel shy now that she''s fully conscious of how close they were earlier.

    "Would you like to talk about it?" Damien asked as he tried to observe the expressions on her face.

    She shook her head and averted her gaze as she responded, "I don''t really understand... It wasn''t very clear just like other times..."

    Katherine had already forgotten most parts of her dream. Just like the previous nights, her nightmares would only be clear for a few seconds after waking up and would suddenly fade away from her memory. By now, she only remembered bits and pieces. All she knew was that it was only a nightmare and that she would never want to experience it again.

    It was 1:30 am and she only slept for a few hours. But after what happened, she was afraid to sleep again. She feared that once she closes her eyes, she would see and experience the same horror. She blinked as if she was trying to clear her thoughts, not wanting to bring back the terror of her nightmares.

    "You''ve been having nightmares?"

    She nodded, thankful that his voice diverted her attention.

    "Since when?" he asked further.

    "A few days ago." Katherine''s answers were brief and Damien realized that she may not want to talk about it so he decided that he will have to call Jeffrey soon regarding this matter.

    Nodding, he got up from the bed and said, "Okay you should get some more sleep. We''re leaving at nine tomorrow."

    Damien turned and was about to head out when he felt a tug on his clothes. He looked down and saw Katherine''s hand on the seam of his shirt. Confused and surprised, he turned to face Katherine and asked, "What is it? Do you need anything?"

    "Oh."

    She pulled her hand back when she realized what she just did. She wasn''t thinking clearly but her body just acted on its own. The drumming of her heart made her hands quiver. She didn''t know what or how to tell him  she didn''t want to be alone that night.

    Was it okay to ask him? He wouldn''t think lowly of her if she did, right? Katherine swallowed but she didn''t lower her gaze and continued to look at him without saying anything. She was hoping that she didn''t have to say it; she had already managed to catch his attention so she didn''t think she had more guts to ask anything else.

    Realizing why she was hesitant, Damien gently asked, "Do you want me to stay until you fall asleep?"

    She felt embarrassed yet relieved that he was smart enough to read the situation, making it easier for her to probe, "Is that okay? I don''t usually do this"

    "Of course," without second thoughts, Damien agreed. And as soon as he did, Katherine scooted to the side and made a space for him.

    ''Oh god. Did I just ask him to sleep with me? He doesn''t think so, does he?'' Katherine began to feel nervous thinking that she had made a mistake.

    Noticing the expression on her face, Damien chuckled as he slid under the covers. "Don''t worry. I won''t do anything to you. I''ll just sit here and give youpany." He leaned his back on the headboard as he reassured her.

    His words gave herfort. At least she didn''t have to worry about being taken advantage of.

    Katherineid on her side to face him so that she could see him and made sure that she was at least an arm''s reach from him. She only needed to know that she wasn''t alone that night.

    Damien didn''t speak so that she could rest while Katherine tried to stay awake. However, her eyelids soon became heavy that she fell back to sleep again.

    When he noticed her long and steady breathing, he looked down and saw her peaceful angelic face. He couldn''t help buty down next to her so that he could gaze at her better.

    Earlier, he was downstairs when he heard her scream in her sleep. He almost tripped on the stairs as he went to the bedroom as fast as he could. He was truly worried sick and was distressed when he saw how terrified she was.

    Now, they''re on the same bed and a foot apart. Being this close to her, he realized that he had never wanted someone that much. His heart yearned for her attention and he could only wait for her to feel the same way.

    Raising his hand, he tucked her hair behind her ear and wished her goodnight.

    As if that wasn''t enough, Damien ced a soft and tender kiss on her forehead before he closed his eyes and drifted to sleep.

    The next morning, Katherine woke up alone in bed. Strangely, she felt a little disappointed not seeing him there but she thought that it was better that way or else she wouldn''t know how to face him.

    She quickly got ready for work and made her way downstairs but only found a te of food on the breakfast nook; Damien was nowhere to be seen. She didn''t have much time so she wolfed down the food, washed the dishes and left.

    Damien also wasn''t in his office and Katherine started to wonder where he could have gone. It was eight in the morning so there was still time before they had to leave. Thinking that he may have just gone somewhere for personal matters, she went to her desk and started to prepare for the day''s schedule.

    Fifteen minutes before nine, her phone beeped, a message notification from Damien telling her to meet him in the lobby.

    When she arrived, Katherine saw him standing next to his car. A sigh escaped from her mouth as if she found what was missing in her morning and smiled as she walked towards him.

    They exchanged nods briefly and left the office. In the car, Katherine wondered what was in his mind when he slipped out of bed that morning but she decided not to dwell on it instead. They were going to meet some business partners that day so they made use of their time in the car to go over the details.

    Arriving at the restaurant where they were supposed to have a meeting, Katherine went to the receptionist to inform them of their reservation. When she walked back to Damien, she saw a woman with ck hair wearing fashionable clothes talking to him.

    "How long are you going to stay like this?" she asked with her brows furrowed.

    "Like what exactly?"

    "This." She waved her hand at him. "You''re acting as if you don''t care when the truth is, you absolutely do."

    Damien chuckled and lifted his chin like the arrogant man that he is, "I don''t understand how you think I even care. Don''t assume that you know me."

    "I know you, Damien. I''ve known you all your life and I know how you let people see only what you want them to see while"

    "You don''t know me, Lexi. Don''t be delusional and stop calling me. I''m busy." He said in a cold voice with a dark expression on his face and turned. Seeing Katherine, he grabbed her wrist and dragged her away. "Let''s go," he said, leaving the woman called Lexi feeling distressed.

    "Who was that?" She asked and regretted right away that she did, thinking that she didn''t have the right to ask anything from her boss.

    "No one important." He answered in a dismissive tone right before they arrived at the door of the private room.

 Chapter 46: Damiens Little Minx

    Chapter 46: Damien''s Little Minx

    Damien and Katherine sat in the private room for more than two hours already and it looked like their meeting was not going to be over soon. Feeling the urge to pee, she excused herself and went to the restroom.

    She took her time to stretch her legs a little and washed her hands before heading out. She bumped into someone when she stepped out of the restroom to which she quickly apologized for before walking past the person.

    But after only a few steps forward, the woman called her attention.

    "You''re Damien''s new secretary, right?" a voice that was overly feminine rang in Katherine''s ears which made her turn around to face her.

    "Yes, and you are?" she asked in a toneless voice.

    "Hmmm right. You probably don''t get to meet a lot of famous people so you don''t recognize me." Walking closer to her, the woman took off her sunsses as she added, "Lexi Jin."

    Katherine looked at her face and realized that she was the woman from earlier. She found her name quite familiar and when she observed her figure and the stylish clothes that she was wearing, she remembered seeing her in a magazine one time.

    "You''re a model," she uttered.

    A haughty smile appeared on Lexi''s face when Katherine finally realized who she was. "Huh so you do recognize me after all."

    Katherine did not have a good feeling about this woman. She felt that she was very troublesome and didn''t want to get involved with her. "Miss, do you have anything to say? I''m actually busy."

    Her expression was emotionless when she said this and Lexi thought that she was being arrogant. The image of Damien grabbing Katherine''s hand earlier shed in her mind, making her believe that Katherine was acting like this because she was not afraid thinking that she had Damien by her side.

    Lexi instantly felt sour and didn''t want to let her go so quickly. A cunning smile appeared on her face as she started, "I just wanted to warn you not to forget your ce. You''re only a lowly secretary. So don''t ever think that you can mean anything more to him. Only people with the same status are meant to be together. So for people like you you must be dreaming if you think that you can be with him."

    The nerve. Katherine felt the rage that was building up inside her but she maintained a poker face as she imagined how nice it would be to p this woman''s thick face. Not wanting to give away her real emotions, she calmly asked, "And you''re telling me this because?"

    "I didn''t think you''d be this clueless" Lexi raised a brow as she looked at Katherine in the eye and thought how stupid she must be. "Damien and I have known each other since we were kids. He and I were together. Can''t you see? Only he and I are fit for each other." Lexi was born and raised in a wealthy family just like Damien. All her life, she''s used to being praised and people would feel honored just to be able to stand next to her. Obviously, she believed that she''s the only match for Damien.

    Lexi felt good saying those words to this pathetic woman. However, she didn''t expect Katherine tough at her speech. Her brows scrunched up together when she saw the woman before her snicker as if she heard the funniest thing.

    "Wow!" Katherine revealed a supercilious smile. "I didn''t think a supermodel would be this insecure."

    "Excuse me?" Lexi could not believe someone dared to call her that.

    Crossing her arms in front of her, Katherine maintained the proud look on her face. "First, you do realize that you used the past tense. That means whatever you two had was in the past, yes? And judging by how Damien didn''t want to talk to you earlier, obviously, there is no present either." She shrugged and saw Lexi swallow.

    "Second, if you''re really so confident that you are ''meant'' for each other, why the hell are you wasting your time feeling threatened by a lowly secretary like me? How pathetic is that?"

    Lexi''s eyes widened in shock to hear those words from her. This woman really dared to cross her. "What did you just say?"

    Katherine''s hand flew to her mouth as she remarked, "Oh I''m sorry, was I speaking too fast? Or you reallyck the skills toprehend the simple words that I just said?" She ced a hand on her chest and continued, "I can exin it to you but I can''t understand it for you."

    Lexi felt like she had been pped a hundred times by Katherine''s retort. She didn''t think that Katherine had the guts to insult her like this and dared to imply that she was stupid. This woman must think that she can get away simply because Damien was treating her nicely. Lexi was outraged and the look on her face said it all which only made Katherine feel even more satisfied to press on her buttons.

    Looking at her watch, Katherine wanted to get back to the meeting so she stared back at Lexi and smiled as she added, "Lastly" she inched closer as if she was studying Lexi''s face before she spoke, "Your eyebrows don''t match."

    Lexi''s hands were quick to touch her brows and a horrified expression formed on her face. As a model, she had to always look presentable and attractive. Looks and reputation are everything to her. So Katherine''sment definitely wed her self-confidence.

    Katherine chuckled as she walked away, leaving Lexi exasperated before she scurried towards the restroom to check on her makeup.

    What the two women didn''t know was that Damien saw and heard the whole thing. Katherine was gone for a long time so he went out to check on her only to find Lexi being a nuisance and targeting Katherine. He wanted to butt in to save Katherine from being Lexi''s object of ridicule but before he could do so, his little minx had already started being lofty.

    Damien decided to stay out of it when he realized that Katherine wasn''t a weak woman after all. Despite losing her memories, she was still not a simple woman, making him feel pleased to have her by his side. A proud and charming smile formed on his face as he listened to her savage replies.

    How could he not be more fond of her? Especially after witnessing how she handled the situation and did not let herself be trampled on by anyone. Though even if she did, Damien would still dly swoop in and save her.

    When their exchange of words ended and when he saw Katherine walk away, Damien went back to the private room as if nothing happened.

    Katherine entered the room and sat next to him with an impassive expression as if she wasn''t worried at all.

    "Are you okay? You were gone for a while," he asked in a hushed tone, wanting to see if she was going to tell him the truth.

    "Yeah there was a long line in the restroom." She lightly smiled and nodded.

    ''You little liar,'' he thought, but he didn''t mind that she did. Damien still apuded her in his heart. If it were other women, they would have probablyined and acted weakly in front of him and made a big deal out of it. But Katherine was different.

    He had the urge to pat her head to praise her for a job well done but they weren''t alone at that time. Instead, he ced his hand over hers under the table and gave it a squeeze.

    His sudden touch startled Katherine that she had to clear her throat and looked at him to give him a questioning re but Damien''s attention was now fixed to the meeting. He was talking seriously to his business partners as if he wasn''t doing anything under the table.

    Shameless. Why was he holding her like that so casually?... and nicely?

    Katherine slightly drew her hand away but the moment that she did, he only tightened his grasp, not giving her the chance to pull away  stroking the back of her hand with his thumb as if he was taming her.

    Her toes curled and she had to squeeze her thighs together for reasons unknown to her. This boss of hers was truly a God of Seduction. How could he make her feel bothered with only the touch of his hand?

 Chapter 47: Do You Want to Go Back to My Place?

    Chapter 47: Do You Want to Go Back to My ce?

    Damien stepped out of the private room with Katherine following him behind. It was thirty minutes past one in the afternoon when their meeting ended and there was nothing else in Damien''s schedule for the remainder of the day.

    He looked at the time in his watch and spoke as they walked out of the restaurant, "We''re dropping by Hillcrest Hospital."

    "Is everything okay? Are you sick?" Katherine scanned Damien''s face but did not see any symptoms.

    He slowed down to match her pace and shook his head. "I''m fine. But you need to see Evans."

    "Me?" She touched her forehead, confused why she needed to see a doctor  she didn''t remember being sick.

    Damien chuckled when he saw her reaction, she can be too adorable sometimes.

    Hisugh made her re at him only to get annoyed at what she saw when she looked at his face. He looked cute when heughed. Yes, she gets that already but did he have to shimmer too?

    "Come on," he ced his hand on her back and led her to the passenger''s seat of his car. Just as he closed the door and walked around to the driver''s side, someone called him from the entrance of the restaurant.

    "Damien!" Lexi tried to catch up to him but when Damien turned to look at her, his face was emotionless. He only nced at her for a brief second before he got inside the car and sped away.

    "Why do I have to see Dr. Evans now?" Katherine asked as soon as the car moved.

    "You told me that you have been having nightmarestely. If it''s happening that frequently, then you''d have to at least tell your doctor so he can help you."

    "I don''t know what to tell him. I have already forgotten most of it." Katherine looked down on her hands, feeling hesitant. She no longer remembered details about her terrifying dreams but she hated the feeling that it brought her. Especially during those nights when she was still sleeping in the storage room. She woke up alone and gasping, afraid to go back to sleep but would somehow fall back asleep anyway.

    Last night, however, was even more terrifying. Though she could no longer remember all the images, she could still feel how painful it was. She flinched in her seat and hugged herself, not wanting to close her eyes in fear of seeing it again if she does.

    "Are you okay?" His brows knitted and worry was evident on his face. "Do you want to go home instead?"

    Home. A word that always felt strange for her. For five years, she lived in that apartment but she never really felt that it was a home. She didn''t feel like she belonged anywhere. However, hearing it from Damien was different. She liked how it sounded. Somehow it felt nice.

    "Did it sound weird?" Damien thought that she must have felt awkward hearing him call it "home" when she did not respond to him and just stared at her hands.

    Katherine who was thinking otherwise, looked up at him with a questioning gaze. "Hmmm?"

    "Sorry I meant Do you want to go back to my ce?"

    He saw her brows furrow upon hearing his words and he realized what he said made the situation more awkward. He sounded like a man trying to hook up in a bar and asking a girl he just met to go with him to his house. He was amused to see the look on her face.

    Meanwhile, Katherine thought that Damien just turned from a cute shimmering prince to a horny predator looking for a one-night stand.

    And she was mortified that she didn''t particrly hate his invitation.

    "Why are you looking at me like that?" Damien let out an annoyingly yful chuckle. "Whatever you''re thinking, that''s not what I meant."

    "Yeah sure." Katherine rolled her eyes, averted her gaze and looked out the window instead.

    "What? You don''t believe me?" He shrugged and focused back on the road. "But if you''re thinking about that though, I don''t mind actually."

    Katherine remained quiet after hearing him tease. He''s doing it again so she decided to ignore and did not even dare to look at him anymore. Because if she did, he would definitely see her blush.

    Hillcrest Hospital

    Inside Jeffrey Evan''s office, Katherine and Damien sat on the sofa while Jeffery sat on the armchair.

    Before they started, Dr. Evans told Katherine that he was about to do an audio recording of their meeting and asked for her consent if she was fine with it.

    "Do you remember the first nightmare you had?" Jeffrey asked. His hand was ready to scribble notes on the clipboard.

    Nodding, Katherine responded, "It was on the 2nd of Mayst Wednesday."

    "Can you tell me what you did the whole day? Be as detailed as possible."

    Damien''s phone vibrated and he excused himself to take the call, leaving Katherine and Dr. Evans inside.

    Katherine recalled the entire day to Dr. Evans. Leaving the part where she had to sleep in the storage room as Damien asked her not to mention her sleeping arrangement to anyone. Other than that, she was thorough about her story but they did not talk about her dreams yet.

    "I would like to ask you about your dreams. Is that okay with you?" he asked.

    "Actually I don''t really know what to tell you. I don''t remember much about them anymore."

    "It''s okay. We don''t have to talk about your dreams in detail for now. We''ll take it slow." Jeffrey formed a gentle smile on his face making Katherine feel at ease. "But I just want to ask These dreams that you had, have you dreamt about them before or have you experienced any of it in real life?"

    Katherine was quick to shake her head. "No. It''s the first time that I''ve had them. I also don''t think I have experienced those. But it felt so real. It felt like it happened for real."

    "You think that your dreams"

    "Nightmares." She insisted and saw him nod.

    "You think that these nightmares happened for real? Do you mean that you believed or it looked like it really happened?" Dr. Evans tried to be careful with his questions.

    Katherine shook her head once again. "No not ''think'' but rather, I felt it. It felt very real. Like I felt the pain physically."

    Jeffrey ced his pen down and stared at her as though he was studying her every reaction. He believed that there was something more to her nightmares and that it wasn''t so simple.

    The door opened and in came Damien. Jeffrey got up from his seat and said, "That''s all for now."

    "Can you wait for me outside?" Damien told Katherine who quickly got up from the sofa and headed towards the door.

    "I heard that Lexi''s back," Jeffrey said as he leaned on his desk. Katherine''s ears perked up when she heard that woman''s name just before she closed the door. It seemed like everyone knows about her and Damien.

    "Have you seen her?"

    "Bumped into her this morning." Damien stared at his friend and questioned, "You didn''t give her my number, did you?"

    Waving his hands in front of him, Jeffrey denied right away. "No, of course not. Unless you want me to no, I wouldn''t dare." He pursed his lips into a thin line when he saw Damien''s stare became fierce.

    "So? Did she tell you about her nightmares?"

    Jeffrey shook his head. "No, I didn''t force her. Like I said, we need to go about this carefully." He told Damien that Katherine feels her dreams were real. "If these dreams are actually memories, then there are two things that could happen if we find out about what her dreams are about. First will be the possibility of knowing what will trigger her and the other would be that we would actually trigger her memories. And you already know what could happen if we do."

    "Do you actually have a method on how we could do that?"

    Jeffrey nodded.

    "Have you tried it before?"

    "Yes. However, results and situations vary from patient to patient. And based on her records, it will be a gamble if we do it."

    Damien was in a bind and Jeffrey could see his friend''s concern, so he added, "I suggest that you keep an eye on her and make sure that her emotions are stable. Take her out on a date or whatever. You know happy hormones." He winked.

    Shaking his head, Damien walked out of his friend''s office without saying anything.

    "What?! What did I say?" Jeffrey snickered as he watched his friend walk down the hallway with Katherine next to him.

 Chapter 48: Kitten

    Chapter 48: Kitten

    Crown Resort Group

    Arriving at the top floor, Damien noticed that Katherine had been quiet the entire time since they left the hospital. Thinking that she was not feeling well after her doctor''s visit, he ced his hand on her shoulder and asked, "Are you feeling okay?"

    Damien saw the dazed look on her face although she was quick to change her expression to a smiling one.

    "Yeah, I''m just a little tired."

    "Are you sure?" He studied her face and saw how she lied to him again but he did not want to call her out if she didn''t want to tell him about what was on her mind.

    "Of course." A small smile formed on her lips.

    "Okay." He looked at the time in his watch and said, "Why don''t you go inside and take a rest? There''s nothing left to do until tonight anyway."

    Following Damien inside his office, they stopped at the corner of the room in front of the door to his ce. He pressed a button and a small panel with numbers appeared on the wall. He turned to face her and said, "1802."

    "I''m sorry?"

    "The passcode to my door. It''s 1802." He said casually, pressing the code on the panel and the door slid to the side.

    "Oh."

    ''Why is he telling me? And why am I feeling giddy?''

    He stepped inside the entrance hall and removed his shoes. After wearing his slippers, he turned and saw that Katherine was still standing outside. "Aren''t youing in?"

    Katherine was feeling nervous all of a sudden. It seemed as if his ce was now as small as a matchbox and that getting inside would make her feel suffocated. She could feel the sweat forming on her back and soaking her dress. Why does she feel like she had just been upgraded in Damien''s life only because she now knows his passcode? What a silly thing to think about.

    "Katherine?"

    "Ah yes." She walked inside and wanted to bite her tongue for being so curious. s, she couldn''t help but ask him, "Who else knows your passcode?"

    ''Why?!''

    ''Why did you have to ask?!''

    ''Why does it matter who else knows? Did you think you''re so special?'' she berated herself.

    "Just you," he answered nonchntly.

    "Oh," she uttered. Unsure of how to respond to that lovely piece of information.

    Seeing the unreadable expression on her face, Damien didn''t know what was running through her head. "Why?"

    "Not even Markus? Mr. Yoo? Dr. Evans?"

    Damien shook his head and crossed his arms in front of him. He had a feeling that it wasn''t the only thing that she wanted to know.

    But Katherine didn''t want to say it. How could she ask? If she mentions Lexi''s name, she was certain that he would think she was jealous. And she is not!

    "Really? No one at all?" She gulped. Her tongue felt itchy and her mouth threatened to ask on behalf of her.

    Seeing the slight quiver of her lips, Damien suppressed the urge to chuckle. This adorable little kitten could it be that she wanted to know if there were other women?

    "No one. No other woman knows." He turned and headed towards the kitchen to get some drinks. "But to answer your real question, no not even Lexi."

    Katherine''s eyes widened in shock as she followed him into the kitchen. "W-what do you mean? I didn''t ask!"

    "Hmmm" He grabbed two bottles of water from the fridge and tossed one to Katherine. "But you thought about it."

    "I did not!" She angrily opened the bottle and drank half of it, muttering incoherent words as she wiped her mouth. ''Can he really read minds? That''s absurd!'' she said in her thoughts. Though she didn''t really believe that he could, funnily enough, she didn''t want to think about anything else for fear of that possibility.

    "Whatever helps you sleep at night, Kitten." A charming yet goofy smile appeared on his face as he sauntered towards the sofa in the living room.

    Wanting to change the subject, Katherine followed him and asked, "Why do you keep calling me Kitten? I''m not a cat."

    Damien slumped on the sofa and chuckled at her question. How could he forget that night when he finally knew her first name?

    "Why are youughing? Is it something about my past? Can you tell me about it?" She asked as she sat next to him.

    Damien straightened his back and looked at her. His gaze moved from her eyes and down to her lips before he started, "It was one night in December about six years ago"

    ***

    In the balcony of Onyx Mountain Hotel, there were two people standing close to each other. Their bodies were pressed and their foreheads touched as they slightly panted.

    "Thank you," Katherine whispered, a gentle and bashful smile formed on her beautiful face. She could still feel his warmth on her moist lips as she inhaled his seductive and delicious scent. She didn''t want to stop but she had to go and her hands that clutched on his suit proved how much she wanted more of him.

    "My pleasure." He responded with a low and unhurried voice. Damien glided his hand on her waist and lightly tightened his grip that made her sigh.

    "I have to go," she hesitantly pushed him away and turned around to leave the balcony when Damien grabbed her hand which made her stop in her tracks.

    "Can you tell me your name now?" he asked.

    "Well, if I tell you that then we wouldn''t be strangers anymore," she chuckled.

    "True. But even strangers can be part of our memories. And I like my memory to have a name." He inched closer and was now standing in front of her.

    Thinking that she probably won''t see him again in the future, Katherine was driven to tell him this one bit of information. "Katherine."

    A gust of wind suddenly blew just as she spoke, Damien was unable to hear her very well, "Is that Greek? Or Russian? Katerina"

    "No, it''s with an H. It''s Kath not Kat." She rolled her eyes.

    "Huh I could have sworn you said Kat. And I would have thought that your name suits you you''re indeed a cat. Probably even a tigress." A devilish smile formed on his lips.

    "Really?" Katherine crossed her arms. Her interest was piqued because of the man in front of her who always looked so stylish posh and tasty. "You think I''m a tigress?"

    She inched closer until she was less than a foot away from his face. She raised her hand, formed her fingers into a w and grazed her nails on his chest as she spoke in a low and sexy voice, "How do you not know I''m actually a kitten?"

    "Hmmm" Loving the proximity between them, Damien ced both of his hands on her waist and stared at her lips. "I can call you anything you want Kitten." He leaned forward and was about to press his lips to hers but before he could even do so, Katherine had already slid away from his hold.

    "Goodnight, Mr. Park." She giggled before she strutted away, that left Damien in the balcony with his hands now in his pocket as he wondered when he''ll see her again.

    ***

    "That''s it?" Katherine''s brow raised. Learning about the past, she thought that it was something very interesting. Damien chuckled once again when he saw her expression. He had recalled the entire scenario in his head but in actuality, he had left out a lot of details and did not tell Katherine about it. Instead, he only told her a part of their conversation about her name and how she was the one who mentioned Kitten which was why he started calling her that.

    Leaving the part where they had their first kiss and of course, how close and sensual those feelings were.

    Katherine saw the yful smile on his face as if he was trying to reminisce something. "There''s something that you''re not telling me"

    "I don''t know what you''re talking about." Damien turned to the side and without a warning, heid his head on Katherine''s thighs and straightened his legs on the sofa.

    "Umm What are you doing?" Katherine swallowed and had her arms raised mid-air awkwardly as she didn''t know what she was supposed to do when Damien already closed his eyes.

    "Shh... keep quiet. Let me take a nap." He shushed, which made Katherine purse her lips into a thin line.

    Reluctant to disturb her boss, she breathed out a deep sigh and leaned on the sofa. Sheid her head on the backrest and thought about random things until she felt her eyelids getting heavy. Soon enough, Katherine fell asleep too.

 Chapter 49: Your Hot Boss Is Trending!

    Chapter 49: Your Hot Boss Is Trending!

    Half an hourter, Damien''s eyes opened and it took him a second to adjust to the lights in his living room. He looked up and saw Katherine had also fallen asleep. He stared at her face which was looking sweet and peaceful until his gaze trailed down to her arm and found her hand resting on his chest.

    A satisfied smile spread across his face before he carefully ced his hand over it. Bringing her hand to his lips, he pressed a feather-light kiss on it thatsted for three seconds before he got up from the sofa.

    Damien quickly but gentlyid her down on the sofa while cing a throw pillow under her head. Just as he straightened up, his phone vibrated in his pocket, indicating that he received a phone call.

    "Yes?" He answered the call when he saw that it was from his assistant Markus and went to his office.

    "Boss, I''ve already checked the other hospitals around the area but none of them have any records that we''re looking for."

    Damien sat on his office chair and asked, "What about Dr. Cheng?" He heard Markus inhale deeply and answered, "Boss Dr. Cheng is gone."

    "What do you mean gone?"

    "I am at Spring Grove Hospital right now and the staff told me that he turned his resignation letterst Friday."

    Damien''s brows knitted and felt odd about the piece of information. "But we just saw himst Friday. How could he leave so suddenly? Have you found out why?"

    "I didn''t see his letter but they said that it was a sudden family decision and that they will move overseas."

    "Check whether he has already left the country. Find out where he is right now. It looks like he''s fleeing and we can''t let that happen." Damien said in a low voice.

    "Yes, I''m already on it. But there''s one more thing, Boss." Damien heard shuffling of papers in the background before Markus continued, "I''m sending you the file right now."

    While they were speaking, Damien received a few images containing Dr. Cheng''s bank statements and contracts. "There are some weird transactions on his ount. His sry five years before is the one marked in blue. However, around the time that Ms. Katherine was transferred over to his care, he started receiving money from random off-shore ounts. But I''ve checked and he doesn''t have any rtives overseas."

    "Even if he does He''s a doctor, his sry is already high I doubt family members would think that he is in need." Damien''s hand balled into a fist when he realized that this was too much of a coincidence. "I''m still waiting for Zero''s update. You can take care of the rest, right?"

    "Don''t worry boss, I know someone from the airport who can check. I''ll get back to you real soon."

    "Coordinate with Zero if you''re having troubles."

    Their conversation ended and Damien contemted for a while before he decided to call Jeffrey to tell him what he discovered so far.

    Jeffrey responded, "Now that''s interesting. I don''t know much about Dr. Martin Cheng. He seems to be really low-profile so I have not heard if he had any remarkable achievements. But it is strange that he resigned the same day that you visited him and transferred Katherine to me. Have you found him yet?"

    "No, Markus is still trying to follow his trail." Damien had a lot in his mind and he worried about Katherine''s safety more after finding out all of this.

    "You cane by again tomorrow and we can start with the course," Jeffrey suggested.

    It took a few seconds for Damien to think about it before he replied, "How safe is it?"

    "Hypnosis is generally safe. There are adverse reactions to it but it''s rare."

    "What reactions?" Damien worried.

    "In rare cases, a patient may suffer dizziness, headache or feelings of anxiety. I have already talked to her about this the first time we met and she said she was willing to as long as you''re there."

    Damien thought he heard it wrongly and had to ask. "What?"

    "She wants you to be there with her during the process."

    Damien''s distressed heart suddenly felt warm. He didn''t know that Katherine had so much trust in him that she even wanted him there. "Thank you, Jeff. We''ll see you tomorrow then."

    After their conversation, Damien went back inside his ce and found Katherine opening her eyes. She hurriedly got up from the sofa when she realized that she had fallen asleep and her boss was looking at her. "I''m sorry, I must have been tired."

    "It''s okay." Damien looked at his watch and saw that it was already five in the afternoon. "Why don''t you stay here tonight? I can meet Mr. Davis alone for dinner."

    "Are you sure? I don''t mind apanying you to this dinner." Katherine felt weird for not going with him when the appointment was still rted to business.

    "It''s fine. Most of them are men anyway they might ask for drinks afterwards so it''s better if you stay here instead."

    "Oh okay." She nodded and felt awkward for what she wanted to ask but her mouth opened before she could even stop herself. "What time are youing home?"

    Her question made Damien smile but he controlled the urge to tease her and directly answered, "I mighte backte. So you don''t have to wait for me. There''s still some food in the fridge." He turned and headed to his bedroom upstairs.

    It took him ten minutes before he came back down wearing a new dress shirt and a suit. Seeing him walk towards her, Katherine unconsciously stepped forward, held the knot of his tie and fixed it.

    Damien stared at her acting like a little wife and he clenched his jaw when he felt the urge to kiss her right then and there. But he stopped himself and swallowed.

    With a sweet smile on her face, Katherine lightly patted his tie. "There," she said as she nced at him and saw him staring down at her. "What?"

    "Nothing." Damien shook his head and patted her head gently. "I have to go," he said before he turned and left.

    Katherine slumped onto the sofa as soon as she was alone and curled up into a ball. She instantly felt bored and did not know what to do. The house wasrge and spacious but it was lonely without Damien.

    She grabbed the remote control on the coffee table, turned on the TV and started scanning through the channels.

    The night was quite uneventful for Katherine as she ate alone in front of the TV and decided to go to bed early. When she crawled on the bed, she sent a message to Emma and checked the entertainment website that she used to follow.

    Scrolling through the page, she stumbled across an article about Lexi Jin''s return to Harbor City after years of being in Europe. She saw some of the model''s pictures on the runway and the awards that she received. After meeting her that day, Katherine thought that the model became uninteresting for her.

    She ced her phone on the bedside table, dimmed the lights and went to sleep at eight in the evening.

    That night, Katherine dreamt again. But this time, it was different. She was running away as though she was being chased. She was on a long dark road with trees on either side and she could feel the coldness of the ground as she was running barefoot.

    She looked back but didn''t see anyone chasing her but she could feel that someone was watching her so she ran until she was breathless. She tripped and fell to the ground, wincing in pain.

    The next second, she felt someone hover over her. An unfamiliar man''s voice whispered to her ear, "Arrte, Katherine."

    The voice made her wake up gasping for air. Katherine was drenched in cold sweat and she tried to remember thest part of her dream but as much as she tried, she didn''t recognize the man''s voice. Moreover, she didn''t understand what he said.

    Her phone beeped, which made her turn to the side and grab her cell phone. There were messages from Emma:

    [Emma: I''m d you''re okay! Have lunch with me tomorrow? My treat!]

    [Emma: Adam''s been busytely too, but I told him I invited you tomorrow so he mighte. You''re meeting us, okay? You''re not allowed to refuse :p]

    [Emma: OMG! Your hot boss is trending! Check out this link!]

    Confused, Katherine clicked on the link that her friend sent.

    The page took a while to open but when it did, she saw an article that was just posted an hour ago from a paparazzi.

    There were pictures of Damien and Lexi going in and out of a restaurant separately. The pictures that were taken were solos but the write-up said they were on a date.

    Katherine''s eyes narrowed when she read the words in bold: Resort King Damien Park Rekindles His Love with His Ex-Girlfriend Supermodel Lexi Jin by taking her out on a date. Can Love Really Be Sweeter the Second Time Around?

    Katherine almost barfed upon reading the highlight. She knew it was only publicity and did not believe any of it. However, she couldn''t help feeling bitter seeing the two in the article and being talked about on the inte.

    She looked at the time and saw that it was past midnight. Wanting to see if Damien was there, she took a peek of the living room but saw that the sofa was empty.

    Knowing that she was all alone at that hour and after having that nightmare, she went back to bed with a heavy heart butshe couldn''t sleep no matter how much she tried.

 Chapter 50: Lucid Dream

    Chapter 50: Lucid Dream

    Katherineid on the bed while she hugged a pillow. She no longer felt sleepy, so for the past hour, her eyes were wide open as she thought about where Damien could be.

    She debated with herself whether she should send him a message or not but she could not bring herself to do it so she could only stare at her phone that was on the bedside table.

    Not long after, she heard a faint noise that came outside the bedroom. It seemed like Damien had just gotten home. Katherine looked at the wall as she tried to imagine him walk up the stairs and finally opening the door. And as soon as she saw the knob turn, she immediately closed her eyes shut and pretended to be asleep.

    Damien walked towards the bed and saw that she was fast asleep. He was a little buzzed after drinking with his business partners but since he had a high alcohol tolerance, he wasn''t that drunk. He sauntered towards his walk-in closet and stripped off his clothes.

    When Katherine heard rustling sounds, she squinted her eyes and saw him in his boxer briefs while he was facing his broad back to her, which made her eyes grew wide in surprise. She gasped but quickly closed her eyes shut when she noticed his head turned to the side.

    Katherine kept her eyes shut, she didn''t move an inch but her ears were very observant as she tried to guess what he was doing. She heard him got in the shower but she didn''t dare to take a peek.

    A few minutester, Damien got out of the bathroom dressed in loungewear. He walked towards the bed and Katherine could smell his fresh, pleasant scent tempting her to look at him but she maintained her act.

    As he looked down at her, he caught a glimpse of her phone on the side with the screen still on. Wanting to turn it off to save the battery, he grabbed it and was about to press the lock button when he saw the page that she was readingst.

    He checked the article and was instantly enraged at what he saw. His gaze shifted to the sleeping Katherine and he could only hope that she did not believe what she read.

    He turned off her phone and ced it back to the bedside table before he left the bedroom.

    Katherine slowly opened her eyes and sighed, thankful that he was finally home.

    It was eight in the morning when Katherine came down the stairs and saw Damien at the breakfast nook already dressed up and drinking his morning coffee. She wondered how many hours he sleeps everyday because he was always up and ready before her.

    "Good morning, President Park," she greeted when shended on the main floor and headed towards the counter to make a cup of hot chocte for herself.

    "How was your sleep?" He ced the cup of coffee in the sink and came to her side.

    "It''s fine."

    Tilting his head, he wondered if something was wrong with her. "You saw the articlesst night, didn''t you?" he asked despite already knowing the answer.

    Katherine formed a smile on her face and nced up to him briefly before she lowered her gaze again. "Yeah"

    His brows furrowed. He was unsure what she thought about it after reading it. "You didn''t believe it, did you?"

    Katherine darted her eyes to the side and hesitated before she looked up at him with a rxed expression and shook her head. "No Wasn''t it all just a coincidence?"

    Damien''s shoulders rxed when he heard her answer. He knew that she wouldn''t jump into conclusions so after he heard her words, he felt at ease.

    However, Katherine turned back to the counter and added, "But even if it wasn''t a coincidence, I don''t think there''s anything wrong. The two of you dated back then, didn''t you?"

    "What?" Damien didn''t understand what she was trying to say.

    "It''s pretty normal for people to notice the two of you given your identities." Katherine tried to be nonchnt about the matter.

    "But there''s nothing going on between me and her. You know that, right?"

    Just as Damien asked the question, Katherine''s phone rang. "It''s Dr. Evans," she said before answering the call. She spoke on the phone while standing in front of Damien for a minute.

    "Dr. Evans is waiting for us in his clinic." She put the phone inside her bag and turned to Damien, "Shall we go?"

    "You haven''t eaten yet."

    Katherine drank half of the warm chocte drink and poured the rest in the sink and quickly washed their cups. "I''m not really hungry. I''ll just eat after the session."

    Damien didn''t force her and decided to take her out for a meal after their appointment in the hospital.

    Hillcrest Hospital

    "Just rx We''re going to try and see the first dream that you had a few nights ago." Dr. Evans said as Katherine made herselffortable on a Yarmouth chaise lounge.

    A couple of years ago, Dr. Cheng told her about her violent episode when she remembered something but after staying in the hospital overnight, Katherine forgot about the memories the next morning. She was aware of the possibilities despite not knowing what would cause them. But because of her recent night terrors, she wanted to try Dr. Evan''s method.

    Katherine nced at Damien who sat on the sofa who watched her before she leaned on the backrest and followed Dr. Evan''s instructions. "I want you to concentrate on my voice. Listen to nothing else except my voice," he spoke slowly while Katherine looked at him.

    Jeffrey waved his hand in front of her eyes, muttered something and before she knew it, Katherine was already unconscious.

    "What do you see?" he asked in a calm voice.

    "It''s dark I can''t see anything. I don''t like it here..."

    "It''s okay. You''re safe The next scene will be a dream. It''s the dream that you had that night You can remember your dreams clearly." Jeffrey paused for a while, allowing Katherine to follow his guidance. "What do you see?"

    In Katherine''s view, it was dark at first but the scene slowly became bright and alive and she found herself dancing with a man.

    "I''m dancing I''m happy" She described the details that she saw in her lucid dream which didn''t seem so out of ce. She sounded like she was narrating something from a party.

    "Gunshots I hear gunshots."

    Damien and Jeffrey looked at each other with perplexed expressions. "What''s happening? Tell me what you see." Dr. Evans probed.

    "She''s pointing the gun at him. He looks so scared"

    "Who is it? Who is she? And who''s the man?"

    "I don''t know" Katherine whimpered, sweat started to form on her forehead and Damien began to worry.

    "Look closely They''re not going to hurt you. This is just a dream."

    Katherine heard Jeffrey''s voice and she walked forward to take a closer look. "No no. No Don''t do it."

    "Nooooo!!!" She screamed her lungs out and shouted the scene that yed in front of her  she saw herself pull the trigger and killing the man kneeling before her.

    "Jeffrey! Stop it! Wake her up!" Damien roared as he dashed towards Katherine''s side.

    Dr. Evans muttered something and in an instant, Katherine opened her eyes and saw Damien beside her, holding her hand.

    She pulled herself to sit up as she panted. Suddenly feeling dizzy, she leaned her head on his shoulder, thankful that he was there with her.

    Katherine could remember her dream and what she saw while she was unconscious terrified her. She could never imagine herself as that person who just killed the man in cold blood.

    "I''ll be back." Jeffrey Evans left the room to give them some privacy.

    Damien took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat on her forehead. "I''m sorry we shouldn''t have done this."

    She shook her head and a small smile appeared on her face. "It''s okay. It''s not your fault. I agreed to this. I''m okay I just need to take a second."

    Staring at her, Damien felt a prick in his heart as he recalled what just happened. How could they continue if she was going to be like this every time? How could he bear seeing her so terrified? "We don''t have to continue."

    Nodding, Katherine agreed, "I''m okay for now. But I don''t think I can do this again at least not too soon." She didn''t want to pretend and push her luck.

    "Of course." Damien was pleased and felt better after knowing that she wasn''t stubborn. What she said while she was screaming earlier shocked him. He could only hope that it was really just a dream. If not, what was he supposed to think if he learns that Katherine knows how to use a gun?

 Chapter 51: My Sweet Boss

    Chapter 51: My Sweet Boss

    11:30 am

    Katherine stood at the Hospital''s entrance waiting for Damien who went to pick up his car from the parking lot. While she stood there, she received a text message from her friend Emma.

    [Emma: Kath, I''m on my way to the restaurant and so is Adam. See you soon!]

    Typing her reply quickly, she sent her friend an "Ok" emoji. She could feel a headacheing but she brushed it off and thought that she was only hungry.

    The Jaguar parked in front of Katherine and the windows rolled down. "Let''s eat first before going back to the office," said Damien.

    Katherine bent forward to see her boss and answered in a soft voice, "Um Boss, I forgot to tell you that I''m supposed to meet my friends for lunch today. Can I meet you back at the office instead?"

    "Friends? Who?" Damien raised his brows and waited for her to answer but then Katherine pursed her lips into a thin line and darted her eyes to the side. She didn''t know how to tell his boss who she was going to eat with; he doesn''t know them in the first ce.

    Seeing that she didn''t respond to his question, he pushed the door open and said, "Get in. I''ll drop you off."

    "No, it''s okay I can take a cab." She waved her hand in front of her.

    "Get in, Ms. Miller." He insisted, making Katherine unable to refuse for the second time so she got inside.

    When the car moved, Damien asked her again, "Where are you having lunch?"

    Katherine took her phone and opened the Maps application. She searched for the restaurant and ced it on the dashboard for Damien. However, Damien was more curious about her lunch date with her friends than the restaurant''s location.

    "Okay," he said, "Are you meeting your friend Emma?"

    "Yes, she''s been wanting to meet up with me since Ist saw her."

    "Is it only going to be the two of you?" He nced at her and tried to ask nonchntly as he kept his eyes on the road.

    "No, our other friend Adam will join us too. You saw him back at the hospital once, remember?"

    "Ah Adam" He muttered and Katherine was reminded of that elevator incident. She awkwardly smiled before she stared outside her window.

    Seoul Food Restaurant

    When they arrived at the restaurant, Damien parked his car and got outside. Katherine was puzzled why her boss walked towards the door so she turned to face him. "Um Boss, thank you for the ride."

    Damien only nodded and opened the door, he urged her to go inside but he followed after her. Katherine did not understand why he hasn''t left yet. Did he want to eat with them too?

    "Kath! Over here!" Emma waved her hands and called her over before she caught sight of the striking man behind her. The two friends moved their brows and eyes as if they were having a silent conversation from a distance. Emma wondered why Damien was there.

    Sitting opposite Emma was Adam whose gaze alsonded at Katherine and the man that walked beside her.

    "Did you wait long? Sorry." Katherine said when she arrived at their table.

    Emma stood up right away and greeted, "President Park, it''s nice to see you again. Are you going to eat with us?"

    Damien swept his eyes across the table and saw that it wasn''t really appropriate for him to stay with them despite his reluctance to leave Katherine in the presence of Adam. So he shook his head and had an emotionless expression as he responded, "I just dropped Katherine here. I wanted to make sure she wasn''t going to wait alone."

    Emma fawned over Damien''s words, she secretly wished that all bosses could be just like him. "You''re very kind, President Park."

    He lightly touched Katherine''s elbow which made her turn to face him while she wondered if it was okay for her to like his warm touch and hoped that his hand would stay there for a second longer than it should.

    "You don''t have to eat fast. Take your time with your friends but call me when you''re done so I can pick you up."

    "I don''t want to trouble you. I''ll be back at the office on time," she hurriedly promised.

    "You won''t. Besides, I''ll be just nearby. Call me when you''re done." He looked at her intently as if he was giving an order before he turned and walked away.

    The three friends watched his back as he strolled towards the door. Katherine breathed a sigh of relief as soon as he left and sat down next to Emma. Sometimes, she just doesn''t know when Damien is friendly or when he is fierce.

    "Your boss seems to be always around you all the time, Kath. He hasn''t crossed the line yet, has he?" Adam casually asked as he ate his fries.

    "What are you talking about? She''s his secretary, so it''s the other way around; she always has to be close to him all the time. Even if he crosses the line, if it were me, I wouldn''t mind I would totally tap that." Emma waved her hand to emphasize her statement, it made Katherine giggle. She truly loved Emma''s boldness. If only they knew how literally close they were the past few days  not that she''sining.

    "My boss is actually very kind. He''s been really helpful. It''s such a breather after working under mean bosses from my previous jobs." She spoke as she stole fries from Adam''s te; he happily slid his te forward, allowing Katherine to take as much as she wanted.

    "I don''t know He looks mysterious. Just don''t let your guard down," Adam didn''t forget to remind her. He had always liked Katherine but couldn''t get himself to ask her out so he remained only as her friend since.

    Emma nudged Katherine and said, "I don''t know about you, Kath but if my boss is as hot and as sweet as him, I''d keep my guard down whenever he''s around."

    Rolling her eyes, Katherine chuckled as Emma''s words made her think if she needed to stay cautious around Damien.

    An hour and a halfter, the three of them finished their meal and were ready to pay. They signaled a waitress over and asked for their bill; however, the waitress smiled at them and said, "Your bill has already been paid for."

    With a perplexed expression, Katherine responded, "But we haven''t paid yet."

    "The gentleman who came with you earlier paid for it before he left. Thank you for dining with us. Have a great day!" She sashayed over to the next table who called her over.

    Adam and Emma looked at Katherine who didn''t know what to say and could only shrug her shoulders at her friends.

    She pressed her lips together and decided to call Damien. Her call was answered on the first ring.

    "Boss, I''m about to go back to the office. I''ll just take a cab"

    "I''m outside." He interrupted.

    Katherine immediately bid her friends goodbye and walked out of the restaurant. She decided to pay him back when she gets her bonus at the end of the week; she didn''t like owing people and not being able to return the gesture.

    When she stepped out of the restaurant, she found Damien who looked debonair andzily leaning on his sleek and stunning white Jaguar XJ. And when he looked up at her, she could feel the rush of blood on her cheeks. There was just something about Damien Park that made her feel things that she had never felt before.

    She felt calm and safe as though he was her armor.

 Chapter 52: Stay with Me, Katherine

    Chapter 52: Stay with Me, Katherine

    With a sweet smile on her face, Katherine walked up to him and wanted to ask about the bill from the restaurant but her excitement upon seeing him made her forget what she wanted to ask.

    Without saying anything, Damien opened the door for her before he cast a friendly look over her friends behind her.

    Crown Resort Group

    When they arrived back at the office, Katherine went into work mode right away. From time to time, she would pause and massage her temples to relieve the pain. She started to get dizzy but with so much work to do, she had to push through.

    "Katherine."

    A hand knocked on her desk to catch her attention and she flinched in surprise. Damien had been standing there and calling her name but she didn''t even respond.

    "Are you okay?" he asked.

    "I''m sorry, President Park." She abruptly got up which caused her to sway. She grabbed onto the back of her chair for support and breathed deeply. "My head hurts."

    Damien came to her side right away. He touched her forehead to check her temperature and was relieved that she didn''t have a fever. "Come on, you need to take some medicine."

    He helped her to his office and let her sit on the sofa while he retrieved a pouch from a cab in his office with different kinds of over-the-counter drugs inside.

    Katherine chose a familiar brand of a nonsteroidal anti-inmmatory drug and took it with water.

    "You should rest here for the meantime." Damien ced a square pillow at her back and made her lean.

    "I have a lot to finish though I can''t stay idle for a long time."

    He stroked her hair and nodded, "At least until the medicine takes effect. For now, take a rest."

    Katherine badly needed to rest so she closed her eyes for a few minutes. Damien went back to his desk and continued with his work while he nced at her from time to time to check if she was okay.

    Katherine fell asleep but woke up thirty minutester when she felt the need to pee.

    "Where are you going? Rest for a few minutes more." Damien immediately said when he saw her get up from the sofa.

    "I need to go to the loo." Katherine was about to walk out of his office when Damien stopped her.

    "You''re already here. Just use the one in the living room."

    Katherine''s eyes widened when she heard what he said. "You have one in your living room?"

    She followed Damien to his ce and saw him open a door that she had never noticed before. He gestured for her to go inside before heading towards his kitchen to grab a drink.

    After relieving herself, Katherine washed her hands and looked at herself in the mirror. She leaned closer to the mirror when she saw a small bump below her left eye. She touched it and thought that an insect must have bitten her without noticing.

    When she stepped out, she saw Damien sitting on the sofa browsing through his tablet.

    "Thanks for the medicine. I''ll head back to my desk," she said as she walked towards him.

    Without looking up, Damien reached his hand to the side to grab Katherine''s and pulled her down to the sofa, making her sit next to him. "Rest a bit more. I can''t have you fainting on my watch," he said with a low, cultured voice.

    Katherine pouted but she did not argue. He wanted her to ck, then she shall ck.

    She wanted tough at her thoughts and realized that being around Damien was unhealthy for her. Her heart had been unstable whenever he''s around and even when he wasn''t. And he''s been taking care of her a lottely, making her feel like she''s too rxed  as if she was the boss and he was the worker. ''Boss, please let me work,'' she said in her thoughts, feeling guilty.

    Katherine held her head in her hand and coolly swiped and tapped on her phone. Her headache was gone but there was a strange feeling in her throat and face that she couldn''t recognize.

    They were both quiet for a few minutes until Damien nced at her and noticed her asionally scratch her eyes.

    "Don''t scratch your eyes." He only had to gently tug her hand away and Katherine stopped before he shifted his focus back to his work on his tablet.

    Katherine set her phone on the sofa and ced a hand on her neck. She tried to swallow and take a deep breath but something was definitely weird. It was as if her throat was swelling.

    Unconsciously, she tapped Damien''s arm, making him snap his head towards her. "What''s wrong?" he asked when he noticed her uneasiness.

    "I don''t know" She cleared her throat. "Something something''s off I think" she swallowed. "I think I''m having... trouble breathing."

    Damien straightened up and pulled Katherine''s chin towards him. In an instant, a shocked expression formed on his face when he saw the swelling under her left eye. "Your eye"

    He scanned her quickly as she continued to touch her throat. He realized what was happening when Katherine clutched on his hand saying, "Damien I think my throat is closing up."

    Damien dropped his tablet and immediately picked up Katherine in his arms without dy. "I''m taking you to the hospital." He hurriedly carried her out of his office and into the elevator in a sh. She closed her eyes and leaned into him as she tried to concentrate on her breathing.

    "Katherine, stay awake. Don''t sleep." Damien''s voice was gruff when he ced her on the passenger''s seat.

    He did not waste time and as soon as he got inside the car, he sped off to the hospital.

    "Can you hear me? Stay with me, Katherine" Damien gripped the steering wheel and stepped on the gas, ignoring the traffic lights as he drove.

    Katherine shifted on her seat to face Damien and tried her best to stay conscious. She didn''t want to die yet.

    As dangerous as it already was, Damien held her cold hand and squeezed it. "You''ll be okay We''re almost there." Damien said, his heart beating erratically as he worried.

    Katherine gasped for air as her breathing becamebored  the swelling of her throat caused her to have trouble breathing.

    Hillcrest Hospital

    "I need help here!!!" Damien belted out as soon as he got inside the emergency room, carrying Katherine in his arms. She clutched onto his shirt when she felt even dizzier.

    His loud roar caught the attention of the medical staff and they rushed towards him with a hospital stretcher.

    "What happened to her?" asked one of the staff.

    "I think she''s having an allergic reaction," Damien responded right away.

    Recalling the medicine that Katherine took earlier, he added, "She took ibuprofen."

    They wheeled in Katherine towards a closed area and asked Damien to stay outside. "Sir, you need to stay here. We''ll take care of her," the nurse said before she disappeared behind the door.

    Damien felt like he had been hit by a thick nk of wood. His heart did not stop beating so fast as he was extremely worried about her condition. But there was nothing else that he could do except to wait.

    Several minutester, a doctor came out of the emergency room and walked up to him. "Are you Ms. Katherine Miller''s guardian?"

    "Yes, how is she?"

    "She''s stable now," said the doctor and Damien exhaled a sigh in relief.

    "May I go see her?" he asked with a worried expression.

    "Of course," the doctor nodded and ushered him inside the ward, "She''s asleep but you can go and see her."

    Damien swept the curtain aside and saw Katherine on the bed. He sat on the chair next to her, grabbed her hand and held it in his.

    It was already evening yet Damien did not move as he continued to wait for Katherine to gain consciousness and couldn''t help but feel guilty for what happened to her. He looked at her with a heavy gaze and spoke in a low and wistful voice, "I''m so sorry it''s all my fault."

 Chapter 53: A Dangerous Woman

    Chapter 53: A Dangerous Woman

    There was a nagging feeling in Damien''s heart that wouldn''t go away even after knowing that she was already safe. As he watched over her for hours, he did not dare let go of her hand  it was as though he was afraid that if he did, she would disappear.

    He held her hand with both of his and hoped that she would wake up very soon. He closed his eyes but he wasn''t sleeping at all.

    A few minutester, Katherine fluttered her eyes open and she took her time to adjust to the lights on the ceiling. She vaguely remembered that she was brought to the hospital earlier. She turned her head to the side when she felt her hand be numb and what she saw beside her touched her heart.

    Damien had the back of her hand pressed on the side of his face. Feeling so much better, Katherine remembered how worried he was earlier and she felt bad that he stayed there and waited for her to wake up. Slowly, she moved her finger from the same hand that he was holding and lightly brushed it on his face, touching his brow and temple.

    In an instant, Damien met her eyes. "Hey how are you feeling?" He straightened up but he still did not let go of her hand.

    Katherine nodded, "I''m sorry you had to"

    "No, it''s not your fault. It''s mine I should have been more careful in giving you the medicine."

    Shaking her head, Katherine moved to sit up on the bed and Damien assisted her by cing a pillow on her back. "You couldn''t have known. It''s not your fault," she reassured.

    Just in time, the doctor arrived for a routine check-up. After assessing how she was feeling, Katherine had to ask, "I don''t understand I have taken ibuprofen before as a pain reliever but nothing happened to me. This is the first time I had an allergic reaction. So why?"

    The doctor nodded and responded, "There are patients who are allergic to this medicine. And it is actually not unusual to suddenly develop a reaction to ibuprofen even after years of taking it. Your facial and throat swelling are only two signs of an allergic reaction but anaphxis can be sudden, it can get worse quickly and can even be deadly if not treated right away."

    Hearing the doctor''s words, Damien felt more awful and Katherine noticed his distress. After a few more doctor''s advice, Katherine asked if she could be discharged because she didn''t want to stay in the hospital anymore; she hated it. It had been several hours since she was brought there, so the doctor allowed her to go home as long as they closely monitor her condition just in case there will be a reurrence.

    Twenty minutester, they were already in the car and were on their way home. However, Katherine was still feeling groggy so she fell asleep in the car. She woke up an hourter and realized that she was already on Damien''s bed.

    The door opened and in came Damien with a tray in his hand. "Good, you''re awake. I was going to wake you up. You haven''t eaten yet and you need to take your medicine."

    Katherine slowly sat up and immediately felt embarrassed that he had to do all these things for her. "You didn''t have to. I could have just gotten downstairs and eaten at the table."

    cing the bed tray on the side, Damien stood by the bed and scolded her. "You''re my responsibility. Also, you''re staying under my roof. So I will take care of you whether you like it or not." His voice was stern with no room for negotiations.

    Hearing what he said, Katherine somehow felt that it was a bit strange Shouldn''t it be her taking care of him since she was his secretary? And when was she his responsibility? Also why was he scolding her?

    Nevertheless, Katherine did not argue and could only nod her head in agreement.

    "Good." Feeling satisfied, Damien ced the tray on the bed and started feeding her.

    "I I can feed myself"

    He red at her and clicked his tongue, making her flinch and gulp. Damien was determined to pamper this woman because he was feeling guilty. Of course, it was also because he really wanted to.

    Without a choice, Katherine let him feed her.

    It was already midnight when she finished her meal and she wanted to stretch her body. She got out of the bed about to stretch her arms and legs like a feline but when Damien came back to the room and saw her standing, he raised a brow at her. "Get back to bed," he ordered.

    "But I already slept a lot and I want to finish the work that I wasn''t able to finish this afternoon."

    "You don''t have to worry about that. It has already been delegated to someone else." And that someone goes by the name Markus Lee.

    "Well what about the other preparations for the resort''s opening next week? I need to work on that too." Katherine needed to do something or this guilt of not being able to work will eat her up.

    "You don''t have to worry about that for now. What I want you to do is to get back to bed and rest. That''s an order."

    "But I don''t want to sleep." Wanting to protest, she bit her lip and knitted her brows. Unbeknownst to her, Damien only found her cute.

    A smile threatened to form on his face but he raised his chin up and nonchntly said, "Then you can watch me while I work." He ced aptop on the table next to her bed and started working.

    "You''re going to work here?" she questioned but seeing her boss had already camped on the armchair and did not pay attention to her, she swallowed back her words.

    ''Why is he exactly here? What am I going to do now? This is so awkward.'' She hesitantly got back to bed, sat up and yed with her phone. But she only spent a few minutes on it until she became drowsy again because of the medicine that she took after eating.

    Katherine decided to sumb to her dozy mood, so she set her phone aside andid back down quietly, not wanting to disturb her hard-working boss. Sheid on her side to face Damien and watched him as he busily browsed through some documents, admiring how gorgeous he was even while he was working.

    Her eyes slowly became heavy and not long after, she fell asleep, lulled by the rhythmic sound of Damien''s fingers as they danced on the keyboard.

    His eyes darted towards her and saw that she was only half covered by the nket. He walked up to the bed and sat next to her with his back on the headboard. The image of her gasping for air while they were on their way to the hospital shed in his mind and he had to squeeze his eyes shut to get rid of it. He could not imagine what would have happened if he was a minutete.

    Damien vowed to himself that he was going to take even better care of her so that such a thing won''t happen again. He fixed the nket on her and was about to get up when all of a sudden, Katherine''s arm just flung across his thighs and pulled him closer towards her.

    She was so used to hugging a pillow whenever she sleeps, so habitually, she grabbed what she could find nearby and hugged it. Only this time, it was Damien''s thighs.

    Who would have thought that a day like this woulde when Katherine would hug someone''s big thighs?

    Only in this case, it''s King Damien''s golden thighs and Katherine was literally hugging them.

    Dazed by what she had done, Damien didn''t know what to do at first so he froze on the spot. He tried to lift her wrist gently without waking her up but Katherine only tightened her embrace and furrowed her brows when she thought that someone was taking her pillow away from her.

    After contemting, Damien sighed and gently slid down until he was lying next to her, thinking that he could probably roll to the side if Katherine shifts her position.

    But to his surprise, Katherine pulled him even closer and nuzzled her face on his chest  she even smiled when she inhaled his tasty scent which already became her favorite. Why wouldn''t she? Her pillow smelled like Damien!

    It wasn''t that he disliked what she was doing, if anything, he loved it! However, how could he befortable when his soldier down there started to grow?

    Pinching the bridge of his nose, Damien was about to lose his mind. ''You''re a dangerous woman, Katherine.''

 Chapter 54: Intimate Tussling

    Chapter 54: Intimate Tussling

    The poor yet lucky Damien Park stayed in the same position for more than an hour. He had his arm over his forehead and his entire body was stiff but Katherine did not show any signs of weakness as she tightly encircled her arm over his torso.

    Damien peeked and saw that she was fast asleep. It was past midnight and he was already dead tired. Not wanting to fight his exhaustion, he breathed in deeply and muttered, "Screw it." He slipped under the same nket as hers and closed his eyes.

    He flinched when she rubbed her ice-cold feet against his own, begging for some warmth. He nced at her once again and saw a small crease in between her brows. Reaching the remote control of the air conditioner on the bedside table, he increased the temperature and made the room morefortable.

    Damien sighed when he thought that he was doting on the woman beside him too much. But what can he do? He simply loved pampering her.

    He shifted his body just a little bit and Katherine moved along with him, cing her head on his chest and her leg over his just like hugging a body pillow, only this pillow is literally Damien''s warm and lean body.

    Damien waved the white g and allowed himself to enjoy the situation a bit after suffering for a while. cing an arm around her, he closed his eyes and drifted to sleep.

    The night was calm once again and the sun came up several hourster. The pair in the bed tossed around a few times in their sleep but remained close and cozy in each other''s arms the entire time.

    Perhaps because Katherine had been sleeping too much since yesterday, she woke up first. Shezily opened her eyes and found herself face to face with a man who has clear and smooth skin and whose jawline was ridiculously perfect. His eyes were closed so she was only able to admire the longshes that he had until her gaze trailed down to his slightly parted, naturally pink lips.

    She was only a few inches apart and it put her in a daze as though she had the urge to taste those tempting lips of his. As if in a trance, she gulped and slightly leaned in.

    However, her stupor was interrupted when Damien pulled her even closer, making her eyes open so wide when she realized that she wasn''t dreaming at all and they were both hugging each other. This insanely delicious and good-smelling man in front of her was very much real. It shocked her so bad especially when he fluttered his eyes open and saw her staring at him that she panicked, screamed, pushed him away and kicked him off the bed!

    A loud thud sounded in the room when the poor Damien Park hit his head on the bedside table as he rolled out of the bed and fell on the floor,nding on his side.

    Damien cursed under gritted teeth, startling Katherine even more. She gripped the sheets in front of her in surprise and met his fierce gaze. Realizing what happened, she scrambled towards him, worried about his head injury.

    "Oh my god! I''m so sorry!" She quickly examined his head for any cuts and found a small one just above his left brow.

    "What did you do that for!?" he barked, making her flinch at his tone. His hip became sore and the harsh blow on his head made him nauseous.

    "You were in bed with me and with your arms around me! I panicked!" she retorted. She felt the need to defend herself but she felt guilty at the same time.

    "Ha! You''re saying that as if you weren''t the one who wouldn''t let go of me sincest night." Damien winced in pain as he touched the wound.

    Katherine immediately grabbed his hand and pleaded, "I''m really sorry, boss. I didn''t mean it." Not waiting for him to respond, she swiftly got up and ran out of the bedroom. "I''ll get you some ice."

    He sluggishly pushed himself off the floor and sat on the bed. He nced at the clock and saw that it was pretty early in the morning and he was already getting a headache.

    A minuteter, Katherine came back with an ice pack in her hand. She hurriedly strode towards the bed and sat next to him. Damien reached to grab the ice pack from her but she insisted in a soft and wistful voice, "Please let me do it."

    Nodding, he turned to face her and she carefully examined it again with her delicate fingers lightly touching his temple. "Does it hurt? It looks painful."

    "Of course it hurts," he uttered under his breath.

    Katherine bit her lip and worry was evident on her face as she gently pressed the ice pack on his forehead. She wanted to say sorry again but it didn''t mean  the more she said it the lesser it will hurt for him, so she could only hold back.

    Noticing the look on her face, Damien sighed and could not stay mad at her for long. "I''m okay this is nothing." He lowered her hand and held it in ce.

    "But I kicked you And then you hit your head and you fell." Katherine looked at him in the eyes as she guiltily spoke. He had taken care of her all this time and she repaid him with injuries, she truly felt bad.

    "Don''t worry about it." He said and saw that she was still looking concerned. "Would you like to make it up to me then?"

    "Yes! What do you want? I''ll do anything!" She profusely nodded her head and waited for his next words.

    "Are you sure you''ll do anything?" He asked with an emotionless expression and she nodded again.

    "Then kiss me where I''m hurt." He pointed at his forehead and added, "Right here."

    Katherine stiffened and backed away. "How shameless! Why would I do that?"

    "You asked and that''s what I want." Damien answered as a matter-of-factly without taking his eyes off of her.

    Katherine scoffed at his shamelessness. "You really are a great businessman, President Park! Such an opportunist!"

    A devilish smile formed on his handsome face as he replied, "Thank you."

    His words made her even more annoyed that she raised the icepack back to his wound, pressed it with more force than she should and snapped, "That wasn''t apliment!!!"

    "Aw!" He recoiled and stared at her, "Did you just"

    "I''m so sorry!" Katherine just realized what she did to her boss.

    In a sh, Damien swiped the ice pack from her hand and threw it on the floor. Katherine was so startled that she grabbed a pillow and hid behind it, afraid of his retaliation. "I''m sorry, boss! That was a mistake!"

    He tried to pull the pillow away from her as he taunted, "So that''s how you are. You like to hurt me and just say sorry? What mistake? I''ll show you what''s a mistake!"

    "No! Boss! Really I didn''t mean it!"

    "Ha! Tell that to my face! Stop hiding behind this stupid pillow!"

    The two of them wrestled on the bed  Katherine tightened her grip on the pillow while Damien tried to tug it away from her.

    Feeling mischievous, he sneaked a hand around and tickled her side making her squeal and loosen her grip.

    "Aaaahhh!!!"

    Damien managed to fling the fluffy pillow to the side and pin Katherine on the bed, holding both of her hands down on either side of her head. The two of them panted from their little tussle.

    Now that he was on top of her, Damien didn''t actually know what to do. They exchanged gazes as if they were both waiting for what will happen next.

    Katherine suddenly felt conscious that she bit her bottom lip and her little action only ignited the me that was safely hidden inside of Damien. His eyes darted towards her rosy plump lips and his jaw clenched when he looked back up and saw the anticipation in her eyes.

    ''What are you going to do, Damien?'' she asked in her thoughts at the same time that Damien struggled if he should do it or not.

    With a few inches apart, Damien only needed to lower his head a little to finally feel how soft her lips are.

 Chapter 55: I Kiss You or You Kiss Me?

    Chapter 55: I Kiss You or You Kiss Me?

    Katherine felt the rush of her blood when he pinned her down. With the luxe sheets underneath her and Damien hovering on top, there was nothing toin!

    Who was she kidding? She wanted him to kiss her but she feared that if he did, she probably wouldn''t hold back. How could she kiss a formidable man like Damien Park? On top of that, he was her boss. Things would never be the same if something were to happen between them.

    While these were in her mind, Damien''s right hand slowly slid from her wrist and inteced it with her fingers. He lowered himself a little more until he was so close that they could feel each other''s breathing.

    They continued to look at each other as though they were both waiting for the other to do the first move. Katherine found the bobbing of his Adam''s apple so sexy that it made him appear even more masculine.

    Their proximity was driving her insane. Will he please just decide? Because she couldn''t.

    His phone''s ringing resounded in the air; however, Damien remained motionless as if he didn''t hear anything at all.

    "Your phone is ringing," she muttered without breaking their gaze.

    "I know."

    He sounded so calm that Katherine wouldn''t know how loud his heart was screaming.

    "Aren''t you going to pick up the call?"

    "I don''t know" He nced at her soft-looking lips.

    She swallowed and her heart began to race again. The heat emanating from Damien''s body was contagious; Katherine could feel the heat creeping up from her nape.

    "Do you want me to answer it?" he asked in a toneless voice while studying the look in her eyes.

    "I don''t know Do you?"

    "Not really. I would rather do something else."

    She could see the difference in his expression with the way he was looking at her at the moment. She could see hunger in the depth of his eyes as though he hadn''t eaten for months. But even in its slightest, it did not scare her.

    As if she wanted to provoke the devil in him, she boldly asked, "What do you want to do?"

    "I want to kiss you."

    His voice was low and sexy  it was music to her ears that started to redden.

    "Oh."

    Damn it. Damien Park was truly shameless. And she did not dislike it one bit.

    What was she supposed to do now? She couldn''t just nod. How should she respond to him? Katherine had never wished for someone to answer her thoughts as much as that moment.

    Damien watched her expression change from one thing to another and after contemting, he decided to give in just a little. But he halted the moment Katherine asked him, "Can you not want to kiss me?"

    The question baffled him. What was she exactly trying to do? Was that a test?

    "I don''t know how to answer that question so why don''t you answer mine?" After seeing her blink, he continued, "Do you want me to kiss you? Or do you want to kiss me instead?"

    Damien was ying games with her. How could he ask her that question? Can he just put her out of her misery and decide for the two of them? She was already suffering.

    Although it was a tiny reaction on her face, Damien caught it all. A naughty and teasing smile shed across his face before he leaned in until their lips were only an inch away.

    "Hmmm maybe some other time. For now, I''ll just do this until you''re ready." He whispered above her lips  they were almost touching when he spoke.

    Damien tilted his head to the side and nted a soft and gentle kiss on the corner of her mouth.

    Katherine''s breath hitched the moment that she felt his lips on her. He really kissed her! And very near to her lips too!

    What was she supposed to do? The urge to turn her head even just slightly to the side in order to meet his lips was agonizing.

    It was as though time stood still. The seconds went by so painfully slow that she was tempted to count how long he kissed her for. But in all actuality, Damien''s kiss was only a mere two seconds before he gently pushed himself off from her and turned around, grabbing his phone as he walked out of the bedroom.

    Katherine did not move even after he left until she could no longer hold her breath. She grabbed the nket and covered her face as she shook and squealed with her mouth closed, feeling all giddy and frustrated at the same time.

    Her toes curled just by imagining the scenario in her head over and over again. It seemed like Katherine was now the one in need of a cold shower.

    Meanwhile, Damien leaned his back on the door with his hand over his chest and patted it as if he was telling it to calm down. He closed his eyes and chuckled to himself on how he held so much restraint. It was so unlike him.

    His phone rang again and saw Zero''s caller ID so he answered it on the way to the living room.

    "Speak." He said as soon as he picked up the call.

    "Boss, after narrowing my search, I found three car idents that happened from 18 to 22 near that town. However, all of the drivers were males and the only female that was involved in the car ident was a forty-year-old woman. I have checked and rechecked several times but there were no hospital records that matched what we''re looking for."

    After hearing what Zero said, Damien''s mind was nk. How were they going to find out about it then? "Would you be able to check if their database deleted records?"

    "I thought about that too and I tried to hack into their system but I didn''t see any. If I were to say, there probably wasn''t any record at all."

    "What do you mean?"

    "I don''t know boss, my wild guess is that It''s either she didn''t go to any of the hospitals that we checked, or she wasn''t even on any idents at all."

    A beep sounded in his phone, indicating that there was an iing call.

    "Thanks, keep digging. If ever you see anything even the slightest bit of connection, call me," he said before he hanged up to answer the other call in line. "Markus, what did you find?"

    "Boss, I have checked with the airports, train stations, and ports but there are no records of Dr. Cheng ever leaving the country."

    Damien rubbed his forehead and replied, "Check his house."

    "I already know you were going to ask me that so I''m actually here right now. His things are still here but it looked like he hasn''t been home since Friday." There were shuffling noises on Markus''s end of the line as he rummaged through some of Dr. Cheng''s things.

    "How do you know that?"

    "Newspaper on the table. Also, Dr. Cheng is a neat freak. He hasbels on his underwear." He poked a white fabric that was neatly folded in a drawer with a stick and he added, "And his Saturday boxers are still here."

    A sigh escaped from Damien''s lips before he said, "Okay. Check CCTV footages in the hospital before youe to the office. I''ll see youter."

    The call ended and Damien slumped on the sofa. He ran his fingers through his hair and rubbed his jaw as he looked up at the door to his bedroom  he wondered if Katherine had offended someone in the past and made her like this.

    It looked like all the traces were covered perfectly as if they were done by professionals. If his suspicions were right, then it could be possible that someone orchestrated the whole thing and someone was still watching her.

    Not knowing who they were up against, Damien had to be careful or one wrong move and he might put Katherine in danger.

 Chapter 56: Take Advantage of Me All You Want

    Chapter 56: Take Advantage of Me All You Want

    A couple of dayster and it was already Friday. The day that Katherine had been waiting for her bonus to arrive.

    After getting dressed, she grabbed her cell phone from the nightstand, opened an online banking application and logged in. The loading screen shed for a few seconds before the ount bnce appeared. Her face was full of anticipation and it glowed as soon as she saw the money on her ount.

    "Ahhh! Thank God!" She kissed the screen of her phone and a bright smile stered on her face as she went out of the bedroom skipping.

    On her way down the stairs, she saw Damien who was about to make some breakfast in the kitchen. She skipped towards him excitedly and offered, "Boss, let me make breakfast today."

    Damien raised a brow when he saw the gleeful look on her face. "You seem to be in a good mood this morning. Did something happen?" he asked as he stepped aside and allowed her to work on the scrambled eggs.

    Katherine turned to face him and her smile became even brighter as she replied, "I got my signing bonus today!"

    "Wow. Congrattions, Ms. Miller! So you''re going to buy me dinner tonight then?" he crossed his arms and leaned on the counter.

    "Hmmm Maybe I can if there''s still money left afterwards. But don''t be picky, okay?"

    "You''re going to spend it on something right away?"

    Katherine put an apron on and started cooking while she talked to him. "Well, yeah I need to pay some bills and my rent. After that, I''ll probably still have enough left... Speaking of which, Boss, if I finish my tasks before clock outter, can I leave early?"

    "Is there somewhere that you need to go?"

    She nodded without turning to him as she continued to cook on their food. "Yes, I need to pay thendy and ask her if I can go back to my apartment since I''m going to pay what I owed and hopefully she''ll be okay to wait for advance payments once I get my first sry at the end of the month"

    "Wait you''re going back?"

    Katherine nced at him and answered, "Of course I mean, I can''t stay here forever. I''ve already lived off you for a week now. I don''t want to stay as a freeloader."

    Damien became quiet. He knew that this day woulde but he wasn''t ready to let her move out of his ce so soon. Heckhe wasn''t ready for her to move out at all.

    "Can''t you stay? I don''t mind if you continue to live off me. By all means, Katherine take advantage of me all you want."

    Katherine threw her head backughing at his words. "Who says that? You''re being silly, President Park. You shouldn''t make jokes like that or I might really do it."

    "I''m not joking." He loved herughter but he wasn''t in the mood to enjoy it when she thought he was kidding. "I''m serious. Stay here."

    Katherine turned off the heat and ted the food before she turned to face him. "Even if you don''t mind me staying here, I do. This is your ce, so I can''t keep sleeping on your bed while you stay on the sofa. There''s only one bathroom and it''s been tough that we have to take our turns for privacy. You''ve already helped me a lot these past few days I don''t want to keep burdening you."

    Damien could only look at her. No matter what he wanted to say, she was right. And although they have gotten close, they didn''t exactly have that kind of rtionship where they could live together. Not yet, at least.

    Brushing off the awkward silence, Katherine ced the tes on the breakfast nook and called him over, "Come on, Boss. Let''s eat."

    Sighing, Damien lightly smiled as he strolled over and received a cup of coffee that she prepared for him. The only thing he was happy with was  at least, she was now morefortable around him.

    Four in the afternoon on the same day.

    Katherine knocked at Damien''s office door and entered after seeing him wave through the ss  signaling for her toe in.

    He was on the phone so she walked towards his desk quietly, ced a few folders on it and waited for him to finish.

    "What else hasn''t been taken care of?" He spoke through the earpiece as he got up from his chair and walked around his desk until he was facing her.

    Katherine stood there avoiding his gaze as she thought it was rude to look at him while he was on the phone. But since she wasn''t looking at him, she didn''t see how deep his gaze was at her.

    "You still have a week to do that but I expect everything to be ready at least three days before the opening." He raised his hand and tucked her hair behind her ear. His little gesture caused the hair on her neck to stand when his finger grazed her skin. She clutched her hands together and looked up at him, meeting his stare.

    "Good job. Keep me updated." He spoke before pressing a button on the earpiece.

    "You need something?" he asked.

    "Oh, um I have finished what I needed to do today, Boss. So, if there''s nothing else that I can do for you, can I leave early? I still need to ride the bus for an hour." She pressed her lips together after asking for permission.

    Damien checked his watch and grabbed his coat from the hanger. Though he was reluctant to let her move out of his ce, he still wanted to help her. "Let''s go, I''ll drive you there."

    "You don''t have to, I can go by myself."

    "I know that, but I want to go with you. Besides, my car is faster." He was already by the door urging for her to move.

    Nodding, Katherine made a small smile as she walked out of the office with him.

    The bus would usually take her an hour to get to her stop. And another ten minutes on foot from the bus stop going to her apartment. However, since they were using Damien''s car, they arrived outside her apartment building in less than thirty minutes.

    Damien parked right in front of thendy''s unit and stood next to his car while Katherine went to knock on thendy''s door. Mrs. Qin opened the door and stared at Katherine with knitted brows. She caught sight of Damien who was a few meters away, scanned him and his car before she looked back at Katherine and asked, "What do you want?"

    With a polite tone, Katherine handed a white envelope to her, "Mrs. Qin, this is the rent that I owed you."

    Mrs. Qin''s expression didn''t change as she received the envelope and counted the money inside. As she did, Katherine took the chance to ask for a favor.

    "Mrs. Qin, since I have paid you like I promised Can I go back to my room? I will get my first paycheck at the end of this month I can pay my rent then and even two months in advance." She clutched her fingers, hoping for herndy to agree.

    Mrs. Qin nced at Damien who was giving her an icy re, so she softened her expression but she still refused Katherine''s request. "Even if I want to, I can''t do that. There''s already someone upying the unit you stayed in and they paid for a whole year. There''s no more vacancy in this building."

    Katherine bit her lip and did not know what to do. Seeing her reaction, Mrs. Qin sighed and told her, "You can collect your things from the garage until Sunday." She nodded towards Damien''s direction and continued, " Why don''t you stay with your boyfriend in the meantime? I''m sure he can afford to let you stay with him while you find your own ce."

    "Ah, he''s not my"

    Mrs. Qin closed the door and left Katherine blushing as she stood awkwardly, not wanting to look at Damien in the eyes. Thendy''s voice was loud enough for him to hear. A teasing grin formed on his lips as he ced his hands in his pockets. Katherine finally had the guts to turn and face him, giving him a small smile despite her embarrassment.

    ''Yes, my dear Katherine. Why don''t you just stay with me?'' he said in his thought.

 Chapter 57: Let Me Take Care of You

    Chapter 57: Let Me Take Care of You

    Realizing that her n didn''t work, Katherine was desperate. She walked up to Damien and bravely said, "Boss, this morning you said that I can take advantage of you."

    Amused by her statement, he decided to humor her. "Yes, and what about it?" He was curious as to how Katherine was going to use the privilege that he gave her.

    "Can I really do that?"

    He nodded and reassured, "I''ll help you with anything. All you need to do is ask."

    "Then Boss, can you lend me some money?" She put her hands together as though she was pleading, looking very expectant that he will grant her request.

    Raising a brow, Damien questioned, "Money? How much? And what for?"

    "Just enough to pay for my rent. I will have to find a new ce and most of them would ask for two months'' rent at least."

    ''Huh she''s still determined to move out from my ce.'' He looked at her and a lot of questions ran in his mind. Seeing her desperation, how could he not feel bad?

    "I promise I''ll pay you as soon as I get my first sry" she continued to gaze at him in the eyes as she wanted to show her sincerity. "And I''ll still buy you a meal tonight," she added. Who would say ''no'' to free food, right?

    Damien almost chuckled at her words. He ced a hand on her shoulder and led her back to his car, "Get in."

    He did not say yes to her request but he did not say no either. Not wanting to force her boss, she could only follow him. So she got in the car and as soon as they were both settled inside, Damien sped off.

    "Boss, where are we going?" Katherine wondered a few minutester.

    "How could I ignore yourndy''s words? As your boyfriend, it''s only my duty to take care of you."

    "What are you talking about? She was clearly mistaken." Katherine was sent into a coughing fit after hearing his shameless deration, "What boyfriend?"

    Damien chuckled at her reaction. She looked extremely adorable and he couldn''t help but tease her more, "Why? Is it not okay?"

    "You really have no shame, Boss."

    "Her mistake can easily be corrected. I just need to be your boyfriend. How hard is that?" Damien was having fun  he really enjoyed what thendy said; hisugh was so attractive, it made Katherine feel butterflies in her stomach.

    "You can''t just im yourself as one," she scoffed. "We haven''t even kissed yet," she muttered softly and in an instant, her ears became red when she realized what she had blurted.

    Stepping on the brakes at the stoplight, Damien had a yful smile on his lips as he ced an arm on her seat and said, "We can correct that too."

    Katherine was suddenly feeling hot all over. She turned her head away from him and stared outside the window. ''Stop it. Or I just might let you,'' she thought to herself.

    The car moved again and the rest of the ride was quiet until Damien stopped in front of the Crown Hotel.

    The two of them got out of the car and Katherine wondered why they stopped there instead of their office building. "Are we here to check on something?"

    "Just follow me," he answered as they entered the hotel''s lobby.

    As soon as the hotel employees saw their Big Boss, they all lined up and greeted him.

    "Good afternoon, President Park." All of them said as Damien passed by. Although his office was just right next to the hotel, they don''t get to see him often.

    The female employees were flustered when they saw their Boss  as always, he was such an eye candy, they couldn''t help but sneak nces at him.

    The General Manager of Crown Hotel immediately greeted him and without dy, Damien asked, "Mr. Chu, give me the keycard to the Royal penthouse."

    "Right away, President Park." Mr. Chu retrieved something from the front desk and came back within a few seconds. "President Park, let me escort you."

    Along with the female Executive Assistant Manager, the four of them entered the elevator and headed to the top floor. Katherine stood right behind Damien with a neutral expression just like she would always have whenever they''re conducting business.

    The General Manager and the Executive Assistant Manager nced at her and their Big Boss, wondering if they were going to do a random check.

    When they reached the top floor, the General Manager opened the door for them and they entered.

    "Starting today, you''re going to live here," Damien said to Katherine, making the two other people in the room exchange nces at each other.

    Katherine raised her brows, puzzled at what her Boss was saying. "I''m sorry, Boss What do you mean?"

    "It''s just like what I said. You are going to live here." Damien turned to the General Manager and said, "Royal Penthouse will no longer be avable for guests. Ms. Miller will be staying here starting now and I request that you serve her just as if you''re serving me and attend to her needs whenever. Understood?"

    Although the two did not understand how their Boss''s visit ended up like this, how could they dare go against his wishes? With utmost respect, the two of them gave a bow and acknowledged his orders.

    "Leave us," Damien added and the two left right away, leaving the keycard to their Boss.

    As soon as they were alone, Katherine immediately questioned, "What is this? What are you doing?"

    "I''m giving you a ce to stay, that way you don''t have to borrow money and you don''t have to pay rent either."

    "I understand that but a penthouse?" Katherine scanned the huge area. The Royal Penthouse was meant for the VVIPs and she was definitely not one.

    Filled with luxurious and expensive furniture, products, and decorations, the penthouse was definitely suited for royalty. Katherine felt a little out of ce being inside the room that Damien just granted her. "I can''t live here. This is too much. I only need a small space... a bed, and a bathroom and I''ll be alright."

    "Katherine, I can''t allow you to stay in a small space."

    "But I can''t afford this."

    "You don''t have to pay a single cent. This is part of your benefits. It''s in your contract; if you don''t have a ce to stay, thepany will provide amodation for you. And this is what I''m providing you."

    "Only VVIPs stay here so how could I? And it''s not even only for a day. You want me to live here!"

    "Maybe you''re not for them but you are for me. And I own this ce. I have every right to let whoever I want to stay here," he said as a matter-of-factly.

    Katherine ced both of her hands on her face, she looked around again and still felt that she couldn''t stay there. The penthouse was as huge as Damien''s ce. "This" was all she could utter.

    Seeing her hesitation, Damien walked closer to her, ced his hands on her face and made her look at him. "You asked for my help but I won''t lend you money for rent. If you don''t want to stay at my ce, then at least stay here. Compared to your old apartment, the office is just right beside so you don''t have to travel far. You''re actually going to save a lot since you don''t have to pay for your rent and no moremute fees."

    Katherine had to give it to him  He really is a sly, sexy man. How else could she refuse his offer?

    Thinking that she might be feeling ufortable with all the sudden change, he added, "Let me take care of you."

    Her heartbeat raced and she was afraid that it would jump out of her chest with the way Damien was saying his words. "I don''t want to take advantage of you like this."

    Tilting his head, he chuckled and gave her a gentle smile before he replied, "I already told you. You can take advantage of me all you want. You''re the only one who has this privilege, you should make use of it."

    Katherine bit her lip and returned his gaze with a worried expression. "I don''t think I can ever repay you."

    He slid his hands down her arms and held her hands as he replied, "How about this? So that you won''t feel bad, just treat me to a good meal tonight and I''ll call it even."

    "Just one meal? How do you call that even? That''s not fair to you"

    Revealing his pearly whites with a dashing smile, he took her hand in his and led her out of the room. "Then take me out to dinner every time you receive your paycheck. Deal?" He suggested as they headed towards the elevator.

    With a pleased expression, Katherine finally smiled at him brightly and nodded, "Deal."

 Chapter 58: Youre Delectable

    Chapter 58: You''re Delectable

    Inside the elevator going down to the ground floor, General Manager Mr. Chu and Executive Assistant Manager Ms. Jun were discussing what they witnessed earlier. They had heard about his new secretary but it was only the second time that they met her since Katherine was only new to thepany.

    They had heard rumors about this new secretary''s looks, rumor has it that she was a beauty despite her social status. They heard that her appearance wasparable to that of a celebrity or an heiress of a well-known family. And after seeing her a little longer earlier, they were also dazzled.

    Katherine had really smooth and fair skin, shiny and bouncy hair  she was tall and graceful. And seeing all of this only made Ms. Jun envious of her.

    "I don''t like that new secretary," Ms. Jun said with a straight face as she recalled the scene from earlier in her head.

    "Even though you don''t like her, you still need to show professionalism," Mr. Chu reminded.

    "Of course. I know that." She sighed. "But giving her a penthouse? Isn''t she just a secretary? President Park seems to favor this woman a lot. It makes me wonder."

    "Ms. Katherine Miller is President Park''s executive secretary. It is understandable that President Park will favor her."

    "How is that understandable? She only joined the office two weeks and now she''s favored?" She scoffed. "I bet she seduced the President and became his bed warmer."

    Without looking at her, Mr. Chu continued to defend the Big Boss, "Whether or not she seduced the President or they have a secret rtionship, that is none of our concern. He is the Chairman and he has every right to do as he pleases in his ownpany. Furthermore, the President values loyalty and hardworking people who don''t take credit from other''s work. So, Ms. Jun, I suggest that you focus on your own craft than plotting against someone who hasn''t done anything to you."

    The elevator door opened and Mr. Chu stepped out, leaving Ms. Jun behind with a pale face. Though the General Manager had always been quiet and did not involve himself with petty matters, she didn''t know that he had such a sharp tongue. His every word stabbed her especially when he mentioned ''taking credit from other''s work''. She was promoted to her current position instead of another colleague because of her dirty schemes.

    She didn''t know that Mr. Chu would ever know about it but judging by the words that he said to her, it was already pretty obvious. So despite feeling sour about the Big Boss''s secretary, she could only keep her mouth shut and do as she was told.

    Katherine and Damien were inside the car and on their way to the address that she gave him. She didn''t tell him where they were heading but she was excited to get there. It was a restaurant that she, Emma and Adam frequented before whenever they received their sry.

    Noticing the smile on her face, Damien remarked, "You seem really happy today."

    She feltfortable around him already so she no longer hid her expressions. Facing him, she answered, "It''s payday everyone is happy whenever it''s payday."

    He didn''t think that it was such a big deal but seeing her happy also made him happy. "What do you usually do when you get paid?"

    "Hmmm apart from paying my bills, if I have extra money, I eat out with my friends and sometimes drink with them."

    A knot formed between his brows and he nced at her, "Do you always drink?"

    "Sometimes but only when I''m with Emma. Otherwise" She remembered a time when she woke up in a police station and did not have any clue what happened the night before.

    "Otherwise what?"

    Katherine shook her head. "Boss, turn right!" She pointed at the navigation system when she noticed that Damien wasn''t paying attention to the directions.

    They arrived at an ordinary-looking restaurant but the smell of good food immediately wafted in their noses, making their mouths water.

    "It''s not a high-end restaurant, Boss but I can assure you that they have really good food." Katherine said as they stood by the door.

    "I''m not a picky eater, Katherine. I don''t mind about the ce as long as the food is good."

    Hearing his response, she became more excited to show-off the food that she was going to share with him. The two entered the restaurant and they were ushered to an empty table. Since it was a Friday and already six in the evening, the restaurant was packed with customers.

    Damien looked around as he observed everything inside while he let Katherine decide whatever she was going to order for them.

    "I hope you like barbecue and meat because I ordered lots of it," she said.

    "I will try whatever food it is since you''re paying." He said with a smile and removed his coat. Katherine was very attentive that she helped him set the coat aside and even helped him roll the sleeves of his shirt up to his elbows like a little wife  and Damien enjoyed it.

    When their food came, Katherine''s eyes sparkled. The server started setting side dishes, meat, rice, and utensils on the table. When everything was set, the griller in the middle of the table was also ready.

    Katherine ced the meat on the griller and it sizzled as soon as it touched the hot surface. Smoke came out of the grilled meat but soon disappeared into the exhaust yet the aroma lingered in the air.

    Waiting for the bbq to be cooked, Katherine happily tasted the side dishes while also putting some on Damien''s te. He, on the other hand, watched as she enjoyed what she was doing.

    "Let me," he said as he took the tongs from her hand and flipped the meat on the grill to cook the other side. Katherine pressed her lips together in a thin line as she watched him do his thing so naturally. How does he look beautiful in everything that he does?

    She swallowed when her gazended on the veins on his arm, making him look even more manly than he already was. How lucky was she to be able to feast her eyes on both the grilled meat and her boss at the same time?

    Taking a piece of cooked meat, Damien held it in front of her and waited. Without saying anything, she received the grilled meat with her mouth and closed her eyes as it melted inside. It was insanely delicious just like how she remembered it!

    "Boss, you have got to try it." She immediately took one piece of meat and fed it to him, excited that he would get to taste what she had been bragging about.

    However, more than tasting the food, Damien was more pleased with how she was casually feeding him like this. As soon as he tasted the grilled meat, he understood what she was raving about. It definitely was really good and it tasted even better because she was feeding him.

    "So? How is it?"

    He saw the anticipation in her eyes and she looked like an adorable little girl waiting forpliments.

    "It''s delectable," he replied. ''Just like you.''

    "See? I told you so. Hurry now. Eat up, Boss!" Katherine was very much delighted that he liked it.

    The two of them enjoyed the rest of their meal as they talked about random things. The atmosphere was light and enjoyable, making their simple meal turn into something delightful. Though it was something normal, for Damien, sharing a meal with Katherine was definitely a thousand times better than eating alone.

 Chapter 59: Katherines "Damien Pillow"

    Chapter 59: Katherine''s "Damien Pillow"

    After eating their dinner, they went back to Damien''s home. Though reluctant, he helped Katherine pack her things up and move out of his ce. She was still hesitant about receiving his help and staying at the penthouse as she didn''t feel like she deserved to stay there. However, she couldn''t overstay her wee in his ce. How could she let him continue to sleep on the sofa in his own home?

    Arriving at the Royal Penthouse, Damien dropped her bags by the bed before he went to check the entire area, making sure that there was nothing wrong. When he was done, he went to look for her and found her in the living room.

    "Everything seems okay. If you need any assistance, just call the front desk. Or you can also call me... no matter what time it is."

    Katherine nodded, "Thank you again, President Park. I appreciate your help all this time." She swallowed before she could continue, "I thought about it earlier and I''ve decided that I will stay here until I can afford to rent a ce on my own. The ones near the office are quite expensive so, it will take me probably two months before I can afford it."

    "You still really want to move out?"

    "I can''t ept this much generosity. It feels like I''m robbing you"

    "I don''t mind it at all. You can rob me if you want," he chuckled.

    Damien understood her sentiments and he could only nod and ept it. Besides, two months is a long time. A lot could happen in two months and by then he was positive that he could still make her stay.

    "Don''t think about it for now. It''s gettingte. Go to sleep," he added.

    With a small smile, Katherine nodded and walked with him towards the door.

    "Thanks for the meal. I look forward to the next one," Damien said as he stood outside and faced her.

    "It was the least that I could do for you... You can choose the restaurant next time then."

    He couldn''t resist himself so he raised his hand and patted her head as he told her, "Get inside."

    Katherine felt so warm inside that she almost wanted to tell him to stay with her that night. But she didn''t have the guts to do so.

    When Damien left, she locked the door and leaned on it. She patted her chest as though she was telling her heart to calm down  it had been acting strangetely that she didn''t know why every time she was with him, it would sometimes be as calm as a millpond while other times, it would beat as crazily as a galloping racehorse.

    Brushing her thoughts aside, she went to the bathroom, took a shower and got ready for bed.

    Her bed was as nice, as huge and asfortable as Damien''s. However, the more she rolled on it, the more she felt that she was missing something.

    She pulled a pillow and hugged it close to her just like usual. Her mind drifted off to the days that she stayed in Damien''s and then looked around the penthouse. Both ces were spacious andrge but what was so good at staying in a ce like that alone?

    While she was thinking about these things, her phone beeped. She reached for it on the nightstand and saw that she received a text message from Damien.

    [King Damien: How are you settling in?]

    Reading his text, it immediately put a smile on her face. She quickly typed in her response.

    [Katherine: It''s okay I''m still trying to get used to the new bed.]

    [King Damien: Is there something wrong with it? Let me know right away so we can rece it.]

    Katherine read his text over and over before she forced herself to type her reply.

    [Katherine: No, the bed''s fine. It''s veryfortable. It''s just different.]

    She covered her head with a pillow as soon as she sent it. She was so sure that he would ask her again and her heart raced.

    [King Damien: How is it different?]

    Her feet started to get cold and her hands became mmy as she thought about what she was going to tell him next. She had never done anything so boldly before and she was just about to do it to this man. ''Just do it, Kath. He''s shameless you can be one too!''

    She breathed in deeply andposed her reply.

    [Katherine: Because it doesn''t smell like you.]

    As soon as she sent the text, she felt the rush of blood to her head, her heart pounded in her chest and she threw her phone to the side, immediately regretting what she just sent to him.

    "Oh my I''ve gone crazy. I''m totally crazy!!!" She covered her face and squealed, feeling embarrassed because of the text.

    Meanwhile, Damien was in bed as they exchanged text messages. Reading her reply, a silly grin spread across his face and he chuckled while he imagined what was happening to her in her bedroom. Katherine just continued to surprise him every time and he loved discovering every side of her.

    An idea came to his mind and a dangerously sexy smile formed on his lips as he got out of the bed.

    It had been five minutes already but Katherine did not receive any response from Damien. And every passing second was agonizing for her. She was now staring at her phone screen with a worried expression, thinking that Damien must have been turned off because of her message. He had clearly read it but he did not respond.

    Her thoughts went wild and she had started topose another text saying that she was only joking but just as she was about to press the send button, there was a knock on her bedroom door. Confused, Katherine immediately got out of the bed. Who could it possibly be? She was sure that she locked the main door.

    Hesitant, she slowly unlocked the door and to her surprise, it was Damien Park wearing a white shirt and lounge pants.

    "B-Boss" she stammered. His hair carelessly fell over his brows and he was looking so irresistible even in his sleepwear. How was that even possible?

    Damien''s jaw clenched as he scanned her up and down. She clearly had taken a bath as he smelled her shampoo scent that he liked so much. His gaze locked on her eyes and he took a step forward causing her step back.

    Without warning, Damien took off his shirt, exposing his firm chest his abdominal muscles and his sex lines

    Howe those little hard buns look like they increased in number? Or was she just too dazed to think about everything at that time? Why did he strip in front of her?!

    "W-What are you doing?" she gulped.

    He did not say anything but Katherine could see how intense his stare was at her. He inched closer and she kept stepping backwards until the back of her legs touched the bedframe  it caused her to abruptly sit on the bed.

    Damien did not stop and continued to move forward. He lowered himself a little until he was in her level and nted both of his hands on the bed, trapping her in between his arms.

    Katherine almost choked. She sucked in air when he inched even closer and reach his hand to the side, picking up a pillow before he stood back up.

    Her brows knitted as she watched him put his shirt on the pillow. When he was done, he handed it to her. The fluffy white pillow was now wearing Damien''s shirt.

    "Goodnight, Katherine." He turned towards the door as he simultaneously took a rolled shirt from his pocket and wore it before he got out of the penthouse.

    Katherine was left motionless andpletely baffled. ''What the hell just happened?''

    She tried to p her cheek and realized that she was not dreaming at all. Looking at the pillow in her hands, she leaned in and smelled it. A bright yet bashful smile formed on her lips and she hugged the pillow again, burying her face on it.

    Sheid back on the bed while still feeling giddy when she received a text from Damien.

    [King Damien: Sweetdreams, Kitten.]

    It took her a minute to think about what she should reply to his text and decided to make it simple.

    [ Katherine: Goodnight, Boss :) ]

    After sending her reply, she put her phone aside andfortably settled in her new bed. With her Damien-scented pillow, she was now sure to have a good night''s sleep.

 Chapter 60: Bosses

    Chapter 60: Bosses

    Park Estate

    In arge study room, a man in histe fifties known by many as Frederick Park  Uncle Freddie by his people  Chairman of Park Group, sat in an armchair with a book in his hand. He is the younger brother of Damien''s father Lawrence Park, who used to be the Chairman of the Park Group when thetter was still alive.

    Assistant Jung entered the room after a couple of knocks and bowed before handing over an envelope. "This is the contract from earlier in the afternoon, Chairman."

    "Mmm Put it on the desk. You can leave now," Frederick Park said.

    "Goodnight, Chairman."

    "Oh, wait" The assistant was about to go when Frederick Park called for him. "How''s my nephew these days?"

    "Young Master Damien, Sir?" Assistant Jung turned around and saw the Chairman nod once. "His new resort is going to open on Friday next week."

    "Mhmm Good. Anything new about him?"

    "Nothing much. Young Master has been busy with his projects, so he was upied with meetings. Although there have been rumors about him, they don''t seem to be anything we should worry about."

    "Rumors?"

    "Miss Lexi Jin''s arrival caused a stir in the entertainment tabloids. They''re saying that she came back because of Young Master."

    Augh bellowed from the Chairman, "These kids. Is that even true?"

    "I don''t think they have been in contact ever since Miss Lexi left the country years ago. Besides, I think the Young Master favors another woman."

    "Oh?" Frederick Park closed the book in his hand as his interest was piqued. "And who might this woman be?"

    "His new secretary."

    Scoffing, Frederick Park shook his head, "I didn''t think he would cross such lines. He had never touched any of his secretaries before. So this one must be special?"

    "I believe so, Chairman. In fact, just today, I heard that the Young Master gave her a penthouse suite in his hotel."

    "Well he had always been generous, but not this generous. Do a background check on that woman. We don''t want any pests infecting the family," Frederick Park said before he went back to reading his book.

    "Understood, Chairman." Assistant Jung bowed once again before he left the room.

    The next day at Damien''s office...

    It was a Saturday and Damien was finishing some work on his desk when Markus came inside.

    "Any news?" Damien asked when he nced up and saw him.

    "I have checked everywhere that''s needed to be checked, but Dr. Cheng is nowhere to be found. I''m sorry, Boss." Markus said in a slightly deste tone. He had never felt useless except when he''s dealing with Katherine. Even years ago, he had not found anything regarding this woman. And that time was no different. Anything that was rted to her was peculiar.

    "It''s okay I sort of expected this already. Since six years ago, we didn''t know anything about her either." Damien got up from his seat and grabbed his phone from the desk. "Whoever was behind this probably already knows that we''re investigating. Stop for now I don''t want to put her in danger if we''re going to be careless."

    "Yes, Boss." Markus was about to head out when he remembered something. "By the way Assistant Jung called earlier"

    Damien chuckled and shook his head. "They just couldn''t leave me alone."

    "Shall I send them an invitation?" Markus asked with caution.

    "Sure. Why not," he answered dismissively.

    He wouldn''t be bothered about them but he couldn''t ignore them either since they''re the only family that he has left. Since he stayed away and built an empire on his own, he would rarely see them as he didn''t want to be associated with them as much as possible. If it wasn''t because of his grandmother''s words, he would have already cut ties with the rest of the Park Family.

    When Markus left, Damien dialed Katherine''s number to check on her.

    "Hello, Boss. Did you need anything?" Katherine asked as soon as she answered.

    Damien could hear the noise in the background and realized that she was out. "Where are you?"

    "I have just finished eating lunch with Emma."

    "Are you going somewhere after?"

    "Yeah, we''re going back to my apartment to pick up the rest of my things. Thendy told me to take them before Sunday. Is there anything I can do for you, Boss?" she asked.

    Damien looked at his watch. He originally wanted to have lunch with her but he was toote. "Hmmm Nothing. Okay, take care. I''ll see youter then."

    When the phone call ended, Damien went out of the office and headed to his car.

    Meanwhile

    "Was that your hot President?" Emma asked.

    Katherine chuckled, rolled her eyes and hooked her arm with her friend''s as they walked towards the bus stop.

    "You like your boss, don''t you? I can''t me you He is indeed a fine specimen."

    "But he''s still my boss"

    "So? He''s the one going after you, isn''t he?" Emma gave out her points ording to what Katherine told her. "He''s even giving you a penthouse. I don''t think he''s doing that to everyone."

    "He''s just being kind" Katherine pursed her lips into a thin line, earning a snort from Emma.

    "Honey, paying for your lunch or giving you rides, that''s being kind Giving you a penthouse is a whole different thing, he wants you."

    Just before they arrived at the bus stop, a car stopped on the side of the road and its window rolled down. "Ms. Miller!"

    Katherine peered and saw Caleb on the driver''s seat. "Mr. Yoo?"

    "Are you heading somewhere?" he asked with a gentle smile on his face.

    "Ah yeah, we''re going to my old apartment."

    Nodding, Caleb leaned and opened the door to the passenger''s side as he said, "Hop in. I''ll drive you there."

    Katherine refused at first but after Caleb''s persuasion, she gave in.

    "Damn, are all your bosses hot?" Emma whispered to Katherine before they got inside Caleb''s car.

    When they got settled in, Katherine introduced Emma, "Mr. Yoo, this is my friend Emma."

    "Hello," He nced at Emma and gave her a winning smile, making her instantly blush as she returned his greeting.

    The three of them casually chatted inside the car while Caleb drove towards Katherine''s old apartment. Katherine had always beenfortable with Caleb since she met him because he seemed to be an easygoing person which was why talking to him was not difficult for her. But ever since she knew his position in thepany, she didn''t call him by his first name anymore.

    The car turned to the corner and stopped a few meters away from the building.

    "Oh looks like someone is moving." Katherine muttered as she looked at the truck that was parked in front of her old apartment building.

    "Kath isn''t that your boss over there?" Emma pointed at the man who was leaning against his car that''s parked behind the truck.

    "Huh?" Katherine followed where Emma pointed at and sure enough, she saw Damien Park. "What is he doing here?"

    Chuckling, Caleb turned off the engine of his car, opened his door and said, "Let''s go."

    "Boss!" Katherine called as the three of them walked towards Damien.

    From his phone, Damien looked up when he heard her voice and saw the two other people with her. His eyes darted to Caleb and a questioning look on his face appeared. "Why are you guys together?"

    "I saw them on the sidewalk while I was heading home so I gave them a ride," Caleb answered.

    "What are you doing here?" Katherine asked when she arrived in front of him.

    "You said you were going to move your things. How are you supposed to carry all of them?" Damien responded with a straight face.

    Katherine and Emma exchanged looks while Damien started to roll his sleeves up and walked towards the garage. "We should start so that we''ll finish before the sun goes down."

    "I''ll help." Caleb walked behind Damien and followed him towards thendy''s door.

    Emma nudged Katherine on the side. "You''re one lucky girl, two bosses at your beck and call. You must have saved the country from your previous life."

    "Do you think this is great? If anything, doesn''t it look like trouble in paradise? I would have thought I had blown up the country in my past life to be in this tight spot." Katherine muttered as they walked forward.

    "Don''t be absurd. This is a blessing, Kath. Who knows what else is in store for you if you keep hanging out with these studs?"

    Katherine thought that her friend is too much sometimes but as she looked at the backs of the two men, she couldn''t help but wonder if it was a blessing or a misfortune.

 Chapter 61: I Promise

    Chapter 61: I Promise

    It was past four in the afternoon when they finished putting all of Katherine''s stuff inside the small truck.

    "I think that''s all of it," Caleb dusted off his hands.

    "Yeah Thanks for the help." Katherine gave them a smile.

    Patting his stomach, Damien told everyone, "Let''s go eat. I''m buying."

    "But how about my things?" Katherine wondered as she looked at the truck.

    "Don''t worry about it. It will be delivered to the penthouse. We need to leave, or we''ll get stuck at traffic." Damien turned to Caleb and nodded, "Let''s go to that ce."

    "Yes!" Caleb raised his fist, pleased upon hearing his friend while the two women grinned at each other. Katherine rode with Damien while Emma rode with Caleb to give her friend some privacy.

    Inside the car, Katherine noticed him touching his tummy. "Are you okay, Boss?"

    "I''m fine Just a little hungry."

    Her brows slightly knitted and concern was evident on her face as she checked her watch. "You didn''t eat lunch?"

    "I wasn''t hungry earlier," he replied. He got used to eating with Katherine sincest week so suddenly eating alone felt like a chore for him.

    She studied his face and saw sweat forming on his forehead. ''He must be starving,'' she thought. Biting her bottom lip, she remembered that she had food in her bag. She rummaged through it and found a bar of chocte.

    She tore the wrapper open and handed the chocte to him, "Here, Boss, you need sugar."

    Damien nced at her hand and then at her face before he focused back on the road; he was touched by the simple gesture. "Thank you, but I can''t eat. I''m driving."

    "But you''re hungry and the restaurant''s quite a distance."

    "I know. Then, you have to feed me," he briefly nced at her and saw her eyes widen.

    "Cheeky," she muttered but held the chocte near his mouth anyway.

    She heard him chuckle a little before he took a bite and discovered that watching his mouth and jaw work together was sexy. She had gone crazy. Why was everything about him so attractive to her? She certainly did not find anyone else eating that eye-catching.

    Meanwhile, Damien found the chocte extra sweet but he didn''t mind at all as he happily consumed the whole bar that Katherine was feeding him.

    "Thanks," he said with a grin after he swallowed thest bite. It did curb his hunger a bit and was feeling better than earlier. When he thought that she was done, he was surprised when she held out a bottle of water this time.

    Just in time, he stepped on the breaks at the stoplight and received the bottle from her.

    "No problem." A conservative smile formed on her lips after putting the water away.

    Though the two of them hadn''t talked about their feelings, it was pretty obvious that both of them were attracted to each other, yet neither of them was in a hurry to put abel on whatever they had. However, how much longer can the two of them take with this charade?

    John Chops Steakhouse

    The restaurant was best known for its steaks and this was the go-to ce for Damien and his friends whenever they want to dine out.

    The four of them were seated at a table and waited for their food to arrive when someone passed by and called Damien.

    "Oh, look who''s here Damien." A male''s deep voice caught everyone''s attention.

    Even without turning his head, Damien knew whose voice it belonged to. "William," he muttered and sipped his wine.

    "I see you''re on a double date. It''s been a while since thest time I heard you were going out with someone."

    Katherine looked at the two of them and saw the resemnce but the other man whom Damien called William didn''t look so friendly.

    Noticing that someone was looking at him, William extended his hand out to Katherine, "Hello, Miss I don''t think we''ve met before. My name''s William. What''s your name?"

    Whatever it was, Katherine could feel the dark aura emitting from this man. Her hand that was resting on the table slightly moved, however, it was immediately covered by Damien''s in a casual manner.

    "You don''t need to know." Damien''s voice was low and cold that Katherine could feel the atmosphere suddenly turned gloomy.

    Seeing Damien''s reaction, William chuckled, "How protective of you. I''m just making friends."

    "Will, sorry, that was my dad." A woman came to his side. "Oh, Damien..."

    Katherine''s gazended on the woman who arrived and the two of them met each other''s stare. She felt Lexi''s icy re but she did not waver and maintained a poker face.

    Lexi, on the other hand, saw Damien''s hand on Katherine''s and she instantly felt sour.

    Caleb snickered to himself as he watched the tensed scene in front of him. How could they run into each other at a time like this? Fate is really hrious.

    Emma did not understand what was going on but when she saw Lexi Jin, her mouth hung open. She recognized the supermodel right away but she was too shy to say hi.

    Feeling nervous that Damien might misunderstand her, Lexi tried to exin, "I just ran into William earlier. I didn''t"

    "I don''t really care," Damien immediately cut her off, not wanting to listen to any of their nonsense.

    "Let''s go, sweetheart. Let''s not disturb their date." William ced a hand on Lexi''s bottom as he guided her away.

    "Don''t touch me there." She pped his hand and walked ahead of him, her mood was already ruined.

    William caught up with Lexi when they came out of the restaurant and he had a smile on his face as he questioned, "Are you still hung up on him?"

    "Shut up," she snarked and it made him chuckle.

    "That woman do you know her?" He asked when they got inside his car and Katherine''s figure shed in his mind.

    "She''s his new secretary," Lexi answered in a bitter tone.

    "Ah so your ex is banging secretaries now? Who would have known" Williamughed as he sped off. Imagining Katherine''s appearance, a malicious smirk formed on his face, "I can see why though I like her already."

    "You''re disgusting, Will."

    "Am I? Then why are you with me tonight instead of him?" His words only added salt to Lexi''s wounds. "You need to chill, Lexi. Don''t worry, I''ll cheer you up tonight." He ced a hand on her thigh and she pped it off right away.

    "Cut it out. I''m not sleeping with you again. Bring me home." She sneered, turned to the window and closed her eyes.

    "You''lle crawling back to me, Lexi I''ll just have to wait for that to happen."

    ''Why would I? You''re nothing like your cousin,'' she said in her mind.

    ...

    Royal Penthouse

    Damien was unusually quiet throughout the meal and even on the ride going back to the hotel. Katherine couldn''t help but worry about it, "Boss, are you okay?"

    "Yeah, I''m fine." He said as he helped arrange her stuff in the penthouse.

    She tried so hard not to meddle with his personal life but it looked like he needed someone to talk to so she tried to ask, "That man back at the restaurant who was he?"

    "He''s my cousin," Damien answered in a dry tone. He did not even spare a nce as he continued to put away books on the shelf.

    Sensing that it must be something that he did not want to talk about, Katherine decided not to push the subject further. However, looking at his back, she clenched her hands together when she felt sad for him. She remembered him mention before that when his father died, he left the Park''s Estate and rarely talked to his extended families.

    She knew how it felt being alone despite having friends. So when she gazed at him, she felt a throbbing pain in her heart.

    Before she realized it, she had already strolled towards him and encircled her arms around his torso.

    Damien stiffened when he felt her hugging him from behind. Her body was pressed against his back and her arms were wrapped around him. It caught him off guard so he stood there motionless for a good minute before he rxed and ced a hand over hers.

    He couldn''t deny that it felt really good. They didn''t speak but both of them understood what it meant.

    A couple of minutester, Damien finally spoke, "Katherine"

    "Hmmm?"

    "Stay as far away as possible from him," he said in a nearly toneless voice. "Can you promise me that?"

    Katherine was confused but when she recalled how strange William was earlier, she did not think twice to agree. Nodding her head, she answered as she tightened her embrace in assurance, "I promise."

 Chapter 62: Chaste Kiss

    Chapter 62: Chaste Kiss

    It''s almost midnight and it has been an hour since Damien left the penthouse. Katherine was on the bed and sheid there motionless as she recalled what happened earlier. She couldn''t believe that she was so bold to hug her boss like that. What was going to happen then? He wouldn''t think so low of her that she did that, right?

    She had been thinking about it, worried that Damien was going to look at her differently and she was also reminded about his previous secretary Natasha because of her advancements on him. What if she was next? What if he was only really just teasing? And because she hugged him earlier, what if he would tell her to resign too? He wouldn''t do that, right?

    But Damien left soon after that. He still smiled at her before he left but the goodbye was so abrupt and all the books weren''t even on the shelf yet. So he really was in a hurry to leave. Was she wrong to do that?

    She covered her face with her hands. Her face was now so red when she muttered, "Oh god Oh, what have I done?"

    Meanwhile, unbeknownst to this little kitten, Damien came out of the shower after taking a long and cold one fifteen minutes ago. He was in his bed with a pillow covering his face and a hand over his chest. He was so close to calling Jeffrey Evans over the phone to ask him if it was possible for him to get a heart attack for not being able to relieve himself.

    After several clenching of jaws and gulps, he breathed in deeply before a smile appeared on his face. He ced the pillow under his head, recalled earlier''s scene and closed his eyes. It was the first time that he felt someone''s hug as sweet as that. He wasn''t someone who enjoyed anything that''s sweet but it seemed like he had been surrounded with ittely and he didn''t mind at all; especially that it was because of Katherine.

    "What are you doing to me, Katherine?" he muttered in shallow breathing just before he drifted off to sleep.

    Royal Penthouse

    Katherine wasn''t able to sleep right away as she was still a little bothered about what happened the whole evening. Apart from the hug that she did earlier, her thoughts brought her to think about certain people namely  Lexi, Damien, and William.

    After knowing that Damien and William were cousins, she didn''t know what to feel about the whole scenario back at the steakhouse. She thought that William was a dangerous man though she couldn''t wrap her finger around why she felt that way exactly.

    And with the way that Damien reacted when William wanted to know her name was both heartwarming and baffling. How dangerous was this man for Damien to feel very protective of her as to tell her to stay away from his own cousin?

    Also, Lexi Why was she with William that night? She tried to exin to Damien and she swatted William''s hand on her too. This trio Katherine couldn''t help but think that there seemed to be more than just a triangle happening.

    She curled up in bed with a phone in her hand and before she could stop herself, she had already typed Lexi''s name in the search engine.

    There were lots of articles regarding her modeling career in Europe and some celebrities that she was involved with. However, one particr picture caught her eye and that was an old photo by the paparazzi. The photo was taken from outside a restaurant and in it were Damien and Lexi. They looked like they just came out of the restaurant and was about to get into the car.

    There was nothing wrong with the picture, however, seeing the smiling face of Lexi and the unreadable expression of Damien, her heart still throbbed. Even seeing them together like that, howe she was so bothered? Maybe it was because they looked great together that she felt insecure about herself.

    "Tch. Stupid," She cursed herself. She shouldn''t have searched! That way, she wouldn''t have seen it.

    Katherine closed her phone and ced it on the nightstand. Covering herself with the nket, she looked at her Damien Pillow and her brows knitted together. "Tch."

    ''Why did you have to be this damn'' she couldn''t even finish her thought when she reached for the pillow and gave it a quick punch, imagining that it was Damien.

    She sighed before she pulled the pillow close to her, hugged it tightly and buried her face in it. She remained still and fell asleep soon after.

    Monday

    Katherine was slumped with work on her desk and she hadn''t had a break yet. Damien had not called or texted her since that night but that morning, he acted normally as though nothing was wrong. Thinking that her boss must have not taken things seriously, she calmed herself down and just buried herself with work.

    "Ms. Miller, can you give me a copy of my schedule this week?" His voice suddenly sounded from the speaker that it startled her.

    "R-right away, President Park," she responded right away and grabbed a clipboard.

    When she entered his office, she found him busy on hisputer. Not wanting to disturb him, she carefully ced it on his desk and was about to go out of the room when she heard him speak.

    "I have to step out of the office. I need to meet someone."

    He grabbed his coat and simultaneously wore it on him as he walked towards the door. "You can take your lunch at the cafeteria. I might be backte in the afternoon, so you don''t have to wait for me."

    "Understood." She nodded and followed him out of his office. She caught sight of his crooked tie, so she called him back, "Ah, Boss wait."

    "Yeah?" Damien turned to face her.

    "Your tie." Without saying anything else, Katherine reached out to fix it for him and brushed off visible lint away from his suit coat.

    He shed a gentle smile on his face, "Thanks. I''ll see youter."

    Damien leaned in and nted a chaste kiss on her lips and headed towards the elevator  He was out of sight in five seconds.

    As soon as he got inside the elevator, his head snapped towards the side and brought a hand over his face. "Sh*t."

    He didn''t know how it happened or why he did it. But when he reached the ground floor, he was still stunned and did note out of the elevator.

    "President Park?" A staff called him and he snapped out of his daze. Damien walked towards his car with Markus waiting for him and entered the backseat with a muddled mind.

    Meanwhile, Katherine stood rooted in the same spot. She has not moved ever since Damien kissed her and left like it was the most natural thing to do.

    She touched her lips but she could barely remember how it felt as it all happened so fast. And holy cow, she was not prepared!

    She was in a trance when she walked back to her desk and stared at the monitor for God knows how long but she could no longer concentrate on her work for the rest of the day.

 Chapter 63: Damien & Katherines A game

    Chapter 63: Damien & Katherine''s A game

    Cafe across the Crown Resort Group

    "All you have to do is talk to him," Emma said before she took a bite of pastry.

    "Yeah, like that''s so easy to do." Katherine rolled her eyes. "What am I even going to say? Hey, Boss, mind exining what that kiss was about?" She scoffed before she sipped on her hot chocte.

    "Why was it so quick and without even a tongue action~" Emma sang her words, earning a p on the arm from Katherine. "Aw!"

    "Not funny."

    "Yeah, but you wished for it. Didn''t you?"

    Katherinezilyid her head on the table and looked out the window. Seeing the people walking outside and going about their day, she wondered if there was someone out there who was in the same boat as her.

    "Okay, serious question," Emma started and stared at her friend before she continued, "Let''s say... you and your boss will have a conversationter. What will you tell him?"

    Katherine shrugged and Emma sighed, "Okay, how about What if he tells you that he likes you and wants to be in a rtionship with you. What are you going to do about it?"

    She shrugged once again. She obviously liked Damien but to be in a rtionship with him, was that really possible for the two of them? "Does he even like me that much to be in a rtionship with me?"

    "I don''t know, Kath. He''s the only one who can answer that and the only way to find out is to talk to him. But even without asking him, I''m sure you have already realized it by now, haven''t you? You''re not that stupid, Katherine. Though you sometimes make stupid mistakes, you''re not that dumb."

    "Do I even want to be in a rtionship with him?" She wondered out loud.

    "I don''t know, Katherine, do you?" Emma returned the question to her friend.

    Katherine was actually afraid because she had never felt anything like that before. And she was still not a whole person given the fact that she could not remember a huge chunk of her life. Everything was just too surreal for her and she did not have a lot of confidence in herself.

    Just as she was thinking about all of this, a familiar car passed on the road and parked in front of their office. "I need to go, Ems." Without thinking twice, Katherine grabbed her bag and walked out of the cafe. She crossed the street and hurriedly caught up with Damien who just got out of his car.

    "Boss!" She called his attention.

    Damien turned to her direction and saw her panting. He walked towards her and wondered what happened, "What''s wrong? Where have you been?"

    "I I" she waved a finger across the street, pointing the cafe where she came from.

    "Okay," Damien nodded, "Why did you run?"

    "I We Earlier"

    Damien could guess what she was about to tell him so he patiently waited for her to finish her words. And honestly, he was curious as to how she was going to address what happened earlier.

    "You and I We need to" Katherine''s eyes darted to the side when she noticed a familiar person from a distance. She narrowed her eyes and tilted her head to the side as though she wanted to make sure of who she was seeing from afar.

    "Steven" she muttered, seeing the man standing several meters away while he was smoking a cigarette.

    Confused, Damien followed her gaze and saw who she was looking at, "Who is that?"

    Katherine''s expression suddenly turned dark and Damien felt the hair on his back stand when she said, "The man I''m going to murder."

    As soon as she said those words, she kicked the ground and sprinted towards the man. "Steven!" She yelled at the top of her lungs.

    Damien was shocked upon seeing her reaction that his body naturally jolted after her, "Katherine!"

    Hearing his name from the side, Steven snapped his head towards the voice and his eyes almost popped out of its sockets when he saw Katherine running towards him. "F*ck!" He threw his cigarette to the side and started running away.

    But if he thought that Katherine was going to give up if he runs faster, that''s where he was wrong. Despite wearing heels, Katherine did not slow down as she chased the man down with all of her strength.

    Although he did not understand what was going on, seeing as Katherine was determined to chase the man, he could only run after the two of them.

    "Kath! I''m sorry! Please let me go!" Steven yelled as he was running.

    "Do you think I''m an idiot? Don''t let me get my hands on you or I will kill you! Get back here!"

    "Aaaahhh!!! I''m so sorry!"

    The crowd watched as they ran on the street market with different fruits and vegetables being sold. Damien caught up with Katherine who was already slowing down as she was running out of breath. "Who is this guy?"

    "Stop asking! Just Just get him!" She shouted as she stopped to breathe and Steven halted when he noticed that Katherine stopped chasing after him. They were only a good few meters apart and Steven was also already panting.

    Seeing the man had also stopped, Damien locked his eyes on him. He grabbed an apple from a crate on the side and without hesitating, he threw it straight across the man with brute force.

    Steven managed to turn around but he swayed to the side when the apple hit his head. "Aaaah!" He winced in pain and he could not believe how painful it was. He shook his head to clear his vision and was about to escape but Damien had already caught his shoulder.

    Damien mped his hand on it so hard that Steven yelped and knelt down on the ground. He flexed his neck from side to side and loosened up his tie as he said, "Don''t even try."

    Katherine arrived and looked down on Steven with a wicked smile. "Hello, Steven."

    "Kath" Stevenughed and cried, "Please don''t kill me." He pleaded with his hands pressed together.

    "Oh not yet. Don''t worry, I will torture you first before I kill you." Katherine spat without thinking. ncing to the side, she grabbed the knot on Damien''s tie and with one swift move, she swiped it off of him and briskly tied Steven''s hands together. "You''re not going anywhere until I beat the crap out of you, Steven."

    Damien could only watch her. There were so many questions in his head but he did not know what he was going to ask first.

    A white Jaguar parked on the side and Markus got out of the car carrying a briefcase with him. "Boss," he said. Damien only had to nod to the side and Markus already knew what to do. Markus started talking to the vendors and gave them white envelopes with cash inside.

    While Markus was busy giving early Christmas gifts, Damien and Katherine brought Steven inside the car and went back to the office by entering the underground parking area.

    The supposedly normal afternoon started from the chaste, unexpected kiss and ended up with Katherine and Damien chasing Steven on the streets. With such an eventful afternoon, would their day end up okay?

 Chapter 64: You Wont Be as Lucky

    Chapter 64: You Won''t Be as Lucky

    Damien''s Office

    Steven sat on a chair with his hands still tied with the necktie while Markus stood on his right, keeping guard on him. He did not dare to open his mouth when raging Katherine threatened to break his face if he does.

    Damien pulled her to the side to try and talk to her. "Okay, what the hell is going on?"

    Katherine was fuming with anger as she red at Steven a few meters away who refused to meet her stare.

    Stepping to the side to block her view, Damien ced a finger under her chin to make her look at him and raised a brow.

    "Sorry, Boss" Katherine crossed her arms and looked down. Her adrenaline wore off and she was now feeling mmy.

    "Why don''t you tell me what happened? Who is this guy and why did you chase him like a maniac?"

    Biting her bottom lip, she breathed in deeply and started, "He was a friend and he stole my money!" She peeked around Damien to re at Steven who flinched at her words.

    cing a hand on her shoulder, he probed, "He stole from you? How?"

    She clenched her teeth and spat, "Well, he BORROWED from me after LYING to me and I was STUPID enough to believe it. And before I knew it, he ran off and I never heard from him again!"

    "I''m sorry, Kath... I didn''t mean to use my mother as an excuse"

    "Shut up! I trusted you, Steven. How could you do that to me? Did you know that I got kicked out of my apartment because I couldn''t pay my bills anymore after you screwed me over?" Katherine bit out. She was so frustrated when she recalled how hard it was for her to eat during those times. She swore that she was never going to trust anyone regarding money anymore.

    "How much did he owe you?" Damien questioned.

    "One grand," Katherine replied in a t voice.

    "A thousand dors?" Even Damien was surprised. He nced at Steven whose head hung low. "You trusted him with that much money?"

    "At first, it was only half of it but after learning that it was for his mother''s hospital bills, I couldn''t refuse him. He also promised he was going to pay me back the week after that but he was gone. It turned out he owed a loan shark a lot of money."

    After listening to her exnation, Damien already understood what was going on. He studied her expression and saw a lot on her face, she looked pissed but he thought that she felt betrayed and hurt more than anything else.

    "A thousand dors may not be much for you, Boss But it was already a lot for me. It took me a long time to be able to save that much for something and trusting this bastard was my mistake." She sighed and was almost teary-eyed but she didn''t dare cry in front of Damien.

    Nodding, Damien signaled to Markus. They talked for only a minute before he came back to Katherine''s side and guided her out of his office.

    "Wait What are you doing? W-Where are we going? I''m not done with him yet!" Katherine tried to nt her foot on the floor but Damien urged for her to go out. "Come on, let''s go."

    "B-but"

    "You need to calm down. Let''s go."

    An hourter at the Royal Penthouse

    Katherine was sulking on the sofa, hugging a square pillow on herp. She buried her face on it and refused to look at Damien. What happened on the streets just dawned on her and she was suddenly feeling embarrassed that he saw her in that state. He probably thought she was a nutcase by now.

    Damien was out in the balcony and was on his phone for the past ten minutes before he came back inside.

    "Check your ount. The money he owed you has already been deposited." He sauntered towards the sofa and sat next to her.

    Katherine raised her head and looked at him. "What did you say?"

    "He paid you already. He doesn''t owe you anything anymore."

    Katherine was in awe upon hearing what he just said. She quickly grabbed her phone to check her ount and saw that there was $1000 credited to it. For the first time, she felt like a thorn that was stuck in her back for a while had been finally removed. She breathed a sigh of relief and ced her phone to her chest as she closed her eyes.

    Seeing her like this, Damien felt bad and relieved at the same time. The amount of money that was nothing to him was worth so much for this woman and all of a sudden, he wanted to embrace her but he held himself back after remembering what he did to her earlier that day. He had already kissed her without her permission and without even realizing that he did it untilter.

    If he hugged her at that moment, who knows what else his body was going to do if he didn''t control himself?

    Outside of Crown Resort Group

    "Thank you! Thank you very much!" Steven repeatedly bowed in front of Markus Lee who had a stoic expression on his face.

    "Please extend my gratitude towards President Park. I promise I will do better in my life this time. I won''t do the same mistakes again," he added.

    Markus stared at him and in a low voice, he said, "You better not forget about this day and about what happened. If you ever cross the President and Ms. Miller, you won''t be as lucky as you are today."

    "I won''t! I promise I won''t! Please be reassured that I will repay his kindness. And" Steven nced at Markus before he continued, "If If you can Please give this to Katherine," he swallowed as he handed a small piece of folded paper.

    Receiving the paper, Markus put it away and nodded.

    With that, Steven left the premises feeling both relieved and guilty. Instead of owing Katherine, now he owed the Chairman of Crown Resort Group. He didn''t know if it was a good thing or not as he just escaped Katherine''s wrath but what about Damien''s? With this in mind, he swore he qwas never going to do anything stupid topromise that.

 Chapter 65: Id Love to See You in That Dress

    Chapter 65: I''d Love to See You in That Dress

    [ Katherine,

    I''m so sorry for betraying your trust. I know I don''t deserve your friendship anymore but I hope that you can forgive me one day.

    Steven ]

    Katherine sighed after reading the note that Markus left a few minutes ago. Thinking about it, although she was mad at Steven, seeing him all skinny earlier, she thought that it must have been very hard for him too. Not wanting to think about it anymore, she crumpled the paper and threw it in the bin.

    She slumped back on the sofa and heavily sighed before she turned her head to the side and saw her boss staring at her. Damien was sitting in the armchair with his legs crossed and his hand waszily supporting his head as though he was waiting for her to say something to him.

    Her gazended on a particrly soft part of his face  his lips, and she darted her eyes to the side in an instant. They had yet to talk about what happened but because she was suddenly feeling like a coward, she did not dare to bring it up.

    Realizing that she had not properly apologized yet, she got up from the sofa and bowed to him, "Boss, I''m so sorry for my behavior earlier. I got carried away because of my anger. I promise that it won''t happen again." She kept her head down and waited for him to say something but when she peeked, Damien was still staring at her with an unreadable expression. She immediately lowered her head again and continued to wait.

    Damien finally moved. He got up from the chair and walked towards her. "Next time, if someone owes you something, just tell me the name and I will find him for you. You don''t have to chase after them while wearing high-heeled shoes. You just hurt yourself." He nced at her reddened feet. Thankfully, she didn''t have any blisters from all the running that she did but her feet looked like they were sore.

    Katherine bit her lip and stared at her toes. She was now wearing slippers and was able to rest them so it didn''t feel as bad as earlier.

    "Stand up." He ordered. Katherine stood ramrod straight and ced her hands together in front of her stomach, looking straight ahead as if she was a soldier.

    "Are your feet still in pain?"

    "No, they don''t hurt anymore," she replied.

    "So you can walk?"

    "Yes, Boss."

    "Good. Pick another pair of shoes and follow me out. I need to go somewhere and you''reing with me," he said before he strolled towards the door.

    Katherine moved right away and followed behind him, stopping at the shoe rack to choose another pair of heels that were a little shorter than the previous one. She was still wearing her office clothes and she didn''t think that wearing ts would do justice on her dress.

    Soon after, the two of them came out of the hotel and alighted the car.

    West Bespoke Tailor

    The ce that Damien and Katherine entered was a luxury bespoke tailoring shop that''s famous for celebrities and wealthy people to have their formal wear custom made.

    However, it wasn''t easy for just any rich people to get an appointment as they have strict policies and requirements for their customers who call for a schedule. More than the money, the owner would choose their customers based on their status or exceptional connections. Only a few people have that privilege and Damien Park was one of them.

    Inside the shop, it had a ssy and sophisticated interior design that made whoever was inside instantly feel like royalty.

    "Wee, President Park. I appreciate that you took the time to visit us today for your final fitting," a man in a brown suit said as he shook hands with Damien.

    "Of course. It''s my pleasure to wear your creation, Mr. West," he responded.

    "Pleasee this way." Mr. West gestured towards a door to the right.

    Before following Mr. West, Damien turned to Katherine, "Stay here. You can take a look around while you wait. There is women''s section over there." He pointed to the left side of the shop and Katherine nodded.

    Since she did not have anything else to do, she decided to check out the ce and admired the many different clothes that were disyed. She crossed the other side of the room and arrived at the women''s section where there were a lot of lovely formal dresses. She examined a few and was curious to know how much they were but there were no price tags on them.

    She saw a ball gown that had a lot of stone decorations on it. It sparkled a lot under the light which made her mouth form into an O as she appreciated the beauty of the piece.

    "Hi, ma''am, can I help you with anything?" A politedy in a really nice suit came to her side.

    "Oh, I was just wondering how much these gowns cost as they are all so pretty." Katherine formed a conservative smile.

    Thedy saw that she came with Damien Park earlier so she did not dare to look down on her. "The prices of these gowns are supposed to be undisclosed to the public and only revealed to certain people but" she took out her phone and tapped her screen a few times before she showed it to Katherine. "...just to give you an idea, the pieces in here are roughly around this price range."

    Katherine almost choked when she saw the exorbitant amount. "Thank you." She carefully stepped away from the gown and walked to the other side where it looked less intimidating.

    She was checking out a blue-colored gown when Damien arrived at her side. "That looks nice. Why don''t you try it out?"

    "Oh, Boss" She let go of the gown and faced him. Damien was wearing a ck tuxedo and was looking extremely appetizing.

    "Ah n-no I''m okay," she managed to utter.

    "Miss, can you help her change into that dress?" He turned to thedy who talked to Katherine earlier.

    "Certainly," she acknowledged. "Right this way, ma''am." She took the gown and headed towards a closed door.

    "Boss, I don''t"

    Damien leaned forward until his lips were right above her ear and spoke in a low, raspy voice, "I''d love to see you in that dress."

    The way he said those words sent tingles down her abdomen. Katherine had to swallow before she had the courage to take a step forward and follow thedy to the dressing room.

 Chapter 66: I like you, Katherine

    Chapter 66: I like you, Katherine

    The blue evening mermaid dress was elegant with a sexy halter neckline, a cut out that revealed a part of her back, and a slit that stopped on her mid-thigh. The skin that''s showing isn''t too much, making it look still ssy yet sexy at the same time. It hugged Katherine''s body in all the right ces.

    She stared at herself in the mirror and wondered if it was okay for her to wear such a really nice dress. For some reason, she didn''t feel awkward wearing it as if she was used to wearing such clothes but for thest five years, it was the first time that she had tried one. Maybe she had worn one or two before that? She chuckled at her own thought.

    "Miss? Is everything okay? Would you like me to go inside and help you?" Thedy asked.

    "Oh, Um I''m done. I''ll go out now," she replied before opening the door to the dressing room and stepping out.

    "The dress really suits you." Thedy smiled and gestured for her to go back to where Damien was waiting.

    After breathing deeply, she walked forward. All of a sudden, her heart thumped in her chest loudly the moment that Damienid his eyes on her. She felt conscious that she didn''t know where to put her hands and she ended up clutching them together while she waited for his words.

    He had his hands in his pockets as he looked at her up and down. He swallowed when he thought that it probably was a mistake to let her dress up like that. How was he going to function if all he wanted was to look at her?

    "I should change back. I probably look funny, huh?" Katherine cleared her throat and was about to turn when Damien sensed her hesitation.

    "No, you don''t." Walking a few strides towards her, he reached out for her hand and brought her towards the center of the room where there was a wide and tall mirror. He made her face the mirror and stood next to her as he ced his hand on her waist, his hand slightly touching the exposed skin of her back.

    "You look perfect," he uttered as they looked at each other through the reflection.

    Katherine''s back instantly straightened and a sweet smile appeared on her face as she admired how they both looked in the mirror. Was it okay to like that they were standing close like this?

    "The two of you look really nice, President Park. Would you like me to take a picture as a souvenir?" Thedy offered.

    And with that, Katherine and Damien were made to stand on a tform. Thedy was quick with her hands as she powdered Katherine''s face a little and applied a tint on her lips in a minute before she snapped a photo of them.

    Secretly, they were both eager to have the picture taken but remained quiet the whole time.

    Katherine changed back to her clothes and they left the shop afterwards. She felt that it was a pity she didn''t leave the shop with the dress since she couldn''t afford it anyway but trying it on and having a picture taken with Damien, she was already happy.

    After their dinner in a nearby restaurant, they were in the car and on their way home at eight in the evening. Katherine was looking at the picture on her phone and a small smile formed on her face.

    "Do you like the photo that much?" Damien asked when he noticed her expression.

    Closing her phone and putting back inside her bag, she sheepishly grinned and simply answered, "It''s pretty."

    "Mhmm it is." He responded and smiled as well.

    When they arrived at the hotel, Damien walked her up until the penthouse but instead of entering, he stayed outside.

    "Katherine," he held her hand and looked into her eyes as he continued, "About earlier today... what I did I I''m sorry."

    "Oh." She gulped and quickly smiled to mask the slight prick that she felt in her heart. "It''s okay, Boss. It was a mistake, right? You don''t have to worry about it."

    Although she was smiling, Damien was sure that she wasn''t happy at all. Not wanting her to misunderstand, he squeezed her hand and shook his head, "No, Katherine It''s not a mistake."

    She didn''t know how to respond so she could only raise her brows in question.

    "I didn''t mean to do that as I just suddenly did it without thinking. But it didn''t mean that I didn''t want to do it. Because I have been wanting to" He saw her lips part when she heard him and he swore it took him so much self-control not to capture them with his.

    "But I''m sorry I did it without asking you." With his other hand, he cupped the side of her face and gently stroked her cheek.

    <em>"I like you, Katherine."</em>

    <em>"And I want to be with you."</em>

    Hearing those words, Katherine felt like there were hundreds of feathers tickling her heart and stomach. She wanted to say something but she didn''t know what was holding her back.

    "But I don''t want to put pressure on you. So I''m not expecting you to say anything right now."

    Damien inched closer and the hand that was touching her face was now ced on her back. "When I met you years ago, we didn''t have the chance to get to know each other like this. So as much as I want us to happen, I want you to be sure."

    "Because Katherine... If you want what I want, I won''t allow you to take back your words once you''ve decided. Do you understand?"

    The entire time, the two of them didn''t break eye contact and with clear eyes, Katherine slowly nodded her head.

    "Good. You should get inside, I''ll see you tomorrow." Damien leaned in and pressed his lips on her forehead, making Katherine close her eyes and feel the warmness of it.

    He remained still for a few seconds before he pulled back. "Goodnight, Katherine."

    She watched him go inside the elevator and disappear before she had the chance to breathe again. She staggered to go inside the penthouse and closed the door, patting her chest to calm it down.

 Chapter 67: I like you, Damien

    Chapter 67: I like you, Damien

    Lying on her bed, Katherine closed her eyes but the only thing she saw was the scene outside her door on repeat. ''How could he be so sure about how he feels?'' she wondered. Here she was, trying to convince herself not to fall for him but saying that was being dishonest to herself.

    He had done nothing but care for her ever since they met yet although she liked him, there was a nagging feeling that was not allowing her to fully ept that. It was as though she was afraid that if she gives in, she''ll be very vulnerable.

    Katherine went on dates a few times before but none of them reallysted for more than a week or two because the moment that they would start getting serious and get to know more about each other, she would suddenly back away and not see them again. She wondered if she had been broken-hearted or betrayed before which was why she was so afraid of being in a rtionship.

    She liked how they were at the moment, no strings nomitments no expectations which would mean no disappointments.

    So Katherine feared that if she allowed herself to really fall in love with Damien and be with him, what if it will turn out to be just another mistake? Because if it will end up that way, she could imagine how it would suck for her. She already does not have a past, will she also lose her future?

    Her head turned to the right where her Damien pillow was. Sheid on her side to gaze at it and an image of him lying there on the bed with her appeared in her imagination.

    "I like you, Damien"

    The image of Damien almost seemed real when he gave her a gentle smile. She curled up in her bed and nuzzled her head on the pillow as she closed her eyes and hugged it to sleep.

    Meanwhile, Damien felt anxious after what he said to her. For the first time, he didn''t feel confident about himself. For many years, he had gone out on dates with women and seen them throw themselves at him and though he didn''t really pay attention to every single one of them, he didn''t remember ever worrying if the other will ept him.

    And the realization suddenly hit him  it was actually the first time that he confessed to someone. And having to wait for her to ept his affection was making him uneasy.

    Dating Lexi back then was not even something that he initiated. They grew up together and because their families have long been acquainted, it wasn''t difficult for them to start dating as no one opposed their rtionship. However, looking back, Damien didn''t think that he had ever felt the same emotions that he was experiencing with Katherine.

    But being with Lexi before was like a job. He didn''t mind that they went out and saw each other for a few years but all there was in their rtionship was really just a physical connection. But since they have known each other since they were kids, somehow, he still took care of her.

    However, it was different with Katherine. She had made him feel a whole lot of different feelings at the same time. And not knowing whether she wanted to be with him or not actually made him nervous. If she decides not to be with him, what happens then?

    Park Estate

    In the living room of the huge mansion, Frederick Park was drinking his evening tea while watching the news on TV. His Assistant Mr. Jung arrived at his side and handed him a brown envelope.

    "Chairman, this is the result of the background check of the Young Master''s secretary."

    Receiving the envelope, Frederick Park took out the papers inside and skimmed through it. Seeing that Katherine was an orphan and had a very ordinary background, his expression was unreadable.

    He didn''t trust people with such an ordinary background because you don''t know what they really want. Most of them want to climb the social status and marry into an affluent family. Though there are those who are humble and want to live a normal life without fame and excess wealth, would he really risk it?

    But family wealth aside, he couldn''t just let anyone marry into the Park family. Not when they have a secret that no one outside of the family except for a few people must know about.

    "Hmmm She doesn''t seem like a threat as of now. But keep an eye on her in case something looks suspicious." He gave the envelope back to his assistant and added, "By the way, has my son returned?"

    Footsteps were heard from the side and a tall man appeared before him. "I''m home, father." William gave a bow of respect to his father.

    "Mhmm. Where have you been? How was the contract signing this afternoon?" Frederick asked without looking at his son like he always does.

    "I just had dinner with the executives. It went well as expected."

    "Good. We''re going to the opening of Damien''s new resort this Friday."

    "Ah, I see." A knowing smile formed on his face as he imagined what fun he would have there. Thinking about Katherine''s innocent face, he looked down the floor and spoke, "I will bring Lexi with me. I''m sure my beloved cousin would not mind."

    Frederick Park nced at William and saw the expression on his face. He scoffed as he got up from the chair and headed towards his bedroom. His son always makes trouble for him, he had gotten tired of telling him what to do and what not. "Do not forget who you are, William."

    "Trust me, father. I haven''t," William replied with a grin and told himself, ''I have always been like this.''

 Chapter 68: Cant Wait to See You

    Chapter 68: Can''t Wait to See You

    The days went by like normal at work. Katherine and Damien remained professional whenever they''re doing business. Since there were only a few days left until the opening, they were both pretty much busy but Damien didn''t shy away from taking care of her after work hours.

    Afterst Monday''s kiss on the forehead, he did not do anything else except held her hands. He kept his promise to himself that he wasn''t going to do anything more than that without her permission. He wanted to make sure that she wasn''t feeling pressured so he held himself back.

    May 18th, Friday

    The day of the new resort''s opening came and apart from the ribbon cutting in the morning, there will be a formal event in the evening.

    Damien and Katherine were still in the city as they had a prior meeting scheduled in the afternoon. And as soon as it ended, the two of them returned to the Crown Hotel.

    "We still have three hours to prepare. Go back to your ce and get changed. I will pick you upter," Damien told Katherine when the car came to a stop by the entrance.

    Nodding, Katherine got out of the car and headed towards the penthouse. She was feeling sticky from moving about the whole day and felt a bit tired so she decided to pamper herself and soaked in the bath for twenty minutes.

    After her bath, she dried her hair and went to pick out an outfit from her closet. There really wasn''t much for her to choose from but there were still a few dresses Damien gave her that she would normally wear in the office. She regretted not buying a dress for herself for the asion but it wasn''t like she was a guest there  she will still be Damien''s secretary so there was no reason for her to wear a formal one, right?

    Just as she was in a dilemma, the doorbell rang. Confused, she looked at the time and saw that there were still two hours before Damien was supposed to arrive. Securely covering herself with a bathrobe, she went to the main door and pressed a button on a device. "Who is it?" she asked.

    "Good afternoon, Ms. Miller. There''s a delivery for you from the President," A male''s voice said.

    "A delivery?" Confused, she opened the door and found the General Manager carrying a garment bag in his hand. "Mr. Chu?"

    "Hello, Ms. Miller. Here, this is for you." Mr. Chu handed the garment bag to her and Katherine absentmindedly received it. "Have a good evening," he said before leaving.

    Katherine closed the door and curiously looked at the bag before she unzipped it. As soon as the color of the dress revealed, her mouth formed into an O and her heart pounded. "Oh my"

    The blue evening dress that she had tried on a few days ago with Damien was right in front of her. Just then, her phone beeped and she immediately read the text message from him.

    [King Damien: I forgot how perfect you look in that dress. Remind me again and wear it tonight. Can''t wait to see youter.]

    A bashful grin formed on her lips upon reading his text. She decided not to reply so she closed her phone and brought the dress to her bedroom.

    Opening a drawer, Katherine took out a small box and held it in her hand. She opened it and touched the ck textured bowtie sitting prettily in it. Because of what she did to his tie thest time, she figured that she should buy him a new one to rece it. After contemting, she decided to get him a bowtie for that night''s event instead.

    Almost two hourster, the doorbell rang again and Katherine was all groomed and ready to face Damien.

    She opened the door and slowly looked up to see a striking Damien Park standing in front of her looking ever so debonair in his tuxedo  she almost forgot to breathe.

    "Hey" he said first.

    The corner of her lips curled up as she replied, "Hi"

    "You look beautiful, Ms. Miller."

    "Thank you," she replied. "And you look as dashing as ever, President Park."

    Her gazended on the color of the handkerchief that was neatly folded in style in his front pocket. She looked down at her dress and back to it, realizing that they matched. Her cheeks blushed and she clutched the small box in her hand.

    "What''s that in your hand?" he asked.

    "Oh, this..." Katherine hid the box behind her. "It''s nothing"

    ''He already looks perfect. He wouldn''t need it anymore,'' she told herself.

    "Aren''t you going to invite me in?" he probed.

    "Of course, pleasee in, Boss," just as she turned to the side, Damien snatched the small box in her hand and opened it. "Wait Ah" She curled her hand away and lowered it.

    "Is this for me?"

    "Yeah, I just thought that I should"

    Before she could finish exining, Damien had already untied his ck bowtie and kept it in his pocket before he turned to face her. "I''d like to wear it."

    "But"

    "I didn''t like my tie. I like this one better," he said, referring to the bowtie that Katherine bought for him.

    Nodding, Katherine fixed the bowtie on him, tying it perfectly in ce and patting it after. "Boss" she muttered and looked up at him.

    "Hmmm?"

    "Can we talk after the party tonight? I want to tell you something," she bravely said and Damien understood what she meant.

    Straightening up, he formed a charming smile on his lips and held his arm out for her. "We need to leave now. Shall we go, Ms. Miller?"

    With a bright smile on her face, she nodded. Katherine hooked her arms with his and the two of them headed towards the resort''s evening party.

 Chapter 69: Her Peaceful Heart

    Chapter 69: Her Peaceful Heart

    Crown Resort, Esmea

    Damien and Katherine stood outside the event hall as they waited for the event organizer''s signal for him to enter.

    Damien was talking to Markus when he noticed Katherine standing a few steps behind him. When Markus left, he walked towards her and said, "Walk beside me when I go inside."

    Shaking her head, Katherine gave him a gentle smile, "I shouldn''t, President Park. It''s not appropriate for me to do that."

    "Who cares about what people think?"

    "I do," she answered right away. "But it''s not me who I''m concerned about because I could care less about what they say about me. However, I won''t let them say or think anything bad about you, Boss. You are the Chairman and CEO of Crown Resort Group. I don''t want to give them the chance to talk bad things about you. Regardless of whether I''m involved or not, I wish to keep your reputation as clean as possible while I work under you."

    Hearing her words, Damien felt so proud of her and he couldn''t help but also smile. His little minx actually wanted to protect him. "Fine. But make sure to walk right behind me where I can easily pull you in case someone wants to hurt me."

    Katherine chuckled and rolled her eyes. "You''ll be fine, Boss. You''re Damien Park, after all."

    "President Park, we''re ready for you," said the staff.

    The double door opened and Damien entered thevish hall filled with influential people. Katherine walked behind him, giving him all the spotlight that he deserved. However, there were still a few people who noticed her.

    "Who is that woman?"

    "I think that''s President Park''s new secretary."

    "Ah She''s really pretty. Do you think something''s going on between them?"

    "Who knows? Everybody''s dating everybody nowadays."

    "Maybe not, it doesn''t look like it."

    Simr conversations were heard even while Katherine acted very professional and behaved. She shook her head inconspicuously and wanted to roll her eyes; People really loved to gossip.

    The host weed everyone and the two of them stood on stage until Damien had to deliver his speech. The entire time that he was on stage, Katherine was in awe to see how all of the guests'' attention were all on him.

    He was indeed a powerful and impressive man because he had proven a lot at such a young age. But the world is scary and Katherine realized this especially when she learned that a lot of the guests in the party were actually two-faced opportunists who were only waiting for him to fail.

    It couldn''t be helped because of his status. It was natural to have enemies in the business world who couldn''t wait for his downfall so that they could rise and rece him at the top.

    When his speech ended, they walked down the stage and started greeting the guests. They stopped from one group to another as they talked to his business partners while enjoying the party.

    Katherine remained quiet unless there was a need for her to engage in the conversation but for Damien, just having her next to him was enough for him to feel sane while listening to some bunch who were there to curry favors.

    There were tables of food and desserts on the side, a live band that entertained the guests with ssical and standard songs, and servers with a tray of drinks roaming around the room. With such a lovely party, guests were definitely happy. They began to enjoy the party by dancing to the songs.

    However, Katherine had already been standing for a long time in high-heeled shoes and she felt her feet started getting sore.

    Noticing how she had been shifting her weight several times in the past few minutes, Damien excused himself and whispered to Katherine to follow him. They went out of the hall and entered a private waiting room where Damien immediately slumped on the sofa and said, "Let''s rest here for a bit, it''s so tiring."

    Katherine nodded, handed him a bottle of water before she sat on the opposite end of the sofa  she sighed and leaned back, she could feel a headacheing.

    "Why are you sitting so far?" Damien asked after drinking water. "No one''s going toe barging in here."

    Katherine chuckled, "I don''t want to take any chances," she said with a light tone and made Damien chuckle with her. "If I hadn''t known any better, I''d start thinking that you''re only avoiding me. Come here," he told her as he extended his palm out for her.

    Smiling, Katherine gave in and ced her hand on his before she moved closer. When she sat beside him, he let her rest her head on his shoulder and held her hand.

    Sitting beside each other like this, Katherine''s heart was at peace. She couldn''t wait until the party ends.

    "You don''t like events like this, do you?" he asked.

    "Not really It''s tiring to keep smiling even to those people I don''t want to smile to. You''re so good at it though," shemented, making him chortle.

    "Yeah, I sort of developed the skill. It''s necessary."

    The two of them talked for a bit more before a knock was heard on the door. Markus Lee came in and informed, "Boss, your Uncle Fred has arrived."

    Katherine noticed Damien breathe in deeply before he nodded, "I''ll be right out."

    When Markus left, Katherine and Damien got up from the sofa and was about to go out of the room when Damien turned to face her. "Listen You''re going to see my Uncle and his family. They could get oppressive, so as much as possible, just stick with me. I don''t want them harming my people and they wouldn''t dare to do it if I''m around."

    "I don''t have anything to lose except for my job, Boss. So as long as you don''t fire me, I don''t have anything to be concerned about," Katherine responded resolutely.

    Damien felt a bit at ease hearing her say that but even so, he couldn''t help but feel worried for her.

    When they got back inside the hall, Damien headed towards his uncle and gave him a bow. Katherine remained standing on the side and casually looked around while the two men talked. However, she noticed that the old man gave her a different kind of look. She didn''t know why but she could feel a sense of danger and darkness around this person.

    She only knew about who this person was a couple of days ago when Markus Lee gave her a folder and told her to study the guests'' identities so that she would know how to address them or talk to them if ever the need arises. And knowing that this man was someone influential she only thought that it was because of that.

    Feeling the urge to pee, she found the chance to excuse herself and told Damien that she was going to the restroom located just right outside the hall.

    After a few minutes, she went out and was thankful that she could breathe fresh air since they were facing the beach. Wanting to stay there for a while, she leaned on the railings and closed her eyes.

    "What''s a beauty like you doing here alone?" A man''s voice said, making Katherine turn to the side only to see William approaching her. "Why aren''t you inside enjoying the party?"

    "I just came out for some fresh air."

    "Hmmm You look beautiful in that dress, Ms. Miller." He had a cocky smile on his face as he studied her figure. He was proud that he learned about her name. When Katherine did not respond, he added, "I hope you don''t mind me asking but I am actually also looking for a new secretary. Are you perhaps looking for a better opportunity? Park Group takes ''great care'' of their people."

    ''What an ass,'' she thought. "I''m sorry, Mr. Park, but I''m not interested. Excuse me." Katherine walked past him and did not look back when she heard him say: "It''s a pleasure to see you again, Ms. Katherine."

    She rolled her eyes and got inside the hall. She was about to go back where Damien was but he was not there when she saw the area. She scanned the ce but she still did not see him. Thinking that he may have stepped out for a bit, she decided to wait and stood there as she observed the other guests mingle with each other.

    "Ms. Miller, right?" Frederick Park asked as soon as he arrived at her side.

    "Good evening, Chairman Park." Katherine bowed to give respect to the elder.

    "Hmmm How is it working for my nephew?"

    "It''s been an honor to work alongside the President, Sir. He''s an exceptional leader," she answered resolutely.

    "Indeed, he is. And how''s the penthouse?" Frederick Park questioned without hesitation.

    This was one of Katherine''s fear. She didn''t want for that time toe, yet there she was, being questioned by Damien''s uncle. How was she to answer him? "I It''s"

    Frederick Parkughed but hisugh made Katherine feel great fear. "I''m a frank person, Ms. Miller. I don''t like pretenses. So I''m going to tell it to you straight. I don''t like you for my nephew."

 Chapter 70: Throbbing Hearts

    Chapter 70: Throbbing Hearts

    Katherine did not know what to say after what Frederick Park told her. She clutched the side of her dress as she felt her heart pound in her chest. The two of them were standing side by side as if they were watching the crowd together.

    "Our family''s name is held in high regard in this country. We can''t afford to put any taint on it even a small speck of dust. Damien had always been respected and admired by a lot of people. So his every move is being watched by many. Do you know what will happen if the wordes out that he''s been favoring a little secretary in hispany? I''m sure I don''t have to tell you You''re a smart woman, aren''t you, Ms. Miller?"

    Katherine clenched her jaw as she held back her tears. His every word was like a stab in her heart because they weren''t only reminders they were obviously a threat and the way he spoke carried a tone that made her feel like she''d want to cower in fear. She stood and held her footing despite feeling her knees start to tremble.

    "I don''t me you though. My nephew is rich and especially attractive to thedies. He had his fair share of women by his side from affluent families So if he''s showing you favors now, don''t take it to heart. He''s just trying out different vors."

    "Why are you telling me this?" She finally found her voice and hearing that she wavered, Frederick Park felt satisfied.

    "I''m merely reminding you to stay in your ce. Damien was left in my care after his father died. I am looking out for my nephew. You understand what I mean, right?"

    Just in time, Lexi walked towards them with a fake smile on her face. "Uncle Fred, my father is looking for you."

    "It was a pleasure chatting with you, Ms. Miller. Have a good night." Frederick Park walked away and went to find Lexi''s father.

    As soon as he left, Katherine breathed in and blinked to stop the tears from falling. Lexi came to her side with a wicked smile stered on her face. "Enjoying the night, Ms. Miller?"

    Katherine had only gotten out of Frederick Park''s aura, now another annoying one came. She was determined to ignore her as her mood was already sullen.

    Lexi let out augh, "You look like you''ve been pped. Did Uncle Fred give you words of wisdom just now? I''m telling you, Katherine Damien''s family could only ept me for their nephew. I mean look at you, who would want you?"

    There were a few people around who turned their gaze towards them as it was Lexi''s intent for them to hear. Lexi did not care about her image as she felt entitled because of her status.

    Because Katherine did not want to sully Damien''s reputation, she chose to remain quiet and did not mind Lexi''s words though her tongue was itching to retort. And Lexi thought that Katherine didn''t have the guts to fight back because of the same reason. She was still pissed when Katherine yed her that one time, so she did not hold back.

    "It''s easy to understand You''re just not worthy. You''re nothing but a pretty face." Lexiughed as she walked away and left Katherine under everyone''s scrutiny.

    Not wanting to stay there, she turned around and walked out of the hall only to bump into Damien.

    "Where were you?" he asked.

    As soon as she saw him, she immediately curled up the corners of her mouth as though everything was fine despite feeling like her heart had been crushed. "I was looking for you inside, Boss."

    There it was, Damien knew that there was something wrong with the way her eyes looked. However, she smiled at him like nothing''s wrong. "Are you okay?" he probed.

    Nodding her head, she answered, "Of course."

    Markus walked up to him and said, "Boss, Mr. Amari wants to speak with you."

    "Okay," Damien nodded before he faced her and said, "Let''s go inside."

    Katherine went with them back inside the hall and entertained more business partners all throughout the party.

    It was already ten in the evening when the party was about to end and Damien was already feeling tired. Originally, they were going to stay in the resort but because he had a meeting early in the morning back in the city the next day, they opted to go back. He instructed Markus to stay behind to see the rest of the event and make sure everything was fine.

    In the car, Damien was still concerned about her being quiet ever since the second half of the party. He thought that she was only tired but he noticed that she was only staring at the dashboard as if she was in deep thought. They were already a few minutes away from the hotel when he asked, "Katherine Is everything okay?"

    Just like earlier, it was as if a switch was pressed. Katherine smiled at him as she answered, "Yes, I''m just a little tired."

    Nodding, he remembered what she said at the penthouse before they left. "Earlier You said that you wanted to talk after the party. Is there something that you want to say?"

    Katherine looked away and clutched her hands together. Her heart started to drum and she hated that he chose to talk about it now when they were in the car. But as much as she wanted to prolong it, she knew that she had to talk to him. This was probably the biggest lie that she would have to tell him and even convince herself that it was the case.

    Noticing that she was hesitant, Damien added, "You can tell me anything." His voice was low as though he had already expected it.

    Slowly, Katherine opened her mouth, "I don''t think I can be with you."

    As soon as he heard those words, Damien felt like there was a lump in his throat. He squeezed the steering wheel and clenched his jaw as he listened to her add:

    "Actually I don''t think I am worthy to even think about being with you."

    He breathed out before he replied with an obvious rueful tone, "Don''t you think I should be the one to worry about that? You''re the only one worthy of me."

    "I appreciate that you think of me that way, President Park. But, I would like to focus on my work as your secretary instead," she lied with a straight face.

    He chuckled mockingly, pissed at what she just said. The car came to a full stop in front of the hotel and he asked as he turned to face her, "How could you lie so easily?"

    Katherine stared at the dashboard and did not dare to look at him. If she did, she feared that she was going to take back the words that she said.

    "I know you''re lying, Katherine. Don''t tell me you don''t feel anything for me.

    "Did someone say something to you while I was away?" he asked but she still did not respond.

    He was already pissed and to add to that, he started feeling frustrated and hurt. "Were you just ying with me the whole time then?"

    "I''m single, President Park, just like you. Weren''t we just fooling around?"

    "Bullsh*t."

    "I don''t believe that. You can''t even look at me in the eye." Damien didn''t know what to think. He knew that there was something wrong but she was unwavering.

    Exasperated, he let out a wistful sigh, "Don''t you want to be happy, Katherine?"

    She clenched her hand so hard that her knuckles turned white as she responded with a toneless voice, "I don''t need men to be happy."

    He stifled a mockingugh when he heard her answer. She''s not the only one who can be prideful. "You know what? Fine. If that''s what you want." He pressed a button on the side and the doors unlocked.

    With a trembling smile, Katherine bowed slightly before she got out of the car. She hurriedly headed towards the elevator and as soon as she got inside, her tears came streaming down her face. The seconds felt like hours inside the small space and when she got inside the penthouse, she broke down.

    She could not believe that she hurt him.

    Thinking that it was stupid if she was going to stay there after what she just told him, she grabbed a bag and filled it with her clothes. "Great. You screwed up," she muttered to herself.

    Meanwhile, as soon as Damien got inside his penthouse, he took off his coat and bowtie. Holding the tie in his hand, he gripped it before cing it on a nearby table and headed towards his mini bar. He poured himself a shot of whiskey and drank it in one go.

    Heughed at himself for even expecting her to feel the same way he did. "That''s right. They always leave you anyway. What''s new?" he told himself, feeling like a big joke.

    Wanting to drown himself with alcohol, he poured another shot in his ss.

    He was just about to drink it when he heard the sound of his door as if someone was about to enter. With furrowed brows, he went to see the door open. Standing by the door was Katherine with red and misty eyes, gazing at him with a mncholic look.

    Feeling bitter, he stared at her with a cold expression yet he could feel his heart throb just by the sight of her.

    "Why are you here? What are you doing in a man''s house looking miserable? Didn''t you say you don''t need men to be happy?" he bit out.

    A tear rolled out from her eye when she absorbed the harsh words that he said to her.

    She bit her bottom lip as she hesitantly walked towards him and bravely said, <em><strong>"I don''t need men, Damien. I only need you."</strong></em>

    And just as Katherine said those words, she pulled Damien by the cor and crushed her lips to his.

 Chapter 71: Will You Catch Me?

    Chapter 71: Will You Catch Me?

    Katherine was furious at herself. Her tears were hot against her skin but it was the least of her concerns at the moment as she was practically shoving her clothes into a duffel bag. She didn''t know what she needed to pack  all she wanted was to leave fast and run away from the person that''s causing her heart to tremble.

    This wasn''t supposed to happen. She was supposed to only have a normal life. Despite not knowing her past, she was unfortunately okay with how she was before she met Damien weeks ago even though she was friggin'' poor and struggling.

    But after meeting, knowing, and wanting DamienShe had experienced a lot of emotions more than how much she felt for the past five years. ''He''s cruel. He did this to me,'' she cursed in her thoughts. She got irritated, annoyed, confused pampered and liked all because of Damien.

    While she had already a lot of things in her mind, the words that Frederick Park said echoed in her head:

    ''I don''t like you for my nephew.''"Who the f*ck cares? I don''t like you either!" she spat.

    ''We can''t afford to put any taint on it even a small speck of dust.''

    Katherine felt like her whole being was being trampled on. She felt like ''dirt'' who was nothingpared to Damien and his family.

    ''You''re a smart woman, aren''t you, Ms. Miller?''"Of course, I am. Which is why I''m leaving!"

    Katherine only had one bag in hand, leaving all the other clothes that Damien bought for her. Right She really didn''t have much. Everything was given by him and she couldn''t take it with her.

    Walking out of the penthouse, she went down to the ground floor and arrived at the lobby. She could feel her heavy heart asking for her to stop and go to him but her stupid brain was convincing her to run away and never look back.

    She halted and turned to the side where she saw the "Employees only" door, making her tightly grip the handles of her bag.

    She couldn''t fall for him.

    But just onest look. Katherine wanted to have just onest look at his face.

    Just onest long look if she could. Was it okay for her to be selfish?

    "You already hurt him," she muttered to herself. Was it okay for her to say sorry? At least before she leaves?

    Before she knew it, she was already in the elevator going to the top floor. ''You hurt him. How could you? You''re a bad person,'' she mocked herself.

    The elevator door opened and so did his office door. She dropped the bag and strode towards the corner of the room.

    Katherine stood in front of his secret door that only she knew the passcode of. Her fingers hovered over the numbers on the device on the wall, trembling and itching for her to do what she wanted to do until the scary man''s voice sounded in her head again:

    ''He had his fair share of women by his side from affluent families.''"He told me I was the only one worthy of him!" she bit out.

    ''He''s just trying out different vors.''"What if I am his favorite vor?!" she fumed.

    After a mental debate, she sighed and punched the code into the device. "F*ck it. I want to be happy. Let me be happy."

    As soon as she said that, the door slid to the side, revealing the dimly lit den of the man she yearned to see. When it fully opened, she saw him standing there and looking back at her  Looking forlorn in his unbuttoned shirt and hair that was still perfectly in ce, just like the man that he was  perfect.

    His eyes were cold and deadly as he looked at her but she loved it.

    He was being mean to her with whatever his beautiful mouth was saying at that moment.

    She knew that he quoted her for all the words that she said to wound him earlier and she was hurt as well too but the pain that she felt in her heart dissolved just by looking at him.

    And Katherine became even more selfish. She wanted more. And she wanted him.

    She hated and liked him at the same time. She hated his beautiful face and beautiful eyes that were hating her beautifully at the moment  but she still liked him. She liked him a lot.

    She trod towards him only focusing on his lips, "I don''t need men, Damien. I only need you."

    When Katherine smashed her lips unto his, everything stood still. Even Damien froze on the spot, not knowing what to do with her confusing advancement.

    Her lips touched him for a few seconds before she pulled away and their eyes met.

    "What are you doing, Katherine?" He asked with a piercing stare, she swore she was going to drown in those dark eyes. He remained rooted and did not touch her like she wanted him to.

    "I want to be with you."

    She whispered, her hands fell to his chest, feeling his warmth through his shirt underneath her hands.

    "Are you toying with me again? Is this a game to you? Do you enjoy ying with my emotions, Katherine?"

    "I''m sorry" She kept her gaze on him, wanting him to understand how she really feels but all her eyes did was produce waterworks like a fountain  hating herself for being weak in front of him.

    Just several minutes ago, she didn''t want anything. Why was she doing all this to him now? "If you think this is fun, why don''t you just"

    "I want you," She said under her breath. "I want to be with you, Damien Park."

    Looking into her eyes, he could see it. "I told you, Katherine. If this is your final answer, I won''t allow you to go back on your words," he reminded her.

    "I really want to be with you. Let me be with you."

    As soon as the words left her mouth, Damien imed her lips.

    Her lips were as smooth and as soft as he remembered it years ago. He kissed her gently, tilting his head and brushing his lips with hers in a slow and unhurried manner.

    She tiptoed in her heels and pushed herself against him at the same time that his arms were around her waist while her arms encircled his neck. She was kissing him and he was kissing her back. It''s the most heartwarming feeling in her lips that sent her entire body into submission. He can have her. All of her. She was willing.

    Damien slipped a hand in the slit of her dress  touched her thighs and he lifted her up so that she could wrap her legs around his waist with his hands supporting her back and bottom.

    He carried her to the sofa in his strong arms as if she weighed like cotton and slowlyid her on her back, their lips never parted since they started.

    Katherine tried so hard to keep herself from moaning when his warm hands caressed her sides, touching her in ces that she did not know she wanted to be touched.

    Though reluctant, Damien pulled back to look at her and in an instant, Katherine missed his lips.

    Brushing her hair away from her face, he looked at her tenderly and wondered what was going on in her pretty head that made her change her mind.

    As if she was able to read his wandering mind, she brought her hand up to the side of his face and stared into his eyes as she said, "I like you too, Damien."

    "But I''m afraid that if I fall for you... I might fall so hard and get myself hurt."

    They gazed at each other, their eyes conversing just like their hearts. She parted her lips and asked

    "Will you catch me?"

    Damien felt a strange tug in his heart when he heard her plea. It was as if everything else no longer mattered.

    "With arms wide open."

    He answered and he lowered his lips to hers once again. This time, he grazed his tongue softly on her bottom lip as though he was asking permission to taste her more.

    And as soon as Katherine gave him ess when she parted her lips for him, his fervent tongue danced with hers in a slow and utterly sensual fashion.

    A moan escaped her lips when he felt his hand on her bare thigh, stroking it lovingly while she pulled him even closer as much as she could, wanting to feel his weight on her  wanting to tell herself that she wasn''t dreaming.

    "Stay with me tonight," he breathed. "Don''t go back and stay with me tonight."

    "Why do you sound like that?" she asked when she saw the look in his eyes and noticed the tone of his wistful voice.

    Damien swallowed as he pressed their foreheads together and he whispered above her lips, "I want to sleep next to you and wake up next to you."

    He pulled back and looked at her again as he added, "I don''t want to scare myself if I wake up and not see you beside me... thinking that I''m just imagining all of this."

    "So, Katherine Will you stay?"

 Chapter 72: Soft Lips for Breakfast

    Chapter 72: Soft Lips for Breakfast

    Upstairs in Damien''s huge bed, two bodies were pressed together  not wanting to let go of the other.

    Damien brushed his lips against Katherine''s. He was so gentle so, so careful yet sensual. She could feel his hot breath caressing her mouth whenever he ever so slightly pull away before he''s kissing her again, making her want more.

    She ced her hand over his chest and found his heartbeat incredibly calm despite his body firing up  unlike hers which was beating so frantically, not knowing how to respond to his earthy kisses.

    Katherine was feeling like melted chocte just molding herself into his embrace. She could taste the subtle whiskey vor in his mouth yet it was masked by his tasty fragrance that wafted in her brain, making her dizzy.

    She could feel his hand that was cupping her face glide down her arms, the side of her breast down to her waist her hips and settled on her bare thigh. He pinched it gently before his hand went back up again and found the skin on her back from the cut out of her dress.

    For a brief second, she wondered if her dress was designed that way for this particr purpose  of feeling his warm big hand rubbing her skin at the small of her back. Whoever invented this dress was a genius! ''Thank you, Mr. West.''

    Damien lightly touched his tongue against hers a few times before he nibbled on her bottom lip; every touch of his tongue sent tingles of elecrifying pleasure on her.

    He simply loved her lips and he did not want to stop kissing her. Not until he felt Katherine seemingly losing oxygen in her brain when her breathing became weak did he unwillingly part with her sexy lips, leaving her panting.

    He saw her slowly open her eyes and admired the blush on her cheeks  she looked so adorable, and he loved it. Ah, so this was his little Kitten.

    ''Holy cow Damien Park is such an excellent kisser.'' She could literally die if he hadn''t stopped. And she swore she was aching down there.

    And Katherine didn''t want him to stop, but she was d that he did; it would have been embarrassing to pass out because she forgot to breathe while they were making out.

    For a while, they did not talk. They only wanted to look at each other.

    "Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked in a croaked voice.

    "Because you''re beautiful."

    ''No, you.'' She wanted to argue but she let him win this time; she didn''t mind.

    She leaned forward and kissed his chin. Damien found afortable position where the two of them continued to stare at each other while they cuddled.

    "I don''t want you to lie to me ever again. I''ve had enough of it," he started.

    "I''m sorry." Katherine lowered her gaze, still guilty for what she carelessly said earlier.

    "The world is already full of lies. I want us to remain true. Can you promise me that?"

    Katherine looked up and nodded. Damien pressed his lips on her forehead before he tilted her chin up to make her look at him again. "Now tell me, who talked to you while I was away?"

    She couldn''t look away, hypnotized by his intense gaze. But she couldn''t speak either.

    "If you don''t tell me now, I will still find outter. So why don''t you spare me the trouble and tell me yourself?"

    His voice was gentle. He wasn''t mad but Katherine could feel the seriousness in his tone. She couldn''t look at him when she recalled what they said to her, so she buried her face on his chest and told him what Frederick Park and Lexi told her.

    Damien was quiet as he listened. He knew she didn''t want to talk about it but he wanted to know what unpleasant things they said.

    Katherine''s voice was low but steady when she spoke and he understood why she reacted that way earlier. He was ashamed of his uncle.

    "Is that everything? Are you sure you didn''t forget anything else?" he hinted.

    She remembered William, so she told him about him too.

    "Okay I''m sorry they said those things to you. I should have stayed with you the entire time. Don''t worry, they''ll be paying the price in hell if they every a hand on you.

    "From now on, no secrets  no lies. Got it?"

    Nodding, Katherine pulled back and questioned, "What if I get irritated when theye at me again? They''re your family after all."

    He knew she was holding herself back for him tonight. A smile spread across his face as he answered, "You can do whatever you want. You can tell them off if you so wish. I don''t care, Katherine."

    She knitted her brows as though she didn''t believe him. "Tch. I''ll make trouble."

    "I don''t f*cking care even if you turn the ce upside down. I''ll still stand by your side."

    ''You smooth Devil,'' she said in her thoughts.

    Burrowing into his warm embrace, she inhaled his delicious scent that she so, so loved and nuzzled in his chest.

    Katherine was happy.

    And Damien was happy.

    Katherine woke up a few times during the night as if she wanted to make sure that she was really with him, only to drift back to sleep when her heart became at peace again.

    The next morning, she opened her eyes to see that she was hugging a pillow that smelled like Damien she pouted because it wasn''t him. He had woken up earlier and reced himself with a pillow in her arms before he got out of bed.

    She sighed and looked to the side when she heard the shower from the bathroom. She smiled and blushed when her thoughts went on a little detour.

    Noticing the clock, she remembered that Damien had a meeting. She got out of bed and hastily shimmied out of her dress and changed into his white shirt fromst night that she found hanging on the nearby chair.

    She decided to make breakfast for him before he leaves so she worked in the kitchen like a little wife.

    Damien waltzed in the kitchen looking spruce and yummy. "Hey, you"

    Katherine turned to him and smiled as he walked closer to her saying, "I was going to go back to bed after showering. What are you doing? And in my shirt?" A huge grin cast on his face as he took in her sexy appearance  his white long-sleeved shirt hung on her thighs, two buttons left unbuttoned, and her blushed bare feet looking so delicate.

    "I hope you don''t mind that I borrowed your shirt."

    "Not at all In fact, you can keep wearing my shirts just like this." He gathered her in his arms and gave her a kiss on the lips.

    ''Oh, he also smelled fantastic as always.''

    "I figured I''d cook for you. What time are you leaving?" She ted the bacon, eggs, and toast and ced it on the counter.

    "In thirty minutes, I guess. Do you have any ns for today?"

    She shook her head, "I don''t think so. Why?"

    "I want to take you out for lunch," he pulled her close and she hooked her arms around his neck as he continued, "I''ll pick you up when the meeting''s over."

    "Okay"

    Damien leaned in and owned her lips once again, making Katherine giggle. "You need to eat. You''re leaving soon."

    "I already am I prefer these soft lips for breakfast," he muttered in between kisses.

    His hands dangerously slid down to her bare thighs and were about to slip back up to touch her bottom when Katherine yfully pped his hands away.

    "Eat," she ordered as she pulled away and sashayed towards the nook, Damien following her behind with a charming grin on his handsome face.

    The two ate their breakfast with asional nces at each other and silly, knowing smiles on their faces. Their sweet morning alreadypleting their day.

    Park Group

    Frederick Park and his son William were in his office after their board meeting to discuss future projects when the old man asked his son a question. "What''s going on between you and Lexi?"

    "Nothing yet," William replied as he blew out smoke from his cigarette.

    "You do know that she''s already paired with Damien, why are you still chasing her? You need to stop what you''re nning."

    "Why not? He doesn''t want her anymore. It has been... for a long time. So why can''t I have her?"

    Frederick Park scoffed, "I''ll look for another suitable wife for you."

    William chortled, "If not Lexi I''d want Katherine Miller instead."

    His father cast a look on him, irritated that his son was indeed looking for trouble. He had been waiting for him to get married into any of his friends'' family but instead, he wasted his years ying around with different women while pursuing Lexi at the same time. "What is with this woman? Other than a beautiful face, she is nothing."

    William drew in cigarette and blew it out in a long breath, the smoke clouding the air as his smile became wicked and his thoughts were filled with Katherine''s images. "Oh but she is something. And I want her."

 Chapter 73: Lets Start with ABC

    Chapter 73: Let''s Start with ABC

    A small and bashful smile spread across Katherine''s lips when she tapped on her phone to text Damien. He was supposed to fetch her soon and she wanted to know where they were going so she could dress up appropriately.

    [King Damien: You can wear a dress. As long as you''refortable. I''ll pick you up in an hour.]

    Sheepishly, she put her phone down and started to rummage her wardrobe. It was the first time that she wanted to impress Damien by wearing something nice but her inner self was telling her to chill. So among the bunch of dresses that she had in the closet, she chose a simple ssic white dress with front wrap closure. It was both casual yet flirty because of the amount of skin that her legs were showing.

    Wearing the dress, it fell just right on her mid-thighs. She went to choose a pair of shoes to wear and her brows knitted when she saw the rack was full. She swore that she only had a few pairs including the ones that Damien bought for her before. Sighing, she guessed that he was the only culprit; she needed to talk to him about thister.

    Her eyes were fixated on a pair of suede pumps in bisque that totally went with her dress. And just as she wore them on her feet, the doorbell rang. She checked herself out on the mirror quickly before she headed to answer the door.

    She hadn''t even opened the door halfway yet when Damien already invited himself in, cupped both sides of her face and greeted her with an unexpected, affectionate kiss on the lips thatsted a few seconds before he pulled away and uttered, "Hi."

    Katherine released a gasp, "H-hi." This man could totally sweep her off her feet anytime  and she wouldn''t even mind.

    Damien lowered a hand and held hers. He twirled her around to see all of her and proudlyplimented, "You look heavenly."

    She giggled at his silliness. They had seen each other a few hours ago and he was all touchy-feely with her and being all sweet  not that she wasining. He was also looking like a model like he always did. "How was your meeting?" She tried to push her thirsty thoughts away.

    "It was okay. Let''s not talk about work. It''s a Saturday, Katherine. Let''s go out on a date."

    Nodding, Katherine let him take her by the hand and the two entered the elevator. As soon as it closed, Damien shocked her by turning in front of her, drew her close to him and kissed her silly  she felt like she was floating in a sea of Damien''s tasty scent, molesting her nose.

    "B-Boss Someone''s going to see us," she said and shot a nce at the CCTV camera nted at the top corner of the small space. Damien was blocking her so whoever was currently on duty could only see his back.

    "Don''t worry about them. They wouldn''t dare say anything. They already know the consequences," he reassured but released her anyway.

    She was thankful she wore a kissproof lipstick or she would have already been concerned about looking like a clown at that moment.

    The elevator stopped at a certain floor and several guests came inside. Damien stood beside Katherine at the back of the elevator  stealthily intecing his hands with hers and brought her hand slightly to her back. If anyone would turn their heads towards them, they would only look like they stood close to each other.

    A grin threatened to appear on his gorgeous face when he noticed how red Katherine''s ears were. His little minx was definitely enjoying his touchiness  and he sure didn''t n on toning it down.

    When they arrived at the ground floor, he slightly leaned down until his lips were just right above her ear and spoke in a sexy, raspy voice, "By the way, I love what you''re wearing."

    She felt his hot breath on the delicate part of her ear, making her instantly clench her thighs together and clear her throat.

    Damien let go of her hand and walked ahead of her, leaving her to catch her breath as she forgot to breathe before she followed after him and tried to maintain a poker face until she reached his car.

    ''You Devil of a King. Just you wait,'' she said in her mind as though she was a match to his shamelessness.

    Damien booked a private room in a fancy restaurant that was located in the heart of the city. She had gone there once with him for a business meeting and he remembered that she loved their food.

    "I hope you don''t mind that I already ordered for you," he said.

    Katherine shed a bright smile and was grateful. "Not at all You remembered." She only said it in passing once and he already remembered.

    "Of course. Anything that concerns you, Katherine. I always try to take note of it." He had just touched the back of her hand when his phone rang.

    "It''s Markus, sorry I need to take this."

    "It''s okay. I need to go to thedies'' room too."

    After excusing herself, she walked out of the room and headed towards the restrooms at the far end of the hallway. She was about to turn to the right when she bumped into a man in a grey suit and her purse fell to the ground.

    "I''m sorry, Miss."

    "Oh, I''m sorry," she said at the same time he did.

    The man immediately picked up the purse from the floor and handed it over to her but his eyes grew wide when he had a good look at her.

    Katherine formed a gentle smile on her face as she received the purse and looked at him when she said, "Thank you."

    The man was tall with blonde hair and clear blue eyes that stared at her as if he was studying her. She bowed slightly before she walked past him and entered the restroom.

    The man was still in a daze until a woman''s voice called over him from a distance, "Christopher, are you ready to go? Our flight''s almost boarding."

    Snapping out of his stupor, he nodded to the woman and answered, "Uh yes, I''ll be right there." He nced at the door of thedies'' room and narrowed his eyes before he walked away and whipped out his phone.

    Damien and Katherine had started eating several minutes ago. He was enjoying his meal as much as he loved watching her sigh every time she ced a piece of grilledmb meat in her mouth  obviously satisfied with the sumptuous taste.

    "How was your food?" he asked despite already knowing her answer.

    "It''s amazing, Boss. Just like the first time that I have tried it," Katherine was full-on smiles. Food made her happy. And obviously, Damien made her happy.

    "Umm Boss, can you stop buying shoes for me or clothes amongst other things," she started when she recalled the many surprises she would see in her closet and kitchen whenever she got back home from work.

    "But I love buying you stuff."

    "I appreciate it, Boss, so thank you very much. But, there''s already a lot. And I don''t think I need jars of caviarying around the kitchen when I don''t even eat it on a daily basis."

    Damien chuckled, "The caviar I thought you''d love them. They''re actually gifts from sponsors, I just thought you should try them."

    "Well, okay fine, I can try a jar. But I don''t know what to do with the others unless I could sell them and make some cash," she casually responded, making himugh once again.

    "You can do whatever you want with them." He took a sip of his wine and added, "Also, can you stop calling me Boss?"

    "But you are my Boss," she replied in a small voice.

    "Yes, during work hours. But I don''t think calling me Boss  when I''m your boyfriend  is appropriate."

    Katherine choked on her food and was sent into a coughing fit, patting her chest  she thought she was going to die of embarrassment. "B-B-Boyfriend?"

    Handing her a ss of water, Damien had a sly look on his face as he raised a brow, "Why? Am I not?" A silly grin cast on his face when he saw her cheeks and ears tainted with red. She was adorable.

    Katherine drank the entire ss of water whilst avoiding his teasing stare. This man really knew how to y with her. "What should I call you then?"

    "Honey, I could give you a list of endearments from A-Z if you want."

    He leaned forward, tilted his head and continued, "I can start with ABC  Amore mio... Baby Chrie"

    She became even redder as she bit her lip and Damien decided to be a little gentler with her. "You already called me by my name a couple of times before. Why don''t you try that instead? At least when we''re not working or we''re alone"

    Nodding, she tried, "Okay Damien."

    A bright and satisfied smile appeared on his face upon hearing her say his name. "Good girl. Now, finish your food. We''re going somewhere afterward."<ol><li>Italian for my love</li><li>French for ''my dear''. It''s for someone you cherish. mon chri (if they''re male) or ma chrie (if they''re female) [SH-EH-REE]</li></ol>

 Chapter 74: Damien Park, King – of Hell

    Chapter 74: Damien Park, King �C of Hell

    Damien Park, you are the Devil.

    You are definitely the King!  The King of Hell!

    Katherine''s chest heaved up and down. It was all that she could do as she tried so hard to stop herself from arching her back from the stupidlyfortable bed in the Royal Penthouse while Damien''s lips made open-mouthed kisses trailing from her ankle up to her thigh.

    She could only grasp the sheets underneath to keep herself from moaning but holy hell did she curl her toes and gasp. Every.Single.Time.His.Lips.Touched.Her.Skin.

    She wanted to clench her thighs together but the damn King definitely did not allow her to move nor make a noise or the torture was going tost forever.

    A few hours ago

    After their lunch, Damien was supposed to bring Katherine to the vineyard that afternoon but after receiving a phone call, the two of them ended up going to The Gentlemen''s Club.

    "You own a strip club?"

    Katherine still could not wrap her head around the idea of Damien being the proprietor of a club where booby women wear clothes that were less than the size of their palms. They probably aren''t even called clothes! For all she knew, they probably only wear band-aids!

    "Yup. That''s the one on the left and... a burlesque club on the right." He answered with both of his hands deep in his pockets as they stood outside of the posh-looking establishment. His head turned to Katherine and met her questioning re  he found it so amusing that he chuckled.

    Her face already said it all but she still had to voice it out, "Why?!"

    Turning his head back to the club, he scanned the whole building and answered, "It was one of the decisions that my younger self, from years ago, thought was brilliant."

    Katherine knew that apart from the many resorts Damien owned, he had businesses here and there. But a strip club and a burlesque club? That was a whole new side of Damien.

    "Come on, let''s get this over with." He ced a hand at her back and they entered the strip club.

    They were greeted by the loud music from the speakers of Beyonc singing to Partition  and the first thing Katherine noticed was how ssy the club was.

    Her eyes went wide seeing waitresses parading around wearing plunging long sleeve cutout high cut one-piece bodysuit in ck. While the strippers on stage were wearing glittery two-piece sets. Although it was shocking for her, she definitely found them all HOT  And the music in the background was only making her want to dance.

    "What''s wrong?" he whispered to her when she stopped moving.

    "It''s the middle of the day, I thought strip clubs are only open in the evening?"

    Damien held her hand and had a smile on his face. "Darling, we''re open 24/7."

    "Hey, Boss" a waitress just passed by with a sultry smile on her face and winked at Damien before she strutted in heels towards a table, bncing a tray of drinks on her hand.

    Katherine looked up to Damien and a hint of smile was seen on his face as his eyes followed the waitress making her scowl.

    "What?" He noticed her expression and he instantly read her mind.

    He nodded to the direction of the waitress. "The greeting was for me. But the wink was definitely for you." Katherine''s head snapped to the side and saw the waitress smile at her.

    Amused, he chuckled. He knew men would definitely admire his woman, however, he had again witnessed another woman finding Katherine attractive. "Let''s go." Damien pulled her by the hand and headed towards an office.

    The manager of the club was an old man in his sixties and had been working there since Damien opened the business. He was currently going through a tough time as his wife recently divorced him, so he was a mess when they arrived. He was so drunk and no one could get near him because he would get violent and the only people who he listens to were Markus and Damien.

    However, Markus was currently nursing his sick mother in the hospital which was why he called earlier, leaving Damien no choice but to handle this mess.

    Damien brought the manager with so much effort to the restroom so the man could hurl while Katherine stayed outside, and waited for them while she yed with her phone.

    "How much for ap dance?" A very drunk man in a sleek business suit came at her and grabbed her wrist, swaying from left to right  Katherine''s phone fell on the floor from the forceful pull.

    Surprised, she immediately swatted the man''s hand away and snapped, "Back off!"

    "You" He swayed a finger at her, "I like feisty"

    Katherine was mortified when she felt a hand lightly brush the side of her thigh when she bent down to pick up her phone.

    "Hey!" She pped his hand away and was just about to kick his groin whenrge hands gripped the drunk man''s arm, twisted it behind his back and mmed him harshly to the wall.

    "How dare youy your filthy hands on her?" Damien growled as he kept the drunk man''s face rammed on the wall.

    "W aw!" The man winced.

    "Your name and yourpany." Damien gritted his teeth.

    "What? Who are "

    "Your name and yourpany!" Damien''s cold tone made Katherine step back.

    The man instantly sobered and gave out his information before he was flung by Damien to the side and security guards kicked him out of the club.

    ...

    After the manager was sent home in a cab, Damien got inside his car where Katherine was waiting for him. He was still looking gloomy and had not spoken to her since earlier.

    He started the car and drove to the nearest cellphone shop, bought Katherine a new phone and sped to the hotel  all in less than an hour.

    "I don''t understand are you mad at me?" Katherine asked as soon as she opened the door to the penthouse and turned to him.

    Damien was visibly mad at something or someone or both but his unreadable expression was well, unreadable. And Katherine didn''t know how to pacify her man at that moment when he''s not talking to her.

    Pursing her lips together, she walked towards him slowly until she was half a foot away from him and looked up at him. "Boss"

    "Didn''t I tell you not to call me that?" He trapped her in his arms and pulled her to him until she was pressed up against his front, making her gasp in surprise.

    Embracing her, he rested his cheek on the side of her head and sighed, "I''m sorry I shouldn''t have brought you there. That was stupid."

    Understanding what he meant, Katherine enveloped her arms around his waist, stroking his back. Her man was feeling guilty when she had already moved on from what happened. "I''m okay and nothing happened. So don''t worry about it anymore."

    The scene yed in Damien''s mind and it only made him mad even more. "No, it''s not okay. I don''t like other men touching you."

    "He barely even touched me."

    No matter what, Damien was still pissed just thinking about it. He had already made a call earlier, got the man to lose his job and not receive any severance pay  and he still wasn''t satisfied.

    Tilting his head to the side, he caught a glimpse of Katherine''s bare thighs and he swallowed. Without warning, she was scooped in his arms, making her yelp in surprise. "Ya! What are you doing?"

    "I''ll make you forget someone else''s hand had touched you," he announced as he strode towards her bedroom.

    Everything was so fast, Katherine wasn''t able to utter a word when she was ced on her bed. She watched as Damien rolled up his sleeves and used wet wipes on one part of her thigh  where the man touched her.

    The next thing she knew, he had raised that same leg and when she met his stare, she swore she saw fire in his eyes, making her swallow.

    "D-Damien W-What are you going to do?"

    "Punishing you for wearing that dress. I will have to reim your leg from here to here." He pointed her ankle and her mid-thigh. "If you make a noise..." He ced a kiss on her ankle.

    The small contact of his lips on her skin was like electricity that shot through her abdomen. "W-What"

    "If you keep talking, I''ll make it really slow for you, Kitten. Do you want that instead?"

    Katherine instantly shut up.

    "I''m going to kiss you now, Katherine."

    Another kiss was ced above the skin where his lips were.

    ''Oh, my... Was he really going to kiss me ''til there?!'' Her heart pounded in her chest and her toes curled when his lips brushed her skin once again  her eyes slid shut as the sensual sensation was making her want to scream.

    ''Oh, dear fallen angels Why does your master think this is punishment when I''m clearly enjoying every bit of it?!''

    Seeing her blush and biting her lip, Damien took pleasure in her expression. A sly smile yed on his lips as he lowered them on her skin again.

 Chapter 75: Ill Be Waiting

    Chapter 75: I''ll Be Waiting

    Evening in an empty building...

    A tall man with blonde hair in a grey suit stood tall before a man wearing a hoodie who sat on a chair. With his clear blue eyes, he scrutinized the man on the chair who was afraid to meet his piercing re.

    "Tell me Why did you not tell me about her new job?"

    Christopher''s voice was rough and low, a sign that he was obviously tensed about what he just saw earlier that day. It had been five years since thest time that he saw her face to face and she still looked beautiful just like always and it took him a lot of willpower not to put his arms around her when she smiled at him. But she would never like that especially since she didn''t recognize him.

    Recalling the image of Katherine in his mind, she wasn''t supposed to look so put up. She was supposed to be living a humble life and have a new identity  far away from what she was before she bombed Shadow''s base. Now, what was she doing in that high-end restaurant in expensive clothes?

    He shot a look at the man he hired to check on her every few months. "You had one job and you still screwed up."

    "I I didn''t think that it was something important. When it was time to check on her that one time, she didn''t go home to her apartment for days. I thought she just went somewhere else to rest but I found out that she got kicked out because she wasn''t able to pay her rent. And just like her previous jobs, she switched again. It took me a few days to find out where she was working and nothing seemed suspicious"

    There was no trace of amusement in his face. "And who gave you the authority to judge whether something was suspicious or not? You didn''t think to report it to me as soon as you found out?"

    "Boss I was going to but you were on a two-week mission. I was about to call you as soon as younded."

    He ran a hand on his face, he was pissed. "Keep watching her. Stay away and don''t ever get caught. The man around her isn''t someone you can cross."

    "Understood." The man handed over a brown envelope to Chris and said, "This was taken this afternoon."

    Chris picked up the envelope and took out the pictures. He checked all of them and stared at one picture where Katherine stood with Damien outside of The Gentlemen''s Club and a memory shed in his mind when Katherine posed as ''Tiffany Stone'' in one mission in that very same Burlesque Club.

    He knew what he did was unforgivable but even though he was sorry, he didn''t think he wanted to ask for forgiveness because he believed Katherine should move on and have a new life rather than waste it for a vendetta that would only cost her her life.

    Chris saved her from that massacre; he was determined to keep her alive and let her die of old age no matter what.

    Taking out an envelope from the inside pocket of his suit, he tossed it to the man. "Get out."

    The man looked inside and found a wad of cash before he turned and headed out of the ce.

    "Don''t make mistakes this time. You know what happens to people who disappoint me." Chris sat in the armchair and closed his eyes, reminiscing the beautiful memories that he had with Katherine.

    "Mr. Curtis, the doctor is in the other room." A woman came to inform him and his eyes shot open  his face was hard when he stood up and a dark expression loomed on his face as he walked forward.

    Entering the room, he closed the door behind him and nced over the table on the side where a brushed steel Jericho 941 handgunid.

    "Dr. Cheng" He said as he walked over the table and picked up the gun. "It''s been a while since thest time we met."

    Dr. Cheng who was sitting stiffly on a chair didn''t dare to speak, move, or even look at Chris.

    "Did you ever think you would see me again?" Chris nced at the doctor from his back who already knew why he was brought there. "I bet you didn''t see this day woulde"

    After Dr. Cheng turned in his resignation, he had been in hiding. He even paid a hefty sum for someone to help him erase traces of him  he was afraid that Chris was going to find him. But now that he was sitting across him, he almost peed his pants, it was now clearer to him that he could never hide from this man.

    "Tell me Why is Katherine no longer under your care?" Chris turned to face Dr. Cheng with a stoic expression on his face.

    "I-It''s not my fault. Patients have a variety of reasons why they would choose a different doctor. S-she probably thought that"

    "Well if you had only acted your part well, she wouldn''t even have any reasons to find another doctor, did she?"

    Dr. Cheng instantly shut his mouth. How could he argue with that? He didn''t think that he would even slip up because he had been acting as natural as he could.

    "I couldn''t me you though You are a doctor and not an actor. Am I right, Dr. Cheng?" Chris bent down so that he could look at the doctor in his eyes as thetter refused to look up to him. Tilting his head, he added, "But I hired you and you are taking my money, so it''s only right that you provide me the service that I paid for. Am I not right? Yet you were doing a sh*tty job, Dr. Cheng."

    "Please" Dr. Cheng started to cry. The man in front of him was talking to him so coolly yet the air around him was nowhere near cool. He was used to facing patients and family members who relied on him for treatment and it was the first time that he ever encountered someone like Chris  someone who wasn''t afraid to kill.

    Clicking his tongue, Chris got up and sighed. "Why don''t you tell me about thest session that she had? Tell me everything."

    Dr. Cheng swallowed. "S-S-She was with a man" He recalled that day to Chris, thinking that it might save him if he did.

    After listening to the doctor, Chris cocked the gun in his hand. "Well It''s unfortunate that you havee to your end."

    "P-Please don''t kill me." Dr. Cheng fell to his knees at the same time that liquid trickled down his pants and wet the floor. "I will do everything please!" He cried.

    "The thing is, Dr. Cheng No one else has to know about this. If I let you lose, someone might stumble upon you and know what I have been doing. I can''t let that happen." Chris pointed the gun to the doctor''s head who closed his eyes as soon as he felt the barrel on his forehead. "You know too much," he said before he pulled the trigger.

    "Clean this up," he ordered the man behind him.

    When he got out of the room, a phone was handed to him in which he answered, "Chris."

    The person on the other line spoke for a while before he had the chance to respond. "Got it. I''ll fly in two hours."

    When the phone call ended, he leaned on the wall and imagined Katherine. He had nned to keep watch on her while he was in the country but the phone call that he received informed him that he was assigned a month-long mission in another country  and month-long missions could extend for a few more weeks or even another month.

    For five years, he had kept himself away from Katherine as much as he could but just a few seconds of seeing her in front of him, he was about to crumble. This was what he hated about himself  a cold assassin-sh-agent whose weakness was a woman named Katherine  someone he could never have.

    Pushing himself away from the wall, he walked out of the building with two people trailing behind him. He was determined to protect Katherine away from the world that she once knew but he could only do that under Parker''s radar. If the old man even as much as caught a whiff that Katherine was still alive, he will surely send a team to cancel her  amnesia or not.

    After contemting, Chris was afraid that it will be a matter of time that Katherine might gain her memories back now that it was difficult for him to get anywhere near her because of Damien Park.

    He thought to himself, ''I''ll be back, Katherine And if that dayes that you still want your revenge after remembering everything, I''ll be waiting.''

 Chapter 76: Sorry, baby... youre stuck with me.

    Chapter 76: Sorry, baby... you''re stuck with me.

    "You''re such a bully." Katherine had her back face Damien as sheid on her side.

    Heughed, clearly amused by her reaction. Butpared to how he was feeling earlier, he was definitely, definitely satisfied now  except for the fact that he badly wanted to have a shower to cool himself down but he stayed in bed with her as she refused to look at him after what he did.

    Obviously, it wasn''t a punishment and he knew that he was teasing her too much.

    "And you''re even happy that you''re being called a bully," she scoffed.

    Closing the gap between them, Damien snaked an arm on her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder, "Are you mad?"

    Katherine rolled her eyes and refused to respond. A smile threatened to form on his face but he suppressed it to pacify her and asked, "Didn''t you like it?"

    Heat crept up on her neck and her face was flushed. "Oh my god. Stop asking ridiculous questions."

    She grabbed her Damien pillow and covered her face with it, hitting Damien''s face in the process. He pulled back and his grin was wide when he saw the Damien pillow on her.

    "Do you like me that much?"

    "You like my scent?"

    "You can''t sleep without hugging that pillow, huh?"

    He bombarded her with questions and she finally snapped, "Damien!" She turned around and was about to hit him with the Damien pillow but he caught it with his hand and tossed it to the side of the bed.

    "You don''t need that right now Here''s the real thing right before your eyes." He had his arms open wide as though he was asking her to pounce on him but Katherine only knitted her brows.

    The two of themid on their sides while facing each other and as much as Katherine wanted to pounce on him, she still felt she was being bullied earlier.

    Lowering his hand, he reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear as they exchanged gazes. "I''m sorry" he said.

    Katherine''s gaze became intense as she studied his eyes. "No, you''re not."

    A wide grin was immediately visible on his face. "Yeah, you''re right I''m not even the slightest bit sorry."

    "Ass" she muttered.

    "A handsome ass." He winked.

    "Ugh!" Katherine groaned, "Can you stop that?"

    "Stop what? What did I do now?" His silly grin was still on his face, he was enjoying it too much.

    "Stop being so so Damien!"

    His shoulders shook as he rocked his head back when heughed. "That doesn''t even make sense. I <em>am</em> Damien."

    ssic. Damien was really just being Damien and that was what she liked about him  and what annoyed her as well.

    He rolled out of her bed and went to get himself some water. "Do you want some water?"

    Katherine shook her head but followed him to the kitchen and sat on a chair, watching him as he grabbed the nearest cup and poured water in it.

    She watched as Damien drunk from the cup, his lips touching the rim and his Adam''s apple bobbing whenever he swallows. She must be crazy  even she found that hot.

    The cup was such a lucky piece of thing. Just earlier, his lips were on her leg now they were on that cup. She suddenly wanted to be a cup. ''Can I be a cup? Let me be a cup.''

    Damien wiped the moisture on his lips with the back of his hand and raised a brow at her, "What''s on your mind, Kitten?"

    She profusely shook her head and saw him walk towards her. She gulped when he stopped in front of her and stuck his palm out.

    "Come here." Hisrge hand captured hers and lightly pulled her to him. "Come on, Kitten I want to hold you"

    After a long sigh, Katherine gave in. How could she not when she also wanted him to hold her?

    As soon as she got up, her breath hitched when she felt his arms wrap around her waist and his cool lips were pressed to hers. Her hands that were on his chest slid up and stroked the sides of his neck as he kissed her deeply.

    When their lips parted, Damien hoisted her up, made her sit on the kitchen ind counter, and settled in between her legs.

    "Before" she started, "Did I also like you before?"

    Damien held her hands and ced them on his shoulders as he answered, "You mean before you lost your memories?" He saw her nod and he smiled when he added, "I hope so. I mean at least, I think you did."

    "Why didn''t you convince me?" She looked into his eyes as she searched for answers. "When I came back the next day in your office, why didn''t you tell me convince me of what we had before?"

    "The very first day I saw you after the longest time, I lost all my cool, dragged you into my office, ended up with my balls getting kicked, you quitting right after that and you ran away."

    He patted the side of her head when he saw her purse her lips into a thin line and her cheeks blushing at the memory.

    "I only learned what happened to youter. You know what could happen if your memories came back and I didn''t want to risk that. Because what if you run away again? And whether you had amnesia or not, people can change with time. What you were before you could be different now. It didn''t feel right to force you just because of our interactions in the past. I wanted you to like me as the present you"

    Katherine felt suddenly warm because of his gaze. She only asked a simple question and did not expect him to say so much.

    "What if I regain my memories and decide I don''t like you anymore?" she asked the question that suddenly hit her that very moment and she regretted the second the words left her mouth because she saw the evident look of sadness on his face.

    Why was her mouth faster than her brain?

    However, the next second, Damien curled the corners of his mouth up and kissed her nose. "Then, I''ll just have to woo you all over again."

    "What?" she chuckled.

    "I''ll persuade you everyday if I have to. I''ll make you like me again and I won''t give up."

    She closed her mouth and found her heart was beating faster than usual. Damien could surely make her fall and she probably already had fallen.

    "For the third time, Katherine, I will not allow you to go back on your word. Sorry, baby, but you''re stuck with me."

    She couldn''t help it. Her smile revealed too much of her feelings and she didn''t hide it from him. Looping her arms around his neck, she pulled his mouth to hers and quenched her thirst with Damien''s amazing kisses. "Please do that I don''t mind," she whispered to his mouth.

    "I wish I could bring you with me tomorrow." He pulled back yet his hands remained on her waist.

    "Right you''re leaving. And so early too." Katherine pouted when she remembered that he needed to do a routine check on a few resorts he owned and some important meetings overseas.

    "I''ll be back in a few days. I''m sorry I have to bring Markus with me are you sure you''ll be okay attending those meetings by yourself?"

    "I''ve been studying and you''ve taught me well too. I can handle them, Boss."

    "What if I let Markus stay and bring you with me instead?" Damien tilted his head as he looked at her.

    "As much as I want to go with you on this trip, you need Markus with you."

    He ran his fingers through his hair and strands of hair fell above his brows, making him look even sexier than he already was. Will she be able tost in the next few days that he''ll be away?

    "When wee back, I''ll let him teach you what you need to learn about the businesses overseas so I can bring you with me next time." They had only gotten together and they now had to stay apart for a few days  he wanted tough at himself for he began to be one of those shackled boyfriends, though the only difference is that: he wanted to be shackled to her.

    "I''d love that."

    Damien had the sexiest crooked smile that he gave her just now and she swore she could feel her heart jump in her chest for feeling so stupid and giddy at the same time.

    All of a sudden, a surge of confidence overtook her senses as she blurted, "I want you to stay here with me tonight."

    "You don''t expect me to go back to my ce when l have to be away from you for a few days, right?"

    He could feel her gaze prating his skin when she added, "Good. Because I''ll miss you when you leave."

    Damien loved this boldness of hers. He loved hearing it when she spoke truthfully. He has grown more and more fond of her, so he promised himself that he was going to dote on her even more when he returns ''Brace yourself, Kitten.''

 Chapter 77: The Touch of His Lips on Her Skin

    Chapter 77: The Touch of His Lips on Her Skin

    Spooning  His new favorite.

    Damien could feel the slow and unhurried breathing of Katherine while her back was pressed against his chest. He never liked spooning. But just what was with Katherine that made him do things that he doesn''t normally do?

    He couldn''t help but bury his face in her smooth, coconutty chestnut hair. His nose was tickling the back of her head yet instead of pushing herself away from him, she leaned onto him some more while she was asleep, loving the warmth of his embrace while his arms cradled her and the calm beating of his heart served as her luby.

    He could stay like this with her forever  but his vibrating phone just had to remind him that a business phone call needed his attention.

    Carefully, he slid out of bed while simultaneously cing the Damien pillow in her arms, grabbed his phone and went out to the balcony to take the call. Markus called him to discuss what they needed to do as soon as theynd the next day and despite the chilly air on the balcony, Damien immediately got down to business.

    Katherine let out a groan while her eyes were closed. Her brows slightly scrunched as she murmured incoherent words and her hands gripping the pillow a little too tight  another nightmare disturbed her sleep.

    And in her nightmare, she was on a hospital bed with straps keeping her in ce  making it impossible for her to move.

    "Why are you doing this to me?" she hissed with her teeth clenched. Her breathing was ragged and the more that she tugged the straps that were binding her, the more frustrated she got.

    But the man whose face was not clear just looked down on her. She hated that man with every fiber of her being. She looked at him but all she felt was betrayal mocking her in the face as though she deserved it.

    "I don''t want to do this to you."

    The man had the nerve to stroke her head, making her feel filthy. "But I have to Believe me my Katherine, I''m doing this for you," he murmured in her ear, "Don''t fight it. Just go with it and everything will be over."

    "Everything will be over"

    The words echoed in her head but no matter how much she wanted to believe everything will be over, the agonysted for what seemed like forever. She was almost at her wit''s end, gasping for air and begging for them to stop. ''It''s too painful'' she screamed.

    But who were these people? Why was she there in the first ce? She did not understand what was going on but all she knew was that they were trying to hurt her and there was nothing she could do. No one was there to save her.

    "Please Chris stop stop" Katherine whimpered with tears in her eyes, her breathing wasbored and her forehead glistened with sweat. She repeated the words a few times in her sleep and that was the state that Damien found her in  clutching the pillow and begging a man''s name that he did not recognize.

    The brows in his eyes were crossed as he stared down at her, trying to figure out who the hell was this ''Chris'' and why was his woman saying his stupid name in her sleep and asking him to stop?

    Despite his questions, he went back toy down beside her. Katherine was pulled into his embrace, her tears wiped by his fingers as he said, "Shh you''re okay. You''re okay"

    Her eyes opened when she felt the strokes of his fingers on her face and amidst her blurry eyes, she saw his expression that was filled with concern. And it was all that it took for her to calm down that she instantly nuzzled her face in the crook of his neck while her arm wrapped around him as if it was the only nket of security that she needed  his presence  his embrace  and just all of him.

    "I''m here, baby."

    Sensing her uneasiness as she clung to him so desperately, Damien tightened his hold on her and started to lightly caress her head. In her drowsy state, it didn''t take long for her to be pulled back to sleep in a minute. Only this time, the nightmare no longer came back.

    It was already past midnight and because of what he witnessed, sleep didn''te to him so easily.

    The shuffling sound of clothes woke Katherine up and the first thing that she saw when she opened her eyes was Damien putting on his coat.

    She had to blink a few times before she could adjust her eyes to the surroundings and when he noticed her waking up, he immediately went to sit next to her. "Hi Sorry, I woke you up."

    "What time is it?"

    She checked the clock on the nightstand and heard him say, "It''s six in the morning. It''s still early, you should go back to sleep."

    Despite her sleepiness, she pushed herself off the bed and sat to face Damien. "You''re leaving already. What time do you need to be at the airport?"

    "In thirty minutes." He looked at her and remembered what happenedst night. He wanted to ask her about it but figured they didn''t have that much time, so he decided to ask when hees home in a few days, "Are you going somewhere today?"

    Shaking her head, Katherine indiscreetly checked her breath and was ready to run towards the bathroom but Damien lowered her hand, "What are you doing?"

    Covering her mouth again, she swung her feet off the bed and ran to brush her teeth. Damien chuckled as he watched her in the bathroom from where he sat, "Are you embarrassed, Kitten?"

    Katherine was very quick in brushing her teeth and even rinsing with mouthwash before she wiped her face clean and faced Damien again.

    "Now are you ready to face me?" he asked as she walked back towards him.

    "I don''t want you to have horrid memories of my morning breath while you''re away. You might not want toe back to me anymore," she replied as she sat in front of him.

    "That''s nonsense. That would never happen." Damien pushed her down to the bed and in an instant, he was already hovering over her.

    "Now let me check if you''ve done a thorough job."

    Katherine''s eyes widened for a second the moment that she felt Damien''s soft lips on hers. Her eyes slowly closed and she started to kiss him back.

    "Hmmm" he hummed on her mouth as he pulled back slightly and stared into her eyes. "I''m beginning to think that this trip was a huge mistake. Ask me to stay and I will cancel everything."

    "Don''t be ridiculous, President Park." Katherineughed. "You need to work hard. How else are you going to afford to dote on me if you neglect your responsibilities?"

    Damien''s eyes brightened upon hearing her question. They had talked about it yesterday and she was adamant about telling him to stop spending on her. "Are you finally agreeing with me? Can I spoil you?"

    "No." She rolled her eyes. "But still, you can''t skip on this one."

    "You''re right." He brushed locks of hair away from her face and he asked, "I still worry about you while I''m gone though. You had a nightmare against night. Are you really going to be okay?"

    "I did? Well I don''t remember it. It''s okay, I don''t remember them anyway." She shrugged. "You should go now you don''t want to bete on your first meeting."

    He nodded. "Before I go, let me just" Damien dipped his head and his lips aimed for Katherine''s neck. She instantly reddened when she felt jolts of electricity with the way his skillful lips were kissing her. She had to bite back a moan, not wanting to show how lewd she would sound in front of him.

    Damien raised his head again and caught her closing her eyes and biting her bottom lip down and a satisfied grin danced on his lips. Katherine swallowed and was embarrassed when she saw him looking at her  she must have looked so lustful just now which made her look away.

    "You are so adorable, Kitten. Do you know that?"

    "And you are such a bully. Do you know that?"

    Damien let out a bark ofughter. She was too precious and it made him want to keep her to himself.

    Lowering his mouth to her lips, he gave her one long kiss. He moved to her ear and nibbled on her earlobe before he whispered in a low, husky voice, "I<em> want you to think about me all the time and wait for me. I want you to remember the touch of my lips on your skin while I''m gone, Katherine</em>" His hand brushed her side and her breath hitched. "<em>Miss me and when Ie back, I will kiss you on any part that you want me to.</em>"

    Damien gently pushed himself away and smiled down at her, "See youter, Katherine."

    Her hand flew to her chest only to feel her heart race as she watched him leave her room. "See youter, Damien," she murmured.

 Chapter 78: Bottomless Pit of the Game Called Love

    Chapter 78: Bottomless Pit of the Game Called Love

    It was a Wednesday and it was the fourth day since Damien left for a business trip. Katherine buried herself with work so that she wouldn''t have to think about him a lot. And ever since Damiennded overseas, he had been attending business meetings and visiting his resorts left and right, so he was also busy, but he still made sure to call her before she sleeps.

    She was in the backseat of Damien''s Jaguar XJ trying to rest her eyes for a while when Felix, the driver that Damien assigned for her, called her attention, "Ms. Miller?"

    "Yes?" She straightened up and turned to him.

    "It''s already noon, should I stop at the nearest restaurant for your lunch?"

    Katherine checked the time on her watch and saw that it had just struck noon. She shook her head and softly answered, "It''s okay. I need to attend a meeting soon. There won''t be enough time if we stop now, but we can have lunch at Antis Hotel."

    Felix nodded. The man used to serve the navy for a few years before he decided to retire due to personal reasons. He was indebted to Damien, so when he received his request, he was more than ready to ept it. Therefore, apart from being Katherine''s ''driver'', he was there to keep her safe too.

    Arriving at the hotel located at the heart of the city where she was supposed to meet a client, Katherine entered the lobby with Felix following her a few steps behind.

    "There''s still an hour before the scheduled appointment, let''s go and have lunch first," she said to Felix who nodded in agreement.

    She turned on her heel and headed to the restaurant when a male''s voice called her from the side.

    "Ms. Miller."

    The voice of the man that she least wanted to see resounded in her ear, making her roll her eyes and breathe a heavy sigh as she turned to face him with a stoic expression.

    William Park d in an expensive tailored suit strutted towards her. "What a pleasant surprise. Are you here for business or pleasure?" his stupid mouth opened.

    Katherine saw the cocky smile on his face as he looked at her from head to toe with a malicious gaze and she couldn''t help but snide, "I take pleasure in telling you that it''s none of your business why I''m here."

    "Still snarky I love it," he replied with a chuckle and it made Katherine want to wipe the smug look on his face with her fist. She didn''t know why she hated that man so much  it was as if whenever she sees his face, her blood boils instantly.

    He did resemble Damien a little, and she could even say that he was a good-looking man, only he was not worthy to be called a gentleman, especially not with the way he was looking at her at that moment.

    Two women came to his side, a young one in her early twenties and another one who looked like the younger woman''s mother.

    "William!" The young woman said as she hooked her arm with William''s possessively.

    "Caroline," he greeted her with a smile and turned to greet the older woman, "Madam Young, it''s nice to see you again."

    Madam Young returned William''s greeting while Caroline kept her gaze locked on Katherine and when she could no longer keep her curiosity to herself, she asked, "Who is she?" She nodded at Katherine, her brow raised like she had seen an enemy.

    Noticing that there was another person, Madam Young turned her head towards Katherine and her brows knitted as though she was in deep thought.

    "Ah right, this is my fr"

    "We''re not friends." Katherine interrupted. William was just about to say she was his friend; how hrious.

    He chuckled and cleared his throat, "Madam Young, Caroline, this is Ms. Katherine Miller, she''s my cousin''s secretary."

    "Ms. Miller, this is Madam Young of Young Corporation, and her daughter Caroline."

    Although she didn''t like William, she still gave a bow out of respect to the older woman before she told them, "My apologies, I need to go. If you''ll excuse me."

    She was just about to walk away when William caught her attention again, "I don''t see my beloved cousin with you today Are you going to eat lunch alone? Why don''t you join us instead?"

    "No, thanks," she refused right away and left.

    Madam Young''s eyes were fixated on Katherine as she strutted towards the restaurant. "Will, what did you say her name was?"

    "Katherine Miller," he answered. "Do you know her?"

    She gently shook her head, "She just looked like someone I know from the past. Funny, they also have the same first name." Madam Young smiled but her mind had already wandered to her memories from years ago.

    "Such a coincidence," Williammented and his head turned to where Katherine disappeared.

    Seeing that she was being ignored, Caroline pouted and stomped her foot. "Can we eat now, mom? I''m starving." She tugged her mother and William towards their private room on the other side of the floor.

    "Right, let''s go."

    "Madam Young, I heard that you like Salmon. I ordered one for you today." William gestured for the two women to walk with him.

    "Oh, you are such a dear. Thank you, young man." Madam Young kept a small smile on her face though she couldn''t help but feel uneasy about that woman called Katherine Miller whom she just encountered.

    ''There was too much of a coincidence. She looked exactly like her and the name'' she said to herself. Sighing, she decided that she would have to pay a visit to that man to rify some things.

    Royal Penthouse

    Evening came and Katherineid on the bed with some papers scattered all over it. She had a pen in her hand that she used to scribble some notes on the paper and she was feeling slightly sleepy when her phone rang.

    Grabbing it from the side, she answered without checking who it was, "Hello." Her voice was t.

    "Are you okay?" Damien''s voice sounded from the other line and a smile instantly formed on Katherine''s tired face.

    "Hi yeah I''m just a little tired. How are you?" She asked as sheid her head on the pillow, wanting to rest a little while she talked to Damien.

    "I just got back to the hotel. It was a tiring day for me as well."

    "When are youing home?" Katherine asked without thinking.

    Damien formed a wide smile on his face as he slumped on his bed and thought about Katherine, "Why? Do you miss me already?"

    Heat crept up on her cheeks and she realized what she just asked. Breathing deeply, she reached for her Damien pillow and hugged it. "What if I tell you I am?"

    ''It''s not like you''re going to magically appear in front of me, are you?'' she thought to herself.

    "Then that''s good. Because I missed you too."

    Katherine plunged her face on the pillow, smiling silly at the thought of Damien''s teasing smile  the one that she both hated and loved at the same time.

    "I''m supposed toe back tomorrow. But we ran into some trouble earlier, so we might have to stay for another day." When he didn''t hear a response from her, he continued, "I heard that you met William today."

    ''Of course, you did.'' Felix was very good at his job.

    "Did something happen?" he asked.

    "No, not really I just met him at the hotel where I was supposed to meet the client and he was there with Madam Young. Do you know her? She looked important."

    There was silence on the line for a few seconds before Damien answered, "Yeah, I know who she is."

    "Hmmm that was it actually. I left right away." Suddenly remembering something, Katherine changed the subject, "By the way It''s Emma''s birthday on Friday. I promised her I will have dinner with her and her family."

    "I see I wanted to have dinner with you on Friday. But I guess it can''t be helped."

    Katherine immediately felt guilty. "Umm Emma has met you already, why don''t youe with me?"

    "It''s okay, it''s your friends anyway. They might get ufortable if I crash the party." Damien checked the time and added, "It''s gettingte You should go to sleep."

    "Okay, will you let me know if you''reing back tomorrow as nned?"

    "Of course. Sweet dreams, Katherine."

    The line went off even before she could respond and Katherine couldn''t help but worry if there was something that was bothering Damien. Thinking that he might just be tired, she just hoped that he woulde back soon.

    Even if he was only away for a few days, the long-distance was just too difficult for her and she was starting to get lonely.

    "Tch. You have clearly fallen to the bottomless pit of the game called love, Katherine. You just do not want to admit it."

 Chapter 79: Its Uncanny

    Chapter 79: It''s Uncanny

    The next day

    Twenty-four-year-old Caroline Young sat in an armchair as she yed with her phone inside her mother''s office in Young Corporation. Born with a silver spoon, she graduated from the university but had not worked even once in her life. A few days ago, William''s father Frederick Park contacted her mother and asked if it was possible for her and William to go on a date, and when she heard about the news, she was delighted.

    Having known William for his family''s wealth and the flock of women that were very much interested in him, she felt entitled to be chosen by his father as a potential wife. The two have met a few times in the past but because of this new favoritism, her pride had been boosted.

    "Mom, I will meet William tonight so I won''t be joining you for dinner," she said without looking up from her phone.

    "Already? You just had lunch with him yesterday. It seems that he took a liking to you." Madam Young had a smile on her face as she continued to work on her desk that had a gold desk namete on it that said: CEO.

    "What''s not to like?" A huge bright smile bloomed on her face as she thought so highly about herself  she was the daughter of a CEO, of course, she has it all. Getting up from the chair, she walked towards her mother and gave her a peck on the cheek. "I''ll leave now. I have to visit the salon."

    "Okay, take care, Caroline." Madam Young watched as her daughter walked out of her office. She tapped the pen in her hand to the desk when she pondered on something.

    Her thoughts brought her back to yesterday''s events at the Antis Hotel. Having seen Katherine yesterday, she had a nagging feeling in her heart that made it difficult for her to fall asleepst night.

    Staring at her phone a few inches away, she contemted for a while before picking it up and dialing a number on it. She waited for a few seconds before a man''s voice was heard from the other line.

    "Hello," he said.

    "I wish to meet you soon, when are you avable?" Madam Young asked as she looked at her calendar to coordinate with the person.

    "I''m on a business trip as of the moment. Is this something important?"

    "It can wait but I''m anxious."

    "Then tell me what it is about."

    She brought her thumb to her mouth, bit her nail before sighing and said, "I met this woman yesterday who resembled someone I know from the past. They look so much alike... it''s uncanny."

    "Is this a past lover whom you''re talking about, Madam Young?"

    "Don''t be ridiculous. I want you to look into her. I want to know who she is."

    "What''s the name?"

    She recalled William''s answer from yesterday and repeated it to the man she was talking on the phone, "Her name''s Katherine Katherine Miller. Check her background and get back to me as soon as you can."

    The man did not respond and the line went dead while Madam Young stared at her wall as she thought about the possibilities. Turning her head to the side, she opened a drawer and retrieved a family picture that was taken decades ago but as soon as she was able to take a look at it, she ced it back hastily inside and closed the drawer.

    She clenched her hands together, as she nervously sat on her chair, not knowing what to expect from the investigation that she had just asked that man to do.

    Crown Resort Group

    It was already noon and Katherine was able to finish half of the tasks that she needed to do for the day. She was so focused on her work that she only noticed someone came to her desk when she heard a knock on it.

    "Ms. Miller?"

    Looking up, she saw Caleb Yoo smiling down at her. "Oh, Mr. Yoo." She got up from her chair and greeted him with a bow. "Can I help you with something?"

    "I just thought I''d check up on you here since Damien isn''t around. You haven''t eaten your lunch yet, right?" He peeked at her desk and saw that there were a lot of documents on it. "I guess not."

    Katherine nced at the clock on herputer and only realized that it was past twelve already. "I didn''t realize the time. I''ll just finish a few more and then I''ll take my break."

    He shook his head and nodded his head to the side, "Let''s go, Ms. Miller. I''ll treat you for lunch. You can finish thatter."

    She nced at her desk and thought about it for a second when she heard Caleb speak again, "Don''t tell me that you''re still considering it? You need to eat, Katherine."

    "B-But"

    "You always eat with Damien, right? But since he''s not here, does that mean that you won''t eat as well? You''ve been working hard these past few days while he wasn''t around. I don''t think he''ll be happy once he finds out that you are skipping your meals."

    Looking at his boyish charms, Katherine couldn''t help but return his smile with a gentle one of her own. Nodding, she turned off herputer and grabbed her bag. "I guess I could take a break to eat."

    "Good. I know a really good Thai restaurant on the next block. Do you mind walking?" The two of them headed towards the elevator and entered it.

    "Not at all."

    It was silent for a while before Caleb spoke again, a little hesitant this time, "Say Katherine I hope you don''t mind me asking Though you don''t have to answer if you don''t want to."

    She turned her head to look at him, wondering what he was curious about. "What is it?"

    He looked down as he thought about how to formte his question. Slowly, he asked, "Damien and you Are you guys romantically involved?" He looked up and met her stare but as soon as the question left his mouth, she looked away and without even waiting for her answer, he already knew it.

    Katherine swallowed and pressed her lips together, the small space inside the elevator felt like it had gotten even smaller. Why was the ride going down seem to take longer than it was supposed to?

    Noticing the uneasiness on her expression, a tiny smile appeared on his face. "You don''t have to answer. I apologize for making you feel ufortable."

    "Why do you ask?"

    The elevator door finally opened. The two of them stepped out and started walking towards the restaurant while Caleb postponed what he wanted to tell her untilter. Felix noticed them right away and as naturally as he could, he followed them from behind until they reached the restaurant. He stood outside and waited until they finished.

    As they started eating, Caleb finally answered her, "Earlier, you asked me why" He saw Katherine nodded lightly and he continued, "Curiosity mostly. But aside from that, I just wanted to give you a piece of advice."

    Getting her attention, Caleb casually ced a few pieces of food on her te as he answered, "It''s good that you two are getting close and I guess you know this already but getting involved with Damien Park can have consequences. A small scandal could lead to problems and problems for businessmen like him are a pain in the ass. Sorry for thenguage."

    She formed a small smile and waited for him to continue.

    "Back at the party, I saw Uncle Fred talking to you" Caleb noticed Katherine shift in her seat and he didn''t like that he had to talk about it but if he wouldn''t, who else would? "I could already guess what he said. But I hope you won''t get discouraged."

    She finally met his stare and she asked, "Why are you telling me this?"

    "I have seen the way Damien looks at you and how he treats you. I''ve been friends with him ever since we were kids, Katherine. I know what he has been through. He might be yful and constantly have a smile on his face but he''s actually a very lonely person."

    Katherine''s brows knitted and her observation from the past about Damien resurfaced. It was just like how she saw him interact with others  how his smiles were not genuine.

    "What do you mean lonely? He has you guys as his friends, right?"

    Caleb sniffed, "It''s different. We are indeed like brothers but even brothers have secrets. I know a lot of his secrets, Katherine, but even then he doesn''t want to show his weakness."

    Thinking about Damien, she had always seen him as this capable man who has a naughty side in him and hearing from Caleb that he''s a lonely person, she wondered about it, "Is he that sad?"

    "He grew up without a mother''s love. And being born in the Park family" He closed his mouth and thought that he shouldn''t say too much, so he bit his tongue before he continued, "His childhood was tough. If that dayes, I''m sure he''ll tell you about it. But until then I hope you can stand by his side."

    "We''re not Our rtionship isn''t that deep yet I think I''m" Katherine''s cheeks blushed, making Caleb chuckle. "I don''t think we are there yet"

 Chapter 80: Perv

    Chapter 80: Perv

    Seeing the expression on Katherine''s face, Caleb thought that Damien would probably punch him for making his woman blush too much. He found his best friend had actually fallen for a woman like Katherine who was unlike the women that he dated in the past. Who could have known?

    "You''re too cute, Ms. Miller." He shook his head, "It''s okay I know what you mean. You two have just started your rtionship, right?" She nodded. "I''ve heard that you two met before, and if Damien still wants to stay with you after all these years, that''s something. And it''s the first time that I''ve seen him take care of someone like he does with you."

    "Wasn''t he with Lexi then?"

    "Lexi is a different thing. They were together but Damien didn''t love her. It was more like an obligation for him to be with Lexi because of their family''s pressure. She wasn''t all bad, you know? I mean at least she wasn''t while we were growing up. She''s spoiled but she was okay and all of us took care of her. She was close to Damien because she felt bad that he didn''t have a mother."

    "I shouldn''t be telling you about his past Whatever you want to know about him, it shoulde from him, right? So Can you keep this a secret?"

    Katherine nodded. She appreciated that Caleb told him a little about Damien. "Thanks for telling me."

    "What I really wanted to say is that, the road from here on out will be troublesome. Damien has a lot of enemies that we know and we don''t know about. My best friend is a capable man, Katherine, but even formidable men like him have a weakness. And you are his."

    "If maniptive people know about this, they could use it against him. You will be facing problems from the people who want him to go down and even from people he would least expect. For years that he''s been on top, his rivals couldn''t find anything that they could use against him.

    "Though, I''m sure that he will do everything he can to protect you. I''m not scaring you, I''m telling you this so you can be prepared. I like you for him, and I want you guys to work. I just hope that you''re strong enough."

    After hearing all of those from Caleb, Katherine felt both thankful and worried. She was only an ordinary person, what can someone like her do for someone like Damien?

    The entire afternoon, Katherine waited for Damien''s message but she hadn''t heard from him since the night before. She had wanted to contact him first but she was afraid that she was only going to disturb him so she ended up not doing anything and just waited.

    It was eight in the evening when Katherine entered her penthouse and instead of feeling rxed that she was now home, the huge ce just felt empty. Tossing her bag aside, she went to have a long bath, thinking that it might ease her worries away but even after doing so, she was still restless.

    Staring at the full-length mirror, she stared at her own reflection while the conversation that she had with Caleb earlier that day yed in her mind.

    Was it really so difficult to be with him?

    Shaking off the thoughts in her head, she put on some clothes and grabbed a coat from the hanger before she left the penthouse  she was too lonely to stay in that ce alone for so long.

    It was a few minutes past eleven when Damiennded on the tarmac. He was supposed to extend another day overseas but he chose to cram everything that day just so that he could go back home even if it waste in the evening which made him extremely busy the whole day.

    In the backseat of his car, he closed his eyes as he tried to suppress a headache creeping up. "Where is she?" he asked.

    "After dinner, she went back up to the penthouse, Boss," Felix answered. Since Markus flew with Damien, he was the one who picked them up from the airport.

    "How is she?"

    Felix reported what happened that day while Damien listened quietly. As soon as they arrived in the hotel, instead of going home to his own ce, he went straight up to the Royal Penthouse.

    Checking the time in his watch, he thought that it was alreadyte. Not wanting to disturb Katherine, he entered the penthouse using his own keycard.

    When he entered the ce, it was dark and quiet. ''She must already be asleep,'' he thought as he headed towards her bedroom. However, when he walked inside, the bed was empty and she was nowhere to be found.

    "Katherine?" he called as he checked the entire penthouse.

    With his brows furrowed, he whipped out his phone and called her number. Her phone rang but she didn''t answer even after a few tries.

    "Where the hell are you?" he breathed out as he started to feel frustrated and worried.

    Damien took out his phone again and called Felix. "Didn''t you say that she''s in the penthouse? She isn''t here. I need you to look for her right now."

    He ended the call and sat on the sofa for a good fifteen minutes before he left the Royal Penthouse and headed to his own house. He badly needed sleep but because Katherine was missing, it seemed like he wasn''t going to have any that night.

    Arriving at his own house, he grabbed a bottle of water from the kitchen before he went upstairs to his bedroom. His entire body ached from all the work and traveling he had done the whole day that he felt he could copse anytime.

    Opening the door to his room, he froze on the spot and his cell phone rang in his pocket. "Hello?" he answered softly.

    "Boss, Ms. Katherine She''s"

    "Yeah It''s okay, I know where she is. I found her."

    The line went dead and Damien took steps forward as his eyes were fixated on something in front of him. It was as though his exhaustion was sucked out of his body when he saw the most amazing discovery before him  Lying on his bed was none other than Katherine.

    He loomed over the bed as he watched her peacefully sleeping while hugging a pillow just like she always did.

    He was so worried when he realized that she wasn''t in the penthouse when it was alreadyte at night. How could he have known that she was in his bed all along?

    "Silly, you should have told me," he muttered. To hell with changing, he wanted to hold her right away.

    Taking off his coat, he slipped in the bed and under the covers, removing the pillow that she was hugging and pulling her towards him. He tried his best to be as careful as he could in order not to wake her up but Katherine''s eyes slowly opened just as he was settled.

    "Damien?"

    "Sorry, I woke you up." She pushed herself up and sat on the bed, looking at him as if she was making sure that he was really there. "How long have you been here?" he asked.

    A tinge of red tainted her cheeks. He wouldn''t think that she was being a creep, right? He just found her in his bed while he wasn''t there. That''s just creepy. She wanted to scold herself for falling asleep.

    "Sorry I''ve been alone in the penthouse since you left and I haven''t heard from you sincest night. I just thought I''d swing by and maybe if I saw your things I don''t know why I was here I saw your bed and it was inviting I I I didn''t realize that I had fallen asleep."

    He chuckled. "You know, it''s okay to say that you miss me."

    Katherine scoffed, "Tch. I don''t."

    "Really? Because I swear I could smell my perfume the moment that I entered the bedroom. You aren''t some kind of a perv that likes to bathe in my scent, are you?"

    "What?! A-Are you saying that I''m a pervert?" Her face was all red and her eyes darted to the side where she found his perfume a couple of hours ago.

    Seeing her reaction, Damien''s grin grew wide. He sat up on the bed and tilted his head to catch her gaze. "I don''t know, Katherine, are you? Because I don''t mind if you are."

    "Stop being ridiculous! I was just curious, okay? I sprayed it only once!" She refused to look at him and it only made him burst outughing.

    "God, you''re too adorable." Cupping her chin with his fingers, he made her look at him. "I miss you too, you know?"

    "Instead of hugging some pillow, why don''t you hug the real thing instead?" Opening his arms wide, he added, "I smell and look better. What''s more, I even hug back and give some kisses."

    Katherine narrowed her eyes at him before a smile broke on her face. "Bully," she muttered before she pounced into his embrace.

    "Oof." The two of them fell back on the bed chuckling.

    "I''m d you''re back," she nuzzled on his chest while he tightened his arms around her.

    "Mhmm I''m home."

    Tipping her chin up, he ced a soft kiss on her lips and he heard her say, "Yeah Wee home, Damien."

 Chapter 81: So, baby, lets just turn down the lights ?

    Chapter 81: So, baby, let''s just turn down the lights ?

    After Damien took his shower, the two of them were getting ready to go to sleep  or at least, that''s what Katherine thought.

    "So... Where do you want them to be?" he asked as soon as he slipped in the bed andid next to her.

    He was now wearing a thin white T-shirt and sweatpants  his usual sleepwear. Katherine couldn''t care less about what he''s wearing as he would always look good in any clothes or most probably, even without them.

    "What do you mean?" She watched as Damien shifted on his side with his hand supporting his head. He was looking at her with an unreadable expression yet his eyes were clearly on fire as though he was ready to swallow her whole. And it wasn''t exactly something that she would be against with. She gulped.

    Without warning, he flipped to hover over her. She could feel his weight on her and it was surprisingly and utterly sexy to have Damien on top of her. How could she deny that she was without a doubt enchanted by him?

    "Have you already forgotten what I told you before I left, Katherine?"

    His voice was like melted golden chocte in her ears. The fringes of his hair fell before her, tickling her forehead and making him look desirable than when he neatlybed them away from his face. His manly jaws and piercing stare,bined with his scent that wafted in her nose sent her into the precipice. Why was this kind of man allowed to walk on earth? It should be illegal!

    Damien didn''t know what was on her mind yet seeing the way she was undressing him with her eyes, his desire was woken up. Katherine was dangerous but at that moment, he believed he was far more dangerous. They hadn''t seen each other for five days and he was aching. So, if he couldn''t control himself, he''s afraid that his little Kitten might have to suffer.

    "What?" Katherine realized he asked something but she was far too busy ogling him that his question didn''t register.

    "Looks like you have really forgotten. Would you like me to remind you then?"

    With his fingers, he turned her head to the side and with his other hand, he brushed her hair away, exposing her neck.

    Without being able to look at him, Katherine''s stare was fixed on the nightstand next to the bed and the next thing she felt was his soft lips brushing on the side of her neck, she instantly closed her eyes.

    "Didn''t I tell you" Another kiss touched the skin just below the first one. "...to remember" And another"...the touch" And another"...of my lips" And another "...on your skin?"

    His mouth was now on the base of her throat and the only thing that she could do was curl her toes and grip his shirt with her hands, pulling him towards her.

    Jolts of electricity shot through her abdomen when she felt his hot wet tongue draw circles on her skin as his mouth traveled back up towards her ear, nipping licking and making open-mouthed kisses until his teeth found the lobe of her ear.

    "Now tell me, Katherine, where do you want me to kiss you next?" His voice was breathy and hot against her skin, she was already blushing red when Damien grazed his teeth on her ear.

    Wasn''t he already doing that? Was he going to do more?

    "I I" Katherine was totally dizzy. She couldn''t think straight because of what he was doing to her.

    He ran his nose on her hair, smelling her sweet delicate scent that he loved so much and he exhaled, "You smell so good, Katherine" The way he said her name was so sensual and feeling the touch of his lips on her was driving her crazy.

    Lifting his head, he stared down at her, meeting her hazy eyes. Without warning, she pulled him to her and captured his lips with hers, kissing him and locking her arms around his neck, her fingers threading through his hair.

    His hands skimmed to her side and found the seam of her shirt. Slowly, his hand slipped under the fabric and he felt the smoothness of her skin beneath his hand. She moaned into his mouth as his hand dangerously inched higher and she flinched as though she was scalded by his burning hand.

    Katherine suddenly pushed him and the little action broke his trance that he was immediately off of her in a split second.

    "I''m sorry." His back fell on the bed and his hand was over his mouth when he realized what he had done. "I''m sorry I got carried away."

    Sheid still next to him, panting and not knowing what just happened. Everything was fine just then until until she felt Damien''s hands on her bare waist that she panicked and pushed him.

    Without turning his head, he softly spoke, "I I''m sorry I crossed the line. I understand that you''re not ready Sh*t. Did I hurt you?" He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, afraid to look at her at that moment.

    Her delicate arm wrapped across his torso and pulled him close, making him turn to her; he was unsure of what he was going to see.

    Katherine pursed her lips into a thin line and met his questioning stare. "You didn''t do anything. I''m sorry, I panicked."

    Damien shook his head as he raised his hand to tuck her hair behind her ear. This woman thought that it was her fault and it was making him feel bad. "You shouldn''t be sorry. It''s my fault. I don''t want to do anything to you against your will. I wouldn''t force myself on you you know that right?"

    Nodding, Katherine believed him. She trusted him more than she trusted herself.

    "Don''t worry, Katherine Unless you''re absolutely ready, I won''t do anything to you."

    She continued to gaze at him in the eyes and wanted to tell him  it didn''t mean that she didn''t want him, she was just a little scared of it is all. "Maybe slowly?" she asked and he understood what she meant right away.

    "I understand." He brought her hand up to his lips for a kiss and to clear the atmosphere, his sly smile appeared on his face once again, "I can do slowly I guess I''ll have to start training you then?"

    Katherine reached for a pillow and smacked Damien''s face with it.

    "Aw!"

    She turned to face the other side with a scoff, her back facing him. In an instant, Damien pulled her towards him so that they were now spooning. "How were the kisses? Did I miss some parts?"

    "Stop asking me questions that I don''t know how to answer!" She buried her face in her hands.

    "Why not? How hard could it be to answer the question?" The foolish man had a wide grin on his face, enjoying that he got to tease his little minx once again. He had missed her so badly the past few days.

    Thinking that she needed to prove a point, she turned to face him again, her face flushed with a hint of red as she spoke fast in one breath, "It''s so embarrassing to answer them okay? You wouldn''t be able to answer them if I throw the question back to you! Tell me then, Damien, did you like kissing me?"

    "Yes."

    "What?" Katherine was caught off-guard by how bold he answered her question. How was it so easy for him?

    "I said, yes, Katherine. I absolutely loved kissing you," he said without blinking, his eyes bore into her.

    She swallowed. With a heavy sigh, she averted her gaze away. "I give up. You are far too shameless."

    She felt the rumble of his chest as heughed at her words. Damien Park was such a bully  but he is her bully.

    "Now it''s your turn. I can''t be the only one who likes it Or I would start thinking that you don''t like it."

    Heat crept up on her neck as she buried her face onto his chest. "Gosh, can you stop? Okay, fine! I like them okay!? Will you please let it go now?" Her words were muffled as she refused to look up to him so she spoke while she hid her face.

    Curling the corners of his mouth up, Damien encircled his arms around her and ced a kiss on her head. "See? You''re learning now. We have got to do a regr training session."

    He heard her groan on his chest, making himugh once again. "Okay I''ll stop teasing you now."

    Reaching themp from the nightstand, he switched it off, dimming the entire room. "It''ste. Let''s go to sleep, Katherine."

    "Damien?"

    "Yes, baby?"

    Katherine blushed at the way he just called her. He could call her anything and it will sound just as sexy.

    Shaking her thoughts aside, she breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks foring home safe. I missed you while you were gone."

    She felt him stifle a chuckle just before she heard him say, "I think I know how to start your training. I realized that you be so honest when the lights are turned off."

    "Oh my God, Damien! Just stop it, already!"

 Chapter 82: Its hot. So hot.

    Chapter 82: It''s hot. So hot.

    "Are you seriously wearing that?" Damien asked while he eyed her up and down as they stood in his kitchen.

    It was thirty minutes past five and Katherine had gone back to the Royal penthouse, changed her clothes to a more casual one for Emma''s birthday dinner, and went back to Damien''s ce to bid him goodbye before she leaves. However, the man in a ck shirt with the sleeves rolled until his elbow, obviously looking like a snack, had his hands on his waist and was giving her a questioning look.

    "Why? What is wrong with what I''m wearing?"

    He gave her a thorough examination once again  exposed neck  exposed arms  exposed legs  exposed... lovely face.

    Was it possible to have a tailored suit that would cover all those exposed parts that he didn''t like to be exposed?

    "Too much skin, Katherine. Is n going to be there?" He leaned on the counter, crossing his arms as he looked at her.

    "It''s Adam," she corrected. He''s being silly, he obviously knew her friend''s name already but he just purposely said it wrongly. "And also, what do you mean too much skin? Did you expect me to wear a turtle neck and a floor-length skirt? What am I, a nun?"

    "Oh you would look absolutely sexy in a turtle neck and a floor-length skirt." He winked.

    "Very funny, Mr. Park, but you bought this dress for me. What am I going to do with it? Was I supposed to hang it up in my closet and just stare at it?"

    He ran a hand on his face and then raked his fingers through his hair in frustration. Why was he doing it to himself? He did buy her that dress along with all the other pretty dresses because he loved to see them on her. What now, Damien?

    "Do you at least have a coat?"

    Katherine quickly raised her right hand to show her coat to him. Nodding, he walked towards her, took the coat from her, wore it on her and closed the buttons. "There."

    "You do realize that I''m going to remove it when I arrive at the party, right?"

    Damien''s hands froze and his eyes icily stared into her, making her gulp. "I''ll drive you there."

    "No need. I already called a cab."

    He narrowed his eyes at her as he raised his hand to her forehead and flicked it with his finger.

    "Aw!!! What was that for?!"

    "That is for you to remember," he said in a low voice.

    "Remember what?" She clicked her tongue as she rubbed the sore spot on her forehead.

    "No drinking, Katherine." His voice was serious and there was no hint of amusement in his tone. He meant business.

    She chewed on her bottom lip, her eyes darted to the side, and her hands clutched together. "Emma said I can have one ss and I''ll be fine," she reasoned with a small voice.

    "Do whatever you want," he resigned and instantly, Katherine felt guilty.

    "Stop being broody, I''ll be fine." Tiptoeing, she pressed her lips on the corner of his mouth. "Are you sure you don''t want toe with me?"

    Shaking his head, he snaked his arms around her waist. "Thanks but I''m already making dinner."

    "Beef noodles again?" she chuckled and heard a beep on her phone, indicating that her ride has arrived. "I have to go."

    Damien ced a kiss on her forehead before letting her go. "Be safe and enjoy the party. Call me when you''re done, I will pick you up no matter what time it is."

    "Bye~" Katherine skipped towards the door while he watched her disappear from his ce.

    Turning to the pot, he switched the burner on and the fire lit. "I guess it''s just you and me again, mom," he muttered to himself as he began to cook the dish that he had perfected over the years.

    It was the day that his mother left him years ago and the only memory that he had was the dish that she gave him that day which was the reason why he had learned to make the dish himself and made an even better version of it.

    It was past ten in the evening and Damien just finished taking a shower when his phone rang. Checking the caller, he answered it immediately, "Text me the address, I''ll be right there soon."

    "Umm President Park?" Another woman''s voice came from the other line and it wasn''t Katherine''s.

    "Who is this?"

    "This is Emma We''re at my house. It''s just one block away from Katherine''s old apartment. You''ll see a blue gate with the number 13 on it."

    "Where''s Katherine?"

    "You see umm She fell asleep."

    "Is she okay?"

    "Yeah she kinda drank a little"

    Without dy, Damien ended the call abruptly. He grabbed a coat to cover his sleepwear, his wallet, and car keys before he hastily alighted the stairs and into his car in a sh.

    "Kitten you are in big trouble," he said under clenched teeth as he started his engine and sped off.

    "I''m sorry, President Park, it was my fault. I left for only one minute but my little brothers tricked her into drinking beer." Emma red at her two teenage brothers and they flinched.

    "We just wanted to see fun Katherine. She''s always so cool when she''s drunk," said one of Emma''s brother.

    "Yeah, remember that one time when she started beating up all those freaks and ended up in the police station?" The other brother recalled and the two boysughed at the memory.

    Emma gave each of her brothers a smack on the head and apologized to Damien once again.

    "Why is she asleep? Did she drink a lot?" he asked.

    "Not really Tequ makes her crazy. Beer just makes her sleepy," Emma confessed.

    "Thanks for calling me." Damien scooped her up in his arms, carried her out of the house and into his car.

    Because there was no more traffic, it took him less than thirty minutes to arrive back at his ce. And just as they entered his bedroom, Katherine woke up and asked to be put down.

    "Do you need medicine?" he asked in a cold tone.

    "<em>It''s hot. So hot.</em>"

    Katherine started unbuttoning her dress as she walked towards the bed and in a matter of seconds, she had stripped down until she was only wearing her bra and underwear  her clothes dropped to the floor and in an instant, she slipped under the covers and curled into a ball.

    As if he was trying to meditate, Damien deeply breathed in and out before he took off his coat andid next to her, but he stayed on top of the covers to avoid having contact with her skin. It was all that he could do to calm himself.

    "<em>I am in control of myself</em>," he muttered to himself a few times.

    Katherine''s eyeszily opened and watched the gorgeous man next to her. She knew this man and she was happy to see him beside her. "Why are you still wearing your shirt?"

    "Hmmm?" Damien turned his head and met her stare but as soon as he did, the nket was yanked off from underneath his heavy body and flew out to the side of the bed, exposing Katherine''s half-naked state.

    "I said" She rose up and wasying on her side, her luscious chestnut hair flirtatiously fell over her shoulders like a waterfall. Her hand skimmed on the front of his chest and traveled down to his waist as she continued, "Why are you still wearing your shirt? I told you... it''s hot."

    Before he knew it, Katherine flipped on top of him, her legs straddling on either side of his waist and without warning, she lowered herself and hungrily kissed him on the lips.

    With so much restraint that he had with himself, being kissed by his almost naked woman like that, how the f*ck was he going to push her off of him?

    ''<em>Damn it, I have no control over myself.</em>''

    Katherine''s kisses were bold  her tongue gained ess into his mouth and when she found his, she dueled with it, making him groan.

    In a split second, she found the seam of Damien''s shirt and she swiftly took it off of him  over his head and to the floor.

    Roaming her hands up and down his biceps, she nibbled on his lips and when he found her waist, he gripped it as he tried to say, "Katherine we can''t. I can''t do this while you''re"

    She dipped her head to the side of his neck and all of a sudden, she stopped moving.

    Damien froze and a few secondster, he heard her soft snore against his ear.

    ''You have got to be f*cking kidding me.''

    He gently pushed her off of him, rolled her back to the bed, and secured the nket over her body before he got out of the bed.

    Damien painfully breathed a sigh out as he felt the throbbing ache in hisher regions  his length was begging for him to be stroked.

    Unceremoniously, he headed towards the bathroom and gave himself another ridiculous cold shower.He had convinced himself that he should probably start counting Katherine''s debt and when the timees that she''s ready, he''s going to start collecting  with high interest.

 Chapter 83: “I wont do it again," she said.

    Chapter 83: ��I won''t do it again," she said.

    7 am

    The buzzing of a phone on the nightstand woke Katherine from her sleep. She shifted and stretched in ce and slowly opened her eyes to see the walls of Damien''s bedroom. A smile appeared on her lips as though she had the most amazing sleep ever.

    She reached out for the phone and realized that it was Damien''s, so she ced it back to the nightstand, wondering where her phone could be.

    Sitting up, the nket that decently covered her body fell to her waist, and when she looked down to herself, her eyes widened upon discovering that she was only wearing her ck bra and underwear.

    With a gasp, she immediately covered herself up and looked around the room to see if Damien was there, but he wasn''t, making her breathe a sigh of relief. However, she realized  that didn''t mean that nothing happenedst night. If she was in his bed, then where was he?

    She tried so hard to recall what happened the night before; however, the farthest that her memory could take her was from the time that Emma''s brothers urged her to drink a weird tasting juice lots of it because they were... having a contest? That was so weird.

    She shook her head and narrowed her eyes as though she was trying to focus on recalling her memories fromst night until there were a few fragments that she could remember. OMG! Did she

    A hand flew to her mouth, and Katherine gasped when an image shed in her mind that she was on top of a topless Damien while she was half-naked and was kissing him hungrily.

    Heat crept up on her cheeks, and she attempted to remember some more, but nothing else came up. She was only slightly tipsyst night and was not totally drunk, which was why she remembered just a bit of what transpiredpared to when she got drunk with Tequ, where she totally cked out.

    "You are crazy, Kath! What did you do?!" she scolded herself.

    She chewed on her lip as she felt extremely guilty. How could she be so shameless that she attacked Damienst night? He couldn''t be mad at her, right? He wouldn''t think that she was unlikable, right?

    She could no longer take it. She hurriedly rolled out of bed, grabbed her dress that was neatly folded on the armchair, and wore it before she went to the bathroom to check on herself. Nothing seemed to be particrly awful on her face, so when she was ready, she carefully opened the door of the bedroom and walked down the stairs very carefully when she saw that Damien was sleeping on the sofa.

    Katherine stopped when she was a few feet away from the sofa. She badly wanted to go to him to apologize, but she couldn''t face him at that moment. Katherine was too embarrassed for whatever she did yesterday. She tiptoed her way out of the door until she had exited his ce.

    As soon as she was out, Damien''s eyes fluttered open. He had already been awake the moment that she opened the door to his bedroom. He breathed out a sigh and grimaced as he recalled what happenedst night. He had not slept much because of several reasons that involved his woman being very mischievous. Drinking was one thing, but taking her clothes off in front of him, making out with him until he got aroused, and passing out just after he had almost lost control she sure knew how to push all of his bright red buttons.

    Getting up from the sofa, he walked up the stairs, and a clicking sound was heard as he closed the door  he locked himself in his bedroom.

    Meanwhile, Katherine arrived at the Royal Penthouse, and as soon as she entered the ce, she headed towards the bathroom to take a shower.

    After thoroughly washing, she spent a reasonable amount of time to ponder upon what she could do for Damien.

    What could she possibly do to ask for his forgiveness?

    Fixing herself a cup of warm chocte drink, she checked her refrigerator for something that she could make for breakfast.

    "The fridge is full, but nothing looks appetizing," she muttered as she closed the fridge. Thinking that she should order something instead, she whipped out her phone and searched a menu from a list of restaurants in the city. She didn''t have a headache, but a bowl of soup was something that she was craving for that day, and she did not know how to make one.

    Scrolling through the list of food choices, she stumbled upon a highly rated restaurant because of their beef noodles.

    "Hmmm Damien''s favorite," she gulped and suddenly salivated when she saw the sample picture of the dish.

    An idea came to her mind, and a bright smile appeared on her face. She wasn''t sure about it, but it was worth a try.

    After calling the restaurant, she waited for thirty minutes until she received a notification that her order has arrived in the lobby.

    Wearing casual clothes, she went down to the lobby to pick up the food that she ordered and paid for it. Soon, she walked and rode the elevator to Damien''s ce on the top floor of the adjacent building.

    Truth be told, she was very nervous with the thought of facing him. Shy and embarrassed, definitely.

    When she entered his house, she noticed that he was no longer on the sofa. She ced the food on the kitchen counter before walking up the flight of stairs. Katherine paused outside the door of his bedroom.

    Katherine hesitantly knocked on the door and waited for his voice; however, she didn''t hear anything. She tapped again, and this time, she tried to twist the knob, but her eyes grew wide when it was locked, causing her heart to drum in her chest  Damien never locked his door.

    "D-Damien?" she called, still  there was no answer.

    Feeling sad, the corner of her mouth curled downward as she pressed her forehead on the door. "Damien? Will you open the door?"

    "I''m trying to sleep," she heard him say in a low voice.

    He''s mad.

    "I''m sorry Can I see you for a minute?"

    "..."

    Katherine wanted to cry. She didn''t like it when Damien shuts her off  she felt so weak and depressed.

    "I just want to see you for a bit, and then I''ll leave. Please?"

    "..."

    After receiving the cold treatment, she figured that he must really not want to see her anymore, so she turned on her heel and started heading down the stairs.

    Just as she was about to take a step, the door to his bedroom cracked open. She immediately turned back and walked inside his room. She saw Damien had just sat down on the bed and was avoiding to look at her. Katherine noticed the dark circles under his eyes, and she instantly felt a prick in her heart.

    Taking long strides towards him, she coyly sat across hisp and hooked her arms around his neck, waiting for him to look at her. "Are you very mad at me?" she said in a gentle voice.

    The beautiful man averted his gaze to the side and maintained a cold expression on his face even when Katherine called him, "Damien? Are you not going to talk to me anymore?"

    She saw him clench his jaw as though he was trying to control himself. cing her hands on either side of his face, Katherine made him look at her.

    Damien saw her pouting, and her eyes had be watery. Damn it, his heart almost shattered, especially when she said in a wistful tone, "I''m sorry"

    Sighing, he held her by the waist and asked her in a serious tone, "Are you really sorry, Katherine?"

    She nodded her head and bit her lip. She could not, for the life of her, take Damien''s cold treatment. Besides, she was at fault, so it was only right for her to ask, "I won''t do it again Will you forgive me?"

    "What are you not going to do again, Katherine?" He tilted his head as he stared at her with a sharp, unblinking gaze.

    "Drinking? Stripping your clothes in front of me? Kissing me like there''s no tomorrow? Getting me excited and then passing out? What exactly aren''t you going to do again, Kitten?"

    Katherine could do nothing else but gulp audibly whilst she awkwardly sat on hisp, his arms trapping her in ce  there was no way she could escape.

 Chapter 84: You Took Advantage of Me

    Chapter 84: You Took Advantage of Me

    "I thought you were sorry. So, why aren''t you answering me now?" Damien''s icy stare bore into her. It was so intense that Katherine could almost feel her skin getting scalded. She darted her gaze away, suddenly feeling hot and more embarrassed.

    She hesitantly unhooked her arms from around his neck, and she flinched when she heard him speak through clenched teeth, "Lower your hands, and I will throw you out of this room."

    In an instant, she intertwined her fingers together to lock her hands on his nape and kept it there. If she could glue it in ce, she most definitely would!

    "Should I have not opened the door then? You''re so quiet now, and you''re no longer looking at me." He saw her close her eyes and purse her lips into a thin line. She was too scared to look at him now. "Look at me when I''m talking to you, Katherine."

    Breathing out a long sigh, she finally opened her eyes and fixed her stare to his dark eyes that seemed to strip her naked with the way he was staring at her  she could only keep quiet and blush.

    "Well? Do I need to repeat myself?" Seeing that she was not about to say something, he began to repeat, "Are you sorry because you drank? Because you removed your clothes"

    "Aaaah!!! Stop!" Katherine dipped her face on the crook of his neck and nestled on it. "I''m sorry I drank. Don''t be mad anymore, it''s scary."

    Hearing everything that she didst night just a minute ago, she could not possibly listen to them again. It was too embarrassing!

    When she did not hear his response, she straightened up and slowly moved her stare to look at Damien in the eyes again.

    "Am I off the hook now?"

    "What do you think? What about all the other things that you did, Katherine?" With a straight face, he added, "What about those things you did to me? Aren''t you going to apologize for that too?"

    "What do you mean?" she asked in a weak voice.

    "You took advantage of me," he deadpanned. His shameless, amazingly great-at-lying-through-his-teeth mask was epic.

    And though Katherine was doubtful, she did not dare to call him out  she simply was a tiny kitten at the moment, trapped in his tinum cage.

    She swallowed as she saw his serious face. Is he really mad about that? ''I mean I guess'' her weak self couldn''t win against Damien''s tactics. "I''m sorry about that too"

    "You''re sorry that you kissed me?"

    "Well ye no, I''m not I mean." She was already blushing like a red tomato.

    "I''m not sorry that I kissed you and for for" She couldn''t say it.

    How could she possibly say, ''Sorry for stripping in front of you?'' That was ridiculous, even in her mind.

    And then it hit her, "Wait Didn''t you say before"

    Damien raised a brow, and he was already half sure of what she had realized at this point.

    "Didn''t you tell me to take advantage of you?" She cutely cleared her throat and mimicked his voice, "By all means, Katherine take advantage of me all you want."

    He could feel the upper part of his lip twitch upon hearing her impersonation of him.

    "So, was that you taking advantage of me then? And you''re not even sorry about it"

    She bravely nodded, "Yes."

    Damien didn''t know whether he shouldugh or cry upon seeing his woman like this. She was too adorable! Boy, she had grown up so fast, and they hadn''t even started their training session yet.

    And before he could even protest, Katherine leaned in and smashed her lips to his, surprising him.

    "Are we okay now? You''re not mad anymore?" she asked. "You forgive me now?"

    With an earnest stare, he looked at her, sighed and nuzzled his nose and lips on her shoulder, kissing it before he looked at her again.

    "You''re such a trouble-maker. Do you know that?"

    Katherine stretched her lips into a yful smile and kissed the tip of his nose. "You like me, anyway."

    "Tch. You are a maniptive extortionist. But I still like you, yes." He yfully bit her shoulder.

    Smiling, she felt better that he was no longer mad at her. Suddenly remembering what was sitting in the kitchen counter, she hopped off of him and grabbed him by the hand as she urged him to stand up. "Oh! You haven''t eaten breakfast yet, right? I ordered something that I hope you''re going to like Let''s go and eat it together."

    Seeing her all chipper and excited, Damien could only allow her to drag him down the stairs until they arrived at the kitchen where he saw a paper bag from a restaurant ced on the kitchen counter.

    "What''s that?" He took a peek in the bag and watched as Katherine started to set the bowls on the breakfast nook.

    "I wanted to cook some breakfast, but I realized that I wanted to eat something that I don''t know how to make."

    She grabbed their eating utensils from the drawer and continued, "So I decided to order instead, and then I found this restaurant that had really good reviews on their beef noodles. You like it very much, right?"

    Damien chuckled as he listened to her exnation. He found his way on the nook and sat on the stool while he waited for her to join him.

    "Sorry, I don''t really know if this is good, but I just figured you might like it If you don''t, then at least we would know that we shouldn''t order from them again."

    She sat next to him. "Though yours would probably taste better than this I don''t know I just thought I should make it up to you."

    "It''s fine, Katherine. I appreciate it." He gave her a kiss on the temple.

    "Okay then shall we eat?"

    Nodding, Damien lowered his eyes on the bowl of noodle soup for the first time, and the expression on his face turned grim. All of a sudden, everything around him went silent, and his hand trembled as it hovered over the bowl.

    Katherine had already started to eat the beef noodles and gave itpliments. She was too engrossed that she had not noticed Damien''s hesitation.

    Carefully, he picked up some noodles with his chopsticks, and almost as though he was reluctant, he put it in his mouth. The moment that he got a taste of the food, he balled his hand into a fist and forced himself to swallow what was in his mouth.

    It was only then that Katherine turned to him and saw his strange expression. "Is your food okay?"

    Her brows creased when her starended at his fist and trembling hands. Instinctively, she ced her hand over it and prompted, "Are you okay?"

    As soon as her handnded on his skin, his other hand flew to her wrist and gripped it hard, it almost pained her. "Where did you get this?"

    Her heartbeat raced in her chest. She felt the sudden chill in the air, and the hair on her nape stood up. She did not understand why Damien was suddenly acting so odd. "What''s wrong?"

    Through gritted teeth and resentful eyes, he asked her the same question in almost a growl, "Where did you get this?"

    "I I just ordered it online" her voice broke, she was suddenly feeling scared.

    "Give me the address." He said just before he got off the stool and saw her nod.

    Katherine watched him as he walked up the stairs in long strides and entered his bedroom. It took him less than two minutes toe back downstairs, and was already in casual clothes, ready to go out.

    "Damien where are you going?"

    "Where''s the address?" he asked.

    Katherine handed her phone to him, the restaurant''s website was on the screen, but he only nced at it before he headed out of the door.

    She didn''t know what was going on, but she could only follow him into his car. Once they were settled inside, he stepped on the gas and the car sped out of the underground parking and into the traffic.

    As scared as she was, Katherine was more worried about what was happening to Damien. She couldn''t help but get nervous when he gripped the steering wheel so hard that his knuckles turned white.

    "Damien" she could only utter.

    But instead of hearing his response, she heard the car roar as he revved up the engine, shutting her up and making her hold onto the strap of her seatbelt.

 Chapter 85: I Made Your Favorite

    Chapter 85: I Made Your Favorite

    Several minutester, Katherine was no longer scared; instead, she was extremely and utterly worried about what was happening to Damien. She had tried asking him since they left the building, but he has not spoken to her even a single word  it was as if he had not even heard her.

    ''Have I done something wrong? Was there something wrong with the food that I ordered?'' She couldn''t help but feel anxious, but she was just helpless at the moment.

    The restaurant where Katherine ordered the beef noodle soup was located twenty minutes away. However, because of Damien''s driving, they arrived in ten minutes  by going past the speed limit and ignoring the traffic lights.

    The car screeched into a full stop in front of the restaurant, and she finally released the breath that she held in. She watched as Damien got out of the car before she hurriedly followed him out and caught up to him.

    "Damien, wait wait" She grabbed hold of his hand, making him look down at her.

    The look in his eyes when she met his stare sent arrows that pierced through her heart. Damien''s expression was unreadable, but he definitely looked hurt. But why? It was the first time that she saw him like this.

    "Can you please tell me what''s wrong? You''re scaring me," she told him in the softest voice as she possibly could while she held his hand with both of hers and squeezing it.

    As if he had snapped out of his trance, he breathed out a sigh and ran his fingers through his hair. He closed his eyes for a few seconds before he looked at Katherine and said, "I''m sorry, I scared you"

    "I''m okay I''m just worried about you  very worried."

    Damien formed a miserable smile on his face, making it difficult for Katherine to appreciate how beautiful he was because his smile was painful to look at.

    "I I just need to find out something. Can you wait for me outside?" his voice was wistful and low.

    "Why don''t I go inside with you?" she worried.

    Shaking his head, he ced both of his hands on her shoulder and added, "I think I need to go there alone. I will tell youter I just need you to wait for me. Will that be okay?"

    The look on his face and the sound of his rueful voice made Katherine nod without saying anything. She was going to wait for him no matter how long it takes for him to find out whatever he needed to find out in that restaurant.

    ''Damn you for making my man sad  whatever it is that you did.''

    She walked back to the car and waited anxiously inside while she stared through the window and watched as Damien walked inside the restaurant and disappeared from her view.

    Stepping inside the restaurant, the smell of delicious food invaded his nostrils. The first thing that caught Damien''s eyes  rather, the first thing that his eyes were seeking was the chef from the ss window of the kitchen. The restaurant had an open-kitchen concept where the kitchen was very much visible to all the customers.

    He walked towards the counter and asked in a gentle tone, "Excuse me, can I speak with the chef?"

    "May I know what it is about? Do you have anyints about the food?" The old woman who was manning the counter asked.

    "No I just need to speak about something personal."

    The old woman gave Damien a once-over before she went to call out the chef from the kitchen. After a couple of minutes, an old man walked out of the kitchen and went up to Damien.

    He had a scrawny physique and looked like he was in his seventies.

    "Good morning, I''m Chef Huang." The old man shook hands with Damien.

    "Good morning, sir I''m Damien Park. I just wanted to ask you a few questions." He was almost hesitant to ask about what he wanted to know, but he was already there  he had to find out. The chef nodded and urged Damien to ask away.

    "How long have you been a chef here?"

    A smile formed on the chef''s wrinkly face. "Since I opened this restaurant."

    Damien nodded and swallowed before he continued, "Ah Have you perhaps shared your recipe with someone else? Particrly your beef noodles."

    The chef chuckled. "Of course not, young man. I use secret ingredients. If I shared my recipe, I would lose my business. Only I know the recipe by heart."

    "Right of course It''s just that, I have tasted the exact same taste from someone I know." Damien felt stupid, he already knew that. Of course, he was a businessman himself. But upon hearing his answer, he felt even more forlorn. ''Even the presentation looked exactly the same.''

    "I see perhaps your friend ordered from here and wanted you to taste it." A wide smile appeared on the old man''s face, "We have a lot of customers who like my beef noodles and had beening back for almost four decades now. I''ve seen a lot of people who came when they were still a child, and now they have their own families. It''s a very nice feeling. And because of that, I have never changed the recipe."

    Damien forced a smile and slightly bowed. "Thank you for answering my questions."

    "Not a problem. Would you like to have a bowl?"

    Not being able to say anything anymore, Damien could only nod.

    Damien was ushered to an empty table, and within two minutes, a hot bowl of beef noodle soup was ced in front of him.

    "Enjoy your food." The chef personally delivered it to him and left right after.

    He stared at the very familiar bowl of soup. He looked at it as if he was looking through his memories  and even heard the voice of the woman whom he called ''mother.''

    ~ "Here son, I made this for you because you didn''t eat earlier. Go on help yourself. Make sure you finish all of it." The voice in his head said.

    "Mom, the beef noodles you madest time was really good. Can you make that again for me?"

    ~ "Of course. Go upstairs and wash up, I''ll call you when it''s ready."

    ~ "I made your favorite noodle soup again, would you like some?" it was thest time that she gave him the bowl of soup before she left him that day and never came back.

    Damien tried his best to finish the food, but no matter how much he forced himself, he only managed to eat almost half of it.

    It was just too painful. The lump on his throat only seemed to thicken.

    He could no longer bear it; thus, he got up from his seat and walked up to the counter. "How much was the bowl?"

    "It''s okay, young man. Chef Huang said that it''s on the house," the old woman replied.

    Despite what she said, Damien took out his wallet and randomly pulled out several notes from it and ced it on the counter without even checking how much it was. "Thank you very much," he said before leaving the restaurant.

    The old woman was greatly shocked that he left $1800. He hadn''t even finished his bowl. He paid too much for a $10 noodle soup. She tried to run after him outside the restaurant, but she was toote. Damien and Katherine had already sped off.

    Damien was quiet since he came out of the restaurant.

    Katherine patiently waited for him to say something, and her worry only seemed to increase. His driving was at a normal speed, but they were heading towards the countryside, and as much as she wanted to ask him, all she could do was extend her hand and ce it over his.

    The moment that he felt her touch, Damien stepped on the breaks and parked on the roadside. He got out of the car, walked towards the hood, and leaned on it, running his hands on his face as he suppressed the urge to scream.

    Katherine immediately walked up to him and saw him stare at the ground, his jaw clenched, and his hands balled into fists. She reached out to touch him, but her hand froze mid-air when she noticed his shoulders shake and a drop of tear fell from his eye.

 Chapter 86: A Vulnerable Damien

    Chapter 86: A Vulnerable Damien

    Damien Park was beautiful.

    A man who was known as one of the richest men in the world  who was also known as the Resort King and was doing justice to the title given to him. A lot of people look up to him and he was the envy of many too.

    He was a man who knew what he wanted and what he didn''t.

    In spite of the superficial things that he was known for, Damien was still and only just a man. And right now, this man was hurting.

    Katherine stood frozen for a few seconds in front of the man who was supposed to be formidable. She was shocked to see him in a vulnerable state, and all she wanted to do was to hold him tightly.

    Thus, she did.

    Inching closer, she encircled her delicate arms around his frame and gave a squeeze.

    She felt him raise his head, and she met his mncholic stare, but the curling of the corners of his mouth upward looked so tragic, especially when she heard him say, "Have you ever felt so cheated?"

    Katherine didn''t know what he meant, and she didn''t know how to answer him, so she just listened.

    "Have you ever felt that all this time all this time, what you thought was real was actually a lie?" Damien chuckled at the same time that another tear rolled out from his eye.

    He released a very long sigh as he looked up to the sky, "I feel like such an idiot."

    "You''re not" Katherine ced both of her hands on either side of his face and made him look at her. Staring into his dark, misty eyes, she told him again, "You''re not."

    "Then why do I feel so undeserving? So worthless A good-for-nothing piece of"

    He swallowed the rest of his sentence when Katherine pressed her lips to his, shutting his nonsense.

    "You are not. Why are you talking like this?" she breathed while their foreheads were pressed together.

    After a minute of silence, he spoke in almost a whisper, "I hate my mother." She pulled back and waited for him to continue.

    "I hate my family. I hate them." Another sigh came out from his lips, and he looked away. "Ever since she left me when I was a child, I had only one fond memory of her. At least it was the only memory that I have where she was kind towards me. Other times, I could tell that she was only acting but I didn''t understand why. I never knew why."

    "But because there were times that she was really nice to me, I thought it was okay. She used to make me this... food. And when I told her it was delicious, she kept making them. She would call me to eat and told me she made them only for me." Damien chuckled bitterly.

    "And that was the only good memory that I had of her. So when she left, I started missing the food that she used to make for me. There were maids and chefs in the mansion but none of them were able to create the same taste that I wanted. I wanted her cooking I missed that taste. So as I grew older, I began to make my own."

    "Beef noodle soup?" Katherine asked with a faint voice and she saw him nod.

    "I tried to recreate it but I have failed a lot. Eventually, I was able to create my own recipe but even that it still doesn''te close to how I thought she made them."

    By this time, Katherine had an idea of what happened in that restaurant.

    "How ironic. The only good memory I had of that woman was a lie."

    Damien clenched his jaw. "So, this entire time I believed that she made that dish  something that I have been longing to taste since she left, only to learn that she didn''t even make it herself. What a shame."

    "Why would she do that? Why lie? I don''t understand." he sniffed.

    "That was the only good thing that I remember of her and it''s not even real."

    He ran a hand on his face again and continued, "I hated that she left. I never liked it there. I never liked anyone there except for my grandmother whom I don''t even see that often. And all of the people around me are fake. They don''t like me... they like my money. So tell me, Katherine, am I not worthless?"

    Katherine felt so much pain in her heart the entire time that she listened to this grown man''s uncertainties. "You are not worthless, Damien. And even if everyone around you is fake, you have me. I''m real."

    Damien looked at her and saw the truth in her eyes. He felt her arms enveloping him once again and heard her say, "You also have your friends Markus, Caleb, Jeffrey they''re all there for you. We all are. You''re not worthless, Damien. Not to me. You are worth it."

    Katherine released a sigh when she finally felt warmth with the return of his embrace. He pulled her towards him and rested his head on her shoulder. They stayed in the same position for a while in silence, ignoring the very few cars that pass on the road.

    After listening to what he had to say, she didn''t exactly know how she should feel. She broke her man''s belief, and she didn''t mean to. How could she have known that what she did only shattered the one good thing that he had kept from his past?

    "I''m sorry" she whispered in his ear, making him look up to her.

    "For what?" he questioned. "For letting me see the truth?" He saw the sadness in her eyes and he knew that she was feeling awful. "It''s not your fault, Katherine. And I''m not mad at you."

    She pressed her lips together and nodded. Damien raised his fingers and brushed them on her cheek  it was only then that she noticed she had cried while listening to him. She couldn''t help but feel bad  because he was feeling bad.

    And now that she thought about it, she was somehow feeling envious about the whole thing. Though it wasn''t nice to think about it that way, she had thought in her mind ''Though his childhood memories weren''t pretty, at least he had memories. What about me? What do I know about myself?''

    Seeing her deep in thought, Damien cupped the side of her face and drew her in, pressing his lips to her soft ones and uttered, "Thank you."

    Damien drove back to the hotel and dropped Katherine in the lobby. "I need to go somewhere. I will see you when Ie back."

    She studied his expression but found nothing. She was worried that he might do something drastic; however, she saw that he looked calm despite looking despondent.

    As if he had read her thoughts, he lightly patted her head and reassured her, "Don''t worry. I just need to talk to someone."

    Nodding, she felt a little bit better. "Be safe," was all that she could say.

    She got out of the car and watched him drive away before she turned on her heel and headed to the Royal Penthouse.

    Park Estate

    "Madam, Young Master Damien is back," said the servant to an old woman in her eighties who was sitting in her rocking chair in the gazebo at the back of the mansion.

    The old woman looked up to the servant from her eyesses and lowered the knitting needles and yarn on herp. "Hmmm Tell him toe here."

    The servant gave a respectful bow before she left to fetch the old woman''s grandson.

    When Damien arrived, the old woman didn''t look at him and continued to work on her craft until she heard him say, "I don''t understand why you keep on knitting when you hate it so much."

    The old woman scoffed, "I don''t understand why you bothered toe here today when I thought you don''t want to ever step foot in this estate unless I call for you. And yes, I hate knitting but I''m not doing this to make stupid scarves. I''m practicing how to use these needles so I can stab you with it when you don''te and see me, you insolent fool."

    A gentle smile formed on Damien''s face, softening his expression as he walked towards his grandmother to give her a hug. "I miss you, too, Nana."

    The whole Park Estate didn''t feel like home for Damien even though he grew up there, but Nana would be the only reason why he woulde back to this ce that he loathed so much.

    He heard her grunt before her wrinkly arms reached his back and gave him a pat. "I can smell your misery even though you have that fake smile on your face. Who dared to bully you?"

 Chapter 87: Photograph

    Chapter 87: Photograph

    It had been a couple of months since thest time Damien came to visit his grandmother that he calls "Nana".

    Nana was the mother of Damien''ste father, Lawrence Park. She was a jetsetter and was rarely in the Park Estate while he was growing up. It was only in recent years that she stayed there because of old age.

    Damien sat in the armchair on Nana''s left side and he ran his fingers along his jaw, not knowing how or exactly what he wanted to ask.

    Noticing that he was strangely quieter than usual, Nana put away the yarn and needles on the table and examined his appearance. "Are you going to start telling me? Or do I have to start counting your sighs?"

    After contemting, Damien finally opened his mouth again. "Nana, that woman..."

    That woman  was how Damien called his mother whenever he was in front of his family. He hated his mother because she left and he never knew why he didn''t have motherly memories of her except for those particr ones.

    But because of those few sweet memories of her ''making'' that dish, there was a part of him that was still somehow longing for her care. It was like a ck hole in his heart that could never be filled no matter how many bowls of noodles he was going to eat since she left. And now, he didn''t even know if he was still going to ever eat another bowl after what he discovered.

    Nana knew who he was talking about and was curious as to why he was suddenly bringing her up this time after all these years. "What about her?"

    A small smile appeared on his face as he told her about what he discovered that morning.

    Reaching her frail hand out and cing it on top of his, Nana clicked her tongue and let out a long sigh. "I am truly sorry that you had to go through that. Why didn''t you tell me about that before? If I had known, I would have told you that wench didn''t even know how to cook. That Zhao family really yed us. I knew I shouldn''t have agreed with your grandfather''s idiotic n to arrange a marriage for your father and that woman."

    "She didn''t know how to cook or do any house chores. She left you at a very young age. I should have been firm the moment I knew she couldn''t" Nana stopped herself and bit her tongue as she looked at her grandson who was silently listening to her speak ill of his mother.

    And suddenly, the itch that had been in her heart was wing its way back again. She had to tell him now. "My sweet one, actually there is something that you need to know. Will you go with me to my room?"

    Damien had to look at her for a few seconds before nodding. He helped her get up from the rocking chair and the two of them walked slowly towards her bedroom that was located on the second floor of the mansion.

    Entering Nana''s bedroom, Damien recognized the familiar setting  it was the same as thest time that he had been there when he was a young boy. He carefully led her to the bed where she wanted to sit and she pointed to the brown cab at the corner. "There is a square tin can on the bottom of that thing. Can you bring it to me?" she said.

    Following his Nana''s request, Damien did as he was told and handed it over to her before he sat down and waited for whatever she had to say.

    He saw her sigh as she held the container in her hands and then she patted his hand saying, "My sweet boy you have grown so big already but you will always still be little to me."

    He gave her a gentle smile and his heart warmed upon hearing her sweet words but he suddenly felt nervous when he heard her start: "I am sorry that I have to be the one to tell you this. I actually don''t know why it had taken me such a long time but I hope you will forgive me even if you find that youe to hate what you have to hear from me."

    "Nana What are you trying to say?" Damien''s brows creased and he watched her as she ran her fingers on the tin can before she opened it.

    There were a few papers and some pictures that she patiently rummaged through to pick up an envelope that was once white but now had brown stains around it. She held it in her hand and ced the tin can aside before she gave the envelope to Damien.

    "Before your father got married to that Zhao woman, he had a lover. Her name was Amelia Silva and she was mixed-race  she''s a lovely girl."

    Damien opened the envelope and took out a picture of a beautiful young woman whose hair was wavy and ck. She had dark, clear eyes and had a sweet smile on her face.

    "Amelia is your biological mother."

    His head snapped towards his Nana and confusion masked his face. "I don''t understand. What do you mean?"

    Damien tried to see if his grandmother was joking but she stared at him apologetically and all he could do was look at the picture in his hands again and there was this peculiar feeling in his heart that he could not exin. Fear? Joy? He wished he knew. But no matter how he looked at the beautiful woman in the picture, he could feel familiarity which was very strange for him.

    "That Zhao woman could not bear a child and I only knew a year after she married into the family. Your father was still seeing his lover Amelia behind our backs and your grandfather found out that she got pregnant. Because she wasn''t your father''s wife, she couldn''t stay. And when you were born, Miriam Zhao said that she was going to raise you as long as Amelia leaves and neveres back. That woman Miriam fell in love with your father. Maybe she thought that if she took you in and take care of you, your father would look at her. But he never did."

    Damien was so confused as he listened to his grandmother''s exnation. He could barely understand what was happening  he was having a difficult time processing this new information.

    "Is that is that why mother that woman she wasn''t always nice." Damien tried to recall in his memories, but because he was still very young when that happened, he could not remember clearly. All he could remember were the times that he got scolded for no apparent reason and then all of a sudden, she would be kind and ''cook'' him that food whenever his father that''s right now that he tried to remember it, she was only like that whenever his father was there.

    Damien stared at the floor as memories of his childhood shed in his mind.

    "I am terribly sorry, Damien. Will you forgive Nana?" she asked in a soft voice, hoping that her favorite grandson will not bear a grudge.

    Hearing his grandmother, he ced a hand over hers that was touching his arm. He was speechless and was still utterly confused about everything. He had not only found out that Miriam Zhao had lied to him when he was still a boy, and on top of that, she wasn''t even his biological mother.

    His gaze drifted back to the picture in his hand. And this woman, a sweet-looking woman was actually his real mother.

    "Where is she?" Damien faced his grandmother, "Amelia... Where is she now?"

    He saw her let out a heavy sigh and she shook her head as she said, "I wish I knew. A few years after you were born, I tried to search for her but I never found her. Your grandfather also didn''t tell me anything."

    He gently nodded and gave his grandmother a hug. "Nana I could never get mad at you. You''re the only person who truly loves me here anyway." He felt Nana''s loving pats on his back and after a while, he got up to his feet and bid her goodbye, bringing the envelope with him.

    Damien got inside his car and he looked at the envelope in his hand before he started his engine and drove out of the estate.

    With everything that he had learned from his grandmother, he didn''t know what to feel. But there was only one thing that he wanted to do. And that was to hold Katherine.

    Arriving in front of the Royal Penthouse, he took out his keycard and opened the door. Once he entered the ce, he scanned the entire area hoping to see her right away.

    Light footsteps were heard from the left and a few secondster, Katherine appeared wearing a grey tank top and light pink mini shorts. Her hair was tied in a messy bun and her bubbly gloved hands were raised. She looked lovely and she was his.

    "Damien" she called him.

    Walking in long strides, Damien wrapped his arms around her waist for a tight embrace and buried his head in the crook of her neck. He didn''t say anything. All he wanted was to hold her.

 Chapter 88: All Shades of Damien

    Chapter 88: All Shades of Damien

    Royal Penthouse

    Katherine had been feeling stumped since she arrived at the penthouse. She spent a good few minutes on the sofa curled up like a fetus, wondering where Damien had gone and if he was okay.

    Not wanting to dwell on her worries anymore, she got up from the sofa, quickly changed intofortable clothes then started cleaning the ce. There wasn''t much to clean but because she didn''t have anything else to do, she vacuumed, wiped, and cleaned the kitchen counter just so that she could keep her mind off it.

    Only roughly three hours had passed since Damien dropped her off at the hotel and she was worried that she would run out of things to do before hees back. Just as she was thinking about this, she heard the main door open. Hoping that it was Damien who arrived, she walked out of the kitchen, entered the living room and saw him standing by the door with an emotionless expression.

    Wearing a ck trench coat, Damien was staring at her and she was unsure what was going on in his mind.

    "Damien"

    Katherine watched as he took long strides towards her and in an instant, his arms snaked around her waist while he nuzzled his face on her neck, causing her to stiffen.

    "My hands are soapy," she uttered while her hands were still awkwardly raised, but he didn''t say anything.

    She could feel him inhale and exhale, his breathing tickling the skin on her neck that her hair stood.

    "Um I''m also a little sweaty." She wanted to push him away but she didn''t have the heart to do so. She loved that he was adorably clingy at the moment but she was also starting to feel self-conscious.

    Sighing, she swiftly removed the soapy gloves from her hands, tossed it on the floor and her hands found the warmth of his back. She stroked and patted them there as though she was silently telling him: "You''re okay. I''m here."

    "Is everything okay?" she voiced out.

    Damien finally found his words and he replied softly, "I don''t really know."

    After staying in the same position for a couple of minutes, Katherine led him to the sofa and gave him a ss of water. She noticed the dark circles under his eyes and she felt bad that she might have caused that.

    "Did something happen?" she started when she sat next to him.

    Damien leaned his head on her shoulder as he began to tell her about his visit to the Park Estate, where he saw his grandmother and learned the truth about his father''s marriage to Miriam Zhao, the woman whom he thought was his mother, and about his biological mother Amelia Silva.

    He found it devastatinglyical how he grew up knowing his mother left him without knowing the reason why, only to find out that she wasn''t even his birth mother, yet she hurt him when he was still a child and even broke his heart. Now he even came to know about Amelia, and the funny thing was  he wasn''t sure if he was even happy about this revtion.

    Damien showed Katherine the envelope, in which she gingerly received it. She took out the picture of his mother and a smile broke across her face. "She''s really beautiful. And you have her eyes too." She found it really nice to see the picture of his birth mom. Knowing the truth about this side of him, she thought that it had brought them closer and she liked the feeling.

    Noticing that he did not respond, she held his hand and added, "I''m sorry that you only had to find out today. How are you feeling?"

    He shrugged his shoulders, feeling like he was still in a daze because of everything. "Overwhelmed, I guess? I''m still feeling stupid about the whole thing from earlier. But this I don''t know if I''m relieved  or disappointed. What am I supposed to feel, Katherine?" He closed his eyes as if closing it would make everything okay again, but all he saw was the image of the two ''mothers'' Miriam and Amelia.

    Katherine raised her hand and caressed the side of his face. "It''s okay if you don''t know what you''re supposed to feel. Everything must still be a shock to you. But I guess it''s better that you know now. Are you going to look for her?"

    Damien did not respond because he was still thinking about it too.

    Was there a need for him to look for her? If he does find her, what then? Did she even want to be found? Amelia had thirty years to look for him heckshe probably already knew who he was they probably had already crossed paths yet he didn''t recognize her she had a lot of chances, but she did nothing. So, how was he supposed to know if she even wanted to see him?

    "Oh?" Katherine moved, catching his attention. She noticed a folded paper inside the envelope which looked like a letter. Tapping Damien''s arm, she handed the old envelope back to him and asked, "There''s a letter inside, have you read it?"

    Damien clutched the envelope and shook his head as he put the picture back inside. He ced it on the coffee table and sighed, "I don''t wanna read it."

    "Why not? Don''t you want to know what she has to say? Maybe it has a clue about where you can find her."

    "I don''t think I''m ready to know that yet. I just learned about her a couple of hours ago. I still have to wrap my head around this whole thing."

    Understanding his sentiments, she nodded and stroked his arm. "Take your time." Katherine curled her lips upward and brushed the hair away from his face. "Are you hungry? I can make you something real quick."

    "I don''t feel like eating."

    "Why don''t you get some sleep then? You look tired."

    Just as Katherine said those words, he got up from the sofa and pulled her with him as he walked towards her bedroom.

    He took off his coat and dived onto the bed, dragging her with him. She yelped in surprise but did not protest, allowing him to act like a baby when he made hery next to him and then heid his head on her tummy.

    Katherine softly chuckled but ced an arm around him, stroking his back as though she was coaxing him to sleep. If someone had told her months ago that she would be in bed with a billionaire who would cuddle her and act like a big baby, she would haveughed at their faces and called them crazy.

    Yet there she was, in bed with Damien Park.

    Not long after, she noticed his slow, regr breathing, an indication that he had already fallen asleep. This man He just showed her his vulnerable side. And all she could think of was  she liked all shades of Damien.

 Chapter 89: Cuddle Hormone

    Chapter 89: Cuddle Hormone

    Cuddle Hormone  otherwise known as Oxytocin

    It has been more or less an hour since Damien had decided to be all cutesy and sleep on Katherine''s belly.

    And she liked cuddling with him a lot, except that she had begun to develop a possible muscle spasm or at least she was sure that her leg had already fallen asleep, making her afraid to move it as she would probably shriek.

    How could she deny him this closeness? Damien rarely shows his vulnerable side to her  The King deserves to be cuddled.

    But what was she supposed to do? This particr King''s leg had blocked the blood flow in her right leg and she was too much of a chicken to move because apart from the painful stab, she was also afraid that she was going to wake him up as Damien was such a light sleeper.

    Katherine just had to try even just a little to the left''Aaah!'' she screamed in her head and flinched when she felt pins and needles stabbing her right foot.

    She bit her bottom lip and prayed that it will go away on its own when all of a sudden, Damien just happened to turn to the other side, releasing her from his grasp.

    Breathing out a sigh of relief, she tried so hard to swing her legs off the bed, and after wincing a few times, she managed to find her way to the bathroom for a shower.

    Unbeknownst to this Kitten, there was a small smile on Damien''s lips when he heard the bathroom door close. Actually, he had already woken up the moment he noticed her difort when she shifted in her position, which was why he rolled to the other side.

    With his eyes closed, Damien could hear the sound of water running inside the bathroom and his dirty thoughts brought him there.

    He was not proud of it but he wasn''t going to chase his thoughts away either, especially not after an image of Katherhering up in foamy body wash and throwing a wink at him appeared in his mind  she was such a tease too, all her sensitive body parts were strategically covered with bubbles.

    ''Great. Idiot. Didn''t you just sign up to be celibate for her sake two nights ago? Now you''ve just signed your own death warrant when your perverted mind decided to fantasize about your girlfriend taking a shower,'' he scolded himself.

    Though it''s not like he''s entirely at fault right? He was just sleeping anyway but Katherine just happened to take a hot, steamy shower while he was just a door away. "Damn it, Damien  Calm your sh*t."

    A few agonizing minutester, he heard the door to the bathroom open.

    Katherine had to steel herself to walk out of the bathroom with only a towel wrapped around her moist body and another one on her hair. She had forgotten to bring a change of clothes, so at the present, she was tiptoeing towards her closet to grab a set of clothes before hurrying back to the bathroom.

    And as hard as Damien tried to keep himself from taking a peek, his right eyelid seemed to have a mind of its own when it snuck a nce, just in time to see her glistening legs before she closed the damn door.

    He could only curse at himself. The curling of his lips upward was that of a satisfied grin  he was only half apologetic about having snuck a peek.

    Feeling morefortable, his consciousness drifted him back to sleep. Damien woke up an hourter to a grumbling stomach. It was almost three in the afternoon and he hadn''t eaten yet.

    He slid out of the bed, washed his face and headed out to look for Katherine only to find her in the kitchen, busying herself with a dish that smelled incredible  it made his stomachin once again.

    Damien patted his abdomen and stopped in his tracks just to fully appreciate the sight in front of him. Katherine wore a loose white shirt and mini shorts with an apron tied to her waist, and her luscious hair tied up into a high ponytail while she had her back to him as she was working her magic in the pot. This sight for him was such a turn on  probably even more than the one he had seen earlier after her shower.

    He stood several meters away with both of his hands in his pockets just watching her. He saw her turn around and noticed the way her eyes lit up when she met his stare.

    ''How beautiful,'' he thought when he saw her form a sweet smile on her lips and called his name.

    "Damien, you''re awake."

    "Mm." He returned her smile and started walking forward until he stood in front of her.

    Then a sudden realization hit Damien. There was this tug in his heart that was too apparent to ignore.

    "I bet you''re hungry. You''re just in time. The food is"

    Katherine sucked in air when Damien shut her up by capturing her lips with his own, her face cupped in his hands. She must have done something right with her cooking this time  Damien had not even tasted it yet but he was already giving her a reward and she wasn''t going to refuse so she returned his kisses.

    Pulling back, Damien turned his lips upward and saw her surprised reaction as if questioning why he stopped. But he just had to take in everything, as if wanting to reassure himself ''Yes, you''re not wrong, brain, she''s definitely the reason.''

    "What?" she asked.

    Shaking his head, he said, "Nothing. I''m famished."

    Several dayster and it was already the 1st of June.

    It was four o''clock in the afternoon when Katherine knocked on the door to Damien''s office. After hearing his signal, she pushed it open and sauntered towards his desk.

    "There''s an invitation for a Charity G on June 23rd," she said as she held out a ck envelope to Damien who got up from his chair and walked around his desk to meet her halfway. Instead of receiving the invitation from her, he reached his hand out, pulled her by the hand and ced an arm around her waist.

    "Mr. Park, I''m still on the clock," she whispered when he pressed his nose and lips against her hair just beside her ear.

    He had been busy and was on hisputer the whole day. He just had to take a quick break  and Katherine was just the right fix.

    "I know. And thest time I checked, you''re working for me. We are still technically working." He ced a kiss on her jaw. "Only Right now, I''m trying to work on you."

    "Oh, shush. You know what I mean." She felt his chest shake when he chuckled, hisughter was the sexiest thing she heard the entire day, making her giggle.

    "Can''t I just work and have pleasure at the same time? You''re my secretary you''re supposed to support me with this stuff."

    "Yes, and as your secretary, I need to do my job, President Park."

    "Have you ever thought of office romances, Ms. Miller? I can''t be the only one thinking about"

    Katherine gently ced her hands on his chest and pushed him, waving the invitation to his face. "You need to check this, so I can RSVP."

    Damien groaned, snatched the ck envelope from her hand but still kept a protective arm wrapped around her waist.

    "What is it this time?" he sighed as he tried to open the envelope.

    Taking out a few cards inside, he read the bold print on the first card that read: "Luxury For A Cause"

    He quickly scanned the card until he saw the beneficiary of the said Charity G and he frowned. "Did my uncle send this?"

    Nodding, Katherine replied, "I received it just now. How should I respond?"

    Putting the invitation away, Damien said, "We''re going."

    Even though he didn''t like his uncle, the charity was for the cancer foundation that the Park family had been supporting all throughout the years ever since his grandfather was diagnosed of having one many years ago and especially when thetter died because of it. It was something that he could not refuse.

    "Okay," Katherine responded and received the invitation back. She was just about to turn away when Damien pulled her back, staring at her with such an intense gaze. She raised a brow as though she was questioning him silently.

    "When I said we''re going, I meant I was going and you''reing with me as my date." Damien just had to make it clear for her as he didn''t want her to think that she was attending the event with him as his secretary.

    There was just something in the way Damien looked at her that she found herself unable to produce anything more than just a syble, especially when she could hear her own heart beating in her ear.

    "Oh." She gulped.

 Chapter 90: Damiens Resolution

    Chapter 90: Damien''s Resolution

    Katherine stared at him as though she was trying to see if he was kidding, but the look in his eyes said otherwise.

    "I don''t think that''s a good idea." She averted her gaze.

    Damien already knew why she said that. Ever since they confessed their feelings to each other, they had been cautious about how they acted around each other in public. As much as he wanted to show the whole world that she was his, he understood the circumstances that they were in.

    However, he just felt the need to do this, not just for himself but for her as well. He believed that even though they needed to keep their rtionship private, he had to make her feel that she was the partner he wanted and one that he was proud of. A man wanting to show off the woman he truly treasures, wasn''t that normal?

    "Why not?" he asked despite already knowing the answer.

    "People will talk, and I don''t want to give them the chance to find faults in you."

    "What''s so bad about pursuing what I want?" Damien cupped her chin towards him and added, "And you''re who I want. Screw what everyone else thinks."

    ''Smooth criminal.'' Katherine softly chuckled. She ced both of her hands on either side of his face, biting her lower lip and scrunching her nose like she was trying to control the urge to smush his cheeks. "President Park, may I remind you again that it''s still working hours."

    Damien held her hands and ced a kiss on each of them. "I am serious, Katherine. I really do not give a damn about what they will say. They can talk behind my back for all I care and it won''t affect me. They can fight me."

    Looking at her, Damien noticed the hesitation in her eyes. She must have been thinking about what other people would say about her as well. After all, it''s not only going to be him that they were going to talk about. Her reputation could be at stake as well. But being so resolute, Damien could only think of one thing at that moment: Katherine will be future Mrs. Damien Park. He didn''t give a flying f*ck about reputation.

    ''I should be training her for this as well,'' he thought to himself.

    Stroking his thumb on the back of her hand, he added, "Don''t think about it too much. This charity g is a social event where entitled wealthy schmucks, fame whores, and big-headed celebrities gather to show off how rich they are. Trust me, there will be a lot of juicy gossip in that event that a CEO bringing his secretary to a social event is unimportant."

    Breathing out a sigh, Katherine rolled her eyes at him. "Fine. I will be your date, Mr. Park."

    No matter what she was going to do, people would have already started talking about them. ''So, whether I''m going to be his date or not, that doesn''t really matter now, does it? I might as well give them a good show if they''re so interested in our lives,'' her bold self gave a pep talk in her pretty head.

    A wide grin formed on his wless face, making him even more irresistible that Katherine had to pull away from him or she might just break her own rules and pounce on him for a make-out sesh. ''Jeez. Control your hormones, Katherine,'' she told herself as she walked out of his office.

    West Bespoke Tailor

    It''s the second time that Katherine went to this shop with Damien and now that she was back, she felt a little sense of pride that she was able to wear a West Gown a few weeks ago, something that most women could only dream of.

    And now she''s here again, having her measurements taken. She didn''t understand why she had to when she could have easily chosen the ones off the rack.

    She watched as Damien talked to Mr. West at the corner of the room as though they were discussing some really important things but their nces at her made her feel a little self-conscious. Were they talking about her?

    "Ms. Miller, you may take your seat over there," Ava gestured to the tufted velvet sofa on the side. She was the samedy who assisted her thest time and Katherine had made friends with her while Ava was taking her measurements.

    "Thanks, Ava," she muttered and then shifted her gaze back to Damien. She could''ve also just chosen an affordable dress from another shop but knowing Damien, the man wouldn''t take no for an answer when it came to things like these.

    Katherine didn''t know how her gown would look like as they didn''t tell her and Damien also didn''t say anything about it. So the only time that she would get to see the design was going to be on the day of the event.

    She had learned that Damien loved having a say in the clothes that she wears, which she found interesting and also a little funny at the same time because sometimes, he would scold himself on hindsight for letting her wear an outfit that would just be an eye-ma for other men. Katherine could notin though, as Damien would always choose the best dresses for her.

    And as much as she wanted to argue and stop him from spending another cent on her, it was just pointless  he would always win.

    "Thank you, Mr. West." Damien shook hands with the man and heard him say, "No, President Park, Thank you. It''s always an honor for me to have you wear my creations." Mr. West nced at Katherine and spoke with a smile on his face, "And your significant other."

    Mr. West walked away and entered a room at the far end of the shop while Damien strolled towards Katherine.

    "Shall we go?" Damien said as he pulled Katherine up from the sofa.

    "Where are we headed to?" She followed him out of the shop and the two got inside the car.

    As soon as they got settled in, Damien turned on the engine and told her, "I hope you brought your wallet with you."

    "Wallet?" Katherine quickly checked her bag and took out her wallet before she looked back at him. "I have it. Why?"

    With a smirk on his face, he nced at her and sped off into the traffic. "It''s payday. Aren''t you supposed to take me out to dinner?"

    Katherine''s mouth hung open. This shameless boss Although, she couldn''t really call him that this time. After all, the two of them agreed that she was going to pay him back slowly by buying him dinner every time she gets her sry. She didn''t mind of course, but what was that look on his face? Did this evil man just thought of emptying her wallet before she could even have a taste of the fruit of herbor?

    Arriving at a posh restaurant, Katherine gulped when she saw the interior that screamed a million dors. She was scared that Damien was going to rob her that night.

    Just as they were on their way to the table, a familiar woman''s voice called him from the side.

    "Damien." Lexi Jin sauntered towards them. A tall and skinny woman was following her from behind. "It''s been a while since Ist saw you. You haven''t returned my calls," she said, ignoring Katherine who stood next to him.

    Damien breathed out, he didn''t want to deal with her but she was like a mushroom who kept popping out of nowhere. "Yeah? There''s a reason why I didn''t. And you should have already taken the hint."

    Lexi swallowed, embarrassed that Damien just humiliated her in front of her friend. But that didn''t stop her from trying to talk to him. "Luxury For A Cause You''ll be there, right? I''m sure you won''t miss that charity. It''s your family''s tradition." She bit her lip for a second before she continued, "I was wondering if we could go together."

    Katherine''s ear rang upon hearing Lexi''s bold invitation. She wondered if staying in Europe for years caused her to be like this. How was it so easy for her to say that and not feel shy at all? ''Also why the heck are you inviting my man?'' she silently snarked at her. She was itching to say something but she could only hold back.

    Raising a brow, Damien looked at Lexi mockingly, "And why would you think I want to go with you? Have you knocked your head or something?"

    Lexi chuckled, "Stop being funny. Of course, you would want to go with me. We always go to events like this together."

    "That was eons ago, Ms. Jin."

    "Nothing has changed, Damien. We could still go just like we always did."

    ''Are they seriously having this conversation in front of me right now?'' Katherine sighed.

    Sensing his woman''s irritation, Damien chuckled. He held Katherine''s hand and inteced his fingers with hers before he looked at Lexi again and said, "Ms. Jin, my girlfriend and I are on a date. I suggest that you go find someone else to toy with. You''re a nuisance."

    Damien walked away, holding Katherine''s hand as he did. Leaning slightly to her ear, he whispered, "You are so adorable when you''re jealous."

 Chapter 91: I Would Love to Be Shackled to You

    Chapter 91: I Would Love to Be Shackled to You

    Lexi Jin watched as Damien held Katherine''s hand with so much affection as he brought her towards their table. He even whispered sweet nothings to her ear, making her blush. Lexi clenched her teeth and balled her hands into fists. Damien never looked at her or smiled at her like that when they dated before. She didn''t even remember him ever introducing her as his girlfriend! So what the hell was he on about? What girlfriend?

    A scowl formed on her face as she mentally cursed Katherine. She did not believe that Damien would ever settle for someone like her. She believed that Damien only said that to spite her.

    "Was that your ex? The one you kept talking about? It looks like he is off the market now,"mented the woman next to her with ented English. "Too bad... He is indeed very handsome, just like you said."

    Lexi''s brows furrowed for a second before a wicked smile appeared on her face. "She''s just a bed warmer, they''re not going tost. I''ll make sure he begs for me to return to him. He''ll see that I''m so much better than that social climber. Let''s go." She raised her chin up and catwalked out of the restaurant like the supermodel that she was.

    Lexi''s friend rolled her eyes as she followed suit. Lexi sure had high self-confidence. Didn''t she see how in love the man was with that woman? She couldn''t understand her friend. If she was really still so attracted to her ex, why was she still seeing Williamte at night? She shook her head and cursed in Italian.

    Meanwhile at the Young Corporation...

    CEO Deborah Young was at her desk reading somepany documents. She rubbed her temples, feeling a headacheing up.

    There was a knock on her door and her assistant came in only after she gave the signal.

    "Madam, you have a package," he said as he handed her a sealed brown envelope.

    "Thanks." She received the envelope and waited for her assistant to exit the office before she opened and took out the files inside.

    Inside was the report of Katherine Miller''s profile. Scanning through the text and flipping through the pages, she found that there was nothing special about her background  both parents died when she was still an infant  adopted  lived a shabby life and an uninteresting lifestyle. The only thing that she found noteworthy was the same year of birth, although not the same birth date.

    There was still too much to learn about this woman. She rubbed her temples again and caught sight of the ck envelope that was on her desk.

    Checking out the invitation, she noted the Park family as the host. This was not the first time she had received invitations from them to attend such an event but she had not attended any of the previous charities due to conflict of schedule. After contemting, she pressed a button on a device and the voice of her assistant was heard.

    "Yes, Madam?"

    "Kindly respond to this charity g. I will be going with my daughter."

    "Understood, Madam. Is there anything else?"

    "That''s all. You can go home now."

    Releasing the button, she shifted her gaze back to Katherine''s profile and brought her thumb to her lip, biting her nail as she began to feel uneasy. "Who are you?" she mumbled.

    ...

    The restaurant looked so expensive  even the waiters looked expensive.

    Damien watched the wine being poured in his ss and thanked the waiter afterwards. Picking up the ss, he gently swirled the wine and brought it close to his lips, inhaling the fragrance before taking a sip.

    Katherine appreciated how ssy he looked at the moment, especially when he closed his eyes for a brief second, luxuriating in the taste of the excellent wine. ''Forget being a cup, can I be the wine?'' She swallowed after seeing his Adam''s apple bob.

    "What are you thinking about?" Damien asked when he noticed Katherine''s silence ever since they sat at their table.

    She brushed her thirsty thoughts away. "Wasn''t that too rude?" She asked as she reached for the ss of water on her right.

    Damien''s brows creased in confusion. He ced the ss back on the table and stared at her, wondering why she said that. "Are you honestly feeling bad about how I dealt with her? Did you pity her?"

    "What? No!" The way he handled his conversation with that woman just made her feel giddy, sending arrows of electricity down to her abdomen. "Why would I feel pity? I meant it was rude of her to show up like that, unashamed of what she just did and said. She even had the audacity to invite you."

    ''In front of me!'' she yelled in her head.

    Damien was caught off guard by her response. He nced at her ss and he was sure that she was drinking water. Was his little Kitten now slowly evolving back into a tigress? The corner of his lips slowly formed into a smirk, making him look like a million bucks.

    Leaning forward, Damien tilted his head and stared at her. "My oh my Kitten, are you being possessive of me?"

    Heat crept up her neck, blushing her nape and ears. Summoning all the courage that she had, she probed with a serious expression, "What if I am?"

    The two were having a wordless conversation with their eyes, seemingly stripping each other bare and neither one of them was backing down.

    After a minute of pleasurable eye contact, Damien found his words. "Well then, by all means, Katherine, chain me up and tether me to your side. I would love to be shackled to you."

    For a second, Katherine thought that she could win against him but this man really knew his way with words. She had to clench her thighs together when she heard his deration. Just what was Damien''s limit to shamelessness?

    She could feel the heat from his intense gaze, setting her own body ame. She wondered if bathing in a tub filled with ice would help her at that moment  but then again, maybe the ice would just melt.

    Raising her chin up, she refused to back down. "Wipe that smug look on your face, Damien. I might look weak, but I am possessive."

    Damien chuckled, he was enjoying this too much. He never thought that his little minx looked weak at all. If only they weren''t in public at the moment, he probably had already

    He stopped his thoughts from going there. It wasn''t helping him in any way as he would only end up wanting a cold shower. Such a tease  his woman  and he was loving it.

    The luxurious meal was amazing  just like the bill  amazingly pricey. But she only breathed in deeply before handing her card to pay for it. She wasn''t going toin at all, she actually liked that she was the one paying for their dinner that night. After all, the penthouse she was staying at was more expensive than their meal. That was a small price to pay, which she was more than willing to spend for her man.

    Arriving in front of the Royal Penthouse, Katherine opened her door and was about to step inside when Damien held her back.

    "Thank you for dinner." Damien drew her in and captured her lips, kissing her deeply and leaving her breathless.

    ''Thank you for dessert,'' she voiced in her head as soon as he released her.

    "I have to meet up with Caleb and Jeffrey for drinks tonight."

    Nodding, Katherine revealed a small smile. "I see Well, I hope you enjoy your boy''s night."

    Stroking his hands at the small of her back, he wondered, "Are you not worried that I''m going out with them?"

    "Should I be worried?" She raised a brow and saw him shook his head. "I''m all yours," he said, tilting his head and pressing a kiss on her neck.

    "Goodnight, Kitten."

    Katherine watched as Damien entered the elevator and disappeared from her sight. She walked into the penthouse and muttered to herself, "Way to leave me feeling hot and bothered all by myself." She sighed, "I need a long bath."

 Chapter 92: Boys Night

    Chapter 92: Boy''s Night

    The Gentlemen''s Club

    It was a Friday night and Damien''s Burlesque Club was packed. The ce was filled with wealthy people  men and women alike, who were looking for a good time and wanted to be entertained by exquisite burlesque dancers.

    On stage, the main show for the night had started and the performer danced to Peggy Lee''s "Fever".

    Meanwhile, the three gentlemen  Damien, Caleb, and Jeffrey were at the bar enjoying the night over drinks. The Gentlemen''s Club was opened by the three of them about ten years ago, although Damien owned the most shares as he was more financially capable.

    "So, let me get this straight You heard her say a man''s name in her sleep but you did not mention it to her or I don''t know, bro ask her?" Jeffrey questioned as he eyed the dancer on stage.

    Damien swirled the skull-shaped ice in his ss of whiskey with his finger as he shook his head and said, "I wanted to, but then I figured I''ll just ask when Ie back from my business trip but I don''t know if I even want to know anymore."

    "Do you think that guy is a part of her past?" Caleb probed.

    "Maybe I don''t know." Damien took a swig of whiskey and nced at the stage before he lowered his gaze again. "As much as I am curious to know who that man was, I also feared that it might trigger her if I ask her about it."

    Jeffrey nodded. "Bro, that dancer can I get her number?" A yful smile appeared on his face as he winked at the woman on stage.

    Damien turned his head to the left and nced at the stage. He narrowed his eyes as he tried to recall who she was. "I think her name''s Portia. I don''t have their numbers, you know that. You can ask Susan backstage, that is, if she gives it to you."

    Susan was the club''s forty-year-old General Manager who was also in charge of the dancers.

    "Ugh." Jeffrey groaned. "Susan hates my guts."

    Caleb let out a chuckle. He picked up a peanut and threw it towards Jeffrey. "That''s because you hit on all of her dancers."

    "Can she me me? Who told her to hire excellent ones?" Jeffrey shifted his gaze back to Portia and added, "And this one in particr just gives me fever." He wiggled his brows.

    Caleb and Damien both chuckled at their friend''s words. Damien shook his head before he took another gulp of his whiskey. The three of them had been friends since they were kids and they knew each other''s dirty little secrets. They were like brothers and their bond was definitely thicker than blood.

    "Come on, bro help me out here. Help me convince Susan. I want to take Portia with me to that Charity G in three weeks." Jeffrey nudged Damien.

    "You should ask Caleb, Susan has a sweet spot for him." Damien threw the ball to Caleb who rolled his eyes.

    "Ooh that''s right. Cay, ask your sugar mommy for me, pretty please?" Jeffrey was quick to jump on teasing Caleb. Susan was single and she had a crush on Caleb.

    "Shut up." Picking up a few peanuts with his fingers, Caleb threw them again towards Jeffrey who dodged all of them and hid behind Damien. Caleb wanted to try again but Damien gave him a re, so instead of throwing it at Jeffrey, he ended up throwing it into his mouth.

    "Oh, by the way Are you nning to bring Katherine to the g?" Jeffrey asked Damien as he straightened himself on his seat.

    "Of course," Damien answered with a smirk on his face, bringing the ss to his lips and taking another sip.

    "Uh oh." Jeffrey stared at his friend. "That smile I know that smile." The corners of his mouth curled upwards as he continued, "You have something nned, haven''t you?"

    Studying Damien, Caleb saw the devilish smile on his face and he just had to agree. "I think he has. And I think it''s either naughty or evil."

    Damien didn''t say anything else but his mind was already imagining what will happen during the g  and he was excited.

    "Oh,e on. You can''t smile smugly like that and not tell us. You have to tell us." Jeffrey pressed on, and when his friend remained quiet, he yed dirty, "My man, if you don''t spill the beans, I will tell Katherine about that one time in Amsterdam."

    Damien''s smile was wiped off his face as soon as he heard Jeffrey. He shot his friend a re. "You. Will. Not. Speak. About. Amsterdam. To. Her. Ever." He said through gritted teeth, making Jeffrey snicker.

    Caleb and Jeffrey leaned forward, putting more pressure on Damien, who ended up telling them what he had nned.

    About 3,000 km away...

    A man wearing a ck t-shirt and grey sweatpants walked barefoot across the living room with a cup of coffee in one hand and a ss of coconut water in the other. He entered a dark room and stubbed his toe against the foot of a table, causing him to yell and curse. "Sh*t!" He thought he lost his toe.

    Just as he managed to catch his bnce, the hot coffee spilled on his thigh and he cursed again, "Sh*t!!! What the" He had to bend on his knees as he tried topose himself. He took in multiple deep breaths and tried to wriggle his toe as if it was going to help to alleviate the pain.

    "For Christ''s sake, Falcon! Why are you doing yoga in the dark?!" he spat as he limped his way towards a figure at the corner of the room.

    "Who told you to walk in the dark?" The other person responded in a calm voice. The person named Falcon was doing the final rxation pose on the mat while soothing music yed softly in the background.

    Walking towards the side table, he set the ss of coconut water down and snorted as he adjusted his wayfarer sses on his nose and took a sip of his own coffee. He couldn''t really argue with this person because of their age difference.

    After a few seconds of deep breathing, the figure got up from the mat, picked up the ss from the table and took a sip.

    "Hmmm perfect." Falcon breathed in and smiled. "Thank you, Styles."

    "My pleasure. Oh, right, I almost forgot." Styles took out his phone to show Falcon a digital folder. "I just got this today."

    Putting the ss back on the table, Falcon received the phone and checked out the set of photos that were taken by someone they hired a while back.

    "Do you think it''s time? Are we going to execute the n soon?" Styles asked as he watched Falcon study the pictures from his phone very seriously, anxiously waiting for thetter to give the go-ahead tomence their n.

    Styles left Shadow when Katherine bombed the base, and he had been in hiding ever since. Falcon was the one who took him in and took care of him. He would have never thought that he woulde to face someone whom he had only heard about when he was in Shadow before. And never in his wildest dreams did he ever think that he would be working with someone who was a wanted criminal in the underground world.

    Falcon was a code name that meant speed and courage. And this name was once Shadow''s pride a little more than two decades ago. However,ter on, this name became Shadow''s condemnation  causing Parker to order a kill off.

    But if Styles were given a chance to turn back time, he would definitely make the same decision that he had back then when Falcon found him after Shadow''s base blew up  he was still going to trust Falcon.

    Sighing, Falcon gave Styles his phone back and drank the rest of the coconut water. "It''s too early to say. She has not recovered her memories yet, but with the people around her, I think it won''t be long before that happens."

    "And remind me again why we shouldn''t help her remember?" Styles pocketed his phone and set his cup on the table.

    "You tell me, Styles. Thest time that happened, she went berserk and almost killed a nurse. Do you really think that''s a good idea?" Falcon walked towards the balcony and Styles followed, the cold air made them shiver.

    "That was my fault," Styles admitted. "I could try again, you know?"

    "Why do you have so much faith in this woman?" Falcon turned to face Styles and saw him looking over the vast grass as though he was reminiscing about his past.

    "Queen is like a sister to me. She had a hard life and I guess I just feel the need to make it up to her."

    Falcon nodded and leaned on the railings and thought about the pictures from Styles''s phone. "Let''s give it more time. We have already waited for years, what''s several weeks more?"<ol><li>Fever is a song title sang by Peggy Lee.</li></ol>

 Chapter 93: Tipsy Topless Damien

    Chapter 93: Tipsy Topless Damien

    It was already midnight when Caleb dropped Damien off at Crown Resort Group''s main office building. Entering the building, the security guard greeted him, to which he acknowledged with a nod before sauntering towards the private elevator.

    With both hands inside the pockets of his long grey trench coat, Damien stopped in the middle of the empty lobby and turned his head towards the door at the far end of the space. After pondering for several seconds, he turned on his heel and walked towards it. Pushing the door open, he entered and found himself at the lobby of his hotel.

    The employees greeted him as he passed them on his way towards the elevator. He was a little buzzed and wanted to sleep, but more than that, he wanted to see Katherine.

    Since it waste, he entered the Royal Penthouse quietly, thinking that she must be asleep already. Pushing the door open to her bedroom, Damien found her hugging the Damien Pillow in the middle of her bed. After closing the door behind him, he shrugged off his coat, then removed his shoes and shirt.

    Wearing only his pants, he strolled towards the bed, slipped under the covers and reced the pillow that Katherine was hugging, with himself so that she was hugging him instead. He pulled her even closer and breathed in her scent, feeling instantly rxed.

    It was such afortable feeling for him that he wished he could go home to this every day. Over the weeks that they had been together, he had grown more and more attached to her to the extent that he could easily say she has be his addiction. But with Katherine as his heroin, he would never want to go into rehab.

    Damien''s eyes were already closed and he was about to drift to sleep when Katherine shifted in her sleep. In her grogginess, Katherine felt the warmth that emanated next to her. It was pressed against her cheek and she could feel her head slightly rising and falling.

    Opening her eyes, the very first thing that she saw was his chest and the palm of her hand was pressed on his warm skin. Her eyes widened in surprise when she realized that a topless man was in bed with her but she soon recognized that it was Damien and her rapid heartbeat slowly calmed down.

    Katherine raised her head and thought that he was asleep until she heard him speak, "Sorry, I woke you." His eyes were still closed as he tightened his arms around her.

    "Did you juste in? Why aren''t you wearing clothes a shirt?" She nced down to his torso and felt shy.

    Damien nodded and slurred, "I don''t have clothes here. I missed you."

    She softly chuckled and started to roll to the side. "I''ll try to find one. I think I have arge T-shirt in the closet."

    She tried to push herself up from the bed but Damien''srge hands pulled her back into his embrace and he let out a groan. "Don''t move. It''s cold," he said as he stroked her arms.

    Katherine cleared her throat, feeling goosebumps from his touch. "Which is why I''m going to find you a shirt." She tried to get up once again but Damien locked her in ce  she was not able to escape.

    "I don''t want a shirt. I just want to stay like this." He buried his head into her hair and kissed it. "Why do you smell so good?"

    Katherine could only swallow. She was pressed onto his bare skin, making her face flush. ''You might be okay with this, but I''m not. How am I supposed to sleep when you''re topless next to me?!'' she said in her mind.

    In an attempt to distract her mind, she asked the first thing that came to her mind when she smelled alcohol on him, "Did you drink a lot?"

    "Just enough. I''m just a little tipsy."

    "Did you enjoy your boy''s night?" she wondered. She was trying to strike a conversation to take her mind off of the situation that she was currently in.

    "Mhmm."

    "Where did you go?"

    "TGC," Damien answered briefly while stroking Katherine''s back gently. Why was this woman suddenly so inquisitive?

    "You went to a strip club?!" Katherine snapped her head to him. It didn''t matter that it was his strip club  it was a still a strip club and it was a boy''s night! Her thoughts have gone wild when an image from that one time that they went there shed in her mind  waitresses in high cut bodysuits and half-naked women dancing on stage. Did they really go there?

    Damien chuckled at the tone of her voice. What was this woman thinking? Opening his eyes, he met her re and it only amused him more. He shook his head and answered, "The other one. The one beside it."

    Katherine recalled that there was a burlesque club next to the strip club and she didn''t know what to say until she suddenly blurted, "Were theredies?"

    He let out another chuckle when he saw where the conversation was heading. "What are you going to do if I say there weredies?"

    Her brows creased even further. "Did they hit on you? Did you allow them to hit on you?"

    Damien''s smile widened as he listened to her silly questions. He raised his hand and flicked her forehead, making her wince and rub the spot with her fingers.

    "What nonsense are you talking about? Why would I do that, Kitten?" He kissed the skin where he just flicked and snickered. "It''s a burlesque club, of course there weredies there were men and women."

    "I never understood clubs like those. I''ve never been to one before I think."

    "Then I should bring you there someday. You might just like it."

    Katherine furrowed her brows and questioned, "I would?" She imagined herself having to watch a performer strip on stage and shook her head.

    "You''re thinking about striptease, aren''t you?" he asked in a yful tone.

    When Damien saw that Katherine had shifted her gaze and pursed her lips into a thin line, he added, "Burlesque is an art, and striptease isn''t necessary. It''s a variety show that features both provocative andedic performances."

    Katherine just stared at him, seemingly unconvinced about the whole thing. Is this man saying this in order to justify himself why he was there tonight? She knitted her brows.

    "You think too much." Damien tipped her chin up and crashed his lips down to hers.

    The taste and smell of whiskey mixed with his scent wafted in her nose, the experience was intoxicating for her that she melted in his arms and allowed him to kiss her deeply, his hands roaming all over her sides and back.

    "In case you are doubting, I was thinking about you the whole time I was away with my friends," he spoke after pulling away. "I''m always thinking about you. I don''t have time to think about irrelevant things." She could only nod her head and swallow.

    Looking into her eyes, Damien brushed her hair away from her face and added, "I spoke to my grandmother a few hours ago. She wants to meet you."

    "You told her about me?" Katherine studied his gaze under the dim light.

    "Of course. Why wouldn''t I? She couldn''t wait to meet you," he answered.

    Hearing his response, Katherine fell into deep thoughts. She shifted to the side and thought about those times when she met his family. Her silence was making him worry.

    "What are you thinking about?" he asked.

    "It''s just So far, I''ve only met your uncle and your cousin. They aren''t exactly the type of people that I''m excited to meet," she confessed.

    "You don''t have to worry about Nana. She can have a sharp tongue sometimes but that''s just who she is. Actually, she''s really sweet."

    A smile broke on Katherine''s face as she nodded, "Okay, then I''d love to meet her too."

    Seeing the change in her expression, Damien was now at ease. He propped himself up on his elbow and a teasing smile formed on his face as he asked, "So earlier... you were thinking about striptease Have you ever"

    Katherine''s eyes widened and her hand flew, covering his mouth to stop him from talking.

    He removed her hand from his mouth and he continued to tease her, "What? It''s not like you haven''t stripped in front of me."

    "That was one time! And I was drunk, okay?!"

    "Then, you could try not drinking this time."

    She swiftly grabbed a pillow and smacked his face with it, making him burst outughing.

    "Oh God, Damien! Go to sleep!" Katherine wiggled her way out of his grasp but he was having way too much fun to let her go.

 Chapter 94: The Feel of My Touch

    Chapter 94: The Feel of My Touch

    June 18th

    "What''s with the flowers?" Katherine had her smile reaching her ears as she brought the bouquet close to her nose and inhaled the fragrance of the soft-colored flowers.

    It was a Monday, and she and Damien ended their work on time to go somewhere only Damien knew where. When she got inside his car, there was a bouquet sitting on the passenger''s seat waiting for her.

    "Don''t you like it?" he asked, ncing at her with a smile on his face before focusing his attention back on the road.

    "Of course, I do. Thank you..." She touched the petals of the flowers and thought about that night a month ago when she admitted her feelings to him. Where did all the time go? The days went by so fast. "I didn''t get you anything though" She bit her lip. Katherine meant to buy him something but what could she possibly get for a billionaire that he couldn''t buy for himself?

    Hearing her words, Damien reached and grabbed a hold of her hand, intertwining their fingers together as he replied, "You don''t have to give me anything. As long as you stay by my side, I''m already content."

    "You are so cheesy, Mr. Park," Katherine softly chuckled. She didn''t expect Damien to be so sentimental about things like this. But then again, he had continued to exceed her expectations in their rtionship as he was nothing but very caring and sweet towards her.

    Damienughed with her, bringing the back of her hand to his lips and kissing it. "You''re not hungry yet, are you?"

    She shook her head. "Why?"

    "Good. We need to stop by somewhere before we head to dinner."

    And that''s how Katherine ended up in West Bespoke Tailor feeling nervous because she couldn''t see anything, what with the soft blindfold on her eyes. What is Damien up to this time?

    Just twenty minutes earlier, they entered Mr. West''s shop and Katherine first thought that they were there for Damien''s tailored suit but that was when she began to feel uneasy about what her man was nning. The Charity G was five days away and the thought of what Damien told her before she was shoved inside the dressing room made her tense up:

    "Close your eyes," he said, in which Katherine hesitantlyplied. Then, she felt a soft material touch over her eyelids and felt him tying it securely at the back of her head.

    "Why am I blindfolded?" she wondered aloud.

    "Because I can''t let you see the dress yet."

    "How will I know that I will like the dress if I don''t get to see it on me?"

    "You''ll just have to trust me on this, Kitten," he told her before letting her go.

    Ava was the one who assisted her in changing into her gown after asking if it was okay for her, after all, she was blindfolded.

    Since it wasn''t the first time that she met Ava, and thedy had been very nice to her, she gave her the go signal. And thus, Ava helped her out of her clothes and guided her into wearing the gown.

    Since Katherine couldn''t see anything, her other senses were heightened. The moment the garment touched her skin, she felt that it was a little strange and thought that it was because she couldn''t see what was on her. But there was really nothing extremely odd about the dress  it was just that the feel of the material on her skin was all that she could focus on. She wanted to see it so badly but there was nothing she could do at the moment.

    Ava asked her not to move around so much so she could fit the dress on her body as perfectly as she could, which was why Katherine remained still and allowed her to do her work.

    "Is it okay, Ms. Miller? Are youfortable?" Ava asked.

    "Ah Yes. It''s a little heavier than I expected but I can manage I think" Katherine replied.

    "I''m almost done. Give me five more minutes." Ava said as she tied Katherine''s hair up.

    Soon, Katherine was guided out of the dressing room and was brought back to where Damien waited for her.

    "Please take one step up, Ms. Miller," Ava said as she held both of Katherine''s hands and pulled her slowly up the tform.

    Damien gave her a thorough look from head to toe without saying anything as though he was seriously considering something before he quietly conversed with Mr. West who was standing next to him.

    Katherine could sense that Damien was in the same room as her but she couldn''t clearly hear what they were talking about from a distance. She continued to stand still though she was starting to feel conscious as she felt like there were a dozen pairs of eyes that were staring at her.

    Damien waved his hand and the rest of the people left the room, closing the door to give the two of them some privacy.

    He approached Katherine and saw her chest heaving up and down. He realized that she was feeling anxious so he carefully held her hand and raised it to his lips. "Calm down, Katherine."

    She slightly flinched as though she wanted to retract her hand away from him, concerned that other people were watching them.

    "Don''t worry, it''s only you and me here," he assured and noticed her breathe a sigh of relief.

    "Can I take the blindfold off now?" Katherine turned her head to the side where he was standing.

    "No. You''re not allowed to see it until Saturday. Don''t worry you look. exquisitely beautiful." Damien appreciated the view in front of him and saw the pout on her lips, making him grin.

    "Do you really want to know how you look like right now?" he asked and she nodded.

    He moved until he was standing behind her and Katherine could sense where he was as Damien was still holding her hand.

    "I''ll help you but you can''t take your blindfold off." The devilishly handsome smile formed on his face.

    Katherine tilted her head like she was questioning what he meant until she felt his hand let go of hers. She slightly panicked but she sucked in air when she felt his handsnd on the part where her neck and shoulders are connected.

    Damien''srge hands were warm on her skin. It stayed there for a few seconds and then she heard him say, "Don''t think about anything else but the feel of my touch, Katherine." She swallowed.

    His hands then slowly slid towards her shoulders with light squeezes as if he was massaging the knots on her shoulders, making her feel rxed.

    What she didn''t expect was the sudden touch of his lips on the skin where his left hand trailed  kissing his way from her neck to her shoulder.

    She subconsciously gripped the soft fabric on the skirt of her gown and clenched her thighs together. What the hell was this man doing to her at this time? At a ce like this?

    "Concentrate, Katherine. I thought you wanted to know how your gown looks like? Focus on where you could feel my hands and where you couldn''t." He whispered in a low voice to her ear.

    ''Are you kidding me? How can I concentrate if your lips are trying to disturb my Oh, god'' her thoughts were in a mush.

    Damien''s hands were now slowly moving down her back, his fingers trailing the outline of her dress. Katherine could imagine how her back looked like but the damn sensual sensation of him touching her while she was blindfolded was such an agonizing yet exciting feeling.

    How can he make anything so unexpectedly sexy?!

    He was having the time of his life seeing her reaction through their reflection in the mirror. "Do you want to know how the front of your gown looks like?" He asked as he slowly slid his hands from her upper arm down to her hands.

    Katherine did not respond and was silently anticipating when Damien held her hands and brought them to her hips. She could feel the soft fabric on her skirt along with some sort of beads.

    "Rx, Katherine," Damien told her just as he started to slowly move her hands upward.

    Her heart began to race when her hands trailed along so many beads underneath her hands until they skimmed on the front of her breasts, feeling thebination of soft cloth, tiny beads,ce and her own skin in the middle of her chest.

    "You look so beautiful," he whispered in a raspy voice, his breath brushing against her ear, making her blush.

    "Damien" she breathed.

    Seeing her reaction, he felt so proud knowing he had this effect on her.

    Damien lowered their hands to the side before he ced a kiss on her cheek. He enjoyed teasing her but he realized it was probably torturous for her, so he decided to stop.

    "Now can you imagine how it looks like?"

    Katherine could only nod. Good thing his hands were still on her waist, holding her in ce  or she might have already fallen down.

    "Damien"

    "Yes?" he answered and stared at her through the mirror.

    Slightly squeezing his hand, she threatened, "I will get back at you for this."

    Damien silently chuckled. ''I''ll be waiting, Kitten.''

 Chapter 95: Stare All You Want

    Chapter 95: Stare All You Want

    Days flew by and it was already June 23rd, the day of the Charity G.

    It was a Saturday and Katherine had just finished taking a shower when she stood in front of the mirror and stared at her own reflection. She couldn''t help but feel nervous that she was going to walk the red carpetter with Damien Park. Was this really okay?

    She nced to the side and saw her phone. Grabbing it from the dresser, she checked thest message that she received from Damien the night before.

    [King Damien: This meeting is going to take a while. You need to sleep early tonight, so I''ll see you tomorrow and pick you up after lunch.]

    Reading the message for the nth time, she wondered where he was at the moment as she hadn''t heard from him since.

    cing her phone back on the dresser, Katherine grabbed a shirt and jeans and changed into them. Just as she was done, she heard the doorbell rang and her face brightened.

    She hurriedly skipped towards the main door and opened it but the happy expression on her face turned into a confused one when she saw that it wasn''t Damien who was there.

    "Good afternoon, Katherine," Caleb greeted with a gentle smile on his face like he always does.

    "Mr. Yoo Caleb?" Katherine responded. They agreed that they could call each other by their first names outside of work. "What are you doing here?"

    "I''m here to pick you up on behalf of Damien."

    "Huh? Where is he?" she wondered.

    He inserted one hand in his pocket and answered, "He''s currently busy with something. He sends his apologies but you''ll see him in a few hours."

    Katherine was starting to get suspicious about this whole thing. She trusted that Damien wasn''t going to do anything stupid but why was he suddenly being elusive?

    Staring at Caleb who maintained a smile on his face, Katherine asked, "Where are we going?"

    "I''m going to drop you off at the Crown Hotel in the northeast where you will start getting prepared. It''s near the venue so there wouldn''t be any problems with traffic."

    She nced at the wall clock and her brows furrowed. "It''s like five hours until the event. Why do I need to go this early? Just how many hours does it take to prepare?" she questioned, making Caleb chuckle.

    "Come on, Katherine. Damien prepared this for you. You don''t want to put his effort to waste, do you?"

    "Oh, that''s not fair." She pouted and sighed before grabbing her bag from the console table. "Fine," she said as she walked out of the door and followed Caleb to the elevator.

    They rode in Caleb''s car to the Crown Hotel on the other side of the city. When they arrived, she followed him to the top floor where the penthouses were. She watched as Caleb pressed the doorbell and soon enough, Ava opened the door for them.

    "Good afternoon, Ms. Miller, pleasee in." Ava gestured for her to go inside the penthouse and as she stepped inside, she noticed that Caleb didn''t follow her in.

    "Oh, you''re going now?" Katherine asked, suddenly getting worried that he will leave her there.

    "I need to go home. I''ll see you tonight?" he said before slightly peeking past her shoulder.

    Katherine followed the direction of his sight and her gazended on a familiar-looking gown that was worn on a full-length mannequin. The moment she saw the piece, her mouth fell open and she was in a daze for a few seconds before her head snapped back to Caleb who met her stare.

    "Oh no, no, no, no no!" She panicked. "There is no way I am going to wear that!!!"

    Katherine started to walk towards the door of the penthouse but before she could reach it, Caleb shed her a smile and waved his hand as he closed the door at the same time that Ava and another woman whom she didn''t know stopped her from going out.

    "Ms. Miller, we need to start." She heard them say.

    "What? No! I''m not going to wear that" Her voice trailed off as she looked at the gown again and her heart fluttered. It was too pretty... extremely pretty, but she just didn''t have the guts to wear it!

    Mr. West came out from one room and walked towards Katherine. "Is there something wrong with the gown, Ms. Miller? Is it not to your liking?" he asked politely, maintaining a neutral expression.

    "Oh, Mr. West." Katherine slightly bowed. "I apologize, it''s not what you think. Your creation is very beautiful but I don''t think I can wear something so exorbitant." She told him while remembering the first time that she saw the gown from the shop and learned its price from Ava.

    "Don''t worry about it, Ms. Miller. You define the clothes you wear. It''s never about the price. You find it beautiful, so you should wear it." Mr. West did not wait for her to respond and signaled the team of five to start with the preparation.

    Katherine was somewhat in a daze while they started to work on her. She didn''t know how she survived the hours while she had a facial treatment, her hair & makeup done, and changing into the gown. She didn''t have to do anything but to patiently wait for them to finish.

    She was sitting on the sofa while waiting for her make up to set when she found the chance to pick up her phone and send a text to Damien.

    [Katherine: You are dead.]

    She didn''t wait for his response as she did not expect to receive one either. Katherine realized that Damien must have been avoiding her because of this.

    Damien knew that she was going to protest and he was afraid that he would be weak against her pleas not to let her wear what he prepared for her which was why he nned to see her only when she was all dolled up and ready to go.

    After what seemed like forever, Katherine was finally allowed to look at herself in the mirror.

    Standing before a floor to ceiling mirror, she saw a woman wearing a Marian blue ball gown with a deep V neckline, the cut stopped on her midriff. The top part was detailed with tiny rhinestones and glitterce that sparkled under the chandelier while the soft skirt made of gossamer fabric also had some shimmer, making the entire gown look so elegant and magical.

    "We didn''t apply much color on your face and chose to go for light makeup instead. I can see that you really took care of your skin, so we didn''t need to do much," Ava told her.

    Katherine was speechless just looking at her own reflection especially when her mind brought her back to the time when Damien let her "imagine" what she was wearing using his and her hands.

    She ced her hands on the details, feeling the texture of the beads andces. ''Is this really me?'' she asked.

    Just as she was lost in her own thoughts, a gentleman in a ssic ck shawl tux walked up to her from behind.

    "You look breathtaking." Damien took her hand and kissed the back of it.

    Katherine was mad at him just a while ago but after finally seeing him that moment, all she wanted to do was hug him. Thus, she did just that.

    "I''m still going to get back at you even though you look really dashing tonight," she said, making him chuckle.

    Katherine was very nervous as she sat inside Damien''s Aston Martin. They were about to reach the venue and she couldn''t help but worry.

    However, when the car stopped several meters away from the entrance, she could see many celebrities and socialites were dressed to the nines - it was an array of colours, vibrant and dark. There were eye-catching outfits that looked elegant and there were some that just looked strange and weird, made from unusual materials.

    Noticing the expression on her face, Damien asked, "Are you okay?"

    She softly chuckled, "I''m nervous but I guess I can just fit right in." Katherine thought that maybe she was worried for nothing when she saw many bizarre gowns.

    "It''s a g, Kitten. You should try to enjoy." Damien smiled at her before getting out of the car and opening her door to help her out. "Ready?" he asked as he extended his palm out for her.

    Curling her lips upward, she ced her hand in his and alighted the car. "Ready."

    Katherine hooked her arm in his and the two of them sauntered towards the red carpet. Damien rarely allowed interviews so they walked straight into the event hall without a pause in their steps.

    Just as Katherine was starting to feel somewhatfortable, she noticed the heads of some socialites and female celebrities turning towards her.

    "Why is everyone looking at me like that?" she whispered.

    "Don''t mind them. They''re all just jealous of your beauty," Damien said as he urged her to start walking. "Let''s go find Nana."

    Despite feeling bothered by the way they were looking at her, she chose to ignore them. ''Fine. Stare all you want,'' she said in her thoughts as she walked with Damien with her back straight and her chin up.

 Chapter 96: Why are you being so clingy?

    Chapter 96: Why are you being so clingy?

    The charity g wasn''t just an ordinary one. Though it is for charity, it is an invite-only event for prominent and influential persons  politicians, businessmen, investors, celebrities  basically anyone who is anyone was invited. That had to be the most star-studded event Katherine had ever attended.

    The event hall wasrge and luxurious. When Katherine and Damien entered through the double doors, the first thing that they saw was a popr band ying in the middle of the stage in front of them, which also had a mini runaway forter''s program.

    On either side of the runway were the VIP tables that cost $330 per ticket. There were casino-type games on the right side of the hall and a bar on the other side. The rest of the space was filled with cocktail tables for the non-VIPs.

    Maneuvering their way through the crowd towards the VIP section, Katherine braved through the unexinable stares from some guests. Maybe they were wondering who she was? Why was she with Resort King Damien Park? Who knows what was going on in their minds? Or maybe they already knew she was his secretary and they were having a secret love affair? Katherine wanted tough bitterly but she could only fake her ''I-don''t-give-a-damn'' attitude.

    Damien noticed how she was trying to look right ahead as though she didn''t care but the vice grip that she had on his arm gave her away. With a soft smirk, he subtly stroked his hand over hers and whispered, "You are doing great, Kitten. I will reward youter tonight." Realizing the strong grip that she did, Katherine nced at him with a small smile and loosened her hand.

    Soon enough, they reached the VIP section and Damien found his grandmother sitting with her private nurse by her side. "There she is," he said, nodding his head towards her.

    As they walked, Damien waved to some familiar faces and Katherine also scanned the area to see if she knew others in the VIP section. Turning to her left, she saw a famous actor named Matthew Jeong who happened to turn his head to her direction and their eyes met.

    ''Crap. Matthew just looked at me. Emma is so going to be jealous!'' she gushed in her head.

    Emma was such a huge fan of this hunk  tall, dark hair, killer smile. Katherine had also be a fan when Emma forced her to watch his movies with her. Staring at an actor was pretty normal especially since he was really handsome but why was Matthew also staring back at her? Katherine immediately withdrew her gaze and turned her attention to the old woman several meters ahead.

    "Are you also a fan of that Jeong man?" Damien asked in a low voice, making her swallow.

    "Not really but Emma is," she responded.

    ''Lie.'' Damien smirked. It seemed like his little Kitten just fangirled over an actor. He briefly shifted his eyes towards Matthew and caught him still staring at Katherine. There was something strange about the way he was looking at her  with his brows slightly creased, Matthew looked like he was slightly bewildered. The stunned look on his face didn''t go unnoticed by Damien but he brushed off his thoughts and smiled to his grandmother as they approached the table.

    "Nana," he said, releasing Katherine to bend down and give his grandmother a peck on the cheek.

    Nana looked up and her face broke into a genuine smile. "Damien, you are finally here." She got up from her seat and pulled him in for a tight hug. "Where is she?" she asked.

    "Seriously? I''m your favorite grandson and you''re already pushing me away to see her? I''m hurt, Nana," Damien frowned.

    Raising her right hand, Nana smacked Damien on the side of his head, startling Katherine. "You dummy. I just saw you a few days ago. Why are you being so clingy? I want to see my granddaughter-inw!"

    Damien''s smile grew so wide at his Nana''s words that it almost blinded Katherine.

    ''G-Grandaughter-inw? Ha Ha Ha Nana is such a joker.'' Katherine gulped and started to sweat.

    Stepping aside, Damien drew Katherine next to him and introduced her to Nana who didn''t wait for the introductions to finish and just pulled Katherine in for a hug.

    "Oh, you''re a hugger," she muttered, looking at Damien who just smiled at her.

    "Sweetheart, you are so beautiful. It''s nice to meet you." Nana released Katherine and held her hand. "Has Damien been giving you a headache?"

    "Oh"

    "Nana, why would I give her a headache?" Damienined at the side.

    "Shush! I''m not talking to you. Keep your mouth shut or munch on something, I''m talking to someone. Don''t just butt in, that''s rude," Nana scolded.

    Damien could not believe that he got reprimanded. Shaking his head, he grabbed a ss of champagne from the waiter and chugged it down in one gulp.

    Caleb and Jeffrey arrived in the VIP section and they stood to the side to scan the area. "Look, Damien and Katherine are over there," Caleb said to Jeffrey before they agreed to walk over to them.

    From where they were, Matthew Jeong happened to stand near them and heard what Caleb said. "Katherine?" he mumbled. ''That''s impossible.'' His gazended on Katherine and the more he looked at her, the more he thought it was very unusual. This has got to be a really huge coincidence. He grabbed his second flute of champagne for the night as he continued to stare at the woman who piqued his interest.

    ..

    Damien talked to his friends while Katherine and Nana continued to talk about random things. Katherine thought that she was going to have a hard time talking to Damien''s grandmother, it turned out that she didn''t even have to speak so much as Nana was so talkative  or perhaps, she was just too excited to meet Katherine that she couldn''t stop talking.

    Damien leaned in until his mouth was next to Katherine''s ear and whispered, "I''m going to meet a few people for a few minutes. I''ll be just nearby. Stay here with Nana."

    Nodding, Katherine replied, "Okay." She gave him a gentle smile as though she was reassuring him that she was going to be okay.

    "I am so d that Damien finally found someone. He has never introduced any of hisdy friends to me ever since. That boy only knew how to fool around with women but looking at you, I think you keep him grounded." Nana nodded as though this realization was too interesting for her.

    Katherine, on the other hand, wasn''t sure if she was supposed to be ''honored'' and happy that Nana thinks she was good for Damien, or was she supposed to be annoyed that Damien used to fool around with women? Whatever it was, Katherine maintained an amused expression on her face that she started to feel her cheek muscles ache from all the smiling that she was doing.

    Patting her hand, Nana said, "Dear, I need to go to the loo and have a breather, this music is too loud for my liking."

    "Oh, I''ll go with you," Katherine got up from her chair and was about to assist but Nana turned to her and said, "You don''t need to, I have Amy here to help me. You stay and enjoy the party."

    And with that, Katherine was left standing in the VIP section all by herself. She scanned the room looking for Damien but he was nowhere to be seen. "Great," she muttered.

    "Champagne?" A man''s voice came from the side and when Katherine turned her head, she almost coughed  Matthew Jeong stood next to her and was handing her a flute.

    Clearing her throat, she slightly bowed and received the champagne from him. "Thank you."

    "I''m Matthew." He extended his hand in which Katherine hesitantly shook. She was, unfortunately, feeling mmy. Why was this famous actor talking to her?!

    "Ah I recognize you, Mr. Jeong."

    "Oh," Matt smiled and stared at her face. Sensing that Katherine was probably feeling uneasy, he added, "I''m sorry for staring. I just wanted to talk to you because you remind me of someone."

    "Ah, does that pick up line still work nowadays?" she blurted, making Mattugh.

    "I apologize if you''re feeling ufortable. But you really do remind me of my childhood friend."

    Katherine didn''t know if she was going to believe this man. Everything around her that night was too strange for her already and now, Matthew Jeong wants to have a conversation? Emma was definitely going to flip when she hears about this.

    "I see where is your friend now?"

    Evident sadness masked Matthew''s face when he heard her question but he was quick to form a gentle smile as he replied, "She passed away years ago."

    "Oh, I''m so sorry." She suddenly felt ufortable and was now having difficulty to move on from the conversation.

    Just then, arge hand snaked around her waist, making her look up and see Damien''s gorgeous smile.

    "Sorry, I was caught up with something," Damien said as he tightened his protective arm around her and nced at Matthew. He was only away for a while and a fly already volunteered to write its name in his ''annoying-fly-to-swat'' list.

    Damien''s night was just about to get busy.

 Chapter 97: I Am Exactly What Damien Desires

    Chapter 97: I Am Exactly What Damien Desires

    "I don''t believe we have formally met," Matthew started as he turned to face Damien. "I''m Matthew Jeong, it''s a pleasure to meet you, President Park." He extended his hand in which Damien received.

    "The pleasure is all mine," Damien replied, shaking Matthew''s hand.

    For some reason, Katherine felt a weird vibe between these two  especially since Damien refused to let go of her even when he and Matthew started exchanging pleasantries. Sheughed inwardly realizing that Damien was trying to mark his territory.

    A few tables away, the CEO of Young Corporation, Deborah Young, had her eyes glued at Katherine the entire time ever since she noticed her arrival with Damien Park. She had been studying her as she conversed with the old woman from Park family and when she saw Matthew Jeong walk up to Katherine and started talking to her, she began to get even more anxious.

    In her memory, she remembered that her niece was very close to Matthew Jeong when they were young. Now that she saw the two standing next to each other, she felt that it was very eerie. She was sure that this young man Matthew probably also saw her niece in Katherine Miller  she can''t be the only one and she felt that it was rather jarring.

    "Madam Young, thank you for epting our invitation. It''s an honor that you took the time to spend your Saturday evening with us." Chairman Frederick Park sat on a chair next to her.

    "Oh, please, Chairman. This is the least I could do. I''m d to be here." Madam Young smiled at Frederick Park and talked about a few matters regarding the politicians that were there that night. However, no matter what she did, she would find herself staring at Katherine again.

    Noticing that Deborah got distracted, Frederick Park followed the direction of her stare and saw his nephew Damien with his secretary and a famous actor talking to each other. He shifted in his seat and asked her, "Why did you request a private investigation about that woman? Did she do something to you?"

    Deborah Young snapped her head towards Frederick Park, suddenly feeling nervous. "No, she didn''t. I met her that day when I had lunch with my daughter Caroline and your son William. She just reminded me of someone I thought I knew it''s nothing. She''s a nobody." She took a sip from her white wine, and searched for any familiar faces nearby.

    "Excuse me, Chairman Park, I just saw Betty Walker over there. Let me go and say hi." She got up from the chair and walked over to the other side of the room. Despite having suspicions about Katherine, she didn''t want to jump into conclusions and share with anyone whatever her doubts were. It was best to keep everything to herself unless she has more solid proof to confirm her suspicion.

    Matthew had excused himself after being called over by a coworker, leaving Damien alone with Katherine again.

    "You can stop smiling now," Damien whispered low to her ear.

    "I can''t. I feel like my facial muscles are having a cramp and this ridiculous mask is stuck on my face."

    Chuckling, Damien slid his hand on the open part of her back, his warm hand brushed against her skin, making her feel warm. "You know I could kiss you right now to help you with that cramp. I heard it''s very effective."

    Katherine''s hands flew up to her cheeks, pressing them rather harshly as though she was trying to force them to rx and red at Damien. "You can''t do that here. There''s a lot of people. You want to be on the headlines tomorrow?"

    "As a matter of fact, I do. As long as it''s you, I would love to share the headlines with you." The corner of Damien''s mouth curled, forming a crooked grin that made Katherine elbow him on the side.

    "Aw!" He yfully rubbed his side but kept his smile on his face, "Such brutality" He slightly leaned in to whisper so that only the two of them could hear, "I don''t really mind you getting aggressive, honey But not here. At least do that when we''re in bed." His words, along with his low, sexy voice shot jolts of electricity straight to her abdomen.

    Katherine''s eyes grew wide and she was about to talk back when two figures approached them from the front.

    "Damien, it''s nice to see you here, cousin." William had a wicked smile on his face as he walked up to them and he took a long nce at Katherine. "You look lovely as ever, Ms. Miller."

    Katherine didn''t meet his eyes but slightly bowed to him.

    The woman next to William had an irritated expression on her face as she gave Katherine a once over. "You''re wearing West," Lexi Jin stated. It wasn''t even a question  she really knew fashion. And seeing Katherine wearing the rumored gown designed by West, she didn''t even hide the scowl on her face, her jealousy just shot through the roof.

    Ignoring her statement, Katherine refused to look at her, so she turned her head to watch the band ying on stage. The song was nice it was so much better than looking at Lexi''s face.

    Noticing that Katherine was ignoring her, Lexi turned to Damien, "Your secretary isn''t very polite, Damien. Are you sure you want that kind of attitude on your subordinates?"

    Damien looked at Katherine whose attention was on the band and a smile formed on his face as he replied to Lexi while he kept his eyes on his woman, "She''s not my secretary tonight. She''s my date. And she can choose to ignore people she doen''t like, she doesn''t have to keep face for my sake."

    His words stabbed Lexi in the heart and made William''s grin grow wider. Katherine heard what he said and was thankful that he was on her side.

    He snaked an arm around her waist and it made her feel safe. Wanting to let him know that she was okay, she ced a hand over his and patted it twice, in which he responded by stroking his thumb on her hand. The two didn''t need words for them to know what the other was thinking.

    "Excuse me, President Park, I''m sorry to interrupt..." One of the event organizers approached him. "I need to rify some things with you regarding the auction. Do you have a minute?"

    Damien nodded at the staff before he turned to Katherine and leaned in to whisper, "I''m sorry, this won''t take long. You can sit over there and I''lle back real quick. Don''t stay here." He kissed her temple and reluctantly released her hand before walking away with the staff.

    This gesture made Lexi hate her more. Damien never liked public disys of affection.

    Just in time, Caleb arrived at her side. "Katherine, let''s go and join Nana at the table."

    Nodding at him, she turned on her heel and walked with Caleb but before she could even take a few steps forward, Lexi grabbed her arm, stopping her in her tracks.

    "I don''t like disrespectful people," Lexi said. Katherine turned around slowly and shot Lexi a re.

    "I thought we have already established that we don''t like each other. I don''t see a need for me to do that when you clearly don''t respect me as well." Katherine retracted her arm from Lexi''s grip.

    Chuckling, Lexi crossed her arms. "You''re really something. Just because Damien is showing favoritism to you, it doesn''t mean that you''re special. Don''t forget, you are only a lowly secretary and you have nothing but a pretty face. You don''t belong in the high society," she sneered.

    To Lexi''s surprise, Katherine didn''t appear to be insulted  thetter even softly chuckled.

    "Lowly secretary Pretty face? Don''t you know other words, Ms. Jin? This is the second time that you called me those. I''m now really convinced that your vocabry is limited. If I were you, I''d start carrying a dictionary. I wonder how you survived to this date with your poormunication skills."

    Lexi''s mouth hung open from Katherine''s insult. Stepping forward, she glowered at Katherine, "How dare you"

    "You can think whatever you want if that is what helps you sleep at night. And while you''re at it, do keep this inside that narrow mind of yours  You''re right. You''re someone of high social status and you''ve reached the peak of your career. You have wealth and unlimited resources and servants at your beck and call. You are absolutely at the top."

    Lexi raised her chin up as though she believed she deserved all the words Katherine told her she was.

    With a sinister yet beautiful smile on her face, Katherine looked at Lexi in the eye and continued, "But you failed to understand one thing, Damien doesn''t want and need a self-entitled supermodel who sleeps around. I may be just a lowly secretary or just a pretty face but guess what? I am exactly what Damien desires."

    There was a pool of water in Lexi''s eyes as she stood frozen taking in all of Katherine''s words.

    Before Katherine walked away, she left Lexi with her final blow "I hope you understood everything. I don''t want to have to write them all down for you to get the picture."

 Chapter 98: Like a Glowing Jellyfish

    Chapter 98: Like a Glowing Jellyfish

    Caleb stifled augh as he listened to Katherine''s astounding remarks against Lexi. He wanted to give her a slow p but that would just attract a lot of attention  and he was definitely going to tell Damien about this.

    Lexi Jin''s body shook in anger. She was so ready to p Katherine but just as she stepped forward and raised her hand, Caleb strategically ced himself in front of Katherine. At the same time, William pulled Lexi to stop her from doing something more stupid just when Damien came back who red at Lexi.

    "What the hell do you think you''re doing?" Damien asked under his breath, trying not to raise his voice.

    Lexi lowered her hand and paled, "I I wasn''t I didn''t"

    "May I remind you, Ms. Jin, we are at a charity g. We are here for a cause, so don''t bring your rubbish attitude in here if you don''t want to humiliate yourself further. Take a look around you."

    Just as Damien said those words, Lexi looked left and right and saw the stares of people around them in the VIP section.

    "Excuse me, Ms. Jin, can youe with me to the backstage? The auction is about to start," said one of the event organizers.

    Lexi shot a re at Katherine who only looked at her with an emotionless expression before she left with the staff and headed towards the backstage.

    William inched slightly closer and told Damien, "I apologize on behalf of Lexi''s behavior. That was rude of her, please don''t take it to heart. I will talk to herter."

    Damien only spared him a nce before he turned to face Katherine. "Let''s go over there, the auction is about to start."

    Nodding, Katherine hooked her arm in Damien''s and walked with him to the front of the runway where the auction was going to be held.

    William watched as the three of them walked away and a knowing smile slowly appeared on his face as though he had something nned. Hearing what Katherine said to Lexi earlier, it made him like her more. She was such a headstrong person and he hadn''t met a lot of women like her. She was such a treasure. And he wanted to get his hands on her.

    The main part of that night''s event was the auction, one which everyone was anticipating for. In the brightly lit hall, guests crowded the center as they were excited to see their favorite items that were up for bid. There were varieties of items from apparel to antiques, and jewelry.

    The host started his introduction by weing everyone who was present and informing them of how the auction would be carried out and where the proceeds would go to. When everyone who wanted to join the auction had taken their bidding paddles, they went to find their ce in front of the runway and waited patiently for the auction to start.

    "Have you set your eyes on something you want among the auctioned items?" Damien asked Katherine.

    She shook her head, "I''m not very much fond of jewelry and I wouldn''t wear couture fashion as well."

    Nodding, Damien ced his hand on the small of her back. "Okay, let''s just enjoy the auction. There were some pieces added earlier, maybe we''ll find something we will like then."

    The two exchanged smiles and Katherine replied with a snort as she faced the auctioneer, "I doubt I will even find something that will cost within my sry."

    Caleb slightly leaned in to butt in, "Don''t worry, Katherine, the man standing next to you is Mr. Money Bags. All you have to do is say the word and he''ll buy anything and everything you want."

    Heat crept up Katherine''s nape and she turned her head to Damien whose attention was now at the auctioneer.

    Actually, Mr. Money Bags Damien Park heard Caleb loud and clear but he pretended that he didn''t. ''He''s right though, Kitten.''

    Everyone''s attention was caught when the auctioneer started to chant in the bidding of the first item.

    Sometimeter, there were already 11 items auctioned. Some finished fast while others were quite an interesting battle.

    "The next item we have for bidding is courtesy of Old Madame Park who graciously put up one of her treasured jewelry. A fine piece of ne that has a gold chain with a series of circr-cut diamond snowkes along the borders of the band..." the auctioneer described the details of the piece while Lexi Jin stood tall and proud on the stage with the ne around her neck.

    Lexi looked over where Katherine and Damien were and secretly wished that he would take notice of her  After all, the ne belonged to his grandmother.

    "The estimated price of this piece is around $1,050,000 The bidding starts at $500,000" the auctioneer announced. And as he started to chant, paddles were raised from left and right, making Katherine feel out of ce, seeing that a lot of people around her were willing to spend so much.

    Katherine became even more surprised when Damien raised his paddle and said, "Six hundred thousand."

    She coughed and cleared her throat, not knowing how to feel about the whole thing. Money was flying everywhere and she could only dream of having even just a tenth of those.

    In Lexi''s eyes, Damien was not bidding for the ne but rather ''her''. So whenever she saw Damien raising his paddle, her heart fluttered.

    Together with Damien, William and a few other guests were bidding as well.

    Just when the bid was at $900,000, Nana came to Damien''s side. "Are you really going to buy that crap?"

    Her words startled Damien. "Nana, why did you auction that? Wasn''t that one of your favorites?"

    Nana snortled, "I hated that thing. I never liked wearing it. It was a gift from my old lover that happened before your grandfather, of course."

    Knitting his brows, Damien was bewildered, "Why would you keep wearing it if you don''t like it?"

    Nana looked up to him and stared as if Damien was the weird one. "Why to show off, of course! One look at it and you''d know it''s expensive. But that thing''s heavy, I feel like my neck would snap."

    Damien was speechless.

    "I''ve been wanting to get rid of it but only had the guts to do so now," she added.

    The bidding reached $1,060,000, making everyone gasp in awe and that made Lexi feel so happy.

    Hearing what Nana just told him, Damien lowered his paddle, withdrawing from the auction. The look on Lexi''s face drastically changed upon seeing that Damien had stopped bidding and her gazended on the trio talking.

    "It is very pretty, Nana," Katherineplimented.

    "Thank you, dear. It was pretty while itsted on me," Nana chuckled.

    "Seriously, Nana first knitting, and now this jewelry." Damien shook his head, sometimes, he just couldn''t understand his Nana''s logic.

    In the end, the bidding of Nana''s ned ended at $1,100,000, won by an old man from the other side of the room.

    "Goodness. Who is that old schmuck who spent that much on that crap?" Nana extended her neck to see who it was. "I''ll go over and see who it was, so I canugh at his face. See youter love birds," she said as she slowly walked away.

    Damien heard Katherine''sugh. A sound that chimed in his ear and tickled his heart. "You look really beautiful when youugh, Katherine. I hope you smile more often."

    "Why are you being so cheesy all of a sudden?" Sheughed some more.

    He wanted to forget everything else and just kiss her right then and there but the sound from the speakers stopped him.

    The auctioneer raised the mic to his mouth and started again, "We actually have one special piece that is up for bidding tonight. A few of you already know what this is because of the very recent rumor going on for this auction but for those of you who don''t know yet why don''t I show you?"

    "Oh, there''s another one?" Katherine turned to the stage in anticipation.

    Suddenly, the lights turned off and the entire hall becamepletely dark.

    And in an instant, Katherine''s eyesnded on her gown and they widened in absolute shock. "H-Holy Sh-"

    "Shhh they can hear you," Damien whispered into her ear but Katherine was totally confused.

    "Damien! Why is my dress glowing?!"

    "Surprise..." Damien kissed her temple and the lights in the hall slowly turned into a dimmed one, allowing everyone to see each other under the faint, romantic lights.

    Trying so hard not to yell, Katherine spoke under gritted teeth, "What do you mean surprise? This is oh my god, I look like a glowing jellyfish! It''s literally glowing in the dark and everybody''s eyes are on me! Why am I glowing?!"

    Katherine could not believe her eyes as she stared to take in the colors that lit in her gown: abination of blue and green illuminated her skirt and it flowed nicely when she tried to slightly sway.

    In the entire event hall, Katherine was the only one glowing.

 Chapter 99: Bidding War

    Chapter 99: Bidding War

    The entire event hall was quiet as the guests gawked at the mesmerizing glowing gown that was in the middle of the room. The woman moved a little and the skirt swayed with her. The colors on her skirt waved and they could not help but be in awe.

    "Wow" was all most of them could say.

    Feeling all eyes were staring at her direction, Katherine couldn''t help but shrink  she wanted to hide behind Damien.

    "Why did you do this?" she was nearly teary-eyed with all the emotions that she was feeling at the moment. She was mad and embarrassed at the same time and she did not know what she was going to do first  Cry?  Or beat up Damien?

    "Rx" he softly said above her.

    Katherine was still in a daze and the next thing she knew, Damien put ace mask over her face that covered the area around her eyes. "You can do this."

    "What do you mean?" she whispered as she felt him tighten the knot at the back of her head. "Damien?"

    "Ms. Miller, may I?" Mr. West suddenly appeared from the side, offering his arm to her.

    Katherine nced at Damien who only smiled at her and nodded. She did not know what was happening and all she could do was hook her arm in Mr. West''s.

    "You''re doing great, dear," Mr. West said as he brought her with him up the stage.

    ''Doing great at what?! Not knowing what is going on?! Damn right, I am!'' She screamed in her head when her mouth forgot to know how to function.

    As soon as Katherine and Mr. West arrived on stage, the host stated, "All right, everyone. This marvelous piece is designed by none other than Mr. Samuel West. A big round of apuse please."

    Thunderous ps filled the event hall and Katherine could even hear a man howling from the side and when she turned her head, she saw Jeffrey giving her two thumbs up.

    Her eyes shifted to the man next to him, Damien  whose gaze was fixated at her.

    "Mr. West, tell us about this creation of yours," said the host.

    Nodding, West raised his microphone and started, "This piece is a product of a precious memory that I spent with my loved one during our vacation a few years ago. I was inspired by the bioluminescent beach in Australia. The bright blue glow of the water on the shore was absolutely beautiful. It led me to design this beautiful piece using LED lights." Pointing at the top portion of the gown, he continued, "These are made of real diamonds and" Mr. West continued to describe the elements in the gown but Katherine''s mind had be too hazy to understand everything.

    Soon after, she heard the host say, "The real price of this creation by Mr. West won''t be disclosed but we shall start the opening bid at a low amount of one hundred dors."

    Ohs and Ahs were heard among the crowd and it only made Katherine more nervous. She balled her hands into fists and did not move her gaze from Damien.

    Hearing that the starting bid was so low, Lexi Jin had a wicked smile on her face. Katherine was wearing a West piece but even so, it looked like her value wasn''t that high. She felt an excessive pride for herself because her item started at a higher amount and the maximum bid exceeded the estimated price of the ne. She snorted.

    "One hundred," said one of the guests.

    "Two hundred and eighteen dors." Damien raised his paddle, never leaving his gaze away from Katherine.

    "Five hundred," said William.

    "One thousand." Jeffrey joined.

    "$2,180." Damien raised his paddle again.

    Caleb chuckled and raised his, "$5,000"

    "Ten thousand," William smiled.

    "$21,800," Damien said with an emotionless expression.

    ''What is he doing?'' Katherine knitted her brows and as if Damien could understand her eyes despite the mask, he only smiled at her.

    "This is too slow $100,000"

    The crowd gasped and their heads turned to where the voice came from, only to find Matthew Jeong had raised his paddle.

    The grin in William''s face widened, "$150,000."

    "$218,000." Damien voiced calmly.

    "Hrious," Jeffrey muttered next to him.

    Damien remained quiet while the battle between Matthew and William went on until they almost reached $800,000  making everyone excited except Lexi who was busy sneering that the amount was about to reach the maximum bid on the ne that she modeled.

    "One million dors," William proudly said and turned to give a smug look at Matthew who could only clench his jaw. The money was too much for Matthew and he found that it was ridiculous to fight over something like that so he conceded.

    The auctioneer announced, "One million going once going twice"

    "$2,180,000." Damien raised his paddle once more, and this time, thest bid more than doubled William''s.

    The crowd became restless and they started to whisper to each other. Lexi was feeling extremely bitter that she walked out of the hall. William shook his head and lowered his paddle before he followed Lexi out.

    "Two million one hundred eighty thousand dors going once, going twice, SOLD!" The hammer smacked on the board and the guests pped their hands.

    The number rang in Katherine''s ears  the figures appeared in her mind and she froze on the spot. And all of a sudden, an unfamiliar scene yed out in her mind, causing her to be in a trance. "Auction" she muttered. "Damien" She subconsciously held her head and without realizing, she was brought to the backstage while she was still in a daze.

    "Ms. Miller"

    Someone was telling her something but she was far too engrossed in the scene that was running through her mind to understand what the voice next to her was saying.

    "Damien I need to go see Damien. Where is he?" Her heart raced and she was feeling overwhelmed. She needed to see him. Right away.

    "Ms. Miller?" Ava shook her by the arms, "You shoulde with me. I''m sure you''ve been ufortable in that dress since earlier. We have prepared a morefortable one for you to change into."

    Katherine stared at Ava. "I have to see Damien."

    A smile broke in Ava''s face and she nodded, "You will see President Park after changing your dress. He asked me to help you."

    "But"

    Katherine was escorted towards a dressing room near the backstage where Ava helped her out from the ball gown and into a ck evening gown.

    The evening gown had a velvet material. It was sultry with an off the shoulder, sweetheart neckline and form-fitting style  showcasing a multiyered ruffled mesh skirt with velvet trim.

    "President Park really knows how to choose the right dresses for you," Avaplimented.

    "He chose this?" Katherine asked, in which Ava nodded. She looked at herself in the mirror and her lips parted. The woman in the mirror felt like the same woman she saw in her thoughts a while ago.

    "Ava, I really need to find Damien Park. Where is he?" Katherine insisted.

    Nodding, Ava led her out of the room, "President Park is waiting for you at the dressing room near the entrance of the event hall. My work is done for tonight so I hope you don''t mind that I won''t be apanying you anymore."

    "Thank you, Ava." Katherine turned on her heel and hurriedly headed to where Damien was.

    Her heels clicked on the floor as she walked while she tried to piece bits of images in her head that didn''t make sense. ''This has to be from the past. I need to see him.''

    Just as she was about to reach the dressing room, Chairman Frederick Park blocked her way. A mocking smile mixed with irritation formed on his face as he spat, "How brazen."

 Chapter 100: Swim in Cash

    Chapter 100: Swim in Cash

    Katherine''s train of thought was interrupted by Damien''s uncle when he decided to confront her about whatever it was that he found worthy of his criticism.

    "Excuse me?" she asked as politely as she could.

    "Ms. Miller, how shameless can you be? You truly have caught my attention."

    "I apologize, Chairman Park, but I don''t understand what you mean."

    "You don''t? You have certainly wrapped my nephew around your finger. Just because he is willing to spend so much money on you you have already be so confident," he said in a low voice.

    Raising a brow, Katherine had enough of this old man who kept on finding faults with her.

    After sighing, she replied, "Are you talking about the auction? You must be mistaken, Chairman Park, the money that your nephew spent was all for a good cause. The proceeds will go to a cancer foundation and not in my pocket. I''m sure you are aware of that since you are the host of this event."

    Frederick Park scoffed. "Don''t get smart with me, woman. You and I both know that you are only after his money, isn''t that right?"

    "That is not true. I would never"

    "Save your words. Why don''t you tell me how much it is that you want so that we can be over and done with this?" Chairman Park retrieved something from the inner pocket of his coat.

    Katherine narrowed her eyes. "Are you saying that you are going to give me money and in return, I leave Damien?" She asked, shocked when she saw the checkbook and pen in his hands.

    "Name your price." Frederick Park hovered his pen over the paper, waiting for her to say a number.

    ''Unbelievable.'' Katherine could not believe that Damien''s uncle was willing to stoop to this level. ''Did he think that he can buy me out of Damien''s life?'' She crossed her arms.

    Seeing that Katherine was only staring at him, he added, "What? You can''t decide? I can help you. How about a hundred thousand? Half a million? Or millions You sure are cunning." Frederick Park started writing on his checkbook.

    ''How insulting.'' Katherine wanted tough. Breathing in deeply, she brushed her fingers on her chin and remarked, "Hmmm Now that I think about it"

    Frederick Park stopped writing and looked up to her, waiting for what she had to say.

    "If I really am after his money, I don''t think I should leave him." She shrugged her shoulder, looking so innocent.

    His brows furrowed upon hearing her words. "What are you saying?"

    "Why would I ept your money? If I leave with your offer, that''s the only wealth I will have. But if I stay with Damien, I can have more So why should I?"

    "I can offer you millions! You''re still not going to leave him?" Frederick Park thought that Katherine was iprehensible.

    "Millions but Uncle Fred" Katherine started in a gentle voice, "...if I ept your money, I would spend it quickly and the money is only going tost me for a few years But your nephew Damien He is a billionaire. If I stay with him, I would get more from him, so much more than what I would get from you. Isn''t that more logical? It would take me many years to enjoy his money. I would probably have enough money to spend until I die of old age by staying with him That''s so much money to spend, you know!" she said as-a-matter-of-factly.

    Frederick Park felt like he just heard the most ridiculous response since he was born! Is this woman for real? How ridiculous! How shameless!

    "You are a vixen! How brazen can you"

    "Uncle Fred." Damien''s voice came from the side, startling Katherine and Frederick.

    Damien stood next to Katherine and held her hand. He had been waiting for her in the dressing room until he got anxious and decided that he should go and get her. Just in time that his uncle whipped out the checkbook, he heard their conversation. Howughable.

    "Damien" he heard her say.

    Damien stroked his thumb on Katherine''s hand. "Please stop insulting my woman. It''s an insult to me as well." He looked at his uncle in the eye and told him in a firm tone.

    "Damien, didn''t you hear what this woman said? She said she is after your money! She''s a gold digger!"

    "Uncle Fred, I really wish you would stop calling her anything. I heard what she said and I don''t care. If money is what she wants, then that''s what I''m going to give her. I will give her plenty of it  enough for her to swim in it until she dies of old age."

    Damien didn''t stutter. His words not only shocked his uncle but also the woman beside him. Is this guy nuts? ''I just said that to spite his uncle and he''s taking me seriously?'' Katherine could only gape at him.

    With widened eyes, Frederick Park looked at the pair in front of him. He must be having a nightmare right now. "Damien, you can''t be serious!" He looked at Katherine. "This woman How could you"

    "If you keep questioning and insulting her, you''re also questioning and insulting my judgment. Is that what you''re really trying to do?" Damien''s voice became cold.

    Feeling defeated, Frederick Park fumed in resignation. "I hope you don''t regret this, Damien. That woman will be your downfall," he bit out before he walked past them.

    Damien closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. He could feel a headache creeping up. How could one night be so eventful like this?

    He slowly opened his eyes and turned to the side when he noticed that Katherine was staring at him. "What?" he asked.

    Katherine knew that she had to tell him something important but his words just now sent her to shock.

    Seeing her state, Damien pulled her with him inside the dressing room. And as soon as they got inside, he locked the door and drew her in for a hug. "You must have been scared, I''m sorry he did that to you." He stroked the back of her head.

    Katherine snapped out of her trance and pulled away from him. "What''s wrong?" she heard him ask. "Are you okay?" He cupped her face in his hands as he got worried.

    "Damien" She held his hands and lowered them as she tried to recall her memories again. "The auction"

    "You must have been surprised with that too. I hope you''re not mad, I was"

    "No! Not tonight''s auction!" Katherine squeezed his hands with hers. "The auction that one night You were on stage. and and I was I was there" She lowered her gaze as she tried to concentrate.

    "2 1 8 What does that mean? Why was I... Why was I bidding on you?"

    Damien''s expression was unreadable as he listened to her mumble. He ced both of his hands back to cup her face again. "Katherine, slow down. What are you trying to say? Did you remember something?"

    "I''m not sure I don''t know what I"

    "Katherine, breathe."

    Breathing deeply, Katherine tried again, "You were on stage and there were many people. You were smiling at me while I was among the crowd. There was an auctioneer beside you and it looked as if I was bidding on you Did something like that happen years ago?"

    Damien''s heart throbbed. He was so overwhelmed that he couldn''t control his feelings. He swiftly pulled her face towards him and crushed his lips to hers, kissing her deeply with need before releasing her.

    "Yes Katherine. Yes that was six years ago." Damien pressed his forehead to hers as he was panting.

    Katherine was still trying to wrap her head around what he just confirmed. ''So that wasn''t just an imagination that really happened.''

    Caressing her cheek, Damien felt like one thorn among many that were stuck in his heart was removed. "You don''t know how happy I am that you remembered that."

 Chapter 101: My Unnamed Beauty

    Chapter 101: My Unnamed Beauty

    Hearing him say those words, Katherine felt even more ted. It was as if some part of her life has been unlocked and her past didn''t seem so dark anymore. For five years, she had been wondering. For five years, she had been feeling both frustrated and excited to be able to recall some of her memories. But during those five years, she had never felt more emotional than at the moment  finding out that she indeed met Damien in the past.

    There was a part of her that wished she would never remember the past. It was as though she was trying to protect herself from the unknown. There were times that she tried so hard and ended up crying because of frustration and also because of fear  like her body knew that whatever happened in the past caused her irreparable damage and it was better that she didn''t know about it.

    But now that she learned that Damien was there with her all those years ago, seeing the look on his face and feeling the way she was feeling now, a surge of yearning washed over her and all she could see was him.

    Katherine was panting. She could still feel the warmth of his kiss on her lips and she wanted more.

    "Katherine?" Damien called when he noticed that she wasn''t saying anything.

    Meeting his stare, Katherine wanted to cry when she saw the look on his face  he was happy  and it made her happy, so she swallowed her tears.

    Instead, she reached her hands out, grabbed him by the cor and captured his lips.

    Damien was caught off guard by her actions. One minute, she was only staring at him  then, she grabbed him, and next, she was kissing him fervently as if she wanted to consume all of him. He couldn''t help but groan in her mouth as he responded to her kisses with the same need.

    He pushed her backward until her back touched the wall and he trapped her there, pressing his body and wanting to feel her more.

    Katherine could feel the warmth of his body, emanating underneath his clothes. His lips brushed against her own, his tongue explored her mouth, and his hands roamed her sides her arms and the front of her breast. She whimpered when she felt him squeeze it gently  she didn''t know she wanted it.

    Damien was so close that she could feel the firmness of his body. How manly he was how tempting he was.

    Their kiss was so passionate that neither one of them wanted to break apart but Katherine was beginning to feel dizzy that her knees started to feel weak.

    Noticing that, Damien reluctantly pulled away both of their faces were flushed  and both of them were breathless.

    Katherine nuzzled her face in his neck, wanting to keep him close and smell the scent that she loved so much. He wrapped his arms around her and rested his head on hers, stroking her hair as he did.

    "Where did thate from?" he asked, wondering why Katherine suddenly became so eager.

    She shook her head as she snaked her hands through his unbuttoned coat and wrapped her arms around his waist. "I''m just as happy as you are."

    They stayed still for a couple of minutes more before Damien pulled her down to the sofa with him, making her sit on hisp and holding her in ce.

    "Tell me what you remember. I need to know what it is that you know" Damien stroked her arm and kissed her bare shoulder as he stared at her, impatient to know what was on her mind.

    Nodding, Katherine stared at her hands that were resting on herp and started recalling the farthest that she could remember. She closed her eyes and started, "I don''t know when it was or why I was there"

    Sometime 6 years ago

    The scene took ce in an event hall and it was a charity g where a lot of important people were present.

    Katherine wore a ck floor-length off shoulder evening dress with a sweetheart neckline. She blended right in  rather, she was unimposing and did not attract much attentionpared to those around her  people in the high society who wore shy outfits.

    She was standing at the far end of the room watching an auction taking ce when a man in a tailored suit approached her from the side.

    "I knew it was you" Damien stood next to her and handed her a ss of champagne.

    Katherine was surprised to see him but nevertheless, she received the ss he offered.

    Smiling, Damien took a swig from his flute before he said, "Are you also friends with the owner of this hotel?"

    For some reason, Katherine felt shy because of what he said and all she could do was smile back and say, "Is there a reason why you''re talking to me?"

    "Actually, yes. You disappeared that night when I explicitly told you to stay where you were. Shouldn''t I, at least, get an apology?" He spoke while his eyes were fixated on the stage.

    Katherine chuckled, "I don''t owe you anything."

    "Not even your name?" He turned his head to her and looked at her in the eye.

    Returning his intense gaze with her own, she replied, "Not even my name." She beamed before she downed her champagne and giving the empty flute to the waiter. "I''m a nobody."

    "You''re very mysterious No name yet you keep appearing in social events like this. I don''t think you''re a nobody at all."

    Katherine shrugged, "Well you''re going to be disappointed."

    "I like challenges" She heard him say just before she felt his fingertips brush her arm and his hand settled on the small of her back, making her breathing hitch because of the sudden contact.

    Her skin was so smooth that he wanted to keep touching her. Feeling her tense up, Damien masked a small smile on his face and asked, "Tell me, my unnamed beauty What do I have to do to get to know you?"

    Just because of his question, Katherine suddenly felt like ying with him. "You want to know me?"

    Damien tilted his head at the same time that he slightly tightened his grip on her waist, his action telling her that it was a "Yes."

    As if there was a switch, Katherine yed along with him. She turned her body towards him so that she was facing him diagonally and raised her delicate hand on his chest, sliding her fingers so that she was ying with his cor. "What can we do? I''m always busy If you want to talk to me, you would have to buy my time." She dragged her gaze up from his chest until she met his fiery stare.

    Enjoying the game that she was ying, Damien quirked the corner of his mouth up and told her, "Money is not a problem, darling all you have to do is tell me a number."

    Patting the bow in ce, she pushed herself off of him and gestured the waiter toe over. "I have a better idea."

    Damien never left his eyes on Katherine. He was watching her every move as though he was afraid that if he so much as blink, she would abruptly disappear again. She whispered something to the waiter who nodded his head before he left and headed somewhere.

    "Is money really not a problem for you?" she suddenly asked.

    An amused smile appeared on his face as he studied the mischievous expression on the woman before him. He didn''t know what he got himself into

    But one thing''s for sure  Damien was going to enjoy every bit of it even if hees to regret itter.

    With a devilish, sexy smile on his face, he said, "They say it''s easy to say you don''t care about money when you have plenty of it. So by all means, my unnamed beauty, take advantage of me all you want."

 Chapter 102: For You, My Dear… the Sky.

    Chapter 102: For You, My Dear�� the Sky.

    Katherine could feel the heat in her abdomen from the way the man in front of her stared at her. And as much as she was feeling a bit nervous about the whole thing, a part of her wanted to see what would happen if she allowed herself to indulge in this silly game.

    Turning her head towards the stage, she nodded at someone. Damien was just about to turn to check what she was looking at when he heard her say, "There''s something in your"

    Katherine grabbed hold of Damien''s arm and raised it high up in the air.

    "Looks like we have a volunteer from the young gentleman over there. Please,e on up here and let''s start the bidding," The auctioneer said in the microphone as he waved at Damien to join him on stage.

    "What did you do?" Damien quickly lowered his hand and raised a brow at Katherine who was looking at him with a naughty smile, making her look even more seductive.

    Damien wasn''t sure what was happening. He could feel all eyes were on him at that moment but he didn''t know why. He definitely heard the auctioneer and saw him waving but what for?

    Shrugging, Katherine brought both of her hands up to fix his bowtie, amused at the current situation. She told him, "You said you wanted to get to know me and you said that you wanted to buy my time, right? How about this  you go up there auction yourself like a bachelor and pray that I win?"

    A slow smile spread across his face upon hearing her words, "You could always forfeit and let others win, and if that happens, then I wouldn''t be able to get to you, am I right?"

    "True but just like you, I also happen to like challenge." Katherine hooked her arm in his and slowly led him towards the backstage. "I need to see for myself if you are worthy of my time before I give you the chance."

    "You want to see if women are going to fight over me in this bidding?" Damien chuckled. "Clever."

    "If I''m satisfied enough, then I''ll make sure I win."

    "How sure are you that you''re going to win?"

    They halted at the side and Damien raised a brow when she said, "Oh, I always win."

    "Cocky." He raised his hand and tucked her hair behind her ear. "I like it."

    Retrieving something from her purse, Katherine put on a ck in fabric masquerade mask and tied it securely at the back of her head.

    "You always have that with you in your purse? Why?" he wondered, a smile lingering on his face as he watched her pretty face getting covered by a ck mask, making her look even more mysterious.

    Katherine shrugged, "I don''t know. For times like this?" She held his shoulders and spun him around to face the stage before she gave him a slight push, "Now go to your auction. Just stand there and stay pretty."

    Damien chuckled at her words, thinking that she really was an interesting woman. "I hope you brought millions because the stakes are high once you see me up there."

    Tilting her head, she beamed at him, "Oh, I don''t have money with me at all."

    Damien raised a brow, questioning her in silence.

    "You''re the one who wants to talk to me, to buy my time, remember? Shouldn''t it be your money we should use? It''s only right"

    Brushing his fingers along his jaw, Damien chuckled. He almost forgot that he was indeed the one who was asking for her time. "Fine. I sure hope you can keep up with the bidding. It can go pretty fast."

    "Don''t get too cocky," Katherine scoffed. "What''s my limit?" she asked, referring to the amount of his money she could spend on him.

    Damien raised a hand and lifted her chin up. He stared into her eyes and ran his thumb along her bottom lip, making her instantly blush. "For you, my dear the sky."

    A slow smile formed on his face before he turned around and confidently walked towards the middle of the stage. As soon as he stood next to the auctioneer, the women below the stage cheered loudly.

    Katherine was still frozen on the spot where he left her as she was still in a daze from the lingering warmth of his hand on her face. She shook her head and pped her cheeks to clear her thoughts before she walked back to join the crowd.

    "I apologize for not recognizing you earlier, President Park. I was not prepared to see you up here tonight as we rarely get to see you appear in front and now you even volunteered," said the host in which Damien only softly chuckled, his eyes slowly scanning the crowd to see where Katherine was. ''I swear to God if you disappear again so suddenly''

    His thoughts trailed off when his eye caught Katherine''s figure right in front of him below the stage.

    "Earlier when we received the request, we were only told that someone wants to volunteer to be auctioned tonight. It''s been a while since thest time I have hosted for a bachelor auction. And tonight,dies and gents?" The crowdughed. "The gentleman next to me is Mr. Damien Park, the Chairman of Crown Resort Group."

    Cheers and gasps were heard everywhere, especially from the women surrounding Katherine, making her cover her ears, afraid that her ears would bleed from their loud shrieks.

    When she looked up at Damien, she saw him gazing directly at her with a lingering smile dancing on his lips. He was such an attractive man!

    "So Just to be clear, this is for a five-minute alone time with President Park. Isn''t that right?" The host rified with Damien.

    Katherine revealed a small smile and Damien chuckled upon hearing the host. Five minutes?! That''s all she was willing to give? ''Okay I can work with that. There are so many things I can do in five minutes.''

    Nodding, Damien agreed, "Yes."

    Soon after, the auction started.

    One woman started at $200, in which Katherine immediately raised to $218. Damien raised a brow at the weird price. And it happened to the rest of Katherine''s bidding amount:

    "Two thousand eighteen"

    "Twenty-one thousand eight hundred"

    "Two hundred eighteen thousand"

    Everyone went nuts! Though most of them knew Damien''s identity, they were not intimidated. The bidding went high even though they knew that it was only a mere five minutes with the Resort King - it could possibly be five minutes in heaven!

    Extremely rich, handsome, always smiling... What''s not to like?! The socialites were willing to grab that chance, fantasizing that it was their only chance they have to make him fall in love with them in five minutes!

    Although Katherine found it ridiculous for people to spend that much, even if it was for charity, what she found more ridiculous were the crazy women around her who were eagerly bidding just to be alone with him for a short time.

    ''Wait! I am one of these crazy women!''

    The current amount was already at $500,000. It was already too steep and the possible winner was a cougar in her fifties.

    "Going once going twice" Damien heard the auctioneer and he suddenly felt ridiculously nervous.

    Katherine saw the panic in his eyes as he continued to stare at her as if he was saying: "You said you were going to win?!"

    She softly chuckled. "You said the sky''s the limit, huh?" She raised her paddle and said in a firm voice, "$2,180,000!"

    Everyone looked at her like she was insane. And in this case, she agreed with them. She was already insane when she started to flirt back with Damien and now she just shamelessly spent his money as if it was nothing.

    "...SOLD to the mysteriousdy in a ck dress," said the auctioneer.

    Damien sighed in relief and suppressed himself to smile as he and Katherine exchanged gazes that were aze as though they were both thinking about the same thing  stripping each other bare naked.

 Chapter 103: This Woman Makes Me Want to Lose Control

    Chapter 103: This Woman Makes Me Want to Lose Control

    Damien locked his gaze on her, ignoring whatever the hosts were saying next to him. He watched as Katherine slightly bowed at him, turned her heel and started walking away.

    ''Damn it, woman!'' he cursed in his head as he turned around and alighted the stage, quickly following her out of the hall using the fire exit.

    "President Park" he heard them call but he ignored them and took long strides towards where the woman disappeared.

    He thought that she was escaping again until he pushed the door open and saw her leaning against the wall near the stairs, waiting for him. The corner of his mouth curled up upon seeing her beautiful face again as she took off her mask.

    Damien retrieved his mobile phone from his pocket and waved it. "Should I time or do you want to do the honors?"

    Katherine looked up at him, meeting his stare that was so intense she could feel her knees weaken  she was thankful that she was leaning against the wall.

    "You sure are a man of your words." Katherine pushed herself off the wall and inched closer to him so that they were only several inches apart. The man in front of her was taller by less than a foot and being able to see him up close like this, she got to appreciate the perfectly chiseled jawline of his that she had wanted to feel with her fingers.

    "I always have been." He inched even closer and his delicious scent invaded her nose, making her inhale deeply as though she wanted to devour him right then and there.

    "Still wearing that perfume I see" She tilted her head to the side, their eyes never leaving each other.

    "Are you stalling?" Damien''s gaze shifted a little lower and settled on her naturally plump lips. He heard her soft chuckle which was music to his ears. ''God, this woman makes me want to lose control.'' He clenched his jaw.

    "Actually, I have to go It was nice meeting you, President Park." She smiled and turned to her left.

    Damien stepped in her way to stop her, gently holding her wrist. "You owe me my five minutes. Are you just going to leave again?"

    "With the way that we keep meeting each other like this, I''m sure we''ll see each other again soon. Until then, you can n out how you want to spend that five minutes, make sure to make it worthwhile."

    Chuckling, Damien could not believe this woman. "You just spent $2,000,000 of mine tonight and I still don''t know anything about you."

    "Are you regretting it?" Katherine asked with a smile on her face. Subtly, she brushed her fingers on the back of his hand before she said, "2 1 8 that''s one thing that you get to know about me."

    Feeling her soft touch, Damien''s reflex was to grab her hand but she was already walking away. "What does that even mean?"

    Katherine waved her hand without turning back, "I''ll tell you the next time I see you."

    Damien watched as she walked away and disappeared into a corner. Regretting? He scoffed before a smile slowly formed on his lips.

    "It''s definitely worth it." He muttered as he lowered his eyes to his right palm to look at the rose gold bracelet that he secretly took from her wrist earlier.

    Chuckling, Damien kept the bracelet in his inner coat pocket and went back to the hall.

    "That''s all I can remember," Katherine said after telling Damien about the memory she recalled in her point of view.

    She felt him tighten his hold on her, making her turn her head towards him and she met his smiling eyes. "What?"

    Damien stifled a chuckle and shook his head. "Nothing it''s just it feels different hearing it from your perspective."

    "Did I say everything right? Did I miss something?"

    Katherine narrated what she saw in her memory. However, she only told him about what transpired during their conversation and the auction. She didn''t say anything beyond that.

    "Why were you there that night? What were you doing there? Why did you leave right away?" he asked and saw that Katherine had shifted her gaze to the side as if she was trying to concentrate.

    She sighed and shook her head, "I''m sorry I don''t know I don''t remember anything else." She saw him nod and did not say anything which made her worry. "Are you disappointed that I couldn''t remember anything else?"

    "No, of course not. Why would I be disappointed?" Damien quickly responded. "No matter how much I want you to remember your past, all I could think about now is the present. You, with me, in my arms like this, Katherine this is all I want. Your past does not matter to me as much as your present."

    Shifting her position in hisp, Katherine hooked an arm around his neck and cupped one side of his face with her other hand. "Why are you so good to me?"

    Damien ced his hand over her hand that was cupping his face and stroked it. He slightly turned his head towards her palm and ced a warm and gentle kiss on it before he said, "It''s because it''s you."

    There was nothing else that he could say. It was really just because it was her  because she was Katherine.

    Her heart throbbed in her chest when she felt his lips. She bravely leaned in and with gentle strokes, she brushed her lips on his.

    What started slow and sweet gradually picked up the pace. Damien''s hand which rested on her waist slid down to her thigh. Katherine''s sultry evening dress had a long slit that stopped over a foot from her knee and his hand dangerously grazed her skin on that area  he felt her tense up a little.

    "Damien" She breathed in his mouth and swallowed.

    "Katherine"

    "Something is. Something is poking my thigh."

    He felt her hands grip his shoulder and it made him lower his gaze. He chuckled and trailed kisses on her jawline. "Well, that''s you," he told her, referring to the hard-on that he was sporting inside his pants and stabbing her thigh.

    Refusing to meet his eyes, Katherine hid against the side of his face. "Make that thing stop"

    Her words made Damien chuckle even more. "It''s not exactly that simple, Kitten, you''re sitting on me."

    She swallowed and shifted a little as she was getting bothered by that feeling on her thigh. ''Shouldn''t I get off?'' she wondered.

    "Don''t move," he warned, his arms locking her in ce. "The more you move the more it gets dangerous, Kitten."

    Katherine froze on the spot, unsure of what to do next. "Then what am I supposed to do?"

    Damien''s thoughts went wild. "My sweet innocent Kitten, I have a thousand ideas in mind that you could do."

    His voice was nothing more than a whisper but dampness was already starting to form in between her legs  it flustered her.

    Noticing her getting tensed, Damien couldn''t help but raise the corners of his lips upward before he pressed them to the side of her neck. "Come on, we better go back," he said and helped her to her feet.

    In a sh, Katherine was at the door.

    "Don''t run, Katherine," he teased. Damien caught up to her and the two of them headed back to the event hall.

    Just as they entered, they bumped into Nana''s private nurse.

    "Where''s Nana?" he asked.

    "Young Master, I''m just going to the loo for a bit." She tilted her head in the direction where Nana was, in the middle of the hall. "There she is."

    Damien and Katherine followed the direction of her stare and saw Nana who was slow dancing with an old man to the tune "Unchained Melody".

 Chapter 104: Let Me Say It

    Chapter 104: Let Me Say It

    Their eyes scanned the room for a second before theynded on a pair that was dancing to the beautiful old love song which was sung by the live band on stage. Katherine couldn''t help but smile as she was genuinely touched by what she witnessed.

    "Damien Isn''t that the old man who won Nana''s ne during the auction?" Katherine was amazed at how Nana and the old man were looking so engrossed in the slow dance.

    "Yeah" Damien turned to the nurse and asked, "Why is Nana dancing with that old man?"

    The nurse shrugged. "I''m sorry I need to rush to the restroom," she said before walking away.

    "I think it''s actually cute." Katherine smiled a sweet one as she watched them from afar.

    Damien saw the look on her face and his hand automatically swallowed her delicate one, making her look up at him.

    "What is it?" she asked, suddenly conscious that someone might see them holding hands.

    "Dance with me," he said.

    For some reason, Katherine became nervous. "But"

    Damien understood what was on her mind right away. There were inside the event hall swarming with personalities  all influential individuals whose words held a lot of power.

    "Are you scared?" he asked.

    "Not scared but worried."

    She slightly withdrew her hand but Damien gripped it securely, intecing his fingers with hers. She didn''t really want them to stop holding hands but she became very conscious about everything around them, especially after the stunt that he pulled earlier, in which she still meant to get back at him.

    A gentle smile formed on his face and he told her, "One thing that you should know about my uncle Privacy is very important to him and everyone here knows that. So whatever happens inside these walls of tonight''s charity g, it stays inside. The guests who are invited let''s just say that they know they shouldn''t leak anything. You may have not noticed it yet, but security is tight no media has gotten inside. So they can stare and talk all they want about tonight but no scandals are going to make it out on the tabloids."

    Katherine looked at him and had a hard time believing his words. "But you can''t possibly stop everyone from posting online on their social media"

    "That''s true, too. But look around you, everyone is having too much fun to care about gossips despite having every reason to be trending at this very second" Damien''s voice trailed off when his and Katherine''s staresnded on a popr male singer who was making out with a male model at one corner of the room.

    "Wow I never thought they were gay" Katherine was surprised while Damien had already looked away. "Good for them," shemented when she found the pair extremely cute together.

    He snapped his fingers in front of her face, catching her attention and making her look at him again. She giggled.

    "So what about it, Ms. Miller?" Damien tilted his head towards the dance floor. "Would you like to take the risk with me and regretter?"

    She stared at him for a few seconds before she exhaled a sigh and smiled at him, "You know what? Screw it. Let''s live this moment and regret togetherter." She squeezed his hand.

    Damien smiled back at her and pulled her with him to the dance floor just in time when another song started to y. He ced a hand on the small of her back while his other held Katherine''s hand.

    "I got you," he whispered to her ear and he felt her rx in his arms.

    She hugged him close, his cheek resting against the side of her head and the two slowly swayed from side to side while James Arthur''s "Naked" yed in the background. The version of the song was slow and sweet which instantly tugged their hearts.

    Hey, you there... Can we take it to the next level, baby, do you dare?

    Under the dimmed, romantic lights, Damien and Katherine were lost in their own little world, ignoring everything else that was around them as they just danced.

    "You look really lovely in that dress," he whispered.

    "Yeah? Did you purposely choose it because of its high slit?" she asked as she remembered Damien''s hand was on her thigh earlier.

    Damien softly chuckled. "Maybe"

    "I like it," she muttered next to his ear, making him smile. He had been smiling a lottely, it was strange yet a really nice feeling.

    He pulled away slightly and they stared at each other. "Mm then you should wear it more often."

    "You''re not going to buy me more dresses like this, Damien."

    "I don''t know what you''re talking about, I didn''t say anything."

    She scoffed, "Yeah, but your face did."

    Damienughed. He couldn''t hide anything from his woman as she was able to read him very well. He could hide his real emotions from others but Katherine was not like others  and he loved that about her.

    He gazed into her eyes tenderly and saw his own reflection in them  And there was this extraordinary pull in his heart that he had never felt before, at least, not with anyone else other than Katherine. He had already noticed it for a while and though it was unusual for him, it was a feeling that he actually enjoyed.

    Katherine''s heart started to race. Damien was looking at her with the softest and warmest gaze and it was the mostfortable feeling that she had ever felt. She swallowed and secretly wished that he would never look at anyone else like how he was looking at her at that moment. She wanted that gaze to be only hers  no one else''s but hers.

    "Are you happy?" He suddenly asked.

    Her brows knitted, she was seemingly confused why he would ask her that, out of nowhere.

    "I mean are you really happy? With what''s happening in your life right now with me?" Damien didn''t like asking questions like these and he had never asked anyone those questions before. However, whenever he looks at her, all he wants is her happiness. All he wanted was to see her smile.

    "Of course," Katherine answered in a tone that said ''Isn''t it obvious?''.

    "For the past five years since I woke up froma, I have been living my life as though I was on auto-pilot. I didn''t understand everything around me. I would see my name and I would feel estranged from my own self. I didn''t exactly have any passion other than to live my life day by day. But ever since I met you I mean since I met you again" Her voice trailed off, she didn''t even know what or how to tell him her thoughts. "I''m happy, thanks to you."

    Nodding, Damien was d that he made her feel that way. "Katherine I want to take care of you for a long time."

    "You already have. You''ve been taking care of me since Day 1."

    ''That''s not what I mean'' he said in his thoughts, suddenly feeling like a total fool that he wanted tough at himself for being this way.

    Believing that it would make him calm down a little, he leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

    "Katherine" Damien tilted her chin up so that he could look into her eyes as he mustered himself to tell her the words that he had been wanting to tell her for a while. He could not contain the drumming in his chest and all he could do was swallow. And as though he was in a trance, the words just left his lips

    "I love you."

    .

    .

    .

    .

    .

    .

    .

    .

    Katherine could hear her own heartbeat in her ear. She could only stare at him while he told her the words that she didn''t expect to hear that night. She didn''t know what to say as her body seemed to have been possessed by something she couldn''t exin when all she wanted to do was to hear the words from him again.

    "I love you."

    And he did. Damien said the same words again and there she was  dumbstruck.

    "You don''t have to say anything back just because I said it." A bittersweet smile cast on his face, making her feel a slight prick in her heart.

    "It''s okay not to say it back, Katherine. I''m not expecting you to if you''re not ready. But let me say it I want to say it to you because if I don''t, I might explode Is that okay?"

    Silently cursing herself at that moment for feeling so selfish, Katherine slowly nodded.

    Damien leaned until his lips were just above her ear and she melted like chocte when he whispered in a smooth and clear voice, "I love you, Katherine."

 Chapter 105: She Wanted to Fall into His Trap Deliberately

    Chapter 105: She Wanted to Fall into His Trap Deliberately

    While Katherine and Damien were on the dance floor, a certain someone was feeling extremely bitter across the room.

    Lexi Jin had her eyes fixated on the pair that she despised a lot  she loved the man while she hated the woman. This wasn''t supposed to happen. Damien should have been waiting for her all these years. Isn''t that what it''s supposed to be? If they love you, they wait for you, right?

    The only mistake she made was waking up in bed with William, clueless about what happened the night before. As if things couldn''t get any worse, Damien happened to walk in William''s room and saw them naked in bed.

    Lexi could still remember the look on Damien''s face when he saw them  He wasughing.

    "Great," he said as he shook his head and only nced at her before he turned around, closing the door behind him.

    She knew he was probably hurt, which was why she relentlessly chased after him to exin things but he never gave her the chance. The next thing she knew, Damien left the country and disappeared for a few months and he didn''t tell anyone anything. And when Damien came back, he acted indifferent and continued to ignore her. He left the Park Estate, went out with different women, and started establishing his businesses all over the country.

    Lexi always wondered what happened to him during those months that he was away; however, as much as she wanted to know, even Caleb and Jeffrey couldn''t answer her questions. She was only neen back then while Damien was twenty-one when that happened and her modeling career has just started. She didn''t want to give up on him even after months of trying to patch things up, but when she received the opportunity to work in Europe, she couldn''t resist as it was also her biggest dream.

    Before leaving, she went to see him, but like always, he didn''t face her. So she left him a letter telling him how sorry she was and that she was going toe back. Who would have thought that it would be almost ten yearster? She hade back home a few times before but he was always out of the country  or Damien was really just avoiding her.

    During those years she spent in Europe, William would visit her a few times a year. And his visits would always lead them to one thing  bed. She knew it was wrong but her frustration got the best of her. Lexi hated herself for it but she never stopped loving Damien. And now, seeing him just a few meters away, watching him slow dance  yet it wasn''t her in his arms, was like getting pped in the face.

    ''I can''t ept this.'' Lexi got up from her seat and left the charity g, William following her from behind.

    "I''ll send you home, Lex," she heard him say.

    "Whatever."

    Later, Katherine and Damien were on their way home after saying goodbye to Nana. Driving his Aston Martin, he had this look on his face that seemed as though he was relieved. While the ride was quiet the entire time, Katherine was beating herself up in her head as her heart pounded in her chest.

    The words that he told her earlier had been ying in her head, making her blush. She was berating herself for not being able to say it back. She knew that the feelings she had for Damien were definitely more than just ''like'', but for some reason, a part of her was holding her back. Was it so wrong? Was she bad for not saying it? Why couldn''t she just say it?

    Katherine turned her head towards him and instinctively, Damien also turned his head and their eyes met  the two of them smiled at each other. Reaching out her hand, she grabbed his and held it. She definitely felt it  she had fallen for him... But will it be okay if she doesn''t say it yet? Is it okay if she waits untilter? ''Hmmm I guess it can wait.''

    They arrived at the hotel and entered the elevator. It was already eleven in the evening and when they arrived at the Royal Penthouse, Katherine invited him in for some tea.

    "Damien" she called as they sat on the sofa. Katherine was leaning her back on the rest and had both of her legs on the table in front when she turned her head to him. She was still wearing her dress while Damien had taken his coat and tie off and had his sleeves rolled up to his elbow while he slumped on the sofa next to her.

    "Hmm?"

    "What does 218 mean? Why did I bid such a number?"

    Damien was quiet for a few seconds before he shook his head. "You actually never told me why"

    With furrowed brows, she asked, "But you said we saw each other again after that, right?"

    Damien nodded, "I already told you about that time when you asked me why I call you Kitten."

    "When did that auction happen?"

    He closed his eyes as though he was trying to remember. "I think it was around the middle of the year."

    Katherine turned her body to face him, looking even more confused. "But you said that time in the balcony happened in December? So we didn''t meet until six monthster?"

    "As far as I could remember, yeah, we didn''t Which by the way, sucked. I thought I was never going to see you again and thought you had duped me."

    A bashful smile appeared on her face and she bit her lip before she asked, "Did I tell you anything else about me?"

    Damien looked at her and thought for a while. The two of them agreed before that they wouldn''t carelessly talk about her past to avoid what may trigger her. What Damien did that night was kind of reckless but he believed that it was something special that happened to the two of them that only they knew, so he didn''t think that it would cause anything bad.

    Although he didn''t exactly do it expecting that Katherine would remember her past, he just wanted to relive the moment that happened years ago  apart from getting back at her for doing that to him, of course.

    He shook his head. "I only know that you are an orphan. That''s all you told me about you."

    Exhaling out a sigh, Katherine slumped her back against the rest again and chuckled. "Why was I so mysterious? If I met me in the past, I probably thought I was a spy or something."

    Damien clenched his jaw. "Maybe you were."

    ''Because that would exin all the secrecy around you  your skills with knives, the things you know about me, and your shady job that you couldn''t tell me about. And if that were true, I don''t know if I would be thankful knowing that part of you or fear whatever you did back then and why we kept on meeting like that was actually'' his thoughts trailed off, Damien didn''t want to think about it. That''s something he didn''t want to associate himself with.

    Katherine threw her head backughing. "That would be hrious. You may have watched a lot of movies to be thinking about that. Maybe I was really just a secretive person?" she wondered.

    Noticing that Damien didn''t answer, she turned to face him. "Damien what if I had a really bad past. Would you hate me?"

    "What are you talking about? Why would I hate you?" She saw him smile as though her question was so funny. "Like I said earlier, your past does not matter to me. Everyone has a past Katherine, even I have skeletons in my closet."

    Suddenly interested, Katherine turned to him again and leaned forward, "Oh yeah? You do? What is it or shall I say, what are they? What''s on your mind, Damien Park?"

    The look on her face made himugh. She was so eager and she looked adorable. There was a split second that a certain memory shed in Damien''s mind, in which he quickly brushed off.

    Lifting the corners of his mouth into a smile, he told her, "Are you sure you want to know? Aren''t you afraid of what I have been thinking all through the night?"

    Katherine gulped. She had fallen into one of his traps like she always would and honestly, she felt like she wanted to fall into his trap deliberately.

    Feeling bold, she quirked her lips into a daring smile, "Do tell, Mr. Park Let me hear your thoughts."

    Damien''s expression suddenly turned predatory and in an instant, he pushed Katherine''s back onto the sofa and hovered on top of her. ''You think I will back down?''

    "Ah!" she yelped in surprise and her heart started to race.

    ''Can you at least warn me before you pounce on''

    Her thoughts were muffled when Damien''s lips crushed hers and his tongue invaded her mouth. She had to clutch on his shirt as she felt like she was falling despite alreadyying on her back.

    And with his sexy, bedroom voice, Damien whispered to her ear, "I was thinking about you all night naked under me."

 Chapter 106: Sent Spiraling down to Ecstasy

    Chapter 106: Sent Spiraling down to Ecstasy

    .

    Katherine sucked in air when Damien whispered those words, and she slowly released her breath when she felt his lips brush on her ear  she was immediately sent spiraling down to ecstasy, making her clutch his broad shoulders.

    Her hand trailed to the back of his head and her chest heaved up and down as she relished the sensation of his lips kissing and his tongue flicking on her neck. She tilted to the opposite side to give him more ess in which he took advantage by trailing his way further down the base of her throat. The feel of his tongue on her skin was both hot and wet  and she loved it.

    Katherine arched her back when Damien''s hand found her leg. He stroked her up and down before he brushed his hand all the way up to her bare thigh, his warm hand setting her skin on fire  she couldn''t help herself but let out a soft moan.

    The sound of her soft cry made Damien raise his head, he wanted to see how she looked at that exact moment. The flushing of her face, her slightly parted lips, and how her eyes were closed was such a sight to see. He saw her slowly open her eyes as though she was wondering why he had stopped.

    "You''re so beautiful, Katherine," he told her, his eyes boring into her own pair of lusted ones.

    Damien lowered his head, ced a kiss on her lips before he got off of her and picked her up in his arms.

    She instantly hooked her arms around his neck and she couldn''t help herself but start kissing his cheek his jaw the corner of his mouth. She felt him tighten his grip on her and after exhaling, he carried her like she was cotton towards her bedroom.

    Entering the room, Damien kicked the door shut before striding towards the huge bed and cing Katherine in the middle of it. He quickly removed his shoes off before he removed hers and even massaged her feet a little. She propped on her elbow and watched him do his magic, thankful that his hands relieved the soreness she had endured that night.

    He had been taking care of her all night and she could only enjoy every minute of it while silently wishing that she could do the same for him. "Thank you," she muttered after her feet felt better.

    "You''ve been really good tonight," he said as his hands gently squeezed her foot. "Allow me to reward you."

    As soon as he said that, Damien lowered his lips on her ankle and started trailing feather-light kisses in a slow, and painfully satisfying manner. Katherine lost strength in her arms and she flopped back onto the bed, closing her eyes and feeling the way his lips touch her skin until they reached the highest peak of her thigh that was exposed from the high slit  she moaned again.

    Damien''s jaw clenched as he raised his head to see her expression, satisfied that he got her turned on just by doing that. He loved seeing her reactions  it was addictive.

    He crawled up until he was above her and kissed her lips, in which she responded ever so eagerly. He ran his tongue on her lip and as soon as she parted her lips, he dipped his tongue inside, yearning to taste hers with soft, gentle strokes. She tasted so sweet and he wanted more.

    His hand swept on her side and streamed down to her bare thigh. She loved the feeling of his hand on her skin that she wrapped her leg around his back, allowing him to touch her more. And Damien loved her legs because they felt so delicate under his hand and Katherine''s legs were a perfect pair that he wanted to im all for himself.

    At that moment, her mind was nk as she followed his lead and continued to make out with the man whom she desired the most. She never thought she could feel so much attraction for him at that moment and she wondered if it was pure love or was it only lust?

    Before they knew it, Katherine was already trying to unbutton his shirt with so much effort, her fingers were slightly shaking  she was unsure if it was okay for her to do it.

    Noticing her difficulty, Damien pulled back a little and looked down where her hands were working on the second button of his shirt before he shifted his gaze and met hers. He saw her swallow and knew that she was feeling shy about what she was doing when she stopped and bit her bottom lip.

    Katherine could see that Damien''s face was also flushed and his eyes were ame. She was still wearing her dress and yet he had already undressed her with his stare. The way he looked at her was so sensuous, she could feel her heart skip a beat.

    cing his weight on his left hand, he grabbed her hands with his right and kissed both of them before lowering them down. "Let me," he said.

    Keeping his gaze at her, Damien lifted his torso up so that he was kneeling before her and slowly unbuttoned his shirt halfway. He reached the back of his shirt and pulled the whole thing over his head in a very swift manner, tossing it to the floor while Katherine locked her eyes on him. He truly was so good at stripping in front of her, even the ordinary actions became so hot.

    Katherine steadily lowered her stare from his face to his broad shoulders his biceps... to the nes of his chest down to his hard abdominal muscles. Her man was glorious  how could he be so beautiful?

    Her crazy side jumped in very quickly and voiced in her head, ''You counted wrongly, there are obviously eight''

    Damien allowed her to appreciate the view in front of her. He had never thanked himself for all the hard work that he put in his training as much as he did at that moment, knowing that she loved what she was seeing. Especially when her hands reached and touched the hard buns that he worked so hard for  he felt like the touch of her hands on him was his reward.

    "Beautiful," she muttered as she slid her hands up to his hard chest and pulled him in for a kiss.

    Damien pressed himself to her, she could feel his hardened shaft on her abdomen at the same time that her hands burned from the heat on his body  it was so contagious that she started feeling hot as well.

    He groaned in her mouth when he felt the urgency in her kisses. He ground his hips towards her and heard her whimper.

    "Did I hurt you?" he breathed, the two of them panting as they broke their kiss.

    "It''s your belt."

    Realizing that the buckle of his belt was in the way, he briskly unbuckled and removed it before he lowered himself again. "Better?"

    Nodding, Katherine kissed him again. Damien''s kisses were so addictive  this damn man definitely knew how to use his mouth.

    Slightly lifting her back off the bed, he carefully unzipped the zipper of her dress all the way down her waist, all without breaking their kiss. Katherine knew what he was doing and all she could do was let him work his hands on her. After the small struggle, sheid back down and felt her loose dress slowly being lowered.

    Damien''s hand stroked her thigh and glid up her side until it found her breast, giving it a gentle squeeze.

    His lips trailed kisses down her neck, licking, and nipping his way to her chest. When he heard the soft sound of her exhale, he raised his head and waited for her to meet his stare as though seeing her getting turned on made him even more excited.

    When Katherine opened her eyes, she saw Damien looking at her as he lowered his lips to her skin again  this time, he tugged her dress down, showing her ckce bra. She anticipated what he would do and the next thing she knew, he slid a hand behind her back and with one swift motion, he unsped the hook of her bra. Such an expert.

    That little act made her pant and he had not even done anything to her yet.

    "Is this okay?" he probed despite knowing it was a littlete to ask but he still felt the need to. He saw her slowly nod at him.

    Damien''s eyes trained on her chest while he slowly removed her bra out of his way, exposing her ample breasts before him. His fingers lightly brushed over the mole that she had on her left breast.

    "This is mine," she heard him say. He palmed it, squeezing it gently before his lips pressed on the curve. His mouth drew in the little nub that stood erect in his face as though it was begging for his tongue''s soft caress.

    Just as Katherine felt his hot, wet mouth on her, jolts of electricity shot through her core, making her grab his shoulders as she suppressed herself from letting out a cry.

    Damien didn''t leave her other breast unattended  he moved his mouth towards it and gave it the same attention that he did on the other one.

    With every graze of his teeth on her nipple, he would feel her grip on his shoulder. He gently tugged with his teeth and then flick his tongue to soothe it. Katherine threaded her fingers through his hair and pulled him even closer. She did not expect to crave for more now that Damien was passionately consuming her once-neglected breasts.

    The moist between her thighs was evidence of her growing arousal. And when he started tugging her dress even lower, she all but bit her lip to stifle the moan as his lips streamed more kisses going downwards.

    Katherine could only grip the sheets and curl her toes, unsure of what to expect now that Damien hadpletely removed her dress off of her.

 Chapter 107: I Dont Trust Myself

    Chapter 107: I Don''t Trust Myself

    Katherine slightly shivered, feeling cold and exposed under his gaze that she wanted to cover herself. But before she could even do anything, Damien had already hovered over her again. Pressing his bare and warm torso against hers, she felt her body instantly rx. And when his lips found hers once again, she knew it just felt right.

    His kisses were so sensual and passionate. He would start slow and sweet, thenter, he would tease and graze his teeth on her lips before he would go back to slow kisses again. She never thought that she would love kissing him so much, that was all she wanted to do.

    This was the farthest that they had gone since Damien never tried anything more than asional touching or squeezing. He wanted to be really careful with her, afraid that she was going to get scared if he were to get carried away. But that night, he just couldn''t help himself and tried going a little further. And feeling her almost bare under him was such a pleasurable feeling  he couldn''t get enough.

    She didn''t know if what she was doing was right as her heart was pounding in her chest  she was afraid that he would notice it. She definitely loved what they were doing. The feeling of him kissing her lips, her skin his hands touching her in ces she didn''t know she wanted so much for him to touch but why were her eyes slowly stinging?

    Damien''s warm hands roamed over her naked body, pinching and stroking her sides. He had settled himself between her legs and she ached when she felt his bulge pressing against her apex. She was still wearing her underwear and he still had his pants on but even with that, she could feel how hard he was.

    He slightly nudged his groin against hers  she moaned and he groaned. He tried it again and felt her tighten her grip on his back. Every time he ground, his chest would brush her breasts and it only added to his excitement. The friction it created whenever he humped her sent the two of them into euphoria.

    Katherine felt him slightly shift to the side as his hand trailed from her stomach down to her navel and all of a sudden, she flinched and had pushed him off of her.

    "What''s wrong?"

    Damien was suddenly rmed by her sudden reaction. He quickly searched her body to check if he had done something wrong but all he noticed was the pool of water in her eyes. She gingerly covered her chest with her arms and turned her head away from him when she felt his gaze on her.

    "Katherine?" He was truly worried, his heart twinged in pain seeing her like that. "Baby, did I do something wrong?"

    Katherine could also not understand what happened and why she did that. And now all she felt was embarrassment  she could not look at him in the eyes and she could sense the heaviness in her heart.

    "I''m sorry I I don''t know" her voice croaked.

    Hastily, Damien grabbed the nket and covered her with it, realizing that she was suddenly feeling very conscious. "No, it''s me I''m sorry, I shouldn''t have done that."

    With mixed emotions, Damien copsed on the bed and breathed out a sigh. He knew that she wasn''t ready yet he went further. He shouldn''t have He should have asked... He balled his hand into a fist and clenched his jaw. He felt like he had just vited her. "I''m sorry," he muttered again.

    Katherine did not know what to say to him. She bit her lip, feeling sorry for her strange behaviour as she tried to recall what happened, ying the scene in her head. Everything was going well everything was nice she liked it, but why did she do that?

    Noticing that he wasn''t moving next to her, she felt extremely bad that he thought he was at fault.

    She was guilty for what she did despite not knowing why she did it. Turning to the other side to face him, she saw him lying outside of the nket, creating some distance between them as though he was afraid to touch her. He had his arm above his eyes and his chest rose and fell a little faster than usual.

    Hesitantly, Katherine reached out for that arm and tugged it, making him look at her.

    "I''m sorry," she said in a soft voice.

    When he saw that her eyes were still misty, he felt another twinge in his heart. Turning his body to face her, he stroked the corner of her wet eye. "You didn''t do anything, I did."

    Katherine shook her head. "No, you I just"

    "Can I ask you something?" he asked and saw her nod. "Did something happen to you?" He saw her raise a brow as if she did not understand what he meant, so he rephrased his question, "I mean Did someone touch you without your permission?"

    Upon hearing his question, she shook her head once again, "No I I don''t think so." She sighed. "I don''t know." She closed her eyes and pressed her face on the nket. This was what frustrated her, there was just so much she didn''t know about herself and there as nothing else that she could say except those words.

    Seeing her expression, Damien could only curse at himself. Did he just make it worse?

    "Can I hug you?"

    After what happened earlier, he just had to ask as he was afraid that what he wanted to do might offend her. When he saw her nod, he immediately pulled her towards him and wrapped his arms around her. She was swaddled in a nket like a cocoon and she allowed him to embrace her."I would never hurt you you know that, right?"

    "Damien" Katherine bit her lip as she forced herself to tell him her thoughts. "I trust you. You have to believe that."

    "Why are you saying it like that?"

    "I trust you but I don''t trust myself," she blurted. "I''m in myte twenties and the only thing I can remember is from when I woke up five years ago. I''m scared of whatever it is that I am before that. The nightmares that I had and even the only memory that I recalled just hours ago, all of them don''t make sense. I just I just don''t feel like me. It''s as if this isn''t my life that I''m living right now."

    Damien remained quiet as he listened to her.

    "I am happy with you. I truly am. But there''s this nagging feeling inside me holding me back and I don''t know what that is. I clearly like you, I like you a lot and I want this I want us. I want you I" Katherine was bbering, she was so confused about her own feelings.

    "It''s okay I understand. You''re not ready yet and that''s fine. You can take your time and I can wait. You don''t have to beat yourself up for something like this. It''s fine."

    "But what if I''m not pure? What if I had"

    "Do you mean  what if you are no longer a virgin?" he asked, in which she nodded slowly.

    "I don''t care about that, Katherine. It''s never a basis for what I feel for you. This attraction that I feel is more than just wanting to be physical with you. So, whether you had done it in the past or not... does not matter to me. I am no saint as well. Does that matter to you?"

    She shook her head and felt him stroke her back,forting her. She didn''t care about those things about him, especially that they were all in the past. She liked him  loved him. That''s all that should matter, right?

    "Whatever happened to you, I don''t and wouldn''t love you any less. Remember that," he said before cing a kiss on her forehead.

    Theyid on their side for a while before Katherine hesitantly asked, "Will you be okay? I stopped you while you were"

    Damien smiled, finding her question a little silly but adorable. He kissed the top of her head. "I''ll be fine. Though Can I use your shower?"

    Inside the bathroom, Damien stood under the cold shower, his hand pressed on the wall while running water stream from his head down to his torso and his legs. He breathed in and out steadily and lowered his eyes to see Damien Jr., giving him the cold shoulder angrily as it stood erect in the air.

    ''Don''t look at me like that. It''s not her fault,'' he told him, but all it did was bob.

    He was already cursing silently as showering in her bathroom wasn''t such a great idea  what with seeing all her bath products and smelling the scent of her shampoo on his hair when he used it earlier. He was supposed to cool down and yet fate was having so much joy making fun of his demise just a while ago.

    Damien had been struggling in his mental debate whether or not he should just try to relieve himself right there as his manhood did not seem to want to rest and say goodnight  it was being so stubborn and stayed up.

    Just as he had thought about wrapping his hand around himself, he heard the bathroom door open. There was an opaque smart ss door separating the shower but he knew that it was Katherine who just walked inside. Who else could it be?

    Confused, he turned his head to the side and watched as the shadow of the figure from outside of the ss door slowly inched its way towards him.

    "Katherine? What are you doing here?" he asked and thought, ''Don''t be so reckless.''

    "Damien"

    She stopped in her tracks and he wasn''t sure what to do at that point until he heard her say

    "L-Let me I... I want to help you."

 Chapter 108: This Is What You Do to Me

    Chapter 108: This Is What You Do to Me

    .

    A few minutes earlier

    Katherine sat on the bed with her back against the headboard while she stared at the bathroom door. Ever since Damien went inside to take a shower, she had been feeling guilty for being such a huge cockblocker.

    Bringing her knees up to her chest, she enveloped them in her arms as she thought about what she could do to make it up to him. It wasn''t fair for Damien to suffer because of her. She found that it was ridiculous to think about it like that but in the end, she wanted to satisfy him even just a little  but how?

    Katherine''s thoughts brought her to a wild imagination, making her instantly blush at the image of Damien that shed in her mind. ''I can''t do that!'' she yelled at herself. Her eyes shifted back to the bathroom door and as though she had x-ray vision, her intense gaze saw through the door through the ss enclosure and saw Damien all in his naked glory  wet and

    "How lewd, Katherine!" she eximed as she buried her face to her knees. It had only been a couple of minutes but she was already anxious just thinking about what was Damien doing inside. ''He''s showering, of course! What are you thinking about  you dirty, dirty brain?!''

    Her perverted brain didn''t exactly let her rest when she started thinking about Damien trying to relieve himself. "Oh god, please stop," she murmured onto both of her hands that were now covering her face. ''Wait Actually no, don''t let him stop. He should, at least, take care of himself shouldn''t he?''

    Katherine''s mind was all in shambles and it only made her feel hot and bothered. ''Oh, do not even think about it, Katherine! You don''t deserve that after what you did earlier. Shame on you!''

    She didn''t really want him to stop earlier, but her body seemed to have a mind of its own and did not allow her to go further with him. ''You''re a horrible girlfriend,'' she scolded herself and flopped back onto the bed, curling into a ball like a fetus. ''Yes, and you know how fetuses are made?!'' her brain just wouldn''t let her rest.

    The bathroom door was almost set on fire with the way Katherine was staring at it intensely. She swallowed and chewed on her bottom lip before she found the courage to roll out of bed, pick up his shirt and quickly put it on her then walked towards the bathroom.

    With shaky hands, she reached for the knob, turned it, and pushed it open. The bathroom was huge in that penthouse. There was a toilet on the right and a sink on the left  even the bathroom screamed luxury.

    But her eyes did not bother looking at anything else but the ss shower enclosure next to the huge bathtub. The ss enclosure was normally clear when the shower was not in use but when it was turned on, it made the ss opaque to give privacy. The water was running and she could make out Damien''s figure inside.

    "Katherine? What are you doing here?" she heard him say and she instantly froze on the spot. ''Yes, Katherine, what are you doing here?!''

    "Damien" was all that she could mutter. She almost choked at even just calling his name when all she could think about was his nakedness beyond that ss door.

    Katherine didn''t hear anything else from him and she thought that he must have been feeling weird that she suddenly barged in while he was in the shower without his permission.

    ''Come on, Kath you can do this. He made you feel good earlier, didn''t he? You could at least repay him with something.'' She clenched her hands together.

    The sound of the running water helped her calm down and she finally had the guts to open her mouth, "L-Let me I... I want to help you."

    Damien had to think for a few seconds before he could respond. "What do you mean?" Part of him obviously knew what she meant but he could no longer just assume that she was okay with everything that they were going to do  Consent was important to him.

    "Earlier if I hadn''t stopped you" Katherine balled her hands into fists. "I want to do something for you. I want to help."

    "It''s alright, Katherine, you don''t have to... I''ll be fine. I''m almost done and I''ll be out in a minute, okay?"

    ''You are such a liar. How could you be okay? You''re obviously rock hard and you haven''t stopped thinking about her. How pathetic,'' Damien mocked himself.

    He saw her shadow inch closer and he almost wanted to forget his control and just grab her into the shower with him. But that wouldn''t be right. No matter how much of a beast he actually was he didn''t think it was alright.

    "I don''t have to but I want to. Let me." He heard her loud and clear. ''Sh*t,'' he cursed when he ached some more.

    After breathing out, Damien reached for the handle and pushed the ss door open. Just outside, he saw Katherine''s flushed face  she was wearing his white shirt and he knew that underneath that was nothing but her underwear. He took a long nce at her, appreciating her shapely, long legs.

    Katherine swallowed upon seeing him appear in his majestic form. He was dripping wet from the shower as drops of water continued to flow down his body.

    ''Don''t look at it. Don''t look at it,'' she chanted to herself.

    She looked at it.

    Katherine couldn''t be anymore redder than she was at that moment. Her gaze settled on his length for a few seconds and didn''t know if his size was normal. Feeling nervous for staring, she shifted her stare back to his face and kept it there.

    Damien reached his hand out to her and without any second thoughts, she ced her hand in his care and let him pull her inside.

    They faced each other and Damien hesitantly cupped her chin to draw her in for a kiss before he whispered, "You really don''t have to."

    She knew. But she was already there.

    cing her hands on his chest, Katherine kissed him back and pressed herself to him, feeling his throbbing length poking her belly. "Teach me," she breathed.

    Damien pushed her back against the wall and he heard her soft moan when he plunged his tongue inside her mouth. He was suddenly feeling hungry and it was getting harder for him. He felt her hand sliding from his chest down to his abdomen and his hand flew to catch her wrist.

    The shirt she was wearing was getting soaked, so Damien stripped her out of it, leaving her ckcey underwear on. Seeing her in front of him like that, his little buddy  which was not so little  just bobbed in appreciation.

    Leaning forward, he captured her lips and kissed her softly. He held her hand in his, brought it to his erection and wrapped her hand around him, making him groan in satisfaction when he finally felt her delicate hand on him.

    Katherine was initially afraid to touch it as she didn''t know what to expect. When he put her hand on his shaft and taught her the right grip, she was surprised at how firm it was. He was warm, smooth and velvety under her hand and she was astonished at how hard he was. Damien was well endowed, making it slightly challenging for her to hold him. But he taught her to rx her hand.

    Damien kissed the corner of her mouth and moved to her ear, kissing and nibbling while he whispered to her, "This is what you do to me, Katherine. You make me this hard."

    With her other hand, she grabbed his shoulder and buried her face on his neck. "Slowly," he told her as he guided her hand to move up and down. She was amazed at how his skin moved every time she stroked him.

    Damien let out small huffs and puffs next to her ear. He wanted to let her know that she was doing a great job by how excited and sensual he sounded. Her hand just felt too good, he didn''t want her to stop. Eventually, Damien let go of her and allowed her to pleasure him on her own.

    "Yes, just like that," he assured her before he dove to her mouth and kissed her fervently. His hands found her breasts, he palmed the two in his hands and massaged them, rolling the nubs between his fingers while moaning and groaning into her mouth as he found the sweet sensation of what she was doing to him. Her hand was definitely better than his.

    "F*ck. You are so good," he hissed.

    She was so turned on by how sexy his noises were and how he felt in her hand that she moaned as well. She couldn''t believe that she was responsible for his arousal. "Damien..." she breathed.

    Without being told, Katherine slightly tightened her grip and increased her tempo and felt him stiffen, "Ah Katherine" Her mind was getting all muddled because of how erotic it was, especially when she felt him thrust himself in her hand, meeting her stroke.

    "Baby, I''ming~" she heard him groan just before she felt his release. His length throbbed and she didn''t know if she should let go until she felt his hand over her, telling her to slowly stroke it until he was finally relieved.

    Damien pressed his forehead against hers, the two of them panting after their intense workout. He kissed her forehead, her nose, her cheeks jaw and lips before he said, "Let''s get you cleaned up."

    Katherine was spent. She never thought that ''helping him out'' required that much strength. But after what they just did, she knew that she was never going to look at their rtionship the same way ever again. And for what it was worth, she was d she did that for him.

 Chapter 109: It Just Had to Be Her

    Chapter 109: It Just Had to Be Her

    The next morning

    Katherine stirred in bed and was disappointed when she roamed her hand on the space next to her only to find it empty. She breathed out a sigh before opening her eyes and stretching her body. A blush crept on her face when she recalled what happenedst night. She buried her face onto the pillow as the scene continued to y in her mind, not allowing her to escape from the dirty deed she did yesterday.

    She had gotten used to waking up and not seeing Damien beside her the morning after their sleepover. She never really asked him why he was always up so early even though he would go to bedte in the evening. Usually, after she wakes up, she would find him in the kitchen preparing breakfast. She appreciated that he always made sure that she had her fill in the morning especially during weekdays. But she would prefer for him to stay in bed with her longer. Sighing, she swung her legs out of bed and washed up before going out of the bedroom.

    Just like what she expected, Damien was in the kitchen  only this time, he was topless.

    However, he was wearing sweatpants that were lowly hanging on his hips. She knew that he had gone home to change and came back.

    She leaned against the wall and watched him as he prepared whatever he was making that morning while his back was facing her. Katherine was more interested in checking out his broad back. She didn''t realize that she also find Damien''s back sexy, it was long and lean. It was pretty obvious that he works out and takes care of his physique  although she had not seen him exercise which was weird but just what else is attractive in this man?

    Just as she thought about this, Damien turned around and spotted her ogling at him. A smirk immediately formed on his face, "What''s on your mind so early this morning, Ms. Miller?"

    Biting her bottom lip, Katherine pushed herself off the wall and sauntered towards him. She felt his arms around her waist as soon as she stood in front of him and he gave her a brief kiss. "How was your sleep?" he asked.

    "Why aren''t you wearing a shirt?" She ignored his question and asked her own, making him chuckle.

    "I spilled coffee on it." He tilted his head towards the shirt that was hanging on a chair.

    "Oh, I''ll go wash it." She was about to move when Damien tightened his hold on her, "Forget it," he said before capturing her lips once again and deepened their kiss. How could she say no to his kisses? She could never do that!

    But feeling his bare skin with her hands that early in the morning she didn''t know if it was healthy for her. She felt like she melted in his arms. If this was going to be her morning every day from now on, she''ll probably start a religion devoted to cleansing her mind, body, and soul. ''Forgive me, higher power I have just sinned. Scratch that. I have been sinning...''

    Damien broke off their kiss and pulled her towards the table for breakfast.

    "I''ll be leaving tomorrow at seven in the morning," he said as he pushed the bowl of raisin nut oatmeal towards Katherine. She had also gotten used to him serving her whatever he was having that morning and it was always a healthy breakfast. This man he could be a great househusband.

    "I thought you were leaving on Tuesday?"

    "No, I had Markus adjust the schedule for next week. We need to leave tomorrow as the weather isn''t looking so good on Tuesday when wend. So, it''s best to leave early. And we''ll be there until Friday instead of Thursday, so I''ll be away for four days."

    Katherine quickly picked up her phone and checked the organizer while Damien was almost about to finish his food. "Wait Thursday We''re supposed to go to the resort to check on the shooting of the promotion. Was that rescheduled too? Who will go if you''re not here?"

    It wasn''t necessary for Damien to be there but this was already scheduled beforehand and everyone agreed that it was best for him to be present as they were also going to meet some investors on the same date.

    "Caleb can go this time. You can go with him if you want you don''t have much to do while I''m on the trip anyway. It''ll be good for you to unwind while you''re there."

    Nodding, Katherine started eating her food while silently wishing she could attach herself to him and go wherever he goes. Sheughed at herself inwardly. ''You''ve gotten clingy!''

    Despite Damien''s absence, there wasn''t much trouble in the office and so, Katherine didn''t realize that the days went by so fast and it was already Thursday, June 28.

    She and Caleb arrived at the resort early in the morning. They were both dressed rather casually as they weren''t going to conduct any business that day. However, apart from them, there were a few people from the marketing department who went with them to oversee the whole activity.

    When they got to the beachfront, they found that everything was already set up and the team was ready to start rolling in thirty minutes.

    Caleb and Katherine sat at a table under a shade a few meters away and casually talked about random stuff. The good thing about Caleb was his gentlemanliness, yful personality and intellect  he knows a lot of things and he was knowledgeable in many areas which was why it wasn''t that hard for Katherine to have a conversation with him.

    Several minutester, a tall man came to their table, catching their attention. "Ms. Katherine?" he called.

    Turning her head, she was surprised to see Matthew Jeong in front of her with his half-opened shirt and boardshorts. "Ah, hello Mr. Jeong are you here for a vacation?"

    "Huh? Oh you haven''t heard. I''m actually modeling for today''s shoot. It was ast-minute decision as the previous model was rushed to the hospital  he got into an ident with the female model a few days ago."

    Katherine turned to face Caleb who nodded his head. "They were rumored lovers and was on a weekend getaway but another car crashed into theirs while they were on their way home."

    "Oh my gosh, are they okay?"

    "I heard nothing serious happened apart from minor injuries but they have to stay in the hospital in order to recuperate. And this shoot can no longer be dyed so the team had to secure another pair of models for the promotion," Caleb exined.

    Matthew Jeong was a model-sh-actor. Turning her head back to him, she heard him say, "It was fortunate that my days are free until Monday next week so, I epted the proposal."

    "I see So, who is the female model?" Katherine asked and just as she did, a long-legged woman appeared by Matthew''s side.

    "Hi, Matt, Caleb!" Lexi Jin waved her hand to him while she ignored Katherine. "Where''s Damien?"

    Great. It just had to be her.

    Katherine had an unreadable expression on her face as she looked at Lexi who was so confident in her swimwear outfit. She had to agree that Lexi was a supermodel for a reason. But if only her personality was as good as her figure, then Katherine would probably not hate her. Too bad.

    "He''s on a business trip," he answered briefly.

    Caleb knew that there was tension going on between the two women and he didn''t want anything to happen to Damien''s woman or else, his friend will definitely kill him. So it was in his best interest to protect the King''s Queen by any means.

    "Good luck with your shoot," Caleb told Lexi in a neutral tone before he turned to Katherine, "Katherine, would you like to see the proposed location of the paintball arena? Come with me. It''s at the very far end of this resort." He ced his hand on Katherine''s shoulder and guided her out of the confined imaginary circle and into the resort''s lobby where it was a safe zone.

    "What paintball arena? We have one?" Katherine was confused.

    "Ha! I wish. It would have been great though, wouldn''t it? Why don''t we propose it to Damien when he returns?" Caleb led her towards the restaurant for some snacks. They will be there the whole day and they need the right fuel to function.

    Katherine just hoped that the day will turn out okay with Lexi being there. All she had to do was stay away from her.

 Chapter 110: Smells Like Vinegar

    Chapter 110: Smells Like Vinegar

    While the shooting was ongoing, Caleb and Katherine met with the investors in the morning and toured them around the resort, making sure they were taken care of.

    What Katherine loved about Crown Resort''s location was the vast expanse of thend where it was located. It didn''t have any neighboring resorts that could match up with theirs and the only other popr hotel was the Wu Hotel which was already facing bankruptcy. So, even though the resort just opened a month ago, it was doing really well.

    Seeing the resort after its opening, the investors were extremely satisfied. They were sure to get their money''s worth because they chose to believe in Damien Park. And hearing all the investors'' praises about her man, Katherine was definitely proud.

    Checking her phone, Katherine noticed that she didn''t receive any calls or messages from Damien since yesterday evening. She figured that he must be busy, so she told herself to wait patiently for him to contact her.

    "Gentleman, it''s already time for lunch. Let''s go back to the restaurant," Caleb told the investors.

    When they arrived at the restaurant, the shooting production staff and the Crown Resort''s team were already there and were about to eat lunch at the buffet. The entire time, Caleb and Katherine went around together so they shared a table as well.

    "Hi, Vice-President Yoo, I hope it''s okay for me to join you," Matthew Jeong said as he came to their table.

    "Of course, no problem. Please take a seat." Caleb didn''t find any problems with it as Matt was their model anyway. "How was your shooting?"

    "It was great. The staff are very friendly although the director is a bit strict, but it''s alright. Ms. Jin is very experienced so it wasn''t hard working with her."

    "Mhmm, Lexi is indeed great at her job," Caleb remarked.

    Katherine remained quiet as she listened to the conversation between the two men.

    A few tables away, Lexi shot their table a look and was annoyed that Caleb and Matt were there with Katherine while she was sitting with her personal assistant. She couldn''t possibly go over and join them as she didn''t want to be associated with Katherine, so all she could do was sulk.

    "I see that you like sushi," Mattmented when he saw Katherine''s te.

    "Ah" she stifled a chuckle, "I don''t eat it all the time so when I get the chance, I tend to eat a lot of it."

    Matt smiled, "Even your food choice is simr."

    "Excuse me?" Katherine probed.

    "Didn''t I tell you before? You look quite simr to my childhood friend. It''s a pity though you would have liked her." Matthew suddenly became sentimental.

    Caleb knew what Matt was talking about because Katherine told him earlier when he asked her how she knew the actor. He found it both amazing and too much of a coincidence, so he became a bit wary.

    "Katherine told me about your friend. If you don''t mind me asking, how did she die?" Caleb asked.

    Matthew put down his fork and stared at his te like he was trying to recall what happened when he was young. "I don''t remember much about what happened I also honestly don''t want to think about it because it''s just quite sad. There was an ident in their house and everyone died."

    Katherine and Caleb exchanged looks. The two of them felt their hair stand upon hearing Matt. Even though he didn''t give any details, just the idea of what happened to that poor girl''s family, gave them the chills. How tragic.

    "What''s the name"

    "Jeong and Jin, kindly finish up your food so that we can start the shoot. We need to make use of the sun," said one of the production staff.

    "I''m done." Matthew got up from his seat and excused himself. "Thank you, Mr. Yoo I''ll see youter, Katherine," he shed his signature smile at her before walking away.

    "Tell me you did not fall for his smile like his fans... wait are you his fan?" Caleb wondered and observed Katherine''s reaction. True enough, he saw a tinge of blush on her face and he chuckled.

    Katherine threw a cap bottle at Caleb in which he skillfully caught with his hand. "Emma is the true fan I, on the other hand, only admire his work."

    "Mhmm" He snickered. "How about I tell you a little secret?"

    She raised a brow and waited for him to continue.

    "I have never seen Damien jealous until you came along." Caleb took a sip from his bottled water.

    Katherine found it hard to believe, everyone would get jealous at some point in their life. "Isn''t that far-fetched? He dated before me didn''t he?"

    "Oh yeah but I''ve never seen him get affected like he gets with you."

    She furrowed her brows and probed, "Not even with"

    "Not even with Lexi, nope. I told you Damien didn''t love her. And like they say, where there is no jealousy, there''s no love."

    "You said all of you grew up together he should have at least have felt something?" Katherine didn''t know why she was pushing it, she found herselfughable. ''Are you actually wishing that he had feelings?''

    Caleb sighed, "Okay, let''s just say maybe he did love her because we all did. Lexi was like a sister to us. It''s just... for Damien, he probably loved her, but he was not in love with her. Do you get what I mean?"

    "I think so"

    "Wait, we''re getting side-tracked Right, as I was saying, I''ve only seen him get jealous when ites to you. So you should be careful." Caleb got up from his seat, leaving Katherine all confused.

    "What are you saying? How could you leave and just end it like that? You should borate, you know?" Katherine tried catching up with Caleb''s long strides out of the restaurant.

    The day was almost over and the shooting also came to an end. Katherine was speaking with a CRG staff while Caleb went to make room arrangements for the investors.

    "Ms. Katherine" Matt came up to her from the side. He had already changed into a pair of pants and a in ck shirt, giving him a bad boy vibe. "I was wondering if you have any ns for tonight?"

    "Um not really. Mr. Yoo and I are going to go back to the city when everything here is settled," she replied and started walking towards the lobby where she was going to meet Caleb.

    Matthew walked with Katherine. "I see I''m actually going to attend a birthday party of a co-actor of mine. If you''re okay with it, I''d like to invite you to go with me."

    Katherine was surprised. A popr actor actually invited her to a celebrity''s party? She had not seen Emma yet and she already had tons to tell her friend. She wished that Emma was there with them so she could introduce thetter to Matt.

    "I don''t know I don''t really go to parties." Katherine softly chuckled.

    Meanwhile, a ck Aston Martin just parked at the parking lot. The man got out of the car d in a navy blue suit and walked towards the lobby. Damien came straight from the airport and figured he would surprise Katherine bying home earlier as originally nned.

    Just as he stepped into the lobby, Lexi Jin called for him. "Damien, you came."

    "Mm," he briefly nodded and walked away.

    "Are you looking for Katherine? She''s with Matt. They''ve been hanging out all daythey seem pretty close." Lexi purposely chose her words to spite him. If he sees them together, that would cause problems, right? Sheughed inwardly.

    Damien only paused for a second before he continued to walk. And as he alighted the steps towards the beachfront, he saw Katherine walking with Matthew. He narrowed his eyes.

    As if fate was trying to toy with him, he saw Katherine identally step on uneven ground and twisted her ankle. "Ah!" she yelped.

    Matthew who was walking beside her, caught her instinctively  his hands were holding both of her arms. "Are you okay?" he worried.

    "Yeah I''m okay, thanks." She tried to step her foot t on the ground and felt a sting but she bit her lip in order not to wince.

    "You should watch where you''re walking." A man''s voice came from the side and when Katherine looked up, she saw Damien hastily walking towards her.

    "Da Boss, you''re back!" she eximed, a smile instantly broke out on her face upon finally seeing him after a few days of being away from him.

    As soon as Damien arrived in front of her, he snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her to him, cupping her face with his hand and pressing his lips to hers.

    Katherine froze. There were still several people around them and Damien just decided to kiss her in front of everyone! With Matthew still an arm''s length away from them!

    Her eyes widened in shock before they involuntarily closed and she sumbed to his kisses until he finally let her go.

    "I missed you," said the jealous man.

 Chapter 111: Are You Serious?

    Chapter 111: Are You Serious?

    Opening her eyes, Katherine met his searching ones. She could feel the heat in her cheeks and sheposed herself, clearing her throat as she pushed herself off of Damien.

    She side-nced the people around her before she said in a soft voice, "I thought you''reing back tomorrow"

    "Change of ns" he answered while observing her expression. It was not the reaction that he was hoping to see. Did he do something wrong?

    Katherine swallowed. There was a mixture of happiness and disappointment in her heart. After everything they have agreed before, he suddenly disregarded all of them. And for what? To show everyone that she was his?

    Damien reluctantly let go of her but remained close, still wondering what was on her mind. He hade to the resort as soon as hended just to see her. He had sensed that she wasn''t jolly from the way she sounded the past few days while talking on the phone with her. Though she didn''t tell him she missed him, he could only hope that he was the reason why she was like that.

    But why did she react the way she did earlier? He expected to see her ted. Was he mistaken and she actually didn''t miss him at all?

    Turning to the side, Katherine told Matthew, "Mr. Jeong Matt," she corrected herself when she remembered that he insisted to be called by his first name, "I apologize, I don''t think I can go with you tonight. Thank you for the invitation, though. I hope you have fun." She could barely look at him in the eye.

    "Oh, Mr. Jeong," Damien uttered as though he just realized the man was standing there.

    A bitter smile cast on Matthew''s face as he nodded. Putting a hand in his pocket, he responded, "It''s alright. I hope you have a good evening." Turning to Damien, he said, "President Park, it''s an honor to be part of this promotion. Thank you for the opportunity."

    Damien nodded and offered an obligatory smile as he replied, "It''s our honor to have you promote this resort. Thank you for your hard work."

    When Matthew left, a few of the production staff came to their side along with Crown Resort Group employees to greet President Damien Park, to which he politely returned with a smile and kind words of encouragement while keeping Katherine next to him. She thought that there was no point in hiding anymore, what excuse could she possibly have after they were caught kissing in front of everyone?

    Once everyone left, the two of them walked towards the lobby with Damien walking just slightly ahead of Katherine who was biting her lip to avoid wincing in pain as her ankle had already swollen.

    "Bro, you''re back," Caleb greeted Damien with a friendly p on the shoulder. "I have to go ahead of you guys, I''ll see you tomorrow," he said before he turned to Katherine and saw the expression on her face. He had seen the entire scene awhile ago while he was on his way to the lobby. He thought that Katherine was alright until he saw the beads of sweat on her forehead and the way she limped on her feet. "Kath"

    Katherine shook her head, silently asking him not to mind it. Caleb''s gaze shifted to Damien before he patted his friend. "Take it easy, bro," he said before heading towards his car.

    The two were about to walk away when Lexi appeared on the side. "Damien" she called.

    Annoyed, Damien shot her a re, instantly making Lexi freeze on the spot with how cold he was at that moment. "Next time you incite something or try to spite me, make sure it''s worth my time. Otherwise, stay away and mind your own business."

    Lexi who had seen the entire scene almost puked blood. How could he just kiss Katherine in front of everyone? Wasn''t he concerned about his image? The most that he did in front of others while they were together years ago was hold her hand! She had thought that she was sessful in trying to drive a wedge between them but howe he reacted in that way instead? Wasn''t he supposed to be mad?

    When she noticed the weird atmosphere between Damien and Katherine as they were walking in the lobby, she thought that maybe she had really affected them so she wanted to make sure that they were indeed fighting. But the way Damien told her to ''get lost'' was too much!

    "Let''s go," Damien grabbed Katherine''s hand and pulled her with him towards his car.

    She had to keep up with his long strides and after the painful journey, they finally reached his car. She had been quiet the entire time, thinking about how to talk to him as she didn''t even know if what she had in mind was even worth a discussion. It was the first time that she felt disappointed at him despite knowing what he did was only his way of expressing himself whether it was out of love or even jealousy.

    After driving for a few minutes, Damien, whose mind was also clouded, finally noticed her silence. ncing at her at the passenger''s seat, he saw her leaning on the backrest with her head turned to the window, watching the passing trees as they have just entered a forested area.

    "Is everything okay?" he asked. He slowed down and drove casually.

    Katherine sighed. She was still having a mental debate whether to let it go or just tell him straight. Didn''t they say that they should be honest with each other? ''Open your friggin mouth and spill it!''

    "I didn''t appreciate what you did back there," she started. She had her eyes fixed on the dashboard, not wanting to look at him directly although she wanted to watch him through her peripheral vision.

    Surprised by what she said, Damien nced at her again and saw her unreadable expression. "What?"

    Sighing, Katherine bit her tongue before responding, "You shouldn''t have kissed me back there."

    He felt a prick in his heart and his lips quirked into a mocking smile. He was starting to get mad that heughed. "<em>Are you serious?</em>" he asked. He could not believe what he just heard.

    She could feel the pain in his question despite the horrible masked smile he had on his face when she finally turned to face him. She knew what she said must have hurt him but he wanted her to be truthful, and that was her being truthful. ''Sorry, Damien.''

    "There were people who weren''t supposed to see and know that we''re together!" she sighed in exasperation. She tried so hard to lower her voice but her emotions got in the way.

    Realizing that their conversation was bing serious, Damien stopped the car at the side of the road. They were still in the middle of the forest and it was about to get dark soon but there was still enough light.

    Pressing the hazard mode on the dashboard, he turned to face her with a confused expression. "Who are you talking about?"

    Katherine faced him with an also puzzled face. She found it hard to believe that he didn''t know who she was talking about. "There were tons of people there, Damien. The production staff, the resort employees, and thepany employees!"

    "Those people?" he chuckled but he clearly did not look like he was having fun. "<em>People whose sry came from my money?</em>"

    Hearing his statement, she could not help but turn the other way and roll her eyes. She shouldn''t have started this conversation. She should have just shut her mouth and force her bitter feelings down  bury it and forget about it.

    She didn''t want to have this kind of conversation. She hated it. So, she kept quiet because she didn''t want to say something that she would regret.

    Not hearing any response from her, Damien added, "I thought you said that you don''t care about what they say? That you don''t care about what others say about you as long as they don''t say anything about me? Well, let me tell you again  I don''t care about what they say. I don''t give a damn about others."

    "Well, I do! Okay? I do!" she snapped. " I thought that I didn''t but apparently, I care about what others say about you and me behind my back. You don''t get to hear what the employees say while you are not around but I always hear them. Whether they know that I''m in the same room or not, I hear them. People talk  they always do. And I thought I was brave enough to ignore them but their words could get really hurtful sometimes."

    Exasperated, Damien got out, walked towards the hood of the car and leaned on it. He ran both hands on his face, unsure of what they were arguing about in the first ce. He was feeling mad and sad for her at the same time.

    He expected to see her smiles after a few days of being away only to find them in a heated discussion soon after his arrival. He loosened his tie and heaved a heavy sigh, wondering if he should just let go of his doubts and worries. This was not what he wanted.

 Chapter 112: Too Bad He Loves Her Too Much

    Chapter 112: Too Bad He Loves Her Too Much

    Katherine felt tormented about everything. She was so happy to see him earlier. She missed him so badly even though they have only been apart for a few days and yet here they were. She saw Damien seemingly pissed about what was happening.

    But as much as she wanted to go over to hug him and tell him to just forget about everything, she couldn''t just take back her words as those were the truth. So even though they both didn''t like what was going on, they still had to continue their discussion, don''t they?

    Getting out of the car, Katherine tried to carefully tread through the pile of leaves on the ground. They crunched every time she stepped on them as she walked towards where Damien was.

    Just before she could get to him, he turned to her and asked, "Are you mad because I kissed you and you are worried about what others will say? Or because Matt was there?"

    He just had to go there. He didn''t want to, but his stupid brain and mouth got ahead of him.

    Hearing his question, Katherine''s anger just spiked up. "What?! Matt is just a friend!"

    Damien snorted. Since he had already started on this, so why not go along with his temper?

    "You can''t seriously believe what he told you back at the party. Did you really believe him just like that? That was themest pick-up line that has been overused! He''s an actor, and he''s been rumored to date a lot of women."

    Katherine knitted her brows. She didn''t like where this was going. "And you think that I simply just believe what other people tell me? Matt has been nothing but nice to me. You think I got mad because he was there? Do you not trust me at all?"

    "<em>You, I trust. Despite not knowing about your past, I f*cking trust you. But them? I don''t trust any of your friends.</em>" He admitted openly for her to understand where he stood.

    "My friends?"

    "That''s right! I don''t trust them at all. I don''t trust anyone who''s been with you for the past five years!" Damien huffed. He was feeling so frustrated as hell. He didn''t mean for their conversation to go this way but he couldn''t help it. As much as he wanted for them to stop, they had already started and it was too difficult to stop.

    "Where is thising from? Why? How could you doubt them? They''re the only ones who were with me when I was lost and didn''t know anything about myself!" Katherine was being defensive. She could not believe that Damien would think bad about her friends.

    Damien, on the other hand, felt that he should tell her his thoughts since the beginning. "That''s exactly right, Katherine! You have been with them for five years, but then what? You have not recovered any of your memories, and the only time that you did, you became violent and then forgot about it again! So what does that say, huh?

    "It has only been a couple of months since you have been with me. And ever since I found you again ever since you''ve spent time with me, you have had more progress than you had over those five years with all those people around you! You had no one else but them, so what does that mean?"

    Katherine listened to what he had to say but she still felt that he was overreacting. "Do you know how horrifying it was for me to wake up not knowing who I was and what was going on with me? On top of that, I was alone. I had to live like that for years!

    "Everything seemed to be shoved into my face like I am expected to just go with the flow. I was forced to live my life despite not understanding a lot of things. I had no other choice! Emma and Adam were the only ones who were there with me the entire time. I had no one!

    "And you where were you? You weren''t there, Damien. So you don''t get to tell me who I should be friends with when all I had was literally no one."

    Damien could feel the hurt in her voice. He didn''t like that he had to point out what he just told her, but a part of him felt that it was better to let her know what he had been thinking. He already knew that she was feeling frustrated not knowing about her past and he felt bad that she had struggled all those years.

    And hearing what she just told him  he, too, was hurt. "That''s not fair I tried to look for you."

    Katherine didn''t like that Damien had those thoughts about her friends but she couldn''t argue with him because he was right too. She only recalled a memory after meeting him even if it was five yearster. Her eyes became misty, but she would never cry in front of him as long as she could help it.

    "I don''t like this conversation," she muttered before she turned to walk back to the car.

    Damien didn''t like it either. He was already feeling bad about everything.

    Just as Katherine was about to open the door, she winced when she stepped with her bad foot  it was so painful that she had to abruptly m her hand on the car. "Ngh"

    Damien immediately appeared at her side, holding her upright. "What''s wrong?" he asked as he scanned her body from head to toe.

    "Nothing. I''m fine."

    He finally found the source of her pain when his eyesnded on her swollen ankle that had already started to bruise.

    "What the hell? That''s not fine, Katherine." Damien bent down and carefully checked her foot, making sure he wasn''t touching any part that would hurt her.

    "It''s just a sprain. It will heal," she said calmly. She didn''t want to make a big deal out of it. And knowing Damien, he was surely going to make a big deal out of it.

    Raising his head, Damien shot her a re. He got up and stared at her, wondering if he should knock her head. He saw her twist her ankle but forgot about that. Moreover, he had dragged her towards the car earlier and then they stood there arguing while it was getting cold and she didn''t say anything even though she was already in pain.

    <em>What a stupid woman! Too bad he loves her too much to smack her head.</em>

    Feeling the fierce re that he was giving her, Katherine did not dare to look at him and kept her gaze on the ground. She was still mad about their ugly dispute but she was also feeling guilty, so she could only maintain a slightly mad expression.

    With a hand on his waist, Damien pinched the bridge of his nose and breathed out a heavy sigh.

    "Come on, let''s get you home."

    After opening the door to his car, he bent a little, scooped her into his arms and carefully ced her inside. He looked at her for several seconds before buckling her belt for her. ''What am I going to do with you, Katherine?'' he thought to himself.

    The rest of the car ride was quiet. Instead of dropping her off the hotel, Damien parked the car in the underground parking lot of the main office building. Without saying anything, he picked her up and carried her towards his private elevator.

    In a soft voice, she began, "I can still walk, put me"

    "You can''t. Shut up."

    He said in a tone that left no room for retort so she swallowed the rest of her words and allowed him to do as he pleased.

    Since Damien didn''t have a free hand from carrying her bridal style, she took the initiative to push the buttons on the elevator and key in the code to his ce without him telling her to do so. He was having mixed feelings; while he was mad at her, he still cared about her. Yet the two were still in tandem.

    Damien didn''t stop in the living room, instead, he went straight up his bedroom and ced her in the middle of the bed. Katherine could only watch him as he removed his coat and tie before he rolled up his sleeves.

    She had only noticed the dark circles under his eyes but even so, he still looked handsome  tired, but handsome. How her heart ached seeing her man like that.

    Taking a pillow, Damien elevated her injured foot with it. "Stay here and don''t move or I swear to god, Katherine" he didn''t even want to finish his sentence.

    Turning around, he walked out of the room to get an ice pack from the kitchen. He had to heave a few sighs out to release his frustration before he went back to the bedroom and apply a coldpress on her swollen ankle.

    "Does it hurt?" he asked as he gently pressed the ice pack on her.

    "No" she responded almost instantaneously that Damien raised a brow at her. "...Y-yes, a little."

    Not wanting to argue with her anymore, Damien religiously applied ice on her ankle in silence to reduce the pain and swelling. Ahh the things he would do for the woman he loves. He sighed for the nth time.

 Chapter 113: Do you need help changing?

    Chapter 113: Do you need help changing?

    After spending several minutes applying ice on her injury, Damien got up and headed to his closet. When he returned, he gave Katherine a clean white t-shirt. "Change into this. You wouldn''t befortable to rest in those clothes," he said, referring to her top and jeans.

    Gingerly receiving the t-shirt, she swallowed. Did he expect her to be in her underwear only, apart from the shirt? "I can''t just walk around wearing only a t-shirt, what about"

    "You can''t walk around anyway." The two of them looked at each other before he resigned, turned around and retrieved a pair of boxer shorts from his closet.

    Handing her the pair, he asked with a serious expression, "Do you need help changing?"

    "What?" She red at him, a blush slowly creeping up from her neck.

    "I''ll be fine. I''m not paralyzed, I merely sprained my ankle. I can still move, I can still walk," she added.

    "You are not to walk. You are to stay in bed and not move around. You need to rest that foot if you want it to heal fast. Be careful, don''t move too much. I''ll be back in a few." He huffed and walked out of the room, leaving her grimacing. ''So bossy,'' she thought.

    Katherine quickly changed into his shirt and boxers while avoiding putting a strain on her foot. Despite being mad at Damien because of their argument earlier, how could she hate him when he''s being so caring towards her? Her irritation went down a little.

    Ten minutester, Damien came back carrying a medicine kit. He sat on the bed and examined her foot thoroughly. He was d to see that the swelling has gone down a little. Without saying anything, he picked up an stic bandage and started wrapping it on her foot. He used to y ser in his teens and had his fair share of foot injuries, so he was pretty good with how he took care of Katherine''s sprain.

    She watched as he carefully worked on her foot. Her heart ached as he did his best in taking care of her. Her hand slightly moved when she felt the urge to touch his face but she hid her hand behind her instead, feeling the need to be more stubborn at the moment though she didn''t really need to.

    Then, Damien checked if he had securely fastened the bandage. "I called your doctor earlier to ask what medicine you can take for the pain since you can''t take ibuprofen anymore."

    He put something on the nightstand and said, "You can take this instead but only if your pain is really unbearable. Otherwise don''t." He ced her foot back on the pillow and got up, taking the medicine kit with him as he walked towards the door.

    Suddenly feeling rmed, Katherine straightened. "Where are you going?"

    "Food," he answered briefly without looking back before he closed the door behind him.

    With the way that Damien acted around her, she wasn''t sure if he was still mad. He was very caring and very cold at the same time that it was confusing. Feeling helpless, Katherine flopped on the bed and sighed.

    After spending a day at the resort entertaining the investors and overseeing the shooting, Katherine was exhausted. She decided to close her eyes for a bit to rx while waiting for him toe back but she ended up falling asleep instead.

    At eleven in the evening, she woke up in the dark and realized that she had fallen asleep for four hours when she saw the time on the clock. She scanned the room but there was no sign of Damien. Reaching for her phone on the nightstand, she noticed a note that he scribbled on a paper under her phone.

    "Call me when you wake up. Don''t walk by yourself."

    ''This man'' She sighed and chewed on her bottom lip.

    Katherine checked her foot and noticed that the swelling had subsided and it was no longer painful, so she decided to go downstairs to look for Damien.

    She sauntered towards the stairs and found him asleep on the sofa, facing the backrest. He must have been really tired from working and the flight back home.

    Earlier, Damien came back and brought her dinner but found that she was fast asleep. He didn''t want to disturb her rest and thought that she didn''t want him to be there in the bedroom so he chose to give her some space instead.

    Alighting the stairs, she still had a little difficulty flexing her foot but it was nothing that she couldn''t handle. Katherine stood by the sofa and watched his back that was facing her. "Dummy we only had a discussion and you''re already staying away from me," she muttered.

    Her head was clearer now that she was rested. Lifting the nket, she slid under it and pressed herself against his back, her arms snaked around his waist.

    Awakened by her presence, Damien fluttered his eyes open and slightly turned his head to the side. This wasn''t a bad way to wake up  he loved it.

    "What are you doing here? You should be resting, not walking around."

    "My foot no longer hurts. And I''m not walking around, I''m currently lying down I''m okay," she reassured.

    cing a hand over hers, he asked, "Are you hungry? I''ll get you some food."

    A small smile formed on her face and she pressed her face against his broad back, smelling his scent that she missed over the days that he was away on a business trip. "No but I missed you."

    Hearing her words, Damien sighed. She finally told him that she missed him but it took her ate afternoon argument to admit so. He wanted to roll his eyes. "Really? It didn''t seem like it."

    Feeling a tinge of sarcasm in his words, Katherine pouted. "Okay I deserve that. I''m sorry."

    Damien slightly smiled before he turned around to face her. He ced an arm under her head while the other wrapped around her waist to hold her in ce, maintaining a good distance for them to see each other eye to eye.

    "Do we still need to talk about it?" she asked, wondering if they could both just try to move past how ugly their conversation was earlier.

    "I don''t know Do we have to?" he stared into her eyes.

    "I don''t like arguing with you," she said with a wistful expression on her face, making his heart throb.

    Bringing his hand up, he brushed the hair away from her face and caressed the side of her face. "Me neither But I guess we have to. We don''t need to argue, though... let''s just talk. Is that okay?"

    Nodding, Katherine nuzzled on his face and tightened her embrace.

 Chapter 114: Im not jealous, okay?

    Chapter 114: I''m not jealous, okay?

    Katherine brushed her face against his, feeling his lips and nose on her face was what she lived for at the moment. She had missed him so much and being so close to him like this was veryforting. Why can''t they just be like this and not talk?

    Seeing through her, Damien started, "You know you can''t get away by doing this. So, tell me why were you mad? I''ll listen."

    Breathing out a sigh, she lowered her head to avoid looking at him. Fine, she could talk but she didn''t want to look at him while doing so. "I wasn''t really I mean, not initially, at least. But I was disappointed that you disregarded what we agreed about before. And now, a lot of people have found out about us. I''m already trying to bear with their gossip in the office. And you just basically gave them the proof they needed to make their ''gossip'' even juicier."

    Damien already understood what she meant earlier in the car. "I don''t know what I was thinking. I admit that I was impulsive. I didn''t think it through I apologize for that."

    Katherine did not answer him and stayed silent until he added, "You don''t have to worry about those people in the resort earlier. I''ll make sure they won''t talk."

    She doubted he could control everyone but there was nothing else that she could do, so she chose to let go of that and move on to the second issue.

    Looking up at him, she stared into his eyes to tell him straight, "It''s also not fair that you doubt my friends. They haven''t done anything to harm me, Damien... I really wish that you would not talk bad about them."

    He was quiet for a moment as though he was trying to think about something. He stared back at her and studied the way she gazed at him before he opened his mouth. "I know but I can''t help myself to think that way. I grew up doubting a lot of people actually, everyone around me. Trust isn''t something thates easy for me, Katherine."

    Growing up in the Park Family, Damien didn''t exactly have a normal childhood. At least, not normalpared to most children. His father was a disciplinarian and he was taught to doubt everyone he would meet in the future. This was one of the reasons why he had a mirthless smile on his face when he was in front of others. However, it was different when it came to Katherine. Even when he had only met her that time a few years ago, he found himself genuinely smiling at her.

    "But you''re right, I should be thankful towards them instead for being there for you," he added.

    Hearing what he said, Katherine was now feeling relieved. "Also, it really isn''t their fault that I wasn''t able to remember anything from my past. I only met them after I woke up from thea, unlike you"

    Damien nodded. Although he still didn''t fully trust her friends, it was not right for him to question her that way. "I haven''t been really helpful to you either I''m always hesitant to try something because I don''t want to trigger your memory and cause you harm."

    Katherine bit her lip. She contemted for a minute before asking him, "Can I tell you something honestly?"

    "Of course."

    Swallowing, she admitted, "I don''t think I want to remember the past."

    She watched as Damien narrowed his eyes and waited for her to continue. "I mean I want to but I''m afraid that when I do, it would change everything I have now."

    The two of them exchanged gazes. "Can you promise to stay with me no matter what you remember in the past?" he asked.

    "Really? What if I turn out to be a serial killer and have actual skeletons in my closet?" Katherine found his request cute and she could not help but joke about it.

    Damien looked at her like she had grown a second head  a pretty second head.

    He could never know what to expect from Katherine as she could be quite unpredictable at times, but what she just said made him chuckle.

    "You know what? Even if you turned out to be a serial killer and hid skeletons in your closet for whatever reason apart from being it really horrifying, I''d still stay with you. I will even help you bury dead people," he said with a straight face.

    Katherine''s eyes grew wide as she listened to him. "How horrible! Why would I do that?! Why would you do that?!"

    Damien threw his head back andughed heartily. "You were the one who said it first. I''m just trying to tell you that no matter what it is I will stand by you. Do you understand?" She nodded her head and felt his cool lips touching her forehead.

    "You said that ''trust'' did note easy for you So, why did you trust me?" she asked.

    "That I can''t exin," he shrugged. "Call it intuition."

    Katherine became speechless. How could he have that with her? She didn''t think she was that special.

    "So Are we okay now? I''m sorry Forgive me?" he asked in a clear and sincere tone whilst looking into her eyes, waiting for her to answer.

    She broke out a gentle smile and snuggled closer. "Only because I miss you."

    Damien stifled augh and tightened his arms around her. He was d that they were able to patch things up about their silly fight from earlier without having to shout at each other. Come to think of it it was the first time they had a fight like this. He found it funny and refreshing only because it was with Katherine. Howughable, he even found fighting ''adorable''. What happened to you, man?

    "Are you really jealous of Matt?" Katherine suddenly asked, making him freeze.

    "How close are you that you''re already calling him by his first name? You''ve only met twice! Unless you''ve met him behind my back?" Damien pulled back and lowered his gaze at her.

    "Oh,e on! Stop jumping to conclusions. We didn''t meet behind your back, okay? He really is just a friendly person. I don''t think he has any ill intentions."

    "How can you say that? You don''t know him yet."

    Sighing, Katherine touched his face. "I just feel it, okay? Just like how I feel that Caleb is a good person or Jeffrey"

    He narrowed his eyes at her, unwilling to ept her reasoning.

    Seeing the look on his face, she snickered. "You really are jealous of him, aren''t you?"

    Damien knitted his brows before looking away.

    "I''m not jealous, okay? I just sort of want to kick him in the face and throw him across the room when I see him."

    Katherine blinked multiple times, unsure of what to feel about what she just heard. "That''s very specific"

 Chapter 115: No Touching

    Chapter 115: No Touching

    Returning his gaze to Katherine, Damien deepened his stare and told her, "Enough about him. I don''t want you talking about that smiling idiot."

    She raised a brow and suppressed a smile, she thought he was being silly. "That smiling idiot is your resort''s model, you know?"

    "And he''ll stay that way as long as he keeps his distance from you."

    Katherine looked at him and wondered how serious he was. Seeing her stare, Damien raised a brow and added, "What? You''re mine."

    She cackled upon hearing Damien say that to her face. He was being ridiculously adorable and her heart skipped a beat as she studied his expression. "If someone hears you right now, they would wonder how you became Crown Resort Group''s president with the way you''re being so possessive of me."

    "Ha! If someone heard me right now, there''s no doubt they would be proud of me! A president knows how to stake his im and not allow others to take what is his away from him," Damien proudly said with his chin up  showing the arrogant man that he was.

    Katherine could only look at him. She didn''t know whether she should be proud of him or what. She loved that he was being possessive of her but to hear how he was so proud of it was beyond words for her.

    Damien saw the look on her face. He imagined what was going on in her mind and heughed. He was so d that she was finally in front of him after days of separation. He had to make sure that she would go with him on the next business trip or else he wouldn''t know what else would greet him the next time hees back home.

    Pulling her close, he captured her lips with his. And tenderly, he kissed her.

    "It''s so good to be home to you, love."

    Damien whispered into her lips, cupping her face and kissing her again. Katherine loved what she just heard. His voice and his words were like a nket that saddled her up warm and nice. She responded to his kisses and pressed herself to him, hugging him even closer. God, she missed him.

    His hand that was cupping her face slid down to her arm to her side and settled on her waist, squeezing her lightly until his hand found the seam of the shirt that she was wearing. He slid his hand under the fabric and touched her bare skin. Slowly, he ran his hand on her side, brushing her skin with his warm hand up to cup her breast.

    However, just before he could touch the curve, Katherine pped his hand away. "No touching!"

    Shocked, Damien pulled back and furrowed his brows. "What?! Why? Yes touching!" He tried to roam his hand back again but she pushed his hand away again.

    "No more than kissing for you. That''s your punishment," she told him resolutely.

    "Whyyyyy" he whined like a child whose toy was taken away from him. "Why do I need a punishment? I''m a good boy!"

    Katherine knitted her brows at him. "No, you aren''t. You were mean earlier."

    "But I thought you forgave me already" Damien kissed her on the lips. "You said you missed me"

    Pushing him gently, she replied, "Yes, but you will still face your punishment. You can''t do anything more than kissing." She was feeling superior at the moment, thinking that she had controlled the King. She wanted to give herself a pat on the head.

    Hearing what she said, Damien couldn''t control his urge to outsmart her, so a sly smile formed on his face.

    Without warning, he flipped on top of her, held both of her hands above her head and trapped her underneath him  he was so swift that she was caught off guard and didn''t know what had happened until she felt his weight on her.

    "Oh, really? You know that wouldn''t really work on me." Damien dragged his gaze from her eyes down to her nose and then to her lips very slowly, making him really seductive that Katherine felt like she just fell into his trap again  a trap that he didn''t even set.

    "What are you doing?"

    He lowered his lips until it was just an inch away from hers and continued, "Or perhaps I could just make use of ''kissing only''..."

    Damien pressed his lips to hers ever so gently. Brushing them with soft strokes that it tickled her until his kisses moved to her jaw and then to her neck. "No touching? I''m totally okay with this I don''t have to touch you like this, right? I could just use my mouth no problem."

    Katherine couldn''t move as he was holding her in ce. The only thing she could do was pant.

    His lips moved lower until he found the base of her throat. He flicked his tongue and heard her moan, making the corner of his lips curl slightly upward.

    He kissed her chest, his mouth only making contact with the fabric of the shirt. He ced weighted kisses as he moved to the peak of her breast and he yfully bites it, his teeth grazing over the shirt  even so, Katherine could feel every agonizing and sensual feeling that his mouth did to her.

    She could feel her core tighten and her abdomen sunk because of his advances.

    Slightly raising his gaze above him, he saw her having a flushed face and biting her bottom lip. Satisfied, he moved back to her lips and kissed her deeply before he told her in a low, hoarse voice, "You can''t threaten me like that, Katherine."

    Tilting his head, Damien inched his lips to the side and brushed them to her ear as he spoke, "Also, you can''t be the only one giving punishment. For making me feel bad earlier, you''re not allowed to even touch me. So unless you lift your so-called punishment on me, you can only watch me from now on no touching, Kitten."

    His hot breath on her ear just sent her to the edge. But upon hearing what he said, she suddenly became anxious.

    Damien lifted himself off until he was kneeling in front of her. Reaching his back, he pulled the shirt over his head and gave her a second to look at him before he got off the sofa. "I''m gonna take a long, warm bath"

    Katherine swallowed and watched him as he walked up the flight of stairs. He saw her reaction and he just had to add, "You can join me if you want."

    Damien disappeared into his bedroom. The only sound that Katherine could hear was the loud drumming of her heart in her chest.

    Her man was too dangerous. How could she possibly outy him?

 Chapter 116: Im Coming for You

    Chapter 116: I''m Coming for You

    A few hours earlier, a tall woman angrily walked through the hall on the top floor of Park Group and red at the secretary who was at her desk. The woman only had to give the secretary the eye and she was allowed to push the huge wooden door to the right and enter the CEO''s office.

    "I hate her! I''m so sick of her!"

    Lexi Jin yelled and barged inside William Park''s office. She had mmed the door open with a loud bang, disturbing the discussion that William had with his subordinate.

    William''s head snapped to the door and saw the fury on her expression. What happened this time? Turning to the man in front of him, he said, "Deliver what was promised, as for the other concerns, I''ll meet you again first thing tomorrow. You may leave."

    The employee scurried away, not daring to look at the woman who just entered and closed the door on his way out. One thing that he knew very well regarding the Park Family was that they value their privacy, so whatever he saw just now, despite recognizing the woman who just entered, he could never speak about it to anyone.

    Lexi tossed her purse on the sofa and stood by the window. She had her arms crossed in front of her and had a sour expression as she watched the city below her. After her shooting at the Crown Resort, she went straight to Park Group andined to William. Since she had been gone for many years, she didn''t really have a lot of friends in the country, which was why whenever she felt bored, she would always seek out William''spany.

    Walking towards her, he saw how angry she was. He didn''t like it when Lexi was like this as she would be really unreasonable. But being with her for years, he had already learned how to pacify this woman and he was not going to let it pass. So, he slid his hands on her waist before pressing a kiss on her cheek.

    "What''s wrong?" he asked, her slightly sun-kissed skin from working under the light on the beach all day didn''t slip past his notice.

    "I hate that stupid secretary! I want her gone!" she spat while the scene from earlier when Damien kissed Katherine in front of everyone yed in her mind.

    Lexi didn''t have to mention a name for William to know who she was talking about. "What did she do this time?" He brushed the hair away from her neck and started kissing her there but Lexi pushed him away, walked towards the sofa and sat there with an angry face.

    "She ruined my day! She had Matthew and Damien wrapped around her finger! Even sweet Caleb was always by her side! And that stupid Damien kissed her in public! Ugh!" she groaned in frustration. "I really can''t stand her, Will. She''s too much! What do they see in her?!"

    Shaking his head, he followed her to the sofa and sat next to her, clicking his tongue as he watched how exasperated she was. "Looks like my cousin has really fallen head over heels with Ms. Miller. I can''t me them, though I mean who could resist her?" William recalled the times when he saw Katherine in sexy dresses. Her figure was imprinted in his brain.

    Lexi red at him, irritated that he was also lusting over that woman. How gross! "You''re not helping!" she bit out.

    Ever since they were young, she had been close to the boys in the Park family. Though she had been in love with Damien, she was also really close to William. She and William were practically best friends growing up, which was why she would tell him everything. She knew that he had a thing for tall brtes and that secretary definitely fits every angle.

    "Don''t be jealous. No one can beat you." William instantly reached for her hand and kissed it. "What do you want me to do?"

    Retracting her hand, she crossed her arms and slumped on the backrest of the leather sofa. She couldn''t get rid of the scene that she witnessed earlier at the resort. Damien never kissed her like that. Not ever! ''How could he do that to that woman? How could he do that to me? He knew I was there so he did that on purpose! That''s right!'' she bitterly said in her delusional mind.

    "I don''t know... Anything! I want her gone! Out of his life! I''m so sick of her!" she fumed.

    A cunning and evil smile formed on William''s handsome face. A truly sickening sight to see on him because of how his thoughts worked. He cupped her face and made her look at him.

    "That will be easy. You don''t even have to sweat about it. But I can''t do it for free, Lexi wouldn''t that be unfair?" He leaned forward and kissed her lips while his hands started to freely roam over the front of her body  this time, she showed minimal restraints.

    "Are you really going to help me?" she stopped him to confirm and only saw his eyes for a brief second before he pushed her back down and hurriedly raised her skirt up. This was wrong and she knew it. But she was frustrated and William was the quick fix that was going to help her. It''s not as if it was the first time that they were going to do it, so what was one more deed to add?

    "Of course, babe. When have I not? You know I would do anything for you. But I''ll just give you some information and it will be up to you what you''re going to do with it." William got on top of her and Lexi no longer pushed him away.

    No matter how many times she told herself that she was never going to allow him to get his way with her again, she would always end up going back on her words, unable to resist William''s advances.

    One thing that she learned while growing up  anyone from the Park family, especially the men, always get what they want.

    Screw her own thoughts. She needed him now. And she was going to get what she wantedter. ''You better watch your back, Katherine. I''ming for you,'' she sneered in her thoughts.

 Chapter 117: Matthews First Love

    Chapter 117: Matthew''s First Love

    Loud R & B music boomed from the speakers where drunken people danced to the rhythm of the beat. The pool area of a beachside vi was packed with celebrities and socialites celebrating an actor''s birthday party. An actor who didn''t particrly enjoy the party but his manager forced him to throw one to keep up with his image.

    "Happy birthday, man!" A man patted Matthew''s back as he sat next to him.

    Matthew looked up and nodded, thanking him for the greeting before he turned his gaze back to the crowd in front of him. He was exhausted from that day''s shoot but he had to mingle with his guests too. "Where''s your girlfriend?" he asked the man who sat with him.

    "Over there, gossiping like there''s no tomorrow. Forget about me, what about you? I thought you were going to introduce someone to us tonight?"

    Matt shook his head and took a sip from his ss of vodka. "Yeah I thought so, too. Looks like I won''t be able to do that even in the future."

    "Why? Is this the same woman you mentioned before? The one who looked like your ''childhood love?'' eh?" The man nudged Matt and air quoted with his fingers to tease him.

    Matthewughed lightly. "Yeah She''s taken though, and I only found out a while ago." He shrugged and the image of Damien Park kissing Katherine shed in his mind, he had to take another sip of vodka to brush it off.

    "That sucks. Well it''s not like you can''t get yourself another one. There are so many women here waiting to get their hands on you and all you have to do is take your pick. Getid, man it''s your birthday, you should let loose," he said before getting up and headed towards his girlfriend.

    "Mhmm." Matthew watched as his friend walked away. He absent-mindedly agreed but in his head, it was only filled with images of Katherine. Then his thoughts suddenly brought him back to a particr memory:

    It waste in the afternoon in the Jeong Estate and two kids were out ying in the garden. Little Katherine Young who was seven was ying in thebyrinth with Matthew who was then ten years old.

    The two kids were ying in the gardenbyrinth when Katherine ran and tripped on a stone  she stumbled and fell on her knees. Matthew immediately helped her up and saw that his friend was grimacing. The fall looked pretty bad, it must have been painful.

    "Are you okay?" he asked as he lifted her skirt a little to check on her knees. Sure enough, it was grazed.

    "It stings a little." She sniffed and wiped the tears in her eyes that were threatening to fall.

    Matthew carefully brushed the dirt away with his fingers and blew on it. "You should be careful next time. I told you not to run."

    Feeling shy, Katherine bit her lip and said, "You are always so nice, Matty. You are just like my dad to my mom."

    Matthew looked up to her, a smile formed on his face when he saw her reddened cheeks. "Of course, your dad loves your mom so he takes good care of her. He''s a good husband."

    The two of them walked towards the exit of thebyrinth. This time, Katherine was careful and walked next to her friend  afraid to fall again. "Since you take care of me, does that mean you also love me?" she asked innocently. She had always liked Matt because they yed together a lot.

    Hearing her question, Matthew was a little bashful but he didn''t deny. "I guess" he said.

    Katherineughed at him and on a whim, she dered, "Then when I grow up, I will take you as my husband. I will marry you so that you can take care of me like my dad does to mom."

    His head snapped towards her, shocked by her sudden announcement. Who talks like that? He wondered but then reminded himself, ''Of course, only Katherine does. She''s a ball of surprises.''

    He yfully smacked her head and snickered. "What are you talking about? Who said I will marry you?"

    She rubbed her head and stuck out her tongue to him butughed right after. She looked very yful and bright. "Why wouldn''t you? I will be rich just like mom and dad and take care of you too!"

    Matthew shook his head. "You''re silly. Stop talking nonsense."

    "It''s not nonsense. Mark my words, Matthew Jeong, I will marry you when I grow up!"

    He nced at her and lightly smiled. "Let''s go, it''s about to get dark. If we''rete, you won''t get to eat the chocte cake that my mom made for me." He grabbed Katherine''s hand and walked with her towards their mansion where they were going to have his birthday dinner with Katherine''s parents.

    "Aaah!!! That''s not fair, you know I love choctes!" Katherine let go of his hand and started running. "Fine, I''ll race you there!"

    "I said don''t run! You really don''t know how to listen!" Matthew ran after Katherine. This friend of his was such a pain in the butt.

    That memory of him and his friend Katherine resurfaced and it brought him bittersweet feelings. He downed the rest of his vodka and sneered in his thoughts, ''Liar. How could you go back on your words and leave this world?''

    For some reason, Matthew was feeling really lonely that night. Katherine Young was a really close friend that he knew since he was a child. Their mothers were great friends when they were in college and although the two women didn''t see each other for years, they have kept in touch and swore that their kids would also be friends in the future.

    He was about six years old when he met little Katherine for the first time and since then, they had been friends.

    Many yearster, the Young Massacre happened. Matthew was so heartbroken that he had to see a therapist.

    He lost his best friend. And sixfeet under, he had to bury his young love  his first love when he was 15.

 Chapter 118: Goodnight, love.

    Chapter 118: Goodnight, love.

    In the dining area of Damien''s penthouse, he and Katherine were having a veryte dinner at the table. The two of them quietly ate the meal that he had prepared earlier for her before she fell asleep.

    Katherine was trying so hard not to look at him as he was obviously ying with her and she was starting to get annoyed.

    For whatever reason, Damien decided to go shirtless and wore only his Tommy Hilfiger ck lounge pants, showcasing his firm chest, hard buns and sex lines all for Katherine to see... but not touch.

    Stupid punishment.

    While she was quietly sulking in her head, Damien had a suppressed satisfied smile on his face that she wanted so badly to harshly wipe off with her hands... but then again, no touching.

    Katherine sighed. It seemed that Damien had gotten bolder and bolder by the day. His shamelessness was probably already a world record. He was a master of this art and she could only silently wish to be taken under his wing  literally and figuratively.

    Her hormones had clearly gone haywire  all because of this fine piece of a male specimen whose name was Damien, crowned as the Resort King. Only Katherine believed he was not only that. He really was the King of Hell, what with all the dirty tricks that he had up his sleeves. She wanted to roll her eyes but stopped herself because that might just make him feel more satisfied than he already was because he was winning.

    "I don''t remember saying, no looking. You can still look at me, you know?" Damien started.

    "I''d rather not," she replied and chewed on her food.

    He chuckled, evidently having fun like he always does whenever he was teasing her. He wiped his mouth with a table napkin and leaned back on the chair. "Alright but that doesn''t mean I can''t look at you right? After all, you only said no touching"

    Katherine could already feel the intense gaze that was burning through her head. She moved her shoulders when she suddenly felt conscious about his stare. Sighing, she quickly finished her food and got up from her seat.

    "I''ll wash the dishes." She was already on her way to the sink, bringing some dirty dishes with her.

    "I''ll help you," he said while still sitting at the table, watching her as she was in a hurry to get away from him.

    "It''s okay, I can do it."

    Damien got up and brought his te with him as he leisurely strolled towards the sink. When he arrived at her side, he unnecessarily stayed too close to her while cing the dirty te into the sink  the front of his torso slightly brushing against her shoulder.

    "Are you sure?" he asked, his lips were right above her temple that she could feel his hot breath on her skin.

    Breathing in, Katherine shot him a re.

    "What?" he asked with an innocent tone.

    "You''re standing too close."

    "But I''m not touching" he responded and without warning, he ced the softest kiss on the skin behind her ear just before he walked away. "...just a kiss, no biggie." His little tease made her involuntarily squeeze the sponge in her hand.

    Her head snapped to the side and saw him leaning on the kitchen ind counter with his hands on his hips, looking like a delicious dessert  like a dessert that was inside a ss case and had a sign that said: For your eyes only.

    "You are such a mean, mean person. Do you know that?" she scoffed.

    "So I''ve been told."

    "And you''re proud of it?"

    He had a knowing smile on his face and it only annoyed her more. But there was nothing that she could do, she was annoyed yet she liked him at the same time.

    Damien shrugged. His phone rang and he fished it out of his pocket to see that it was Markus. "I''ll take this at the office. I won''t take long," he told her just before he headed towards the door.

    There weren''t a lot of dishes to wash so Katherine finished it very fast. She then went up to his bedroom, watched dog videos and some random memes on her phone while waiting for him toe up until she fell asleep.

    It was a little over an hourter when Damien opened the door to the bedroom. "Sorry, took longer"

    He only realized that she had fallen asleep when he noticed herzily open her eyes at the sound of his voice.

    "My bad I woke you up," he said as he sat on the bed.

    Katherine shook her head and responded, "I just rested my eyes a little."

    Damienid on his side to face her. There was a gentle smile on his face as he said, "Listen Why don''t we go on a weekend trip a few weeks from now?"

    "Hmm? Why? I mean What''s the asion?"

    It will be their second month together in a few weeks and Damien figured that they should do something special. "I just want to take you out to rx with me. It''s been a while since myst holiday and I want to spend it with you," he said.

    "Where do you want to go?"

    "I have something in mind. I''ll bring you somewhere nice."

    "What about work?"

    "Don''t worry about it, I''ll arrange it. All you need to do ise with me."

    Katherine''s eyes were a little droopy when she nodded. "Okay" she agreed just before her eyes closed.

    Seeing that she was already sleepy, Damien softly chuckled. He removed the pillow that she was hugging and ced it behind her.

    Brushing her hair away from her face, he leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "Goodnight, love," he whispered.

    As soon as he did, Katherine breathed in and wrapped her arm around his torso, hugging him close to her as she inhaled his scent. She snuggled as close as she could, nuzzled on his bare chest and mumbled in her sleep, "Goodnight, love."

    Damien froze because of the sudden contact and her unexpected use of endearment. It was the first time that he heard her say that.

    A huge smile cast on his face as Katherine just unknowingly crossed the line of their ''punishment'' and he even got a treat by hearing that word from her.

    Feelingfortable and satisfied, Damien turned off the light from the nightstand and pulled her even closer. He was sure to finally get a good night''s sleep.

    .<ol><li>..........Okay, so let''s start with the first question:Where do you think will Damien take her on that weekend trip? Why? Write your answer in thement section :p</li></ol>

 Chapter 119: Fearing the Unknown

    Chapter 119: Fearing the Unknown

    "So I''m moving out," Katherine said in a small voice, her eyes looking anywhere but Damien''s beautiful face.

    "What?!" his voice was stern, causing her to flinch at his tone.

    She gulped. This was the reaction that she expected to see from him. Although she didn''t like what was happening, this was the only way she knew that would make things a little better  moving out of the Royal Penthouse.

    Besides, didn''t they already talk about this before  that day when he let her stay in the penthouse? She was bound to move out.

    Damien''s brows knitted. It was a Friday, and the end of the month. They were supposed to have dinner that evening as it was Katherine''s payday, instead, they were in his office  discussing her attempt to leave the penthouse to stay somewhere else. His eyes never left hers and he wondered if something happened again.

    He was leaning at his desk with his arms crossed as he looked at Katherine who was standing in front of him. He could tell that she was hesitant with the way she was avoiding his gaze.

    "Can you at least look at me?" he asked.

    Sighing, she raised her head and met his stare. "I know you don''t want me to"

    "That''s right, so don''t." He didn''t understand why they were even having this conversation.

    Walking forward, Katherine ced a hand on his chest, despite feeling the piercing stare from his eyes. "Don''t be mad this was the only solution I could think of."

    Softening his gaze, Damien held Katherine''s hand that was ced on his chest and brought it to his lips. "You''re still not telling me why. How would I understand if you don''t tell me?"

    Katherine didn''t want to relive it but she started telling him what happened earlier.

    It was after lunch when Katherine came out from the Royal Penthouse and was heading back to her desk at the top floor using themon elevator in the main office building. She was the only one waiting for the lift and when the door opened, she stepped inside and stayed at the far back since she was going to be thest one to get off.

    She had her head lowered as she checked her phone when employees entered the elevator on the next floor and started gossiping.

    "Have you seen her earlier? She is wearing an expensive brand again."

    "That blue dress? How could she afford that? Do executive secretaries like her have a really high sry for her to afford it?"

    Katherine''s ears quirked upon hearing them. She knew they were talking about her again.

    "Tch. Do you really think she bought it herself? Of course, Boss bought that for her."

    "How lucky. Boss clothed her even gave her a penthouse. What a witch. Is she that good in bed?"

    "Probably. How could gold diggers like her sleep at night?"

    "Does she even sleep at all? For Boss to shower her withvish gifts they''re probably up all night. She''s that good."

    The two of themughed. "What a dirty whore. I still think she doesn''t deserve the Boss. That model, Lexi, and our Boss suited each other better."

    "I agree they belong in the same social ss, they would look better if they got back together. Just who does this secretary think she is? She''s a nobody."

    The two women continued to talk bad about Katherine without realizing that she was in the same space as them. Other hurtful things were said about her and Damien even when the elevator stopped on other floors to pick up more people. They continued to converse oblivious that Katherine was just right behind them.

    The entire afternoon, Katherine convinced herself that it was better to move out of the penthouse, thinking that it was going to make everything fine.

    As she recalled what happened in the elevator vaguely, Damien listened but his facial expression turned grim with each passing second. She didn''t even say much as it was ufortable to tell him the details. ''Such a tattletale,'' she scolded herself, despite knowing it was the only reason why she came up with the decision to move out and she didn''t want to lie to him.

    It didn''t matter that Katherine did not tell him everything, he was still going to find outter himself after this. He didn''t need and want employees like those.

    "I won''t allow you to leave," he muttered.

    "But"

    "Do you think if you leave now, they will stop talking behind your back?"

    "So, you want me to turn a blind eye like I have been doing for a long time? I don''t think I can handle that."

    Damien was in a dilemma. How could he make her stay? "You know, you don''t even have to work anymore. You could just stay with me You don''t have to worry about anything else."

    Katherine didn''t know why, but instead of feeling touched, she thought that she actually felt insulted. "You want me to depend on you and do nothing? Wouldn''t that make me look more like a gold digger?" She didn''t raise her voice, but with the way their conversation was going, she was afraid that it will turn into another fight.

    He panicked. Cupping her face with both of his hands, he spoke gently, "You know that I never thought of you like that. Let''s not turn this into an unnecessary fight, okay?"

    She sighed and calmed down. She was getting too sensitive and irritabletely as it was almost that time of the month. Nodding, she allowed him to continue.

    "Let me take care of you. All you have to do is stay by my side. You can do whatever you want and not think about anything else. Let me do all the worrying while you just stay pretty."

    Katherine rolled her eyes when he used what she told him back then. Breathing out a sigh, she held both of his hands in hers and squeezed them. "Damien I like you a lot. I really do. But I''m not that shameless to live off you. My conscience won''t let me. I want to try and stand on my own so I can at least look at myself in the mirror and see that I''m somehow worthy to stand next to you, even though I don''t really know how that''s going to be possible.

    "So please let me move out."

    "I really don''t think that''s a great idea. I need you close by, Katherine. I can''t allow you to move out."

    She shook her head. "That reason isn''t enough, Damien"

    He clenched his jaw and contemted before he said, "It''s not safe for you."

    Katherine raised a brow and softly chuckled, "How is it not safe? And where is safe, really? Anywhere can be a dangerous ce."

    Damien rubbed his nape with his hand before he pushed himself off the desk to retrieve a folder from one of his desk drawers. He grabbed her hand and brought her to the leather sofa to sit down for a serious conversation that he didn''t think he would have with her this soon.

    "Before I show this to you, can you promise to hear me out first and not run away from me in the middle of it?" He stared into her eyes, asking her to give him a chance to exin.

    "Why would I run away?" she wondered as she started to get nervous.

    "Because you might hate me for what I did. But I want you to understand, I only did this because I was worried wellokay, I was very curious and frustrated, but I was also worried."

    "I''m not following What are you talking about?"

    Damien brushed a hand over his face before slowly opening the folder in front of Katherine, revealing several papers about his private investigation of her. His heart drummed in his chest as he watched her expression change.

    "What is all this?" She spread some papers around and a perplexed expression cast on her face, unsure of what to think or feel at that moment. "You had me investigated?" She turned to look at him  his face was unreadable.

    He didn''t say anything and allowed her to skim on the papers first before he started, "These were what I found after your first day here. When I saw you that day, I couldn''t believe it. I just had to read through your resume and then I saw your profile I had to recheck the information you wrote there and had some background check to know more about you.

    "This isn''t the first time, Katherine. Six years ago, I did the same thing. But there was no record of you and suddenly when you appeared in front of me, there''s information that I have not seen before. It''s either, my investigation was really crappy back then or someone falsified these." He pointed his hand to the papers.

    She looked at him with eyes full of doubt. She didn''t understand what was going on. "I''m so confused"

    Damien swallowed. He already hated himself for telling her all these. "I think someone is trying to harm you and I don''t know who it is or why."

    He loathed himself. He was only making her unnecessarily fear the unknown.

 Chapter 120: Where It Was Safe

    Chapter 120: Where It Was Safe

    Damien had finally shown her the files about his investigation. He didn''t even have a clear exnation about her identity and here he was, making it even more confusing for her. ''What the hell are you doing?'' he berated himself, regretting his action.

    Meanwhile, Katherine didn''t know what to make out of all this information.

    "I need you to stay with me" he said, his voice was almost a whisper.

    "What you are saying doesn''t make sense." She was exasperated. "Are you telling me that I didn''t exist five years ago?" Her words were a blur.

    Regretful, Damien reached his hand out and held hers. "I wish I had all the answers for you. I hate that I have to tell you this I don''t want to scare you. Especially since we don''t really know anything yet. This is why I''m worried."

    Katherine retracted her hand and let out a heavy sigh. With her elbows on her thighs, she held her head in her hands.

    "Also Dr. Cheng is missing and we still don''t know where he is."

    "Missing?" Her head snapped towards him.

    Damien nodded. "On the day that you switched doctors."

    Upon hearing his response, she started feeling queasy. Everything was just too confusing for her. She already could not remember her past and now he tells her that there wasn''t any record of her existence? She could feel her heart twist in pain and her eyes began to get misty.

    Sensing her distress, he ced his hands on her shoulders and pulled her towards him, kissing her forehead and hugging her close as it was all that he could do at the moment. "This is why I can''t let you go. The only way I can make sure you are safe is if you stay with me. So if you move out..."

    Katherine remained quiet as she tried to wrap her head around what she just discovered. After some time, she gently pushed herself off of him and looked away. "I''m sorry I may have to take a rain check on that dinner. I wish to be alone for now." She got up from the sofa and was about to walk away when Damien stopped her, grabbing her by the hand.

    "Are you mad? I''m really sorry" This was why he didn''t want to tell her. He knew it was a bad idea.

    She forced a small smile and shook her head but it was obvious that she wasn''t okay. "I can''t be mad at you, Damien" She briefly caressed his cheek before she tiptoed and pressed a soft kiss on his lips.

    He watched her walk out of his office, his heart felt a slight prick when he saw her disappear from his sight.

    That was thest conversation that Katherine and Damien hadst Friday evening. Then she chose to stay cooped up in the penthouse and did not go out despite missing him. She was feeling a little lost lost than she already was. So the entire weekend, she mostly slept and stared into space, wondering what she was supposed to do with what she just learned.

    Damien was able to talk to her on the phone a few times but only for a brief moment. It was the only thing he could do apart from sending food to her doorstep as she wanted to be alone in the meantime.

    ''Who am I?'' she wondered  it was a question that she had already asked herself countless times for the past five years.

    It was already four o''clock the next Monday morning and Katherine was still awake. She slept fromte afternoon until evening the day before  her body clock was suffering from her current mental state.

    She scanned the room and her eyes settled on an article of clothing that poked out of a drawer from her closet. Walking towards it, she realized that it was her swimsuit. Over the past few years, the only activity that helped her whenever she was feeling dispirited was swimming. She began to swim regrly two years ago until she started working in thepany. Pulling out the piece, she decided to go to the hotel''s gym.

    The Crown Hotel had a fitness gym located on the floor below her penthouse. The gym was enclosed in a ss wall and was overlooking the indoorp pool in front of it.

    Wearing a ck hydrasuit swimwear, Katherine walked towards the pool. The lights were quite warm in the pool areapared to the white lights inside the gym. Since it was very early, there was no one else there. Setting her things on the bench, she dove into the water and started swimming towards the other end of the pool.

    She glid in the water, stroked her arms and kicked her feet. Her breathing was measured and it allowed her to focus on doing just one thing  breathing. She went back and forth and had managed a few slowps before she stopped and swam to the side.

    Katherine pulled herself out of the pool, sat on the edge to take a break and stared at the gym in front of her. That was only when she noticed that there was a man inside the gym who was doing pull-ups with his back facing her. Her mind unknowingly brought her to imagine Damien''s back while he was cooking topless in her kitchen. It''s been more than two days and she was already missing him  but she needed the time alone.

    The man released his grip from the bar andnded on the ground, causing Katherine to snap out of her trance. She turned back to the pool and dove to the middle. When she resurfaced, a voice haunted her in her mind:

    ''Who are you?''

    ''You are nobody.''

    The words repeated over and over that she became frustrated again. Wanting to drown out the ill thoughts, she went underwater, closed her eyes and did not move.

    ''Who are you?''

    ''You have no identity you are definitely not worthy to stand next to him. He''s out of reach and you''re only a speck of dust.''

    She could still hear the mocking voice in her head and she didn''t want to listen to it anymore. Katherine released air, causing bubbles to form and rise to the surface  then, she let herself sink to the bottom of the pool.

    Atst, she waspletely submerged and she could no longer hear anything. She remained motionless as she let herself mold together with the water. She didn''t know how many seconds had passed and she wished she could just stay there forever where it was quiet where it was safe.

    A movement in the water caused her eyes to slowly flutter open. The water was clear yet she could not make out the figure in front of her until it started to get closer.

    ''Damien'' she thought. How weird was it to see him even underwater? ''Do I really love this man so much to think about him at this time?''

    The next thing she knew, she was pulled up to the surface. The sudden flight caused her to gasp as soon as she realized that someone had pulled her up.

    "Are you crazy?! Were you trying to drown yourself?" said the man in an angry tone, he was holding her steady, his feet kicking in the water to keep both of them up as he tried to tread towards the edge of the pool.

    "Damien?" Katherine was confused. What just happened?

    He helped her out of the pool and immediately wrapped a towel around her. "What the fuck, Katherine? What the hell was that?"

    "What do you mean?"

    Confusion cast on Damien''s face. He was dripping wet and was looking infuriated as he spat, "You were under the water for more than a minute!"

    Katherine felt a stab in her heart with the way he scolded her. She didn''t know why he would get this mad.

    But before she could even think about what to tell him, her body had already jolted forward and pounced on him. Wrapping her arms around his torso and started sobbing uncontrobly, "I''m sorry I''m so sorry" She broke down.

    She had tried so hard not to cry. She never wanted to cry, especially not in front of him. But seeing Damien in front of her and with her current disconcerting state, all she wanted was to find release.

 Chapter 121: She Was Wrong

    Chapter 121: She Was Wrong

    6:15 pm the previous night...

    Damien rode the elevator going up the Royal Penthouse. He was wearing casual clothes and had a paper bag in his hand. When he reached the floor, he walked towards the door to the Royal Penthouse and ced the paper bag on the floor. He raised his hand, wanting to ring the doorbell but retracted it at thest minute. Instead, he took out his phone and sent Katherine a text message.

    [ I sent someone to deliver your dinner. It''s outside your door. Please eat. ]

    Damien left and went back to his ce. He checked his phone but there was no reply from Katherine. He patiently waited until it was almost an hourter but there was still no response from her. Grabbing his tablet, he essed the hotel''s live security feed and checked the hallway outside of the Royal Penthouse. Seeing the paper bag was still on the floor, he sighed and grabbed his phone to call Katherine.

    "Hello~" she answered after several rings.

    Damien could hear the shuffle of fabric in the background and her voice sounded like she had just woken up but he still innocently asked, "I sent you food earlier. Did you like it?"

    There was a pause before he heard her reply, "Ah yes, thank you, it was good."

    The door to her penthouse opened and Damien saw her for the first time on screen since Friday. Katherine was wearing his shirt  the one that he left behind a couple of weeks ago after he spilled coffee on it. He watched as she picked up the paper bag from the floor and brought it inside the penthouse.

    He only saw her for a few seconds but he felt better knowing that she was alright.

    "Okay, I just wanted to check up on you," he said.

    "I''m okay," she said weakly and he knew right away that she wasn''t. "Have you eaten?"

    A weak smile formed on his face when he heard her concern. She was the one who wasn''t okay yet she still had the time to worry about him. "Yeah, I had the same thing you had."

    "Mhmm."

    There was silence again and Damien figured he should let her rest more. "You should rest now. I''ll see you tomorrow."

    They hung up the call and Damien was feeling stumped. Heid on the bed and stared at the ceiling, wondering what he was supposed to do and how much time she needed to be alone. He couldn''t possibly let her be by herself for a long time.

    After a while, he fell asleep and woke up earlier than usual. On most days, Damien would wake up before five in the morning and be up for his regr work out. However, this time, since he fell asleep earlier, he woke up at 3:30 in the morning. Thinking that he wouldn''t be able to sleep anymore, he got up and prepared for his morning routine.

    He crossed over to the next building and got in the elevator going up to the gym. He usually preferred to run outside in the morning but he wasn''t feeling up for it at that time, so he decided that he would use the treadmill for several minutes instead. He put on his On-Ear wireless headphones and yed the workout ylist from his phone and started running.

    Later

    When he had just started on the rowing machine, he noticed someone doingps in the pool. Ignoring the person, he continued to pump and row, focusing on his workout to keep himself from thinking about his worries.

    Several minutester, he was already doing pull-ups.

    Just as hended back on the ground, he felt like someone was looking at him from behind, so he turned his head and saw the side profile of the woman at the pool.

    "Katherine?" He raised his brow and watched as she jumped into the water. He realized that it had been her the entire time.

    He grabbed his towel and wiped away his sweat all while not taking his eyes off of her. He saw here back up for a few seconds before she went under the water again. Checking the time on his watch, he thought that it was too early for her to be up as she would normally wake up around seven in the morning.

    Damien headed towards the pool leisurely, bringing his stuff with him and his brows creased together when he didn''t see here up. A little more than thirty seconds had passed and he was impressed that she could hold her breath steadily when he saw bubbles rise up. Dropping his things on the floor, he peered in and saw her motionless underwater.

    He couldn''t see clearly as he was above the water but he was sure that she had reached the bottom of the pool. He checked his watch again and it had been more than a minute. For untrained people, they couldst 30 seconds  but for those in good health, a minute or two should be the limit.

    Suddenly feeling nervous, Damien swiftly removed his shoes and in a sh, he dove into the water. He opened his eyes, quickly focused on her and found her sitting on the floor of the pool with her knees to her chest and her arms wrapped around them in a tucked position.

    Without thinking twice, he swam towards her fast and saw her open her eyes at him. She stared at him and continued to stay in ce before her hand raised as if she was reaching out to him. In a second, Damien grabbed her hand and pulled her body up.

    Damien scolded her as soon as they were out of the water but she acted confused  she didn''t seem like she was struggling, and it made him even madder. He was raging and didn''t know what to think, because to him, it looked like she was trying to kill herself.

    Infuriated, he yelled, "You were under the water for more than a minute!" He was cursing as he wrapped the towel around her securely and patted her dry as much as he could.

    The next thing he knew, Katherine shrugged the towel off of her and pounced on him. He was caught off guard and had to regain his bnce. He was surprised to see her reaction and his rage almost instantly depleted as soon as he realized that she was crying.

    Royal Penthouse

    After her outburst, Damien had carried her back to her penthouse and ced her in the square bathtub that was filled with warm water. The floor was wet because they were still dripping when they got inside.

    The two of them were still wearing their clothes  Damien in his workout shorts and Katherine in her swimsuit.

    She sat with her knees up, feeling a little better after crying her heart out earlier. Meanwhile, he was sitting on the edge of the tub, watching her as he wondered what to do for her.

    "Do you need anything?" he asked in a soft tone.

    Raising her head, she met his lonely eyes. Without thinking much, Katherine reached out and grabbed his wrist. "Join me"

    Nodding, Damien went inside the tub, settled behind her and leaned back. Instinctively, Katherine sat between his legs and leaned her back against his chest, allowing him to wrap his arms around her waist. They remained still and quiet  their breathing slowly bing in sync.

    "I wasn''t trying to kill myself" she started after a few minutes of silence.

    Damien didn''t say anything but his hands rubbed her arms as if he was telling her that he was listening.

    "I just I wanted to be in a quiet ce. I didn''t realize that I" She sighed.

    "I''m sorry that I scared you" Katherine shifted to the side a little so that she was facing him diagonally.

    "Don''t do that again." Damien''s eyes were cold as he stared at her. He was truly worried about what just happened earlier.

    Katherine nodded andid her head on him. She closed her eyes and sumbed to the feel of his embrace. That''s when she realized that she was wrong  under the water wasn''t the safest, rather, it was right there in Damien''s arms.

    "We can''t stay long or we''ll get pruned," he whispered and kissed her head.

    "Just five minutes more," Katherine responded.

    Giving in, Damien pressed his cheek against her head and closed his eyes. After what seemed to be the longest weekend for the two of them, that early morning was very eventful and he could already feel the long day ahead.

    But as of the moment, all he wanted was already right in front of him. He was just d that she was okay.

    As for Katherine, she had finally decided to face whatever it is that wasing for her with caution. As long as Damien was there, she was going to be okay right?

 Chapter 122: You Didnt Have Me Back Then

    Chapter 122: You Didn''t Have Me Back Then

    It was almost six in the morning and Damien and Katherine were still in bed. Instead of preparing breakfast like he usually would, he chose to stay with her.

    "Why don''t you take the day off? There''s not much to do anyway, Markus can cover for you today." Damien pulled the nket up to cover her as heid on his side.

    Katherine shook her head. "I''ll be fine. I don''t want to stay here and waste the day away just like what I did over the weekend."

    "You cane inte then." He searched for her hand under the nket and held it, his thumb brushing it in short strokes. "Do you still want to leave this ce?"

    "I really appreciate that you allowed me to live here. Even though that wouldn''t stop them from gossiping, I still can''t stay here and pretend that I''m okay."

    "I understand. If you''re notfortable, then I will let you leave. However, I can''t let you stay just anywhere. I need to make sure that wherever you are staying is safe. So let me make the arrangements for you, okay?"

    Katherine stared at him and thought about what he told herst Friday. She nodded, thinking that it was better to let him take care of it. There was no point in being stubborn now that the only person she could really trust is him.

    "Okay," she replied.

    Feeling satisfied with her answer, Damien sighed before he moved closer and kissed her. One thing that he loved about her was how easy it was to talk to her. Granted, there were times that they wouldn''t see eye to eye but ever since they became a couple, they have always stuck to what they initially agreed upon  honesty and openmunication, something that''s rare in this day and age.

    "Don''t worry about anything. We''ll figure this out," he said above her head.

    Feeling the warmth of his embrace around her, Katherine knew that she made the right choice in trusting him. Ever since she woke up from hera, Damien was the first person that she had no problem adjusting with.

    It was weird, that despite feeling that he was a stranger at first, she somehow always had this part of her that wanted to depend on him. She could only hope that it will remain constant. Being with Damien was her happiness.

    "Do you think I''ll be able to fully recover my memories?" she wondered out loud.

    "I hope so I''ll do whatever it takes to help you. Do you want to start trying again?" It had been some time since herst visit to Jeffrey. And back then, she told him that she didn''t think she would want to do it again  therefore, he respected her wish and had been very careful about it since.

    Katherine shrugged, still unsure of what her next move was. There was this unknown source of hesitation that almost felt like detestation, as though it was safeguarding her from what she would learn about her past. "You told me that Dr. Cheng is missing Does that have anything to do with me?" she asked.

    "We''re not sure but there''s a big possibility. There were strange transactions in his bank ount that didn''t match his identity. Have you seen other doctors apart from him?"

    She shook her head. "I didn''t really think too much about it. I was too lost to even doubt the people around me I mean I had a lot of doubts, but I thought it was more of not knowing or remembering my past that was making me feel that way. Just uncertainty."

    Katherine still had so many questions in her head but she knew that Damien wouldn''t have answers to them as he had already told her what he found out.

    Raising her head, she looked at him and said, "Maybe we can try but it scares me. I forced myself a lot of times before but I would only end up depressed and detached, like how I wasst weekend."

    Because of what happened at the pool earlier, she was more scared of herself now than ever. What if Damien wasn''t there at that time? Would she really have

    Katherine blinked and swallowed, not wanting to even think about it anymore.

    "Don''t worry. We can do it slowly You don''t have to force yourself. I''ll think of something. Do you trust me?"

    She nodded but there was an evident look of worry on her face. "I do but what if what if I really be violent, just like what they said?"

    Damien lightly caressed her cheek and formed a gentle smile on his face. "You didn''t have me back then."

    His simple answer meant so much to Katherine. It was an assurance for her that whatever happens in the future, she will always have him.

    Feeling so much better, she leaned in and initiated a long and deep kiss in which Damien dly responded with his own.

    Later, the two of them got ready for work. Damien had asked Markus to send over a set of business suit to change into while he prepared their breakfast. They both dressed up nice and clean as they headed towards the office. Passing by the hotel lobby and the main office''s lobby with their chin up, they walked straight towards the private elevator while maintaining an appropriate distance from each other.

    With a stoic expression on his face, Damien shot brief res at those who dared to look at them for new gossip. Katherine tuned out the rest of the unnecessary noise and maintained a professional and elegant aura around her  making all the women feel even more envious.

    Once they got inside the elevator and the door had closed, she smiled and tiptoed to give Damien a kiss on the cheek, making him turn his head to her.

    "What was that for?"

    Looking straight ahead and still with a smile on her face, she answered, "Nothing. Just because." She wasn''t oblivious  of course, she was aware of what he just did. He had fired those employees that were gossiping in the elevator that Friday and she also saw him giving deathly stares as they were walking past the sea of judgemental people.

    As if the kiss wasn''t enough to show her gratitude, she slid her hand in his and inteced their fingers together.

    Damien wondered what was on Katherine''s mind at the moment, but seeing that she was happy, the corners of his mouth curled up in response.

    Reaching their floor, they walked out of the elevator and started their Monday.

    "Good luck at work," she muttered as he entered his office.

    "You too," he said.

    Their routine started and Katherine was back to her usual self. It was the first Monday of the month, July 2nd, and there were reports that needed to be finalized from the previous month. She buried herself with work and didn''t even realize that it was already lunchtime.

    They would either eat out or have some food delivered but since they were too busy, neither of them noticed the time nor made any lunch arrangements.

    The elevator opened and came out a delivery man who ced a paper bag and a bottle of water on her desk. "Delivery for Ms. Katherine Miller."

    Katherine looked up and saw one paper bag that had her name on it. "Is there only one?"

    "Yes." The man nodded, lowering his cap before turning around to leave.

    She furrowed her brows and watched the man as he disappeared into the elevator before turning her head to see Damien through the ss panel. She found him busily talking on the phone, in the midst of a conference meeting. She thought that he might still be busy for a while and wouldn''t be able to eat yet.

    Her stomach grumbled and after contemting, she decided to eat first and cook something for himter as she did not want to disturb him now.

    Feeling stuffed, she washed up and rested on her chair for a few minutes before she started working again.

    About thirty minutester, Katherine started to feel uneasy. She began to scratch her neck and her eyes were stinging. Her throat was bing itchy, making her cough many times. Grabbing the bottled water that was already half-empty, she drank the rest of it in one go.

    Just as she finished, she coughed and wheezed some more. All of a sudden, she could feel her throat swelling up. It was the same feeling that she had back then when Damien rushed her to the hospital. In her panic, she reached the right-side drawer and rummaged through the junk in there but she couldn''t find what she was looking for.

    Katherine staggered as she got up and steadied herself while trying so hard to breathe  the office chair fell as she pushed it away and she walked with so much difficulty towards Damien''s door.

    As soon she pushed it open, she could feel her throat closing up as she lurched her way towards his desk. She could barely see him and didn''t know when she fell to the floor.

    "Katherine!"

    Gasping, she grabbed his shirt and wheezed, "I can''t breathe..." she managed to say before her vision spiraled.

    ...<ol><li>...Get all thetest chapters of the novel on /book/14676863806336305/Femme-Fatale%3A-The-King''s-Deadly-Temptress"To interact personally with the author "NixxxiE" -1) get to thement section of the novel on "OR2) Join the discord server with the link given /invite/7UnF9EN</li></ol>

 Chapter 123: Strike First, Ask Questions Later

    Chapter 123: Strike First, Ask Questions Later

    While Damien was busy with his conference call, the door to his office opened with a loud bang, making him snap his head towards it. He saw Katherineing inside, looking reddish. She staggered on her way to him, a hand on her neck while the other reached the wall as she tried to steady herself.

    His eyes widened in shock and without dy, he abruptly removed his headset, tossed it aside and jolted towards her.

    "Katherine!" he called in rm.

    Just before she fell to the floor, Damien was able to catch her in time. She had some red patches on her neck and she hadbored breathing

    "I can''t breathe" she wheezed.

    "Sh*t."

    Realizing that she was going into anaphctic shock, Damien carefullyid her on the floor and rushed towards his desk drawer. Spotting the Epinephrine auto injector, he grabbed it and dashed back to where she was.

    After removing the safety cap of the EpiPen, he swiftly swung and pushed it onto her thigh. A few secondster, Katherine let out a slow exhale, seemingly able to breathe better.

    Damien''s heart was racing because of the shocking incident. He ran a hand through his hair, slightly relieved that her breathing looked like it had returned to normal. Soon after, he scooped her up from the floor and immediately headed towards the underground parking lot.

    "I''m taking you to the ER."

    He was thankful that he made the right choice in stocking EpiPens in a lot of ces after what happened to her the first time. Even though he had already given her the injection, he still needed to bring her to the hospital.

    He set her down on the passenger''s seat and buckled her belt. Bending down, he grabbed her hand and he met her sleepy eyes. "You''re going to be okay," he reassured before cing a kiss on her forehead.

    As he drove, he nced at her to check her condition. He made her face him so that he could see how she was doing. There were beads of sweat forming on her forehead and she was looking weak.

    "What happened?" he asked as he reached for her left hand and squeezed it.

    "I''m not really sure It was very sudden."

    "Walk me through what happened to you since this morning," Damien requested as he carefully drove in the traffic.

    Katherine tried her best to recall everything since the hour that they started working in the morning. Her voice was a little weak and she had to fight the drowsiness. "Those were the only things I did before eating."

    His brows knitted and he turned to look at her with a confused expression. "You already ate?" His gaze shifted to the clock on the dashboard and saw that it was a little over past one.

    Nodding, Katherine replied, "The food delivery came."

    "You ordered food?" Damien was still puzzled as they would usually eat together unless either one of them had other ns.

    She raised her head and furrowed her brows. "What? I... thought you ordered them?"

    He shook his head and he was even more confused. "I didn''t order anything I lost track of time because I was in a meeting. What made you think I ordered it?"

    Lowering her stare, she contemted. "It was from the same restaurant that you always ordered from. And it was the dish that you usually got for me too. It wasn''t you?"

    Damien shook his head again. His hand gripped the steering wheel tightly as he thought about the possibilities.

    Hillcrest Hospital

    After Katherine went through a thorough check-up, Damien arranged a VIP room for her to be warded in for further observation. Jeffrey Evans came as soon as he heard the news and the two of them talked about what just happened as they sat on the sofa.

    Looking at Katherine from where he was, Damien noticed that herplexion had gotten better.

    "Do you really think that someone was trying to harm her? Maybe she just made a mistake?" asked Jeffrey.

    Damien shook his head. "I have a bad feeling. I already asked Markus to investigate an hour ago. We should hear from him very soon."

    Nodding, Jeffrey nced at Katherine. "I feel bad for her, man. She had gone through a lot over the past years. Good thing you found her again."

    Damien''s heart was throbbing. He was also feeling distressed about what was happening to her. Everything looked like it had been deliberate and not knowing who they were up against was pretty dangerous. Upon hearing what Jeffrey said, he couldn''t help but sigh, "I should have found her years ago" He felt so ipetent at the moment. Two distressing events already happened that day.

    Several minutester, there was a knock on the door before it swung open. Damien raised his head and saw Caleb and Markusing inside together.

    Markus came to his side. "Boss, I found the delivery man."

    "Where is he?" Damien''s eyes were cold.

    "Felix is watching over him at the underground parking lot."

    Standing up from the sofa, Damien turned to Jeffrey, "Can you watch her for me?"

    "Sure. I''m done seeing my patients anyway."

    Damien walked out of the room with Markus. Feeling that something was going to happen, Caleb muttered, "I better go and make sure he doesn''t do anything extreme"

    As they reached the underground parking lot, Markus led Damien towards the very far corner where Felix parked their car.

    The overhead dome lights inside the car were lit, allowing them to see the man at the backseat of the car looking anxious.

    Damien''s expression turned dark as his deathly stare zeroed on that man. As they strolled towards the car a few meters away, he took off his ck suit coat and handed it to Markus before he rolled his sleeves up his elbow.

    He rotated his neck from side to side, making a cracking noise as he did that before a disdainful chuckle escaped from his lips.

    "Oh, dear" Caleb uttered upon sensing his best friend''s vicious aura. The air around them suddenly became strangely chilly in the middle of summer.

    Damien reached the car and it was toote for them to stop him because as soon as he opened the door to the backseat, he grabbed the man by the cor, hauled him out of the car and mmed him onto the wall beside it.

    "AH! What the f*ck!"

    The man cried out in pain when his face greeted the cold cement. His brow immediately bled, red liquid trickled down his face as he gaped at the brutal eyes that were looking down at him. Damien was a foot taller than the man, making him appear even scarier.

    "Who are you?" Damien asked in a low and nearly toneless voice.

    Though he wasn''t shouting, the way he asked the question didn''t seem like he was asking nicely. For Caleb, this was how his best friend was when he''s outraged  Strike first, ask questionster.

    While Markus thought the same, he also knew that most of the time, the calmer his Boss appeared to be, the angrier he actually was.

    The delivery man almost peed his pants. He couldn''t look at Damien in the eye. "W-Why w-would I tell you?"

    Damien grabbed his hand and twisted his wrist, a cracking sound was heard together with the man''s cry. "Let''s try again. Who are you?"

    The delivery man thought that the scary man was nuts! How could he be so violent? "I-I''m Ed! I''m just a delivery guy!"

    "We didn''t order anything. So who paid you to deliver the food to Katherine Miller?" Damien pressed him against the hard wall, making the man wince in pain.

    The man''s eyes watered as he recalled the person whom he met before he delivered the food. He knew that it was wrong but the wad of cash blinded him to agree, after all, he only had to deliver. Thinking that he would be in deeper sh*t if he admitted, he shook his head. "I-I don''t know anything! I swear!"

    ''Fool.'' Caleb hissed and wanted to dash forward but Markus held him back. "You know you can''t stop him."

    Damien sighed before clicking his tongue and in azy tone, he spoke, "You really haven''t learned anything from the past two minutes Haven''t you, Ed?" As soon as thest word left his mouth, Damien raised his knee and kicked the man''s leg, hitting the side of his knee and another cracking sound was heard.

    Caleb and Markus flinched while the man shrieked as he dropped to the floor. He clutched his knee as he cried out, "Y-you monster! You broke my leg!"

    "Oh, yeah? I can make it even for you and break the other one." Damien casually answered as he loomed over the man.

    "N-No no no! Wait! I''ll talk! Please stop hitting me." The man''s voice was already weak. How could he trade his legs for this?

    Bending down, Damien listened to what he had to say and his expression turned bleaker.

    Caleb, Markus, and Felix who were several feet away listened as the man told them about the person who gave him money.

    "...That''s all I know! She was really pretty and tall I think I might have seen her somewhere but I don''t know who she is, I swear!"

 Chapter 124: Blind & Stupid Beyond Repair

    Chapter 124: Blind & Stupid Beyond Repair

    After listening to the man''s exnation, Damien got up and headed towards his car without saying anything.

    Caleb knew what he was about to do, so he caught up to his friend and stopped him. "Damien, stop. You''re currently not in the right state to see her. You should calm down."

    Damien shot Caleb a re, "Calm down? No. This is exactly the state I should be facing her. Have you forgotten what she did years ago to that poor girl? If you two hadn''t stopped her, that girl could have lost her ability to walk! I may have shrugged it off then but I won''t do it again this time! Not when Katherine''s involved. So, get out of my way."

    Years ago when Damien and Lexi were still going out, there was an amateur model who kept on showing up in front of him. She pestered him and acted coyly all the time while Lexi wasn''t around. And when Lexi found out about it, she and her girlfriends beat the model outside of a club. When Caleb and William who were in the club heard about it, they rushed outside to stop them from causing any more trouble.

    The model ended up in the hospital with injuries all over her body, especially her legs. Her career as a model was practically over because of the scars. William and Lexi''s family used their influence to keep the incident from leaking, especially to the media and they also paid a hefty sum to the model''s family. Damien only knew about it a few weekster, and when he was about to visit the hospital, he found out that the girl''s family had already moved to the province.

    Caleb knew that Damien had sent financial help to that family. Recalling the incident in his head, Caleb could only sigh. So even though he was reluctant, he got out of the way and Damien got inside his car.

    Damien tolerated Lexi many times in the past, but this time, he could never allow her to get away after harming Katherine.

    Stepping on the gas, he sped off and dialed Lexi''s number. There were several rings before his call connected and her voice sounded from the speaker.

    "Damien!" Lexi eximed, her voice was cheery.

    "Where are you?" he asked in a low voice.

    "Are youing to meet me? I just finished my shoot. I''m at Star Studio." She was excited. Did he finally realize that she was who he wanted? She couldn''t help herself from grinning widely. Damien was going to see her soon!

    "Don''t go anywhere," he said before he hung up the call and increased his speed.

    Meanwhile, Lexi was over the moon. She sauntered towards her dressing room and merrily prepared for Damien''s arrival. She sent everyone home, including her personal assistant as she wanted to be alone with him as soon as he arrives. She was oblivious to why Damien was going to see her, thinking that her n was wless.

    A sly smile formed on her pretty face as she looked at herself in the mirror. In the end, she always got what she wanted just like how it''s supposed to be.

    Damien arrived at the Star Studio and he was no stranger to this ce since he had been there several times in the past years for TV guestings. In fact, he was familiar with the ce. Lexi had sent him a text to tell him where her dressing room was and he immediately sought for it.

    Reaching the end of the hallway, he caught sight of the dressing room number and his strides became longer. He knocked on the door and it opened in just a few seconds, Lexi stood tall and pretty before him.

    "You''re here!" Lexi cheered and was about to wrap her arms around him.

    Without second thoughts, Damien pushed her inside the dressing room and pressed her back against the wall. She was so shocked that she yelped  her eyes widened in horror when his strong hand encircled around her neck.

    "Give me one good reason why I shouldn''t snap your neck right now!" he growled.

    His eyes were dreadfully icy, piercing through her and making her instantly pale.

    "W-What are you d-doing?" Lexi struggled from his grasp. "You''re hurting me!"

    "Really? Good! You almost killed Katherine today, you should be getting more than this!" he spat. He had controlled the amount of strength that he was putting into his hand but he was so close to forgetting himself and squeezing the life out of her.

    Meanwhile, Matthew Jeong who was also in the studio walked out of his own dressing room, which happened to be in front of Lexi''s. The voices from Lexi''s room caught his attention and he started to dash forward but stopped in his tracks when he heard Damien''s words. ''Katherine?''

    "What? What do you me"

    "Don''t bullsh*t me, Lexi. I have had enough of it. Why don''t youe clean and I might still let you go!"

    "L-Let me go and I''ll talk!" She gave up  she was starting to see stars.

    Damien instantly let her go and her hands flew to her neck, trying to soothe herself as much as she could while struggling to keep herself from falling.

    "Speak!" he demanded. "How did you do it and why?"

    "I added ibuprofen to her water!" Lexi was both mad and hurt. She couldn''t believe that Damien would do that to her. "Does it matter? And what''s the big deal? Why are you so mad? Wasn''t it just an allergy? Just because she broke out into hives, you''re overreacting like this?"

    "Hives?! Is that how simple you thought it was?" Damien was exasperated. "She went into anaphctic shock! She could have died!"

    "What" Lexi was stunned. When she learned about Katherine''s allergy from the background information that William gave her, she imagined that Katherine would just suffer from skin rash all over her body.

    She believed that Damien and Katherine''s rtionship was just superficial and her immature brain thought that if he saw her in that state, he would be grossed out and leave her. Lexi did not expect what she did could almost kill that woman.

    Even after this realization, she remained firm in her stance. "But she didn''t die, did she?! You''re taking this too seriously."

    "You are sick." Damien could not believe this woman.

    "Sick?! I have been chasing you for years and yet this woman randomly stumbles into your life and suddenly you care for her? You have known me since we were kids, Damien! Why are you treating me like this? You used to be mine!"

    "Can you hear yourself? I can''t believe you are not sensible enough to differentiate what is right and wrong. Have you not realized that you almost killed someone?"

    "She''s a nobody! She does not matter! She doesn''t belong in our world!"

    Damien was done. There was no point talking to someone who refuses to listen and insists she was right. Lexi was blind and stupid beyond repair.

    "I can take whatever you throw at me, Alexia, but going after Katherine  that''s where you crossed the line. You stay away from her, or I swear, even your family can''t save you."

    Damien was too pissed. He walked away before his rage would get the best of him and make him do something he would regret.

    When he got out of the room, he walked straight ahead and headed towards his car, not noticing Matthew who was standing at the corner. Thetter was disgusted by what he just heard  his eyes darted across the hall and stared at the door that was left ajar where he could hear the cry of the revolting woman who dared to harm Katherine.

    Inside the car, Damien leaned back and ran his fingers through his hair and on his face. Apart from the fury that he was feeling towards Lexi, he was also mad at himself. That woman did that because of her sickening affection towards him and because of what she did, Katherine suffered.

    Damien never wanted to be violent. It was one of the reasons why he tried to cut his ties with the Park Family.

    A memory from his younger years shed in his mind:

    "Dad, why do I need to learn this? Can''t I just y the piano?" he asked.

    "You need to learn this to defend yourself, son. All the men in the Park Family go through this training. You must persist. Now, strike!" Lawrence Parkmanded.

    His father lied to him and Damien only realized it in his teens.

    What he learned wasn''t self-defense at all. All those tactics and skills that he acquired were meant to kill.

    After some time, he collected himself and drove back to the hospital. When he pushed the door open, he was greeted by a smiling Katherine, sitting on her bed as if nothing had happened to her.

    "Where''s Jeffrey?" he asked as he walked towards her.

    "He just left he has a date or something." Katherine saw the state that he was in but she didn''tment. She already heard about what happened from Caleb.

    Reaching her bedside, Damien sat and stared at her. The day had been so eventful that it felt like a lifetime.

    Not knowing what to say, Katherine inched closer and snuggled with him. "I''m okay" she said, and that was all that Damien wanted to hear.

 Chapter 125: Collecting Dues at the Right Time

    Chapter 125: Collecting Dues at the Right Time

    The VIP rooms in Hillcrest Hospital resemble a hotel suite  spacious and luxurious. It was celebrities'' choice when it came to a hospital because of its facilities and amenities.

    On the left side of the hospital bed was a sofa while a queen-sized bed was on the right. Katherine thought that it was a little over the top to have extra furniture in the room. And when Caleb visited her earlier, she learned that the room costs $1000 per night. She was shocked and almost wanted to run out of the ce until she heard that the room she was staying in was a studio type and there were even 1 to 3 bedroom suites that cost around $3000 per night. She didn''t even know what to think of it anymore.

    Laying on the hospital bed that was meant for one person only were Damien and Katherine. "I feel bad that you missed out on several meetings today because of me," she said, her fingers ying with his cor.

    His hand was on her waist, gently stroking her as he responded, "Emergencies can''t be helped. You don''t have to worry about it, I''ve had Markus reschedule them over the next few days."

    "When can I get discharged?"

    Damien stared at her with his brows knitted. "You are going to stay here to recuperate until you''re fully healed. Didn''t you hear what the doctor said? Another shock could ur so it''s best if you stay here for a few more days so they can monitor you."

    Katherine pursed her lips into a thin line. Her mind just went on full calctor mode as she tried to add up all the expenses that the hospital bill would amount toter.

    "What are you thinking about?"

    "Hospital bills" she muttered without much thought, making Damien chuckle. Sometimes, he forgets how unpredictable Katherine can be. How could she be thinking about bills at this moment?

    "Your insurance will cover it," he said. Of course, he was going to cover it.

    "I know thepany gave me insurance but I don''t think it covers ridiculously expensive VIP rooms like this," she waved her hand in the air. "Can I, at least, move to a normal room?"

    "What? No!"

    "Why not?"

    "Normal rooms don''t have an extra queen-sized bed, how can I sleep with you?" he asked in a serious tone.

    Katherine blinked at him a few times before she managed to mutter, "You" What''s with this man? "You''re supposed to sleep on your own bed. Aren''t you going home?"

    "No, and I don''t want to It''s cold at night." He pulled her closer and tightly wrapped her in his embrace. "I need to be here with you. Someone needs to watch over you."

    "You are so clingy sometimes." She pinched his side and snickered. She was the only one who dared to pinch the Resort King.

    "Aw! You gave me plenty of scares today, okay? I feel like I have aged a hundred times. I deserve to be clingy, so let me be."

    Katherine''s face was pressed onto his chest and she rolled her eyes, yet she couldn''t help but ce her own arm around his torso. Damien was acting cute and she was loving it.

    "I''m just d you''re okay now," he whispered above her head.

    Slightly pulling away, she raised her head to look at him in the eye. "Earlier you went to see Lexi, right?" He didn''t say anything and only continued to gaze at her. "What happened?" she asked.

    "Are you asking if I did something to her?" Damien asked, in which he saw her nod.

    "I may have threatened her"

    "And how exactly did you do that?" Katherine raised a brow.

    He watched as her curiosity grew but he didn''t think that it was necessary to tell her how he almost choked the woman to death.

    She let out a heavy sigh and told him, "Let it go"

    In an instant, Damien''s eyes darkened. "How could I let it go? She almost killed you! What I did wasn''t even enough. She will see what''sing for her."

    The sudden change in his expression made her heart skip a beat. Katherine was touched, it felt good that someone was looking out for her. She raised her hand and brushed it on his chest as if she was telling him to calm down and almost instantly, his brows rxed.

    "Yes, and she should pay for what she did. I''m not saying that I will let it go, I''m just saying that ''you'' should. You''ve already done what you felt like you should do on impulse because you were worried about me and I appreciate that. But right now you should let her go. You already threatened her and showed her how much you care about me  that''s already torture for her.

    <em>"For now, let her bask in frustration and emotional pain. As for what she did to me I''ll collect the dues when the time is right."</em>

    Damien stared at her like she had grown another head. When he heard her say ''let it go'', he didn''t expect that she meant it another way. He didn''t know why but upon hearing her resolution, his heart drummed in his chest  a mixture of amazement, wonder, and probably even excitement filled his entire being.

    His little minx was sly as a fox! The corner of his mouth curled up, forming a crooked smile. "Sometimes I don''t know if I should be proud or scared of you"

    A tinge of red clustered on Katherine''s cheeks because Damien was looking at her like she was a sparkling gem.

    Their conversation was interrupted by the sudden rumbling of her stomach, making her eyes widen in embarrassment. And as if that wasn''t enough, it was followed by the growl of Damien''s stomach. The two of themughed at each other.

    "Oh my god, you haven''t eaten anything since morning, have you?" Katherine worried. She checked the time on his watch and it saw that it was already six in the evening.

    "What do you want to eat?" he asked as he swung his legs off the bed and grabbed his phone to ask Markus to deliver their dinner.

    Sitting up on the bed, Katherine ced both of her hands together and formed a smile on her face  she was craving for something that he would probably say no to. "Pizza"

    Damien tilted his head and knitted his brows at her. She knew that he had been feeding her nutritious food for the past months  he made sure that her meals were always bnced.

    Seeing that he was only looking down at her, she shamelessly muttered another request, "And burger"

    This time, he scoffed and ced both of his hands on his waist, looking as though he could not believe what she just said. She was in the hospital because she got sick and now she''s asking him to buy her those junk food? If it was any other day, he would be okay but today

    "And fries? Heh" she scrunched up her nose.

    She was pushing it and she just had to know if he was willing to give in.

    "Kitten those are all junk food." He looked like he was lecturing a child though in this case, his Kitten.

    "Mhmm! They are and they''re so tasty!"

    She revealed a bright smile, trying so hard to look adorable so that Damien can indulge her. "Come on, you''re also hungry! Eat unhealthy food with me and let''s regret togetherter!"

    "Ha! How crafty."

    "Please? Don''t buns, cheese, beef patty, and bacon sound so good together? Imagine those curly fries" Katherine was salivating already, her period wasing and she had been craving for fast food.

    Damien''s stomach made a noise again. The vivid picture of what Katherine just mentioned shed in his mind and he was suddenly so hungry that he could eat a horse.

    Whipping out his phone, he typed a message to Markus, instructing him to buy all the food that she requested. After sending the message, he shot her a re.

    "When you get out of the hospital, you''re going to start working out with me. No excuses."

    Katherine gulped as she suddenly remembered that the topless man who was working out at the gym while she was at the pool was actually Damien. Why was he even shirtless? What if other people saw him and by other people she thought: women. Luckily they were the only ones around at that time.

    Why was she feeling both excited and scared at the same time?

    She was so preupied by her thoughts that she didn''t realize Damien had loomed over her. Lifting her chin up with his fingers, he asked, "Katherine? Are you feeling unwell again? Why are you so red?"

    "Huh?" Katherine shook her head. "Nothing you''re hotI mean it''s hot in here." She fanned herself.

 Chapter 126: A Vow to His Heart

    Chapter 126: A Vow to His Heart

    Meanwhile

    When Damien left, Lexi called William over the phone, and he immediately came to pick her up. She was sobbing the whole time and was mumbling about how she hated Katherine while she was curled up in an armchair. After coaxing her to leave with him, he brought her back to his ce.

    "I really can''t believe that he would do that to me, Will. How could he hurt me? He used to be so gentle towards me." Lexi refused to believe that Damien would disregard the rtionship they have built as they grew up together and choose a lowly woman over her.

    They were sitting on William''s bed as he checked on her neck. "Apart from this, did he hit you?" There were no signs of strangtion as Damien barely put pressure on her.

    Lexi shook her head, her eyes were red and swollen from all the crying, and her brows were knitted while she angrily thought about how Damien threatened her earlier.

    "Why wasn''t there any information about the kind of reaction that woman would have if she ingested that medicine?" she snapped at William.

    The information he gave her was pretty basic and she could have chosen other means, yet she chose to employ that particr one thatcked details.

    "I told you it''s up to you what you''re going to do with the information you get. Don''t turn this on me." He chuckled. Even without him telling her what to do, she had driven a huge wedge between her and Damien. He was disappointed about his cousin''s outburst but he couldn''t really me him.

    She scoffed. "I can''t let this go, Will. I need to do something! You have to help me!"

    William slid his hand on her back, finding the tab of her dress, slowly pulling the zipper down. "He already threatened you. What more do you want to do? You should be thankful he didn''t get you arrested. It''s best if youy low for now."

    Lexi shifted her eyes to the side  frustrated. All she could see was the image of Katherine and Damien together. When they broke up, she heard that Damien went on dates with other women but all of them were just flings, so she didn''t mind them. But now that she was back in the country, she would always see the two together and couldn''t help butpare her rtionship with him.

    She was too preupied in her thoughts that she didn''t noticerather she just allowed William to strip off her clothes. And when she did, she turned her head to him and saw his lustful gaze.

    "I am so angry," she muttered and in an instant, he lifted her up and made her sit on him. He started kissing her skin and stroking her body.

    "Forget about him. You''re with me right now... and you know the best way to channel your anger should be with me, Alexia." He spoke just before he pulled her head towards him andid on the bed with her on top.

    There was just something about William that made her weak. She couldn''t resist him. He was the only one who was constant in her life and no matter what she did good or bad he was with her. As she responded to his kisses, she started to forget about her worries.

    The VIP room at Hillcrest Hospital

    It was almost midnight and Damien was in bed with Katherine who was fast asleep. She had an IV drip on her left hand, yet she still chose to sleep next to him on the queen-sized bed instead of the hospital bed  she felt like a baby when she got drowsy after eating.

    As heid on his side, he stared at the woman who was holding his hand in hers while she was in dreand. Although he agreed to let Lexi go, he just couldn''t let her run wild  he had to at least suppress her somehow.

    He understood that Katherine didn''t want him to get involved but no matter how much he looked at it, he was already knee-deep to turn a blind eye. And in reality, it was Katherine that got involved because of him. He wouldn''t be able to sleep at night if he didn''t do something to keep his woman safe.

    Damien softly chuckled and reached his hand out to brush the hair out of Katherine''s face. "Silly You don''t have to act tough around me."

    Leaning forward, he ced a soft kiss on her forehead. ''I''ll be your knight your shield and even your sword, my love. I will take care of you You don''t have to do anything else but live your life in bliss I''ll build an empire for you And you don''t have to do anything else but be my Queen.''

    He said those words in his mind as if he was making a vow to his heart. Bringing her hand up to his lips, he ced a kiss to seal his promise.

    Slowly, Damien rolled out of the queen-sized bed and got out of the room as quietly as he could in order not to wake her up. Once he got outside, he called Markus.

    "Cancel the contract with Ms. Jin for the resort promotion. Tell the team to look for another model. It doesn''t matter if we have to reshoot. Pay all the necessary fines, should there be any." he ordered his assistant.

    "Understood. I will get on it as soon as possible."

    "You know what? You don''t have to look for another model. Inform Mr. Jeong that he will be the sole endorser for now and tell the staff not to consider Ms. Jin for any future projects or any opportunities within thepany.

    "Tell P.R. to handle this matter without affecting thepany''s best interest," he added. Even though Damien didn''t have to waste resources knowing the Media has a way of twisting everything into something controversial, it was still best to keep his guards up at all times. He knew from the get-go that no matter what reason his P.R. team would give, if word gets out that Crown Resort Group cut lose of Lexi Jin out of the blue, the Media would definitely link it to him.

    Once everyone would get wind of this, they would start to doubt Lexi and might even avoid getting associated with her. And for those who were very conscious about their standing in the business world, they wouldn''t want to risk getting into the Resort King''s bad side.

    Inside a customized GMC Savana, Matthew Jeong and his manager were having a conversation while they rode through the traffic.

    Matt reclined his plush seat and closed his eyes as he listened to his manager.

    "Your lease on the condo has already ended And your vi is in the countryside. Matt, it is not convenient for you to keep on traveling back and forth. It is very time-consuming. I will look for another ce for you to stay in the city. Okay?"

    "Mhmm." Matthew could not be bothered by this. He didn''t spend a lot of time at home anyways as he was traveling most of the time.

    The manager''s cellphone rang and he picked it up right away. He stayed on the phone for a few minutes before ending the call. He reached out and tapped Matt''s shoulder to get his attention.

    "There has been a change in the promotional video for Crown Resort. You''re now the sole endorser."

    Matt''s eyes fluttered open and he turned to face his manager. "What?"

    "It''s a good thing that the production also took solo shots of you so you don''t need to do a reshoot. It seems that they have terminated the contract with Ms. Jin I wonder why Didn''t she use to date President Park? Do you know what happened? Anyhow whatever it is, it''s good news for you, kid. You''ll get a lot out of this. Congrattions."

    The manager didn''t notice the look on Matthew as he continued to arrange his schedule.

    Matthew''s mind brought him back to what happened earlier at Star Studio and Damien''s voice rang in his ears. He wondered if Katherine was doing okay. He had wanted to visit her in the hospital but he stopped himself  there was no reason for him to see her as she already had Damien by her side and she was not his Katherine.

    His manager eximed as he scrolled through his phone. "Ha! Would you look at that? Word got around so fast and everyone''s now afraid to take Lexi for projects." The manager clicked his tongue. "Matt, you have to remember... This project is a blessing to you, so you should treasure it. You shouldn''t do anything that might provoke President Park. He''s someone we cannot afford to offend."

    Matthew didn''t have to answer his manager  he already knew that anyway, and it wasn''t as if there was something that he wanted to do that would provoke him. He just had to stay away from Katherine, right? Besides, it wasn''t healthy for him to keep seeing her too.

    It took him a long time to get over his first love''s death  Katherine Young. And even until now, there was still a part of him that yearned for her. It was like a void that could not be reced.

    So, as long as he kept his distance from Katherine Miller, everything should be okay. But why did his heart ache every time he thought about her?

 Chapter 127: Born To Be Yours

    Chapter 127: Born To Be Yours

    Friday came fast and it was Damien and Katherine''s 2nd workout session. After she got dischargedst Wednesday, he was true to his words and woke her up early in the morning to exercise.

    Wearing a white dry-fit workout t-shirt and ck sports pants, Damien was looking like a superhero doing his training with his triceps peeking out from the tight-fitting fabric. He had Katherine wearing the same brand and color as him, liking the fact that they were matching outfits.

    Looking from behind him, Katherine wondered if it was okay that she was going to have ''dessert'' so early that morning. ''Boo, why do you have to be so beautiful?''

    Katherine''s gaze was sticky as she looked at Damien''s side profile while he was doing his warm-up. Since it was still half past four in the morning, they were the only ones inside the hotel''s gym. And boy was she thankful for that.

    They said "The best things in life are meant to be shared", but Damien...

    Katherine''s gaze swept from his jaw down to his well-toned body. He was clothed at the moment but she definitely knew he was well-toned  she saw itheck she felt it.

    Shared? Howughable Damien was definitely not to be shared. ''He''s mine... only mine.''

    "What are you doing there? Come," he said, extending his hand out to her.

    Katherine walked forward and ced her hand in his, allowing him to help her on the treadmill.

    "I don''t think I canst on the treadmill," she said.

    "You''ll do fine. You''re a swimmer." Damien handed her one piece of wireless earbud while he attached the other one to his ear and pressed some buttons on Katherine''s machine until it started moving.

    He got on another treadmill and yed the ylist on his phone. Katherine turned her head to him and met his eyes as the music  Born To Be Yours by Kygo  yed in the earbuds.

    Seeing the bright smile on Katherine''s face, Damien winked at her before he started running.

    The two of them conversed while they were exercising. After the treadmill, he taught her other workout routines that he thought she could handle. He was impressed that she wasn''t one toin and was able to take on challenges as the two of them sweated their bodies. He found it enjoyable to be working out with a partnerno, he found it enjoyable because it was her.

    Later, Damien and Katherine were both in push up positions whilst facing each other. He tweaked the exercise a bit by adding high-fives after pushes, alternating their hands every time.

    However, she was struggling. She dropped after only trying out five pushes. "I can''t This is no fun."

    "Come on you can do it, seven more," Damien encouraged her but Katherine was already panting on the floor.

    "You know" She rolled to her side and got up on her feet. "Don''t move. I''ve got a better idea."

    Damien was still on the floor, his torso was above the ground, his hands and arms keeping him up as he watched Katherine stroll to his side.

    The next thing he knew, he felt all of her weight on his back, making him groan in surprise while trying to steady himself in order not to fall to the ground. "What are you doing, Kitten?"

    "You like push-ups so much, why don''t I give you a challenge?" On Damien''s back was Katherine,ying on her stomach with her face above his neck. She had a huge smile on her face as she held onto his body in order not to fall. "Nowe on, let me see what you''ve got!"

    "You" His body vibrated as heughed at her mischievousness. He could feel her chest pressed against his back and her legs atop his.

    "Okay, begin!" she eximed, excited for what she thought was fun. Damien''s back was moist with sweat but that didn''t bother her one bit. She held onto him and felt his muscles tighten as he started moving.

    "Start counting," Damien instructed as he began lowering himself down and then pushing himself up.

    Katherine realized how possessive she had be of Damien. She started to worry that she would be like one of those possessive girlfriends. How could she possibly share her man? Damien was hers!

    Katherine giggled. It was too exciting for her that she couldn''t help herself but yfully bite the part between his neck and shoulder. The act made Damien lose his focus that he gave up after twelve push-ups. Then he lowered his knee first to steady himself, careful not to hurt her. Heughed and scrunched his nose. What a cunning Kitten!

    "That wasn''t fair" heined.

    Katherine rolled off his back andnded on the floor. "Aw!" She was stillughing  she hadn''t had much fun in so long.

    Seeing the expression on her face, Damien couldn''t help but grow fonder of her. Propping himself up with his elbows, he leaned in and captured her lips, kissing her deeply as seconds passed.

    Yup. Definitelyonlyhers.

    Of course, Damien didn''t forget their monthly date. So after their long day at work, they went out for dinner.

    "I thought you wouldn''te back here with me," Katherine said as she flipped the meat on the griller. Damien brought her to the same restaurant that she introduced to him before.

    "I like it here. The food is actually great. You certainly have great taste." He had a yful smile on his face as the two of them enjoyed their meal together.

    She rolled her eyes for the double meaning and scoffed. "You said we were going somewhere after? Where are you taking me?"

    "You''ll seeter." Damien kept a poker face on, not wanting to give away any clue as to what surprise he had for her, so she could only narrow her eyes and chew on her food.

    Pearl Gardens

    Katherine could not believe that Damien actually bought a house in a private subdivision where wealthy people owned a property or two  and he wanted her to stay there.

    "You''ve got to be kidding me." She didn''t know what kind of expression she was supposed to have  her lip started to twitch. "I don''t need a huge house like this to live in, Damien. This is unnecessary."

    Damien ignored what she said and ushered her towards the master bedroom and heard her say, "I''m really fine with only a studio. Why did you have to buy this house?" Rich people problems  they didn''t know what else to spend on.

    "Actually I already bought this property a few years ago but I have yet to stay here."

    "Well, it''s too big! I can''t live here alone"

    "Then I''ll stay here with you. Easy fix," he said as-a-matter-of-factly.

    Katherine stared at him, unsure of what to respond to what he just said. "You you want us to live together?"

    Damien shrugged, leaning against the door frame as he answered, "We''ve been going back and forth from your ce and mine this whole time. There''s not much of a difference, is there?"

    "But we''re not even married"''yet,'' her voice was small, she gulped.

    Looking straight into her eyes, he spoke in a clear voice, "Then let''s go to the City Hall first thing tomorrow morning and register our marriage."

    ''Too much Too much in just two minutes.'' Katherine almost went into overdrive.

    Seeing the look on her face, Damienughed.

    "How unromantic," she mumbled as she turned around.

    "Well, if you want I could prop"

    Katherine was quick to turn back to face him and cover his mouth with her hands.

    "Fine! Let''s live together." She was almost out of breath. This man was truly annoying yet adorable.

    "But we shall stay in separate rooms. You stay here," she pointed at the master bedroom. "And I will stay in another room."

    Suppressing a smile on his face, Damien grabbed her hand and led her towards the room at the end of the hall. "Okay then how about we share the bed in the master bedroom. And this" He opened a door to another bedroom. "This will be your changing room."

    Looking at the bedroom with plush interior decor, Katherine raised a brow at him, "Changing room? With a king-sized bed?"

    "You still get to have your own room." He shrugged. "Just let me do this for you please?"

    She was feeling too overwhelmed that evening and she had a hard time wrapping her head around everything. "You''re spoiling me too much, do you know that? What if I get used to it?"

    Inching closer, Damien snaked his arms around her waist and pressed their bodies together. "I wee it. You can get used to it as much as you like. Let me spoil you silly. You deserve to be."

    Katherine could feel a headacheing. When Damien told her that he would take care of it, she didn''t expect him to house her in arge and luxurious one! It was several times more luxurious than the Royal Penthouse. What exactly had she gotten herself into?

    "I guess I could sleep on it tonight." She had to think it through and deal with it tomorrow.

    "Perfect! Now let''s get you to our bed."

    "What? Hey"

    Damien scooped her up and carried her back to the master bedroom.

    "You can do your thinking here with me. I don''t mind," he said as heid her down and snuggled with her.

 Chapter 128: Torrid Kisses

    Chapter 128: Torrid Kisses

    Pearl Gardens

    The house was a beautiful modern home. Refined with luxurious warmth and fine interiors, it had an impable design.

    The walls were made of concrete and ss allowing abundant and natural lighting inside. And at night, the walls of ss on the second floor where the master bedroom was located presented a mesmerizing view of sparkling city lights.

    It truly was a breathtaking home  which was why Katherine had a really hard time saying no to it.

    She learned that this was only one of the many properties that Damien owned, however, he particrly chose this one because it wasn''t very far from the center of the city  the security was tight and it was also a quiet neighborhood.

    In the living room, Katherineid on the plush sofa as she watched a random cooking channel while Damien sat on one end, reading an article from a tablet with his right hand while his left asionally gave light squeezes to her feet every time it would brush on hisp like a cat demanding for a belly rub..

    It was eleven in the morning and she was already feeling drowsy. She nced at her man and smiled as she admired the way he looked with eyesses on. Damien only wore them asionally and when he did, he looked like a hot nerd  smart and sexy.

    Noticing the stare she was giving him, he turned his head towards her and met her slightly sleepy eyes, making him chuckle.

    "How are you sleepy at this hour?" he asked, setting the tablet down on the side table and using both of his hands to massage her calves and heels. His hands were like magic and she was enchanted.

    Katherine yawned and sighed. "You woke me up so early today you know I always sleep in on Saturdays." She pouted.

    "That was 6 am Compared to the previous days, we already startedter. At least over here, we don''t have to avoid people. That was what you wanted, right?" he probed. The neighborhood was quiet and the people there aren''t as nosy as the ones in the hotel as they respected each other''s privacy.

    She wanted to avoid being seen together, therefore, she chose to work out very early in the morning at the hotel. But since they moved in to the new housest night, Damien woke her up for a run in the neighborhood at ater time than what they have initially agreed upon.

    "Yeah but can''t we have a break on weekends? I just want to rest..." Katherine pulled a square pillow and ced it over her face. "My legs are sore and I''m bored."

    Chuckling, Damien lifted her leg and ced a kiss on her shin. "Really? Do you want to go somewhereter?"

    Lifting the pillow up from her face, she stared at him. "What do you have in mind? I don''t mind going anywhere, it''s a quiet Saturday."

    He gently squeezed the ball of her foot, "Oh baby, you can''t say that."

    "What?"

    "You can''t say something like that If you do, something will definitely happen to disrupt it."

    Katherine scoffed. "That''s not true Do you really believe that? What could possibly happen?"

    Just then, they heard some truck noises outside the house, causing both of their heads to snap towards it. "What''s that?" she asked.

    Damien craned his neck to see through the windows. "It looks like someone just moved in across the street. That''s strange" He had asked Markus to check all the surrounding properties in Pearl Gardens and he was sure that they were already purchased years ago and people already lived in them. So why was there a moving truck?

    The doorbell rang and Katherine''s smile widened. "Ugh, such good timing! I''m famished." She bit her lip as she imagined the food they ordered. Their pantry was still pretty much empty so they decided to have their food delivered for lunch instead.

    He carefully swung her legs off the sofa and got up. "I''ll go grab my wallet. You can check the gate."

    Katherine skipped as she headed outside and met the delivery guy. She checked the contents of the bag, making sure they got their orders correctly. A movement from across the street caused her to turn her head and saw someone she did not expect to see.

    Matthew Jeong stood tall next to a van, looking bored as he waited for the movers to unload his things inside the house. Just like her, his head instinctively turned to the side and met her stare. There was a good 12 meters between them and it was enough to recognize each other.

    "Katherine?" He removed his sunsses and narrowed his eyes at her. Seeing her bare face, an image of his first love''s smiling face shed in his mind, causing his heart to thump in his chest. Before he knew it, his feet had already started crossing the street and stopped at her gate. "You''re here"

    "Mr. Jeong" She was too surprised to see him there. "You''re moving in?"

    "Uh Yeah Um" Matthew thought that fate was ying tricks on him. "Do you live here?"

    ''Stop it, Matt. She''s not your Katherine. You already buried her years ago.'' His heart was hammering in his chest.

    "We just moved inst night. What a coincidence..." She had a bad feeling that Damien was not going to like this.

    Just as she thought of that, the devil appeared behind the door. His eyes instantlynded on the tall man in front of Katherine. His jaw clenched as he approached and handed the cash to the delivery guy, all without breaking his stare from Matthew. "Mr. Jeong, I did not expect to see you here."

    Matthew turned to face Damien and he slightly bowed his head to greet. "Good morning, President Park. I didn''t know you live here too. I just moved in today." He jerked his thumb behind him towards the house across the street.

    Damien saw past Matthew''s shoulder and saw the movers. "You''re moving in?" He maintained an unreadable expression despite the irritation that he was feeling. Nope, he wasn''t annoyed. He just wanted to kick him in the face and throw him across the street.

    "Yes. It''s my aunt''s house but she mostly stays overseas. She thought of selling it as she doesn''t stay here a lot but we agreed that I would rent it instead as I was looking for a ce to live."

    "Huh What a coincidence." Damien draped a protective arm over Katherine''s shoulder. ''My love, this is what you call a quiet Saturday? Your pretty mouth is going to get it.''

    "Matt," The manager called him from the door of his house.

    "I should go. It''s nice seeing you, President Park Katherine." His gaze lingered for a second as he offered a polite smile and turned around. Matthew didn''t know whether it was good or bad luck. Was he going to keep seeing them there? He breathed in and wondered if he should start seeing his therapist again.

    Damien lowered his arm and walked back inside the house with Katherine following behind. She could see the change in his expression and sensed the dampening of his mood, making her nervous as she walked inside the house.

    As soon as Damien set the food down on the table and Katherine had entered the house, he closed the door and pushed her back against the wall, trapping her with his hands on her shoulders. His eyes bore into hers for a few seconds and without warning, he ducked his head and his lips aimed for hers.

    She was stunned by how hard he was kissing her yet she could not help herself but respond. His kisses were torrid, his tongue assaulting her own in a duel  he was sucking, nipping, and licking her lips, making her whimper as his hands found the curves of her bum before they slid up to her waist then cupping her breasts, giving them a squeeze before he reluctantly pulled back. She was left gasping for air as her face was flushed with arousal.

    His eyes were smoldering and dark as they stared into her like arrows. "This is what you call a quiet Saturday?" he huffed. "You should never say that again, Kitten."

    Katherine''s eyes were still hazy from his advances. She didn''t understand what just happened Was that a punishment? Or a reward? Because she was sure leaning towards thetter.

    She tried so hard to shake the jitters away but the way Damien was looking at her was dangerous, as though he was going to devour her if he wasn''t better than his self-control.

    Exhaling out a sigh of relief, she tentatively slid her hands up his chest and around his neck, smiling at him to soothe his sour mood. And with clear and sincere eyes, she told him in a soft voice, "Mr. Park, in my eyes, there is only you."

    "Good. It better be" Damien dipped his head and captured her lips once again but this time, his kisses were soft and gentle, taking care of her lips like they were a treasure  a total opposite of what he just did earlier.

 Chapter 129: Vinegar Flavored Ice Cream

    Chapter 129: Vinegar vored Ice Cream

    "Why don''t I just live in a condo again? Wouldn''t that be more convenient?" Matthew sighed as he slumped in an armchair. He hadn''t even spent more than five minutes in the house and he was already regretting his decision to stay there.

    "Are you kidding? This is great, Matt. Your aunt was generous enough to let you rent it for an affordable price. Where else could you get one like this with great security? You''re already here. What''s with the sudden change of mind?" His manager said as he unpacked a box. "And what a coincidence for President Park to be living right across the street!"

    ''Yeah such luck.'' Matthew sighed again. "I just think that living alone in a big house like this"

    "You''re also alone in that vi in the countryside. What''s the difference? Look, you can''t live in condos anymore. You''ve had too much disturbance in the past, what with your crazy fans. At least you don''t have to worry about that here."

    His manager was right. Matthew''s poprity had been soaring for the past few months and his fans were getting crazier by the minute. Last month, his manager sent three stalkers to jail. It was still a wonder to them how the fans managed to get the details of their whereabouts.

    "Fine I guess I could try living here." Matthew''s head turned towards the window, slightly seeing the house across the street from where he was sitting. "But if I don''t like it here after a month, I''m leaving."

    "Fair enough. Now go upstairs and rest. You have work in the afternoon. I''ll take care of everything here. Hey! Be careful with that" His manager rushed to scold the movers who were carrying a huge box inside the house.

    Matthew was thankful that his manager was so good to him. He had been under his care for seven years. Heaving out another sigh, he pushed himself off the armchair and walked up the stairs.

    Damien decided to take Katherine out for a stroll in the afternoon before doing groceries. His woman was feeling ''bored'' and he wanted her to rx that day. They were both wearing casual clothes  just in white t-shirts and jeans as they sauntered on the sidewalk. The city center wasn''t so crowded that day and though it was summer, the weather wasn''t too hot either  just perfect for a day out.

    Ever since Katherine got harmed by Lexi in his own turf that week, he had improved his security detail. Before, he only had a few people around him when he was out in the open. This time, he doubled the number and they were mostly there to protect Katherine. The team was inconspicuous  blending in the crowd like normal citizens.

    "I''m going to get some ice cream, do you want one?" She beamed as she saw an ice cream parlor several feet away.

    "Sure," Damien nodded and let go of her hand, watching her as she entered the shop.

    Katherine''s eyes lit up and she bit her bottom lip as she chose the vors that she could not wait to taste. A few minutester, she walked out of the shop with two ice cream cones in hand. She started eating the one in her right hand while convincing herself not to lick Damien''s ice cream in her left hand. Good thing she had enough self-restraint.

    She was walking back to where she left Damien but she stopped in her tracks the moment her eyesnded on a sight that almost caused the vein in her temple to pop  she could feel it throbbing.

    Katherine witnessed Damien hugging a woman whom she swore she saw was wearing nothing but lingerie, in a billboard and some magazines just a few days ago. Though the woman was covered in clothing at that moment, Katherine could still picture her almost naked while hugging her boyfriend.

    To top it off, Damien''s smile looked so genuine as he had his arms around the model that she wanted to throw the ice cream at his face. What the hell?

    The woman was tall, had a slim figure and jet ck hair. She was really beautiful and even Katherine found her hot.

    A cracking sound was heard when her left hand unconsciously squeezed the cone and the ice cream fell to the floor in a plop. Her self-restraint was challenged.

    Damien noticed her presence a few feet apart and his eyes met her deadly ones. He pulled himself away from the woman he was hugging and called her, "Katherine."

    The woman followed his gaze and saw Katherine standing there and looking at them with an unreadable expression. She looked at the man next to her and then back at Katherine before the corner of her mouth curled up in a grin. Snaking an arm around Damien''s waist and cing a hand over his chest, she spoke in a coy manner, "Darling, who is she?"

    Damien''s head snapped to the side and raised a brow. "Huh?"

    Katherine did not know what to think at that moment but a smile formed on her face as she watched the pair in front of her. Damien turned his head towards Katherine again and although he saw her smile, he was sure that was not the smile that he wished to see. She stared at him like she wanted to gauge his eyes. For him, it was scary. "W-Why are you looking at me like that?"

    Still with a smile on her face, Katherine responded in a calm voice, "Because you are over there while I am here."

    The model next to Damienughed so hard as she watched the hrious looks on their faces. He pulled away from her arm, raised his right hand up and lightly smacked the model''s head.

    "Are you satisfied now?" he scolded, yet his tone was filled with gentleness.

    "Aw!" She was stillughing while soothing her head. "I can''t believe I would ever see you like this really. I almost want to run to Buddha and devote my whole life."

    Damien rolled his eyes and strode towards Katherine, pulled her close as he wrapped an arm around her and kissed her temple twice.

    "I''m sorry Forgive my cousin, she likes being the constant source of my vexation." He shot a nce at the woman who protested at what she heard, "Hey!"

    Relief washed over Katherine''s entire being when she heard that the model was his cousin. She had yet to regain herposure when the beautiful woman extended her hand towards her and smiled at her as she started to introduce herself, "Hi, I''m Ali"

    "Alianna" Katherine received her handshake and saw her eyes brighten.

    "Oh! You know me?" Alianna beamed. "You can call me Ali."

    "Katherine." She responded while her eyes were fixed on her face, she thought she was turning gay. She just met a high-end lingerie brand model and even shook hands with her. Katherine felt heat pool on her cheeks as she contained her excitement. She hadn''t told Emma about Matthew yet and now she was already meeting Emma''s girl crush.

    "Oh how cute, she''s blushing! Damien, she''s really beautiful just like what Nana said. She could turn anyone into a lesbian." Alianna muttered, making Katherine a little surprised that they were thinking the same thing about each other. How weird.

    Damien tightened his protective arm around Katherine and narrowed his eyes at his cousin. Did he have to guard his woman from both men and women now? "I thought you had somewhere else to go?"

    Alianna gasped in shock. "Oh, dear. I''mte for my appointment. Crap." She hurriedly gave Damien a brief hug before she turned to Katherine, giving her a huge smile and a nice bear hug. "It''s really nice to finally meet you, Katherine. I wish we could bond soon!"

    She walked backwards, waving at them as she added before entering the backseat of a car, "I''ll call you soon!"

    Damien and Katherine watched as the car sped off. He heaved a sigh of relief and turned to face her, wondering if she was okay. "Sorry about that."

    "You didn''t tell me Alianna was your cousin."

    "The thought didn''te up. It''s not really a secret. She''s the daughter of my father''s sister who moved to another country decades ago." Damien looked at her hands. "Where''s mine?"

    Realizing that he was referring to the ice cream that was now kissing the ground. Katherine lowered her gaze and Damien followed it, seeing the cone was crushed and the ice cream melting.

    Sighing, Katherine raised her right hand and offered hers. "Here, I don''t like it anymore. You can have it."

    "What"

    Katherine lightly shoved the ice cream on Damien''s lips, shutting him up. He instinctively held the cone just before she let go of it and smiled at him  the same scary smile that she gave him earlier. "Oops."

 Chapter 130: A Little

    Chapter 130: A Little

    Damien and Katherine were on their way back to Pearl Gardens after doing groceries. The ride was quiet as Katherine was texting Emma. She finally decided to tell her about what was happening to her recently. Thest time that they saw each other was before the luxury charity g and that was two weeks ago.

    Emma was so excited to hear the juicy details about her idols but she was more interested in Katherine sharing a house with Damien. Katherine''s phone rang and when she saw that it was her friend, she canceled the call and texted her.

    [ Not now, I''m in the car with Damien. ]

    "Who was that? Why didn''t you pick that up?" Damien nced at her.

    "It''s Emma I just told her I met Ali this afternoon and that I moved to another house" Katherine pressed her lips together, staring at the dashboard as she refused to look at him.

    She heard a stifledugh from the driver''s seat and her head snapped towards him. "What''s so funny?"

    A small smile formed on Damien''s face as he reached out to grab her hand and brought it to his lips. "Nothing" he pressed his lips on the back of her hand and chuckled.

    "Actually, you were adorable," he said.

    "Adorable?" Katherine raised a brow.

    "A little scary when jealous but still adorable." Damien yfully bit her knuckles before soothing it with his tongue  the little action sent a jolt of shock to her core.

    Katherine retracted her hand and cleared her throat as she shifted in her seat, pressing her thighs together. Fully aware of what he just did to her, Damien''s grin grew wider.

    "Anyone''s girlfriend would react the same way if they saw what I saw," she muttered under her breath but he was still able to catch it.

    "So you admit that you were jealous?" He nced at her.

    "Maybe" She bit her tongue. "Just a little until I knew you were cousins."

    Damienughed at her answer. "Oh, Kitten A little? I don''t think so. After you crushed that poor ice cream and seeing your reactions, that wasn''t ''a little''. I could taste the sourness from the ice cream that you shoved to my lipsI could even smell it in the air."

    Katherine could not believe he was doing a census of the things that she did this afternoon that her face flushed. "You are having way too much fun, Damien."

    He let out another chuckle before he grabbed her hand again and kissed it. "I''m sorry, baby, I''ll stop."

    She rolled her eyes at him and looked away as she suppressed a smile. With the way how their Saturday went, it certainly wasn''t a quiet one.

    A few dayster at Crown Resort Group

    Katherine was at her desk, working on her tasks when Markus arrived with hangers of Damien''s dry cleaned suits.

    The two of them exchanged greetings while she opened the door to Damien''s office for him. "Is he still at the meeting?" she asked.

    Hooking the suits on the rack, Markus turned to face her and nodded. "He said he might not be able to make it for dinner, but he''ll call youter."

    "Okay, thank you, Markus. You''ve been really helpful," she said.

    With a stoic expression, he made a slight bow and replied, "It''s the least I can do for him."

    Smiling, Katherine thought that he was doing so much for Damien. "You have a lot on your te already. I don''t mind to take some responsibilities off you. I can pick up dry cleans next time"

    For the first time, Markus gave her a small smile before he shook his head. "I don''t have anyints about the workload. Everything I do for the Boss is because I owe him everything."

    "You owe him?"

    Nodding, he added, "My mother used to work in the Park Mansion as a housemaid. Despite our difference in status, Damien has always been good to me. My mother got sick when I was neen and she could have died but he paid for her surgery and hospital bills. So this" he waved at the suits. "This isn''t a task for me I take it as a privilege. In exchange for my mother''s life, I will be forever indebted to him."

    Katherine felt a slight prick in her heart upon hearing what he had to say about Damien. She watched as Markus left the office and thought that her man had a golden heart  her admiration and adoration for him grew.

    Taking the initiative to help out, she decided to take the suits inside his penthouse. He still had some of his things left there as it was convenient for quick changes rather than going home to Pearl Gardens.

    ''Ah home'' she smiled. It was so strange yet so natural to be calling it a ''home'' for the two of them. For the past few days in their house in Pearl Gardens, Damien respected her need for privacy as she wanted to have a space of her own. For the five nights that they had spent there, she had slept twice in her own bedroom while the other three were spent cuddling in the master bedroom.

    There wasn''t much of a difference because even when she was still staying in the Royal Penthouse, their arrangement had also been the same. There were nights that she would sleep in his ce  he would stay at hers  or just sleep separately which happened mostly when he''s out tillte in the evening and didn''t want to disturb her. Except this time, the only gap that they have was several meters away.

    Katherine breathed in deeply. How nice it would be if they could spend all the nights together. Heat crept up her nape and she shook her head to shake off the thoughts.

    She set the suits up the closet and was about to turn away when she saw a Calvin Klein waistband peeking out of a drawer. She swallowed before heading towards it.

    Pulling the drawer open, she saw Damien''s boxer briefs in it. The drawer was half empty as the other half were brought to the new house. There were properly organized yet, probably because of the move, it was slightly shuffled. Hesitantly, she picked up that boxer and hurriedly folded it before cing it back into the drawer and pushing it close. She mmed it a little to hard that the whole dresser shook.

    Katherine felt something fell on her foot and when she lowered her gaze, she saw a familiar-looking dated white envelope. She picked it up and remembered that day when Damien told her about his birth mother. It had been more than a month since and she wondered if he had already read the letter inside as he had not told her anything. Feeling a little sad for him, she contemted if she should convince him to read it.

    After her short trip to Damien''s penthouse, she headed back to the office and just as she entered, she saw a woman sitting on the sofa who looked up with widened eyes when she saw Katherine.

    "Oh my god, this is really serious!" Her mouth hung open.

    "Ali" Katherine''s brows creased. "What do you mean? What are you doing here?"

    "Katherine! It''s so good to see you again!" Alianna crossed the room and pulled her in for a hug. "I meant you and Damien! He even let you go inside that cave even when he''s not here  and he doesn''t even allow me to peek." She rolled her eyes. "I''m hurt."

    "Oh" Katherine blushed.

    "You are really too cute." Alianna smiled brightly. "I''m just d he finally found someone he could trust."

    Not wanting to blush even more, Katherine changed the subject. "What are you doing here? Damien''s in a meeting so he won''t be"

    "I know, I just saw him a while ago. I''m actually here for you!"

    The smile in Alianna''s face was too infectious that Katherine found herself smiling as well. "Me? Why? What can I do for you?"

    Alianna checked the time on her phone and looked back at her, "Perfect. It''s four o''clock, we can still avoid the traffic. I''m taking you out for shopping and dinner!" She hooked her arm in Katherine''s and started bringing her out of the office.

    "Wait, I''m still on the clock. I still have"

    "Oh shush. You''re dating the Chairman and the CEO, who''s going to scold you? Besides he''s not here right now. Let''s y hooky."

    Katherine was too surprised and did not know how to respond to Ali.

    "Grab your bag, we need to leave now," she heard her say.

    Without much of a choice, Katherine quickly turned off herputer and clutched her bag just before Alianna pulled her towards the elevator.

    ''Gosh. She really has the blood of the Park family in her veins.'' Katherine side-nced at her and softly chuckled.

    Seeing the smile on Katherine''s face, Aliannaughed in her head. She was excited to take her out shopping. "So Katherine, what do you think ofce?"

 Chapter 131: Shameless Cousins

    Chapter 131: Shameless Cousins

    Alianna and Katherine rode the taxi towards the luxury shopping district in the city. The ce was not crowded but it was where the socialites, celebrities, and wealthy people splurge their money.

    During themute, Katherine learned that Ali was a year younger than her. She spent most of her time in Europe and would asionally visit Nana a few times a year. This time, she was going to stay for a month because of work.

    When the taxi stopped, they alighted the vehicle and Alianna dragged her inside a clothing shop where beautiful dresses were neatly lined up on the racks.

    "Damien told me that you were going on a trip next weekend? Tell me about it. Do you know where you''re going?"

    Katherine shook her head. "He wouldn''t tell me anything."

    "Hmmm Well, he only told me a little information. Which means... this dress is perfect." Alianna shoved a light blue dress to Katherine''s arms.

    Katherine held up the dress in front of her and thought that it was sexy.

    "Go and try it out. I want to see if the color looks good on you." Alianna pushed her towards the changing room and a couple of minutester, Katherine came out.

    "Ooh, Katherine have you ever thought of bing a model? You really look like one."

    Katherine justughed. "It never crossed my mind."

    "I love that color on you. And I know Damien will like seeing those long legs too." Alianna winked at her.

    Katherine looked at herself in the tall mirror. The sundress had an easy-breezy design  showing enough of her chest to call it flirty and it unted her legs just right.

    After changing back to her clothes, Katherine came out to see Alianna pointing to several items off the rack and instructing the salesdy on a few things. When she came close, she heard Ali told the staff, "All of these are mine. And these are hers. Ring all of them for us please."

    Katherine''s mouth gaped and she rushed to Ali''s side. "Ali, why are there so many? I don''t need a lot," she softened her voice, "Also I don''t think I can afford more than one dress here. I should just tell them to"

    Alianna giggled as she stopped Katherine. "Don''t be silly, Katherine. I invited you this afternoon so I''m not going to let you spend anything."

    "But I can''t ept so many gifts from you"

    Ali snorted, "You don''t need to worry about that either I''m not spending a dime this afternoon." She took out her wallet and waved a card in front of Katherine. "I got Damien''s ck card earlier."

    Katherine''s gaze darted towards the matte metal card in Ali''s hand and she didn''t know what to say.

    ..

    Earlier, Alianna met Damien in the restaurant where he had his business meeting. She was out with a friend when she saw him enter a private room. After sending him a text message, he came out to see her.

    "Katherine''s not with you?" she asked and saw him shook his head.

    "She''s at the office."

    "Hmmm I wanted to take her out. How about we go to thekehouse with the others next weekend? It''s been a while."

    Shaking his head, Damien looked apologetic, "I''m taking her on a weekend trip by the coast."

    "Really? Then all the more reason that I should take her out today! We should go shopping. You don''t mind, do you?"

    Checking the time in his watch, Damien didn''t think he could go back soon so he nodded at his cousin. "Sure, you might as well take her to dinner afterwards."

    Alianna gave him a brief hug and waved at him. "Laters!"

    Watching her walk away, Damien suddenly called her back, "Ali, wait" He strolled towards her and took out his wallet. He handed her a ck card and said, "Have fun." A knowing smile lingered on his lips.

    Ali''s face lit up and squealed. She quickly grabbed the card from his hand, fearing that he might change his mind before she sprinted away. "You''re the best!"

    ..

    Thinking back about Damien''s gesture, Alianna thought that he was so cheeky. He knew very well that she was going to pick out the best outfits for his girlfriend, especially knowing what her specialty was.

    Grabbing Katherine''s hand, she dragged her out of the store. "Come on, we still have one shop to go to."

    Katherine thought that there was no point in refusing her. Because of Damien, she had gotten used to being ''forced'' to go shopping. This pair of cousins sure like to dress her up.

    Alianna brought her inside a familiar pink-walled store with dainty interior design, the store clerk greeted her right away.

    Katherine could feel her heart slowly increasing its pace when her eyes took in all the lingerie and underwear in front of her. Of course, Alianna brought her to the high-end lingerie brand that she modeled for.

    "Alright, so what style does Damien like?" Ali came to her side with a few pieces.

    "What?" Katherine''s head snapped to the sultry clothing in Ali''s hands. "I I don''t know"

    Alianna gasped, a hand covering her mouth. "Oh my god, don''t tell me you guys haven''t had sex yet?"

    Katherine shifted her eyes to the side, suddenly feeling so conscious. Ali was as shameless as her cousin. How could she just ask her like that?

    Narrowing her gaze, Alianna curled the corners of her mouth upward. It was as if she could read Katherine like a book. "HmmmI guess you did more than just make-out, right? But he hasn''t run the home base yet?

    "Ugh it''s weird talking about his sex life with you, I don''t want to have that in my head but whateverI can''t believe he could hold it in. Has he turned into a monk or something?"

    "It''s not him, it''s"

    "Hunny, I like youso I''m gonna tell you not to make him wait for too long."

    Alianna picked out a few lingerie that she thought was really nice before turning back to Katherine. "What did you get him for his birthday?"

    Katherine''s eyes widened. "Birthday?" She hurriedly took out her phone and checked Damien''s birthdate from the contact information. She knew that it wasing up but forgot all about it. She gasped in shock and checked the calendar. They were going away on the 20th of July and Damien''s birthday was on the 22nd. "Oh shit."

    "Uh oh. I don''t like the sound of that." Alianna figured what was going on. Biting her lip, she turned around and scanned the room.

    Spotting a sexy set disyed in the center of the room, she strode towards it and handed it over to Katherine. "You cannot say no to this. Trust me, he is going to love it."

    Receiving thecey piece, Katherine swallowed. She felt the material with her fingers and bit her lip when she suddenly thought of how his reaction would be if she wore that during their weekend getaway. Would she be daring enough to wear it?

    Without waiting for her response, Alianna snatched it from her hands and sauntered towards the cashier to pay for all the pieces that she picked out. ''You owe me big time, Damien.''

    With all the bags in their hands, they walked to the nearest restaurant and had their dinner.

    Katherine enjoyed spending time with Ali because she didn''t seem pretentious and she wasn''t snobby at all. Alianna didn''t have a lot of friends as she constantly traveled, so getting to know Damien''s girlfriend was such a breather for her.

    After their dinner, they were about to hail a taxi when a car pulled in front of them. The man got out of the car and smiled at the two of them. "Good evening,dies."

    "Caleb, what are you doing here?" Katherine asked.

    "Damien''s still stuck in that meeting so he asked if I could pick you girls up." Caleb helped them with their bags into the trunk.

    "It''s nice to see you again, Caleb," Ali smiled at him, in which he returned with his own gentle smile and a nod.

    Caleb jerked his head as he opened the backseat. "Alright, shall we go?"

 Chapter 132: Have You Gotten Bolder?

    Chapter 132: Have You Gotten Bolder?

    The two women sat in the backseat of Caleb''s car. While they navigated through the traffic, Katherine couldn''t help but feel the inexplicable tension in the atmosphere. If it was only her and Caleb, thetter would mostly be leading the conversation and talk about random stuff  it was never boring.

    However, with Ali in the car, the atmosphere was different. Caleb was quiet and so was Alianna  the woman who had been very bubbly the entire time they shopped and dined, howe she was like a mute now?

    Katherine''s eyes darted between the two, wondering if there was some history between Caleb and Ali that she was unaware of.

    The car came to a stop in front of Crown Resort Group''s main office building. "Sorry, girls, I just need to drop this off." Caleb waved a folder in his hand. "I won''t be long," he said before getting out of the car.

    When he was out of earshot, Katherine turned to Alianna and asked, "Okay Now it''s my turn to ask you questions. What''s up with you and Caleb?"

    Ali shed a beautiful smile, "There''s nothing wrong, Kath We''re fine."

    "The two of you are unusually quiet." The ride wasn''t awkward at all, but it was quiet. Returning her smile, Katherine narrowed her eyes. The woman bombarded her with questions about her rtionship with Damien and now Ali was holding back information? She wasn''t going to let this pass. "You shamelessly asked me about our ''no-sex life''. You better spill"

    Alianna threw her head back andughed. "Why, Katherine I never thought you would hold that against me. Okay fine, it''s not a secret anyway but Caleb and I well, we used to date."

    "Oh"

    "Surprised?"

    "It''s just" Katherine suppressed a smile as she imagined Caleb and Alianna dating. "It''s new information, and my brain is still processing."

    "Yeah, we dated for a year several years ago."

    "Do you mind if I ask  what happened?"

    "Not at all. I guess we just grew apart. I travel a lot and modeling is my life. But Caleb" Alianna turned towards the window and stared at the entrance of the building. "He" She turned back to Katherine again, a small smile formed on her lips and she continued, "I can''t be there for him whenever Our rtionship just didn''t work."

    All of a sudden, Katherine felt like she shouldn''t have asked but her curiosity got the best of her. "Do you still love him?"

    "Of course." Ali''s smile grew wider. "Caleb will always be special to me. I know we both love each other, however, we''re just not in love. So he and I aren''t going to happen anymore."

    Katherine felt a slight prick in her heart. She clenched her hands and thought about her rtionship with Damien. Ali and Caleb love each other but they just aren''t in love? ''How does one see that? How is love measured exactly?''

    Seeing the expression on Katherine''s face, Alianna nudged her on the side. "Hey! What are you thinking about? Don''t worry about it. He and I are good friends and we keep in touch from time to time."

    "Are you sure? If that''s the case, then why are both of you so quiet?"

    Aliughed. "Don''t read too much into it. We''re just like this whenever we see each other for the first time again after being apart for a long time, and it''s been more than a year since thest time I saw him."

    "Why don''t I believe that?"

    "After all, we dated for one good year. I guess it''s just both okay and not okay between us and we''re fine with that. Besides, I''m dating right now and it''s steady, we''re both in the same industry too."

    Just then, Caleb entered the car. "Li, it''s the chain in 5th street, right?" he asked, referring to theirpany''s hotel chain. Alianna nodded and Caleb sped off. He dropped her off first as her hotel was on the way.

    After exchanging phone numbers, the two women bid farewell. "Keep in touch, Kath." Ali waved at Katherine before she turned to Caleb. "Take care, Ali. Call if you need anything," he said.

    The two of them smiled at each other as Ali reached to hold hands with him very briefly. "Bye, Caleb."

    When Caleb reached the house in Pearl Gardens, he helped Katherine with all of her shopping bags. "Did you empty the store?" he asked as he set down thest bag in the living room.

    "Oh gosh, Ali is persuasive."

    The two of themughed.

    "Are you going to be okay here by yourself? I can stay and wait with you if you want," he asked.

    "I''ll be fine. It''s almost nine in the evening, you should head home and rest. I''m sure you''re also exhausted." She saw him out to his car and when he left, he reassured her that Damien was going toe home soon.

    Katherine had not heard from Damien since lunchtime and she didn''t want to disturb him either, so after putting away all the shopping bags in her closet, she changed into herfortable pajamas and got ready for bed.

    However, after twisting and turning, sleep didn''te easy. It was almost midnight and she thought of checking up on him. Tapping her phone screen, she sent Markus a message.

    [ How is he? ]

    After a minute, she received a reply.

    [ Markus Lee: Tipsy. ]

    Katherine huffed. They have closed a deal in the afternoon which was why Damien was out with his business partners.

    This was the reason why he wouldn''t bring her to such meetings, there will always be drinking involved and he had to entertain them with different types of approaches  including women. Good thing he had The Gentlemen''s Club  sometimes, he pats his younger self on the back. But the entire time he was busy, Katherine was constantly in his mind and all he wanted to do was to go home to her.

    Another text came in from Markus saying that they were on their way home. Wanting to wait for Damien, Katherine came out of the house twenty minutester and stood by the gate. Damien was going to arrive soon and she wanted to be there when he arrives.

    The night was a bit chilly but she didn''t mind as she leaned on the pir and waited patiently. She saw an approaching car and she straightened up only to find that it wasn''t Damien''s. The car came to a stop and Matthew Jeong got out. He was about to go inside the house when he caught sight of Katherine by the gate.

    She gave him a polite smile and he was going to just wave and go inside his house when his feet decided to move on its own until he found himself in front of her. "What are you doing out here?"

    "I''m waiting for Damien. He''s on his way. Did you just get home from work?"

    Matthew nodded. "Does he alwayse homete?"

    "Not often. How are you settling in?" she asked, finding that Matt was easy to talk to.

    Just before he could answer, an Aston Martin arrived. The two of them turned their heads and saw Damien getting out from the backseat, his eyes looking listless as he trudged towards them.

    Damien only nced and nodded at Matthew and went straight to Katherine''s side. He took off his trench coat and draped it around her shoulders, covering her fully. There had been no sound since he came except for his footsteps and the blowing of the wind.

    "What are you doing out here? It''s cold," he said in a low voice.

    "I was waiting for you." Katherine stared at him and studied his emotionless expression. His eyes were a little red and he looked tired  she could also smell the strong alcohol in him.

    "Let''s go," was all he said before grabbing her hand and pulling her inside the house. She hastily waved at Matthew as she walked away.

    Damien released her hand and headed towards the master bedroom while Katherine followed behind. "How long have you been waiting for me outside?" he asked, shrugging off his suit coat.

    Katherine helped him out of it and hung it up. "Not so long."

    He turned around to face her whilst unbuttoning his shirt, his eyes were unblinking and prating as they looked at her. "How long have you been talking to him?"

    She gulped when she sensed the bitterness in his question but instead of backing away, she inched closer and unbuttoned his shirt for him, her hands slightly shaking. "Not long. You arrived shortly after he did."

    Damien allowed her to remove the shirt from him. "Have you gotten bolder? Aren''t you afraid that I would do something?" He stared at her, wetting his lips with his tongue as he moved even closer.

    Breathing in, Katherine turned to the side and tossed the shirt in a basket. "You''re not"

    She swallowed the rest of her words when she felt Damien''s arms around her waist and in an instant, he pressed her against the wall, trapping her with his hand beside her head and his thigh in between her legs.

    With his face a few inches away from her, he warned, "You really shouldn''t be reckless around me when I''m like this, Kitten."

 Chapter 133: If you dont stop me...

    Chapter 133: If you don''t stop me...

    Katherine''s breath hitched, feeling his hot, whiskey breath assaulting her nostrils. She wasn''t supposed to feel hot and bothered by it but it was crazy how intoxicating his scent was  the scent that she loved so much blended with his liquor scent so naturally that she actually found everything to be so sexy.

    Topped with his fiery gaze as she stared at her, she thought she was going to melt.

    She felt his hand from her waist trail up to the side of her breast and settled to cup the side of her face.

    "Are you testing me, Katherine?" he asked in a low voice, almost a growl. She let out a breath when she felt him press himself to her. He was hard.

    She knew they shouldn''t be going down that path yet. But just just she just wanted to indulge herself a little.

    Sliding her hands up to his neck, she looked back at him, matching his gaze. "I''m not. But kiss me."

    Damien clenched his jaw and looked at her lips before he crashed his down to hers. She moaned into his mouth and it caused him to deepen his kisses. Katherine''s mind became cloudy as she swam in her own sensual thoughts.

    She could feel the friction that his thick thigh was doing on her groin. His skin was hot and she thought she would get scalded but she didn''t flinch, almost as if she wanted to burn with him.

    Damien''s hands found the back of her thigh and he lifted her up before he threw her on the bed. He swiftly removed his belt, making sure she wasn''t going to feel any difort just before he crawled on the bed and got on top of her, kissing her again with so much passion that it left Katherine gasping for air.

    His mouth found her jaw and then her neck. He groaned when he heard another moan from her.

    "Stop me before I lose myself, Katherine," he said in between kisses and before he nipped at her cor bone.

    Katherine heard him but it was so damn difficult to do that when she was already enjoying his advances.

    "If you don''t stop me, I wouldn''t be able to control myself."

    His warning rang in her ears at the same time that she felt his hands dangerously finding their way towards her waistband.

    She sucked in air and as gently as she could, she held both of his wrists and brought his hands up to the sides of her face. "Damien" She glid her hand up to his neck and looked at him in the eyes before cing a kiss on his lips.

    Breathing out a heavy sigh, Damien rolled on to his side andid next to her. Katherine snuggled closer and when he turned his head to her, he started, "I''m"

    Her finger touched his lips, shutting him up. "It''s okay. I wanted it," she said and saw him nod. "Do you want to freshen up before sleeping?"

    "I''m too tired to move," he answered.

    "Well, at least change into somethingfortable"

    Damien unbuttoned and unzipped his pants before shrugging it off of him, tossing them to the floor before he pulled the nket over them. "I''m good," he muttered, his eyes slowly closing.

    He had high alcohol tolerance and he wasn''t drunk but that day was just too exhausting for him  Katherine and the bed were just toofortable.

    Softly chuckling, she lifted his arm to the side andid her head on his shoulder. He nced at her, his eyes looking calmer. "Did you have a good day?"

    She nodded. "You?"

    "Business was great but it''s not greater than this," he said as heid on his side and pulled her even closer, pressing a kiss on her forehead.

    cing an arm around his torso, Katherine nuzzled her face on his neck.

    "Goodnight, love," he whispered.

    Several dayster and it was already a few days before their nned weekend trip. Katherine and Damien were both busy, making sure that they could afford to take the Friday off so that they could have a longer break.

    She was talking on the phone with a client''s secretary, arranging a meeting together for their bosses when there was a tap on her desk. Looking up, she saw Alianna beaming at her. She held up a finger as she mouthed to her, asking her to wait. A minuteter, Katherine finally ended the call and faced her.

    "Hey, Ali What are you doing here?" Katherine asked as Ali greeted her with a hug. The two of them have kept in touch exchanging texts from time to time.

    "I''m on an errand."

    "Oh, Damien is meeting with someone inside. Why don''t you sit first? I''ll let him know that you''re here."

    "No, it''s okay I''m not staying. I just came by to drop this off." Alianna handed Katherine a white envelope that was sealed with red wax. "It''s going to be Nana''s birthday."

    "Ah." Katherine received the envelope and smiled. "I''ll make sure to give this to Damien as soon as he''s done."

    "Oh no, Kath." Alianna chuckled. "Damien doesn''t need an invitation, silly."

    Katherine blinked. Of course, she knew that and she indeed felt silly. She lowered her eyes to the invitation in her hands and flipped the front to see the name written in very elegant handwriting.

    "Nana wrote that herself. And she wanted to make sure that you would get this, so she gave me this crucial task of handing this personally over to you. So if she asks, tell her I did an excellent job, okay?"

    Katherine softly chuckled as she read her name on the invitation and listened to Alianna''s exnation. She lifted her gaze back to her friend and smiled, "Thank you, I appreciate that you took your time. I know you''re very busy."

    "Ugh, tell me about it. I''ve been craving fast food and I''m still on a diet at least for now while I can still hold it in before I go crazy." Alianna rolled her eyes.

    "Let me know when you''re free, I''ll treat you to some burgers and a bucket of fries."

    "Oh my god, yum!" Alianna huffed. "Right, your trip ising up soon. Are you excited?" She danced her brows, teasing Katherine.

    Using the envelope, Katherine lightly smacked it on Alianna''s face and they bothughed.

    Ali''s phone rang and she picked it up immediately. "Hey, babe. Yes, I''ll be right there." She turned to Katherine and said, "I need to go, Kath. I''m so busy until next week but I''ll meet you before Nana''s birthday."

    "No problem. Thanks for dropping by, and for this." Katherine waved the envelope in her hand.

    "Make sure you go to her birthday, or she won''t let you off. Don''t worry, you have three weeks to n your outfit. Also, I''ll be leaving the next morning after that."

    Nodding, Katherine exchanged hugs with her briefly and just before Alianna released her, thetter whispered to her ear, "You know, if you haven''t prepared a present for him yet  birthday sex always works."

    Katherine rolled her eyes, pushed her away and turned her body towards the elevator. "Go now, stop spouting nonsense."

    "How cute. Katherine getting all flustered. Babe, you should unt what you have. Stop hiding." Alianna winked before wearing her sunsses. "If you need tips, I''m just one text away."

    Katherine shook her head  a part of her was already used to Damien''s and Alianna''s shamelessness. She was smiling as she walked back to her desk, wondering if she should take Ali''s offer and her mind started to wander, making her blush.

    Just then, the door to Damien''s office opened and their eyes met. He sent his guest off to the elevator and when he came back, he stopped in front of her desk and leaned over.

    Lifting her chin up with his fingers, he curled the corner of his mouth upward and told her, "What are you thinking in that pretty head of yours, Kitten? Why are you looking at me like you want to eat me?"

    Shameless indeed.

 Chapter 134: Small Gifts—Big Gifts

    Chapter 134: Small Gifts��Big Gifts

    July 20, Friday

    "Are you all set?" Damien asked as he loaded their luggage at the back of his Range Rover Sport.

    Katherine nodded, walking towards him. "It''s the first time that I''ve seen you with this car. Have you always had this?"

    "Yes, she''s a beauty isn''t she?" he smiled as he looked at the SUV in appreciation.

    "She is. Just how many cars do you have?"

    "Not many, but apart from the Jaguar that I gave you, there''s a few more," he said as he opened the door to the passenger''s seat.

    Katherine snapped his head towards him and raised her brow. "What? What do you mean you gave me the Jaguar?"

    "Um"

    Damien totally forgot to tell her. "I may have um transferred the Jaguar to your name," he admitted as he helped her settle in her seat and closed the door.

    Katherine''s eyes widened. No wonder Damien had been using his other car. She watched as he circled the car and got in the driver''s seat. She continued to look at him, unsure of what to say until she blurted, "You forgot to tell me?! Wait, that''s not even the point. You gave me a car?" She shifted her eyes and mumbled. "No wonder Felix would drive me anywhere in that car when you''re not around."

    "Well, you said you like the Jaguar. So I gave it to you."

    She gave him a look. "You can''t just give away all your possessions every time I say I like them. What if I say I like this house? Are you going to transfer the title deed to my name too?!" She pointed Damien''s house from her window.

    "Of course, why not?"

    Katherine''s mouth hung open. He has gone nuts. "Are you nuts?"

    Damienughed at her reaction. He grabbed a hold of her hand and stroked his thumb. "Honey, if I can give the world to you, I would. The sky''s the limit, remember?"

    "Well then, I don''t like the house. I hate it. Please don''t do anything."

    "I know you''re lying. You love it here."

    Katherine huffed. She was annoyed that he kept giving her gifts. It was too much for her, but she couldn''t deny what he just told her. "You''re right. I love it here. But keep it to your name. Stop giving me any more expensive gifts."

    A small smile formed on his face as he brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. "Whatever you say. Shall we go?" he asked but in his thoughts, he said, ''Toote. The house has been in your name since the day you moved in.''

    She nodded and tried to shrug the matter away as they sped off.

    The drive took almost four hours even without the traffic. They were near the coast but Damien turned and entered a forestry road, making Katherine even more curious as to where he was going to take her.

    At first, she thought that he was simply going to bring her to one of Crown Resort''s chains outside of the city but this was a location that she wasn''t familiar with. They drove up a mountain and soon, they saw the entrance of an exquisite five-star hotel that had  Onyx Mountain Hotel signage.

    "Wow, this is nice." Katherine scanned the exterior design of the luxury hotel.

    "You haven''t seen everything yet." Damien smiled, the caring into a full stop at the main entrance.

    After settling their booking at the reception, they were ushered to the top floor of the hotel where the presidential suite was located. Once the staff left them alone, Damien held Katherine''s hand and brought her towards the balcony.

    He saw her eyes lit up as she took in the view in front of her. The hotel was located at an altitude of 1300 meters and was surrounded by grand and impressive mountain ranges. But that was not the only thing that Katherine admired about the ce.

    "Do you like it?" he asked as he stood next to her.

    Turning her head to him, Katherine eximed, "Are you kidding? I love it!" She excitedly pressed herself to him, her arms encircled his waist.

    Damien was d to hear her say that. He ced his arms around her and kissed her forehead as they looked at the gorgeous view  majestic mountain peaks on the sides and in the middle was a blue sea. It was truly breathtaking.

    It was already lunchtime when they arrived and after driving for a long time, Damien was both hungry and tired. "Do you mind if we order room service instead of going downstairs? We could rest here for now."

    "Of course not. We have a long weekend to explore this ce." Katherine tiptoed and kissed his lips. "Thanks for bringing me here." She smiled at him. They have been dating for two months now and she was really happy with how things were going on between them.

    "Oh, I almost forgot." She pulled away and went to retrieve something from her bag.

    When she came back, she had a blue rectangr box in her hand and she handed it to him. "I didn''t get you anythingst month but I couldn''t not give you something now."

    "What''s this?"

    "Open it," she said with an emotionless expression as she waited for his reaction once he sees what she got for him.

    Curious, Damien received the box and untied the ribbon. Lifting the lid, he saw five necktie pieces. At first, he thought they were normal-looking ties until he closely examined the contents of the box and burst outughing.

    Katherine bit her lip and covered her face. "Oh my god, you don''t like them!"

    Damien continued tough, he found it hrious yet adorable "No, baby, I love them!"

    "This one is probably my favorite no, you know what, these are all my favorites." His smile widened even more as he lifted the ties and studied all of them. There were two navy blue ties, two cks, and one grey  and all had Kitten prints on them.

    Two of the ties had very small Kitten prints on them, they were so small that if one doesn''t look at it closely, one would think that they were polka dot designs. One navy blue tie''s print was a white cat outline, it looked really ssy as it was handmade and it was the most expensive among the ties. The other two ties were more yful  the ck and grey ties hadrger Kitten prints but the designs were something that Damien could rock whenever.

    He drifted to her and pulled her closer, cing kisses on both of her cheeks and on her lips. "Thank you."

    "Do you really like them? You don''t think they''re silly?"

    "Maybe they are but I love them. I promise I will wear them." Damien couldn''t contain his amusement. He really did love what she gave him.

    But Katherine was still unsure. Now that she had given her gift to celebrate their second month together, she was even more hesitant to give him his birthday gift on Sunday.

    Seeing the look on her face, Damien knew that she was not convinced. Putting on a serious expression, he stared into her eyes and told her, "Stop worrying. I honestlysincerelyundoubtedly love every single piece, okay?"

    Breathing out a sigh, Katherine nodded and pressed her lips into a thin line.

    Pulling her even closer, he tilted his head and asked, "How did you think about this? Is this your way of marking your territory, Kitten?"

    She put on a brave face and stared back at him. "What if I say yes? You are always away on a business trip I thought it was cute and I just wanted you to remember me even when you''re away."

    Chuckling softly, he nuzzled their noses before kissing the corner of her mouth. "Even if I don''t wear any of these, You are constantly in my mind. But still, thank you."

    "You''re wee" She finally revealed a smile.

    Pressing another kiss on her forehead, Damien pulled her back inside the room. "Let''s go find the menu, I''m starving."

 Chapter 135: Baby, were just getting started.

    Chapter 135: Baby, we''re just getting started.

    After eating their lunch at the balcony of their suite, Katherine and Damien took a cat nap before they decided to enjoy the hotel''s amenities.

    Apart from the exquisite panoramic view of the mountains, the scent of pine trees that surrounded the entirend was refreshing and calming, making the overall ambiance very rxing.

    As they reached the pool area, Damien turned to Katherine. "Would you like to swim with me?"

    She looked at the pool and then the picturesque view in front  it looked inviting. "Sure." She nodded. The two of them went back to their suite to change.

    While Katherine rummaged through her luggage for her swimsuit, Damien handed a pink shopping bag to her. "Here, I bought you something. You can wear this."

    Raising her head, she wondered what he got her this time. She peeked through the bag and saw a ck polyester. "A swimsuit?"

    "Go and change. I''ll meet you back at the pool, he said as he picked up a small bag and headed out.

    Katherine went to the bathroom and checked what Damien got for her. Picking it up from the bag, she held up the piece with both hands and her jaw dropped.

    "He wants me to wear this!?" She huffed. "How Just how" She didn''t even know what to say as she examined it in front of her.

    "Fine. I''m not a scaredy-cat. I''m a big girl. I''ll put my big girl pants on and y this swimsuitin this case, a one-piece bandage swimsuit, in which I don''t even know how to wear. Ah! Screw it."

    Katherine removed her clothes and tried to figure out how to put on the sexy piece. As soon as she got it right, she looked at herself in the mirror and she blushed.

    The swimsuit looked like a bandage two-piece except there was a criss-cross design connecting the top and the bottom pieces, making it one-piece. And now that she was wearing it, she couldn''t help but feel her confidence level increase. Damien definitely knew the definition of sexy.

    And how did he always know what her size was?

    Breathing deeply, she wore a white cover-up beach dress over it and headed towards the pool. Arriving at the area, she scanned the ce to look for Damien and spotted him sitting at the bar, a woman in a skimpy swimsuit trying to hit on him.

    He was facing the pool with a dirty martini in his hand, looking ssy even when he was only wearing a white t-shirt and ck boardshorts while ignoring the woman on his left who was giving him a dirty look  dirtier than the drink.

    Katherine huffed and wanted to roll her eyes. ''Can these women just go away? Do I always have to shoo them every time?''

    Sauntering over to Damien, she locked her gaze on the woman for a few seconds before she shifted to him and met his stare, seeing a smile forming on his face.

    "Sorry for making you wait, honey," Katherine said as she dropped her bag by his feet, making Damien raise a brow  she had never called him by any endearment apart from that time where she parroted in her sleep.

    Her eyes never left his and before he could even respond to what she said, Katherine crossed her arms, grabbed the hem of her dress and pulled it over her head before she tossed it on top of her bag.

    Damien straightened in his seat and gulped as his gaze swept across her body that was hugged by the ck swimsuit that he got for her. He wanted to pat himself on the back for making the right choice. "Damn," he said under his breath.

    As if that wasn''t enough, Katherine raised her hand and picked up the cocktail pick with green olives. "Join me," she said in a smooth voice before biting off an olive and cing the pick back to his drink. She turned around, walked towards the edge of the pool and dove in.

    Damien cleared his throat and shifted in his seat after watching his girlfriend''s actions. What the hell just happened?

    "Wow. Your girlfriend''s hot," the woman who was just flirting with him muttered as she witnessed the whole thing.

    "Yeah. She''s mine." He downed the martini and ced it on the bar before he grabbed the fabric of his t-shirt from his back and pulled it off him.

    Without thinking twice, Damien followed suit and dove into the pool, swimming towards where Katherine was.

    His little Kitten who suddenly acted like her previous self  a seductress  was leaning on the edge of the pool, cursing herself for acting so bold just now. She needed to calm herself or Damien might start thinking she was a possessive girlfriend.

    Just as she was catching her breath, a pair of arms wrapped around her waist, giving her a start. "You''re a fox." He brushed his lips on her ear, making her hair stand on end.

    "You shouldn''t smile too much. You''re inviting evil spirits around you," she scoffed.

    "Is that why you stripped in front of me? You just attracted everyone''s attention here. By now, I''m sure they already know I''m taken."

    Katherine turned to face him. "Is that a hindrance for you?"

    "Hell no. I want to tell the whole world you''re mine as much as I''m yours." Damien leaned in and captured her lips. They kissed and forgot about everything else around them. Good thing they were four hours away from their city to which Katherine was thankful that they didn''t need to be so guarded.

    After ying in the pool, they got out andid on the sunbed. He got them drinks and they enjoyed basking in the sun. It had been so long since thest time that Damien had a break while it was the first time for Katherine.

    Interrupting their rxation, his phone rang and she heard him sigh before he said, "So much for quiet time."

    He grabbed his phone and realized that it was work so he turned to Katherine and told her, "I''m sorry, I have to take this. I promise I''m all yours after."

    "It''s okay"

    Damien got up, grabbed his shirt and walked to the side to take care of the phone call while Katherine decided to close her eyes for a bit.

    A few minutester, a staff tapped her on the shoulder. "Excuse me, Ms. Miller?"

    "Yes?"

    "Mr. Park asked me to fetch you. He arranged a pampering program for you before your dinner tonight," said the kind-looking staff.

    "A pampering program? What is that?" She sat up.

    "Well, you will get to experience a wellness break  a sauna session, body exfoliation, and a massage."

    "Where is he?" She wondered, wondering why he suddenly arranged this program for her.

    The staff stepped aside and Katherine saw Damien sitting at a table. He was still on his phone and had aptop in front of him. Noticing her gaze, he mouthed "I''m sorry" before he nodded as if telling her to go with the staff.

    Left with no choice, Katherine got up from the sunbed, gathered her things and followed the staff to the east side of the hotel where the Spa was located.

    It was three in the afternoon and she spent almost three hours inside the spa, experiencing a luxurious pampering from professionals. She felt light after that sauna, her skin was so smooth like a baby from all the dead skin that they rubbed off her body, and she felt all the knots from her back were magically unknotted by the magical hands of the masseuse. Why had she only experienced all of these just now?

    Going back to their suite, she was expecting to see Damien waiting for her but it was empty. She entered the bedroom and found a huge white box in the middle of the bed with a card on top that said: "Wear this. See you at the lobby. xx"

    A smile formed on her face, thinking how sweet he was. Opening the box, her eyes settled on an elegant halter chiffon dress with a bow detail on the neckline. She held it up and without much dy, she changed into it.

    Katherine applied very little makeup and only used a nude lipstick to soften her overall appearance. The dress on her had a bold, rich color in Red Dahlia, making it youthful and flirty for a date night. It also unted her fairplexion and showcased her bare shoulders as well as her long legs. She loved her look.

    When she was ready, she headed to the lobby to meet Damien.

    As soon as she stepped into the area, she found him standing by the stairs wearing a beige suit. Something that she rarely saw him in. The top buttons of his white shirt were undone, making him lookid back yet dashing as he stood there waiting for her.

    "Hey, handsome," she muttered as she arrived in front of him.

    "Hey, gorgeous." He kissed her cheek. "Sorry about this afternoon."

    "Don''t be. I had a great time. Thank you for today."

    Pulling her close, he moved towards the side of her face, his lips lightly brushing her skin as he whispered, "Baby, we''re just getting started."

 Chapter 136: Im here to collect interest.

    Chapter 136: I''m here to collect interest.

    Damien brought Katherine to the restaurant where he had reserved the best seating with an unobstructed view of the mountain ranges and stars from the window.

    "Onyx" she mumbled, catching Damien''s attention.

    He looked at her and wondered what she was thinking about as she stared at the view outside. He took a sip of his red wine and asked, "Do you know what that is?"

    "Isn''t that like a ck stone?"

    Nodding, Damien set his ss down. "Actually there are other colors. However, onyx is the most traditional ck gemstone."

    "I like ck but doesn''t it look kind of"

    "Sad?" he finished her thought, smiling when he remembered a certain memory. "Someone told me that ck onyx means sadness and that in ancient China, nobody dared to touch this precious gemstone because they fear to have bad dreams, bad luck, or bad energy."

    "So why did they choose this name for this hotel?"

    "The owner doesn''t believe in that. He always believed in what he learned when he was a child  the symbol of Onyx which absorbs and transforms negative energy  that it helps with emotional, physical, and spiritual strength even stamina."

    "Huh"

    They stared into each other''s eyes.

    "So peoplee here in the hopes that they could destress and unwind" she continued.

    "That''s right. And this hotel has been sessful ever since it opened." Damien held the ss of wine and brought it to his lips, taking another sip.

    "This isn''t your first timeing here?"

    He shook his head and a smile appeared. "I Um" He nced at Katherine and contemted on what he should tell her. "I came here before. A few years ago."

    "You tried to buy this hotel, didn''t you?"

    He softly chuckled. "Yes. I met Mr. Bergmann on one of my business trips back then. He invited me here and I fell in love with the ce."

    "I see And I guess he didn''t sell it to you," she formed an amused smile.

    Damien shook his head. "I did everything but he was never willing to sell it. The old man rather give me privileges instead."

    "You should build one," Katherine suggested before she drank her sparkling water.

    He stared at the wine in his ss as he swirled it around. He was lost for a bit, thinking about his past before he responded to her. "I haven''t found the perfect spot yet."

    "I see" Katherine didn''t know what it was but she felt that he was being a little sentimental just now. Reaching across the table, she held his hand in hers and gave him a sweet smile. "We should travel some more. Who knows? Maybe you''ll find that perfect spot that you''re looking for."

    Bringing her hand to his lips, he ced a soft kiss at the back of her fingers. "We should. I''d love that."

    The rest of their dinner was enjoyable where a pianist serenaded their night. Though there were a lot of guests in the hotel, the ce was spacious so it didn''t feel packed and crowded  making their experience a pleasant one.

    After their dinner, they headed towards The Lounge Bar which was located outside on the west side of the hotel. Because they were on a mountain, the night was chilly despite it being summer. Damien immediately removed his suit coat and covered her with it as they walked hand in hand towards the bar.

    Before they reached the ce, a man in his 70s came out of The Lounge Bar and grinned at them.

    "Mr. Park," he called.

    "Good evening, Mr. Bergmann." Damien shook hands with him and exchanged a brief hug. "I''d like you to meet Katherine, she''s"

    "Oh, is this the woman that you''ve talked about this afternoon? My, it''s nice to meet you." Mr. Bergmann offered his hand to Katherine, in which she received. "It''s my pleasure, Mr. Bergmann, this ce is wonderful."

    "Ah yes, it''s my pride. I''m d that you like it. Oh, before I forget" he turned to Damien and told him, "I need to speak with you for a while."

    Damien nced at Katherine as though he was asking permission and saw her nod. "Sure," he said before he told her to wait for him inside the bar.

    She turned around and was about to head towards the door when she heard a faint sound of music from the side. She turned her head and noticed a function hall that was brightly lit and saw a few people moving inside. Katherine got curious. She nced at Damien and found him immersed in a conversation with the owner before she decided to take a peek at the party.

    She sauntered towards the entrance which was about fifteen meters away from where she was and craned her neck to see what was inside the hall. The double doors were made of ss, half of it was frosted while the top part was clear.

    Katherine peered and saw that there was a wedding reception happening inside. Unknowingly, the corners of her mouth curled up upon seeing the bride and groom dance in the middle of the dance floor. The ambiance was romantic and the guests were all focused on the pair.

    She scanned the entire room, wanting to appreciate the rest of the event when her eyesnded on a certain corner. In the rightmost part of the room, there was a bar where the bartenders were busy pouring drinks for the guests. She narrowed her eyes and focused on it  for some reason, she was particrly pulled towards that area.

    All of a sudden, she started to hear a familiar voice that rang in her ear.

    "Six months," the voice said.

    Katherine''s head snapped to her left and saw that Damien was still talking with Mr. Bergmann at the same spot. She furrowed her brows, unsure of what she just heard. She found herself looking back at the bar, wondering what that was.

    "It took you six months to show up in front of me again," the voice said again.

    Her breathing hitched. Why was she suddenly hearing Damien''s voice in her head? With words that he had never told her before?

    Katherine''s heart started pounding in her chest and her vision became hazy as she tried to keep her stare at the bar. Her hand mmed on the wall, trying to steady herself while she tried to catch her breath.

    She continued to look at the bar and out of nowhere, images started shing in her mind and she was brought back to a memory that was locked away somewhere in her head.

    ***

    Onyx Mountain Hotel, December, 5 years ago.

    Katherine saw herself sitting at the bar. She wore a gold dress with metallic threading detail throughout and ck bows on her shoulders and had a deep V neckline. On her face was a ckce mask that covered only her eyes.

    She didn''t know why she was there but she was alone and nursing a ss in her hand. Her brows were knitted but she couldn''t read what she was thinking. It was as though she was looking at her past self as a third person  not knowing the whys but could feel what she was feeling  and at that time, she felt drained.

    "Six months."

    She turned her head to the left and saw a man in a ck suit with a ck shirt underneath it and a ck mask that covered his eye area. She didn''t have to guess, she knew that it was Damien Park''s voice.

    "It took you six months to show up in front of me again," he added just before he sat down on the stool next to her.

    She was impressed that he recognized her despite the mask. "Mr. Park, what are you doing here?"

    He shrugged, "What are ''you'' doing here? Wait Actually, the better question is, shouldn''t I have you arrested for not fulfilling your end of the deal?"

    A chuckle escaped from her lips. "Are you still hung up on that deal, Mr. Park?"

    "We had a verbal agreement. I''m a businessman, I take agreements very seriously. Should I have drafted a contract instead?"

    She swiveled her stool to face him diagonally and a smile appeared on her face. "I don''t go back on my words. You will still get that five minutes."

    "Hmmm it''s been a while though, so I''m here to collect interest." He tilted his head and exchanged sultry looks with her.

    Lazily, Katherine rested her chin on her hand and asked, "What do you have in mind?"

    "I''d like to buy you a drink." He signaled for the bartender.

    She chuckled, "Mr. Park, this is an open bar."

    "Right. Then, let me order one that I think you would like."

    "I''m not actually a good drinker," she said as she shot a look at the ss of gin and tonic. She hadn''t had more than one sip yet.

    "I see Ditch that. I know the perfect drink for you."

    Seemingly interested, Katherine straightened in her seat and gazed at him as he asked the bartender to make him a cocktail.

    "I have a better idea," she said, making him turn his head. "Mr. Park, can I interest you in a drinking game?"

 Chapter 137: The Drinking Game

    Chapter 137: The Drinking Game

    Damien quirked his brow up, "A drinking game? I thought you aren''t a good drinker."

    "That''s right, I''m not. But I''m guessing you are?"

    He shrugged and turned to face Katherine, a yful smile lingering on his lips as he asked, "What kind of drinking game is this?"

    "It''s simple. I think you already know how to y this  Two Truths and a Lie," she announced just in time that the bartender set down their drinks. "You want to get to know me this will be perfect."

    "If I guess which lie you''re saying, you drink and if I guessed wrongly, then I drink?" he probed and saw her nod. "Yeah, I guess we could do that. How about you try your drink first to see if it''s to your liking?"

    Katherine picked up the ss and asked, "What is this?"

    "Key lime pie martini. It has vani vodka, lime, triple sec, and pineapple juice. I figured you like something sweeter."

    She brought the ss to her lips and took a sip. "Hmmm. Is that graham crackers on the rim? It''s so over the top."

    "Yes," he smiled. "Do you like it?"

    "I love it, I like pineapples." She picked up the cocktail pick and bit off the pineapple chunk, all while looking at him.

    His gaze settled on her lips before he said, "Would you look at that, I already know one thing about you. I''m liking this game already and we haven''t even started yet." He took a swig of his whiskey.

    Katherine giggled, "You''re supposed to y the game with me, why did you start drinking already?"

    "That was a celebration."

    She rolled her eyes at him for being silly before she added, "I don''t think I can have more than one ss of this though."

    "Then you can have just that one ss. More than drinking, my goal is to get to know you  not get you drunk."

    His stare bore into her, it was too intimidating that she had to look away and clear her throat. "Okay, I''ll start  I like dancing, I hate skating and I hate swimming."

    Damien turned his body so that he was directly facing her and gazed at her seriously as though he was studying her. "Hmmm I can bet you like dancing, but I''m not sure about the other two so the lie is  You hate skating."

    The corners of her lips curled up as she spoke, "Drink up, Mr. Park."

    "Shit, okay." He brought the ss to his lips and eyed her as he took a sip of his drink. "So you like swimming then?" He saw her nod. "Good to know. My turn  Let''s talk about the sports that I y: ser, tennis, and ice hockey."

    Katherine swept her eyes on his figure before she confidently answered, "You don''t y tennis."

    Damien had an unreadable expression on his face as he maintained his gaze at her. She tilted her head and raised a brow. "So?" she probed.

    Without saying anything, Damien drank his drink, making her throw her head back andugh. She was having so much fun and they have only just started.

    Seeing herugh, he couldn''t help but grin. She looked gloomy when he first saw her at the bar but she was now smiling with him. She was wearing a mask but he could clearly see the way her eyes sparkled when sheughed, and he liked seeing the way her lips curl up.

    "I have another game in mind," he said.

    "We''re finishing this one already? But we''re having fun You''re having fun, Mr. Park," she teased. They only had one round each but Damien already lost twice.

    He called the bartender to refill his ss before he looked at Katherine again. "Let''s try a faster one. Do you know how to y ''Never have I ever''? This one''s easy."

    "I yed it once," she admitted.

    This is a known party game but it is also quite fun to be yed by only the two of them. They could say anything crazy or suggestive things that they have never done. If the other person has not done it, they don''t take a drink but if they have, then they will drink.

    Feeling challenged, Katherine started, "Let me try Never have I ever given a speech in front of more than a hundred people."

    "I see so you want to get me drunk? Are you nning something?" Damien asked before he drank his drink. Obviously, given his status, he had given speeches in front of a crowd plenty of times.

    A yful chuckle resounded from her. "I''m just ying the game that you chose, Mr. Park."

    "Fine." With a serious expression, he aimed for a sure one. "Never have I ever lied about knowing the owner or host of the party that I have attended."

    Damien saw Katherine''s eyes widened before she huffed and scoffed. "You are never going to let that go, huh?" Of course, Damien had to remind her about that one time they met at the anniversary of Bayside Resort where she lied that she knew the owner and she didn''t know that it was actually him.

    She brought the ss to her lips and took a long sip. The cocktail drink was very refreshing that it woke up her senses.

    "Let''s see Never have I ever been hit on by a girl at a party," she said in a clear voice.

    "I''m losing in this game." He chuckled under his breath and shook his head.

    "You are seriouslywhat?" Damien was just about to take a sip when he saw Katherine also brought the ss to her lips and drank. "Huh" He slowly formed a smile, realizing that she had also been hit on by a girl.

    "What? It''s not against the rules to say something that happened to me too" She defended herself. Damien had been drinking since and she felt just a tiny bit of pity.

    "You sure are full of surprises, my unnamed beauty," he muttered.

    He leaned at the counter, raised his hand and his finger ran across his bottom lip. He was going to take a blind swing but he had this crazy thought and he just went with it. "Never have I ever gone skinny dipping."

    Katherine took a deep breath

    And then drank her cocktail without looking at him.

    A sexy chuckle escaped his lips, making the hair on her nape stand on end. He was evidently amused at what he just learned about this woman. "Well well well looks like we have a wild one here."

    She acted as though she wasn''t affected at all. She felt bolder and wanted to be a little suggestive. Turning her head, she started another round, "Never have I ever kissed a stranger."

    Damien''s ear perked up upon hearing her line. The two of them locked their gazes at each other. He tightened his jaw and shifted in his seat, their knees slightly touching.

    She watched as he slowly lifted the ss to his mouth but then his hand paused in the air and he continued to stare at her before he ced his ss back down to the counter. "I don''t kiss strangers," he said.

    "Well, what do you know" Katherine shed him a smile before she downed the rest of her drink, surprising him.

    She got off the stool and just as shended on her feet, someone bumped her from behind, causing her to slip. Damien grabbed her elbows, steadying her on her feet. "Are you okay?"

    "Yeah, I''m fine." She could still feel his warm hands on her skin as he did not let her go.

    "I''m sorry, Miss. I didn''t see you there." The man who just bumped her apologized and when he saw her figure, his eyes lit up. "Um, would you like to dance?"

    Raising a brow, Katherine immediately shook her head. "No."

    She turned towards Damien and a sexy smile appeared on her face. "You, however Dance with me." She grabbed his hand and brought him to the middle of the dance floor before he could even protest  not that he was trying to.

    With the song "Promiscuous" by Nelly Furtado sting through the speakers, Katherine started swaying her hips from side to side while her back was facing Damien who just stood and watched her while secretly wishing that it was only the two of them in the room right at that moment.

    ~Promiscuous girl, wherever you are

    I''m all alone, and it''s you that I want

    Promiscuous boy, you already know

    That I''m all yours, what you waiting for?~

    His hands found her waist and as soon as she felt them, she leaned closer so that her back was now pressed against his front and she continued to dance.

    She heard him release his breath at the same time that his body lightly moved with hers. They were so close and they were lost in their own little world, not caring that there were a lot of people also dancing around them.

    Feeling his warm hands on her waist and his hot breath above her ear, Katherine turned around so that they were almost hugging.

    She ced a hand on his neck and pulled him closer to whisper in his ear, "The truth is... I haven''t kissed a stranger."

    Pulling back, Damien stared at her. "Then why did you drink?"

    Matching the intensity of his stare, Katherine replied, "Because I''m going to kiss one tonight."<ol><li>Refer to Chapter 8 - On Top?</li><li>Swim naked</li></ol>

 Chapter 138: Youre My Onyx

    Chapter 138: You''re My Onyx

    Damien''s stare was aze as he watched her grind her body against him. He had met bold women before but he only found them unappealing. ''What is with this woman? Why am I so drawn to her?''

    Katherine flipped her hair and swayed her hips from side to side, her ass brushing ever so slightly against him. ''Fuck,'' he cursed in his thoughts and nted his hands on her waist, wondering if she would p them away.

    However, she only leaned against him even more.

    Amused, a mischievous smile formed on his lips. Her moves were so infectious that he started moving along with her, pressing their bodies as close as he possibly could while she sensually moved her left hand over his hand that was on her waist.

    She tilted her head to the right and just as she did, Damien''s other hand swept her hair to the side and his nose and lips brushed against her left ear. She closed her eyes and swallowed as she realized how sexy everything was at that moment, feeling his hot breath on her skin and hearing the way he released his breath as though he was trying to control himself  she was proud that she was causing him to react this way.

    Tempted, Katherine turned around and met his fiery gaze. The two of them could feel it.

    The woman whose name he did not know was so attractive. There was this inexplicable pull that he could not resist and the one thing that he wanted to do at that moment was to kiss her.

    She ced her hands on his chest while his hands were still locked on her waist. She was loving it  she just couldn''t resist what her heart was telling her. Sliding her hand on his nape, she pulled him to her until her lips were on his ear and whispered, "The truth is... I haven''t kissed a stranger."

    Damien pulled back. "Then why did you drink?"

    Without blinking, he heard her say, "Because I''m going to kiss one tonight."

    When he heard her words, passion ignited within him and without second thoughts, he grabbed her hand and brought her outside where he found a flight of stairs going up to the second floor.

    Katherine followed him with the same hurried pace. She was just as excited as he was, knowing what was about to happen and her heart hammered in her chest.

    They reached a corner where it was quiet and Damien pulled her towards it. They inteced their fingers as she marveled at the view in front of her.

    "This is incredible. It''s beautiful," she said.

    Damien, whose eyes never left her face when they arrived at the balcony muttered, "Mhmm beautiful."

    Katherine turned to face him and saw him removing his mask off his face. He turned towards her and stepped forward, making her step backward until her back touched the wall. The night was a little breezy but when Damien closed their gap, she was instantly warmed up.

    cing his left hand next to her head, he raised his other hand and reached behind her head, pulling the ribbon of her mask and removed it.

    "What are you doing, Mr. Park?" she asked, her eyes fixed on his.

    "I''m going to kiss you," he said as he inched closer until his face was leveled with hers.

    "I thought you don''t kiss strangers?" Her lips remained parted after speaking, making it even harder for him to resist.

    "And you just told me that you were going to kiss one tonight. You don''t expect me not to follow through after telling me that, do you?"

    Damien waited for a signal that would mean it was okay for him to do so but she said something strange out of nowhere.

    "Onyx"

    "What?"

    "The name of this hotel the ck gemstone means sadness. In fact, in ancient China, no one would dare touch it because they believed that it brings bad dreams, bad luck, or bad energy."

    He knitted his brows and asked, "And we''re talking about this now... why?"

    A sweet smile appeared on her face as Katherine raised her hands to his cor, ying with it as she said, "I don''t know if you were listening to the owner giving his speech earlier but he said the opposite of what I just said."

    Quickly, Damien recalled what Mr. Bergmann said in his speech. "Onyx absorbs and transforms negative energy" he mumbled.

    "That''s right." Katherine clutched his cor and pulled him closer until their lips were only inches apart. "You must have noticed how listless I was earlier Mr. Park, I want you to absorb and transform all the negativity in me tonight."

    "What are you saying?" He raised his hand and swept her hair away from her face before cing it on her nape, his thumb stroking her cheek.

    "Be my onyx and kiss me."

    "Baby, I can be anything you want me to be tonight. How badly do you want me to kiss you?" He almost growled, his lips were now an inch away from hers.

    "I want you to kiss me like you have never kissed a stranger before or any woman for that matter. Your five minutes starts now."

    Damien lightly huffed as he tilted his head to the right. And just like how he wanted to for as long as he could remember, he crashed his lips to hers.

    "Mmmm" A satisfying moan sounded from her.

    Katherine glided her hands around his neck and pulled him closer. He pressed his body against her and she could clearly feel his arousal as their kiss grew deeper.

    She parted her lips, giving him ess. His tongue danced with hers softly and sensually just like how they danced back at the party downstairs.

    Damien was a damn good kisser. He was gentle as he softly caressed his lips on hers and would go yful as he gave her bottom lip a bite before soothing it with his tongue.

    Then, his kisses became even more passionate that they sent tingles down her spine all the way to her toes. The way his hands roamed along her sides made her want to feel more of his touch.

    Katherine could feel he was slightly hesitant  maybe because he didn''t want to scare her if he did too much, so she lowered her hands and grabbed his wrists before she brought his hands to her rear as though she was telling him that she was okay with it.

    Giving him permission, Damien finally let go of his reluctance and squeezed her bottom, making both of them moan into each other''s mouths.

    He deepened their kiss even more and it blew her away. His once gentle kisses turned intense and she was returning them with the same kind of fervent need as she clutched onto his suit for dear life, not being able to get enough of him.

    No one kept track of time but it was surely more than five minutes already and Katherine started to feel dizzy  it was as if Damien sucked the air out of her while they kissed.

    Realizing the need to breathe, they finally pulled back, their foreheads touched as they panted.

    "Thank you" she said, a gentle smile formed on her flushed face.

    With a low and unhurried voice, he responded, "My pleasure."

    "I have to go"

    He didn''t want to let her go but it seemed like he couldn''t stop her, so he just had to try asking again, "Can you tell me your name now?"

    Katherine softly chuckled, "Well, if I tell you that... then we wouldn''t be strangers anymore."

    ***

    A gust of cool wind brought Katherine back to the present. She gasped as she regained her senses and found herself in the actual balcony where they were that night, blinking her tears away that were pooling in her eyes the whole time that she was trying to recall the memory in her head. "Why he didn''t tell me" she murmured.

    "Katherine!" she heard Damien calling her.

    She had been gone for who knows how long and he was trying to look for her. Snapping out of her trance, she hurriedly alighted the stairs and started running.

    Damien wasn''t where he was when she left him and Mr. Bergmann earlier. She turned her head from side to side, seemingly anxious that she couldn''t find him.

    Her heart was kicking her ribcage when she heard him call her again.

    "Katherine!"

    She snapped her head to the right and found him standing tall with a smile on his face several meters away.

    "There you are, I''ve been looking all over for you," he said.

    Consumed by her strong emotions, Katherine started breathing heavily and tears streamed endlessly down her face. She could not believe she didn''t remember him. She had that beautiful memory with him and she only just remembered about it. How could he keep it all to himself? She jolted towards where he was.

    Damien saw her running to him, her red dress flowing nicely as she did. "God, you''re so beautiful," he uttered just before she pounced on him.

    He grunted when he caught her and only noticed that she was crying. "What happened?"

    Katherine pulled back and quickly wiped her tears away. She gazed at him and gave him the sweetest smile as she said, "You''re my onyx."

    Realizing what she meant, Damien exhaled a sigh of relief and nodded before he crashed his lips to hers.<ol><li>Chapter 136 - she was the "someone" who told him.</li><li>Chapter 48 - Kitten</li></ol>

 Chapter 139: Two Three Words

    Chapter 139: Two Three Words

    It was very nostalgic for the two to be in that ce and feel each other''s lips, sharing a romantic moment at a time that Damien least expected.

    Just a while ago when he went in search for her, all he wanted was to quickly return to her side, worried that she might be lonely. However, it turned out to be so surprisingly sweet just because he realized that Katherine recalled a memory their memory.

    They broke their kiss and Damien looked at her as she looked back at him, feeling ecstatic at the memory of sharing a memorable night with him years ago.

    "Do you still want to go to that lounge bar?" she asked, her voice was a little tensed up because she was unsure of what he actually had nned that night for them.

    He tentatively shook his head. "We can do whatever you want to do. I''m all yours tonight."

    A charming smile filled her face as her hand slid down to hold his. "I want to go back to our room and watch the stars with you."

    He returned her smile with his own and caressed her cheek as he nodded. "Sure." He ced a quick kiss on her forehead and held her hand as he brought them back to their suite. Damien also wanted to talk about what she remembered.

    When they arrived, Katherine headed towards the balcony.

    "Do you want anything to drink?" he asked.

    "Just water."

    She stood by the railing and her eyes looked straight ahead to the magnificent view. She heard him walking towards her and she turned, "Thanks." She received a ss of water from him.

    After taking a sip, she set it on a table before she went back to Damien''s side.

    "Tell me about what you remembered," he started.

    Katherine ced her hands on the railing and tried to recall everything that she remembered. From the bar to the dance floor and to that balcony.

    Nodding, he walked up behind her and ced his hands on the railings with her in between his arms in an embrace. "Do you remember why you were there that night?" he asked.

    "I" She shifted her gaze and closed her eyes as though she was trying to remember more but all she saw was ck. "I don''t know"

    Damien lowered his lips to her shoulder and kissed it. "It''s okay you''ll remember when you''re ready."

    Feeling warm because of his kiss, she was brought back to her curiosity. She turned around to face him and asked, "Did you purposely bring me here to make me remember that night?"

    Releasing a breath, he lowered his gaze for a long time before he looked back at her. "Is it bad for me to hope that you''d remember something about us?"

    Katherine shook her head but did not say anything.

    "I didn''t really expect anything. We had been together for a couple of months but" He swallowed. "I brought you here partly hoping that you would at least remember something. But I also wanted to bring you here because if you didn''t remember anything, we could at least build another memorable time together. Something that not only I remember something that you and I could share together. In this ce that you and I both love."

    Katherine felt bittersweet. She could understand how frustrating it might be for him that she couldn''t remember what happened to them before.

    "I''m sorry, Damien" she muttered, cing her hand on his arm.

    He furrowed his brows and took her hand that was touching his arm. "About what?"

    "I wish I could remember everything about us I hate that you''re suffering from this." She knitted her brows and looked away, feeling frustrated about herself as well.

    "Hey," Damien hooked her chin with his fingers and lifted it up so that they could look at each other in the eyes. "What are you being so sad about? As much as I want you to remember them, I just want us to move forward and make more memories. We''re together now. That''s all that matters. Don''t beat yourself up for it."

    "Why are you so good to me?"

    He shrugged his shoulders. "I guess I''m still trying to take all the interest I can get from what you owed me." A yful smirk crossed his face, making Katherine roll her eyes. "I''m good to people who are good to me. And I''m good to you because you''re you."

    She formed a small smile before she leaned on him, watching the twinkling stars in the sky.

    Damien leaned closer and whispered, "I have something for you."

    Katherine turned to face him and watched as he reached his hand into his pocket and retrieved a small beige velvet box. Her eyes flickered and met his, wondering what he was doing.

    He opened the small box in his hands at the same time that the corners of his mouth lifted upwards. She looked at the content of it and heard him say, "I know what you''re thinking. And I don''t want to burden you which is why I chose this particr ring."

    He knew that Katherine''s main concern was the price tag of the gifts that he gives her. She didn''t want him to give her expensive gifts and had often told him that it was unnecessary. And although he wanted to give her a piece of extravagant jewelry, he chose this for now and thought of making it valuable because of its meaning.

    So, he carefully picked up the ring and held it as he exined, "These are actually onyx gemstones. I just wanted to give you something to remind you of our little vacation. So I hope that you''d ept it... I promise I didn''t spend so much on it." He grinned.

    Katherine softly chuckled and allowed him to ce the ring on her finger. She held it up to examine it and found it actually eye-catching as it''s not verymon. The ring that''s beautifully encircling her finger was a half-eternity onyx ring in a white gold band. The slim band made it look very dainty on her while the little ck stones that covered half of the ring was quite appealing.

    They didn''t shine as they weren''t diamonds but she loved it very much because it would be a constant reminder of the two of them.

    "Well?" he probed, seeing that she didn''t say anything and just continued to stare at the ring.

    She lowered her hand and faced him. "I love it. Thank you"

    Damien breathed out a sigh of relief. "Good. Because I don''t think the store epts returns," he joked.

    Katherine chewed on her bottom lip as she stared up at him. This man had been extremely good to her that her heart almost hurt upon thinking that everything was just too good to be true. What if one day she woke up and realized that she was only daydreaming or that Damien Park didn''t even exist? She felt her heart constrict.

    "What''s wrong?" He inched closer and ced his arms around her waist. He narrowed his eyes and tried to study her unreadable expression.

    How was it possible for her to feel so much for this man? Her fears started creeping up on her and all of a sudden, she was brought back to that time where she was alone in her shabby apartment with no one by her side. She had no one and now she had him. Was it really okay for her to love him? Did she even deserve to have him?

    "Talk to me" he said, cupping her face with his hand as he began to feel nervous when he noticed her lips quiver a little.

    Katherine forced a smile and told him, "I''m just afraid to wake up and realize that you are just a dream."

    Damien shed a lopsided grin before he raised her hand to his mouth and without warning, he bit into her hand, making her yelp.

    "Aw!" She retracted her hand but he held it in ce and rubbed the part where he just bit, kissing it right after.

    "Was that real enough for you?" he questioned, raising his brow.

    She crossed her brows. "Did you really have to do that?"

    "Sorry." He chuckled, leaned in and kissed her lips.

    "Stop thinking about stupid things. This is real. You and I Us We are real. And just like I am to you, you are my onyx. You''re the only reason why I could say everything is perfect. So I hope that you continue to believe in us."

    Katherine bit her tongue and pressed her head on his chest, hearing the calm beating of his heart as though it was convincing her to believe in what he just told her. She smiled and swallowed what she was about to say. She had been wanting to tell him but she didn''t know what was holding her back. ''Maybe it just isn''t the right time to tell him,'' she thought.

    "It''s getting colder. Come on, let''s go back inside." Damien brought her in, closed the ss door and turned around. "Do you want to fresh"

    The rest of his sentence was shoved back to his throat when Katherine tiptoed and smashed her lips to his. He instantly wrapped his arms around her, holding her up while he was a little surprised because of her sudden approach before he started responding to her kisses.

    She pulled away and gazed at him, waiting for him to open his eyes and look at her.

    "Damien" she panted.

    "Yes?"

    Katherine could feel her heart kicking her ribcage and the rush of her blood as she tried to utter, "I love you."

    Damien''s lips parted and he had to blink a few times, trying to wrap his head around what he just heard from her.

    ''What?'' was the first word that he managed to say.

    She began to feel nervous, thinking that she may have made a mistake. What if No. She couldn''t. She wanted to say it. Her mouth was faster than her brain but this time she really wanted to tell him.

    He was still gaping at her. He couldn''t have heard it wrongly. Did she really...

    cing both of her hands on either side of his face, she enunciated clearly for him to understand, "I said... I love you."

    "Do I need to say it again?" she asked.

    "I heard you the first time. I just I"

    "Damien shut up and kiss me."

    As soon as she said the words, Damien snapped out of his daze and leaned in, capturing her soft lips with his eager ones.

    Katherine shrugged off the suit coat, dropping it to the floor. He deepened the kiss as they miraculously found their way to the bedroom. He pressed her on the wall while she struggled to kick off her heels all without breaking off their kiss.

    Damien slid his hands down to the back of her thighs and lifted her up, wrapping her legs around his waist. She moaned when his lips moved to her neck, giving her open-mouthed kisses.

    She couldn''t get enough of him yet  she raised his head and kissed him, parting her mouth as though she was asking for his tongue, in which he dlyplied and explored her mouth.

    Slowly, he walked backwards while holding her securely in his arms until they reached the bed. He sat on the edge, making Katherine sit on top of him with her legs on either side of his hips as they continued their heated lip-locking.

    Realizing where this was leading, Damien slightly pulled back and breathed, "Katherine"

    With her heart drumming in her chest, she said in a needy tone, "I want you."

 Chapter 140: Let Me Taste You First

    Chapter 140: Let Me Taste You First

    Damien met her stare and saw how serious she was.

    The two three-word sentences that he had wanted to hear from her for the longest time just suddenly smacked him right in the face that night, he was suddenly afraid that he was the one dreaming and not Katherine.

    He swallowed, lost in his thoughts for a few seconds, but to Katherine, it felt like a long time and it was starting to scare her.

    Her voice was slightly breathy, brushing his heart in ways that she could never imagine.

    And just when she started thinking about how her confession was a mistake, Damien''s lips found hers again, sinking into a deep, hot, and limitless kiss.

    He slid his hands on her thighs and under her dress. He gave her rear a squeeze, earning another moan from her. He raised his hands to cup her face again, swiveling his head as they continued to kiss.

    Slowly, his fingers found the end of the bow that was on her neck and he tugged it, loosening the knot and opening her neckline. He removed her dress over her head, breaking their kiss only for a split second before they found each other again.

    Damien''s warm hands skimmed her sides, her back, and her arms, loving the way her smooth skin felt under his touch. He was so gentle, touching her like she was a precious gem that he was afraid to scratch.

    While he was busy fondling her body, Katherine found the courage to unbutton his shirt and tug it off him, making them both almost naked as they continued to deepen their kiss. She gripped his wide and firm shoulders when he yfully bit on her lip.

    She was wearing a pair of ckcey undergarments, looking sexy yet all Damien wanted at that moment was to undress herpletely. Reaching her back, he found the hook of her bra and with one hand, he unsped it, tossing it to the side while his other hand immediately covered her right breast.

    Moving his mouth to her jaw, he trailed kisses to the side of her neck to her shouldersdown to her chest. She felt a tug on her head before his fingers found the hair tie and removed it, her locks falling down to her shoulders like a waterfall.

    Her nipples that were standing erect beckoned him to y with them, in which he willingly obliged, squeezing and rolling them between his fingers. Katherine threw her head back when his mouth found one nub and swirled his tongue on it. Her fingers thread through his hair and she arched toward him, wanting to feel more of his every touch.

    He did not leave her other breast uncared for as he moved towards it and sucked it just like how he did on the other one. His tongue was doing wonders for her, making her gasp for air and moan when she felt his teeth graze on her tip.

    "Damien" she breathed heavily.

    He drew his lips to hers again and he slowly lowered his back on the mattress. Katherine pulled back from their entanglement, staring into his eyes as she stroked his cheek.

    "You are so beautiful, Katherine," he said, adoring the way her long hair brushed on him.

    He raised his hand and tucked the silky loose strands behind her ear. There were so many things that he wanted to tell her but she left him speechless and all he could do was lift his head and press their lips together.

    Damien flipped them over so that he was now on top of her. He traced her body with his hands like a sculptor passionately molding her every curve with his expert hands.

    "So gorgeous."

    He grabbed her waist and moved her up the bed before he pulled back to unbuckle his belt and remove his pants, leaving him with only his ck Armani boxer briefs.

    Katherine''s breath hitched as she roamed her eyes over his firm chest and wonderfully sculpted abs down to his V-lines, stopping just at the mound of his underwear.

    He raised a corner of his mouth up and teased, "You like what you see, Kitten?"

    She didn''t say anything but the sight of her biting her lip and her flushed cheeks say everything.

    He crawled back on top of her and closed their gap. Her hands immediately hooked around his neck when he gave her a peck on the nose. His hand held the back of her knee and ced it behind his hips. "What did you mean when you said that you want me?"

    Katherine swallowed. Did she have to spell it out for him? She was feeling bold at that time but now that he was asking her, she didn''t know how to tell him without sounding so desperate.

    "I heard you, Katherine. But I need to know for sure that we are on the same page." His voice dipped so low that it soothed the lump in her throat. "I need to know that you want me like how much I want you."

    Breathing deeply, she forced her confidence out of her and told him, "I want you, Damien I want you to have me."

    "Are you sure?"

    "Yes All of me," she reassured him.

    She had been holding back and she understood that he had to make sure this time. And as bravely as she could, she slowly pulled him closer to her.

    Damien groaned and dove to her neck. He ran his tongue down to the base of her throat. She felt him lower himself on her, his erection pressing onto the apex between her legs, making her let out a breath. She could feel his hot skin touching her  it was burning her yet she wanted nothing more but to hold him.

    "Do you feel that, baby? You''re making me so hard," he spoke just above her mouth before he plunged his tongue inside and ground his hips on her.

    "Mmmm"

    Katherine''s moan was like music to his ears, encouraging him to give another grind.

    He was indeed hard and she could feel him grow and go even harder. Just then, his hand skimmed down her abdomen and found her waistband. He tentatively slipped a finger under it and broke their kiss to look at her, meeting her longing eyes. He waited to see if she was going to push him away but she closed her eyes as though she was giving him permission.

    He kissed her again while his hand moved further down until his fingers found her moist folds. He clenched his jaw and slid his finger down the slit and heard her whimper.

    "Damn it, Katherine. You''re dripping wet." She couldn''t help but buck against his hand.

    Damien glided his middle finger up and found her swollen, sensitive sweet spot. She gasped and moaned when he put the right amount of pressure and circled the pad of his finger on it.

    "Mmm you like me touching you like this?" He was ying with her happy button, sending her spiraling down into sheer bliss.

    "Please" she begged but she didn''t know what she was begging for.

    He could feel that she was about to climax. He teased his finger on her opening but he didn''t give her the need that she was begging for.

    "Fck." Damien wanted to have his way with her so badly, but he couldn''t wait to take her. "You are so wet so ready."

    Katherine subconsciously raised her hips when he removed his fingers, instantly frustrated that she was missing him right away.

    She opened her eyes when she felt him get off the bed. She watched as he went to retrieve something from his luggage and just before he went back to bed, he swiftly removed his briefs off him.

    Damien was now kneeling in between her legs  his manhood fully and beautifully erect in the air, the head glistening with his own clear slick.

    He saw her look at him in his majestic form  proud that she was anticipating what he was going to do to her. Their gazes met and Katherine could feel his stare was burning fiercely and boring into her.

    She swallowed when she saw him stroke himself just before he tore open a foil packet and rolled the condom on his throbbing length.

    Reaching for her waistband, Damien yanked her underwear off her and spread her legs apart.

    For a second, she unknowingly closed her thighs but he grabbed hold of the back of her legs and raised it up, nting her feet t on the bed.

    He had wanted to give her head earlier but his shaft was already aching for him to do something  he wanted to be inside her and he could barely hold on, yet he couldn''t resist himself, so he lowered his head down to her apex  "Let me taste you first."

    And before Katherine could respond, Damien ran his tongue on her slit, hitting her pulsating pearl. He heard her cry in satisfaction, making him groan in response. "So sweet"

    He repeated the same movement a few times, making her buck and jerk and she felt her whole body tighten before she protested. "Ahhh Damien!" She panted. She was aching and she needed more  she needed him now.

    Sensing her urgent need, he straightened up, a cocky smile ying on his face when he saw her parted lips and closed eyes. "So impatient."

    He settled in between her thighs and held his length. "Open your eyes and look at me, Katherine."

    She fluttered her eyes open and saw the contained lust in his dark ones  she swore she could feel herself get even wetter.

    Damien brushed the tip on her opening, teasing her and warning her for what he was about to do "This might hurt"

    Katherine''s chest heaved up and down as she nodded and with enough courage, she told him, "I trust you."

 Chapter 141: I Want to Hear You Scream

    Chapter 141: I Want to Hear You Scream

    ...

    That was the third three-word sentence that Katherine told Damien that night, and without even trying, his erection became more rock hard than he already was.

    His eyes raked over her naked figure, taking in how beautiful she looked right in front of him. And all of a sudden, his heart pounded in his chest. Was it possible to love her even more than he already does?

    Holding his shaft with his right hand, he slid his left hand over her abdomen going up to her chest. "Just beautiful" He licked his bottom lip before he gripped her waist and slowly, he pushed the head of his hard member into her opening.

    Damien saw Katherine parting her lips until her mouth formed an O when he had just buried the head of his phallus inside. ''Fck,'' he cursed in his thoughts when her reaction affected him.

    Her hand flew to his arm and she gripped him hard, letting out a cry when she felt something painful in her core. "Ah!"

    He froze and didn''t move any further. Concern shed across his face, knowing that she was hurt. "I''m sorry, baby Do you want me to stop?"

    ''What? Of course, not!''

    She looked worried. "No"

    Seeing the expression on her face, he was relieved. Frankly, he didn''t want to stop but he didn''t want to hurt her either.

    Revealing a small smile, he let her breathe for a second and let her adjust to his size while his hands skimmed her sides and her legs as though he was soothing her. His warm hands giving jolts of electricity, piercing through her abdomen and down to her toes.

    Damien tipped his body forward, covering her lips with his and kissing her ever so tenderly before he whispered against her mouth, "Let me distract you. It will feel better soon I promise."

    Katherine stared into his warm gaze and nodded. "Take me, Damien" she said, her heart mming against her chest.

    If only she knew how much control he exerted at that moment...

    Because he had so much respect for her, he was restraining himself. And her sexy pleading almost caused him to break free from the shackles that he used to chain the beast in him.

    He shook his head once, licked his lips and chuckled, "Oh, baby you don''t know what you''re doing to me, do you?"

    She didn''t understand what he meant but before she could ask him, he raised his hand up, cupping her face. "You are so sexy, Kitten."

    He licked his lips as he ran his thumb along her bottom lip, stopping in the middle and slightly pushing it inside her parted mouth as he said, "Suck."

    As though she was in a spell, Katherine did what she was told and wrapped her mouth around his thumb, her tongue flicking as she did. She saw Damien hiss and close his eyes briefly.

    Just as she was distracted, he inched himself deeper into her entrance and heard her whimper, sucking his thumb as though it was going to relieve the pain. He groaned, feeling the tingles on his thumb and his shaft at the same time was driving him insane.

    Damien retracted his hand slowly, releasing his thumb from her mouth in a pop. He smirked, "Good girl."

    Katherine found him even more irresistible  her thoughts running wild because of what she just did and how heplimented her. ''That was so hot.'' His body was hot. She was hot. She thought everything was on fire.

    Before she could even recover, his lips came crashing down on hers and kissed her passionately fiercely and deeply until she moaned into his mouth.

    He drove himself another inch inside her at the same time that his thumb  the one she just sucked  found her clit. And in a very slow and sensual motion, he drew circles on it, pleasuring her as he sank deeper into her to the hilt. She could feel herself stretch around him, weing all of his well-endowed hardness.

    "Oh, god." Her hands gripped on his shoulder des, her nails digging into his flesh, making him groan in response. But he didn''t feel much pain at all he was far too immersed in his hedonistic arousal.

    Katherine was feeling all sorts of sensations all throughout her body that she mewled. Damien was kissing her senseless  his erection driving into her, making her core ache  his thumb ying with her nub, bringing her to the brink of euphoria. It was intense yet it kept her from crying in pain. Everythingbined was just too rapturous that she could not help but let out another satisfying moan.

    Damien pulled back from their kiss, panting as he stared down at her. "Are you okay?" he asked, caressing her cheek and admiring the way she blushed for him.

    Katherine nodded, leaned onto his hand and ced kisses on his palm.

    "Does it still hurt?"

    "Not so much anymore" She tightened her inner walls subconsciously, trying to feel if she was sore but stopped when Damien''s hand flew to her thigh and gripped it hard.

    "Fck. Don''t." He stiffened.

    "What?"

    Softly chuckling, Damien moved to her ear and brushed his lips on the lobe, nibbling it before he warned her, "Love, you don''t wanna do that or I won''tst long."

    She pressed her lips together, secretly amused for having that effect on him and she made a mental note on that little act. She pressed her lips on his shoulder and he made her wrap her legs around his waist.

    Trailing kisses on her jaw, he ced a soft kiss on her lips and asked her. "Are you ready?"

    "Yes," she answered in a soft and smooth tone.

    Gripping her hips to hold her in ce, Damien started to move.

    "Oh Katherine, you are so tight," he muttered in a breathy voice as he drove into her in slow and long strokes.

    Katherine tightened her arms around him as she felt erratic sensations down her core. There was a mixture of pain and pleasure that she could not exin, yet all she wanted was for him to give her more of it. "Ahh Damien"

    Hearing her call, he started to pick up his pace, rolling his hips and thrusting in and out of her. "Fck, baby, you feel so good."

    Listening to his grunts, she couldn''t help but stifle out a moan.

    "Katherine, don''t stop yourself. I want to hear you scream." He met her gaze and he knew that she was still a bit shy from all of it. But if she thought she could hold herself back from him, that''s where she was wrong.

    Determined, Damien shifted in his position, raised her hips off the bed and held her in ce. "Let me hear you, Kitten. Don''t hold back," he said just before he gave her a rough thrust.

    And just like how he wanted, he heard her cry when he hit that sweet spot inside her. "Ahhhh!!!" She wept as she arched her body off the bed. She did not know what happened but when he rammed himself inside her, she was almost sent to the edge.

    "Yes. Just like that, Katherine." He gave her another thrust and earned another moan from her. "Do you like this?" he asked as he prodded again. "Answer me."

    She could no longer think straight, what with Damien''s powerful moves  she submitted herself to him and released her inhibitions. "Yes!" she eximed.

    He groaned when he heard her yelp. He clutched her hips and increased his pace. Damn it  he was not going tost longer with her like this.

    Katherine''s moans were so satisfying for him. His fingers dug into her skin and she started meeting his every thrust. They were lost in their world  luxuriating in carnal bliss that the two of them wanted so much.

    "Damien I I"

    He could feel her core tighten around him and he knew she was going to reach her orgasm. He ced his thumb on her swollen nub and rubbed it, helping here to the edge while he was chasing his own release.

    "It''s okay, baby let go of it... I got you."

    Just as he said those words, Katherine came crashing down. "Damien!!!" she quivered and writhed under him. It was so intense that she shut her eyes and almost saw stars, gasping for air as she clutched onto him.

    "Fck." Damien plunged onest time. "Oh, Katherine... Uhhhhhh..." he groaned, his length pulsating inside her while she was still contracting. He fell on top of her with his eyes closed, seeing nothing but ck and feeling her rush  the tightening of her inner walls milked him thoroughly as he thrust a few more slow strokes.

    She loved the feel of his weight on her when he nuzzled his head on the crook of her neck while they tried to catch their breath. She could still feel the delicious sensation in her throbbing apex as much as he did.

    When he regained his senses, he trailed kisses towards her lips. "I love you," he breathed.

    Katherine was still flushed and was feeling all sorts of emotions within her. But as she stared into his eyes, her heart pushed her to tell him what they both wanted to hear. "And I love you." She lifted her head and pressed her lips to his.

    When they broke their kiss, Damien eased himself out of her, got out of bed and into the bathroom where he knotted the condom and threw it into the bin. He came back soon andid down next to her, drawing her close to him and pulling a nket over them.

    She was so tired from their love-making that she could only close her eyes. Theyid there for several minutes before she looked up at him.

    He lowered his gaze and met her stare, wondering what was on her mind. "What is it?"

    A gentle smile formed on her lips and Damien could only smile with her. "Are you happy?" he asked.

    Katherine nodded and shifted her body up so that her face was level with his. "Very" she nuzzled on his face.

    His hand stroked her back  up and down her spine and the two of them thought about what they just did. They were finally one and they were enraptured with the thought that they shared the most intimate deed they could do as lovers.

    They both saw different shades of each other and they couldn''t be more pleased about it. Katherine gave her everything to him and Damien  although he restrained himself, he made sure that she was taken care of. He wanted to please her more than he had to please himself.

    "Damien" Katherine called in a soft voice.

    "Hmmm?"

    "You''re hard again," she said under her breath when she felt his manhood stab her abdomen.

    "I told you you do this to me." Damien chuckled, flipping on top of her and kissing her neck. She giggled when his lips tickled her skin.

    "Now you have to be responsible." His mouth moved towards her chest, grazing his teeth on her breast.

    She propped up on her elbows. "What?" Katherine looked at him as his mouth circled around her bud, making her gasp.

    "Oh, honey you don''t think I am already done with you, do you?" The corner of his mouth curled up into a sexy smirk.

    "I" Katherine swallowed her words when she felt his hand nudge her thighs apart. And in an instant, her mouth formed into an O as her head fell back to the pillow.

    Damien huffed a faint smile. "I thought so"

 Chapter 142: Breakfast in Bed

    Chapter 142: Breakfast in Bed

    It was the morning after their passionate night and the faint chirping sound of the birds outside woke Katherine up. She stirred in bed and found a heavy arm draping across her abdomen and a hand grabbing her breast.

    Her gaze trailed on the man''s arm until itnded on Damien''s sleeping face. He looked so peaceful and his breathing was calm and slow. Her back was against his chest while they slept and she shifted so that she was now facing him.

    A smile formed on her face as she studied his handsome features. His hair was tousled from all the tousling she did on it that night - she suppressed augh, finding herself naughty for what they did. By the time they finished thest roundst night, it was already the wee hours of the morning and she fell asleep in his arms.

    Katherine stared at his longshes. She raised her hand up and hovered her index finger just above them, but she did not dare to touch so as not to wake him up.

    Her finger moved towards his sharp nose that poked her sensitive skin a lotst night, making her smile.

    She pursed her lips together when her finger was now above his soft, reddish lips that touched her in ces she didn''t know she wanted so badly to be touched. She swallowed, blushing so hard and abruptly feeling so hot.

    All of a sudden, Damien''s mouth opened and caught her finger in between his teeth, making Katherine yelp in surprise. "Ah!"

    She wanted to retract her hand but her wrist was caught by him. And before she could say anything, he sucked on her finger and swirled his tongue around it, smiling when he saw her widen her eyes.

    He released her hand and chuckled. "Do you have a habit of staring at people while they''re sleeping?"

    "No" She shook her head and red at him. "...only you."

    "It better be." Damien leaned in and ced a kiss on her forehead. "Good morning, love."

    "Good morning" She smiled.

    "You seem really happy care to tell me what''s on your mind?"

    She shrugged. "It''s just It''s nice to wake up next to you because most of the time you''re up so early and I wake up to an empty bed. It leaves me wondering if you were only in my imagination the night before or I would wake up and think it was a dream."

    "I see" He exhaled a sigh and brushed her hair away from her face. "I''m sorry, I didn''t know you were thinking that way. I got used to being up so early. I''ll stay longer in bed from now on."

    "You don''t have to change for me you can still do what you always do."

    "My dear, it''s a small change that I will be d to do. I also love waking up with you like this. Adjusting my workout schedule is not a big deal."

    Katherine didn''t know what to say so she could only form a small smile. Bringing her hand up to his lips, Damien ced a kiss before asking, "So What do you want to do today? We could just stay in and stay in bed stay here all day" He pulled her closer and she instantly felt his hard-on poking her navel. A knowing smile yed on his lips as he waited for her response but all he saw was her furrowing her brows at him.

    "I thought you had nned the whole day for us? Also don''t you ever get tired? How are you this hard again?!"

    Damien let out a sexy chuckle, lifting her leg and wrapping it around his hips. "I did n the whole day. Also I thought I''d say it''s just because it''s morning, but babe, this is all you," he said, referring to his hard-on.

    She stared at him and tried so hard not to think about what they have been doing all night, but it was useless as she could feel her body already starting to react to his touch.

    "Gosh you are insatiable." She heard him chuckle again. "If you really have nned the whole day, what''s the first thing on your list?"

    The corner of his mouth curled into a smirk, "Breakfast," he said just before he flipped on top of her. "...in bed."

    "Then let''soh god," Katherine gasped when he ground his hips on her, his erection pressing on her apex.

    She pped Damien''s arm and eximed, "Why Mr. Park I didn''t know you have such a big sexual appetite so dirty-minded."

    He dipped his head and nibbled on her neck. "Oh yeah? Dirty-minded huh Tell me you didn''t like itst night and I won''t hold it against you."

    She suppressed a moan, his hardness dangerously rubbing on her sensitive spot. "I I can''t say that," she responded, her tone breathy and heavy.

    "Of course, you can''t because you loved it"

    Lightly pushing him off, she looked away suddenly remembering her own sultry voice fromst night in her head. "I don''t know I already forgot about it." She bit her tongue.

    "I''m insulted." Damien scoffed and stared down at her. He trailed his hand up and down her smooth legs.

    "You''re telling me that it wasn''t worth remembering? I seriously don''t believe your lies, Kitten. Especially not after you" He lowered his head on her chest and trailed kisses on the skin in between her breasts. "...screamed my name.... over and over"

    "Mmmm" A moan escaped from her lips when he ground on her again, betraying her earlier protest. She felt him smile on her skin before he lifted his torso up.

    In no time, Damien had already reached his hand to the side and rolled on a condom on him.

    "How didhaven''t you used all of those yet?!" she wondered aloud.

    Heughed at her reaction. "Baby, I was a boy scout I came prepared." He held his hard length and positioned himself on her entrance before he dove in to kiss her lips.

    "Concentrate, Katherine. I won''t allow you to forget every single thing or else, I''ll just have to keep reminding you. And I can do it all day."

    "Wh"

    He shut her up with his lips and then he entered her.

 Chapter 143: Aliannas Boyfriend

    Chapter 143: Alianna''s Boyfriend

    Four hours away from Onyx Mountain Hotel and a few hourster

    Alianna entered the lobby of a studio with her boyfriend Craig, a tall man with green eyes and long hair that was tied into a man bun.

    They had been arguing in the car and she just wanted him to stop. "Craig, really just let it go. I already told you, there is nothing that you need to worry about."

    "Why do I have a hard time believing that, huh?" he asked.

    "I don''t know. I don''t understand why you would doubt me. Haven''t I already proven to you that he doesn''t matter anymore?"

    Matthew Jeong walked in and heard part of their argument but he ignored and sat down on one of the armchairs, minding his own business. It was a Saturday and he was supposed to be at home sleeping in but the sudden work call interrupted his rxation.

    Craig nced at Matthew before he told Alianna, "I need to work. I''ll see youter." He huffed and turned on his heel.

    Alianna exhaled out a sigh. She disliked arguing with Craig because it was too exhausting. Just a while ago, they were very sweet and while they were on their way to the studio, they started arguing.

    She didn''t even know how it all began because all she remembered was that he was suddenly interrogating her about Caleb. They had broken up a long time ago, why was he acting so childish?

    She rolled her eyes and slumped on the sofa near Matthew. They exchanged nods as they were a little familiar with each other but they were only acquaintances.

    The ringing of her phone startled her and when she checked the phone screen, a bright smile shed across her face. "Hey, Katherine How''s the weekend trip with Damien?"

    "Everything''s great Actually, we''re in the downtown area. He brought me to this pastry shopgod it smells divine in here." Katherine sniffed. "Anyway, I remember you like cinnamon buns and custard pastries I was wondering if you are still on a diet because I was thinking of bringing back a box for you?"

    "A you are so sweet. You didn''t have to ask, I would never say no to pastries. Screw diet, bring me back a box and don''t you dare steal from it."

    Katherine snickered. "I would never dare. I''ll buy myself one too."

    "Yeah, you do that. I''ll see you when youe backoh, wait How did your first night go with Damien? Did you"

    "I''ll call youter. Bye." Katherine interrupted her and hurriedly ended the call, not wanting to give her any details about what happened and repeatedly happenedst night and this morning. She felt heat creep up on her neck.

    "WhaHey! Damn it, she hung up on me" Aliannaughed that Katherine ran away from her. "Too cute."

    Matthew''s eyes darted to Alianna and he scratched the back of his ear before he started, "Sorry I didn''t mean to eavesdrop. But was that Katherine Miller?" Hearing the two names from her, he was already sure but was still curious.

    She raised her head and smiled at him. "Yeah, it was her. How do you know her? Oh, wait you''re Crown Resort Group''s new endorser, right?"

    He nodded and a gentle smile appeared on his face. "Ahh Yeah"

    "Damien''s my cousin so I''m friends with Katherine."

    "I see I"

    "Matt, you''re up." Matthew''s manager came up and called him. He was there for work and he only took a few minutes break before another photo shoot started.

    Nodding to his manager, Matthew turned to Alianna and excused himself before he got up and left.

    Later in the evening after Alianna''s work, she went back to the hotel where she was staying with her boyfriend. They were both exhausted and was about to get ready to go to bed when she received a text message.

    [ Caleb: Sorry, I was busy the past few days and just noticed the invitation that you left to my secretary for Nana''s birthday. You can count me in, I will go. ]

    Ali was just about to type in her response when she heard Craig from behind her. "I can''t believe you''re even texting him."

    She snapped her head and turned to face him, crossing her brows as she responded. "Craig, there''s nothing going on. He''s just sending an RSVP for"

    "Yeah, right. Why does he even need to send you that? You''re not the organizer and certainly not the one having the birthday!" He walked to the minibar, grabbed a beer, and opened it. He shook his head before taking a swig from the can, he was exasperated.

    "Yes, but Nana also gave me his invitation since I was already going there that day I dropped by for my cousin''s girlfriend. I already told you that, you picked me up, remember?" She sat next to him, wishing that he would see the truth.

    "Tell me, Ali Is that the reason why you''re here? Is that why you''re going to stay longer? You''re supposed toe back with me to Italy in a few days."

    "What?" Alianna was surprised. She could not believe what she just heard.

    "What are you talking about? You know I''m here for work and I''m staying because it''s Nana''s birthday soon. I''m even leaving the day after that. I also told you we can go back together. You can stay and we''ll both go on her birthday I could introduce you to her."

    Craig let out a mockingugh. "And then what? Are you also going to introduce me to your ex?"

    Ali became frustrated. Whatever she said just went out to his other ear as if he did not understand anything. "I don''t understand why we''re arguing about this. This is nonsense. What are you so upset about? Caleb and I barely even talk to each other and I''ve only seen him once ever since I arrived."

    He narrowed his eyes and red at her. "You''ve seen him behind my back? You didn''t tell me that."

    "I didn''t think it was a big deal because they just drove me here. I was with Katherine and they both dropped me off after she and I went shopping. Can we stop fighting about this? There is nothing going on between me and him. It''s been several years for God''s sake!"

    The room was silent for a few minutes before Alianna swallowed her pride and went closer to him. "Craig please don''t get mad. I swear to you, there is nothing."

    Craig looked at her before he released a breath and set the can of beer on the table. He pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her.

    Smiling, she kissed his cheek. "I''m very tired Can we please go to sleep?"

    "Fine," he said before the two of them got up and went to bed.

    Satisfied that he finally let the matter go, Alianna forgot about it and drifted off to sleep.

 Chapter 145: Naughty Kitten

    Chapter 145: Naughty Kitten

    Damien knitted his brows and saw that she was wearing a different dress from earlier. "You changed Are we going out? Do I need to change?"

    "Nope. Just wanted to wear this for the cake," she blurted. ''What?! For the cake?! Who dresses up for a cake? Apparently me.'' She could hear the panicked voice in her head, making her hands mmy.

    "O-kay?" Damien obviously didn''t believe her but he didn''t press on it. "Sorry, work took a while. The chain in Thand had a problem."

    "Is everything okay?"

    "One of the executives was doing something that was against hotel policy. We may be facing awsuit but it''s already been taken care of, so don''t worry about it. Come" He held out his hand and brought her to the coffee table in the living room where the cake and a bottle of champagne were prepared.

    Just as they sat down on the sofa, Katherine winced. She blew out air and lightly swept the cover-up dress to the side of her thigh to take a peak, revealing the tattoo that she got that afternoon.

    "Does it hurt that bad?" He worried, leaning over to check on it.

    Afraid that he would notice something under her dress, she covered her thigh again and denied. "No, it''s okay"

    Damien was taken aback by her reaction but he just brushed it off and chuckled, thinking that she was just feeling shy. Pouring champagne on the sses, he said, "We shoulde back here."

    "We should. Let''s make it a tradition. What do you say?" Katherine was now all smiles, receiving the ss from him.

    He brushed her hair away from her face and responded, "That would be nice. I would love it as long as I get to spend time with you."

    "Happy birthday, Damien" She leaned in and kissed his lips.

    When they broke the kiss, they clinked their flutes and took a sip. She lit the candles on the cake and let Damien make a wish before blowing.

    "What did you wish for?" she asked.

    Clicking his tongue, he pinched her cheek. "I can''t tell you that or else it won''te true."

    Katherine scoffed and chuckled. Reaching for something on the side, she held a small blue box in her hand. "I honestly don''t know what to give you for your birthday. I kinda suck at giving gifts And it''s even harder because whatever I buy, I''m sure you can afford." She bit her lip. "God, you might even find this silly too."

    "What are you talking about? Whatever it is, I am going to love it. Even if you don''t give me any presents, it doesn''t matter I am already happy that I get to spend it with you." He caressed his thumb on her cheek.

    "Promise you won''tugh?"

    "I can''t promise but I will try."

    She gazed at him and saw his innocent smile before she sighed heavily. "Well okay here"

    Damien received the box and carefully opened the lid. What he saw inside immediately lifted the corners of his mouth up. Sitting inside the small box was a pair of silver Kitten cufflinks  stretching its limbs and tail.

    Picking up the tiny Kittens and setting it on his palm, he chuckled. "You really are marking your territory, huh?"

    "You said you won''tugh!" Katherine buried her face in her hands and slumped on the sofa.

    "I didn''t say that I said I will try." Damienughed some more. From the ties he got yesterday, the silver Kittens were his next favorite. He actually couldn''t wait to wear them.

    He ced the cufflinks back in their case and put it on the table. "Come here" Pulling her close to him, he swiftly wrapped his arms around her. "Thank you, I love it. Just like the ties I love them."

    "Now you''re just saying that so I won''t feel bad, aren''t you?" She raised her head and pouted at him.

    Hooking his fingers on her chin, he tipped it up to him and ced a swift kiss. "No, I''m telling the truth I think it''s cute and I love it. I will enjoy wearing all of them while I think about you."

    "Aren''t you going to be embarrassed wearing them? You''ll look like a single old catdy with hundreds of cats in the house."

    Damien threw his head back andughed. "I won''t. I''ll be the sexiest man wearing Kitten ties and cufflinks." He gestured for her toe closer and let her sit on hisp.

    Katherine straddled on top of him, her legs on either side of his hips, giving him a peck on the cheek as soon as she ced her hands on his chest. "Why are you letting me do this to you? You should be afraid that I''m turning into a possessive girlfriend."

    "I don''t mind. I have no intention of looking at other women anyway. So you can im me yours as much as you want and I would still love you. I will love you even more."

    Katherine scoffed and rolled her eyes but a smile yed on her lips. She caught sight of the tattoo on the part between his shoulder and neck  the top of his trapezius muscle. On it, sprawled a simple word tattoo that read: onyx.

    She slid the neckline of his shirt on the side to reveal the small print that was only 2.5cm wide. It was a simple text but with meaning that only the two of them would understand.

    She brushed the skin around it, careful not to touch the wound as it was still healing. "I like it" she said, lowering her head and cing a kiss on the side.

    "And here I thought your favorite part of me is my abs"

    "What?" Katherine straightened up and stared at him. "I just don''t want to put it there" She did think about putting the tattoo on his ribcage but decided against it and chose another part of him that she loved instead  a part of her not wanting him to go topless, showcasing his tasty abs while ady tattoo artist worked on him.

    Damien swept her dress to the side and trailed his fingers towards the tattoo on her thigh. It was high enough to be covered by her casual dresses but would definitely show when she wears one of those high slit dresses that he loves on her.

    "Why did you choose that spot?" she wondered.

    "Because it''s mine" He stroked his finger on the skin below the tattoo, his touch sending jolts of electricity to her abdomen. "I love it there," he said before he lifted his head and met her stare.

    Raising his hand, he brushed her neck and cupped the side of her face. Katherine''s eyesnded on his lips at the same time that he ran his thumb on her bottom lip. He pulled her towards him and he leaned in, capturing her lips with his own.

    Carefully avoiding the tattoo on her thigh, Damien slid his hand under her dress and squeezed her bottom, noticing thecey underwear that she wore. His brows slightly furrowed but he continued to kiss her while his hand trailed up her smooth back and felt anothercey material, making him break their kiss.

    With their lips still touching, Damien asked, "Baby, are you wearing my second birthday present?"

    Katherine''s heart mmed in her chest. She totally forgot about the lingerie that she was wearing underneath the dress. "Um" She swallowed. "Maybe?"

    She gasped when he gripped her waist and squeezed. She instantly felt him poking from underneath her through his lounge pants.

    Quirking a smirk on his devilishly handsome face, he spoke in a low and sexy voice, "Naughty Kitten Would you like to know what I''m going to do to you?"

 Chapter 146: Touch

    Chapter 146: Touch

    The words that came out of his mouth sounded more like a statement than a question. It was as though Damien knew that Katherine was anticipating exactly what he wanted to do to her. And just because of that question, moist began to pool between her legs.

    She was still sore fromst night but with her gorgeous boyfriend wanting to get his way with her, how could she even dare to say no?

    Biting her bottom lip, the two of them stared at each other before she asked, "What''s on your mind?"

    Still grinning, he leaned and brushed his lips and nose on the side of her neck and spoke, "I want you to strip for me."

    Katherine''s breathing hitched when she felt the feathery touch of his lips on her skin. Subconsciously, she gripped his shoulder and knew he was smirking.

    "It seems to me that you want to try? You already wore this for me Can I have a bit of a show?" He pulled back and dragged his stare towards her face, meeting her ame gaze.

    "Is that what you really want?"

    "Yes."

    She swallowed. "Pour me some red wine"

    Damien knitted his brows and tilted his head. "Do you n on getting drunk? Because I don''t want that. I want you sober."

    She felt hundreds of butterflies in her stomach. She always knew that he would never take advantage of her but still hearing that from him touched her heart  it only made her determined.

    "No I won''t drink so much. Just to help me with the jitters. I promise."

    "Why red wine?" he wondered.

    "It rxes me. Just don''t ask please?" She got off him and started clearing the cake and champagne from the table.

    "As you wish." Damien smiled and headed towards the wine fridge.

    He poured wine in two sses as he watched her move around the living room and a certain memory shed in his mind  the night of when she was almost his... the same night that she disappeared on him.

    Damien went to the bedroom with two sses in his hands and Katherine followed him inside. Noticing her presence, he turned around and gave her a ss. He had changed his mind and started, "You don''t have to do this if you don''t"

    Before he could even finish his sentence, she snatched the ss from his hand and downed the wine. His mouth hung open and he did not have the chance to stop her. He stifled augh and ran his fingers on his jaw before drinking his wine. "Kitten."

    "Tell me what to do," she said as she set down the ss on the table.

    "What?"

    She sucked in air and looked at him, her expression serious and unreadable. "I don''t know how to do this you have to help me."

    He took another swig of the wine before setting it next to her ss on the table. Inching towards her, he saw her sticky gaze that focused on his lips and he knew that she wanted to kiss him.

    cing his hands on her waist, he pulled her to him, pressing their bodies together as he slightly parted his lips.

    Katherine did not think twice and grabbed him by the neck, pulling his head towards her for a kiss. She threaded her fingers through his hair as her tongue slowly parted his lips and lightly swirled it inside, tasting the red wine in their mouths and coaxing a moan from him.

    He deepened the kiss before slowly breaking it. "Wow are you sure you still need me to tell you what to do? You seem so eager, Kitten." She panted and heat crept up her face. She was flushed  already feeling hot and bothered.

    Despite his question, Damien stepped back and took in her current appearance. She was wearing a white maxi dress and her hair fell behind her shoulders. "Beautiful" he mumbled.

    He walked and stood behind her. She was about to turn and face him when she heard him say, "Don''t move." So, she remained where she was. He tapped the screen of his phone a few times and soon, Kelly Rond''s voice filled the room singing ''Motivation''.

    The next thing she knew, Katherine felt Damien''s finger touching the knuckles of her left hand. His simple touch made her release a breath that she didn''t know she was holding.

    His finger trailed the back of her hand to her arm to the inside of her wrist, drawing a soft circle before it disappeared. She turned her head to the side, wondering why he stopped.

    A small smile danced on his lips as he observed her in front of him. "Did you like that?"

    ~~And when we''re done, I don''t wanna feel my legs

    And when we''re done, I just wanna feel your hands all over me baby~~

    She didn''t answer and only bit her lip, anticipating what he will do next until she felt a finger now tracing her other hand. It was warm and agonizingly slow, making her close her eyes while reveling in the sensation that his finger was giving her as it reached her elbow before it disappeared again.

    Katherine cursed in her head  she was aching for more. He was only touching her with his finger yet she didn''t want anything else but for him to touch her fully with both of his hands and his magical fingers everywhere! "Damien" she breathed.

    "Yes, baby?" he asked, brushing her hair to the side and revealing her neck.

    She anticipated for his lips to touch her skin next, instead, she felt his fingers caress her jaw her neck her nape down to her shoulder des, leaving a trail of electric current on her flushed skin. And just before his fingers were gone, he ced a soft kiss on her neck, earning a moan from her.

    "I like how responsive you are whenever I touch you," he whispered just above her ear before he backed away.

    Damien walked towards the modern leather chaise lounge at the corner of the room and grabbed a handful of the shirt from his back before he removed it over his head, tossing it to the floor.

    He sat on it and stretched his legs out as he watched Katherine still standing at the same spot that he left her. She was looking at him with passionate eyes, trailing over his bare torso and his endless legs that were still covered by dark grey lounge pants  his hard-on pressing against it.

    Leaning back, he rested his elbow on the backrest and his finger brushed on his lips as he nodded at her, gesturing to the knot on the side of her dress.

    Katherine dropped her gaze and knew what he meant. As if she was under his spell, her hands quickly reached and tugged it.

    "Ah-ah-ah... Why hurry? Slowly, Kitten" he demanded.

    She dropped one hand and allowed the other to slowly tug the end of the knot, releasing it from the tie.

    "Katherine" he called, making her look at him and without even saying anything else, he held his gaze with hers. It was as if they were having a telepathic conversation. Damien wanted her to look at him as she undresses herself.

    "I love your dress but you don''t need them anymore. I prefer them off you and onto the floor where they belong," he said.

    Katherine could feel herself burning up  she needed the dress off her now. It was getting hotter by the second.

    Following what he said, shepletely tugged the knots of her dress and soon, it dropped to the floor, revealing the sexy redcey lingerie hugging her body.

    Damien''s gaze raked all over her, taking in every inch every curve every swell. "Perfect." He ran his tongue across his bottom lip, his gazending on the new tattoo on her thigh that was the same as his  <em>onyx.</em>

    "As much as I like them on you though, I want them off you now."

    "Top off," he ordered.

    Katherine ran her fingers on thecey material and the outlines of the top before she pulled it over her head. A slow smile crossed his face as he watched her.

    Clenching his jaw, he got off the lounge chair and strode towards her. "Take off your underwear," hemanded, in which Katherine obliged like a good girl and shimmied out of it.

    Grabbing her waist, he ushered her to the bed andid her on it.

    "Did you like that piece?"

    Unsure why he was asking her, she nodded.

    "Hmmm me too. We should get more sets."

    She was aching for him to touch her. "Stop talking." Feeling bold, she reached and tugged the waistband of his pants.

    A soft chuckle escaped from his lips. "Don''t worry, my love I''ll take you soon," he said just before he removed his pants and hovered over her, a foil packet ready in his hand.

    Without wasting another second, the two of them once again tangled and tussled on the bed all night long. Having their bodies so close with each other: rubbing, sliding and brushing. Filling the room with the symphony of their groans and moans until they both passed out  spent.

    The night was well spent.

    But no matter how much they had pleasure on their vacation, they knew they wouldn''t be able to get enough of each other. This new level of intimacy was just the beginning.<ol><li>Song: Motivation by Kelly Rond</li></ol>

 Chapter 147: Im Going to Kill Him

    Chapter 147: I''m Going to Kill Him

    July 22, Sunday at Pearl Gardens

    It had just struck six in the evening when Matthew Jeong arrived at the street leading to the gates of his private subdivision. He had a long day and he couldn''t wait to dive on his bed.

    Reaching the gates, he saw a woman who was talking with the guards. She was wearing a dress that was too thin for that cold night.

    His eyesnded on her feet and he furrowed his brows seeing that she did not have any footwear. Her feet were dirty and it had some cuts here and there.

    His car stopped just before the gate and he heard the woman''s pleading.

    "Please I''m not a bad person. Can''t you just let me in?"

    The security guard pitied her state but he could not go against their policy, so he shook his head for the nth time. "I''m really sorry, Miss without the owner, we cannot allow you in," he said before pressing a button to open the gates for Matthew to enter.

    Devastated, the woman turned around and was about to walk away when Matthew caught sight of her face. His eyes widened in surprise and he quickly rolled down his window.

    "Excuse me"

    The woman tilted her head to get a better view of him. Matthew got out of the car and walked towards her.

    "Mr. Jeong?" she probed.

    "Ms. Alianna? What happened? What are you doing here? Where are your shoes?" he questioned her at the same time that he shrugged off his long coat and without second thoughts, he draped it over her bare shoulders.

    When he met her eyes again, he saw a pool of tears threatening to fall. "I don''t have anywhere else to go I I''m here for my cousin but they wouldn''t let me in."

    "Come, I''ll get you inside" He helped her into his car and turned to the guard when he was asked who she was.

    "I know her. That''s all you need to know," he answered before he got in his car and drove away.

    Reaching his house, he got off and circled around to the passenger''s seat, helping Alianna out of the car.

    "That''s President Park''s house." Matthew pointed to the house across the street. "But it looks like no one''s home. Do you have a phone? Can''t you call him?"

    Alianna shook her head, burying her face in her hands as she sighed. "I don''t have anything on me except my wallet. They''re still out of town but I know they''reing home tonight."

    "You can use my phone. Do you know his number?" He retrieved his phone from his pocket and handed it to her.

    "No Do you have Katherine''s?"

    Matthew shook his head, cing the phone back in his pocket. "What happened?" he asked as he tried to study her face.

    Sensing that there was something wrong, he raised his hand and lifted her chin up with his fingers. "Did someone hit you?" he asked, his voice raised a little as he stared at the patch of bruise and cut on the side of her lip.

    She winced and gently pushed his hand away. That was only when he noticed that her cheek was swollen. Earlier outside the gates, the lights weren''t so bright so he wasn''t able to see her state clearly. But now that they were standing outside his house with amp post above them, he saw how bad she looked. Her eyes were puffy and red from all the crying.

    "Who did this to you, Ali?" Matthew dropped the formality and called her name casually. A sudden feeling of outrage surged within him seeing that someone dared to hit a woman.

    "Did your boyfriend do this to you?" he pressed on when she remained tight-lipped.

    Alianna did not answer but tears fell from her eyes and she started sobbing, her shoulders shaking from the mixture of shock and pain.

    "What an ass," he muttered and sighed. Inching closer, he raised his hand and gently patted her shoulder.

    To his surprise, Alianna broke down, grabbing his shirt and pressing her forehead on his chest. His hands subconsciously raised in the air, not knowing what to do with a crying woman whom he barely knew.

    He awkwardly stayed that way for several seconds before he exhaled and gingerly ced his arm around her, stroking her back and letting her cry on him.

    It seemed that Alianna had been holding her tears back earlier because she cried her heart out in Matthew''s arms. She no longer cared that they didn''t know each other that much, she was too heartbroken and sad to care.

    "Ali Why don''t you wait inside my house?" he asked.

    She lifted her head and raised a brow in question.

    "I promise I won''t do anything to you. It''s getting cold out here... you need to clean your feet too."

    Pressing her lips together, she nodded. She was just about to push herself away from him when a Range Rover Sport pulled over. With his arms still around her, they turned their heads and saw Damien and Katherine getting off the car.

    Damien locked his gaze on the pair across the street. The guards already told him what happened when he got to the gates.

    Matthew lowered his arms. "They''re here," he said.

    Relief washed over Alianna and she started walking towards Damien. She was already sobbing even before she got to him.

    "Ali" He knitted his brows when he saw his younger cousin with a busted lip and a swollen cheek.

    "Damien" Alianna pounced on him, crying again. He was the closest family that she had. If she were to choose between him and her mother, she would choose him without blinking an eye  her mother wasn''t so motherly.

    "What happened to you?" He tried to carefully raise her head to check on her face.

    "Damien, why don''t we go inside first? She doesn''t have shoes on." Katherine came to their side, worried just like him.

    He nodded and thanked Matthew before leading Alianna inside their house.

    Twenty minutester, Alianna had already showered and changed into Katherine''s loungewear. The three of them sat in the living room, the smell of hot cocoa lingering in the air.

    Damien was in a rage. Ali was like a little sister to him and someone dared to hurt her. "If you think you can hide who did this to you"

    "I know what you''re capable of. You''re my cousin," Alianna interrupted.

    "Then start talking, tell me everything."

    Nursing the warm mug in her hands, she lowered her gaze and started recalling what happened that afternoon.

    "I met Caleb by chance outside of a restaurant. We talked for a while before he left And as soon as he was gone, Craig he"

    "Who the fck is Craig?!"

    "He''s my boyfriend well not anymore."

    "And he did this to you?" Damien clenched his hand into a fist. Katherine ced her hand over his, calming him down.

    "He never hit me before We never had big problems. We rarely even fight," she continued.

    "We went back to the hotel and we fought. He was so mad, telling me stuff that wasn''t true. He thought I was seeing Caleb behind his back. I told him it was ridiculous and that we just bumped into each other but he didn''t believe me. I tried to calm him down but he started breaking things It''s the first time that I''ve seen him like that."

    Alianna wiped her cheek when a tear fell. "I tried exining to him but he wouldn''t listen. Out of spite, I told him I''m breaking up with him and he became so enraged" She closed her eyes and the scene yed in her head.

    ~ "You''re breaking up with me? And what? You''re going to crawl back to your ex? Is he so good in bed that you want him again?! Huh?! Answer me!" He pped her across the face. His p was so harsh that she fell to the bed. ~

    "I wanted to run away but he wouldn''t let me leave so I locked myself in the bathroom and he continued to break stuff. When I heard the main door open, I figured that he left so I got out of there as soon as I could"

    "Why didn''t you call Caleb? You know his number by heart, Ali You''ve been waiting outside for a long time." Damien ran a hand on his face.

    "I couldn''t What would I tell him? That my rtionship was a failure? I can''t let him see me like this."

    "Where''s that asshole?!" Damien was so pissed, he wanted his fist on that man''s face.

    "I don''t know"

    Knowing that everything must be hard for Alianna right now, Katherine patted Damien''s arm and said, "She''s had a rough day. Let''s let her rest"

    Exasperated, he nodded and Katherine led Ali towards her bedroom to let her sleep. When she came out, she saw Damien grabbing his keys and putting on his trench coat.

    "Where are you going?" She hurried to his side.

    "I''m going to kill him," he spat.

    Katherine gulped. With the way that Damien''s expression darkened, she believed that he would really carry out his word. She shivered at the thought.

 Chapter 148: Hot Blooded Men

    Chapter 148: Hot Blooded Men

    "You''re not going anywhere, Damien. Not when you''re this angry." Katherine tried to keep her voice down and calm. She knew that he needed to do something for Alianna but she couldn''t allow him to just rush in there without a clear head.

    She watched as his ragged breathing slowly turned into a regr one. He ran a hand on his face and ced both of his hands on his waist as though he was trying to calm himself down. However, his rage just wouldn''t go away that fast  he was too pissed. "What do you want me to do? Leave it?!"

    Apart from Nana, his younger cousin Alianna was the only woman in the Park family who truly cared for him. When his mother would scold him for days, she would always y with him, making sure he wasn''t lonely. Even though his cousin and her mother left the Park Mansion sometime in the past, they kept in touch and still remained close. So, seeing her like this hurt him. He was a man who valued bonds and some moron thought he could justy a hand on Alianna  Damien wasn''t going to just sit still.

    "I''m not saying that. I just don''t want you to do something that you would regretter." Katherine was now in front of him. She was too worried that her heart started pumping like crazy, feeling his anger radiating from his body. Reaching out, she sped his hand in hers, stroking it with her thumb as if she was soothing him.

    "That man has to pay," he muttered.

    "I know and he will."

    "I''m going to call Caleb and let him know." Damien whipped out his phone and started tapping his screen when Katherine stopped him, cing a hand over his phone.

    "You can''t. Alianna wouldn''t like it"

    "Well, she doesn''t have a choice. I''m calling"

    "I also wouldn''t like it if I were her. She''s vulnerable right now. If Caleb knows about what happened, she would feel pity for herself more than ever ashamed... and she will feel terrible."

    Damien stopped and thought about what she said. Although Alianna didn''t admit that she still had feelings for Caleb, he knew her pride wouldn''t let her admit that she wasn''t happy with what''s happening to her right now. They broke up several years ago, went on their separate ways and dated other people. She wouldn''t want Caleb to know that she was in a bad ce. She would hate it.

    "Fine. But I''m calling the hotel and the police. If that creepes back, he won''t be able to leave." He dialed the Crown Hotel chain where his cousin stayed and talked to the general manager.

    When he finished his phone call, he breathed out a sigh and turned to Katherine. "Caleb is already there."

    "What? How?"

    "Apparently, the next roomined about the noise. The hotel''s general manager knew Caleb dated Ali back then he called him."

    She sighed and nodded. "Well so much for keeping it a secret. Are you still leaving?"

    Damien nodded. "I need to go there."

    "I''ll go with you." Katherine clutched his T-shirt. She was also worried and wanted to see that everything was handled properly or that Damien wouldn''t do anything stupid.

    Shaking his head, he stroked her arm. "You need to stay and keep an eye on her. Don''t worry, I won''t be long."

    She stared at him and bit her inner cheek. It was frustrating to just stay there but she could only nod.

    He lowered his lips onto her forehead and ced a soft kiss before he walked out of the door. Katherine followed him out and watched as he drove away, her heart feeling heavy because of worry.

    Just before she was about to get back inside, she caught sight of Matthew across the street taking out his trash.

    "Matthew!" she called and waved her hand. When he turned his head, she said, "Wait a second."

    Walking back inside the house, she retrieved the coat that he lent Alianna earlier. She went outside and found him standing outside the gate. "I just wanted to return this. Ali says thank you," she said as she handed coat to him.

    "No problem. How is she?" he asked while receiving the coat.

    "She''s resting." Katherine formed a small smile. She learned about what he did for Ali earlier and she was thankful that he helped. If it wasn''t for him, she would have probably left and they wouldn''t know where to find her.

    Seeing the smile on her face that looked so much like his Katherine, he felt a prick in his heart. Clenching his jaw, he bid goodbye and went back to his house. He couldn''t keep feeling that way around her it was wrong. Not because she was with Damien but he believed that it wasn''t fair for his first love. What would she say if she was watching him right now?

    Reaching his home, he closed the door and sighed. He may have to move soon if he cannot put a stop to theplicated feelings that he has towards Katherine. No matter how much he wanted to keep seeing the familiar face, he couldn''t go through the same grief again. It had been about sixteen years since that tragedy he should have moved on. But why did it hurt just as much?

    Crown Hotel

    Damien called Caleb when he was driving on the way. They met at the lobby and he told him about what happened to Ali.

    Caleb was already worried and he tried to contact her as soon as he heard about the news but he couldn''t reach her. He tried to search for her around the city but failed. He had an inkling that she was going to run to Damien but just before he could do so, the other called him already.

    As they were talking, the General Manager interrupted their conversation. "Excuse me, President Park. The guest had just returned to his room."

    They wanted to keep the matter quiet. Both of them were celebrities and the whole thing would be a scandal if the press knew about it. Damien didn''t want the news to get out as it will be problematic for Alianna. They had already called the police and notified them, and with Damien''s influence, he was able to ask them to keep this entire thing away from the media as well.

    Standing outside the door, Damien and Caleb looked at each other.

    "Open the door," Damien demanded and the General Manager swiped the keycard.

    Without thinking twice, the two barged inside the room and found Craig sprawled on the sofa, the smell of strong alcohol lingered in the air and shards of ss scattered all over the floor.

    Noticing their presence, Craig''s eyes flew open and spotted Damien and Caleb''s dark expressions.

    "What the? Who the fuck"

    Craig swallowed the rest of his words and coughed when Damien''s kicknded on his stomach. Clutching his abdomen, he had not even recovered yet when Damien grabbed his cor and hauled him across the floor, touching Caleb''s shoes.

    "Who are"

    Caleb picked him up by the shirt and connected his fist with Craig''s mouth, repeatedly.

    "Who do you think you areying a hand on Ali?" Caleb growled.

    Wincing in pain, Craig tried to focus his gaze on the two men who just came in and started hitting him. Due to alcohol consumption, his vision was blurry and his speech slurred, and he was also fighting the urge to puke his guts out.

    He could not understand what was going on and who they were until he heard his woman''s name from one of them. "Where is she? I need to apologize" he mumbled with an ented English.

    A mockingugh resounded from Damien. Walking towards where they were, he bit out, "Apologize? You think an apology is going to cut it?"

    "I didn''t mean to"

    Damien grabbed him and mmed him to the wall. "Save it. Whatever you say now does not matter."

    Craig let out a dirty chuckle. "Who are you? One of her exes? Didn''t know she was such a whore, dating around"

    He choked on his words as Damien punched him in the eye, his head banged on the wall. He received two more punches before he was flung to the floor again and Caleb beat the crap out of him.

    Craig whimpered, his face bloody and swollen.

    Just in time, the police entered the room.

    "Lock this bastard up," Damien said to the officers.

    Damien and Caleb watched as the police car sped off. They looked at each other and exchanged a knowing smile.

    "You don''t look satisfied," Calebmented.

    "He deserved more than that." Damien was going to make sure Craig wouldn''t be able to go back to modelling.

    Patting his friend by the shoulder, Caleb asked, "Can I go see her? I just want to make sure"

    "Of course."

    The two friends drove towards Pearl Gardens. When they arrived, Damien led Caleb to the room where Alianna stayed.

    Entering the room, Caleb quietly sauntered to the bed and examined her face. Seeing the wound on her lips, he felt as though his heart was squeezed. After all those years of being apart even after everything he still loved her.

 Chapter 149: Why test it?

    Chapter 149: Why test it?

    The room was dark except for the faint yellow glow of themp from the nightstand. The sinking of the mattress next to Alianna caused her to flutter her eyes open and she saw Caleb looking at her with eyes full of concern. It made her feel weak and embarrassed, she never wanted for him to see her in that state. And it was toote to hide now.

    "Hey How are you feeling?" Caleb ced a warm hand on her arm, stroking it gently as he waited for her to say something.

    Alianna breathed out deeply before she pushed herself up and faced him. She felt nervous as she gathered her thoughts, forcing herself to sound normal. "I''m okay now. How did you know? Did Damien call you? I told him not to"

    He was quick to shake his head and recounted how he found out. He was d that the General Manager informed him as soon as aint was made  he would have hated himself if he had not known about what happened.

    Carefully, he cupped her chin with his fingers and lifted it up, her cheek showing early bruising. "Why didn''t youe to me?"

    "Are you kidding? Why would I?" She softly waved his hand away and sighed. "I couldn''t show up in front of you looking like this, Cay First, it''s embarrassing. Second, I just don''t want you to think my rtionship was a failure."

    "We''ve known each other since we were kids, Li How could you still be embarrassed? Around me of all people?"

    Alianna softly chuckled. She and Caleb called each other differentlypared to other people around them. Calling each other by their pet names when they were still together should be nostalgic. However, at that moment, it was bittersweet. It was a warm kind of feeling mixed with an unknown source of ache.

    "It''s different and you know it. We weren''t just friends... We were together. I don''t think telling your ex that you have a problem with your current lover is something you would do so casually." She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Most recent ex"

    "Has he abused you the entire time you were together?" Caleb wondered. He didn''t want to believe that Alianna was the martyr type.

    "God, no! For the seven months that we''ve been together, he never hit me and the only arguments we had before now were very petty. So I never suspected him Seeing him like that was a shock for me too."

    Caleb clenched his jaw. He had learned from Damien about what exactly happened that night and a part of him felt guilty. But after what happened, he was also relieved that she didn''t end up with that guy. Who was to say that it wouldn''t happen in the future?

    Seeing the expression on his face, Alianna knew that he was ming himself for the incident. She grabbed his hand and held it in hers as she told him, "It''s not your fault. Please don''t think that it is." No one else was at fault Only Craig. "It''s gettingte. You still have a long drive"

    Caleb pulled the corners of his mouth up into a small smile. She always thought of others before herself and that was one of the things that made him fall in love with her before. Because under that straightforward personality of hers, she had a big heart. Nodding, he answered, "You should rest some more."

    She leaned in and hugged him, smiling at the feeling of the familiar warmth radiating from the arms that were now encircled around her. "Thank you for checking up on me, Cay..."

    When they pulled apart, Caleb cupped the side of her face and ced a kiss on her forehead. "Feel better, Li I''ll see you."

    He tucked her in and left the Pearl Gardens soon after.

    In the Master Bedroom, Katherine grimaced as she pressed a coldpress over Damien''s knuckles. He didn''t have any cuts but his knuckles were a little bruised.

    "What''s with the frown?" he asked, quirking a brow as he looked at her. He recalled the moment Katherine saw him when he entered the house. She frantically searched his body for any wounds.

    "Your hand is hurt," she huffed as she carefully lifted and pressed the coldpress on him.

    Damien chuckled upon hearing her words. It was sweet that she was worried about him but he couldn''t help a smirk from forming on his face. Craig didn''t even bother defending himself nor did he return any hits  Damien almost felt sorry. "Well, you should''ve seen his face."

    Katherine red at Damien and pressed the ice pack harshly on his hand, earning a yelp from him. "Aw!" He retracted his hand but she was quick to hold it in ce, slightly feeling bad for her impulsive action.

    "Then good! For what he did to Ali, he better be limping too! But I hope you won''t get into too much trouble... I know you can handle yourself just fine, Damien. But it doesn''t take away the worry that I would feel knowing what you were about to do. It''s just how I feel I can''t help that."

    Not hearing any response to what she just said, she looked up and saw him smiling, his gaze sweeping over her face. "What are you smiling at?" She raised an eyebrow.

    Damien ran his finger down her cheek and along her jawline, admiring the face of the woman that made his heartbeat calm. "It''s just nice to have someone to worry about me."

    "Of course I worry about you," she muttered under her breath. ''I love you!''

    "Well, you don''t have to worry about me now. I''m home and I''m okay" He grabbed the ice pack and set it on the nightstand, pulling her closer to him and kissing her temple. "Thanks for taking care of Ali."

    "She''s your family, of course, I will take care of her." Katherine checked the time on the clock and turned to him. "I feel sorry that something like this happened on your birthday"

    He shrugged. What happened was something that was not within his control. He was just d that Craig was going to pay for what he did. Brushing those thoughts away, he nuzzled on her cheek.

    "Well, I still have thirty minutes before my birthday ends I say, we should make use of it wisely." Damien trailed small kisses from her jawline down to her neck.

    She pped his arm and yfully pushed him away. "What are you doing? Your cousin is just down the hall!"

    "I guess I forgot to tell you that this bedroom is soundproof." He grabbed her waist and flipped her onto the bed, his full length hovering over herpletely. "Do you wanna test it?"

    Katherine could only giggle. She wondered if Damien will ever run out of surprises. She yed with the strands of his hair that fell towards her,bing it back to ce. "If you''re so sure that it is soundproof, why test it?"

    He eagerly removed her top off her, chuckling as he heard her question. Slightly pulling back, he took off his shirt and grinned, diving in to kiss her neck. "You''re right. We don''t have to test it. Let''s take advantage of it."

    It was toote for her to protest not that she even wanted to try. Also, there was no reason to!

    Being back in the city after their weekend getaway, Katherine wondered if things would go on just like how they were before they left or... everything would start to change.

 Chapter 150: This Is My House!

    Chapter 150: This Is My House!

    Crown Resort Group

    Everything did go back to how it was before their vacation. It was the first day of the week and Damien had been swamped in meetings and Katherine had been drafting several papers. By the end of the day, she was tired. She went to Damien''s office and slumped on the sofa with a sigh. He was still in a meeting room three levels down and they had agreed to go home together.

    Walking towards the tall window behind his desk, she took in the sight of the beautiful view in front of her  the sun had just set and the traffic in the city had also started. The light in the room began to dim and she flicked the light switch on to brighten the ce. She caught sight of the mess on his desk and she decided to tidy it up for him.

    There were a bunch of folders and papers everywhere. He was just working on something before he left for the meeting and since he was in a hurry, he just left without cleaning up. Just as she was almost done, a certain paper caught her attention, it had her name written in bold letters together with a bunch of professional looking words and signatures.

    Furrowing her brows, she picked it up and her mouth fell open upon seeing the words clearly. To her surprise, it was a transfer certificate of the house in Pearl Gardens from Damien Park to her, Katherine Miller. She checked the date on the document and noted that it was the day after she was sent to the hospital because Lexi caused her allergic reaction which was only a few days before they moved into their new home.

    She gaped at the paper, unable to process why Damien would do that. There was a mixture of emotions boiling up inside her and when the door opened, she snapped her head to find Damien with a smile on his face.

    "Hey" His words trailed off when he realized what Katherine had just discovered. "Oh I was going to tell you"

    "And when did you n to do that?!" Out of all the emotions that she was feeling, anger won.

    Actually, Damien had been wanting to tell her since the first day they moved into the new house but after her initial reaction with the car, he decided to dy telling her about the house and so he kept putting it off. Just this morning, Markus delivered the documents to his table and he managed to check it briefly before he got distracted with work-rted matters andpletely forgot about it. He nned to take her out for dinner and give it to her by then but fate was ying tricks on him and let her find it before he got to tell her first.

    Running a hand on his nape, he was sure that the day wasn''t going to end like how he expected it to be.

    Katherine chose to remain quiet the entire car ride back home. The calmer she looked, the more scared Damien felt  he could actually feel his heart jabbing his chest furiously.

    When they arrived home, she did not wait for him and walked inside the house first, not wanting to see him at the moment. She kept her mouth shut because she didn''t want to say something while she was still mad which she would only regretter.

    Pushing the door open, she walked into the living room where Alianna was watching a si while eating a pint of ice cream. Katherine only nced at her briefly, giving a small smile.

    Alianna was about to greet Katherine but just as thetter turned towards the stairs, they heard Damien, "Katherine, please talk to me"

    "We don''t have anything to talk about." She walked up the flight of stairs.

    "Really? Because I think you have a lot of things that you want to say"

    She indeed had a lot to say  several of which involved curse words and then some. She wanted to but she couldn''t.

    Reaching the second floor, Damien caught up to her and touched her elbow, pulling her to face him. "I don''t see what the big deal is. It''s a gift that I want to give you"

    Turning around, she recoiled from his touch and red at him. "It''s a gift that I don''t want to receive! You already know how I feel about this, Damien. Yet you" She scoffed.

    Alianna''s brows shot up. Instead of the TV program, she turned her focus to the couple who was arguing as though it was more interesting than the show on TV, while she continued to scoop spoonfuls of ice cream into her mouth.

    "I know but it was before you knew about the car and I really wanted to. You wanted to get your own ce so I got you one. This way you wouldn''t have to pay rent and could livefortably." Damien would still shudder whenever he thought about how she managed to live inside that storage room for days under his nose while acting like everything was fine. He ran both of his hands on his face, exasperated by the awful reminder.

    "But this is too much for me. Everything is overwhelming you can''t just give me this," she waved her hand in the air angrily, "like it''s a piece of candy."

    "I''m sorry that I didn''t tell you I swear I was going to tonight"

    Crossing her arms in front of her, she bit out, "Not telling me was one thing. But really, Damien? The car this house What''s next? Are you going to build a resort for me? Or are you going to give me the whole Crown Resort Group?!"

    Damien''s eyes lit up as though she just gave him a wonderful idea. "Well"

    "Don''t answer! Ugh!" Katherine was even more annoyed. She didn''t have to hear it from him but the look on his face just told her that he could actually give her a resort. Is he nuts?

    "Katherine" He inched closer but she stepped back.

    Raising a hand in front of him, she sighed. "You know what? I have to figure out what I''m feeling because I''m all sorts of mad right now. I need to think and I can''t do that while I see you in front of me. So you''re sleeping on the couch tonight!" Katherine swiftly turned around and opened the door to their bedroom but Damien was still shocked so his feet were glued to the floor.

    "Uh-oh!" Alianna dug into the pint and licked the spoon as she continued to eavesdrop.

    "Honey you can''t do that" Damien sounded listless and half-amused at what he just heard. How could she let him sleep on the couch?! He wanted to make it up to her so bad but she wasn''t going to let him go near her. He watched as Katherine went about the room, tossing her purse on the bed and removing her coat.

    "Ha!!! Guess what?! I can because apparently this is my house!" She yelled as she picked up a pillow and a nket.

    Alianna threw her head back andughed. "Ooh burn." She already got the gist of what they were fighting about and she couldn''t help but be so amused, however, just one angry nce from Damien and she closed her mouth and lowered her head.

    "Baby,e on"

    Katherine walked back out of the bedroom and shoved the nket and pillow to him which he gingerly received.

    "Don''t baby me!" She mmed the door to his face.

    Alianna snickered again, trying so hard not tough so loud.

    "WhatI don''t even have clothes to change into." Damien sighed and heard a muffled shuffling sound inside the bedroom. The door swung open and Katherine threw a change of clothes to his face before she closed the door again.

    ...

    Katherine prepared a bath for herself, wanting to cool down from the big emotions that she was feeling. She almost wanted to take back her word and let hime inside but she convinced herself that it was okay to be mad. Thus, she sat in the bubble bath and sulked.

    Damien alighted the stairs and sunk on the sofa, tossing the stuff in his arms to the side before he buried his face in his hands. He only looked up when he noticed Alianna walking back from the kitchen with a new spoon and a half-empty pint of ice cream. Setting it down on the coffee table in front of him, she teased, "I think you need this more than me tonight."

    He nced at the vani ice cream and scoffed, losing the energy to retort.

    Clicking her tongue, she shook her head and patted Damien on the shoulder. She didn''t even know what to say to him, she just found everything so amusing. "Good night," she said before strolling towards her bedroom, leaving him with his thoughts.

    Slumping his back on the sofa, Damien exhaled a deep sigh. "Sht," he muttered under his breath. Justst night, she was so sweet and caring towards him.This was supposed to be a good week after their holiday. It was only the first day and he had already pissed her off.

    Recalling what Katherine told him earlier about her owning this house so she could do what she wanted  aka letting him sleep on the sofa  he chuckled to himself. Way to throw a rock on his own foot.

 Chapter 151: ? Damien

    Chapter 151: ? Damien

    After what seemed like a long night for Katherine and Damien, the two went to sleep separately. However, in the middle of the night, she woke up and subconsciously stretched her hands to the side expecting to grab hold of something  or someone  but found an empty space.

    Slowly opening her eyes, she realized that Damien wasn''t next to her because she punished him to sleep in the living room. She sighed and felt her heavy heart sink even more. She was supposed to be mad yet she couldn''t help but miss him beside her. Grabbing his pillow, she hugged it tightly and inhaled his scent on it. She frowned and got out of bed, heading towards the door.

    Her stomach grumbled as she was making her way downstairs because she hadn''t had dinner and stubbornly went to bed with an empty stomach. She had refused her dinner earlier because she didn''t want to have to face Damien. As shended on the first floor, she found him sleeping on the sofa, so she carefully walked past him and headed straight towards the kitchen to grab a quick bite.

    When Katherine opened the fridge, there was a te of chicken alfredo pasta covered with a wrap and a sticky note on top of it that said:

    [I know you''ll be hungry since you didn''t eat anything.  Damien.]

    Seeing the sweet note with a little heart on it just before his name, she slightly furrowed her brows before her cheeks blushed. She bit her lip as she suppressed the urge to smile. ''Stupidly-sweet-annoying silly man,'' she said in her thoughts as she grabbed the te and reheated it before digging in.

    She smiled to herself knowing that Damien cooked it himself. Now she felt weird for staying mad at him. She didn''t really hate him  she could never, but she was annoyed that after telling him countless of times not to buy or give her expensive stuff, he still went and gave her the house.

    The house was just a small matter for him but it was not for Katherine. After living in that shabby apartment for five years, just being able to have a slightly more decent ce to go home to was already enough for her  and having Damien to go home to was already such a huge blessing. Owning a house that was not in her mind at all, feeling that she didn''t deserve anything extravagant.

    After finishing her meal, she quickly washed the dishes and sauntered towards the living room where she saw Damien still asleep with his nket on the floor.

    Biting her inner cheek, she strolled towards him and picked up the nket. Before she draped it over him, her eyesnded on his face and she stopped to stare at him as though she was appreciating every outline of his face. She bent down and squat on the floor, hugging the nket and wondering if she should wake him up.

    Though she wanted to, a stubborn part of her told her not to and stand her ground; insisting that Damien should learn to listen to her and respect her boundaries. ''Eh. It''s just one night, you''ll live,'' she thought.

    Covering him with the nket, she tucked him in and checked the temperature in the living room to make sure that he wasfortable before walking up the stairs and entering the bedroom.

    Knowing that she was gone, Damien''s eyes fluttered open and a smile crossed his face as he looked at the door to the master bedroom. He had been awake since Katherine arrived downstairs but he figured that she didn''t want to talk to him yet so he remained quiet all throughout. He knew she couldn''t stay mad at him and he was hoping that they will make up soon.

    Feeling happy about the concern that she showed to him just now, he closed his eyes and went back to sleep.

    The next day

    Katherine and Damien barely talked during breakfast and Alianna had to sit through the awkward atmosphere. She suppressed the urge tough when she caught sight of Damien purposely moving closer to Katherine many times while they went about in the kitchen, fixing their own breakfast.

    "Well this is nice," Aliannamented, sipping on her coffee. The bruising on her cheek was still visible but it was no longer that painful and had started to heal. She grabbed a piece of toast and darted her gaze between the two who were obviously missing each other.

    Katherine held her pride to stand her ground and put on a poker face while Damien had a bright expression as though he just had the most amazing sleep ever. While she reached for a mug, he was reaching for his own mug at the same time. Due to their close proximity, his chest brushed against her shoulder and his eyes naturally lingered on her before he moved away.

    Her heart was pounding in her chest and she could only frown to show her annoyance as she knew very well what he was doing and it was working.

    Alianna caught Katherine ncing at Damien''s back while he was cooking oatmeal on the stove and she couldn''t help but tease. "You enjoying your breakfast?"

    "What?" Katherine jumped at her question as though she was caught red-handed and heat crept up her nape. "I uh... yeah" she muttered before grabbing a piece of toast and munched on it.

    She turned to Ali and asked her about her ns for the next few days. Alianna was supposed to be working but because of what happened, her manager told her to take the rest of the week off.

    Katherine and Damien went to work as usual and despite their differences, they maintained a professional working atmosphere. She would never let their personal life affect her work so they still had an amiable workday.

    Having external meetings in the afternoon, Damien left thepany and told her that they''d meet at home after work. She finished her tasks for the day and got notified that Felix was waiting for her at the lobby to send her home.

    She felt a little awkward riding in the Jaguar now that she knew Damien had given her that car. She was thankful but still thought that it was unnecessary. However, knowing her man  she sighed thinking that all he did was out of love despite it being annoying. Shaking her head, she leaned back and enjoyed the ride.

    Just as she arrived at the house in Pearl Gardens, she scanned the entire property, taking in the fact that she now owned the luxurious house that she could never afford by herself. Breathing in deeply, she entered her home.

    She removed her shoes and slumped on the sofa, wondering where Alianna was but she was feeling toozy to check. Just as she closed her eyes, she heard the engine sound of a caring from outside and a minuteter, the main door opened. Katherine turned her head and met Damien''s eyes but before she could give him a small greeting, she felt a wet nudge on her feet.

    Katherine peeked and saw a brown ball of fur on her toes. She gasped and her hands flew to her mouth, "Oh. My. God." Her eyes widened in absolute surprise. "What"

    Damien came to sit next to her, not saying anything.

    "Did did you get this for me?" She was still in shock as she gaped at the fluffy chocte-colored puppy that''s rolling on her feet, staring up at her while sticking its tongue out and wagging its tail. She picked it up right away and rubbed its tummy. "Oooh" she cooed, hugging it close to her.

    Tilting his head, Damien quirked a brow. "That depends are you going to ept it?" he asked, a yful grin dancing on his lips.

    She snapped her head to him, knitting her brows as she scoffed, "You... are so annoying..." She was caught in his trap and she fell into it willingly.

    "I''m annoying? Am I annoying in a bad way or in a good way?"

    Katherine bit the inside of her cheek before she darted her gaze away and responded under her breath. "I don''t know I haven''t decided yet."

 Chapter 152: Am I forgiven?

    Chapter 152: Am I forgiven?

    Damien and Katherine sat on the floor, watching the little pupper roll over the carpet while it was ying with his squeaky toy. She checked the inte earlier when she found out from Damien that the cute puppy he brought home was a male Newfounnd. Her mouth hung open when she saw pictures of the adult version  it was a huge dog that could weigh up to 150 pounds!

    The Newfie puppy had a soft dark brown coat and a pair of adorable eyes. Katherine just melted when she carried it in her arms earlier, it looked like a baby bear with a fluffy fur and she fell in love with it instantly. It was still two months old but it was already slightly bigger than an adult Shih Tzu.

    Seeing the look on her face, Damien knew that he did a great job getting the puppy for her as a peace offering. During their weekend getaway, they met a St. Bernard near the beach and he saw the way her eyes lit when she gave the dog a pet. He then thought of getting one as it would be nice to have something to bond over and after their argument the day before, he figured it was the best time to do so.

    Taking care of a dog wasn''t new for him as he grew up having one. Though it had been a long time since he had one, he was sure that he would enjoy it just the same. He watched as the puppy ran to Katherine and snuggled on herp. He drew a smile on his face and asked, "Have you picked a name for him?"

    "I don''t know I''ll have to think about it first." She scratched the puppy''s neck and shrugged as she turned to face him. "How are we going to take care of him? We''re both out during the day."

    "I''ve already hired a helper to take care of everything around the house. She woulde here during the weekdays, Mondays to Fridays."

    "Do you really have to get a helper? I don''t mind doing chores." Katherine didn''t know if she liked having a helper around. She had gotten used to having only the two of them in the house.

    "I know, but maintaining a house this big is a huge task. You and I both need help. She had worked in the Park Mansion for several years so she has been trained well. Plus, she loves dogs, so it will work."

    Damien studied her curious expression and thought that she might feel ufortable having a stranger around. "You don''t need to worry, she onlyes during the day and will leave in the afternoon. We''ve got the house all to ourselves in the evenings and on the weekends." He winked.

    Katherine opened and closed her mouth, unsure of how to answer him so she could only scoff. "Who''s worried?" She countered before looking away.

    "Are you guys kicking me out already?" Alianna eximed as she descended the flight of stairs. "I know you''re still on your honeymoon phase and I would understand if you want me gone. You just have to tell me."

    "You''re wee to stay anytime, Ali" Katherine chuckled, releasing the ball of fur after it squirmed in her arms.

    "Oh my gosh! You have a furbaby!" Alianna squealed and bent down to pick the puppy up in her arms. It yfully bit Alianna''s finger while Katherine rubbed its chubby belly.

    "Who''s a good boy? You are!" Katherine cooed.

    Damien suddenly felt out of ce and lonely, thinking that he must have made a mistake getting the dog as all of Katherine''s attention was now on it  he felt his brow twitch.

    Alianna nced at the couple and a smile formed on her face, seeing that the two looked like they have already made up. "You guys this is such a huge step for you. What are you going to name your first baby?"

    Katherine''s eyes widened upon hearing her question. "What first baby?!"

    Damien, on the other hand, had a huge grin on his face. He watched Katherine''s panicked expression andughed with his cousin.

    The three of them yed and fed their new pet as they thought about what to name it. Somehow, the house had gotten livelier.

    Later in the evening, Katherine was preparing to go to bed and had juste out of the bathroom when Damien appeared from the walk-in closet already wearing a in white shirt andfy shorts. He dove in the bed ying on his stomach, seemingly tired from all the day''s work.

    Katherine stood by the bed, crossing her arms as she stared at him. "What are you doing? Why are you here?"

    "I''m going to sleep."

    "Yeah on the couch."

    She heard him chuckle before he rolled to his back and propped himself on his elbows, returning her stare with a crooked smile. "Nope. I''m sleeping on my bed. You may own the house, Kitten... but I bought this bed." He patted the mattress to stake his im. "So I''m sleeping here whether you like it or not."

    Katherine scoffed and mumbled as she circled to the other side, "And you only thought of that now?" If he said thatst night, she wouldn''t argue with him. She knew he was smart but he probably let her win first to give her some space. "Tch."

    Damienughed at her reaction. "What?"

    "Nothing. Go to sleep."

    Just before Katherine could settle herself on the bed, he pulled her down to his arms, causing her to yelp in surprise. He rained kisses on her shoulders and neck, making her giggle as his stubble grazed on her skin.

    "Damien, stop!" She tried to get away but he trapped her in his warm embrace.

    He swept her hair away from her face, tucking it behind her ear as he asked, "Am I forgiven?"

    She pursed her lips and exhaled before she answered, "Fine" How could she stay mad at him?

    "I missed you" Damien nuzzled on her face just before he cried out because she had yfully pinched his side, "Aw!"

    "You better remember what you did wrong. No more expensive gifts," she reminded in a stern voice.

    Smiling, Damien gave her a salute. "Yes, ma''am."

    The weekend came fast and Alianna begged Katherine to go shopping with her. At first, Katherine wanted to stay at home and rest but after Ali used the "We-need-to-buy-a-dress-for-Nana''s-birthday-party" card, she couldn''t refuse.

    It would be the first time that she will enter the Park Mansion and she wanted to look her best in front of Damien''s grandmother. She also had to buy a gift for her so it was a great time to look around for options. Nana''s birthday was on August 12th and she still had two weeks to prepare.

    Inside a posh boutique, Katherine and Alianna browsed some evening gowns and found a few pieces that they took fancy on. After trying them out, they decided to buy them. However, just as they were on their way to the cashier, they bumped into someone they least expect to meet that afternoon.

    "Oh! Hi, Ali" Lexi greeted with a wide smile that almost reached her ears. "I haven''t seen you in a while! I saw your show on TVst week though"

    Alianna and Katherine turned their heads at the same time and when Lexi saw that Katherine was there, a scowl instantly formed on her face as she changed the tone of her voice. "It''s you." Lexi was feeling enraged and anxious at the same time.

    Katherine rolled her eyes, already feeling the urge to punch Lexi on the face. Her blood boiled when she recalled the incident three weeks ago.

    "Hmmm." Ali couldn''t be bothered and wanted to ignore her so she turned away and ced their dresses on the counter.

    "I saw Craigst week too! I read from Celebtalk that you guys are nning to get married. Is that true?" Lexi asked in a singsong voice. "You two are perfect for each other!" she added, thinking that she could win Alianna over. She knew that Damien treated her like a sister and she always sucked up to her whenever she got the chance.<ol><li>Arge dog breed.</li><li>Newfounnd dog''s other name.</li></ol>

 Chapter 153: Snarky Afternoon

    Chapter 153: Snarky Afternoon

    Hearing the name of the vile man who dared to hit her, Alianna snapped her head to Lexi and raised a brow. "What?!"

    Her question was only one word but Katherine could taste the bitterness of it. Looking at Alianna, Katherine could see both anger and anxiety.

    "Don''t mind her, Ali It''s not worth getting worked up over. Let''s just go," Katherine said as she held Alianna''s arm and nudged her to go. The store that they went to didn''t have a lot of customers inside but despite therge space and luxurious design, she started to feel ustrophobic with Lexi in the same room as them.

    Alianna nodded and decided to leave with Katherine, however, Lexi didn''t want to let them go just like that. Feeling like Katherine was taking everything away from her, Lexi got irritated  so she scoffed and held them back, turning towards Katherine as she asked, "Why are you so against me? Can''t you see that I''m talking to Ali?"

    "I don''t think we have anything to talk about, Lexi," Alianna responded. She didn''t know what happened between the two but knowing that one was the past and one was the present, it was enough for her to understand.

    "Ali" Lexi gently held Alianna''s hand and gave a small smile, "What are you saying? We used to hang out a lot Surely we have a lot to talk about and catch up on." She began to feel the rejection yet she was desperate to cling on to Alianna because she needed more support on her side, unwilling to lose to Katherine.

    Alianna retracted her hand from Lexi. When they were younger, they used to be friends. In fact, that was why Lexi also wanted and became a model. Alianna was discovered first because of her mother''s connection and when things were going well with her, she introduced Lexi to an agency that led to her debut a yearter.

    Though they worked in the same industry, they don''t see each other that often as they work for different brands and after learning about what happened between Lexi, Damien, and William, Ali avoided working with her.

    "That was years ago. Before you decided to cheat on my cousin!"

    As if she was scalded by what Ali said, Lexi flinched and looked hurt but forced out a smile, not giving up as she replied, "That was a long time ago Can''t we get past that already?" she muttered in a hushed tone, not wanting to draw attention now that her past was mentioned.

    Katherine was amused at Lexi''s words. She sincerely thought that thetter had some mental problems  she clearly does not understand when people tell her to get lost. ''Does she not know what it means?'' she thought before turning to Alianna, "Don''t bother with her, Ali She''s quite dense and does not understand when you tell her things."

    Hearing what Katherine said, Lexi''s anger shot up. "Excuse me? How dare you call me that? Do you know who you''re talking to?"

    Despite the biting tone in Lexi''s voice, Katherine pulled on a smile on her face as she said, "Yeah Someone who desperately needs a dictionary. Although in your case, you might need a whole library."

    Alianna burst outughing and so did the saledy near them. Katherine looked calm and collected but the sharpness of her words bites. "This is why kids need to go to school," she added and another round of stifledughter filled the air.

    Lexi knitted her brows and stomped her foot, "Ali Are you just going to let her talk to me like that? Why are you even hanging out with her? She''s a gold digger! Don''t you know she''s only after Damien''s money? Even Uncle Fred said so!"

    Alianna looked at Katherine and raised a brow. She already knew Katherine enough to know what the truth was, especially after witnessing her and Damien''s argument that week. Katherine only shrugged and did not say anything else.

    Turning her head back to Lexi, Alianna questioned her, "What about you? How are you still after Damien when you have William?"

    "That William and I are just friends" Lexi muttered in almost a whisper.

    Alianna shook her head and shifted her gaze. "Huh right."

    Katherine suppressed a chuckle. She was too amused thinking about Lexi and William together and yet Lexi continued to deny their rtionship.

    "What are youughing at?!" Lexi spat when she caught Katherineughing.

    Breathing out a sigh, Katherine put on a smile. "You know as a supermodel I thought you''d be wless and have everything already but as it turns out, that''s not true."

    Lexi crossed her arms and raised her chin. "What are you talking about?"

    Katherine scanned Lexi from head to toe. Thetter was wearing a revealing top, showing off her cleavage paired with a maxi skirt. "Well aside from yourck of vocabry and your eyebrows not matching It seems you need to get your boobs fixed because they don''t match either." Waving her finger in front and pointing at Lexi''s two mounds, she continued, "One looks bigger than the other."

    Alianna''s eyes widened upon hearing Katherine and when she saw that Lexi had turned red in anger, she knew it was time to go as she didn''t want to turn the incident into a huge scandal. The salesdies were fine but the customers that were beginning to form around them were the problem.

    "Let''s go." Hurriedly, she pulled Katherine by the arm and the two sprinted out of the boutiqueughing. "What the hell, Kath?!" Alianna eximed as they reached the end of the block. "Were her boobs really not equal?"

    "Meh Probably it was just because of the tapes but she doesn''t need to know that."

    Alianna was stillughing. "How''d you know that will set her off?"

    Katherine shrugged and caught on her breathing. "I don''t know I guess I just realized how insecure she is and that these things bug her a lot. That one time I said her eyebrows don''t match, she bolted to the restroom."

    Shaking her head, Alianna felt proud of this future cousin-inw of hers. "She''ll be so worked up and conscious all the time because of yourments. Who would want to get snarkyments from her rival? That''s the best torture ever!"

    Alianna''s eyesnded on Katherine''s chest and she tilted her head. She studied Katherine who was wearing a tight pink shirt and white high waist pants. Alianna raised her hands and poked the other''s breasts, "Now that I think about it. Your boobs are perfect and you''ve got a fine ass too, you should be a lingerie model. Just let me know if you want to switch professions and I''ll be d to help you get in."

    Katherine suddenly felt so exposed that she blushed and turned away from Ali, covering her chest with her arms as she snickered. "You are so creepy. Stop staring at me like that and don''t just poke people''s breasts on the street!"

    Some passersby turned their heads towards them but Alianna didn''t care.

    "Oh,e on! We''re both girls. Just one poke! Are those real, Kath? They''re so round like melons. I''d have to gift you more brassieres in the future."

    Alianna always had fun whenever she''s out with Katherine  she''s like the sister that Ali never had.

    "Come on, I promised to treat you to a fast-food restaurant." Katherine locked her arm with Alianna''s and pulled her to start walking.

    "Ugh Why today? I have a runway to walk tomorrow!"

    Katherine threw her head back andughed, "Then I''ll eat and you watch."

    Alianna rolled her eyes. "You''re the worst," she expressed in annoyance but smiled anyway.

    Outside the posh boutique, Lexi''s brows were furrowed. A car stopped in front of her and when she got inside the backseat, she dialed a phone number, speaking as soon as the call was picked up "I need you to do something for me You owe me this."

 Chapter 154: Damiens Skillful Hands

    Chapter 154: Damien''s Skillful Hands

    After their crazy afternoon shopping, Katherine and Alianna went home to Pearl Gardens with several shopping bags in their hands. It was already almost seven in the evening when they arrived home and the sky was already turning dark.

    Alianna pushed the door open and the fragrant smell of a savory dish lingered in the air. "Ugh great! More food," she exhaled a sigh before heading towards the kitchen.

    Katherine chuckled as she entered the living room. Alianna ate a nutritious snack earlier in the afternoon while she ate junk food and she could not forget the look on Ali''s face every time she dipped her fries on the ice cream sundae. Katherine didn''t think she would ever survive with Alianna''s intense workouts and strict diet  even though she gives herself ''treat'' days.

    A brown fluffy ball of fur bounced and barked on her feet, asking to be pet while Damien strolled out of the kitchen on the way to greet her. Katherine bent down and gathered the puppy in her arms, scratching him all over. "Hey, baby Bear I miss you too, yes I do!" she cooed. "Has Bear been a good boy?"

    "Is this how it''s going to be all the time? I''m your second favorite now? You don''t greet me anymore..." Damien sighed and crossed his arms as he leaned against the wall by the living room, watching as Katherine yed with Bear.

    Alianna appeared from the Kitchen with a cup of yogurt, some fruits, and some nuts. "Oh, dream on. After Bear, I''m second and you''re third. Unless Nana gets in line too, then" sheughed, "Oh man poor you."

    Damien shot Ali a look and she stuck her tongue out to him before heading towards the stairs. "I''m going to turn in early after doing my yoga Goodnight, fam."

    When Alianna left, Katherine shook her head and walked up to Damien who was still pouting so adorably. She ced her hands on his chest and slid them up to hook them around his neck before pulling him down for a quick kiss. "Hello"

    "That''s all? Bear gets all the coos and cuddles and I only get a ''hello''? I''m hurt," he sighed, encircling his arms around her waist and pressing their bodies together.

    Damien''s words made Katherine throw her head back,ughing at how adorable he sounded. "You know Alianna''s just teasing you. Of course, you''re my number one!"

    "Now why don''t I believe that anymore?"

    Tiptoeing, Katherine smiled against his lips, "What if I do this?" she pressed her lips to his and slowly kissed him, threading her fingers into his hair before pulling back.

    "Not quite." He pulled her back to him and deepened the kiss, earning a moan from her as he stroked his hands down to cup her bottom and giving them a squeeze.

    "All good?" she asked, giggling as they broke the kiss.

    "Yeah all good." Damien grinned, taking her hand in his and pulling her towards the kitchen. "Are you hungry?"

    "Hmmm I only had some fries earlier, I''m still hungry. What are you making?" she asked just as they entered the kitchen. She found a pan with dark red - almost brown sauce simmering on the stove before turning her head to the ind counter and saw the surface covered with flour. "Ooh You''re making pasta," she beamed.

    "Mhmm" He wiped his hands with the kitchen towel after washing and turned towards the counter.

    Katherine grabbed a stool and sat in front of the counter. "Cool," shemented as she watched him unwrap the dough and started rolling it on the floured surface. When she first learned about his cooking skills, she wondered how much he knows and Damien never ceases to amaze her with what he could create with his skillful hands. He was definitely more of a cook than her.

    This wasn''t the first time that she saw him make fresh pasta but ever since she admitted to him that she found it ''sexy'', he had been making it for her whenever he had time to spare. Though apart from having his ego boosted, he really does enjoy making his food from scratch as it makes everything taste better.

    For Katherine, just watching his arms stretch... and flex... and get all veiny as he worked on the dough religiously made her all giddy.

    "Haven''t you had enough of watching me do this yet?" Damien chuckled as he nced at her watching him so seriously.

    Katherine shook her head. "Nope. I like to enjoy it."

    "What? Your food or watching me make your food?"

    "Can''t I just enjoy?" She raised a brow before adding, "But if it helps I''ll just say I enjoy watching you make my food more."

    ''It''s delicious.''

    "It does help." Damien winked at her. Having a few sheets of dough ttened and ready to be cut, he asked, "So, how do you want it? Thin? Wide... bow ties..."

    She got off the stool and circled around the counter to kiss his cheek. "Now You don''t have to show off all your skills. I already know how capable you are, your majesty. But I prefer wide, please? Pappardelle."

    "Anything for you," Damien booped her nose with his floured finger. "Why don''t you wash up? Food''s ready in ten minutes." Since the pasta was fresh, it wouldn''t take long for it to be cooked.

    The couple enjoyed their dinner on the table as they talked about Bear''s rapid growth. It had only been a few days since the puppy arrived and he had grown considerably bigger in such a short span of time. They debated about its name for a while but after several attempts, they decided to name him ''Bear'' as he did resemble one because of its color and fluffiness.

    "So When were you going to tell me about what happened back at the boutique?" Damien changed the topic when he thought that Katherine didn''t have ns on telling him.

    The bodyguards that he hired for her told him what happened as soon as Lexi appeared in the store. He ordered them to step in if things got out of hand. However, the bodyguards were left flustered upon hearing what transpired during their ''conversation''.

    She pursed her lips as she brought her legs up the chair and hugged them. "There''s nothing to say"

    Damien breathed out a sigh and picked up their tes, bringing them towards the sink and started washing them. Knowing Lexi, he was sure that she was going to retaliate soon. But how she was going to do it, he didn''t know yet. He just hoped that whatever it was, he would be able to stop it in time.

    Knowing what was on his mind, Katherine followed him and wrapped her arms around his torso, her face pressed against his broad back. "Don''t worry"

    "Thest time she almost killed you. If she hurts you again, Katherine I might just"

    Damien was interrupted by the ringing of his phone. He turned around and ced a kiss on her head before picking up his phone. "Yes, Markus"

    Katherine saw his eyes widened before they darted towards her. He didn''t say anything after ending the call and started tapping his phone screen.

    "What''s going on?" she asked, wondering what made his brows knit together in frustration.

    "Lexi" he muttered as he scrolled through his screen, seeing several posts about his ''scandalous affair'' with his secretary with pictures of the two of them standing beside each other. Thankfully, there were no images of them beyond just walking or sitting together. However, with the way the articles described their rtionship, it hurt Katherine''s reputation more than his.

    Katherine saw the articles on his phone and Damien clenched his jaw when he noticed her being so quiet. "I''m sorry," he said. "Are you okay?"

    She handed the phone back to him, a small smile stered on her face. "Honestly, I thought that I would be hurt but I I don''t know I don''t have anything to say."

    Damien ran a hand through his hair, exasperated at what''s going on at the moment. He inched closer and pressed his lips to her forehead as he embraced her.

    "I''m going to fix this," he muttered with a sad look on his face and in return, Katherine gave him a wavering smile.

 Chapter 155: Cyber Battle

    Chapter 155: Cyber Battle

    In the master bedroom, the soothing sound of running water stopped when Damien turned the faucet off after he finished preparing an aromatic bath for Katherine. He wanted to make sure that she wasfortable despite what was happening online.

    "Your bath is ready." He walked up to the bed where she was sitting and staring at the floor. He knelt down in front of her and hooked his fingers on her chin to make her face him. "Hey You haven''t said anything since."

    She curled the corners of her mouth upward to reveal a smile. "That''s because I don''t know what to say"

    "Well one would be mad if this happened to them. Are you mad?" he asked, wondering if he could at least help her figure out her thoughts.

    Katherine shifted her gaze to the side as though she was thinking deeply. "At first, I thought I was but now, I don''t really know if I am. I mean is that weird?" she wondered. "I don''t know anything about my past I don''t have a family. I don''t have a proper identity to uphold. So what reputation is ruined?" she chuckled sadly.

    Damien couldn''t really imagine how tough it must be for her to have these feelings and thoughts. "You must be frustrated" he muttered as he slid his hand to hold hers.

    Standing up, he brought her to her feet and brushed his knuckles on her cheek. "You should stop thinking that you don''t have a family. You have me I''m your family." He leaned in and ced a soft kiss on the corner of her mouth.

    He needed to fix the matter at hand as soon as possible, so he led her to the bathroom so that she could soak in the bath before heading towards his study.

    As soon as he entered, he dialed Zero''s number. "What''s the situation?" he asked as soon as the hacker answered his call.

    "Your majesty," Zero said on the other line, and tapping sounds of aputer keyboard was evident in the background.

    "Have you taken down all the articles?" Damien sat on his desk and turned on hisptop.

    "It''s almost done I''m also trying to take down the websites just like you ordered. But your majesty, did you hire someone else aside from me? Because if you did, I''m a little hurt," Zero muttered while munching on some french fries. "I thought I was your only one."

    Damien furrowed his brows upon hearing what he said. "What are you talking about? I didn''t hire anyone else."

    "Oh" Zero smiled briefly before he continued. "I see I thought you did. But if you didn''t then who is this f*cker?"

    "What do you mean?" Damien tried to type keywords on the search engines and there was a significant change in the resultspared to how it was several minutes ago.

    "Well, when you called up earlier, I got to work right away. When I tried to ess one of the websites that released the article, there was another DDoS attack that I didn''t initiate sending data packets to the web server"

    "Hold up, Zero. Speak English," Damien interrupted, suddenly feeling a headache creeping up from the jargon that the other was spouting.

    Zero sighed as if he was talking to someone dumb. He kept forgetting that most of the time, he was smarter than most people. But this was his favorite and most generous client so he reminded himself to be more polite and used easier terminologies. "What I''m saying, your majesty is that someone else is trying to clean the inte free of the scandalous articles of you and your girl."

    Damien''s hand froze as he tried to understand what Zero was saying. "Who is it?"

    "That my man, I''m not willing to try and find out. I got skills and all but I don''t want to risk my systems crashing if that hacker decided to attack mine. I''m a prideful and skillful person but I know when to concede. Whoever this is his level is definitely higher than mine. You should see the codes"

    "Zero," Damien called his attention, shutting the other up. "For now, just continue what you''re doing."

    When the phone call ended, Damien leaned on the backrest of his office chair and stared at hisputer screen. ''Whoever this was, why was he doing this? Was this to help me or Katherine?''

    Somewhere 3,000 km away

    "Ha! Eat that sh*t! How dare you say mean things about my Queen?! You twat!" Styles bit out while his fingers danced on the keyboard rapidly just before he stretched his arms up and took a sip of his coffee, a smile ying on his lips as he dered his own victory.

    "What has gotten you so fired up?" Falcon sauntered towards him and ced a sandwich and a cronut on his desk, making Styles feel even more delighted.

    "You know what, Falcon You and my Queen are so simr. You take care of me and know how I like my sandwich. I even get a cronut! I am such a lucky handsome man." He grinned before taking a huge bite of the Italian Sub. "Mmm C''est trs bon!" he muttered, appreciating the sandwich in French.

    "It''s not like I made those. Good thing we have a deli shop downstairs." Falcon chuckled, sitting next to Styles to see what he was working on. "What happened?"

    "Oh, the bot I made years ago with a script to conduct a constant search for anything rted to Katherine online returned a result and it looked like someone was deliberately sabotaging her. Man, this is like high school a queen bee trying to defame or bully whoever she finds was a threat." Styles shook his head before taking another bite of his sandwich.

    "Have you taken everything down?" Falcon scanned Style''s monitor but only understood half of it while the rest was gibberish.

    "Mostly I think the Resort King hired someone to do a clean up too. I just left the rest of it to that guy. The one I''m messing with was the very first one who released the article." Styles dusted his hands before typing on his keyboard.

    "I checked everything and left this guy as thest one. After his first post got deleted, he posted another one and he is still at it until now. I need to scare him. He probably thinks he''s so clever with his ''anti-malware'' software. Pfft." Styles snickered like he heard the funniest joke in the century.

    "So what are you doing now?" Falcon asked.

    "I''m waiting for him to open his email and click the link that I sent him." Styles excitedly waited in front of hisputer.

    Meanwhile, the man whom Lexi hired had just returned from a bathroom break when he sat down on his chair. He was in his mid thirties and was an online columnist who had no fear of making write-ups to boost traffic to his website. So when Lexi called him a few hours ago, asking for a return of favor and even topping it with cash, he could not refuse.

    Receiving an email notification, he opened the message and found an enticing headline that said: "Tips on how to CHEAT the Stock Market and be a millionaire fast!"

    Next to it was a link that looked legit, his mouse cursor immediately hovered over it as his eyes sparkled upon seeing the line. He had been unlucky with trading and was desperate to gain back what he lost. So without hesitation, he clicked on the link and as soon as he did, hisputer screen went ck and the camera on hisptop turned on.

    His eyes went wide when the screen of hisptop started flickering until words suddenly came out:

    [Greetings, Cody. You have just made the biggest mistake of your life. Do you want to save your life? If so, shout: Yes. But if you don''t, we will release all the files from your ''Confidential'' folder]

    Back at Styles and Falcon''sir, Styles threw his head back as heughed. "Who the hell names confidential folders as ''confidential''?" he shook his head, waiting for the man to respond to his threat.

 Chapter 156: Katherines Armor

    Chapter 156: Katherine''s Armor

    The man furrowed his brows as he read the words on hisptop. He scoffed, thinking that someone was ying a game with him. Wanting to ignore the threat on his screen, he pressed the ESC button on the keyboard but as soon as he did, another message appeared on the screen:

    [Uh-oh! All the files in yourputer are encrypted. You can no longer ess them unless you agree to our terms. If you understand, say: Yes.]

    The man''s face paled upon seeing the message on his screen. He swallowed and began to feel nervous, the threat finally sunk in to him and he feared that he will lose all the files in hisputer. His eyes darted to the blinking red dot on top of the screen and his hands trembled, realizing that someone was watching him at that moment.

    After having a mental debate, he finally spoke, "Y-Yes"

    [Very well. Stop posting any articles about Katherine Miller. Do you understand?]

    The man gulped and was hesitant to answer but when he saw a few pictures shed on his screen, his eyes widened in horror. The pictures were from his "confidential folder", and there was not a single one of them that he wanted to show to anybody. Ever.

    "Y-YES!" he eximed.

    Styles and Falcon heartilyughed at the man''s sweaty face. Styles turned his head to the side and asked, "Are you really not going to buy me"

    "No, Styles. I''m not buying you a 3D printer." Falcon shot him a look.

    "Fine. I''ll just ask this guy to give me the rest of the funds that I need." Styles went back to typing, and soon, another message appeared on the man''s screen.

    [Good. Your files are no longer essible. In order to recover all your files, you need to send $2000 worth of Bitcoin to this BTC address:]

    The message was followed by 34 characters that consisted of random digits and letters.

    "You are such an opportunist," Falconmented, in which Styles only shrugged.

    The online columnist was taken aback by the hacker''s attempt to extort money from him. His mouth hung open at the hacker''s absurd demand, and just as he scoffed, another set of photos and files floated in his screen causing him to feel enraged. His files were held hostage by the sick hacker and now he was asked for ransom!

    "Okay! Fine! F*ck!" The columnist cursed as he whipped out his phone and did as he was told. He didn''t have any other choice at the moment, and ultimately, he didn''t want to risk his files going to the wrong hands.

    Soon, Styles received the $2000 worth of Bitcoin, making him smile from ear to ear. "Oh, yeah, baby! Wait should I have asked for more?"

    Falcon got up from the chair and headed towards the kitchen. "Finish your task and stop ying. Parker cannot know that she is alive."

    "Of course." Styles suddenly turned serious and started typing hastily on his keyboard. "We can''t allow that. Don''t worry, senpai He wouldn''t even know what happened tonight," he said right after he took care of the columnist and the rest of the articles online.

    He had a huge smile on his face as he reached for the cronut and stared at Katherine''s picture with Damien. "My Queen" he muttered as he raised the pastry towards her as though he was giving her a cheer.

    New Shadow''s Base

    Christopher Curtis just came back from the most recent mission that was supposed to be only 1-month long. It had been a little over two months already and he was exhausted. As soon as hended, he received a phone call from the man whom he hired to watch over Katherine and learned about the articles that were blowing up online.

    His top priority was to stop all of the articles from getting so big that it will catch Parker''s attention. Entering the base, Chris went through a series of security measures before he went up to meet Parker in his office to do a debriefing of his mission.

    Chris studied Parker''s expression the entire time and it looked like the man didn''t know anything about what was happening... yet. So as soon as their session was done, Chris rushed out of the base. He was about to call his contact outside of Shadow to get updates regarding the order he gave to remove the articles when he received a call from the man he tasked to watch over Katherine.

    "What?!" he spat as soon as he answered.

    "Boss, all the articles are gone," the man on the other line reported.

    "What do you mean they''re gone?" Chris hurriedly went to Shadow''s Base that night even though he hadn''t slept for almost two days and hisst meal was nothing but a gran bar several hours ago. He badly needed sleep for him to function properly.

    "I mean someone must have deleted all of it from the inte. It''s wiped out and nothing shows up now. It''s as if there was no scandal at all."

    Chris pinched the bridge of his nose and ended the phone call. He received a message from the hacker that he knew outside of Shadow: [Boss, everything is clean now. Btw, I wasn''t alone. Park must have hired another expert. There was not much left for me to remove.]

    Entering his car, Chris tossed the phone onto the passenger''s seat. He just came back from the warzone and being greeted by this incident made him even more exhausted. He didn''t know how long he could keep up with it. He fluttered his eyes open and his blue eyes looked wistful.

    Reaching for his phone again, he opened it and stared at the wallpaper of him and Katherine  his arm draped around her shoulder while she leaned on him, a picture taken before she went to her first mission alone. So many years had passed yet his heart remained the same.

    His painful reverie was interrupted by the ringing of his phone and he groaned when he knew what he was about to hear. "Chris," he answered.

    After listening to the order for the next mission through the phone, he responded in a toneless voice, "Copy that."

    He started the engine and drove back to the airport where a jet was waiting for him for his next assignment. His next mission wouldn''t be until three dayster but he had to fly out early to meet some important people from Shadow''s international base. As a soldier, Chris could only follow orders from his superior.

    It was only Katherine that made him do things a soldier mustn''t do.

    Back at the Pearl Gardens, it was an hourter when Damien went back to the master bedroom. Because there weren''t any hateful articles anymore, he felt slightly better. Entering the room, he found Katherine on the bed with Bear snuggled with her.

    "Hey" Katherine beamed upon seeing him. "Look at this fluffy one He''s so cute."

    Damien sat on the bed and the puppy immediately bounced towards hisp, asking to be pet. He rubbed Bear''s belly and chin before setting him down the floor. "You''re not allowed on the bed," he said in a gentle tone. The brown ball of fur curled up next to the bed.

    "How strict," shemented with a yful smile on her face as Damienid down next to her.

    "This is my bed. Only you and I can sleep here." He pulled her close and kissed her forehead. "Are you feeling better?" he asked.

    Katherine nodded, returning his hug with her own and nuzzling her face on his chest. Damien smelled of a woodsy and vani scent  it was so calming and nice that it made her feel even morefortable in his arms. "You''re right You''re my family. Thank you, Damien."<ol><li>Bitcoinis a cryptocurrency.</li></ol>

 Chapter 157: Walking into the Lions Den

    Chapter 157: Walking into the Lion''s Den

    Damien''s eyes fluttered open when Bear pawed his hand. Lazily, he gave Bear a quick pat on its head before he turned his attention to Katherine whose arm and leg were wrapped around him with her face pressed on his back.

    He smiled as he had gotten used to her sleeping habits. Katherine always liked to have something to hug or cuddle whenever she sleeps, so most of the time, Damien wakes up to a back hug or her head resting on his chest  whichever it is, he found it a wonderful way to wake up to.

    Turning around to face her, he brushed her hair away from her face before pulling her closer and kissing her forehead.

    "Nghh" she groaned. "What time is it?" she slurred.

    "6:30 We have to get up. Ali''s leaving early," he whispered above her head. Katherine wasn''t much of a morning person and Damien discovered this after witnessing her being grumpy whenever he wakes her up for a morning workout. Later, he learned several ways on how to wake her up without making her irritable.

    He gently stroked her arm and back, making her lean more onto him as though she was asking for more strokes. It was like having two pets at home  a Kitten and a Bear.

    "Yeah, we should get up," she murmured but remained motionless.

    They stayed in the same position for five more minutes before Damien ced a kiss on her head and nudged her to get up with him, in which she willingly followed.

    When they got out of the bedroom after washing up, the smell of breakfast and coffee wafted through the air. Alianna had woken up early to cook breakfast for them and when the couple arrived downstairs, she had just ced thest te on the table. "Good, you''re up." She beamed at them and watched Damien put Bear down on the floor. The fluffball hurriedly ran towards her and she cooed as she pets it.

    "Ali What''s all this? We were supposed to cook for you this morning." Katherine strolled towards the dining area, taking in the tes of sausages, eggs, pancakes, bread, and fruits. Everything looked scrumptious and she suddenly became so hungry.

    "You guys took care of me all week. This is the least I can do."

    "You''re always wee here." Damien appeared from the kitchen after washing his hands. "You''re going straight to work after?"

    "Yes. I have a photoshoot at ten. Oh, and Caleb''s picking me up so you don''t have to drive me there."

    The three of them sat at the table and started eating. Alianna was going to stay at the Park Mansion until she flies back to Italy. She wanted to spend time with Nana before leaving.

    "By the way, Damien Do you have Matthew Jeong''s phone number?"

    "I don''t, why?"

    Alianna shrugged and started ying with her food. "I haven''t really talked to him after that night. I just wanted to say thank you but it seems that he''s always out, so I haven''t had the chance."

    Nodding, Damien responded, "I''ll get his number and forward it to you."

    The three of them continued to eat their breakfast and talked about traveling together in the future. Alianna always liked to travel everywhere and she thought it would be fun to go out of the country with Katherine.

    Two weeks went by so fast and it was already Nana''s birthday, August 12th. Damien and Katherine were in the master bedroom dressing up for the party.

    He wore a light blue suit and had the top button of his white shirt undone. He strolled towards Katherine who was checking herself on the tall mirror, making sure her dress was okay.

    She was wearing a nude pink bodycon dress, falling just below her knee. It had a sexy V-neck, soft butterfly sleeves and a ribbon on the left side of her waist. Toplete her look, she wore a pair of nude metallic peep-toe Jimmy Choos. She kept her makeup really light and her hair neatlybed into soft waves, making her look like a doll.

    The party was a fairlyid back and casual evening dinner with family and close friends so their outfits were just perfect.

    Damien walked up from behind her, swept her hair to the side, revealing her smooth skin. He ced a kiss on the side of her neck as his arms slid around her waist. "You look lovely," he whispered to her ear, his breath tickling her skin.

    Katherine spun around and ced her hands on his chest, smiling as she returned thepliment, "And you look really handsome."

    Tilting her chin up to him, he ced a soft kiss on her lips before taking her hand in his. "Let''s go We don''t want to bete."

    Park Estate

    Entering the 14-acrend, Katherine was in awe to see the vast area. The road to the 2,550-square meter mansion was a long one with big trees on either side.

    When the car came to a stop, Damien circled around and opened the door for her. "Shall we?"

    Katherine ced her hand in his and they walked towards the entrance as she continued to scan the exterior of the French chateau-inspired mansion. There was a guesthouse on the left and a pool house on the right. "Damien, it''s so beautiful here," she muttered.

    "It is." A small and brief smile formed on his face. He breathed in deeply before they entered the foyer of the house, a spiral staircase was on the side leading to the second floor.

    "Hey you''re finally here." Alianna appeared to greet them and they exchanged hugs. "Come on, everybody''s in the living room." She ushered them to the spacious room on the right and saw about forty people inside mingling with each other  some of the guests turned their heads towards them and a few raised some brows as they saw Katherine''s arm hooked with Damien''s.

    Lightly moving his head to whisper to Katherine''s ear, Damien said, "You''re amazing. You''ve got this." He kissed her temple before greeting one of the elders that approached him.

    Alianna immediately pulled her to the side, determined not to leave her out of sight throughout the night. She knew very well how the members of the Park Family can be a little too much. Keeping a fake smile on her face, Alianna said under her breath that only Katherine could hear, "I forgot to tell you, Lexi''s here somewhere."

    Katherine curled the corners of her mouth up and softly chuckled. "Of course she is."

    "Don''t worry, Kath. You''ll be fine If it helps, the only way to survive this bunch of" she cleared her throat. "The only way to survive the night is to not let anyone step on your toes. In this house, they all respect Damien but to outsiders they can be a bitch. So if they attack, w them right back." She snorted.

    Katherine turned her head and met Alianna''s smiling eyes. "Okay so basically, you''re telling me that I just walked into the Lion''s den and I just have to survive in order not to be eaten? That''s helpful..."

    "Yup. Don''t worry Although it''s a little intimidating, I''m sure they won''t do anything insane they wouldn''t dare to do anything that would make Damien write their names in his ck book."

    Katherine raised a brow, "He has a ck book?"

    Alianna threw her head backughing, "I''m just messing with you. You''ll be fine"

    Just then, the Park family''s butler appeared at the entryway, clearing his throat to catch everyone''s attention.

    "Good evening. Announcing the Madame''s arrival," he said before stepping to the side and soon, Nana appeared wearing a gold floor-length dress. She was all smiles as she nodded to the guests who were greeting her when she entered the living room.

    However, as soon as her eyesnded on Katherine, Nana''s smile became even brighter and she excitedly walked across the room, giving Katherine a big embrace. "Oh, Katherine, dear It''s so lovely to see you. I''m very happy that you''re here."

    Nana''s actions caused everyone to stir and whisper to one another, wondering why she was so friendly with Damien''s date.

    Feeling all eyes on her, Katherine''s heart began to race. ''Sh*t.''

 Chapter 158: Judgemental Eyes

    Chapter 158: Judgemental Eyes

    "Nana Happy birthday," Katherine said in a soft tone, her voice sounded so angelic that Nana''s heart fluttered upon hearing it.

    "Oh, you sweet child." Nana patted Katherine''s back before pulling away.

    Damien arrived and pulled Nana in for a hug, giving her a genuine smile as he greeted, "Happy birthday, Nana." He kissed his grandmother''s cheek.

    "Look at you together. Your father would be so proud to see you happy and with a beautiful woman like Katherine. Will I be expecting any great-grandchildren soon?" Nana asked without hesitation.

    Her question might seem quite ordinary for most people would think it was quite natural for a grandmother to ask for great-grandchildren, just like how parents would ask for grandchildren. However, hearing this question from the Madame of the Park Family held a lot of weight. The guests who heard her question began to think highly of Katherine.

    For Madame Park to request this, not only was she giving her blessing to Katherine but she was openly weing her into the Park Family. This woman whom Damien brought was not to be trifled with. If anything, the guests thought they should start praising her. They''ll do anything to get on Damien''s good side.

    Katherine''s eyes widened upon hearing Nana''s sudden question. Why would she ask that now and here of all ces? She could feel her scalp burning from all the stares that everyone else was giving her.

    Sensing her difort, Damien ced a hand on the small of her back and was about to respond to his grandmother when Frederick Park appeared as if right on cue.

    "Mother, how could you ask that of them? This Miss is Damien''s secretary, she''s just here to apany him to the party," he answered in a monotonous voice, unafraid of what people might think. He had noticed everyone''s expression and he wanted to put a stop to whatever they had in mind. "You look beautiful, Mother." Frederick Park gave his mother a kiss on the cheek.

    Somewhere in the crowd, Lexi chuckled and happily took a sip from her wine as she watched how everyone was now ring disapprovingly at Katherine. Did this lowly secretary think that she could get inside the Park Family very easily?

    Hearing what the current head of the Park Family said, the guests'' opinions about Katherine suddenly took a sharp turn. From the admiration that they had towards her earlier, most of the guests now thought that it was such a scandalous affair, immediately thinking that Katherine was only in it for the money.

    Women who were after rich bachelor''s money was not something new to them  after all, Damien Park was a billionaire with heavy influence and almost everyone in the room was there not only to celebrate Nana''s birthday but to try and get close to him. This was a fact that Damien knew but because he loves his grandmother very much, he was willing to go through the night in a room filled with leeches.

    He was pissed with his uncle for his sudden interruption and the condescending manner in which he announced to everyone about Katherine''s position in hispany. Almost instantly, Damien rified in a stern voice, "Indeed, Katherine is currently my secretary. But I have known her for years before she even started working in mypany." His hand slid to her waist and pulled her closer to him as though he was showing how protective he was of her.

    "She is here as my girlfriend," he said briefly but his voice punctuated his every purpose.

    Because Damien had unabashedly imed Katherine in front of many people, the guests'' opinions about her swayed again. They looked at Damien and saw an aplished man. When their gazended on Katherine, they studied her and saw how she stood next to him  she stood tall and not feebly, proud and not quivering, and most notable of all, she had an air of elegance around her that was evident even when they learned of her ''role'' in the Crown Resort Group.

    In an instant, Damien and Katherine looked like a formidable couple. It was strange yet somewhat natural-looking as though they didn''t even have to try.

    Realizing her son Frederick''s dislike towards Damien''s girlfriend, Nana couldn''t help but sigh silently before she added, "I personally invited Katherine tonight. She and I are friends and I am happy that she epted my invitation and is here."

    The butler came and whispered something to Nana. Then, she walked towards the middle of the room and announced with a gentle smile on her face, "Well, as the young ones say these days  Let''s get this party started!"

    As soon as she said that, the jazz band started ying music and servers waltzed inside the spacious living room with trays and trays of drinks and food. The guests'' attention steered away from Damien and Katherine as they enjoyed the night''s party away.

    "Well that was eventful," Katherine took a long swig of champagne. She could feel her feet getting all sweaty from what just happened.

    Damien trailed his fingers down her arm before gripping her waist and drawing his lips above her ear, his hot breath brushing against her skin as he spoke in a low and raspy-whispery voice, "Honey, I love you... but I''m not a fan when you''re drunk. So, ease up on the alcohol." He kissed her temple.

    Katherine instantly blushed and gulped because of their sudden proximity. His voice, his touch, and intoxicating smell shot jolts of electricity through her abdomen and down her core. She swore by all unholy spirits that Damien just made her underwear wet. How was it possible that he had this much effect on her even after they had rolled over the bed plenty of times?

    She cleared her throat and slightly pulled away to make some gap. "I didn''t know you could get drunk with champagne."

    "Believe me, this sparkling wine can get you drunk faster," he chuckled. "Though I''m kind of interested in the effect that it would have on you when you''re slightly buzzed" he raised a brow paired with a sexy smirk dancing on his lips.

    Feeling yful, Katherine turned to face him. "Tell me, Mr. Park Are you actually looking forward to it?"

    The darkness of his eyes bored into Katherine, making her feel the heat creeping up on her nape. He leaned forward and whispered to her ear so that only the two of them could hear, "Trust me, my love Once this party is over and I get you home, I need you to be sober for the things that I want to do to you."

    As though Katherine was mesmerized, she blurted in a breathy voice, "Yeah? And what are those?"

    "Wouldn''t you like to know?" he teased. "Drink moderately and I will reward you well I can tell you one thing though  it involves you without clothes on," he said just before he pulled away and excused himself to get them some cocktail food.

    As soon as Damien was gone, Alianna appeared by her side. "Ooh girl, you''re going to get it tonight, aren''t you?" she wiggled her brows.

    "I don''t know what you''re talking about." Katherine took another sip of her champagne in an attempt to shake off the obvious thirst that might be on her face.

    "Heh You can''t fool me, Kath. I''ve never seen Damien act like that in a room full of people like this. He just couldn''t keep his hands off you and I''m saying this because I know my cousin. And Damien Park doesn''t do PDA." Alianna put a Zhini bite in her mouth.

    "You''re saying it like it''s a good thing is it?" Katherine wondered if public disys of affection were okay.

    "Are you kidding? Of course. Especially if you''re dating my cousin. You need to show everyone you and Damien are really in love. I know at least half of the people in this room who are out to get him or have their daughters marry into the family."

    "Doesn''t that leave a bad taste though? I mean for some, it may be inappropriate"

    "Babe, it''s the modern world. You need to stake your im or someone will think you''re not capable and worthy to stand next to Damien." Alianna nodded to a group of women in their twenties across the room who were giving Katherine a deadly re.

 Chapter 159: Nanas Birthday Presents

    Chapter 159: Nana''s Birthday Presents

    Katherine snorted before taking another sip of her champagne. "They must be dreaming if they think Damien will even take a nce at them."

    Chuckling, Alianna and Katherine eyed each other knowingly and clinked their sses. "Damn right," Ali said and the two of them downed their drinks.

    "Okay, champagne out food in." Damien grabbed the empty flute from Katherine''s hand and reced it with a saucer full of bite-sized cocktail food. He was determined to have her eat her fill, not wanting to let the alcohol sit in her empty stomach.

    "Oh, Caleb''s here." Alianna waved at Caleb from across the room before she walked away to meet him. The two have been spending time together and seemed to be enjoying each other''spany.

    "Do you think they''ll get back together?" Katherine wondered aloud.

    Damien shrugged his shoulders as he watched his cousin and his best friend chatting on the other side of the room. "Honestly? I''m not sure, but if they do Someone''s going to end up broken-hearted for the second time."

    She raised a brow at him, unsure of why he said that. "You don''t think they''ll have a better chance now that they''ve grown?"

    "They''ve broken up clear-headed and for a reason that I think hasn''t changed until now. They''re still doing the same things. Ali still won''t be staying in the country while Caleb won''t be moving. They have already tried the long-distance rtionship and failed. So I don''t know."

    Katherine pursed her lips together. "Hmmm I kind of ship them the more I see them together."

    "Enough about them. They''re grown-ups. You should focus your attention on me instead," he said, trailing his fingers down her arm.

    She turned towards him with a grin on her face. "Oh yeah? I didn''t think you''d want my attention what with all the women tantly checking you out and drooling over your" She swept her gaze down his torso before lifting them up to his eyes, "...physique."

    A slow smile grew on his lips as he inched closer to her, "I don''t know anything about that. I had my eyes on you the entire time."

    On her peripheral vision, Katherine could still sense all the eyes that were on them as she and Damien flirted with each other. ''im your man, Katherine,'' she told herself. Without breaking her heated eye contact with him, she ced her hand on the cor of his suit, slightly pulling him towards her as she whispered, "Kiss me."

    Without second thoughts, Damien slid his hand on the small of her back, lowered his head and pressed his lips to hers.

    The kiss was sweet and soft and enough to make the women who were watching them groan, roll their eyes and turn away. A small smile formed on her lips just as they broke the kiss.

    Moving towards her ear, he said in a low voice, "I know what you did." She quietly gasped but heard him continue, "I''m notining though. But if you still want to put on more shows, I''d dly y my part."

    Katherine couldn''t help but chuckle. She got caught and she found it funny. "Damien, do we need to put on a show?"

    Heughed. "You''re right we could just be ourselves," he said. He kissed the skin behind her ear and his hand slid down to her bottom, giving it a squeeze before he pulled away, a smirk dancing on his face.

    Katherine couldn''t contain her grin and just stood there next to him, allowing him to ce his arm around her waist while the party went on.

    One bitter woman across the room was furious at what she was witnessing as she watched the two together. Moreover, Lexi had her so-called friends around her were chattering excitedly about how Damien was all over his new girlfriend which fueled the anger in her heart.

    After the very short scandal that she released on the inte through the online columnist, Damien retaliated by using his influence to cancel all the projects that she had at that time. She only had a few projects left because otherpanies already withdrew their proposals after he threatened her when he found out she was the one behind Katherine''s ident. Now she had no work as no one was willing to hire her anymore.

    But that was not all, her grandfather learned about what she had done and had cut off her allowance. She was basically a bum at the moment and she had to beg in order for her grandfather to bring her along with him to this party. Lexi was enraged but she could no longer risk what was left of her or she was afraid that her grandfather will remove her from the family.

    The party went on a full swing before it was time for Nana to receive her gifts. She sat on a gold-framed royal red armchair in the middle of the stage while the guests started to present their gifts to her. Everyone took turns to show their ''expensive'' or ''rare'' gifts and Nana maintained a smile on her face as she thanked all of them. Her smile, however, didn''t really reach her eyes.

    Katherine and Damien stood at the side, watching as it all happened. When it was his turn to give his gift, he waved his hand and a few servants brought in a giant leather chair and ced it on the side of the stage and Nana''s eyes lit up. Damien helped her up and ushered her to sit on the high-tech giant chair.

    "You told me you''ve been having backaches a lot recently so I got you this full body massage chair. Now you can rx anytime you want." He ced a kiss on Nana''s forehead before pressing a button and the chair came to life, moving against Nana''s body and making her smile and giggle.

    "Oooh this I love this" Nana was having the time of her life. Everybody alsoughed as they witnessed the old Madame rx in the chair for a minute before the massage chair stopped and she went back to sit on her throne.

    William who was standing on the side with his ss of wine noticed Katherine with a gold paper bag in her hand. "Ms. Katherine, why don''t you go next?" he formed a lopsided smile.

    Katherine actually wanted to give her present secretly before leaving the party. Her eyes darted to William and she saw the mischief on his eyes and next to him was Lexi who had a mocking expression. Everyone''s eyes were now on her and she didn''t want to be ridiculed because her gifts weren''t expensive  she knew the guests were all about the price tag.

    Sensing her hesitation, Damien stroked her back and squeezed her waist as though he was giving her the courage. "Go on, Nana''s waiting."

    Breathing deeply, Katherine nodded. That''s right, she had put a lot of thought into her gifts and they came from her heart. That''s what''s important.

    Stepping forward, she handed therge gold paper bag to Nana. "Happy birthday, Nana. I hope you like these."

    Nana could see the worry in Katherine''s eyes despite the smile on her lips. "Dear, I''m sure I will love it as it came from you."

    Excitedly, Nana pulled out a shoebox and opened it. Her eyes widened and her mouth hung open upon seeing a pair of 2-inch gold shoes. She dug in the paper bag again and pulled out another item and held it in front of her. Her eyes scanned the blue dress  it had ruffles, sheer, rhinestones, and frills  it did not look like a normal dress at all. Nana turned her head towards Katherine and thetter only held a slight smile.

    When Nana was quiet and did not show any reaction, the guests started to snicker and gossip. Katherine''s gift looked silly  how could she gift a shimmering, sparkling dress and shoes to an old woman? The guests anticipated for Nana to give Katherine a scolding.

    However, what they heard and saw next only made their eyes widen in shock  Nana heartilyughed and squealed in excitement, hugging the gifts that Katherine gave her.

    She got up from the chair and gave Katherine a bear hug. "Oh, my dear. This is the best gift that I have ever received!"

 Chapter 160: Katherines Solid Backing

    Chapter 160: Katherine''s Solid Backing

    "Oh!" Katherine caught Nana in her arms and patted her back. "I''m d you like it" She didn''t know what else to say, especially when all eyes were on them at the moment  they were all wondering why Old Madame Park was so delighted over the gifts.

    One of Nana''s friends couldn''t help but ask, "Evelyn, what is so special about these shiny things?" She turned to Katherine and raised her brow, "Isn''t this kind of inappropriate for her age?"

    Nana snapped her head towards the woman who just spoke and knitted her brows. Katherine was quick to answer the woman''s question, "When I first met Nana, she told me about her joy in dancing. She said it had always been her dream to learn ballroom dancing but she never really gave it a try and she could only wish. So I enrolled her in a private ss and I got her a dancing dress and a pair of dancing shoes to go along with it."

    Nana listened as Katherine exined and her eyes watered. "I only told you that in passing, I didn''t think you would even remember it." She didn''t tell anyone else about this secret desire. When she talked about it on that charity g, she was merely rambling and didn''t think that Katherine would take note of it.

    "Of course I would remember. You looked really happy when you told me about it," Katherine responded.

    "Thank you very much, darling I will treasure all of these, they''re easily my favorites now."

    The woman who just asked the question finally nodded in understanding. Among all the guests, Katherine was the only one who received such a jovial reaction. Nana''s friends had given her expensive gifts, but most of them were not as sincere as Katherine in their selection of gifts. They were just trying to show off their status and to let other people know how capable they were and how deep their pockets were.

    Nana was known as a prideful and elegant woman whomanded respect from everyone. But just because of the simple gifts that she got from Damien''s girlfriend, Nana acted like a little girl who had just received her much-awaited Christmas present.

    Some were starting to be envious of Katherine''s close rtionship with Madame Park. Most of the guests were now convinced that she was going to be Mrs. Damien Park soon since she had Nana as her solid backing.

    After the gift-giving, the party went back to more dancing and mingling. Katherine had drunk two flutes of champagne and was slightly buzzed. She excused herself from the small group of Damien, Alianna, Caleb, and Jeffrey to go to the toilet.

    She walked down the hall and entered arge powder room. After relieving herself and retouching her makeup, she walked back towards the party but noticed an open door to the right. If she remembered correctly, this door should lead to the library. Earlier, Damien had given her a short tour of the mansion.

    From where she stood by the door, she saw arge frame of what seemed like a family picture that hung on the wall. Without realizing, her feet brought her inside the library and she was drawn to take a closer look at the three-generation family portrait of the Parks.

    She hadn''t had the chance to study the beautiful image when she heard a man''s deep voice behind her. "How nice of you to join me, Ms. Katherine," William said as he set down the ss of whiskey in his hand, his hand now resting on the arm of the leather sofa.

    "Oh, I''m sorry. I didn''t realize I was"

    "It''s okay. I don''t mind thepany I just wanted to rest for a bit. You can sit with me if you like." A smile broke on his handsome face as he patted the space next to him.

    Katherine shook her head. "No, thanks. I should get back"

    "Why are you so elusive, Ms. Katherine? I don''t remember doing anything to you." William got up from the sofa and strode towards her. In an instant, he stood before her. William was tall but not as tall as Damien. "Are you afraid of me?" He brought his hand up and his fingers yed with the ends of her hair. She gulped and sensed danger, causing her to instinctively take a step back.

    Despite her attempt to put a distance between them, he inched closer and dragged his stare down to her lips before he looked at her again. "You are."

    "I''m not. I just don''t like you," she said in a firm tone, masking the lump that was starting to form in her throat.

    "Hmmm" He chuckled. "I don''t see the reason why you should. I just want us to be friends." He raised his hand to caress her cheek, a yful smile lingering on his lips.

    Just before William could touch her, arge hand snaked around Katherine''s waist and she was pressed towards Damien''s chest. "What are you doing?" Damien questioned, his voice filled with contempt.

    William exhaled heavily and withdrew his hand. "I was just making friends with your girlfriend. You''re overreacting." He turned around and sat on the sofa, drinking the rest of his whiskey.

    "Are you ready to go home?" Damien asked Katherine, brushing her arms up and down. When she nodded, he gestured towards the door and the two of them left the library.

    As soon as they were gone, William''s eyes darted to the door where the two disappeared. He clenched his jaw and his eyes darkened, mming the ss back down on the table before he walked out. Despite growing up with Damien like they were brothers, everything changed years ago and now, the two of them despised each other. His blood boiled every time he heard Damien''s name  he wished he could take away everything that Damien possessed.

    The garden outside the mansion

    Caleb and Alianna walked around the garden until they reached the fountain. She sat down and sighed, raising her head up to look at the stars. "I''m leaving tomorrow," she said.

    Caleb swallowed and did not say anything. He sat next to her and looked straight ahead, watching the fairy lights that were twirled around the bushes.

    "I don''t know when I''ll be back. Probably a few monthster" Alianna had a smile on her face. The two of them didn''t talk about their rtionship during the two weeks that they hung out. It was as if they were both avoiding the topic.

    "Li Are you happy?" He turned towards her and met her smiling eyes. She nodded and sighed before replying, "Yes I''m finally living the dream."

    The corner of Caleb''s mouth curled up, seemingly affected by the way she smiled. "That''s good. Me too I''m happy for you."

    "I will miss you, Cay" Alianna said, maintaining the smile on her face. She got up abruptly and held her hand out to him, "Let''s go we should get back to the party."

    Caleb took her hand in his as he got up and started walking with her. He suddenly stopped in his tracks, making Ali turn towards him. "What''s wrong?"

    "What are we doing, Li?" Caleb asked with a gentle voice, his face was expressionless but the way he held her hand gave away his emotions.

    Alianna moved closer to him, staring into his brown eyes and held his hand tighter. She didn''t know what to say. She loved the man in front of her but knowing how they wouldn''t work out just made everythingplicated.

    He gazed back at her and saw the woman he loved all those years ago. Even without saying anything, the two of them knew what the other was thinking.

    Caleb raised his hand and tucked her hair behind her ear before cupping her face. There wasn''t a need to say anything and Alianna naturally leaned forward  he tilted his head to the side and met her lips. Even after several years, their kiss was still the same just the way they both remembered.

 Chapter 161: Cold Summer Night

    Chapter 161: Cold Summer Night

    After saying goodbye to Nana, Katherine and Damien left the party and got inside the Aston Martin and headed home. It was a Sunday evening so they couldn''t stay out toote as it was a working day the next day.

    Nana told them to stay for the night in Damien''s old bedroom but the two of them declined. They couldn''t leave Bear alone at home until the next day.

    The car drove out of the Park Estate and soon joined the traffic on the main road. "Are you okay?" he asked when he noticed that she was being oddly quiet.

    She quickly stered on a bright smile and nodded her head. "Yeah, I''m okay."

    "He didn''t do anything to you before I arrived, did he?" Damien nced at her, slowing the car down so that he could see the expression on her face properly. The car almost came to a stop and that''s when he saw that she had a neutral expression.

    Shaking her head, she assured him with a smile, "You don''t have to worry, he didn''t. And if ever, I wasn''t going to let him. I''m okay I''m just trying to recall what happened tonight."

    Nodding, Damien stepped on the gas again and continued to drive. "Did you enjoy the party?"

    "I think so I guess it wasn''t so bad. Except for the times when the guests would constantly sneak nces my way some don''t even sneak, they were literally staring at me and didn''t care that I could see them." She shook her head and heard Damien''s heartyugh. "Are they always like that? You know judging people when they get the chance..."

    "I couldn''t say for all but it is verymon for people in high society. They think they''re above the masses Most of them only see you for how much money you make or your social ranking. It''s shallow but money does things to people." He shrugged.

    Katherine observed Damien for a while. She was d to know the kind of person he was despite being born with a silver spoon. For the months that they had spent together and the feelings that she experienced while being with him, she could definitely say that underneath the facade that he chose to show to other people, he was actually a warm, loving, and kind person.

    There were a lot of sides to him that she could see whenever she''s with him. The way hemands and orders whenever he was in the office  when he was doing business and he has a serious look on his face  when he''s silly or goofy or just being Damien when they''re alone or at home, all of which, she loves. And she''s extremely happy that she gets to see all shades of Damien.

    Noticing her prating gaze while he was driving, a sexy smile formed on his face as he asked, "Are you falling for me all over again?"

    Katherine chuckled and leaned up to him, cing her hand on his jaw as she pressed a kiss on his cheek. "Yes." She didn''t dare deny it.

    "Good." Damien winked at her just as he parked the car in front of their house.

    Unbuckling his seatbelt, he leaned towards her, kissed her neck and said in a low voice, "I''ll meet you in the bedroom in five minutes. I want you naked and ready when I get there."

    Katherine met his fiery gaze, making her bite her lip. She got out of the car and almost sprinted towards the main door. As soon as she got inside, Bear pounced on her legs. She bent down and gave Bear a pat before going up the stairs.

    "Sorry, Bear You have to stay out tonight. Again. Mommy and Daddy are going to get busy," she muttered as shended on the second floor.

    ''More like freaky'' she thought as she undressed herself.

    A minuteter, Damien entered the house, gave Bear a quick pet and raised his index finger as hemanded, "Stay."

    He turned towards the stairs and started undoing his buttons, a slow smile dancing on his lips as he anticipated what they were going to do the whole night.

    ......

    In the cold summer night, the silence was cut by the sound of the door mming shut. Heated bodies crashing together while hands frantically removed each other''s clothes.

    There were no words. Just actions. And breathy pants.

    Soon, the two bodies were lost in carnal bliss  not thinking about consequences  just wanting to satisfy their selfish reasons for being each other''s regrets before the sunes up.

    Caleb and Alianna''sst night of passion might just be what they needed before they moved on.

    During the two weeks that they spent in each other''spany, they did nothing but remained friends. They held hands and had given goodnight kisses on the cheeks, but they knew they couldn''t do anything beyond that. They thought they were smart.

    But just this night, they missed each other and they were going to miss each other when morninges. Which was why after giving in to that one kiss, they couldn''t stop. Screw everything. All they wanted and all they needed was just one night together in each other''s arms.

    So despite knowing that it wouldn''t end well, Cay and Li still had to be each other''s happiness, even just for one night.

    The next day

    The sun rose up so high its rays prate through the sheer curtains of Caleb''s tall window, hitting Alianna in the face, rousing her to wake up. It was a good thing as she forgot to set her rm and she was supposed to fly out of the country that morning.

    She saw the clock on the nightstand and she exhaled a sigh upon seeing that she still had about four hours left before her flight. All her luggage was ready but she had to go back to the Park Mansion to see her Nana before leaving for the airport.

    Rolling to the other side, she faced Caleb who was still sleeping. She couldn''t resist the urge to brush his cheek, and when she did, he pulled her closer to him.

    Alianna knew that she had to leave. Her fairy tale hase to an end and she was content that she at least got a taste of her happy ending even if it was just for one night.

    However, it was why it was called a happy ending because it made her happy but it really had to end.

    She knew better than anyone else that she couldn''t stay in the country. And Caleb couldn''t leave either. Which was why the two of them would never work. They had tried to make it work several years ago but their dreams and circumstances just couldn''t make it possible.

    At first, she nned to sneak out and leave without saying goodbye. But she cared about him so much to do that. So even though it was going to crush them both, she still chose to let him know.

    Alianna snuggled closer and whispered, "I need to go, Cay"

    Caleb opened his eyes and met hers. "I''ll drive you."

    With a smile on her face, she shook her head. "No, I''ll take a cab. It''s better this way."

    Nodding, he kissed her deeply and gently as though she was fragile. "Take care of yourself, Li"

    "You, too."

    Alianna got out of bed and quickly changed into her clothes while Caleb went to the bathroom and took a shower. She was already gone when he came out. As though it was a regr Monday morning, he went about his morning routine  he had breakfast, got into his suit and went to work.

    It was just like any other day at the office.

 Chapter 162: Temptingly Delicious

    Chapter 162: Temptingly Delicious

    Crown Resort Group

    Katherine was in Damien''s office helping him prepare for the regr Monday meeting with the executives. A few years ago, thepany started to venture into the real estate business. Because of its booming sess, thepany had been making a lot of revenue from developing residential andmercial properties.

    Recently, thepany bought a fewnds and they had been preparing on how to fully maximize the potential of gaining revenue from those investments. One of the agenda for the meeting was to discuss a few projects and nning the construction bidding that they will advertise in the future.

    "Come with me to the meeting. I want you next to me." Damien Park stroked his fingers on her hips and slid his hands up to her waist while she was fixing his tie.

    A smile formed on her lips as Katherine folded and inserted the tie to form a knot. He insisted on wearing one of Katherine''s gifts that day  it was the ssy navy blue tie with Kitten outline. "You''re insanely clingy this morning. What''s up with you?"

    He gripped her waist and abruptly pulled her closer, causing her to yelp in surprise. "Can''t I just want to be with you? I''ll be on a trip tomorrow"

    "Yeah but you''ll only be gone for two days!"

    Damien dipped his head and his mouth found her sweet spot just below her ear. He open-mouthed kissed and nipped the spot, instantly making her knees buckle. "Yes, I''m going to miss you."

    Katherine forced herself to gently push him away and red at him. "We''re in the office, President Park. I could sue you for harassment."

    Damien threw his head back andughed before he wrapped his arms around her waist. He revealed a sexy smirk as he said, "Really? Well, make sure you tell HR what I did to you in bedst night. And how I made youe apart" He pressed his lips on the base of her ear. "Over" Another one on her jaw. "And over again." She couldn''t help but grip the cor of his suit.

    As he pulled away, he saw the questioning look on her face. "You are a very mean person," she said, rolling her eyes but smiling right after.

    "I love your dress," hemented.

    Katherine was wearing a ck single-breasted pencil dress. It had 3/4 sleeves and the buttons started from the neckline ''til all the way down to her mid-thigh. Paired with ck stilettos, she looked ssy and formal.

    "Of course, you do. You chose it for me this morning," she replied, patting his tie in ce and brushing the stubborn lint away from his coat.

    "And do you know why?" he asked, raising a brow while he buttoned his suit.

    Katherine gave him a questioning look, waiting for what his reason was. Leaning forward, Damien moved his mouth to her ear, his hot breath tickling her skin as he said, "For easy ess."

    He turned towards the door and walked out, leaving her with a bewildered look on her face. "Let''s go, Ms. Miller."

    "What do you mean?" she muttered as she hurriedly went after him with her brows furrowed. She quickly grabbed a few things from her desk before following him to the elevators, however, Damien didn''t answer her question.

    Meeting Room

    In a long solid wood table that seated twenty people, Damien and Katherine sat side by side at one end  all of the members of the meeting facing the presenter who was at the other end of the table.

    An hour into the meeting, they were already talking about the target date for the contractor bidding on the properties that they intend to develop.

    The presenter went on about the possible projects that they could have in connection with thends. He mentioned a few top constructionpanies that could be part of the bidding process; a few of which he favored: Hara Construction Company, Young Corporation, and Smith Construction & Development Company.

    He mentioned the different achievements and excellent projects that the saidpanies had aplished recently in order to make it easier for them to choose the winner.

    While that was going on, Damien was seemingly bored with the ramblings of the presenters and the other members'' contribution to the topic. He leaned back in his chair and his eyesnded on Katherine. She was sitting on his right side, typing away the minutes of the meeting on theptop in front of her.

    In a very subtle manner, he shifted in his seat until his knee was touching her thigh. Feeling the nudge on her leg, she peered down and saw what he did. She looked at him but his face was expressionless and he was staring straight ahead. Thinking that it was unintentional, she went back to focus on herptop. Damien swiftly nced at her and suppressed a smile to form on his face.

    He casually leaned forward on the table and turned his head to the side as though he was checking herptop but he kept his body on a safe distance away from her.

    Soon after, Katherine softly gasped, her hands unceremoniously spreading on the keyboard and her fingers identally tapping random keys before she froze. Carefully, she peeked at Damien''s face but he was still expressionless and not looking at her.

    Under the table just a few seconds ago, his expert fingers popped thest button on her skirt before he nted his hand on her bare thigh. He stroked it gently, sending jolts of lust straight through her core.

    How could this Devil put her in this situation? It was dangerous!

    And his hand was so warm... it''s so temptingly delicious.

    Facing herptop again, Katherine tried so hard to ignore his hand petting her thigh and continued what she was doing. Determined to stop his mischievousness, she squeezed her thighs shut, trapping his hand in ce.

    Damien loosely covered his mouth with his left hand, looking so nonchnt but he was actually trying to mask the grin that was threatening to show on his lips. If she thought that was going to stop him she was obviously wrong.

    With a flick of his hand, Katherine''s thighs spread apart. And in an instant, he slid his hand further up her inner thigh, making her gasp again. "Hh" She had to clear her throat and bite her lip to keep herself from making another sound.

    Her heart started to race and she was so sure she needed to rece her underwear very soon, especially when Damien began to draw slow circles on her skin as his hand went further up. Dangerously.

    Katherine could no longer concentrate. She stopped caring about writing minutes and nced at the device next to herptop. It was a good thing that the meeting was recorded, she could easily review and redo the minutester. There was no way she could ever work at that state.

    Her toes curled and she shifted in her seat as she fought the urge to buck her hips to his hand. ''You are nasty, Katherine!'' the innocent angel in her said. But the little devil in her ear was telling her to have some fun and even open her legs wider to give Damien better ess.

    She was battling with herself and she did not know what to do. Her body was on fire. She almost moaned when his fingers found the edge of her underwear and teased it.

    "President Park?" one of the members of the meeting called Damien''s attention.

    Damien looked up and saw everyone''s eyes on him. Katherine was afraid that they were caught but was surprised to hear that he was still calm as he responded with a nod, "Good. Proceed with the n. Prepare to advertise for the construction bid. That''s all." His hand disappeared from her thigh while everyone else got up and walked out of the meeting room.

    Before getting up from his chair, Damien leaned into Katherine, his voice low, hot and stern as he whispered, "In my office. Now."

    Her heart beat erratically, thinking about what her man was about to do. The typical Monday morning suddenly became an interesting one. Possibly even steamy.

 Chapter 163: A Willing Prey

    Chapter 163: A Willing Prey

    Everybody left the meeting room except Katherine.

    Her face was flushed and she definitely needed a new pair of undies. It was a good thing that she had some clothes stashed in Damien''s penthouse. She breathed in and out in a slow manner, trying not to get distracted by the obvious dampness between her thighs.

    Her head snapped to the closed door and she red at it, picturing Damien''s mischievous smile. How could he do this to her? She turned to herptop once again and skimmed through the minutes, thankful that she only needed to fill in thest three minutes of the meeting. She didn''t usually have the habit of recording meetings but Damien gave her the privilege to do so from the beginning  it was so that she could have the option to review them and note down important things that she might have missed.

    Despite the "urgency" and "dominance" in Damien''s voice a minute ago, Katherine refused to shirk her responsibility as a meeting secretary. But as quickly as she could, she reviewed the recording and furiously typed on her keyboard, finishing the minutes and sending it to Damien''s email for approval right away.

    After gathering her things, she went to the top floor, set her things down her desk before she knocked on Damien''s office.

    She was just about to turn the knob when the door opened and arge hand grabbed her arm, hauling her inside the office. The door closed and a click was heard, indicating that it was locked. Her back was pressed against the door while Damien trapped her there, his leg in between her thighs and his hands holding her in ce.

    "What the hell took you so long?" he asked, his face was hard and his eyes narrowed at her as though she had put him through suffering.

    Katherine red and raised her chin up, "If you hadn''t distracted me, then I would have finished the minutes on time, President Park."

    A slow, dangerously sexy smile crept on his face, finding himself amused by her retort. Despite what he did, she still managed to finish her task  how could he not be proud? "And here I thought I was going to punish you for making me wait Looks like this is going to be a reward instead."

    "That was such a mean thing to do," she muttered.

    "Was it? I thought you liked it" he said, his hands now skimming up and down her sides.

    "Well, I didn''t! It was a distraction and you did it on purpose. I should have known why you wanted me to wear this dress Easy ess" she scoffed.

    Damien raised a brow, "Really? You didn''t like it at all? Then why are you so wet right now?" He pushed his thigh up until it hit her apex. "I can feel your moist through my pants, Kitten."

    Katherine shivered and gasped, clenching her throbbing core upon feeling his thick thigh rubbing her. "Fine. Maybe a little," she mumbled.

    He couldn''t help but chuckle at her words. "You can lie all you want, I will still prove you wrong."

    Damien''s lips came down on hers, leaving her breathless as though he sucked the air out of her. His kiss was rough and dominating that she had to clutch onto him, wrapping her arms around his neck so that she won''t fall.

    He tugged her legs up and in an instant, she wrapped it around his hips, locking him in ce. He pressed his erection on her, his body temperature rising as he was about to lose control.

    His hands that were squeezing her bottom became restless. A hand reached up to cup her breast while the other slid down to touch her where he knew she was aching. His fingers found the edge of her soaking underwear and as he teased, he heard Katherine whimper.

    She sensed him move her underwear to the side and as she anticipated, his finger ran along the slit of her heated center. She broke their kiss while she bucked and threw her head back and moan, "Oh"

    Damien groaned and pressed his forehead on the crook of her neck, his breathing bing heavier. "F*ck. You are dripping wet." He found her sweet spot and drew a circle on it before slipping two fingers in her opening.

    Katherine gripped his shoulders and buried her head on the crook of his neck she could only pant as he slowly moved inside her, "Damien"

    He retracted his hand from her and when she faced him again, he captured her lips and deepened their kiss  all while holding her steady as he brought her to his L-shaped desk. He set her down on it and without thinking twice, he pushed a few things on the table, knocking off amp and aptop to the floor.

    Damien didn''t give a damn and continued to move his lips along with Katherine''s. Because of the sound, she snapped out of her daze and broke the kiss. "Are we really doing this in your office?" she looked around, suddenly bing conscious about their surroundings.

    He retrieved a remote from his drawer and in an instant, all the clear windows turned opaque. "I want to take you here and now, Katherine," he murmured just before his mouth dove on her neck, kissing and nipping her until she moaned.

    He felt her fumbling his tie and he chuckled, "Careful, Ms. Miller my girlfriend gave it to me. I don''t want to ruin it."

    Katherine giggled, feeling as though they were doing something scandalous  obviously, they were.

    "Oh, we don''t want your girlfriend to find out what you''re doing behind her back, President Park. We should be careful." She loosened his tie, removed it from him and tossed it on the sofa.

    Pulling back, Damien smiled down at her, his hands caressing her thighs before he shoved her dress up to her waist. He gently pushed her backward until she propped herself up on her elbows. Without warning, he ripped open her dress, buttons popping and flying everywhere. "See? Easy ess."

    Katherine''s mouth hung open. "WhHow could you"

    "Baby, we don''t have time to talk. We need to leave in thirty minutes," he yanked her panties off, leaving her only wearing her wide open dress and bra. "Leave your shoes on, Ms. Miller. You look sexy in them."

    Feeling challenged, Katherine returned his smile and tugged on his waistband. "I thought you said we don''t have time to talk? Why are you still dressed? You''re not so efficient right now, President Park."

    Damien groaned and his eyes darkened but a hint of amusement lingered on his lips as he swiftly unbuckled his belt and lowered his pants and then his Calvin Klein boxer briefs, his erection springing when it was unleashed.

    Katherine swallowed as she watched him unroll a condom on his veiny, angry manhood. Her eyes shifted upward and met his smoldering gaze, he looked very much like a predator  and she was a willing prey.

    Her skin flushed in anticipation as she felt his eyes rake over her naked front and heard him say, "I need to be inside you now."

 Chapter 164: Take Me However You Want

    Chapter 164: Take Me However You Want

    ...

    He pulled her closer to the edge, grabbing her legs and bending them at the knees. He spread them apart and he settled himself between them, holding his length and brushing the tip on her opening  the two of them hissed at the teasing action. "So, how do you want to take your reward, Ms. Miller? Slow or rough?"

    Biting her bottom lip, Katherine felt him tease her core again. That was all he had to do for her to release her inhibitions.

    "President Park, take me however you want"

    ''F*ck.'' Damien clenched his jaw before he revealed a smug smile and said, "It will be my pleasure."

    As soon as he said the words, he pushed his long, hard shaft inside her in one liquid thrust to the hilt, earning a cry of satisfaction from Katherine.

    Damien closed his eyes, tilting his head to the side and released his breath. "Damn it. How are you always so tight?"

    He swept his hand over her breasts and down her stomach as heposed himself. "Ready?" he asked, though his words sounded like a warning instead of a question because at the same time that Katherine nodded, he started moving inside her  rough and hard.

    She had to grip the edges of the desk to keep herself up, biting her bottom lip as she panted with her mouth closed. She had taken his roughness when they did it before but it had always been on the soft bed. Although it wasn''t sofortable now that he had her on his hardwood desk, the sensual feeling that was building up within her was definitely more than what she had ever felt before.

    Her body temperature rose just as her heart started to beat erratically. Despite the coolness of Damien''s office and her exposed body, she was feeling all too hot. And he wasn''t better, because when his fingers dug into her hips, she swore she thought she was scalded.

    Damien started to pick up his pace, groaning as he moved in and out of her. His hungry eyes taking in the muted expression on her face. He brought his hand up to her chin and brushed her lips as he said, "Don''t hold yourself back. No one else can hear you outside of these walls."

    His promise made her release her bite and just then, he shifted her hips up to change his angle. Increasing his speed, he finally heard the beautiful sound of her moans. It was the kind of music that pushed him further to the edge of his high.

    Katherine writhed and whimpered and bucked she ached for more and he was giving her more. Just like what he told her, she no longer held her cries back and she found herself swimming in ecstasy. The more that she let herself scream, the more that her sensual urges felt amazing. "Ahh... Damien, please!"

    "I hear you, baby," he said as he rammed himself deeper into her.

    The feeling of her clit bumping against his pelvis was driving her to the brink of euphoria that she wanted to climb higher and higher. It was so maddening that she started slurring incoherent words, her hips meeting his every thrust.

    "Damien!" Katherine came crashing down, her inner walls mping around his length as she released her orgasm.

    The table underneath her shook, the coffee cup and other stuff on the other side of the desk ttering every time he thrust until they fell. They were both lost and could only concentrate on their wild and scandalous office lovemaking  never did Katherine think she would ever experience such a thing.

    "F*ck, I''m almost there, baby." Damien groaned, his breathing grew heavy and his movements became sloppy.

    His hand glid towards her mound until his thumb found her clit. He pressed, circled the pad of his thumb on it and continued to drive into her. His actions only made Katherine climb towards another orgasm and when he felt her tighten around him once again, he pulled back until he was all the way out before he mmed back in "Ohhh F" The two of them cried out loud.

    Damien fell forward, his forehead pressed against her chest. She stroked his back, soothing him as they both waited to catch their breath.

    He kissed her chest, her neck, and her lips. "That was incredible," he whispered above her mouth.

    "Hmmm" Katherine could only hum  Damien drained her energy.

    Grinning, Damien kissed the corner of her mouth before he got up and pulled out of her. "Let''s go wash up," he said as he gathered their clothes and gave them to her to hold. He picked her up in his arms and brought her towards his penthouse. After a quick wash, the two of them changed into a new set of clothes.

    "I approved the minutes, you can send them out." He pressed a kiss on her forehead as he buttoned his coat.

    "You better, I worked hard for those minutes," she muttered under her breath. She shook her head when she recalled what he did back in the meeting room. Thankfully, she didn''t miss a lot. If she had, she would have made him finish the minutes himself.

    "And you did an excellent job. You were rewarded, weren''t you?" he teased and chuckled when he saw her roll her eyes at him.

    When they were ready, they headed out of the bedroom. "Are you sure you still want toe with me? Don''t you want to rest here instead?" he asked just before they descended the stairs.

    Katherine curled the corners of her mouth upward and gave him a look. "Oh,e on. I''m not that weak. If not for your insistence that we keep to our workout routine, I think I would have probably agreed to stay here and sleep."

    Damien threw his head backughing. He pressed a button to open the door and the two of them stepped into his office. "So I guess it paid off, huh? Indeed, you worked hard for it."

    "Fine you are a great teacher," she responded in a slow manner, making himugh some more.

    He retrieved the Kitten tie on the sofa and gave it to her. "Only because you are a good student."

    Receiving the tie from him, Katherine dly fixed it on him toplete his look. Her gaze went past his shoulder andnded on his desk, a smile instantly formed on her face as images of their most recent sexy time shed in her mind.

    "What''s on your mind, Kitten?" he quirked a brow, noticing her expression.

    "Nothing," she muttered, patting the tie in ce when she was done. She turned and was about to head out when Damien pulled her back to him.

    "Come on, you can''t just smile like that and tell me it''s nothing. Give me something."

    Exhaling a sigh, Katherine slid her hands up his chest and tiptoed, her lips brushing against his ear as she whispered, "That was hot." She pressed a soft kiss on his neck before turning around and leaving his office.

    A smile so wide broke on Damien''s face as he started rubbing his jaw with his fingers as though he was appreciating himself  his way of giving himself a pat on the back. Putting his hands in his pocket, he followed Katherine out.

    "I think yourptop is broken," she spoke as soon as Damien emerged from the office.

    "Is it? Hmmm it''s totally worth it. Tell Markus to get a new one"

    She could see the satisfied grin on his face and she couldn''t help but smile along with him. They walked towards the elevator and entered when it opened  the two of them resumed their ''busy'' Monday.

 Chapter 165: Just What I Need

    Chapter 165: Just What I Need

    Having just finished the first external meeting, Katherine and Damien were in the backseat of the Aston Martin and were on their way to a lunch meeting. She fished out her phone from her purse and checked a text message. From the other end in the backseat, Damien shifted his nce from his tablet to Katherine who was smiling as she tapped away on her phone.

    "Who are you texting?" he asked.

    "It''s Ali" she responded without looking at him. She quickly finished her text reply before passing her phone to Damien.

    He received her phone and skimmed through the messages.

    [Alianna: Hey, I''m at the airport and I will be boarding soon. It was really nice getting to know you, Katherine. Take care of D, and of course, cuddles to Bear xx.]

    [Katherine: Me too, Ali. Looking forward to seeing you again. Have a safe flight! Do let us know when yound.]

    After reading their texts, he was just about to give Katherine her phone back when Alianna sent another message:

    [Alianna: Will do. Oh, don''t forget to text me your address. I''ll send over some stuff for you. Which one do you like? Corsets, thongs, teddies, baby dolls, negligee? Let me know!]

    His lips curled into a wicked grin as he hastily tapped the phone screen to respond.

    [Katherine: Send them all! Address: xxx Pearl Gardens]

    Noticing the expression on his face, Katherine raised her brow and asked, "What are you smiling like that for?" She snatched her phone from him and her eyes widened in shock, her ears reddening as she read the recent message and Damien''s reply.

    "Hey!" Her head snapped towards him and she suppressed the urge to roll her eyes when he winked at her as though he just silently said ''You''re wee''.

    She shoved her phone back in her bag, wondering what kinds of sexy wear Ali would send her. Compared to the first time, she was now willing to wear anything that would make her look sexy for Damien. There was just this strange vibe that made her feel more confident as she spent more time with him. And for the first time in five years, she was finally feeling happy despite having the lingering feeling of being iplete.

    Meanwhile

    At the airport, Alianna was standing in line to board. For the past hour that she had been in the airport, she contemted if she should send Caleb a text message. They never really talked about what they were going to do after they shared their night together. It was as though having a conversation would only make things hurt more  it was scary.

    Previously, whenever shees home for a couple of weeks to visit Nana, she and Caleb would only have casual greetings and conversations but it was always with a group. And over the years, she was either dating someone or he was. Never did it happen when the two of them were single at the same time except now, what with what happened to Craig and all.

    Which was why it hadn''t been a problem to leave and go back to Italy after her visits in the past. However, this time was different. They had spent a lot of time together in two weeks  more than they ever did over the past years. And thenst night happened Which shouldn''t have happened but it did.

    Though she didn''t regret what happened between them, she didn''t know what to do after that. They weren''t a couple to call it a break-up sex and they weren''t strangers either to call it a one-night stand. Heckeven fuckbuddies wouldn''t be appropriate as they weren''t going to do it again because she was leaving... And she was definitely going to miss him this time.

    Despite the countless sighs, Alianna put on a brave face, typed a message on her phone and sent it to Caleb.

    [Alianna: Hey, Cay Just wanted to let you know that I''m boarding soon. Thank you for everything.]

    There were a lot of things that she wanted to say but she decided to keep it short. Staring at her phone for a couple of minutes while waiting for his reply, she began to feel anxious and regretted that she texted him. She was about to leave, what good was it to text him?

    Alianna closed her phone and boarded the ne. When she got settled in the business ss, she checked her phone again and her eyes lit up upon seeing a notification.

    [Caleb: That''s great. It''s a long flight so make sure to rest on the ne. I''m happy that I got to spend time with you before you left. You know you can always call me whenever. It doesn''t matter if there''s a time difference. So text me when you arrive, okay? Take care, Li.]

    Her heart fluttered reading his text. She was tempted to answer but the ne was about to take off and she had to turn off her phone. Breathing in deeply, she fastened her seatbelt and ordered a shot of whiskey from the flight attendant.

    Shortly after that, some shuffling noises from the seat next to hers caught her attention and when she looked up, she saw the model/actor Matthew Jeong trying to settle in. "Mr. Jeong" she called, a small smile shed across her face.

    There was a retractable partition between theirrge andfy seats in the business ss as they were in the center row. Matthew tilted his head and was surprised to see Alianna next to his seat. "Ms. Alianna, what a coincidence," he offered his hand to shake in which Ali received dly.

    "Will you be joining Autumn Fashion Week?" she asked.

    "Yeah I''ve just finished a movie project and I''m taking a break from it. Getting out of the country seems like a great idea this time of the year."

    Alianna raised a brow and teased, "Really? You''re not just running away from something, are you?"

    Catching the hint from the tone of her voice, Matthew chuckled as he settled in his seat and buckled his seatbelt. "Whatever new scandals you have heard about, I''m saying they''re all lies."

    Sheughed at his remark. Just that morning on the way to the airport, she read an article about Matthew hooking up with an actress from his recent project. But the man in question denied it right away without hering forward and stating any specifics. "Okay Whatever you say." She raised her hands up as though in surrender and he shook his head and grinned. "How long are you staying in Italy?" she asked.

    Matthew stared straight ahead as if he was considering certain things and without much thought, he answered, "Probably a month or so It''s been a while since I''ve been there. I kinda wish I would never have toe back here."

    "Well, I don''t know if you''ll enjoy Mn, it''s still quite hot and it''s Ferragosto on Wednesday. So, it''s pretty much a ghost town this week"

    "It''s just what I needed. I''ve seen too many people recently and I''m ready to just live in peace and quiet. As long as the restaurants are still open, then I''m good."

    "Heh That depends Most shops and establishments will be closed but you can ask a local or the hotel where you''re staying, they should know some ces that are open." Alianna casually scrolled through her ylist of songs that she wanted to listen to during the flight.

    Matthew quirked a brow. "Aren''t you a local?"

    She softly chuckled. "Right Are you subtly asking me to be your tour guide, Mr. Jeong?"

    "Ugh. You make me sound so old. Just call me Matt, please. And no, I couldn''t possibly ask too much of you. I can go around by myself but you could tell me where to go?"

    Alianna shifted her stare to look at him in the eye and the corners of her mouth lifted up as she thought of all the best ces that she could suggest for him to visit. "How''s your Italian?"

    "Are you talking about thenguage? Or a woman?" A smirk formed on his face.

    "Do you have a woman in every country?" Ali snickered and the two of them started conversing about how Matt could survive in a foreign country without much knowledge in thenguage.

 Chapter 166: Nagging Feeling

    Chapter 166: Nagging Feeling

    Almost 14 hourster, Alianna and Matthew finallynded in Mn. Surprisingly, the two found a lot of things to talk about because of their careers that made the leg-numbing flight bearable and quite pleasant. Ali flew by herself while Matthew was with his manager.

    As they collected their luggage from the conveyor belt, she figured that she should treat Matt, and herself to breakfast so she walked up to Matt and said, "Hey I''ve been thinking... that text I sent you before wasn''t really enough of a thank you. So, would you mind if I treat you and your manager to breakfast?"

    "Oh, you don''t have to it''s okay, really that was nothing." Matthew formed a gentle smile on his face and shook his hands in front.

    She turned to Matthew''s manager with a bright smile on her face. "Mr. Yi, what''s the earliest time that you can check-in at the hotel?"

    "I called before the flight to request if we can move it up but the earliest that they could allow us to check-in is 10 a.m."

    "So there''s still time. Can I buy you a cup of coffee then?" Alianna hooked her arm to Matt''s manager. "Matt can join if he wants but I won''t force him."

    Mr. Yiughed at her strategy. He nced at Matt who was now shaking his head and raising his hands up in resignation. "Fine, you can buy me coffee. Matt can tag along if he wants."

    "Awesome!" Ali and Mr. Yi started heading out, leaving Matthew behind.

    "Hey,e on now are you really going to make me the third wheel?" Matt trudged forward, following the two behind while dragging his luggage with him. "Ali, you''re also treating me to breakfast, right?"

    Turning her head to the side with a mischievous smile ying on her lips, she answered, "That depends are you going to say please?"

    "What?" Matthew caught up with them as the other twoughed in unison. They had just gotten to know each other but the three became friends fast.

    A couple of hourster after their breakfast, they bid farewell and Alianna went home to her apartment. She used to love going back there but now the ce felt so empty.

    Leaving her luggage by the living room, she strolled towards her bedroom, had a quick shower and changed into her sleepwear. She was just about to crash on her bed when she noticed that Craig left several of his items in the room. Her brows furrowed instantly and despite her exhaustion, she forced herself to clean up a bit.

    She found an empty box and gathered all of Craig''s things quickly and ced it by the main door so she could see it easily. She hadn''t figured out what to do with it yet  she was either going to ship it to his ce or throw it in the trash.

    When she was satisfied, she dove into her bed and stared up at the ceiling. It was almost noontime for Alianna while it was still 5:30 in the morning where Caleb was. She didn''t want to disturb him early but after checking hisst message, she decided to let him know.

    She sent a brief message to Katherine, Damien, and Caleb but she did not wait for their response. Tossing her phone to the side, she closed her eyes.

    After the long flight, all she wanted to do at that moment was to forget everything else for the meantime and sleep.

    Crown Resort Group at 8 am.

    "Good morning." Caleb Yoo arrived at the top floor bringing a cup of hot chocte and a bag of pastries for Katherine. He strolled towards her desk and ced them in front of her. "Damien made me, so you have to eat them."

    She softly chuckled as she picked up the hot chocte and smelled it. "Your friend is over the top. He just left an hour ago."

    "Yeah You have to tell him I did my job and I did good, okay?" He grabbed one pastry from the bag and slumped on the chair in front of her desk.

    "You don''t have a lot of things to do today, right?" he wondered.

    She nced at her monitor and shook her head, taking a sip of the hot cocoa before answering. "Not much, I''ve finished most of them yesterday. The others aren''t urgent too. Why?"

    "I just thought you might want toe with me on a field trip."

    "Field trip? What are we grade-schoolers?"

    Caleb chuckled. He finished his pastry and drank his coffee as he answered, "Yesterday''s meeting about the contractor bidding. You aren''t very familiar with the possible bidders yet, I think it would be nice to check out theirtest projects. They might give you some insights."

    "Hmmm That would be nice. I''ve been in thepany for three months now and although I have learned a lot, there are still some areas that I''m not quite familiar with, such as this. When are we leaving?" she asked as she started to tidy up her desk.

    Katherine and Caleb first visited two establishments and thetter exined a few things to consider about the contractors who were in charge of those projects. Next, they went to check out a library renovation project by Young Corporation.

    The project was finished a couple of days ago and there was going to be a re-opening ceremony that day. The two of them walked towards the entrance where a lot of people gathered, anticipating the ceremony.

    While Caleb stood in the corner and scanned the ce, Katherine went back to his car because she left her cellphone behind. Just then, Madam Deborah Young caught sight of him from a distance. The rumor about Crown Resort Group''s future ns of contractor bidding had already spread like wildfire. If Young Corporation would win the bidding, such will definitely boost thepany''s reputation.

    "Father, that''s Vice President Yoo of CRG. He must be here to check on ourtest work, we should go and say ''Hi''," Madam Young said to her father Theodore Young, the current chairman of Young Corporation.

    Using his walking cane, Chairman Young walked with his daughter towards Caleb. The three of them exchanged pleasantries  Madam Young made sure that she impressed Caleb with their current project and even invited him out for dinner that day.

    Just then, Katherine came back and stood a few feet away from Caleb quietly in order not to interrupt their conversation. She casually looked around until he noticed her presence and called her over.

    The moment Chairman Youngid eyes on the woman who was now standing next to Caleb, he felt an inexplicable ache in his heart that he had to tightly grip his cane. The change in his expression did not go unnoticed by Madam Young, her attention shifting towards Katherine.

    "Who?" Chairman Young asked.

    Caleb turned slightly and introduced her, "Ah, Chairman, Madam... this is Ms. Katherine Miller, President Park''s secretary."

    "D-did you say... Katherine?" Chairman Theodore Young muttered, his words almost trembling from mentioning the name.

    With a bright smile, Katherine extended her hand. "It''s a pleasure to meet you, Chairman."

    They shook hands briefly while the old man was still in a daze as he looked at Katherine who looked a lot like histe daughter-inw. If his granddaughter was still alive, he was almost positive that she would look like the woman who was standing in front of him. He didn''t know what to say he was speechless. Was it possible to have another person who would look so much alike? Also, her name was the same as his granddaughter''s how utterly coincidental it was!

    Katherine also greeted Madam Young who was also stunned at that moment. It had been almost two months since thest time that she saw her from the Park''s charity g. She had already forgotten about Katherine and moved on but the sudden rendezvous also made her tongue-tied.

    "Excuse me, Chairman Madam?" A middle-aged man approached them. "The ceremony is about to start. May I request for the two of you to be with us on the stage?"

    "Of course," Madam Young snapped out of her trance. She quickly said her goodbyes to Caleb and Katherine before ushering her father back to the library''s entrance.

    The ceremony had officially started yet Chairman Young''s attention was still on Katherine''s. There was a nagging feeling in his heart and a strange pull in his gut  he had to find a way to know more about this woman.

 Chapter 167: Tiny Glimmer of Hope

    Chapter 167: Tiny Glimmer of Hope

    Inside a white Mercedes-Benz CLS, Chairman Young and his daughter, Deborah Young, sat on the backseat in silence on their way home. The re-opening of the library went smoothly and Deborah couldn''t be happier having another aplishment.

    Recalling the ceremony only made her think about Katherine. Her gaze shifted to the right and she saw her father seemingly lost in thoughts as though he was thinking very hard about something.

    "Is everything alright, Father?"

    Theodore Young turned to her and in a gentle tone, he asked, "Debbie, that woman we met earlier Katherine doesn''t she look like Natalie? Her name too..."

    Her hands balled into a fist and she started to worry. For about fifteen years now, they had never really talked about the tragedy that befell her brother''s family. It was like a taboo in the Young Family  a silent agreement in which everybody should keep silent. And now all of a sudden, her father out of the blue spoke about herte sister-inw after meeting Katherine a couple of hours ago.

    "I suppose they do have simrities," she answered, wringing her hands together and waiting for what else her father will say.

    "Do you think it''s possible that she may be our Katherine?" his voice was low and unsure but there was a hint of hope that Deborah definitely noticed.

    "That''s I don''t think that''s possible, Father We buried them, remember?" She carefully answered, wishing that her father will just let this matter go. It was not an enjoyable topic to talk about after a sessful event.

    Theodore also thought that it was absurd. They all mourned for his son, his daughter-inw and his granddaughter. They buried them and he had been heartbroken since that tragedy.

    Seeing the expression on her father''s face, Deborah reached out and patted his arm. "Don''t think about it too much, Father. It''s not good for your health. Aren''t we supposed to celebrate because of our achievement? The whole city is talking about the new library and now I feel that we are going to get that Crown Resort Group project. We should celebrate! Why don''t I take you out for ate afternoon tea?"

    He nodded and kept his thoughts to himself. The nagging feeling in his heart won''t go away but knowing that what gued his thoughts was quite impossible, he decided it was best to brush his thoughts away.

    Later that evening

    Theodore Young was in his study enjoying a book in his hand. Out of nowhere, his mind wandered off and the image of Katherine Miller shed in his mind. He ced his book down and opened a drawer on his right where he retrieved a family portrait of his son Mason, his son''s wife Natalie and their daughter Katherine who was just about ten years old when the photo was taken.

    The more he looked at the picture of Natalie and little Katherine, he couldn''t help butpare the appearance of the woman he met back at the library. ''Could she be a rtive of Natalie?'' he thought.

    His fingers brushed on his son''s photo and a pool of water formed in his eyes as he recalled a certain memory from many years ago.

    ***

    In the living room of the Young Mansion, a ten-year-old Katherine and a thirteen-year-old Matthew were doing homework together. He was helping her with her Math homework while she rested her face on her hand looking bored the entire time.

    "Hurry up, Kat! Answer it it''s just a simple question," he said, his finger pointing to the equation in her notebook.

    "It''s Kath! Come on, Matty it''s Friday. Why are we doing homework?" She pouted as she scribbled random swirls on the paper.

    "Because you need to. If you want to go to Chelsea''s party tomorrow, you have to finish your homework."

    "Why can''t I do this on Sunday? I''m so tired and bored."

    "You just don''t like Math, numbers even." Matthew rolled his eyes, fixing his eyesses as he exhaled a frustrated sigh. "It''s best if you finish this early so you don''t have to worry about itter. Don''t you want to go to the park on Sunday?"

    Katherine''s eyes lit up with excitement, sitting up straight when she eximed, "You''re really going to teach me how to ride a bike on Sunday?"

    "Are you going to do your homework or not~" Matthew''s voice cracked and made an idental sharp note. He cleared his throat to hide his embarrassment  he just started going through puberty. He saw Katherine stifle augh at the change of his voice, making him knit his brows and bit out, "Shut up."

    She squealed and pounced on Matthew, throwing her arms around him and in a sing-songy voice, she said, "You are so nice, Matty! I knew you couldn''t say no to me."

    Matthew blushed, scoffing as he gently pushed her back to her seat. "Now finish that equation," he ordered.

    "Okay!" Katherine happily started answering her homework, not noticing the small smile that escaped on his face when she became obedient.

    "Wow! I gotta hand it to you, kid You''re the only one I can trust to make my princess do her homework on a Friday night." Mason Young appeared with his father Theodore.

    "Hello, Uncle Mason Grandpa Theo."

    "Daddy! Gramps!" Katherine skipped towards them and gave each a hug. "Matty''s going to teach me how to ride a bike if I do my homework tonight."

    "I see so that''s why! Tell you what, ace your exam next week and I will bring you with me to work," Mason bent so that he was on eye level with his daughter.

    Katherine''s eyes brightened upon hearing what her father just said. She was not allowed to go with him as construction sites were always dangerous. "Really?! Are you really going to bring me there?"

    She had been pleading to go with her father for a long time, wanting to see how everything was done. She found it so fascinating how the workers were able to build something from scratch. After hearing her father''s confirmation, she had a serious expression on her face when she said, "I will study very hard, Daddy... so that when I grow up, I can work with you in thepany."

    "Really? You want to help me run thepany?" her father raised a brow, amused by his little girl''s resolution.

    "Of course! When I grow up, you can stop working and I will run thepany and build many buildings!"

    Matthew snorted and shook his head as he continued to answer his own homework while Katherine''s father and grandfather exchanged an amused look beforeughing so hard.

    "Looks like someone is going to rece your seat as the CEO in the future. You should be nervous, son," Theodore Young mped his hand on Mason''s shoulder.

    "Ha!" Mason pinched Katherine''s nose and rubbed her hair. "You, little girl You have to work hard and prove yourself to be worthy of the position, no matter what position it is. I have faith in you."

    ***

    Theodore Young ced the picture frame back inside the drawer, wiping a stray tear with his handkerchief. Who would have known that a couple of yearster, the little girl''s dream died with them?

    He sat in his armchair and stared straight ahead for a very long time before he called someone on his phone. After a minute, a knock on the door was heard and in came his assistant.

    "Yes, Chairman?"

    "Hire a private investigator. I need you to look into President Park''s secretary, her name is Katherine Miller." He got up from his seat and walked over to the window. "I want you to be thorough and keep it discreet. No one else can know about this. Do you understand?"

    "Of course. Is there anything else, Chairman?"

    "Get me her phone number." Theodore Young breathed in deeply. He wanted to meet her but he couldn''t be too impulsive. "That''s all."

    When his assistant left, he stayed in the study for another hour  his thoughts were filled with nothing but his son''s family and the woman that he met that day. His heart beat faster as though he was anticipating for something impossible to be possible. Can he cling on to that tiny glimmer of hope?

 Chapter 168: Like a Horse in a Race Track

    Chapter 168: Like a Horse in a Race Track

    Mn, Italy

    It was noon the day after Alianna was back in her ce and she was currently sprawled in bed talking on the phone with Caleb. She didn''t have any ns that day except catching up on her sleep. She was surprised but ted that he called her as soon as he woke up. So, for the past thirty minutes, they updated each other about yesterday''s events  Alianna being on the same flight with Matthew, and Caleb showing Katherine some establishments.

    As though they were two old friends, they held the conversation pretty well minus the mentioning of their feelings.

    "Aren''t you going to start preparing for work yet?" Alianna asked.

    Caleb checked the time on his nightstand and sighed. He was having a good time talking to her but he needed to get up lest he''ll bete for work. "Yeah I guess I do. Have you visited your mom already?"

    "No I don''t know I don''t want to."

    "I''m sure she misses you, Li. Why don''t you surprise herter while you still don''t have work?"

    Alianna softly chuckled, "You know very well that''s not possible, Cay. For all I know she is out with her new boyfriend somewhere and forgot about her own mother''s birthday."

    "I''m sorry"

    There was a few seconds of silence before Caleb spoke again, "I''m gonna take a shower now. I''ll call you againter?"

    "Sure. Have a great day and take care"

    Alianna breathed out an upset sigh thinking about what Caleb just said. Her mother, Julianna, rebelled because of daddy issues when she was a teenager and got pregnant during college. She raised Ali on her own and left several yearster and pursued her passion for modeling. Without a father and having barely known her mother, Ali dreamed of bing a model too, thinking that her rtionship with her mother might improve and her mother might notice her more.

    Growing up, that was all that she wanted so she walked a straight line and lived like a horse in a race track  focused and driven. She was happy, especially now, that she had achieved the things that she had only dreamt of when she was younger.

    Except for the fact that nothing has changed between her and her mother. Apart from their asional phone calls, her mother would only visit when she gets her heart broken. It would only be for several days until she finds another man and then she would disappear again.

    The beeping sound of her phone interrupted her train of thoughts. Checking her phone, she read a text from Matthew.

    [Matthew: Hey That restaurant you told me is closed. I''m kinda hungry. Any other rmendations?]

    [Alianna: Really? I didn''t think they would close this year. Sorry about that! Where are you?]

    [Matthew: I''m literally standing in front of the ce right now. Any chance they might open if I beg?]

    Aliannaughed as she typed her response, simultaneously grabbing her keys and bag before heading out of her ce.

    [Alianna: They might... if you do some Michael Jackson moves!]

    [Matthew: wtf! Seriously? Coz I will try anything! You''re not kidding about this ce being a ghost town.]

    [Alianna: Save your dancing forter. I''ll meet you at the park around the corner in twenty minutes.]

    Sure enough, Alianna arrived at the park and found Matthew sitting on a bench with his head thrown back and his eyes closed.

    "Hey, MJ!" she called. "Want some burritos?!" Ali raised a bag in her hand and watched as he turned his face towards her, his eyes widening in surprise as though he just heard the best news ever.

    "Sh*t! You''re a lifesaver!" He jumped to his feet and hurriedly met her halfway. As soon as he stood in front of her, he rummaged through the bag and took out a burrito. "Where did you get these?"

    "There''s a Mexican diner in my building." She ushered him towards the bench and the two of them sat, each holding a burrito in hand. "I brought you some food, don''t I get to see your MJ moves?"

    Matthew was already munching on his wrap when he turned to Ali and raised a brow. Earlier he just thought that she was calling his initials Matthew Jeong but she was actually referring to Michael Jackson. He shook his head, chewing the food in his mouth hurriedly before swallowing. "I don''t know what to tell you,dy, but only special people get to see me dance."

    Alianna''s hand flew to her chest and faked gasp, "Are you telling me that I''m not special? I brought you food! I''m insulted."

    He only chuckled at her statement and the two of them began talking about what he did in the morning. He was sightseeing around the city and was far from the hotel when he felt hungry. Remembering her rmendation, he searched the ce and ended up texting her after seeing the ''closed'' sign.

    Despite the season being summer, the weather was bearable and the surrounding trees gave them enough shade from the ring sun. After they finished eating, they moved to the grass and sat there for a couple of hours as they gossiped about random rumors that made it to the tabloids.

    Ali being Ali, she couldn''t help but ask Matt about another actress that was linked to himst year. "Oh my god, so you really dated Sara? But WHY?!"

    Matt burst outughing at her epic reaction. "What''s with the exaggeration?"

    "I mean What did you even see in her? She''s like all boobs and no brain."

    He shook his head and couldn''t deny what she said. "Hey, she was hot, okay? I only went out with her three times until she told me to stop drinking Gatorade because it''s hurting the alligators."

    Alianna''s mouth hung open. "No, she didn''t" she muttered, having a hard time understanding that the model named Sara believed the beverage was made from alligators. However, the look on Matt''s face told her he was not kidding.

    Their enjoyable conversation was suddenly interrupted by the ringing of her phone. When she nced at the caller ID, she straightened up and contemted picking it up.

    "Are you going to answer that?" he asked before taking a sip of water from his bottle.

    Ali was a bit hesitant but there was no way she could ignore the phone call. "Yeah I''ll have to take this."

 Chapter 169: Im All She Has

    Chapter 169: I''m All She Has

    Alianna got up, walked a few meters away and answered her phone. The sound of sobbing greeted her ear the moment she pressed the green button and she already knew what wasing.

    "Where are you? I''m at your door," Alianna''s mother''s voice sounded from the other line.

    "I''m outside. Are you okay?"

    Ali waited but her mother did not say anything. So there was only one thing that she could do at that moment. "Wait for me, I''ll be right there."

    She ended the phone call and strolled back towards Matthew, her expression looked evidently different before the call and he caught it. "Everything okay?" he asked.

    Putting on her best smile, she nodded and started grabbing her things. "My mom''s at my ce and she doesn''t have a key. I have to go."

    "Oh, okay" Matthew got up and brushed off the dirt from his pants before he turned to her. "I''ll walk you to your car."

    Compared to how jolly she was earlier while they were talking, Alianna looked like she was depressed. Matthew threw a few nces at her while they walked and wondered what had happened but he didn''t want to pry, thinking that it must be something personal.

    When they got to her car, she turned to him and offered to drop him off at his hotel but Matt refused and told her to hurry home instead as her mom was waiting.

    Later when Alianna arrived at her apartment, it was just as she expected  her mom was again broken-hearted for god knows how many times already. Her mother ranted, cried, andined until she fell asleep while Ali didn''t have much choice but to listen and be her mother''s shock absorber.

    She slumped on her bed and grabbed her phone. There was only one person that she wanted to talk to at that moment and before she could change her mind, she dialed Caleb''s number.

    Alianna waited for her call to be answered but it kept on ringing and ringing and she did not hear the voice that she was dying to hear. She checked the time on her phone and thought that Caleb must already be in the office as it was around 9 a.m his time. Not wanting to give up, she dialed his number for the second time until it reached his voice mail.

    She tossed her phone to the side and stared at it. ''He must be busy,'' she thought. However, just a minuteter, her phone rang and saw Caleb''s name on the screen. She didn''t hesitate and picked it up right away.

    "Li, is everything okay?" She heard him say as soon as she picked up the phone. She heard what seemed like a door being shut and the sound of footsteps on the other line.

    "I''m sorry for disturbing you. Is this a bad time?" Her voice was soft and low and Caleb was almost sure that there was something wrong.

    Caleb nced at the door of the meeting room where he came from andposed himself as he walked further to the window at the end of the hall. "Um No, it''s okay. I was just reading something. What''s wrong?"

    Alianna was sure that she wanted to talk with him just a few minutes ago but now that she heard his voice, she was feeling slightly hesitant as she didn''t want to worry him with her problem. But she really did not have anyone else to talk to she felt lonely. "She''s here," she muttered.

    She didn''t have to say anything else and Caleb already knew what she meant. He breathed deeply and leaned against the wall as he asked, "How are you?"

    There was no point asking how her mother was as he already knew what she was going to say. After all, this wasn''t the first time. He was more concerned about her emotional state at the moment. If only he could go to her right now, he would.

    "I feel like crap," she chuckled, "She did it again, Cay I already lost count of how many times and I''m sick of it."

    "I''m so sorry, Li. You don''t deserve what she''s doing to you" Caleb waited for her to say something but Ali remained quiet. "Why don''t youe back here and extend your vacation?"

    "I can''t Fashion week''sing and I have work in a few days," she answered. But knowing what Caleb meant was actually to go back there for good, she added, "You know I can''t leave I can''t leave her here. I''m all she has and she''s all I have."

    It was foolish how she hated her mother at the same time that she was painfully longing for her motherly care... yet she always just ended up getting disappointed.

    Julianna was mainly the reason why Ali couldn''t really leave Italy. Her mother would never go back home no matter what and with the way that she was living her life, Ali could only pathetically stay there for her. Caleb knew all about it and he couldn''t me her as he was also somehow in the same boat. Apart from the dedication he has for thepany, his father was suffering from a health problem  a reason why he couldn''t just leave his family.

    "You know that''s not true, right? You''re not alone, Li I''m here for you. I always have been and I always will be."

    Someone from the meeting room came out and signaled from Caleb toe back, he nodded before turning his attention back to the call. "I''m sorry, I have to attend a meeting. I''ll find time to talk to youter, okay?"

    "Okay Sorry for taking up your time, Cay thanks for listening."

    "Don''t worry about it. I''ll call you again. I promise."

    After saying goodbye, Ali prepared a bath for herself. She wanted to soak in one and hope that it will wash away her troubles. Though nothing has changed, being able to talk to Caleb definitely lightened up her mood.

    Later, she crawled back to bed and saw a notification on her phone. She tapped her screen and saw that Matthew sent her a message. When she opened it, she saw that he had sent her a picture of a Gatorade bottle. It looked like he was in some convenience store.

    [Matthew: You don''t think the gators are going to be mad at me if I drink their kind right?]

    Ali couldn''t help but guffaw  Matt was definitely trying to make herugh.

    [Alianna: You horrible human being! XD Don''t worry, I won''t tell on you. Knock yourself out, MJ!]

    Despite having a sucky day, she was d that she had people who reminded her that everything was going to be okay.

 Chapter 170: Katherines Baby Bear

    Chapter 170: Katherine''s Baby Bear

    In the evening at Pearl Gardens

    Katherine just finished taking a shower and was doing her nighttime routine when Bear decided to be all clingy. She gave him a pet and yed with him for a while. Bear had been with them for three weeks now and she was d that she at least had apanion at home while Damien was out on a business trip.

    Over the weeks, she taught Bear a fewmands and the gentle giant was so smart to learn it quickly. Bear could understand and execute themands: sit, high-five, and handshake. Katherine did all that and gave him a treat before she climbed on the bed.

    Just as sheid down, her phone rang and she instantly smiled upon seeing Damien''s number on her screen.

    "Hi... how was your day?" she asked as soon as she answered.

    "Not bad. Yours?"

    "Same. Are you back at the hotel? Have you eaten?" Katherine grabbed Damien''s pillow from the side and hugged it in front of her.

    "Yes and yes. Where are you? What are you doing?"

    "I''m in bed"

    A yful smile split on Damien''s face as heid on the bed while he talked to Katherine on the phone. He was already dressed for bed in hisfy shorts and a shirt. "Oh yeah? What are you wearing?"

    She lightly knitted her brows and wondered why he asked but she answered anyway, "Um sleepwear?"

    "I see which one? What color?"

    Katherine looked down on her clothes and described it to him. "The dark green one."

    "Hmmm satin? Shorts?" Damien knew exactly what she was referring to and his lustful mind imagined her right beside him.

    Her furrowed brows deepened and she huffed as she told him, "I''m not going to have phone sex with you, Damien."

    A deep rumblingugh sounded from the other line made Katherine roll her eyes. Although she had missed him already, she wasn''t going to do some nasty things with him over the phone.

    "I was just asking, Kitten. Am I not allowed to imagine you now?" he asked, his voice sounded yful over the phone and it sent tingles all over her body.

    With an amused smile on her face, she blurted, "That depends, what are you wearing?"

    She heard him chuckle just before a shuffling sound in the background. "Now, I''m only wearing boxers," he said, having just removed his shirt off.

    It was Katherine''s turn to be amused, finding the two of them being silly at nine in the evening. There was never a dull moment with Damien  there was always something interesting to talk about with him. A smart and sexy man like him What else could Katherine wish for?

    "Too bad, you still have clothes on," she softly chuckled.

    With his thumb grazing the waistband of his boxers, he pulled on a smirk and replied, "That can be easily fixed."

    "Oh shush, Mr. Park. I don''t want this on the phone I miss you,e home."

    And with that, the smug look on his face turned soft and warm. He turned to his side and with a small smile, he told her, "I miss you too, love. I''ll be home soon."

    The two of them talked for several minutes more before saying goodnight. It was a Wednesday night and Damien was supposed toe home the next day but Thursday came and he had to call Katherine to tell her he needed to stay one more day. Though she was a bit disappointed, she couldn''t really get mad at him. However, going home only to find herself alone in a big house was bing quite lonely.

    The next day

    It was Friday and since Damien wasn''t back yet, Katherine didn''t have much to do in the office. She decided to go in a littlete and had just gotten down the stairs on her way out when the housemaid Rose came rushing towards her with a worried look as she carried Bear in her arms.

    "Ms. Katherine! Ms. Katherine!"

    Katherine snapped her head and saw the expression on Rose''s face and her eyesnded on Bear''s state. Bear''s mouth was foaming and the fluffball looked sick with its head shaking.

    "Oh my god! What happened?" she panicked, unsure of what to do seeing Bear suffering in front of her  she could feel her heart constrict at the sight of it.

    "I just took him out for a morning walk and I must not have seen maybe he ate a frog or something I''m so sorry!"

    Katherine''s eyes widened and in an instant, she ushered Rose towards the garden and they washed Bear''s mouth with water. A few weeks ago when Bear just arrived, she and Damien read a bunch of articles about taking care of dogs. She only briefly read something about frogs or toads being poisonous to pets.

    Without wasting time, they brought Bear to a Pet Hospital which was a 20 minutes drive away. Felix drove the car as usual while Katherine was in the backseat cradling Bear on herp. The entire car ride was slow and torturous for her. "Baby, you''re going to be okay" She kept stroking Bear''s body as gently as she could. She was so stressed and worried, she didn''t realize that tears already stained her cheeks.

    When they reached the hospital, the doctors took care of Bear right away. They brought him to an emergency room where he was treated, flushing his mouth and putting an IV drip on him.

    Katherine sat on the sofa in the lobby of the small Pet Hospital as she waited for news. She was so scared and started ming herself out of nowhere all because she didn''t want to lose him. Several minutester, a veterinarian came out to tell her that it would be best to keep Bear there for now so that they can keep monitoring him.

    It was already nine in the morning and she was supposed to be in the office so when Felix asked if she wants to go to work, she shook her head. She didn''t want to leave knowing that Bear could possibly still be in danger there was no way she could work as if she didn''t care at all. Even after the veterinarian told her that Bear''s status was looking positive, she still could not brush her worries away.

    More than an hourter, she was still on the sofa, her hands tightly wringing together as she waited and her patience started to fade.

    The space next to her on the sofa sank, making her turn her head to the side and saw Damien''s gentle face looking at her full of worry. It didn''t register to her right away that he was actually there with her until he ced hisrge hand over her cold ones.

    "Hey You okay?" he asked in a soft tone, lifting the corners of his mouth into a small smile.

    Katherine was surprised to see Damien back this early since he had told her that he was only going to arrive in the afternoon. But seeing him there after being gone for days, her heart finally calmed down. "When did you arrive?"

    He shifted closer towards her and ced his arm around her shoulders in a side hug. "Just now I just arrived at the office when Felix called me. So I came as soon as I could." He stroked her arm gently as he reassured her, "Bear''s going to be okay you did a great job bringing him here."

    "Did I? Why is he still not out then?"

    "He''ll be fine"

    Even though he was only saying that tofort her, Katherine definitely felt better and less worried now that Damien was finally home.

 Chapter 171: A Small Family of Three

    Chapter 171: A Small Family of Three

    Damien tried to convince Katherine to go home instead of waiting in the Pet Hospital but she insisted on staying there. She scared herself when she kept on reading articles online regarding toad poisoning in dogs and there were a bunch of stories from pet owners about how their dogs ended up after an incident.

    Damien took her phone away from her as it only stressed her up even more. He could see how much she was affected by what she read and he definitely understood why.

    "Hey, I was reading"

    "No, Katherine. You need to calm down I''m sure it''s not that bad." He pulled her to lean on the backrest of the sofa and held her hand. Even though Bear had only been with them for three weeks, getting attached to him was natural.

    A couple of hourster, Damien and Katherine were finally able to see Bear in better shape. The veterinarian told them that thankfully, it wasn''t that serious. But because it was summertime, there were a lot more frogs and toads in the area so they just had to be more cautious about the more poisonous toads.

    When they got back home, it was already around noon. They ced Bear on his bed where he stayed for a couple of hours before he came back to his old self  yful and full of energy.

    After eating lunch, Damien just finished freshening up when he came downstairs and saw Katherine ying with Bear in the kitchen. She looked up and shed him a smile before grabbing her bag to head out to the office.

    "Bye baby You be a good boy okay?" she said as she gave him soft pats.

    Damien closed in and ced a hand on her arm, stroking it as he gave her a gentle smile. He watched as she tentatively fixed her bag on her shoulder, her eyes lingering on Bear that was on her feet. It was obvious that she did not want to leave him. His heart warmed at the sight and so he told her, "Why don''t you take the day off?"

    "No, it''s okay I''m fine, it''s just one more day before the weekend anyway."

    "I insist You were pretty much shaken up earlier. You could use a rest and maybe keep an eye on him  hopefully, there will be no more worrying symptoms. I know you won''t be at ease and you''ll just get distracted at work thinking about Bear."

    Katherine''s eyes shifted back to Bear and the little brown ball of fur wagged its tail at her. Damien could swear he thought Bear was being extra clingy to her because she saved his life. "You think so?" she probed.

    He circled his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him, cing a kiss on her forehead as he said, "Yes. Don''t worry about anything else and just rx for the rest of the afternoon. I''ll see you tonight?"

    "Thank you" She nodded and pulled him in for a tight hug, kissing his cheek before they pulled away.

    After saying goodbye, Damien went to thepany while Katherine stayed at home. She didn''t know what had gotten into her and why she reacted the way she did earlier. It was the first time in five years that she had felt really scared about losing something. There was this inexplicable feeling deep within her that was attached to Bear in ways she did not know she had.

    She felt a little silly andughed at herself but she couldn''t help it She wondered if she would feel the same way one day about her and Damien''s child.

    Then her eyes opened so wide, she looked like she had seen a ghost. Why was she suddenly thinking about having a child with Damien?! The idea of having a baby with the man she loved made her blush and her mind ran wildly, giving her images of a small family of three maybe four what about five? Or six? She gasped.

    Katherine''s head turned from left to right as though she envisioned cute little Damiens and little Katherines running all over the house. She had to shake her head to brush off the ridiculous thoughts.

    "Are you okay, Ms. Katherine?" Rose asked when she appeared from the garden  she had cleaned the ce and tried her best to make sure there were no more random frogs or toads in the area. "You look a little red"

    "Uh I Yeah I''m okay." She gulped before standing up and heading towards the stairs. "I''m going to change my clothes. Thanks for the lunch, Rose."

    The rest of the afternoon went by in a blur and the sky seemed to darken so fast. Damien had to meet with a business partner for dinner that night so he arrived home in the Pearl Gardenste.

    Stepping inside the living room, he was about to walk up the stairs when his eyes caught sight of some figures by the sofa. His brows raised as he took in the sight of Katherine and Bear all cuddled up on the floor, her back leaning against the sofa while Bearid by herp.

    Bear was staring at him and wagging its tail. Normally, Bear would excitedly greet him and jump on his feet whenever he arrives but it seemed like the fluffy furball was determined to be on Team Katherine and remained stuck next to her  though Bear''s happiness couldn''t be contained, what with how fast his tail was dancing.

    Quietly, Damien walked over and crouched down on the floor next to Katherine and that''s only when he noticed that there was a cake on the table. He looked at it and read the words written on top: "Wee home, Daddy. - Bear" There was a little heart next to Bear''s name. He chuckled upon seeing it. And without hesitation, he dipped a finger on the side frosting and put it in his mouth.

    He dragged his gaze towards Katherine and silently watched her sleeping peacefully. He was now sitting on the floor and had covered her legs with his coat. Damien remembered what Rose and Felix told him earlier about how Katherine reacted and handled the situation regarding Bear. A tinge of beautiful pain shot through his heart as he thought of how amazing she was.

    He knew that she had such a good heart as he had gotten to know her deeply all throughout their rtionship but that day, he saw her in a different light. It was a different side of Katherine that he definitely loved. And with the way that his mother treated him during his childhood, he was certain that Katherine was a hundred times more motherly as seen from the way she cared for Bear for the past few weeks.

    Without realizing, Damien had raised his hand up to her face and his fingers brushed on her cheek causing her to wake up. When Katherine fluttered her eyes open and saw him before her, she smiled ever so sweetly at him, matching his gentle gaze with her own loving one.

    Seeing the warmth of her expression, he suddenly realized what he had been wanting all along. Damien leaned and pressed his lips on hers, kissing her tenderly before pulling away and looking into her eyes as he said, "Let''s get married."

 Chapter 172: Youre My Home

    Chapter 172: You''re My Home

    Katherine became fully awake upon hearing the words from his mouth. The smile on her face slowly disappeared and her brows raised  she was taken aback by the suddenness of his confession that it made her feel ted, confused, and surprised all at the same time.

    She opened and closed her mouth a couple of times before she finally found her voice  a croaky one at that, "W-What? I''m sorry I thought I heard you say let''s get married." Her face was unreadable when she spoke, making Damien unsure if she even wanted to marry him in the first ce.

    The thought about being married to Katherine crossed his mind several times before but he never thought that he wanted it so badly until now. He searched her face for any clues that they''re on the same page but there was none.

    "Yes, that''s because I did..." His heart raced.

    He nervously waited for her to say something but it looked as if she was still trying to figure him out until he heard her say, "Just like that? Out of nowhere?" Her tone was soft. She really wanted to know what made him say something like that as soon as she had woken up.

    They were in the living room and she was just wearing herfy sleepwear. The lights were warm but not so bright  the temperature was just right though she could feel her feet turning into icicles, but because Damien''s coat was on herp, it made her feel warm.

    Apart from that, there was nothing else that would make one say the setting was what a woman would probably dream of in a proposal. However, for Katherine, despite being a bit confused at the moment it felt just right.

    There were a lot of things running in her mind after hearing his statement but truthfully, she didn''t have any reason or even desire to reject his proposal.

    Damien reached out and sped both of her hands in his, warming them up by blowing on them and rubbing them together. She had not realized that her hands were also very cold until he did that. Her eyes lit up realizing that he knew exactly what to do and she didn''t even have to say anything.

    "Did I scare you?" he asked.

    "Don''t you think it''s too fast?" she answered with another question.

    It was quiet for a while before Damien spoke again and when he did, Katherine remained quiet and listened to what he had to say. He leaned back on the sofa next to her and stared at the table in front as though it helped to keep his focus.

    "I have to be honest with you I didn''t think I would ever want to settle down or even find a woman that I would want to spend the rest of my life with. I had pretty much been a bachelor for years and had met several women on different asions but you were the only one that struck me. You''re an amazing woman, Katherine you''re the only one I could ever be myself without having to put on a pretense or hide who I really am.

    "I''ve heard from other people that when one falls in love, they''d feel all giddy and all these strange things that cannot be exined but with you, although I felt those things, I also know that when I''m with you I feel calm"

    Katherine continued to be patient and let him say everything that he wanted. It''s rare for Damien to be so open like this so she could only indulge him.

    "I''m a workaholic and most of the time I would spend long hours in the office and I thought it was only because I couldn''t let go of my work. When you came, I find myself just wanting to spend more time with you. I was fooling myself into thinking that was all it was  just working. But in reality, I think I was just lonely and didn''t want to have to return to an empty house."

    She squeezed his hand and softly, she asked, "But if you were lonely, why did you choose to stay in your penthouse?"

    A sad smile formed on his face, "Ironic, isn''t it? But I guess I thought I also had to be alone I''ve gotten so used to it that it came all-natural despite it."

    Damien turned his head and met her gaze. "You must think this is sappy now that I''m telling you this but what I''m trying to say is that  I don''t want to be alone anymore. Ever since you and I happened, you''ve constantly been in my mind whether it was before we became official or now well, especially now. I''ve been on too many business trips but all I could think about was how I couldn''t wait toe back home to you" His eyes shifted to Bear and he faintly chuckled, "To Bear"

    "We missed you too while you were away" Katherine just had to tell him, feeling all warm after hearing what he just told her.

    He nodded and brought her hand to his lips, cing a kiss on it so softly. "To answer your other question, it doesn''t matter that we''ve been together for only a few months. Bear hasn''t been with us for a long time but you know how deeply you feel for him after almost losing him right?"

    Katherine subconsciously started stroking Bear''s head as though she wanted to make sure that he was safe there beside her. She slightly smiled and nodded, agreeing with him.

    "I want this, Katherine I want to marry you, the past, the present or the future Katherine Miller I want to marry you. You''re my home. I want to always go home to you. If you''ll let me, I want to be the man that you would want to go home to as well"

    Her heart was beating a little faster than usual but she wasn''t anxious. She was just a little overwhelmed by what Damien had just bared in front of her. This was what she loved about him  she gets to see this side of him that no one else does  his vulnerable and true self.

    However, her mind was still all over the ce. The huge question mark that was in her mind ever since she woke up from thata was upying arge space in her brain. And right now, her brain was battling with her heart.

    Seeing that she was trying to go over her thoughts, Damien hooked his fingers under her chin and lifted it up so that her eyes met his.

    He curled the corners of his mouth upwards and with the most understanding expression, he told her, "You don''t have to answer me right now. I didn''t n on doing this until I started a while ago, so I get that this is all too much for you to process. But I hope you can consider it and let me know when you have decidedter. I''ll wait for you whether it''s days weeks months or years"

    His hand shaped the side of her face, cupping it gently as he pulled her towards him and kissing her deeply before pulling away. "Come on, the floor''s cold. Let''s go to bed," he said as he pulled her up to her feet and walked with her towards their bedroom with Bear following behind.

 Chapter 173: Her Response

    Chapter 173: Her Response

    It has been thirty minutes since Katherine and Damienid in bed. While he had already fallen asleep, she was still wide awake. Safely tucked in his arms, she could feel his heat on her back as he shaped his body against her  his face nuzzled on her hair while hisp was pressed on the back of her thighs. ''He''s right... this feeling... this moment... this is home''

    Katherine thought about everything that he told her a while ago and as much as she was scared, she was also thrilled to think about what was in store for them. Everything had been smooth sailing so far in their rtionship and being with Damien turned her life around.

    Thinking back to how she was several months ago, she remembered the times when she only ate cup noodles for days because that was all she could afford. She had been wondering why her life was so tough and she didn''t know how she ended up that way. Despite of it all, Damien embraced her and gave her the life that she never thought she could have while she was in a rut.

    Her thoughts brought her to so many events that happened while she was with Damien, all sweet, bitter and even the lonely times  these were all feelings that she only had with him and no one else. Slowly, her eyes closed but her mind stayed awake thinking about what she had to do.

    Early the next morning, Damien stirred in bed, his hands reaching to the side as though he was looking for some body heat to cling on to. His eyes opened when he realized that the space next to him was empty.

    "Katherine?" he called but no one answered.

    He checked the time from the clock on his nightstand and saw that it was six in the morning. He sighed as his brain processed the fact that it was a Saturday and normally, Katherine wouldn''t be up this early. So where was she?

    Shoving the nket off of him, he swung his legs off the bed and walked out of the bedroom, flexing and stretching his limbs as he did.

    As soon as he got out of the room, the delicious smell of breakfast attacked his nose and lured him down the stairs. When hended on the first floor, he found Katherine in the dining area, ting food and arranging an abundant meal. The sun was up and there were birds chirping outside, making the early morning very pleasant.

    "What''s all this?" he asked as he sauntered towards her.

    She was so into what she was doing that she didn''t even notice his arrival. Hearing his voice caused her to jump and spill the coffee in her hand, making a mess on the floor. "Ah!"

    Damien was quick to help her clean the mess and put the coffee away.

    "I didn''t hear youe down you startled me," she smiled, her cheeks faintly turning to pink.

    "You weren''t there when I woke up" He studied her face and frowned. "Did you not sleep?"

    "I I couldn''t sleep. I ended up thinking a lot and realized a lot So I got up and made you breakfast." Katherine pursed her lips while she gestured towards the table full of food.

    "Yeah I can see that." His eyes took in all the food and wondered if she had emptied the refrigerator. "What''s wrong? What''s bothering you?"

    Katherine swallowed and stered a smile on her face as she grabbed his hand and told him, "Why don''t we eat first?"

    Damien scanned her face but he couldn''t read her. He nodded and went to wash his hands before taking a seat at the table. The two of them started eating quietly while he continued to observe her. He noticed how nervous she looked and he couldn''t help but feel anxious about what was going on so halfway through, he dropped his utensils and reached for her hand.

    When Katherine turned to look at him with a questioning gaze, he looked at her seriously. "I''m not going to finish eating until you tell me what''s on your mind. You''ve been fidgety since and it''s making me feel uneasy Now talk to me."

    Breathing out deeply, she dropped her own utensils and turned her body so that she was facing him. With both of her hands, she held his and gave it a squeeze as she started, "I''ve been thinking"

    Damien waited patiently as she paused for a few seconds yet it seemed like forever.

    "You''ve always done a lot for me. And I had always been on the receiving end. I''ve sort of pushed you away the first time you told me you liked me. You had always been patient when I told you I wasn''t ready yet. You continue to amaze me everyday even when I feel like I don''t deserve you"

    "Katherine, you always deserve"

    "Ah-ah. Let me finish." She raised a hand to stop him and he closed his mouth. "Even when I feel like I don''t deserve you... you always reminded me that I do. I''ve been living in the dark before I met youagain." She softly chuckled. "And like the superhero that you are, you came and swept me off my feet."

    Damien chuckled with her, his eyes lovingly gazed at her while his fingers brushed her cheek.

    There were still a lot of things in her mind but she shook her head and exhaled a long breath before telling him, "You''re my home too, Damien I trust you And I want to marry you."

    An infectious smile slowly appeared on his face and he got up to his feet, pulling Katherine with him. "Are you serious?"

    She nodded.

    "You''re not messing with me? You don''t want to take time and think longer?"

    Katherine knitted her brows as she questioned, "Do you want me to take it back and make you wait?"

    "God no!" He closed their gap, wrapping his arms around her tightly as if he was afraid she was going to run away. "You can''t take it back! I won''t allow you to!"

    Damien slightly pulled away and cupped her face with his hands. He looked at her in the eyes while a smile remained on his face  he was trying to see how serious she was and her eyes were so clear that he smiled even brighter.

    Hooking her arms around his neck, Katherine pulled him down to her and imed his lips. "I''m saying yes to you," she whispered to his mouth.

    He kissed her again and deeper this time. His hands skimmed down her sides and he gripped her hips, making her moan. "I love you," he said.

    Before she could even respond, Damien bent down and carried her on his shoulders, his arm holding her thighs tightly. Katherine gasped and the next thing she knew, she was upside down and they were on their way to the bedroom.

    "Hey! Put me down! What about breakfast?" she eximed.

    With a sexy smirk on his face, he opened the door to their bedroom and said, "Yeah I''ll finish thatter. For now, I have better things in mind. We need to celebrate, Mrs. Park."

 Chapter 174: You Are My Queen

    Chapter 174: You Are My Queen

    After Damien and Katherine''s delicious and eventful morning, he let her sleep while he cleared out the table. He was all smiles the entire day as he went around the city to do some errands. It was a beautiful Saturday  sunny yet not too hot despite the summertime. Taking her out to dinner to celebrate another month with her that day was his original n, but because of their new milestone, the day had be even more special.

    By the time Damien came back home, it was already almost three in the afternoon. The house was still quiet, so he figured that Katherine must still be asleep. Setting down the grocery bags in the kitchen, he quickly put all the groceries away before climbing up the stairs and into their bedroom.

    A few rays of sunlight escaped through the curtains hitting the bed where Katherine slept on peacefully. He marveled at the sight of his future wife and his face instantly brightened up. He would have stood there longer to admire her but a brown fluffy ball of fur was pawing at his legs, asking for his attention.

    "Hey, Bear let''s go wake up Mommy," he softly said as he gave Bear a quick pet.

    Heid next to Katherine and as if it was choreographed, she instantly rolled towards him, nuzzling her face on his chest, like a clingy cat. Damien slowly raised the corners of his mouth into a charming smile as he ced his arms around her, one hand slipping under her shirt to stroke her smooth back gently. This was one of the ways that he found was effective to wake her up without causing her to be cranky.

    Feeling the heat of his palm brushing her back, her eyes sleepily opened and she inhaled the delicious scent of Damien. "Mmmm"

    He pressed a kiss on her nose and coaxed her to get up with a gentle voice. They needed to leave for dinner in two hours and he wanted her to have ample time to prepare instead of rushing at thest minute.

    The night was already dark at six in the evening and Damien entered the living room after making sure that Bear had enough water in his bowl.

    The white shirt that he wore with two top buttons undone hugged his muscr frame in a tasty fashion. He paired it with white pants and he looked absolutely gorgeous. Grabbing the steel blue suit coat on the sofa, he put it on,pleting his look for their date that night.

    His head turned to the side when he heard the bedroom door open and in a few seconds, he saw Katherine descending down the stairs, looking noble in the clothing that she chose to wear for their special evening.

    Katherine carefully took each step as she alighted the stairs. She was wearing a blush pink short cocktail dress with an off-the-shoulder neckline. It had a tea-length pleated balloon skirt with a slightly longer back. She strutted towards him, her tan suede ankle-strap stilettos clicking on the floor as she did. She looked regal and verydylike.

    She could feel the intense gaze that Damien was giving her as he scanned her body up and down, causing her cheeks to faintly blush. She could only return her stare at the man who was gaping at her  he was looking edible in his ensemble.

    "Wow just wow..." he muttered when she arrived in front of him.

    She softly chuckled at his reaction, fascinated that his usual self where he always knew what to say was nowhere to be found until she heard him speak, "You look breathtaking."

    "Thank you. And you look stunning," she returned thepliment.

    Damien reached for her hand and raised it to his mouth, pressing a soft kiss on the back of it before saying, "Shall we?"

    L''Empereur Brlent carried a three Michelin Stars and Damien Park happened to know the chef which was why he was able to pull off ast-minute n.

    The couple was seated privately in the garden. Under the stars with a delectable meal and fancy ambiance, everything was perfect.

    Enjoying a ss of wine at the end of the meal, they stood at a gazebo and appreciated the amazing view of the flowers and fountains.

    Katherine particrly loved the feeling of her back pressed against his warm chest while he had his arms around her waist. She held her left hand up and the engagement ring sparkled under the light.

    It was a dainty crown ring that had tiny diamonds all around the white gold band and small swirls with three oval diamonds making points at the center  it definitely looked like a crown, only it was a dainty ring and it was resting beautifully on her finger.

    A contented smile drew on her lips as she took in the beauty of the jewelry that was now her favorite. She loved it because it was a reminder of Damien''s love for her.

    "I''m so happy you like it," he whispered to her ear.

    "Yes, I do" she replied and the words he told her earlier while he ced the ring on her finger echoed in her mind:

    "Katherine Miller, you are my queen. I will always make sure that you will be pampered and live your life in bliss in the empire that I will build for you. As your knight, your shield, and your sword, I will stand by you until myst breath."

    Her smile became brighter at the memory. She turned in his arms until she was facing him and ced her hands on his chest. "I love it very much. I''m happy, Damien."

    Leaning forward, he imed her lips and kissed her softly. He was also happy that his chest felt like it would explode anytime. The woman in his arms agreed to live the rest of their life together and he couldn''t wait.

    They stayed longer and talked about how they were going to tell their friends about the news. Just like he expected, Katherine didn''t want a big wedding. She only wanted very close friends to witness their union and counting the people that they could invite, the number didn''t exceed ten. Despite wanting to give her the grandest wedding of the century and inviting elites, hepromised and reminded himself that he would go for whatever she wanted.

    Later, Katherine stood by the door waiting for Damien as he bid farewell to his friend. She inhaled the cold air and gazed at the sky, a small smile lingering on her lips.

    She noticed a presence on the side and saw a man who was staring at her. She raised a brow to question and he blinked as if he was waking up in his trance.

    "I''m sorry, I was wondering if you could tell me the time? My watch died on me," he chuckled.

    "Ah" Katherine lifted her wrist to check on her watch, the ring sparkling as she moved. "It''s twenty minutes past eight."

    "Thank you." The man quirked a corner of his mouth into a crooked smile and nodded, "Nice ring."

    She nced at her hand and heard the man walk away just as Damien arrived next to her.

    He shrugged off his coat and draped it on her shoulders before taking her hand. "Let''s go home," he said as he started taking long strides towards the car.

    "Why you seem to be in a hurry" Katherine softly chuckled while she stole a nce at him.

    Damien opened the door to the passenger''s seat for her and grinned flirtatiously. "I just can''t wait to take you home." He winked.

 Chapter 175: One Day

    Chapter 175: One Day

    The man watched as Damien''s Aston Martin pulled away from the restaurant from inside his car that was parked at the side. He narrowed his blue eyes, his jaw tensed as he recalled the way Katherine looked when Damien slipped the ring on her finger  she was genuinely happy.

    Chris closed his eyes and threw his head on the backrest. When he tracked her down and found her in that fancy restaurant, he was so close to telling her the truth about her real identity once he finds the chance which he had to rethink a hundred times before finally deciding to leave. Just as he stood by the door of the restaurant, she appeared in front of him, looking so dazzling like she always was except the smile on her face wasn''t for him.

    He didn''t realize that he had been staring too much until she turned her head towards him, so he casually asked for the time. The fake smile that he pulled off thest minute masked his turbulent feelings inside. He knew very well that he was a monster for ruining a pure and innocent girl like her, bringing her into his world and there was no way he could ever make up for it. He truly regretted it.

    "I hope you''ll forgive me one day, Katherine..." he muttered under his breath.

    As Chris turned the engine on and sped off, he realized that he was a walking disaster and his guilt towards Katherine was something that would stick with him until the day he dies. She was so close to possibly recovering all her memories and he could only wait for that day.

    Young Estate

    Chairman Theodore Young was in his study with his assistant. He was reading a report from the private investigator that he had hired and his brows were knitted as he processed the information in his hands.

    Chris had wlessly covered his tracks, fabricating all of Katherine''s ''history'' and making them appear to be authentic which was why whatever the private investigator dug up was all that Chris had nted from the beginning.

    However, Chairman Young was dead set on his belief that Katherine Miller was his granddaughter despite what the report said. Determined to get to the bottom of his hunch, he nned to do a discreet DNA Testing so he turned to his assistant and gave him an order.

    The next day, his assistant went to see him in the living room and whispered to his ear, "Chairman, it will take 7-10 days after sending the samples."

    Theodore Young nodded and gave his assistant the word to proceed with caution  no one else can know about what he was doing. Once he was 100% sure, only then will he make a move and tell his daughter Deborah about it.

    Taking a sip of his oolong tea, Chairman Young imagined what he would do if Katherine turned out to be who he thought she was. No matter how much he wanted for it to be true, he was also afraid to be disappointed so he didn''t let himself dwell on it too much.

    "Father, you and your assistant seemed to be busytely" Deborah remarked as she made her way towards the old man and gave him a peck on the cheek.

    "Ah, there are some properties that needed to be taken care of. It''s a Sunday, where are you off to?" he asked when he noticed that she was dressed well.

    Just then, footsteps were heard and a young woman came into view rushing towards Chairman Young.

    "Grandpa!" Caroline Young, Deborah''s daughter happily greeted him.

    "You both look really nice" hemented, curling his mouth slightly upward into a smile.

    The two women headed out to meet a few socialites over brunch and after saying goodbye, Chairman Young called his assistant over. "Prepare the car. I want to visit Mildred." He walked towards his bedroom to grab a coat. It had been nearly ten years since his wife died and his life inside the Young Mansion had been so lonely with each passing day. If not because of his daughter Deborah''s failed marriage, he was going to live in the cold and lifeless mansion alone.

    The private investigator had to get Katherine''s DNA sample first before sending it to ab. Since Chairman Young had to wait for about two weeks before he could see the result, he felt like he needed to do something to take his mind off it or he might be too restless because of his impatience.

    Over the next couple of days, Katherine and Damien spent the time slowly breaking the news to their loved ones and all of them were thrilled, especially Nana.

    However, Frederick Park caught a whiff of the distasteful news and he was not pleased to hear it at all. So after hearing about Katherine and Damien''s engagement, he went to visit his nephew at Crown Resort Group together with his son William.

    Seeing the two of them enter Damien''s building, the employees were stunned. Though they would see the father and son duo asionally during important events, they never saw them visit their Big Boss Damien Park in his office on a regr working day. The sudden visit caught them off-guard and they had to put on their best behavior as they were facing one of the country''s known conglomerates.

    The phone on Katherine''s desk rang and she answered it. Instantly, her brows knitted upon hearing the information from the receptionist. "Okay. I''ll inform the president. Hang on just a moment."

    She knocked before entering Damien''s office and saw the silly smile on his face as she heard him say, "There she is. How''s my fiance? Are you hungry already? Let me take you out to lunch"

    "Your uncle and your cousin are here," she blurted and saw the nuances in his expression.

    "Where are they?" he asked, his voice low and toneless.

    "They''re at the lobby. The security is waiting for your word."

    Damien rubbed his forehead. He could feel a headacheing as he already knew why they were in his building. Reluctantly, he nodded and replied, "Send them up."

    Katherine nodded but before she left his office, she walked up to him and ced a kiss on his forehead. She knew how ufortable he was with the way his mood suddenly changed. She did not say anything but her little gesture was enough to make him smile and calm his heart as he watched her exit his office.

    He got up from his chair and put on his coat as he waited for the two to arrive.

    Soon the elevator opened. Frederick and William stepped out of the elevator and was weed by Katherine Miller, standing in the hallway with her hands on her stomach and her head slightly bowed. After greeting the father and son politely, she ushered them towards Damien''s office and held the door open for them.

    Frederick gave her a deathly stare but she kept her head down, not daring to look at him in the eye  after all, she was working as a secretary and she was only acting her part.

    "It''s nice to see you again, Ms. Miller. You look very nice as always," William''s raspy voice sounded as he stopped in front of her.

    She lifted her head up slightly and met his sultry gaze. Damien would look at her like that and she would be ready to drop her panties anytime anywhere but seeing it from William made her want to back away and put on a metal cage and a lock on her bottom. Despite not liking him, she gave him a small smile out of politeness before she closed the door of Damien''s office.

    Katherine didn''t have to be in the room to know what they were about to discuss. Katherine and Damien had told Nana yesterday the news of their engagement and she was positive that the father and son were in the office for that. She knew that Damien could handle his family but she still couldn''t help but worry for him.

 Chapter 176: Marriage of Convenience

    Chapter 176: Marriage of Convenience

    It was almost lunchtime and Katherine and Damien were supposed to go out for a meal. However, because of Frederick and William''s unexpected visit, their lunch date will just have to wait. Because the father and son were special guests, Katherine had asked the pantry to serve excellent tea and snacks. In just less than five minutes, the staff arrived with a pushcart filled with light pastries and drinks.

    "Your business is going well, I heard that you''re going to have another project soon," Frederick Park started, his body rxed on the leather sofa next to his son William.

    Damien looked nonchnt as he replied with an emotionless expression, "I''m just doing what I believe is best for mypany."

    "Well, if you ever need anything, you know that you can always ask me anytime. I would be d to extend help What are families for..."

    Just then, a knock sounded before the door opened and in came a couple of people from the pantry who started serving snacks and drinks on the coffee table. Katherine stood by the door and nced at Damien who just gave her a brief smile as though he was reassuring her that everything was okay.

    On the other hand, William had azy smile on his face as he shifted his eyes to Katherine, looking at her body up and down before taking a sip from his cup of tea. "Mmm thank you, Ms. Katherine, this tea is excellent," hemented.

    Putting on a fake smile, she bowed slightly before closing the door after the staff had left, giving the gentlemen their privacy.

    There were a few moments of silence while Damien took a sip of his tea. After cing it back on the table, he turned to his uncle with a serious expression and said, "Uncle Fred, I already know what you came here for. There is no need for small talk. I would appreciate it if you just get on with it."

    A smirk broke on William''s handsome face as he remarked, "Damien, you are always so uptight. You should live a little, you know?"

    "I don''t y games like you have been doing all your life, Will. You may have the luxury to y around but I don''t." Damien threw a nce at his cousin and their eyes met briefly before they averted their gaze.

    Clearing his throat, Frederick answered, "Yes, I''m here to see you because I have heard from your grandmother that you nned to get married. Is that true?"

    "Yes," Damien answered without skipping a beat.

    "To whom? Don''t tell me it''s that secretary of yours?" Frederick used a tone that was obviously meant to degrade Katherine''s character and Damien already knew his uncle''s dislike towards his woman. Damien hated the way his uncle judged her without giving her a chance. Frederick hadn''t even talked to Katherine that much except for that charity g where he tantly offered her money to shoo her off.

    Damien was still pissed that he did that but because he was still an elder, he tried his best to maintain his calm self if he could help it. "Yes, I''m going to marry her. Is there a problem?" he asked as though he already knew what was going on in his uncle''s head.

    "How well do you really know that woman? Don''t you think it''s absurd to get married after dating for only a few months? You know how our family is. You can''t just bring a stranger inside." Frederick Park''s voice was low and calm but there was so much hostility in the way he carried the words.

    Damien hadn''t even had the chance to respond to it yet when Frederick continued, "Why do you insist on this woman? There are so many others out there who are worthy of your surname! Just tell me your qualifications and I will make sure to give you a filtered list of the daughters of my friends."

    Hearing what his uncle had said, Damien couldn''t help but let out a chuckle. "Your friends? Or do you mean business partners?" He stared intensely at his uncle and watched as Frederick paused slightly before revealing a sly smile, drinking his tea and setting it down casually.

    "Friends business partners Is there really a difference? You''re a businessman too, Damien. And I''m your uncle. I''m only doing this for you."

    Damien''s jaw tensed and he breathed out heavily before shifting in his seat. "And who do you think is worthy of my name? Those heiresses who know nothing but spend their fathers'' money and had not contributed anything in theirpany? Whose priorities lie on climbing the socialdder?"

    Frederick Park could feel a vein throbbing on his head. Having a discussion with this smart nephew of his was always a challenge, much less argue with him. Damien was nothing like his son William who was almost always in sync with his thoughts despite having his evil ways.

    He swept his gaze from his son to Damien and added, "I understand your concern. Those young women don''t seem to appeal to you. But I tell you what, if you tell me what you''re looking for I will help you choose your future wife who will be exactly to your liking. In the process, you and yourpany will benefit more that way"

    Damien threw his head back andughed, amused by the words that his uncle was spouting at him. He shook his head and a devilish grin shed on his face, "Marriage of convenience?" he asked mockingly. "Thispany doesn''t need that. ''I'' don''t need to marry a rich, self-entitled woman for business benefits. Mypany functions and thrives even without it." His voice became stern at thest statement and his gaze was intense as he stared back at his uncle.

    Frederick Park knew that very well. Damien had built his reputation with his own hard work and achieved heights that couldn''t be achieved by many. Truth be told, his nephew didn''t need any marriage of convenience for the sake of hispany but he couldn''t let him just marry anyone into the family. So as much as possible, he had to make sure whoever Damien''s future wife was, has to be worthy.

    This time, it was William''s turn tough upon hearing Damien''s response. The other two men turned their heads to him, waiting for his reaction toe to light. Damien raised a brow and William shrugged his shoulders as he probed, "Really?"

    William didn''t hear any reply from Damien so he could only continue, "If you don''t then what about what happened years ago? Wasn''t that"

    Before William could even finish his statement, Damien mmed his hand down on the coffee table  the action was so hard that it caused the cups and dishes to clink. His eyes turned dark as he shot his cousin a re so intense that William felt it in his gut. But despite the tension, William knew he had struck a nerve so his smile only widened.

    Damien, on the other hand, was furious. "Don''t you dare bring that up. That was different," he spat his words under gritted teeth. The air around them had turned colder at the same time that his body had turned rigid.

    Despite seeing Damien''s expression, William didn''t falter. He was so rxed as he pressed on the matter at hand just to spite his cousin even more. He was amused by the thought that a gentle reminder of his past shook him this much. "I''m guessing our dear Katherine doesn''t even know about this, huh? How do you think she will react once she finds all about your past? Do you think she will still want to marry you?"

    Rubbing his forehead, Frederick Park could feel a headacheing. He always hated it whenever these two were in this kind of situation; there was never a calm and peaceful conversation. "William, that''s enough." Frederick Park turned to Damien and asked, "Why don''t we go and have lunch together?"

    Brushing off the thoughts in his head, Damien calmed himself down and got up from the sofa. "I can''t. I have a meeting. Thanks for stopping by."

    And just like that, Damien opened the door to let his guests out of his office.

 Chapter 177: Uncertainty

    Chapter 177: Uncertainty

    As soon as the door opened, the air in the room slightly felt better. Seeing as they were asked to leave Damien''s office, Frederick who had a frustrated look on his face and William who was still all smiles got up from the sofa and headed out. Damien didn''t really have a scheduled meeting but he didn''t want to have lunch with the two  he just wanted them to leave.

    Frederick Park stopped just in front of Damien and reminded him, "Think about your family, Damien. A woman marrying into the family can''t just be anyone." His words were loud and clear to Katherine who was standing a few feet away with her head slightly bowed.

    William, who had stepped out of the office, tilted his head to Katherine and spoke in a teasing tone, "Ms. Katherine, congrattions on your engagement. It would be nice to have some coffee with you sometime. I would love to talk about my dear cousin''s life. I''m sure you want to get to know more about him before tying the knot."

    Katherine nced at Damien and saw his dark expression upon hearing William''s insinuations. She didn''t like it one bit and she was getting annoyed by William''s nonsense. "Thanks for the invitation. But whatever I want to know from Damien I would want to hear it from him."

    William chuckled at her response and shrugged. "Make sure you get to know all about him, my dear. After all you are marrying a member of the Park Family."

    Frederick Park didn''t like the atmosphere at this point and he just wanted to leave the ce. He huffed and walked towards the elevator as he called his son, "Let''s go, William."

    "Coming, Father," William answered without taking his eyes off Katherine, giving her a wink before turning and following his father to the elevator.

    Once they finally left, Damien let out a sigh, running both of his hands on his face as he walked back inside his office. Katherine noticed his expression as she followed him inside. She watched as he loosened his tie and rolled his shoulders as though he was under a lot of tension. He leaned on the edge of his desk without speaking a word and only looked up when he heard Katherine''s voice.

    "Hey is everything okay?" she asked, slipping her hand in his and giving it a squeeze.

    He met her eyes and saw concern written all over her face. Not wanting to worry her, he pulled the corners of his mouth upward and nodded, "Yeah, I just had a conversation with infuriating people. Not the highlight of my day."

    Though she didn''t hear what they talked about in the office, she did hear thest statement that his uncle said before leaving his office and it pretty much summed up everything. She already expected this kind of reaction from his uncle so it wasn''t a shock for her but hearing it first hand still caused her heart to feel a slight prick. Even so, she chose to give Damien her sweetest smile. "What can I do to make you feel better?"

    He softly chuckled at her offer. There were a lot of things that she could do for him right at that moment and the devilish smirk on his face gave away his thoughts. Katherine rolled her eyes and Damien pulled her close, settling her in between his thighs and wrapping his arms around her. "As much as I want to take you right here right now, Kitten, I''m starving I need to fuel up first or I''ll pass out."

    With a knowing smile, she couldn''t help but let out a giggle, "Oh, we can''t have that, can we?" She leaned and pressed her lips on his. "Let''s go I''m feeding my man today," she said as she pulled him to his feet.

    "It''s August 21st, I don''t think we are celebrating anything but I like the sound of that. I''ll eat a lot of meat since you''re buying." He wiggled his brows, teasing her as they walked out of the office and grabbing their things on their way out.

    Katherine''s smile got brighter thinking that Damien''s mood had gotten better. "You can eat as much as you want. I''ll even throw in some dessert if you''re nice." They stepped inside the elevator, pressing a button that led to the lobby.

    "Someone''s generous today. You''re not doing this just to curry favors, are you? Because it will take more than one lunch date for that to happen." Damien raised a brow, his yful tone made herugh some more.

    "Oh, please. President Park, if I were to curry favors, I won''t be taking you out to lunch for that," she winked, making Damien throw his head back andugh. After spending so much time with him, his little Kitten has picked up a few of his moves and now she was working it on him.

    He leaned towards her, his mouth hovered over her ear as he said, "You bet. You don''t even have to do anything. You can justy and stay pretty..." He kissed a soft spot behind her ear at the same time that his hand traveled towards her bottom, squeezing it and making her yelp in surprise. The elevator door opened and he winked at her just before he stepped out, leaving her slightly flushed.

    "Chop chop, Ms. Miller, we''re going to bete for our lunch meeting," he said as he walked, his employees greeted him as he passed by.

    Clearing her throat, Katherine squared her shoulders and strutted behind him. "Yes, President Park."

    Later that evening, Damien had Felix send Katherine home while he went out for drinks with Caleb and Jeffrey at the Gentlemen''s Club. It was a Tuesday night and even during the weekdays, the ce was packed.

    In the VIP section, the three of them enjoyed the music in the background as they drank their favorite poison.

    "What''s going on? It''s a Tuesday night so what are we doing here?" Jeffrey finally asked after they had talked about random stuff over the past hour.

    Caleb nced at Damien who had been a little restless since they got inside. Something was bothering his friend and he was worried. "You''re still getting married, right?" he probed.

    Damien''s head snapped towards Caleb, his brows raised in surprise, "What? Of course..."

    "So what''s bothering you?"

    Damien took a swig of his whiskey before putting it on the table and ran a hand on his jaw before he started, "William sort of threatened me to tell on Katherine about Margaret."

    Caleb and Jeffrey stared at their friend, unsure of what to say until Caleb coughed and muttered, "Ah Maggie."

    "So you haven''t told her yet? Katherine I mean You haven''t told Katherine?" Jeffrey pursed his lips.

    Damien made everyone around him swear an oath not to mention a thing about that woman or what happened in the past ever again  it was very rare that they slip up. Jeffrey almost did that one time when he was visiting Damien in his office. But now that Damien had started the topic, they thought it was fine but they still felt a little awkward talking about her after all these years.

    "It''s not that I''m against Katherine from knowing about it. I honestly just hadn''t thought about that woman for a long time that maybe I forgot about her"

    Caleb nodded. "That''s understandable. You''ve been with Katherine so you could only think about Katherine the whole time."

    Damien shrugged and sighed. "But William brought it up earlier today. I just feel ufortable and maybe slightly hesitant to tell Katherine now after the engagement She probably wouldn''t get mad, but I actually don''t know if I''m ready to talk about what happened."

    Jeffrey leaned in and questioned, "It''s been years, man are you still..."

    "Mad? I guess that didn''t really go away but I don''t know"

    Jeffrey swallowed. "I was going to ask if you''re still sad about"

    Damien dragged his stare and met Jeffrey''s eyes. He looked down on his drink and responded to the unspoken subject, "I don''t know."

    Caleb mped his hand on Damien''s shoulder as he said, "We got your back whatever you decide to do."

    After a long silence, Damien downed his drink and nodded. "I''ll tell herter."

 Chapter 178: Whats Her Name?

    Chapter 178: What''s Her Name?

    Pearl Gardens

    Katherine was on the phone with Alianna over the past hour talking about anything that had to do with weddings until they ended up talking about thetest happenings of her life in Italy. Since Ali was sofortable with Katherine, she didn''t mind sharing even the personal stuff about her mother, her and Caleb''s currentplicated rtionship, and her growing friendship with Matthew.

    Katherine was d that she had someone to talk to who was also part of Damien''s life. She would still sometimes catch up with Emma but because of thetter''s busy schedule recently, they haven''t had the chance to see each other for a few weeks now. Talking to Ali was such a breath of fresh air because Damien''s cousin was full of sunshine and it was contagious!

    "Oh, by the way, have you opened the package I sent you?" Alianna asked while she was drying the nail polish on her hands.

    "What package?" Katherine was on the sofa in the living room while Bear was on the floor just by her side. The TV was on very low volume  she and Ali were watching the same reality tv show while gossiping at the same time.

    "You know, the stuff I told you I''d send you before? You said I should send all of them so I did I received a notification from the courier saying that it was delivered. I thought you would already have seen the package by now"

    Katherine raised a brow as she scanned the living room for the said package. "Send what? I don''t know what you''re talking about. I don''t see any packages here" Her eyes caught sight of a medium-sized box that was ced on a small table by the stairs that she hadn''t noticed earlier.

    "Are you that forgetful? The underwear and lingerie that I told you about" Ali was just reminding the other when she heard a gasp over the phone. "You found it?"

    "Oh my god, I didn''t think you were really going to send these. The box seems heavy! Just how many did you send over?" Katherine picked up the box and brought it over to the coffee table. She retrieved a small knife from the kitchen and carefully opened the package, seeing several neatly packed pieces of delicate wear in the box.

    "I don''t know about twenty?" Alianna chuckled. "Do you like them? Eh Who am I kidding of course you love them and I''m sure Damien will too. Consider this as my engagement present You''re wee."

    Katherine shook her head andughed heartily. "I haven''t even thanked you yet!"

    "Well, aren''t you going to?"

    "Of course... Thank you, Ali I''ll make sure to put them into good use." Katherine was actually happy with the present. Who would have thought that this day woulde where she would get excited over sexy lingerie?

    "I''m sure you will, Kath" Alianna replied, her voice was so yful.

    Hearing the sound of a car engine outside, Katherine knew that Damien had arrived. "Damien''s here. I gotta go, Ali Talk soon."

    "Oooh are you going to try a lingerie tonight? Get it, girl!" Ali teased.

    Katherine rolled her eyes and hurriedly bid goodbye before ending the phone call. She opened the main door and watched as Damien parked his Aston Martin in the garage.

    He climbed out of the car and strolled towards Katherine, his face was unreadable and he formed a small smile just as he arrived in front of her. "Why are you still up thiste?" He kissed her cheek.

    She started helping him out of his coat as they entered the house while she told him what she did that night. He rolled his sleeves up to his elbow and noticed the package on the table as they sat on the white sofa.

    The two of them shared augh when Katherine told him about the package. Then the room fell silent and she noticed the strange air around him. She got up and got him a ss of water before sitting back down next to him.

    Reaching out for his hand, she gave it a light squeeze and asked, "What''s going on? You look like you''re upset about something Do you want to talk about it?"

    The worried look on her face made him hesitant to speak. He didn''t want to upset her but he knew he had to at least tell her somehow. "Honestly, I don''t want to talk about it"

    "I see"

    "But I have to It''s about something that happened in the past," he added.

    Damien was quiet for a while and Katherine waited for him to speak until she said, "Damien, if you''re not ready to say it it''s okay, you don''t have to."

    Truth be told, he was nervous. But there was no way that he was going to keep this from her and risk having it heard from someone else.

    "I think I need to tell you It''s just I haven''t talked about it for years and I was hoping to just forget it even happened. But you deserve to know it from me Will you listen?"

    Katherine saw the troubled look on his face. She wasn''t sure if she was seeing him in pain or in frustration. It was hard to tell but she knew that he needed to release it or it will eat him up inside.

    cing a hand on his back, she lightly stroked him and nodded, "Of course I''m here. Whenever you''re ready."

    It took Damien a couple of minutes topose himself before he finally started, "Several years ago when I had just started building the business I was I I was going to get married to someone" He swallowed.

    Katherine felt like water had been dunk over her head and streamed down her back with what she just heard. Damien could see the change in her expression and it scared him. Her expression was stoic and she was speechless.

    The thought of Damien being with someone was something she did not want to imagine but actually knowing he was supposed to get married to someone else it instantly caused her heart to ache.

    "You you were engaged to someone"

    He nodded.

    "What''s her name?" she blurted without thinking and hurriedly took it back. "Wait no don''t tell me. I don''t think I wanna know"

    He studied her face and noticed that she had stopped stroking his back. She had actually pulled back and kept her hands to herself, wringing them together anxiously.

    "Who was she? What happened?" she questioned.

    After letting out a sigh, he continued, "I knew her back when I was in the university. I was still with Lexi then so nothing really happened between us. When Lexi and I were over, I went away for a few months and that woman also stayed in the same ce where I did"

    Damien and Margaret hit it off eventually and when they came back to the city, they became official. It was also around that time when he left Park Mansion and found his own ce. Everything seemed perfect when he felt that he had found his freedom.

    He started his business and Margaret was there every step of the way. He was so fond of her that he may have even loved her. Feeling that he had the chance to finally chase his own dreams, Damien was hopeful and passionate.

    At this time, Katherine remained quiet, allowing him to tell his story while his eyes remained wistful.

    "We were friends first andter we started dating." He ran his hand through his hair a couple of times, disheveling it as he did. "I thought I already had everything under control in my life until"

    The room went silent as he forced himself to fish out his phone. Earlier, he had searched a certain photo that was stored in his email many years ago. Opening the picture that he was looking for, his hands slightly trembled as he hesitantly passed his phone to Katherine.

    "She gave me this." Damien''s heart mmed in his chest, he almost felt sick as he showed her a photo of an ultrasound. "She got pregnant and I was going to be a father."

 Chapter 179: An Immeasurable Delight for the Unborn Child

    Chapter 179: An Immeasurable Delight for the Unborn Child

    The air in the living room suddenly felt thick. Katherine gasped, her hand flew up to her mouth upon hearing Damien''s words. She couldn''t meet his eyes and she felt like all the air got sucked out of her lungs that it hurt to breathe. She opened and closed her mouth several times in an attempt to say something but no words came out.

    "Katherine" Damien muttered, calling her attention.

    Turning her head, she met his tensed expression as she stuttered, "Y-You had have a child..." Her voice was small and weak.

    Instead of answering her directly, he closed his eyes briefly as he had topose himself, and when he opened them again, they were fixed on the ultrasound photo in his phone. Damien found it quite hard to exin but he continued his tale.

    "I was twenty-two years old then Can you imagine how scary it was for me to hear such news? I had no idea how to take care of kids. Heck my mother left and she wasn''t a good role model while my father" He shook his head. "I had always been careful, so hearing that from her made me all confused. It took me a while to finally ept that I was going to be a father I thought  it wasn''t so bad."

    Damien told Caleb and Jeffrey about it and after contemting, he decided to man up and do what he thought was right. He told Margaret that he would take responsibility and thinking that he didn''t want the child to grow up with just one parent, he nned to marry her. He wanted to do the right thing  he persevered and did what he could to be a good man.

    He genuinely liked Margaret  she was smart and beautiful. He cared for her because she was there when he felt betrayed by his own cousin William and his ex-girlfriend Lexi. It meant a lot to him that he wasn''t really alone when he chose to take a break from everyone after that. It was probably why he was able to see the good side of having a child at that time. Because although the pregnancy was unnned, he liked Margaret.

    Not before long, Damien started to love the unborn child. He got excited about its arrival and was overwhelmed by the idea of being a dad at the same time. The immeasurable delight that it brought him was something that he had never experienced before.

    He didn''t think that it was possible for him to be selfless when he came to imagine the future of his child. He was going to be a father for God''s sake! It was an amazing yet scary feeling that he came to ept.

    Katherine saw the moist that pooled in his eyes before a hand ran over his face in frustration. A tear escaped but he quickly wiped it off with the back of his hand.

    Damien chuckled as though he found something amusing. "I learned to love someone who hasn''t even been brought to this world yet. It''s weird, right?" He had a bitter smile on his face as he looked at Katherine.

    And despite having mixed feelings about what she was learning about him at that moment, her heart ached for him when she saw how emotional he got as he talked. Reaching her hand over his, she gave it a warm andforting squeeze. "What happened then?"

    He swallowed and stared at the floor as he continued, "One night, I decided to surprise her in her apartment after finishing a meeting with some investors. I remember not seeing her for a few days because I was so busy with the acquisition and renovation of the Bayside Resort."

    "The first resort that you owned" Katherine said and saw him nod.

    "Yeah" Damien''s face fell. "I arrived at her ce and found that her door was unlocked. There was a man inside and they were arguing. I couldn''t hear everything that they talked about but I heard enough. I was just about to go inside and interrupt them when I heard the most ridiculous thing in my entire life."

    "What was it?" Katherine''s heart raced as she waited.

    After a long sigh, Damien''s expression darkened, "It turns out, I wasn''t even the father of the child she was carrying"

    "Oh my god Did she know?"

    He nodded as he let out a mockingugh. "She knew all along. She actually orchestrated the whole thing."

    News about Lexi and Damien''s breakup traveled so fast and when Margaret knew, she exhausted all her resources to locate where he was and followed him. He was about a thousand miles away from home and she made it seem like she was also there coincidentally. She got close to him, offering a shoulder to lean on while he was vulnerable after his cousin''s betrayal.

    Eventually, they got even closer until they started going out together. A perfect romantic plot only it was all nned and with the intent to take advantage of his identity. The Park Family''s influence and reputation were high and respected in the country. Margaret''s grandfather, Richard Hara, was the previous chairman of Hara Construction Company and the old man pressured her to use her connection with Damien to save theirpany.

    Damien, who was still trying to stand on his own without his family business''s influence to help him, was thankful for Margaret''s help  she was his partner. Caleb only became his business partner after the incident.

    Her grandfather''s scheme yed like how it was nned. Except, Margaret got pregnant by her ex-boyfriend. She knew that it was not Damien''s baby judging by the time it was conceived. However, she was already in a knee-deep mess that she just kept piling up all the lies, one on top of the other. Her grandfather was a cruel person who took advantage of Margaret''s situation to keep Damien on a leash.

    "That man in her apartment was that her ex?" Katherine asked. She was even more surprised to learn that it was one of the bidders for Crown Resort Group''s current project.

    "No it was her father, the current chairman of Hara Construction Company. Her father was a good man. He was against his father''s ns so he was there to convince her to tell me the truth." Damien let out a deep sigh.

    "Did you ever talk to her after that?"

    "I refused to talk to her until a few dayster when I visited her at the hospital. She lost the baby. Then she exined everything and asked for another chance" He shook his head, pissed at the memory that shed in his mind. "After everything that she did, I couldn''t find it in me to forgive her." Damien leaned on the backrest of the sofa. He felt slightly better after telling Katherine what happened.

    He trusted Margaret only to be betrayed again. It was heartbreaking that he had learned to love the unborn child only to find out it was not his. He had actually cared for Margaret but she took advantage of him and made him a chess piece.

    Damien felt Katherine''s soft and warm hands over his. He turned and saw the sad look on her face  she was teary-eyed and he felt a prick in his heart seeing her reaction. He didn''t understand what she was thinking until she leaned into him, wrapping her arms around him and squeezing him tight as he heard her say, "I''m so sorry you had to go through that I wish you hadn''t."

    Katherine could now understand what drove Damien to be a ruthless businessman. He proved himself to everyone how capable he was time and again. She just felt bad that he had to experience a terrible situation like that.

    He returned her hug and buried his head on her shoulder. "You''re not mad?"

    Katherine pulled away, her brows knitted as she gazed at his eyes. "Why would I be mad? Honey, you experienced something awful. I could not imagine how you must have felt."

    "I kept it from you" His voice was low and weak.

    "I''m just slightly disappointed that you didn''t tell me about it earlier. But what happened was in the past, Damien. You epted me despite not knowing my history So, how could I be mad at you?" She brushed his hair away from his face, wiping a drop of tear from the corner of his eye.

    Damien''s face brightened when he heard the words that he wanted and needed to hear from her. Pulling her to him, he kissed her temple as he whispered, "You''re amazing I love you."

 Chapter 180: I Will Blow Your Mind

    Chapter 180: I Will Blow Your Mind

    It was almost midnight at Pearl Gardens yet Damien and Katherine were still in the living room, cuddling on the sofa with a fleece nket over their legs. She rested her head on his chest while his arm was around her, his hand stroking her bare arm.

    The lights in the room were dimmed, it was warm and cozy  the smell of oak wood from the firece filled the atmosphere, making it even morefortable along with the crackling sound that it made. Everything was just pleasant especially in the arms of Damien.

    Katherine nuzzled on his chest, his smell was mixed with the whiskey that he drank earlier  it was intoxicating, but she loved it. She knew that he never drives when he''s inebriated and would make sure that he''s sober which is why she trusts him every time he''s out with his friends for drinks. It was one thing she didn''t have to worry about. A responsible man like Damien is just as sexy as he is without clothes on.

    They''ve been quiet for about half an hour now, just enjoying the silence and the feeling offort from each other. Damien was staring at the ceiling when he heard Katherine ask, "Why didn''t you tell me before?"

    He breathed in deeply before letting out a sigh. "Honestly it didn''te up. For several years, I had buried that horrible memory deep down and tried to forget about what happened. I guess I really did. I just didn''t want to think about it so I pushed it to the back of my mind and moved on."

    Katherine''s hand that rested on his abdomen slid up to his chest, her warm palm feeling the thrumming of his heartbeat. She raised her chin up to look at him and she met his stare. "Then why did you tell me now?"

    "William doesn''t know everything that happened. He only believes I had knocked up a college friend to gain benefits as I was trying to get away from the family and be on my own. He thinks I was too proud to ask for help from my own family and that I was resorting to some sick ploy" He shook his head. "Earlier when they came to my office, he reminded me of what happened, thinking that he could use it against me or make you doubt me by telling you some twisted story."

    "Didn''t you try to tell them what actually happened? You were the victim"

    "I didn''t think it mattered what other people think at that time. The baby died the one I thought was mine. It still broke me even after knowing the truth and I just wanted to get past that."

    Katherine ced her hand on his cheek, tilting her head up to press a kiss on his jaw. His arms around her tightened and sheid her head back on his chest. "Are there any other exes that I should know about?"

    Damien chuckled, his chest rumbling on her cheek was making her heart flutter. "None that mattered. What about you? Any exes in the past five years that I should know about? What if I bump into them one day?"

    "None that mattered" she copied what he said and he squeezed her hips.

    "Did you go on a lot of dates?" he asked, his brow raised as he lifted her chin up to meet her gaze.

    Katherine formed a small smile on her face. "I went on dates but never had a serious rtionship."

    He nodded, satisfied with her answer. He kissed the top of her head and pulled the nket up to her shoulder. "Don''t you want to head upstairs?" he asked, his hand stroking her arm over the nket.

    She nced at the wall clock and saw the time. She settled even closer into his embrace and closed her eyes. "I don''t want to move This is nice. I want to stay here instead." She inteced their legs together, his feet warming up her cold ones.

    Damien grabbed her icy hand and kissed it. "Then let''s stay here tonight." He blew on her hand and rubbed it, creating warmth through the friction. His movements were all too natural as he had been doing it for as long as they had been together.

    After a few moments of silence, Katherine squeezed his hand and spoke, "Damien I know we promised to be honest with each other, but I don''t want you to feel threatened to tell me things that you aren''tfortable talking about. I trust you and I will understand and wait until you''re ready to tell me things that you want to share one day. Of course as long as it''s something that is not going to hurt our rtionship."

    She gazed up at him and saw a slow smile appear on his handsome features. She melted into him as he captured her lips with his. He kissed her slowly and tenderly, cradling her face preciously. Breaking their kiss, he told her, "I''m sorry I made you feel bad earlier I want to make it up to you."

    "I''m okay I''m happy just like this with you."

    "Are you sure?"

    Katherine nodded and hugged him tighter. "Of course. Though a delicious breakfast in the morning would also be lovely."

    Damien softly chuckled. "Consider it done. I''ll blow your mind in the morning..."

    "Ah I can''t wait. I''m already hungry thinking about what you''ll make for me then."

    The two of themughed together. Damien thought that it was going to be a terrible night when he made up his mind and came home to tell her a piece of his past. For all the misfortunes that he had experienced in the past, he was sure so lucky to have an understanding woman embracing him that night aftering clean. His heart throbbed knowing that he was going to spend the rest of his life loving this woman and he was looking forward to growing old with her.

    Closing their eyes, they relished the wonderful feeling of the warm atmosphere. It was a Tuesday night on August 21st, a supposedly regr night on a weekday nothing really special yet their evening turned out to be an intimate one  baring their feelings to each other. Damien was falling fast and hard just like Katherine was and they had been falling still and none of them seemed to mind.

    The sun rose at 6:30 in the morning, the ray of light hitting Katherine''s face just as Damien finished whipping up their breakfast. With her eyes still closed, she curled the corner of her lips upward, beaming at the thought of what''s waiting for her at the table.

    She inhaled and the delicious smell of pancakes and bacon that wafted into her nose, making her drool. The feel of rough and soft paws on her arm made her flutter her eyes open, seeing Bear wagging its tail and urging her to give him a pet in which she dly gave before getting up from the sofa.

    "Morning," she heard Damien greet from the kitchen. He strolled towards the dining table with two cups of coffee in hand. "Go wash up we''ll eat soon."

    Katherine sleepily smiled at him as she headed up to the bedroom,ing back downstairs a few minutester. Damien finished setting the table and was feeding Bear when she walked up to him.

    "Morning." She tiptoed and kissed him on the lips, her arms wrapping around his neck and hugging him close before pulling away.

    He pulled her chair out for her and nced at the wall clock before saying, "We have less than two hours"

    "For what?" she asked, she was already chewing a bite of pancake and bacon in her mouth.

    Leisurely like he had all the time in the world, he sipped on his coffee before answering, "To get to the tarmac. We''re going to France."

    Katherine stopped chewing for a beat before she swallowed and smiled. She knitted her brows as she chuckled at him but his eyes were serious. Her smile disappeared. "You''re not kidding"

    Damien shrugged, setting his cup down on the table and grabbing a pastry from the te. "I told you I would blow your mind in the morning." He winked.

 Chapter 181: Mr. Billionaire and His Toys

    Chapter 181: Mr. Billionaire and His Toys

    At a quarter past eight in the morning, Damien and Katherine were already entering the tarmac. She still hadn''t wrapped her head around what was about to happen soon  everything was all too sudden. But as the car came to a stop and Markus opened the door for her, she snapped out of her trance. Feeling Damien''s hand tugging hers and his voice calling her attention, she turned to the left and saw his brow raise.

    "What''s wrong? You don''t look excited..." he said, wondering what was going on in her pretty head.

    "Are we really flying to France? What are we doing there? What about work?"

    A slow smile broke on his face as he brought her hand to his lips, pressing a soft kiss on it before saying, "Yes, we are. There are some ces that I want to show you. You don''t have to worry about work because Markus is staying here. Haven''t you always wanted to go on a trip with me?"

    "Yeah I But really?" Katherine knitted her brows. "Normal people don''t just decide to fly out of the country on a whim or fly to Paris for lunch ande home like it''s one taxi ride away." She waved her hand in the air as she talked.

    Damien chuckled upon hearing her statement. He unbuckled his seatbelt before meeting her eyes again. "Darling, you know you''re marrying someone not normal. This is just one of the perks for being future Mrs. Damien Park." He winked at her, a yful smile lingering on his lips as he alighted the car.

    She exhaled deeply and followed him out of the car, hooking her arm with his as they walked towards the parked nes. "I thought we''re flying on your private ne?" she asked, wondering why they were heading towards amercial ne.

    "We are." He nodded his head to the massive ne in front of them. It was long and wide  just like the size of an international ne that''s meant to have long hour flights.

    Katherine snapped her head towards Damien and gaped at him like he had just grown another head. She opened and closed her mouth and all she heard from him was: "What?"

    She knew that he owned private nes but it was the first time she had seen it. She shook her head, realizing whatever she would say at this point will be useless. "Oh, nothing it''s small."

    He threw his head backughing. He had been used to his lifestyle for years that he had forgotten how most people thought he''s living excessively. Truthfully, Damien doesn''t care much about his houses hence living in the penthouse before Katherine appeared, but traveling in style is what he is about  luxury andfort. "The smaller one is currently being used by Caleb for a site visit in California. This one is better for a longer flight."

    "Of course" she muttered, earning a grin from him. Why does she even bother to think about how rich he is? All of his toyse with wheels  expensive and high maintenance  and this particr one flies.

    Entering the massive ne, she was greeted by a friendly looking flight attendant, ushering them towards the middle of the ne. Katherine was in awe to see the customized interior all fit for Damien''s title as the Resort King. It was luxurious and had a state of the art technology interior. As they went further inside, he dly toured her around the cabin.

    Compared to his smaller private ne that could seat 18 passengers, this was definitely a huge leap of standard  the ne couldfortably seat 45 passengers instead of the usual 200 had it not been customized  it had a lounge, a dining-sh-conference area, a kitchen, toilets, bathrooms, and a bedroom.

    "Do you like it?" Damien asked as they sat in the lounge.

    "Oh you know I do" She chuckled, "You are so over the top."

    He shrugged. "What can I say? A man has to travel in style besides, you can''t put a price tag infort. I have to travel all over plenty of times I say this is a great investment."

    The ne had taken off and was now cruising smoothly thousands of feet above the ground. Because they had eaten a good breakfast earlier, they enjoyed drinks while Damien chatted about how his usual trips are like.

    Half an hourter, Damien pulled Katherine to her feet and led her to the furthest end of the ne. He opened a sliding door revealing a spacious bedroom with a king-sized bed, all decorated luxuriously.

    "Hmmm so fancy. Why did you bring me here?" Katherine asked just before he closed the door and felt him scoop her up in his arms making her yelp and giggle.

    "We could use a nap. I hadn''t slept longst night because I had to arrange this flight and our itinerary not to mention cooking your breakfast. I say, we should utilize thisfortable bed." Heid her gently in the middle and hovered on top of her.

    "Are you saying it''s my fault?" Katherine eyed him, cing her hands on his shoulders.

    With a teasing smirk, he dipped his head and kissed her yfully on the lips. "Mhmm now you have topensate."

    She giggled under him, squirming from his wandering, magical hands on her body. "I thought you wanted to napalso, your highness, may I remind you that we are thousands of feet in the air?"

    "Napping will have to follow. I''m fully aware of that, Ms. Miller." He trailed kisses on her neck, popping the buttons on her shirt to reveal her chest. "But how is that a problem?" His lips nibbled on her corbone, nipping and sucking as his hands slid up her thigh under her skirt.

    "I see a bed I see you I think I have everything I need right here" Hisrge, warm hand palmed the mound in between her thighs.

    "Oh" She gasped when he pressed his fingers on her soaking panties.

    Damien lifted his head and met her eyes. She was in heat under his touch and obviously wanting for more. Curling a corner of his mouth upward, he pressed his lips to her, dipping his tongue inside and yed with hers.

    "I see you''re ready for me, Kitten," he muttered in her mouth, his voice rough and needy. "Have you been wanting this since earlier?"

    All Damien could hear was her short gasps and moans as he started massaging her happy button.

    Brushing his nose on the length of her neck, he whispered on her skin, "What do you say, fiance? Would you like to join the mile high club with me?"

    Katherine softly chuckled, pulling his mouth towards her and kissed him deeply. She would have never thought that she would ever be this scandalous. She had only read articles about celebrities doing it on an airne and thought it was both hrious and horrible.

    But right now they were on Damien''s private ne on a plush king-sized bed Who was she to deny this gorgeous man?

    Breaking their kiss, she just had to question him first, "Tell me you haven''t brought any woman in here"

    With his fiery gaze, he stared into her eyes and answered with a shake of his head. "Never. And this will also be a first in case you''re also wondering."

    "Good." Katherine moved his hand away from her and without warning, she flipped him to the bed so that she was now straddling him, her knees on either side of his waist. "Then let''s make a great first impression to the founders of the club."

    Damien''s eyes grew wide, surprised by the sudden boldness of the woman who stole his heart. He watched as she pulled her top over her head and tossed it to the side, exposing her upper body with only acey blush pink bra covering her breasts. He cursed in his head and gulped at the beautiful sight, his heart suddenly racing.

    When did his little Kitten grow into a tigress? Not that he''sining if anything, he was very much enjoying her progress. Looks like his subtle trainings have paid off.

    He was ted.

    The stiff tent on his pants was evident.

    And the devilishly handsome and sexy smile on his face said it all.

 Chapter 182: Mile High Club Elite Members

    Chapter 182: Mile High Club Elite Members

    ...

    Clothes off.

    Lights dimmed.

    There was nothing else that''s keeping them from devouring each other.

    Skin to skin

    Touch to touch

    From one lustful mind to another, the two of them took traveling in style to a whole new level.

    There was something about chasing the orgasm while high up in the air. Being pleasured by the almighty Damien Park was one thing but the fact that they were elevated thousands of feet from the ground and they weren''t even suspended in some kinky bondage with swings and all was very exhrating. The high of being up in the sky was phenomenal.

    Truth be told, Katherine was loving it. And she definitely proved it with the way she was so lost in carnal bliss bouncing up and down, grinding and riding Damien like a cowgirl.

    And holy cow did he adore it so much. He had anticipated taking control once the door was closed shut but boy was the King so wrong. Who would have thought that he had unknowingly unleashed Katherine''s dominance?

    He bit his bottom lip, his fingers digging into her flesh as he guided her through the edge of euphoria. His gaze raked her nakedness, appreciating every smooth curve of her youthful beauty. She was a goddess the most beautiful woman that he had everid his eyes on. Her long, luscious chestnut hair parted to one side, giving him a clear view of her neck, shoulders, and the rest of her torso.

    From her view on top, his glorious body beneath her was making her hotter. Her hands brushed and slid all over his excellent pecs and hard buns that she swore could be a perfect washboard for her delicates  who needs a washing machine?

    Damien''s muscles tensed as he gripped her hips. She had to press her hands on his chest to gain bnce from her first rodeo. Who knew she was capable of doing this? She didn''t know she could until her excitement from flying in a luxury private ne got the best of her. She knew she told him she didn''t like expensive gifts but how could she say no to all of this? Damn it, she could get used to it.

    "Come on, babye for me," he grunted, increasing the speed on meeting her every thrust and pressing his thumb on her swollen nub.

    Katherine moaned at the same time that he felt her inner walls tighten around his hard shaft and he knew that she was almost there. "Damien" she breathed and whimpered, chasing her high before falling she jerked and bucked.

    Damien was just right after her, groaning as he plunged into her so deep it made her cry out. She fell on top of him, panting and spent.

    "I got you," he whispered to her ear as she buried her head on his shoulder.

    She didn''t want to speak, so she remained immobile on top of him, rocking against the rise and fall of his chest that was lulling her to sleep.He stroked her bare skin with his warm hands,forting her after their wild and high sexcapade.

    Carefully pulling out of her, he discarded thetex and cleaned them both with wipes before pulling the nkets over them. "Hmmm" she hummed and fluttered her eyes open, her headying on his arm. "What are you looking at?" she wondered as she met his eyes that were studying her.

    "You''re beautiful." He swept a lock of hair away from her face and brushed her cheek with his thumb.

    "And so are you" she said.

    It was a wonder for him at first why he was so attracted to Katherine when he met her years ago. There was just this maic pull that had him head over heels just seeing her smile and her yful eyes.

    Back then, she had a smiling expression, and yet he caught her having a different look in her eyes. It was as though she was lonely with whatever she was doing in those parties that he never understood why she was there in the first ce. They were supposed to be together, but she was gone before they had the chance to fly to wherever she desired to go. He promised her thathe''d take her to wherever she wanted.

    "I love seeing you like this" he muttered.

    "What?" She raised a brow. "Naked?"

    Damien''s chest rumbled as heughed. "I will always love seeing you naked. But I meant happy genuinely happy."

    Both of Katherine''s brows were now raised, wondering why he said those words. Bringing her hands up, her fingers yed with his hair while she felt his hand resting on her waist. "Well, that''s because I am happy I''m happy here with you."

    "I''m d" His lips pressed on her forehead and soon, she was asleep.

    Damien carefully reced himself in her arms with one of the pillows and he slipped out of the bed, changing back to his clothes before getting some work done outside of the bedroom to let her rest. He set up his work station in the lounge area next to the bedroom, approving proposals and having a video conference with Caleb and some executives from a hotel chain for the rest of the flight.

    A few hourster, Damien got back inside the bedroom

    Katherine woke up feeling his lips on her temple and instantly, a smile broke her face. "Hey"

    "We''re about to descend. You should get changed." He ced her clothes next to her on the bed while he sat and waited for her to gain full consciousness.

    Seeing that the sky was so dark outside, she gasped and quickly changed into her clothes. "Wow. I was only going to take a nap Why did you let me sleep through the whole flight?"

    "You were sleeping soundly." Damien kissed her forehead and got to his feet. "I''ll head out first and meet you at the cabin," he said before walking out of the door.

    Soon, Katherine followed him out and sat next to him, buckling her seatbelt as they were about tond. The two of them held hands as she gushed about the view of the Eiffel tower from outside the window. The yellow and white lights in the city of Paris twinkled from above. Her heart warmed, realizing that none of this would have happened to her if it wasn''t because of Damien. She leaned into him, taking in how blessed she was.

    At nine in the evening, they were already in their suite at one of the best hotels in Paris with a view of the Eiffel tower. Katherine had been trying to get Damien to tell her where they were headed the next day but he wouldn''t budge.

    "Come on, please? Tell me just one thing one hint" she pleaded, her index finger raised in front of her face and she pouted. She was sitting on hisp and his jaw clenched with the way she was wiggling her hips on him.

    Sighing heavily, he shook his head. "Fine," he said and saw the light in her eyes, making him chuckle. "We''re going to my favorite city tomorrow  Lyon." He pronounced the name of the city like a native and surprisingly, Katherine didn''t find it iprehensible.

    She continued to try to get more information from him but he didn''t say anything else so she could only wait and by wait, it meant her browsing relentlessly on the inte, finding clues on what Damien had possibly nned.

    The next morning, they had their breakfast on the balcony. It was heavenly  they enjoyed freshly baked French pastries like croissants and pain au choct paired with their favorite hot beverage  coffee for Damien and warm chocte for Katherine.

    She leaned on him with her legs up on the table as they faced the beautiful view in front. They were enjoying their peace and quiet when the doorbell rang.

    "Did you order something?" she asked.

    "Hmmm must be the extra towels I requested," Damien answered as the two of them headed towards the door.

    Katherine went ahead and opened the door and what she saw made her eyes grow wide. "Oh my god! You''re here!"

    "Eeeee!!!" Alianna squealed as she pounced onto Katherine, crushing her with a bear hug. Katherine was still agape when she nced at Damien.

    "Surprise," she heard him say.

 Chapter 183: Knock Yourself Out

    Chapter 183: Knock Yourself Out

    The surprised look on Katherine''s face was immediately reced with a bright smile as she hugged Alianna back. "You didn''t tell me you wereing" Katherine remarked as she pulled away and invited her friend inside the suite.

    Alianna turned to Damien to give him a hug. "I didn''t know I wasing here until Damien called mest night. I''m as surprised as you are! So I booked a flight and justnded I came straight from the airport."

    Damien closed the door and the three of them waltz towards the balcony where he served his cousin some breakfast. "Sorry I couldn''t pick you up in Mn with the ne. Caleb''s using it at the moment."

    "Yeah, no biggie. And yes Caleb told me I just spoke to him before I came up to your room." She put a piece of croissant in her mouth and closed her eyes  it tasted like buttery kes of heaven. She received a cup of coffee that Katherine served her.

    "You and Caleb have been keeping in touch?" Damien raised a brow. He poured himself another cup of coffee as he waited for his cousin to answer his question. He studied her reaction and saw that she just realized she slipped  she did not intend for him to find out that she was talking to his best friend again even after leaving for Italy. That never happened before. "What are you doing, Ali?"

    "Nothing We''re not back together, Damien If that''s what you''re thinking about. We''re just... talking again." Alianna nervously sipped her coffee as she felt Damien narrow his eyes at her. She knew how he could read her even with his eyes closed. "Stop staring."

    Damien nced at Katherine as though he was asking her if she knew anything about this but the moment their eyes met, she looked away, picked up her hot cocoa and drank it. She was not about to get in between the cousins today.

    He fought the urge to smile when he saw her reaction, causing his lip to twitch briefly before sipping on his coffee. He didn''t have to follow up with any questions to Ali because he knew very well that just by being quiet, it would make her anxious, making her spill her guts.

    "Okay fine!!! I kissed him before I left!" she started and he curled his lips up, keeping himself quiet and still sipping on his coffee.

    Alianna hated the look on Damien''s face. It was so annoying for her because she knew that he was doing it on purpose just to make her talk and it was working. She couldn''t tell anyone else and it was eating her up. So before she could even process what she was about to say next, she suddenly blurted, "And I had sex with him!" Her hands flew over her mouth.

    Damien all but choked on his coffee, making a mess by spilling it on himself and scalding his hand. "Sh*t"

    Katherine was so quick in putting her cup down and wiping his hands and shirt, the coffee stain immediately soaking in. "You need to change," she suggested softly, seeing that his mood slightly changed. She stole a quick nce at Ali who was now biting her lip, afraid that he was going to scold her for what she did.

    Damien wasn''t really all that mad but he was definitely worried. He shot her a re before standing up to wash his hands and grabbing another shirt from his luggage. It had only been a minute before he came back out and sat down, pushing the coffee cup away from him. "I''m not going to lecture you if that''s what you''re so nervous about."

    "Of course. You shouldn''t I''m a big girl, Damien," she replied in a soft tone.

    "I know but I was there with you cleaning up after your mess when the two of you chose to call it quits. I don''t want to see that again, Ali." His voice was stern like the big brother that he was.

    Alianna was thankful to him as he was caring the entire time she was depressed and then practically did some tough love to get her back on track. Reaching out her hand, she patted his arm and gave him a warm smile, "I know what I''m doing I''ll be fine."

    Damien didn''t answer nor nod to what she said. It was quiet until his phone rang a few minutester. "Excuse me, I need to get this." He went back inside the suite and sat at the desk to open up hisptop  it was work as usual.

    Katherine and Alianna snickered while he was away. Thetter hadn''t told Katherine about what happened with Caleb before she left for Italy.

    "I can''t believe I''m asking this, but how was it?" Katherine wondered, hiding her mouth with the cup of hot cocoa. She was curious because for once, Alianna was the one looking all shy and not pressing her questions about her sex life.

    The corner of Alianna''s mouth pulled up as she lowered her gaze. "I don''t usually f*ck and tell but oh my god, it was just as amazing as it was thest time we did it years ago. I''ve got to admit, I''m not innocent and had a few partners after him but... he''s still the best."

    Katherine stared at her and could see the longing in her expression. Compared to how it was before, she could tell that Alianna was happier now but at the same time still sad about their separation.

    The sliding door opened and out came Damien with a troubled look on his face. He strolled towards Katherine who was sitting on the chair, bent forward and hugged her from behind. He didn''t say anything yet but the sigh that he just let out already gave away what he was about to say. Katherine stroked his arm and tilted her head to face him. "Work?" she probed.

    Damien nodded. "Yeah, I won''t be able to show you around the city today. I have to go somewhere but I won''t be far. Will you be okay with Ali?"

    Smiling at him, she pressed her lips on his cheek. "Of course, I''m sure Ali and I will have a great time."

    "Hmmm Promise I''ll be back before dinner." Damien kissed her on the head before walking away. "We should prepare to leave. Come on, I''ll drop you girls off."

    "You''re bailing on us, Damien We''re going to need your card." Alianna had a huge smile on her face as they followed him inside. She was sure he would love to spend on his future wife and his favorite cousin.

    Katherine''s eyes widened, "Ali"

    "Shhh!" Alianna shushed her.

    Without asking anything, Damien took his wallet from his coat and handed his ck metal card. "Knock yourself out."

 Chapter 184: Pardon My French

    Chapter 184: Pardon My French

    Damien, Katherine, and Alianna arrived in Champs-lyses, the world-famous avenue. They were standing on the sidewalk, a white sedan waiting for Damien on the curb while he discussed where to meet thediester and reminded Ali over and over to be with Katherine at all times.

    Damien could get around France by himself as he was able to speak theirnguage while Ali knew the basics at least due to the lexical simrity between French and Italian.

    "Don''t worry, Damien. I''m not going anywhere without Ali" Katherine reassured him, squeezing his hand in hers. Besides, he brought a few bodyguards to go with them so what was there to worry about?

    He breathed deeply and nodded. He wasn''t supposed to be working today but he just found out that the business partner that he was working with currently was also in France albeit in the next city. They needed to meet or it would not be after a few weekster until both of them would have a free schedule.

    "Oh, Ali Can I talk to you for a minute?" Damien tilted his head to the side, urging Alianna to walk with him to speak privately. He nced at Katherine who gave them a nod from where she stood in front of a boutique, busying herself with the expensive-looking apparels behind the ss.

    The cousins talked about tomorrow''s itinerary and Damien specifically instructed Alianna to buy clothes for Katherine that''s appropriate for the weather. They had left in a hurry yesterday and Damien insisted that Katherine pack lightly. After all his long list of reminders and Alianna''s repeated reassurance for the nth time, the cousins went back to where Katherine was.

    A middle-aged woman walked up to Katherine and spoke, "Excusez-moi, avez-vous vu des distributeurs automatiques de billets aux alentours? Je marche depuis un moment et je n''en ai pas trouv."

    Damien hastened his strides when he heard the local ask Katherine about ATMs but he stopped in his tracks when he heard Katherine''s reply.

    "Dsole, je neprends pas. Je ne parle pas franais..." Katherine''s voice trailed off, realizing that she had just replied to the stranger in fluent French saying that she doesn''t understand and doesn''t speak French.

    The woman''s brows knitted, bewildered by Katherine''s answer. She thought that Katherine must have only practiced those sentences just in case but she sounded like a native with the way she spoke.

    Having realized what happened, Katherine''s mouth opened and closed, unsure of what to make out with what just happened. ''Holy crap, I know how to speak French,'' she said in her thoughts. She stood frozen, her mouth agape as she stared back at the woman in front of her.

    Seeing her expression, Damien came to her side in a sh and spoke to the local, telling her that he saw an ATM just a few meters away.

    Alianna arrived at their side. "I didn''t know you could speak French, Kath Looks like Damien doesn''t need to worry"

    "You speak French?" Damien probed, his hand brushing her arm, catching her attention as she looked like she was in a trance.

    "I I also didn''t know I could" Katherine''s voice was small as her gazended on Damien''s curious expression. She didn''t know why but she suddenly felt nervous. She grabbed hold of Damien''s coat, clutching it with her hand subconsciously.

    Noticing her state, Damien ced his hand at the back of her head and pulled her toward him, wrapping his arms around her. "This is a good thing Don''t think too much about it," he told her in a voice so gentle. Just like the local, he was also surprised to hear her ent was wless. It was as though she had been studying it for years.

    Katherine nodded and breathed out, believing Damien''s words that it is indeed a good thing. She didn''t know why it shocked her so much but just the thought of being able to speak thenguage she had no idea that she was even capable of doing was a little bizarre yet natural at the same time.

    Damien''s phone rang and when he nced at the screen, he was reluctant to pull away from her. Looking into her eyes, a charming smile formed on his face as he told her, "I wish I could see the city with you today but I hope you will enjoy it even if I''m away." He pressed his lips to hers and kissed her thrice before breaking it. "Call me if you need anything. I''ll see you tonight."

    The white sedan sped off as soon as Damien got settled inside, leaving the two women on their own in the French capital''s famous avenue.

    Katherine and Alianna started walking along the rows of mixed affordable and high-end shops, their arms hooking with each other as they did. Alianna nudged her friend as she said, "I''ve been in Europe for about a decade and I don''t speak French as fluently as you do. Good thing Italian is slightly simr. Do you remembering to France before?"

    "No I''m as surprised as you are"

    Alianna didn''t want to dampen the mood by reminding Katherine of her unknown past so she diverted their conversation. "Mhmm Well, let''s just enjoy the day for now. We''re in Paris, babe, with a ck metal card that has unlimited credit too. I say we should make the best out of this short vacay and shop the heck out!"

    Champs-lyses was a shopping paradise. Alianna''s eyes lit up seeing the range and variety of stores along the stretch of the avenue  even Katherine who wasn''t much of a shopper found it quite fun to stroll along the foreign city. It was the height of the tourist season in Paris and it was also summer  not the best time to go around in France because of the temperature but it didn''t stop the twodies to enjoy their day out.

    They were supposed to head out to Lyon that day but they couldn''t because of the sudden changes in Damien''s n. However, it also gave Katherine the chance to see Paris longer.

    "Oh my god" Alianna gasped as she stopped in front of a bridal shop. "We have got to go in there!"

    "What?" Katherine''s eyes widened at the same time that her cheeks flushed.

    "You haven''t picked out your dress yet, right? I think it will be good to try out a few while I''m here. I need to see you in one!" Alianna grabbed her friend''s hand and dragged her inside the shop, the chimes on the door rang as soon as she pushed it open.

    Katherine''s eyes sparkled upon seeing the endless rows of fluffy and sleek dresses waiting for her to try them on. Her heart began to race when an image formed in her mind of her walking down the aisle wearing one of the dresses, and seeing Damien at the altar looking spruce and waiting for her.

    "It''s really happening, isn''t it?" she mumbled as she strode towards the racks of beautiful white dresses.<ol><li>Excuse me, have you seen any ATMs around? I have been walking for a while and I haven''t found one.</li><li>Sorry, I don''t understand. I don''t speak French.</li></ol>

 Chapter 185: Moonlit Stroll

    Chapter 185: Moonlit Stroll

    Inside the posh bridal shop, Alianna picked out several wedding dresses for Katherine and asked a shop assistant to help her change. Katherine woulde out of the dressing room after she changes and Ali would givepliments orments.

    All of the dresses that Katherine tried on were very pretty  something she never thought she would ever wear, first because of the price tag and second, she didn''t feel any connection with them. There was something missing and she could not pin on what exactly it was.

    On the fourth try, she started feeling unsure about what she was doing. "Ali, I think that''s enough for today I''ll just try on some more when we fly back home."

    "Aw you''re not having fun, are you? Too bad, the next one looks really nice" Alianna ran her hand down acey dress and she turned to Katherine. "Okay, we''ll grab some lunch after you change."

    Looking at the next piece, Katherine gave it a once-over and pursed her lips. "You know what, I''ll just try one more dress."

    "Oh okay!" Ali plopped back down on the sofa and grabbed her second flute of champagne. One thing she loved about shopping for wedding dresses in that posh store was their service and the snacks, of course.

    She was checking out her messages and replied to a few texts from her manager and Matthew whom she had kept in touch with since. There was somethingforting about her friendship with him as there were no pretenses  he was unlike other guys that she met because he never once tried to ''get in her pants'', not that she was expecting him to. It was just nice to have him around and be tonic  no drama.

    "So" Katherine came out from the dressing room and was feeling shy about the current piece on her. She watched as Alianna''s eyes widened and her jaw dropped.

    "Oh! Ma sei stupenda!" Alianna eximed in Italian. "You are stunning!" she repeated, this time in English.

    Katherine hadn''t seen herself in the big mirror yet but with the way Ali reacted, she became excited. And as soon as she stepped on the tform and saw herself in the huge mirror, she was speechless.

    It was an off-shouldercey mermaid dress in long sleeves and soft tulle skirt. The dress was definitely beautiful on its own but she didn''t think she would love it on her. She didn''t realize her eyes were getting misty until Ali handed her a box of tissue as they stood next to each other, appreciating her appearance in the mirror. When the assistant saw her reaction, theypleted her outfit with a veil on her head, making everything perfect.

    "Is this it?" Alianna probed. Though she was sure that her friend loved the gown, she wanted to hear her confirmation.

    "I think so" Katherine responded hesitantly. "Is it okay if I think about it first? I mean I didn''t n on getting a dress today, we were just looking through. I feel like everything is just overwhelming." Her voice was small and weak, suddenly feeling tensed.

    "Of course. Tell you what, I''ll arrange this one for you and ask if we can reserve it. If you have decided, let''s have them ship it to your home. Sound good?"

    Katherine nodded and felt better. She thought that sleeping it off will probably help her. Besides, what if she finds something even better than this one?

    The two of them went out for lunch and spent a couple of hours in a spa before Alianna dragged her to a few more stores. Katherine wasn''t really much of a shopper but Alianna sort of made it ''likable'' for her  at least she didn''t hate it.

    Late in the afternoon, they had just gotten out of a shop when they saw Damien outside. He was standing with his back facing them and Katherine couldn''t help but beam. She skipped towards him and instantly wrapped her arms around his waist, surprising him.

    Damien turned to face her in an instant and returned her hug with his own. "Hey, did you have fun?"

    Katherine''s eyes darted towards Ali and muttered, "You might want to skip checking your monthly bill this time. I think your cousin just robbed you."

    "Hey! How dare you tell on me?" Alianna pouted at Katherine before she brightened up and made a cute face at her older cousin. "I just followed your words, Damien You can''t me me for that," she said as she reluctantly returned the ck metal card back to him.

    Raising her hand, Katherine tried to console him, "I''m better, I bought you something with my own money." She stuck her tongue out to Ali.

    Alianna gasped, clutching her heart before sheughed it off.

    He chuckled and shook his head, securing his credit card back in his wallet before cing his arms around the two women''s shoulders. "Come on, I''ll take youdies out for dinner."

    After dinner, the three of them went back to the hotel and while Alianna chose to stay inside for the rest of that evening, Damien and Katherine went out again for an evening stroll.

    It was more beautiful at night in Paris than it is during the day. The two of them took a moonlit stroll by the Seine River, taking in the photogenic and dreamlike view of the city  it was enchanting.

    "How can you not love this ce? It feels so romantic!" Katherine remarked as they stopped at the Pont Neuf, the oldest standing bridge across the river of Seine and admired the yellow lights that reflected on the water, making the whole ce look even more otherworldly.

    "It is indeed a beautiful city but if you don''t know your way around and wander in some areas, there are some risks. I don''t know but I prefer Lyon It''s a very picturesque and charming ce to visit. Tomorrow you''ll appreciate it too," he ced a kiss on her forehead as he continued to talk about what he loves in the other city.

    As they headed back to their hotel, Katherine remembered her strange encounter earlier that day with the local woman. In the suite, Damien noticed her in deep thoughts while they sat on a French sofa in front of the firece. He sat at one end of the sofa with a ss of wine in his hand while Katherine leaned on his shoulder, their fingers intecing.

    "Hey Where did you go?" he asked as he stroked her hair, wondering where her mind flew.

    "I was just thinking my memories I want to try and remember"

    "That conversation earlier with the woman bothered you, huh?" He put the wine ss down and shifted her on hisp.

    "A little I was wondering how I learned it Why I learned it" She chewed on her bottom lip before looking at him.

    Nodding, Damien kissed her shoulder and reassured her, "Whatever you want. I''ll arrange a session with Jeffrey as soon as we get back. Okay?"

    Katherine finally felt at ease knowing that she had something to look forward to once she gets back. For now, she just wanted to enjoy the moment with Damien in France.

    The next morning, Alianna had to fly back to Italy for work. She was quite bummed that she couldn''t go with them to another city but she promised to help Katherine with whatever she needed for her wedding. After the fashion week in Mn, she nned to go back before Nana starts taking over Katherine''s wedding preparation.

    Soon, Damien and Katherine arrived at their first stop and when she saw a helicopter in front of them, she shook her head and resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

    "Damien, couldn''t we um I don''t know, travel by car or train?" she asked as he assisted her to get inside the helicopter.

    He chuckled at her question. "We could, but the car will take longer and I''m not a fan of trains. Also, where''s the fun in that?"

    Good thing Katherine was okay with flying. "Fine. What are we doing today?"

    Looking at her, Damien was tempted to spill his surprise but a little hint wouldn''t hurt.

    "You''ll see, my Queen." Bringing her hand to his lips, he kissed it.

 Chapter 186: A Castle Fit for the King and Queen

    Chapter 186: A Castle Fit for the King and Queen

    During the helicopter ride, Damien kept Katherine entertained through their headsets and microphones by telling her some facts about famous spots that they passed by, promising her that they would tour those ces on their next visit.

    At some point, he had to check on his emails and that gave her mind some time to wander back to her thoughts about gaining back her memories. Learning that she was capable of speaking anothernguage made her question her identity again. At what part of growing up did she learn how to speak it? Had she always spoken thenguage? Had she visited France before?

    All of the questions in her head didn''t make sense to her because for the past five years, she had believed that she didn''t have any rtives and she had been alone. She even visited the orphanage that was listed in one of the documents that she had back in her old apartment but when she got there, it had been shut down for many years.

    Her past was such a mystery that all of the questions she had about herself back then caused her depression. Her frequent visits to the hospital to see her doctor wasn''t much of a help either which was why she sort of lived her life in auto-pilot for five years. Having Emma and Adam by her side during those trying times helped her a lot. She made a mental note to see her friends again once they get back home.

    Her head turned towards Damien and she saw him tapping on his phone. She had the urge to feel his warmth and so she hooked her arm in his andid her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes to relish the very nice feeling of having him next to her. Ever since she met him, her world turned upside down.

    For the past five years, she had almost given up living when her frustration got to her. But because of this wonderful man beside her, she found a new reason to live and it was not just for herself, but also for him.

    Feeling her touch, Damien looked at her and put his phone away, raising his hand to touch her face. "Are you okay?"

    With her eyes still closed, she nodded. She felt him unhook his arm from hers before pulling her closer and cing his arm around her so she could rest morefortably. "Take a nap, we''ll arrive soon." He kissed the top of her head.

    Fifteen minutester, he woke her up and the first thing she saw was his finger pointing at something outside. She sat up straight and followed the direction where he was pointing at and her jaw dropped. Below them, there was a vastnd of green grass and in the middle of it was a castle.

    Chteau Chastain was built in the 1800s. It sat on a 75-acre piece ofnd with beautiful gardens filled with lovely and colorful wildflowers and surrounded by many chestnut trees. There were a couple ofkes behind the castle and a forestry area just next to a vineyard. Katherine was in awe seeing the entirend from a bird''s eye view.

    "Oh my god that''s so beautiful!" she eximed.

    "Do you like it?" he asked, kissing her temple. She nodded, unable to utter more words to describe how much she loved it. "How do you feel about getting married here?" he probed.

    Katherine snapped her head towards him. There was a mixture of confusion and excitement in her expression. "What?"

    Damien leaned in and kissed the corner of her mouth. "You can answer meter. Let''s check it out first when wend."

    Soon, the helicopternded and the two of them were greeted by a caretaker of the chateau. They were ushered inside the castle where Katherine got to see the luxurious gothic interior. It was as though they were in a different time and ce, whisked away by the exquisite details of every decoration, furniture, wall, and part of the huge castle.

    There were eight suites inside the chateau, each uniquely and beautifully designed. One would feel like they were in the 18th century if they opt to stay there. Katherine wondered how Damien even thought about the ce because he was more fond of modern structures. Admiring the castle, she could imagine her wedding wearing the wedding dress that she tried on the day before.

    After touring around the magnificent ce, Katherine and Damien decided to stay by theke for a little while longer. Everything was surreal and the girl inside her felt like she was in a fairy tale. She scanned her surroundings and looked at him, her eyes beaming with pure joy as she said, "I love it here, Damien It''s very magical enchanting I don''t know what else to say. I really love it here. But what about you?"

    He cupped her face in his hands and pressed his lips to hers. "It is indeed a lovely ce. But honestly, it doesn''t matter where our wedding is. Church beach a garden somewhere heckI will marry you in the city hall. I just want to give you the wedding of your dreams and because you couldn''t decide where you want it to be, I thought I''d show you this ce to help you."

    Hooking her arms around his neck, she sighed and gave him a sweet smile. "You know I also think the same. I don''t care where we get married. But I could already hear Nana''s voice in my head if we choose to elope in the city hall and not give her a chance to boast about her favorite grandchild''s wedding." Damienughed at her statement and she added, "I think it would be nice to have it here."

    "Alright then. All we have to do next is to choose a date and we''ll book this ce."

    Damien held both of her hands and brought them to his lips, gently kissing each of them. "I can''t wait for you to be my wife."

    "Me too, I can''t wait to marry you." Katherine tiptoed and kissed him back. "Let''s go see the front garden."

    "After you, my Queen," Damien said as he genuflected.

    Softly chuckling, Katherine also did a curtsey, "Why thank you, my King."

    Hand in hand, they strolled towards the front of the chateau and roamed for a few minutes before they decided to leave for Lyon which was less than an hour''s journey by car.

    Damien truly surprised Katherine today and she was d that she got to see the striking structure in person instead of only in pictures. It gave her a better vision of how she wanted her wedding to be like in the future. It still amazes her how he always managed to understand what she wanted even without telling him. She was almost convinced that he could read minds.

    "T''es d''humeur  manger des escargots?" he asked as they sped off towards the city, wondering if she wanted to eat some snails.

    "Eww! No! I''m craving for some meat." Katherineughed and shook her head. Okay maybe not always.

 Chapter 187: Parched

    Chapter 187: Parched

    The rest of the day was spent with Damien taking Katherine all around Lyon. And she had to admit, she loved the ce! He took her to see Vieux Lyon which literally means Old Lyon, one of Europe''srgest renaissance old quarters. Presqu''le, the heart of Lyon, was also charming  a district with 19th-century architecture where shops, restaurants, cafes, bars, and nightclubs are found.

    They also visited beautiful churches like Fourvire Basilica which is the focus for the Festival of Lights, and Lyon Cathedral, a magnificent cathedral that was built between the 12th and 15th centuries. While they went around the wonderful city, Lyon''s Murals  wall paintings  were found all around, decorating the ce and adding to its charm.

    Everything that Katherine saw in Lyon, she couldn''t ever see them back home. She now understood what it was like for constant travelers; being able to see ces on different parts of the world was truly satisfying.

    And seeing it with Damien was the icing on the cake and at that moment, she couldn''t wait to taste that icing maybe even lick it.

    Due to the humid weather, their outfits were light. After their visit to the castle, Katherine changed into a in white shirt and a pair of light denim distressed pants withfy sneakers while Damien sported a pair of khaki chinos and a rolled-up white button-down shirt except the buttons were halfway undone and his chest was glistening in sweat.

    They were standing by a bridge watching a busker when Damien noticed Katherine staring at him just as she wet her lips in a sensual manner. A yful smirk formed on his face as he asked in a low voice, "Thirsty?"

    His slightly gruff voice woke her from her daze and she met his stare. It took her a few seconds to realize that he asked her a question. "Oh Uh um Yes, parched." She swallowed.

    "Let me buy you a drink." Taking her hand, Damien dragged her away, his strides so long and fast that she had to hasten her steps a little to keep up. His head turned from left to right as though he was looking for something.

    Reaching an alley, he pulled her towards it and before she could even as much as open her mouth to question where they were going, he pushed her back against a wall and trapped her in ce with his arms on either side of her. Then his hands cupped her face while he pressed his leg in between her thighs, earning a gasp from her just before he smashed his lips to hers.

    Katherine was caught off-guard by his advancements but it didn''t take her long to realize what he was doing. She closed her eyes and brought her hands to his neck and chest as she responded to his kisses. It started slow and gentle, their lips moving together in sync. She opened her mouth, inviting his tongue inside. He tasted of the red wine that they had for lunch and the mint candy he had earlier.

    Damien swirled his tongue and flicked it against hers, tasting her sweet mouth their tongues dancing in the rhythm of the beat from the busker around the corner  he kissed her deeper and passionately. She moaned into his mouth when she felt his hands slid down to her sides, grazing the sides of her breasts slightly before gripping her waist.

    There were probably people passing by and seeing them make out but that was the least of Katherine''s concern at the moment. She was in France, with the love of her life for God''s sake. She was there to enjoy every minute of it. There shouldn''t be an issue with public disys of affection in France right?

    Funny how she had just read it earlier that in other parts of the world, people use the term French kissing but it wasn''t until recent years that the French people added a ng term for it in the dictionary  galocher (ga-lo-shehr) which means to kiss with tongues  and right now, Katherine just want more tongue from him specifically anywhere but her mouth.

    She reluctantly broke the kiss and the two of them panted and smiled as their foreheads touched. Her lips still tingled and swollen from his kisses. "Mr. Park, you''re getting frisky"

    "Hmmm That look you gave me earlier. You drove me crazy."

    "I want to get out of here" she breathed, still panting.

    "You know where the hotel is, right?" Damien asked, a slow smile appearing on his gorgeous face when she nodded. "Good, I''ll race you there."

    As soon as he said that, he released her and started on his heel, leaving Katherine with a shocked face.

    "Hey! Cheater!" she eximed as she started chasing after him.

    The two of them split as they rushed into the alleys and corners, finding their way through the crowd and maze of blocks towards their hotel. They sprinted and pushed their heels on the ground like they were in a marathon with smiles on their faces. They didn''t know where the other was as they were determined to win their mini race.

    Damien almost knocked into a waiter serving drinks outside of a cafe but he managed to easily dodge it. Katherine, on the other hand, leaped and evaded a biker, swiftly pivoting to avoid getting hit.

    A couple of minutester, Damien found the hotel and a wide smile grew on his face as he rode the elevator up to their floor. As soon as he stepped out, he strode quickly towards their suite and in a matter of seconds he was able to open it.

    In the middle of the room, Katherine stoodzily  her shirt and pants outfit was off and reced by a fluffy white robe. To top it off, she had a ss of wine in one hand and an unopened bottle on the other  a bottle that she had managed to buy while she ran on her way back to the hotel.

    "Damn" he muttered with a chuckle when he stepped inside. Seeing Damien''s surprised look and a chest dripping with sweat, the corners of her mouth lifted upward as she teased, "What took you so long? I was just about to celebrate my victory."

    He chuckled as he strolled towards her while he slowly took off his shirt. "I have a better way of celebrating your victory, my Queen. I can give you a reward."

    "Hmmm A reward What reward?" she raised a brow and watched as he grabbed the bottle and ss from her hands and set it down on the table.

    Pulling her close, he ced his arms around her waist, kissed her on the lips before he lifted the back of her thigh and hoisted her up, her legs automatically wrapping around his hips.

    "Me," Damien said as soon as he pulled away, bringing her towards the bathroom to take a bath together. "You''re going to love your reward."

    Katherine softly chuckled, amused by his antics as she replied, "I bet I will."

 Chapter 188: Simply Katherine and Damien

    Chapter 188: Simply Katherine and Damien

    Damien and Katherine''s sexy time in the bathroom was definitely worth missing their dinner reservation in one of the best restaurants in the city. But Lyon has more restaurants than any other city, so he wasn''t so worried about losing their spot in that restaurant.

    "How did you get here so fast?" he asked, his hands stroking her belly as they sat in the huge tub, bubbles floating above the water. She sat in between his legs with her back against his chest, feelingfortable in his arms after their eventful day.

    She chuckled upon hearing his question, recalling how she was able to find the hotel easily as soon as they bolted. "I took a shortcut," she said and then felt him bite her shoulder yfully. "Aw!"

    "So crafty" he whispered above her skin after kissing the spot where he bit.

    Katherine didn''t have a hard time finding the hotel. She actually discovered a narrow street identally, gaining the lead from their race and just before she reached the hotel, she grabbed the bottle of wine from a waiter and gave him more than enough bills. Ever since she lived with Damien, she didn''t have a lot of things to spend on. She''s quite happy with how much money she was able to set aside.

    "What are we going to do with dinner?" she questioned. After all, the calories were burnt from their adventure in the afternoon, and now she was hungry.

    "I''ll take you to a friend''s restaurant. Come on, let''s get out of this water your fingers are starting to prune." He urged her to stand and helped her out of the tub.

    The two of them changed into a new outfit and while they were on their way out of the hotel, Damien called his friend on the phone. Instead of riding a cab, they walked hand in hand towards the restaurant which was just a few blocks away. Katherine didn''t mind walking at all, she actually enjoyed spending more time with him just being a normal couple it was something that they couldn''t do so openly in their city.

    And because of that, she relished every moment with him. With his arm around her shoulder, she swung her arm around his waist, walking very closely and stealing kisses every now and then as they chatted their way towards their destination.

    Katherine couldn''t be happier. She didn''t even know she wanted this kind of rtionship before meeting Damien. And she saw him past what he has his money hispany all of his possessions she could honestly say she would love him even without them.

    A life and love where it was only Katherine and Damien.

    He nced at her and saw that ever since the morning, she had been smiling. It was clear that she was having the best time of her life and he was d that he was there to see everything with her.

    For many centuries, Lyon has been highly praised for its high-quality produce and the widespread respect of its cuisine. Reaching Presqu''le, their eyes took in the pleasant view of the nightlife in the city. Locals and tourists were in the bars and restaurants.

    Soon, they stopped in front of a bistro. It was situated at a corner of a block, with lights illuminating the old walls. There were several other restaurants and cafes throughout the block. At seven in the evening, the ce was filled with customers. They didn''t have to stand and wait around too long as the door opened and out came a man in his 40s in a chef''s uniform.

    The chef was all smiles when he saw Damien and the two of them kissed cheeks as they greeted each other. Damien introduced Katherine to the chef and they were seated outside as per Damien''s request. Compared to his original n on bringing her to a fancy restaurant, he thought it was better to have her experience dining in a more humble location.

    "This is nice" shemented as they started eating. The food was phenomenal as expected, totally different from what she was used to eating back home but still really delicious. "Thanks for bringing me here."

    "We''lle back whenever you want," he said, smiling at her and reaching out for her hand. He kissed the back of her hand and squeezed it. He agreed that it was definitely nice and vowed to himself that he would take her back there more often.

    Before, his thoughts were all filled with business ideas, transactions, and opportunities. But now, despite his hectic schedule, he found himself constantly nning future trips with her even just spending some quiet time at home was something he would always look forward to while he was in meetings.

    Their conversation was light and they talked about what they have to do when they get back home. They had to see Nana soon and before that, she had to visit Jeffrey Evans. The more that Katherine thought about seeing her doctor, the more anxious she suddenly got.

    Noticing the change in her mood, he quickly brought her attention back to earth. He got up from his chair and bent down next to her, stroking her arms as he softly reassured her, "Baby, I''ll be there with you. If you''re having second thoughts and you don''t want to go through with it, it''s okay Just say the word and we don''t have to go."

    Exhaling out a sigh, Katherine turned to face him, seeing the worry on his face. She remembered how it was thest time they went to see Jeffrey in his clinic. And there was something that''s bugging her just thinking about her appointment the next day.

    Shaking her head, she held onto his hands and tried to smile. "No I''m scared but I think it''s time to face my fears. I''m done with constantly living in the dark, afraid of what I will discover."

    "Are you sure?" he probed.

    "Not really but as long as you''re there with me, Damien I''m sure I will be okay."

    Though there was still concern on her face, he saw the resolution in her expression. He nodded and gave her a reassuring smile. "Of course." He leaned in and pressed his cool lips on her forehead.

    They didn''t stay out too long and decided to retire earlier for the night. In order to arrive in the morning back in Harbor City, they have to fly in the morning too. Damien had to finish up some work which took an hour before he joined Katherine in bed.

    The next morning, they boarded Damien''s private ne and flew back home. They arrived back in their city several hourster and went straight to Hillcrest Hospital where Dr. Jeffrey Evans was waiting.

    They didn''t waste too much time on pleasantries  Katherine wanted it to be over and done with so she would stop feeling anxious already. She sat on the same chaise lounge in his clinic and waited for them to start.

    "Are you ready, Katherine?" Jeffrey asked, his voice was calm and low.

    When Katherine nodded, she closed her eyes and waited for his instructions. She struggled to concentrate at first because all she saw was darkness. It made her feel vulnerable and hesitant but she knew that this was the only way to get over her frustrations. "I''m ready," she responded.

    Little did she know that she was far from ready for what she was about to discover.

 Chapter 189: Sweet dreams, Katherine

    Chapter 189: Sweet dreams, Katherine

    It was half-past eight in the morning of August 25th and Hillcrest Hospital was having a busy Saturday.

    Inside Dr. Evan''s clinic, Katherineidfortably on a chaise lounge while Jeffrey sat in an armchair across her. He leaned slightly forward and gave her some instructions but unlike thest time, her consciousness remained though she kept her eyes closed.

    The room was quiet and still, only Jeffrey''s voice could be heard while Damien sat on the sofa, keeping his gaze locked on Katherine. "Think of your memories as storages. Every memory is locked up inside a storage box. Try to see if there is anything that catches your attention."

    In her mind, Katherine pictured herself walking inside a dark room with nothing but rows and rows of filing cabs."How do I do that?" she mumbled.

    It looked endless as though there were many contents inside her brain but when she tried to pull one drawer out, she found it empty. She kept doing so as she walked forward but all of the cabs didn''t have anything inside. "I don''t see anything..."

    "Look for something that''s not like the rest. Take your time explore the ce," Jeffrey answered, his focus centered on Katherine.

    She tried to keep herself calm as she followed what he said until there was this mysterious box at the end of the row. She sized up the box first before she attempted to walk towards it but the path seemed rather endless. No matter how much she tried to go near the strange box, she couldn''t reach it.

    She almost gave up until she heard another man''s voice"Katherine" Her head snapped to the side as though she was looking in the direction where the voice came from but she saw nothing. The dark room that was once filled with hundreds of filing cabs suddenly became empty. And when she turned her head back, the only thing she saw was that strange box, sitting on top of a table.

    "Katherine, look at me," the man said. "C''est pour toi this is for your own good. I should have done this the first time"

    She didn''t know whose voice it was but it sounded familiar. She tried so hard to make up a face that shoulde with the voice but she failed, making her even more frustrated than she already was. She kept walking running until she was breathless

    The box on the table was so close that it was within reach. And as soon as she was able to get her hands on it, she opened it and found herself running on a long dark street. "Arrte, Katherine," said the man with blue eyes.

    That was the only distinguishing feature that she could make up from the face of the man whose arms were wrapped around her. He was telling her to stop running. She couldn''t speak in her thoughts  it was as though she was watching everything that''s happening to her. However, in reality where Jeffrey and Damien were watching her, she detailed what she saw in her mind in a toneless voice as if she was in a trance.

    During the entire time, Jeffrey would ask her questions and she would answer naturally. When she mentioned a man''s presence, he asked her who it was but as much as she tried to study the man''s features, she couldn''t see the face. All she knew was that the man had blue eyes.

    In her memory, Katherine tried to get away from him. She struggled so hard that she could feel her body was so weak. She felt so weak that she could barely stand on her own feet and the stranger was the only one keeping her up. Feeling a prick on her neck, her body went limp and her vision went dark. Too dark.

    It seemed like it took a very long time until she found herself strapped in bed. There were so many things attached to her like she was being monitored and her head felt heavy, making her unable to move it from side to side not even lift it off the bed. She was helpless as she tried to scream but no sound came out.

    There were a few men in whiteb coats around her, moving about the area. All this time, Katherine thought she was halfway through her escape with the restraints on her limbs but the realization hit her  she was paralyzed and there was nothing she could do about it.

    Endless tears streamed down her face. She was so scared so heartbroken so broken. She may have been paralyzed but she certainly could still feel the pain. And everything was unbearably painful. Though she could not see her body, it felt as if her entire body was covered with bruises.

    Footsteps were heard from the side. Katherine wanted to turn her head to see who it was but she couldn''t move. Then, a man''srge and rough hand held her own. It felt so strange how she felt both calm yet still scared just because of his touch. Her eyes scanned the dark room but the man''s face couldn''t be seen.

    "Katherine Don''t fight it," he said.

    As soon as she heard the voice, she knew that it was the same man from earlier. The man with the blue eyes. Her breathing became heavier. She didn''t understand why but she wanted to raise her hand and strangle the man to death. But there was nothing she could do except to let the tears escape from her eyes.

    "You know I should have done this before I brought you to Shadow. I should have listened I shouldn''t have let you keep your memories back then. They just made you weak. I will correct my mistakes You deserve another life away from this... mess."

    The man moved closer, his gentle voice was right next to her ear. He wanted to make sure she could hear him as if it could be thest time he was going to ever talk to her.

    "I regret raising you like this. You could have grown into a beautiful woman but you do understand why I couldn''t leave you then, right? You just have to endure it a little bit more. I promise when you wake up, you won''t ever have to remember everything that broke you. And by then, you can live your life like a normal person"

    He breathed painfully as though he was trying to suppress his emotions. He sniffed before he continued, "But I wonder  If our paths cross again, will you ever remember me?"

    Tears spill from her eyes like a waterfall. She wanted to scream and get out of confinement but her body won''t listen to her.

    The next thing she knew, his cool lips pressed on her forehead  she could almost feel the reluctance when he pulled away. And just before he left, he whispered the most painful words to her ear, "Sweet dreams, Katherine. I love you."

    Before she could even process his parting words, the scary men in whiteb coats came back into view, looming over her until another wave of pain coursed through the veins of her body. She was helpless even her slightest resistance was futile.<ol><li>It''s for you</li><li>Stop</li></ol>

 Chapter 190: At a Loss

    Chapter 190: At a Loss

    Inside Jeffrey Evans''s clinic, Katherine''s mournful scream filled the room. Damien who had heard everything had his eyes fixed on her while Katherine''s words rang in his ears repeatedly.

    She was with someone who loved her before. Did she also love him back? There were so many questions in his head and for the first time, he feared what will happen next. Will Katherine finally remember everything? If she does, will they stay the same?

    Damien didn''t realize that he was in a daze until Jeffrey called his name for the third time. When he raised his head, he saw Katherine''s tear-streaked face. Her eyes were open but she was staring off into space, seemingly unaware of what was happening around her. She was in shock.

    However, despite Damien''s reservations, he brushed his thoughts away and immediately went to her side.

    "Katherine?" He lightly shook her shoulders. He took out a white handkerchief from his coat and wiped her face gently as if he was handling a precious gemstone. "Come back to me" he whispered, his voice was low and slightly weak.

    She didn''t show any reactions and remained motionless. He pulled her closer to him, embracing her gently like she was fragile as he continued to call her attention, murmuringforting words to her ear while he stroked her back.

    Though he tried to deny it, he was currently troubled and his heart ached. But he was unsure what made him feel that way  Was it because of her current state? Or because he just learned there was once a man in her life?

    Damien pressed his lips on her temple, his heart began racing. "You''re safe No one''s going to hurt you anymore." It pained him to see her this way, so vulnerable  nothing like the Katherine that he knew. He pulled back briefly, trying to see her eyes but what he saw broke his heart. She looked so distant  he almost wished she would just bawl her eyes out rather than being like this  soulless.

    Despite his thoughts, he did not stopforting her. His constant reassurance brought her back to consciousness. It was only then that she realized Damien was there next to her, coaxing her toe back to him. Her arms flew up, wrapping around him and hugging him tighter as if her life depended on it.

    Katherine was so confused that she did not know if what she saw was a nightmare or a memory. She refused to believe that whatever it was that shed in her mind was what caused her memory loss. How could she have experienced something so horrible? But as much as she didn''t want to believe it, the feeling remained within her  the same feeling she had back when she was strapped on that bed.

    But who was that man? Why was he doing that to her? She was more confused now than before and not knowing who that man was and what was happening made her even frustrated. Her hands clutched onto his coat but she refused to cry.

    She swallowed the gigantic lump that was forming in her throat. She couldn''t show it to Damien. She couldn''t let him see that she thought this was a mistake. She regretted seeing what she saw in her head. How was she ever going to tell him what it was? How was she going to describe every horrible thing and feeling?

    And then it struck her. Katherine pulled away from him and her head snapped towards the table where a recorder was sitting. She had just remembered that before they started, Jeffrey had recorded their session. Now she was wondering what she had said while she was in a trance.

    Was it possible that she said everything? She dragged her gaze back to Damien and saw the look in his eyes.

    She had never seen that look on him and it scared her. He looked calm and worried but his eyes were weak and detached  a look of insecurity.

    Realizing that she might be worried about what just happened, Damien pulled a small smile and told her, "We don''t have to talk about it if you don''t want to."

    Katherine looked away and he took her silence as an affirmative.

    They left Jeffrey''s clinic a few minutester and as they walked out of the hospital, she walked on her own with a nk mind  she felt dull and numb.

    While they waited for the car at the entrance of the hospital, Damien and Jeffrey were discussing their course of action as they stood a few feet away from Katherine who seemed so out of it. She was just standing there and staring straight ahead.

    For some reason, her gaze shifted slightly to the right and saw a tall man standing at the parking lot next to a car. He was looking back at her, almost as if he was watching her. She furrowed her brows and subconsciously, she stepped onto the pavement like she wanted to see the man clearly.

    Tilting her head, she tried to focus her stare as if she was studying him and she swore she saw the man shift like he was aware that she was staring at him.

    "Katherine!" Damien called out to her just before his arms encircled her waist, he turned her back onto the side and out of harm''s way, avoiding a hit from a reckless driver speeding his car outside of the hospital. "This is a hospital!" he yelled after the car.

    "What were you doing?!" He quickly ced his hands on her shoulders as soon as he turned back to her, straightening her up and looking her up and down. "Are you okay? You almost got hit by a car!"

    Katherine''s eyes went wide, only realizing that she was in the middle of a driveaway and Damien just saved her. Her mouth opened and closed but no words came out. She turned her head back towards the parking lot across them but the man was no longer there. Howe that man looked all too familiar? Was she just imagining it?

    "I I''m tired I just want to go home," she said in a listless voice as she hung her head low.

    Nodding his head, he ced his arm around her, letting her lean into him as they walked towards their car.

    Pearl Gardens

    "Are you okay?" Damien probed as they got inside the master bedroom. He watched as she strolled towards the bathroom, nodded in response to his question but not saying anything.

    The bathroom door closed and he heard the shower turned on. He sat on the bed and buried his face in his hands, the scene from the clinic ying in his mind over and over. Though he could not see what she saw in her head, he heard the words that the man supposedly said to her. It bothered him a lot.

    And it bothered him that she wasn''t herself after the session. It scared him that he didn''t know what he was supposed to do after this. For the first time, Damien was at a loss  and he wasn''t sure if he wanted to know more about what happened back there.

    Katherine didn''t take a long time in the shower. When she got out of the bathroom, she was already in a shirt and pajama pants. Damien watched her as she quietly sat in front of her vanity dresser and start drying her hair.

    Without saying anything, he got to his feet and helped her dry her hair. The room was quiet except for the sound of the hairdryer in his hand. Neither of them spoke to each other.

    She watched his reflection in the mirror and when he nced at her, she gave him a small smile, in which he returned with his own depressing one.

    Several minutester, he tucked her in bed, making sure the curtains were closed to darken the room. And when he thought that she was already asleep, he got out of the room and headed to his study, taking out a bottle of scotch and pouring himself a drink at eleven in the morning.

 Chapter 191: Rogue Agent Queen

    Chapter 191: Rogue Agent Queen

    Inside a studio apartment in Miami, Florida

    Christopher Curtis was lounging on his couch, recalling the scene from the hospital earlier. He looked worn out and exhausted. He had just arrived from an hour''s drive from Harbor City, Esmea.

    When he received intel that Katherine went out of the country, he immediately sought where she went. Later, along with the report from one of his people were photos of model Alianna Park with Katherine in France. Alianna had posted a few pictures of them on her socialworking site and it almost made Chris charter a private jet to follow her there until he received another report of her entering the Hillcrest Hospital.

    Chris hadn''t slept a wink for months, heck he hadn''t had a good sleep since five years ago and it only got worse recently. His mind was filled with images of Katherine and he was on the verge of a breakdown. Could she have remembered a memory which was why she was in France?

    Katherine''s grandmother, Natalie Young''s mother, was a French national. And every year they would visit France for a short vacation. Chris, on the other hand, learned French amongst othernguages because of Shadow. Many years ago, when he took Katherine to the orphanage, she was very distressed and to gain her trust, he thought that speaking anothernguage that they both know apart from English would make her listen to him.

    It wasn''t that easy but at that point, Katherine didn''t have anyone else. So with Chris''s calming and gentle persona, she got persuaded. She looked up to him as her Hero.

    He was hesitant to leave her in the orphanage as he was the only one who knew about her real identity and her being alive; he couldn''t possibly bring her to Shadow  that was the only thing he thought he could do to keep her alive. Being 20 years old then, he had reservations, which was why he gave her his P.O box address in case she wanted to contact him. That must have been a stupid move for him but that was what he did many years ago.

    While Katherine stayed in the orphanage, he kept on receiving letters from her asking him to take her with him because she didn''t want to stay there. Letters came every month for three years but he never once sent her a reply though he sent her presents on her birthday. It was only a couple of months after her 15th birthday when he appeared in front of her again  another mistake that he shouldn''t have done.

    Parker caught the scent of his secret activities and he had to make a choice. Parker didn''t want any loose ends which was why he asked Chris to cancel  aka to kill  Katherine Young. But Chris couldn''t find it in his heart to do so. He could never kill her because he was already too attached.

    So he made an appeal to Parker that instead of taking Katherine out, they should make her an asset instead. In that way, they could keep an eye on her  train her. Chris made a strong case that made Parker change his mind.

    Bringing Katherine to Shadow was the worst yet also the best thing that he could do to keep her alive.

    Agents in Shadow go through a series of tests before they could even begin to train as an agent. But before these tests could even happen, they had to make sure that the recruits didn''t have anything that ties them down outside of Shadow.

    There were two types of recruits. Type A were orphans while Type B were special people that were given second chances to live their life and "serve the country" instead of being prosecuted.

    Chris was an orphan. And he was one of the kids that Parker chose to be trained in Shadow. So just like other orphans in Shadow, he devoted his life to serve the man who raised him. The Type B recruits had to prove themselves to be trustworthy  and the only way to do that was to make sure they have no emotional attachment to the outside world.

    Therefore, the Type B recruits had to go under an invasive procedure to erase their memory. This way, they could focus only on being trained and devote their existence to Shadow.

    Katherine was a special case. And Chris was the one who made it possible for her to keep her memories intact but still be an agent. Knowing how the Type B recruits'' were during and after the procedure, he couldn''t allow her to go through that. He was already attached to the young girl that he tried to keep alive for three years. After convincing Parker that she was far more useful and skillful without the procedure, he managed to keep her away from the horrible method.

    Chris wanted to keep her alive those three years because he didn''t know where else to put her  certainly not six feet under. And while Katherine kept on convincing him to take her with him, he was slowly warming up to the idea.

    So when he finally faced her three yearster, he told her that she could go with him as long as she follows certain rules. Young Katherine was happy that he finally came back to get her and leave the orphanage that she hated so much. So when she agreed, she requested that as long as he would help him find her parent''s killers, she would do anything he asks.

    Chris was certainly in a dilemma. All he wanted was for her to live but while he was so busy doing that, he was also slowly pushing her towards the edge of no return. And there really was no way ofing back.

    The day after Katherine bombed Shadow, he had to save her again. And the only way he knew how, was to erase her memories, thinking that it could drive her away from the cruel life that trapped her.

    She was hysterical  with so much hatred bubbling inside her. Her thoughts were filled with nothing but going after people whom she thought she had to kill and destroy Shadow  the only family that Chris had. Because without it, he was nothing.

    So Chris chose to save both just like he always does. He gave Katherine a new life while relocating Shadow''s base. And as much as he could, he wanted her away from Parker''s radar.

    With his expertise, he had fabricated everything for Katherine''s new life  while making Parker believe that the rogue agent Queen was no longer alive.

 Chapter 192: With love, Queen.

    Chapter 192: With love, Queen.

    As soon as Chris got the word that Katherine was in the hospital, he drove there without thinking much. He knew that she had been visiting hospitals in the past but a sudden visit right after they just returned from their trip to France, he didn''t know what to expect.

    However, after learning that she was physically healthy, he slightly calmed down. But knowing that she was there to see her new doctor, he couldn''t help but worry again. He was half expecting her to remain unaware while also hoping that she would remember. He was already tired of everything.

    Chris was in his mid-30s and he had this feeling that something big was going to happen in the near future. And while he leaned on a car in the parking lot, he thought about a lot of things. Parker recently gave him a mission in another state and thinking about it thoroughly, he didn''t have to do a lot because the order was simple  shoot to kill.

    However, the more that he thought about it, the more it dawned on him how he no longer wanted to do his bidding. For years, he had followed orders without question. But several years ago when he started to see Katherine as a woman, he wished there was another life for the two of them.

    After erasing her memories, he built a wall around him. It was the only way he could keep himself away from her despite still having the need to know if she was okay. But as time passed, no matter how much he convinced himself that what he did was for the best, little by little, his wall started to crumble  all because he couldn''t be with her.

    For years, he had seen her smile andugh but there was always this part of her that was closed off. And he didn''t question that because he knew very well why.

    He was so proud that she became one of the top agents in Shadow. She was indeed a special one becausepared to the rest of the agents, she was the only one who was still attached to the outside world. She had emotions and feelings of someone who had experienced the love of a family and friends while the rest only had Shadow  a family that isn''t truly a family.

    Chris let out a long and heavy sigh. He was clearly tense but more than that, he was already exhausted about the life that he has.

    He was among Parker''s best agents. But there was no way that Parker would just let him leave. He already knew the old man too well to know that leaving Shadow wasn''t an option  the only way an agent could leave was through a body bag.

    Taking out a cigarette from his coat, he lit it up with his metal lighter. Before putting the lighter back into his pocket, he ran his thumb on the surface of it, seeing a hawk engraved in the middle with print below it that said:

    <em>To hawk. May this light guide you when you lead and escort you while you tread the path in Shadow. With love, Queen.</em>

    Hawk was his other name in Shadow just like Queen was for Katherine. The corners of his mouth curled up into a small smile as he remembered the time when Katherine gave him the lighter as a gift when he rose in the ranks. She constantly nagged him to stop smoking but she still gave him a lighter  ssic Katherine.

    He took a drag of his cigarette and exhaled the smoke out, watching as the smoke got blown away by the wind.

    Just as he put the lighter away, he noticed two men and a woman arrive at the entryway of the hospital. He put out his cigarette on the ground and narrowed his eyes towards them as he tried to see Katherine from where he was standing. There was a good twenty-meter distance between them and he saw that she was just standing there with an unreadable expression.

    Chris remained rooted to where he was standing until Katherine suddenly looked at his direction. He didn''t move and continued to look at her, waiting to see what she was going to do. It didn''t seem like her memories were back with the way her expression was but she definitely appeared like she was wondering. Did she perhaps notice something?

    As she began to step towards the pavement, Chris pushed himself off the car and calmly walked away from the hospital and into a waiting car that was parked a block away.

    He was so close to running towards her

    So close to snatching her away from the man that was with her

    Pearl Gardens

    Damien stayed inside his study until a couple of hourster. In his hand was the recorder that Jeffrey gave to him before they left the hospital. He was hesitant to ept it but he knew he had to.

    The entire time, he was only able to listen to the whole recording once. He couldn''t bring himself to listen to it again. It was haunting.

    He had consumed a lot of alcohol but despite that, he wasn''t drunk. However, the numbing feeling that he was looking for hit him and it made him somehow calmer than earlier.

    He went to the bedroom and leaned against the wall, watching Katherine from a distance for God knows how long. She was still in bed and he was tempted to crawl next to her... but he didn''t. He thought he was stronger. ''I have to be for her.'' But it was just so damn difficult. He didn''t exactly have any experience in this matter  no one does. Everything was just so confusing.

    Pushing himself off the wall, he changed into somethingfortable before going towards the kitchen to heat up some leftovers for her to eat. She hadn''t eaten for hours and no matter what was currently happening, he still wanted to take care of her.

    A few minutester, he came back with a tray of light meal and woke her up to eat. The two of them didn''t talk so much and neither one of them spoke about what happened hours ago.

    After eating, Damien cleared out the tray and asked, "Can I get you anything?" He sat down next to her, his hand curled up into a fist as though he was afraid to touch her and he didn''t know why.

    The way he was to her at that moment didn''t go unnoticed by Katherine. And although she was unsure of why he was acting that way, she didn''t call him out. Instead, she gave him a warm smile. "I''m okay, Damien Thank you"

    Nodding, he got up and made herfortable in bed before leaning in to kiss her on the forehead. "Sleep some more. I''ll just be in the study."

    And with that, he left the master bedroom and buried himself in work to keep himself distracted.

    ''We''ll be okay right?'' he wondered.

 Chapter 193: Sunday Blues

    Chapter 193: Sunday Blues

    Sunday

    Damien and Katherine still weren''t talking much. Last night while he buried himself with work, she stayed in bed the entire time sleeping half-asleep pretending to sleep.

    Time was passing by so slowly for her and she had a hard time convincing herself to go to sleep. Because the moment that she closes her eyes, her mind reys that horrifying scene of her in the memory that she had buried so deep inside. There was a reason that her brain must have kept her from remembering it. Who would ever want to see or experience something like that?

    More importantly, she had been so stressed about who that man was. Judging by what she saw in her memorya nightmareshe should hate that person. But the words that the mysterious man said to her struck her in ways more than just confusion. There was more to it than just words of goodbye and hoping to be understood.

    Whoever that man was it seemed like she had loved him as well. For some twisted reason that she doesn''t know, she may have loved him because that would be the only exnation why she was in so much pain as soon as she woke up and the man''s iplete features shed in her mind even when she fluttered her eyes open.

    The thought of that man brought her misery. A heartache that she didn''t know she was capable of feeling. For years since she woke up from aa, the only one that really struck her rather made her heart tick differently than normal was Damien.

    But the man she saw while she was in a trance had caused her heart to feel pain and she couldn''t figure out the cause. Was it because of disappointment? She doubted it. How about betrayal? It could be possible but how was she to know? She practically didn''t know anything else other than hesitantly believing what supposedly was her ''memory''. What if it was just a nightmare that her subconsciousness made up? Was that even possible?

    She didn''t know what to believe now. What was she supposed to feel when what she saw was something she thought she could handle? This was the real worldnot some extremely expensive Hollywood movie. Erasing a memory?! Katherine was exasperated.

    If If it was a real memory, who was that man? And what was he to her?

    She turned her head to the nightstand to check the time. It was eight in the morning. She came to her senses and turned to the other side of the bed only to realize that Damien wasn''t there. Had he evene to bedst night? Studying the untouched side of his bed, it looked like he didn''t.

    She closed her eyes and willed herself not to cry despite feeling bad. She was feeling guilty about it all and not having him by her side made her feel shittier than she already was.

    Rolling out of bed, she took a quick shower and changed into a new set of clothes. She heard the door open and saw Damien with a tray of breakfast in his hands. His hair was disheveled and he had dark circles under his eyes, indicating that he must have been up all night. But the moment that he saw her, he pulled on a smile as quick as lightning, masking his real expression.

    She hated it. She hated that he was pretending to smile. He was the one person that she expected not to pretend around her like he usually does but ever since what happened yesterday, he had been distant and it was killing her.

    It was killing her even more that he was still taking care of her despite the fact that he was clearly distressed as much as she was. But she could not bring herself to talk about it because if she did, it would only feel like what she saw was real. And contrary to what she originally thought she wasn''t ready. Not anymore after what happened. She was a coward.

    Katherine watched as Damien set the tray on the bed and walked up to her. "How was your sleep?" he asked, his hands digging inside his pockets.

    She wanted him to touch her. And she wanted to be vulnerable and lean on him but she didn''t want to show that side of her. She didn''t want him to think she was only going to cry. Yes, she was in a bad ce right now but crying in front of him was useless. So she wasn''t going to cry even if she was very confused about everything even if she ached for his touch.

    Masking a smile of her own, she nodded her head. She slept an almost dreamless sleep thanks to the mtonin pill that she took before bed. "It was fine. You?" she asked and saw him nod in return. Liar. Both of them were. She could smell the liquor on him. He looked like he already took a shower but she could still smell it.

    As they sat in bed, Katherine turned to him and requested, "Will you eat with me?"

    "Of course" Damien positioned himself next to her and plopped a piece of strawberry in his mouth.

    He was so careful around her. It was as though he was afraid that the slightest touch was going to break her.

    After their quiet breakfast, he put the tray away and sat on the bed with her, finally speaking, "Listen You don''t have to talk about what happened. Only if you want to and only when you''re ready."

    If Damien was being honest, he wasn''t sure if he was telling her or telling himself.

    He didn''t know how to act around her because she''s so closed off at the moment and doesn''t even look at him in the eye as if she was guilty of something. She couldn''t be thinking about that man the whole time, could she?

    So after a sleepless night, he figured he should give her some space and not put pressure on her. "When you are I''ll be right here," he added.

    But while he thought of all that, Katherine believed that even though he said so, he obviously was ufortable with the whole situation. And the gnawing feeling in her heart kept her from going to him. It was worse than knowing anything from her past at all.

    At her current state, she wasn''t sure if she wanted to delve deeper or just let nature run its course.

    In the afternoon, Damien left while Katherine was taking a nap and met Jeffrey and Caleb in one of Crown Hotel''s bar.

    "It''s 2 pm on a Sunday. What are we doing here?" Caleb asked as he sat on Damien''s left side but gged down the bartender to order a cocktail anyway.

    Jeffrey who was sitting on Damien''s right watch his friend nurse a ss of whiskey in his hand for the past thirty minutes. "Where''s Katherine?" he asked.

    Damien lifted the ss to his lips but ced it back on the counter. "At home, taking a nap. I just had to get out of there."

    "Are you guys having a lover''s quarrel?" Caleb probed, raising his eyebrow at his friend but Jeffrey answered for Damien after getting the signal that it was okay to tell.

    They filled him in with what happened yesterday and even Caleb who usually has answers to most things, he was also quiet after hearing everything.

    "Man, that''s fucked up."

    Caleb''sment made Damien shake his head and responded, "Tell me about it."

    Caleb and Jeffrey stayed with their friend, drinking and talking away while Damien just sat there quietly. Though he would utter some responses asionally, he was deep in his own thoughts and left his drink untouched. At this point, he didn''t think more drinking was going to solve anything. He guessed he just needed to be away for a while.

 Chapter 194: A Distressing Bump

    Chapter 194: A Distressing Bump

    The three friends in their casual clothes were sitting by the bar. They kept their conversation light as Caleb and Jeffrey tried to take Damien''s mind off his worries. However, Jeffrey couldn''t take his silence anymore.

    "You look like shit, man," Jeffrey downed thest of his drink. It was his second ss of bourbon. His apartment was just a few blocks away so he didn''t mind drinking.

    "Mmm I feel like shit." Damien stared at the liquid in his ss  an expensive ss of whiskey and an already melted ice. He still hadn''t touched his drink since they got there two hours ago.

    Caleb, on the other hand, was also on his second ss of Old fashioned  a cocktail drink that screams dapper, it was perfect for him. "You need sleep."

    "I tried. I couldn''t." Damien finally pushed his ss away from him and rotated his head from side to side. He was obviously tired but his brain refused to let him rest.

    Turning his body to the right, Caleb faced Damien and ced his hand on his friend''s shoulder. "Listen, bro I know you''re too confused and uncertain right now. But think about Katherine."

    "I have that''s all I have been thinking."

    "No. I mean think about her right now. She''s at home, all alone. I''m sure she''s more frightened than you are at the moment. I get that you''re giving her space like you think she needs one. But I think she''d feel a lot better if you stayed with her. Go home." Caleb reached for his wallet and took out several bills for his drink.

    Damien swallowed upon hearing his friend''s words. He breathed deeply and let out a heavy sigh, running a hand on his face before pping his hand on the counter. "You''re right. What am I doing here? I''ve been too busy thinking about the future that I failed to see that she''s hurting. God, I''m such a jerk." He hung his head low, pissed at what he was doing.

    Caleb got off his stool and mped his hand on Damien''s left shoulder while Jeffrey patted the right  a simple gesture that didn''t need words but held a lot of meaning.

    After paying for their drinks, they got out of the bar and went their separate ways. Damien slumped in the driver''s seat of his Aston Martin and tried topose himself before turning the ignition. He had experienced different kinds of stress before but it was mostly rted to his work. This one was totally different  the kind that mentally, physically, and emotionally drained him.

    The drive back to Pearl Gardens took him thirty minutes and as soon as he arrived, he went straight to the master bedroom. Expecting to see Katherine in bed, his brows furrowed when he saw that it was empty. But the sound of the bathroom door opening and closing made him snap his head to the side.

    "Damien" she muttered, her brows knitted in confusion when she saw the expression on his face. He was looking at her worriedly and she swore she saw him release his breath with their eyes met. "What''s wrong?"

    Shaking his head, he took long, hurried strides, pulling her towards him and pressing her against his chest with his strong arms encircled around her. He tucked her head under his chin and squeezed her, as if the more he hugged her, the more he could absorb her tension.

    "I''m sorry" he whispered above her head.

    Katherine was still confused about what was going on. She felt him pull back and kiss her forehead, nose, cheeks, and lips.

    "What''s going on?" she probed, raising her head to study his eyes that were not as bright as it usually were.

    Bringing her hand to his cheek, he leaned against it and kissed her palm. "I''m just I feel so stupid. Baby, I''m sorry for not staying with you the whole day. I I thought you wanted some space so I stayed out of sight. I didn''t know what to do"

    Realizing what he was doing, Katherine''s lips trembled. She bit her bottom lip but it still quivered. Her eyes pooled but she still refused to cry. So she buried her face on his chest, forcing herself to be stronger so she swallowed and squeezed her eyes shut. "I''m sorry" she whispered.

    Shit. Damien didn''t like seeing her like that. It crushed his heart.

    He carried her to bed and pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her tightly and stroking her back. He knew that she was trying so hard not to cry in front of him. She hadn''t shed a tear after regaining her consciousness back at Jeffrey''s clinic. "It''s okay to cry, Katherine"

    She shook her head, nuzzling her face to his chest some more and clutching his sweatshirt in her hand. "I don''t want to." They stayed in the same position for a long time just relishing each other''s presence.

    "How are you?" he asked sometimeter.

    "I don''t know scared? Confused"

    They pulled away but just enough to see each other eye to eye. He brushed her hair away from her face and waited for her to continue. He was giving her the chance to speak if she wanted to talk about it, but he was going to stay with her  he was never going to leave her alone anymore.

    Katherine stared at his chest as she tried to start what she wanted to tell him, "I don''t know if it''s real, Damien. It could be just a nightmare at least that''s what I''m hoping it is. Everything just doesn''t make sense to me. Why it happened why me? And that man I" She raised her gaze to meet his eyes. "I swear I don''t knowdon''t remember that man."

    Damien nodded and pulled her against him again, kissing the top of her head. "It''s okay, everything''s going to be okay. We don''t have to do anything you don''t want to and I''ll be right here with you."

    As soon as they talked, he felt better and it was the same for her as well. There was something with cuddling that makes all their worries disappear. Even if it wasn''t totally gone, they were both feeling more positive and less distressed.

    "I''m sorry for not talking to you" Katherine leaned back and threaded her fingers in his hair, touching his cheeks with her thumb. She felt terrible that what happened also wore him down. "I missed you"

    For the first time since yesterday, Damien formed a genuhough smallsmile on his face. He tilted her chin up, ran his thumb on her bottom lip before he pressed his lips to hers. "Me too."

    The two of themid in bed until the sky turned dark. They decided not to let their worries ruin their days moving forward. What''s important was that they had each other. This was just a bump on the road.

    A distressing bump.

 Chapter 195: Youre My Present and My Only Future

    Chapter 195: You''re My Present and My Only Future

    Monday

    Damien and Katherine had a better sleepst night. They watched a movie in bed and slept early. That morning, she woke up at six and felt a headache creeping in  that''s what too much sleep does to her.

    When she opened her eyes, she saw that Damien was still asleep with his back facing her. Quietly, she got out of bed, washed up in the bathroom and decided to make some breakfast for them. It was unusual for her to see him not awake at this hour, but because he hadn''t slept a wink the day before, she thought of letting him sleep some more.

    Walking towards his side, she gently brought the nket up to cover him but she felt that something was off. His brows were knitted and beads of sweat formed on his face. When her hand rested on his upper arm after covering him with the nket, her eyes widened in shock after feeling his heat over the shirt and nket.

    Her hand flew to his forehead and she gasped, "Oh my god, you''re burning up."

    "Ngnnh" he groaned.

    "Damien," Katherine touched his cheek, "Baby, wake up"

    His eyeszily opened but he was too lethargic to keep it open. "Mmmm Do you need anything?"

    Even at his state, he was still thinking about her. It made her cross her brows. How could he still be thinking about other things at this point? He was already sick!

    She sat next to him on the bed and scanned his body, her hand brushing up and down his arm. "You have a fever. I''ll take you to the hospital. But I can''t possibly carry you you''re too heavy for me. I need you to try walking."

    Opening his eyes, Damien shook his head weakly. "I''ll be fine, this is nothing. Just grab me a couple of Tylenol. I''ll be up in a minute," he muttered just before his eyes closed again.

    Katherine went to the bathroom and took out a bottle of Tylenol from the medicine cab. Opening the water bottle from the nightstand, she gave him two tablets and helped him take them. "You should take the day off."

    "Can''t. Meeting at 10." His voice was raspy and was too tired to make full sentences. "Ngnh"

    "I know, I arranged that meeting. We can reschedule it. This isn''t a negotiation, Damien. Stay in bed. I''ll get you something to eat." Katherine pushed him back down and tucked him in. The bed was sofortable that he had a hard time fighting to get up when he could feel his body aching all over. His eyes were burning too that he immediately closed it.

    Katherine exited the bedroom and immediately called Caleb who answered her call on the second ring. "Morning, Katherine. What''s up?"

    "Hi, Caleb. Listen, Damien''s sick" Katherine exined what happened and asked him if he could attend the meeting on behalf of Damien. The truth was, they couldn''t reschedule the meeting but she wasn''t about to let the preparation go to waste andpromise what has already been nned.

    "Hmmm I actually have a meeting at 10:30. But it''s okay, I''ll arrange my schedule and work with Markus regarding this matter. Don''t worry about it. You should stay at home with him," Caleb responded.

    After they finished their call, Katherine headed towards the kitchen to make Damien some food. Bear sprawled on the floor while she spent an hour in the kitchen making Damien some chicken noodle soup.

    Damien was always the one taking care of her. He was always dependable and always on the go. She always saw him as a strong and capable man but right now, that man was in bed like a baby. It was her time to look out for him.

    Their housekeeper Rose already arrived and had taken care of Bear''s business. She admired Katherine''s personality and the way she was taking care of everything at home, especially Damien and their dog. Seeing how Katherine was worried and busy with Damien''s food, Rose was secretly excited to tell all about this to Nana  like she had been doing since she started working in Pearl Gardens.

    Inside the master bedroom, Katherine made sure that Damien was eating. He didn''t have any appetite at all but she didn''t allow him to skip a meal. And seeing that she made the effort to make him food, he couldn''t say no.

    So even though he didn''t want to eat, he finished everything in his bowl and saw her smile because of it.

    His head was pounding and he just wanted to go back to sleep. He rarely gets sick but when he does, it was terrible. He was sick because of stress and fatigue as per Jeffrey''s diagnosis when thetter called him earlier.

    While Damien rested, Katherine made use of her time by rescheduling the meetings and appointments in his study. She was using hisptop as she made phone calls and arrangements using their synced calendars. A few hourster, she took a break and leaned into his desk chair, sighing and yawning. Her eyes scanned the room and noticed the recording device next to the printer.

    She wasn''t aware that Jeffrey had given it to Damien and now she wondered if he had listened to it when they got home. Her hand reached out to grab the device but just before she could touch it, her hand balled into a fist.

    What was she going to do? Did she really want to listen to herself? What if she sounded even more horrifying than how she thought it was? She gulped and very swiftly, she grabbed the device and only briefly looked at it before she ced it inside the drawer on her right  out of sight.

    She didn''t have to listen to it again  everything was still fresh in her mind.

    But they had agreed to move on and not let it haunt them. Whatever was in the past stays in the past.

    When Katherine entered the master bedroom and saw Damien lying on the bed, despite worrying, she had a smile on her face as sheid down next to him. Checking his temperature with the palm of her hand, he was no longer as hot as he was in the morning but he still needed to rest.

    She retracted her hand but he caught her wrist and pulled her to himrather he pressed himself to her, his head resting on her chest while his arm draped across her body. "You are so cool," he murmured, referring to her skin. He was usually concerned about her icy hands and feet all the time but now, he loved it because his body was hot and she was sofortable.

    Softly chuckling, Katherine allowed him to rub himself onto her like a cat. Stroking his broad shoulders and back as she whispered to him, "Don''t worry, Damien No matter who were the people in my past  you''re my present and my only future."

    Slightly aware of what she said, he responded, "Hmmm"

 Chapter 196: Dont Tell Katherine

    Chapter 196: Don''t Tell Katherine

    Tuesday

    After being nursed back to health by Katherine, Damien was now in his office working on some documents. She was adamant about taking care of his lunch so she asked him to wait in the office while she went to order from a nearby restaurant.

    There was a knock on his door before it swung open and in came Caleb and Jeffrey, not bothering to close the door behind them.

    "Why are you back in the office? You could have used another day off," Caleb asked as he sauntered towards Damien''s desk while Jeffrey followed from behind and waved, "Hey, man."

    Damien nodded at them before lowering his eyes back to the papers in his hands. "Can''t. I feel sicker if I don''t have any work done. Last night I think I had a nightmare that I was eaten up by a stack of papers that were left on my desk. How horriblyical yet frightening at the same time."

    The two chuckled as theyzily sat on the chairs in front of Damien''s desk. "I don''t know if that''s funny because I have several stacks of papers still sitting on my desk since Friday. Should I be worried?" Caleb squeezed his eyes shut. Damien had always gone by the motto ''work hard y hard''. But ever since he dated Katherine, they don''t have boys night as often as they did  not that he wasining, but that just meant he was also mostly focusing on work now a little too much than he used to.

    Jeffrey rolled his eyes. He never understood how his two friends manage to just sit behind the desk and work with papers. Though Caleb and Damien own hotels and resorts  in which they had plenty of fun  running a business was quite troublesome. How thankful he was that his paperwork in the hospital was still somewhat manageable. "How''s everything after you came home that day?" he asked.

    "We talked about it and we''re okay," Damien replied briefly.

    Caleb shifted in his seat and snapped his fingers. "Oh, I almost forgot. Ross called."

    "Yeah? What does he want?" Damien replied without looking up from the papers, biting a pencil in between his teeth as he flipped the pages, looking for some necessary changes.

    Caleb grabbed a pen from a can on the desk and swirled it in his fingers. "He''s asking for details about the summer party."

    Damien who was focused on his work snapped his head to Caleb. A click sounded when the pencil from his mouth fell on the floor. The tter of his pencil caught Jeffrey''s attention, making him look up from his phone and catching Damien''s momentarily shocked expression.

    Caleb winced, "Oh boy you forgot. Wow I don''t know what to say"

    Caleb and Jeffrey watched as Damien''s lip twitched and he shifted his gaze to the side as though he was trying to think of what to do until they heard him say, "I won''t be throwing one anymore." Damien picked up the pencil from the floor and contemted about going over the papers again.

    "What do you mean you''re not throwing one? It''s a tradition since forever," Jeffrey said matter-of-factly, his and Caleb''s eyes were wide in shock upon what they just heard. They imagined not having the party and they felt weird. All because they were too used to having it every year.

    Since they were in college, the three of them started throwing a party at the end of the summer, inviting all elites. Yearster, the people invited to the party were mostly bachelors and bachelorettes of their age  it was basically a party to mingle and possibly get lucky at the end of the night. Damien had always been the one who ns and organizes the parties and starting this year, he no longer wanted to have one.

    Leaning back in his chair, he looked up at the ceiling and closed his eyes. "You do remember why we started having that party a long time ago. So you definitely understand why I won''t do it anymore. If you two still want one. By all means, do it. But I won''t be there."

    "Oh,e on. Hosting it has always been your thing because you''re good at it. You can''t just back out. It won''t be the same without you," Jeffrey frowned. He hadn''t been on a date for a long time and he was looking forward to it.

    "Actually I also don''t mind not having the party this year. I''m just not feeling it." Caleb continued to y with the pen in his hand and Jeffrey pped his chest, shooting him a re. "Not you too!"

    "I''m already an engaged man, in case you have forgotten." Damien shot his friends a nce, his voice was a warning. Caleb shrugged while Jeffrey slumped on his chair, raising a finger saying, "Yes, but not yet married. Just because you have Katherine and you..." he pointed at Caleb, "whatever you and Ali are doesn''t mean that I should not have fun. I can''t be a fifth wheeler when you two decide to go on a double date."

    Damien rolled his eyes. "There will be no double dates."

    Jeffrey continued, "Whatever. How about we host the party this year for thest time? It will be like a farewell party for you."

    "I''m not going anywhere!" Damien snapped.

    Caleb suppressed augh and Jeffrey added, "I meant a farewell to your bachelor life. But this isn''t your bachelor party, okay? That''s different. Caleb and I already have ideas." He wiggled his brows.

    "No, I don''t want a bachelor party." Damien ran a hand on his face. "And no Summer Party for me either. Do whatever you guys want, just don''t make me go there."

    "Or yes to Summer Party and we make you go there." Jeffrey had a wide grin on his face. If Damien wasn''t going to n the party, he will n the party himself. How hard could it be?

    "It''s a tradition. And I''m not willing to lose you boys yet, at least not until I get myself a steadydy. Which you will both help me with."

    Indeed, this had be a tradition for them ever since  meet women and be shitfaced-drunk. Damien thought that he was getting too old for parties. But the truth was, he didn''t want to meet other women. Looking up to Jeffrey, he raised his brow and asked, "Why are you so adamant about getting a date? What happened to ''keeping it casual''?"

    Caleb smirked, putting the pen back in the holder as he answered, "His family has been nagging for him to bring a girl home for his grandfather''s birthday in three weeks."

    Jeffrey let out a sigh, running a hand on his nape before answering, " They were setting me up with some chick I don''t know and don''t want to know, so I told them I already had a girlfriend to keep them off my back. I don''t want blind dates  I can''t handle any more quirky surprises." He grimaced at a memory.

    "Why not just pick up a girl from a bar?" Caleb suggested.

    "If I show up with a person I just met from a bar, they''d just think I''m still immature and the old man might not include me in his will if he thinks I''m not ''responsible'' enough." Jeffrey shook his head.

    Damien narrowed his eyes as he studied his friend. "You''re a sessful doctor. What other responsibility is he looking for?"

    "Responsible enough to start a family," Caleb answered for Jeffrey. "Obviously, he''s not ready to settle down just yet."

    "Can we just please focus? Come on I need your help." Jeffrey was exasperated. "Everyone who shows up at that party belongs in high society. At least I don''t have to give her lessons on how to interact with my pretentious family."

    Damien stared at his friend and then to Caleb who just shrugged at him. "Fine. I''ll think about it. In the meantime, don''t tell Katherine"

    As if on cue, Katherine strolled inside his office. "Don''t tell Katherine what?"

 Chapter 197: Yes, maam.

    Chapter 197: Yes, ma''am.

    The three men, especially Damien, felt like a bucket of cold water was dumped on their backs. They immediately got on their feet. The clicking of Katherine''s heels as she walked towards the desk was a little haunting, making them gulp. She had a smile on her face but she looked like she was a predator waiting to catch her prey and eat it alive.

    Caleb and Jeffrey stood up straight as if they got caught red-handed. How funny was it that she entered the room just in time when Damien said those words. Surely she wasn''t eavesdropping, was she?

    Damien watched as she strutted towards him, a paper bag in her hand of what he assumed was their lunch. "Hey" he muttered, not knowing what else to say in this situation. If it were any other person, he could have made up a lie and say it without batting an eyelid. But this was Katherine, he knew better than to lie to her.

    "Hey yourself." She smiled and set down the paper bag on his desk before turning towards the two men in front of his desk. "Hi, Katherine" they said.

    "Hello, boys. Did I interrupt something? It looked like you were having a secret meeting one that you didn''t want to tell me about?"

    Damien reached out and ced a hand on the small of her back. "I''m sorry, I didn''t mean it like that. I was going to tell you myself I just didn''t want these two to beat me to it." His eyes darted to his friends and the two pursed their lips.

    "Well if you wanted to keep it from me, you should have made sure to close the door. I always knock," she said.

    "No, I''m not going to keep it from you. Like I said, I was going to tell you." Damien kissed her temple, gestured her towards the sofa, and started setting up the food on the coffee table. Caleb and Jeffrey leaned back on their chair while Damien exined the party to Katherine and why Jeffrey wanted it to happen so badly.

    "So you''re saying this is a high-ss party that you host annually where you three and other people get wasted and getid?" Katherine asked without looking up as she busily set the utensils on the table. Her calmness caused the three men around her to feel wary, they didn''t know if she was trying to appear calm or this was just the eye of the storm.

    As if by instinct, Damien reached across the table and held her wrist to assure her, "I wasn''t going to throw that party this year... Or any other year starting from now on."

    Lifting her chin up, Katherine formed a smile on her face. With her other hand, she raised a fork before stabbing it with much gusto into a dumpling, its juice spurted out and the tter of the te made Caleb and Jeffrey jump from their seats. "Oh please, don''t let me stop you, boys. You deserve to have fun after working so hard all year."

    "I-It''s okay. I ch-changed my mind. I think I''ll just meet the woman my parents were going to set me up with," Jeffrey mumbled. He wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.

    "I still need to finish some papers" Caleb muttered and cleared his throat as he and Jeffrey started getting up from their seats.

    "Sit down," Katherine said, her voice stern andmanding. "No one''s going anywhere."

    "Yes, ma''am." The two sat back down, their backs straight and their eyes on the floor.

    She watched as Damien stared at her with an unreadable expression and said, "You, eat."

    "Yes, ma''am," he replied, receiving the dumpling with his mouth as Katherine held out the fork for him. He chewed and started on his food, following her order when she pointed at the soup bowl next to his te.

    "Okay here''s the n  you and you," she pointed at Damien and Caleb, "are going to behave at that party. And you," she faced Jeffrey who gulped as soon as their eyes met, "...you will find that date you are looking for in that party."

    "Wait. What?" Damien hastily swallowed the food in his mouth and looked at Katherine like she had just grown three heads. He was expecting her to tell him not to host this party  after all, it was ridiculous. But now she was actually supporting it?

    She shrugged. "I''m not a party pooper. Besides, your secretaries before me had been doing the nning and organizing, right? It''s my job to do the same. So we''ll be going through this together," she said. If she did it, she will have control over the party.

    "But if Damien goes to this party women will be throwing themselves all over him. Will you be okay with that?" Caleb raised a brow, wondering what Katherine was thinking.

    Damien and Jeffrey watched as Katherine prettily leaned back on the sofa and crossed her legs. "Not if I''m next to him all night."

    "You''re going with me?!" Damien sounded confused until he saw Katherine raise a brow at him and crossed her arms over her chest. "I mean... you''re going with me! I would love that!" He beamed.

    The other two shook their heads. "He is so whipped," Caleb uttered under his breath and Jeffrey confirmed it, "Yep, he''s on a leash."

    Although Katherine didn''t say it, Damien and the two men in the room understood what she was nning. If she was going to appear with Damien at that party, she''ll be showing it to everyone that he was no longer avable, warding off evil spirits away from her man while she stood next to him with her engagement ring in in sight.

    This party was quite famous in the upper-ss circle and it was perfect for what they had nned back in France. Katherine and Damien agreed to stop hiding from the public so that they could freely appear together in public without fearing a headline the next minute.

    Because she had good enough money saved up for a refresher course, she wanted to ''relearn'' what she had forgotten and Damien was going to let her resign as per her request and support what she wanted to do. She thought it was the best way to save his reputation at the same time, finally get back on her feet by moving forward and start shaping her future.

    "Are you sure you want to do this? nning the party?" Damien asked.

    "No but I think I know what I need to do," Katherine admitted. She hadn''t done any huge nning and organizing for a party before, especially not one like this where everybody would potentially be talking about it to everyone.

    Before anyone else could say anything, Jeffrey threw a fist in the air, "Yes! You''re the best, Katherine!"

    Damien nced at his friends and waved his hand to them. "Now get out of my office. I''m having lunch with my future wife and you two are spoiling it," he said with a smile, wanting to have some privacy with Katherine.

 Chapter 198: Im proud of you

    Chapter 198: I''m proud of you

    On the sofa, Katherine was next to Damien who had his arm around her, his hand gently stroking her arm. Sheid her head on his shoulder as they sat quietly, enjoying their lunch break.

    "So who came up with this summer fling party idea?" she asked and heard him wince, making herugh. "Were you a frat boy?"

    It was Damien''s turn tough, shaking his head as he looked up to the ceiling trying to recall his younger years. "Honestly I don''t remember Ohwait, I think I do. It started because our families were constantly having parties then and they would always bring us with them. So the boys  me, William, Caleb, Jeffrey, and a few others  would have our own clique on the side. I just turned eighteen and one of them said we could throw our own "annual" party. The rest just pretty much followed"

    "Mhmm and howe you were always the one nning and organizing? Were you always a wild teenager?" she raised a brow and saw a smile on Damien''s face.

    "My family had always been huge about social events. They would either be showing up wherever the parties are or most of the time hosting one. A couple of yearster when I asked if someone else could do it, they told me that if I was the one hosting, manydies would surely show up."

    Katherine looked up at him, her brows knitted and her mouth hung open. "Look at you  Mr. Damien dy ma" Park."

    He threw his head backughing and shaking his head. "Anyway I guess I just got used to it  being the one behind the gathering."

    "So you''ve always been throwing this party since? How did that work while you were with your exes?" If it were up to Katherine, she would definitely not let him go to this party, considering the purpose of why they were throwing it in the first ce. But since they had a n in hand, this was the only reason why she allowed him to go. "I trust you, but I don''t trust the women around you. I''m not taking chances."

    A huge grin formed on his face and he leaned towards her, giving her a quick kiss. "You''re adorable." He looked away again and recalled how it was in the past. "This started before Lexi. And despite the special circumstance with her"

    "And by special you mean?"

    He sighed, "I meant even though the rtionship was forced by the families, I didn''t see other people. And that woman from Hara Family, we didn''t reallyst that long. It was only for a few months and it was over before this Summer Party tradition happened in the same year we broke up."

    There was just this tiny bit of information that Katherine wanted to know. She didn''t want to hear in case it were true like the rumors about him said but she wanted to know the truth from him. "So you''re saying you"

    Damien turned to look at her, studied her eyes and saw right through what she actually wanted to know. He narrowed his eyes at her. "If you''re wondering if I was a two-timing bastard No, I wasn''t. I dated, yes. But I never cheated while I was seeing someone."

    She regretted asking because she thought she saw anger sh in his eyes. If he was, he masked it rather quickly. "I''m sorry I was just wondering. I don''t really care about your past. I was just curious, that''s all. When I was new here, I came across several articles about you regarding your dating life and I guess, I just I was curious."

    He saw the apologetic look on her face and he looked away, leaning his back on the sofa. "Whatever you read on those articles they aren''t all true, you know? Those bored, worthless journalists just wanted fame. They twisted stories about me and the people they see me with."

    Katherine''s heart throbbed. She shouldn''t have asked but was d that he told her about it anyway. "I believe you." She ced a hand on his chest and slid it up to cup his jaw, drawing him close for a kiss.

    Swiftly, Damien lifted both of her legs and ced them over hisp, his hand nted on her thigh and dangerously sliding up and under her skirt. She moaned when he deepened the kiss.

    "We still have a few minutes left," he whispered into her mouth.

    She pulled back and pressed her hands on his chest before he could lower her on the sofa. She giggled when he groaned on her neck and felt his erection press on the back of her thigh.

    "Why"

    "As much as I want to. You haven''t fully recovered yet and you have a meeting soon. I need you with as much energy as you can have. And having a quickie wouldn''t help you at all, President Park."

    Damien stared down at her, his brows furrowed while Katherine wore a yful smile. "You are infuriatingly responsible. Do you know that?"

    Ever since Katherine became his secretary, his work life had been so much better. She was so organized, smart, and efficient at her job that it put his previous secretaries to shame. She had only been working for him for a few months but it was as though they were perfectly made for each other. She was the best partner that he could ever ask for.

    "Mhmm that''s why you love me." She beamed at him and he shook his head.

    "I couldn''t even argue with you on that."

    Katherine swung her legs off him and turned to grab something in her purse. When she faced him again, she held a white envelope tightly and gave it to him with both of her hands.

    Damien stared at the envelope before he dragged his gaze to her face and saw her smile at him. He already knew what was inside the envelope and he was reluctant to receive her resignation letter.

    Back in France, he told her that he would only agree if he could finance her studies. She didn''t say ''yes'' then but she did ask him to wave the contract bond instead. Now that she was turning in her notice, his thoughts went back to his condition.

    "Come on. We already talked about this" she said, caressing his face and brushing his hair away from his forehead.

    Sighing, Damien was already experiencing "sepanx" (separation anxiety). "How would I ever function without you here?"

    "It''s not like we won''t see each other anymore. We live together! Besides, there are still two weeks to hire and train another secretary as my recement."

    "No." His answer was firm. "There won''t be any recement. When you leave, I won''t be hiring another office secretary."

    "But, how"

    "Markus can take over. I''ll increase his wage. We already talked about it before so I know he is on board with it."

    Katherine sighed. And the two of them looked at each other without saying anything until he probed, "Have you decided which school you''re going to enroll in?"

    "I''m still looking I''ll meet Emma for lunch tomorrow and ask her about it. Maybe she can help me decide."

    "You know I could"

    "No, Damien. I am already agreeing to your condition of paying for the course. I can''t have you pulling your connections for me to get into institutions as well. I will, however, try my best to get into one of the best ones."

    He huffed and pulled on a smile for her, pressing a kiss on her temple and hugging her. "I''m proud of you. I''ll support you in every way that I can."

    Hugging Damien back tightly, she nodded and pressed herself into him. "I''ll make you even prouder."

 Chapter 199: A Packed Day

    Chapter 199: A Packed Day

    Wednesday, August 29

    "I just got off the phone with Nana. We''re going to have dinnerter at the mansion," Damien said as soon as Katherine entered his office. She had a cup of coffee in her hand and gave it to him.

    "I see Will your sweet uncle and humble cousin be there?" She grabbed his ck coat from the hanger and helped him put it on, brushing his sleeves off with a lint roller.

    Damien chuckled. "Unfortunately, yes, with his wife too." He had his arms raised while Katherine did her magic on him, making sure he looked impable as he needed to appear in front of some very important people in less than ten minutes.

    "That sounds fun." She frowned briefly before sheposed herself. "Shall I grab a bottle from your wine fridge for dinner then?"

    He lifted his chin up while she fixed his tie on him and he couldn''t help but smile and hold her by the waist. "Yes, good thinking. Bring the Lafite, it''s Nana''s favorite."

    Katherine patted the knot like she always does and gave him a once over. Raising her hand, she brushed his hair gently in ce and leaned in, taking a whiff of his perfume.

    "Are you smelling me?" He raised a brow in confusion.

    "Mhmm. Need to make sure you smell good too." She chuckled. "I''m going to sit next to you. I have to make sure it''s going to be a pleasant experience." It was unnecessary  he always smelled great.

    Damien was adamant about having her next to him wherever he goes for thest two weeks that she was going to be his secretary. So she will be there for all his meetings. For some reason, his eyes drifted to her legs and he frowned. "You''re wearing pants."

    "Yup." She looked at him in the eye seriously. "No fooling around today."

    A wide grin formed on his face and he drew her closer to him, pressing her against him. "Okay. tomorrow then?"

    Pressing a hand on his chest to keep some distance, she reached for a few folders on his desk and pped it on him. "Maybe." Wiggling out of his embrace, she started pushing him towards the door.

    Katherine grabbed herptop from her desk and followed him inside the elevator where she gave him another once over and found his dress shirt poking from the side. She swiftly tucked it in his pants as they rode down the elevator, smoothing his outfit.

    "How do I look?" he asked, slightly turning towards her.

    "Like a billion dors." She smiled at him.

    Leaning in, he nted a kiss on her lips just before the doors opened. "Thank you," he said with a sigh. He was surely going to miss her.

    "My pleasure." Katherine stood straight and gestured towards the hallway. "After you, President Park."

    Damien stepped out of the elevator, his expression stoic and powerful as he passed by some of his employees who greeted him as he walked towards the meeting room with Katherine following him from behind. Her immacte appearance and graceful posture made a lot of women around them envious of her being next to their CEO. They could only dream.

    Katherine and Damien entered the meeting room with their heads held high, ready for a packed day.

    At lunchtime, Katherine was in a restaurant with Emma. It had been a while since theyst saw each other because Emma had a new job in a different city and she was in Harbor City just for the day so they had to see each other.

    After catching up, they started talking about Katherine''s ns on taking up a course to refresh her knowledge about the degree that she had before losing her memory. After that scary session with Jeffrey a few days ago, Katherine wondered if studying was going to help her recover her memory. Everything was still scary for her but she wasn''t going to back out from it anymore.

    "It''s too bad your old college shut down It would''ve been better for you to go there," Emma said as she put a piece of cake in her mouth.

    Katherine shrugged. "Even if it were still running to this date, I don''t think I will go there. It''s quite a distance Damien would never allow me to go so far away. He wants me to be near. So I only have options in this city."

    "Hmmm Well, your grades were good and you''ve also self-studied in the past few years. I''m sure the good universities around the area will be happy to have you." Emma''s smile was wide and her eyes started to water.

    "What''s happening? Why are you crying?" Katherine was rmed and reached across the table for her friend''s hand.

    "Nothing. It''s just I''m so happy for you, you know? I''ve always thought about how I can help you but I never really did anything for you. But look at you now You''re living in a really nice house. Which by the way, you haven''t invited us yet." Theyughed at that.

    "You''re marrying a gorgeous man who''s not only extremely rich but also very kind and very good to you. You''re even going back to school again. Your life has turned around so much and I''m just d that you''re happy and smiling."

    "What are you talking about? I smiled before"

    Emma shook her head, wiping the happy tears from her eyes with a handkerchief. "Not like this. I''ve always known you were beautiful, Kath. With your life before meeting Mr. Park, you didn''t shine at all. You were alive but you weren''t really living. Like a walking dead. Now, you''re glowing radiant gosh, I can''t believe this but I could have a girl crush on you."

    The two of themughed and spent another hour talking some more. Katherine was so d to see Emma that afternoon  a fresh break for her  after being around wealthy people so much, seeing her old friend made her feel grounded.

    Park Mansion at six in the afternoon

    The old Madame was very excited tomence talks about wedding preparations that she was smiling the entire time. Nana even introduced a wedding nner to Damien and Katherine as soon as they arrived.

    Nana was thrilled to know that the wedding would be held in France and she started enumerating the different things that needed to be taken care of. Damien and Katherine were both overwhelmed but they couldn''t say no to Nana, seeing as she was so excited about everything as if she was nning her own wedding.

    Katherine remembered Alianna''s warning about this but honestly, she was thankful for it in a way because she didn''t think she could do it alone.

    Nana sat at the head of the long table. On her right was Frederick Park, his wife Dorothy, and William while Damien and Katherine sat to her left.

    Nana held Damien''s hand, smiling to him as she said, "You have no idea how happy I am that the two of you are settling down. I have been waiting for this day toe. I just wished your father was here to see this day, Damien."

    He and his father had their differences but he had a lot of good memories with him when he was still alive. Without saying anything, he could only nod to his grandmother, squeezing her hand and patting it before they continued eating.

    Frederick Park had an unreadable expression on his face. He cleared his throat and picked up his ss of wine, taking a sip before saying, "I can arrange a meeting with the familywyer to visit you in yourpany for the prenuptial papers." If he couldn''t talk his nephew out of this marriage, he might as well make sure they are going to sign a prenup agreement.

    Hearing this from his uncle, Damien''s brows furrowed. He narrowed his eyes as he looked at his uncle, dropping his fork and knife. He took a swig of his own wine and with a stern voice, he answered, "No. There will be no prenup."

    Damien and his uncle red at each other, the rest of the people in the room could feel the temperature drop by the second.

 Chapter 200: Park Familys Secret

    Chapter 200: Park Family''s Secret

    The air in the dining room was quite suffocating. Katherine didn''t understand why Damien''s uncle was so against her. She understood that she was never going to be as rich as the Park Family and that she wasn''t in the upper-ss society, but she was marrying Damien who didn''t mind any of those things. So why does Uncle Fred have to make everything so difficult for her?

    If Damien wanted to have a prenup agreement, she would be happy to sign it  it wasn''t as if she was after his money. Wanting to voice out her thoughts, Katherine ced a hand over Damien''s to calm him down but before she could even say anything, Frederick Park started, "You know very well why there is a need for that. This family needs protection from outsiders. I am only looking out for everyone''s safety"

    "Katherine is not an outsider," Damien responded, his voice was cold and low. Katherine had never seen him so angry like this. "She is going to be my wife soon whether you like it or not. If anything, she''s the one who needs protection from this dysfunctional family."

    Katherine was surprised. She shifted her gaze to Frederick''s wife who just lowered her head as if she was minding her own business  as if this family wasn''t her business. Her face was expressionless and Katherine wondered if it was because she was just good at bringing out her poker face or because she had too much filler in her face that she was incapable of moving her muscles. Dorothy was close to sixty years old and had botox written all over her face.

    She then looked at Nana who was also quiet and when their eyes met, thetter only smiled at her before focusing on her te again.

    "Katherine Has Damien told you about the history of our family? I have a feeling that he hasn''t yet. I don''t mind giving you a tour of this house." William raised his ss goblet to her, an amused smirk stered on his face as though he was challenging his cousin Damien.

    Dragging her gaze to Damien, Katherine saw his jaw clenched as he red at William. He turned towards her and asked, "Are you done?"

    She was nowhere near the end of her food but the look on Damien''s face said that he couldn''t stand being in the same room as them any longer. "Yes, I''m done," she answered, squeezing his hand as if she was giving him courage.

    "If you''ll excuse me, Nana. I''ll just bring Katherine upstairs and show her my old bedroom." Damien got up from his chair and kissed his grandmother on the forehead before leading Katherine away from the dining room.

    "You already showed me your old bedroom thest time we came here." She held his hand as they walk through the long hallway.

    "I just want to get out of there."

    "I know" She tiptoed and kissed his cheek, walking with him until they arrived in his room on the other side of the mansion. "Have you ever gotten lost in this house before? The doors and halls all look the same to me."

    "We used to y hide and seek a lot in this house when we were young."

    "I like it here. It feels cozy," she said, looking around and seeing some of his old stuff. The room was mostly covered in ck and grey furniture  it was sleek and masculine. "It must have been really fun."

    Damien silently chuckled, closing the door behind him and ushering her towards the balcony. He took off his coat and ced it around her shoulders before hugging her from behind, watching the dark sky in front of them.

    Katherine leaned against his chest. It seemed as though he wasforting her but it was the other way around. Seeing his uncle always upset him and tonight at dinner just made him mad. She spun around in his arms and touched his cheek with her thumb, "Do you want to talk about it?"

    "Honestly?" He looked at Katherine in the eye. "No." Lowering his forehead to hers, he breathed deeply. "But I think I need to. It''s not fair that I would keep something from you. You deserve to know a part of me."

    She felt that it was somehow serious and she didn''t want him to feel insecure. Grabbing his hand, she pulled him back inside the room and they sat on his bed. She waited for him to speak and saw how uneasy he was, running his hand over his mouth and jaw.

    "The men in this family were raised like they were in the military. The fathers were always strict with their sons while their daughters were practically raised to just be in the upper-ss society  parties, charities, everything that would showcase how prim and proper they are  though it didn''t work well with Alianna''s mother''s rebellion.

    "The Park Family is old money  a small country could substantially live off of its wealth. People outside the family think it''s impressive." He loosened his tie and sighed.

    "Is it not?"

    Damien turned to face Katherine. He almost didn''t want to look at her but it was the only way he could tell her the truth, "Not all of it came from hard work. The reason why my uncle is so against you is because he doesn''t trust anyone outside the family who doesn''t know our secret. He likes being in control. It''s the only way he can make sure that no traitors can get inside. Apart from that, he''s also probably afraid that when we get married, my shares in Park Group could fall into your hands."

    "You''re telling me that your uncle is in some shady business? Also you do know that I''m marrying you because I love you and not because I want your money, right?" Katherine had a worried look on her face.

    A small smile appeared on his face as he cupped her chin. "Of course, I know that. But he doesn''t. It''s more than some shady business It''s a mess. Something that I don''t want you to be part of. It''s something that I don''t want to be a part of."

    "Is that why you left?"

    Damien turned away, his elbows on his knees and his head hung low, nodding and sighing. "It''s why I left this ce." He felt her hand stroking his back.

    "I hate this family, Katherine The only one I love here is Nana. Ever since I was young, I was made to do things I didn''t want and there wasn''t anything I could do then because my dad always told me that it has always been this way. All I could do was follow his orders.

    "And when my dad died, Uncle Fred was the one who reced his position and I had to follow his orders. Though unlike dad, he was okay with me not doing the things that I didn''t want to do. However, he still kept me on a tight leash. I had wanted to leave this estate earlier and cut ties with this family but William stood by me... until he betrayed me. Then I left."

    "You did very well on your own, Damien. I''m sure your father must be proud of you wherever he may be." Katherine pressed her lips on his cheek.

    "I don''t know about that" He softly chuckled. "No matter how much money I would make, I''m sure he would have preferred that I stayed within the family business."

    "You can trust me, Damien. My lips are sealed. Despite hating your uncle, I won''t do anything against him if I can help it," she joked.

    Laughing, he took her hand in his and squeezed it. "I don''t want us to be in this mess, Katherine. We are going to stay as far away as we could from them. We don''t even have to see them during the holidays. We''ll pick up Nana and celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year in our home"

    "Hey You had me at ''I don''t want us''." She smiled. "I''m marrying you. Not your ouw Uncle and his family." Leaning in, she kissed him deeply as though she wanted to consume all his worries away. "Take me home" she whispered.

 Chapter 201: Selfish Lovers

    Chapter 201: Selfish Lovers

    Katherine and Damien bid farewell to the members of the Park Family after which, Nana saw them out to the front door.

    "I''m sorry about my son Frederick. He has always been very protective of this family just like his father. But he means well, dear. Don''t worry, I got your back." Nana patted Katherine''s hand as they stood outside.

    Damien scoffed, shaking his head as he answered for her, "I don''t think it''s as simple as that, Nana. Back at the charity g, he cornered her while she was alone and wrote a check for her to stay away from me."

    "Oh my goodness, what an embarrassment!" Nana covered her mouth, her eyes widened in shock as she imagined what happened. "What did you say?" Nana asked.

    Katherine nced at Damien who was smiling, nodding at her. "I um I told him I won''t ept his money" Nana nodded and waited for her to continue. "Because I would get a lot more from his billionaire nephew if I stayed."

    Katherine gulped.

    Nana blinked.

    She looked at her grandson Damien and then back to Katherine, blinking again before she guffawed! Sheughed so heartily that Katherine had to hold Nana''s arm to keep her steady as she pped her hands, her face red from all theughing.

    "Oh dear, my goodness. Where have you been all my grandson''s life?! Damien, we can forget about all the wedding preparation and just get married in the city first thing in the morning tomorrow. This woman is so precious, you must never let her get away. Do you understand?"

    Katherine''s cheeks flushed. She pursed her lips together and felt Damien''s arm snake around her waist, pulling her to his chest.

    "Don''t worry, Nana, I won''t let that happen," he said.

    Nana turned to Katherine and with a serious face, she told her, "My dear. If Damien does you wrong, youe to me. Okay? I will disown him and adopt you."

    Katherineughed at Nana''s silliness. "Noted." She leaned in and gave her a hug before Damien pulled her away.

    "Okay, that''s enough. I''m not going to do that. Stop ganging up on me." Damien hugged Nana briefly. "Bye, Nana."

    He pulled Katherine away after a quick goodbye, deposited her in the car and drove away.

    ...

    Pearl Gardens

    Katherine got out of the bathroom after her bath and found Damien pouring champagne in two flutes. She was still in her robe but her hair was already dry and she had a smile on her face as she sauntered towards him after seeing him smile back at her.

    "What are we celebrating?" She received the sparkling wine from him and studied his face.

    "We came out of the Park Estate in one piece. And for epting me and my family." They clinked their sses and took a sip.

    Setting her ss aside, she circled her arms around his waist. "You know after thinking about it, I sort of understand why your uncle is like that. He just wants to protect your family. He doesn''t know me which is why he sees me as a threat. So if signing a prenup is going to make him ept me... then I''ll do it."

    Damien finished his drink and set his ss aside, shaking his head as he ced his hands on her shoulder. "Trust me. It''s more than that. Apart from the family business, my shares in Park Group threatens his position. Those shares are both inherited, transferred, and bought."

    "You have been buying more shares? Do you want to take over Park Group?"

    "For years, I''ve been avoiding it. My dad was supposed to be the CEO but he died before grandpa could pass it to him. I didn''t want anything to do with it but there''s just a part of me that wanted to hold on to it. So, I own a huge part of thepany more than how much my uncle probably knows. If I want to, I could take it anytime. But I''m not going to do that...yet."

    Damien already has Crown Resort Group. He didn''t want anything else. But he couldn''t let go of Park Group either. "He''s afraid that you would have influence over me and encourage me to take over thepany or something."

    "You want to hold on to it just in case" she muttered.

    He nodded and pulled her closer, d that she understood what he had in mind. "I have skeletons in my closet, Katherine. And I''m being selfish in asking you to ept me without telling you what those are. But can you trust me that I would never put you in danger and I will always protect you no matter what?"

    She pushed his hair away from his face and smiled. "I probably have some of them too and I don''t even know what they are because of this whole memory loss. I''m as wed as you are, Damien and as selfish as you are too. I trust you and I want to be with you."

    The wind from the opened tall window made Katherine''s hair stand on end. The moon was so beautiful that night.

    Damien brushed his hand on the side of her face and threaded his fingers through her hair, iming her lips and kissing her gently. "You''re perfect, Katherine. You''re everything that I want."

    He kissed her again, this time he was more aggressive. His every kiss sent shivers down her spine. His hand trailed down to her neck then her shoulder underneath the robe, his palm was hot on her skin, making her flush.

    Pulling her against him, he slowly moved her towards the bed and without breaking their kiss, he grabbed a remote control and clicked a few buttons - the curtains closed and the lights dimmed.

    Her hands roamed on his front, touching his pectorals and abdominal muscles that mold under his thin shirt until she found the seams. She slipped her hands under his shirt, he groaned when he felt her soft hands on his skin.

    She slightly pulled away, breathing hard as she pleaded, "I want you, Damien."

    He was hard. He had been hard. And hearing her just now drove him crazy.

    But Damien wanted to take it slow. He wanted to take care of her made sure she felt loved and satisfied.

    "Me too. God, I want you so badly," he groaned before smashing his lips to hers again.

    His hands trailed down her front, grazing over her breasts and giving them a squeeze. His fingers found the knot of her robe and he pulled it open, her body was now exposed.

    His hands skimmed her waist, her breasts, her shoulders and he shoved her robe off her body until it fell to the floor.

    Katherine wanted more of him. Clutching his shirt, she tugged it off and over his head, only breaking their kiss for a few seconds.

    She kissed him deeply. Their tongues found each other as his hands skimmed her bare sides, leaving a trail of fire with his every move.

    Her calves touched the edge of the bed and slowly, Damien lowered her back onto the mattress.

 Chapter 202: Simply… Beyond***

    Chapter 202: Simply�� Beyond***

    [READER ADVISORY: MATURE CONTENT. THE CONTENT IN THIS CHAPTER IS NOT SUITABLE FOR AGES UNDER 18. Read at your discretion.]

    Damien''s eyes were on fire as they raked over Katherine''s naked body. He took in her face, and saw that her eyes were looking back at him with the same hunger. His gaze traveled down to her neck her plump breasts, her t abdomen, her smooth mound  the beautiful sight in front of him made his jaw tense. He couldn''t wait to taste her.

    "You''re perfect," he said.

    Crawling on top of her, he held her waist and pushed her up the bed, his thigh nted in between her legs. He took her hands and held them above her head, lowering his head to hers to kiss her fervently.

    Damien tasted of champagne and fresh mint. The smell of his shower gel and his natural scent was so intoxicating that it made Katherine''s head spin, making her whimper.

    Breaking their kiss, he trailed open mouth kisses along her jaw, her neck and her corbone. His left hand kept her hands in ce above her head, while his right hand glid from her thigh to her waist until it found the curve of her breast. His every touch was aze on her skin. Katherine was helpless under him but there was nothing she wanted more.

    He cupped her breast, tweaking her erect nipple and rolling them in between his fingers just as his mouth found her other breast. She moaned under his touch  the feel of his tongue flicking and his mouth encircling on her made her arch her back, offering herself more to him as he did the same to her other breast.

    Damien was going dangerously lower towards her apex. She was already dripping wet, making him grunt in excitement when his fingers ran over her slit and felt her slippery arousal. And just as he kissed her there, she squirmed and nudged him back up. "I want you now please I want to feel you," she breathed heavily.

    He could hear the need in her voice and he was the same  he too couldn''t wait to feel her. Pressing a quick kiss on her lips, he nodded. "I''ll take you now."

    Katherine watched as he shrugged his sweatpants off along with his boxer briefs  his veiny erection sprang free, the tip of his shaft glistening in his own precum.

    Reaching for the nightstand, he was retrieving a foil packet when Katherine stopped his arm. His hand paused mid-air and he turned to her with his brow raised, wondering why.

    "You you''re clean, right?" she asked, a blush starting to creep from her neck as she questioned Damien about his health.

    "Yes" he whispered. His brows rxed when he realized what she was asking, noticing how nervous she was at that moment. "I get tested regrly" he confirmed and moved closer to her, waiting for her to continue what she wanted to say.

    "Me too. I... had myself tested just recently. I''m clean" she responded as the two of them stared at each other. "And I''m on the pill" she added.

    Katherine could see his eyes darken as if he was ready to devour her. He was currently hovering over her and she could feel the heat radiating from his body as he inched closer.

    He knew what she meant but he had to hear it from her. He had never been unsheathed with anyone before and knowing that she wanted to do it with him made his heart beat so fast, he swore it was about to jump out of his chest.

    "Tell me what you want," he said.

    Sliding her hands from his shoulder to his neck, she ran her tongue on her bottom lip as she looked at him intently, "I want you inside me, Damien all of you."

    He lowered his gaze on her lips before dropping his forehead to hers, he was breathing heavily when he probed, "Are you sure?"

    "Yes. Absolutely."

    Katherine felt his muscles tense under her hands. He wanted her as much as she wanted him.

    Pressing a kiss on her forehead, Damien pushed himself up and settled between her legs, nudging them apart and folding her knees up. He grabbed his length and stroked himself twice before rubbing himself on her folds, coating his member with her slick arousal.

    The sensation of their unprotected contact was too much, they moaned at the same time and he hasn''t even entered her yet.

    "Damien please" she pleaded.

    That was all it took for him to drive his hard, throbbing erection inside her, pushing it to the hilt. "Aaaah!" She moaned in satisfaction, gripping his arms as his velvety shaft stretched her walls around him.

    "Oh, Katherine you feel so damn good." His eyelids closed, he was savoring the immense feeling of her hot core mping around his length.

    It''s more than just sex. It has always been more than just sex and they both know it. No matter how sweet, how gentle, or how nasty their intimacy is, it has always been done as an act of love.

    This time, it was so much more. They looked into each other''s eyes and they smiled, having their breathing and hearts in sync.

    They didn''t move for a while  just relishing the feeling of their extreme closeness. Katherine spread her legs wider and Damien took it as a signal. "Take me slowly," she breathed.

    He started moving inside her just like how she demanded, thrusting in and out gently deeply. He would draw almost all the way out before plunging all the way back in, burying his face on the crook of her neck as he moved. She hooked her legs behind him, allowing him to drive himself more into her.

    Her mind was reeling, buzzing in a haze. Everything she had, she offered to him. It was all for him to take.

    Katherine was feeling so much emotion for this man that she was afraid her heart wouldbust. The rush of intense emotion awakened her senses. Her eyes pooled with tears that rolled out, wetting her temples and cheeks. She loved him. God, she loved him very much.

    A tear fell on his face, catching his attention. He took a peek of her face and saw her silent tears. But he did not misunderstand  he knew exactly what she was feeling as he felt the same way too.

    Wiping her tears away, he kissed the corner of her eye and that was only when she realized she teared up. He showed her his soft smile. "I love you, Katherine," he whispered. "... so damn much."

    "Oh, Damien I love you just as much, and maybe even more." She pulled him and smashed her lips to his.

    The kiss was aggressive and emotional but full of passion that only the two of them could understand. The raw need of each other begging to be satisfied and loved was fulfilled with every kiss every touch they were falling like the stars  falling even deeper in love.

    Katherine screamed Damien''s name as her heels pushed his hips and he increased his pace. Together, they chased their release to the edge of blissful and sensual lovemaking.

    He cupped her jaw to meet his gaze as they hastened their movements.

    Their moans were each other''s music to ears, urging the other to meet every thrust with their own until they simultaneously reached the peak of their climax. He jerked and cried out her name.

    Their lips murmured sweet nothings as they slowly came down from their carnal high.

    Damien slightly pulled back and met her eyes, "That was" he muttered under his ragged breathing.

    Katherine nodded, "Yes it was"

    They softly chuckled together, understanding that what they just shared could not be exined by in words. It was more than just beautiful more than amazing it was simply beyond.

    Pulling out of her, he rolled to the side and pulled her to him, their bodies entangled  damp and naked. They were still feeling the tremors of their orgasm.

    "You''re mine," he whispered to her ear.

    "Mmmm All yours."

    Tightening his arms around her, he stroked her back and kissed her temple. "Do you want to do it again?"

    Smiling against his chest, she nodded and raised her head to look at him. "Yes. Absolutely."

 Chapter 203: Damien Park - Epitome of Virility

    Chapter 203: Damien Park - Epitome of Virility

    Thursday, August 30

    At eight in the morning, a ck Aston Martin stopped in front of Crown Resort Group''s entrance. Damien stepped out from the driver''s side, tossing his car keys to the attendant as he circled to the other side and opened Katherine''s door. Normally, they would alight the car separately for appearance''s sake but that morning, he was in such a good mood that he threw all concerns aside and did what he wanted all this time  take care of Katherine.

    With a charming smile stered on his face, he helped her out of the car. "You look beautiful," he whispered and she softly smiled. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the curious stares of the employees who were nervously waiting for them to enter the building.

    "What are you doing? Being sweet only warrants your employees the weird gazes. They''re now definitely wondering what''s going on between their boss and his secretary. Are you sure that''s what you want this morning?" Katherine asked under her breath as they stood outside talking. She maintained an unreadable expression on her face  others would think the two of them were just discussing work stuff.

    "Oh, I don''t think that''s what they''re wondering. I''m pretty sure they''re looking at you because of how you look this morning." Damien''s hands were in his pockets; his back was facing his employees so they couldn''t see the sly grin on his face.

    "Why?! What''s wrong with my look?" Katherine was rmed, suddenly conscious about her appearance that she was about to touch her cheeks.

    "Nothing, Kitten. You look glowing." He winked at her just before he turned his back, knowing pretty damn sure that what he really thought was: She looked well-fucked.

    And he was absolutely proud he made her that way.

    Katherine''s eyes briefly widened, but she quicklyposed herself and she bit her tongue to stop herself from blushing. Clearing her throat, she muttered under her breath so that only he can hear, "Cocky Devil." Despite not hearing what Damien had in his mind, she figured it out anyway.

    The two of them suppressed the urge to smile because of what the other just said before facing the waiting employees.

    "Walk next to me," he whispered to her before taking a step forward. "Keep up, Ms. Miller. Walk with me," he said loudly for his employees to hear.

    Katherine usually walked a step or two behind him but this morning, he wanted her to be right next to him as he enters his kingdom.

    With their heads held high, they walked towards the elevator, passing by thepany employees bowing to greet their Big Boss. Katherine always thought the way they wee him whenever he arrives in the morning was a little extra but knowing how Damien earned the respect, she was also proud of him now she''s even walking next to him.

    As soon as they got inside the elevator and the doors closed, Katherine slid her hand to his and linked their fingers together. He turned to face her and shed his most handsome smile to date, meeting her halfway when she leaned up to give him a quick kiss on the lips. "I don''t think I have told you yet, but you look gorgeous today," she remarked.

    Damien chuckled and faced forward again. "Thanks. I suppose we''re both satiated then."

    Afterst night''s first try of not using a condom, a second one happened then a third and then they stopped counting.

    Katherine snorted, "Oh, please. You? You''re insatiable. If I hadn''t stopped you at thatst one, who knows if you and I could get up on time this morning."

    Damien glid his hand on the small of her back, guiding her out of the elevator with a huge grin on his face. "Oh, I can get up just fine. The meeting is at nine, right?"

    "Yes, why?"

    They entered his office and she heard the sound of a click from the door, indicating that Damien locked it.

    "What"

    When she turned to face him, he was already shrugging off his coat and tossing it at the back of the sofa. "Good, we still have time," he said with a smirk on his face as he stalked towards her.

    "What do you mean?" Katherine swallowed, though she was already sure what he meant, what with all his thirsty look piercing right through her, making her feel hot and just as thirsty.

    "To prove to you what else I can get up in no time," he said before closing in on her, his mouth smashing into hers before she could even process that she was responding to his kisses.

    Slightly pulling back, she stopped him, "Wait. Really? Now?" She knew better than to ask Damien Park. Of course now. He only raised a brow at her and she sighed.

    "Fine, but I don''t like it here. My back hurt thest time." She grabbed his tie and pulled him with her towards the corner of his office where his penthouse door was located.

    Pressing the passcode to the device, the door opened and they entered the ce. "Liar. You loved it," he said.

    "Maybe. But I won''t let you ruin this dress. I happen to love thishey!!!" She squealed when all of a sudden, Damien picked her up by her waist and hoisted her on his shoulder and she was dangling upside down, her face parallel with his sexy butt.

    "You walk too slow. I need you naked stat" He sprinted upstairs towards his bedroom with Katherine over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

    "You''ve got to stop carrying me like this! What are you, a caveman?!" She yelled from behind him but all she got was his utterly sexyugh just before she was tossed to the bed like a caveman would do. Damn it. Damien Park is the epitome of virility. That was hot.

    After all their clothes were off, the next 40 minutes was spent on Damien proving what he said he could do  though they knew proving wasn''t necessary. At all.

    Lunchtime

    Katherine and Damien''s supposed lunch date was invaded by his two friends Caleb and Jeffrey. The engaged couple was on their way out when the two men saw them leaving and unabashedly invited themselves to their date.

    Actually, Jeffrey just wanted to make sure Katherine was doing what she promised to do  nning and organizing the summer party.

    "Seven Deadly Sins and Seven Heavenly Virtues," she said before putting food in her mouth. It was the party theme that she chose for theirst "Summer Party". The men only stared at her as though they were waiting for her to exin.

    She took her time chewing her food and received a ss of water that Damien passed to her to wash it down her throat.

    "There are seven mini-themes: Lust, Wrath, Greed, Envy, Pride, Sloth, and Gluttony. I''m sure your''friends'' will enjoy indulging in their innermost desires," she said before rolling her eyes. "Of course, we need to keep everything tamed. As much as we can. However, since this will be in everyone''s mouths and search engines for days maybe even weeks, we can''t let the rest of the world think that you are all just a bunch of sinners."

    The three men simultaneously cleared their throats and sat up straight as though they were trying to impress the school principal.

    A small smile formed on her lips as she continued, "Which is why Ibined the Seven Heavenly Virtues: Chastity, Temperance, Charity, Diligence, Patience, Kindness, and Humility. All these mini-themes will have their corresponding movement, for example, donating a hefty amount for charity...et cetera. You get the gist." Katherine shuffled in her bag and showed them her organizer.

    "My I''m surprised, Katherine. Who knew you''d be so great at this. Any chance you''d reconsider your resignation? If you want to escape Damien, you can be my secretary instead." Caleb grinned.

    "Not if she chooses me first. I''ve been wanting to fire that assistant of mine" Jeffrey stated.

    Katherine hasn''t even left thepany yet, but Damien''s friends already wanted to take her away from him.

    "She''s mine," Damien sternly said and narrowed his eyes. His reaction made the groupugh. He could only shake his head and drink his chardonnay as he ced his arm at the back of her chair protectively.

 Chapter 204: Boss says its okay!

    Chapter 204: Boss says it''s okay!

    There''s something about good food and good friends together. Katherine, Damien, Caleb, and Jeffrey thoroughly enjoyed their lunch talking about how the times had changed now that they were in their early thirtiespared to when they were still teenagers.

    Katherine particrly liked it when they tell her things about the things that Damien did when he was younger. He was popr in school and was mostly nice, as long as people didn''t bother him when he was reading a book.

    The girls who had a crush on him would follow him around, parading at his back, but instead of telling them to back off, he''d sh them a smile. The girls would fawn over him even more, but he still wouldn''t talk to them  he didn''t entertain suitors.

    Listening to these stories, Katherine wondered how she was growing up. If she had met Damien a long time ago, would she have been one of those girls chasing him around? Would she also be ignored by him if she was in the same group? Did she even have friends just like he had Caleb and Jeffrey?

    "Katherine?"

    She snapped her head to the left and saw Damien''s waiting hand. He was standing next to her, waiting for her to get up. cing her hand in his, she smiled at him, and they walked out of the restaurant.

    Their cars were in front of the restaurant, and the men strolled towards their expensive toys when Katherine suddenly asked, "Do you guys want to have some dessert?"

    The three of them turned their heads towards her, and she suddenly felt conscious. "I mean um" she nced at the watch on her wrist. It was already fifteen minutes past one in the afternoon, so she mumbled, "I would have to ask my Boss if he''s okay with me beingte. I''d like to treat him and his friends to some gto."

    Jeffrey and Caleb looked at each other before they turned to Damien who met their gazes. Damien was touched because of the gesture, he loved that she was making efforts to be friends with his friends.

    "Your Boss says it''s okay." Damien smiled, his hands in his pockets as he stood next to his car.

    "Heyo~!" Caleb and Jeffrey cheered as they moved towards Katherine who was still standing by the restaurant''s door.

    Matching Damien''s smile, she beamed at them. "Okay, great! I think it''s around the corner."

    "This is why we like you, Katherine. You definitely know your way to a man''s heart." Jeffrey swung an arm and draped it over Katherine''s shoulder.

    She nced at his arm and raised a brow at him in question. "Through his stomach?"

    Caleb let out a cheerfulugh as he  just like Jeffrey  ced an arm around her other shoulder, sandwiching her between them. "No, silly. Through gto.''''

    The two men nudged her forward and they started walking with their arms still draped over her shoulders. She tilted her head and subconsciously walked with them while still wondering about Caleb''s statement. ''Is it really gto? Since when?'' she thought to herself.

    A scowl slowly reced the smile on Damien''s face. He red at their backs as they left him behind.

    He huffed and groaned as he caught up to them and did what he could only do at that moment  grabbing the back of the cors of his friends, he tugged them off her and pushed them to the side.

    "Stop hogging my fiance," he said under gritted teeth, taking Katherine''s hand in his and dragging her to walk faster away from his friends. How dare they?

    Caleb and Jeffrey were sent into a coughing fit, soothing their necks with their hands beforeughing their asses off from witnessing how Damien lost his cool.

    He was so possessive of Katherine and it was entertaining for them to see his reactions every single time. He never reacted like that before  a different side of Damien that they got to see all because he was head over heels with Katherine.

    A few meters away, there was a white Mercedes-Benz CLS parked at the curb near the restaurant.

    Chairman Theodore Young sat quietly inside the car, looking out the window and watching Katherine with three men around her. His eyes were longing as though he was wishing hoping that the woman he was looking at was his granddaughter.

    "Who is that young man holding her hand?" he asked.

    "Chairman, that''s Chairman Damien Park of Crown Resort Group," his assistant responded from behind the wheel.

    "That''s him?" Theodore Young looked thoughtful, admiring Damien''s features and noting his achievements at such a young age. "He looks so smitten by her," hemented, his tone sounded light and proud. "And it seems that she is as well."

    When Katherine''s group turned at the corner and was no longer in sight, Chairman Young lowered his gaze to the sealed envelope in his hand. He clutched it tightly and closed his eyes a few minutes before he ordered, "Let''s go back to the mansion."

    His assistant nodded and drove the car away from the curb, joining the traffic.

    Young Mansion''s study at eight in the evening

    Theodore Young had been sitting at his desk for the past hour. He was considering opening the result of the DNA test that was inside the envelope in front of him.

    He was dreading to know the result but there was a massive part of him that was wary, not wanting to be disappointed. He had a lot of hope and if the result came out negative, he would give up.

    He poured himself a shot of scotch and took a long sip, hoping that some liquid courage was going to help him.

    Finally having the guts to see what was inside the envelope, he picked it up and ran a letter opener through the edge. With trembling fingers, he took out the paper and carefully unfolded it, skimming the entire page that was full of jargon until he reached the bottom of the paper.

    Positive.

    Chairman Theodore Young''s body stiffened, his hands clutching the paper shakily at the same time that tears he didn''t know existed escaped his eyes.

    "Oh my lord," he muttered. Huffed. And he let out a gaspy breath. "My lord. My little Katherine."

    He sobbed for a long time, unsure of the different emotions that he was feeling all at the same time.

    He couldn''t figure out what happened in the past. How did his granddaughter survive? Did she escape? Why did she note back? Did someone save her? If that was the case, why did they not bring her back to him? No matter what it was or if someone had saved her, he didn''t care. He was so happy that he felt like he had won the lottery.

    He must repay whoever saved her. As long as they didn''t hurt his granddaughter, he will make sure that he will forever be grateful.

    After a while, heposed himself and called for his assistant, telling him of the great news. "Tomorrow! We must meet her tomorrow! I cannot wait any longer!" He had thought of calling Katherine over at that hour but stopped himself, thinking that he was being silly. They had to meet properly or he might scare her off.

    "Chairman, what about your daughter? Shall I"

    "I will tell her tomorrow as well before we leave so she cane with us. Oh, this is such great news!" The old man had a huge smile on his face as he got up from his chair and headed towards his bedroom.

    With the help of his assistant, he was picking out his outfit for tomorrow, ted at the thought of the moment when he''ll finally meet his granddaughter Katherine. He was so excited that even choosing which pair of cufflinks to wear was difficult for him.

    For the many years that he hadn''t seen her, he had missed her so much. As he thought about her, his heart warmed and throbbed, wishing that tomorrow wille sooner.

 Chapter 205: Unexpected Meeting

    Chapter 205: Unexpected Meeting

    Friday, August 31 at eleven in the morning  Damien''s office.

    Pressed up against the door, Katherine had her arms around Damien''s neck. He had her trapped with one hand on her nape while the other rested on her waist and his thigh in between her legs. His head nted as he brushed his lips over hers.

    "Is this how it''s going to be every morning in your office until I leave?" she whispered. "We make out like teenagers under the bleachers."

    He smiled against her lips, still kissing her. "Yes. I can''t help it. You are too tempting."

    She softly chuckled. Her skin now flushed as she felt Damien''s hands skimming all over her body. Pulling back slightly, she looked at him and caressed his cheek, studying his features and wondering how she was so blessed with a man like him.

    He cleaned up so nicely that morning, wearing a navy blue suit and a white dress shirt with the top button undone. His hair was longer than usual as he hadn''t had a haircut yet but he brushed it back neatly. He looked casual and very gorgeous.

    Katherine leaned onto Damien and he tucked her head under his chin, embracing her tightly in his arms as she encircled her own around his waist. "What''s wrong?" he asked.

    "Nothing It''s just Now that I think about it, I will miss this when I leave thepany soon. No more fooling around in the office. It''s like an exciting love affair that you only see in the movies."

    His chest rumbled as heughed at her words. "So don''t leave then. I haven''t turned in your letter to HR. Think about how fun it would be to do something more scandalous."

    She yfully jabbed his back andughed with him. "Yeah, I don''t think that''s a good idea. However, if you give me privileges, I could visit you here from time to time."

    "That is not a privilege. That is an order, you should no, you must visit me all the time," he replied. They live together but somehow, he thought that it''s still not enough.

    A knock on the door interrupted their conversation. He helped her fix her hair before opening the door and saw Caleb on the other side.

    "I swear, you guys are like bunnies. Don''t you guys have enough sex at home?" Caleb leaned against the door frame with a teasing smile on his face.

    ''We didn''t have sex, okay?!'' Katherine defended herself quietly. She got embarrassed and masked it with an awkwardugh while Damien rolled his eyes. "Oh, shut up," he said, grabbing his phone from his desk and walking back to the door. "Let''s go." He pushed Caleb out to the hallway hurriedly.

    "One second. I''ll catch up." Damien turned around and went back to Katherine who was still standing by the door.

    "Did you forget something?" she asked when he arrived in front of her.

    "It''s your payday today and I have a reservation for tonight. Let''s have an early dinner, don''t forget to bring your wallet." He grinned yfully.

    "How would I ever forget?" Katherine shook her head. She would never forget their monthly date where she buys their dinner. It''s something that she always looked forward to.

    "I''ll see you when I get back. I love you." Damien pressed a kiss on her lips and turned to walk away.

    "Take care," she said as she watched him walk towards the elevator.

    Damien and Caleb were going to meet a few of their friends outside for a lunch meeting for a new business venture that they were interested in.

    While Damien was out, Katherine thought that it might be a good time to visit one of the universities at the top of her list.

    A few minutester, she went out of the office and decided to eat first before visiting the university.

    As she was walking on the sidewalk outside the office, a white Mercedes-Benz stopped a few meters away from her. She only nced at it and continued to walk towards the nearby restaurant.

    "Ms. Miller."

    A male''s voice called out to her from behind. She turned to see a man in his fifties approaching her. She didn''t know who he was and she wondered how he knew her.

    "I''m sorry. Do I know you?" she asked. Her eyes caught sight of an old man getting out of the Mercedes. He was someone she had seen before but she couldn''t remember where.

    "My name is Frank. I''m Chairman Young''s assistant," he said and out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that his Boss was already walking towards them. The old man was simply impatient.

    Katherine now realized who the old man was. She watched as Chairman Young made his way towards her, a small smile forming on his lips. She bowed to greet him politely, her voice was clear and confident but she was still confused why they called her.

    Chairman Young didn''t say anything and only turned to Frank, he was too nervous to speak to Katherine.

    "Ms. Miller, would you mind having lunch with us? The Chairman wishes to speak with you in private. You can choose whichever restaurant you prefer," Frank said.

    Katherine looked at Frank and then Chairman Young. The two older men had unreadable expressions but they looked friendly. However, she was still unsure about what they wanted from her. "Um President Park is currently having a lunch meeting with his associates. I will have to check with"

    "Oh no, Ms. Miller. The Chairman would like to speak with you and not your Boss."

    "I don''t understand. May I ask what this is about?" Her brows slightly furrowed but her tone was calm and gentle. "If this is with regards to the contractor bidding in a few weeks, I''m afraid I will have to decline..." She thought that being seen with one of the bidders might not be a good idea.

    Sensing her hesitation, Frank nced at Chairman Young and cleared his throat. This was a little awkward for him. It''s not everyday that he would invite someone out for lunch to talk about long lost families. "Ah This isn''t about that. Ms. Miller, this is something personal. And I''m afraid we can''t discuss this here."

    Katherine looked at the two men''s faces and didn''t see or feel any danger. If anything, she felt a sense of familiarity with the Chairman, perhaps it''s because she had already met him before when she was visiting some ces with Caleb.

    She pondered for a few seconds before nodding. She''ll just have to see what they needed to say. "I was about to go to that restaurant." She jerked her thumb towards the restaurant that was a few meters away. "Is it okay if we go there?"

    "Anywhere is fine," Chairman Young answered, his small smile still stered on his face.

    The three of them entered the restaurant and Frank immediately asked for a private dining room. They ordered their meals and waited for the food to arrive without talking. Katherine started to feel awkward being there but she had already agreed, so she could only wait for whatever the Chairman wanted to say.

    When the tes were set, she found that there were four tes on the table. "Is there someone else joining us for lunch?" she probed.

    Chairman Young still remained quiet and Frank answered, "Yes, Madam Deborah Young, the Chairman''s daughter will be joining us. She is running a bitte but she will be here soon."

    "If you are hungry, you may start eating." Chairman Young gestured to the food on the table and gently pushed a te of fish towards her.

    Katherine smiled and slightly bowed. She was indeed hungry and nervous. Should she text Damien? Her hands were itching to do something, so she picked up her utensils and started eating  Chairman Young and Frank followed suit.

    She didn''t know what to think about this unexpected meeting.

    And whether she likes it or not, moving forward everything will change.

 Chapter 206: You Are Katherine Young

    Chapter 206: You Are Katherine Young

    It''s official. Katherine''s officially calling this lunch meeting weird. She had only met Chairman Young once and now she''s eating with him and his assistant Frank. The table was rectangr and she was sitting opposite the two friendly-looking old men.

    She nced at Chairman Young and wondered what was behind his smile. His hair was all white, even his beard and goatee. But one thing that Katherine noticed was his undeniable air of nobility. Even without knowing a lot about the old man, she felt that he was respectable and admirable.

    Katherine was stabbing the sd on her te when Chairman Young called her attention. "How is your job at Crown Resort Group?"

    His question was so sudden that she was startled at first but immediately regained herposure. "Oh, it''s great. The President is very hardworking and smart. He''s quite authoritative but also very easy to work with." Definitely easy to work with. "It''s a pleasure and an honor for me to be able to work alongside a person like him."

    There was a smile on Chairman Young''s face. He was amused to hear how she praised the young man  especially after witnessing them holding hands yesterday.

    "That''s lovely. It must be nice to work for a young billionaire," he remarked in a calm tone.

    "Ah" she smiled before continuing, "Yes But actually, I have already submitted my resignation. I only have a couple of weeks left before I leave." She continued to eat her food slowly. She didn''t know why she shared that with a stranger.

    Chairman Young knitted his brows in confusion. "Why did you resign? You seemed happy with your work. Why are you leaving?"

    "Um I am going to study again" Katherine stopped herself. She was just about to tell the old man why she was going back to school. Why would she do that? She hardly knew him but for some reason, she wasfortable with him even with this strange setting.

    Chairman Young nodded in response. A few weeks ago, he had read from the report about Katherine''s medical history  her ''ident'' and ''memory loss''. He was baffled at what he had read regarding that butpared to his curiosity as to whether she was his long lost granddaughter or not was morepelling for him.

    His thoughts were interrupted by the buzzing of Katherine''s phone. She nced at the screen to see Damien''s name on it and turned to Chairman Young, "Excuse me. It''s my boss. I need to take this."

    She got out of the private room and walked towards the end of the hall, near the fire exit, before she answered the phone call. "Hi"

    "Hey What took you so long to answer? Were you busy?" Damien asked.

    "I was eating" she carefully responded as she tried to figure out how to tell him what kind of situation she was in.

    "Oh, we just finished our lunch. Where are you?"

    Katherine bit her lip for a second before she began, "Damien I''m having lunch with Chairman Young."

    "What?"

    His question was a mixture of shock and wonder. "How? Why?"

    "Honestly, I don''t know We met outside the building and they invited me for lunch. I declined at first but they said they had to talk to me about something." Katherine heard some noise on the other end of the line and a few voices calling Damien over.

    "I''ll be there in a sec." She heard him tell his friends before he turned his attention back to her. "What could they possibly talk to you about? Do you want me toe get you? Where are you?"

    "We''re at the restaurant at the end of the block. No, I''m fine I''m okay. You should get back to your friends. I''ll see you in a few hours."

    "Are you sure?"

    She wasn''t sure. And she would have loved to see Damien earlier than nned but she didn''t think this meeting was all that bad. It was just... strange. Not wanting to worry him, she reassured, "Yes, Damien, I''m sure. I''ll text you after this."

    After saying their goodbyes, Katherine tapped the corner of her phone on her palm, chewing her bottom lip as she looked back towards the door to the private room where she came from. ''Let''s get this over with,'' she told herself as she walked back and opened the door.

    Her eyes met Deborah Young''s as soon as she entered. Thetter was sitting next to her chair, her expression stoic and briefly surprised but she was quick to recover and stered a slightly wobbly smile towards her. "Oh hello, Ms. Miller We meet again."

    Katherine bowed to greet the older woman politely before sitting on her chair. The private room was spacious yet she suddenly felt stuffy, unsure of what to make out from this situation.

    "Father, what is the asion?" Deborah asked, ncing at the unopened bottle of champagne at the end of the table and then her gaze drifted to the woman next to her. "I didn''t know you were friends with Ms. Miller"

    Chairman Young smiled stiffly. He grabbed a ss of water and drank it before dabbing his mouth with a napkin. Instead of answering his daughter, he turned to Katherine and watched as she continued to eat with her head lowered. Sensing eyes on her, Katherine raised her head and saw the old man looking at her thoughtfully. She ced the utensils down and sat up straight, wiping her mouth with a napkin as she waited for the old man to say something.

    "I had a son," Chairman Young started. "And he had a family" He didn''t know how to start his story. Where was he supposed to begin?

    "Oh Where is he now?" Katherine asked, her voice soft and careful.

    "He and his family were in an ident a long time ago. No one survived," he lowered his eyes before looking back at Katherine who had an apologetic expression when she said, "I''m so sorry."

    He formed a small smile on his face and continued, "He had a daughter. My granddaughter Katherine." He saw the young woman''s brows raise in question. "My granddaughter''s name was Katherine."

    For some reason, Katherine felt a slight prick in her heart as she listened to the old man''s words. There was an obvious longing in his voice and the way he was looking at her made her even more confused. She opened and closed her mouth to say something but no words came out. Her heart started racing as she watched Chairman Young pull out a folded paper from his inner coat pocket and clutched it in his slightly trembling hand.

    She swallowed hard, anxious on everything that was going on at the moment  the room temperature was cold but she was starting to sweat, the old man''s eyes were gazing at her looking so thoughtful and nervous, her stomach was twisting and she didn''t know if it was because of the food or the thought that whatever was in that paper had something to do with her somehow.

    "When I saw you a few weeks ago, I had this strange feeling that I couldn''t shake off. I had you investigated and I''m sorry for that. But I just had to do this..." Chairman Young slowly handed over the paper towards Katherine.

    "Father, what is this? What are you talking about?" Deborah Young''s voice raised, she watched as Katherine received the paper and she swore she felt like her insides were strangled when she saw the paper being unfolded. From where she was seated, she could see the words from the paper that Katherine was holding. A particr part was written in bold: Positive  it didn''t take her a long time to figure out what that paper was. And she gasped, "Oh my god."

    Katherine scanned the DNA test result and saw her name and Chairman Young''s. Her mind became nk and the only thing she could do was to look up at the old man in front of her.

    Seeing her unreadable expression, Chairman Young breathed deeply and grabbed Katherine''s hand, "My child Katherine You are my granddaughter. You are Katherine Young."

 Chapter 207: A Grandfathers Warmth

    Chapter 207: A Grandfather''s Warmth

    You are Katherine Young.

    The old man''s words rang in Katherine''s ear. Her stomach twisted even more and she felt like throwing up. Despite looking calm on the outside, the shock in her eyes and the extreme feeling of uneasiness within her almost caused her to pass out.

    There was silence in the room apart from the loud thumping echoing in her ear which she thought must be her heart pounding relentlesslymming against her ribcage. Katherine thought it was ridiculous. How could she be Katherine Young? She was Katherine Miller! They must be mistaken.

    For a while, no one spoke as though they were waiting for her to say something first.

    Deborah Young was even more speechless. God knows what was running in her head but she was so pale white as she stared at Katherine, unable toe to terms with what she first thought was just a scary coincidence which became an absolute trutha nightmare. How was it possible? How could this woman be that Katherine? Without anyone else noticing, her knuckles had turned white from clutching the table napkin so hard that she almost tore it apart.

    "..." A small huff escaped from Katherine''s mouth. "I I don''t understand." It was all that she could say.

    She tried so hard to put every piece of the puzzle that she had in her head but it was useless. With so many empty years before five years ago, she didn''t have a lot of memories to work with. Everything was just so confusing for her. All those nightmares, including the one she saw during the most recent session she had with Dr. Jeffrey Evans. She didn''t know what was real. And now this old man was telling her she was his granddaughter? How absurd.

    Seeing the confusion on her face, Chairman Young nodded and understood how difficult it must be for her. He slightly squeezed her hand in his as if it was going to help in making her believe what he was telling her. "You must be confused. I know this is a lot to take in" His other hand came up to his chest, patting it as he said, "But I believe that you are my granddaughter. There is no mistake. You look just like your mother the wife of my son."

    Her eyes darted to the side, trying so hard to make sense of what Chairman Young announced. ''Katherine Young'' she said in her mind over and over again. "Katherine Young," she muttered under her breath as though she wanted to hear it from herself and despite the confusion, her heart fluttered at how natural it sounded in her ears. For the first time in five years, she found something that seemed so real to her.

    She recalled back when she had woken up from thea and came to find her identification documents. She had read her name ''Katherine Miller'' a hundred times but it didn''t seem real.

    "But how?" she questioned.

    Chairman Young was taken aback and raised a brow. She repeated, "How is this possible? How am I Katherine Young?"

    The corners of his mouth turned down, "I wish I knew. I wish you could tell me what happened to you"

    Katherine shook her head, opening her mouth like she was about to say something but didn''t really know what. Her gaze settled on her hand that the old man was holding; surprised and not surprised that it didn''t feel unpleasant. If anything, she actually felt oddlyfortable with the way he was gripping her hand. It felt warm.

    It was so different from Damien''s warmth. This was the kind of warmth which she didn''t even have anything topare it to. How would she know what a grandparent''s warmth feels like? Her mind suddenly brought her to how Nana held her several times. It wasn''t the same but it was somehow close.

    "Ah," Chairman Young released Katherine''s hand and turned to Frank, holding his palm out to his assistant as if he was asking for something. Frank immediately took out a thick man envelope from his inner coat and handed it to his Master. "You may want to look at these pictures. It may help you remember," he said, giving the envelope to Katherine.

    Hesitantly, she received the envelope and tried to swallow the lump in her throat. She didn''t take out the entire stock inside the envelope, instead, she only took out the first picture on top and held it in front of her.

    It was a family portrait of three  a man, a woman, and a girl. She stared at it for a long time, feeling pain and emptiness in her chest. A drop of liquid fell on the picture and her fingers subconsciously touched her eyes only to find that she was in tears and she didn''t even know why.

    Chairman Young smiled and started telling her about the picture that she was holding but she couldn''t hear a thing about what he was saying. Her eyes were settled on the family picture while all her other senses were shut off  she couldn''t hear anything nor taste, smell or feel at the moment Nothing.

    The Gentlemen''s Club

    It had been more than an hour since Damien spoke to Katherine and he had been restless since. He and five other men were seated in a VIP area, discussing business that would involve billions of dors over a round of drinks. The club was rtively empty because it was still afternoon and the show that evening wasn''t going to start until nine p.m.

    He was half-listening to what they were talking about but his mind would always wander towards the phone call that he had with Katherine earlier.

    She had assured him that everything was fine but he had a gut feeling that it was not. Maybe he was just overthinking things but he couldn''t help but worry about it. The meeting he had today with his friends had been set up since a month ago because the others were all so busy with their own businesses that it was the only day they were all avable.

    He had thought about ditching it but he couldn''t just do so, which was why he stayed for a couple of hours more, trying to keep himselfposed while they dabbled in the nning.

    Caleb mped Damien''s shoulder as he nodded to the side. They walked a few meters away from the table and Caleb asked, "What''s up with you?"

    "Nothing," Damien replied casually.

    "No. Something''s bothering you. You have been distracted since we got here."

    Damien sighed, running his fingers through his hair as he told his friend, "I called Katherine earlier. She told me that she was having lunch with Chairman Young."

    "What?" Caleb leaned back, his brows furrowed in confusion. "Why?"

    "I don''t know. I don''t even know how they know each other. It''s strange..."

    "Well I introduced them one time when I brought Katherine around to see some establishments. You know, for the contractor bidding? It was the same day as Young Corporation''s library restoration project''s opening. Do you think this has something to do with that? You... don''t think they''re trying to buy her support?"

    Damien shook his head, "I don''t think so. I don''t know. I''ve never heard of Young Corporation using underhanded methods. But hasn''t Chairman Young stepped out of the scene already? He hasn''t done any first-hand deals since as of what I know. He''d already handed thepany over to his daughter."

    "Huh That is indeed strange. Have you called to check up on her?"

    "No she told me she would text me after but I haven''t heard from her since." Damien whipped out his phone and there were no calls or texts from Katherine.

    Before Caleb could even suggest to call her, Damien had already dialed Katherine''s number on his screen. He held his breath, listening to the multiple rings from his speaker, releasing his breath only when he heard the operator''s voice asking if he was going to leave a voice message.

    Damien tried calling again but she still did not answer. He turned to Caleb who was watching him the entire time and before he could even ask, his friend already nodded his head, giving him a go signal.

    "Thanks." Damien sprinted out of the club and jumped into his car.

 Chapter 208: Surge of Memories

    Chapter 208: Surge of Memories

    Damien stepped on the gas and headed towards his office at four in the afternoon. He immediately looked for Katherine but she wasn''t at her desk  neither was she in his office or in his penthouse.

    Recalling what she said during their phone call earlier, he sprinted until he reached outside of the building and searched for her at the restaurants in their block but didn''t find her. He called Felix and asked if he was driving her somewhere but was disappointed to know that Felix hadn''t seen her since morning.

    Damien dialed Katherine''s phone once again and this time, he left a message.

    "Where are you? I''ve been looking everywhere for you. Please tell me you''re okay. Call me as soon as possible."

    After leaving the message, he called the head of his security team and ordered a search while he drove around the city looking for her. He couldn''t stop worrying. He felt that something was wrong and he could only me himself when he started to feel upset that she talked him out of letting his bodyguards follow her around because she felt ufortable.

    Now that he couldn''t get a hold of her, he swore that once he finds her, he would renegotiate. No, it wouldn''t even be a negotiation. Whether she likes it or not, she won''t have a choice. Damien berated himself, but at the moment, he had to find her first.

    Meeting Chairman Young caused a huge blow on Katherine. She couldn''t remember much about what happened after looking at the photo. She didn''t even know how she got out of the restaurant. She felt extremely overwhelmed about what she had heard that it somewhat sent her brain into overdrive.

    Katherine was like a walking corpse, walking aimlessly, passing by people  bumping or crashing into them, not even bothering to say sorry. She found herself sitting at a park, not knowing how she got there or which park it was.

    In her hands was the envelope that Chairman Young gave her. She took out all of the pictures inside it and started looking through each one, feeling both a sense of familiarity and unsettledness at the same time. A look of frustration stered on her face as she tried so hard to dig her mind, recalling any memories anything at all from the past. But nothing.

    She was so out of it she didn''t even realize that it had already turned dark. She had been sitting on the bench for hours, vacantly staring at nowhere in particr.

    The sun started to set and she only woke up from her stupor when she felt something hard hit her knee.

    "Sorry!" a young boy said as he picked up the ball by her feet.

    Katherine stared at the young boy who was looking back at her. She blinked a few times before closing her eyes, suddenly feeling so tired. Her cellphone had been ringing endlessly in her bag for hours but she didn''t even notice it.

    "Big sister, your phone is buzzing," the young boy spoke, pointing at the bag next to her.

    She followed the direction of where he was pointing at and noticed the light on her phone screen. She absentmindedly reached for it and saw Damien calling her. Her thumb hovered over the green button but before she could press it, the call had stopped.

    She watched as her screen showed notifications of her missed calls, text messages, and voicemails.

    Still feeling slightly dazed, she tapped the screen on her phone and saw that most of the calls and texts were from Damien, asking her where she was and to call him back. Checking her voicemails, she ced her phone to her ear and listened.

    <strong>"Katherine, call me. I''m so worried."</strong>

    <strong>"Where the hell are you? Are you hurt? Please just call, or text."</strong>

    <strong>"I seriously hope you''re okay. Get back to me, please. I love you."</strong>

    Before she could listen to the next one, her phone buzzed again and this time, she pressed the green button.

    "Hello?! Katherine?" Damien spoke as soon as he realized his call was answered.

    "Damien" Katherine''s voice was slightly hoarse as she hadn''t spoken for hours.

    "Oh, thank god!" He sighed. "Are you okay? Where are you? I''ll pick you up."

    Katherine looked around her and realized that she was in a park a couple of blocks away from the office. "I''ll meet you back at the office. I''m heading there now"

    The line became silent and when she nced at her phone, she realized her battery died. Hoping that he was able to hear what she said, she finally got up from the bench and started walking.

    The entire time that she walked towards the tall building of Crown Resort Group, her mind was lingering on Chairman Young''s words during their meeting. Katherine was mentally lost and exhausted but she managed to safely arrive at their block while she was lifelessly walking towards the entrance of their building.

    The sun had set and the sky had darkened, mimicking her currently dull and weak eyes, seemingly distressed about what was happening to her. She wasn''t sure what to feel with the new information that she received. Was she just going to believe what was said to her?

    Katherine was about to cross the driveway when a speeding car headed towards her. The blinding headlights struck her, causing her to fall to the ground because of the shock. She didn''t feel any pain, her eyes only focusing on the bright light, not noticing that the car had stopped a couple of meters away from her.

    All of a sudden, an involuntary surge of memories shed in her mind, bringing her back to that horrible night where she heard gunshots. Katherine was twelve years old when it all happened. It was so dark everywhere. She was hiding in her room when the door was pushed open, mming the wall and causing her to jump in fright.

    The light from the shlightnded on her face and she winced, tears trickling down her cheeks as she begged, "Please, don''t hurt me."

    Young Katherine trembled at the sight of a gun that was pointed at her. She could hardly breathe and all she could do was cry. Despite her fear, she looked at the person in front of her through her misty eyes and saw him staring back at her.

    She couldn''t see him clearly but he was tall. He was wearing all ck and there were ck lines across his face, camouging him in the dark.

    "Drop your gun," another person whose face was covered in a mask came inside her room. And everything stood still.

    Katherine''s memories flooded her constantly, taking over her senses and causing her to hyperventte.

    "Katherine!" Damien''s silhouette broke her daze, making her look away from the headlights.

    The next thing she knew, she was hauled up from the ground and pressed against Damien''s chest. "Are you okay?" he asked, tightening his embrace and kissing her forehead.

    She blinked her tears away and her eyes darkened, instantly feeling a rush of rage within her. He felt her stiffen in his arms and he pulled back to study her face.

    Damien ced his hands on her shoulder, making her look at him. "Katherine, you''re scaring me"

    Never in his life had he ever seen the way she was looking at him at the moment. Her eyes were so cold, so frightening, so sad all at the same time.

    Clenching her jaw, she forced herself to speak, her voice dreadfully hard, "I am Katherine Young. Daughter of Mason and Natalie Young."

    Damien''s hands dropped to his side, trembling.

    With her hands clenched into fists, she questioned, "Do you know what that means?"

    She swallowed a massive lump in her throat. "You were there that night, weren''t you? That was you."

    Damien''s stomach dropped. He could literally feel his heart shattering into a million pieces as he watched her painfully ask him these questions. "No you... you can''t be. I Katherine..." His voice broke  just like his soul.

    Shaking her head, Katherine''s hot tears flowed continuously down her face. She turned around, unable toe up with words to say.

    After all, what will you tell the man you love so much that you''re leaving him?

 Chapter 209: Mayhem

    Chapter 209: Mayhem

    Through watery eyes, Damien painfully watched her retreating back. Herst words rang in his ear as he stood rooted in the same spot, afraid to move.

    His entire world came crumbling down before him. He hadn''t felt so much pain like this one; not even when his father died.

    And he could only imagine how much pain Katherine was in. He was sure she must be hurting so much more than he was.

    Before he even knew it, a long time had passed. He didn''t even know how long he remained in the same spot where she left him, barely holding himself up. His entire body was trembling and his mind was in chaos, he should have fallen but his knees were probably the only ones awake and keeping him from falling.

    "President Park? Sir?"

    A tap on his shoulder dragged him out of his trance. He turned to look at the security guard next to him, realizing that he had been idle for a while.

    "Is everything alright, Sir?" asked the security guard in concern after seeing Damien''s mournful eyes.

    "No," Damien whispered before he walked past the guard and entered the building. "It''s all my fault."

    Images of that dreadful night kept shing in his mind as he rode the elevator to the top floor. Mixed emotions of anger, regret, pain, sadness, and numbness filled him up. And as soon as he entered his office, a wave of realization hit him  Katherine walked out of his life... and she was never going to forgive him.

    "You were there that night, weren''t you? That was you."

    Katherine''s face from earlier while she said those words appeared in his mind. The sound of hundreds of broken ss pieces shattering to the ground didn''t relieve him of the heartache. He had trashed his office with anything he could grab and it didn''t matter what.

    He had screamed once twice. Punched a wall. He didn''t know what to do.

    He picked up a whiskey decanter, the only thing he didn''t smash into pieces, and drank straight from it. The firey, smooth liquid burned his throat yet he drank it like it was water before crashing the almost empty bottle against the wall.

    Damien thought that leaving his family was going to cut him from his past. But his past still caught up to him. And in the most devastating way.

    His knees finally gave up and he fell to the ground. Squatting on the floor with his head hung low, he rested his arms on his knees and his shoulders shook from all the crap that he was feeling, wishing that he could turn back time. Wishing that he wasn''t a member of the Park Family. Wishing that he wasn''t born.

    Fate yed with him so badly.

    How could he fall in love with Katherine?

    Because of what his family did to her family, he might as well have died that night all those years ago. That way, he would never have to suffer like this.

    Damien could still remember everything that happened that night very clearly. He remembered how Katherine was so frightened. How she cried and begged when he pointed the gun to her head.

    He was so close. So close to putting a bullet between her eyes. The screaming and the sound of gunshots in the background didn''t help mask how anxious he was that night.

    How foolish was he to think that he was capable of redeeming himself after that horrible night?

    Damien didn''t know what to think or feel. He was so confused as to why Katherine was still alive. He thought she had died that night.

    A lot of things didn''t make sense, but with the way that she looked at him earlier, he was sure that she wasn''t the same innocent girl from that night. So what happened to her all these years?

    Pushing himself off the ground, Damien''s first thought was to find her. But for what? Ask for forgiveness? That would be ridiculous. What happened was not forgivable.

    He couldn''t even begin to imagine facing her again. He was far too ashamed. Of himself. Of his family.

    Without much thought, he arrived at the ground floor of his building and got in his car. Damien drove the car away from the driveway and joined the traffic, feeling as though he was buried alive with guilt and regret.

    He stepped on the gas, recklessly maneuvering his way on the busy streets of Harbor City that he nearly collided with a truck, barely making it out if not because of his quick thinking.

    However, his life was his least concern at the moment.

    Damien increased his speed and floored it. In less than ten minutes, he arrived at one of Harbor City''s luxurious high-rise buildings. He had only been in this ce once but the te number of his car was known in the city, so as he stepped out of the vehicle, a valet greeted him politely by his title and name as he tossed the key over, not bothered that his car was parked unceremoniously.

    He didn''t waste too much time and took long strides towards the elevator, riding the car until he reached the top floor and pressing the doorbell to the first penthouse door on the right.

    Damien was impatient. He knew that man would be there at that hour even on a Friday night, so his index finger never left the doorbell button. He pressed it constantly until the door swung wide open and revealed a tall man with a scowl on his face  he was almost the same built as Damien.

    "What the fck are you pounding that bell for? Jesus." William''s re could cut ss as he faced Damien. He was still in a suit but his dress shirt had been unbuttoned all the way down, his toned torso showing unabashedly.

    Damien nced past William''s shoulder and saw a disheveled flight stewardessstill in her maroon uniform, only her bra was now visible. He dragged his gaze back to his cousin and did not say anything. His expression was unreadable.

    It was only then when William noticed Damien''s state. Pale, red-rimmed and exhausted eyes and his stare went lower, noticing the blood dripping from Damien''s hand.

    "Hey, Jenny? Can I take a raincheck? I''m afraid our flight''s been canceled," William called over his shoulder.

    The woman scowled at the two men and did not even bother to button her blouse as she grabbed the handle of her trolley case and wheeled towards the door. "It''s Josie," she said under gritted teeth.

    "What?" William raised a brow.

    "My name''s Josie, you as*hole!"

    She walked past them and raised her chin as she pressed the button on the elevator. Turning her head towards William just slightly, she said, "You better call me."

    A glint shed in William''s eyes as he smirked. His smug look slipped when he met Damien''s dark gaze, which he ignored as he stepped aside for his cousin.

    "Why are you looking at me like that, you cock blocker? Come inside." William rolled his eyes.

 Chapter 210: Gruesome Night

    Chapter 210: Gruesome Night

    Damien stood in the middle of the living room of William''s penthouse. His mind was still so clouded, he didn''t bother to look around the ce and just let his body slump on the sofa.

    William ced two sses with a shot of scotch on the coffee table and saw Damien staring on the floor deep in his thoughts. He tried to guess what his problem was but they hadn''t been on good terms for a decade now so he couldn''t think of anything.

    A medicine kit was ced next to Damien and he turned to look at the arrogant prick in front of him.

    "What? You don''t seriously think I will clean you up? You can do it yourself." William picked up a ss of scotch and sat in the armchair opposite Damien who raised a brow, not understanding what was happening.

    William pointed at Damien''s hand and thetter lowered his eyes only to see that he had cut his hand without even realizing. Blood trickled down his skin but he couldn''t feel anything. He was numb.

    William clicked his tongue and ushered Damien to wash his hands in the sink before patching up his wound. In the end, William cleaned up his cousin''s cut, his brows furrowed the entire time. How did he end up nursing Damien instead of getting lucky that night?

    "I''m not saying this because I want you gone fastyou know what, I am saying this because I want you gone fast. You and I are not buddies, so what are you doing here?" William leaned forward in his seat.

    Damien ran his uninjured hand down his face and took a long swig of the scotch. "That night"

    "What night?"

    "That night about 16 years ago." Damien lifted his gaze and looked at William who straightened up at his words and he was sure they were on the same page.

    William shifted his gaze and drank his liquor, brushing off the unpleasant feeling that washed over him. "You''re thest person that I expected to bring that up. You shut yourself after that night. Why are you talking about it now?"

    "I just need some answers You''re the only one I could ask."

    "Are you sure about that?" William red at Damien, his gaze darkening as he spoke, "Because thest time I remember, the day after that, you punched me in the face when I talked to you about it. Are you itching to punch me again? Is that why you''re here?"

    Damien scoffed, "Believe me, I have other reasons to break your face, not just that."

    William huffed and poured another shot of alcohol to his and Damien''s ss. "Spill. What do you want to know?"

    "I remember that night didn''t go as nned but I didn''t really know much about it. What happened?" Damien asked, nursing the ss in his hand as he watched William raise his head and stare at the ceiling, trying to remember what happened that night.

    "Hmmm. Because you weren''t supposed to be there."

    "Uncle Fred forced me to be there!" Damien bit out, clenching his jaw and almost throwing the ss across the room.

    William waved a hand, dismissing his cousin as he was pissed that his father always favored Damien over him. Damien''s father Lawrence was the head of Park Family before he died, which was preceded by Frederickter. Their family business involved a lot of underhanded dealings and the two cousins were trained since they were young.

    Boys were trained like soldiers. Girls were groomed to be morous and be in the upper ss with other socialites.

    Damien and William were still young at that age, but growing up in the Park Family, boys fifteen years and older were already considered a man. They weren''t usually sent to this kind of mission at that age but if they were, they would be paired up with a senior, guiding them all throughout because the only way to learn is through real experience.

    With Frederick''smand, Damien and William teamed up along with a tactical unit that were sent to annihte Mason Young and his family.

    Breathing deeply, William continued, "We arrived on time but when we got there, there was another team scouring the area. Not one of ours."

    "Who were they?"

    "I don''t know. I asked my father after that but he wouldn''t tell me. Anyway, we were told to proceed at all costs and kill anyone who got in our way."

    "And war broke in the middle of it," Damien interrupted, trying to recall that night. The chaos that ensued in that house became a blood bath. Damien got separated from his senior and tried his best to survive that night.

    "That''s right." William exchanged looks with Damien and the two of them looked away, knowing full well how they almost didn''t get out of it alive.

    After some time, Damien finally asked, "How many survivors?" He was referring to the Young Family but he didn''t rify, wanting to avoid telling William about Katherine.

    "You really shut yourself, did you? Don''t you remember? We lost five people that night. And after that explosion, I doubt anyone else survived inside that house."

    Damien had his face in his hands. How could he not have recognized Katherine? And if he had, what would he have done then?

    He closed his eyes and buried himself in his thoughts.

    Wait. Six years ago when he saw her for the first time, he did notice her eyes. He had bumped her with his car at night and he got to see her eyes. It was strangely familiar but he never made a connection. After all, for almost a decade, he believed that girl from that night had died in that explosion  he had stopped thinking about that once haunting past.

    He never got to see that young girl''s face very clearly. Everything happened so fast that he didn''t really have the chance to study her features. And honestly, he refused to know any other details of the person he was about to shoot.

    He didn''t know her name back then. He didn''t know who she was at all. They only followed orders to wipe out everyone in that household that night and Damien didn''t know about the mission until thest minute and despite his refusal, he was forced by his uncle. The only thing he knew was that their main target was Mason Young.

    After that gruesome night, he was eaten up by guilt. He shut himself out from the Park Family, refusing to be part of anything else rted to their sick ''family business''. Only after thorough insistence did Frederick Park allowed him to sit out. But there was no way that he could be allowed to leave the mansion until he was of legal age. So he stayed there for years, loathing his family the entire time.

    At 18 years old, he wanted to leave and cut ties with everyone but Nana stopped him. It was only until a few more yearster when William betrayed him that he could no longer stay in Park Estate.

    Damien cared about William a lot. And until now, he didn''t understand why William did what he did.

    "Are you having nightmares again?" William questioned, seeing that Damien hadn''t spoken for a while.

    Damien finished his drink and got up from the sofa. No matter how he looked at it. He and his family were at fault.

    "Where are you going?" William followed Damien towards the door, shaking his head. "I can''t believe you''re leaving just like that after barging in here."

    Damien''s fingers wrapped around the doorknob, gripping it hard as he looked over his shoulder, "Thanks," he said before leaving the penthouse. William was left still confused as to why Damien suddenly came and asked about what happened many years ago.

    With still so many questions in Damien''s head. The only person he knew who could answer them was the same person who despised him  Katherine Young.

 Chapter 211: Hope Died as Quickly as It Arrived

    Chapter 211: Hope Died as Quickly as It Arrived

    Saturday, September 8

    The Crown Club in the main Crown Hotel was pretty packed. An international DJ entertained the rowdy crowd with his upbeat and sensational music. He hadrge headphones on his head and his hands magically danced on his turntable and mixer that he strategically set up on his table. The people below the stage had their hands in the air, their bodies radically swaying and jumping through the beats.

    The loud sound from the high definition speakers drowned the ttering of bottles and sses from the people who were partying and trying to get wasted on a Saturday night. Neon lights of blue, red, green shed and struck the dance floor, making the night club the best weekend excursion.

    Apart from the constant elegant parties made up of charities and pretentious social gatherings, this was the kind of scene that Damien had been used to for many years  before this year. Being the man that he was, there was really nothing else that enticed him a lot.

    Not until he met Katherine Miller. Ah, that''s right. She''s not a Miller. She''s Katherine Young.

    How the hell that happened was still beyond Damien. And the more he thought about it, the more his mind clouded.

    It had been more than a week since thest time that he had seen her. On August 31st, they had one of the greatest mornings since they lived together. Everything was almost perfect that day. The flowers in the kitchen and in the garden seemed colorful. The air was lighter and her smile was brighter than the day before. How odd that he noticed those little things, not knowing it was thest day that he was able to appreciate them.

    Ever since she turned her back, everything else around Damien became dry and bleak. He was vacantly staring straight ahead, but the colors in the club didn''t even register in his eyes. The food he ate since were all tasteless  not that he was eating any. He couldn''t even remember thest time he ate.

    The music was all t and the voices around him, he didn''t really care. He couldn''tdidn''t want to hear anything. His senses basically refused to function.

    Had he tried looking for her?

    Of course, he had. He searched the entire city high and low for countless hours, not knowing where to actually look for her.

    Damien lost track of time. It had been exactly eight days since but for him, it felt like it had been years.

    His fingers wrapped around the ss of whiskey. He stared at the colored liquid  the colored liquid that had been his breakfast, lunch, and dinner  before drinking thest shot. The burning liquid traveled down his throat for the nth time.

    Jeffrey entered the VIP section d in a rolled-up long sleeve sweatshirt and dark pants. He nced at Damien  who was unshaven, had disheveled hair and only wearing a in t-shirt under his ck trenchcoat  before taking the seat next to Caleb.

    His eyes darted to the man on the corner of the booth and his brows furrowed. "What is he doing here? Is he lost?" he asked, nodding his head to William who was minding his own business despite hearing Jeffrey''s obvious curiosity towards his presence.

    Caleb shrugged, ncing at William and then Damien. "I don''t know. He was already here when I arrived."

    William and Damien were less than two meters apart, not really talking but the usual tension between them was absent. It was quite strange but at the same time, it isn''t.

    Jeffrey decided to ignore William and leaned closer to Caleb. "How is he?"

    Caleb shook his head, his gaze never leaving Damien as he answered, "He''s I don''t know how to describe it. It''s like he''s not here."

    "What about Katherine?" Jeffrey lowered his voice as he said her name, afraid to catch Damien''s attention. "Did you find her?"

    "No. I tried"

    "Does that mean the summer party''s a bust?"

    Caleb snapped his head to the side, his big handnding a heavy smack on the back of Jeffrey as he bit out, "Idiot."

    "Aw!" Jeffrey arched forward, feeling Caleb''s brutal p through his spine. "I was just" His voice trailed off when met Caleb''s re. "I''m not being a jerk''kay maybe I am a little. I like Katherine, okay? But I''m also caught up with my prob"

    "Yeah yeah. Save it." Caleb shook his head. "That party''s still going to happen. Markus informed me that Katherine managed to finalize the nningst Friday morning. So, he only has to execute ording to n."

    Jeffrey silently fist pump in his head as he pursed his lips. At least that part was still happening. He ordered his own drink and turned to Caleb again. "I still don''t get what exactly happened. I only know Katherine somehow regained her memories. But why did she leave?"

    "Beats me. Damien wouldn''t tell me." Caleb felt slightly hurt that his friend didn''t tell him the whole thing but Damien had always been secretive since they were young when it came to Park Family or his own problems, so he didn''t let it bother him that much. He just wished that he could do something to help.

    Caleb, Jeffrey and William''s attention snapped towards Damien getting up from the couch. They watched as he walked away without saying anything.

    "He''s not going to the little boy''s room, is he?" Jeffrey wondered.

    William got up, dropping a few bills near his ss before following Damien out of the club. The other two only noticed that Damien left a hundred dor bill by his ss. "Come on, let''s go." Caleb nudged Jeffrey off the couch.

    Minutester, the four of them were inside Damien''s Range Rover Sport with Jeffrey behind the wheel. For the past few days, Damien had been aimlessly driving around the city at night, hoping he would find Katherine in a random street.

    He had been thinking about what he would say once he finds her but what could he possibly say to her? It surely wouldn''t be a happy reunion.

    Damien''s head rested against the front seat window, his eyes staring outside  mostly looking if he would luckily see anything that was remotely resembling "Katherine" He straightened up.

    "Stop the car," he said coldly.

    Jeffrey furrowed his brows, they were in the middle of a crowded street. "What? But we''re"

    "I said stop the car!" he yelled.

    Jeffrey stepped on the brakes as he muttered, "It''s your car. I won''t be paying any fines."

    The vehicle hadn''t even been properly parked to the side when Damien had already pushed the door open and climbed out of it. The other three followed him as he raced through the sea of people in City Square.

    Damien swore he saw Katherine among the crowd. She was wearing a ck leather jacket and jeans  he knew her every angle.

    "Bro, where are you going?" Caleb''s loud voice sounded a few feet from Damien who was busy searching everywhere.

    "Katherine. I saw Katherine," Damien responded.

    The other three helped to look around but it was impossible to find her there. Minutes had passed but Damien never saw the familiar figure again. His heart was racing. For the first time in days, he had found hope but it died as quickly as it arrived when he came to realize  what if it was all in his head?

    William''s hand mped on Damien''s shoulder, "Let''s go."

    Damien''s dark gaze met William''s concerned stare. He ran a hand on his face and then his fingers through his hair in frustration.

    "I''ll send a few men here to search the area. Why don''t we wait for news somewhere else?" William lightly dragged his stubborn cousin away from the crowd and back to the car.

    All of them went back to Crown Hotel and stayed in a penthouse suite. The entire night was spent waiting for news from William''s men who were currently searching the City Square.

    Damien stood before the floor-to-ceiling window when he heard footstepsing towards him.

    "Here." William handed Damien a bottle of water as he sipped his own.

    Mindlessly, Damien received it but only held it in his hand. "Why are you helping me?"

    "Hm?"

    "Why are you here on a Saturday evening, helping me instead of doing whatever it is you do. Aren''t you supposed to take what I have away from me?"

    William snorted. "Yeah. But it''s no fun when all your guards are down. It''s boring."

    Damien nced at William''s way and scoffed. The arrogant prick was trying to be nice and it wasn''t so bad.

 Chapter 212: Deadly Sins and Heavenly Virtues 1

    Chapter 212: Deadly Sins and Heavenly Virtues 1

    "You never told me what happened between you and Ms. Miller," William started, standing next to Damien as they looked outside the window, the city lights of Harbor City twinkling below them. "I mean, I''m helping you look for her on a Saturday night instead of doing whatever I typically do on a weekend. Shouldn''t I at least know what''s going on?"

    "I didn''t ask for your help," Damien replied dismissively.

    "Well, you should have thought of that first before you barged into my suitest week asking about what happened many years ago and just left without telling me why." William sighed. "You''re not the only one who found that night disturbing, you know?"

    It was William''s and Damien''s first mission. But unlike Damien, William stayed in the family business, wanting to earn every praise that he could get from his father.

    Damien contemted and after staying quiet for a few minutes, he finally spoke, "She she and I didn''t see eye to eye."

    William studied the drained man next to him. He had never seen him this sullen. He knew there was more to the story but it was pretty obvious that Damien wouldn''t go into details so he decided to drop it.

    Feeling his phone buzz in his pocket, William excused himself and took the call out on the balcony. He returned to Damien''s side a minuteter, his hand squeezing on his cousin''s shoulder as he said, "I''m sorry. They couldn''t find her."

    As though Damien had already anticipated the news, he didn''t say anything and his shoulders remained slumped. Should he stop looking for her? Should he stop hoping to see her again?

    He almost wanted tough at himself. It was just like five years ago when he couldn''t find her. What else is new?

    Saturday, September 22

    "Man, look at these. They look like"

    "Boobs. I know. You told me five minutes ago." Caleb shook his head, rolling his eyes at Jeffrey whose grin was so wide as he yed with two weirdly decorated cupcakes. "Seriously. When was thest time you gotid? And you''re a doctor, don''t you see body parts on a regr basis?"

    "I''m a neurologist. I don''t seedy parts on a daily basis." Jeffrey''s mouth twitched upon hearing Caleb''s remark. He indeed needed to getid. It has been too long. He sighed, putting back the cupcakes on the stand.

    Caleb wore a blue suit while Jeffrey was in a salmon pink suit. They were standing by the dessert table with cocktails in their hands as their eyes wandered across the room where the Seven Deadly Sins and Seven Heavenly Virtues End of Summer Party was held.

    The entire hall was decorated ording to the main theme with several sections across the floor that corresponded to the mini-themes; each one representing the sins and the virtues.

    They thought the party would end up being chaotic, what with several mini-themes in a single event but it turned out quite fun and surprisingly harmonious. There were a lot more guests than the regr goers as the invitations allowed plus ones instead of being exclusive.

    "Where''s Damien anyway?"

    Caleb slowly turned his head to Jeffrey, his brows raised as he spat, "I thought you were keeping an eye on him?"

    Jeffrey''s surprise matched Caleb''s. "No?! I thought you were!"

    Caleb muttered curses under his breath. "Damn it. Now where the hell is he?"

    "Last time I saw him, he was in the ''Wrath'' section. The scowl on his face actually matched the trident in his hand." William''s light chuckle cut through Caleb and Jeffrey''s conversation. He took a swig of the Negroni cocktail in his hand, looking spruce in his white tuxedo.

    The two looked at William for a brief second before they dragged their gazes towards the ''Wrath'' area that was next to ''Lust'' on the right side of the huge hall.

    "He''s not there. He''s dropping off a check for charity." Alianna nodded her head to the left as she joined the men, linking her arms with Caleb.

    The men shifted their gaze to the left and saw Damien writing something on a booklet. He was sporting a burgundy tuxedo, looking dapper as usual.

    "Hey," Caleb smiled at Ali. "Thanks for taking him out of his cave."

    "Ugh. Believe me. It was a work out! The only reason he shaved his face was because he was afraid I would cut him when I insisted I would do it myself if he wouldn''t. Good thing Markus was able to force Damien to change into that before he shoved his boss inside the car."

    "Well, you did a great job. And you look nice tonight," Calebplimented.

    "Thanks." Alianna patted Caleb''s arm and smiled back at him.

    She had only been back in the city a few days ago despite wanting to fly as soon as she heard about what happened between Damien and Katherine. Alianna had tried to contact Katherine hundreds of times but just like everyone else, the attempts were all a failure.

    Katherine''s phone was off. She had been gone for three weeks and no one knew where she was. Not even Emma nor Adam  her friends before she came to work for Damien. It was as if she just vanished.

    Nana was also depressed when she heard the news. Damien hadn''t told anyone anything. All he told them was that she left and everything was his fault.

    "Uh oh," Jeffrey''s reaction caught their attention. They followed his gaze and saw a petite woman walking towards Damien.

    The woman was skinny and had average height but her presence was huge, a lot of men looked her way. And a lot of women red at her back. She was wearing a skin-tight strapless dress, strutting across the floor, her eyes locking at Damien.

    "What the hell is she doing here?!" Alianna growled at the sight of the woman, her fingers tightened around Caleb''s arm.

    "Someone must have invited her as a plus one. I''m sure she wasn''t on the main list," Caleb answered.

    "Well I''m going to scratch her name on the list  better yet, her face!" Alianna stomped her foot and started moving forward when Caleb held her back. "Easy Calm down," he said, his arm pulling her by the waist.

    "Ha! The night suddenly got interesting." William grinned as he watched the woman tap Damien''s shoulder.

    Turning to his right, Damien''s brows slightly knitted as he faced the woman whom he least expect to see that night  or ever.

    "Margaret," Damien uttered in a cold tone.

    Margaret Hara''s bright smile greeted her ex-boyfriend  her ex-fianc as she responded, "Hi, Damien. It''s been a long time."

 Chapter 213: Deadly Sins and Heavenly Virtues 2

    Chapter 213: Deadly Sins and Heavenly Virtues 2

    There were a little more than a hundred people at the party. Each in their own spot  drinks in hand, eyes hungry to see gossip, mouths ready to gossip.

    While most were enjoying the dance floor with the epic music, a portion of the guests on the left section was waiting to see what''s going on between Damien Park and his ''rumored'' ex-girlfriend from the Hara Family.

    Back then neither of them rified their rtionship. So they were only seen together a few times and because it was only a ''rumor'', their little rendezvous that evening was quite scandalous to the eyes of many.

    "What would she do? What would he do?" were in the minds of everyone who were so curious about them.

    "What are you doing here?" Damien asked in a toneless voice, his gaze only lingered for a few seconds before he looked away and pretended to watch the dance floor.

    "This is a party. I''m a plus one," Margaret shrugged a shoulder as if what she said was so natural. She stared at Damien, wondering what he was thinking at the moment.

    "I meant in this country. Shouldn''t you be in Japan?" he asked after sipping his watered-down vodka. Alianna denied him of drinking so much that night so "vodka vored water" was shoved into his hand earlier.

    "Someone''s been keeping tabs on me"

    "Don''t tter yourself. Your leave made it in the tabloids and the inte''s business section." Damien''s voice was calm as he exined. And it was the truth. After breaking up with her, Margaret Hara left for Japan a few weekster.

    Her father sent her there to manage their construction business overseas, but Damien knew it was only on paper because while it was true that she was there for business, her father sent her away after what happened. Her father was ashamed of what his daughter did.

    "I actually arrived a couple of months ago. Grandfather retiredst year and my father reced him in thepany. But I''m sure you already know that"

    Damien didn''t respond and took another sip of his vored water. He did know all about it as it was also in the news but he only read the article and flipped to the next page.

    "I''ve been meaning to visit you as soon as I arrived" Margaret continued when he didn''t say anything. "I just couldn''t find the right time."

    "Seriously? You think you could find the right time? For what?" Damien mockinglyughed and drank the rest of his ''water'' to stop himself from growling at Margaret. There was nothing to talk about. And he certainly didn''t want to talk to her.

    However, on the other side of the room, Alianna''s temper continuously brewed as she shot daggers at the woman next to her cousin Damien. She and the other men were now sitting at a table facing Damien''s direction.

    "What the hell is heughing at? Does he think she''s funny? Am I missing something?!" Alianna hissed, her heels digging on the carpet. She was ready to lunge across the room at any time.

    "Chill, Ali," William said gently, his hand patting Alianna''s arm. "You don''t want to end up on the front page looking like a wrestler on top of Ms. Hara."

    Oh like she cares about that right now. But William''s gentle reminder and his brotherly pat calmed her down a little. She looked to her right and gave him a small smile. Despite knowing he was an asshole, he always cared for her since.

    "Give Damien some credit. You know he wouldn''t do anything stupid," Caleb remarked, cing his arm casually at the back of Ali''s seat.

    "Has Maggie always looked this hot? It''s been a long time since Ist saw her but she looks different," Jeffreymented, his eyes fixed on Damien and Margaret.

    "Oh please,st I heard she got a boob job. For all I know, she probably had other parts done as well." Lexi''s voice made all of them snap their heads towards her as she joined the group at the table. She sat down next to William who gave her a once-over, wondering why she looked so tamed that night. Her usual full-on makeup look was gone and reced by subtle and earthy colors.

    "I thought you weren''ting tonight?" William asked Lexi. She wasn''t allowed to go out that night or any other night as she was still ''grounded'' by her grandfather.

    "I sneaked out," Lexi said softly, making Williamugh.

    Alianna and Lexi exchanged brief looks before looking away. Neither of them had been on speaking terms but if Ali were to choose who she was going to sit next to  Alexia or Margaret  she would pick Lexi over Maggie any time any day. She''d rather roll her eyes at Lexi the whole night rather than wanting to w out Margaret''s eyes every time she speaks. She had never liked Margaret when she met her for the first time.

    "Uh oh. Now, where are they going?" Jeffrey shifted in his seat and the rest of them watched as Damien walked towards one of the double doors at the corner with Margaret following him behind.

    Alianna''s scowl deepened and she pushed herself off the chair. "I love my cousin, but if he''s going to make a mistake, he better run for his life because I will definitely kick his ass."

    Caleb stood up, his heart racing. "I''m with Ali on this one."

    William chuckled at what he heard. "A few seconds ago you just told her to give the man some credit." He had a huge grin on his face but he got up on his seat just like the other two.

    Alianna didn''t wait for anyone else to speak, she marched forward heading towards where Damien and Margaret disappeared while Caleb, William, and Jeffrey followed behind her.

    Lexi who just sat down less than a minute ago sighed in frustration. She certainly wasn''t in the mood to see what was up with Damien and Margaret but she wasn''t going to sit there alone at the table. "Would you guys slow down?" she said as she went after the group and caught up next to William.

    The five of them strolled out of the hall and disappeared behind the double doors.

    Seven Deadly Sins and Seven Heavenly Virtues  the group of five wondered which sin or virtue they were going to witness that night.

 Chapter 214: Deadly Sins and Heavenly Virtues 3

    Chapter 214: Deadly Sins and Heavenly Virtues 3

    The five musketeers sneakily followed Damien and Margaret and saw them turn at the end of the hallway.

    "You don''t think they''re going to make out, do you?" Jeffrey asked in a low voice as they kept their distance from Damien.

    Alianna pinched his side and glowered at him. "Stop saying nonsense!" she whispered under gritted teeth as Jeffrey winced but his mouth was immediately covered by Caleb''s hand, suppressing his cry.

    Lexi rolled her eyes seeing the three in front of her. If they were going to eavesdrop, they would surely get caught if they keep making noises!

    William sensed her irritation and slipped his hand to hers, dragging her closely as they walked towards the end of the hall.

    Stopping before they reached the corner, the five of them leaned against the wall, their ears perking up as they listened to whatever Damien and Margaret were doing out in the balcony. It was quiet for a while until Damien started talking.

    Damien was facing the view of the coastline at the edge of Harbor City. He wished he had grabbed a ss of drink on his way out instead of keeping his hands in his pocket. He didn''t want to be out there alone with Margaret but she promised to stay away after talking privately so he gave her a chance to talk. He might as well finish it now than having to deal with it againter. "You have five minutes. What do you want?"

    "You look different," Margaret started, staring at Damien''s side profile from where she was standing. She almost forgot how handsome he was  too bad he was no longer hers.

    Damien silently sighed and Margaret knew he wasn''t going to speak so she continued, "There is something different about you. I just couldn''t figure out what it is this time. But I can''t say this brooding expression suits you"

    "Are you sure you''re going to use five minutes just analyzing me?"

    The corner of Margaret''s mouth curled up and she chuckled at his dismissive tone. "It''s good to see you again, Damien. You threw a great party this time. Everyone seemed to be having a great time. Though I didn''t think I''d picture you having this kind of theme. It''s surprising but the good kind."

    Damien''s jaw tensed upon hearing Margaret''s words. What was he supposed to say? ''Thank you?'' The idea wasn''t his at all! And the person everyone should be thanking for wasn''t even present that evening. That person had been missing for three weeks now and it drove him crazy. And it didn''t help that everyone seemed to think that praising him for throwing the greatest party of the century was going to get them brownie points.

    Damien still didn''t understand what he was doing at the party when it only reminded him of her. After all, she nned everything in just less than three days. And Marcus made sure to follow every detail on her notes.

    She was cruel. How could she not leave his mind the entire time? Everywhere he looked and whatever he did reminded him too much of her. He had no escape.

    Feeling a small hand touch his arm, Damien turned to Margaret and he forgot she was still there. Right, he had given her five minutes to speak. Was the time up already? He nced at his watch and saw that only three minutes had gone by.

    Sht. Why did time run so slow now that he wanted to get this over and done with fast? He honestly didn''t hear what Margaret was saying when he spaced out. And now she was asking him a question and he didn''t hear what it was.

    "Will that be okay?" Margaret tilted her head and formed a small smile.

    "Sorry, what did you say?"

    Sighing, Margaret dropped her hand and stepped back. She noticed that he wasn''t paying attention to her. They were the only ones in the balcony and yet his mind was still elsewhere. She knew he could never forgive her for what she did but she still hoped he would at least listen to her.

    "I get it. I''m thest person you want to talk to or be seen with right now. I''m just saying, I hope that what happened to us in the past wouldn''t affect your judgment with regards to the contractor bidding. I don''t want to let my father down again."

    Damien scoffed and didn''t bother looking at her. "It''s not ''what happened to us''. It''s ''what you did to me''," he said in a harsh tone, reminding her that what she did wasn''t just a small thing and he wasn''t going to forgive her just because time has passed. She was a sly and maniptive shrew that he didn''t want to get himself involved with.

    "But regardless of that, your fatherHara Construction Company has got nothing to do with it. The bidding has been postponed indefinitely but whatever the result may be in the future, I can assure you it doesn''t have anything to do with you. It''s strictly business. So whatever you''re doing right now doesn''t change anything."

    Damien''s words were harsh but true and Margaret swallowed the lump in her throat. How could she still think that Damien would sway because she appeared in front of him? She thought so highly of herself that she forgot Damien was never the kind of person who would have his business and personal matter get mixed up.

    "Right I understand," she said.

    "Go back to the party, Ms. Hara. Have a good evening." Damien gestured for her to go first while he decided to wait for a few minutes before he goes back inside.

    Hearing footsteps going their way, the five eavesdropping musketeers jumped and hurried to the first door that they found near them  the utility room.

    "Hurry up! Close the door!" Alianna nervously spoke while Jeffrey anxiously closed the door behind him.

    All of them sucked in air as they tried so hard to listen to the footsteps outside the door. The closet was so dark and the only light that came inside was from the small window above the door. They could hardly see each other''s faces in the small cramped space. And while they exchanged looks, their mouths were shut.

    The footsteps were gone and Caleb nodded at Jeffrey to check. Jeffrey carefully opened the door and saw that the hallway leading back to the party was clear. He gestured everyone an "OK" sign with his fingers and as they came out of the small room and back into the hallway. The fresh air swept through their faces and they sighed.

    "Did you all have fun?"

    The group of five stiffened and became pale upon hearing a man''s familiar voice behind them. They slowly exchanged looks and loudly gulped as they began to face the Devil''s judgy re.

    "Haha Damien there you are We''ve been looking for you." Alianna''s awkwardugh slipped when Damien shot her a look.

 Chapter 215: Deadly Sins and Heavenly Virtues 4

    Chapter 215: Deadly Sins and Heavenly Virtues 4

    A corner of Damien''s mouth curled up as he tilted his head, his eyes sweeping towards the door to the utility room where they just came out. He looked so smug and yful when he teased the five people in front of him, "Yeah? Did you find me in that small closet?"

    Alianna bit her bottom lip and skipped to Damien''s side, hooking her arm in his as she ushered him back to the party. "Oh shush. You can''t get mad at me. I''m only looking out for you."

    Damien snorted, flicking Alianna''s forehead and making her whimper. "Does ''looking out for me'' involve eavesdropping?"

    Alianna rubbed the sore spot on her forehead, ring at Damien as she bit out, "You and that floozy left the party together. What was I supposed to think? I couldn''t just let you"

    "What? Did you really think I would get back with her?" Damien was exasperated. He knew that all of them were keeping an eye on him for weeks and he was starting to get annoyed.

    "No" Alianna''s shoulders slumped. Of course, she believed Damien wouldn''t do that. But he was in a pretty bad state and with Margaret in the picture, she feared that he would not be able to think straight. "Sorry," she whispered.

    Damien squeezed Alianna''s hand before letting her go and entering the event hall once again. He couldn''t really get mad at his cousin. He knew that she meant well. However, that night, he just wished that they would step back and leave him alone. He was getting tired of receiving their concerned gazes. He didn''t like the feeling of getting pitied at.

    While Alianna and Lexi were looking for Jeffrey''s potential woman, Caleb and William went to Damien who was standing just right in between the section of ''Pride'' the deadliest of all or the root of all evil or the beginning of sin  and the section of ''Humility''. How ironic that the two sections were right next to each other and Damien was found in between where he cannot be both because Pride and Humility were two opposite states of being.

    William slightly shook his head seeing where his brooding cousin was standing. Damien looked somewhat lost. Caleb handed a ss of champagne to Damien, trying to keep him away from the harder stuff that evening.

    "Thanks," Damien said before taking a sip of the sparkling wine; not the whiskey he was looking for but definitely better than the vodka water from earlier. He scanned his eyes across the room and saw how people were enjoying the End of the Summer Party they were hosting. He had to give it to Markus for being able to pull it off even without the original event nner.

    "So what did Maggie want to talk about?" Caleb''s voice interrupted Damien''s train of thoughts and pulled him out of his trance.

    "What? You didn''t hear it clearly earlier?" Damien shot Caleb a look that made thetter chuckle but he answered anyway, "She wanted to make sure that we will still consider their family''spany despite our history."

    William snorted and swirled the red wine in his hand. "What, that you knocked her up?"

    "I didn''t. The child wasn''t mine." Damien cleared up William''s misunderstanding. He had enough getting ridiculed for something that wasn''t even true. He thought that finally telling his cousin the truth would shut him up.

    "Ah, so you were cuckolded?"

    He was wrong. Of course, even the truth wouldn''t shut him up.

    Caleb shook his head. William''s past time was annoying people. "Anyway do you think she''s back because of that bidding?"

    "I wouldn''t know. She said she arrived a couple of months ago."

    "But who is she here with?" Caleb turned to the side and started searching for Margaret, curious to see who made her a plus one.

    Damien also scanned the room and his eyes moved so quickly then did a double-take when he caught sight of a woman''s familiar figure across the room. His body stiffened and he craned his neck to check but found the spot at the far corner of the room empty.

    "She''s here," Damien muttered.

    "Hm? Who brought Maggie?" Caleb mindlessly finished his drink, not understanding what Damien was actually referring to.

    "Katherine. She''s here." Damien shoved his empty ss to William who was surprised by the sudden reaction.

    Damien dashed forward and sprinted across the room, knocking a few people out of the way as he hurried to look for the woman who was just standing at the corner. He turned his head from side to side and noticed a swinging door that headed towards the kitchen.

    Without hesitation, he pushed the door open and saw the chaotic kitchen with a crew of chefs busy on their feet with their duties. His foot was quicker than his eyes as he found himself already striding through the greasy floor, pushing the back door open and going out the dark alley.

    The sound of a motorcycle engine revving several meters away caught his attention and before he knew it, Damien started running towards the street.

    "Wait!" he yelled.

    He heard his name being called from behind but he was too busy trying to see who it was until he stopped in his tracks when the motorcycle sped off into the traffic. He didn''t get to see the person as it was dark outside and thetter was wearing a helmet and a ck leather jacket.

    But his heart raced so fast as he had hopedfeared that it was Katherine. It could be her. Why else would she be running? He was sure that it was the same person who just came from the party and a woman because of the figure. But was she really Katherine?

    "What''s going on?" Caleb and William caught up with him.

    Damien opened his mouth but he didn''t know what to tell them. "I I thought I saw Katherine," was all he could say.

    Seeing the distressed look on Damien, William turned to Caleb and said, "Could you give us a minute?"

    Caleb nced from William to Damien before nodding and heading back to the party, giving the two of them some privacy.

    When they were alone, William stepped into Damien''s view and his expression turned serious. "I know you''re hiding something from me. It''s about Katherine. And her identity. She''s a ''Young'', isn''t she?"

    Damien''s gaze turned dark and his jaw tensed upon hearing William''s guess. If he admitted, what would William do?

 Chapter 216: Deadly Sins and Heavenly Virtues 5

    Chapter 216: Deadly Sins and Heavenly Virtues 5

    Damien''s mind was still buzzing from the possibility that the rider was Katherine. Earlier at the party, he had only caught a glimpse of her side profile and when he started going after her, she seemed to have sensed it because she quickened her pace without even looking back.

    Everything happened so fast that he didn''t even realize people were looking at him when he sprinted across the room and disappeared into the kitchen.

    If only he ran faster If only he caught up to her. Would she even talk to him? That is if it really was her. There was no other exnation as to why that woman was hastily leaving. And if it was Katherine, what was she doing at the party? Did shee to see him? That wouldn''t be right. Because if she did, why would she run away?

    His thoughts were interrupted when William harshly patted his arm to get his attention. "Hey! Talk to me. I need you to tell me the truth."

    Damien knitted his brows when he looked at the arrogant man in front of him who was pressing him on. He didn''t want to admit anything because he didn''t know what William would do once he finds out the truth.

    Turning away, Damien walked past William and headed towards the street in haste.

    "Don''t walk away!" William held Damien back, grabbing him by the shoulder and forcing him to look at him in the eye. He already had the idea of the truth but he had to hear it from Damien. "Answer me!"

    "Yes!" Damien screamed in William''s face with a menacing expression. "She''s Katherine Young!"

    William dropped his hands to the side. He somewhat knew of the truth after he tried digging some more information and gluing pieces together from what was happening recently but he was still extremely surprised. "But how?" he muttered so low, it was barely audible.

    "Fck. I don''t know, okay?!" Damien ran a hand across his face and sighed, exasperated and wistful. "I don''t know."

    For the past few weeks, Damien had tried to do his own investigation and although there were very little public photos regarding Katherine''s family, there was one from many years ago and it only confirmed his fear of her real identity. She looked so differentpared to her photos when she was a child but still quite simr. And she was a spitting image of her mother Natalie Young.

    William watched as Damien slowly let out a long sigh. After hearing the truth from him, he could not imagine what he was going through. Damien was about to marry the daughter of the man their family was sent to kill. How was he supposed to move on from that?

    "Do you think she knew all along?" William''s question struck a nerve from Damien. That one question meant a lot  Did shee to you for revenge? Was she just pretending to so she could execute her vendetta?

    Too many unspoken questions and Damien knew it all because he also asked himself the same question over and over. "How should I know?" Damien suppressed himself from getting more riled up than he already was.

    "Now that you know the truth, what are you going to do about it? Are you going to go crawling back to your father and tell him what you found out?" Damien''s cold tone rang in William''s ear.

    William sneered at the usation and he couldn''t help himself but get pissed. Yet he couldn''t me Damien. After all, he hadn''t been the best cousin to Damien for a long time. He contemted for a while and he hung his head low, thinking about several causes and effects of what will happen if he does that.

    When he had his doubts for the first time, he had wanted to confront Damien right away but he didn''t think he would admit what with all that happened between them. But seeing the way Damien reacted earlier, he was desperate to have answers. Seeing Damien''s vulnerability for a while now, he would be lying if he said he didn''t feel bad for him.

    "No."

    "What?" Damien snapped his head towards William.

    "I won''t tell anyone." William lifted his head and met Damien''s questioning stare. Thetter obviously didn''t believe him. And frankly, he couldn''t believe himself either.

    "Why?"

    "I just won''t. I don''t know what else to tell you."

    The two of them stared at each other for a long time without speaking. And it was all it took for Damien to believe that William was telling the truth. He didn''t know what to do with this information but one thing was for sure  as much as he could, he wanted to protect Katherine.

    Because even if he still had so many questions, his heart was still above his brain when it came to her.

    Nodding, Damien exhaled a sigh of relief. He had been keeping everything to himself for three weeks now and having someone to share the same secret, despite it being a really fcked up one, he was still somewhat relieved  even if it was with William.

    "What now?" William questioned, wondering if Damien had ns.

    "What do you mean?"

    "I mean what are you going to do now? Are you going to continue looking for her? Because it has been three weeks and you don''t have any idea where she is. The woman clearly doesn''t want to be found."

    Damien almost wanted tough  in frustration. He knew that so well already. He had been looking for her for years.

    Katherine was like a ghost. She appeared and disappeared whenever she wants.

    Seeing the rage in Damien''s face, William mped his hand on the other''s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. This has been the longest conversation that they had without trying to mess with the other. "You know what? Let''s head back to the party. I think I found a bottle of Jack stashed somewhere in the bar."

    Damien snorted, shaking his head as they head back inside. "Idiot. I brought that. It was the only thing I could hide without getting caught by Ali."

 Chapter 217: Deadly Sins and Heavenly Virtues 6

    Chapter 217: Deadly Sins and Heavenly Virtues 6

    Damien and William were at the bar sharing a bottle of Jack while the party was still in full swing. There were some curious stares when the two of them came back but the guests went back to minding their own business.

    Meanwhile, Caleb and Jeffrey were talking near the "Chastity" section when an old female friend went up to talk to Jeffrey whom he thought could be a possible prospect for his ''n''.

    Caleb turned to scan the room and saw Alianna by the food table. He excused himself and strolled across the room, walked up behind her and said, "You know you can eat more than one crab cake right?"

    Alianna almost jumped when she heard Caleb''s voice and sheughed when she realized she was caught eyeing the crab cakes tray a few feet away. "I know" she muttered but sighed when she remembered she had to stay fit for work when she leaves in a few days.

    Amused, Caleb ced a few pieces on a te and passed it to her. "A few of these won''t hurt. Nothing that a run can''t cure." Alianna met his eyes and nced at the te in his hand, swallowing her saliva.

    "Come on, you know you want to," Caleb wiggled his brows, enticing her to eat her fill. He didn''t like it when she deprives herself from eating what she wanted but he knew she loves her work too much.

    Alianna''s hand tentatively reached for a piece of crabcake and told Caleb, "You run with me tomorrow and I eat all of that."

    "Deal," Caleb answered right away, grinning as he held the te for her while she happily munched on the delicious food. "How''s your mom?" he asked.

    She waved her free hand in the air and rolled her eyes. She didn''t mind talking about her mother with Caleb as he knew all about her but she''s getting tired of saying the same sentence. "Oh, you know. New boyfriend." That was all she had to say and Caleb already knew he didn''t have to press and she was thankful for that.

    Caleb stared at her for a while and he found the courage to ask, "Listen, Li What are you doing tomorrow evening?"

    "I didn''t n anything in the evening. Why?"

    "Watch a movie with me."

    Alianna stopped chewing her food and looked at him in the eye as though she was trying to figure out what he was doing. Swallowing, she wiped off her mouth and formed a small smile on her face as she nodded enthusiastically. "Okay"

    3,000 km away from Esmea

    "Hey, Falcon what kind of car do you want?" Styles asked as he munched his cereal sloppily. As usual, he was in front of his five monitor setup. But instead of browsing through his geeky technology websites, he was searching through a list of second-hand cars.

    "Any. As long as it''s fast. Are you sure the chartered ne is safe?" Falcon was packing. A few ck duffel bags were on the floor, all ready to go.

    Styles swiveled his chair around and watched as Falcon moved around theirir. He scooped a spoonful of Frosted Cheerios with milk and put it in his mouth. He chewed as he spoke, "If by safe, you mean that we are not going to be weed by machine guns once wend in Esmea, then yes, it is safe. What do you want to do as soon as we arrive?"

    "We arrive in the afternoon, right? We get settled. And in the evening, we say hi to your friend."

    Styles put his bowl of cereal on his desk, careful not to spill on his preciousputer before turning back to Falcon. "You are going to love Katherine!"

    Seeing the grin on Falcon''s face, Styles became even more excited.

    After not seeing his friend for a long time, he couldn''t wait. He had been keeping track of her from time to time and when he noticed that something was off a couple of weeks ago, he had an inkling that she might have regained her memories.

    It was a little hard for him to locate where Katherine had been hiding but once he narrowed down his list, he found two ces where he was 90% sure. He bet his entireputer set up that he would find her there.

    Styles had a happy grin stered on his face as he went and helped Falcon pack their things. In a few days, he was going to see Katherine again.

    Young Mansion

    Chairman Young was in the library with an open book in his hand. He was reading with a smile on his face but his smile didn''t have anything to do with the book at all.

    His eyes swept through a handwritten letter on a white paper, his fingers brushing against the words as he read it again for the nth time now.

    [Grandpa,

    I''m so sorry I had to leave. I''m still in shock with all of this. But don''t worry about me, I am only away for a short vacation to sort my thoughts out. Everything is just so confusing. I hope you''re not mad. I promise I will be back soon. I turned off my phone but I will call you when I can.

    5 Until Ie back.

    Your little pumpkin,

    Katherine]

    Chairman Young folded the paper and kept it in his front pocket, patting it in ce before he continued to read his book.

    A couple of days after meeting Katherine on August 31st, he looked for her but couldn''t get a hold of her. He was nning to announce her identity when he received a letter through Assistant Frank. After reading the letter that she left for him, he decided to hold off with the announcement as per her request.

    When Katherine was still a child, the two of them had a code. She would raise her hand with her fingers spread out representing the number five. "Can you keep a secret?" Five words. Whenever she showed her hand to him like that, they would go to a corner and she would whisper her secret to him. A little act that he treasured in his heart forever.

    Seeing the number five in the letter, he knew exactly what she meant. His little pumpkin was back. So despite his excitement, he could only wait for her toe back to him before he could proudly announce to the whole world who his precious granddaughter was.

    ''Of course, I can keep a secret, my little one. Until youe back,'' he said in his thoughts.

 Chapter 218: Every Thump Between the Raindrops

    Chapter 218: Every Thump Between the Raindrops

    *Thump Thump*

    *Thump Thump*

    *Thump Thump*

    Her eyes slowly opened and she saw the darkness that colored her empty room.

    She hadn''t been seeing much colorstely. It was as if she went color blind  or was it that she just refused to see the charm of this so-called beautiful world that she once thought it was?

    But she knew so well that the world was so bleak. That people could be so selfish. So dark and cruel. So unforgiving. Just like her.

    She turned her head to the side and saw the clock. It was 3:14 a.m, September 29.

    *Tick Tock*

    *Tick Tock*

    *Tick Tock*

    It had been twenty-nine days since she left Damien. Twenty-nine days without him. Twenty-nine days all alone.

    She was alone in thisrge, empty space. A space she could never call home. It was more like a sleeping quarter. It was as big as half a basketball court  an open-concept apartment just how she liked it. There was one bedroom but she had never slept in it since she started living there weeks ago. She felt suffocated being in a closed space, so she slept in the living room area.

    Actually, there wasn''t much stuff in her ce. Once you get inside, the thing that you would definitely notice is ''space''. She had lots of it. On the right side were an empty kitchen and an empty bedroom while a huge living room space was on the left with nothing but one sofa where she sleeps and a coffee table in front of it. Oh, and a punching bag at the corner  something that she used almost everyday.

    A huge space that could fit a family but she was all alone.

    *Pit Pat*

    *Pit Pat*

    Great. And now it''s raining.

    Katherine let out a long sigh. Her gazended on the floor-to-ceiling window that covered half of her ce. She had tall curtains that covered most of the window but she had left a small crack open so she could look at the moon up in the dark sky when she felt like it.

    Rain fell so slowly, hitting her windows and droplets ran down the outside of her ss. The pitter-patter of the rain was not in sync with her heartbeat and she wished it wasn''t the case because now she could feel every thump between the raindrops.

    Was the sky crying for her too?

    Because if it was, could she ask for more tears?

    Katherine curled up in a ball under her nket, alone with her thoughts that made her want to cry. Too bad she had already used up all her tears because recently, despite the random reminders of her heartache on totally inconvenient times of the day, her eyes no longer watered.

    She was so exhausted. So tired of it all that she wished everything would just end. Most of the time, she had spent wasted away.

    At first, she started drinking, but she couldn''t handle the hangovers the next morning. It only made her feel numb for a good number of hours until everythinges crashing down on her once again.

    It hadn''t been easy for her. Katherine basically went through a whole heap of denial, grievance, and regret for the past weeks as she tried her hardest to wrap her head around the surge of memories that forced themselves to her baffled mind.

    How could she have forgotten her parents? Her childhood. How everything changed in her life because of that one tragic night from sixteen years ago.

    How she could love the one person she wasn''t supposed to love?

    She was so ashamed of herself. Her parents must feel so betrayed that she loved the enemy. She couldn''t shake off the pang of treachery that she had marked herself with.

    A few times in the past weeks, she had tried to visit her parents'' graves but she couldn''t make herself go near them. She would stand very far from where they were buried and spend a few hours just staring at their gravestones. She was filled with so much guilt and she could never forgive herself for what she did.

    She deserved to be alone. She deserved to suffer. That''s what she had been telling herself and she had believed it right through her bones.

    She almost wanted tough, what with how ironic her life was at the moment.

    A few days after meeting Grandpa Theo, Katherine wanted to be away and not tell a single soul where she was. But after considering, she decided to inform her grandfather that she was only going to be away for a while, thinking that he might suddenly send a search party for her.

    She had to be away in order to think things through and she couldn''t do that if she was constantly trying to avoid the people who were looking for her. She already had a lot on her te, knowing that Damien had sent people to look for her too.

    But it had gone quiettely  like the search had stopped. Had he stopped looking for her? She didn''t exactly know whether she should be happy or hurt.

    Pushing herself off the sofa, Katherine swung her legs to the side and got up. She had been trying to sleep since ten in the evening and was still awake five hourster.

    She walked towards the window and ced her hand on the cool ss. She blew a long breath against it and it turned cloudy. Subconsciously, she lifted a finger up and started swirling on it, drawing something without much thought. Her hand stiffened when she realized that she had just written the letter ''D''.

    Katherine''s heart throbbed and her first reaction was to brush a hand over it, erasing what she just drew.

    ''That''s enough, Katherine. This is pathetic,'' she told herself as she turned around and walked towards the kitchen.

    She knew there was nothing in her refrigerator but she opened it anyway as if she was half-expecting magic would happen and she would see a fridge stocked with food.

    But just like her life at the moment, her fridge was sad and lonely. There was nothing but a bottle of water and a piece of potato that she didn''t even remember buying.

    She had to do some grocery shopping tomorrowa few hourster as soon as the supermarket opens.

    After a quick sigh, she pulled the water bottle from the fridge and brought it with her to the sofa, drinking as she sat down on her makeshift bed. Knowing that she couldn''t possibly go to sleep anymore, she opened herptop on the coffee table and started typing.

    Her mind drifted to what she did sometimest week. She had covertly checked Shadow''s base  the one she bombed. Five years had really been such a long time because the previous empty field was now amercial building.

    She didn''t know where to start but at least she was a hundred percent sure that Chris was alive. She had met him a few times before her memories returned. As for the rest of Shadow, she had no idea.

    As soon as she came to her senses on the night of August 31st, it was as though she instantly transformed into how she was before she lost her memories. She had first stayed in a motel downtown and tricked the person who was watching her  probably one of Chris''s people. She had moved a couple of times to distract her unwanted followers before finally settling in her currentir.

    Katherine''s fingers danced across the keyboard, her focus fixed on the white screen with letters and pictures filling the website that she was browsing on.

    Just a few minutester, a notification popped up on the lower right corner of her screen. A response to her inquiry from yesterday. A small smile formed on her face as she typed in a short response:

    [Copy that. Tomorrow 9 am. Sun Avenue.]

    She didn''t get any sleep, but at least she got a job.

 Chapter 219: Hunting

    Chapter 219: Hunting

    Young Mansion  September 30

    "Father, are you sure Katherine is okay? We haven''t seen her for a month now." Deborah Young nced at her father before sipping her favorite tea, unwilling to look him in the eye. She had been anxious for weeks, unsure of what to do after learning about Katherine''s identity.

    Chairman Young was calmly reading the Sunday newspaper, his eyes skimming through the articles but not really reading them. "I''m sure she''s okay. She had been on her own for a long time. She just needs time to ept who she really is."

    "Father, did she contact you? What did she say?" Deborah leaned forward eagerly.

    "She called mest week. She said she''s having a good time at the beach."

    "The beach? What beach?"

    "I didn''t ask Debbie, I know you''re worried about her. I am too. But she asked me to give her some space and I am going to give her that. So for now, let us just wait for when she''s ready toe back home. After all, knowing something this huge is quite shocking," Chairman Young said, his voice calm and gentle.

    Deborah Young breathed in deeply and took a sip of her tea as she tried to brush her thoughts aside and distracted herself withpany matters instead.

    Truthfully, Chairman Young was worried about Katherine a lot. And seeing her reaction that day when he told her who she was, he regretted it a little.

    He was quite in a rush to tell her things about the life that she didn''t know. He was sure that it must have been mind-boggling. So when she asked him to let her be for a while, he could only agree. He owed her that.

    ''You can take your sweet time, my little pumpkin. Grandpa won''t go anywhere. I''ll be right here waiting for when you are ready,'' he said in his thoughts as he looked at the garden view in front of him.

    Katherine zipped up her ck duffel bag and tied her hair up into a messy bun before putting on a ck Ray-ban Aviators. Grabbing the ck leather jacket from the back of the sofa, she swiftly wore it on her.

    She scanned her living room as though she was making sure that she didn''t forget anything. When she was satisfied, she picked up the duffel bag and headed to her door, turning the rm on and locking it before going to the basement garage.

    She was supposed to meet someone in Sun Avenue in twenty minutes. Reaching the garage, she securely fastened her bag on her motorcycle before wearing a helmet and revving up the engine. Soon, she was riding outside the streets and making a beeline towards the meetup location.

    When Katherine was still with Shadow years ago, she had mapped out a contingency n for cases where she had to be on a run, or in hiding without anyone else''s knowledge. She had put aside arge sum of money and kept it somewhere only she knows and along with the money were several fake IDs and passports, keys to vaults or storages where she could hide her essentials, aka weapons and transportation.

    It took her awhile to be able to stash those things in several ces because she had to make sure that they wouldn''t be in just one spot to avoid the possibility of losing everything all at once. She also had to make sure that nothing would be traced back to her.

    Gaining back her memories didn''t happen all at the same time. But she remembered most of her life in Shadow and her childhood, especially that one tragic night. Retracing her steps to find her belongings that were kept away took a while and when she finally got everything that she stashed away, she realized that she needed more money or she''ll starve.

    Katherine couldn''t go back yet. She was still too weak to do that. She wasn''t ready to face herself being Katherine Young which was why she had to find ways to survive at least until she had the guts to face everything... and everyone.

    She had actually anticipated that she would need to earn money but she wasn''t afraid of that. There were a lot of things that she could do with her skillset and there was one thing that she could do so well that would enable her to earn a lot of money and fast  Bounty Hunting.

    What better way to exercise her expertise than chasing criminals with a high amount of money floating on their heads?

    She had to do this or she would go crazy wallowing in her own guilt and grief. This was the only way she thought she could somehow live with herself.

    The ck Ducati stopped by the curb and Katherine swiftly got off her bike. Taking off the helmet, her brown locks fell on her back like a waterfall and she cursed under her breath as she had to redo her hair again.

    Sun Avenue wasn''t an actual avenue, rather it was a restaurant. She stood next to her bike parked across the street from the restaurant, waiting for her contact''s arrival.

    A man in his fifties wearing a grey suit with a briefcase in his hand tapped her by the shoulder and without saying anything, he handed her several papers and a USB containing a list of criminals with their corresponding bounties.

    "Thanks," she muttered as she nced at him. He tipped his fedora hat before walking away casually.

    Katherine circled a certain person''s name on the paper with a ck marker and then shoved the papers in her jacket pocket.

    "All right. First stop  Mexico," she said to no one in particr before speeding off.

    In the evening at Katherine''s apartment

    The sound of footsteps echoed through the hallway, stopping just in front of the door to Katherine''s empty apartment.

    "Okay, I know that the first one was a bust. But this one, I''m 95% sure." Styles had a palm-sized device on his hand and his quick fingers tapped on it as he spoke.

    "Yeah. You said that thest time," Falcon replied in an exasperated tone. They had arrived in Harbor City earlier in the afternoon and the travel had been quite tiring.

    Styles ignored Falcon and knocked on the door. The two of them stood quietly and a little awkwardly when they tried to listen if there was a sound on the other side of the door. Styles''s brows furrowed and his lips pursed when it was eerily quiet.

    He tapped on the door a few more times until Falcon stopped him and started picking on the lock.

    "Hey! I was going towait!" Styles stopped Falcon and quickly did his magic on his tablet, turning off the rm before giving the go signal to try picking the lock again.

    The door swung open smoothly and the two of them were greeted by the darkness and emptiness of the whole ce.

    "Let me guess," Falcon started. "This isn''t the ce."

    Styles walked in the living room and scanned the whole room, looking for signs of Katherine. He bit his lip and turned on the lights to get a clearer view and almost instantly, he felt disappointed. The ce looked sad. The living room literally had a sofa and a coffee table and a punching bag? His eyes lit up and he almost danced in glee.

    Turning around, he quickly went back to the door and saw a shirt on the floor. The corners of his mouth curled up so fast when he realized that he was right. "This is it! This is the ce."

    "Right," Falcon snorted. Who could live in a ce like this? As if to humor Styles, Falcon asked, "Okay, if this is the ce. Then where is she?"

    The smile on Styles''s face slipped. He pushed his sses in ce and tilted his head as he studied the living room. "Hmmm. Good question."

 Chapter 220: Boobs and Booty, Check.

    Chapter 220: Boobs and Booty, Check.

    Los Angeles, California

    Inside a restroom of a random diner, Katherine looked at the mirror. She could hardly recognize herself, what with her blonde flirty wig, sultry dress, and thick makeup. She pulled out a photo from her sparkly purse and memorized her target for that night.

    For more than three weeks, Katherine had been capturing fugitives and criminals or what they call as a "skip" by using every means that she could think of. Tonight was just one of the quick ones and although she could just easily grab and cuff the "skips" as soon as she spots them, she couldn''t risk having her identity out in the open.

    Which was why she had to disguise herself and lure them in  it saved her from having to literally chase them everywhere. She hated running after them.

    Tonight''s target had a particr type  blondes. And although this man was on the run, he had so much guts in him that he would still go to nightclubs, acting as if he was a free man. He had changed his haircut and hair color but Katherine could still recognize him. She was sure of it.

    After taking a mental picture of the skip''s photo, Katherine shoved it in her purse and nced back at the mirror.

    Blonde wig, check.

    Boobs, check.

    Booty, check.

    Heavy makeup, check.

    She fixed her silver low cut dress, making sure her cleavage was showing. Actually, the dress wasn''t much of a dress. It looked more like a scrap of sequined cloth wrapped around her body, just enough to cover the bits that needed to be covered.

    "Okay, slutty enough," she muttered to no one in particr.

    Once Katherine was ready, she got out of the restroom and exited the diner through the back door. She headed straight across the street towards a nightclub.

    There was a long queue outside of the club but she didn''t have to go in line, of course. As she was approaching the entrance, a really buff bouncer manning the door unhooked the red rope barrier for her, giving her a wide grin and a nod as she passed through.

    "Thanks, Joe," Katherine winked at him, her hand brushed against his chest subtly as she walked past him.

    "Oh,e on! How does she get to enter without queuing?!" One pissed person in lineined when he saw the whole thing.

    Joe''s gaze followed Katherine until she disappeared inside the club, his smile stayed until he turned to the person who wasining. His smile instantly disappeared and gave the man the deathly re as he squared his shoulders as though he was saying, ''Whatcha gonna do ''bout it?''

    Katherine didn''t know Joe very much as she only met him once but Joe was her contact in the club. She asked him to give her a heads up when her target arrives in the club so she could do her job. In return for Joe''s help, she promised to give him a tip from the bounty that she would earn from the skip''s arrest.

    Her eyes scanned the crowded and loud club until theynded on a tall and skinny man at the bar. "Chad," she muttered his name under her breath.

    Chad was thirty-five years old. Arson and attempted murder were his crimes which made his bail amount around half a million dors to which bounty hunters would earn about 10 to 25 percent of the total bail bond.

    Looking at the skip a few meters away from her, Katherine could only hear a "Ka-ching" sound in her ear and see a huge dor sign on top of his head.

    This would probably be enough hunting for a while. Her grandfather insisted on sending her "allowance" but the amount her grandfather told her was definitely not just allowance. It was more like an annual sry of an average worker. She understood that he was family, but she couldn''t ept it. Especially not after disappearing on him after he told her she was his long lost granddaughter.

    If she was to go back to her family, she wanted to go back with at least a good bank ount. To face whoever she had to face, she couldn''t only rely on her family''s money.

    Taking a deep breath, Katherine raised her chin and strutted across the club in her ck five-inch Jimmy Choos.

    She sat next to Chad who noticed her arrival but she didn''t look his way. Turning her body towards him just enough so he could see her front, she twirled her blonde hair and sighed when the bartender was far and busy to get her order.

    Chad raked over Katherine''s length, his eyes lingering on her cleavage longer than he should and smirked before taking a sip of his beer. "Can I buy you a drink?" he asked, leaning towards her.

    As if noticing him for the first time, Katherine turned her head to him and formed a slow smile. "Um I guess"

    Chad gged down the bartender and she ordered her drink. "Pinkdy?" he asked, truly curious why she chose the particr drink when no one else seems to order it.

    She shed a flirty smile at him, acted coyly as she spoke, "I like it, it''s quite yummy. And it''s pretty." Katherine wanted to barf at her own answer.

    The bartender slid the cocktail ss in front of her, winking before walking to the other side of the bar to tend to other customers. She took a shy sip of her drink, thankful that the bartender didn''t forget to rece the alcohol with water instead as per her request before she came to the club that night.

    As much as she wanted to stay sober that night, the sweet and creamy drink made her want to have alcohol instead. She turned to Chad and shed him another smile, "So, where are you from?"

    "Just here and there," he answered vaguely, "Are you here alone?"

    "Yeah, I was supposed toe with my friends but they bailed on me. I thought tonight was going to be fun," she said, pulling on a sad face.

    "Oh, you''re looking for something fun? I can be fun" Chad smirked, licking his lips.

    Katherine fought the urge to roll her eyes. She picked up the cherry by the stem that was garnished on her cocktail and yed it with her lips while maintaining eye contact with the disgusting pervert of a man that goes by the name Chad.

    She promised herself this would be thest time she was going to do this for bounty hunting or she might not be able to help herself and poke his eyes with her long fake nails.

    She almost gasped with she felt his filthy hand on her knee but she was so good with her mask that she batted her eyes at him instead as if she liked his touch. God, noshe didn''t.

    Chad finished his bottle of beer and turned to face her  his smug look was still on his face. "Do you want to get some fresh air?" he nodded towards the back entrance that was leading to the dark alley.

    ''Fresh air, my ass,'' she said in her thoughts. Dark alleys never smell good. But it was the perfect ce. "Sounds great."

    This was fast. Katherine thought that she''d have to at least sit there and flirt for a while. This criminal just couldn''t keep his pants on.

    Chad came out first and as soon as Katherine stepped out, he moved towards her and pushed her back against the wall.

    "Oh, in a hurry, are we?" she smiled and before Chad could evene closer, she flipped them both, exchanging their ces in one swift move and pinned him on the wall.

    "Ah so you''re the feisty type?"

    Katherine let out a mockingugh. She inched closer until she was a hair''s breadth away from his face and with a seductive voice, she said, "You bet your arsonist ass I am."

    And the sound of handcuffs clicking around his wrists were heard.

 Chapter 221: Rogue Agent

    Chapter 221: Rogue Agent

    "What the?!"

    Chad''s eyes widened, suddenly realizing that he couldn''t move as his hands were cuffed to a pole. "You a cop?!"

    "Not exactly," Katherine turned around, her facade already gone.

    She whipped out her phone and called someone, speaking as soon as her call came through, "Skip''s restrained. He''s out the back alley of Lost Club."

    The call ended and Katherine turned around to a smiling Chad. Her eyebrow twitched when she noticed how smug he looked even after being captured. "Why are you smiling?"

    He shrugged as if he doesn''t even care about what was happening to him.

    "For a criminal who has just been seized, you seem to be very... rxed," she remarked, crossing her arms as she studied him. "Aren''t you the least bit worried?"

    "Pfft. Hey, if I gotta go, I gotta go. At least I''m not running away anymore, right?"

    Chad''s words struck a chord in her heart which made her take a step back. Why did it feel like those words were meant for her? Was she really running away? That couldn''t be She just needed some time alone to think about things.

    Composing herself, she cleared her throat and turned around to walk away from him. She wasn''t in the mood to talk. She just wished the cops woulde faster so they could take Chad away and she could leave.

    "So I''m not getting any of you?" Chad clicked his tongue.

    Katherine stopped in her tracks and softly chuckled before facing him again. Catwalking her way towards him, she flipped her hair, smiled and stopped in front of him. "Oh, you are so going to get something from me..."

    cing her hand on his shoulder, she kneed him in the nuts. Chad''s face turned all red, groaning as he slid weakly down to the ground.

    Katherine was getting ready for bed in her four-star hotel room when her phone beeped. It was a notification informing her that the bounty money was already deposited into her ount.

    That was fast. At the very least, she thought she was going to have to wait until tomorrow or a few more days to catch her target. Her work that night went smoothly. Her entire preparation was even longer than the time she spent sitting at the bar.

    It felt as if the city was making her leave faster than she originally nned. ''Go away now. Go back to where you came from,'' she heard in her head.

    "At least I''m not running away anymore" Chad''s words echoed in her head.

    She. Was. Not. Running. Away.

    Her back hit the sheets and in one brisk move, the nkets went over her face as she breathed heavily.

    What was one more night? She could still stay, not because she was running away, but because L.A is just a beautiful city. She''d love to spend one more

    Oh, what the hell. Katherine sat up on the bed and let out a sigh. To prove to herself that she wasn''t running away, she started packing hastily.

    She would leave tonight! And by noon tomorrow, she''ll see the bright Harbor City again.

    Katherine clutched the long ne dangling around her neck. Her fingers yed with the pendant for a few seconds before inserting it beneath her shirt. The ck onyx ring was now resting in the middle of her chest, right above her heart.

    She braced herself and zipped up her duffel bag, leaving the very nice room in ten seconds.

    The flight was only five hours long from California to Florida, where Katherine left her motorcycle a few days ago after working on a few cases. She rode all the way back to Harbor City, Esmea for a few hours and by the time she arrived, her body was so beat that she badly wished for a massage.

    Dragging herself back to her sad and empty apartment, she stepped inside after unlocking the door and instantly, her senses heightened.

    Someone was inside her ce. She carefully dropped her bag on the floor and scanned the whole ce.

    It was noontime and she could clearly see that her ce didn''t look and feel the same way she left it.

    There were take-outs on the coffee table and she swore she could hear the water running inside the bathroom.

    Katherine turned her head to the right and reached for the knife on her ankle. As soon as the bathroom door swung open and someone came out, she flung the knife across the room.

    The other person easily dodged the iing dagger but Katherine did not give the other party a chance to recover as she lunged forward fast and hard, delivering punches and kicks which were easily countered just with the same speed and force.

    She was caught by surprise when she realized that the other person had a really familiar tactic. Techniques that were most definitely learned from Shadow.

    Had they found her already? Were there other assassins sent to get her?

    The momentary distraction caused her to earn a kick on her side that sent her flying to the living room.

    Sht. She had wanted a massage, not a kick in the ribcage!

    Katherine winced and sat up, ready to attack again when the other person slowly strolled towards her. And that''s the only time that she realized, she had seen the person''s face somewhere before.

    "Not bad for a rogue agent," the intruder said, looming over Katherine''s shocked expression.

    "You I know you"

    "Oh, really? I hope you heard great things about me." The intruder''s smile was so cunning yet so gentle at the same time that it made Katherine''s heart skip a beat.

    "But you why"

    Katherine was awestruck. She had a hard time processing the rush of information that was running through her head.

    The intruder extended a hand for Katherine, helping her up the floor and onto her feet again. The way their hands touched caused her to snap out from her trance and she immediately took a step back, already on guard.

    "What are you doing here?" Katherine questioned.

    Yes. What the hell was this person doing here?

    Better yet, why was Damien Park''s mother standing in front of her right this very second?!

    The intruder standing before Katherine smiled and she looked exactly like the picture from that old white envelope that Damien showed her a few months ago.

    That''s not the weirdest realization. The thing is, that the woman looked as if she had not aged at all. She was still youthful and damn she''s beautiful. Wasn''t she supposed to be fifty-ish?

    Before Katherine could even muster up the courage to open her mouth again, the intruder stepped forward and said, "It''s nice to finally meet you, Queen I''m"

    "Falcon! Katherine!"

    A man''s familiar voice came from the doorway and the two women snapped their heads towards it.

    Katherine''s eyes went so wide and immediately teary when it dawned on her that Styles was walking towards her with a paper bag in his hand, smiling as if he had just seen his long lost puppy.

    "I see, you two have metaw!" Styles stumbled backward after Katherinended a fist on his face.

    "You, asshat! You''re still alive?!" Katherine yelled and was about to pounce on Styles once again when the other woman held her back.

    "Woah easy I know you''re mad at me. But can you go easy on the punches?" Styles pulled himself up, massaging his cheek with his left hand and waving his other hand as he said, "Katherine, aka Queen, meet Falcon"

    Katherine turned her head to the other woman who was still holding her arm and muttered, "...Shadow''s first rogue agent."

 Chapter 222: First Question

    Chapter 222: First Question

    October 26

    While Katherine Young was still in shock, arge sweaty hand grabbed her forward and then she was pressed against Styles''s chest. She had almost forgotten how it felt like to be hugged by Styles as it had been five years since thest time she had seen him. Now she remembered how he was a few inches taller than her and that he would always sway her from side to side with his arms tightly wrapped around her.

    She wanted to hit him again because thest time she saw him had been before the st in Shadow and on that fateful day, she thought he had already gone home. To her surprise, he was still in the base and he could have easily been one of the casualties.

    Styles was a year older than her and he also entered Shadow a year before her but he was her very first friend in the organization. One didn''t naturally get to befriend someone inside because of the nature of the business and while everyone else looked at her differently due to her being a "special case", Styles sat next to her during mealtimes and they easily became good friends.

    Just like Chris, he was also an orphan. He was a mixed-race child that ended up in an orphanage at three years old after his parents died in an overdose. He had lived in a few foster homes but he never stayed there for longer than a few months. At fifteen years old, he lived on the streets for a few months after escaping an abusive foster parent. His studies weren''t solid due to being sent from one house to another a lot of times but there was one thing that he loved a lot puters.

    He fended for himself and whenever he saved enough money, he would stay in a 24/7 inte cafe where he learned how to hack impressively fast. Styles was simply a genius!

    However, even though he was aputer whiz, he didn''t exactly have the needed knowledge aboutws. It was why after a couple of months on his "hackventure" as he calls it, Shadow found him. He was given shelter and he got to y withputers as much as he wanted. Since he didn''t have any real family and he wasn''t going to be an agent, Styles didn''t have to go through any invasive procedure.

    Styles rose up the ranks really fast as the head of the Tech Team and it was all because of his skills. Be it brains or looks  he definitely has it. The only thing that Styles wasn''t good at was talking to women. Since Styles had always treated Katherine like a sister, his weakness didn''t apply to her.

    Katherine''s many unanswered questions caused her to snap out of her trance and she pulled back from the hug abruptly. "Wait, why are you two together? Why are you here? How did you find me? Did Shadow send you?!" The confused expression on her face made Styles worry. He had forgotten how Katherine tends to overthink most of the time.

    "Okay, Sweetie, you need to sit down. You just got home. And" Sniff. "Actually, you may want to shower first. You smell like a baby''s barf." Styles looked at her with a weird expression. "Don''t worry we''re not here to kill you."

    Katherine stared at Styles, trying to read if he was telling the truth. It wasn''t hard to be convinced because she knew that Styles would never hurt her. Shifting her gaze to Falcon, she saw her small smile and a somewhat harmless expression,pelling her to trust her. Now, this was such a weirdbination  Styles and Falcon.

    Before she coulde up with more questions in her head, Style''s spun her towards the bathroom and pushed her forward. "Go, I promise we will answer your questionster. You need to cool down first."

    Katherine sniffed herself on the way to the bathroom and her brows furrowed. Of course, she would smell like baby barf because a baby from the airne barfed on her.

    When Katherine was out of earshot, Styles red at Falcon. "Why did you kick her?"

    "Hey, she started it first. She was the one who threw her dagger at me as soon as she saw me. I just retaliated." Falcon shrugged her shoulders, snatched the paper bag in Styles''s hands and sat on the sofa.

    "Huh. Are you sure you didn''t hit her because she left your son brokenhearted?" Styles''s eyes didn''t leave Falcon''s face as he tried to study her. "You do know your son''s family also did something bad to her, right?"

    Falcon shrugged again. "I was just testing her skills. She let her guard down so my kicknded. As for whatever usation you''re spouting I don''t know what you''re talking about."

    Styles sat next to her and looked at her for a few more seconds before looking away. "Fair enough. But you know, you keep on brushing off any emotions you have towards your son as if you don''t care. It''s okay, you knownghhh nghhh..."

    Falcon stuffed Styles''s mouth with a steamed pork and leeks bun to shut him up. "Stop talking and eat."

    Instead of getting annoyed, Styles only smiled and bit off the bun, following her order. Maybe this was why he liked Falcon... because, in a way, she was like Katherine. She acted like his big sister.

    Katherine was already inside the bathroom but she could still hear the two outside talking. She didn''t know what to feel about this situation. It was just so strange.

    She had only heard of Falcon when she was still in Shadow but they were all rumors only. She hadn''t seen any pictures of her and her name was a taboo. No one spoke of her so casually especially when Parker was around. Once, she had asked Chris but even Chris didn''t tell her much. So she didn''t know anything except that Falcon was Shadow''s first rogue agent.

    As for the reason why she went rogue or what her status was, she had no idea. However, this wasn''t what she was really concerned about.

    It''s the fact that Falcon and Amelia Silva were one person. And most importantly, she was Damien''s biological mother. ''How twisted is this?''

    Her heart drummed so wildly that she could practically hear her heartbeat in her ear. It seemed like what she knew about Damien''s background or herself was just touching the surface. What else did she not know? Wasn''t knowing that the Parks were behind her family''s massacre enough? Or that Shadow was also involved in it too for reasons she did not understand?

    Katherine was already so exhausted and she just really wanted to get some sleep as much as she wanted some answers. But first thing''s first  shower.

    After getting out of the shower, Styles made sure that Katherine was fed first before they start talking. She ate awkwardly because Styles and Falcon were watching her the whole time and it was so weird not having the whole ce to herself.

    She had been alone for some time and now that there were other people in the room, one being an old friend while the other was her supposed to be mother-inw sh Shadow''s first rogue agent  the set up was just too odd.

    With knitted brows, Katherine wiped her mouth and crossed her arms in front of her chest as she stared back at the two pairs of eyes looking at her. "Okay, no more stalling. What is going on?"

    "Um Sure, we can talk. But first, Queen can you put that knife down? It''s giving me the heebie-jeebies." Styles nodded at her hand.

    "What knife?" Katherine raised a brow as she followed the direction of Styles''s eyes and saw her fingers casually twirling a dagger. "Oh."

    Her fingers stopped moving and with a long sigh, she ced the dagger in the middle of the table. "Okay, first question. I thought you were dead, Styles If you''ve been alive all this time, why did you onlye to me now?"

    Instead of letting Styles answer the question, Falcon leaned forward and spoke, "Because we need your help."

 Chapter 223: What Did You Do, Styles?!

    Chapter 223: What Did You Do, Styles?!

    Katherine''s gazended on Falcon Err Amelia. She wanted to ignore Falcon''s presence for a while because of too much confusion. Katherine was still trying to understand how Styles is alive and well but with the other person in the room, she couldn''t just look at Amelia and not connect her with Damien. It was too difficult.

    She swallowed and continued to ask, "What help? What could I possibly help you with? Wait Styles, how did you get out of Castle? Are you still with Shadow? Are you a double agent?"

    "I know this is all so confusing to you but okay, here it goes... basically, after the st, I got injured and I saw Chris taking you out of the base. I followed you out but I fell unconscious on the road. When I woke up, I was already in Falcon''s home."

    Styles nced at the woman next to him and Katherine could see the admiration and respect in his eyes. "I didn''t recognize her at first but after she told me who she was..."

    "He suddenly went on Karate Kid with me while having an injured leg and arm," Amelia added and the two of themughed at the memory.

    "Anyway, after I calmed down, she told me what Shadow really was. Or what it was when she left. I figured that must be why you did what you did. I put the pieces together until I remembered that you essed myputer that day and Chris was so mad using me that I hacked hisputer."

    Katherine could still remember that day so well. Because of how close she was with Styles, she could use hisputer anytime. However, the data in hisputer was also limited as the very confidential ones were only essible in Chris''s and Parker''sputers.

    It was why she couldn''t find anything regarding her family''s case until she overheard Chris and Parker talking and they mentioned about Operation Scorpion. Her search was immediately narrowed to one. And that was what led her to open a pandora box.

    Katherine was enraged just thinking about Chris. She suppressed herself and breathed deeply, "Okay, and it took you five years to get to me?!" She knew Styles would never lie to her. And she knew everything was Parker''s doing.

    Styles became quiet. The room was silent for a minute before he managed to speak again, "I looked for you everywhere I only know that Chris saved you from the st but what he did after that, I didn''t know. It was two monthster when we learned that you were in the list of ''Deceased Agents''. So I thought you were dead"

    "Wait, so Shadow, noParker doesn''t know that I''m alive?" Katherine was conflicted. What did Chris do exactly?

    "I think Chris faked your death or something. ''Coz if Parker knew you were alive and was hiding from Shadow, he would definitely send people to have you canceled."

    Exasperated, Katherine got up from her chair and started pacing. "So, Chris faked my death to hide me from Parker. And he erased my memory. Did you know that he erased my memory?!" she snapped.

    "We had followed Chris very discreetly. He also assigned someone to watch over you. And I didn''t know what monkey business he was up to until I found you in the hospital in aa. So yeah, I kinda figured that out after you woke up. You don''t know how relieved I was to see you alive."

    Styles met Katherine''s eyes and added, "I had faith that one day you would wake up. When you did, I couldn''t exactly go near you because there was always someone watching behind the sidelines. And if they found out that I was also alive" Styles shrugged. There was no need for him to exin as they both knew what will happen then.

    "After that, I learned that you had no recollection about anything at all and for some reason, I was kinda thankful." Styles raised his hands when he saw Katherine''s scowl and exined fast, "Wait, don''t get mad. It''s just I know what Chris did to you was really bad but I understand why he did what he did. And I thought that maybe it wasn''t so bad for you because you were given a second chance to live your life away from Shadow."

    Katherine shut her eyes. She understood what Styles meant yet she couldn''t help but feel extremely wronged. She felt so lost the entire time that she didn''t have her memories. It was as if she was living a life that wasn''t hers.

    Her silence allowed Styles to continue. "What happened to you was both bad and good and we thought that maybe it was for the best, at least you were finally out."

    "But I was never really out, Styles" Katherine said with a trembling voice, "I was always scared especially at night when all the questions I had about my identity woulde to haunt me."

    "I''m sorry." Styles immediately walked towards her and gave her a brotherly hug. "We never really knew what was the right thing to do Just like what you said, you were never really out. It was the same for me. I was no longer in Shadow but I''m not a free man either. But I still know about the horrible things that they did While you didn''t. And so maybe, not knowing was also a good thing."

    Styles released her and she asked, "What happened then?"

    "Well, I did try to meet you one time. And it was really risky. That was when you came to the hospital for a session and I tried to help you remember"

    "You came to see me?"

    "Yeah but that didn''t really go so well. I think somehow I triggered a bad spot and you went crazy attacked a nurse and a doctor You were sedated and when you woke up, you didn''t remember what happened. So after that, we couldn''t risk going near you anymore. I didn''t want to cause you any more trouble so I stopped seeing you."

    Katherine remembered a particr time that it happened. It was even in her medical report.

    "But I didn''t stop watching out for you from afar. From time to time I sent someone to check on you just to make sure you''re still okay. However, we had to move far away to lessen the risk of being caught. We couldn''t stay here."

    "You were watching out for me the entire time? Why do I feel like you''ve done something?" Katherine raised her chin and narrowed her eyes as she asked, "Styles What else did you do?"

    Katherine watched as Styles stepped back and gulped loudly. He couldn''t look at her in the eye and he started moving behind Falcon as though he was trying to shield himself.

    "Umm nothing really. I just helped you out a little. No biggie."

    "If so, then why are you hiding?" Katherine tilted her head to look at him whose face was already mostly covered.

    "Umm Okay, so remember that time when you were applying for a job at CRG?" Styles''s voice was a little breathy. His heart was pounding in his chest, afraid that Katherine might actually just kill him.

    "Yes. What did you do?!" She started stalking towards Styles very slowly.

    "I may have um bumped you to the top andnded you a job as the CEO''s secretary."

    Katherine''s widened eyes caused Styles to swallow again and he cowered when she snapped, "You what?!"

 Chapter 224: People Playing Gods

    Chapter 224: People ying Gods

    Katherine chased Styles around the living room, yelling at him to stop running away from her so she could beat him up.

    "Calm down first and I will staaahh" Styles whimpered when she caught him by the hem of his shirt. "Okay okay! Not the shirt. I will stop running, just don''t ruin my shirt!"

    She turned him around and clutched his cor, making him gulp as he met her re. "Why? Did you do it on purpose? Was it fun trying to y matchmaker?!"

    "Hey! Stop, okay?! Jeez. You really think I would y with your heart like that?" Styles brushed her hand away gently and fixed his shirt, he sat back on the sofa as he exined, "I swear I didn''t know anything about your history with Damien when I did it."

    "How did you even do it? I was applying for the Marketing Director''s assistant!"

    Styles snorted as if he was proud of what he aplished. "I never reveal my secrets. And besides, it''s not like you weren''t truly qualified to be the CEO''s assistant. Queen, your grades were topnotch at the university for goodness'' sake! You deserve your ownpany and not settle for a mere CEO''s assistant position. I knew that you were more than qualified."

    Katherine sighed, sitting down on the coffee table to face him. "Styles, that was before I lost my memories. Chris did fake my papers but he couldn''t fake what was in my head. Even after trying to self-study, there was only so much that I could learn from the course. It was like I was studying everything from scratch. It was hell. It was hard."

    The agents in Shadow were all degree holders. Apart from theirbat training, they would also undergo several sses and one of which was an elerated Online Degree that couldst from twelve months to twenty-four months. For Katherine, she finished a Bachelor of Science in Business Management.

    The aim for Shadow was to have their agents fit in the real world whenever they need to go on missions and especially undercover cases.

    A knowledgeable agent with the skills of an assassin could be deadly.

    "Look, I only did that because I wanted to help you move out of that shabby apartment. How could you have lived in that for years? I just wanted to give you a better status. You know have a better home. Eat better food."

    "So you really had no idea what happened between me and" Katherine briefly nced at Amelia who was quietly leaning against the wall on the side and cleared her throat before she continued, "And you thought you were just helping me?" Katherine looked at Falcon again and carefully spoke, "But you I know Damien is your son."

    Falcon didn''t seem surprised that Katherine knew. Falcon only smiled and Styles touched Katherine''s arm to get her attention.

    "Queen, I didn''t know you had some sort of past with this guy. And it was all my decision, Falcon didn''t have anything to do with what I did at first and"

    "Wait, what do you mean <em>''at first</em>''?"

    "Falcon was gone for a few weeks during that time, doing some badass things to earn money. We aren''t exactly rich, okay? So I do some work, she also does the same but she has to go away for some time. And when she came back that''s when she told me about her secret."

    Styles looked at Falcon and added, "Can you believe this gorgeous woman is the mother of a thirty-year-old man? Anyway Later, I remembered that one time you were researching about Damien Park on myputer but it looked just like one of those researches that you usually do. So I thought you were only learning about who you''d possibly meet in missions. I didn''t know anything else You didn''t actually tell me anything about your boy problems."

    Katherine furrowed her brows at Styles and scoffed, "I did not have boy problems okay?!"

    "Yeah yeah Whatever. So that''s that. When Falcon came back, you were already working there for a week and to my surprise the two of you got pretty close so quickly and he even helped you with recovering your memories"

    "How did you know about that? How much do you know?" Katherine was starting to get annoyed that her life became like a reality TV for these people, watching her on the sidelines.

    "Well, he transferred you to his doctor friend who was a neurologist. It doesn''t take a genius like me to know why he did that" Styles pursed his lips into a thin line as though trying to find a way to word his next thoughts carefully. "So um anyway after Falcon told me about your past"

    He gulped and shifted his gaze to the side, afraid to look at Katherine in the eye. "We came up to a decision to just let things go naturally. I was hoping he would be able to help you remember, given how he was involved in your past."

    Katherine''s jaw tensed and she looked at Styles with a stern gaze, her expression looking very hurt. She felt like her life was being orchestrated by people ying gods.

    Already feeling betrayed by everything that Chris did to her, she couldn''t believe that even Styles took advantage of her. Whatever happened to just talking? Why couldn''t they have just spoken to her like normal people and told her who or what she was?

    With mixed emotions, Katherine got up and was about to walk towards the window when she realized something. There was something off and she had only noticed it. She turned around and looked at Styles and Falcon, her gaze shifting from the two of them as she asked, "Wait What do you know about my past? How much do you know?"

    Styles stiffened and had only realized that Katherine never told her about her family''s tragedy. The only people who knew about her past were only Chris and Parker but even the two of them didn''t talk to her about it especially Parker.

    So, what and how did the head of IT who had no free ess to the Confidential Operations and a Rogue Agent who had been out of Shadow for more than a decade know about her past?

    "Styles, sweetheart How about you grab us some coffee from the cafe around the corner?" Falcon gently patted Styles''s shoulder and he immediately got up on his feet.

    He was reluctant to leave the two women alone but he knew that he needed to give them some time to talk. Turning to Katherine before heading out the door, he probed, "Warm chocte?"

    Despite herself, Katherine gave Styles a small smile and nodded. When the two women were alone, they stared into each other for a long time without saying anything.

    Katherine felt a slight prick in her heart as she looked at Amelia''s face. Now she knew where Damien got his youthful look  he was as beautiful as his mother.

    Amelia reminded Katherine so much of Damien and because of that, looking at her was so difficult that it hurt.

 Chapter 225: Will you trust me?

    Chapter 225: Will you trust me?

    The picture that Katherine saw of Amelia Silva didn''t do justice  Amelia looked so much better in person. The woman looked like she was still in herte twenties or early thirties. She could easily pass as Damien''s big sister instead of being his mother.

    "I can see why my son is so enamored by you. You are very beautiful, Katherine," Amelia started. "And very smart too."

    "Um Thanks?" Katherine started feeling slightly ufortable. All because she mentioned his son. Subconsciously, she tugged the onyx ring on the ne that was resting on her chest and waited for Amelia to continue. Katherine didn''t know how to talk to her so she could only wait.

    "You''re mad at him, aren''t you? He''s a good person, Katherine. Despite everything that his family did and what they stood for, he is a good person. And I think you believe that too. So why"

    "How do you know? How could you say that when you weren''t even there his entire life? So how could you tell me that he is a good man?" Katherine asked, truly curious about her answer.

    Amelia lowered her gaze and took a deep breath before answering, "Because I was there that night when your parents were killed. I saw you and Damien."

    "What do you mean you were there? That night it was" Katherine gasped as the sudden realization came in. The other person who came to her room that night, could it be her?

    She stared at Amelia for a long time as though she was trying to envision that night again and she started to breathe heavily, her eyes watering as quick shes of images from that night appeared in her mind.

    Katherine had nightmares about the gunshots from that evening. After the incident, she had trouble sleeping and would end up not wanting to fall asleep for days because of the trauma.

    Although most of her memoriese in fragments now, she could remember what happened when Damien came to her bedroom that night.

    "Do you still remember what happened?" Amelia''s voice was calm and gentle. She had a way with her words, in which the listener would almost instantly be charmed by her.

    Katherine breathed deeply and closed her eyes, nodding her head. She refused to look at Amelia because she was afraid of the emotions that coursed through her body whenever she sees her.

    While Katherine was trying to calm herself down, her mind slowly drifted to that tragic night.

    ***

    What seemed like a quiet and normal night in Mason Young''s house suddenly became a war zone. Katherine who was twelve years old at that time stayed in her bedroom with her earphones on while she was busy writing her homework.

    The electricity went out and she scanned her room, waiting for the generator to work. The loud music was still ying in her earphones, masking the sound of gunshots from outside her bedroom. A few seconds passed and when the electricity was still out, Katherine wanted toin. She pulled down her earphones in frustration and it fell around her neck. She instantly jumped in fright when she heard the chaos outside her room.

    Katherine''s heart raced so fast because despite having heard the sound of gunshots only on TV, she was well aware that what she was hearing was real and it wasing from outside her bedroom. She scrambled out of the bed and started to tremble. She was scared and confused about what was going on. At the foot of the bed, she lowered herself and hid, covering her ears as the noise was too loud.

    She had wanted to go out and find her parents but just as she had the courage to walk towards the door, it flew open and mmed against the wall. Katherine was so frightened that she wanted to scream but no sound came out from her throat.

    The person who came in immediately caught sight of her and he raised the shlight in his hand, blinding Katherine and making her step back in fear. By instinct, the person raised his gun and pointed at her.

    Having seen death before her eyes, Katherine cried and begged, "Please, don''t hurt me."

    She was so scared and tears didn''t stop streaming down her eyes. Through her misty eyes, she could see the other staring back at her as if he was contemting what to do.

    "Please" she begged again.

    Just then, the other person lowered his gun and slowly stalked towards her. And for the first time, he spoke, "I I won''t hurt you."

    The sound of gunshots still continued in the background but his gentle yet slightly anxious voice registered in Katherine''s mind. He sounded like a young man who was still in his teens and going through puberty just like Matthew thest time she saw him a couple of weeks before that night.

    She was so terrified that every time the young man slowly took a step towards her, she would take a step back.

    "I want to go to my dad and mom," she said with a shaky voice.

    The young man froze for a second before he continued to move towards Katherine. "I''ll get you out of here. Do you think you can climb down the window?"

    Hearing his calm voice, Katherine nodded. She did not know who he was but he seemed to be helping her. She was still so worried but when the young man stood in front of her, she had nowhere else to run.

    He was a tall young man, so he bent down to her level and amidst the chaotic scene behind him, he gave her a small smile and told her, "You''re going to be okay. Will you trust me?"

    He didn''t seem too scary now that his face was illuminated by the moonlight from her tall window. For some odd reason, she wanted to trust him.

    Just as Katherine nodded her head, the sound of a cocking gun by the door caused them to jump. The young man turned around and in an instant, he already had his gun pointed at the person by the door. Katherine clutched at the young man''s shirt as she hid behind him.

    "Drop your gun," said the female who was standing by the door, her gun pointing at the young man.

    The young man made sure to cover Katherine with his body, shielding her from the possibility of getting shot at.

    Katherine didn''t know what happened but it suddenly became quiet. The sound of gunshots stopped and the next thing that she heard and saw was even more confusing.

    Katherine took a peek around the young man and looked at the person at the door  it was a woman in ck clothes with long hair and a slim body. The woman had frozen on the spot as she stared at them and her hand that was holding the gun trembled before she lowered it.

    Raising a hand to her face, the woman spoke in a clear tone while her eyes were still fixed on the young man in front of Katherine, "West Wing clear. There''s no one here."

 Chapter 226: I Will Catch You

    Chapter 226: I Will Catch You

    The woman closed the door behind her and turned to face Katherine and the young man. Raising her hands in front of her, she slowly walked forward.

    "Stay where you are," the young man said, still pointing the gun forward.

    "Okay okay I''m staying here. Just lower your gun. Here, I''ll throw mine away, see?" The woman threw her handgun on the floor and kicked it to the side.

    Katherine could sense the young man''s breathing bing heavy as he lowered his hand slowly. He snaked his hand around to hold Katherine''s arm as though he was making sure she was safely covered.

    "You''re trying to get her out of here, right?" The woman slowly stepped towards them. "That window is quite high up the ground. She will need your help."

    The young man nced out the window and gulped. It was indeed quite high for Katherine. Holstering his gun, he quietly opened the tall window and looked down at the ground below, trying to figure out his next steps. He estimated that it was approximately three to four meters from the window to the ground.

    He faced Katherine again and told her, "Listen, I''m going to go first and I will catch you. Okay?"

    Katherine looked at his eyes and all she could see was his resolution. She couldn''t say anything. She didn''t want to go out without her parents but she couldn''t stay inside either. The young man gave her a small smile again, his face was camouged by the ck streaks but she could see the genuineness in his eyes and it made her nod.

    The young man turned towards the window but before he could move, the woman cautiously went near them and she told him, "Be careful."

    His brows knitted, unsure why the woman was helping them escape. He nodded once and in one swift motion, he swung his legs to the ledge of the window. He was so graceful and he didn''t even make a sound as he dropped himself down, his feetnding on the ground effortlessly.

    The young man looked from left to right, making sure it was safe before he gave them a signal. Katherine was helped by the woman off the window with thetter''s strong arms. Katherine dangled above the ground  the woman helping her from the window while the young man waited for her to fall so he could catch her.

    As soon as Katherine was let go, she fell down and the young man caught her. During the fall, she identally let out a yelp but the young man''s hand immediately covered her mouth, stifling her cry.

    "Shh Be quiet," he said and slowly removed his hand.

    The two of them looked up as though they were waiting for the woman to follow but she was gone.

    "I don''t think she''sing with us," he said as he grabbed Katherine''s hand. "We need to get out of here. Try to keep up."

    He dragged her towards the woods on the northwest side of thend, the two of them running away from the house. Once they were at a safer distance, they docked at arge tree, both of them panting and catching their breath.

    "What about my parents? We have to save them too," Katherine clutched the young man''s shirt, her eyes pleading as she looked at him. He didn''t say anything and he couldn''t look at her in the eye.

    "Please"

    "You wait here. Do not go anywhere. You wait here and wait for me. I''lle back for you. Do you understand?" he asked.

    "But, I want to save"

    "Wait here." The young man ced her earphones on her ears, checking the 1st generation iPod to see if there was a song ying and gave her another gentle smile before he ran back towards the house, leaving Katherine barefoot and cold out in the woods.

    She waited for what seemed like forever, burying her face on her knees as she prayed to the gods. A cold handnded pressed on her small shoulder and she lifted her head expecting to see the young man again only to find another stranger.

    Katherine got startled and she scrambled to the side, trying to get away from the man.

    "Hey, hey it''s okay. I''m not going to hurt you," he said as he lowered himself to her level, his blue eyes staring back at her.

    And that was the first time that she ever saw Chris

    Right before her house exploded.

    ***

    "Katherine?" Amelia''s smooth voice snapped Katherine back to earth with a gasp.

    Katherine blinked again and again, wiping the tears that escaped her eyes. "It was you that night I remember now. You were there too just like Chris and Damien" She breathed deeply, trying to will herself to ask the question that pained her to ask. "Did you kill them?"

    Amelia sucked in air and looked at her in the eye as she replied, "I wasn''t supposed to be part of that mission. I used to have a person from inside the other organization who was there that night. I only heard thest minute and learned that my son was sent there by his uncle. I I just I couldn''t. He was too young. I didn''t want him to be part of this world"

    "Did you kill my parents?" Katherine repeated her question. At that moment, she couldn''t care less about Amelia''s motherly reason why she was there. But Katherine had to know if Amelia had harmed her parents.

    "No, and I''m sure my son didn''t either. It could have been anyone from the two parties."

    Hearing Amelia''s response, Katherine didn''t know what to feel. Relief was not the right term because it didn''t change what happened that night. And the thought of that painful memory crushed her once again. Katherine thought that she could no longer cry after a month of no tears.

    But after recalling that memory so clearly, she felt so broken again. Her parents were killed that night and she was the only one who got out. The guilt of being the only one surviving that horrible night crept up on her, wing her heart so sharply that she could feel the physical pain in her chest.

    Clutching her chest with her hands, she broke down.

    Amelia helped Katherine to the sofa where she patiently stroked her back until she calmed down again. Katherine was so pitiful and was once only an innocent young girl but because of that night, her world changed so differently.

    "Sorry about that. I thought I was all dried up but here I am I''m a mess again," Katherine said when she calmed down.

    Amelia gave her a ss of water. "I can''t imagine what you''ve been through. You must be having a really hard time. There''s nothing wrong with crying, Katherine. It doesn''t mean you''re weak if you do. It simply means you''re hurting."

    Katherine didn''t respond and she took a small sip of the water. Her mind briefly drifted back to Damien and her heart fluttered and throbbed at the same time. She breathed deeply, hoping to make the pain go away. And as if by nature, her hand flew to the ring on her chest, her fingers clutching it. Holding the onyx ring somehow calmed her down.

    "Did he give that to you? It looks nice," Amelia remarked. When Katherine still remained quiet, she added, "There''s just one thing that I want to know I may be prying but I need to understand where you stand. How mad are you at Damien? How much do you hate him?"

    Katherine shifted her gaze and it was fixed on Amelia. She looked at her, shaking her head as she answered, "I''m not I don''t hate him!"

    "Oh you don''t? Then if not, why"

    "I hate myself," she muttered hurriedly. "I hate myself because no matter what... I couldn''t hate him. It''s toote. I fell so deep. And I shouldn''t anymore. I can''t I can''t be with him. I can''t anymore. So I hate myself."

    Amelia Silva didn''t expect to hear those words from Katherine. This time, she was the one who became speechless.

    After all, she knew how it feels when you can''t be with the people you love.

 Chapter 227: Someday

    Chapter 227: Someday

    Katherine thought about what all of her feelings meant for her and Damien plenty of times. And maybe she thought she hated him for a while but she realized that she was more angry about what happened between them since the beginning and how they ended up entangled in each other''s lives. At the same time, she hated herself for a lot of things.

    She hated that she fell in love with him. She hated that he had saved her that night which could be a reason why she couldn''t bring herself to hate him, but because he was a member of the Park Family, she hated it.

    What she discovered from the files under Operation Scorpion barely scratched the surface. What Chris had in his folder only had a brief report stating that Shadow was hired but it didn''t say by who. However, it mentioned that they suspected the other party from that night was from a secret organization that was headed by the Park Family. There were no other proofs or whatsoever. But it was already clear to Katherine at that point that there were two groups that night  Shadow and the Parks.

    She felt so betrayed because the entire time, Chris only told her that Shadow was there to save her family from the other party. She was still so innocent and could only believe what he said because he did take her away. However, after reading the confidential files, her admiration for Chris only turned to hate.

    Five years ago, on the day that Katherine learned the truth behind her family''s tragedy, she acted irrationally. Her n was first to blow up Shadow and then find the Park Family''s base so she could do the same. By then, she had already resented her ambiguous rtionship with Damien. But before she could even execute her second n, her first n sort of failed when Chris got to her.

    She was immature then but thinking about it now, if time were to turn back, it would probably still have been what she would n to do. She was so enraged about what she discovered that she loathed Shadow to the core and wanted to destroy it. However, even after bombing the base, Shadow was still alive.

    When her memories came back, the first person that she saw was Damien. During that time, her brain worked so fast that the things she realized made her feel a lot ofplicated emotions. She had connected the puzzles  Damien''s confession about his family having some shady business, the report that she read from the Operation Scorpion file, and her memory of that young man from that night where Damien''s features suddenly matched when he appeared in front of her.

    In her haste, she removed the engagement ring and threw it at him. Her emotions flooded her, making her so vulnerable. She had to run.

    How could she be with him? How could she be with the person she shouldn''t be with?

    Yes, he may have saved her that night but the fact still remained  he was there with the rest of the Park Family to harm the Youngs. He was still a Park and for that, she couldn''t be with him. Her heart ached at the thought that her parents must have been hurting to see that she was with the enemy.

    So she hated herself. Because no matter what she did, she could never forget Damien.

    Because no matter how much she loved him, she could never be with him again.

    Amelia was there that night as well and she could hate her too, knowing that Shadow was there to kill her family. But she was already so confused with everything that she was feeling that she didn''t know whether she should hate her or not.

    And Katherine knew that if she truly hated them, she''d just be a hypocrite. After all, she had also killed people. Some innocent ones too  victims of corrupt people.

    Therefore, knowing all of these things, it wasn''t easy for her at all.

    After a long silence, Amelia nodded, patting Katherine''s arm and forming a smile on her face. "I understand. I happen to experience something simr. Well not exactly the same as yours, but you know I couldn''t be with the man I loved because of reasons."

    Katherine wiped her face with some tissue and pondered upon what Amelia said. She swallowed the huge lump in her throat before she had the guts to ask her. "Is it Damien''s father?"

    Amelia looked away and softly chuckled, staring at a distance as though she was reminiscing the past. "Ah Lawrence was such a handsome man. He was quite popr with women, too. Damien looked just like him," she said with a proud smile stered on her face.

    "He... looks like you too. I can see the resemnce," Katherine muttered.

    "You think so?" Amelia turned to Katherine, looking quite hopeful yet the sadness in her eyes was also evident.

    "Don''t you ever want to meet him?" Katherine wondered. She was sure that Damien must have wanted to meet his mother.

    The sound of the main door opening interrupted their conversation and in came Styles, sipping a Starbucks grande of something that had lots of whip cream and chocte shavings. "Hey,dies! Got your bevs," he winked, raising the cup take-out holder in his other hand.

    Katherine and Amelia exchanged looks and theyughed at how goofy Styles was.

    The three of them sat on the sofa, enjoying their afternoon drinks. And for the first time in a while, Katherine revealed her first genuine smile. Because for some reason, her once sad and empty apartment suddenly became less sad and empty.

    She looked at Styles whojust in timecaught her gaze and gave her a wink. That little gesture made her feel slightly at ease. Styles may only be just one person but he was certainly a ray of sunshine.

    Katherine''s gazended on Amelia and she too, smiled at her. "Oh, by the way, you told me you needed my help. What were you talking about? I''m not sure I can do much."

    "Believe me, you can do a lot. The reason why I asked you regarding my son is that I needed to know if you can function well for what you need to do."

    "And what would that be?"

    "I need you to go back and be Katherine Young."

    "What?" Katherine was surprised, unsure where this was heading.

    Unperturbed by Katherine''s surprise, Amelia continued, "And when you do, it is no doubt that you will constantly be running into him. I need to know if you can do that."

    The two women gazed at each other. Katherine understood what the other was asking. Amelia wanted to know if Katherine could y her part despite having the chance to meet Damien when the timees.

    "Let''s say I can What''s our main goal, exactly?"

    "What else?" Amelia raised a cocky brow and a stunning smirk as she said, "To take down Shadow, of course."

    Katherine''s lips parted and she stared at Amelia and Styles who were staring back at her, waiting for her answer.

    And for the first time in a long time, she saw hope

    That maybe someday  whenever it may be, everything was going to be alright.

    She still had so many questions for Amelia but she was no longer in a hurry.

    Without saying a word, Katherine slightly raised her cup of hot chocte to them and a small smile broke out her face.

    Someday.

 Chapter 228: Playing as Katherine Young

    Chapter 228: ying as Katherine Young

    "Damn it. What time is it?" Katherine shot to her feet and whipped out her cellphone, pressing the on button.

    "It''s half past four. Why?" Styles asked, wondering what made Katherine stressed so suddenly.

    "I was supposed to call Grandpa an hour ago." She was already on her way towards the bedroom to get some privacy, racking her brains thinking about how to talk to the old man when she calls him.

    Leaving Styles and Amelia at the living room, Katherine closed the bedroom door and breathed deeply before dialing her grandfather''s phone number. It only took one ring and her call came through right away.

    "Katherine! Where have you been? You said you were going to call me an hour ago. I was so worried"

    "Sorry, Grandpa. I fell asleep and only woke up just now. I called you as soon as I did," Katherine lied so smoothly, even faking a yawn as though she really had just woken up. She wished. She was so tired that she probably would fall asleep as soon as her back hits the mattress.

    "Is that so? That''s okay. I was just worried. That''s all. How have you been? When are youing back?" he asked. Hisst question was a constant one every time he and Katherine spoke over the phone.

    "I''m fine, Grandpa. About that I may being back soon. I don''t know when yet but I will see you soon for sure."

    "Really? That''s great news! I will prepare for your return! Tell me right away when you''reing back so I can wee you properly."

    Katherine silently sighed. Like always, she patiently reminded her grandfather, "Grandpa I don''t want anything grand Also, please don''t"

    "I know, I know I''m not going to announce it. Don''t worry. But you can''t stop me from preparing the house for you upon your return. I have to at least wee you properly at home."

    Home. The Young Mansion was going to be her home.

    Katherine let out a smile, shaking her head as she imagined what her grandfather was nning. The two of them talked for a few more minutes with Katherine telling her grandfather what she saw in California. She had been telling him about the beaches most of the time. Though for the weeks that she had been away for bounty hunting, traveling from state to state, she had only seen the beach twice and it was a few days ago in California  on the airne when it was about tond and the second one was shortly after takeoff.

    Her grandfather started talking about what they could do when shees home. He sounded so excited as he enumerated the things that they could do together, most of which were the things that the two of them enjoyed doing when she was still a little girl. Her heart warmed at the thought that after all these years, she was finally going home to her family.

    However, it wasn''t going to be easy. Once shees out of hiding, Shadow will definitely know about her being alive.

    She had to figure out how to pacify that nefarious organization or she would have to keep watching her back for bullets and sharp knives all the time.

    In her case, it will most probably be a bullet in the head.

    Katherine went back to the living room and found Styles and Amelia in deep conversation. Styles had set up a mini work area, his ultra high-techptop running aplicated-looking software.

    She couldn''t understand everything but it looked like Styles just hacked into the police''s database. "What are you doing?"

    "Mmm" Styles''s fingers danced on the keyboard as he spoke without looking up. "I''m running the software to check if there are APB on us. I have to check it every couple of hours since we arrived in Esmea just to make sure we''re in the clear and the popos aren''t out to get us."

    Katherine narrowed her eyes for a brief second and studied the monitor. There were a bunch of tabs opened but the screen that they were watching at the moment contained information about wanted suspects or a person of interest that thew enforcement officers need to look out for. Styles was making sure that they would know immediately if they were going to suddenly pop up on the police''s watchlist.

    "So Tell me, why do I need to be Katherine Young? I mean I am her, but what did you mean when you said that?" Katherine strolled towards them and sat on a chair facing them.

    Amelia dragged her gaze away from the monitor and faced Katherine as she answered, "This is going to be a rather bold move but this will also ensure your safety at the same time."

    "You''re not telling me to announce to the whole world who I am, are you?"

    "That''s exactly what we need to do, Queen." Styles closed hisptop and sipped on his cold drink. "A grand entrance."

    "You''re kidding" Katherine raised a brow at him and couldn''t help but chuckle upon hearing what he just told her. However, Styles only gave her a shrug while Amelia had a stoic expression. "You''re not kidding."

    "No."

    "Now, hold on" Katherine took a deep breath and cleared her throat. "Just to make sure that we''re on the same page You two are telling me that I need to announce to the whole world make a grand entrance of who I am"

    "That''s right," Amelia confirmed, her face still devoid of amusement.

    "Now Why the hell would I do that?" Katherine crossed her arms in front of her chest as she tried to understand where they were getting at. "I''m supposed to be under the radar in order not to attract Parker''s attention. Isn''t having a grand entrance just the opposite of that? It''s like requesting an immediate airstrike."

    "Darling," Amelia started, "Whether you go back out there lowkey or even the ostentatious way, we''re pretty sure that Parker will get a whiff of it one way or the other. After all, your identity isn''t just that of amoner  you''re the heir of Young Corporation. But, if you announce it in a grand way, we can at least gain control of what is about toe. Rather than not knowing if someone ising after you, we will know what to anticipate and even prepare for it.

    "For sure the media will feast on this story. Where have you been for the past sixteen years of your life? Howe you only appeared now? In order for this to work, we need to sell the story that you had indeed been in an ident and you have no recollection of your past. When Parker sees this news, he will be cautious about his movements."

    Katherine tried to imagine the future and all she could see was blood. She could take care of herself but what about her grandfather and her aunt? How was she going to protect them while trying to stay alive at the same time?

    "If you''re worried about your family, you can rest assured that Parker wouldn''t touch them. As bad as he is, he lives by his code. As long as they don''t pose a threat to him, they won''t be a target He will be likely to focus on you instead."

    "Huh That sounds reassuring" Katherine swallowed.

    "There''s one more thing..." Amelia held up one finger and continued, "You need to make sure you can get into Young Corporation. In order to take down Shadow, we need connections. If you have a position in your family''spany, that will be a great disguise for you  at the same time, it will be easier for us to see who was behind Operation Scorpion."

    The room went silent as Katherine thought about their n. Compared to her previous missions in Shadow, this was the most dangerous one because she wasn''t posing as someone else.

    She needed to y her part well as herself.

    As Katherine Young.<ol><li>An all-points bulletin(APB) is a broadcast issued from any American or Canadianw enforcement agency to its personnel, or to otherw enforcement agencies. It typically contains information about a wanted suspect who is to be arrested or a person of interest, for whomw enforcement officers are to look. (Source:Wikipedia)</li></ol>

 Chapter 229: Katherine Young is coming home.

    Chapter 229: Katherine Young ising home.

    October 30

    It''s been a few days since Katherine, Styles, and Amelia had been coborating, trying to figure out how they would go about their n of making Katherine''s grand entrance less risky. No matter how they looked at it, there were a lot of pros and cons that they have to weigh in.

    For the past several years since Amelia escaped Shadow, it hasn''t been easy for her. She was intelligent, but a one-man army couldn''t take the organization down all by herself. Bringing down Shadow was a goal that she was hoping to achieve but dying before realizing this goal was just in stupid because then all of her sacrifices would just be worthless.

    Amelia had managed to live in hiding for so many years while keeping tabs on Shadow at the same time. On the day that it was bombed, she happened to be very near and that''s when she saw Styles sprawled on the street. At first, she was only going to extract information from him but after their encounter, everything changed.

    She believed that it was fate to meet Styles that it was fate to know Katherine and it was fate that Katherine and Damien were entangled in ways more than one.

    It was only the three of them now, but this group was stronger than when she was still working alone. For the first time in many years, she could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.

    Katherine and Amelia have grown closer since the first day they met. Their conversations were mostly limited to their future ns, as they both knew which topics they should avoid discussing. It was more of a sore spot with Katherine than with Amelia which thetter understood so as not to pry.

    Katherine''s endless questions were left at that only questions to herself. Perhaps she was afraid to talk about it too or perhaps she wished that not talking about it would be easier.

    Getting to know Amelia taught her one thing  that she was human, which was easily forgotten back when she was still in Shadow. For the years that she had been training in Shadow, she was taught to only listen to orders and to execute orders to the T. She became a soldier. She was taught to suppress her emotions and to act perfectly ording to disguise.

    Which was why it was difficult for Katherine to process her extremely overwhelming emotions. Yes, she may have lived without Shadow for the past five years without her memories but she was still alone and lost. She was still dependant on something.

    She could be stubborn but most times  she was better to follow leaders than to lead followers.

    Now, her identity was making it hard for her. She hadn''t lived as Katherine Young since she was twelve. How was she supposed to be herself when she doesn''t even know who she was?

    Who is the real Katherine Young?

    This was scary for her, but this wasn''t enough to cause her to turn her back. Now, she was going to have the chance to reinvent herself and maybe save the world in the process.

    Maybe that''s too far-fetched She probably has to start saving the city first, then the country.

    Whatever it was, Katherine promised herself that she was going to y her part as best as she possibly could.

    Her eyesnded on Styles and Amelia, her small smile forming on her face as she realized something  at least now she wasn''t alone.

    "Do you remember what Chris told you when he saved you that night? Why did he bring you to an orphanage instead of your grandfather? Also where was this orphanage?" Amelia asked as Katherine settled on the sofa.

    Katherine shifted her gaze to the side, thinking back to the time when Chris brought her out of the woods. "It was a really long time ago And I honestly don''t remember what orphanage it was because I fell asleep on the way there. But I know that it was a long drive. He did mention something about not contacting anyone if I want to keep them out of danger It was as if he knew something. But when he took me out of the orphanage yearster, I asked him about it and he just told me it wasn''t safe, and that it was all he could tell me."

    "So, Chris might know who really sent the order" Styles muttered.

    "You think so too, huh?" Katherine thought for a second before she continued, "You know, I dodged his men for two months already. I think he knows something is up if they hadn''t found me yet. What if I draw him out?"

    Amelia flicked her fingers, "I was going to suggest the same thing. The only good thing about drawing Chris out is that he wouldn''t report this back to Shadow. It will save us from an unexpected ambush. But knowing how Chris is capable of doing anything just to save you, he might get to you asap."

    "We can''t let that happen before I go out there. Who knows what he will do?" Katherine got up and grabbed her phone.

    "Who are you calling?" asked Styles.

    "Grandpa," she muttered while dialing her grandfather''s number.

    As usual, her phone call went through on the first ring. It made her smile but only briefly as she had more pressing matters to discuss with the old man.

    "I promise I will not announce your return. It will only be kept to very close people," Chairman Young said as soon as he answered the call.

    Katherine wanted tough but she suppressed it, she forgot how cute her grandfather could be. "Grandpa actually, I need you to ask you a favor."

    The sound of papers shuffling in the background was heard. "Oh? What is it? Tell me, and I will make sure to do as you wish."

    "Grandpa I want a huge celebration for my return. Send invitations. Let''s do it on the 3rd of November."

    "But I thought you didn''t want a big crowd? And pumpkin, that''s four days from now However, it doesn''t mean that I can''t make it happen. Of course, I can! But are you sure this is what you want?"

    Katherine wasn''t sure, but this was for the best. Breathing in deeply, she nodded her head despite knowing that her grandfather wouldn''t see her and said, "Yes. The more the merrier, right? I will tell you more when Ie back tomorrow."

    She heard her grandfather gasp from the other end of the line.

    "Really?! You''re reallying home tomorrow? Oh, that''s fantastic!" Chairman Young eximed, his voice evident with joy and excitement.

    Katherine swallowed, and in a clear tone, she answered, "That''s right, Grandpa, I am... Katherine Young ising home."

 Chapter 230: What is this?

    Chapter 230: What is this?

    Mn, Italy

    It was a peaceful and romantic Thursday evening in Alianna''s dining room.

    On the table were two sets of dinnerware, a fancy bottle of wine and two wine sses that were filled halfway, steaks and sd, a bouquet of roses, and two hands holding while eating. The scene was perfect and the apanying romantic Italian music topped the whole shebang.

    The low lights and candlelight dinner didn''t have anything to do with a post-Halloween celebration at all. Instead, Alianna was celebrating a nice and cozy meal with none other than her fianc, Caleb.

    It had been a couple of days since the pair had decided to tie the knot. Finally. Though it was more like, Caleb bent down on one knee and Alianna said yes in front of Duomo di Mno or also known as Mn Cathedral.

    It was totally unexpected, but ever since she and Caleb had gotten together several weeks ago, she could only see the same ending. The two of them went out on casual dates at first but eventually, it kind of just happened and before they knew it, they became lovers again.

    When the two realized where their rtionship was going, it scared Alianna at first especially since they had already gone through their share of heartaches in the past and she wasn''t willing to go through all of that again.

    But after so many years had passed, her heart still beat for the same person Caleb.

    It had always been Caleb. And she was sure that it will always be Caleb.

    The realization hit Alianna like a bang. She owed it to him and to herself to follow what she really wanted more than her work.

    They stepped back a little as they tried to discuss the things that were holding them back from their rtionship. And as they delved deeper, they were stuck at the same reason that had gotten them separated just like before.

    A few days ago, Caleb flew to Italy so he could talk to Ali face to face. The two of them spent a day just enjoying each other''spany and thought that they could worry about their problemster. It was only until Alianna''s mother came to visit her againter that day when things changed.

    Actually, ''visit'' is too far from what Julianna does whenever she pays her daughter Ali a visit. It was all the same just like before  crying over a breakup of an imperfect boyfriend.

    However, this time, Alianna changed all that. She had had enough of being treated like a doormat by her own mother.

    Ali didn''t know if it was because Caleb was there with her that made her stronger, but whatever it was, she was definitely thankful. Because after so many years of prolonged suffering, she finally felt liberated.

    A part of her still thought that maybe one day her mother would still care for her. But this time, she would no longer let her mother deter her happiness. She had sacrificed a lot already and there was almost none left of her emotionally.

    "Hey are you okay?" Caleb ran his thumb on Alianna''s hand when he saw that she was in deep thought.

    Alianna instantly snapped out of her train of thought and smiled at Caleb, nodding as she answered, "Yes, I''m okay. I was just thinking about what happened these past few days. Who would have thought that I would be having this meal with you right now as your fiance?"

    "Are you having second thoughts?" Caleb asked, his voice slightly strained.

    "Oh, God, no No, of course not. I''m not changing my mind, Cay, if that''s what you''re thinking." Alianna squeezed his hand to give him reassurance. For once, she had made the best decision in her life and she wasn''t going to take it back.

    "Good to know." Caleb smiled back and his mood lightened up.

    "You''re leaving early tomorrow, right? Can''t you stay longer? I mean It''s the weekend"

    "Unfortunately, yes. There''s an important meeting that I can''t miss. But I''ll definitely be back to help you pack your things next week. I promise."

    "Okay." Alianna instantly felt better after hearing his words. The truth was, after spending the past few days romantically with Caleb, she was getting so clingy.

    She held up a piece of steak with a fork and was about to feed it to Caleb when both of their phones buzzed. Their heads snapped towards their phones, wondering what it could be.

    Deciding to open their phones, the two of them checked the notification and saw that it was from Markus.

    "Oh. My. God." Alianna gasped in surprise when she read the shocking article on her phone.

    Caleb''s eyes widened as he read the article from Harbor City''s online news column about Katherine''s identity as the heiress of Young Corporation.

    The write up didn''t focus on Katherine''s story; instead, it highlighted the event that the Young Family would be hosting to celebrate her return.

    "Li, I think you need toe back with me tomorrow," Caleb muttered under his breath while he was still reading the rest of the article.

    "Yeah. I definitely should," Alianna replied in a toneless voice as she was still trying to understand what was going on.

    For the past two months, they hadn''t heard anything about Katherine. And this news caught them by surprise. If the two of them were this shocked, what about Damien?

    "I need to call Damien," Alianna hurriedly dialed her cousin''s number. She anxiously waited for her call to connect but it just kept on ringing.

    Crown Resort Group, Harbor City

    Damien Park was in his office staring at the clear picture of Katherine''s smiling face  she was standing next to Chairman Young. He just finished reading the online article and his heart had been pounding in his chest, his hands slightly shaking as they curled up into fists.

    His face was stoic as if devoid of any emotion, but the clenching of his jaw and the darkening of his eyes showed just how tense he was. He didn''t know what to feel about this information.

    It has been more than sixty days since thest time he saw her. He went through what seemed like a few stages of grief  shock and denial, pain and guilt and recently, he had been experiencing anger.

    While he was still processing all of the information, Markus arrived and handed him a red and ck envelope.

    Damien was hesitant to open the envelope as he already had a feeling of what could be inside  and he couldn''t decide whether he should be happy about it or not.

    Slowly, his fingers lifted the p and took out the white card inside. It was just as he expected  it was an invitation to Katherine''s "Wee Home Party".

    Markus could feel the sudden drop in temperature in Damien''s office.

    A low, dangerous chuckle escaped from Damien''s lips as he held the card in his hand. "What is this? What is Ms. Young thinking inviting me to her party?"

 Chapter 231: Treasuring Connections

    Chapter 231: Treasuring Connections

    "You did what?!" Katherine''s eyes almost popped out of their sockets when she heard her grandfather''s words. Just a few seconds ago, she was calmly admiring how the chamomile tea smelled so good. Now, all she could smell was her own sweat  a product of her nervousness.

    Chairman Young almost spilled the Oolong tea in his cup when his granddaughter exploded in shock. A curse nearly escaped from his mouth but just like the nobleman that he was, he simply closed his mouth.

    The two were in the living room of the Young Mansion, enjoying afternoon tea when Chairman Young told Katherine that he invited Damien Park to her "Wee Home Party" the next day.

    He spoke so casually and even expected to hear Katherine''s appreciation, instead, he almost got scalded with his tea because of her shock.

    Carefully cing the cup on the coffee table, he adjusted the eyesses on his face as he asked and studied her reaction, "Are you that surprised? My I didn''t know you would be so excited knowing that your former boss ising." He smiled.

    And his smile had a meaning.

    But Katherine didn''t understand the meaning behind his smile as she was still trying to wrap her head around the idea of seeing Damien tomorrow.

    ''Surprised? Grandpa, I am so far from surprised! I am bbergasted! And surprised?! Me? I don''t know about that.'' she said in her thoughts.

    She already had enough on her te thinking about the possibility of  getting attacked tomorrow by Shadow, that is if the news already reached Parker, and they were hoping it still hasn''t. Or the possibility of getting kidnapped by Chris so that he could erase her memories again. Why not? Chris did it once, he would certainly probably do it again.

    Getting attacked by Shadow was likely to happen and if that happens, they were ready. At the same time, the probability that Chris would kidnap her was less, but she predicted that he would at least show up.

    Actually, she was hoping he would.

    This had been on her mind since they nned this bold move days ago. And now her grandfather invited Damien and he was even proud of it. Great. Just great.

    She couldn''t see nor face Damien... Not yet. She wasn''t ready!

    Composing herself, she answered, "I already resigned from hispany, Grandpa Why did you invite the person?" Katherine tried to calm her tone, not wanting to give her grandfather any more reason to question her.

    "What do you mean why?" Chairman Young had a bewildered expression on his face as he tried to understand Katherine''s question. "Why not? He was good to you You even said so yourself. You told me that it''s a pleasure and an honor for you to work for a person like him. When you said that, you even had a smile on your face. Was I wrong? Did I misunderstand?"

    ''Damn it. Why did he have to remember that so well?'' One thing that Katherine was good at was ying her disguise so well that she could even make herself believe that she was a different person. But when it came to Damien, her walls just crumbles.

    It was the same years ago too when she was still in Shadow. Maybe it''s the reason why she liked him then. Because out of all the people that she met, it was only Damien who made her feel so different. In a way that not even Chris could.

    Trying not to look so tense in front of her grandfather, Katherine shrugged and took a sip of her tea before answering, "I did. But that was in the past. I already resigned I just didn''t think I would see himmy boss again. That''s all."

    Chairman Young looked at her for a few seconds, studying her like it was his job to understand everything about his beloved granddaughter. After some time, he decided to give her notable advice.

    "Hmmm Well, having President Park there will be good. You told me you want a grand party. What else can be grander than having a very influential person in the celebration?"

    Katherine pursed her lips into a thin line as she listened to her grandfather. He had his index finger raised as he continued, "One thing that you need to learn about social asions like this, my little one, is that  the right venue excites and influences your guests to attend your event. Food is also a big factor because people can forget about the venue but never the food. Now, inviting the right peoplethe influential peoplecan definitely make your event the talk of the town.

    "Also, in this worldunfortunatelyhaving connections is crucial. Especially if you have a business. My dear, you are a member of the Young Family and the heiress of Young Corporation, you need to keep your connections intact. You don''t want to mess with people who can crush your business into dust with just a flick of their fingers. Since you had a good rtionship with your previous Boss, you must treasure it."

    Biting the inner cheek of her mouth, Katherine slumped her shoulders. How can her grandfather be this clever? She already knew those things, of course, but his reminder stung her.

    She did have a rtionship with her previous Boss. And it wasn''t just good It was reallyOkay, that wasn''t really the point but it doesn''t matter anymore!

    Whatever rtionship she had with Damien ended the moment she turned her back on him. And thinking about it, she would still do the same thing if she were to go back in time. It''s just how it should be. She couldn''t be with him anymore.

    As though she hade to a realization, Katherine squared her shoulders and raised her chin, smiling at her grandfather as she nodded, "You''re right, Grandpa. Connections. Okay."

    She just had to convince herself more so that she could face Damien tomorrow. That is, if he was evening.

    Her grandfather did send an invitation. But it didn''t mean that Damien would attend, right? When she was still working for him before, she had rejected several invitations to social parties. So, he could also reject this one. Right?

    Katherine had to clear her throat with the realization. She didn''t know if she was going to be relieved that he wouldn''t go or disappointed that she wouldn''t see him.

    Focus, Katherine. The end goal was to find out who ordered to kill her parents as well as taking down Shadow. She would just have to be like a horse in a race track with one goal in mind  the finish line.

    Picking up the cup of tea from the table, Chairman Young nced at Katherine and wondered what was going on in her head. After their chat a few days ago, he had agreed to follow her requests without questions regarding the preparation of the party.

    And seeing her reaction regarding the invitation of the man he caught holding hands with his granddaughter a couple of months ago definitely piqued his interest.

    A knowing smile formed on his lips before he took a sip of his tea.

 Chapter 232: Problems Over the Same Man

    Chapter 232: Problems Over the Same Man

    The Young Mansion was located in the northern area outside of Harbor City and it was more or less the same as how Katherine remembered it would be when she was younger.

    Her family hadn''t lived in it as they had their own house in the suburbs, South East of Harbor City. However, they visited Chairman Young many times before and seeing the whole ce again made her feel nostalgic every time.

    The Young Estate was not as vast as the Park Estate as Katherine recalled thest time she had dinner with Damien and Nana but the Youngs had a bigger mansion. The memory made her silently sigh, cursing herself for thinking about him again. It seemed as though whatever she did, everything just reminded her of him.

    She walked out of the mansion with Chairman Young next to her.

    "Are you sure you don''t want to stay? We have plenty of rooms and it would be really nice to have you here," he said.

    Hooking her arm with his, Katherine felt guilty. "Sorry, Grandpa I''m just not ready to live in such a huge house like this. And I still have some things that I need to do While the ce is really nice, it''s just inconvenient for me to travel back and forth."

    Also, ever since news about her came out, she had been anticipating attacks toe in left and right. She couldn''t lure her enemies to the Young Estate.

    "I see is this part of those things you said that you can''t tell me yet? You know for a number 5, this doesn''t seem like one. Weren''t you supposed to tell me things and then I will keep it a secret for you? That''s how it works as far as I could remember."

    When she went to see her grandfather a few days ago, she had a hard time telling him the things that were only on a "need to know" basis  which wasn''t a lot. It pained her that she couldn''t be outright honest with him but it was the only way she knew to keep him safe. The less he knew, the better.

    To keep things simple, Katherine told Chairman Young that she was working on a project that she couldn''t tell him yet and that it was vital to keep some things regarding her identity under wraps.

    To lessen her lies, she told her grandfather that her memories were still quite patchy and it might take her more time in order to remember everything. He was very understanding and he no longer asked her details about her whereabouts. It was more important to him that she was back in his life.

    "You just have to trust me with this, Grandpa. I promise, when my project is done, I will tell you all about it." Katherine forced a smile. She would definitely tell her grandfather. As for when, she had no idea.

    "Fine Even I live with secrets myself."

    She gasped. "What secrets?"

    "Aha! I won''t tell you unless you tell me yours," Chairman Young teased, a yful smile danced on his lips as they walked towards a car.

    "Fair enough," Katherine mused.

    "Always take care of yourself, pumpkin." He held her hands in his and squeezed them. "I expect to see you here after lunch tomorrow. Okay?"

    "Always am." Katherine gave him a kiss on the cheek before she got in the backseat of the car that her grandfather''s assistant Frank was driving.

    She had to keep her profile low for now despite wanting to ride the motorcycle which was why Chairman Young insisted on driving her back and forth the city and the estate. When they arrived at the city center, it was already six in the evening. The sun had set and the sky started to darken.

    "Frank, can you stop here? There are some things that I need to take care of." Katherine waited for the car to stop and when she got off, she went straight to a very crowded area.

    As usual, she was wearing dark-colored casual clothes and she blended in the crowd quite easily. In a very subtle manner, she looked around, trying to see if someone was following her but didn''t find any.

    Katherine didn''t want to risk it, so she circled around in random directions while pretending to shop around just to get the feel of the ce. When she was sure that no one was watching her, she entered an alley and opened a backdoor to a building that led to her apartment on the top floor.

    When she arrived at her ce, Styles was busy with hisputer while Amelia was nowhere in sight.

    "You''re alone?" she asked, sliding into the seat next to him.

    "Yeah, Falcon''s scouting the perimeter of the venue tomorrow. How are you? Are you nervous?" Styles stopped his work and nced at her.

    Katherine revealed a half smile and just as she was about to answer, Amelia entered the apartment, her eyes looking almost like Damien''s except softer.

    "You look stressed," Amelia ced some paper bags on the table that contained their dinner for the evening.

    "My grandfather invited Damien tomorrow," Katherine blurted. She even surprised herself that she mentioned it right away.

    Amelia''s hands paused from taking out the contents but she recovered quickly. "I see. Will that be a problem for you?"

    Katherine swallowed before answering. "No, will it be for you?"

    "No."

    "Good."

    Nodding, Amelia concluded, "So there will be no problems then."

    Half lies... But they didn''t need to talk about it.

    The two women were not exactly chummy but they were quite civil. Because of their strange connections with each other, they decided to just focus on the same goal so that they could work efficiently.

    Styles, who already started eating his food, shifted his gaze from one woman to the other. "Okay" he said hesitantly. For a person who was only watching the women on the sidelines, he found the pair interesting. They had problems over the same man.

    "Anything on Shadow?" Katherine turned to Styles, trying to change the subject so she didn''t have to deal with how awkward it was just now.

    Snapping his fingers, Styles quickly typed on hisptop and showed his screen. "Oh, check who I found"

    Katherine and Amelia leaned forward and studied the photos, zooming in to see a clear view of the person.

    As soon as the pixels softened and the picture became clearer, Katherine knitted her brows. "Looks like I''ll be expecting Chris tomorrow," she said as she stared at the photo of him inside a car crossing the state and passing through a toll gate.

    Katherine felt a mixture of excitement and anxiousness. She''ll be seeing Chris soon and she didn''t know whether to strangle him... or strangle him.

    Amelia ced a hand on Katherine''s shoulder, slightly squeezing as she reminded her, "We need him alive."

    Without removing her gaze on the screen, Katherine revealed an evil smirk and her eyes darkened as she hissed, "Believe me I need him alive for all the things I n to do to him."

 Chapter 233: A Walking Target in Red

    Chapter 233: A Walking Target in Red

    November 3 - Magnum Hotel

    At half past five, the sun was setting and Katherine''s heart started to race. It had been so long since thest time she had a mission and she was having the jitters. This was totally different than when she was chasing the skips during her hunts the previous month. She had never doubted herself that she couldplete the jobs that she had to do.

    However, this time was different. She had to be someone whom she hasn''t been for sixteen long years. She used to enjoy ying different personas every time but this one was the hardest of them all.

    For the many missions that she had before, she always had a target. She would usually spend time learning and studying her targets so that she could y her cards very well. In a matter of no time, her targets would be eating her hand.

    This time she wasn''t the predator. Katherine Young was the target. And she had to y as the enticing prey to lure her enemies to her.

    Since there were only three of them in the team, they didn''t have an army to back them up on this. But they had each others'' backs. And that was enough for Katherine to feel better.

    "What''s the safe word?" Styles asked as he handed Katherine an inconspicuous earpiece, interrupting her thoughts.

    "Why do I need a safe word?" She attached the earpiece into her left ear and fixed her hair into ce.

    "Who knows when you need one? Your exes will probably be swarming the ce, maybe you''d need rescuing."

    "You make it sound like I dated around" Katherine frowned. She only ever had one serious rtionship. What exes?

    "What''s your least favorite cocktail?"

    Katherine thought about it for a second and said the first thing that came to her mind, "Pink Lady. It''s too sweet."

    "I thought you liked sweet? Also, no one orders that."

    "Yeah Not this one." Of course, she didn''t like the cocktail she had thest time. It was all just water, colored syrup, and cream. Maybe if it had gin like the original recipe, it would have tasted better.

    "Alright then. Pink Lady is your safe word. Just say it and we''lle get you."

    Katherine briefly smiled at Styles who was already back to his work station with several monitors, checking all the security cameras in the whole building.

    They were set up inside a trailer van just outside the venue. She had already dressed up and was ready to face the cameras soon.

    "Here," Amelia reached out and in her hand was a weapon holder.

    Receiving it, Katherine checked her dagger and gun to make sure they were securely ced before strapping them onto her left thigh  the dagger on the outer while the Glock 43 on the inner thigh.

    Falcon disguised herself as one of the bodyguards, wearing a ck suit and a white shirt underneath. She wore contact lenses, a dark ck wig that was above shoulder length and had drawn a mole near her mouth. Unlike Katherine, she didn''t like dressing up differently every time but this was something she had to do in order to conceal herself but still be in the same room with Katherine if she needed her.

    A beeping sound was heard, indicating that it was fifteen minutes before six in the evening and it was time for Katherine to move.

    "Alright,dies. It''s showtime." Styles swiveled his chair and gave Katherine a once-over, the corners of his mouth curled up as hemented, "Wowza. Queen, you don''t know how much I missed you."

    Katherine was doing some final touches with her makeup and putting on a pair of sparkling diamond earrings that her grandfather gave her earlier. "Just like old times?"

    "Nah. Even better. You look like a real woman now." Styles winked before turning his back to face the monitors.

    She took it as apliment. Of course, thest time that they had worked together was on a mission five years ago. She was still a youngdy acting like a woman. Softly chuckling, she put on a ck coat covering her up from the chilly night.

    "Check."

    "Check."

    Katherine and Amelia checked their earpieces and Styles gave them an ''OK'' sign with his hand above his head without turning away from the monitors that he was closely monitoring.

    "All right. Let''s roll." Falcon opened the back door of the trailer van and walked out, checking her surroundings before letting Katherine out.

    The two of them headed to the side entrance of Magnum Hotel. As soon as the two entered, they separated and walked towards different sides. While they should be in the same room, they couldn''t be seen together just in case Shadow was lurking somewhere.

    "Katherine! Where have you been? We''re about to start!" Chairman Young hurriedly walked over to his granddaughter as soon as she entered the dressing room.

    "Sorry, Grandpa. I had to get some air." Katherine shrugged off her coat, in which Frank readily received.

    "What happened to your dress?! Did you get stuck somewhere? It''s ripped! Oh my goodness!" Chairman Young''s eyes almost bugged out when he saw the very very high slit on the right side of her dress. He tentatively reached the coat to cover her up but Katherine stopped him,ughing at his reaction.

    "No, Grandpa It''s not ripped." Her eyes became slightly misty fromughing. "This is the design of the dress."

    "It is? Well, whoever designed it almost gave me a heart attack. Are you sure you''re wearing that?"

    "I thought it was nice?" Katherine checked herself out in the mirror and wondered if the high slit was too much. She didn''t think she would scare her old grandpa. ncing at the wall clock, she no longer had time to change.

    "Ah. It doesn''t matter. You''re beautiful no matter what you wear. We need to go." Chairman Young led Katherine back to the side entrance and they got into a limousine.

    They had to look like they came somewhere else instead of already being in the hotel so they circled around the block before heading towards the entrance. The old man didn''t understand why they had to do this, it was one of those "just do, don''t ask" that his granddaughter came up with. Youngsters these days. What were they thinking? He could never figure them out.

    As the limousine came to a stop in front of the short flight of stairs leading to the hotel, Katherine took a deep breath seeing the flock of reporters anticipating her arrival.

    She didn''t realize that her grandfather had already gone out of the vehicle until he tapped her shoulder. "Shall we?" He smiled.

    cing her hand on his arm, Katherine alighted the vehicle and gracefully walked up the stairs while shes of the cameras came from different directions and questions from the reporters started.

    At the top of the stairs, the wind blew past Katherine as she stood with her chin up and her eyes scanned the media who were so excited in front of her. She tuned out all of the questions, ignoring whatever they were interested in and took control of the floor.

    She looked regal and bold in the deep red evening dress in satin. It was long-sleeved yet off the shoulder, had a sweetheart neckline cupping her round breasts perfectly and a very high slit that sat atop her hip bone. Without looking gaudy, it showed a good amount of skin in the right ces. Katherine oozed with sex appeal  she defined ''oomph''.

    With earthy nude lipstick-stained lips, she smiled to the cameras showing off her pearly whites and said, "My name is Katherine Young. Thank you for your warm wee."

    Her very short statement left the crowd wanting more. But before they could even recover from the unexpectedck of information, Katherine had already turned towards the entrance of the hotel and walked with poise, her smooth and flowy dress swaying as she moved through the windy night.

    ''I''m officially a walking target. Now,e oute out wherever you are~'', she sang in her head.

 Chapter 234: For Old Times Sake

    Chapter 234: For Old Times'' Sake

    Katherine sucked in air when she entered the huge hall that was filled with more than two hundred guests whom she didn''t know personally. The room was grand and luxurious, it made her feel both out of ce yet familiar at the same time.

    The small smile on her face masked the butterflies in her stomach. She looked absolutely stunning as she walked through the red carpet with her grandfather next to her.

    She didn''t do anything outrageous with her hair, styling it with light and huge curls on the sides and allowing it to fall on her shoulders and back naturally  her chestnut brown hair was gorgeous under the sparkling chandeliers.

    Her eyes scanned the room while convincing herself that she was only trying to check the surroundings and not searching for a tall, handsome, and delicious-looking man among the crowd. There were quite a few head-turners but she had not spotted the man she anticipated yet was afraid to see.

    "Falcon, what''s your status?" Styles''s voice came through the earpiece, snapping Katherine out of her trance.

    "No signs of movement on the south," Falcon replied.

    Chairman Young led Katherine up the stage and addressed the crowd below him. He gave a speech about the importance of family before informing the guests that an official article will be released in an hour regarding what happened to his granddaughter which Katherine had prepared beforehand and will be published through the same online news journal that released the announcement from before.

    It was exactly as they had nned, not allowing the hungry media to write as they please or the first scoop and taking control of what would be out there for her enemies to see.

    There were rumors going around - spections of what happened to her but nothing that might ruin their ns.

    There were only three of them in the team but Katherine didn''t treat their number as a weakness. One of the things she learned throughout the years was Sun Tzu''s war strategies, and one of it was: "It''s more important to outthink your enemy than to outfight him."

    Chairman Young passed the microphone to her and even if she was nervous, it didn''t show. Just like what she did outside the hotel, she kept her words short and natural and mostly said her words of thanks to the guests foring to the banquet and for the people who made the party happen.

    The crowd gave her a round of apuse when she finished speaking, their minds already running their gears thinking how to suck up to Chairman Young''s granddaughter. They rarely see Chairman Young being so active like this and because of that, it made them realize how much he valued his granddaughter.

    As soon as they descended down the stairs, Deborah Young greeted Katherine with a suffocating embrace. "Oh, you look so beautiful, Katherine," she said.

    "Thank you" Katherine replied meekly. For the times that she had faced her aunt, she had this weird feeling that she had to be cautious of Deborah. She remembered that she was never close to her even when she was young as she only saw her during special asions in the Young Mansion. And because she was just a child, she never really bothered with it.

    Ever since she came back, Deborah had been treating her nicely and she returned just the same treatment.

    "Darling, Caroline" Deborah gestured for her daughter toe closer who had a smug expression on her face when she brazenly looked at Katherine from head to toe.

    Seeing the expression on her cousin''s face, Katherine ignored it and gave her a charming smile, looking so innocent as the two of them greeted with an air-kiss. "You look nice, Caroline," she said.

    "Hmmm. As always." Caroline shrugged and when she saw her mother gave her a look, she returned thepliment, "You too, Katherine. You look intense."

    This was the second time that Katherine met Caroline after she came back to meet her grandfather at the Young Mansion. They hadn''t exchanged a lot of words but Katherine didn''t mind, she had a feeling that Caroline didn''t like her the feeling might be mutual.

    Who could me her? Caroline looked like one of those bratty rich kids who had never worked in their lives and everything had been handed over on a silver tter.

    Katherine resisted the urge to squeeze her cousin too tightly so she stepped back just as soon as they hugged.

    "Katherine Sweetie, there are some people that I''d like you to meet in a bit, so don''t you go too far, okay?" Deborah smiled ever so warmly, touching Katherine''s arm.

    "I won''t," Katherine nodded, receiving the ss of champagne that her grandfather gave her.

    There were a few business partners who came by to greet Chairman Young and Katherine was introduced to them one by one. She put on her best smile and talked to them as politely as she could while making a mental note of their names and faces, she knew that she was going to meet them again in the future.

    She yed her part so well and for a short period of time, she had forgotten that she had to keep herself alert until one of her grandfather''s business partners asked about her connection with the CEO and Chairman of Crown Resort Group, Damien Park.

    Despite the uneasiness, Katherine managed to smile and kept her answers short and simple, not wanting to say more than what she should say.

    And because of the current topic, she had the urge to escape the conversation. All of a sudden, she heard Falcon and Styles''s voices through herms.

    "I got a visual," Falcon''s voice was stern followed by Styles''s muttering, "Uh-oh. I''m so sorry Queen, he just appeared out of nowhere. Don''t turn. He''s right behind you."

    Katherine straightened her back instantly. Styles''s warning didn''t help her to calm down at all. What was up with ''Don''t turn. He''s right behind you''? Now all she wanted was to turn around and see but she couldn''t, so she could only stand frozen like an idiot.

    A warm,rge hand tentatively touched her arm, making her slightly turn to the side. The touch made her heart drum so wildly, she was thankful that the music ying in the background was loud enough to mask it.

    Turning around slowly, she came face to face with the man she expected to see that night. How bold of him to just approach her like this in a room full of people who were watching her every move?

    Katherine didn''t say anything and just stared at him. For some reason, it was like they knew what the other was thinking.

    Those blue eyes staring back at her gave her so many mixed emotions. She tried to maintain a poker face as she looked at him and she prayed that her feelings didn''t betray her expression. She couldn''t let him see through her.

    "Katherine, who is this young man?" Chairman Young turned to face the two, wondering how his granddaughter knew him.

    Before Katherine could say anything, Chris had already beat her to it. He formed a charming smile on his face and extended his hand to the old man saying, "Good evening, Chairman. I''m Christopher Curtis. I was Ms. Katherine''s mentor. It''s a pleasure to meet you."

    "Oh! Likewise. It''s nice of you toe here." Chairman Young received the handshake and returned a noble smile.

    Katherine was still speechless as she watched the two exchange pleasantries. Chris looked so sharp in his tux. He was already in his mid-thirties yet he still looked athletic just like he used to. The short scruffy beard made him look even manlier.

    "May I have this dance, Ms. Katherine?" He had his palm out to her.

    Katherine looked at his waiting hand, trying to figure out what he was nning. They were in the middle of the party. Was he really asking her to dance with her? Was he going to kill her on the dance floor?

    Sensing her hesitation, he smirked and tilted his head. "For old times'' sake?"

    Swallowing the huge lump in her throat, Katherine ced her hand in his and allowed him to drag her towards the dance floor.

 Chapter 235: A Spectator

    Chapter 235: A Spectator

    Chris''s hand firmly held Katherine''s as they strode towards the middle of the dance floor. She was sure that he could feel her hands slightly trembling which was a result of her partly being a bit nervous about what he was up to and because she hadn''t anticipated that he would be in contact with her in front of all the hundreds of guests.

    The crowd paved way for them. It was like crossing the Red Sea, only it was a sea of people. Everybody noticed the star of the night because of the bold color of her dress. It was so striking that the heads of the guests naturally turned towards them as they stopped.

    The dancing had already started as soon as Katherine came down from the stage earlier, so the dance floor was pretty much filled with people enjoying the live music. However, as soon as they arrived, the guests gave them a huge space, excited to see the star of the night giving them a performance. This wasn''t part of the n at all, but the crowd didn''t know that, of course.

    Katherine and Chris faced each other and as if on cue, the lights dimmed and a slow song was yed by a live band.

    "Do you still remember our dance?" Chris asked, his hand sliding up her back and pressing her closer to him while his other hand continued to hold hers in the air.

    Katherine could hear Styles hiss from herms before he said, "Um Queen, this is not good"

    "Shut up," she muttered under her breath, making Chris raise a brow in amusement. She already knew that this wasn''t good. Styles''s reminder made her annoyed. Chris didn''t know she was talking to Styles so he thought she was telling him to shut up.

    Earlier...

    Damien Park waste.

    He had changed his mind several times about going to the party. In the end, he decided to go. But he wasn''t alone.

    Walking towards the entrance of the hotel, a gorgeous woman hooked her arm with Damien''s. She had short blonde hair and was in her mid-thirties. Her evening dress made her look polished and the gentle smile on her face made her look charming.

    "Remind me again why we are here? Why do you think this is a good idea, Damien? Tell me what''s on your mind," asked the woman.

    "Eve, you wanted to know how I''m dealing with all of this. Instead of telling you, don''t you want to see for yourself?" Damien calmly responded. They were approaching the entrance of the hall together with other guests who had also just arrived.

    The woman named Eve chuckled, ncing at the man next to her as she said, "And You''re taking me as your arm candy for the evening? Is this part of how you''re ''dealing with it''? How exactly do you think will this evening turn out bringing a date to your ex''s ''Wee Home Party''?"

    The word that Eve used to describe Katherine left a bad taste on Damien''s tongue. For two months that he hadn''t seen her, calling Katherine an "ex" made the fibers on his body enraged.

    For a brief second, he closed his eyes andposed himself. As he opened them again, they were already by the door of the venue, slowing down as the staff checked invitations. "You''re not here as my date, Eve. You''re here as my chaperone." He shed a quick smile at her.

    "Ah That exins theck of enthusiasm when you picked me up and saw me in this dress. I went through my entire wardrobe to find the best dress for tonight you know? But with only one hour notice, I had to work fast and I didn''t even receive apliment," she joked, the smile on her face widened as they entered the huge event hall.

    Patting her arm casually, Damien responded, "You''re a lovely woman, Eve. But you and I both know I''m not your type."

    Eve stared at him for a while, studying his expression before turning away with a smile on her face. "There''d better be great booze at this party. I feel like I will need lots of it." She turned away from him and headed towards the bar.

    Damien only watched Eve walk away for a few seconds before his eyes started scanning the ce. It was such a grand celebration with so many people from upper-ss families. He found it hard to believe that Katherine would like this kind of crowd, especially that the party was for her.

    But then again, what does he know? Katherine was like a mystery box that he thought he knew. After her pandora box was opened, he found himself struggling to believe who he thought she was and that unsettled him.

    He grabbed a ss of champagne from a passing waiter and began to wander. Along the way, he met a few familiar faces but after a quick greeting, he pulled himself away to continue on his search.

    Damien stopped in his tracks as soon as he spotted her standing by the stage, her grandfather standing next to her as they talked to some businessmen. He recognized some of them as he had met them back then.

    He could only see her back but he was absolutely sure that it was her. And when she slightly turned to the side, he saw her side profile. There were several meters between them but seeing her from where he was standing, his heart throbbed. She was still as beautiful as she was on thest morning he had seen her.

    There was something different with her. Her aura was strongsimr to how she was five years ago, only this time, it carried a different kind of intensity.

    It took a lot of guts for Damien to take a step forward towards where she was. He was already halfway to her when a man approached her from behind. Damien slowed down and observed from a distance and before he knew it, the man was already taking Katherine to the dance floor.

    Damien''s gaze zeroed in their joining hands as they walked to the middle of therge room.

    His jaw tensed and his eyes darkened when he got a good look at the man who was now about to dance with Katherine. Damien had the urge to rush towards them and snatch her away from the man.

    But his feet were glued to the floor, keeping him in ce and making him nothing but just a spectator.

    He had a bad feeling. Jealousy was probably a major part of it but it wasn''t only because of what he was witnessing tonight.

    It''s because the man with Katherine right now was the same man he saw in the hotel that night when Katherine disappeared and left him. That couldn''t be a coincidence. And somehow, Damien had already guessed that the man was the ''Chris''.

    "Wow, she''s beautiful. The pictures in the article didn''t give her justice. Hmmm I can see why you''re so into her. Tall, stunning, and sophisticated What''s not to like?" Eve stood next to Damien as she sipped on her cocktail and asked, "Are you going to talk to her?"

    Damien finished the rest of his champagne, his eyes never leaving the pair that was now the center of attention. Talking to Katherine was what he had always wanted ever since she left.

    But seeing her with that man now, Damien had other things in mind  wrench him away from Katherine and shred him to pieces.

 Chapter 236: A Painful Waltz

    Chapter 236: A Painful Waltz

    [Reader Advisory: I would suggest that you listen to the song "Say Something" by ''A Great Big World'' or ''Pentatonix'' version for this chapter. It''s a beautiful and meaningful song.]

    "Come on, Katherine. Dance with me," Chris whispered to her, his eyes holding her gaze so intensely.

    The melodious sound of piano and violin had already started and when the singer began the first words of the song "Say Something", Katherine hesitantly ced her left hand on Chris''s upper arm near the shoulder. She was already in the middle of the dance floor now, there''s no way she could back down.

    Just like years ago, Chris led the dance in the Viennese waltz choreography that they used to dance before. Their movements were slow and measured at first, gliding across the dancefloor with Katherine following his guidance.

    To the audience, the two of them looked very graceful as though dancing had been their career for a long time. Katherine''s back was straight and her chin was raised to an elegant manner while Chris looked refined in his actions.

    The two were perfectly in sync with each other, swaying and twirling smoothly to the rhythm of the music. It was as though they had performed this number countless times in the pastwhich was true.

    To blend with the outside world, learning how to dance was part of their training and was useful on undercover missions. This Viennese waltz choreography was one of Katherine''s favorites in which Chris would always be her dance partner.

    Chris spun her and she twirled multiple times away from him, her dress flowing very nicely with her movements.

    "You''re beautiful as always," he told her when the two of them came closer again. Katherine refused to look at him, not wanting to feel more nostalgic than she already was.

    "But you''re so restrained tonight. Why is that?" he asked when he noticed that although she was dancing with him with enough fluidity, she was very cautious with her movements.

    This time, Katherine finally answered, "I''ve got a knife and a gun in my thigh reserved for you." If she didn''t restrain her movements, the keen pairs of eyes from the crowd might see her weapons. Although despite that, she still looked graceful.

    Hearing her response, a small amused smile formed on his face. "And I''m guessing that Styles is here somewhere?"

    "Damn it," Styles muttered through Katherine''sms. "How the fck does he know?"

    "Styles, you don''t think I''d just believe that you''re dead, right?" Chris muttered. He wasn''t sure if Katherine was wired but his gut feeling told him that Styles could hear or see him at the moment.

    "I''m touched that you prepared so much for my arrival. But you didn''t think I would give you the chance to kill me tonight, did you?" he added.

    Katherine shifted her gaze to him and held it. Their bodies were still moving on their own, dancing to the song while everyone was watching. But her hands started to tense when she held him  she wanted so much to reach for the dagger and just slice him while everyone was watching.

    Chris knew better than to give her the chance to get him alone. Dancing in the middle of hundreds of people was the opposite of what Katherine nned. She couldn''t do anything to him and now she realized and was reminded of how he was so much smarter than her.

    He didn''t have to ask and she didn''t have to tell him that she had gotten her memories back. Just one look that they exchanged minutes ago already told the other.

    "Don''t tempt me," she said softly.

    "You wouldn''t do that," he said in an assertive tone.

    She wouldn''t. Not yet at least. But her hands were itching.

    Chris twirled her once again and said in hushed tones, "Up."

    In an instant, both of his hands supported her back while she ced hers on his hips and he spun them both around with her feet elevated and swinging in the air, her head leaning back and her hair swaying.

    And for the briefest moment, their foreheads touched as he slowly set her back down to her feet.

    The movement was so beautiful that the crowd pped for them.

    The dance looked intimate  unbeknownst to them, Katherine was trying to contain her anger so as not tomit murder with more than two hundred people as witnesses.

    If this was many years ago, she probably would have been mmy and nervous just by dancing with the man she used to have feelings for. The man whom she looked up to, admired for so many years; his care and touch would always send butterflies in her stomach.

    If this was many years ago, she probably would have been weak and submitted to him when she heard the next words he said.

    "I missed you," he softly whispered just before he dipped her head back, his hand supporting the back of her head gently.

    But it''s no longer the same. Katherine''s heart throbbed and she was enraged. Looking at the man she once thought she loved, her heart only ached.

    ~Say something, I''m giving up on you~

    The words from the song they were dancing to were so moving but she wasn''t aware of that, yet unknowingly, the melody only fueled her pent up emotions.

    "How dare you? You don''t get to tell me that."

    She straightened up and they continued to dance, her mood already sullen that she didn''t notice a tear escaped from her eye. But her tear didn''t go unnoticed by the man who was standing from a distance watching her dance with another man in a soulful song.

    "What are you doing here Chris? Are you here to cancel me?" she scoffed.

    "Come on, now Why would I do that? It''s been five years since west spoke to each other. Can''t I just want to dance with you? I told you I miss you."

    ring at him, Katherine tightened her grip on his arm, if only she could break it and forget that people were watching her.

    Under gritted teeth, she bit out, "Do you tell that to everyone after you wipe out their memories?"

    Chris''s expression turned rigid but he ignored herment. It was only a few secondster when a sly smirk appeared on his face and he continued, "Ah I forgot. I did speak to you once outside the restaurant during your engagement night. How is he, by the way? President Park, was it?" He clicked his tongue and felt Katherine going upset.

    Just the mention of the engagement night already struck her heart. Hearing his name from Chris''s mouth felt like her heart was being squeezed. She started breathing heavily.

    "Don''t you dare touch him," she warned, her tone was low and icy.

    "Oof. So protective. Does he know the real you, Katherine? Does he know you like I do?" Chris slowed down his movements and the two of them were now merely swaying from side to side.

    "You''ve lost your memories yet you still protect him just like you did years ago. Do you really care for him that much? Despite his family getting involved with..." His voice trailed down, his expression was unreadable but the way he spoke was evident to Katherine that he was holding a grudge.

    Did Chris go there only to hurt her? How she wished he would just kill her instead of making her heart bleed.

    The way he mentioned ''years ago'' brought a bitter pang in her heart.

    Instantly, her memories from that time shed in her mind while another drop of tear streamed down her face.

 Chapter 237: Unplanned Date

    Chapter 237: Unnned Date

    Five Years ago  February 18

    It was almost eight in the evening and Katherine just came home from Castle after a mission. She took a quick shower and she was about to change into her sleepwear when she hesitated.

    Usually, she would curl up on the sofa and drown herself in ice cream while watching cartoons. But the mission that she just had was haunting her, she didn''t think her usual pass time would calm her nerves.

    On a whim, she grabbed a random ck dress and heels, slipped into it, grabbed a purse where she put her phone and wallet before heading out.

    Katherine didn''t do nights out like young women her age did. But asionally, she goes out by herself and just sit somewhere normal people go to. Doing so made her feel like she wasn''t totally different. That even if she was alone, she was still doing things that normal people do.

    That night, she rode a cab and went to a nightlife district. Strolling for a few minutes, she came across one swanky-looking hotel where a few people just went inside. As if by nature, she followed them and asked the receptionist to point her to the bar.

    The Scarlet Hotel was located near the borders of Esmea and Florida. It was a luxurious hotel with very fancy decorations. It was the first time that she had been in that hotel but she overheard one patron when she went to a grocery store a couple of weeks ago that the hotel was going to be under new management. Katherine started to wonder what it was like for rich people to spend their money just to get more money.

    She rode the elevator to the seventeenth floor where the bar was and sat on the barstool as soon as she arrived.

    The bartender nodded to her and she realized that she didn''t really know what she was doing there. She doesn''t go out and drink by herself but it was apparently what normal and lonely people do.

    "I don''t know wine?" Katherine shrugged. She sucked at this. They had studied different kinds of drinks in one of their trainings but it was her least favorite subject which was why she didn''t drink so well.

    Sensing that she wasn''t really used to drinking at bars very much, the bartender gave her a smile. "I gotcha." He grabbed a tall wine ss and poured a burgundy liquid to it, sliding it to her afterward. "On the house," he added before he continued wiping the counters.

    "Oh, thanks!" Katherine tentatively touched the stem of the ss but didn''t lift it. She only stared at it, her mind drifting to random thoughts that were only making her gloomy.

    For the past year, she had been trying to investigate her parents'' case. When Chris gave her a leadst year, she was very happy and thankful that she was finally going to give justice to their deaths.

    However, her lead was a dead end. It was literally a dead person.

    On top of that, she wasn''t able to find that person quickly and it had taken her a few weeks until she found the name that Chris gave her which had some connections with Young Corporation. But what was she going to do with a dead person who couldn''t answer her questions?

    Chris asked her about her findings and she told him what she found, of course. Because she promised him she will stop if it wasn''t sessful. She told him she would. But she was stubborn. So she continued her search without telling him.

    However, the wild goose chase was only wearing her out. Not to mention, Shadow had been giving her assignments after assignments that she didn''t have a lot of time to do more investigation on the side.

    She almost wanted to give up. It seemed like whatever she did, she couldn''t find anything.

    But during her mission several hours ago, she saw someone whom she hadn''t seen for a really long time. He was very far and he had just gotten inside the vehicle when he caught sight of him  her grandfather, Theodore Young.

    She almost failed the mission because she got distracted. And seeing her grandfather for the first time after a really long time broke her heart. How could she think about giving up in finding the mastermind of her family''s tragedy?

    Katherine''s eyes started to sting but she refused to cry so she blinked fast and abruptly brought the ss to her lips, smelled it before taking a sip. Dry, light, and smooth. She wasn''t a wine snob but she at least knew that it was a great wine.

    "You know I''m starting to think that you''re following me."

    The low, yful and familiar voice startled Katherine and as she turned her head to the left, her heart skipped a beat when her gazended on Damien Park''s handsome face.

    He looked dapper wearing a dark grey tailored suit with a ck dress shirt, his hair neatlybed back.

    It had been about two months since thest time that she had seen himkissed him.

    Oh my.

    The memory of his lips on hers just barged into her mind, making her heart flutter so wildly like a bird''s wings pping so fast while its foot is stuck somewhere that it couldn''t fly.

    What was going on in her head? She was on a high for a second  she had to turn away to hide her blush.

    Setting her ss on the counter, she only had to breathe once and her expression changed in a split second, a sweet smile recing her surprised expression as she turned back to him. "Don''t tter yourself, Mr. Park. I had no idea that you wereing here."

    Damien gged down the bartender. "I''ll have what she''s having," he said, nodding to Katherine. He preferred to drink whiskey most of the time but he felt like drinking red wine just like her.

    "So Tell me, Kitten. If you''re not stalking me, what are you doing here alone on a Monday night?" He turned towards her, his knees slightly touching hers as he waited for her to answer.

    "Wait you''re not waiting for a hot date, are you?" he asked when a sudden realization hit him seeing that she was dressed up and looking beautiful like she always did.

    Katherine, who was sulking just a moment ago, let out augh. Finally, she was starting a conversation with another person while not on a mission. They had only just started but she already found herself enjoying hispany.

    "Do people go on dates on a Monday night?" she wondered.

    She saw the suppressed smile on his face and a small gasp escaped on hers. "Oh my god. You''re on a date or you''re waiting for your date?"

    Damien huffed, shaking his head before taking a long sip of his wine. "The owner of this hotel has a daughter. He thought he was doing me a favor by prostituting her to me whilst we''re in the middle of a negotiation. I just had a meal with her earlier and found out she''s a groupie. My ears almost bled after hearing her talk nonstop about her favorite artists that I have no idea about and then she started talking about their pets." He ran both of his hands on his face and chuckled at the hrious incident.

    Katherine found it funny too so she shared augh with him. "So, you''re buying this hotel?"

    "I''m having second thoughts acquiring this one. I have yet to find a reason that would convince me." Damien cleared his throat and faced her. "Enough about that. You haven''t answered me yet. What are you doing here?"

    She took a deep breath and slowly released it. "Would it be weird if I say that I don''t know why I''m here?"

    Damien studied her expression... and drew a gentle smile on his face as he told her, "Well if you don''t mind, Katherine, I''d like to apany you while you figure out why you''re here."

    Without second thoughts, Katherine nodded. "I''d love that."

 Chapter 238: No Place Id Rather Be

    Chapter 238: No ce I''d Rather Be

    This was never the n.

    Katherine was supposed to spend the night alone and probably just people-watch while she tried topare her life to the others. Now that''s kinda sad but there wasn''t much to do for her and it was what she would usually do when she''s out by herself. Wonder. Never-ending wonder.

    But for some odd yet wonderful reason, she was sitting next to the most beautiful man she had everid her eyes on  Damien Park. And she had no idea why a man like him would ever want to sit next to her on a Monday night instead of being somewhere else.

    It wasn''t as if Katherine didn''t know that she''s beautiful, because she did. However, she wasn''t like any normal young women who did normal things. And because of that, she didn''t think sitting and conversing with Damien Park was normal for her. She was a broken soul. She constantly questioned her self-worth.

    And the more she looked at him, the more she thought she was definitely not going to ever have a chance with him.

    What was she thinking? Have?! They were only talking and sitting next to each other. Why did her mind go to a ce like that? What a silly thought.

    "Earth calling Katherine" Damien tilted his head to get in Katherine''s vision. "Where''d you go?"

    She snapped out of her trance and softly chuckled, "Sorry, I got lost for a moment there. What were you saying?"

    A dazzling smile shed across his face as he picked up the wine ss, swirling the liquid in it before sniffing it like an expert. He looked like a very fine gentleman. "I was asking if you''d like something to eat?" he probed before drinking his wine. "Have you eaten yet?"

    "Oh, um" she suddenly realized that she hadn''t eaten yet. "Now that you ask I No, I haven''t. I wasn''t hungry. I''m still not hungry but"

    "Food sounds good right now, huh?"

    Katherine smiled. "Yeah, I guess I could eat."

    "How about I order something? Would you mind sharing fries? I mean, at least until you decide if you want to eat something else?"

    "Sure."

    Damien was good. He was straightforward yet gentlemanly and he seemed to always know what she needed even before she realized it herself. Was he always like this? Was he like this to other women too?

    ''Woah. Don''t go there, Katherine. So what if he is? What is it to you? It was just one kiss. One hot steamy kiss.'' Katherine blinked and gulped arge sip of wine to swallow her crazy thought.

    Damien ordered the food and then shrugged off his coat. The next thing she knew, he tossed the coat onto herp.

    The action caught her off-guard and she didn''t know what to do so she just looked at him.

    He did it so casually as though it was very natural for him to do so. He loosened his tie as he suddenly felt stuffy and it was all because he caught a glimpse of her firm thighs.

    His brows knitted from his own actions, unsure why he did what he did because if it was any other woman, he''d probably just tell her or maybe ignore the skin showing. But for some reason, he didn''t like it when he noticed a few men had been eyeing her legs.

    The ce was a bar-sh-restaurant and there were tables behind them. Men who passed by the bar to go to the tables would nce at her legseven the men who were going to sit at the bar. And it annoyed him.

    Rolling his sleeves to his elbow, Damien noticed Katherine''s stare and he turned to her, waiting for what she had to say but she just looked at him, waiting for him to exin what he just did.

    The corner of his mouth curled up as he teased, "Don''t get me wrong, Kitten. I don''t mind you showing me some skin I appreciate it, but not when I have to share it with all of the men in this ce."

    Realizing what he meant, she looked down at her dress. She had chosen a random LBD off her rack and it was the first time that she wore it. The top part was long-sleeved and has a low V-neck, showing just a glimpse of her cleavageit was ttering and not slutty. However, the skirt was in a drapey style and it was short for her height. So short that when she sat, it tugged upward, showing more skin than she hoped it would.

    She didn''t really mind as she was used to wearing sexy dresses. But receiving Damien''s concern, her heart fluttered. She was touched and she couldn''t help but show a small but genuine smile as she fixed the coat on herp. It was warm and cozy and she loved it.

    Katherine didn''t want to lose to him. So she turned her body towards him and shed a flirty smile, "Ah so if it were only the two of us you wouldn''t mind?"

    "Not at all."

    Damien''s answer was quick and he formed a devilishly handsome smirk on his face as he matched her gaze. "Why? Are you seducing me?"

    Crossing her arms in front of her chest, she found his statement funny. "Oh you think I''m seducing you?"

    His eyes raked on her front, lingering just a little on her chest before traveling up to her lips and settling there for a few seconds. He then looked at her, shrugging as he drank his wine. This little game of theirs was getting him excited and it was something that he had never experienced from other women that he had met before.

    When he didn''t respond, a small chuckle escaped from her lips. "Huh Are you seduced, Mr. Park? Is it working?"

    "Can''t say it''s not"

    "I see Then good. I thought I''d have to take my top off for you."

    Damien''s brows raised, throwing his head backughing at her response. He hadn''t had this much fun flirting and the two of them didn''t even have to try so hard. It just worked like magic.

    "Does this usually work for you?" he wondered.

    "What does?"

    "This whole seductress thing. How many men have you in?"

    The question struck her but she immediately recovered and did not let it show on her expression when she responded in a joking manner, "Wouldn''t you like to know?"

    The two exchanged smiles and when the bartender ced their order in front of them, they ate a few pieces of fries in silence. The quietness between them wasn''t at all awkward. It was as if they had known each other for a long time that they didn''t need small talk just to avoid a weird atmosphere.

    "Tell me something, Kitten" Damien started.

    "Katherine."

    "Kitten." He insisted with a teasing smile.

    Katherine didn''t correct him this time and only rolled her eyes. She nodded for him to continue as she took another fry and ate it.

    "If you weren''t here tonight, where would you be?"

    "Hmmm" she pretended to think or else she would have said ''I''d probably be off on a mission to save the world if I wasn''t at home eating ice cream straight from the tub and watching cartoons. Yep.''

    There was no way she would have said the first one so she only admitted half of the truth. "Probably just at home. But I felt like going out today and I ended up here."

    Damien was d that she ended up here because he found her. "Then are you enjoying your night so far?"

    At this point, Katherine thought it was harmless for her to tell the truth. For the first time in a really long time, she was happy, so she answered him truthfully while locking her gaze with his.

    "I am. There is no ce I would rather be right now."

 Chapter 239: Tryst 1

    Chapter 239: Tryst 1

    Katherine''s answer and the way she looked at Damien caused him to feel a strange heart reaction.

    What was up with him tonight? He had been feeling inexplicable things since he saw her earlier.

    His dinner with the hotel owner''s daughter ended as soon as she finished her meal. He didn''t even offer her dessert and paid for the bill fast. He remained looking uninterested when they stood up and he was going to leave with her when he caught sight of Katherine sitting alone at the bar.

    Damien had to do a double-take as he didn''t expect to ever see her again. After ushering his date towards the elevator, he simply had to go and say ''hi'' to Katherine. After all, when was he ever going to see her again?

    He was d he did. Because just like what she said, there was no ce he would rather be tonight.

    "You seem to be in big parties where big people are whenever I see you. How do you know these people? What do you do?" he probed, hoping to know more about her.

    "Why are you interested in what I do, Mr. Park?"

    "Well, we''ve been meeting several times for the past year but I don''t really know anything about you. You always leave without telling me anything about yourself while you know me and what I do. I don''t think that''s fair."

    "Everyone in the U.S and probably a portion of the world know your name and what you do, Mr. Park. Kinda hard not to know who you are when you hold the title of one of the youngest billionaires in the world, don''t you think so?"

    "Did you google me, Kitten?"

    ''Used Shadow''s search engine but it''s more or less the same.'' Katherine lifted a shoulder to shrug, keeping her mysterious self.

    When he didn''t look away, she thought of giving him a vague answer.

    "Let''s just say I''m a contractor."

    "A contractor, huh? What do people contract with you?"

    "Now, for questions you need to have an appointment, Mr. Park and I''m currently not working. Actually I''m on a break and won''t be working for a while." She kept her tone yful, not wanting to give away any more information. "What about you? If you weren''t here tonight, what would you be doing?"

    Damien knew she was dodging more questions about her job but he didn''t call her out on it and just answered her question, "I''d probably also just be in my penthouse. Reading. Do you have any family?"

    "Orphan. No siblings. No husbandno kids. You?"

    "My father passed away years ago. Don''t know where my mother is. No siblings either. No husband too," he smiled and she smiled back, "No wifeand not seeing anyone. No kids."

    Their little unexpected rendezvous turned out to be what looked like a first date.

    "Guess we have a lot inmon, huh?" he added.

    Katherine couldn''t help but be smitten by him. There was just something in the way that they interact with each other. It was casual, harmless flirting that seemed so natural so right.

    Just then, her phone buzzed in her purse. She took a look at it and saw that it was Chris calling. She was a little hesitant to pick it up because she didn''t know what he wanted at this time when they had just finished a mission. Normally, if there was another mission, it would be sent through an automated message, telling them to go to Castle.

    "Are you gonna get that?" Damien probed.

    "It''s work. I should take this"

    "Sure."

    Katherine stepped away for a while and went out to the hallway, answering her call as soon as she was alone. "Hello?"

    "Hey I was just calling to check up on you. Are you okay?" Chris asked, his voice sounding concerned.

    "Yeah of course. Why wouldn''t I be?"

    "Oh. You looked a little down after reporting. I thought something happened during the mission."

    Katherine remembered her grandfather but she kept her tone light, reassuring Chris that she was fine. "Oh, there''s just been a lot of worktely. I was a little tired. That''s all."

    "Ah Sorry about that. Parker''s been throwing cases left and right. Other teams were sent off to a long mission overseas. I could only rely on you. Where are you by the way?"

    "Just having dinner on the 1st district."

    "Do you want me to pick you up?"

    "No, I''m fine. Thanks"

    "Alright. I''ll give you a few days off to rest this week."

    She sighed. She could finally resume her investigation. "That''ll be great. Thanks, Chris."

    "Anytime. Goodnight."

    When the call ended, a happy expression was stered on her face and she went back inside the bar.

    "You look happy. Was that your Boss? Some good news?" Damien asked, feeling satisfied when he saw her ce his coat back onto herp to cover her legs with it.

    "Something like that. He gave me a few days off this week since I worked a lot recently." Katherine sipped her wine, a smile still stered on her face.

    "That''s great! What do you n to do now that you''re free the next few days?"

    Katherine swallowed. She finished the rest of her wine and stared at the empty ss in her hand. There was so much to do but none of it involved rxing. What will she tell him?

    Seeing the change in her expression, Damien wasn''t sure what was on her mind. "Would you like to get some fresh air? There''s a table out in the balcony, we could move there."

    She turned to see where he was pointing and saw the far end of the room had an open area separated by a ss door and it was empty. "Sounds good."

    "Would you like a refill for your wine? Let me buy you one," he offered when she got down from the barstool.

    Katherine contemted for a bit. She breathed in deeply and nodded. "You know what? Why not. I don''t really drink that much but I guess I could use another. Thank you, Mr. Park."

    "Damien."

    "I''m sorry?"

    "Please call me Damien, Katherine. I''d love for you to call me by my first name." He reached to hold her wrist, his thumb lightly brushing against the pulse, causing her to feel heated.

    His eyes bore into hers and she swore her heartbeat raced when she felt that his gaze seeped into her and crawled through her bones.

    ''This man. This man is dangerous.'' Katherine''s heart warned her when she thought that Damien could cause her heartache. He only touched her slightly yet she had this insane urge for him as if she wanted him to touch her more.

    Crazy.

    Ignoring her thoughts, she matched his gaze with her own and said, "Very well then. Thank you, Damien."

 Chapter 240: Tryst 2

    Chapter 240: Tryst 2

    In the balcony, fresh air greeted Katherine as soon as she stepped out, but that didn''tst long as the memory ofst December''s kiss in Onyx Mountain Hotel yed in her mind. There were three empty tables out there so it was pretty quiet although the faint sound of music from inside the bar could still be heard. For the past hour, it had been ying mellow music, setting the atmosphere to be somewhat rxing.

    Did Damien perhaps n all this to get her alone again? Nah he wouldn''t.

    Would he?

    The door behind her opened and out came Damien with two sses of red wine. "Here," he said as he handed one to Katherine.

    "Thanks." She didn''t flinch when their fingers briefly touched but her gaze shifted to his and they stared at each other longer than they should have. There was a slight electric shock on the tip of her fingers when they grazed against his and from the way that he was looking back at her, she knew that he felt it too.

    What was that? She had never experienced that before. Was that static? That couldn''t be. It felt so good she had this crazy urge to want to try and touch him again.

    Chris''s image appeared in her mind and she forced herself to look away, turning towards the view of the city. For the past year, something changed with Chris and she couldn''t figure out what it was. He seemed somewhat elusive but then sometimes he would show his care. He''s been so hot and cold towards her and she also rarely saw him recently. Everything changed.

    Spending time with Damien like this and then thinking about Chris made her feel bad. This wasn''t a date and she hadn''t been on a date with Chris either, yet she couldn''t help butpare the two of them.

    Nothing can happen between her and Chris because agents in Shadow could never be in a romantic rtionship. And unfortunately, so is someone from outside of Shadow. She couldn''t be with Damien for the same reason  Shadow.

    "Do you often go on dates?" Damien asked, standing next to her and drinking his wine.

    Katherine ignored his question and asked him the same instead, "Do you?"

    A chuckle escaped from his lips and he shook his head. This woman avoided his questions most of the time, what else was new?

    "I''m pretty busy on most days because of work but I do go on dates from time to time. None of them are as interesting as this one though"

    "You find the groupie daughter of the hotel owner interesting?" sheughed.

    "No. But you are."

    Katherine''s head snapped towards him and she found him staring at her. He was talking about her. He meant this date was interesting Date?!

    "This is a date?" she asked, her voice very soft like a murmur.

    His gaze slowly lowered and settled on her lips, his Adam''s apple bobbing like he was thirsty. Her lips were so tempting that Damien wanted to throw away all his morals and just ravage her right now.

    "If you''re okay with it. We could call this a date," he said when he looked at her again, waiting for her to agree.

    Katherine''s insides felt like it was melting. His stare was just so intense that she had to look away. "Ha. Are you always this smooth with women, Mr" she cleared her throat. "I mean Damien?"

    "Wouldn''t you like to know?" He winked at her and she smiled.

    The wind blew against them and though it was cold, Katherine found it refreshing when it hit her skin. She inhaled deeply, her chin raised and her smile widening as she relished the coolness of the air. She rarely got to enjoy and appreciate nature but now felt like a good time.

    A warm material covered her shoulders and she looked to the side realizing that Damien had ced his coat on her. It was the same coat that he used to cover herp and now it was shielding her from the wind.

    She loved the cool air but for some reason, she loved the warmth that his coat brought her the very same coat that he wore earlieronly now, she was wearing it. And the delicious smell of his fragrance wafted through her nose.

    "Thank you" she said.

    Damien was still standing behind her, his hands slowly sliding from her shoulders down to her arms. It wasn''t skin to skin but she could feel the heat from his hand through the material of the coat.

    Crazy.

    She swallowed as she fought the urge to turn around and press herself against him.

    If it was any mission, she would have the guts to y the bold one, seducing targets to gain the upper hand. But this was different. No one was watching her. This wasn''t a mission. She could be anyone she wanted to be, however, something was holding her back. Or maybe she just wasn''t drunk enough.

    But the other times that she met him, she wasn''t drunk either. So what changed? Was it because they already kissed? But that was just a kiss a hot fervent kiss

    To her panic, she took arge gulp of wine and heard Damien chuckle as he moved next to her. Did he just y her? Was he expecting her to get flustered?

    "You still haven''t answered my question. Do you often go on dates?"

    Katherine bit her lip as she thought about how to answer but there was no other way than to be truthful. "I don''t I''ve never been on dates. Real ones, at least."

    Damien''s brows furrowed, not understanding what she meant. "You''ve never been on real dates? What do you mean?"

    For missions, yes. But her personal life was boring. No action there.

    "Let''s just say... I went on a few dates for work. Nothing romantic."

    He stared at her for a long time. How could that be true? She was too beautiful not to be taken out on a romantic date. Were the men around her blind?

    Whatever the reason was, he was somehow feeling d that she hasn''t. That would only mean that he has a chance to show her what she''s been missing right?

    Noticing that he hasn''t spoken for a while after what she said, Katherine looked at him and instantly blushed when she caught him still looking at her. "What?"

    "Let''s date."

    Damien''s voice was so calm and assertive and sexy it made Katherine''s heart beat wildly in her chest. This man was really just too dangerous for her. She was afraid that her heart couldn''t take it if he kept on doing what it was that he was doing to her.

    But for one crazy unknown reason, she blurted out, "I thought this was already a date?"

    An extremely brief surprised look shed on Damien''s face upon hearing Katherine''s words before a slow smile appeared. His evening had gotten more and more interesting and he was loving it.

 Chapter 241: Tryst 3

    Chapter 241: Tryst 3

    For a spontaneous date like this one and especially with Katherine, Damien could safely say it topped off all the dates that he had been in the past. They had just gotten started but he couldn''t be more pleased to spend time with her even if it was a Monday night.

    With this beautiful woman next to him, he couldn''t wait to unravel what else about her would surprise him.

    "So, Damien What usually happens on dates?" Katherine brought him out of his trance and he drank his wine to buy some time.

    "You know One is supposed to get to know the other better during dates. But I''ve always found it boring especially when they keep talking nonstop about the same stuff."

    "Hmmm Why? Were all your dates in the past groupies?" she teased.

    "Ha Ha." His sarcasticugh made her snicker. "You''d actually be surprised at how many gold-diggers there are pretending to be someone they''re not roaming around in this world. It''s kinda hard to find people who actually like you for you and not how deep your pocket is."

    "Ooh You''ve had it hard, Mr. Moneybags?"

    "My family is old money. But after I became independent and went my own way, I never really thought I''d make it this big. But the more money I make, the more fake people I meet. All they really care about is themselves."

    "That''s Hmmm" Katherine didn''t know what to say to that, so she went on another direction, "Don''t tell me you don''t enjoy the women throwing themselves at you?"

    Damien shook his head and took a sip of his wine. "I''m not gonna lie, I did enjoy it at first. But it got pretty old really fast. I just want to meet someone normal."

    When she saw him looking at her, she softly chuckled, "Oh, believe me, Damien I''m far from normal."

    "You''re right, you''re not"

    What he said stung her a bit. She really wasn''t like any normal women out there. But what was normal?

    "My bad. I chose the wrong term. I meant to say, I wanted to meet someone like you," he added.

    "Someone like me, huh? And what exactly am I, Damien?" Katherine''s interest was piqued. She turned to him, crossing her arms in front of her, careful not to spill the wine.

    "Hmmm I can''t seem to find the right term to describe you. One positive word just isn''t enough" A yful smirk formed on his face and Katherine scoffed at his smoothness.

    "You''re so good at this. If I was any other woman, I''d probably be eating your hand right now, huh?"

    Without saying anything, he just shrugged and drank his wine. Katherine mimicked him, hers was already more than half empty and her body was feeling hot. The booze had already kicked in by the time she started her second ss. But drinking with Damien was just so much fun and the wine seemed to be sweeter the more she drank it.

    "Let''s try something else. How about you tell me what your dreams are?" he started.

    "Dreams huh" she muttered. She probably had some when she was younger but that changed ever since that night. Now she wanted nothing more than to get justice for her parents'' deaths. But she couldn''t tell him this. So what was she supposed to tell him?

    Seeing that she was again in deep thought, Damien wondered what got her thinking so much tonight. In order to break the silence, he cleared his throat and said, "Okay, I''ll go first. I actually have a few but one of which is to have at least one hotel or resort in every country."

    "Wow. That''s that''s huge"

    "Well, it''s a dream. The sky''s the limit. I may or may not be able to aplish that in this lifetime but still It''s free to dream." He shrugged.

    It''s free to dream...

    His words were too simple and Katherine may have heard this a few times before but it was the only time that got her thinking so deeply. Should she start dreaming too? That would be ridiculous, ain''t it?

    People like her couldn''t dream like Damien. One of her feet was tied up in a chain to Shadow''s dark walls. Just thinking about having a dream was absurd.

    But she did have one

    "Kitten"

    His call made her look back at him and that''s when she saw him holding his palm out to her. She looked at his hand and then back to his face, raising a brow in question. "Yes?"

    "You''ve been awfully distracted tonight Is everything okay?" he asked.

    Katherine felt so guilty. Why was she thinking so much? Sighing, her shoulders slumped and she formed a small smile. "I''m so sorry I''m such a bad date huh?"

    "Don''t worry about it." He grabbed her wine ss and ced it on the table. "You can make up for it though" he said as he extended his hand out to her again.

    "What? How?"

    "I remember thest time you said that you like dancing. So Dance with me, Kitten. And I''ll forgive you."

    Katherine couldn''t help but giggle upon watching him. This man he never failed to make herugh. Just the way he tries to always entertain her made her heart grow fonder.

    "But there''s no music! We''ll look silly," she said.

    "Oh for Christ''s sake. If you''d just shut up, be quiet for one second and listen, you can actually hear the music from the bar inside." He nodded to the direction of the ss door.

    His harshness only made Katherineugh but she did shut up and her ears perked up to listen to the faint music in the background. Her eyes shifted to look at him when she realized that the song that had just started was one of the songs she liked ''Counting Stars'', in the version of Hannah Trigwell. It was the perfect mellow version of the upbeat original.

    And she thought it was just the perfect song right now.

    Seeing Damien''s hand waggle at her, she curled the corners of her mouth up, shrugged off the coat on her and set it aside. She then ced her hand in his and moved closer as she said, "It''ll be a pleasure to dance with you, Damien."

    And with that, Damien dly pulled her closer, their hands joining and were raised just below their shoulder level while he ced his other hand on the small of her back, making them look extra intimate while dancing to the faint sound of music.

    "I figured out the word that best describes you" he whispered to her ear.

    "What is it?"

    Leaning closer so that his lips were just a hair''s breadth away, he told her the word, "Katherine."

 Chapter 242: Tryst 4

    Chapter 242: Tryst 4

    There was nothing fancy about how Katherine and Damien danced in the balcony. They were unpracticed  no fancy movements just swaying from side to side really slowly. They weren''t even in sync with the song and if people were watching them, they''d probablyugh that they were actually offbeat.

    But it was the way that he held her so close to him that made her heart throb in such a really nice and warm way. The kind of throb where you''d crave for more. She''d wanted to feel more of it.

    And unabashedly, she did. She moved closer, pressing her chest against his so that they were now hugging and dancing.

    Hearing her name from his lips and telling her that her name was the best word to describe her made her softly chuckle. She could feel him smile too as his lips brush the top part of her ear before he rested his cheek on the side of her head. The feeling was so nice that she just had to close her eyes to savor it.

    Katherine''s mind was nk and there was nothing that caught her attention at that moment but only the sound of his rxing breathing, his warm hands that were holding her so close and making her even warmer she thought she was burning under his touch but she loved it because it made her feel alive yet calm.

    It was so peaceful  and he was so gentle. And because of that, she felt so weightless as if she was free.

    "Free" she muttered.

    "Hmmm?" Damien slightly leaned back to look at her, "What did you say, Kitten?"

    For the first time that night, he saw the clearness in her eyes. "Pure" just like what her name meant and though there was a hint of sadness, he held onto the positive one.

    She looked up at him and she didn''t know what happened but her walls crumbled down as she started telling him what her deepest wish was.

    "My dream," she said in hushed tones. "I want to be free."

    Those were only five simple words but Damien could feel that those were five words of truth that she just confessed to him. For all the lies and her answers when she''s dodging questions from him, he could feel the truth in these words. ''What has got you trapped, Kitten?''

    How fast her walls came down was also how fast they were back up again when she showed him a smile. "But just like what you said it''s free to dream right?" She said it like it was something glum instead of good.

    Thinking about what she said earlier, he made a wild guess, "Is it because of your work?"

    But he had no idea that he was spot on.

    "Yeah I guess" Katherine brushed it off and hid her face by pressing her cheek against his shoulder. She was so good at portraying so many personas but there was just something about Damien that made her vulnerable. It was as though she couldn''t help herself but be weak with him around.

    "If you don''t like your job, you could get a new one. You''re still young right? I''m sure you''ll have lots of opportunities out there."

    She smiled.

    If you only knew, Damien.

    "Yeah, it''s not that easy. This my boss I owe him and thepany my life. Working for thepany is how I repay them even if I want to be free. I can''t."

    "If you''re not happy about something, you should leave it. Your life is too precious to waste on something that you are not happy with."

    "Ah if only it were that easy"

    Katherine let out a sigh. She shouldn''t be socializing with people so closely. Yet here she was, breaking all the rules by getting close and cozy to one person that she genuinely liked and was dangerously treading towards a feeling that she shouldn''t be feeling.

    But just this once Just this once, she wanted something for herself. ''Can''t I just please want somethingsomeone and wish for him to want me back?''

    All of a sudden, Damien stopped moving. His voice dropped low as he told her softly but with an assertive tone, "Come away with me."

    Katherine''s initial reaction was to chuckle. This man really knew how to sweep her off her feet. Did he expect her to just nod and say yes, drop everything and run to the ends of the world with him? She snorted in her head. She was only thinking about her secret wish and now, unexpectedly, he wants her to go away with him? She didn''t say her wish out loud, did she?

    She began to panic and leaned back to look at him, only to see the seriousness in his face  he wasn''t kidding.

    So she could only say the first thing that she had in mind, "You don''t even know me."

    As if on cue, the song said, ~Dreaming about the things that we could be~

    Katherine''s heart began to race and her breathing hitched when his fingers found her cheek, brushing her hair away from her face and tucking it behind her ear.

    "Life''s too short but I could spend it getting to know all about you," he stated. His words were so clear to her and it made her even more nervous.

    "And if I go away with you, where would you take me?" She was so into their conversation that she had no control over how she responded to him. It was as if she really was going to let him take her away. She knew it wasn''t possible. But hey, she could dream, right?

    Looking at her, Damien clipped her chin with his finger and his thumb, lifting it up so they could meet eye to eye. His gaze traveled south andnded on her plump lips that he''d been dying to taste again since the moment he saw her earlier.

    "I can take you anywhere you want to go. All you have to do is tell me where and I can have my private ne up and ready. We can be thousands of miles away from here if that''s what you want. Don''t you remember? For you, the sky''s the limit"

    "What if I want the sky?"

    A small and charming smirk danced on his lips as he replied, "Heaven could fall and hell could freeze over Katherine, if you want to live in the sky, I''ll willingly spend a fortune to make that happen. That way, we could count the stars closer."

    Call him crazy because he was acting like one now but he couldn''t care less about it.

    He''s Damien Park and he always knew what he wanted.

    And right now, he wanted Katherine.

    The wind sang with the song and the next thing she knew, she was tiptoeing towards him.

    Because her heart was somehow in sync with his at the moment. She wanted Damien.

    And she proved it when she brushed her lips to his.

 Chapter 243: Tryst 5

    Chapter 243: Tryst 5

    Damien froze when Katherine touched her lips to his. It took him a second to realize that she kissed him. Her lips were smooth and soft just like how he remembered it.

    She was about to pull away when she realized what she just did but he held her in ce, not allowing her to stop.

    He pulled her closer by the waist, his other hand cradling the back of her head as he deepened the kiss. He didn''t know he had missed her this much. He didn''t know he had been craving for Katherine since thest time he had seen her.

    When she let out a soft moan, he almost went crazy.

    How crazy was it to desire someone like this? Was it only lust? He didn''t think so. They had been in this charade for a year granted, they only met a few times. But each time they meet, he could feel this strange pull towards her that he had never felt with anyone else.

    Whatever it was, he wanted to find out, or he would go crazy if he let her go again after tonight. There was just no way that he could go on months without seeing her again just like the previous times where he''d left it to fate. He was crazy to think he would be okay to leave something that felt so good like this to ''fate''. He''d have to do something.

    Her hands that were resting on his chest slid up to the sides of his head and neck. She had never told anyone about their kissst December and holy cow, she had been dreaming about it since then. And now that dream turned into a reality.

    Their tongues touched and her knees buckled. Damien was definitely making her weak. It was as though she didn''t know how to stand anymore when she was with him.

    But then again, it was probably the wine''s fault. She had drunk past her usual limit which would exin why she thought the room was spinning.

    Or maybe it really was just because of the kiss. His kisses were so intoxicating that she thought her life was sucked out of her. Was this supposed to be this intense? She had no idea.

    He instantly caught her, his arm encircling around her waist and pulling her impossibly closer.

    She was so close and deliciously pressed against him and his hard-on.

    The fiery contact made him groan into her mouth and he started sucking her bottom lip, only releasing it when he heard her whimper.

    His lips moved to her jaw, kissing his way to the side of her neck with his tongue flicking as he did. She tasted so good and he grew more impatient when she gasped out a heavy breath near his ear  it was so erotic that it got him so hard he thought he was going to explode right there.

    "Fck. This won''t do," he hissed when he raised his head to look at her.

    The two of them were hazy from their heated kiss. Katherine had never felt so much passion the way that Damien showed her. How was this possible? He barely knew him yet it felt like everything just fit so perfectly.

    As their eyes met, his hands cupped her face lovingly and the next words that came out from his lips caused her heart to quiver.

    "Katherine" he panted and she waited for him to continue.

    "Will you spend the night with me?"

    Damien was so nervous because he was afraid that she would refuse. After all, they only knew each other recently. Technically, it had been a year but their situation was so unique that he didn''t know if it was appropriate.

    Maybe it wasn''t... but he was willing to take the risk in asking her to stay with him. He was willing to bet that she wanted him as much as he wanted her. Their chemistry was undeniable and he was sure she knew that too.

    But was she willing just like he was?

    Katherine knew what he was asking and for a brief second, she wanted to take a step back, suddenly feeling cautious. However, she was already too invested in their little rendezvous that she couldn''t will herself to say ''no''.

    She had always just followed orders. And this was one thing that she badly wanted for herself. Just before she was about to speak, she heard him say, "I don''t think I can let you go tonight."

    As soon as he finished his words, Katherine nodded her head. "Yes. Me neither."

    Her answer was a bit of a surprise for him because even though he was hopeful, he thought she was going to say ''No''. Damien happily sighed before kissing her again and pulling away.

    While he picked up his coat from the back of a chair, Katherine finished the rest of her wine and when she thought that it wasn''t enough, she picked up his ss and finished his as well.

    Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she turned towards him who was waiting by the ss door for her with a questioning brow raised.

    "What? Liquid courage," she said in defense.

    He only smiled at her and grabbed her hand, taking her back inside and heading towards the bar where Damien whipped out his wallet and took a couple of hundred dor bills. He pointed to a bottle of pinot noirthe same one they were drinking earlierand paid the bartender.

    He was still holding her hand when he faced her again and saw the look on her face. With a yful smirk, he said, "What? Liquid courage." He winked.

    They almost ran towards the elevator, their fingers now inteced together and their hands sweating in anticipation.

    When the elevator arrived and they stepped inside, Katherine was surprised to see that Damien didn''t press the ground floor button. "Twentieth?" she wondered.

    "They gave me a presidential suite for the night. Is that okay?"

    She couldn''t care less even if it was a standard room. She was about to spend the night with this beautiful man, how could shein?

    "It''s perfect." She smiled.

    Damien couldn''t keep his eyes off her. He wanted so badly to press the emergency stop button and just kiss her there and then. Waiting for their floor was torture. It was only three floors up, why was it taking so long? If he was going to purchase this hotel, he had to upgrade the fckin'' elevator as well.

    As soon as the doors opened, he practically dragged her with him towards his suite. ''Stupid hotel. Why is the room so far from the elevators?''

    He was really having a hard time finding a reason to get the deal done because it was currently causing him so much inconvenience.

    Katherine could feel his haste as she jogged with him and she was amused.

    When they reached their door, Damien hurriedly swiped the card, got them both inside and locked the door. In one swift move, he pinned her to the door with one hand while the other was still holding the bottle of wine.

    He smashed his lips to hers and she instantly hooked her arms around him, pulling him closer.

    His hand found her bare thigh and he lifted it, wrapping it around him as he pressed himself to her and trapping her in ce.

    He was being so rough with her but she didn''t mind one bit. She liked the way he had his thick thigh between her legs and was rubbing her apex.

    She moaned and ground with him whilst his tonguevished her neck. They were essentially dry humping each other and Damien had already almost found release. It was insane  he thought he wouldbust.

 Chapter 244: Tryst 6

    Chapter 244: Tryst 6

    Damien almost lost his control that the bottle of wine almost slipped from his hand. He leaned back, panting from their sensual make out.

    He was like a horny teenager. But who could me him when he was with a woman like Katherine?

    She was slightly disappointed that they stopped. It was already so good. Why did he stop?

    "Sorry" he whispered. "I didn''t mean to be so fast. I just couldn''t help myself when I''m with you."

    Katherine swallowed, feeling aware of what was happening. "Right" Except she didn''t mind what they were doing. ''Kiss me again!'' she yelled in her head.

    Damien stepped away and took her hand in his, bringing her deeper into the suite. He didn''t have to hold her hand but he wanted to. He didn''t like the idea of letting her hand go, afraid that she would just suddenly run out of the room or disappear on him just like the previous times.

    "Do you want some?" he asked, lifting the bottle in his hand.

    She was definitely feeling buzzed already but if she was going to do this tonight, she would need all the courage she could get. "Sure, maybe a little."

    He made her sit on the bed while he grabbed two sses from the counter. Unlike Damien who had high alcohol tolerance, Katherine could get drunk easily. It was a miracle that she made it to his suite without falling asleep. However, Damien didn''t know this. Sure, she did mention she didn''t drink so much, but every time he would ask her if she would like to have more wine, she would agree. To him, she didn''t look like she was drunk.

    When each of them had their sses in hand, they clinked them and took a sip. Well, it was only a sip for Damien Katherine, on the other hand, finished hers in one gulp.

    "Woah, easy tiger" He grabbed the ss away from her and chuckled at the sight. "I thought you couldn''t drink so much? That''s enough for you."

    He ced the sses aside and returned to sit on the bed with her. It was only then that he realized her face was flushed. Perhaps it was because of the lighting that he didn''t notice before but her cheeks were so pink now.

    "Are you okay?" he asked, caressing her cheek and loving the way she looked so adorable with the pink tone. He shouldn''t have let her drink some more. If only he had noticed right away.

    "I''m okay." Katherine''s smile was wide. She boldly reached for his tie and tugged him towards her. She couldn''t wait to kiss him again. Why should she wait? She could just kiss him herself!

    Damien''s sexy chuckle made her panties wet. That did it for her. She pressed her lips to his only to have him lean back, still chuckling. "Are you sure? You could freshen up if you want to I''m not going anywhere."

    She shook her head, slightly annoyed that he was dying it. "I can do that after." She pulled him towards her again and this time, he didn''t protest. The next thing he knew, she had already yanked his tie off him in one swift move and started unbuttoning his shirt.

    Lowering her back onto the mattress, Damien carefully ced his weight on his arm to keep it off her. But Katherine was too eager to feel more of him that she impatiently pulled him down, her legs now wrapped around his waist.

    He moaned with her as they kissed passionately, their tongues were dancing with each other in a sexy duel that neither of them wanted to lose.

    His hands roamed on her sides and found the hem of her dress. She looked so sexy in it but he wondered how she looked without it.

    He was trying so hard to control himself but this woman made him want to lose control. He wanted to pull back thinking that she might regret it in the morning. The two of them still had clothes on but the heat was so high, they could almost burn the sheets.

    Slipping his hand under her skirt, he slid it up and squeezed her bottom. The two of them moaned to it just as his other hand found her chest.

    The telephone on the side table rang loudly causing both of them to flinch. "Ignore it," he said and continued to kiss her neck.

    "What if it''s important?"

    "Nothing is more important than this." His kisses made their way to the base of her throat.

    Katherine was bothered by the ringing and she could no longer enjoy what they were doing. "Damien"

    He was also getting annoyed by the telephone. Who the hell would call him at a time like this? It was the hotel''s telephone so the call was most likelying internally.

    Reluctantly, he got off her and picked up the phone with an irritated tone. "What?!"

    He was quiet for a few seconds before he let out a shocked reaction. "What did you say? What thewho would do that?!"

    After a few more seconds, he put the phone down and turned to Katherine. "Something happened to my car in the parking lot. I have to step out for a bit. Hopefully, it won''t take long. Will you be okay here?"

    "I''ll be fine." She nodded.

    Damien helped her settle in bed and ced a nket on her. He didn''t want to leave her alone but he couldn''t bring her with him either. Sitting next to her, he looked at her in the eye and swept her hair away from her face as he told her, "We could take this slow, Katherine. I don''t want you to regret anything."

    She didn''t say anything and only smiled at him.

    cing a lingering kiss on her lips, he smiled back at her and got up.

    "In the meantime, think about where you''d like to go if you want toe away with me." He winked at her before turning his back and headed out the door.

    Damien left the room not knowing it was thest time he was going to see her again until five yearster.

    Katherine let out a long sigh when she was alone and found afortable position in bed. All she wanted was to close her eyes and when she did, it didn''t take her long to drift off to sleep.

    A few minutester and the door opened again but Katherine was in deep sleep to know what was happening.

    Chris had gotten in and out of the hotel to take Katherine away. He couldn''t allow her to make a mistake. Especially not from someone who came from the Park Family.

 Chapter 245: Christophers Resolve

    Chapter 245: Christopher''s Resolve

    When Katherine told Chris earlier that she was out for dinner, he went to her apartment and waited for her toe home so he could check up on her. Normally, she''d only be out for an hour like she usually did but it had been more than that since she left Castle and he felt something was off.

    When he tried to call her again and she didn''t answer, he tracked where she was and ended up in The Scarlet Hotel''s bar. This was the first time that Katherine had been out of reach and he didn''t think she did it on purpose. However, when he reached the seventeenth floor and found her in the balcony of the bar and restaurant, he saw her getting cozy with Damien Park.

    He wanted to go to her and interfere with whatever they were doing out there but he stopped in his tracks, surprised when he saw her kissing the nephew of Frederick Park. He looked away and debated whether he should leave her be or take her away immediately. He didn''t know what to do at first, distracted by the thought of seeing Katherine kissing someone else.

    Chris was not aware of what this was about. How long had this been going on? Has she fallen for him? Or was she close to finding out the people involved in her parents'' deaths? Whatever this was, this shouldn''t happen.

    Parker has eyes everywhere. She may have been able to dodge the other times but what about this one? Parker had been lenient on Chris but if he knew about this, he would definitely order a Cancel Mission. Parker Green did not tolerate anyone who doesn''t follow the rules.

    When Chris got his sht together, Katherine and Damien came back inside the bar and so he hid in a corner. He had to conceal his presence first as he was still trying to think of a n to get her out of there without attracting attention. He saw them leaving the bar and getting into the elevator and he felt enraged when he noticed it went up to the twentieth floor. The bastard even had a room in the hotel and he was taking her there.

    Chris needed to do something without exposing Katherine''s identity and the only way was to create a distraction whilst he takes her away. He started giving out orders to one of his trusted men and in a few minutes, the job was done. He waited for when Damien was going down the ground floor before he would break into the suite to get Katherine.

    He almost couldn''t wait and so he started going towards the elevator, bumping into Damien himself  the two of them briefly looked at each other and apologized before going their own ways. If only they weren''t in public, Chris would have already done more than just an idental ''bump''.

    ...

    The effects of the wine that Katherine drunk had already caught up to her. Chris carried her from the room to his car and drove away from the hotel, all the while she was asleep. He finally let out a heavy sigh once he joined the traffic on the main road.

    "Pee I wanna pee" she mumbled while her eyes were still closed.

    Chris nced at her and decided to bring her to his apartment instead as it was only a couple of blocks awaypared to hers which was on the farther end. "We''re almost there. Keep it together," he said.

    Katherine was mumbling on their way to his door and Chris ushered her towards the toilet where she did her business. After which, she got out and scanned the living room, noticing that she was not in the hotel.

    "Where Where am I?" Katherine was disoriented. She was sleeping in Damien''s suite, wasn''t she?

    "You''re in my ce." Chris took off his coat and tossed it to an armchair, his brows knitted thinking about what almost happened if he hadn''t gotten to her in time.

    "Chris?!" Her heart raced, seeing the gorgeous man who was currently staring daggers at her. She was still confused about what happened and why she was in his ce where she had only been inside a couple of times in the past.

    "What the hell, Katherine?! What were you up to?" he yelled at her as he stalked towards her.

    She swallowed, realizing what she was just about to do with a stranger. Damien was a stranger right? A beautiful stranger who she grew to like. She furrowed her brows and argued back, "I was just having a good time. What is wrong with you? Can''t I have some fun when I''m not working?"

    Chris let out a mockingugh, "Fun? You call that fun? You were about to sleep with the guy!"

    "And so what?! What is it to you who I sleep with?" she furiously snapped.

    He opened his mouth to retort but he swallowed his words back. What was really the reason? Technically, agents could do whatever they want after work as long as they still abide by the rules. Whoever they sleep with was none of their business as long as feelings were not involved. One-night stands were fine but rtionships were off-limits.

    But that man was from the Park Family. He was just saving her from making a mistake. He was right to do so!

    Katherine was pissed. She met a man who was not afraid to make her feel good and special and Chris just blew it off for her. Damien was sweet even though he probably only did that to get into her pants but whatever it was, she was a consenting adult  she knew what she was getting herself into.

    She watched as Chris only looked at her but did not say anything. Was he jealous? Is that why he stopped her from hooking up with another man? But nothing could ever happen between her and Chris because he would never cross the line with her.

    When he still didn''t say anything, she added, "Why can''t you answer? I don''t stop you from whatever you do or whoever you spend the night with, why can''t I do the same?"

    "Because I can''t let you be with someone else!" he bit out.

    "And why not? It''s not like there''s something going on between you and me, Chris. So whoever I sleep with has nothing to do with you"

    Katherine''s words were cut off when Chris closed the distance between them and kissed her. After so many times that he had stopped himself, he finally kissed her.

    He didn''t know when he fell for her because without realizing, he stopped seeing her as that kid from years ago. He saw how Katherine grew to be who she was now. She was ady in front of him. And now, he had broken his own rule never to get involved with Katherine This time, there was no going back from here. He had already crossed the line.

    "I can''t let you be with someone else because I love you," he whispered.

    Katherine was so conflicted. Chris Chris who had never looked her way. Chris whom her heart had been longing for finally kissed her  even told her that he loved her. What was happening?

    She was in shock as he stared at him. What do people do in this situation? Chris was making her so confused. She had told herself over and over that nothing was ever going to happen between them despite what she felt for him.

    <em>A tear fell from her eye, unsure why her heart was hurting so badly hearing what he just told her.</em> It didn''t help that she was drunk from all the wine she had because she couldn''t think straight.

    Seeing her reaction, Chris thought that she must be surprised. He wasn''t stupid, he was definitely aware of what Katherine felt for him for a while now. He had already gone this far of confessing to her, so he couldn''t take it back anymore. Therefore, he kissed her again.

 Chapter 246: A Reason Not to Slit Chriss Throat

    Chapter 246: A Reason Not to Slit Chris''s Throat

    Magnum Hotel

    The beautiful song was about to end. After Chris twirled Katherine a few times, he dipped her head down and looked deep into her eyes  he could feel as though his heart was being squeezed dry.

    Five years ago, back when he had no other choice but to take away her memories because she found out what she wasn''t supposed to find out and had acted violently, he had told her: "This is why I didn''t want you and that man from the Parks together." Apart from his selfish reasons for having feelings for her, he really was just saving her from getting herself hurt.

    Katherine suddenly became restless from where she was detained and started yelling at him furiously, "Don''t you dare touch him!"

    Chris saw the look on her face just because he had mentioned Damien. Had she already fallen for the guy to be so concerned about him like that?

    Now, five yearster, hearing the same words from her while they were talking about the same man brought so many ill feelings. He had stopped himself from getting involved with her anymore despite seeing Katherine and Damien together several months ago.

    Many years had passed and the two still found each other again. It looked like Katherine and Damien''s stars were really aligned and there was nothing that he could do about it anymore.

    All he wanted to do was to keep her away from danger. But now, this stubborn woman just made herself visible to her enemies. What the hell was she thinking?

    Chris decided to tell her something before disappearing that night. When the song was ending and they straightened up, Chris pulled her so close to him that he could feel the beating of her heart and whispered, "I did love you, Kath I didn''t lie to you five years ago, I meant what I said that night."

    Another tear escaped from the corner of her eye, she was too hurt. How could he say that to her and did what he did? She could never trust anyone anymore. They tell you they love you but they hurt you. How fcked up was that?

    ~Say something, I''m giving up on you~ The song died down and the room was filled with a loud round of apuse from the audience because of their dancing.

    The lights and the music changed from mellow to an upbeat song really quickly. Katherine felt Chris''s hands slipping away from her just as the guests started to go back to the dance floor.

    Before he could get away, Katherine harshly caught his wrist and dragged him towards the farthest corner of the room where she found a door. Chris did not fight his escape and allowed her to drag him away.

    She opened the door and saw that it led to a staircase. As she closed the door behind them, Chris flicked his wrist, releasing it from her deathly grip but as soon as he did, she was immediately on her guard.

    She started throwing punches at him in which he countered so effortlessly like the expert that he was.

    "Come on, is this all you got? You''ve gotten soft, Queen," he mocked her, a smirk forming on his face as they exchanged blows in the small space andnding a low kick on her leg. She whimpered but recovered right away.

    His provocation caused Katherine to make her attacks harsher and fiercer,nding a strong strike with her fist on his jaw. She grinned.

    Chris spat to the side and wiped the blood on the corner of his lips with his thumb, smiling at Katherine before he spun and kicked, aiming for her head.

    She almost got hit but she managed to duck down quickly, avoiding his kick while drawing out the dagger in her leg.

    When she found her stance, her right hand was already holding the handle of the knife in a reverse grip with the de opposing her thumb and the cutting edge facing away from her.

    Katherine swung her arm like she was throwing punches but this time, she was aiming the knife towards Chris and intending to cut him.

    "You really like your knives, huh?" he huffed.

    "I''ll like it even more when it tastes your blood," she spat as she continued to attack and counter-attack his moves.

    "Honey, you''ll have to do better than this before you could cut me."

    Clenching her jaw, Katherine found her opening and she kicked him in the stomach, causing him to stagger backward to the wall. In one swift move, she drew her knife up to his throat.

    "Did you say something?" A menacing smile appeared on her face.

    Chris chuckled, "You got me. But are you really going to slice my neck? I don''t think you have it in you."

    "Queen, don''t do it. I repeat. We need him alive," Falcon''s voice came through thems. She couldn''t reveal herself for now unless it was really needed so she stayed inside.

    "Tell me one good reason why I shouldn''t slit your throat right now!!!" Katherine yelled in his face. She hated how he was so cocky. She enjoyed watching him like this with other people before but experiencing it first hand made her blood boil.

    "I thought you were smart, Queen. Did you really think you could keep me? Always always have insurance. I taught you that." Chris smiled as he looked at her, unafraid that the knife was going to cut him anytime she wished.

    "What are you talking about?"

    He moved his hand and Katherine pushed him back, the knife closing in.

    "Hey I''m just going to get something from my pocket and give it to you," he said.

    Katherine nodded and Chris took out a small device from the inside of his coat, holding it in the air and waving it to her.

    "Holy sht," Styles cursed when he saw a bomb detonator in Chris''s hand through the cameras in the staircase.

    "You nted a bomb in here?!" Katherine''s eyes grew wide.

    "My dear, you need to let me go. I''ll give this to you In return, I walk away."

    Katherine''s heart raced. There was no way that they could let go of Chris now that he appeared in front of her.

    But now there was a bomb involved, what was she supposed to do?

 Chapter 247: A Mocking Tattoo

    Chapter 247: A Mocking Tattoo

    "Tic Toc, the clock''s ticking." Chris waved the detonator in his hand.

    "Why have we not detected it? We swept the whole ce," Falcon said as she tried to think about another solution. They nned to capture Chris tonight but they didn''t expect he was able to sneak in a bomb without getting detectedthey didn''t expect he was going to threaten them with a bomb at all. She could praise him if he wasn''t the enemy at the moment.

    "He may be bluffing." Styles quickly worked on hisputer trying to figure out where he could have ced the bomb.

    If Chris was lying and they let him go, they''d lose him and they wouldn''t get another chance like this. But they couldn''t risk it. There were hundreds of people in the building and the bomb could be anywhere.

    "I don''t think he is. Christopher never bluffs," Falcon assured. When she was still in Shadow, she was also close to Chris because he reminded her of her son. She got to know how he operates but she made the mistake of underestimating what he could do. After all, it''s been such a long time since she hadst seen him.

    Katherine was listening to the two people converse in her earpiece at the same time that she tried to study Chris''s face. He was smiling down at her. She was so close and the feeling of satisfaction was right on the tips of her fingers as she held the dagger so tightly, tempted to just end him right there.

    "How do I know you''re not making this up?" Katherine questioned.

    "I don''t lie"

    Katherine pressed the de to his throat, it was so sharp that it cut his skin slightly. "You lied to me before. Try again."

    "I kept the truth from you and I already told you why I did that. But would you really risk harming all of the people in this building just to get a measly person like me?"

    Chris''s voice was stern and there was not an ounce of reason to doubt him anymore. Katherine would never risk getting innocent people harmed because of her selfish reasons.

    Reluctantly, she let go of him and he took out a handkerchief, wiping the blood from his neck. The cut wasn''t deep and it was only on the skin but if she had given more force, there was no doubt that he would have bled profusely.

    Chris wet his lips with his tongue and softly chuckled, shaking his head. Katherine had be fiercer than she was before and he couldn''t help but feel proud. After all, he taught her almost everything that she needed to learn.

    "Looks like I really couldn''t stop you from getting head to head with Parker. I don''t have to warn you because you already know how cruel he can be." He turned to the stairs, started on his heel and paused before he took a step down. "Follow me after two minutes. I''ll leave this in the trash by the entrance," he said, referring to the detonator in his hand.

    She watched as he left and was out of her sight. The door opened and out came Falcon, touching her shoulder as she said, "I''ll go. You need to go back inside."

    Katherine released the air that she wasn''t aware she was holding and tried topose herself from the rage that was coursing through her body at the moment.

    "Are you okay?" Falcon probed seeing that she was slightly trembling.

    Katherine inhaled and exhaled a few times before she nodded, "Never better."

    Inside the venue where the party was in full swing, Damien Park was in search of Katherine. When their stupid dance finished, she was gone from the spotlight so fast and the crowd drowned her out  he lost sight of her.

    He looked for her but didn''t see even a strand of her hair, he started to panic and did not know where to find her. It had only been about two minutes since she fled the scene, if she went somewhere, she couldn''t have gone very far, right? Why would she go? This was her party.

    Unless something happened to her

    Damien was just about to turn around and leave the venue to search for her when he heard a man''s voice calling out her name.

    "Katherine!"

    It was so loud that a lot of people looked at the man who just shouted. When Damien turned his head, he caught sight of Matthew Jeong several meters away, waving to the other side of the room.

    Damien''s eyes shifted to follow the direction of his wave and finally found Katherine. He sighed knowing that she was safe but he frowned as he watched her walking towards Matthew, her dress swaying as she did  the tattoo ''onyx.'' on her thigh winked at him as though it was mocking him.

    How dare she dress up like that and not even spare him so much as a nce? Does she even know he wasing?! After inviting him, she should have known he was here somewhere, right? She was so cruel.

    "Tsk tsk tsk" Eve clicked her tongue when she stood next to Damien. "Calm down, Damien. You wouldn''t want to attract other people''s attention, do you? You''re scowling right now."

    Without looking at Eve, Damien scoffed and grabbed a flute of champagne from a passing waiter, drinking it in one go before he answered, "What am I supposed to look right now, Eve? Do you expect me to smile?"

    "I''m not expecting you to do so but I''m honestly curious what you''re going to do to get her to talk to you," she responded as she took a sip of her drink, ncing at Damien and then at the woman across the room.

    Several meters away, Katherine narrowed her eyes and started walking towards the man who just called her. She couldn''t make out who he was at first because of the low lights but as she came closer, she eventually saw Matthew in a blue checked suit.

    Taking long strides, he met her halfway and wrapped his arms around her frame. "Katherine It''s really you" he muttered as he hugged her.

    Katherine was so overwhelmed to see him that she couldn''t help but feel so touched that he was d to see her. Before she knew it, she was returning his hug and a bright smile appeared on her face as she called his name, "Matty"

    Hearing the way she called him just like she used to when they were young, Matthew squeezed her tightly and thanked the heavens for bringing her back. For the first time in so many years, his heart felt lighter.

 Chapter 248: Someone Tall, Handsome, and a Billionaire

    Chapter 248: Someone Tall, Handsome, and a Billionaire

    Matthew Jeong was overjoyed.

    He had only seen the online news the day before when Alianna sent it to him and he immediately flew to Esmea from Italy. When he arrived, he had to go home and was thrilled to see that Chairman Young sent him an invitation to Katherine''s party. He tried to call her as soon as hended but he couldn''t reach her because Katherine had long used another phone number.

    "You don''t know how happy I am to know that you''re alive. I have so many questions, Katherine. But I''m just so damn d to see you" he said. He hasn''t let go of her yet.

    Katherine was slightly teary-eyed butpared to a while ago, these were tears of joy. "I''m sorry I didn''t recognize you, Matty. I feel so so terrible."

    "It doesn''t matter. When I first saw you at that party several months ago, I knew that it was impossible, but I have never forgotten about you, Kathy never." He squeezed her even tighter.

    Katherine didn''t mind being squeezed. For a very long time, she had missed Matthew and it was just a really nice and homey feeling to be able to see him again and recognize the person she had known since she was a child.

    "I know, Matty I know I''m just sorry I didn''t recognize you sooner. I hope you forgive me."

    "Silly," Matthew chuckled.

    "I can''t breathe, Matty."

    Realizing that he had hugged her enough, he released her reluctantly. "Oh, I''m sorry." Looking at her, he raised his hands to her face and gently wiped her tears with his thumbs before he wiped his own with the back of his hand, the two of themughing at their reactions.

    "I''m sorry to disturb your little reunion with lover number three, Queen but we need to work," Styles said through the earpiece.

    Clearing her throat, Katherine touched Matthew''s arm and told him, "Listen, Matty I need to go and find Grandpa. I promise we''ll have more time to catch up. Now is just not a good time"

    "It''s okay, of course, it''s okay. This is your party. Go and do whatever you need to do, I''ll just be right here. I''ll wait whenever."

    Seeing the smile that he gave her, Katherine sighed and nodded. "Thank you. I''ll see youter."

    When Katherine walked away from Matthew, she immediately spoke to thems, "Talk to me. What do I need to do?"

    "I''ve got the detonator in my hands," Falcon said.

    "Yes, but we still need to find where the bomb is to disarm it manually. We''re still not in the clear. We need to make sure that it''spletely disabled," Styles added while he worked on hisputer.

    "This is Commander Falcon, all units are required to execute another sweep in all areas," Falcon spoke through her walkie talkie, addressing the security team that Chairman Young lent them that night.

    "Roger that." All the team leaders answered to her and proceeded to fulfill themand.

    In order not to alert and cause an unnecessary panic from the guests, Falcon didn''t announce the bomb threat. If word goes out to the guests and they panic, a nasty stampede could happen. They already have the detonator with them, all they needed to do was to find the bomb to disable it quietly without causing terror.

    After hearing Falcon''s order, Katherine saw a few men in ck and some security members disguised as guests walking around to inspect.

    "Queen, I''m waiting for Falcon toe back to the trailer to check on the device that she got and see if I can trace it back to the explosive. I need you to do a sweep in the hallways and the rooms next to the venue just to make sure," Styles requested.

    She breathed in a sigh and scanned the room to look for her grandfather.

    "Got it. Styles, where''s Grandpa?" she asked.

    A few taps on the keyboard were heard and Styles answered, "He''s by the chocte fountain to your right."

    Katherine heard Falcon in the background and knew that she was already back at the trailer. Now, she had to work quickly and let her grandfather know she needed to step out for a bit so he wouldn''t worry.

    She spotted Chairman Young as soon as she strolled towards the dessert table and when she approached him, the old man gave her an instant full smile.

    "Hey, pumpkin! Are you enjoying your party? Your dance was marvelous! Where''s your mentor?" he asked.

    "He had to leave," Katherine answered briefly. ''I hope he tripped and fell on his face or maybe on a rusty knife.''

    "Ah, too bad. I was hoping to talk to him more. He seemed to be a fine gentlemanOh, have you seen Matt yet? He came to see me just now and was looking for you! Boy, that man has grown handsomely too!"

    "Yes, Grandpa. I saw Matty already. Um, Gramps I need to step out for a bit. I will just be in the area but don''t worry if you don''t see me. I just wanted to tell you that You know if guests look for me?" Katherine didn''t think they would look for her. Or maybe they will, she didn''t really care but she had to tell her grandfather in case he looked for her.

    Chairman Young, on the other hand, thought that she was going to step out to meet someone and have some quiet time. Specifically with someone tall, handsome, and a billionaire.

    "Ah gotcha!" He winked.

    She was confused as to why her grandfather''s reaction was like that but she didn''t have time to dwell on it.

    "Don''t worry, I''ll cover for you," he added.

    "Thanks, Grandpa." Katherine gave him a quick hug and walked away.

    She strode towards the double doors across the room in her heels, people greeted her as she passed by them but she only gave them a small nod and a smile while she hurriedly walked out of the room.

    As soon as she exited the venue and the music from the party was now a muffled noise from the closed doors behind her, she let out a heavy sigh.

    "I''m out. I''ll go check the areas," she said through thems.

    "Falcon and I are in the lobby, we''re picking up a signal but we couldn''t seem to find anything. We''ll keep searching."

    Katherine headed towards the first door she saw that was on the right side of therge hallway when she heard the door behind her swing open.

    "Katherine."

    Her heart sunk upon hearing the man''s voice calling her name. She could recognize that voice anywhere. She had memorized it by heart and she would probably even recognize it even if she went deaf.

    ''Not now. Please not now,'' she silently wished.

    Katherine could not deal with him right now. Her hands curled into fists as she stood frozen on the spot while she heard his footsteps slowly growing closer towards her.

    He didn''t say anything else but the two of them were aware of each other''s presence.

    She was on the verge of experiencing a panic attack  it killed her not to be able to do anything at the moment. So she remained rooted on the floor with her back facing him.

    She was terrified.

    "Katherine" His voice was almost a whisper yet she could hear the torment in it.

    She didn''t know what else to do or say, and so her mouth made the decision for her and muttered his name in the softest tone, "Damien"

 Chapter 249: An Inevitable Distress

    Chapter 249: An Inevitable Distress

    Damien couldn''t exin the feeling that he was experiencing when he finally heard her voice calling his name for the first time in more than two months.

    Seeing her standing a few feet away and only seeing her back, it was taking him so much self-control not to rush towards her.

    Since he arrived at the party, all that he had seen were other men who easily interacted with her with no problems at all. He had watched one who danced with her for an entire song with all of the guests as their audience while the other one whom he guessed was actually her childhood friend. Howe it was so easy for them to be with her while it was so damn hard for him?

    Damien had thought about this day when he would finally have the chance to talk to her. He had reyed every scene in his head on how he was going to approach herincluding the words he was supposed to say. But now that it was already happening, his mind was nk. He still did not know what to do.

    What was one supposed to tell the woman he loves but can''t have?

    Could someone just help him? Coz he honestly doesn''t know.

    Step by step, he took his time until he finally stood behind her. She was only an arm''s length away from him and all he needed to do was to reach out and he could finally touch her.

    But he was so afraid that if and when he did, she would brush him away.

    Katherine was so close that he could smell the scent of her shampoo. It wasn''t the same one she usually used but it still smelled like her. He missed her terribly and he couldn''t bring himself to even tell her that.

    Damien''s gazended on her clenched hand and he could see she was slightly trembling. He knew that she was struggling so much more than he was and he couldn''t me her.

    His heart drummed in his chest and before he knew it, he opened his mouth and started speaking, "Katherine Can we talk?"

    Katherine''s breathing hitched upon hearing his plea. How could she reject him? It wasn''t really the right time and she still wasn''t ready. She couldn''tfor the life of hermake herself turn around and tell him to give her more time. She was in such a dilemma.

    Unclenching her hands, she breathed in and tried to keep her voice straight as she answered, "I''m sorry Now is not a good time. I''m in the middle of something."

    Just as she said that, she heard Styles in her ear, "Queen, I think the signal ising from the basement parking. We''re on our way there." Hurried footsteps were heard in the background.

    Damien already expected her to refuse to talk to him, so hearing it wasn''t much of a surprise but it was still hard for him. "Okay, but when is a good time?"

    "I don''t know. I can''t know when" Katherine started breathing heavily. She had to get away from him or she''ll break down and she didn''t want that to happen in front of him. "There''s just so many things going on right now."

    Not knowing when they could actually talk gave him a slight prick in the chest. But at least she didn''t sound like she was mad at him anymore.

    "I understand."

    He sucked in air and willed himself to reach out and touch her hand. He just had to touch her he was doing it for himself. It was the only way he thought could make him calm down.

    "Just just tell me you''re okay I need to know that you''re okay," he breathed. He knew she was nowhere near ''okay'' but he still needed to hear her.

    Damien''srge hand swallowed hers and gave it a light squeeze. She didn''t return the squeeze but she didn''t brush him away either and for that, it gave him hope.

    However, he didn''t want to give himself too much of that hope in order not to fall from such a height.

    As soon as Katherine felt his warm hand, she felt as if her heart was beingpressed at first and then it felt lighter afterward. She almost lost her resolution and copsed. Closing her eyes, she visualized an empty room with nothing inside and it slowly helped her clear her thoughts.

    When she opened her eyes again, she spoke in a toneless voice, "I''m okay."

    Hesitantly, she pulled her hand away from him gently and added, "I have to go, Damien."

    She took a step forward and stopped when she heard Styles''s voice, "We found it. It''s nted under a ck Aston Martin."

    "Did you say ck Aston Martin? What''s the te number?" Katherine''s hand flew to her ear and pressed the earpiece to hear them clearly.

    Styles dictated the te number to Katherine and her breathing faltered.

    "I know that car" she muttered as she spun around and looked at Damien Park straight in the eyes.

    Damien was dumbfounded to see her horrified face. He didn''t know what was going on and was confused as to who she was talking to and why she mentioned the car. "What?"

    All of Katherine''s fear of talking to Damien was gone and was abruptly reced by something she couldn''t exin. She remained stunned as she listened to Styles speak about the kind of bomb that was under the car.

    "Styles! I know that car!" she bit out.

    "Who are you talking to?" Damien asked and walked closer only to see Katherine raise her hand at him and shifted her stare to the side as she listened closely through herms.

    "Of course you know this car, it''s a well-known luxury"

    "No, asshat. I meant I know who that belongs to" Katherine stared back at Damien and muttered, "It''s Damien''s car."

    "Mine? What about my car?" Damien was totally confused. "What is going on?"

    Katherine still ignored him and heard Styles and Falcon curse through her earpiece. She had to get to them. She had to see what was going on down there.

    Facing Damien, she extended her palm out to him and demanded, "Keys to your car."

    "Why?" he asked but began to dig out his pocket for it anyway.

    Katherine didn''t waste time and snatched it from his hand as soon as she saw it. "Stay right here and don''t follow me," she told him in an authoritative voice before turning away and running towards the elevators.

    Damien''s brows furrowed, looking extremely bewildered at the moment. But there was no way he was going to listen to her not when she looked this frightened.

    "Like hell I am going to stay here." He ran after her.

    He had no idea what was going to happen.

    No one knew what was about to happen.

    And none of them was ready for what they were going to experience that night.

 Chapter 250: Youre Not the Boss of Me

    Chapter 250: You''re Not the Boss of Me

    Slender fingers repeatedly tapped on the arrow down button of the elevatoras if doing so would make the car arrive faster. Katherine''s heart mmed against her ribcage as she thought about the possibilities. Surely Chris wouldn''t go this far, right?

    Hearing heavy footsteps from the side, she turned her head and saw Damien approaching. "What are you doing here? I told you not to follow me!" she bit out, pissed that the elevator car was taking so long to arrive.

    "Do you really think I would just let you leave like that? You look terrified. What the hell is going on?" Damien caught up to her and saw her pale face.

    Before Katherine could answer, Styles spoke through her earpiece once again, "Queen, we have a situation. We need you down here."

    "Sht. I''m taking the stairs, Styles."

    Katherine turned to the left and saw the door to the staircase. She faced Damien when she heard him following her again and snapped, "I mean it, Damien! St"

    "Don''t you dare tell me to stay, Katherine, I''m not a dog and you''re not the Boss of me." He hovered over her, his eyes looking dead serious.

    "I don''t have time for this," she huffed and sprinted down the stairs on her heels with Damien following her behind. The pair of red dress and ssic ck tuxedo went by in a blur as the two alighted the flight of stairs.

    "Where did you park your car?" she asked.

    "Basement one," he answered even while he was still unaware of the circumstances.

    As soon as theynded on the right floor, Katherine opened the door that led to the basement parking. She rushed outside, seeing Styles and Falcon on the far right of the huge parking space. There weren''t a lot of cars in the area and both parking spaces of the ck Aston Martin were vacant.

    Without waiting for Damien, she ran towards her team. "What''s the problem?" she asked as soon as she was near.

    Because the luxury car was very low, Falcon couldn''t fit under it so she could onlyy on the cold cement next to the bumper where the explosive device was nted under it. She tilted her head at an angle and used a mirror to view the device from it. "We can''t disarm it," she muttered as she tried to think of other ways on how to go about the situation.

    "What do you mean you can''t?" Katherine tried to bend down but she couldn''t see a thing. So she turned to Styles for an exnation.

    Styles was currently tapping on the tablet in his hand, biting his bottom lip as he thought about other solutions when he noticed Katherine''s stare. "Look, I''ve been out of Castle for five years, okay? So this... " he hissed. "I''ve only seen this once. And I''m not sure if it''s a trap." His gaze went past Katherine''s shoulder and saw Damien approaching. "Uhh Wh-What''s he doing here?"

    "Katherine, tell me what''s going on." Damien started to be impatient that he was clueless about what was happening.

    Hearing her son''s voice, Falcon''s handthe one holding the mirror near the explosive deviceshook. She swallowed and calmed herself down. She hadn''t heard his voice in a very long time but she had no doubt that it was his even if she didn''t sneak a peek. She was thankful that she was wearing a disguise at the moment.

    Seeing that Katherine didn''t n on answering her lover number one, Styles raised a hand to get Damien''s attention and he hesitantly told him, "There''s um There''s a bomb under your car."

    "A what?!" An appalled look appeared on Damien''s face and Styles could only awkwardly smile at him.

    Katherine could feel a headache creeping up on her as she tried to decipher what Styles just said. "Styles, what exactly is this?"

    Frustrated, Styles ran his fingers through his hair and showed Katherine his tablet screen. "The detonator that Chris left in the trash? Not a detonator at all. It''s only a signal tracker that allowed me to trace it back to this explosive device. That''s how we found it. And this device isn''t wired and connected to the car''s system so it doesn''t have any connections to the car at allonly that it''s stuck there. But if it goes off, it could do a lot of damage."

    "So what''s the problem?" Katherine scanned the information on the small screen. "Why can''t we remove it?"

    Styles winced, "It''s not that simple, Queen. If we try to remove the cover casing of the device to attempt to diffuse it, it will trigger a timer."

    Katherine swallowed. This doesn''t make sense. Why would Chris do something like this? If he really wanted to target Damien, there were plenty of ways to do that. He''s an assassin, surely this trick wasn''t necessary at all.

    Damien, who was listening to them talk in front of him about a bomb under his car, was feeling so overwhelmed. "Why is there a bomb in my car? Katherine, who are these people?!"

    Katherine could feel her body heat up from the rush of adrenaline. She nced at Damien and saw the worried and shocked look on his face. She had to think of something.

    A sudden idea shed in her mind and without second thoughts, she snatched the tablet from Styles and essed the map. "Styles, how much time do you think we have if the timer starts?"

    "Two minutes? Three minutes tops? Maybe even less than two minutes?"

    "Why don''t we call the cops?!" Damien wondered.

    Styles gasped, "Oh no popos!"

    "Fes, we can''t call in a bomb squad. It''s too risky for all of us to expose ourselves here." Falcon sat up on the floor. If authorities arrive and knew about this, it will be a whole mess and Shadow might use it as a chance to get to them, considering that Shadow has ties to the government.

    "I know that." Katherine didn''t lift her eyes from the screen and continued to tap and zoom in on the map that was disyed before passing it back to Styles. "Which is why we need to activate the timer."

    All three pairs of eyesnded on her as if she had grown another head.

    Styles who had seemed to catch up on her n wasn''t sure if he was on board with it, and Falcon''s brows furrowed as she studied Katherine''s determined expression.

    Meanwhile, Damien looked at Katherine and couldn''t help but wonder who she really was. Though he had a wild guess before, seeing her act and talk differently before him was very much puzzling on top of the ''bomb-in-his-car'' matter.

    Before Damien could speak, Katherine had already faced Styles and asked, "How positive are you about this information?"

    "Eighty percent?" Styles grimaced. He didn''t like not being sure about things and this was making him feel flighty. A beeping sound came from Styles''s tablet and he cursed, "We have no time left. A security team that''s not one of us is heading this way for rounds in a few minutes. We need to do something."

    Katherine rotated her neck from side to side and a wickedly annoyed smile appeared on her face. "I should have gutted Chris when I had the chance earlier," she muttered under gritted teeth as she walked towards the car.

    Upon hearing Katherine''s words, Damien couldn''t help but feel bewildered. What happened to his Kitten?

 Chapter 251: "Im Styles."

    Chapter 251: "I''m Styles."

    Katherine turned to Styles with a determined expression on her face. "Are you sure it won''t blow up if the car is turned on?"

    "Technically, it won''t. Like I said, it''s not wired to the car. It will only detonate when the timer turns to zero. And the timer will only activate if we try to diffuse the device."

    "Are there other ways that could activate the timer?"

    "No, I don''t think so."

    Blowing off a long exhale, Katherine nodded. "We need to get this car out of the basement. I don''t like the idea of having a bomb sitting there. We don''t know what Chris''s n really is and we can''t try to diffuse this here because it''s too risky, what with the hundreds of people in this building."

    Falcon chimed in, "Queen''s right. Not to mention, if this explodes here with all the cars that are filled with gasoline, it could cause massive destruction."

    "Will you be able to try and diffuse it after the case is removed or whilst the timer is running?" Katherine asked.

    "I can''t be sure. I''ve never worked on something like this before without an expert. But I could try."

    "Then it''s settled. Falcon"

    "Got it," Falcon responded as she walked towards the passenger side of the car. She didn''t have to hear what Katherine had to ask of her. She already understood that Katherine was asking her to activate the timer of the explosive device as well as try to disarm it.

    Watching what was happening in front of him, Damien couldn''t hold it in anymore. He didn''t like being kept outside of the loop. Seeing Katherine approach the driver''s side of his car, he quickly strode towards her and grabbed her arm. "Katherine, what the hell are you nning to do?"

    "Guys, one minute. Men in cking," Styles warned, his eyes locked on the screen as he started jogging towards the ck RV that was parked several meters away. "We need to get out of here, people."

    Breathing in, Katherine faced Damien and told him in a crisp and serious tone, "I don''t have time to exin everything to you now. I''m sorry about your car but I need to get it as far away from here as possible."

    "No, you''re not. Why does it have to be you? I don''t care about the damn car! I can''t let you do something so dangerous!"

    Just then, Styles arrived driving a ck RV Van and stopping near them. "Let''s go, let''s go."

    "I have to go." Pulling her arm away from his grip, Katherine turned and simultaneously unlocked the Aston Martin. She and Falcon got inside and locked the doors, leaving Damien frustrated that he couldn''t persuade Katherine.

    Not wanting to be left out, Damien headed to the ck RV and climbed inside without second thoughts.

    Styles was utterly surprised that Damien was going to go with them. "Woah Wh-Wh-Why are you"

    "I''ming whether you like it or not," Damien huffed, his eyes never leaving the woman in the driver''s seat of his bomb-car. He was very anxious, thinking that Katherine was inside the car that could potentially explode.

    "Drive!" hemanded when he saw Katherine pulling away from the parking and heading towards the exit.

    Styles flinched at his tone and stepped on the gas. He pressed a few buttons on the panel of the dashboard and a screen appeared, revealing a digital map. "Queen."

    "Yes, I can hear you." Katherine''s voice was heard through the speakers inside the van, making Damien nce at the dashboard.

    "Good. Are we heading towards the location you pinned on the tablet?" Styles drove towards the exit of the parking area.

    "Yes, but I don''t know where it is. You have to give me directions to get there."

    "Got it. Turn right once you exit the ramp and head straight for 200 meters," replied Styles.

    The two vehicles left the hotel and joined the traffic in a convoy. Styles gave instructions from time to time until they were off towards the outskirts of the city.

    Being alone in the car with Damien made him nervous. Styles would sneak peeks at the man in the passenger''s seat but the man had his eyes fixed on the car in front of them to notice his brief looks.

    Trying to break the ice, Styles cleared his throat and started, "I''m Styles."

    Damien blinked as though his trance was interrupted and nced at the driver. "Damien."

    "So um nice weather tonight, huh?"

    Damien knitted his brows and narrowed his eyes at Styles before he turned to watch Katherine in his car again.

    "Oh-kay" Styles ignored Damien for the rest of the ride. They only had to drive for twenty minutes until they reached an empty road that was leading towards a long road with a series of sand dunes on the side.

    "I think we''re good here." Katherine''s voice sounded from the speakers again.

    "Roger that." Styles stopped the van and watched as Katherine pulled to the side.

    Getting out of the car, Damien immediately jogged towards where she pulled over while Styles remained inside the van, waiting for further instructions.

    Katherine and Falcon were already in front of the car talking when Damien arrived.

    He swiftly pulled Katherine by the shoulders to face him and told her, "This is insane. There must be another way to solve this."

    "There is no other way! This is the only way," she responded with her voice slightly raised. "You shouldn''t havee, Damien." She was exasperated, having Damien here while all of this was happening was driving her crazy. She couldn''t function properly when she has to think about everyone''s safety especially his.

    He hung his head low, feeling defeated that he was still very confused and that there was nothing he could do about this extremely bizarre and terrifying experience. Just a while ago, he was just at the party, oveing his inner demons whilst struggling to find ways to talk to Katherine but now, they were dealing with a bomb. An actual fcking bomb!

    "I''m ready." Falcon was already on the ground next to the bumper. "We need to get this over with. The sooner the better."

    Katherine willed herself to turn away from Damien and moved closer to Falcon, watching as thetter positioned a small camera on the ground which was directly below the explosive device. "Go on," she said.

    "Styles, can you see it clearly?" Falcon asked through thems.

    "Yes. I''m ready when you are."

    "Alright. Here goes nothing."

    With steady fingers, Falcon slowly reached for the cover and very gently, she nudged a nub to the side that released the cover from its casing. She pulled it off, allowing Styles to see the inside of the device.

    As soon as he did, Falcon and Katherine heard him gasp through the earpiece, "Holy motherWe have 120 seconds."

 Chapter 252: Detonate

    Chapter 252: Detonate

    Falcon cursed under her breath, "120 seconds?!"

    "I told you before, it was more or less two minutes. Why are you mad at me? I wasn''t the one who built that explosive!" Styles was also stressed out, his palms were sweating buckets.

    Damien and Katherine who were watching Falcon on the ground got even more apprehensive about the whole thing. One hundred twenty seconds was not a lot of time but there was nothing else that they could do.

    It was a good thing that they brought the car out of the basement parking from the hotel. If they failed to disarm it, Katherine couldn''t imagine the casualtiesthe bomb could cause other cars to explode and would then cause the building to copse. She shivered in her spot, horrified at the thought.

    Because of the height of the car, Falcon could only rely on Styles''s help through the camera that she carefully set below the device which was very inconvenient for both of them. Thest time that she had attempted to diffuse a bomb was so many years ago and Styles, who used to be the head of the IT in Shadow, had limited knowledge about explosives unlike when it came to gadgets andputers.

    The current situation was especially stressful for the three rogue agents. Who would have thought that their very first mission as a team would be this intense? A fleeting scary image shed in Styles''s mind  could this first mission also be theirst?

    "Focus, Styles. What am I working with here?" Falcon asked, snapping Styles out of his daze.

    He blinked and studied the device that was as big as a touchscreen phone. "Okay okay, there is uh a timer on the right and on the left, a module with six wires"

    "Tell me the colors of the wires starting from the top." Falcon focused the shlight in her hand towards the device to help Styles see it clearly.

    Styles concentrated and one by one, he dictated the colors, "From the top  white, blue, red, yellow, ck, yellow."

    Falcon let out a long sigh and positioned her other hand with a cutting tool towards the device. As much as she could, she tilted her head towards the bumper to peer at the wires. "I need to cut the fourth wirethe yellow one. Help me direct the tool towards it, Styles."

    Her visibility was limited, she could barely see the wires clearly from her angle and relied on Styles to help her position the cutting tool correctly to the right wire.

    "You''re close. Move a little to the right No, the other right!"

    "Sht. Styles!" Falcon snapped.

    Styles had to curse to himself. This was crazy! What were they doing?! "Your three o''clock. Damn it."

    When Falcon was finally in the right position, she hovered the tool over the wire. "Is this right?"

    "Yes. Fourth wireyellow. Seventy seconds."

    As soon as Falcon got the confirmation, she cut the wire.

    "Fck. The timer is still going!" Styles yelled.

    Katherine couldn''t stand what was happening. Her heart was pumping like crazy in her chest. She hastily strode towards the driver''s side and ordered, "Falcon, n B."

    Hearing Katherine''s words, Falcon immediately shifted away from the car and got up, stepping aside to get out of her way.

    Damien was stunned to see Katherine now opening the door and getting inside. He wasn''t fast enough as when he got near, she had already locked the door.

    "Katherine! What the hell are you doing? Get out of there!" He banged his fist on the window but she only nced at him briefly before stepping on the elerator.

    She had to get it far away or it will kill all of them.

    Damien''s heart dropped to his stomach upon seeing Katherine sped off towards the long, dark road with his carwith a real ticking time bomb that had less than thirty seconds left.

    Hearing steps from the side, he shifted and saw the ck-haired woman getting into the RV and he instantly followed. Once he got inside the van, it moved forward, following after the ck Aston Martin.

    Katherine must have seen them from the rearview mirror because she snapped at them right away, "What are you doing?! Don''t follow me! Stay away!"

    "No! If you go off, I will go with you!" Styles yelled back. Of course, the two other peopleFalcon and Damienin the van with him will blow up with them.

    "Idiot!" Katherine floored it and the car elerated at an incredible speed, leaving clouds of dust behind her.

    "Don''t be stupid, Katherine. Get out of there now!" Damien roared.

    She no longer responded and concentrated on going as far as she could from them while mentally counting the remaining seconds before the bomb explodes.

    Ten

    Nine

    Eight

    Seven

    Six

    Five

    .

    .

    .

    A powerful explosion prompted Styles to step on the breaks so abruptly that the RV skidded to a halt.

    The ck Aston Martin that was about one hundred meters away blew up, causing the ground to quake.

    "NOOOOO!!!"

    Damien screamed on top of his lungs, seeing the vehicle explode. He felt like his life had been sucked out of him, knowing that Katherine was inside.

    It was very quiet inside the RV. The three were extremely shocked by what they have witnessed in front of them.

    "This can''t be happening" Styles mumbled in a low voice. "She can''t she can''t be dead, right?"

    The sound of the side door to the van opening caused Styles and Falcon to turn their heads, seeing Damien rush out and dash towards the explosion. They followed after him right away.

    Damien''s heart was so heavy it was as though it hadbusted at the same time that the car did.

    There were so many debris scattered everywhere and the moonlight didn''t help him see the path that he was running on. His breathing became heavier with every step that took him closer to the site.

    His stare was fixed on the remains of the car that was far ahead and was still in mes. He didn''t want to believe that she was gone, but there was no sign of life anywhere.

 Chapter 253: Sweet Little Kitten

    Chapter 253: Sweet Little Kitten

    A chill ran down Damien''s spine as he got closer and closer towards the explosion site. His body felt numb while his heart got heavier by the second. He refused to believe that his Katherine would be gone just like that. However, the more he denied it, the more he got scared.

    His footsteps began to slow down as he approached the car that was still burning several meters away from him. There was no way he could see inside it due to the mes and it was hot, too hot to go near. It was pointless to do so because no one could survive that st whilst inside the car.

    His eyes scanned the surroundings as he started to call for her name over and over, "Katherine!"

    The sound of hoarse coughing came from the left side of the long road. It was faint but Damien definitely heard it. His head snapped to the sound and he abruptly dashed towards it, calling her name again. "Katherine! Katherine, where are you?"

    A slender hand was raised from a dark area that caught Damien''s attention. He hastened his steps and as soon as he saw her lying on the ground trying to get up, the heaviness in his heart instantly disappeared. She was alive.

    "Hey... you''re okay" he said, though it seemed more like he was convincing himself rather than reassuring her.

    Damien gathered her in his arms, pulling her up while she pushed herself off the ground, wanting to stand. He helped her up until she was on her feet and without thinking twice, he wrapped his arms tightly around her body. "Thank God, thank God you''re okay."

    Katherine, who now had a pounding headache and whose entire body was sore, groaned and limply stood. She couldn''t deny that it felt so good being in his arms again, and as much as she wanted to push herself away from him, her body seemed to do the oppositeshe slightly leaned onto him. ''Just for a minute until I could stand on my own again,'' she told herself.

    He was extremely d that she got out of the car before it blew up. He didn''t know what he would do if she was truly gone. Apart from the thousands of questions that he had about her, he just couldn''t imagine living if she died. Even if they couldn''t be together anymore, as long as she was okay, he would be okay.

    "Queen! Oh, my Queen! You''re alive!" Styles rushed towards the pair, wailing loudly as he ran.

    Hearing voices and footsteps behind Damien, Katherine snapped out of her daze and cleared her throat, gently pulling away from his embrace. "I''m fine now," she said.

    "Oh" He stepped back, rubbing his hand on his nape sheepishly. "Right."

    "Aw!" Katherine winced as Styles mmed his body when he dashed to hug her.

    "You dimwit. You scared me!" Styles scolded her, his bear hug crushing her body.

    Katherine softly chuckled seeing Styles worry about her. It wasn''t the first time that she was almost at death''s door as she had experienced dangerous missions back in Shadow as well. But it was nostalgic and touching for her to have her brother back just like old times.

    "Ahem." Damien''s loud throat clearing made Katherine and Styles jump, the two of them turning to see Damien who was now looking away.

    Styles snickered and let go of Katherine, giving way to Falcon who gave her a loving stroke on her upper arm. "Good work, kid."

    "Some first mission huh?" Styles said. "You okay?"

    "Yeah, I''m fine. Badnding but I''ll be fine." Katherine twisted her waist from side to side, her bones cracking as she did. She rotated her ankles trying to make sure she didn''t have any broken bones only to realize that she lost her shoes.

    "What are we going to do with that?" Falcon jerked her thumb towards the car behind them.

    "We can''t do anything now. We need to go, popos gonna be here any minute." Styles started walking back towards the RV, urging the others to go with him.

    The four of them hastily walked towards the vehicle, the ck Aston Martin was still burning and emitting ck smoke behind them.

    "Can you walk?" Damien asked Katherine, casually putting his coat over her shoulders while he observed her feet. "You... don''t have shoes."

    She nced at him, surprised by the gesture but she didn''t shrug him away. "Yeah, my feet are fine I lost my shoes."

    "Found them!" Styles picked up the pair of shoes from the ground and waved it at Katherine.

    She smiled and nodded at him, seeing him wave the pair in the air. "Thanks, I think I''d like to walk barefooted for now." Her feet were fine but moving around in heels was ufortable, the sandy road felt so much better under her soles.

    "Ugh." She whimpered as she took more steps forward.

    "What''s wrong?" Damien stopped her and examined her from head to foot, Styles and Falcon halted as well.

    Katherine sensed a bruise forming on her left leg where her weapon strap was. She bent down and swept her skirt to the side, unstrapping it off her and inspecting the sore spot on her thigh. She rubbed the outer thigh where the knife was ced earlier  she must havended and hit that part.

    Damien saw the knife and gun in her hand and he was surprised at himself for being unsurprised from what he was seeing. Witnessing everything from the past hour, he didn''t think that there was something else that would surprise him anymore.

    However, just seeing her casually hold the weapons in her hand was both strange and amazing for him. Clenching his jaw, he contemted for a second before he did what he wanted to do.

    "Ah!" Katherine yelped when she was suddenly lifted off the ground. Damien carried her bridal style like she weighed nothing and walked forward.

    "What are you doing?" she asked, her eyes widened as she looked at him while hugging the weapons on her chest. "I can walk."

    "You''re hurt. Just let me carry you until we reach the van." His voice was cold and stern, not allowing any room for negotiation.

    "But I''m really fine"

    "Mhmm." Damien ignored her words and walked past Styles and Falcon who watched them with small smiles on their faces.

    Katherine could be as badass as she wanted to be but when she''s with Damien, she was like a sweet little kitten.

    Furrowing her brows, Katherine looked away and let out a long sigh. She chewed her bottom lip and awkwardly allowed herself to be carried by the man she was trying to escape from earlier.

    She was supposed to stay away from him. Why was she now quietly in his arms, allowing him to do what he wanted? Katherine could only keep her thoughts to herself.

 Chapter 254: He never liked it anyway.

    Chapter 254: He never liked it anyway.

    Reaching the RV, Damien stood still by the side door without saying anything. They have arrived and he was supposed to put Katherine down already but he didn''t want to yethe liked carrying her.

    "You can put me down now," she said, her voice soft and hesitant.

    "I know."

    He looked at her and stared at the eyes that were looking back at him. His grip on her leg and arm tightened as though he was trying to convince himself that she was really in his arms. It had been more than sixty days since thest time he held her. If he only knew that it was thest time back then, he would have held her tighter and longer.

    "Damien"

    Before Katherine could say anything else, Damien carefully put her down, setting her inside the RV in a sitting position on the floor.

    Taking out a white handkerchief from his pocket, he bent down and wiped the dirt off her feet. She instantly pulled back but he held her ankle firmly, not letting her go.

    "This is unnecessary," she said.

    He remained quiet and only let go of her ankle when he was done. Her feet weren''t totally clean yet but at least most of the dirt was already gone. He then wordlessly ced the handkerchief back in his pocket and got up when Styles and Falcon arrived.

    All of them got settled inside the van and Styles drove them away from the sceneFalcon sat on the front seat while Damien and Katherine were at the back.

    "What are we going to do about that car?! They might be able to trace it back to you." Styles was worried about how they were going to take care of the mess. He looked at Damien through the rearview mirror.

    "I''ll take care of it." Damien only nced at him before his gaze returned to Katherine who was trying to dust herself off.

    He wanted to help her but he didn''t like hearing her constant refusal of the things he wanted to do for her. He didn''t care or mind several months ago, but hearing them now while they were estranged didn''t feel so good. It''s like a constant reminder that they were no longer together for him to act so kindly towards her.

    On the way back, a few police cars with their sirens passed by them and they knew where they were headed to.

    "Your grandfather has been calling." Falcon handed Katherine back her phone.

    Receiving her phone, Katherine saw several messages and phone calls. She immediately called her grandfather back.

    "My goodness! I have called you several times! Where are you, Young Lady?!" Chairman Young''s worried voice came through the speakers right away.

    "Sorry, Grandpa. I''m just around the corner. I needed to get some fresh air. I''ll be back soon."

    "I''ve got people looking for you. Are you okay?"

    Chairman Young was loud that all three of them, especially Damien could hear his voice.

    "I''m fine, Grandpa. I''ll see you soon."

    Katherine had a small smile on her face when she ended the phone call and Damien saw it. His heart warmed at the sight and he was truly happy for her that she got reunited with her grandfather.

    Sensing his stare, she turned to look at him with a questioning brow but he didn''t say anything and looked away a few seconds after.

    "Damn it. I ripped my dress." She clicked her tongue as she inspected the bottom part of her skirt that was now torn. Her face frowned, touching the area  she actually really loved that dress.

    Did she like that high-slit dress so much? Damien shook his head when he saw her frown. "I never liked it anyway," he murmured whilst looking out the window.

    Her head snapped towards Damien when she heard him mutter under his breath and her brows furrowed. What was with him?

    "It''s not like I wore it for you," she scoffed.

    "Right. You wore it for them." His voice was barely audible but she still heard him anyway.

    Katherine rolled her eyes. She couldn''t believe they were bickering about her dress. Annoyed, she turned to the other side and decided to ignore him all throughout.

    The van was eerily quiet inside besides their breathing until Styles and Falcon looked at each other. Their widened-silentlymunicating eyes said everything about the awkwardness in the atmosphere after Damien and Katherine had a little talk.

    Trying to break the silence, Styles started whistling the tune of ''Crazy little thing called love'' by Queen.

    Just when they were near Magnum Hotel, Katherine''s phone rang. She assumed that it was her grandfather who couldn''t wait until shees back but to her surprise, it was a restricted line.

    She stared at her phone screen as her heart began to race, already knowing who was calling her.

    "Um Queen You need to press the green button to answer the call" Styles raised his brows, ncing at her through the rearview mirror.

    Katherine was only staring at her phone and the other three wondered why she wasn''t picking up.

    "I think it''s Chris," she breathed.

    Styles slowed down until the car came to a full stop and parked on the curb.

    "Who is he?" Damien questioned. He had been hearing that guy''s name the entire time and he was starting to get ticked off.

    "Chris is her lov"

    *Thud*

    "Aw!" Styles rubbed his head after Falcon hit him when he was about to say ''her lover number two''.

    "I meant Chris is herndlord." Styles shrugged while Falcon red her eyes at him.

    Damien obviously knew Styles was lying. He barely looked at his way and continued to wait for Katherine to speak.

    She swallowed and answered, "He was the one who nted the bomb in your car. And... the one who messed up my memory."

    "Was he that guy you danced with?" He had more questions but he knew those could wait untilter.

    Katherine only stared at her screen and nodded. The ringing from the restricted number ended.

    "Why didn''t you answer?" he asked.

    "I know why he nted that bomb." She slumped on the backrest and thought about what happened earlier at the party when she was fighting with Chris.

    "At first, I thought that he was really targeting you but that didn''t make sense. Because if he really wanted to hurt you, he could have already done it without the unnecessary chaos. Chris could kill without blinking an eye, so the bomb was not his style."

    "Then why did he do it?"

    Katherine breathed out a sigh. She was starting to get pissed at Chris again. "It was a diversion. He knew I could never sacrifice innocent people. He had to do that so I would stop chasing him as he flees."

    "Mhmm I''m guessing he''s on a helicopter. I got a ping of air activity a few minutes after he dropped the tracker in the trash bin," Styles added as he tapped on his tablet.

    "Why would he put the explosive in my car?" Damien probed. He already had an idea but still wanted to hear it from her.

    "Maybe a warning. That Sha" she cleared her throat. "That they could get to me through the people I I''m associated with easily."

    Katherine almost slipped mentioning Shadow to Damien. They may have mentioned it back in the basement parking but she couldn''t tell him more. She had a feeling that Chris did that as a warning that if he could get to her that easily through the people she cared about, then Shadow definitely could too. And they wouldn''t spare anyone they see as a threat.

 Chapter 255: Irreplaceable

    Chapter 255: Irreceable

    Damien was perfectly aware that she was trying to be careful about what she could tell him. Who''s "they" and why were they after her? Who were these people with her? Where had she been all this time?

    He was about to go crazy with all the questions in his head. He just didn''t know where and how to start askingthat is if she was even going to tell him the truth.

    Katherine''s phone rang again and this time, Falcon urged her, "Answer it."

    Seeing that she was still hesitant, Styles snatched the phone from her, pressed the green button and put it on speaker.

    Katherine was stunned by his actions. "No, wait"

    "My You had me worried for a second there. I thought you were dead." Chris''s low and crisp voice sounded from the speaker.

    Katherine''s jaw tensed and her brows knitted as she listened to him, her eyes fixed on her phone that was in Styles''s hand. "Trust me. It takes more than a bomb to kill me."

    "Oh, Sweetie You know I never intended to kill you. Which is why I''m disappointed that you and your 2-men army with Styles couldn''t even disarm a small one. Imagine my surprise when I learned that it went off. Tsk tsk tsk You''ve gotten rusty, Queen."

    Her stare shifted to Styles and then Falcon, ncing briefly at Damien whose gaze was locked at her face. She looked at her phone again and was thankful that Chris didn''t know that Falcon was part of their team.

    "Too bad, I don''t feel the same way. I very much intended to kill you," she replied under gritted teeth.

    Chris softly chuckled. "How cute. My neck stings a little by the way, thank you very much. But I never believed that I would die by having my throat sliced. Especially not in your hands."

    "Ah. Then I''ll just have to prove you wrong then." Katherine let out a shallow sigh. "What do you want, Chris?"

    "Impatient as always. You know, Katherine You''re stupid to think that with your little duo, you can face Parker by yourselves." Chris clicked his tongue. "You know very well how capable he is. And with your condition, I strongly advise you to stay away. Heed my warning, my dear. You dered a war where you''re sure to failyou should start running. I can only do so much for you. If you continue to be stubborn, expect what''sing."

    She was right. This was a warning for her, but there was no way that she was going to back out. "You listen to me, Chris, you may have gotten away this time, but I won''t be as forgiving the next time I get my hands on you."

    Another chuckle escaped from Chris''s lips, amused by her threat. "Looking forward to it, Babe."

    Katherine''s hand balled into a fist, extremely irritated by Chris''s words.

    "Oh, and Styles Good to know you''re alive," he added.

    The line went dead and Styles tentatively returned the phone back to Katherine. It was really amazing how Chris nned everything under their noses despite their preparation. Even knowing Styles was alive without talking to him. Styles felt a strange throb in his heart, hearing his senior call him.

    Despite their current situation, he knew that Chris was really only looking out for them. Even that bomb incident, it was no doubt that Chris knew they''d be able to handle it. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have deliberately left a tracker to allow them to find the bomb. What a strange way to show his ''care''.

    *Crack*

    Their heads snapped towards Katherine who had stepped on her phone with the heel of her shoe, shattering the device, surprised at what she just did.

    There was no way she could use that phone anymore now that it had beenpromised.

    Hearing the whole conversation, Damien didn''t know what to think about this ''Chris'' guy. The way he held Katherine earlier as they danced and the way he called her dearly got on his nerves  the two of them obviously were close back then. As to what happened, he still had no clue. This was definitely a side of Katherine that he wanted to know more about.

    This time, it was Damien''s phone that rang and he answered it after a few rings.

    "Hi, Eve. I apologize for disappearing. I''ll be back soon," he said over the phone, pausing for a few seconds to listen before ending the call.

    Putting his phone away, he noticed Katherine looking at him. He was about to speak when she turned away and went back to ignoring him.

    ...

    Katherine went to change to another red evening gown inside the trailer that was still parked near the side entrance of the hotel. It still had a high slit but it wasn''t as high as the previous one though it was enough for her tattoo to peep. She fixed herself up again, looking pretty with a touch of makeup ongood thing she didn''t have any injuries apart from a few bruises that were easily covered up.

    When she got out of the trailer, Damien was waiting for her outside. She thought that he had already left  she should have known he would wait for her. Of course, he would.

    "Ready to head back?" he probed.

    Katherine had difficulties looking at him straight in the eye. Breathing in, she started, "Listen about tonight"

    "You don''t have to tell me right now. I know you''re dealing with a lot of things that I don''t know about. Honestly, I have a lot of questions but I know you can''t answer them yet. I just hope that we could sit down and talk when you''re ready."

    Hearing him being so calm about this was making it even harder for her. She briefly closed her eyes topose herself before responding, "Thank you. And um Sorry about your car."

    Damien ran a hand down his face and chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief. His luxury car certainly wasn''t cheap and it was one of his favorites. But it was just another one of Katherine''s damages added to the list of his properties that she had so gracefully destroyed. What was she going to wreck next? A house?

    Despite his thoughts, he didn''t really care. "I already told you, don''t worry about it. Cars are receable. But you aren''t."

    Just then, the door to the trailer swung open and out came Falcon who was still cautious about looking at Damien''s way. The two of them hadn''t seen eye to eye yet and she didn''t want to give him a chance to doubt who she was.

    "Here. You forgot this." Falcon gave Katherine her weapon strap and walked away. "I''ll go back inside first."

    Receiving it, Katherine strapped it back on her thigh right away, a little lower than before to avoid the bruised area.

    "Do you really have to carry that?" Damien questioned.

    Straightening her gown, she shrugged answering him, "You never know when you''ll need it. Who knows who else will piss me off me tonight?"

    He gulped. "I''m not You''re not... mad at me, right?"

 Chapter 256: Grandpa Theo as Cupid 1

    Chapter 256: Grandpa Theo as Cupid 1

    It had only been nearly three hours since the party started and a lot had already urred. However, one thing that Katherine didn''t expect to happen was to be walking side by side with Damien Park without feeling the need to run away from him. She still wasn''t totallyfortable with his presence but she was hanging in there.

    Just like she told Amelia back then, she didn''t hate Damien. She couldn''t. But it didn''t mean that she could get back with him just because there was no hate. Because there were still emotions deep inside her that''s causing her to fake her smiles. Katherine just couldn''t be happy and she didn''t know if she was ever going to be.

    It was more than just because of Damien. The root cause of her affliction came from herself.

    And she was well aware that she wasn''t handling it so well. That instead of working through her emotions, she''d suppress them instead. She''s not proud of it but she just didn''t know how to really deal with it. Katherine felt like she would never be able to get back up if she allowed herself to feel the unpleasant feelings that were trying to creep up on her.

    Being in Shadow took away most of who she really was as Katherine Young. She was blinded and when she found out things that she was not supposed to know, she was horrified of herself.

    Because she became the kind of person that killed her parents.

    And for that, she didn''t see how she could ever forgive herself.

    For the many reasons that she had for distancing herself from Damien, one of which was taking it as a punishment. As for the other reasons she wondered if she could ever tell him those. Because if she does, she was sure that it would hurt them both.

    "Are you okay?" Damien lightly tapped Katherine''s shoulder. He called her attention earlier but she was in deep thought to hear him. The two of them reached the hallway that was leading towards her party.

    "Ah, yes. I was just... thinking about what to tell Grandpa. I realized I was gone for too long."

    "Well, I hope you already came up with an excuse because here hees."

    Katherine''s head snapped forward hearing Chairman Young calling her name. "Grandpa!"

    "Pumpkin, you''re finally here. Ah, did you change your dress? It still has a cut on the side but it covers better than the first one." Chairman Young nced at her dress and then studied her face as if he was examining her.

    "Yes, I did. The other dress got dirty."

    Chairman Young raised his eyebrows and shifted his gaze to the man next to his granddaughter, fighting a smile that was about to show on his face as he asked, "And this is?"

    Katherine''s brows furrowed. ''What do you mean?! You invited him! Why are you feigning ignorance?'' she wondered silently.

    Like the decent man that he was, Damien extended his hand towards Chairman Young and introduced himself, "Good evening, Chairman. My name is Damien Park."

    The old man''s face instantly brightened up as if he had just heard the most wonderful news all night. "Ah! It''s a pleasure to finally meet you, Chairman Park. You are our Katherine''s" He nced at his granddaughter who was currently watching him closely for what he was about to say. "...former superior?"

    With a slight bow, Damien acknowledged it, "Yes. Your granddaughter worked with me in thepany."

    Patting Damien''s shoulder, Chairman Young had a wide smile on his face when he said, "I''m very thankful that you took great care of her. I will forever be grateful."

    "It was a pleasure working with Ms. Young. She''s very professional," Damien responded very smoothly.

    It was so weird for Katherine to listen to their conversation while they were talking about her in her presence. Also, she felt that her grandfather knew something about Damien. She suspected that he may know about her previous rtionship with him with the way he was being so strange with his reaction.

    She couldn''t help but notice how Damien didn''t describe her as "working for" him, instead, he always used the term "work with". It was also the first time that he heard him address her as Ms. Young and not Ms. Miller and she didn''t know how to feel about it.

    "How was the fresh air, dear?" Chairman Young turned to Katherine.

    "What? Oh, it was it was okay." Katherine was usually so good at adapting to situations and lying without blinking but having Damien being so friendly with her grandfather threw her off her game.

    Damien chimed in, "Katherine was actually with me. I was consulting with her for something important and I didn''t realize it took longer than it should have. I apologize, Chairman. I should have been more conscious of the time."

    Chairman Young was impressed by his statement. Meeting Damien Park made him really happy and he thought that he was making his granddaughter happy as well.

    Katherine, on the other hand, raised her brows at Damien who was a better liar than her at the moment, making her look like a noob. When she started working in hispany, she quickly learned this about him but it was still interesting whenever he does it. He was such a good liar, she didn''t know whether she should be d about it.

    "Very well. As long as you are here now. Come, let''s go back to the party." Chairman Young turned around and headed towards the double doors to the event hall. "Let''s drink, young man. What''s your poison?" he asked Damien.

    "I personally like single malt."

    "Mm, a fine gentleman with great taste. You and I will definitely get along, son. You''re in luck, I brought a bottle with me."

    The three of them entered the hall where the party was still in full swing and Chairman Young turned to Katherine. "Pumpkin, why don''t you bring Chairman Park to our table? I will be back," he said before walking away, not even waiting for her to reply.

    Blowing out air slowly, she gestured him towards the table. "You don''t have to stay, you know. I can tell my grandfather if you need to leave. He''ll understand."

    Damien wanted tough at how she was trying to get rid of him. "I don''t need to leave. And I don''t want to pumpkin."

    Her brows knitted upon hearing his tease and she red at his slightly smiling face. Was he enjoying this? How long could shest being around him tonight?

 Chapter 257: Grandpa Theo as Cupid 2

    Chapter 257: Grandpa Theo as Cupid 2

    Katherine was trying her best not to look bored but she was bored. She never liked social parties like this. She had been to events like this where the rich people gather so many times especially during missions but the only times she remembered enjoying herself were when she was with Damien.

    Damien was sitting next to her in a round table with her grandfather sitting on his other side. They weren''t sitting very closely but his very presence caused her to feel so stuffy.

    She wasn''t paying attention to what they were talking about at all. The two businessmen were busy talking about stuff she wasn''t really interested in. At one point, Damien was talking about his ventures in the stock exchange which her grandfather surprisingly sounded so interested in  she would probably never understand.

    Chairman Young called her attention and he asked Damien to "teach" her how to invest in stocks. Of course, how could Damien say ''no''?

    A couple of days ago, her grandfather gave her a bank book that was in her name. When she opened it, she was beyond shocked to see how much money was in it. She was hesitant to ept so she tried to return it but her grandfather refused and told her that it was her birthright and she couldn''t reject it.

    Just like that, Katherine Young was now a millionaire.

    She could still remember how desperate she was a few years ago where even fifty dors was so hard to earn. She had imagined how much food she could eat with all the money she now had.

    However, despite having millions in her name, she didn''t n on using it when it came to her private affairs. She didn''t like the idea of using her family''s money for something dirty. She had earned about half a million from bounty hunting and that alone was more than enough for her for the meantime.

    When someone came to speak to Chairman Young, Damien nced at Katherine and caught her yawning. If this was before, he would have already coaxed her to go home so she could rest.

    Sensing him staring at her, she cleared her throat and looked straight ahead.

    "You''re tired," he said.

    "A little. I haven''t been sleeping well." She didn''t bother lying about it. She hadn''t been sleeping well for more than two months already. It was probably obvious given the bags under her eyes.

    "Pumpkin, you stayed uptest night again, didn''t you? You have to take better care of yourself. That project of yours isn''t worth it if you''re not resting enough," Chairman Youngmented.

    "I''m fine, Grandpa. I just need something to drink."

    "Mm, I''ll let Frank get you something. Meanwhile, why don''t you two have a dance? Son, you don''t mind dancing, do you?" Chairman Young faced Damien with an innocent question but with a hopeful expression.

    Katherine''s eyes widened at her grandfather''s attempt to make Damien dance with her. Why was he ying matchmaker?

    She wanted to scoff but kept her voice calm. "Grandpa, I don''t think it''s"

    "I would love to." Damien cut off her words and Chairman Young pped his hands together with glee. He found her grandfather adorable. The old man was ying cupid and he didn''t want to pass up the chance.

    Compared to before, Katherine''s concern about having gossips regarding an inappropriate rtionship between a Boss and his Secretary was no longer a reason for Damien to hesitate about getting seen with hernot that it was ever a problem for him. But now, the hundreds of people present could talk about them all they want and there wouldn''t be any concerns anymore.

    Standing up, he extended his palm out for her. "May I have this dance?"

    When she didn''t do or say anything, Chairman Young told her, "Go on, Katherine. It''s rude to say no to Chairman Park''s invitation."

    ''If it''s rude, why don''t you dance with him instead?!'' she said in silence whilst ncing at her grandfather.

    Hesitantly, Katherine ced her hand in Damien''s. For the first time that evening, they held hands.

    When they reached the dance floor, she was thankful that the crowd didn''t seem to give them too much attention unlike earlier with Chris. At least she didn''t have to worry about so many eyes looking at them.

    As if fate was teasing them, Shawn Mendes''s song ''Ruin'' yed through the speakers.

    ~Do ya? Do you think about me?

    And, do ya? Do you feel the same way, babe?~

    Standing close together, Katherine ced her hand on his upper arm while the other was holding his. She couldn''t look at him so she kept her head turned to the side while they slowly swayed from side to side.

    This was ridiculous. Why were they dancing? This was thest thing that she wanted to happen this evening. She could feel her heart hammering against her chest. It was so hard for her she wished it would be over fast, afraid that her resolve would betray her.

    "Why are you so nervous?" Damien asked softly, his lips were above her ear. He had to speak closely for her to hear or his voice will get drowned by the music.

    "I''m not nervous. Why would I be?" she replied defensively.

    He scoffed, "Uh-huh. I can feel your drumming heartbeat. You can''t lie to me."

    Katherine got flustered. She looked at their chests that were pressed together and she only realized how close they actually were for him to feel her wildly racing heartbeat.

    She took a step back in an attempt to put some distance between them but his hand on the small of her back stopped her from moving away. Pulling her closer, he held her so that she couldn''t get away from him.

    "Come on, Katherine. You danced with that monster for a full song and you can''t even spare me a couple of minutes?" Damien''s voice was a little hard and cold. He remembered their dance number earlier and he was starting to get irritated again.

    He was right. She didn''t even know that he saw her with Chris earlier. It must have been really unpleasant for him. But she wished he knew that she didn''t enjoy the dance either  it was torture for her.

    Breathing in deeply, she rxed. "Fine. One dance."

    "We''re only dancing, Katherine. Nothing else," he said as he adjusted his hands so that he was now holding her gently. "We don''t have to talk."

    When she didn''t respond, Damien added, "Talking involves a response from you when I say something. But you don''t have to. However, I would like to speak and I wish you''d listen. That''s all you have to do."

 Chapter 258: Hoping She Could Feel The Unspoken Words

    Chapter 258: Hoping She Could Feel The Unspoken Words

    [Song Rmendation: "Ruin" by Shawn Mendes]

    ~And do ya? Do you remember how it felt?

    ''Cause I do. So listen to me, baby~

    "I don''t think that''s a good idea." Katherine''s voice was low and weak. She could barely look at Damien in the eye and now he''s asking her to listen to him? If she does, she could break.

    "I''m not going to ask you anything outrageous. The only request I have is for you to listen to me. At least, take what I need to say as something that you would think about and consider when you''d actually want to have a conversation with me in the future whenever that may be. So Will it be okay for you to listen?"

    Katherine was struggling so hard. She didn''t know if she was going to make it until he finishes whatever he needs to tell her. And the way his arms were around her didn''t help her at all. She was so close to breaking down and he hadn''t even started yet.

    Amidst the baseball-sized lump in her throat, she swallowed and nodded her head. He instantly rxed a little after her signal. Now it was his turn to swallow the lump in his throat.

    Taking a deep breath, Damien started, "I Honestly, I don''t know how to start or what to say. For the two months that you''ve been gone, I had envisioned and wished for this day toe. I rehearsed what I wanted to tell you a million times in my head but what I didn''t expect was how painfully difficult it is to actually talk to you.

    "You have no idea how miserably thankful I am that you could even stand or stay next to me. I''ve been debating with myself on how to approach you earlier but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn''t bring myself to appear in front of you not until I saw you leaving. Seeing you again breaks my heart, Katherine, because I know I couldn''t call you ''mine'' anymore. And I am foolish to hope there would even be an ''us'' againdespite extremely wishing there would be."

    Damien''s grasp on her hand tightened a little, pulling her just a little closer to him as he fought the urge to just embrace her fully. "But I know it''s impossible. I don''t know how much you remember about your past or how you even recall that it was me that night. But I know that you''re hurting and it pains me to know that I''m causing that to you and I can''t even do anything about it."

    Katherine felt like a dagger was jammed in her heart at the moment. She wanted to get out of thererun away and never look back. But how ironic was it that while she''s hurting, the only thing that''s actually soothing her at the moment was the feeling of him holding her.

    She felt extremely helpless vulnerable and horrible.

    Trying so hard but failing, tears started streaming down her cheeks. She had to turn her head to his shoulder to hide her face.Why was he doing this on the dance floor while so many people could see them? How cruel.

    She took a step back. Her heart was getting heavier and it was getting harder to breathe. When she thought that he was going to pull her back to him, Damien took her hand and dragged her across the room until they reached the side doors. Her vision was slightly blurry but he guided her out carefully so she won''t trip and fall.

    He looked for a ce where they could be alone and the first thing he saw was an outdoor garden at the end of the hallway. He brought her towards it and only letting go of her hand reluctantly when they reached the gazebo, he was thankful that they were alone.

    Damien was about to face her when Katherine stopped him by the shoulder, not letting him turn around to see her. "Talk. You can talk but stay like this. Please... I can''t I can''t face you," she said while his back was facing her.

    Hearing her plea, Damien exhaled a sigh. His head hung low and the only thing feeding his determination was when he tried to reach for her hand and she didn''t pull back.

    After a long silence, he finally spoke again, "I am ashamed. Of me. Of my family. I wish I could turn back time and undo everything. I I''m having a hard time saying it, Katherine. I''m trying I''m trying so hard to tell you how sorry I am. Truly deeply sorry. But I know that no matter how many times I apologize, it won''t ever bring your parents back."

    He sniffed, wiping his cheek with the heel of his palm when he felt a tear roll down. Her hand slightly trembled in his grip and he knew that she was trying so hard not to break down.

    "Which is why I don''t think I could ask you toe back to me. Because that would be selfish. You must hate me right now, huh? I can''t me you though I hate me too."

    Katherine wanted to protest and tell him she didn''t hate him. But she couldn''t bring herself to speak so she kept quiet and waited for him to continue.

    "I don''t know what you''re doing now that you''re back. This unusual and dangerous world that you''re in, I''m guessing that has something to do with what your work was in the past. You''re facing some really serious people, Katherine. With what happened today and what I witnessed with you and your friends, I know how horrible it can be. If you can''t tell me what it is, I would understand but I really hope you would."

    "All I''m asking" He breathed. "I''m begging Can you not push me away? Even if we can''t go back to the way we were before, I just hope that you can allow me to do what I can to pay for my sins. I don''t know how but I would spend the rest of my life doing that. I know it''s difficult for you but please consider. Let me"

    Katherine''s forehead fell forward, resting on his warm, hard back. Her other hand clutching the edge of his coat. She promised herself not to cry when she would see him again but he was making it terribly difficult for her. Could she really do it? Could she really allow him to be around her when it hurt this badly?

    "I''ll think about it."

    Her whisper was barely audible but Damien held on to her words, hoping that she would let him. He knew that a lifetime wasn''t going to be enough to do what he wanted for her and for himself but this was all that he could possibly do to show how remorseful he was.

    And before she could even object, he spun around so fast, catching her in his arms and holding her tight.

    His heart quietly whispered three unspoken words that he didn''t dare to say but hoping she could feel it anyway.

 Chapter 259: Wishing It Had Stayed Longer

    Chapter 259: Wishing It Had Stayed Longer

    Damien''s arms were tightly wrapped around her, his resolve almost crumbling and he was barely hanging on.

    "I know you don''t want me holding you right now and I''m sorry but I just can''t. I miss you too damn much, Katherine."

    Raising his head, he tried to hold back his tears but when he closed his eyes, they escaped freely, wetting Katherine''s shoulder. "So please don''t push me away and let me hold you  even just for tonight."

    How could she possibly push him away when all she had ever really been longing for was for him to hold her? Even if she wanted to escape, she didn''t have the courage to push him so she sumbed to her selfishness and allowed his embrace because she missed him too.

    But her hands remained clutched on his coat. The bitter part of her just couldn''t allow herself to hold him. Because if she did, she would feel as if she was making a huge mistake and she would feel guilty. She would feel even more horrible than she already was. Which was why she allowed him to hold her but she couldn''t allow herself to hold him.

    She sniffed, resting her forehead on his chest, letting her tears surrender to gravity.

    Damien was thankful that she didn''t run away. Pulling back slightly, his hands gently cradled her face, raising it just a little so he could press his lips on her forehead.

    His kiss was so tender lingering hopeful loving and sad.

    How painful. How fcking painful.

    His lips stayed on her skin for the longest moment. And when he finally let go, she wished it had stayed longer.

    He swallowed the huge lump in his throat and told her, "There are still a lot of questions to ask and things to be said but I think that''s my limit for today. Thanks for giving me a chance to speak and for listening."

    Katherine took a deep breath before she started, "I lied to you earlier. After being away, I''m still not truly okay And I don''t know when I''ll ever be or if I''ll ever be. I heard everything you said. And I promise I will think about it. I appreciate that you understand what I''m going through, but I''m also sorry to you And I''m sorry about us."

    Wiping her cheeks with the knuckles of his fingers, he nodded, "I know, baby. Me too..."

    Hearing the endearment, Katherine felt another prick in her heart. Dealing with a broken heart while still being in love was really excruciating.

    How does one move on from here?

    After catching their breath, they decided to go back inside.

    "Your grandfather must be looking for us. Shall we head back?" Damien asked.

    Damien waited for Katherine while she stopped by at the restroom to make sure she didn''t look like a mess. She didn''t take a long time and when she came out, they walked back towards the party.

    "Katherine, can I ask you a question?" he probed.

    "Hm?"

    "If you didn''t want to talk to me tonight, why did you invite me?"

    Katherine chewed on her bottom lip and scratched her neck, unsure how to tell him the truth. "Oh, that Um Actually I didn''t send you the invitation. It was Grandpa Sorry."

    "Ah"

    After knowing the truth, he scoffed at himself, shaking his head in disbelief. It stung knowing that it didn''te from her and now he was wondering if she would ever invite him if her grandfather didn''t but he didn''t have the guts to ask.

    They continued to take step after step until it was Katherine who spoke this time, "Damien?"

    "Yeah?" He slowed his pace to match hers, taking their sweet time to arrive at the event hall as they walked side by side.

    "I just wanted to know How''s Bear?"

    The corner of Damien''s mouth curled up upon mentioning their little furbaby who was not so little anymore. "He''s doing great. He''s grown so much since. I would show you a picture but you know me, I don''t really take pictures."

    ''Except when you''re the subject,'' he said in his thoughts.

    "Anyway, he''s going to be six months in a couple of weeks. Would you like to see him sometime?" he asked.

    Katherine definitely missed her Baby Bear. She wondered how big he had grown since thest time she had seen him two months ago. She heard Newfies would grow really big but she hadn''t seen a grown one so she had no idea. Seeing her furbaby again would be really nice but she didn''t think she had the heart to see him but not really be with him for a long time.

    Her brain cursed at her, wondering if she was still thinking about the same ''him''.

    Before she could answer, they heard her name being called from a distance and the two of them looked up to see Matthew who just came out of the event hall.

    It was almost ten in the evening and the guests were slowly going home as the party had already begun to wind down, so there were other people in the hallway.

    "Matty," she muttered.

    Damien''s brows raised upon hearing the way she called Matthew Jeong. How sweet.

    Meeting halfway, Matthew greeted them first, "Good evening, President Park." Damien nodded once and Matthew faced Katherine again, "Your grandfather is looking for you."

    "Okay. Oh, um" Katherine contemted on how she was going to introduce the two of them again now that the other man wasn''t just an acquaintance anymore. She remembered how Damien got jealous over Matthew whom he thought was only making up stories about her looking like his childhood friend. This would be unpleasant.

    "Damien Matty''sMatthew is my friend. We''ve known each other since we were kids."

    "Mm. Back when she was still a snotty little girl." Matthew chuckled as he looked at Katherine, his eyes smiling just like his mouth.

    Seeing the way he looked at her, Damien''s jaw tensed. It turned out that Matthew really was telling the truth. And because of that, he didn''t like that the two had more reasons now to spend time with each other.

    At least one thing remained true, Damien Park still wanted to kick Matthew Jeong in the face and throw him across the room. Only now, it wasn''t going to be just Matthew, he''ll throw in that Chris guy on the list too.

    "Are you going home?" Matthew asked Katherine.

    "I guess. I''m very tired I need to go find Grandpa so I can say bye."

    "I think he''s still inside, waiting for you."

    Katherine excused herself and went to find her grandfather to tell him that she needed to head home. She had a throbbing headache and she thought she would pass out if she didn''t rest soon.

    After talking to her grandfather, Katherine went to see Falcon and Styles who were waiting for her at the trailer. They had their own apartments so they weren''t going home together. They agreed to meet the next day and separated for the evening.

    Katherine went back to the hotel and saw Matthew waiting for her in the lobby. Her eyes scanned the room from left to right, wondering where the other man was.

    Sensing that she was looking for Damien, Matthew said, "Oh, President Park is outside."

    When she followed Matthew''s gaze, itnded on Damien hailing a cab with a woman dressed in an evening gown. She didn''t realize that he was there with someone else. She didn''t want to jump to conclusions, especially not after their conversation earlier but she couldn''t help feeling uneasy seeing him with another woman.

    "Do you need a ride?" Matthew probed.

    Turning to her friend, Katherine curled up the corners of her mouth and nodded. "That would be nice. Thank you."

    Not wanting to see the unpleasant sight, she followed Matthew to the parking lot without turning back.

    If she had, she would''ve seen Damien looking at her retreating back with Matthew next to her after sending Eve home in a taxi.

    "Chairman Park?" A police officer called his attention. "This way please," he said, ushering Damien towards a police car for questioning.

 Chapter 260: A Rogue Agent Is Always a Threat

    Chapter 260: A Rogue Agent Is Always a Threat

    Inside Matthew''s Car

    Sitting on the passenger''s seat, Katherine looked outside the window and let out a long sigh.

    "That''s heavy... Are you okay?" Matthew asked as he nced at her and saw the exhaustion on her face.

    He felt bad for her but more than that, he was just really happy that she was sitting in his car. Not seeing Katherine for over sixteen years was a really long time. He grieved for her and even buried a casket, thinking it was her. Everyone thought it was her. But now that she was actually there with himit felt like the heavens heard his prayers.

    "Sorry A lot happened tonight. I just can''t wait to get some sleep." Katherine formed a small smile on her face as she stared at Matthew.

    "You do look tired. Did you save the world tonight or something?" Heughed and noticed her stare. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

    Katherine''s smile grew even wider and she startedughing. "Oh, Matty! I can''t believe it''s you!" Reaching out, she poked his face with her fingers, making himugh. "I''ve missed you a lot! You have grown It''s so weird"

    Matthew''s very famous killer smile shed at her. She couldn''t believe that Matthew was a famous model-sh-actor. Her Matty! She wanted to cry. It had been too long. While she was in Shadow, she tried not to check up on the people she knew. It was just a lot easier that way.

    "We have a lot to talk about. But you need to rest So my questions can wait. How about tomorrow? Do you have any ns?" he asked.

    "Mmm I''m meeting some people tomorrow evening but I''m free at lunch?"

    "Perfect. I''ll pick you up then. Oh, did you change your digits? I can''t seem to reach you through your number." He took out his phone and passed it to her. "Save your new one."

    Katherine facepalmed, recalling what she did to her phone. "I broke my phone. Remind me to get a new one tomorrow?"

    "Okay."

    "Oh, Matty, can you stop here?" She unbuckled her seatbelt, realizing that they were already near her apartment.

    "Here?" He wondered, seeing that they were in a busy shopping district. He didn''t know that there were apartments nearby. "Where''s your apartment?"

    "It''s just a few minutes'' walk from here"

    "I''ll find a proper parking space then and walk you there."

    Katherine had to circle around before actually going to her apartment like she always does. She couldn''t bring him there to avoid any risks. "It''s okay I need to clear my head before getting home. I''ll just see you tomorrow?"

    "Are you sure? I don''t mind walking you home." Matthew was worried. There were still a lot of people at this time of the night since it was a Saturday yet he couldn''t help but worry for her.

    "I''m sure. I''ll be okay" she said, giving him her best smile.

    "How will I pick you up tomorrow if I don''t know where you''re staying? You don''t have a phone too."

    "I''ll just meet you here then. Say eleven-ish?"

    Matthew sighed before nodding. He thought that she probably really needed some time alone. After all, there were so many guests at her party that night. "All right. I''ll see you tomorrow at eleven-ish. Oh, wait. You don''t have a coat"

    He shrugged off his suit coat and handed it to her, "Take this. It''s a little chilly tonight."

    Katherine received the coat and wore it on her. "Thank you" Raising her hand, she caressed his face, appreciating his presence and pulling him in for a hug. "I''m really d to see you again, Matty."

    He was surprised by the sudden contact but it felt so good and so familiarall he could do was hug her back. "You have no idea how happy I am, Katherine. I''m really really happy," he replied, kissing her hair before they pulled away. "Good night."

    "Good night, Matty."

    When Katherine got out of his car, he watched as she walked, crossed the road and disappeared through the crowd. He exhaled a sigh of relief and drove towards his house in Pearl Gardens.

    Just like how she usually does, Katherine took a random route going to her apartment. Entering her own private space, she stripped to her underwear, leaving the red dress in the hamper that she kept near the door.

    So much has happened that night and she was just relieved that even though it was empty in her apartment, at least she had the chance to be on her own and think about what Damien said to her.

    She couldn''t deny it, she really did miss him. A lot. However, she knew that it wasn''t going to be this easy going back to the city where she could see him often.

    Thinking that the hardest part of showing herself to the whole world as Katherine Young was over, she could only move forward from here. It would be a really tough battle but she was determined to see it through the end or die trying.

    After a couple of hours of thinking on her sofawhere she still slept because she didn''t like being in the bedroom, she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

    Shadow''s Base  New Castle

    Chrisnded in another state and arrived at the headquarters. He stepped inside the building that was disguised as a financial firm and walked towards one corner of the floor, opened the door and entered a secret door that was a nine square meter metal room. He went through a series of questions and tests before passing.

    When he gained ess, a sliding door opened and he entered Shadow''s base where several agents greeted him as he walked past them on his way to Parker''s office.

    Knocking at the door, Chris waited until he heard Parker''s word before he went inside the office.

    "Christopher, how was your travel?" Parker Green asked without raising his head as he continued to review some files on hisputer.

    "Have you read the article?" Chris answered with another question.

    "Mhmm. Poor Katherine''s amnesia? Do you believe that?"

    Chris took a deep breath and strode forward. "I actually do. After the old base blew up, we lost a lot of men. Everyone thought she died along with the others. It looks like she survived but suffered from memory loss. I showed up and she didn''t even recognize me. It''s the first time in five years that she appeared. I don''t think she''s faking it."

    Parker nced at him briefly before turning back to hisputer. "It seems very shady to me."

    Tensing his jaw, Chris looked at Parker straight in the eyes and asked, "What do you want me to do?"

    Parker shrugged as if he couldn''t be bothered. "You know the protocol, Christopher. An agent''s loyalty must remain in this organization. If they step out, they be rogue. What do we do with rogue agents?"

    "Are you asking me to order a canction?"

    "Not order. You brought her to me years ago, son. She''s your responsibility. Therefore, you must perform it yourself. Don''t you think so?"

    Chris was careful with his expression in order not to give away his hesitation. "The protocol is to cancel agents that are a threat. I don''t think she''s a threat. That''s the code you live by, isn''t it?"

    "That''s true. But any rogue agent is always a threat. Will this be a problem for you, Christopher?"

    With an unreadable and stoic expression, Christopher answered, "Not at all. I just thought your code was not to touch unless proven a threat."

    Seeing Chris''s point, Parker smiled, dismissing the subject to move on. "Very well. You''ve been the best among everyone here. I trust your judgment. But keep a very close eye on her. The moment she shows any sign, you know what to do."

    Parker tossed a folder to Chris and added, "I need you to look into this. Report in three days. You may go."

    Chris received the new assignment without checking on it and came out of Parker''s office, feeling slightly better. He was able to buy some time for Katherine but until when would he be able to do so?

 Chapter 261: Who Will Outthink Who?

    Chapter 261: Who Will Outthink Who?

    Parker Green''s Office - Shadow''s Base

    When Chris left, Parker paged someone who arrived several minutester.

    "You called me, Sir?" A man in his early thirties stood ramrod straight in front of Parker''s table.

    "Ah, yes. Agent Gus just the man that I need to see. How are you, son?" Parker got up from his desk and walked around to greet the man, tapping him by his shoulder.

    "I''m doing great, Sir. Always ready to be of service. Do I have a mission?"

    Parker''s sly chuckle caused Gus to be alert. "This is why you''re one of my favorites. You truly uphold your name ''The Gazelle''. Fast straightforward and also deadly," he winked, turning around to sit back on his chair.

    "Thank you, Sir. I only do my assignments to the best of my ability."

    "Good good good. Yes, I do have a special mission for you. Confidential. Can I trust you to keep it between us?"

    "Of course. My loyalty is always with Shadow, Sir. You know that."

    "Excellent. So, keeping this a secret from your supervisor won''t be a problem then?"

    "My supervisor? You mean, I can''t tell Chris about this mission?"

    "Will that be a problem?" Parker''s stern gaze was fixed on the agent, studying himanalyzing and threatening at the same time.

    Agent Gusposed himself. "No, Sir. It''s not. It won''t be a problem. I will treat this mission as an S-Rank level. But may I ask why?" S-Rank is a ssification that is higher than Rank A. Anything beyond ''A'' is treated with utmost seriousness and confidentialitymore than Rank ''As'', and definitely more than ''Bs'' and ''Cs''.

    The corners of Parker''s mouth curled up but his smile wasn''t the kind where it meant he was happy. "Because he is your mission."

    Confused, Agent Gus paused to understand what Parker was saying. Chris had been his supervisor for a long time. He had always respected the man and saw him as his role model. "I''m sorry, Sir. But I don''t understand Is this a" He couldn''t say it, but he was wondering if it was a canction mission.

    "Oh no. I''m not ordering you to cancel Agent Hawk. He hasn''t done anything yet. And I just want to make sure that it stays that way. Can you do that?"

    "Do you want me to tail him?"

    "Do whatever you need to do to know if he''s doing his job as he is expected to. Report straight to me if you find anything. You can be objective, right, Agent Gus?" Parker''s fake smile was still on as he waited for the agent''s response.

    Agent Gus gave Parker a salute. "Yes, Sir. Of course, you can trust me with this. I will remain objective and follow your order."

    Once he left, Parker looked at the screen on hisputer and read the article about Katherine again. There was just an itch that he couldn''t scratch when he read through the write-up.

    It was said that Katherine Young was found by her grandfather and got reunited only to find out that she had no recollection of her life before five years ago because of an ident. There were even medical records of her stay in the hospital and doctor''s findings too.

    It was also mentioned in the article that because Katherine Young still could not remember her past life, she was going to try getting her life together with the help of her grandfather slowly until her memoriese back.

    There was still a bunch of other stuff mentioned but Parker was carefully assessing the situation. He asked questions and sent Chris on an assignment to test his loyalty while assigning Gus to watch Chris from now on. He favored Chris a lot but he could never look past any betrayal.

    The article that Katherine and the others revealed wasn''t exactly meant to stop Parker from going after her. Because no matter what will be announced, they knew he was going to take some action. However, they needed to buy as much time as they could and faking her memory loss would be helpful.

    They were treading through eggshells but it was the only thing that they could do at the moment. The article wasn''t meant for anyone around them but it was solely intended for Parker to see.

    Which was why she didn''t have to fake remembering some people in her life  after all, the only ones whom she really knew were her family and Matthew and no one else. And she didn''t think these people would cause her problems. But just in case, she would still have to lie about some things to them.

    The article wouldn''t totally get the target off her back but at least it would slow down their pace as Parker would definitely keep considering his actions. Everyone''s attention was now focused on Katherine, so if something happened to her, it would cause chaos.

    And though Parker had his doubts, he wouldn''t blindly attack someone who has information about Shadow, thinking that there could be a trap somewhere.

    Ordering a canction for Katherine aka Agent Queen wasn''t the top priority. To know whether she has something against them was. Because if there was and it falls into the wrong hands, having Katherine roam around the earth freely would be the least of his priority.

    Parker Green''s current state was exactly what Katherine, Amelia, and Styles were hoping for. Just the right amount of doubt. They expected that he would probably send some men to order a kill right away, but they knew that nothing scared Parker more than having Shadow revealed.

    This war was not going to be a bloodshed battle. It would start off as a battle of wits. Who will outthink who?

    So while Katherine had her own mission to uncover her parents'' death, the team also needed to find an important factor that they could use to hold Parker by the neck. But they couldn''t do that while they were all in hiding  the initial reason why they had to announce Katherine so that she could at least freely move about in the open instead of in hiding.

    Killing Parker was not their goal because killing him didn''t mean Shadow will cease to exist. Shadow does not equal Parker so stopping him won''t stop Shadow''s operations. There were people behind Parker whom they knew nothing about. And even if he is gone in the equation, whoever those people were that were running Shadow would just appoint another leader to man this dark organization.

    There were only three of them on the team and facing an organization this huge was definitely not going to be easy. But one thing was for sure, as long as Katherine breathes, she wouldn''t stop until she gets what she wants.

    For all the horrible things she did for Shadow before without knowing the truth behind them, this was her way of repenting.

    With a fragile heart but strong will, what would stop Katherine?

 Chapter 262: No Matter What 1

    Chapter 262: No Matter What 1

    Over sixteen years ago when young Matthew was fifteen years old and Katherine was twelve, the two had been friends for almost a decade. They spent a lot of time together as they went to the same schools and saw each other almost everyday.

    Katherine had the hugest crush on him. She was an only child and so was Matthew. He had looked out for her ever since.

    Matthew used to go home with Katherine and spend a couple of hours in her house while waiting for his mother to pick him up. They would do homeworkhe would help her with Math and she would help him with whatever project he needed to do. Until one time, he stopped going home with her and gave excuses.

    At first, Katherine didn''t mind because it was only a couple of days that he had something else to do. But then she felt that something was off when the third day came and he had another excuse. She actually thought that she had done something to make him angry and got really sad that he didn''t spend time with her anymore.

    After one week of not seeing Mattheweven at school, she decided to talk to him. Just when she was about to leave her house and go over to his, he came over.

    "Matty I was going to visit you," she said.

    "Hi, Katherine. Can we talk?" he said.

    The way that he said the words made her instantly feel that something was wrong. She got so nervous, especially when she saw the expression on Matthew''s face; he wasn''t smiling like he usually did and he even looked sad.

    Nodding, she led him to her bedroom where they could talk privately, leaving the door ajar as per house rules.

    Matthew looked anxious and he was pacing in the bedroom while Katherine waited for him to say something.

    "Matty, is something wrong? You''re scaring me." She fidgeted with her hands seeing that he was having difficulty saying what he needed to say.

    He stopped in his tracks, turned to Katherine and saw the worried look on her face. Letting out a big sigh, he pulled her down to sit on the bed next to him. "I have something to tell you"

    "What is it?"

    He looked down on his hands and his eyes became misty. "I''m leaving We''re flying to California."

    His grandmother lived in California which was nearly five thousand kilometers away from Esmea, and he would often visit her at least once a year. Katherine didn''t understand why he got so flighty about telling her this. "Okay, when are you leaving?" she asked.

    Matthew swallowed and faced her. "Tomorrow."

    "Oh I see. When are youing back?"

    He looked away and didn''t answer. Katherine''s breathing hitched and her lips started to tremble. "You''reing back, right?"

    "Matty?" she called his name when he remained quiet for a while.

    Her tears began to fall, realizing that he wasn''t only going to travel for a short period of time but rather, he was moving to California. She sniffed and started to panic. "Why?"

    "I''m sorry I didn''t tell you sooner. I didn''t know how to tell you when my mom told me. Grandma''s been sick for months now and my mom needs to be with her. She couldn''t let me stay here by myself. I tried to tell her I will be okay since the helpers are going to be at home anyway but she wouldn''t allow me"

    "But what about school?"

    "Mom already made the transfers. So when we get there, I''ll be attending a new one."

    "Is that why you were avoiding me?" When he didn''t answer, she wiped her eyes and continued, "I thought you were mad at something that I did. I got so worried. Why would you avoid me like that? And now youe here and tell me you''re leaving tomorrow just like that? That''s so unfair."

    Feeling extremely guilty, he reached out and pulled her for a hug tofort her. "I''m really sorry, Kathy I was scared. I didn''t know what to do."

    "But you''re going to leave me." Her voice was small and weak, feeling pained that she wouldn''t see him again.

    "I''ll stille and visit you, I promise."

    "But who am I going to study with? Who will teach me Math now and scold me for not doing it right?!"

    At this point, Matthewughed. He was definitely going to miss her.

    "You''reughing at me now!" She cried exaggeratedly.

    "I''m sorry. I''m sorry I''m crying, see?" He blew his nose jokingly and the two of themughed.

    Wiping her tears with the long sleeves of his shirt, he ced his hands on her shoulders and promised her, "Look, we''re still going to talk even while I''m away. We could write to each other or even chat online everyday. I could also call you or you can call me. Although you will be three hours ahead than me but that would still work. We don''t have to stop talking just because I''m moving, you know?"

    "That sucks."

    "I know but your mom gave us permission so you can use yourputer anytime as long as you sleep on time."

    "You already talked to my mom about this and you''re just telling me now?" She frowned. "You''re the worst."

    Exhaling a sigh, he responded, "I know I suck. You don''t love me anymore huh?"

    "I won''t marry you anymore, Matthew Jeong. I''ll find myself an extremely rich, tall, and very handsome man instead!" She huffed.

    Matthewughed at her response. Over the years, she was still dead set on telling him she was going to marry him. With his knuckles, he knocked on her head causing her to whimper. "Instead of thinking about that stuff, you should study Math instead."

    Katherine rubbed her the spot on her head that he hit andughed.

    When theirughter died down and it became quiet again, she started, "Are you really noting back here anymore?"

    "We will. But I''m not sure when. It all depends on my mom"

    "Will you promise me that we will always be there for each other no matter what?"

    Katherine''s question made Matthew smile. Even if she didn''t ask for it, he would make sure that they would keep in touch. She was a huge part of his life and very important to him.

    He was going through puberty and he had never looked at any girl like he did with her. She was popr in school and his ssmates even harbored a crush on her. She was a little taller than her ssmates and she had always been pretty, smart and active on some extracurricr activities so Matthew was the envy of his ssmates since he got to hang out with her all the time.

    While he always scolded her yfully whenever she mentions that she would marry him one day, he didn''t know when but he actually started looking forward to it. But because they were always together, he never told her and sort of just kept it to himself. He thought that maybe one day when they were a little oldermaybe in high schoolor in a few more years, he might tell her.

    Matthew thought they still had a lot of time in the future for this kind of thing. So for now, as long as they could still talk to each other all the time, it was going to be fine.

    "I promise. No matter what," he said.

    "Me too. I promise. No matter what."

    Later, Katherine saw him to the driveway. She was sad but there wasn''t anything she could do except ept it.

    Matthew promised to call her and they said their goodbyes but when he turned around, she suddenly grabbed his arm and wanted to kiss him on the cheek.

    However, it was too sudden that when she tiptoed and leaned forward, he turned his head and her kissnded on his lips.

    Their eyes widened in surprise as they stared at each other, both very shocked at what was happening. She pulled away and gasped.

    There was a long silence and their faces became red, realizing that they just had their very first kiss.

 Chapter 263: No Matter What 2

    Chapter 263: No Matter What 2

    No one said anything and they just stared into each other, trying to wrap their heads around the incident.

    "Uh Um I Um..." Katherine tried to say something but her mouth just created incoherent sounds. She felt her heart hammering in her chest and her hands getting sweaty.

    Matthew whose feet were glued to the floor didn''t know what to do until she started hupping.

    Upon seeing that Katherine was panicking, he forced himself to calm down despite the two of them blushing so hard.

    After a deep and long breath, Matthew formed a very charming smile on his face and gave her a long kiss on the cheek. He wanted to give one on the lips but he chickened out at thest minute. "I''ll keep my promises."

    Then he waved as he jogged towards the car saying, "Bye, Kathy. I''ll call you."

    Her hup went away and her hand flew to her chest where she could feel the very strong and fast beating of her heart. She could not believe that she just kissed Matty. And he kissed her tooon the cheekbut still! Matty had never kissed her before.

    Katherine was so over the moon, excited and giddy. She was smiling all the way back to her room, thinking about that few seconds of a happy incident. Matthew didn''t seem to mind and even gave her a kiss on the cheek before he left. She squealed in delight when she closed the door to her bedroom but the next moment she became quiet and sad, remembering that he was going away and they didn''t know when they would be seeing each other again.

    For a few months, they had kept in touch just like they promised to each other. They didn''t talk about the first kiss incident but their friendship was still very much strong and sweeter.

    One early evening, Matthew came home from school and greeted his mother when he saw her in the living room. He dropped his bag and went about the kitchen, grabbing himself a drink. He didn''t notice that his mother had been crying until he went near her.

    "Mom?" He panicked. He rarely saw his mom cry and because they were in California because of his grandmother, he thought that something happened to her. "What''s wrong? Did something happen?"

    He had never seen his mother cry this much. It was a different kind of crypared to when his father left them.

    "Matt,e sit. There''s something you should know," she said in between sniffs.

    His heart started racing, unsure of what to expect. And when his mother finally told him about the Youngs, he had never been more petrified in his life.

    "No No That''s not true. Mom, don''t joke about something like this! Take it back!" He shook his mother''s shoulders, wishing that she was telling a really bad joke.

    "I''m sorry, honey. Pack your bags We''ll fly on the first flight tomorrow. Okay?" His mother hugged him as they cried together. "I''m really sorry about your friend. Oh My Natalie How pitiful."

    One ordinary day in California became the worst day for Matthew when he heard the news about Katherine and her parents'' deaths. He couldn''t believe it because thest time that he heard from her was just in the morning before he went to school. And now she was suddenly gone. He was totally heartbroken and mourned for a really long time.

    It hurt him so badly that after the burial, he couldn''t go back to school. He extremely regretted that he left. If he had stayed in Esmea, he could have spent more time with her. Without warning, she was gone.

    Matthew was devastated and his mother felt really bad for him. No one should go through this kind of loss. Friends weren''t supposed to bury friends at such a young age. She was mourning for her friend too, Katherine''s mother. But seeing her son go through grief was very difficult for her.

    Eventually, his mother encouraged him to see a therapist to help deal with his pain. He went back to school but he was never the same after the incident. It took him a really long time to recover from it and it wasn''t until he went to university that he started making new friends again. But because he was scarred by the experience of losing a friend, he didn''t have that many close friends.

    In time, he moved on but he always missed Katherine.

    November 4  Mango District

    Katherine and Matthew were having lunch at a restaurant in the middle of one of the high-end ces in the city. There was always a crowd in this district but it wasn''t congested, so it was perfect for her.

    If she had to go out, she needed to be where there were a lot of people.

    For the past hour, the two of them talked and Katherine was careful about what she told him  that she had no recollection of what happened before five years ago, but she remembered some of her childhood memories with him after meeting her grandfather. She reassured that she will eventually recover everything and then deflected their topic towards his youth and how he became a model and an actor instead.

    He was just so excited to see her again, feeling everything was so surreal. He was afraid that this would all be just a dream and he would wake up anytime.

    Katherine pinched him on the arm and he whimpered, "Aw! What thewhat was that for?"

    "To prove that you''re not dreaming!" she smiled and they bothughed.

    Letting out a sigh, he gazed at her, feeling thankful for the nth time. It was really weird yet amazing at the same time to see her sitting across him.

    "When are you going back to Italy?" she asked.

    "I don''t know yet. I don''t have any projects at the moment so I can do pretty much anything for now." He took a sip of his juice and ced it back on the table, contemting about how to ask her.

    "Listen I heard from Ali about you and President Park" He watched as Katherine shifted in her seat and he knew that it was a subject that she wasn''tfortable with. "Are you guys getting back together? The air was so strangest night."

    Katherine made a faint smile, her fingers ying with the table napkin as she replied, "It''splicated between us. We sort of talkedst night and I''m I just have a lot of things going on right now, you know?" She looked at Matthew who offered her a warm smile and she added, "I need to find myself first."

    He reached out and stroked her arm. "We''ve been apart for many years, Kathy. But I want you to know that you can always talk to me. You don''t have to be alone. I did promise you I''ll always be here. No Matter What."

    Katherine was so touched. It was such a great feeling having Matthew on her side again. A lot of things had changed over the years but not Matty. Just like before, he had always looked out for her.

    After finishing their lunch, they came out of the restaurant and was about to look for a phone shop when Katherine caught sight of a familiar figure a few meters away.

    She met his eyes, and in an instant, her heart did a backflip.

    "Katherine" Damien called as he started to walk towards her with two small shopping bags in hand.

    She was not prepared to see him that day. Out of all the ces in the city, out of all the days in a week and out of the twenty-four hours in a day, the two of them just had to be in the same ce at the same time.

    Great. Just Great.

 Chapter 264: Any Chance?

    Chapter 264: Any Chance?

    As Damien came closer, Katherine wondered if it was really just a coincidence that he was there too. He didn''t stalk her, did he? That was highly unlikely.

    Watching him walk towards her, she noticed that he wasn''t alone. On his left was a gorgeous blonde woman who looked like the same woman he was with outside the hotelst night. She saw him with her two days in a row already  if it was onlyst night, she didn''t want to dwell too much on it or jump to conclusions, what was she supposed to think now?

    Flustered, Katherine could only mutter his name, "Damien"

    "President Park." Matthew slightly bowed.

    Damien''s gaze shifted between her and Matthew, thinking that he was lucky to see her but deted to see her with that man.

    Katherine didn''t know what to do at this point. They had a talkst night and then went on their separate ways. She hadn''t expected to see him this soon.

    The awkwardness that lingered in the air was cut when the woman next to Damien gasped.

    "Oh, my god. Y-you''re Matthew Jeong. Y-you are, right?" Eve stuttered, her eyes round and starry as she gaped at Matthew.

    Their heads turned to her and saw her blush. She looked really starstruck.

    Matthew shed his megawatt smile and nodded, "Yes, I am."

    "My name is Eve. I am such a huge huge fan!"

    Noticing Damien staring at her, Eve knitted her brows at him, "What? I watch his movies. Alright?"

    Looking back at Matthew, she bashfully took out her phone and wiggled it in the air. "Can I get a picture with you? My niece and sister will freak out if I didn''t. And I personally love to, of course. If that''s okay? It''s okay, right? I''m babbling. I''m sorry."

    Matthew found her adorable  of course, he had to agree. He was already used to it so he didn''t mind at all. "Sure, Eve. Here, let me take it for us." He extended his hand as he offered and the two of them started snapping photos and chatted.

    Damien moved closer to Katherine as the two of them watched the other two. "Out on a date, huh?" he probed without looking at her, making it look casual.

    Katherine raised a brow and did not face him either. "I could ask you the same," she muttered under her breath.

    Damien''s head snapped towards her upon hearing her retort. All the while he thought that she wouldn''t think anything like that, so hearing her statement caused his heart to flutter. "What?"

    "You and Eve? Weren''t you with herst night too?" She remembered that he received a callst night and mentioned her name, so she was right with her assumption that this woman was the same one fromst night.

    "Oh." He didn''t realize that Katherine saw him with her. "You think I and Eveoh no." He huffed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. Of course, she would misunderstand. "You don''t know who she is, do you?"

    His question annoyed her. Folding her arms in front of her chest, she challenged, "Am I supposed to?"

    Damn it. Taking a deep breath, Damien looked apologetic. "Sorry, you''re right. Eve is actually kinda famous around here, so I thought you''ve heard of her. She''s one of the most influential therapists in the country whose clients are mostly important figures. And the truth is Eve is my therapist."

    It dawned on Katherine that Eve indeed looked familiar, maybe she had seen her somewhere beforebut that wasn''t what really surprised her. Straightening up, she faced him and probed, "You''re seeing a therapist? Since when?"

    Damien didn''t answer and just continued to look at her as she processed the information. Soon, she followed up with another question, "Did I do this to you?"

    Matthew cut in their conversation before Damien could answer, "Excuse me. Um, Katherine? Didn''t you need to catch your appointment? It''s almost three."

    "Oh shoot. Right." Shepletely forgot that she had to meet Amelia and Styles back at her apartment.

    "You need to go somewhere?" Damien asked.

    "I just need to meet my friends." She briefly looked at him in the eye and he guessed that she was going to meet the people he sawst night.

    When Eve came up to his side, he formally introduced them to each other. "By the way, Katherine, this is Doctor Evangeline Reed."

    "A pleasure," said Eve, shaking hands with Katherine. "You can call me Eve."

    After their brief greeting, Damien turned to Katherine again and told her, "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

    Not knowing what he wanted to talk about, she was hesitant at first but what can he do in broad daylight and in a public ce? She nodded at Matthew and thetter excused himself to get the car while she gave Damien a few minutes  Eve had also excused herself, leaving the two of them some privacy.

    Handing her a small paper bag without saying anything, he feared that she wouldn''t ept it. And Katherine sure was hesitant. After taking a peek inside, she saw a tube of Arnica Gel.

    "What is this?" she wondered, receiving the paper bag and inspecting the content some more.

    "It''s for your bruise," he replied, referring to the bruise on her thigh fromst night.

    "And you carry this with you all the time now?" Katherine found it amusing, she couldn''t help but draw a small smile on her face.

    "I was going to drop that off at the Young Mansionter" He rubbed his nape, seemingly shy.

    "But that''s all the way to the north? Are you traveling?"

    Damien scoffed, realizing he''s making a fool of himself. "Okay. Fine. I meant to go there on purpose to give this to you."

    Katherine tried so hard not to blush at his confession and she desperately hoped she was doing a great job at it. "Um thanks? But you know I''m actually not staying there."

    "Oh" He pressed his lips together. He wanted to ask where she was staying but he knew she probably wouldn''t tell him anyway. Realizing another matter, he gave her the other paper bag in his hand. "Here."

    "Wow. Two gifts? I don''t think it''s my birthday today." She was starting to get uneasy by all his gestures. She tentatively received the bag and was surprised to see a cell phone box inside. ''Damn it, Damien. Why?''

    "You didn''t have to. I was going to get one today." She tried to return the bag but he pushed it back to her.

    "Please, just take it. Consider it a wee gift."

    Knowing that he wouldn''t stop if she continued to refuse, sheposed herself and nodded. "Fine. Thank you, then."

    Seeing the conservative smile on her face made him feel better. So much better.

    Digging his hands in his pockets, he asked, "Any chance I could drive you to that ce you''re going to?" He was pushing his luck today but he didn''t care. He just had to do something.

    Just then, Matthew''s car stopped in front of them. Matthew patiently waited and didn''t urge for Katherine to hasten. However, Katherine wanted to get out of there already, afraid that her heart was going to jump out of her chest if she didn''t leave fast.

    "Thank you for these... I really appreciate it." She made an awkward wave before getting in Matthew''s car.

    Despite seeing her leave, Damien didn''t feel as botheredat least she didn''t reject what he got for her. And when she turns on her phone, she would find that it wasn''t the only gift she epted. Feeling satisfied that she didn''t push him away, a suppressed smile formed on his face as he turned around and went on his way.

 Chapter 265: King Charming Is a Keeper

    Chapter 265: King Charming Is a Keeper

    Matthew drove his car with Katherine in the front seat and they''re headed to the same ce he picked her up a few hours ago. He didn''t want to bring up Damien Park but seeing that she had been in deep thought since they left Mango District, he wanted to check up on her.

    "Hey You look like you have a lot on your mind. Do you want to talk about it?" he asked.

    Katherine had been thinking about Damien''s expression and the thing he said earlier. She couldn''t deny that seeing him felt really nice but it only made her miss him more. She began to wonder if it was too soon for her toe back. How could she do what she''s supposed to do if he constantly pops up everywhere she was?

    With all the nice feelings that she had from meeting him unexpectedly and even receiving very thoughtful gifts, she started to feel bad again. It was as though every time her heart pumps for joy, her brain scolds it, reminding her of all the things why she shouldn''t and then her heart aches again.

    Forcing out a smile, she nodded to him. "I''m fine It''s just a little weird seeing him unexpectedly."

    Matthew knew how awkward it could be. "You know, you did pretty good back there. It''ll be okay, Katherine. You''ll see." He patted her arm and Katherine gave him an appreciative smile.

    When they arrived, he parked the car by the curb and faced her. "Do you want me to go with you?"

    "It''s okay, I''m pretty familiar with this ce already so I know where to go. Thanks for lunch, Matty. It''ll be my turn to treat you next time."

    "I''ll hold on to that. Be sure to text me when you get your new pher. Let me know how your day went and update me with that new ce, okay?"

    "I have your number right here. I''ll text you when I can." She waved the calling card in her hand and drew him in for a bear hug, kissing his cheek before pulling back. "Drive safely!"

    As she got out of his car, she waved at him again and watched him disappear into the traffic. She stood on the sidewalk with people walking past her from all directions and going about their busy day. When he was out of sight, Katherine inhaled deeply and let out a heavy sigh. Reconnecting with Matthew was amazing, however, it was too taxing for her to keep a facade and withhold the truth from her very close friend.

    She used to lie a lot before and she didn''t mind doing it as long as it got the job done. But it''s different when she had to lie to people that she cared about. It was heavy on her shoulders and she constantly had the nagging feeling telling her to just let go and tell him everything. She had no one to talk to. No one to listen to her talk about the truth. Even with Styles and Amelia, there were just some things that she couldn''t tell them.

    Matthew was just one person. It was the same with her family and friends. And of course, especially Damien. But she just couldn''t. The burden that she was carrying was too heavyit felt like she was carrying the whole world on her shoulders. But since she cared about these people so much, she couldn''t tell them.

    Reminding herself over and over that she was doing this to protect them was all she could do. All the secrets that she knew, she could only keep to herself. It was a matter of life and death and she very much cared about life now. No matter how much she wanted to scream what was in her head and tell even just one person about Shadow, that person would automatically be a walking target.

    Being out in the open was already putting everyone around her at risk. How much more could she sacrifice? She already lost a lot experiencing another loss would kill her.

    Entering her apartment, Katherine saw Amelia and Styles who were chatting on the sofa, waiting for her. There were a few bags and a couple of boxes on the floor and some snacks on the coffee table.

    "Hey, Queen. How was your date?" Styles asked as he peeked at her from the backrest of the sofa.

    "It was great," she smiled. Her gaze shifted to Amelia and she told her, "Your son appeared out of nowhere. For a second I thought you may have teamed up and ganged up on me." She slumped on the sofa next to Styles.

    Amelia''s eyes widened, straightening up on her seat and looked at Katherine. "I didn''t! I have never talked to him!"

    "I know"

    Amelia''s expression softened and she wrung her fingers together as she asked, "H-How is he?"

    Not wanting to worry her, Katherine didn''t tell her about him seeing a therapist. She didn''t know if it was right for her to do so but this whole web of rtionships between all of them was just stressful. "I guess he''s okay," she replied.

    "What''s this?" Styles peered in the bags that Katherine brought, taking out the medicine gel and the cellphone box. A wide smile immediately appeared on his face as his brain worked on a guess which was totally spot on. "Ay He gave these to you, didn''t he?" He wiggled his eyebrows.

    With knitted brows, Katherine snatched the medicine from his hand and scoffed. "How do you even know that? I could have bought these myself, you know?"

    Styles guffawed as if he had just heard the funniest thing. "You? You are one stubborn person. You don''t even visit the infirmary unless we drag you there to get your medicine. I''m sure you never even thought about your bruise huh? Look at this King Charming He thought about everything for you. Medicine and a spankin'' brand new cellphone! Gotta hand it to the man, he''s a keeper."

    Katherine''s frown got even deeper as she swept her dress to the side and rubbed some medicine gel on her bruised thigh while listening to Styles''s bbering. She hated that he spoke some sense when he''s talking about something she wanted to avoid talking about.

    The annoyed expression on her face slightly softened when the cool gel started to work its magic on her skin. He was right She hadn''t thought about her bruise at all. If it was up to her, she would have just forgotten about it and let it heal on its own.

    Her gazended on the cellphone box that was now set on the coffee table and decided that she would just set it upter before she goes to bed.

    "What are we waiting for, by the way? Is everything set?" she asked the other two.

    "Well, I''m pretty much packed up. What about you Falcon?"

    Amelia patted the huge duffel bag on the floor next to her with her foot. "All packed and ready to go."

    Tossing the medicine tube back into the bag, Katherine checked the time on her watch. "It''s almost four. I guess we could start moving. Shall we get going?"

    The three of them got up from the sofa and started picking up their stuff. Because Katherine had to live her ''lie'', it was best for her to move to a better location where she would appear to live like a normal personlike how Katherine Young would live.

 Chapter 266: Extravagant Living

    Chapter 266: Extravagant Living

    Golden Phoenix Residences

    The residential skyscraper, Golden Phoenix Residences, had sixty-two floors. It wasn''t the highest apartment building in Harbor City but it was the grandest, most expensive and exclusive one  it was the epitome of a luxurious city residence.

    It was one of the most sought-after condominiums by famous personalities because of its superb amenities, contemporary style and design, and prime location where amazing happenings were found. With the trendiest bars and topnotch restaurants around the area, it was definitely the hottest spot in the city.

    This was far from Katherine''s style. If she were to choose a new home, she would much rather be on the outskirts of the city in a single-detached house where it was away from the noise and had the utmost privacy. She did own a house just like that but there was no way she would move back to Pearl Gardens. Sheughed at the thought. How ridiculous.

    Brushing her thoughts away, she stared at the magnificent view of the city from her floor-to-ceiling window on the 61st floor. The view at seven in the evening was definitely breathtaking with the twinkling city lights below her.

    "Man, your grandpa sure is a very very generous man!" Styles eximed from thefort of arge sectional sofa with a wine ss in his hand looking like a boss.

    "It''s too much," Katherine sighed. "Extravagant. So not me."

    "Oh no, it''s you, alright. You''re Katherine Young and you''re every bit worthy of this suiteeven the penthouse on the 62nd floor, if you so wish! Enjoy it, Queen. God knows you suffered a lot in the past. You deserve this luxury."

    "I just don''t think I belong here"

    "Are you feeling guilty? Because you shouldn''t. You have the right to live in this kind of ce." Styles took arge gulp of his wine.

    Katherine only smiled at him, amused to see that he was definitely enjoying his new home. When she told her grandfather that she had to move to a new ce a few days ago, he offered to take care of it right away which worked pretty well for them. Because of their situation, they couldn''t exactly choose the ce themselves and risk falling into Shadow''s radar. But since Chairman Young did all the arrangements, it looked very natural for her.

    There were three bedrooms in the suite which was perfect for them. And because it was an exclusive building, ensuring their security will be a lot easierpared to where Katherine stayed before.

    Joining Styles on the sofa, she wound her arm around Styles''s neck lovingly and squeezed him. "You''re enjoying this so much. I don''t want to see you cking in here, alright?"

    Faking a gasp, Styles clutched his chest as if he was hurt. "How dare you use me of cking?! I, Styles nevernngh nngh!"

    Katherine shut him up by shoving a piece of cronut in his mouth,ughing so hard her stomach was hurting.

    "I don''t know about you guys but I''m pretty famished," Amelia said as she entered the living room after she finished unpacking her things.

    It had already been several days since Katherine met Amelia but every single time, the former would be in awe of thetter''s beauty. The woman didn''t age! It was amazing and freaky at the same time. She instantly recalled that one time when she sat at the backseat of the Jaguar with Damien on her first day of work. She studied his profile and admired how he looked young at thirty. It turned outit was all in his genes.

    "Yeah, me too." Katherine got up and grabbed her wallet from the coffee table and said, "I''ll go and get us some food downstairs. I think I saw a restaurant across the street."

    "I can go with you," Amelia offered.

    "Nah, it''s okay. I won''t be long anyway. Thanks!" she replied and headed out.

    While she was civil with Amelia, she wanted to avoid being alone with her as they couldn''t really talk about things freely. She thought it would be awkward being alone with Damien''s mother if they weren''t on a mission.

    Later, Katherine entered the lobby of Golden Phoenix Residences with a paper bag in her hand. She stopped by the front desk to ask about the water heater situation in her suite as it wasn''t working earlier. While thedy went to consult with her co-worker, Katherine heard someone call her from the side.

    "Katherine?"

    Turning her head, she was surprised to see Caleb Yoo. She straightened up and walked towards him. "Caleb What are you doing here?" she asked knowing that he didn''t live in this building as far as she knew.

    "Oh I''m visiting a friend. What are you doing here?" His face was equally confused and surprised as Katherine.

    "Um I just moved in an hour ago actually." Katherine didn''t have a choice to tell him as there was no point in lying where she lived now. But she was concerned that he would tell Damien about it. She sighed internally.

    "Huh. Really" Caleb''s reaction matched his current expression. He was unsure of how to react after knowing the information.

    The front desk called her attention and so she had to excuse herself. "Sorry, Caleb I''ll have to catch up with you next time. See you around?"

    "Yeah, sure. It was nice seeing you again, Katherine."

    The two of them exchanged a brief smile before she went to talk to thedy at the front desk. A few minutester, after making sure that the water heater would be taken care of, Katherine headed towards the elevators and went up to her suite.

    Caleb who was still stunned at who he just met, remained stuck on the same spot until Alianna arrived and tapped his arm. "I really think that omelet-covered fried rice is so good! Do you think I canHey, you look like you''ve just seen a ghost," she said when she saw his expression.

    He turned to face Ali with a bewildered look on his face as he said, "Li guess who I just saw."

    "I don''t know The Kardashians?" she guessed as she waved a hand in the air.

    Stopping himself from rolling his eyes, he answered, "No Katherine."

    "What?" She blinked. "Katherine as in"

    "Katherine Katherine. Miller Young Katherine. Do you know anyit doesn''t matter. Yes, we''re talking about the same one."

    Caleb and Alianna stared at each other for a long time.

    "Are you sure, Cay?" she probed. "Maybe it''s just someone who looked like her?"

    "Yes, I''m sure. I talked to her, okay?"

    "Well, why didn''t you call me? Did you tell her I was here? What was she even doing here?"

    "Are you ready for this?" he asked and when Ali nodded, he told her, "She just moved in."

    They stared at each other again. No talking and only blinking as if they were processing the information in their head until Alianna startedughing hysterically that people were looking at her thinking she had gone crazy.

    Caleb took her hand, dragged her towards the elevators and entered the car as soon as it opened. Once the private elevator closed and the two of them were alone, Ali stoppedughing.

    Shaking her head, she looked at the digital control panel of the elevator and watched as they ascended towards the top floor of the building saying, "This is so fcked up."

 Chapter 267: Coercion

    Chapter 267: Coercion

    Golden Phoenix Residences

    Caleb and Alianna arrived on the 62nd floor.

    The two were quiet as they contemted what they were supposed to do. This was such a bizarre coincidence. Getting out of the elevator, they stepped in the penthouse''s foyer and they were greeted by the ultra-luxury design of the penthouse. With abination of ck, grey, and white of the interior design, the living space reflected the owner''s lifestyle  ssy and damn expensive.

    The penthouse was actually a 1,070-square-meter two-story unit upying the topmost floor with breathtaking views of the city and the coast. It''s definitely a world-ss residence.

    Entering the massive space, arge brown fluffy Newfounnd dog came running eagerly towards them.

    "Ahh! Who''s a good boy, huh?" Alianna bent down to pet the fluffball, scratching its ears before giving him a piece of treat that she had in her purse.

    Caleb briefly patted the dog''s back and he raised his head when he heard Damien''s footsteps approached them.

    "Do you really have toe here every single day? Don''t you guys have something else better to do?" Damien questioned as he leaned against the wall.

    "Like what?" Alianna got up and went to greet her brooding cousin with an air kiss and a hug. "I like watching you sulk." She pped his arm just a little harshly for his unweing greeting.

    Damien ignored the sting on his arm and exchanged shoulder taps with Caleb. "Pleasee in," he said sarcastically when the two already made their way towards the living room without his permission.

    Sighing, he added, "I don''t know. Watching a movie or something. I''m sure that''s more interesting than me."

    Oh, there was definitely something more interesting but it still involved him. Caleb and Alianna looked at each other and watched as Damien went to the kitchen to fetch some drinks for them. They weren''t talking but their eyes were making signals at each other, widening, narrowing and then ring with a little head movement and silent cursing.

    Damien came back, bringing them bottles of water and beer. He passed each of them a bottle of each before he sat on the light-grey sectional sofa and turned on the television. Bear hopped on the sofa, settling next to him.

    Alianna and Caleb were mumbling at each other while still standing on the side, debating whether they should tell him or not.

    ncing at them with his brow raised and crossed, Damien exhaled, "What are you guys whispering over there? Did you juste here to gossip? Should I switch to the celebrity channel for more juice?"

    Ever since Katherine left, Damien had be crankier. His snarky remarks annoyed the hell out of Alianna but she remained patient for her beloved cousinmost of the time. She stuck her tongue out to him.

    Dragging Caleb with her to sit on arge ottoman, she turned to face Damien with an angelic look on her face and asked, "So? Did you drop by to see her at the Young Mansion today?"

    Without looking at her, Damien stared at the TV''s moving pictures but not understanding a thing and answered, "She doesn''t live there."

    "Oh really?" She exchanged looks with Caleb. "How do you know? Have you seen her? Did she tell you where she lives?"

    "I ran into her downtown this afternoon. She did not tell me where she was staying though. If I knew, I wouldn''t be able to sit still in here." He leaned back, cing a hand on Bear and stroking his fur.

    "What would you do if you know exactly where she is? Aw!" Caleb winced in pain when Alianna elbowed his side.

    "You know, HYPOTHETICALLY what if?! Just imagination?" she asked.

    Damien eyed the two. They were acting so strangely more than usual.

    However, he humored them and shrugged. "I''d go over. I guess. I don''t know."

    "We should really tell him. I can''t keep this from him," Caleb whispered to Alianna.

    "No! If I were in her shoes and I wanted him to know, I already would have told him! Obviously, she doesn''t. So shut up, mister or you''re sleeping on the couch," she whispered back.

    "On second thought, he doesn''t have to know."

    Damien was getting annoyed by their whispering. He turned off the television and crossed his arms in front of his chest as he studied his cousin and stared at her. "Ali, do you mind sharing in the ss what you two are so excited about over there?" His tone was icy and threatening.

    Feeling a chill down her spine, she straightened up and shook her head. "No, thank you."

    Her reaction amused Damien and he knew that she was hiding something from him. Without blinking, he pressed on. "You''re hiding something. Tell me. I insist."

    She shook her head, making Damien clench his jaw in annoyance.

    "Alianna Venezia Park, you better tell me right now or I swear I will tell Caleb about Dubai."

    Damien called her full name, making her gulp. She wasn''t fond of her Italian second name which her mother gave her. But what really gave her a fright was him mentioning Dubai.

    Her eyes widened and she blurted out right away, "I know where Katherine lives!"

    Caleb was too stunned for things to be happening so fast. His head snapped towards Alianna who was turning pink. How could she give up so fast after Damien''s ckmail? "Wait What''s with Dubai?"

    "You know where she is? How? Why? Where?" Damien leaned forward, grabbing her wrist as he pressed her for answers.

    "What happened in Dubai?!" Caleb didn''t care about Katherine''s whereabouts now that he heard how Damien ckmailed his cousin.

    "I I" She panicked and was about to cry. "You are so mean, you know that?!" she sniffed and frowned.

    "Sorry" Damien let go of her wrist but kept his gaze on her. "Tell me where she is."

    "Is someone going to tell me what the hell happened in Dubai?!" Caleb was exasperated.

    Breathing in deeply, she turned to face her fianc with a sweet smile on her face and whispered to Caleb, "Sweetheart, what do you say... You stop asking about Dubai and I won''t tell Damien about what you did to his Wolverine action figure?"

    "You''re an evil woman," Caleb muttered under his breath and decided to hush for now.

    Satisfied, Alianna turned to Damien again and started. "Actually Caleb knows the story."

    Great. Earlier, she didn''t allow him to tell Damien the truth. Yet now, she''s pushing him off the cliff. Caleb could only shake his head. "Man, I met Katherine in the lobby."

    "What lobby?"

    "This building."

    "She lives here? Since when?!" Damien was baffled by the information.

    "She told me she just moved in." Caleb shrugged, feeling at ease that he didn''t have to keep it from him.

    Damien stood up immediately that Bear jumped in surprise. "Why would you only tell me now? Did you n on keeping it from me?" He was already on his way to the foyer.

    "Where are you going?" Ali caught up to him.

    "Where else? I''m going to her apartment."

    "Do you even know which floor and what unit she''s staying?" she questioned.

    "No. But that wouldn''t be a problem. I''ll just ask the front desk."

    "Ha! Like they would tell you."

    "I can be very persuasive."

    Seeing Damien''s serious expression, Alianna didn''t doubt him at all. But she couldn''t just let him do as he wishes. "You can''t do that, Damien."

    Frustrated, he brushed his hands on his face and sighed. "Why the hell not?"

    As gently as she could, Alianna told her cousin, "Because if she wanted you to find out, she would have already told you. What do you think will happen if you suddenly showed up at her door?"

    Damien hadn''t thought of that. His head hung low as he thought about what to do. His phone buzzed in his pocket and he sloppily whipped it out only to be surprised by another good news  a text message from Katherine.

 Chapter 268: "Play Me"

    Chapter 268: "y Me"

    61st Floor Suite

    Katherine''s unit in Golden Phoenix Residences was about half the size of the Penthouse above her which was still huge for an apartment in Harbor City.

    The colors of the interior design were muted colors of pink and grey, and beige  it definitely screamed ss and luxury. Her unit was at the side of the building where she gets to see more of the city view in the living room and the coastal view in the bedroom.

    When she arrived at her unit, Amelia and Styles were waiting for her in the dining room. cing the paper bag of food on the table, her mind drifted back to the person she met in the lobby.

    Seeing Caleb a while ago was crazy. She became good friends with the guy but it was weird to see him after what happened between her and Damien. She wondered what Damien told him about their situation and now she''s wondering what Caleb would do after finding out she lives here.

    Would he tell Damien? A silly question. Of course, he would tell his friend.

    How was she supposed to feel about this? She had been elusive about telling him things about her since she came back. She hadn''te up with a decision yet about what to tell him and what it really means for them now that she''s back.

    If Damien finds out where she was staying, what would he do?

    What would she do?

    "Mhmm the smell. How does a burger smell so different in this ce? I mean" Styles sniffed the wrapped burger and his eyes rolled backwards. Rolling his wrist and waving his hand in an attempt to smell the fragrance some more, he added, "Can you smell that? Even the burger smells expensive."

    Amelia and Katherine looked at him weirdly and softly chuckled. He was really so extra sometimes but that''s why they love Styles. Everyone should have a ''Styles'' in their life.

    "Ah Mama Mia." Styles slowly chewed the burger, trying to feel and taste every bit of it while humming. "The taste is so luxurious. It''s like eating heaven. Ugh Except I feel like it''s so sinful. How extraordinary!"

    "It is definitely sinful. Savor every bite because I''m not sure if I will go back there anymore. It''s friggin'' expensive!" Katherine stated.

    "Oh, I bet it is. Look at the size of this thing." Styles held the food next to his face to show how big it was. "How much is this?"

    "It''s more than a hundred dors." She shrugged.

    Styles''s eyes grew wide and he almost spat the food in his mouth but he stopped himself right away because he didn''t want to waste any of it, no matter how shocked he was. His hand flew to his mouth and he forced himself to swallow it.

    "That''s ridiculous!" he said and looked at the burger, "I''m sorry baby. I didn''t mean to hurt you. I''ll enjoy you so much more now." He kissed the bun.

    Amelia who was munching on some overpriced french fries shook her head. "I guess we need to do some grocery shopping if we don''t want to keep on spending so much per meal."

    "Yeah I''m down with that. What did they put in this burger? Gold?" Styles remarked but took another bite anyway and he almost melted. It was expensive but also really delicious.

    Katherine ced flutes on the table and popped open a champagne bottle. She poured the golden, sparkling liquid on each flute saying, "Whatever it is, let''s just enjoy it. Survivingst night, I think we deserve a little luxury."

    "Hell yeah, we do!" Styles raised his ss and prompted them to toast with him.

    With a smile on her face, Amelia clinked her ss with theirs and said, "To freedom."

    "To freedom," Katherine mirrored. They weren''t technically free yet, what with everything that they still had to face. However, it was a mentality that they had to set. In order to win the battle, they had to be optimistic. They were fighting for their freedom.

    "Amen to that." Styles took arge gulp.

    His head tilted to the side at the same time that Katherine and Amelia did as if they heard something. "What is that beeping noise?"

    Carefully setting down the flutes on the table, the three of them cautiously got up. Amelia drew a gun from the holster that she attached under the table and tossed it to Katherine who expertly caught it in her hands while the former simultaneously reached for the gun strapped on her waist.

    Amelia quietly signaled for Katherine to take the left while she went to the opposite side and they followed the sound which led them to the living room. Taking each step slowly, their eyes scanned the ce wondering what it was.

    They couldn''t have beenpromised alreadythat would be terrible.

    "Um Queen, it''sing from your bag." Styles pointed at Katherine''s duffel bag on the floor.

    The three of them exchanged looks as they approached the bag. Carefully, Katherine unzipped it and saw a cellphone screen shing and beeping.

    Amelia lowered her gun and muttered, "Is that"

    Breathing out a sigh of relief, Katherine''s shoulders rxed. "Yeah It''s the cellphone that Damien gave earlier."

    "Why is it beeping?" asked Styles.

    Setting the gun on the table, Katherine sat on the sofa and reached for the phone, checking the notification. "It''s a reminder." Her brows were knitted as she inspected the device. She didn''t know that it was already turned on when she took it out from the box and tossed it in her bag a few hours ago.

    Shaking his head, Styles turned around and headed back to the dining table with Amelia, leaving Katherine on her own with her new phone from King Charming.

    Katherine tapped her phone screen, stopping the sound and the buzzing from the reminder. It opened an application that showed a note that said "y me" with a video attachment.

    Upon pressing the y button of the file, Katherine heard Damien''s voice in the background.

    "Come here, boy. Mommy wants to see you" he said, pointing the camera to the approachingrge dog.

    Katherine gasped upon seeing the clip. She was so happily surprised to see her baby Bear on the screen. He looked grown already. The two months apart made her heart flutter and throb, seeing how much she missed.

    She noticed how the ce on the video didn''t look familiar to her. It wasn''t from the house in Pearl Gardens so she wondered where they were. However, she disregarded it and continued to watch the one minute clip of Bear just wagging its tail and spinning around.

    She didn''t see Damien in itnot that she was expecting it, but the moving picture made her very happy. It was so sweet of him to let her see the fluffy ball of fur. Now she missed Bear even more.

    Katherine checked the phonebook and sure enough, she saw Damien''s number saved there. "Of course," she muttered. Of course, he saved his phone number. But even if he didn''t, she knew the digits by heart.

    Damien''s number was saved with the words: ''Baby Bear'' and an emoji of a bear next to it. She softly chuckled and contemted if she was going to send a text or not.

    After having a mental debate, she decided that it was rude if she didn''t so she quickly typed in her message and sent.

    [Katherine: Thanks for the video. I love it.]

 Chapter 269: Missing You

    Chapter 269: Missing You

    [Song Rmendation: Fallin'' All In You by Shawn Mendes]

    62nd Floor - Damien''s Penthouse

    Seeing Katherine''s text message, the corners of Damien''s mouth instantly lifted up. He almost forgot that he had set a reminder with a video attachment on her new phone earlier. It was eight in the evening and with her message, he knew that she had already watched the video.

    Did she really like it? Oh, what the hell, she already said she loved it.

    He started to wonder if she had seen the pictures in the folder. His tongue ran across his lips as he thought about what to say back to her.

    Watching the giddy expression on Damien''s face, Alianna got curious so she stalked towards him, snooped from his shoulder and saw Katherine''s text message.

    She sucked in air and wondered aloud, "You have her number? Video? What Video? You sent her a video?" she gasped. "Did you send her a video of you? Please tell me it''s not a video of you naked!"

    Damien clicked his tongue in annoyance and brushed her hand off his arm as he stepped away from her. "What''s wrong with you? I''m not some creep! I sent her a video of Bear!"

    "How should I know? Kids these days be sending weird stuff to each other," she shrugged.

    Caleb took a swig of his beer and chimed in, "Bear is adorable but even I thought you would send her a video of yourself."

    ''Naked?'' Damien thought. "Really? Should I have done that?" He really considered the thought.

    Apparently, Alianna thought the same and now she was grossed out. "Eww eww!" She shook her body in disgust.

    Rolling his eyes, Damien strolled back to the sofa and slumped, grabbing Ali''s unopened beer bottle and popping the cap off. He wasn''t much of a beer drinker but with the rightpany, he didn''t mind it at all.

    "What are you going to tell her?" Alianna sat next to her cousin and watched him eagerly, curious as to how he was going to y his cards after learning information about Katherine. Will he tell her or will he keep mum about the whole thing?

    Damien didn''t answer her and took a long sip of his beer before he started typing on the screen with the message:

    [Where are you?]

    However, he deleted it as soon as he finished the punctuation and now he was back with a nk message. The old Damien was too aggressive and he didn''t think that would work for Katherine now as he might scare her off easily. Thinking thoroughly, he needed to take a step back and tread the waters carefully so heposed another response and sent it.

    [Damien: You''re wee. How do you like your new phone?]

    Alianna looked at her cousin and blinked, wondering why he was so tame at the moment. It wasn''t what she expected to see but she could say it was a safer reply.

    His phone beeped and he immediately tapped on the screen to read Katherine''s message  eager to hear from her like a teenager waiting for his crush to text back.

    [Katherine: It''s very functional and stylish. But my favorite thing is that it has some really nice pictures of Bear.]

    The suppressed charming smile on his face made Caleb and Alianna exchange looks. The pair got up, left the living room and went to the kitchen to raid his refrigeratorbut not after cozying up and locking lips, of course.

    Damien''s attention waspletely on Katherine now as he thought of his next response and a naughty idea came to mind. He typed the message:

    [It would be nicer if my picture was in it too.]

    Delete.

    He cursed himself. What was wrong with him? His fingers were too fast for his mind to process what he should be saying to her instead. When his screen was nk again, his gazended on Bear who was staring back at him. After some thought, he wrote his reply and sent it.

    [Damien: Bear says he misses you.]

    The simple message meant so much more than its bare meaning. His heart was partially sent with it as well saying that he missed her too  he just hoped that she got it.

    And when Katherine received his reply, she couldn''t help but form a small smile on her face as well. The sender was clearly from ''Baby Bear'' and the message obviously said that the fluffball was missing her But who was she kidding? Her mind was safe, right? It was okay to think that Damien meant to say he missed her, right?

    Because of that, she hesitantly and nervously sent her reply to him.

    [Katherine: Tell him I miss him too. Very much.]

    She was of course talking about Bear. But if she would be totally honest, she could be talking about the man too.

    Reading her text message made Damien''s heart skip a beat. It startled him that his hand flew up to his chest and felt it was beating faster than usual.

    He looked at Bear next to him and patted its head saying, "She misses us, buddy."

    It was bold of him to say that knowing how they exchanged texts just now but there was just something about it that made him feel that he was right to say so. He wanted to really believe that  would that be so bad?

    Swinging his legs up the sofa, he made himselffortable andy on it as he sent her another message.

    [Damien: I could bring him over to you sometime if you want to see him?]

    That would be okay, right? It was only a suggestion and he was hoping she would say yes.

    It took a little longer to receive Katherine''s response and when she did, Damien felt slightly uneasy.

    [Katherine: Maybe someday I know how busy you are all the time with your schedule. It will be time-consuming.]

    His mind then wandered back to what Alianna and Caleb told him earlier. He and Katherine were so close yet so far. She was so near to him and he was dying to tell her it wouldn''t be time-consuming. And even if it did, he didn''t mind at all. He would be really d to do so.

    [Damien: I can have Markus bring him to you whenever you want. Just let me know where to send Bear for a sleepover.]

    If she was hesitant to see him, this would be a solution. Maybe she would say yes and tell him where she lived.

    Receiving Damien''s message made Katherine feel a little unsure about the whole thing. Did that mean Caleb didn''t tell him where she lived yet? Should she tell him? She surely wanted to see Bear that''s for sure.

    She chewed on her bottom lip, conflicted as to what she should tell Damien.

 Chapter 270: "Our" Furbaby

    Chapter 270: "Our" Furbaby

    Katherine seriously considered Damien''s offer to send Bear over to her ce. But as she thought about it, she was reminded of how inconvenient it would be for her to have Bear now especially that she would be busy soon.

    She couldn''t possibly take care of the furbaby even if she wanted to. She had to go out every day and would only be home at random times. Taking care of a dog was a huge responsibility that she couldn''t do by herself. And she was certainly not going to let someone else in this house do it for her.

    After some time, she finally sent her reply.

    [Katherine: I really wish to see Bear. I thought about it and realized that I wouldn''t really have so much time these days. But we''ll see. I will let you know if ever.]

    Damien was already expecting this kind of reply, so he decided to let it go for now and revisit the matterter.

    [Baby Bear: How was the medicine gel?]

    Reading his text, she knew that what he really wanted to ask was: "How are you? And are you using the thing I gave you?"

    Of course, he had to know if she had used it yet, and she was d that she did because she didn''t have to lie. Checking her thigh, she saw that the bruise was still the same since it had only been a day but at least it didn''t throb as much. She decided to use the medicine gel again before going to bedter.

    [Katherine: The bruising and swelling are getting better. Thanks again.]

    Her text made him feel satisfied that he was at least able to do something for her even if it was only that. Damien didn''t want to stop texting with her yet so he thought of other questions he could ask her, hoping she would continue to reply.

    [Baby Bear: Have you had dinner yet?]

    That''s an easy question. Surely she would reply, right? And to his surprise, her response was longer than the previous one.

    [Katherine: Having one right now but not really enjoying how expensive stuff is around this neighborhood. Styles loves the burger though.]

    Seeing the man''s name on the text, Damien slightly panicked. She was with a man? That nerd? His thumb was so quick to send another response.

    [Baby Bear: Styles? That dude fromst night is with you right now?]

    He subconsciously began biting his thumb as he waited for Katherine to reply but five minutester and there was still no reply. Now, he knew that the two could only be friends but Styles was still a man. Any man around Katherine was not good for him and his mental health. He was almost on the verge to run towards the elevator and find out where she was in the building. He would start knocking on the doors if he had to!

    Katherine got sofortable with texting that she didn''t really think about what she just told him. However, reading his text made her pause and look at Styles and Amelia who were eating at the dining table. How was she supposed to tell Damien that she was with other people right now? She couldn''t say she was living with his mother too.

    Carefully, she typed her response.

    [Katherine: Yes. They''re both staying with me for now. It''s more convenient this way.]

    Damien calmed down upon reading her answer. Because he was with themst night at the party, he knew that she was talking about the other woman without Katherine borating. He didn''t really meet that woman officially and Katherine didn''t seem to want to introduce him to her friends as well. Thinking that it was better for her to have her friends around than to be alone, he just brushed off his thoughts.

    [Baby Bear: You''re all really close huh?]

    Her brief message made him d that she had someone on her side.

    [Katherine: Like family.]

    Despite knowing who and what Amelia was, Katherine did think that the three of them were  like family. It was a small team but they had each other''s backs.

    Feeling her stomach protest in hunger, she walked back to the dining table and sat on her chair next to Styles who was taking his time in finishing his burger.

    "What was that about?" Styles asked, referring to the memo that went off on her new phone.

    "Oh Damien set up a reminder on the notes with a video clip of our dog." Katherine said it so naturally, only realizing that she used the term ''our'' when she whipped out her phone. What else could she say? It was indeed their dog How silly. It was like talking about parents and their child.

    She pressed the y button of the file, allowing Styles and Amelia to watch what Damien made for her. It was such a strange yet really nice feeling as she watched the clip with them and hearing Damien''s voice through the speakers.

    Styles and Amelia had smiles on their faces, witnessing the ball of fur move around at Damien''smand.

    "He is so cute! Oh my god. Queen, I have to see this adorable creature! Could we borrow him?" Styles asked without taking his eyes off the screen.

    "I guess but who would take him out for a walk or feed him if we''re out? I''m not sure how we''re going to do that."

    "Come on, Queen, I would dly volunteer! Who wouldn''t want to take care of this giant pupper?" Styles pressed the rey button and watched the entire video again. He was an animal lover and he was so excited to see Bear, imagining what new tricks he could teach him when the timees.

    "Really? I heard he''s so big now. Could we handle him?"

    "Sure! How big could he be?"

    Despite seeing Bear on the video, they couldn''t really gauge his size because there was noparison. Katherine would surely be in for a surprise when she finally gets to see her Baby Bear.

    Thinking back to Damien''s offer, she wondered when would be the best time to borrow Bear. "I guess we could do that for a day or two We''ll see."

 Chapter 271: Deborah Youngs Resolution 1

    Chapter 271: Deborah Young''s Resolution 1

    Young Mansion

    Deborah Young had been pacing in her room for the past hour. It was already ten in the evening and she was quite stressed about what would happen at the Young Corporation the next day.

    Her niece would be joining thepany tomorrow and she didn''t like how her father wanted to do so much for someone who hadn''t been around for sixteen years and an amnesiac on top of that.

    Granted she supposedly finished a business degree, but that was before the ident from five years ago that caused her memory loss. What could she possibly do in thepany when she doesn''t even remember what she studied for years and the only experience that she had was being a secretary of Frederick Park''s billionaire nephew who knew nothing but spend money on women and probably even drugs?

    Deborah wasn''t very fond of young businessmen especially when the tabloids have a lot of dirt about them. She didn''t understand how these youngsters earn so much recognition and money all while partying and throwing away money. Imagine how a CEO like her had to seek partnership with someone about half her age. How ridiculous this world has be!

    Stressing about what she needed to do, she stopped in her tracks when an idea came to mind realizing that she could use this to her advantage. She had wanted so badly to get that deal with Crown Resort Group and now her niece could be her way to get that multi-million dor deal. Suddenly, Deborah''s future was shining brightly. She had to do something to guarantee that project. Young Corporation had to win that bidding.

    She rushed to her cell phone on the side table and was about to dial someone''s number when a memory from thest time they spoke flitted in her mind.

    ~

    About a week after learning Katherine''s identity as Katherine Young  her niece who was supposed to be dead along with her parents sixteen years ago  Deborah called Frederick Park several times but thetter had been unreachable. It was the same with the other person that she needed to contact, but she hadn''t seen or heard from that person for thest sixteen years and there was no other way to contact him.

    When her call was finally picked up, she spat, "I have been calling you for two weeks, Frederick. You never bothered to get back to me!"

    "I have been very busy, Deborah," Frederick Park''s rough voice sounded from the speaker.

    Not liking his tone and answer, she became even hysterical, "Busy?! How convenient that you''ve been busy after I asked you why that child was still alive! You have caused me a lot of stress. I have not been sleeping well for the past few days!"

    "Look, Deborah. I don''t know what to tell you. As far as I know, no one got out after that explosion. No one should have survived," his voice sounded exasperated. He had been avoiding her since he received her text message.

    "Apparently, you are lousy at your job because that girl is now a grown-up and perfectly well! I thought I could trust you. Now I''m stuck with this problem and I don''t know what to do!"

    Frederick Park ignored her remark andughed at the imagination in his head as he thought about Katherine, the woman whom he so wanted out of his nephew''s life thinking she was no good and was a gold digger  as it turned out, she was the true heiress of a business empire. "How surprising this turn of events. Did you know that she was supposed to marry my nephew?"

    "This is not the time tough, Frederickwait, what did you say? She was going to marry your nephew?" Deborah Young had heard about a rumor regarding her niece Katherine when she was still working in Crown Resort Group. But because it was just one scandal that disappeared as soon as it appeared, she didn''t give it much thought  especially because she wasn''t too enthusiastic about the young woman who looked like her dead sister-inw.

    "Yes. My mother was very fond of her too. Damien had never been so adamant in his life and he was dead set on marrying this woman. It wasn''t until a couple of days ago when he told Mother that the wedding was off."

    Hearing this news left a bad taste in Deborah''s tongue. The rumors were indeed true. How serious had the two of them been for them to even n to get married?

    Deborah let out a long sigh, rubbing her temples with her fingers to ease the pain. "She''s been away ever since Father and I met her that day. God knows where she is now. I cannot believe this is happening to me, you were supposed to take care of this, Frederick!"

    Frederick Park was now also getting a headache. This was not supposed to happen to him. He took pride in his business that he gets things done withoutplications. Hearing about this news also got to him, he had to call a couple of his trusted men regarding this situation to a ''family meeting'', leaving out his son and Damien out of the loop who was still a teenager at that time of the incident. He honestly didn''t think that any of his people would ever be sloppy about the mission.

    "What do you want me to do, Deborah? Just say the word and I''llplete the job. It''s the least I can do for not doing it right thest time." It was the only thing he could tell herhe couldn''t possibly turn back time.

    Hearing his words, she got even more enraged. That girl was now an adult and she had just gotten back to the family. Her father had been speaking to Katherine privately and had even fixed a sizeable amount of funds to her name. If something were to happen to her at this moment, it would definitely cause a disorder. "Do you think doing that now will solve the problem?!" She cursed a few times, her voice rose a few octaves higher.

 Chapter 272: Deborah Youngs Resolution 2

    Chapter 272: Deborah Young''s Resolution 2

    "You don''t get to raise your voice at me, Madam Young. I can easily sully your name if I want to," Frederick Park said in a dangerous tone.

    "I could say the same to you, Frederick. The two of us are equally in jeopardy here! If you had only done your job correctly the first time, we wouldn''t be facing this situation right now!"

    "Do you think I like that this is happening? It is my reputation on the line here! Regardless of the work that I have, I certainly do not want my name to be tarnished in this line of business. Even until now, I don''t know anything about the other highly skilled group who was there that night. I lost some men during that mission, Deborah. Who knew a lot of people wanted your brother dead? If I had known, I wouldn''t have agreed to do this for you. I have done you so many favors and for this one I didn''t even ask for a single cent."

    "You and I both know you why you didn''t ask me for money for this," she spat, fuming that she was facing this problem.

    Hearing about the other group who was also there that night caused her even more stress. She couldn''t ever admit to Frederick Park about who the other organization was and that she was responsible for it too. The demons from her past were catching up to her and now she was left to deal with an extremely distressing aftermath.

    Forcing herself to calm down a little, she added, "Just be on stand-by in case I will need your expertise."

    Left with no other choice, Frederick Park could only agree, "Very well. I won''t touch her for now."

    ~

    That was thest time that Deborah spoke with Frederick Park. It had been about two months since theyst spoke to each other. Now that she thought about it and came up with a n, she needed his help.

    Tapping her phone screen, she dialed Frederick Park''s phone number and waited for him to answer.

    "Good evening, Madam Young, to what do I owe you thiste in the evening?" Frederick Park''s voice was cold and stern as he answered the call.

    "I need you to do something for me. Surely you wouldn''t mess this up this time," she said with an equal attitude.

    "What is it?" he asked, not wanting to fuel any more irritation.

    Thinking about how she would approach the subject, she tried to word her statement carefully, "I''m sure you have heard about Crown Resort Group''s new projectthe contractor bidding? It has been postponed several weeks ago but I heard that they will resume it very soon."

    Hearing her statement, Frederick Park somehow already had an idea about why she called. "Mhmm. Of course, I have heard of it but you know I don''t have a good rtionship with my nephew, Deborah. Damien is stubborn just like his father Lawrence, and he certainly does not entertain any underhanded methods. That kid is imprable. So if you think that I could influence him into choosing yourpany, that is impossible."

    "I do not need you to use your family card on him for this, Frederick. I''m also not asking you to give me some advantages to the contract bidding. All that I am asking is that you help him mend his rtionship with my niece."

    There was a long pause on the line and Deborah thought that the call got cut off until she heard him speak again. "Your niece? You mean Katherine Young?" he probed.

    When Deborah only gave him silence, he took it as an answer. "Excuse me, Madam Young, but are you asking me to y cupid for the two to patch things up?" He let out a long, mockingugh. He had such a long day today and hearing this preposterous request made him think he was going crazy.

    "If you must know, that niece of yours is quite a handful. It was no secret that I did not like her to be part of the Park Family. Now, you want me to y strings and shoot arrows to their hearts for them? How foolish. Have you gone mad?"

    "Do not overreact, Frederick. I am not asking you to do anything ridiculous. I just wanted you to nudge them a little. You mentioned that your mother is fond of her, right? I think a dinner invitation would be nice. I''m sure that all of them have a lot to talk about, given that your nephew fancied her enough to want to marry her."

    "I am not bringing my mother into this mess, Deborah! This is getting out of hand. I will not let you use my mother for this."

    Sensing the hostility in his voice, Deborah tried to phrase her thoughts differently  in a way that would make him think twice and possibly agree to her request.

    "All I''m asking is that the two of them will be civil enough to work together. I do not want your nephew turning down mypany''s proposal just because his and my niece''s wedding got canceled. If any case that he still wants her back, then we both win. I get what I want, and your nephew would even thank you for helping him win her back. Don''t you think so?"

    Frederick Park gave it some thought and when he didn''t respond, Deborah Young added, "I know that you have been trying to get his shares of Park Group. If he sees that you''re trying to help him get his woman back, maybe he would finally give in and you can have what you have always wanted all these years if he ends up happy. How else is he going to thank you?"

    Frederick Park had to give it to her. She was on to something and now he had something to consider. The two of them working together again could be beneficial in the long run. "Alright, I will have to think about it. I am not giving you any promises. I have yet to talk to my nephew about this matter and he hasn''t answered my calls for days. This is veryplicated."

    "I trust that you can do it, Frederick," she said before ending the phone call.

    After their conversation, Deborah Young became slightly better despite still dreading for the next day''s event. She was not excited about Katherine entering thepany even if the position wasn''t enough to threaten her role and status yet. Even so, she didn''t want to have any surprises.

    This is what Deborah had to do. At least before she gets rid of Katherine.

 Chapter 273: Time After Time (1)

    Chapter 273: Time After Time (1)

    Golden Phoenix Residences

    At ten in the evening, Katherine was already in her bedroom. It had been a long day for her after moving into a new ce that night.

    She had a big day ahead of her the next morning as she will be joining Young Corporation. She couldn''t believe that it was finally happening. Ever since she was a child, she had always wanted to be part of the family business but now that she was about to do it and not for the same reasons, she couldn''t feel good about it.

    Lying down, she twisted and turned to find afortable spot on her new bed. She was in a foreign ce and it was her first night. Everything in the new ce seemed luxurious andfortable, yet she couldn''t help but feel uneasy about being there. It was as though something was not right.

    She could even say that the only difference between her new cepared to the empty apartment she came from were the fancy decorations and furniture. However, the feeling of emptiness was still there.

    One would think that filling up the ce with things and decoratives were going to liven it up. And her new ce now was full of it  but howe she thought that something was missing?

    Her train of thought was interrupted by the buzzing of her phone from the nightstand. Reaching out, she checked the notification and saw that Damien sent her a message.

    She suddenly started to feelfortable seeing the name "Baby Bear" on the screen. What a tall, obviously-capable-of-texting ''Bear''. Tapping the screen, she saw his short message:

    [ Baby Bear: Good night :) ]

    A small smile formed on her lips when she saw the smiley face after the good night greeting. It was probably the first time that she saw him use symbols as emoticons and she found it amusing. For someone who rules the resort industry and had thousands of employees all over the world, this was a cute side of him.

    Katherine didn''t think she should reply, knowing thatte-night texts with him wouldn''t do her any good  emotionally and mentally.

    Everything that happened today that had anything to do with Damien put a smile on her face no matter how much she wanted to deny that she felt good. However, it was times like this when she was ale in the evening that her guilt would creep up on her, wing her heart and making her feel terrible.

    Being back in Harbor City where possibilities of seeing Damien more was definitely going to make it difficult for her and she thought she was ready to at least face him whenever there was a need. But as soon as she was back, her grandfather invited him and she even had to deal with a literal bomb with him on that first night.

    She wanted space but she ended up giving him the chance to make her feel even more vulnerable than she already was, giving him permission to break her heart all over again after his long speech.

    And after thinking that she would probably not see him soon after, she ran into him this afternoon and he gave her gifts that she failed to refuse. And now they were texting. How could she heal when he shows up everywhere? What would she do if she sees him again very soon?

    This wasn''t supposed to happen. How was she going to do what she needed to do if he was always there?

    Katherine was thinking a lot of things when her phone buzzed again.

    [ Baby Bear: You''re still awake? ]

    She looked closer and realized that there was an indication of when she read his message five minutes ago. He probably saw it and wondered why she didn''t reply to his greeting. Surely he had also seen this recent message was also read. Letting out a heavy sigh, she now had to respond to him.

    [ Katherine: Not yet but about to. ]

    [ Baby Bear: You can''t sleep? ]

    [ Katherine: Kinda Just have a lot in my mind. ]

    He responded to her texts quite fast, making her wonder what he was doing all night that he was constantly on his phone which didn''t seem like his usual behavior.

    [ Baby Bear: Do you want to talk about it? I''ve been told I''m a great listener. ? ]

    Katherine snorted withughter at hisst message. Now Damien Park has upgraded from symbol emoticon to an actual emoji. Was he trying to be cool?

    She checked the time and saw that it was fifteen minutes past eleven in the evening. It was Monday the next day and she was very much aware that Damien''s Mondays were mostly busy. Those Monday meetings were a pain in the ass and his meetings after that were also exhausting. She knew this very well  of course, she used to work for him.

    Contemting on her next reply, she tapped her screen and sent her message.

    [ Katherine: It''s okay. You have work tomorrow. I''ll just start counting sheep and pray I''ll pass out before 100. Good night. ]

    After her response, she thought that he would let it go and go to bed as well. So she set her phone back on the nightstand and reluctantly started to count sheep.

    One sheep

    Two sheep

    Three she

    Her phone rang and her eyes snapped open. When she checked her phone, she saw Damien calling her.

    Katherine blinked several times, unsure of what to do with the unexpected phone call. She hesitated because she wasn''t supposed to even talk to him and now he was calling her. He was trying to creep his way back to her life again and it was just so hard to push him away. She wanted to answer his call and snap at him for making it so difficult for her.

    Damien was lying down on his bed waiting for Katherine to answer. He was hopeful but seeing that she wasn''t answering it, he was about to end the call and try to go to sleep instead.

    And just when he thought that she wouldn''t answer, she picked up his call on thest ring  because she decided not to push him away  deep inside, she didn''t want to.

    As soon as he saw that his call was answered, he shot up, sat upright on the bed while looking at his phone screen  he was now feeling nervous not knowing what to do.

    Hesitantly, he ced the phone to the side of his face and waited for her to say something. The line was quiet but he could definitely hear her faint breathing from the other line so he was sure that she was listening. But why wasn''t she saying anything?

    He waited for a full minute for her to talk but she remained quiet. It turned out that Katherine also didn''t know what to say to him. Before answering his call a minute ago, she was about to give him a piece of her mind but ended up choking on her words instead.

    Now the two of them had their phones up to their ears but neither of them was speaking. Who was supposed to start the conversation? The calleror the one who answered?

    The momentary silence was starting to feel strange as they were waiting for the other to say something.

    Snapping out of his stupor, Damien finally decided to break the quiet atmosphere and croaked, "H-Hi."

    He couldn''t be more embarrassed when he sounded like a teenager on the phone trying to talk to his crush.

 Chapter 274: Time After Time (2)

    Chapter 274: Time After Time (2)

    "Hello?" Katherine answered.

    Hearing her voice, Damien felt slightly better. "You picked up my call"

    Confused, Katherine''s brows knitted. "Oh Should I have not? I can put it down"

    "No, don''t!" His eyes grew wide so fast, startled by her statement. Realizing his panic, he chuckled at himself and shook his head. "That sounded so desperate and sad."

    Katherine''s voice softened when she heard him. "Just a little. I won''t tell anyone."

    Finally feelingfortable, Damienid down on his bed again, smiling because she was speaking to him. "Your housemates are asleep?" he asked.

    "Yeah, I think so. We sort of celebrated today. They called it a night after one bottle."

    "I see Have you had a lot to drink?"

    "Just a little. I didn''t really feel like drinking to celebrate," she answered. It was too early to celebrate something but she did that back there to boost their spirits and probably to get them to look forward to getting things done soon. It was just the beginning and they needed as much positivity in the team as they could.

    "Hmmm What are you doing tomorrow evening?" Damien probed.

    "Why?"

    "I was just wondering if I can take you out to dinner?"

    There was a long pause after his invitation. He was really pushing it and it made him nervous that she would turn him down. The longer that she didn''t say anything, the more he felt uneasy.

    "Damien" Katherine started. "This I have epted your gifts I have replied to your messages... I almost didn''t answer your phone call because honestly, I haven''t made up my mind yet. So as you can see, I''m not really pushing you away but I just don''t think us having dinner together is a good idea right now."

    Although he knew it already, he still felt a slight prick in his heart. He had expected this refusal but it still stung. "You''re right. I''m sorry. I don''t want to pressure you. I''m already grateful that you''re talking to me now. Though I don''t really mean anything else with my invitation. It''s just a meal, Katherine. That''s all Friends do go for meals together right?"

    She found the term so odd. "Friends?"

    "I I''m going out on a limb here, Katherine. We are at least friends, aren''t we?" he cautiously probed.

    Were they friends? They were in such a weird situation that she didn''t know what to say to him.

    When Katherine didn''t answer, he added, "You know what, forget about it. Just forget what I just said."

    She bit her bottom lip, suddenly feeling uneasy at his words. "I''m sorry, Damien."

    "Me too."

    His response sounded low and dispirited. She didn''t mean to cause him such dejection. This was why she wanted to avoid answering his phone call and possibly avoid running into him or meeting him somewhere. She didn''t want to keep on refusing him. It wasn''t easy for her to do so.

    "Are you going to go sleep now?" he asked.

    Thankful that he moved on from that, she answered honestly, "Yeah. I''m going to try that. Although I''m not sure how to do that now"

    Damien thought about how he could help make her feelfortable in her new home. After learning that she moved in tonight in the same building, he wondered how she was going to adjust to her new environment. He remembered the first night they moved to the house in Pearl Gardens  she also had a hard time falling asleep right away.

    An idea came to mind and he turned to face the tall window in his bedroom, "I can help you if you''ll let me. Get the wireless earphones from the cellphone box and wear it."

    "Okay?" Not knowing what he nned, she followed what he said anyway and took out the wireless earphones that came with the phone and wore it.

    Damien heard some shuffling sound and probed, "Are you back in bed?"

    "Yeah."

    "Just put your phone on the nightstand and I''ll try to help you fall asleep."

    Katherine didn''t know what he had in mind and she found it intriguing. "Are you going to count sheep for me?"

    He snorted. "No, you weirdo. But I could tell you a story?"

    "A bedtime story?"

    "Unless you want me to count instead?"

    Katherine couldn''t help but chuckle at how weird the idea was. "This is silly."

    "It was your idea. You''re silly."

    Damien then thought of a better way instead of telling her a story. "Come on, just try to find your mostfortable position. Grab your pillow."

    She smiled at how he knew her so well. Grabbing a pillow, she hugged it as sheid on her side.

    "Can you see the moon from your window?" he asked.

    "Mhmm"

    Damien smiled, knowing that they were looking at the moon from technically the same ce. He swung his legs out of the bed and went to the living room. Since his penthouse was really huge, his fast walk from the bedroom to the living room took him almost half a minute.

    "It''s really beautiful tonight," he said and Katherine started to admire the moon like he did. The sky was indeed really wonderful that night.

    When he finally reached the living room, he headed towards the corner where the grand piano was and sat on the chair, wearing his own pair of wireless earphones before setting his phone down. "I''m going to y something just try to rx and close your eyes."

    Katherine thought that he was going to y some soothing music from a yer but as soon as she heard him start the keys, her heart raced.

    Damien''s fingers began to gracefully dance on the piano, ying the ssic song "Time After Time". His own version was really mellow and rxingpared to the original version where it had an upbeat tune.

    This one, however, was smooth slow and really beautiful.

    Even though she couldn''t see him, the way the music came through her earphones sounded like it was yed live. And she didn''t doubt her guess. She remembered him telling her he learned piano as a kid because he enjoyed it but she had never heard him y it before. But where was he now? There was no piano in Pearl Gardens or the penthouse in his office.

    It was the first time that she heard him y tonight and her heart that was once beating wildly upon hearing him y the first few seconds was now slowly going back to its normal beating.

    Katherine''s eyes involuntarily closed as she tried to imagine Damien sitting in front of a piano somewhere, his fingers skillfully and artfully slowly making magic happen.

    The old song''s melody was really beautiful and she couldn''t help but think and feel that he sent his heart along with the music, hoping she would hear him.

    Before she knew it, she had sumbed to the drowsiness with the elegant music in her ears.

    Damien yed the same song several times after in a loop  slow and rxing. He wanted to make sure that the same rhythm was ying in order not to interrupt her attempt to go to sleep.

    When he finally ended the song, he carefully listened to the sounding from the other end of the call. It was so quiet and he wondered if she had fallen asleep. It wasn''t only until he closed his eyes to listen closely that he heard Katherine''s soft breathing and he knew that she was already sleeping.

    A small, satisfied smile appeared on his face as he got up and went back to his bedroom. Lying down on his bed, he closed his eyes and felt as if she was sleeping just right next to him.

    "Goodnight, love," Damien whispered before drifting off to sleep while the call was still on.

 Chapter 275: Impassioned Breakfast

    Chapter 275: Impassioned Breakfast

    November 5  Monday

    Katherine woke up at half past six in the morning when the sun was already up and shining in the clear blue sky.

    She stretched her arms up and shifted in bed only to feel the earphones fall from her ears. That''s when she remembered what happenedst night. Turning towards the nightstand, she picked up her phone and checked her screen. Her eyes grew so wide upon seeing that her phone call duration with Damiensted for six hours!

    "Oh, God," she gasped as her hand flew to her mouth.

    What happened? She only recalled listening to a really beautiful melody of what seemed like him ying piano in the background. Whatever happened after that, she had no idea. Did she fall asleep? If so, why didn''t he put the call down? She was totally baffled.

    Just as Katherine was contemting on asking Damien aboutst night, her phone buzzed, receiving a text message from him.

    [ Baby Bear: Good morning. I hope you had a good sleep because I did. I fell asleep and didn''t realize the call was still on until I woke up about an hour ago. I didn''t want to disturb you in case you still had your earphones on so I ended the call despite not wanting to. Anyway, have a great day whatever you''re doing today. ]

    Reading his text, she sighed and felt touched about what he was doing for her. This man was truly amazing  she didn''t deserve him at all.

    Despite wanting to avoid him as much as she could, she couldn''t brush off his kindness and she wanted to show that she appreciated it. So she started topose her response but in the middle of it, her cellphone screen suddenly turned ck  the battery died on her.

    "Oh well." She got up from the bed and charged her phone before strolling towards the floor-to-ceiling window in her bedroom that was overlooking the coast of Harbor City.

    It was the first time that she woke up in a building this high and it certainly felt different. It was a good thing that she didn''t have fear of heights because seeing the view from her bedroom on the 61st floor where she could see cars looking like ants from above  it was probably not good for her grandfather.

    Katherine made a mental note to thank him again for getting her this ce when she meets himter in the office. She was blessed to have him.

    Stepping out of her bedroom after washing up, she got a whiff of the smell of a sinful meal and found Amelia and Styles on the breakfast bar.

    "Morning," Styles said when he saw Katherinee up. "Made youdies some breakfast to fuel your day today."

    "Thank you, Styles." Katherine helped herself with some pancakes and bacon before she sat down next to him on his left while Amelia was sitting to his right.

    They were discussing what they would do that day when Styles suddenly thought of something and suggested, "Why don''t we just ask King Charming Damien to help us get information from his uncle? I mean"

    "No!!!" Katherine and Amelia yelled at him at the same time, making him flinch. He hadn''t finished what he wanted to say yet but the two women immediately interrupted him.

    "Oh, my god! You made my ears bleed!" heined with a scrunched face, rubbing his ears. He had never been more frightened by women like that before.

    Amelia turned to face Styles with a serious expression and told him, "I am not going to have my son get involved in this mess. There were times in the past when I couldn''t control it but if I can help it, there is absolutely no way I would let him put himself at risk. I would rather be killed during a mission than to let him poke his head into this dangerous situation."

    "I''m with her on this," Katherine added with an equal tone. "I can''t ask him that. It is too risky. Damien left Park Estate as soon as he could to get away from that life. He didn''t want to have any connections with his uncle as long as it involved that underground business. So I am not going to put him in that ce."

    Styles sighed before responding, "Don''t you think he is willing to do that now? I don''t know what you two talked aboutst Saturday at the party when you went out of the room with him but it seemed to me that you two clearlymost especially him, I assumestill obviously care about each other. I am pretty sure that he would do anything for you."

    "I know that but you don''t get it, Styles. Even if he is willing to do that for me, I am not. I will not put him in any danger. Even if he is capable of taking care of himself, I am not that selfish to ask him to put his life at risk for me. The three of us are already fighting for our lives every day and putting him in Shadow''s radar I won''t be able to live with myself.

    "We haven''t even talked thoroughly yet because I still need to figure out what I should tell him. It''s difficult to decide what things I could say and not say to him that wouldn''t have him get involved in this. And I don''t know if he and his uncle had already discussed things. Though I definitely want to believe he would never tell Frederick about how much I remember, we don''t know yetand I don''t want to think what his dubious uncle could do something to a family member if he knew that Damien was the one who saved me that night. I just I can''t do it. I won''t." Katherine held her face in her hands.

    Amelia looked at Katherine and saw how she was clearly struggling. It was pretty obvious that Katherine was still in love with her son and she also understood why Katherine wanted to keep him away from her. She would do the same and she was actually doing the same.

    Amelia admired how strong-willed Katherine was despite everything that happened to her. She just wondered how long the young woman could keep it up.

    "Fine. It was only a suggestion anyway since no one seemed to bring it up before," said Styles, shrugging as he continued to eat his food.

    Katherine calmed down and began to look at the brighter side of things to motivate herself. "With what Falcon told us about the Park Family''s business, it isn''t enough information. We need to find connections between them and my father. It''s been sixteen years... It could be anyone inside or outside thepany but we will do it one step at a time."

    "We''ll do that," Amelia agreed. "Today I will continue searching for that person I had on the inside. I am not sure I''ll find him today but I''m not stopping until I locate him."

    "What about you, Queen? Are you ready for your first day of work?" Styles asked.

    Thinking carefully, Katherine was feeling slightly nervous but she was very determined to get through it. "I''m not but that won''t stop me," she said.

 Chapter 276: Katherine Youngs First Day of Work

    Chapter 276: Katherine Young''s First Day of Work

    At eight in the morning, Katherine got picked up by a white Mercedes-Benz CLS in front of Golden Phoenix Residences.

    As soon as she arrived in the lobby, she saw her grandfather Theodore Young standing outside the car waiting for her. Normally, Chairman Young wouldn''t bother being out in the public standing like it was normal for an old mana respected and influential old manlike him to wait but Katherine was special.

    He was determined to treat his granddaughter like a princess and make up for everything that she missed growing up. As long as he could do it or afford it  even if it costs a fortune  he would most certainly give it to her.

    Katherine strolled towards him with a full smile on her face. Despite her troubled heart, seeing her grandfather waiting for her made her morning. It was such a silly thing for other people maybe but the feeling and realization just made her feel more emotional.

    "Grandpa!" she called, greeting him with a hug. "You really didn''t have to pick me up. I could drive there."

    "Nonsense! I wanted to pick you up. It''s your first day of work, I want to arrive with you!" he replied.

    Katherineughed upon hearing him. How adorable to hear her grandfather say that. He was the most important person in thepany so she should be the one saying that line.

    "Wow. I am very lucky! It would be an honor to be escorted by the chairman of thepany on my first day of work. And look, Grandpa! We match!" she said as she gestured to the color of his suit and the one she was wearing.

    Katherine chose to wear a business outfit  a dark grey formal suit with a dressy white undershirt but instead of a pencil skirt, she opted to wear suit pants and a pair of Gi beige suede pumps.

    Chairman Young also wore a suit of the same shade of grey. They didn''t n it, of course, but the coincidence was very cute. And this made the old man smile even wider. "Oh yes! I actually predicted that you will wear this color so I made sure to match with you," he smiled a cheeky grin.

    "Grandpa, I didn''t know you were irvoyant!" she chuckled, finding her grandfather too likable.

    "Mm, you would be surprised at what else I can predict, pumpkin." He winked before ushering her towards the backseat of the car. He even opened the door for her.

    Little did she know, Chairman Young was very hopeful about her future. And it wasn''t only regarding herself but her future family as well. After so many years, he finally had something to look forward to each day.

    Katherine only brushed his statement off like it was just an innocent tease.

    As they got inside the car, Frank  the assistant  drove towards Young Corporation''s office. Chairman Young asked, "So, how was your new ce? I wanted to visit youst night when you got settled but" he huffed, "I don''t think I can make it to the 61st floor without fainting."

    "Then why did you choose it? I would have been okay with a simpler apartment, Grandpa. I mean don''t get me wrong, the new ce is really great and all but wasn''t it too much?"

    "Absolutely not!" Chairman Young disagreed right away. "You''re my granddaughter, nothing is too much for you," he said with a serious facepoker face.

    Thinking that she couldn''t really argue with her grandfather, she settled with his answer. "Well thank you again."

    "Don''t mention it, pumpkin." He patted her arm and probed, "Say have you met any of your neighbors? Were they good to you?"

    "Neighbors?" she wondered. "I just arrivedst night. I haven''t really gotten the time to introduce myself. Do people do that? I thought the building''s tenants were mostly celebrities and socialites I don''t think they''re up for random socializing" she reasoned. There was no way she would randomly make friends with anyone there. Besides, she needed to stay away from strangers.

    "Oh I see" he replied, wondering if she hadn''t met that person yet. She should know that he lived in the same building, right? If not well then if fate doesn''t do its magic, he would just have to create more opportunities.

    "I just think that it would be nice for you to make new friends. You don''t want to live in the big house with me... I would at least feel better knowing that someone can look out for you there."

    Hearing what her grandfather was trying to tell her, Katherine felt touched and wanted to reassure him, "Don''t worry, Grandpa. I have a couple of friends currently staying with me for now so I''m not totally alone there."

    Not wanting to push her, he just nodded his head and said, "Mm Bring them home for dinner when you''re free. I would love to finally meet them."

    Young Corporation

    The white vehicle came to a full stop in front of the tall and grand office building and Katherine saw several people waiting for them by the entrance. There were a few executives standing tall in the front.

    A security guard opened the door of the car and Chairman Young got out first, followed by Katherine who looked refined, sophisticated and confident as she stood next to her grandfather who had an air of nobility around him.

    The pair walked towards the entrance and everyone bowed with respect to the Chairman. Katherine and Chairman Young stopped by Deborah Young who was smiling at their arrival and greeted her father first before saying, "Katherine, I would like you to meet Director Bai of Procurement and Supply. You will be working directly under him."

    "Director Bai, it''s a pleasure to meet you." Katherine shook hands with him and handed him a paper bag. "I heard that you and your wife are tea connoisseurs. I happened to get some of these during one of my trips."

    Director Bai took a peek inside the paper bag and his eyes widened in surprise. "This Is this really a Vintage Narcissus?" He was truly astonished. "It is an extremely rare Oolong tea. Are you sure you are giving it to me?" he wondered, knowing that it costs $6,500 per kilogram and there were two 500-gram tin cans inside.

    "Oh, I don''t really know a lot about teas, Director Bai. I think that you would enjoy it more than I do," she said in a gentle tone, winning Director Bai over immediately that he became fond of her.

    "Thank you very much! I''m sure my wife and I will love it!" he responded with a wide smile.

    Katherine did a lot of research and memorized a bunch of information regarding the executives in thepany. She needed to make sure she was well epted by the people she would be working with in order to have a smooth life inside. She didn''t know who she would be up against and it was better to y safe.

    Seeing the way Katherine instantly gained Director Bai''s favor, Deborah Young suppressed her smile to slip. This niece of hers was quite skilled and she did not expect it. It had only been two minutes since she arrived and the way she held herself in front of everyone, it seemed that she had already impressed them.

    Assistant Frank whispered to the Chairman before informing everyone that it was time to start the meeting.

    Two lines of employees formed an aisle that led inside the lobby for them to pass through. With grace and poise, Katherine walked right behind Chairman Young as they headed towards the meeting room.

    Her heart hammered in her chest but she looked unfazed while receiving everyone''s curious stares.

 Chapter 277: Pretense 1

    Chapter 277: Pretense 1

    Young Corporation''s Board Room

    The room was filled with executives  Directors and Managers  from different departments, anticipating the arrival of the long lost granddaughter of Chairman Young. Some of them had been in thepany for over two decades and had worked for Katherine''s father, Mason, when he was still alive.

    It was the first time that Katherine had met them personallyrather, professionally because of businessshe had met a few of themst Saturday at her Wee Home Party. But that morning, she came prepared and familiarized herself with the faces of everyone in the room as well as some details about them that coulde in handy. It was Styles and Amelia whopiled everything for her.

    This wasn''t entirely new for her as she had done this a lot of times in the past while working for Shadow. It was essential to learn about people around her if she were to go on undercover missions. The only difference about this now was that she wasn''t wearing any disguise or ying a different persona, making it difficult on her part because she couldn''t just escape if something goes wrong.

    Katherine looked at everyone''s faces as she stood in front of the room with her Aunt Deborah and Grandfather Theo next to her. Seeing the mixture of expressions on the faces of thedies and gentlemen who were seated at the meeting table, she could see some who were quite excited to see her and some who were hesitant or wary. Director Bai, for example, was all smilesprobably because of the expensive and rare gift that he received earlier, while a manager from the Marketing Department had her brow raised as she judged Katherine''s outfit from head to toe.

    Katherine ignored her judgy stare and gave her a very warm smile to piss her off with kindness. She couldn''t care less about superficial women at the moment. They could all hate her for all she cared, she was there to catch a killer and not get head to head with a Queen Wanna-Bee.

    As the CEO of Young Corporation, her Aunt Deborah gave a speech about herte brother Mason and miraculously finding her niece Katherine and having her back in the family. Katherine kept a gentle appearance and waited for her aunt to introduce her.

    "We are very d to have you back in the family as it is truly a wonderful moment. I''m sure wherever your father is right now, he''s very proud that you''re joining thepany. Now, I hope you''re ready for the challenges. I know you won''t disappoint us," Deborah Young said, holding Katherine''s hand. "May I present to you, my niece, Katherine Young, who will be a new addition to the Department of Procurement and Supply."

    Everyone pped their hands to wee Katherine as she made a small bow to all of them. Chairman Young couldn''t have been more proud to see her joining the family business. When she told him that she wanted to work in thepany, he didn''t hesitate to say ''yes''.

    Looking at the eyes of the important people in the room, Katherine started, "It''s an honor for me to work here. I am definitely looking forward to oveing any challenges and witness as Young Corporation reaches greater heights. I wouldn''t have it any other way." There was another round of apuse before they stood up, one by one, to shake hands with her.

    Katherine and Chairman Young came to an agreement that she would stay in the department and shadow one of the manager''s responsibilities until she was ready to rece him. Although Katherine couldn''t see that happening very soon, it was a goodpromise that allowed her to be in the loop while also having the flexibility to do what she needed to do.

    "Katherine darling, I''d like you to meet Michael Price" Deborah Young introduced her to the current Manager of Procurement and Cost Control. He was a thirty-four-year-old English man and he looked a lot like Liam Hemsworth.

    "It''s a pleasure, Mr. Price," Katherine said as she shook hands with him.

    "Please Ms. Young, call me Michael," he said, shing a gorgeous set of teeth.

    "Michael it is. Then call me Katherine."

    The two of them got acquainted and Katherine''s first day at Young Corporation was spent getting to know the basic procedures in thepany as well as knowing who is who  all while taking mental notes about each person that she came across with that day.

    Crown Resort Group

    Damien Park spent the whole morning attending meetings left and right and by lunch break, he was about to eat out when he decided to just stay in the office and have food delivered, hoping to get a couple of hours of break before tackling Monday afternoon.

    He slumped on the office sofa and leaned his head on the backrest when his cellphone rang. He looked at the screen and saw that Nana was calling him.

    "Hi, Nana," he answered.

    "Damien, you sound tired. Have you had your lunch?" Nana asked.

    "I''m just waiting for food. Do you need something, Nana?"

    "Are you getting rid of me already? I just called," she huffed.

    Damien pinched the bridge of his nose when he heard Nana got sensitive over nothing. "You know that''s not what I mean. It''s just you rarely call me on Mondays. Is everything okay?"

    "Mm. Everything is okay. You haven''t visited metely. I''m calling because I want you to have dinner with me tonight."

    Damien shifted his gaze to theputer on his desk and tried to recall what his schedule was but when he couldn''t remember, he excused himself and checked it through his phone. "I have dinner with a business partner tonight, Nana. Can I meet you another day?"

    "Oh no. You cannot cancel on me again, young man. I won''t take no for an answer this time!"

    "Nana, but"

    "No buts. I want you here at six in the evening tonight. You have toe or I will disown you. Are we clear?" Nana''s voice was serious, leaving no room for negotiation.

    Damien didn''t have a choice. There was no way he could get out of it now. Thest time that he saw Nana wasst month and he was sort of avoiding seeing her because she gets really adamant in asking him to chase after Katherine  like it was that easy  like he knew where she was  like he knew how to get her back.

    After a long and heavy sigh, Damien agreed, "Fine. I''ll cancel my appointment and I''ll be there tonight."

    "Good. Don''t bete," she said before ending their phone call.

    Damien stared at his phone screen and sent a quick email to cancel the dinner meeting. When he was done, he found himself checking his messages despite not receiving any notification and ended up opening the message thread with Katherine.

    He hadn''t heard from her sincest night. There was an indication that his message that morning was definitely read and he wondered why she didn''t respond.

    Damien got a little frustrated that she didn''t reply so he began typing another message for her but when he was about to send it, he stopped himself and deleted theposition thinking that he didn''t want to appear too pushy.

    Therefore, he tossed his phone aside and spent the rest of the day getting annoyed  even on little things.

 Chapter 278: Pretense 2

    Chapter 278: Pretense 2

    Young Corporation

    Because of Katherine''s college degree, it wasn''t hard to ce her in a department that had a huge role in thepany. Chairman Young initially wanted to appoint her directly as the Procurement and Cost Control Manager, and although it was ttering for her, she was against his decision because of the really huge responsibility. She still had a lot to learn in thepany and she couldn''t possibly take on that role while also working on a personal mission.

    Katherine followed Michael Price as he went on a couple of meetings during the day while she took down notes on the important stuff. She found everything interesting and wondered  if she didn''t have any other motives in thepany, would she be doing good in the job that her grandfather expected her to do? She couldn''t help but suddenly feel pressured about everything.

    She had always wanted to work in thepany ever since she was young. She even remembered that she had told her father that she would rece his position as the CEO one day. Feeling guilty that she had let her parents down because of the situation that she was in right now, she closed her eyes and took deep breaths in an attempt topose herself.

    Katherine didn''t notice that everyone started getting up and was leaving the meeting room except for Michael who was still seated at the end of the table, watching her as she tried to regain herposure.

    When she got out of her trance and opened her eyes to see the almost empty room, she straightened up and slightly flinched when she heard Michael ask her, "Are you okay, Katherine?"

    "Oh, I''m so sorry. Yes, I''m fine. I just It''s been a long day," she answered.

    "It''s naturally busy on Mondays. I''m sure you experienced the same thing while you were working at Crown Resort Group?" he asked. He sounded Americanprobably because he lived in the country for a long time already but she could hear a hint of British ent in some words.

    Hearing his question, Katherine immediately thought of Damien. Of course she experienced busy Mondays

    "Right Yes." She cleared her throat and made a small smile.

    Michael leaned forward and lightly held his hands on top of the table as he carefully said, "I heard about your medical condition. It must be tough not remembering a lot from your past. Do I need to take note of anything that could put you in an ufortable spot?"

    "It is quite tough. But I''ve been doing a lot better the past few years while trying to relearn the course that I took when I was in college," she answered in a calm manner. "Thank you for your concern. I''m pretty much okay at work but I do need to take a break from time to time because my doctor strictly told me not to overwork myself."

    It was a good thing that he asked her because it allowed her to inform him beforehand about her "condition" and what the doctor''s order was. This way, it would be easier for her to use it as a cover in case she had to disappear so suddenly if the need arises. Katherine didn''t really want to look weak but this persona she was working on was going to be a lot of help for her in the future.

    "Of course. I understand. Don''t worry if ever you need some time to breathe, just let me know." Michael''s low voice was pleasant to hear. His concern was genuine and it made Katherine feel at ease.

    He got up from his chair and buttoned his ck suit as he added, "I''ve heard great stories about your father when I first came to thepany years ago. It''s too bad I wasn''t able to meet him. I''m very sorry for your loss."

    Katherine got up from her chair and could only show a hesitant nod at his words.

    "How does it feel like working in the family business? Do you feel any pressure?" he asked in an attempt to move on from the topic.

    "Definitely. It''s not easy and I don''t want to disappoint them. It hadn''t been a long time since I got reunited with my family. But being here now it feels like home." Her honest answer wasn''t hard to say. However, she left out the part where she''s nervousbut it''s not because she''s working in the family businessrather because she didn''t know what to expect while she tries to find out the truth about her parents'' deaths.

    "You''re lucky your grandfather and aunt got your back. Do you remember if you have always wanted to work here when you were a child?" The two of them headed outside the meeting room and he gestured for her to go out first.

    "I don''t remember much about my childhood but I guess I do like working here."

    "Well, you survived Monday and you haven''t thought of quitting yet, I assume. So, I think you''ll do just fine."

    When they got back to Michael Price''s office, his secretary told Katherine, "Ms. Young, someone is waiting for you in the lobby."

    "Who is it?" she probed.

    "I''m sorry, but they didn''t give me a name."

    Katherine wondered who it could be and while she was trying to think of possibilities, she heard Michael say, "Go on. You can leave now. It''s past five in the afternoon."

    "Are you sure? What about you?" Katherine didn''t think it was polite to leave first before her senior.

    "Don''t worry about me. I still have a few things to finish. I''ll see you tomorrow." He turned around and entered his office.

    Katherine then went down to the ground floor to see who was waiting for her. She wasn''t expecting anyone and when she arrived, she didn''t see any familiar faces. ''That''s strange,'' she thought.

    As she was about to exit the building, a man''s voice called her from the side, "Ms. Young?"

    She turned to look at the middle-aged man and was surprised when she realized who he was. "Yes?" she answered with a hesitant tone as the man walked closer.

    "The Madame wants to see you," he said, gesturing towards the car that was waiting outside the building as he made a bow.

    Katherine was baffled and she couldn''tfor the life of hermake her heart calm down. She felt a lump in her throat, finding it hard to decline the invitation.

    So reluctantly, she walked out of Young Corporation and got inside the waiting car quietly, not saying a word while they rode outside of the city and until they arrived at the vast estate of the Park Family.

    Katherine was ushered towards the dining room where Nana was waiting for her.

    "Katherine, my dear. It''s so lovely to see you again." Nana embraced her tightly as soon as she appeared.

    She felt overwhelmed by the wee but easilyposed herself and returned the hug. She drew a smile when she faced Nana and said, "I''ve missed you, Nana."

    "Then why haven''t you visited me? This silly girl! I hope you are hungry because I had the chefs prepare a lot of food tonight."

    There was a sound of footsteps from the side and they heard Damien''s voice as he walked into the dining room, "Nana, I''m here."

    Damien stopped in his tracks when heid his eyes on the beautiful woman next to his grandmother. "Katherine W-What are you doing here?"

 Chapter 279: Pretense 3

    Chapter 279: Pretense 3

    Nana''s smile widened even more upon seeing her grandson Damien arrive. "Ah! I''m d to see you aren''tte." She pulled him in for a hug, interrupting his daze.

    "Hi, Nana. You look bright" Damien gave Nana a brief hug and looked at her at an arm''s length as if he was examining her.

    "I got my hair done and I went to the spa with Alianna in the afternoon. Do I look okay?" she asked.

    He found her question amusing and he smiled, "Of course. You look really beautiful, Nana."

    While the two were exchanging a small conversation, Katherine remained frozen at the side with her feet glued to the floor. When the Park''s butler fetched her from the office earlier, she was already hesitant toe because it was hard to face Damien''s grandmother. Katherine thought Nana just wanted to catch up with her and the percentage of seeing Damien that night was low thinking that Nana wouldn''t put them together in the same room because of their situation.

    She should have known that Nana would do something like this. Katherine didn''t know whether tough or cry because Nana was acting like her Grandpa Theo. The two of them sure work fast and sly! Why don''t they make their own matchmaking agency and work together since they like ying cupids? She would be d to help them set up theirpany and maybe even help them name it!

    Theodore & Evelyn Matchmaking Agency, get hitched!  would be their slogan with naked babies holding bows and heart arrows around the statement.

    Katherine didn''t want to get annoyed but it was bing slightly annoying that people were dipping their noses into her business. She had been seeing Damien three days in a row now. Will she ever get some time to herself? Texting was fine but having to see him face to face was just too much for her poor heart.

    For the past days that she saw him, it was the first time that she had the guts to really look at him because she refused to do so before. While he was still talking to Nana, Katherine had the chance to stare at his face.

    He was still as beautiful as thest time she had seen him. Though there were faint dark circles under his eyes, his defined jaw, sharp nose, perfect hair, and kissable lips were stilloh my god, what was she thinking?

    "Katherine?" Damien''s voice snapped her out of her trance. That was when she realized that she had been tantly staring at him and that he was already in front of her, wondering what she was thinking at the moment while she was looking at him so intently.

    "Damien" she finally managed to utter.

    He leaned forward and gave her cheek a chaste kiss as a greeting. In a really low voice that only she could hear, Damien asked, "What are you doing here?" He was still slightly annoyed that he hadn''t received a reply from her the whole day. But he couldn''t stop himself from moving closer.

    "I don''t know. I was hoping you would tell me." Her response was a little rough. She cleared her throat and stepped back from him.

    Nana was so thrilled to see the two of them acting so sweet in front of her, not even knowing what they were mumbling about. "Alright! Let''s all sit down. Bring the food in," she said loudly as she sat down on her chair at the head of the table.

    Damien pulled out a chair for Katherine and then sat to her right  it was the first chair to Nana''s left.

    The food came in and just as they were about to eat, Frederick Park, his wife, and his son William arrived.

    "Mother, sorry we''rete," Frederick said as they entered the dining room and took their seats. He was taken aback when he saw Katherine Young at the table. "I didn''t know you invited a guest over, Mother."

    "Katherine is more than just a guest. She had always been family to me. Here dear, try some braised pork." Nana excitedly offered, tapping Damien''s arm as though she was telling him to serve it to Katherine, in which hepliedbut he started to be concerned about his uncle''s presence and what it would do to Katherine. He didn''t want anything to happen that night.

    "It''s nice to see you again, Ms. Young." William gave her a genuine yet slightly yful smile as he sat next to his mother. He was sure to see something interesting tonight. "It''s weird to say that. I was used to calling you Ms. Katherine Miller Although Young Madam Katherine Young suits you a whole lot better."

    Katherine only spared William a nce, wondering why he sounded rather friendly that nightpared to his normal irritating tone. His voice was still smooth as usual, however, there was always a hint of malice before. Now, she didn''t notice any of it. What happened to him?

    She curtly nodded before her eyesnded back to Frederick Park who was sitting opposite Damien. Her blood suddenly boiled within her. Looking at the man, she couldn''t help but see blood before her while familiar questions shed in her mind again: What if no one hired the Parks? What if Frederick Park had a grudge with her father? What if it was him all along?

    She had thought about it a lot before but the tiny detail of information that she learned from Shadow didn''t make sense. Someone hired Shadow so it was highly likely that someone also hired the Parks. But why? Who? What if they weren''t even connected at all and it just so happened that the incident urred on the same night?

    The more that she thought about it, the more that she got enraged  she didn''t realize that she was gripping the dinner knife so tightly in her hand.

    The horrifying night from sixteen years ago quickly yed in her mind and she so badly wanted to throw the knife across the table, targeting Frederick Park''s chest. Sure the knife didn''t have a sharp, pointy edge but she was certain she could still use it on him.

    William who happened to nce at Katherine saw the rage in her expression and his heart raced, slightly concerned about what she was nning to do with the knife in her hand while they were at the dining table with Nana around.

    He looked at Damien who  just in time  met his eyes and he slightly nodded towards Katherine, his eyes shifting from her face to her hand.

    Damien''s head immediately turned to check on Katherine and sure enough, he saw the bloodlust in her eyes as she stared at his Uncle Frederick.

    Gently, he ced his hand over hers that was holding the knife, slightly leaning towards her and whispered to her ear, "Are you okay?"

    The warmth of his hand and the concern in his voice slowly brought Katherine out of her dark thoughts.

    She nced at him and reluctantly nodded as she told him, "I''m trying my best not to stab your uncle right here right now that''s all." She smiled an obviously fake one.

    Damien swallowed the huge lump in his throat upon hearing her words. He still didn''t know her full capabilities but knowing that she would carry a gun and a knife with her was already enough for him to know what she could do.

    His Little Kitten didn''t feel so little at all.

    His Little Kitten was frightening.

 Chapter 280: Pretense 4

    Chapter 280: Pretense 4

    The atmosphere in the dining room was a mixture of the group''s emotions  Katherine was tense, Frederick Park was apprehensive as he looked at Damien who had been avoiding him since the news about Katherine came out, Nana was feeling warm and giddy, and of course, Damien was worried and happy at the same time to have Katherine here with him.

    Damien didn''t expect to see her at all. If he had known, he never would have declined Nana''s initial invitation. He would dly leave any prior engagements just to have a chance to spend time with her. He felt instantly regretful for even thinking of ditching dinner tonight. If he did, he would have missed her.

    Wanting to make sure that she wouldn''t do anything foolish that night, Damien had to talk to her aloneout of Nana''s earshot. Grabbing her hand, he pulled her up with him as he stood and said, "Excuse us."

    Damien brought her to the hallway far enough that whatever they would be talking about wouldn''t be heard by the people inside the dining room, while making sure that there were no servants around who might eavesdrop.

    He let go of her hand and faced her, his expression turning cold as he narrowed his eyes at her. "I know you''re mad at my uncle but you" his voice trailed, remembering the look of bloodlust in her eyes earlier. "You looked like you were about to kill someone. You can''t do that in front of Nana. If you didn''t want to be here, then why did youe?"

    What he said struck her hard. This was one of the reasons why Shadow''s agents must not have their feelings involved during a mission. Emotions shouldn''t exist or it will lead to failure. Because of her frustration and drive to catch the people responsible for her parents'' deaths, she almost lost it back at the dinner table. Damien was right. Who knows what she would have done if he wasn''t around?

    And yes, why did shee? Though his question was only rhetorical, Katherine couldn''t help but feel a slight prick in her heart. It couldn''t be that he didn''t want to see her, right? She brushed her own question off her mind. What was it to her if he didn''t want her presence? She was the one wanting to avoid him in the first ce. She frowned and looked away.

    "Nana invited me here. She sent someone to pick me up from the office... I couldn''t say no. Have you not told her about us?" she asked.

    "I did. I don''t know why she invited you over. She didn''t tell me anything when she called me at noon," he said in a toneless voice.

    Katherine chewed on her bottom lip, leaning back against the wall as she tried to calm herself down. She wanted to go home. Away from Frederick Park and away from the man who was currently staring at her.

    Damien watched her as she avoided his gaze. How could she refuse to look at him? Does he look repulsive that she couldn''t even look at him? He scoffed at himself. She didn''t even reply to his message since morning. He was truly frustrated.

    This woman.

    How badly he wanted to kiss her to get rid of his frustration.

    With a heavy sigh, he ran a hand down his face and told her, "Let''s go. I''ll take you home."

    "What?" His offer was sudden that it surprised her. He wanted her to go?

    "I will tell Nana you''re sick. I''ll get you out of here and drive you home right away so you don''t have to see my uncle anymore." His brows furrowed yet his voice was calm, wanting to show her he was only worried about her well-being.

    Realizing what he meant, Katherine finally calmed down. He was only concerned about her.

    This time, she looked him in the eye and told him, "No, I can''t do that to Nana. She looked really excited to see me."

    "I''m sure she is." Subconsciously, Damien raised his hand and brushed a lock of hair away from her face with his fingers. "I know I am."

    Katherine bit her tongue, wishing that her blush won''t show. ''Damn it, Damien. What are you doing?''

    Dropping his hand to the side, he added, "Okay Then, can you go back there with me and promise me you''ll try not to kill anyone?"

    She took a deep breath and with a serious voice, she answered, "I promise I will <strong><em>try</em></strong>." The way she said thest word with too much emphasis made Damien shake his head.

    He gestured for her to go first and he followed after her, cing his hand on the small of her back as they strolled back to the dining room.

    Once they were back at the table, Damien checked on Katherine from time to time to see how she was doing. The small act didn''t go unnoticed by Nana, what with her keen eyes. Her obviously cheeky n was working and she was about to work on it more.

    While Damien attempted to get Katherine to eat some more, Nana asked, "So, Katherine Tell me where you''ve been recently. I heard you went on a trip?"

    It was mentioned in the online article that they releasedst Saturday that she just got back from a vacation, visiting beautiful ces everywhere.

    There was nothing beautiful about chasing criminals. Except  of course  the moh that she earned while doing so.

    With a sweet smile on her face, she faced Nana and nodded, "That''s right, Nana. I went to a few ces here and there. I first visited Mexico. It''s a whole new world out there really vibrant."

    Not to mention, it has dangerous regions where cartels operate. Boy was it fun to avoid getting shot at while she was chasing her first Skip.

    "After that, I went to a few other states. Thest one I visited was California before I returned." She didn''t lie about the ces she went to. It was better to stick close to the truth.

    The entire time, Damien just looked at her, wondering if she was telling the truth or was she lying again. Most of the time, he could tell when she did but this time, she looked as if she was telling the truth  however, if she was, what the hell was she doing in all those ces? It was hard to believe that she was on a "vacation".

    "Oh! How lovely! Did you see the Hollywood sign?" Nana asked eagerly.

    "Yes, I did actually. You can''t go to L.A without seeing it," Katherine answered smoothly.

    Somehow, Damien knew that she was only telling the half-truth.

    "My Did you hear that, Damien? She went to a lot of ces and even saw the Hollywood sign. Did you know about that?" Nana''s singsong voice made the topic more interesting than it actually was.

    Without taking his eyes off her, Damien replied with an unreadable expression. "No, I didn''t. I didn''t know where she was. It''s the first time that I''m hearing this."

    Knowing Damien since he was a child, Nana could sense the hurt in his words despite keeping his tone free of spite. Wanting to lighten his mood, she continued with the same eagerness, "Oh, you two should keep in touch. After all, you did get along really well."

    With a devilishly handsome smile, Damien tilted his head as he faced Katherine and probed, "We did, didn''t we, Katherine?"

    Katherine almost choked on her food, feeling Damien''s handnd on her thigh under the table.

 Chapter 281: Pretense 5

    Chapter 281: Pretense 5

    The knowing smile on Damien''s face caught Katherine off guard. What was he smirking for? And why was his hand casually resting on her thigh like it was nothing?

    Yes, it felt nice  but that''s not the point!

    She didn''t know what he was ying at. He already knew she needed space and this wasn''t ''space'' at all. Her heart started racing and she looked up at him, raising a brow in question.

    Thinking that he was going to remove his hand from her thigh, she waited but all he did was lift a shoulder to shrug and subtly pointed at Nana with his eyes as if he was telling her to ''y along'' with him.

    She didn''t know why she had to because Nana already knew that they had broken up. So what was the point? However, she agreed anyway, "Y-yeah. We did." After all, they did get along well too well.

    Katherine curled the corners of her mouth upward to reveal a smile to him while her hand tried to brush his hand off her. Sitting next to him was fine but his hand on her thigh was too much for her.

    However, her attempt was a failure because Damien was stronger and had used his strength to keep his hand in ce. The two of them were having a hand war under the table while smiling at each other  their jaws tense.

    Nana had moved on and talked about another topic that Katherine and Damien had no idea about because they were too busy trying to outdo the other.

    "Get your hand off me, Mr. Park," she whispered so that only the two of them could hear.

    Damien''s right brow twitched upon hearing her address him like that. It was far from what he wanted to hear and it only made him even more annoyed at her. No text response and now she was calling him ''Mister''? He scoffed. "Come on, Ms. Young. Nana said to keep ''in touch''. I''m just being a good boy and doing as I''m told."

    Katherine wanted to wipe the smug look on his face harshly with her hand. What was wrong with him? Why was he being so difficult?

    "Off. Now," she warned in a low voice.

    His pride didn''t want him to give up so he challenged her, "Make me."

    The smile on Katherine''s face disappeared as she answered, "As you wish."

    *Thudck*

    "Ngh!!!" Damien whimpered as soon as Katherine stomped on his foot. The dinner table slightly shook as his knee involuntarily jerked after her attack and he removed his hand from herp instantly.

    Everyone''s eyes fell on Damien and Nana probed, "Are you alright, Damien? What happened?"

    Clearing his throat, he tried to keep his voice light but his eyes stared daggers at Katherine who had an innocent look on her face. He never thought she could do this to him. What a bully!

    "I''m fine, Nana. Just ants," he muttered whilst still looking at Katherine.

    "Oh, dear! Why would there be ants here?" Nana then turned to one of the servants who was waiting at the side and told her to thoroughly wash the floor and table afterward.

    "That''s because you''re very sweet," Katherine told Damien as she patted his arm gently, her smile was genuinealmostughing at him.

    Though his toe was still slightly throbbing, seeing her smile like that caused his heart to skip a beat. He was almost blinded by her smile. She''s truly a deadly temptress. One minute she''s sweet or flirting, next she''s either kneeing his balls or stepping on his toe.

    Despite her harshness, he silently celebrated. All he wanted was to see her smile and he made it happen. At least he got her mind off the fact that they were currently sharing the same table with his uncle. ''That''s right, Katherine Just smile like so. I''ll try to make you smile as much as I could as long as you''d let me,'' his heart quietly wished.

    Damien tried to contain his smile but he failed and it slipped out. And as soon as it did, Katherine''s smile was gone, reced by an unreadable expression as she looked away and continued to eat her food in peace.

    He straightened up and from time to time, he would add some more food on her te just like he normally did before. Everything was just natural.

    Katherine noticed this, of course, but she didn''tment on it. She allowed him to be nice to her because it felt good and honestly, she missed it.

    Later, Nana was reminded of something and so she changed the subject again, "How is the preparation going for that uing g, Frederick?"

    "Ah, everything is almost set, Mother. I believe there are only a few more touches left," he answered.

    Every year, the Park Family hosts two to three charity gs. The beneficiary for the mid-year charity g would always be the Cancer Foundation. Duringst year''s mid-year charity g, Damien took Katherine as his date and made her wear the glowing ball gown. The other two charity gs would be either at the end months of the year or the beginning of the year. This time, it was November.

    Nana turned to Damien and openly asked, "Have you found yourself a date yet, Damien?" Her question made Katherine and Damien look at her.

    With his brows furrowed in confusion, Damien started, "No, I do"

    "Perfect! So you can ask Katherine then. The two of you will go together. That would be wonderful!" Nana interrupted, not allowing him to escape her trap.

    Damien was speechless. What was Nana trying to do? A few weeks ago, he nned to go alone because having a date was unnecessary. But since Katherine came back, he hadn''t given much thought about the g and now that they were talking about it, it was obvious that Nana was trying to set him up with Katherinenot that he didn''t appreciate it, but he didn''t want her to think he would go with her just because Nana said so.

    He could ask her himself and if she had said ''no'', then he would go solo. Now that Nana was meddling again, Damien couldn''t help but feel uneasy about what Katherine thought about going with him. Turning his head to look at her, he met her stare.

    "I Uh" Katherine didn''t know what to say. How could Nana just ask her like that with all the people in the room? Her hands started to sweat from all the attention she was getting.

    She swore even Frederick Park looked like he was ''looking forward'' to her answer. She cursed silently and gulped.

    Sensing her difort, Damien calmly answered for her despite feeling disappointed because of her hesitation, "Nana, we don''t need to trouble her. I''m sure Katherine''s busy with a lot of things."

    Katherine couldn''t help but feel sad upon hearing Damien''s answer. A part of her wanted him to ask her to go with him  hearing him go with someone else would definitely suck  but she was also thankful that he didn''t push her.

    "Nonsense! Katherine doesn''t mind, right dear? I think it would be really nice to have her there, am I right Frederick?" Nana asked, switching her gaze between Katherine and Frederick.

    Damien felt Katherine''s tension after what Nana said. She was already doing so well since and now she was struggling.

    Very subtly, he brushed his knuckles on the side of her thigh in a soothing manner as though he was trying to tell her ''it''s okay''.

    As much as she didn''t want to admit it, his gesture helped her regain herposure.

 Chapter 282: Pretense 6

    Chapter 282: Pretense 6

    Katherine shifted her stare and saw Frederick Park looking back at her. She fought the urge to haul herself across the table and snap his neck.

    Damien could imagine how much she was trying to restrain herself. She must be having a hard time just sitting at the same table as his uncle. Now that Nana initiated the two of them to engage, Damien wished he could do something for her but at this time, he was unsure of what to do.

    "Ms. Young, I know that we had a bit of disagreement before. What happened to us in the past, I apologize and I hope that we can put it all behind us." Frederick Park''s voice was serious and his expression was unreadable.

    Damien snapped his head towards his uncle, his brows instantly furrowed upon hearing the words that came out from the other''s mouth. This didn''t sound like his uncle at all. From the very beginning, Frederick had been against Katherine. Knowing her identity now after Katherine''s return, this statement was definitely off. What was he trying to do? Damien didn''t believe that his uncle was doing this because of regret.

    Hearing Frederick''s statement, Katherine wanted tough at his face. Was he trying to be funny? What apology?

    Which part was he apologizing for?

    She promised Damien that she would try and this was her trying. She wouldn''t kill Frederick tonight  not yet at least.

    "I don''t understand what you mean, Uncle Fred What are you apologizing for?" Katherine''s voice was smooth and light. There was even a hint of a smile on her face as she spoke. "Is it because you offered me millions so that I would leave your nephew?"

    When Frederick only continued to look at her as though he wasn''t ashamed of what he did, she added, "Or is it because you were so against Damien marrying a lowly secretary like me who had no money in her name and was not up to par with your standards because I didn''t belong to the upper-ss family?"

    Though she didn''t say the next words out loud, she screamed it in her head: ''Or when you or someone else had my parents killed?''

    Damien watched as Katherine calmly spoke to his uncle. She looked so kind with the smile on her face but the words that came out from her pretty lips were like extremely sharp knives aimed to stab his uncle. She wasn''t afraid to call his uncle out for the things he did and said to her in the past while Nana was around.

    This was just one of the billion reasons why he loved her. Katherine didn''t allow anyone to trample on her. She stood for what she believed was right and didn''t let anyone bully her. She was strong.

    How he wanted to care for her so much right now. If only he could hug her and remind her that whatever she was, it didn''t matter to him at all. Whether she had money or not, he loved her. She looked both strong and vulnerable at the moment that Damien''s heart broke for her.

    Nana remained quiet as she listened to Katherine and waited for her son''s response to Katherine''s jab. She reached for her teacup and quietly sipped her tea while the air in the dining room began to feel stuffier.

    Frederick cleared his throat. He didn''t think that Katherine would be so bold to say all those things. It looks like he underestimated this woman once again.

    "Ms. Young, I was just looking out for my nephew. I would have done the same to anyone who was going to enter the family. I hope you understand my part."

    Her slow nod was forced but she maintained the fake smile on her face as she answered, "Of course, Uncle Fred I understand why you did what you did. It''s just like what they say  one rotten apple spoils the whole bunch."

    Katherine''s throat felt extremely dry. She was about to pick up a ss of water but Damien stopped her hand and gave her a ss of wine instead. He must have felt her need to calm her nerves  talking to Frederick Park was quite taxing.

    Frederick''s lip twitched upon hearing her words. He formed a weak smile and raised his own ss of wine to her before saying, "Mm. That''s right. But you''re not a bad apple, Ms. Young. I hope we can move past this and start over."

    Katherine did not answer and she just continued to look at him. She found what he said ridiculous. Move past what? Did he think that this was something she could forget easily? "Hmm I''m not sure, Uncle Fred I''m quite a vengeful person." She softlyughed.

    To Damien, herugh sounded soft but it was extremely wicked. He did not doubt her even for a second that she could hold a grudge. Amused by her responses, he leaned back on his chair and took arge gulp of wine. Frederick may be his uncle, but Katherine was the love of his life. If this was what she wanted to do, he would dly let her.

    ''Run amok, my Little Kitten, I got your back,'' he thought.

    "You are quite the joker, Ms. Young," Frederickughed along with her. "Mother is right. It would be a pleasure to have you, the heiress of Young Corporation, join us in the charity g. So I formally invite you  I hope you can ept the invitation ande to the event. It would be wonderful if you could go with Damien."

    cing the ss of wine back on the table, Katherine responded in a light tone, "Oh I don''t know about that, Uncle Fred I don''t really need Damien''s money anymore Or yours."

    William didn''t bother masking hisugh. He chortled heartily and only stopped when his mother elbowed him on the side.

    Damien also chuckled at Katherine''s answer. Although she literally just declined the invitation and mentioned about her not wanting his moneyit even sounded like she was dumping him publiclyhe found it funny.

    He didn''t understand why his uncle was trying so hard to ''make amends'' with Katherine. Did he really change his opinion about her just because she now belonged to the upper-ss? After witnessing his uncle''s behavior tonight, he decided to have a word with him after tonight''s dinner. Damien had to get answers from his uncle to know why he was suddenly acting so weird.

    Having seen enough, Nana had a small smile on her face as she turned to Katherine and told her, "Well, we cannot force you, dear, if you really do not want to go to the charity g. But I really wish that you woulde with Damien. I hope that you will change your mind."

    "I will think about it, Nana." Katherine was thankful that Nana intervened because she was afraid of what she could say next. She currently had too much fire in her heart that she might say something stupid.

    She picked up the wine ss again and took a sip. Just then, Damien leaned towards her and probed, "Are you really going to think about it? Can I help you decide?"

    When she turned to look at him, he had the sweetest smile that melted her heart. His attack went straight to her insides  it was so subtle yet powerful.

    Too powerful for her weak heart.

    "That depends, will you let me stomp on your foot again?!" she asked, annoyed that he wasn''t ying fair with his ''looking-cute'' moves on her.

 Chapter 283: Bigger Than Us

    Chapter 283: Bigger Than Us

    The rest of the dinner was quite peaceful and Katherine stayed until dessert without any more problems. She and Damien remained civil with each other all throughout.

    Nana did not ask Katherine about her new identity as a member of the Young Family in the dining table, treating her as if there was no change at all. Nana couldn''t care less about Katherine''s new background. She liked her before and she liked her now  whether she had money or not, or whether she belonged to a known family or not. Katherine was Katherine. And for Nana, there was no other woman deserving of her most favorite grandson Damien but only Katherine.

    "My dear, would you like to have some tea with me in the tea room?" Nana asked Katherine.

    It was already eight in the evening but Katherine didn''t really have other ns and she was actually enjoying Nana''spany. Nana was such a breath of fresh air for her because during the entire evening, Nana didn''t ask her any questions regarding her new identity. Although Katherine didn''t and wouldn''t mind if Nana asked her, she was thankful and appreciative that Nana didn''t treat her differently just because she now belonged to another family.

    "Of course, Nana. I would love to," Katherine answered. The two of them went to a smaller room next to the dining room where Nana would always drink her after-meal tea.

    When they were seated, tea was already brewing in the teapot on the table. They had their privacy and the room was quiet until Katherine started, "Nana why aren''t you asking me?"

    "Ask you what, dear?" Nana probed.

    Katherine wasn''t sure how to phrase it other than just being direct about her curiosity. She shrugged before she continued, "I don''t know about everything? What happened to me and Damien Why I left Why we''re no longer together about my family? There are so many questions. Why aren''t you asking me those?"

    A small smile appeared on Nana''s face as she picked up the teacup in front of her and took her time sipping before she ced it back down on the table. She looked at Katherine and studied her face. "Did you want me to ask you those questions?"

    Katherine thought that Nana was quite a smart woman. And now she''s throwing the question back at her. She softly chuckled, "Honestly, no. Everything is justplicated right now and I''m not sure how to answer those questions. But if you do want to ask, Nana I wouldn''t mind answering you." Of course, she would have to lie about some parts.

    Nana reached out and held Katherine''s hand in hers, patting it gently as she told her, "I am very curious but if talking about it makes you ufortable, then I don''t want to do that. My dear, the very first time that I heard about you, I knew that you were the one for my grandson. I haven''t met you then yet, I had never heard Damien speak about you the way that he spoke about others. For me, you are special because you make our Damien very happy."

    Katherine''s heart throbbed upon hearing Nana''s words. This was a topic that she didn''t want to have because she didn''t like feeling vulnerable in the enemy''sir. Nana wasn''t an enemy but there were people in this big house who were. Katherine couldn''t help but feel saddened as she continued to listen to Nana''s words.

    "I felt even more reassured when I met you. I''m sure you know what I''m talking about because you''re a woman. You know when you look at someone for the first time and you just have this gut feeling that you like her already even without speaking to her yet? It''s like that. Although most of the time, you find other women hateful in just one nce, right?"

    The twoughed and Nana added, "It was a gut feeling for me, Katherine. I knew that I would like you even before really meeting you. And when I did, I liked you even more. And when I like someone, nothing else matters. So I don''t care about what happened between you and my grandson, I still like you because you are you. Your family background doesn''t matter to me."

    By this time, Katherine''s eyes were glistening with happy tears. She suddenly missed her own mother and grandmother. Talking to someone who was older than her and feeling the care like how a family was supposed to be made her feel really loved.

    "Seeing you and Damien together, my dear makes me really happy because I can see how much he loves you just by the way he looks at you. It''s a shame that you are not together anymore but I hope that it''s only temporary. Whatever the problem is between you two, I hope that you can work on it together. My grandson is really good at solving problems, Katherine. He may look tough on the outside but his heart is soft and warm  I''m sure you know this one already."

    Katherine didn''t know how to respond to Nana. So she could only nod and form a small smile. She knew Damien''s love.She knew it very well.

    However, this wasn''t as simple as a small misunderstanding that can be solved by a mere conversation. The only reason that Katherine couldn''t have that long conversation with Damien and that she had been dying it was that she knew that even after their ''talk'', nothing would change. She would still feel the same and she would still have the same decision.

    "Thank you, Nana. I really appreciate that you think so profoundly of me." Katherine gave Nana''s hand a squeeze and added, "As for Damien and I my feelings for him haven''t changed. But the problem we have it''s bigger than us and I don''t know how to handle it but I''m trying. I hope you don''t hate me for that."

    "Of course not. I''m a woman too, my dear, I know how our hearts work. Whatever you n in the future, I hope you talk to him. Don''t leave him out in the dark, okay? I may not know what the problem is between you two but if you are hurting, I''m sure he is too."

    Sensing that Katherine was feeling uneasy about the seriousness in their discussion, Nana changed the topic, "Anyway, you work it out between yourselves. I trust you both. How about you tell me about your new work? Do you like it? How are they treating you there? Do you feel any pressure that you''re working for your grandfather?"

    Katherine let out augh upon hearing Nana''s new set of questions. Even if the questions were about her new identity, it was really more about her well being. "The pressure is definitely there because I don''t want to disappoint my grandfather" Katherine continued to tell Nana about her new job and how it was like working in the family business.

    While the two women were having a conversation, Damien was actually just outside the tearoom and he heard their conversation. He was about to go inside and join them when he heard Nana had started talking about him. He found it awkward to suddenly appear and interrupt their conversation and truthfully, he was also curious to hear how Katherine''s response would be.

    And now that he heard her brief response, he was at least hopeful knowing that she still felt the same towards him. Damien just wished that what she felt for him was enough for her to fight for their rtionship.

 Chapter 284: If by Some Miracle

    Chapter 284: If by Some Miracle

    After some time, Damien decided to talk with Frederick so he went to the study to find him. He didn''t bother knocking and just waltzed inside, catching his uncle talking on the phone while William was on the couch drinking some scotch and reading today''s news online through his tablet.

    When Frederick saw Damien abruptly enter the study, he told the person on the other line that he would call back before facing his nephew.

    "We need to talk," said Damien as he stood in front of the sturdy mahogany desk where his uncle was sitting.

    Frederick set aside a set of papers and then answered, "You have been avoiding me these past few days and now you want to talk? What do you want to talk about, son?"

    Damien hated how Frederick calls him ''son''. He knew it was just a fatherly gesture but he could never see him as a father. He wasn''t even a father to his own son William  Damien could guess the reason why he and William drifted apart and it was partly because of how Frederick showed that he favored Damien over William.

    But as to why, Damien could only guess as he grew older. He already left this mansion anyway and went on his own way and built his own name so whatever it was, it didn''t matter to him anymore. And because of that, he and his cousin William drifted even further apart.

    It wasn''t only until recently that they started talking again. Although their rtionship would no longer be the same as it was before William betrayed him, at least the two were now civil around each other.

    Damien only nced at William and did not bother asking him to leave as the other already knew anyway. "I want you to tell me who ordered the kill on Katherine''s parents." His voice wasmanding and stern. There wasn''t an ounce of fear as he went straight to the point and asked his uncle directly. Even William was surprised to witness his straightforwardness.

    Frederick Park got up, went to the liquor cab at the corner of the room where the bookshelves were and poured himself some scotch. "If I knew that, do you think I would just tell you?"

    Damien didn''t answer his uncle. Of course, he knew that his uncle wouldn''t tell him just like that but he still wanted to ask the dreading question.

    When Damien didn''t answer, Frederick added, "Your silence means that you understand very well why I couldn''t''if'' I knew the answer to your question. You know how contracts work since you are a businessman. Contracts are binding, son, you know that. Our credibility and anonymity in this business are sacred. It is how our family survived and is surviving for decades. You should know that since you are a Park. Is it because you turned your back on this household that you have already forgotten the family values, policies, and principles?"

    "Bullsht!" Damien spat. "This is different!"

    Taking his sweet time, Frederick took a swig of the alcohol in his hand and calmly answered, "Why is it different? Because you fell in love with the woman whose family you killed?"

    Damien''s jaw tensed. He stepped forward until he was face to face with his uncle and spoke under gritted teeth, "I didn''t kill her parents!"

    Frederick Park turned around and faced the window that had a view of the vastnd of the Park Estate. "Whether you did or someone else in the family did, the members of the Park Family are supposed to stick with each other. What one gains is the family''s gain. What one achieves is the family''s achievement. And simrly, what one does is the entire family''s responsibility."

    Damien was left speechless. His uncle only made him hate himself even more for being part of this dysfunctional family. What kind of family raises you to do evil?

    Even after all the sessions that he had with his therapist, he still loathed himself. At dinner, he had already forgotten about it and began to feel happy because of Katherine''s presence. But now he remembered just how much he didn''t deserve Katherine at all. His wishful thinking was nothing but a selfish thought.

    "If that''s what you''re thinking, then what was that during dinner? Why are you suddenly being friendly to Katherine? Aren''t you even ashamed of what you did?" Damien asked.

    "Let me remind you, Damien, a job is a job. I do what I need and have to do. If this was another person, you probably wouldn''t have cared or batted an eyelid on this matter. It just so happens that it''s Ms. Young. Am I right?" Frederick turned around and saw the darkness in Damien''s eyes.

    "The past is in the past, son. I feel sorry for what happened to her family but who she is now  for me  it has nothing to do with what happened years ago despite knowing that mission was a failure. I saw how devastated you were these past few weeks all because she left you. I didn''t know she was that important to you until I saw how her absence affected you. Now that she is back, I just thought that showing a little kindness to her will make you happy. Am I wrong? Should I have been aloof then?"

    Damien found everything that he said ridiculous. Heughed mockingly and replied, "This is because she belongs to a rich family now, isn''t it?"

    Taking a deep breath, Frederick faced Damien and answered, "I have always been looking out for your well being, making sure you would marry into a good family and any woman who is marrying you alsoes from one. The Youngs have an excellent reputation in Esmea. If you really want her back, I won''t stop you now."

    Hearing the words from his uncle made himugh even more. His head hung low, disgusted that Frederick didn''t feel sorry at all. Just what kind of man was his uncle that there wasn''t an ounce of remorse in the old man''s body even after seeing Katherine and knowing that she was the daughter of the two people whom he had ordered or was hired to kill?

    "I have always wanted her back into my life. But after learning who she is, do you think it''s easy for me to face her without feeling disgusted with myself because of what you made me do years ago?" Damien shook his head and turned towards the door. He wanted to get out of the room as soon as he could or he might do something he would regret.

    When he reached the door, he met William''s concerned gaze for a brief second before he turned the knob and opened the door. However, before he left, he turned his head to the side and told his uncle, "If by some miracle I do get her back again, it wouldn''t be because you allowed me to. I don''t deserve her but if she takes me back, it will never be because you''re giving us your blessing. I never needed your permission on what to do with my lifeespecially not who I want to be with."

    Damien stepped out of the study and mmed the door shut. He took a long and deep breath, trying to calm himself down before he alighted the stairs and went to the tea room where Nana and Katherine were. He needed to see her.

    As soon as he entered the room, Nana''s face brightened and immediately said, "Ah, my sweet boy... I was wondering where you were. I had Katherine fetched earlier today so she needs a ride home. You don''t mind taking her back to the city, do you?"

    Damien nced at Katherine who was looking slightly uneasy. He instantly felt better after seeing her so he shed her a gorgeous smile and said, "Of course, it will be my pleasure."

 Chapter 285: I Dont Bite

    Chapter 285: I Don''t Bite

    At half past eight in the evening, the air outside the Park mansion was quite chilly. The sky was dark and full of stars which were still visible despite the brightly litmp posts that surrounded the entrance of the mansion.

    There was a unique fragranceing from a tree that Katherine wasn''t familiar with. If only this wasn''t the house of Frederick Park, she wouldn''t mind staying in this estate.

    "My dear," Nana held Katherine''s hand in hers and squeezed it lovingly. The way she looked at her was that of a grandmother looking at her own grandchild. "Thank you foring. Always remember that you are wee here anytime, okay?"

    Nodding her head, Katherine formed an appreciative smile on her face and said, "Thank you, Nana. I wille and visit you again."

    "You make sure that Katherine gets home safely and let me know when you arrive home as well," Nana told Damien.

    "Of course, Nana. I''ll see you soon." He gave her a brief hug and a kiss on the cheek before ushering Katherine towards his Range Rover Sport.

    Ever since the Aston Martin blew up a couple of days ago, he had been using this SUV. Katherine was reminded of what happenedst Saturday when she got inside the passenger''s seat and instantly felt guilty. That night could have ended differently. What if they didn''t find the explosive device? What if they were toote and Damien had already driven the car and worse

    She shook her head in an attempt to brush away the disturbing thoughts. It was another reminder of why they couldn''t be together. She woke up from her daze when Damien got settled in the driver''s seat and started the engine.

    He drove away, waving to Nana as he sped off. In a very subtle manner, he nced at Katherine a few times as they exited the long road of the Park Estate. He wondered what she was thinking so deeply about that she was staring at the dashboard in front of her.

    When they were on the road that led to the city, Katherine said in a soft voice, "You can drop me off at the Cherry station on 9th and 5th street."

    Furrowing his brows, he probed, "Are you going somewhere thiste?"

    "Home. That''s already near my ce. I can just walk."

    Liar. Slightly shaking his head, Damien didn''t like that she tried to deceive him. Not wanting to give her the chance to lie anymore, he scoffed, "You''re kidding, right? That''s nowhere near your ce. That''s like ten blocks away."

    Katherine snapped her head towards him and her heart raced realizing that Damien knew where she lived. "Caleb told you?"

    "Were you really going to lie and keep that from me? Do you hate me that much for you to not want me to know where you live?"

    His voice started to raise and Katherine didn''t like where this was heading. "I''m not having this conversation with you right now, Damien."

    "Why not? You''re not doing anything else right now. Why not have this conversation with me?" He was truly curious.

    Taking a deep breath, Katherine finally told him, "Because if I start telling you things, I won''t be able to stop myself from saying another then another and another And I''m not ready for that yet. I don''t know what I can tell you and I don''t want to keep lying to you so please don''t make me."

    Damien calmed down upon hearing what Katherine said. He understood her but he couldn''t help but feed his desperation by pushing her further, "How hard could it be? Why don''t you start with small truths?" His voice was now calmer.

    "Small truths? About what?" She knitted her brows, confused where he was getting at. It wasn''t only because it was hard to tell the truth, but rather she couldn''t afford to let him know things because it would endanger him.

    "I don''t know, Katherine Where the hell have you been for the past months? Couldn''t you at least tell me that? I think I deserve to know."

    Katherine became silent as she pondered upon what she could tell him. How would he even understand the things she did if she could not admit the whole truth about her identity?

    As she was thinking quietly, Damien patiently waited. A few minutes passed and he thought that she really wouldn''t tell him anything. He was about to tell her to forget about it until she started, "I didn''t lie at dinner today. I did go to those ces I told Nana."

    "You did? What were you doing there?"

    "That I can''t tell you"

    He knew she would still keep things from him but at least she was starting to warm up to him again. So he asked her another question, "Did you at least see the Hollywood sign like you told Nana?"

    "Yup. While I was on the ne." She smiled.

    Damien mockinglyughed upon hearing her answer as he found her amusing.

    "What? I did see it!" she insisted,ughing with him and yfully pped his arm.

    "Fine," he snorted.

    The atmosphere in the car became light while he realized how different Katherine seemed to be yet also so familiar. Their rtionship at the moment is so fragile that he was afraid to keep pushing her and end up having her run away from him again.

    However, he didn''t know when he could ever have another chance with her like this so he pulled up on the side of the road and pressed the hazard lights of the car. They were still half an hour away from the city, surrounded by a vast area of wheatfield on the left and some trees on the right. It was quiet and there were no other cars.

    "What are you doing?" she wondered.

    "Taking advantage." Damien got out and walked around the car, opening the door to the passenger''s side and pulled her out.

    Katherine didn''t understand what was going on but because she was bewildered by what Damien was doing, she just gaped as she allowed him to move her to the backseat of the car, letting her sit in the middle and then he followed suit.

    She watched as he pressed some buttons and adjusted their seat, letting the backrest tilt backward slightly so that when they lean back, they were looking up through the moonroof where the night sky had a party of stars twinkling and scattered like gold dust.

    Katherine was still sitting, unsure of what to do at the moment as she didn''t anticipate for this to happen at all. There was no escape as they were in the middle of nowhere.

    Damien inhaled deeply and leaned back, his eyes gazing up in the sky, wondering when was thest time that he had appreciated such a beautiful night like tonight. His eyes shifted to the side and saw that Katherine was still sitting upright, making him chuckle.

    "What are you doing?"

    "Huh?"

    He patted the space on the backrest next to him. A yful smile appeared on his face as he said, "You need to rx." He slightly tilted his head to the side. "I don''t bite Not unless you want me to."

    That''s the thing Katherine didn''t know if she wanted him to.

    Pressing her lips in a thin line, she slowly leaned back and looked at the view above her, seeing the beautiful view that only came second to the man who was sitting closely next to her that she could feel the heat radiating from his body.

    Who was she kidding?

    Of course she wanted him to. She sighed.

 Chapter 286: A Harmless Hold

    Chapter 286: A Harmless Hold

    Katherine and Damien sat in silence next to each other in the backseat of his Rover, just enjoying the peace and quiet while looking at the stars above them.

    It was incredible how messy their lives were right now yet they found sce in each other''s presence. No matter how much Katherine tried to deny the fact that she couldn''t be with Damien, she couldn''t help herself but want more out of whatever they had right now. And yet a part of her was screaming at her, telling her what she was doing was not supposed to happen telling her that whatever this was would only end up in having her heart broken all over again.

    But the thing was, she was too weak to even fight with herself. So even though she knew this was wrong, she just couldn''t help herself but want to give in  even just a little.

    When Damien thought that he had to initiate the talking, Katherine started, "How long have you started seeing your therapist?"

    "For the record, just so we don''t misunderstand each other, I''m not seeing Eve, okay? We''re not dating. But I go to her for sessions." He was never the kind of guy who would prolong a misunderstanding. As much as he could, he always wanted to clear things up with Katherine. He had been doing so ever since the beginning of their rtionship.

    He didn''t need to rify this one again because she believed him the first time he told her yesterday who ''Eve'' was but she was thankful anyway.

    "Just recently. Actually I started therapy a few weeks ago. I didn''t think I needed one. I thought I could handle it myself but I had a hard time sleeping and Caleb insisted I should talk to someone after I messed up one project a while ago."

    Katherine could only imagine what he was going through because Damien never messes up work because of personal problems. She was not any better too but the difference between them was that she didn''t have thousands of people depending on her.

    "You fcked me up real bad when you left, Katherine. But I''m not ming you I just" He sighed. "Not seeing you and not knowing where you were, what happened to you or what you were doing really messed me up. You''d be surprised at how I''m still not used to your disappearance even after experiencing them time and time again." He chuckled, amused at himself but the truth in his words caused their hearts to throb.

    "Damien, I''m"

    "No. Please don''t be sorry. You are not at fault. I could never me you for running away from someone who" His voice trailed off, unable to finish what he wanted to say. However, he didn''t have to because Katherine understood him well. She couldn''t hate him for being part of the Park Family but it still sucked that he was. And because of that, it was really hard for her.

    There was a long silence in the air as the two sat, thinking about a lot of things while silently wishing they could be just like normal couples whose problems were only about where to eat when they go on dates or fight over whose turn it was to choose what to watch on movie night.

    "I was bounty hunting," Katherine suddenly said, causing Damien to snap his head towards her, confused at what she just said.

    "What?"

    "Not since the time I left but I did it for a month before I came back. I traveled for a while to those ces I told Nana because of it." Her voice was calm and there wasn''t an ounce of a lie in it.

    "Is that what you are? A bounty hunter?" he probed, trying to fit the profile of her in his mind to that of a bounty hunter. He found it odd yet also sort of possible.

    Katherine bit her bottom lip as she tried to think about what she could tell him and chose the safest route she could say, "Not really but I have the skills to do so. I decided to do it for a while to set aside some money."

    "I see Are you good at it?"

    "I guess?"

    "How much do you get?" Damien was truly curious as to how it worked for her. Knowing she was catching criminals piqued his interest. She never failed to impress him time and time again.

    "It depends on the criminal''s bail amount. I get 10 to 25% of it." She shrugged.

    "Did you do well?"

    "Well about half a million."

    His eyes went wide in surprise. "For a month? Impressive I might be in the wrong business. Do you think I would be a good bounty hunter?" he asked, chuckling at the thought.

    She snorted and rolled her eyes, "Oh please, what I earned isn''t even a twelfth of how much you get in a day, Mr. Billionaire. Don''t snatch this one from me and stick to your own business."

    Damien got a goodugh from her statement and it made Katherineugh with him. She never knew how much he was actually earning but she didn''t have to. He earned every cent in his name through his hard work and smart approach.

    Truth be told, knowing about what Katherine did while she was away got Damien worried because of how dangerous it is but he was d that she told him about it and realized how capable she was. He knew there was so much more to her than what she let him know but he was already thankful that she was starting to let him back in even if it''s very slow.

    The two of them became silent again after sharing augh. She shifted in her seat and the backs of their hands identally touched.

    They swallowed at the same time that their hearts started to race when they felt the electricity shot through their stomachs with just the tiniest skin to skin contact.

    Katherine curled her fingers in, afraid that they would touch again. But just when she thought that Damien was going to do the same and retract his hand away from hers, he softly brushed the back of his hand with hers. The warm contact made her turn her head towards him and she saw him looking back at her.

    His stare was so intense  it was full of longing and need yet there was fear present in the dark pool of ck eyes that were holding her gaze.

    His eyes traveled south andnded on her slightly parted plump lips. He so badly wanted to kiss her. To touch those soft lips with his. But he was afraid that if he did, she would push him away.

    Damien''s gaze went back to hers and held it. Maybe she was thinking the same. Maybe she wasn''t. And if she did, would she let him?

    Trying to see if she was going to push him away, he moved until hisrge hand swallowed hers, intecing their fingers together in the gentlest way possible.

    It felt so warm and nice that even if her mind was telling her to pull her hand back, her heart was telling her to just let him it was just a harmless hold, right?

    Her thoughts went cloudy when she felt his other hand brush her hair to the back of her ear. Cupping her jaw, he nuzzled on the side of her face.

    She could feel his warm breath tickling the skin on her neck when she heard him whisper, "I terribly miss you."

 Chapter 287: Selfishness

    Chapter 287: Selfishness

    Enveloped by Damien''s warmth, Katherine wanted to pull back but she ended up leaning onto him, her heart yearning for that touch that only he could give.

    Was it so bad that she wanted him so much, Mom?

    Was it so bad that all her heart screamed for was for her to be able to love him like she did, Dad?

    The words he whispered to her brought so much delight along with a set of thorns that pricked her heart as it jumped for joy. ''I miss you too, Damien. Terribly,'' she said in her thoughts when her mouth couldn''t do it for her.

    His thumb stroked hers gently, happy that she didn''t pull away when he gave her hand a squeeze. "Why can''t we be just ''us'' again?"

    "Why can''t we be just ''you and me'', Katherine?"

    He knew he was being selfish  especially after what his uncle told him earlier. He knew it wasn''t right for him to ask her that But what could he do? Humans are selfish by nature.

    She didn''t respond and her silence only made him feel confused. "What are you thinking right now? Please let me know, Katherine You''re next to me but I feel like I''m going crazy for being unable to do anything."

    And as if he couldn''t help himself, he pressed his lips to her temple.

    And then another to the shell of her ear.

    He should stop. He knew he should. And she knew he should.

    But then he pressed another soft kiss just below her ear.

    Damien could feel that Katherine was trying so hard to fight herself with the way she squeezed his hand.

    She could feel that every touch of his lips on her skin was made for her to break her walls. And it almost did until she felt the familiar cry of guilt burning in the pit of her stomach.

    "Damien" she breathed.

    And upon hearing the way she called his name, he wished that she could have called him differently. He knew that he was really pushing her too hard now and that he needed to stop.

    Sighing, he pressed his forehead to the side of her face, wishing that they could stay like this longer. She was so near  extremely near that he could smell her familiar scent and feel her familiar touch yet he could only do so much.

    It was the same feeling for Katherine. She didn''t really want him to stop. It had been so long since she felt his kiss but if she didn''t stop him, who knows where this could lead to?

    She was afraid that she might want something more.

    Afraid that her walls would crumble that she would just give in and give him everything right here right now.

    She started considering when they could have the conversation. She couldn''t do it with him now because she needed to think everything thoroughly as she hadn''t been able to do so. The more that she dodges the elephant in the room, the more difficult it was for her. It had only been two days since she listened to him but it already felt like forever.

    If she could only talk to someone about this. It would probably be easier for her to know what she could tell Damien. But who was she going to ask? There was no one who could really understand what she was going through.

    Would Amelia be able to help her? She thought about it and she found it awkward to talk to Damien''s mother about this. But among the people whom she could be honest with, Amelia was the only person who could truly understand her.

    The silence that hung in the air was interrupted by the buzzing of Katherine''s phone in her purse. She was going to ignore it but the buzzing didn''t stop. She shifted a little and reached inside her purse to see who it was. Seeing ''Michael Price'' on the screen made her brows furrow.

    "Who is Michael Price?" Damien asked as he stared at the screen with her.

    "It''s my boss"

    "What kind of boss calls you at this hour?" His voice was a little snippy, annoyed that their moment got interrupted.

    Katherine only nced at him before she answered the call. "Hello?"

    "Good evening, Ms. Young, sorry to bother you thiste but I wanted to make sure that you get the message. We''re going to be out of the office to settle the initial phase of a project tomorrow. Instead of getting in at eight in the morning, could youe in earlier?" Michael asked.

    "Sure. Is 7:30 okay?"

    "Yeah, that''s fine. I''ll meet you in the lobby. Good night." He ended the call before Katherine could say anything else.

    She checked the time on her phone and let out a sigh when she realized that if she wanted to have enough sleep, she had to go home soon  sleep didn''te easy these days; except forst night, of course.

    The reminder ofst night made her turn her head to the side and meet Damien''s stare; his face tainted with jealousy as his brows knitted.

    "What?" she wondered.

    "How old is that Price?"

    "I don''t know. Thirties?"

    "Is he married?"

    "There was no ring on his finger. Are you interested in men now?"

    Damien scoffed, he mumbled to himself, "Interested my ass. He''s already on my list of flies to swat." He rolled his eyes, realizing that the list was getting longer.

    While they were back on the road and on the way to the city, Katherine thought about the things she needed to do soon. She was getting anxious not knowing when Parker would strike and how he would approach her. She wondered what Chris had told him when he went back to Castle. She should be hearing something from Shadow soon so she had to keep her senses heightened and watch out for any sudden attacks.

    As for Damien, Katherine needed to at least tell him something. Probably something that would be enough to keep him safe. But he can''t know about Shadow, so what could she possibly tell him? Just this morning, she and Amelia were clear about keeping him in the dark to protect him.

    What if the only way was to really let him know? She cursed at herself for even thinking about it. She knew very well what Shadow does to people from the outside who learned about their existence and all those people were already erased from the face of the earth.

    There has to be another way. This couldn''t be the only way.

    "Katherine?" Damien called her attention when he pulled up in front of Golden Phoenix Residences, gently stroking her arm.

    Realizing that they had arrived, she cleared her throat andposed herself, giving him a small smile. "Thanks for bringing me home."

    Damien wanted tough but he suppressed himself. "It''s no trouble at all, but aren''t you even going to invite me in?"

    "No. We haven''t even gone past the first date yet. Inviting a man inside a single woman''s home happens only after many dates, Mr. Park," she said with a straight face. He narrowed his eyes at her and saw the small smile threatening to show.

    "When will I see you again?" he probed.

    Taking a deep breath, Katherine curled the corners of her mouth up. "Soon. And then we''ll talk." She ced her hand on top of his and gave it a light squeeze before she climbed out of his car.

    There has to be another way. If there was none, could they make one?

 Chapter 288: Fortune 1

    Chapter 288: Fortune 1

    November 6,

    It''s been three days since the Wee Home Party and Katherine was already starting to adjust to the new life as the heiress Katherine Young. She thought that it was going to be difficult ying ''Katherine Young'', but the only difficult thing so far was having to meet Damien when she least expected it. She had been telling him that she wasn''t ready to have a conversation with him yet and meeting him unintentionally had been really tough for her.

    Last night she even got to see Frederick Park and she almost lost her cool. It''s a given that she should be prepared for the unexpected but when things y with your emotions and get all personal, no one is ever ready.

    So this morning when she woke up, she told herself that as long as she could survive the day without having to bump into people that she had to avoid, she''d be good. There were still lots of things to do at Young Corporation. She needed to bring her A-game.

    She didn''t know where Michael Price was actually taking her along with a couple of other people in the team because he didn''t mention itst night. But since they were going out that day, she opted to wear something morefortable  all in beige, she wore a textured pant-suit, thick turtleneck fitted blouse, and a woolen coat over her shoulders.

    When she checked the time, it was already seven in the morning. She rushed out, quickly grabbed her things and passed by Styles who was still eating breakfast at the dining table. Amelia was already out very early that day and Katherine had not been able to talk to her yet because of how busy they were with their agenda. She made a mental note to catch her in the evening when shees back home.

    Upon arriving outside, Katherine was thankful that she caught a cab right away. She had to get a car soon if she wanted to move around easily. She did have a car and a motorbike but she didn''t dare bring it with her when they moved to Golden Phoenix because the ones she owned were what ''Queen from Shadow'' loved to use and not the ''Katherine Young'' she''s supposed to be ying. There was too much to do yet so little time.

    Arriving at Young Corporation''s building, she hadn''t even walked several steps towards the building when a man''s voice called her from the side.

    "Ms. Young!" Michael Price raised a hand to catch her attention as he leaned on his car. There were two other employees next to him who also waved.

    Katherine put on a polite smile and approached them. She was made to sit in the front passenger seat of the white Chevrolet Malibu and she realized that among the men that she met in Harbor City, Michael was the simplest. He wasn''t pretentious, he didn''t have an attitude, and he was like a breath of fresh air among the rich heirs surrounding her. She wondered if she could trust him.

    "Where are we going?" Katherine asked a few minutes into their travel.

    "Not far. Just a few more blocks away," Michael answered.

    She figured that she could check her emails and maybe send her grandfather some texts. Katherine was busy on her phone and did not realize where they were heading until they came to a full stop in a parking lot in front of a building. Putting her phone inside her bag, she looked up and her eyes grew so wide.

    "What are we doing here?" she questioned as they got out of the car and walked towards the entrance of Crown Resort Group''s office building.

    "We''re going to submit the application for the contract bidding. We have also been scheduled for an interview today to go over some specific details that they requireah, it slipped my mind I''ve been so busy... You did work here months ago, isn''t that right, Katherine?" Michael probed as they approached the lobby.

    "Yes, I did," she gulped. What was going on? Why did she keep on finding herself in these situations? Was the heavens tripping on her?

    When they entered the lobby of the huge building, it took a few seconds for people to notice Katherine who arrived with the group. They began to whisper to each other, watching her as she walked across the lobby.

    "You seem to be famous around here. Are you going to see your friends while we''re here?" he asked.

    "I don''t have friends here," she said dismissively but corrected herself, "I mean I only have a few friends here."

    Arriving in front of the receptionist, Michael immediately spoke, "Hi, we''re here to"

    "Oh, my god, Ms. Katherine?" the receptionist gasped.

    "Hi, Jenny" she smiled.

    Jenny was one of the few people whom Katherine was friendly with in thepany. She had a huge smile on her face, excited to see Katherine after hearing the news about her.

    "We haven''t seen you in a long time! Are you here to visit the President? I will call Markus right away" Jenny began to dial a phone line when Katherine stopped her.

    "Oh, no, Jenny. Actually we''re here for the contractor bidding interview. We''re representing Young Corporation."

    "Ah I see Okay. I''ll inform them that you''re here. You may proceed to the tenth floor''s meeting room. You already know the way, right, Ms. Katherine?" Jenny winked at her, gesturing towards the elevator at the same time that an employee led them the way.

    When Katherine''s group was gone, Jenny immediately phoned Caleb and then Markus, a bright smile dancing on her face when she imagined that the Big Boss would praise her for the initiative. She wasn''t blind. When Katherine was still working in theirpany, she knew that there was something going on between her and their CEO. Contrary to some employees who said nothing but mean things about Katherine, Jenny was actually one of the few who rooted for her.

    Now that Katherine was in Damien Park''s territory, what was she going to do when she faces him again? Four days in a row one to go and she could already win BINGO. Will she call this a misfortune or a sign of good luck?

 Chapter 289: Fortune 2

    Chapter 289: Fortune 2

    Crown Resort Group''s Meeting Room on the 10th floor

    Katherine sat next to Michael who was currently giving her an overview of Young Corporation''s construction procurement methods with examples of their previous projects. He took his time in teaching her, making sure she understood what needs to be done.

    To ensure their proposals pass the first round and be a qualifying bid, this meeting or interview with Crown Resort Group has to be smooth and it was important that all concerns or questions were raised and addressed along with ensuring that they meet the technical qualifications.

    While most bidders would strive to make the lowest bid to win the bidding, Young Corporation proudly adheres to international standards as they aim for the best value source selection. This meant that apart from the cost, other factors must entice the business owner to sign the contract. Michael patiently exined to Katherine the key factors that set Young Corporation apart from thepetition.

    She was impressed by how patient he was at exining things for her in a way that she could understand easily. It wasn''t that she was dumb to understand new knowledge but considering that she had no experience in this field before, he was patient enough to let her absorb the ''need-to-know'' stuff.

    The four of them had been waiting inside the meeting room for almost thirty minutes but aside from the beverages that were given when they arrived, they hadn''t met any Crown Resort Group employees yet.

    The door to the meeting room opened and in came Caleb Yoo who brought a few folders with him. Caleb was actually an engineer and one of Damien''s trusted friends which was why thetter could only rely on the former for big projects like this.

    "My apologies for making you wait." Caleb walked towards the table and extended his hand to initiate a handshake with Michael. The two of them introduced themselves and Michael introduced the other two with him before he turned to Katherine and smiled, knowing that she didn''t need any formal introduction.

    "It''s nice to see you again, Katherine," Caleb leaned or a brief hug and an air kiss in which she returned with her own. "I see that you''re overseeing this process?"

    With a smile, Katherine nodded, "I''m just here to learn the ropes." It was weird to meet Caleb like this because she was so used to working with them in thepany but now they were going to talk about a project that they could possibly be working together in the future.

    Caleb took his time in taking out some things from his briefcase as he talked to her casually, "Ali''s been wanting to see you."

    "Is she in town?"

    "Yeah, she''s working on something today." Caleb nced at his watch and added, "If you have some timeter, I could tell her you''re here if you''re up for lunch?"

    Meeting Alianna would be really nice. However, Katherine wasn''t sure how to face her knowing that she must have thousands of questions just like her cousin whom she still owed a ''talk'' her cousin who was in this very same building that she was in, just several floors above her. "Ah I''m not sure" She looked at Michael who had a gentle expression on his face.

    "Oh, it''s fine. You can have lunch with your friends. We won''t have a meeting untilter at three in the afternoon anyway. I''m sure they all want to see you too," Michael said.

    Caleb nodded at Michael, appreciative of his gesture. "Then it''s settled. I''ll call herter when we''re done. Shall we"

    The door opened so abruptly, causing all heads to turn towards it, only to see Damien Park entering. His very presence caused Katherine''s heart to leap upwards her throat, she could practically feel it beating so thickly as she swallowed.

    Why did he have to show up? Why did he have toe here?

    "Oh, I thought you had something important to do?" Caleb raised a brow, his lips curling up in a teasing smile as he addressed his friend.

    "It got canceled," Damien muttered the lie so smoothly, his eyes fixed on Katherine as he walked towards them.

    But Caleb and Katherine both knew that Damien was the only one capable and had the right to cancel an important meeting and have it pushed back to whenever he was ''avable'' next which was almost so hard to fit in his packed schedule. Poor Markus. Katherine thought of sending him some supplements and a note that said: ''You can do it!'' to cheer on him.

    The man next to Katherine immediately got up and extended his hand. "It''s a pleasure to meet you, President Park. My name is Michael Price, from the Procurement and Cost Control Department of Young Corporation."

    Hearing the familiar name from the man, Damien''s head turned towards him and received his handshake. "Pleasure is all mine," he dragged his words, ncing at Katherine as if he was telling her: ''Ah So this is Michael Price?''

    As if Katherine could read his thoughts, she pulled her eyebrows together and sneered at him. What was he up to now?

    She knew that he didn''t have to be here so she couldn''t help but snide, "You didn''t have to grace us with your presence, President Park. We don''t want to take up your very busy schedule."

    "I don''t mind being here at all. Of course, I need to make sure thepany''s millions of dors are spent wisely. You know very well how hands-on I am, Ms. Young." A devilishly handsome smile formed on his face as he said the words ''hands-on''.

    Katherine''s left cheek twitched at his words. She watched as Damien made himselffortable as he sat on her left, opposite of Caleb. He was supposed to sit in front of them. What was he doing?

    "I think Mr. Mitchell would agree with me. He didn''t have to personally be here as well but he is because he wants to make sure Young Corporation is represented well, am I right?" Damien asked with a straight face, his eyes trained on Katherine''s. His question was targeted at Michael yet he didn''t spare him a nce.

    Katherine could only part her lips while she thought of things to say to him. Damien was intelligent and he was already aware of Michael Price from the phone call she hadst night so saying the name wrong was definitely on purpose. Just like what he did with Adam before  all because he was jealous. She couldn''t believe he was acting like a child right now.

    Michael who just heard Damien say his name wrong could only form a small smile. He was sensing the tension between Katherine and Damien and he could only guess, so he just let it go.

    "Mr. Michael Price is here to supervise while I learn from him. President Park, we don''t want to trouble you. I''m sure Mr. Yoo is very capable of handling this himself. He is, after all, the one you trust the most in thispany." Looking at her watch briefly, she added. "Your nine o''clock meeting must be very important."

    She didn''t want Damien here. How could she concentrate when his delicious fragrance that she loved so much invades her nostrils, causing her to almost salivate? How ridiculous. He was doing this on purpose! She must remain unaffected!

    "You are very sweet for thinking of me, Ms. Young." Patting Katherine''s shoulder, he subtly traced the small part behind her ear with the tip of his finger before drawing his hand back. "I''m staying."

    The smallest skin contact caused the hair on her nape to stand and a blush instantly crept up her neck.

    Meeting Damien''s stern gaze, Caleb cleared his throat and shook his head. "Well, since everyone is here now. Shall we start?"

    What else could Katherine do but suck it up? This was going to be a long meeting.

 Chapter 290: Fortune 3

    Chapter 290: Fortune 3

    Surprisingly, Damien Park behaved well during the whole meeting and his eyes were mostly on his cell phone if he wasn''t sneaking nces at Katherine who was diligently taking down notes, her hand scribbling phrases and technical terms across the pad with her beautiful handwriting.

    He would sometimes add some details here and there but his words were brief and concise. However, Katherine was fast in noting everything he said to the T  this was mostly due to her training while she was working for him. Not wanting to miss any important details, she would often find herself passionately lost in scribbling down whatever he said that could be important.

    Canceling his nine o''clock meeting was worth it if it meant he could sit next to Katherine, even if the two of them weren''t talking. Breathing the same air as her and just watching her try her best in learning what she needed to for her new job made him d.

    If he had known that she wasing here with Mitchellthe reason for his callst nighthe wouldn''t have been salty. He wondered when she knew about this meeting and if she intended not to tell him because she was keeping her distance from him  just like how she didn''t respond to his goodnight textst night and the good morning text a few hours ago.

    Pathetic? He couldn''t care less if people thought of him that way. He had never been like this to anyone. Only Katherine. If they were going to call him irresponsible for canceling a meeting he wasn''t even interested in the first ce, he still didn''t care. They could tempt him with a billion-dor offer and he would still choose to be here without second thoughts. There was no point in being filthy rich if it meant there was no Katherine.

    Damien nced at her again and it was probably longer this time because Katherine noticed it and she looked at him as well. Their eyes met and locked, he wasn''t the least bit embarrassed that he was caught staring at her because he shed her a smile and a wink before shifting his eyes back to his phone screen.

    She raised a brow and got curious as to what kept him so busy that he was on his phone for an hour now. Slightly leaning back so she could peer at his screen, she subtly did a sideway nce and suppressed herself fromughing upon seeing what kept him so upied.

    She should have known. Damien was ying online poker.

    This was one of his pastimes. However, this wasn''t just any online poker game becausepared to others, the yers in the game use real money to bet and the bets were far higher than the average, ranging from a few thousand to a few hundred thousand to a few million dors. The app could be yed through his phone, his tablet, or hisputer. Though he didn''t y as much as he did years ago, he ys on it when he finds time to spare. He didn''t like going to casinos anymore, so the asional games on the app were enough.

    She questioned him before on how he could spend so much in just a game. Katherine didn''t understand the logic of wasting money on online poker until he taught her one time. Eventually, she learned that ying poker wasn''t just a game. ying it to win required skills that not everyone possessed. Because in order to win, one would need an analytical mind, formte strategies, and understand psychology among other things.

    Damien Park was great at those things. Just his billion-dor empire proved it.

    Her eyes shifted a little towards his chest and it was only then that she noticed the tie on his dress shirt. He was wearing one of the kitten ties that she gifted him a few months ago. It was one of two yful ties withrge kitten prints. The one he was wearing at the moment was ck with several full kitten faces printed in white outline.

    If one would face him, they would be drawn towards the tie. But perhaps Katherine was too busy staring at his handsome face that she only noticed it now. The corners of her mouth curled up as she tried to bring her focus back to the meeting and away from the distraction whose name was Damien.

    He definitely noticed her checking him out and it brought a smile on his face too. He just lost a few hundred thousand on the round of poker on his phone but he wasn''t the least bit bothered. He made her look at him and he made her smile. Her smile alone was already worth a billion bucks. If he was to say anything, he would definitely proudly admit that he just won.

    Later...

    It was almost eleven in the morning when Damien came back inside the meeting room after taking a phone call.

    "It was a pleasure meeting you, Mr. Price. We''ll be waiting for your entry," Caleb shook hands with Michael and the rest of the team who showed their appreciation to him as well.

    "Thank you for your time, President Park. We''re looking forward to having business with you." Michael shook hands with Damien once again.

    "Good luck with your application. We''ll see you again after the qualifying round." Damien didn''t bother hiding his favor towards them. It wasn''t only because of Katherine but he was actually impressed by their technical qualifications.

    The smile on Michael''s face widened, feeling more confident that they had a big chance of winning the contract.

    Before Michael could say anything, Damien had already faced Katherine and told her, "I''ve booked Central Harbor Restaurant. Ali''s going to meet us there for lunch."

    She looked at Caleb who only shrugged his shoulders. She remembered agreeing to have lunch with Ali and Caleb but not with King Charming over here. His nickname stuck to her after hearing it from Styles repeatedly.

    Ignoring Damien because she was slightly annoyed, she turned to Michael and said, "Thanks for allowing me to have lunch with my friends. I will see you back at the officeter."

    "Don''t worry about it. See youter." Michael patted her upper arm and smiled at her, nodding to the two gentlemen before he and his team walked out of the meeting room.

    When they were gone, Katherine faced Damien, "I don''t remember agreeing to have lunch with you, President Park. I was looking forward to eating with Ali, however."

    "Tough luck, Ms. Young. I''m paying for lunch whether you like it or not so I will have to be there of course," Damien said dismissively as he grabbed for her coat that was hanging at the back of the chair and ced it over his arm.

    Caleb finished packing his things and looked at Damien whose smug smile was only annoying Katherine by the minute. He shook his head and questioned his friend with a knowing smile, "Oh? You changed your necktie?"

    The smile on Damien''s face slipped and he cleared his throat as he tore his gaze away from Katherine''s surprised reaction. "Shut up," he muttered to Caleb as he walked past his friend and strolled out of the meeting room. "Let''s go. I''m hungry."

    Caleb and Katherine exchanged looks andughs. It was a rare sight to see Damien getting embarrassed  his reddened ears were adorable.

 Chapter 291: Valentines Day Special - 2.14.2020

    Chapter 291: Valentine''s Day Special - 2.14.2020

    [Reader Advisory: This chapter is not a continuation of the previous chapter. This is a special edition to celebrate Valentine''s Day.]

    Young Mansion

    It was early morning at the Youngs and Grandpa Theo was having his morning tea with a few cookies on the side. He liked his morning tea with a ssh of milk and some sugar  sweet and creamy to start the day. He liked dipping the cookies into the warm milk tea before taking a bite. This was heaven for him and a really good day starter.

    "Good morning, Grandpa!" Katherine greeted as she walked towards her grandfather in the garden, enjoying the quiet morning.

    "Mm, good morning, Pumpkin. Come have some tea and cookies with me. It''s such a fine day today, isn''t it?" He poured some tea for Katherine and ced it in front of her when she sat opposite him.

    "Thanks. You look like you had a really good sleep." She took a sip of her milk tea which instantly brightened up her mood.

    "I did, actually. It''s Valentine''s day Your grandmother and I used to celebrate it when she was still with us."

    Seeing the smile on his face, Katherine felt sad for him because he had been alone for so many years now. "I miss Grandma I remember the two of you used to bake cookies like these together on Valentine''s day and send us some in a tin can."

    "Ah those were the days. If only I could bake them myself but I never really knew how to make them on my own. Your grandmother kept the recipe to herself. I also don''t know much about being in the kitchen. These aren''t the same as the ones we used to make but they''re close enough," he said, referring to the cookies that the house chefs made.

    He brought the teacup to his mouth and drank his tea, a smile lingering on his lips as he set the cup back on the table. Katherine remained quiet, unsure of how to respond to her grandfather.

    "Join me for dinner today. I''ll bring you to a really nice restaurant tonight. I have already booked it so you can''t say no," he demanded.

    Slightly chuckling, Katherine could only nod. How could she refuse him after listening to his sad story? "Of course, Grandpa. I would love to have dinner with you. Just send me the addresster and I will see you then?"

    "Mm. You''ll bete for work now. You can go ahead."

    "Thanks, Grandpa." Katherine kissed Grandpa Theo''s cheek and left for work.

    Meanwhile at Park Mansion

    Damien entered the dining room and saw Nana had just finished eating her breakfast and was now drinking her green tea. "Hi, Nana I just came to pick up some things."

    Nana looked at him and narrowed her eyes. "You onlye when you need something. You rarely visit me these days."

    Sighing, he could only purse his lips into a thin line after hearing Nana''s guilt trips. "I''ll make it up to you soon, Nana. I promise. I''ll take you out and do whatever you want to do for the day."

    "Then why don''t you take me out to dinner tonight? There''s a restaurant I want to try out." Nana took a sip from her green tea, appearing so casual about her suggestion.

    Damien scratched his head. He was in a dilemma as he was actually nning to ask Katherine out, assuming she would even agree to go on a dinner date with him on Valentine''s day. Running his tongue on the side of his mouth, he tried to negotiate, "I would love to, Nana But"

    "Excellent! I will see you tonight! Keep your phone lines open and I will call you to tell you where to meet me." Nana got up and hastily walked out of the dining room, leaving Damien panicking.

    "Nanwait. I"

    Toote. Nana disappeared. She ran like the wind.

    Running a hand on his face, Damien sighed. There goes his ns for the night.

    The Restaurant

    Katherine was supposed to meet Grandpa Theo at 6:30 in the evening but she arrived thirty minutes early. Seated by the window, she yed with her phone as she waited for him to arrive while also trying to avoid looking at other couples who were having their Valentine''s date in the restaurant.

    She hadn''t heard from Damien the whole day except for his usual good morning texts. She didn''t expect him to text her because she was clearly trying to distance herself from him too but a Valentine greeting would have been nice. "Tsk," she clicked her tongue.

    Wondering if she should text him a greeting instead, she hovered on their message thread in her inbox and contemted.

    Outside the restaurant, Damien just got out of his car when he saw familiar figures inside a vehicle across the street. "Nana? Chairman Young?" He furrowed his brows and followed their stares.

    His eyesnded on a lonely Katherine sitting by herself in a nest of couples inside the restaurant. Putting two and two together, he quickly realized what the two cupids were doing. Damien chuckled at the realization and found it hrious yet it still worked out for him in the end.

    Just then, a teenage boy selling flowers passed by him and he bought one long stem of the red rose and gave him a hundred dor bill and told him to keep the change before entering the restaurant.

    He was determined just a minute ago but now that he was standing several meters away from her, he suddenly found himself nervous.

    He could have bought dozens of roses but the temporary beauty of flowers wouldn''t be able to match Katherine''s timeless beauty.

    Approaching the table, Damien tilted the rose towards her, catching her attention. When she looked up, she saw his gorgeous smile and heard him utter, "Hey"

    "Damien What are you doing here?" she asked, receiving the red rose from him.

    Inside the vehicle across the street, Grandpa Cupid and Nana Cupid had wide smiles on their faces as they watched Damien take the seat in front of Katherine. He made her smile with something he said and she smelled the rose before putting it down on the table.

    Katherine and Damien were talking about something that the two of them found funny because they looked genuinely happy with the smiles on their faces.

    "Omo Omo" Nana''s hand flew to her mouth when she saw the couple holding a menu up, covering their faces and blocking their view of the couple from where they were sitting inside the vehicle. The couple looked like they kissed and the cupids couldn''t be any happier.

    The Restaurant

    "Do you think they bought it?" Katherine said, looking at Damien straight in the eye. There was about a good few inches between them as they hid behind the menu.

    Very subtly, he took a quick sneak peek. "Yeah, they''re giggling like kids."

    "I wish I could see the look on their faces. I bet it''s good." She started to move her head to take a peek herself but before she could move any further, he stopped her.

    "You know what''s even better? If we make it real. They''re already thinking that it was anyway" he said.

    "What do you"

    Katherine swallowed the rest of her words when Damien cupped her face and pulled her in for a kiss.

    The kiss was gentle and sweet but it took her breath away.

    When he broke the kiss, she slightly followed him only to snap out of her daze, realizing that he had already pulled away.

    "Happy Valentine''s day, love," he whispered.

    Subconsciously, she touched her lips and cleared her throat, bringing the menu closer to her and stuttered, "L-Let''s just order food."

    A yful grin formed on Damien''s face when he saw her blush.

    Sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do for love.

 Chapter 292: "Have fun in your new world!"

    Chapter 292: "Have fun in your new world!"

    Crown Resort Group''s Lobby

    Damien, Caleb, and Katherine walked out of the elevatorughing about an update on Jeffrey''s rtionship with a new woman. The woman that he ended up bringing to his family was a nurse in his hospital. She was someone whom he hadn''t even spared a nce at before because they were stationed in different wings of the hospital and they belonged in different departments.

    He actually met her at the Summer Party as nned. However, the nurse wasn''t very interested in Jeffrey like he thought she was and the mixed signals frustrated him. Later, he told her his situation and the woman offered to help him. Not wanting to cause her trouble, he declined her offer right away. However, his parents gave him a surprise visit which ended up in him telling them about his ''girlfriend'' who also worked in the same hospital.

    In the end, he lied to his parents to get them off his back. And now the mischievous nurse had him in the palm of her hands. Jeffrey had to follow some of her hrious demands or keep up with the made-up story about their rtionship that sometimes made him lookical.

    Caleb, Damien, and Katherine were now making up their own versions of how Jeffrey got stuck with that woman and imagined other funny requests that the ''girlfriend'' might doter.

    Passing by the receptionist, Damien turned to Jenny who gave him a bow. In return, he gave her a small smile and made a mental note that he will give her a bonus before the day ended. Employees like her should be rewarded.

    The three of them were still talking about Jeffrey while they waited for Damien''s car to arrive in front of the entrance. Katherine had a wide smile on her face the whole time as she was truly having fun and temporarily forgot about her miserable life. It was nice that Caleb didn''t ask her anything sensitive and she was d that she didn''t have to lie to him too.

    For some reason, she felt that someone was looking at her so she turned to the left and her eyesnded on a familiar person from a distance whom she hadn''t seen for a while. Feeling shocked, her smile fell and she muttered her name, "Emma" There was a man next to her whom Katherine just noticed and it was Adam.

    When her brain registered what''s going on, the corners of her mouth curled up at the sight of her friends. She was just about to call Emma''s name when she noticed the scowl on her friend''s face. She took a few steps forward but when she did, Emma turned around and so did Adam  the two of them walked away without a word.

    "Emma, wait!" Katherine started to chase after her friend. Damien and Caleb followed after her. She took long strides and kept calling out to her friends but they were determined to give her a cold shoulder. Feeling worried and nervous, she picked up her pace and jogged to catch up to Emma.

    "Emma!" Katherine grabbed her friend''s arm. "I''ve been calling your name"

    Her voice trailed off when Emma turned around and red at her. It was the first time that she saw her friend angry at her like that and she didn''t know what to do. For the past five years, they had done nothing but be friendly with each other and they had treated each other as best friends.

    As if she was scalded by Emma''s re, she pulled her hand back slowly, unsure of what to do at the moment. Damien and Caleb caught up and stood behind her, wondering what was going on and trying to read the situation between Katherine and her friends.

    "Yeah, I heard you the first time," Emma said, her eyes getting misty.

    "WhaAre you mad at me?" Katherine probed, her stare switching from Emma to Adamwho had an unreadable expression on his faceand back to the former. When Emma didn''t answer, Katherine asked another question, "What are you doing here?"

    Emma let out a mockingugh, one that made Katherine gulp. "What are we doing here? I''m sorry Did we invade your territory, Princess? My apologies, ''Your Highness''. We just wanted to make sure that you''re alive and breathing."

    "I I don''t understand" Katherine started to feel uneasy because of Emma''s harsh tone.

    "You" Emmaughed again. "You don''t understand? Okay. Let me exin. First, you disappeared from us for months. God knows which mansion you could had been staying in, swimming in cash. We actually thought something happened to you. And all of a sudden, we just hear from the news that you''re back and you''re what? An heiress? We tried to call you again and again but obviously, you''re too busy counting your gold bars to even bother telling us where the hell you''ve been.

    "Do you know how humiliating it was when we tried to look for you in your mansion but only to have the security chase us away because we didn''t set up a friggin'' appointment? We also went to yourpany but you weren''t there, which led us to here. And look at what we found Ms. Katherine Young in the flesh covered with expensive clothingtoo bothered to call her old friendshaving a great timeughing with her even richer friends."

    "Emma Why are you thinking like that? I was"

    "You were what? Just because you''re rich now, suddenly you don''t have the decency to tell us you''re back? Is that how it is, Katherine? You''re no longer poor so you turned your back on your poor friends? What kind of person throws away friendship like that? Did you even think about us at all?" Emma''s tears flowed down her cheeks freely and she wiped one side with her hand.

    Feeling so shocked by Emma''s usations, Katherine felt like she had been pped a dozen times in the face that she couldn''t say anything. Was she really a bad friend?

    She reached out to hold Emma''s hand but the other stepped back and recoiled from her touch. Emma shook her head. "I''d rather you not touch me, Katherine. I don''t expect you to reach out to us after this Actually, it''s better if you don''t. Have fun in your new world surrounded by wealthy people. You deserve it."

    "Let''s go, Adam." And with that, Emma turned around. Adam and Katherine''s eyes met but there were no words said.

    Katherine watched as they walked away and got inside a cab. Her heart frantically drummed in her chest. She blinked away the tears that were threatening to fall as she took a deep breath and steadied herself. What just happened?

    Damien ced her coat on her shoulder and wrapped an arm around her, letting her lean on to him. He was also stunned to witness the whole thing. His heart felt heavy just listening to Emma''s words, thinking of how Katherine must be feeling awful right now.

    As Katherine gathered her thoughts, she took deep breaths and stood straight. With a small smile on her face, she told Damien, "I''m okay. Shall we go? Alianna must be waiting for us."

    The three of them got inside Damien''s car which just arrived, with Katherine sitting in the front seat. She stared outside the window while her mind yed shbacks of what Emma just told her. The truth was, she did think about them. She should have contacted them earlier. However, she was in hiding at first and when she came out of hiding, she just didn''t have the time to do so. It had only been three days since the Wee Home Party.

    Sighing, she closed her eyes and told herself  maybe it''s for the best for now.

 Chapter 293: The Platinum Club 1

    Chapter 293: The tinum Club 1

    The ride all the way to the restaurant that Damien Park made a reservation for was spent in silence. Because of what Damien and Caleb witnessed a while ago with Katherine and her friends, the atmosphere was quite tense.

    When Katherine left, it didn''t only affect Damien but also her friends. Compared to him, her friends didn''t have any idea as to what happened about her sudden disappearance without telling them where she was headed to or if she wasing back at all. A couple of weeks after she disappeared, Emma came to see Damien and asked about Katherine but all that he could say was that he didn''t know. And that was the truth.

    Now that Katherine was back and the whole thing about her being the heiress of the Young Family was made known, a lot had changed. It was understandable for Emma to be upset with what she discovered given that Katherine probably hadn''t had the chance to talk to her friends yet.

    Damien felt bad that Katherine was also upset about the whole thing. She was already going through a lot and having her friend get mad at her was just adding on to her burdens. He just wished for her to be happy to see her smile but she looked so sullen right now.

    Central Harbor Restaurant

    When they arrived, Caleb got out quickly to meet Alianna who was waiting by the entrance. Because of how exclusive the restaurant was, she couldn''t enter without an elite member.

    Damien rounded the car to open the door for Katherine who seemed to have been still in a trance. Leaning down to her level, he touched her shoulder and said, "Hey we''re here. Are you sure you still want toe up? I could drive you home if you want"

    She took a deep breath and pulled on a smile for him. "Sorry, I was just thinking about some things. Yeah, of course. I want to see Ali too."

    Knowing full well that her smile was a lie, he couldn''t help but feel a slight prick in his heart. ''Baby, you don''t have to pretend for me. You can cry and scream if you want to. It pains me more to see you like this, pretending to be okay when you''re clearly not.''

    With all those thoughts in his head, he could only keep it to himself. Curling the corners of his mouth up, he stretched out his hand to take hers and told her, "You''re a rockstar, Kitten. Come, let''s go meet them."

    As soon as Alianna saw Katherine approach them, she ran up to her and threw herself in for a bear hug like she hadn''t seen the other for years. "Oh, my god! It feels like forever! How have you been? You look amazing!"

    Despite some sleepless nights, Katherine did, in fact, looked amazing. She had been more active with her physical health than before. It was as though she was an agent again, following a certain exercise regime that Amelia designed for her.

    Ah Damien''s mother. One more thing that she had kept from Damien. She had already kept a thousand things, what''s one more, right? Except that this one, she knew that he would probably hate her for keeping it from him. But what can she do? It was not her secret to tell. ''I''m sorry, Damien.''

    "You look fabulous as always, Ali" Katherine squeezed Alianna, trying her best to transfer her appreciation for the woman for not getting mad at her for ghosting her and of course, her cousin.

    There was a lot of meaning to this hug. It looked like a friendly hug between two friends who just missed each other after not seeing each other for a long time but the two of them somehow knew that the hug meant so much more than just that.

    It was as if Alianna was trying to say: ''Hey, it''s okay. I''m not mad at you. And I know you''re having a rough time too. It''s okay. You''re okay.''

    And Katherine''s hug meant as though she was telling her friend: ''I''m so sorry Ali Please don''t be mad like Emma. Your mouth is worse than hers. I would probably faint if I hear you curse at me.''

    Though Alianna didn''t know the details about Katherine and Damien''s breakupbecause all Damien said was that it was all his faultshe was mature enough to think that the two of them were hurting. After all, she saw how the two of them still loved each other. And if anything, she knew how it sucked to be broken up with the person you love.

    Central Harbor Restaurant was part of an exclusive club. The first floor had a bar and lounge area where one could enjoy an afternoon tote-night drinks. The second floor was a restaurant where all the members could dine for lunch and dinner  walk-ins were allowed but the tables were limited.

    The third floor had several private rooms for a more intimate dining experience. The first time that Damien brought Katherine there was due to a meeting with some investors. After learning that the grilledmb was her favorite in the restaurant, he took her back here the day after she confessed to himthe night they became official.

    As they rounded the corner, Katherine saw the familiar hall that was leading to the restroom, making her gasp. She stopped in her tracks and allowed the memory of a few months ago of when she bumped into Chris here that day to flood her mind.

    She forgot about it until just a second ago. Her eyes flitted from side to side as she recalled what exactly happened that day. Why was Chris here? Who was he with? He clearly knew it was her then but because of what he did to her, he was flustered to see her in this exclusive ce.

    "Katherine? Are you okay?" Damien tilted his head at an angle as he studied her face, worried about what she was thinking about at the moment.

    Hearing his voice, Katherine snapped out of her daze and looked at him in the eye. The two of them stared at each other, waiting for the other to speak until she was finally able toe up with the words to ask him, "Damien That time. When you brought me here do you remember when it was?"

    Damien''s brows rxed upon hearing her question and a charming smile formed on his face. "Of course, how could I forget?"

    "What date was it?"

    "It was the day after the opening of the new resort. May 19th. Why?" He watched as Katherine processed his answer, unsure of what she was thinking at the moment. "Is everything okay?"

    "Yeah Everything''s fine." Whipping out her phone from her bag, she pressed a speed-dial and turned to the side. "I just need to make a phone call real quick. You can go ahead. I''ll be right behind you," she said as she turned her back and moved to a quiet corner.

    "Yelow!" Styles''s voice came through the other line. "Are youing home for lunch? I''m starving."

    "Just order something. Listen, Styles I need you to look into something for me. Grab yourptop."

    A shuffling noise was heard from the other end of the line for a few seconds before Styles came back and said, "Hit me."

    "Check out Central Harbor Restaurant on May 19. See if you can trace Chris''s whereabouts or whatever he''s doing here and who he met."

    "Got it." Quick tapping sounds were heard as Styles started to look into Katherine''s request. "Oh, hey Cronuts."

    "Sure. See youter."

    Katherine hung up the phone and turned around to follow her friends inside the private room only to find Damien waiting for her outside the door.

    He looked up as she approached and a sudden thought came to Katherine  she needed to be a member of this exclusive club.

 Chapter 294: The Platinum Club 2

    Chapter 294: The tinum Club 2

    "Ready?" Damien''s hand hovered on the doorknob of their private room when Katherine held his arm to stop him. "Hmm? What is it?"

    "It''s just Can I ask you something? Before we go inside, I just have a few questions." She bit her lower lip, wondering how she could extract some information from him. Asking is easy but she was sure that he would know something was up. But right now, this was her only way.

    Looking at her curious gaze, he didn''t hesitate. It was her who wanted to talk, of course, he would not let this pass. "Sure One second," he said before he briefly told Caleb and Alianna to order the food first and that they will join them in a few minutes.

    When he closed the door, he faced Katherine once again and waited for her to start her question. "I''m all ears."

    "It''s nothing really I was just curious. Isn''t this restaurant exclusive?" she asked.

    "Yeah. Why?"

    "Do you happen to know all the members? How does one be a member of this restaurant?"

    Taking off his coat and loosening his tie, Damien casually replied, "Well... you remember I told you about The tinum Club, right?"

    "Yeah, but I don''t really know much about it I just know that you''re a member."

    "It''s an exclusive social club. Thest time I heard the club has about 500 members only and considering it''s across the states, that number isn''t a lot. Although I don''t know every member, I can assure you that they''re all from the upper ss. Being a member of the club, we get ess and tickets to special events along with member-only events, perks on all Central Corp Properties, ess to several members-only restaurants under the club, including this restaurant."

    "So, only members of your club are allowed to dine in this restaurant?" Katherine wanted to confirm.

    He nodded to reaffirm her saying, "Yes, but we''re allowed to bring guests over."

    "And how does one be a member?"

    "Rmendation from an existing member. There''s also a substantial fee to pay upon registration and an annual fee."

    Katherine narrowed her eyes at him as her curiosity became even bigger. "How ''substantial'' are we talking about here?"

    Feeling hesitant about disclosing the amount to her, Damien wet his lips with his tongue and blurted, "A hundred."

    "One hundred dors?" She raised a brow, knowing she was already wrong as soon as the words came out of her mouth.

    "A hundred grand. And fifteen thousand yearly," he said in a toneless voice.

    "Holy shi You''re kidding?" Katherine''s hand flew to her mouth. A hundred thousand dors for a club membership?! They all must be insane. And this man in front of her is one of them. Her eyes darted to the side as though she was trying to count the zeros in her bank ount. Surely she had that amount and a lot more but was she really going to spend that much? She would be one of the crazies who paid for that much just to be part of the club!

    Watching the change in her expression, Damien somehow guessed what was going on in her head so he added, "It''s not just about the money, Katherine. One may have that amount but not anybody who can afford can just join. Apart from the rmendation, the board must approve you too. One would have to be someone like"

    "Like you"

    "Well, yeah They mostly approve membership applications from influential people like politicians, celebrities, and wealthy people."

    Katherine''s mind brought her back to Chris as she thought about who he was meeting here. Being a member of the club certainly had plenty of privileges  it would open a lot of doors for her. She had this gut feeling that it was going to be helpful in order to take down Shadow. She just knew it.

    "Why are you suddenly interested?" Damien wondered.

    "Could you rmend me?"

    He studied her expression and saw the seriousness on her face. "You want to be a member?"

    "One hundred thousand is a lot but"

    "I mean, I can always take you here anytime. You don''t need to be a member as long as you''re my guest." Did she like this restaurant that much? A realization hit him when Katherine did not respond to what he said. "You can''t talk about it with me, can you?" he asked.

    She kept her lips tight. She knew he would catch on.

    "Katherine, when are you going to realize that whatever it is, I can handle it?" Damien stepped closer to her, feeling frustrated that she couldn''t tell him things.

    "That''s the thing, Damien I have no doubt that you can." She couldn''t look him in the eye, afraid of what else she would give away. Because when it came to him, she''s too vulnerable.

    "Then why can''t you tell me?" He gently held her wrist, subtly brushing her pulse with his thumb.

    The contact made her shiver when electric shocks went straight to her gut. She could pull her hand away but it felt nice to be held by him so she gave up fighting it.

    "This thing it''s bigger than us." Katherine looked straight into his eyes and told him, "But this is my fight. Not yours."

    If Katherine thought that he would give up just because of what she said, that''s where she was wrong. Even though he believed he wasn''t worthy of her, his will to protect her was stronger.

    "If it''s bigger than us, how can you handle it alone? There''s only three of you, right?" Damien slid his hand to hold hers. "I was serious when I told you that I would spend the rest of my life paying for my sins to you, Katherine. You don''t have to be alone in this."

    The two of them stared at each other. There were so many things they wanted to say to each other and they chose not to say it. Damien was feeling conflicted because of his fear that Katherine would push him away if he forced himself on her some more. But how could he just let her do whatever she was doing? If only she would just let him in.

    Slowly, Katherine withdrew her hand from his grasp. She didn''t want to let go of this man but the more she allowed him to hold her, the greedier she got. She had to stop herself before it gets harder.

    "I appreciate it, Damien I really do. But no"

    ''I''d rather die fighting it alone than bring you to hell with me,'' she said in her thoughts.

    Hearing her refusal, Damien could only nod. But it didn''t mean that he was going to let go of this. She did promise him that they would talk soon. He could only hope that he didn''t have to wait that long. Wanting to brush away the gloomy air around them, he formed a small smile on his face as he gestured her towards their private room.

    "We can talk about it when you''re ready. Let''s just head inside first so I can feed you..." he said, cing a hand on the small of her back as they walked.

    "I can feed myselfthank you very much!"

    "Mhmm And you''re not doing a very good job at it, seeing that you have gotten skinnier."

    Katherine snorted as they opened the door, "Says the man who looked like he also lost weight."

    With a cheeky grin on his face, he chuckled, "Yeah I''m not doing a good job at it either. So you can feed me."

 Chapter 295: Where does your loyalty lie?

    Chapter 295: Where does your loyalty lie?

    Walking out of a financial firm building, a broad-shouldered man with soft blonde curls that''sbed neatly, making him look spruce with his ssic ck suit, got inside a car that''s parked just right outside. A pair of clear blue eyes darted to the side mirrors of the vehicle, catching a glimpse of a figure from a distance. He had noticed that someone had been tailing him since Sunday and he waited until the third day to confirm his suspicions.

    Chris drove towards a less crowded part of the city in an attempt to lure the follower there so he could catch whoever it was. If he was any regr person, he probably wouldn''t have noticed that someone was following him because of how careful the follower was by keeping a safe distance. But with his years of experience, his expertise, his sharp eyes, and heightened senses, he caught on fast.

    However, Chris wanted to see how far the follower would go. Based on the built and the choice of clothes of that person, Chris immediately concluded that it was a man. The follower wore sunsses, a cap, a jacket, a mask, or in this case, a helmet since he was on his bike. Chris believed that the follower only wanted to keep an eye on him because he didn''t sense any danger.

    After having enough, Chris decided to find out what this follower''s deal was. He stopped his car, parked at the curb and got out. He checked from side to side as though he was trying to make sure that no one was following him before he entered a sketchy alley.

    Stopping his bike, Agent Gus parked several meters away from Chris''s car and then followed him towards the alley. Unsure of what to expect, he carefully peeked first and saw that it was empty and Chris was nowhere to be found. The alley stretched for about thirty meters long and had a dead-end with a few doors on either side. Thinking that Chris must have gone inside one of the doors, he decided to enter the alley and inspect the ce.

    When Agent Gus reached the middle of the alley, he noticed that most of the doors were locked from outside. His brows instantly knitted in confusion and the sound of footsteps from behind him made him stand on-guard.

    Before he knew it, his mentor Chris was already sending punches and kicks his way and he was left to defend himself while trying to throw in his counterattacks at the same time, but who was he kidding? Whatever he knew, he learned from Chris.

    The masked man looked familiar but Chris didn''t stop hitting the other. He forced the follower towards the end of the alley to trap him and leave him with no chance of escape.

    And just when Agent Gus thought that he had an opening, he swung his arm to the side in an attempt to hit Chris''s ribs. However, thetter grabbed his arm and twisted it  a cry broke out from him when he heard his shoulder snap.

    Chris mmed the man onto the concrete wall and blocked him, his hands still locked on the man''s arm. Bringing a hand to the man''s face, he quickly removed the mask from his face and cursed when he saw that it was one of his subordinates. "Sh Why are you following me, Gus?" he asked, releasing his harsh grip on the man only to turn him around so he could face him.

    Agent Gus panted and sped his injured shoulder with his other hand. He winced in pain when he couldn''t move his injured shoulder as the joint got dislocated. Hearing his mentor''s question, he knew that he already failed the mission that Parker gave him. Struggling to find the words to say to the man whom he respected so much, he could only look down, ashamed of himself.

    "This is treachery, Agent. What is your purpose?" Chris''s voice was hard and cold, feeling betrayed that one of his men did this to him. He waited for Gus to say something but thetter was determined not to say anything.

    Realizing that Gus wouldn''t answer him, Chris somehow got an inkling of what the situation was. Pressing his hand to Gus''s chestright above the heart  he said, "Look at me when you lie, Agent." When Gus shifted his gaze and stared at his mentor, Chris added, "Is this a mission?"

    Gus swallowed as if that was his answer without opening his mouth.

    "Did Parker send you?"

    He blinked once and Chris took it as a ''yes''.

    "Did he send you to kill me?"

    He blinked twice and Chris understood it as a ''no''.

    "Did he tell you why he asked you to follow me?"

    He blinked twice again.

    Learning that Parker only sent Gus to follow but not kill meant that Parker doesn''t know anything. However, it only proved that Parker was getting suspicious of him already and even sent one of his men to do the job. Chris''s hand remained atop Gus''s chest and he felt the oddly calm beating of thetter''s heart as though Gus was sure that his mentor wouldn''t hurt him.

    With furrowed brows, Chris asked another question, "Where does your loyalty lie, Augustine?"

    Hearing his mentor calling him by his real name, Gus felt a sense offort. Of all the people in Shadow, Chris was the only person he looked up to. The one man who truly understood him and made him feel that he was more than just Shadow''s soldier. Despite the impossible dream as an orphan, he was already content that at least one person believed in him.

    So without hesitation, he finally opened his mouth to answer his mentor. "I would never bite the hand that''s feeding me. Never turn your back on the ocean."

    The two men stared at each other as though their stares were assurances that would make the words that were just said truer. After a while, Chris let go of Gus and pulled on a smile on his face. The statements that his subordinate told him were words that he taught him during one of their training and missions that they did together.

    Before Gus could straighten up, Chris reached out to the former''s shoulder and snapped his bone back to its socket, making him whimper but he recovered quickly. As soon as heposed himself, he bowed to Chris as a form of respect and listened to what his mentor had to tell him before he was allowed to leave.

    Going back to his car, Chris let out a deep sigh and rolled his shoulders. It looked like he had to reach out to Katherine again soon. He should have known that Parker wouldn''t let this matter go that easily. He had to act smarter this time. He couldn''t afford to have Parker order a bullet on his head yet he couldn''t let Katherine be harmed as well.

    Reaching for the folder on the passenger''s seat, Chris opened it and his eyes flitted across the page, his gaze locking on the picture of the man that Parker tasked him to do a research on and give a full report. Next to the picture was the man''s name in bold letters and it spelled, "Park, Damien Maverick".

 Chapter 296: The Son of Lawrence Park

    Chapter 296: The Son of Lawrence Park

    The folder in Chris''s hand had several papers in it  a report that Parker had tasked him to do when he returnedst Saturday night after he came back to see Katherine from her wee home party. Before leaving Parker''s office that night, Chris hadn''t checked the folder and only until he came home did he found out who was the subject.

    Below Damien Park''s name held a lot of detailed information about his life and Chris was about to turn it over to Parker. However, the more he looked at Damien''s picture, the more he saw Katherine''s image in his head as if he couldn''t help it.

    He tossed the folder on the passenger''s seat and turned the engine on then he drove back to the city to see Parker earlier than he originally nned.

    Shadow''s Base

    Christopher Curtis went through all the security measures of Castle as usual and he tried to keep his expression passive, although the fire inside him was burning. Inside the security chamber, the screen to his right lit up, showing details about his non-contact check-up including his body temperature using the high technology infrared camera.

    He clenched his jaw when he saw the amount of heat that was inside his body was higher than his normal range. He couldn''t help it after learning that Parker was onto him. If he hadn''t noticed that he was being followed, it could have ended differently and he would have probably ended up in a body bag soon if he wasn''t careful enough. It looked like he had to make his next move.

    After passing the screening, he casually walked inside the headquarters and headed straight to Parker''s office. ording to Parker''s secretary, Parker was still in a conference meeting at the moment so Chris had to wait for almost half an hour outside the office before he was let inside. Chris was usually a patient man but due to what happened recently, his mood was sour and so the wait made him slightly irritable.

    "Christopher, you may take a seat." Parker grabbed two bottles of water from his small refrigerator behind his desk and handed one to Chris before drinking his own.

    Chris received the bottle and contemted on drinking it. What if Parker resorted to just poisoning him? His mind was definitely reeling, thinking of possibilities of how he was going to die in Parker''s hands. When he told Katherine before that he didn''t see himself getting killed by her, he was telling the truth  because there were only two visions that he thought of as to how he could possibly die.

    One would be during a triple S-Rank mission but even then, he had high self-confidence so he didn''t want to believe that this was his way to go. The second vision was if Parker decided to end his life for whatever reason. And now, he was starting to think of the methods that Parker would use.

    Truth be told, Chris wasn''t afraid of dying. However, there was one thing that he wanted to do before he died. But judging by his current situation, his wish looked like it was impossible to fulfill. And just thinking about it only made him sullen.

    Brushing his thoughts away, he remained standing and handed the folder to Parker. "Damien Maverick Park. Thirty-one years old. Son of Lawrence Park  deceased and Miriam from the Zhao Family whose whereabouts is unknown ''til date. ording to Forbes, he''s known as the Resort King, owning hotel chains and resorts across the states and several properties overseas. Chairman and Founder of Crown Resort Group  marked as the fourth richest man in the world and one of the youngest billionaires in his generation.

    "He left the Park Mansion and founded his own business in his early twenties. There was a rumor several years ago that he and his uncle had a feud after his father died but the two of them still appeared together in social events as a family. He''s closest to his grandmother since he was young and it looked like she''s the only reason he visits the Park Mansion all these years. His current projects involve real estates and he''s nning to expand his businesses more in the Asian countries"

    Parker let out a whistle like he was impressed. "And Queen?"

    "Queen used to work for him as his secretary for a few months but she resigned a couple of months ago, indicating that she wanted to have a formal study in a university. Eventually"

    "Is that right? Why would she need to study if she already had a great job working under a billionaire? It''s a bit odd, don''t you think?" Parker asked casually as he leaned on the backrest of his leather armchair.

    "I could look into it if"

    "Forget it," Parker interrupted Chris for the third time, leaning forward on his desk and holding his hands together in a steepled position. "What I really want to know is, how involved is he in Frederick Park''s ndestine business?"

    "Judging by his avoidance of his uncle, he must not be involved in any of it," Chris answered ording to his objective observation.

    "Maybe that is what he wants to show the public. How sure can you be that his riches came from clean money? After all, he''s the son of Lawrence Park."

    Parker''s tone indicated confidence as though he was sure that Damien was following his father''s footsteps. For him, there was no good or clean man  everyone has secrets. And he wanted to know what Damien''s were. "Also Don''t you think it''s just very convenientrather too much of a coincidence that Queen has close connections with the people who were there on the same night of Operation Scorpion?" Parker added.

    Keeping his expression stoic and his breathing calm, Chris probed, "What are your orders?"

    The corner of Parker''s mouth curled up, revealing a fake smile that Chris knew so well for the years that he had worked for the man  it was the kind of smile that he showed to everyone whose life was in his hands.

    "As for now, nothing yet but keep a close eye on him and Queen. Monitor his activities and see if he''s working with Frederick Park. Keep me updated, Christopher. You may go."

    When Chris left, Parker tapped his phone screen and dialed a phone number. He spoke as soon as the call was picked up after the first ring, "I need a Steward Mission. Any level 2 agent is wee to take the job. Target  Damien Park, Chairman of Crown Resort Group. ASAP. Oh, and keep this confidential. Agent Hawk must not know."

    After the phone call, Parker stared at the door where Chris had just left. There was something different about that boy since Katherine came out. He didn''t want to expect the worst from Chris whom he had shaped for many years but one thing he didn''t like was evident emotions. He knew that Chris treated Katherine differentlypared to other agents in Shadow and he had an idea why.

    Meanwhile, Chris left Castle and went straight home to pack his things. There were a few things that he needed to do and it just so happened that he had to do everything in Esmea. For his ns to fall into ce, he had to act faster. And with Parker on his back who was already starting to doubt him, he had to be extra careful.

    So how was Chris supposed to trick a trickster?

 Chapter 297: Who is this lover boy?

    Chapter 297: Who is this lover boy?

    Central Harbor Restaurant

    The private rooms on the third floor of the exclusive restaurant had wine racks inside that shelved vintage wines and hard to find exquisite selections. The interior of the rooms was designed by a well-known designer, showcasing unique art disys and one of a kind centerpieces. With how exclusive and expensive the club was, the restaurant surely made use of the exorbitant fees the club collected from its members to achieve this.

    Each room''s tables could be adjusted depending on the size of the party. Inside the room where Damien and his group were seated, the staff had prepared a round table that was enough for their party of four.

    "To Katherine Young." Alianna raised her ss and clinked it with others who followed her toast.

    Katherine only chuckled, feeling silly that she would toast for herself. She brought the ss to her lips and tasted the wine that was both sweet and somewhat dry on her tongue, tricking her pte into wanting to taste it more than she really wanted to.

    Her eyes caught sight of an art piece on the wall  an abstract y of colors and shapes that brightened up the room. "That''s an interesting piece," she said.

    All three pairs of eyes turned to what Katherine was referring to and Alianna nodded. "It is" She got up and went to read the name of the artist printed on a metal card below the art and eximed, "Ha! I knew it. No wonder. It''s Damien''s lover boy!"

    Damien stiffened at the mention and Katherine''s head snapped towards him. "Your lover boy?" she asked with her brows raised and her eyes all judgy, curious, and partly jealous.

    He swallowed and then shot Alianna a deathly re. "Stop spouting nonsense. I don''t have such a thing. You''re giving her the wrong idea."

    Ignoring her cousin''s warning, Alianna shrugged and sat back on her chair to Katherine''s left, drinking her wine with a huge smile on her face while giving Katherine a look.

    Crossing her arms in front of her chest, Katherine thought that there was definitely a story there somewhere because of how Damien reacted. She nced at Caleb and saw him purse his lips together, avoiding her gaze as though he was trying to be a good friend to Damien.

    Leaning on the backrest, Katherine stared at Damien who was sitting to her right and with a yful smile, she started, "No, please. I''m intrigued. Do tell, Mr. Park I didn''t know you were into men Who is this lover boy?"

    Scoffing, Damien found itical how Katherine was starting to believe what Alianna said. Turning his body towards her to show how serious he was, he answered, "No offense to bisexuals or gays but, Kitten, you of all people should know how straight I am."

    "Ew." Alianna fake gagged pointing to her tongue upon hearing her cousin who just ignored herment.

    "Don''t you think so? I''m sure you know me very well," he added, a smirk forming on his face as he locked his gaze with Katherine''s.

    "Double ew," Alianna added.

    Katherine gulped and cleared her throat when she felt Damien''s thumb circling her knee under the table as though he was proving his point. She shifted in her seat and crossed her legs away from him.

    "Thought so," Damien huffed, taking another sip from his wine.

    Alianna rolled her eyes, cing her wine ss back on the table and picked up a garlic bread from the small tter and remarked, "Damien''s lover boy is W.W.  Mr. Wace White."

    "Wace White? The famous artist?" Katherine probed, her eyes ncing on the art piece on the wall again and then at Damien who was now avoiding her stare. "Why is he Damien''s lover boy?"

    "Oh, for god''s sake. He''s not, okay? Stop calling him that," Damien snapped.

    Not caring for her cousin''s reaction, Alianna replied with a shrug, "Mr. White had been obsessed with Damien for many years. He sends him gifts from time to time  Mr. White even drew a painting of him back then," sheughed.

    "Oooh How romantic" Katherine nced at Damien who was now looking annoyed, scowling as he drank some more of his wine. He wanted to bring Katherine here to spend some time with her but so far, all he got was an ufortable topic that he did not want to discuss which she seemed to be enjoying so much. Tch.

    Just then, the food came in and Damien couldn''t be any happier that they could finally drop the subject and move on before he lost his appetite.

    Katherine felt a little nostalgic when she saw the grilledmb meat on her te. One thing that she loved about Damien was his attention to detail. He seemed to remember a lot of things that she mentioned only once even if it was only in passing. It made her feel special and warm. She watched as he poured the sauce over the meat on her te carefully and then transferred a few more grilled asparagus from his te to hers, knowing that she loved them too.

    She had wanted to avoid him but after seeing him for four days in a row Maybe this wasn''t so bad.

    But she needed time away from him and she couldn''t do that if he kept on appearing in front of her. Surely today was thest and if she sees him again tomorrow, she would certainly curse the skies then since it would seem like they were having fun ying with her and watch her have a hard time.

    Promising him a ''talk'', Katherine first needed to have a chat with Amelia first before doing so. The two of them didn''t want to involve Damien, so just how much could she disclose? Drinking her water, she wondered if Amelia woulde back to her penthouse in the evening. She hadn''t seen her since yesterday morning.

    Feeling a warm hand stroking her arm, she turned to the right and saw Damien looking at her. "What?" she probed.

    He pointed his chin to the side, saying, "Ali''s calling you."

    "Oh, I''m sorry, Ali I was just thinking of something. What was it that you''re saying?" Katherine ced her focus on her friend.

    "I said I''m going to tell you guys something." Alianna slowly looked around the table. Her eyesnded on Caleb''s and she smiled. "Caleb and I are getting married."

    Katherine gasped. Her hand flew to her mouth as she looked at the two in front of her. "Oh my god! I didn''t even realize the two of you were official again. And the ring on your fingerhow could I miss that?"

    Alianna wiggled her fingers and the huge rock sparkled as she did.

    "A Congrattions, you guys!" Katherine got up and gave Alianna and Caleb a hug, her heart swelled in happiness for them who finally found each other again.

    It was also the first time that Damien heard about the news, although Caleb had hinted it to him a few weeks before. Turning to his friend who was seated on his right, Damien sped his hand on Caleb''s shoulder and he spoke in a low voice that only the two of them could hear, "Congrattions, man. But if you hurt her again" He rotated his neck from side to side and a cracking noise was heard. He didn''t even have to say anything else and Caleb already knew what he meant.

    Caleb gulped but heughed it off. "Ha. Ha. You know I won''t do that."

    "Mhmm. By then, Ali won''t be able to save your ass just like she did when I found out about that Wolverine action figure years ago."

    Caleb snapped his head towards Damien. He certainly didn''t expect that his friend already knew about that. The realization made him pale.

    Shifting his gaze to Alianna, Caleb wondered what she did to save him from Damien and why she didn''t tell him about it. She even used it to ckmail him. What an evil woman.

 Chapter 298: Damien Park Doesnt Do Favors

    Chapter 298: Damien Park Doesn''t Do Favors

    The lunch was delightful with Damien making sure everyone enjoyed their food especially Katherine whom he was being extra attentive with. He loved that she was there and looked like she was enjoying herself. He was actually thankful that Alianna and Caleb were there too because he knew that even though Katherine was talking to him, there was only so much that they could talk about without the topic going astray and end up with her declining his every offer.

    Whenever the guilt crept up to him while she was around, he would immediately brush it off his thoughts. While he knew that he wasn''t guilty of killing her parents, knowing that his family was involved in it still made him feel ufortable. He felt terrible the entire time Katherine was away  both from missing her too much and also the guilt that he had in him.

    But perhaps it was because she was now back and knowing that she still had feelings for him made him even more selfish. Selfish of wanting to have her again despite everything that happened between them. It must be wrong to feel that way, but whenever she was near him Why did it feel so right?

    As their scrumptious lunch was over, the group came out of the Central Harbor Restaurant. Caleb and Alianna had ns on going somewhere before Caleb head back to work so they bid goodbye to the other two.

    "It was really nice to see you again, Katherine. We should meet up sometime this week or the next if you''re free." Alianna gave Katherine a big hug and a kiss on the cheek.

    "You have my number. We''ll keep in touch."

    Before Alianna let go of Katherine, she quietly whispered, "I''m really d you''re back. This is the first time I am seeing Damien smile since you left. Your separation really wrecked him. Please give him a chance."

    When Alianna and Caleb got into a cab, Katherine''s heart was still drumming in her chest. Her thoughts lingered on what her friend told her, making her feel like she was a bad person for leaving Damien. But if she was going to give in to her inner desires, she would feel even worse.

    "Are you ready to go?" Damien asked, interrupting her reflection.

    "Thank you for lunch, Damien I think I''ll just hail a taxi, the office isn''t far from here anyway."

    "Really? You don''t mind me buying you lunch but you refuse my offer on driving you to work?" He tilted his head and his hands were deep in his pockets, studying her expression as she tried toe up with another excuse.

    Katherine opened her mouth but she came up with nothing, so she could only chew her bottom lip  her action drew Damien''s gaze on her lips and he gulped, wishing he was the one biting it instead.

    He cleared his throat and stepped towards her, holding her shoulders and pushing her towards his Range Rover and made her sit in front. "Let''s go, Kitten." Left with no choice, Katherine got in the car and Damien drove away.

    When they had joined the traffic and stopped at a traffic light, he nced her way and started to make small talk. "So, this Milton guy He''s your boss?" he asked, not liking the thought that she now answered to another man. He used to be her Boss. She used to call him Boss. Tch.

    Katherine furrowed her brows at him and suppressed herself from rolling her eyes. "It''s Michael. And you''re doing it on purpose when you''re jealous."

    "Of course, I''m jealous." He didn''t bother to deny the truth. As usual, he''s terribly honest.

    Taking a deep breath, she sighed. "Yeah, sort of. I work alongside him now, shadowing his work. Grandpa wanted me to take over Mr. Price''s position while he transfers him to the construction departmentwhere he wanted to be in the first ce but I refused. Getting the job just because my family owns it didn''t sit well with me. But quite frankly, I don''t want to start at the bottom either."

    "Understandable. But you did have some experience working in a small constructionpany before right? I''m sure this wouldn''t be so hard for you Do you like working there?"

    "That was only for a couple of months. I don''t know it''s a huge responsibility. I like that it feels like home but With the things I need to do right now, I''m just I''m not so invested in it at the moment."

    Damien nodded, knowing that whatever she meant by the things she needed to do were to be kept from him, so he didn''t ask any more questions. However, he wanted to push his luck that day and try to invite her out again. "This was fun Are you free tomorrow evening?"

    Katherine''s hands clenched and he knew that she was going to decline his offer. He cursed himself.

    "Damien I admit, it really was nice today but We''ve been seeing each other for four days straight now yet I haven''t really had the chance to just think. I don''t"

    "You can''t defy the universe when it wants us to see each other, Katherine."

    She turned her head and stared at him, her heart thrumming in her chest as she listened to him continue.

    "Last Saturday, it was my decision to attend that party hoping that I would see you and I did. Sunday, I intended to see you as well but I ran into you before I even moved. Last night, you could have declined Nana''s invitation, yet you didn''t. Today you were in my territory. Have you thought that the more you want to avoid ''us''... the more that you couldn''t?"

    "Are you saying I should not ''avoid'' you to get the opposite oue?" She raised a brow.

    Damienughed at her question. "Not, really. Butlook, it''s just dinner, Katherine. Two friends sharing a meal." The car came to a stop in front of Young Corporation.

    Katherine gave Damien a look as if she was saying: ''Nice try''. Her hand hovered on the door handle and with a genuine smile on her face, she told him, "Thanks for driving me to work, Damien."

    "Wait" His hand flew and caught her arm, stopping her from getting out of his vehicle so fast. He hated that the trip was so fast. He should have driven slowly.

    "That rmendation I can help you with that." Katherine''s eyes sparkled and his heart fluttered. "On one condition"

    "What?" she asked eagerly.

    "I don''t know yet. But I''ll think of something." A glint shed in his eyes along with his devilishly sexy grin.

    The look made Katherine feel trapped as though she knew that he was going to make some ridiculous request. "Can''t it be just a favor?"

    "A favor?"

    "Yeah, from a boss to a former employee. You know A letter of rmendation?" She revealed a cheeky and cute smile, hoping that she would get away with it.

    Seeing her expression, Damien felt like his heart was being brushed with feathers. Even her smile was dangerous for him.

    "Yeeeaaah no. That''s not how it works. I don''t do favors, Ms. Young. I only do business transactions." He winked.

    Katherine pursed her lips into a thin line, knowing that she needed his help this time. "Fine. Let me know when you have decided."

    He slowly let go of her arm, his hand brushing against her hand and lingered there for a second before he finally released her. "I''ll see you when I see you, Kitten."

 Chapter 299: You have got to be kidding me.

    Chapter 299: You have got to be kidding me.

    November 7  Wednesday

    Katherine wiped the sweat off her forehead with a microfiber towel as she ambled her way towards the kitchen where Styles was having breakfast. She had just finished a run around the neighborhood and was about to get some breakfast. There was a home gym in her apartment but she wanted to get out and have some fresh air so she could think clearly.

    It was also a chance for her to do a survey around the area to check for any unusual activities  aka Shadow''s eyes on her. She didn''t see anything suspicious and came back home to her apartment in a better mood. It was supposed to be Amelia''s job to do so but she had been out since Monday and Katherine hadn''t seen her since. She wondered if she was okay.

    "Morning," she grabbed a bottle of water from the counter and chugged it down.

    "Mm. Hey. How''s the run?" Styles gulped a spoonful of cereal and followed it with another, milk dripping onto his shirt but he didn''t notice.

    "Clear." She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and passed the table napkin towards him, nodding at the mess on his shirt. "Is Amelia here yet?"

    "Tch. I just changed a minute ago." He grabbed a napkin and cleaned himself with it. "No,st I heard of her was yesterday afternoon. She said she''s close to catching her lead so she couldn''te back."

    Katherine grabbed a cup of greek yogurt and started eating. She didn''t have much appetite and was feelingzy to cook or make anything else. If Damien saw her eating only this, she would definitely hear it from him. He was always picky with breakfast, always making sure she ate well. Why was she thinking of him this early anyway? How did her thoughts shift to him while eating yogurt? She scoffed at herself privately.

    Noticing that Katherine became quiet, Styles wondered if something was going on with her. "Did you need help with something?"

    "It''s nothing"

    "I''m pretty sure it''s not nothing. You''ve been sighing since Monday evening when you came home after the King dropped you off. Come on, try me."

    Katherine licked her lips and stared at Styles. She contemted whether she should tell him or not while the other patiently waited for her. She knew she could always count on him but she was hoping to talk to Damien''s mother about this matter. Exhaling a deep sigh, she set the yogurt cup aside and sauntered towards him.

    "Okay" With Styles facing her, she started, "Last Saturday night at the party when I turned off thems, Damien and I talked."

    "Are you sure you only ''talked''?" He made an air-quote on thest word and winked.

    She pped his arm and clicked her tongue, annoyed at his tease. "Be serious." He made a zipping gesture of his mouth and waved a hand at her to continue. "He and I had a conversation and he told me a lot of things Well, it was more like he talked and I listened. I" Her voice trailed off, unsure of what exactly she was supposed to talk about with him. Biting her bottom lip, she became really quiet.

    "Look I may not know how you feel for him exactly because I''ve never really been in love before, but if you''re having troubles about telling him things, think about the pros. Does it outway the cons? That''s an easy question. Your feelings will get in the way but you are great at what you do when you set your feelings aside. You''re clearheaded on missions and have been at the top because of your skills.

    "You take advantage of your resources to survive Our situation right now we''re in the gray area and we''re fighting to survive everyday. If he was someone you only know by acquaintance, I''m sure you''d use his resources. You''d bargain if there''s a need and it won''t stop you as long as you clear the mission. Am I wrong?"

    "You know I don''t want innocent lives to get involved, Styles. Even if he were only an acquaintance, I wouldn''t want his life to be in jeopardy."

    "Except he''s not only someone. He''s Damien f*cking Park for god''s sake. You know what Amelia told us about his background. He saved you that night too  tell me you''re aware that he''s capable."

    "I know that. But that''s the thing. Even if I know that fact I don''t want him involved in this mess if I can help it."

    Styles ced his hand on her shoulder as though the act was going to help get his message across her. "Sweetheart Whether you like it or not, he''s Frederick Park''s nephew Lawrence and Falcon''s son He''s already involved. Trust me, he''s better off knowing for his and our sakes than for him to be kept in the dark from all this." He shrugged. "Besides, we need all the help we can get. I have faith in you and Falcon but I''m sure you know our small team can''t handle Shadow alone."

    Katherine knew and understood that Styles was making so much sense. She knew that already and hearing it from him only added to the pressure building up within her. How could she allow herself to put Damien in danger deliberately? He''s precious to her. If she could, she would keep him as far away from her as possible somewhere Shadow couldn''t reach him. If only that were possible.

    She had to talk to Amelia very soon. She couldn''t take this anymore. Grabbing her phone, she sent Amelia a text message and put the phone away after. "Thanks, Styles. I''ll consider what you''ve said."

    "No problem." He gave her a small smile and when she turned on her heel, he added, "Hey, Queen Don''t be so hard on yourself. I know you''re only trying to protect him, but I can bet with my life that he only wants to do the same for you."

    Young Corporation

    Katherine brought paper bags of supplements that she gave to the executives in thepany. With a sweet smile and some small talk as she distributed some stuff to them, she was able to get a good sense of those who were genuinely friendly to her or those who were obviously wary of her presence.

    Director Bai, whom she gave the rare tea leaves on her first day, was very cheerful when she visited him in his office. While she casually conversed with him, she subtly studied the space, looking around until she caught sight of an old picture on his bookshelf. When she took a closer look, she saw her dad in it along with a few other people. Director Bai then told her about the people in it and the story behind the picture.

    In the middle of his storytelling, Katherine''s phone rang. Her grandfather asked her toe up to his office right away and so she excused herself out of the director''s office.

    Chairman Young''s Office

    Knocking on the door, Katherine slowly went inside and stered a youthful smile on her face. "Grandpa, you wanted to see me?"

    The smile on her face slipped when she saw that her grandfather was not alone. There were two huge leather sofas in the middle of the office. Chairman Young sat on the right sofa with a teacup in his hand and a wide smile on his face as he listened to the man in front of him.

    On the opposite sofa was none other than Damien Park, crossing his legs and leaning his back on the backrest ever so casually as though he was lounging in his own domain.

    The two of them turned their heads towards her at the same time and saw her standing by the door while staring at them.

    "You have got to be kidding me," Katherine muttered under gritted teeth. Five days in a row? Really?!

    "Hi, Katherine," said Damien Park, locking his intense gaze with hers.

 Chapter 300: Katherines Man

    Chapter 300: Katherine''s Man

    Contrary to what Katherine thought that Damien went there on his own ord for her, it was her grandfather, Theodore, who actually called him toe over. Not knowing why he was there that morning after what she told him yesterday, she was starting to feel annoyed. She kept her face unreadable and shot him a look as though she didn''t want to talk to him and strolled towards her grandfather on the right sofa.

    "Pumpkin! Good, you''re here. I invited Chairman Park for some tea and he is telling me about his recent trip to Monaco where he ns to build his next project. I''m sure you''ve heard of that already since you worked for him before, right?" Chairman Young leaned closer to Katherine as if to whisper but his voice was loud enough for Damien to hear, "I''m trying to curry favor to this young gentleman so he will consider using ourpany there for his next project."

    Katherine shot Damien a look. No, she actually didn''t know anything about his next project in Monaco. However, Katherine did know that her family''s business has a branch in that small country that is known as the ''Billionaires'' yground'' where 32% of the poption or one in every three people is a millionaire. She got curious as to what he was actually nning.

    "Is that so? Hmmm I didn''t know about that. But Grandpa, President Park is quite a busy man You have troubled him today," she said in the gentlest voice.

    "It''s not a problem. Chairman Young didn''t trouble me at all." Damien took a slow sip of his tea, keeping his gaze steady at Katherine who seemed like she was ufortable in her seat.

    Chairman Young softly chuckled. "He tters me so much. I feel young when I talk to him, Pumpkin. Ah, where were you when I called you?"

    "I came from Director Bai''s office and gave him some supplements."

    "You are too kind, my dear. Everyone must have felt weed by you instead of the opposite."

    Katherine only smiled at him and before she could say something, Damien had ced his teacup on the table and said, "Chairman, my apologies but I need to return to my office. There are some matters that I need to attend to."

    "Oh, yes yes of course. Katherine, why don''t you walk him out?" Chairman Young got up and gestured for Katherine to move along.

    Left with no choice, Katherine did as she was told and chaperoned Damien to his car after the two men bid farewell to each other.

    "I didn''t do this on purpose," Damien spoke first as they arrived in the lobby after having a quiet ride in the private elevator where Katherine refused to talk to him. People watched as the two of them passed, whispering to each other and gushing about Damien''s beauty while specting his rtionship with their Chairman''s granddaughter who just joined thepany.

    "Mm. Okay." She walked faster until they reached the front of the building where Markus was waiting by a ck Mercedes.

    With an equally annoyed expression, Damien sighed and caught up to her, catching her elbow. "You don''t believe me?"

    "What are you now, best friends with my grandfather,ing over to y tea party?" she asked.

    "He called. Was I supposed to refuse?"

    "Yes," she muttered in a bratty tone, not caring that she was being unreasonable at the moment. She didn''t know why she was feeling mad. She didn''t really hate seeing him, but he always appeared when she wanted to get away for the meantime. Now she was starting to think that he was doing it on purpose.

    "I was raised to respect the elderly, Katherine. And he''s your grandfather. Would you have rejected Nana? You clearly didn''t when she invited you the other night." Damien''s voice was cold, slightly irritated at her behavior.

    Her shoulders rxed at the same time that her heart fluttered at the tone of his voice, missing even the way he gets mad at her. "Sorry" she said.

    Just one word from her and his irritation melted like a snowke meeting the sunlight. He smiled. "Have dinner with me."

    "I can''t," she answered almost instantly.

    "You can''t or you won''t?"

    "Both."

    Digging his hands in his pockets, Damien tilted his head and confidently told her, "You need my rmendation and I can give it to you. This will be a business meeting."

    Katherine formed a winning smile on her beautiful face and crossed her arms in front of her chest, feeling smug. "Fine. Meet me for lunch on Friday."

    "Lunch?" his brows immediately knitted. "Why not dinner?"

    "I have to keep my evenings open."

    Damien scoffed. It sounded like she was expecting dinner dates with other men. "So you''re putting ''me'', in your lunch schedule? That sounds so businessy for a date."

    "Oh, yeah? President Park, I thought you said this was a business meeting and not a date?" Katherine''s knowing smile stered on her face.

    "Fine. Friday lunch. I''ll pick you up." His nostrils red and his jaw clenched. He wanted a dinner date. Not a lunch date. So unromantic.

    Katherine suppressed augh by pressing her lips into a thin line.

    Her bright expression fell when all of a sudden, a blond, skinny, young woman wearing a sexy top and skinny jeans clung to Damien''s neck. "I can''t believe it''s you! I haven''t seen you in a while! How have you been?"

    Damien had a horrified look on his face. He didn''t know who this woman was at all. With a firm grasp and swift move, he unhooked her arms off him and pushed her aside. "Get off. Who the hell are you?" He rolled his shoulder as though he was trying to get rid of the unweed feeling of a stranger''s arms on him.

    He nced at Katherine who was looking at him and the woman, her brows furrowed, studying them like she was trying to make sense of something. "I don''t know who she is, I swear," he reassured.

    "Oh, don''t be silly. Of course, you know who I am. Have you already forgotten that one night?" The blond woman was back fast as if she wasn''t affected by his harsh tone at all and clung onto him again, her hands ying with the cor of his coat and she batted her eyes at him coyly.

    Having seen enough, Katherine''s eyes burned ferociously. She catwalked towards the woman and with a wicked smile on her face, she yed with the woman''s blond hair with her fingers. "Get your filthy hands off my man," Katherine said in a sultry voice, making the skinny woman instantly pull back from Damien.

    Taking advantage, Katherine ran her fingers on Damien''s tie, her fiery gaze never leaving the woman''s stunned expression and she added, "Trust me, darling you''re not his type."

    "I-I-I I''m sorry. I thought you were someone else." The woman scurried away, intimidated by Katherine''s fierce aura.

    Damien watched the entire scene without blinking. His ears perked up the moment Katherine''s persona switched from her normal one to a woman who resembled the Katherine whom he met years ago  a tigress.

    His heart was kicking in his ribcage. He gulped at the sight of her as she toyed with his tie. He might have just fallen in love with her all over again.

    "Your man, huh?" he probed in almost a whisper.

    Katherine looked at him in the eye, her hand gripping his tie and she started pulling him towards the Mercedes. "Baby, get in the car."

    "Baby?" He raised a brow. ''I mean of course, I''m your baby.''

    With the backseat''s door open, Katherine gave him a charming smile. "Honey, please get in the car."

    Damien didn''t know what was going on with her. But with hermanding yet sweet voice and her hand still pulling on his tie, he had his tail tucked between his legs. "Yes, ma''am."

 Chapter 301: Search Me

    Chapter 301: Search Me

    Katherine became impatient. With her hand still gripping around Damien''s tie, she pulled him closer towards her and slid her hand down to his. It was the first time that she held him without him initiating it first and the act made him even more confused but he was not about to pull away from her touchno way!

    However, she got inside the back of his Mercedes, pulling him with her until they were seated together in the backseat with her hand still tightly holding his. Damien totally wasn''t expecting this progress at all. Was that all it took for her walls to crumble? Get some bimbo and make her jealous? Not that he had nned on doing so but if he only knew

    Wondering why she entered his car with him, he spoke, "What''s"

    Katherine''s finger flew to his lips, stopping him from speaking further and in a really flirtatious tone, she said, "Baby, didn''t you want to see my new ce? Why don''t we go there now? I''ll give you a tour around~"

    Damien''s brows knitted together in confusion. He wasn''t opposed to the idea at all but why so sudden? And why was she being so sweet  even calling him ''baby''? "What about your work?"

    "Don''t worry about it. I''m sure Grandpa wouldn''t mind me skipping a few hours. What do you say?" Her voice was bright and cheery but she didn''t look ''happy'', a total opposite to the tone of her voice. He didn''t even notice when she took out her phone and typed something to show him. Flipping her phone screen to his direction, she wiggled her hand to catch his attention.

    [There might be a bug on you. y along.]

    He read it fast and his eyes shot back to her brown eyes that were looking at himpleading that he should trust her. It was now clear to him why she was acting so suspiciously sweet and a little tense. The emotions were mixed and the situation was sudden that he didn''t catch on until she told him. How did that even happen?

    Damien shifted his gaze and met Markus''s through the rearview mirror, nodding to give his order. And without any questions, Markus drove to join the traffic in the city. His eyes went back to Katherine who had just sent a text. He had caught a glimpse of what it was and it said:

    [Possible Steward Mission. We''re on our way. Don''t talk.]

    Katherine warned Styles. She had to move fast so that was all she could tell him, hoping that he would see the text before they got there. If she was right about her suspicion, Shadow mustn''t know about Styles. Everything happened so fast. It had only been thirty seconds since they got inside the car.

    After sending her text message, she quickly typed another message in a nk note and showed it to Damien.

    [I need to search you]

    It didn''t take him long to read the message and before he could even give his response, Katherine had already ced her hands on his coat. "Aren''t you hot wearing this? You look good without this coat." Her voice continued to sound coquettish as though she was trying to get her way around him.

    "You want me to take it off?" he asked, his voice firm and stern. Truthfully, he was slightly pissed that it was all an act since the beginning. When he thought that she was finally showing her possessiveness over him, he found out that she was actually only acting. It shouldn''t make him angry given their current situation yet he couldn''t help but feel bitter about it.

    A bug? It wasn''t as though there was something interesting that''s happening right now for him to be wary about. So, fine. Whatever. Bug or not. He''ll ''y along'' just like what she told him to.

    "Yeah, take it off," she said. Hoping to be able to find wherever the bug was on him.

    She took a quick and careful look through the back window of the vehicle and saw a white motorcycle following them a few meters behind. The rider''s blond hair was showing under the helmet.

    She didn''t curse but the look on her face looked like she did in her head and Damien saw her reaction. Whatever she saw behind them, he could only guess that someone must be following them.

    In one swift move, he snaked his left arm around her waist and pulled her to hisp so that she was now straddling on top of him. The movement was so fast that she gasped in surprise. Her vani-peach-colored dress was pencil cut, so with her current position, the skirt slid up, baring her fair thighs open to him. His hands steadied her on her bottom, making her eyes go wide as she felt his warm hands, copping a feel of her ass.

    "Why don''t you take it off me?" he dared.

    "So bossy" she muttered and her remark made him smirk.

    She slid her hands under his coat and over his chest. Her eyes caught sight of the motorcycle behind them and she wondered if Damien did what he did so she could easily observe the back in this position.

    Smartass.

    She was thankful that she was facing this direction because now she could confirm that they were indeed being followed.

    "On second thought, let''s keep this on you until we get there. We''re not ''alone'' right now I''m a little shy." She kept her voice light but she stared at Damien as though she was trying to send the message that they weren''t ''alone'' because they were being followed. "But honey, I can''t wait Can we get there faster?" she asked while her hands still tried to look for the bug in him.

    He arched a brow on her, trying to study her expression. He understood what she meant and was about to instruct Markus when Katherine held her hand out to him. He followed her gaze and itnded on the tip of her fingers where a tiny metallic thing sat. It was around 3mm in size, no bigger than a quarter of a fingernail. No wonder she had a hard time looking for it, the bug was extremely small.

    The two of them exchanged looks. And without breaking eye contact, Damien ordered, "Hey Markus My woman can''t wait anymore. Speed up and drive just like you did in California."

    Markus quickly adapted to the situation really fast, their secret code made him follow Damien''s order without questions and stepped on the gas. "Yes, Boss."

    Knowing that it was possible to have more than one bug ced on him or possibly on her too without her knowledge, Katherine mouthed to him: "Search me"

    Damien narrowed his eyes at her when she showed him another bug that was found in his front pocket. The tiny listening device was so small that it could easily fall off, so it was possible that they ced more than one on him. However, before he could even glide his hands up on her, their car came to a stop in front of the Golden Phoenix Residences.

    Damien and Markus only exchanged a brief look and thetter already knew that he had to do a security check throughout the area. So when Katherine and Damien alighted the car, he called the security team and gave them orders.

    "Good morning, MisSir?" The guard at the entrance got confused when he saw Damien Park shaking his head at him to stop him from mentioning his name. Katherine didn''t notice it as she hastily walked across the lobby without stopping.

    Wondering why Penthouse 62 and Penthouse 61A were together, the guard just looked away when they were already on their way to the elevator while holding hands. It wasn''t his job to question them but it was certainly odd for Mr. Park to stop him from greeting them.

 Chapter 302: Naughty Elevator Ride

    Chapter 302: Naughty Elevator Ride

    Keeping a smile on her face, Katherine walked hand in hand with Damien as they entered the lobby. She was too upied in trying to survey the area in a subtle manner for any suspicious person to notice that the guard, the concierge and some staff in the lobby bowed to Damien. He quickly waved them off, shaking his head to them and hurried to the elevator with her.

    Now what should a couplewho couldn''t keep their hands to each otherdo inside a private elevator?

    Katherine''s mind had been churning, thinking about all the possibilities in this situation. The only one that made sense to her was that it could be Shadow. But if Parker wanted to hurt Damien, why did he send someone to put a bug on him? Was it because of her? Or was Parker after Damien for something else?

    When they got inside the elevator, she subconsciously shifted her gaze to Damien who was looking down at their joined hands.

    The only thing intimate about the two of them now was their linked handswhich felt really good for him until she noticed it.

    When she realized that she was still holding him, she let go and took a step aside, clearing her throat as she swiped the keycard of her penthouse and typed in a code. This wasn''t the time to be flustered by their contact yet her body couldn''t help but react to the way they were so close to each other. Her inner self was telling her how stupid she was for letting go of his hand when all she really wanted was to hold him.

    Being alone inside the elevator when the two of them acted so lovey-dovey and touchy-feely in the unusual car ride earlier felt odd. Surely couples who were so affectionate wouldn''t suddenly be estranged in the confined space, especially when Katherine said earlier that she ''couldn''t wait''.

    The listening devices were still running, so they needed to keep their act. They could simply crush them with their heels but Katherine had to show them to Styles before they destroy it.

    So if she thought that Damien was going to just let her go like that, that''s where she was wrong. Before she knew it, he had pinned her to the wall of the elevator car. Her back was pressed against the wall with his hand next to her head and his thigh pushed between her legs, trapping her in ce. She gasped, his intense gaze locking with hers.

    Damien pointed to the front of his pocket where the bugs were put, then he pointed to the two of them as if he was trying to tell her, "You and me not talking is not normal. Get your sht together."

    Their eye contact had been so in sync, it was as if they didn''t need words tomunicate now. Katherine immediately understood what he meant but she didn''t like how he was trapping her at the moment. So with a sly smile on her face, she blurted, "Oooh President Park, you are so naughty~"

    His arched brow indicated that he was intrigued but not surprised by her choice to y with him. If this was what she wanted, two could y the game. With his free hand, he held her waist and slowly dragged it southward. "Do you like it? I can be naughtier." His husky voice and tone were both a dare and a warning.

    His lips were less than half an inch away from hers, his breath fanning against her skin. She could smell his familiar scent that she loved so much invading her nostrils. She could practically have a taste of him if his mouth came on to her. She wanted it to. She wanted to see if it was as good as she remembered it to be. Her eyes darted on his lips and the two of them knew what the other wanted.

    They could feel each other''s body heat and it was driving them crazy. Katherine''s fantasies which came at the wrong time were held hostage when she suddenly felt his fingers graze on the skin of her thigh. The small skin contact was electric, jolting her awake at the same time that a grunty moan escaped from her lips. Her automatic response was to push him away. She couldn''t do this with him. This is stupid!

    Her hands were on his chest and she tried to push him but his hands were now gripping her waist, not wanting to create any distance between them. Damien swore he almost lost it when he heard her moan.

    Katherine red at him and mouthed: "Let go", but his grasp only tightened. Seeing as he wanted to be difficult, she gave up pushing him away and instead, she yed her part in a very exaggerated manner. She wanted to annoy him. Because he was so annoying at a time like this.

    "Ahh! You are very touchy, President Park~" her slutty, bedroom voice came on and Damien stiffened, his heart starting to beat wildly in his chest.

    He looked at her, wondering what she was about to do next when all of a sudden, she crossed her arms in front of her chest and started making lewd noises while her eyes were locked with his.

    "Oooh"

    "Ahh"

    "Yes, just like that!"

    "Uhuh You are so good~"

    "Yes, yes yes!"

    "Aaaaaahhhhhhh" Her carnal tone suggested that she just had an orgasm.

    In this case, a fake orgasm.

    Damien audibly swallowed at the sight of her. Though her expression was currently far from being turned on, the orgasmic sounds that she made were almost a copy of how she sounded when they made love  only she was faking it this time and doing it like a porn star would. Even with that knowledge, he sported a hard-on. This woman was going to be the death of him. How could she do this to him? She''s evil. Truly, truly evil.

    The elevator dinged and the door opened. The entire ride onlysted for about less than a minute yet they had already silently fought and had Katherine orgasm in the private space. Damien was speechless and he froze on the spot while she was already on her way out of the car, his little brotherthat wasn''t so littlewas cursing at him for waking him up in his slumber. Now it wanted to escape and find its release.

    "Honey,e on..." Katherine''s sing-songy voice snapped him out of his trance. He turned to her and saw her with an annoyed expression and it made him scoff. She was the one doing things to him and now she was annoyed? He cursed Katherine in his mind.

    Damien surely wanted to see her new ce but because of what just happened earlier and what was currently happening, he was definitely not excited anymore. Especially when he saw that the nerd was standing at the entryway with a tablet in his hand waiting for them. He forgot that Katherine was staying with her friends. He didn''t see the woman with the nerd, did it mean that they were living alone together?

    Katherine and Styles mouthed words and pointed at directions that Damien wouldn''t know about. He was the alien in the house and he didn''t know what the two were nning. Oh, how did his supposedly normal day turn out like this?

 Chapter 303: Do you want to undress me?

    Chapter 303: Do you want to undress me?

    "I just need to grab something. Stay here and feel at home," Katherine told Damien after he handed her the bugs. Then she went to the dining table with Styles to examine the tiny devices.

    Damien briefly scanned the luxurious living room of Katherine''s apartment. While his ears remained alert to any possible threats around them given their current situation, his eyes wandered around, surveying therge space and the amazing view from her balconywhich was simr to the one in his pool area from the floor above.

    A water bottle was on the coffee table  the same one Katherine brought that morning when he saw her run outside their building. Damien almost bumped into her while he was taking Bear out for a walk. He had to hold Bear''s leash tightly when the fluffball somehow recognized Katherine from a distance and started barking and pulling him towards where Katherine was headed. It had been more than two months since Bearst saw his mommy yet he still recognized her.

    While Damien wasn''t looking, Styles had checked the tiny metal things and confirmed with Katherine that it was indeed a listening device and a tracker  more importantly, it was from Shadow. Just like what she had thought, it was likely to have more than one on them due to its small size and the possibility that it would fall off if it wasn''t attached properly.

    "So, how do you like my new ce?" Katherine''s voice brought Damien back to earth and when he turned to her, he saw that she was trying to shake her hair off with her fingers as though she was trying to make sure nothing was trapped in it.

    Katherinebed her hair with her fingers from roots to tips just in case there was any on her before she started to search her own body.

    When Damien didn''t answer, she looked at him and raised a brow, wondering why he was only staring back at her.

    "It''s great. Your ce is really nice." Damien walked towards her as she started to unzip the back of her dress. His hand flew to her wrist, stopping her from what she was about to do in front of the nerd. He furrowed his brows and gave her a look as though he was asking her: "What the hell do you think you''re doing?"

    As if Styles already understood Damien''s silent question, he quickly showed him his tablet with a note that said: "We need to find all the bugs and destroy them."

    Damien exchanged a quick look with Styles before he shifted his gaze to Katherine who just dropped the two bugs they found on him to the floor. She raised her knee and with force, she was about to smash the bugs with her heel when Damien suddenly yanked her towards him with brute force, stopping her from crushing the devices.

    "You''re very impatient, love Let''s take it slow," he said in a voice so low above her ear, even Styles gulped.

    Katherine was stunned by what just happened. Damien steadied her on her feet and grabbed the tablet from Styles, typing quickly.

    [There might be more on me or you. They''ll get suspicious if two got crushed while others are still on. They need to be destroyed at the same time like an ident.]

    When Styles and Katherine read his text, the two of them realized what could have happened. Katherine had always been rash. She was a great agent of Shadow but she had always been a followernot a leader. Only following orders and executing them ording to the n. She was not as good as Damien when it came to strategies.

    He was right. But how were they supposed to do that? They only found two bugs and were not sure if there were more. Because of how tiny the device was, it would take them a really long time to find it.

    "Ahh is that what you want? Slow? But what do you want to do?" Katherine asked as she pointed to the bugs on the floor.

    The two men looked from left to right, wondering what they could do. Styles tapped their shoulders and gestured towards the penthouse''s pool out in the balcony.

    Katherine immediately picked up the bugs on the floor and then grabbed Damien, dragging him towards the pool saying, "I know! Why don''t we take a dip in the pool?"

    It was cold outside at this time of the year! What was she talking about dipping? "Honey, I don''t think that''s a great idea." Damien stopped but Katherine was adamant in pulling him.

    "Come on, it will be fun. Please?"

    Soon, the three of them were right next to the pool. Katherine didn''t waste any time and had already started to remove her shoes. Then she reached for the back zipper of her dress. She nned to just toss her clothes into the water. "Take off your clothes" she told him just when her fingers touched the back zipper.

    However, Damien stopped her hand again. ''Why does she keep trying to strip in front of another man?!''

    Katherine did not understand what he was doing. "Do you want to undress me yourself?" She gritted her teeth and reached for her zipper again.

    Styles watched the two of them unnecessarily fighting each other like children. He sighed, scratching his head with his tablet and waited for them to grow up.

    Damien was exasperated. Couldn''t she just jump in the water with her clothes on? In his third attempt of stopping Katherine from stripping, the two of them struggled and she subconsciously pushed him back. She was already getting annoyed, not understanding why he was being difficult. The next thing she knew, Damien was already at the edge of the pool and her little push caused him to slip and tip backwards, pulling her along with him.

    The two of them yelped and before they knew it, they were already submerged in the water.

    Styles, who was only the spectator during the entire thing, could only shake his head. "Kids," he muttered as he strolled back inside the penthouse to get them some towels. He had just taken a nap and dreamt about bunnies when he received Katherine''s message. And now this happened. Why couldn''t his day ever be quiet?

 Chapter 304: Very Shirtless

    Chapter 304: Very Shirtless

    Katherine and Damien gasped as they rose above the water, all of their clothes were wet and the other bugs that were possibly on them should have been short-circuited already. She violently coughed, water spewed out of her mouth and nostrils as she swam towards the edge of the pool. He followed behind her.

    "Was that really necessary?" he asked, his voice tainted with irritation. He couldn''t believe she pushed him.

    "Did you have to pull me with you?!"

    "Did you have to push me?" he countered.

    Katherine couldn''t say anything else. She was too busy coughing out the water that she identally drank when they fell, her chest burned as she did. She climbed out and sat on the edge of the pool facing the water as she tried topose herself, slightly shaking because of how cold the water was.

    Damien came to her side and asked, "Are you okay?" He was pissed but was still worried about her, concerned that her chest was hurting from inhaling water.

    "I''m fine," she answered with a hoarse voice. Her eyes were red and she coughed some more.

    Styles came back with towels and handed them to Damien who nodded at him, his way of saying "Thank you".

    "I''ll just be inside." Styles left the two outside and went back to the penthouse. He was going to try and contact Falcon about the current situation, hoping that he could get a hold of her.

    Damien draped a towel on his shoulder and ced another around Katherine''s shoulders, pulling her up to her feet, carrying her bridal style. "Let''s go back inside. We''ll catch a cold."

    She let him bring her inside, folding her arms in front of her chest while her hand sped the two tiny bugs that she found on Damien earlier which were now fried.

    The two were dripping wet, especially Damien who was wearing a three-piece suit in ckeven his Italian-leather shoes were drenched.

    He had yet to know what was going on and who was behind all this but as of the moment, his main concern was Katherine. "Where''s your bedroom?"

    She pointed the door to the left and Damien ushered her towards it.

    "Here Figured you need a change. You''re taller than me and obviously more um anyway, these are thergest ones I have." Styles handed a set of clothes to Damien.

    "It''s okay, my assistant can bring me a spare change of clothes. I just need to calldamn it." He patted his inner coat pocket and realized that his phone took a dive in the pool with him too and was now dead. Sighing, he received the clothes from Styles. "Thanks."

    "No problemo!" Styles turned around and headed back to his room while the other two got inside Katherine''s bedroom.

    "Bathroom?" Damien questioned, in which Katherine tipped her chin to the right side of the room. "You go first. Use warm water," he added.

    Katherine didn''t argue with him. She was exhausted from everything that happened since earlier and her chest was still painful. She coughed again as she got inside the bathroom and walked into the shower that''s separated by ss that had a frosted part in the middle of it for some privacy.

    She didn''t know where Damien was or if he followed her inside the bathroom. She couldn''t care less about him at the moment  she just wanted to shower and get out of the stupid wet dress that''s clinging onto her body.

    Damien was by the bathroom door, contemting whether he should go inside or not. He didn''t think that there was a need for him to shower and so he thought of just changing directly to the clothes that Styles lent him.

    He started unbuttoning his clothes and one by one he peeled it off his body until he was only wearing his boxer briefs, leaving the wet clothes by the door of the bathroom.

    The water in the shower was still running while he checked on the casual clothes that he set on the counter. His back was facing the shower, avoiding the chance of seeing her naked or he would truly lose it.

    After drying himself with the towel, he wore the joggers over his wet underwear. It was a little short for him but the cuffed design made it look stylish. He was just about to reach for the shirt on the counter when the shower door opened and he stiffened for a few seconds before his hand grabbed the t-shirt.

    Katherine froze up and cleared her throat. "Aren''t you going to shower?" she asked, seeing that he was already wearing the jogging pants. She was looking at his bare back but it was more than enough to make her face flushed.

    "No need."

    She needed to pass by him to get to the walk-in closet. But he stood casually, blocking the doorway like he was a security guard on watch.

    He had his hands on his waist and his head hung low as though he was carrying a huge problem on his shoulders. The sight of his back muscles tightening made her gulp and look away. ''What is he doing? And why the hell was he not putting on a shirt?'' she wondered.

    She fixed her bathrobe in an attempt to cover her chest properly before she took a step forward. "I''m just going to change."

    He didn''t move.

    "Umm I need to" She curved her body as she passed, avoiding his elbows that were sticking to the sides.

    He didn''t budge.

    Katherine managed to exit the bathroom and she headed towards the walk-in closet on the opposite sidewhich was still somewhat connected to the bathroom. She could feel a pair of eyes boring into her exposed legs, making her feel extra conscious. ''Was he nning to watch me change? How awkward.''

    She tried to ignore the fact that Damien was just standing several feet away from her, watching her every move as she looked for clothes to change into.

    cing a dress at the end of the ind counter in the middle of her walk-in closet, she turned around to face him. "I need to change Can you"

    She choked on the rest of her words as she came face to face with Damien who was now only inches apart from her and he was still shirtless so very shirtless.

    He leaned forward, his hands nted on the counter on either side of her and trapping her in between his arms.

    "What are you doing?" She took a deep breath, too deep that her breathing hitched when she saw the corner of his mouth curl up into a lopsided grin, making him look both evil and handsome. He was a handsome devil.

    He tilted his head to the side, his gaze flitted from her eyes to her lips and back to her eyes and locked it with his. Wetting his lips with his tongue, he noticed her swallow. Good. She was affected.

    "Kitten" he started, his voice was almost a whisper that it sounded so sexy and hot. "That stunt that you pulled in the elevator earlier, what was that about?"

    Her toes curled and she bit on her bottom lip. For some reason, Damien was holding her hostage and she couldn''t find it in her to get out of this trap. It was as if she was glued to the floor and her body was waiting for its doom  waiting for her punishment, dangling at the tip of Damien''s hands.

    "What do you mean?" she asked, despite already knowing what he was talking about.

    "You don''t know? Or are you pretending?"

    Damien leaned closer until his lips were less than an inch away  he could practically taste her sweet breath.

    His eyes went dark and his voice got colder as he added, "Those were some lewd noises, Kitten. However, itcked something. Would you like me to remind you how you sound when I make youe?"

 Chapter 305: Exposed

    Chapter 305: Exposed

    ...

    "Would you like me to remind you how you sound when I make youe?"

    Damien''s words rang in Katherine''s ear. He only said it once but it echoed several times as though it was haunting her.

    Was he really going to punish her? Why? How? She wanted to know. She was dying to know.

    Back at the elevator, she had so much in mind that all she wanted was to get the matter over and done with. But his persistence came too strong for her that she found it annoying. Thus, she did the first thing that came to her mind: Annoy him.

    Except she did more than just annoy Damien. She had set off a bomb that was due to explode anytime and what she didnot only triggered the explosive within him but also set his mood so high only to be thrown in cold water. Literally.

    Katherine didn''t really have control over the situation. What happened in the pool was an ident. But what happened in the elevator she was guilty. She herself couldn''t believe she did something so bold like that in front of Damien of all people. But that was because he wouldn''t let go of her! After faking the orgasm, didn''t he let go of her? He was even rendered speechless.

    And because of that, she was now in trouble. But being trapped between Damien''s arms, was it really that bad?

    Up close, Katherine could see his wless skin. The sharpness of his nose and his defined jawline made him look so manly while his soft, and now wet lips were so kissable that Katherine had a hard time keeping her eyes off them. What would happen if she just leaned forward and had a taste?

    So tempting So

    ''What is that?'' Her eyes were drawn to the ink art on his body. No, it wasn''t the "onyx." one near his shoulder. There was something by his V-line but she couldn''t see it clearly. She was about to ask him about it when he called her attention.

    "Eyes up here, Kitten," he said and her eyes shot upward to his. "You''ve wounded me. Do you know that?"

    He had his hopes up back then when she started acting so possessive of him only to find out she was acting. And the elevator his jaw tensed. "You have no idea. Do you?"

    "What?"

    "You''ve been very cruel" Damien held the side of her neck and tugged her hair gently to the side thereby exposing her neck. Leaning forward, he ran his nose from the base of her throat going up to her ear while his lips lightly brushed along her skin as he did. "Now what should I do with you?"

    The touch of his nose and lips along her neck sent jolts of electricity down her core, making her wet. Everything intensified when she remembered that underneath her robe, she was naked. The thought made her clench her robe and curl her toes.

    The warmth of his breath fanning her ear made her let out a gasp. She was helpless and Damien hadn''t even done anything yet.

    "Tsk tsk tsk" He clicked his tongue as he pulled back and stared into her brown eyes again. "What''s wrong, Kitten? Are you feeling hot?"

    Katherine couldn''t answer. All she could do was stare back at him and anticipate his next move. And as if he was reading her thoughts, he revealed a devilishly, sexy smile at her as he tugged the tie on her robe, releasing it from its knot. The ties fell and the robe opened, exposing her bare in front of him.

    She felt like there was no air in the room for how she was having difficulty breathing. Baring her nakedness to him, she felt cold and hot at the same time. For the first time in a while, she was uncovered in front of Damien.

    And he wouldn''t even look at her.

    Damien was staring at her eyes while he was very much aware that her body was already exposed to him. His hard-on proved he was a man but even so, he did not look at her body and kept his gaze locked with hers. "How about now?" he asked but she still remained mute.

    Realizing that she wasn''t going to say anything, he added, "You''re awfully quiet right now. What happened to that coquettish girl in the elevator? Where has she gone to? Surely she''s hiding there somewhere Should I bring her out?"

    Katherine swallowed and then chewed on her bottom lip, afraid of what idiotic words that mighte out of her if she wouldn''t stop herself. She bit her lip harder when Damien''s fingers traced her corbone, causing tingling sensations on her sensitive skin.

    "How do you want it to be, Kitten?" he asked, his fingers slowly going down towards her breast. "Would you believe if I tell you that I can make youe by only touching this?" He circled the pad of his finger around her erect nippleonly slightly grazing the tip of her bud.

    She panted and her eyes closed involuntarily at the same time that her hand flew to his arm that was still holding the ind counter, gripping him hard when she thought she was about to lose herself with his touch. She could feel herself getting damper the more that he touched her.

    He pressed his forehead to hers, trying to restrain himself as he was also having a hard time while making it hard for her. This was supposed to be a punishment for her Why was he also suffering?

    "Damien" a breathy moan escaped her lips. What he was doing to her was evil and yet she was looking forward to what else he was going to do. It was as if she was expecting this punishment. His ''punishments'' before felt good. Would it be the same now?

    Hearing her call his name like a plea, Damien almost crumbled. If he lets go of his self-control, he could take her right here right now. But should he?

    "Mm I know what you want." He slid his hand on her side down to her thigh. "I missed how soft you are" He buried his face on her shoulder at the same time that she threw her arms around his back.

    His hand moved so slowly on her body, leaving a trail of fire as his hand caressed her skin gently. She felt his hand travel from her thigh back up to her hips and slowly making its way to the triangle zone of her front. His fingers were so close just a little bit more southward and she could finally feel him down there. She probably lost her restraint right at this moment because she couldn''t help but push her groin towards him, unable to wait.

    "Do you feel cold now, Kitten?" he asked, his lips brushing against the part where her shoulder and neck meets. She nuzzled on his ''onyx.'' tattoo.

    She wanted to say ''yes''. She wanted to tell him, "Yes, I''m cold. Please warm me up". However, all she could do was nod.

    The next thing she knew, she felt Damien dig his teeth into her. He bit her. It was painful but it was the beautiful kind of pain mixed with pleasure. He didn''t bite her too hard but he could haveto release his frustration. Her fingers dug into his back and then she felt him lick the part that he just bit, soothing her skin from the bite.

    Just when his fingers started to move towards the spot where she ached for him, they stopped. And the next thing she heard made her stomach drop.

    "Good. Revenge is a dish best served cold."

    And then he was gone.

    He pulled away from her, turned around and left.

    He meant it literally. His revenge left her cold.

    Exposed. Aching. And frustrated.

    What. An. Ass.

 Chapter 306: Compromise

    Chapter 306: Compromise

    "Thanks." Damien handed Styles''s phone back to him after calling Markus. He had asked for a new set of suit and shoes as well as a new cell phone. He had no time to have his phone fixed so he''ll just have to use a new one. Markus didn''t have to buy though, because one of the perks of Damien being an influential person was that he gets free stuff all the time. A few brand new cellphones were sitting somewhere in the closet of his penthouse.

    "Woah What happened to you?" Styles remarked when Katherine entered the kitchen to join them. She had a scowl on her face and she avoided looking at Damien as she grabbed a bottle of water from the double-door fridge.

    She kept quiet and scoffed before she drank her water and faced Styles who was sitting next to Damien at the kitchen ind.

    "She looks frustrated," Damienmented casually while he yed with the tiny listening devices in front of him. She was the one who started it and he only retaliated. Why was she the one pissed? Tch.

    "Oh-kaaay" Styles eyed the two big babies who had been bickering since they arrived earlier. They were gone too long in Katherine''s bedroom but judging by the look on her face, something must have happened. ''Did they fight? Hmmm''

    "So I tried to contact AmFalcon..." Styles eyed Damien when he almost said Falcon''s real name to her son who still had no idea who she was. "...and it went straight to her voicemail."

    Katherine sat opposite Styles and questioned, "You don''t think something happened to her, do you?"

    "Falcon?" Damien probed. He remembered hearing the name before and thought that it was the woman with themst Saturday.

    Hearing Damien''s question, Styles began to get nervous. "She''s uh she''s" He looked at Katherine, hoping that she would save him from saying something he shouldn''t. Why was he stuck in this situation? He didn''t like being in the middle of this kind of thing. It wasn''t his secret to tell so he had a hard time keeping his calm.

    "She''s the woman with us at the party," Katherine continued. When Damien nodded, she turned back to Styles and shifted the topic, "Styles, the bugs?"

    "Right." Styles gathered the bugs on the white marble of the kitchen ind and continued, "I found one more from his clothes. And also one from yours." On the kitchen ind''s surface, there were a total of four tiny metal devices. The small piece of technology was a product of Shadow. Every device had six holes on it and a tiny red blinking dot at the back  a listening and a tracking device in one.

    Damien''s suit was tailored and the smooth material of his suit could cause the device to slide when attached. The blond woman must have thought of this so she ced three on him to make sure at least one stays attached. Judging by the Shadow agent''s tactic, she must be lower than Level 3 if her skill was this sloppy.

    But she was surprised to know that there was one on her and she didn''t even notice that someone got to her. Since when did she have it?

    Wait. "Huh Now that I think about it, someone bumped into me when I arrived at the office building a couple of hours before that. I didn''t get to see the woman''s face but she was wearing an office outfit and had blond hair. It must have been the same woman who clung onto Damien outside the building." She couldn''t believe she missed it. After being inactive for five years, she surely was out of shape.

    A Steward Mission is when an agent nts a listening device on the subject to get some information. But why would Shadow send a low-level agent for this when the subject was Damien Park?

    "Who are these people?" Damien finally questioned, snapping Katherine out of her thought.

    She and Styles looked at each other, wondering how to answer Damien''s questions. The two just had the conversation in the morning before she went to work and now she was being tested. How was she supposed to handle this?

    "Katherine." Damien''s voice was low and demanding. He wouldn''t ept it if she tried to brush him off again this time.

    Taking in a deep breath, she exhaled slowly as if it would help calm her nerves when she answered him, "It''s the people I''m working for before I lost my memories. They''re after me I''m not sure why they''re after youthey could be after you because of me."

    "How dangerous are these people?"

    "More than you can imagine," she told him as she looked at him straight in the eye. At least she could tell him this. But for how much more she could tell him, she just wasn''t certain.

    Damien stared back at her, studying her eyes as though he was looking into her soul to see what else she was hiding from him.

    Katherine reached out and held his arm. "I know you have a lot of questions right now, and I''ve been telling you to give me some time I''m sure it''s frustrating already. But I swear I will tell you more. I promise. Just give me a little more time. Will that be okay?" She could no longer hide it from him but at this time, she also needed to find Falcon and she had to leave now. Where was she?

    Damien let out a sigh. His patience was wearing off but he wanted to trust her. "Fine. You have one day. Or I''m going to start persuading someone else to tell me." His eyes darted to the man next to him.

    Styles swallowed the lump in his throat. King Charming said "persuade" but Styles felt like his method of persuasion didn''t seem nice.

    "Fair enough." Katherine nodded.

    There was a bell from the inte on the wall and Styles went to press a button, allowing Markus to enter Katherine''s penthouse.

    Damien changed into the suit while Katherine excused herself to the bedroom and when she came out, she had a ck leather jacket and keys in her hand.

    "Where are you headed?" Damien asked as he buttoned his coat and fixed his cufflinks.

    "I need to find Falcon."

    "How are you going to do that?" He walked up to her and watched as she received a palm-sized device from Styles.

    "It''s a tracker. I lost her signal a couple of hours ago and it hasn''te back until now. She''s also not answering her phone. Something must have happened," said Styles.

    "Can I help?" Damien probed. He didn''t know what Katherine intended to do and he didn''t want to think that she was going to put herself in danger again.

    "It''s okay. I''m sure she''s fine. I just need to see if she''s still in thest ce she went to. It''s just about an hour''s drive. Don''t you have somewhere you need to go?" she asked.

    Damien and Markus exchanged looks. He had beente to a meeting for more than an hour already and he did need to get going. But how was he supposed to let Katherine go on her own?

    "Damien, you need to go and do whatever you need to do like normal. If someone is watching, you need to go about your business like usual as if nothing happened."

    "I can''t let you go alone."

    Extending her palm out, she asked for his new phone and saved Styles''s number. "Styles has my tracker. If you don''t hear from me in a few hours, you can call him."

    It wasn''t what Damien would have wanted but he could work with it. He just hoped she would be safe wherever she needed to go and hopefully find her friend.

 Chapter 307: You cant kill me unless I let you

    Chapter 307: You can''t kill me unless I let you

    Katherine reached her destination a little over an hourter in her motorbike. After getting it from her old apartment building''s garage, she sped off towards where Amelia''s tracker lost its signal. She was already outside of Harbor City, it was a little town with a poption of only about 2,500 people.

    Katherine hadn''t heard anything from Amelia since she left and she was now in an abandoned building, searching for what she could find about Amelia''s whereabouts. The device that Styles gave her earlier had an auto-save feature, so there was a blinking dot of where the tracker should be and she followed it.

    The abandoned building was an old city hall and it was locked from the outside so she had to find an entrance to get in. Finally finding a crack in the backdoor, Katherine entered the old building and found that it was full of stacked boxes, papers, dusty tables, and chairs. She turned on her shlight and started searching the area. "Falcon?" she called.

    It was eerily quiet and she wished that she wasn''t alone. Old abandoned buildings like this one gave her the creeps. It was like watching a zombie movie, only she was in it. She shivered.

    "Hello?" she called again but there was no other sound except the sound of her footsteps.

    Reaching the second floor, she found a room that had a bed and a shelf full of canned goods. Her brows knitted, wondering who had been squatting in the ce.

    "Anyone here?" she asked, moving her shlight from left to right in front of her. She checked the device again and saw that she was exactly where the tracker should be but there was no Amelia.

    Katherine searched the floor and it took her a minute to find the small tracking device, a ck t stic housing that had a chip inside. It must have fallen off her while she was here.

    After searching the whole building buting up with nothing, Katherine left the ce and headed to the motel in the town where Amelia was staying. She had to bribe the motel attendant with cash to let her wait inside Amelia''s room. There was nothing in the room except for Amelia''s bag with some clothes inside. Left with no choice, she waited for a few hours until it was already dark outside.

    Katherine fell asleep on the couch and woke up to her cell phone ringing. "Nggnh" She rubbed her temple when she felt her head ache. "Hello?" she answered the call in a hoarse voice.

    "Katherine? Are you okay? Where are you?" Damien asked in a panicked voice when he heard her.

    "I''m still out here. I''m fine Just a headache." She got up from the couch and turned the lights on, realizing that she was still alone inside the room.

    "Aren''t youing home? It''s nine in the evening. Do you want me toe and get you?"

    "I didn''t realize it was thatte. I haven''t found her yet But her bag is still here."

    "Tell me where you are and I''ll go there." There was a sound of keys jingling from the other line and Katherine guessed that he was about to leave.

    "No, it''s okay. I drove here I''ll call Styles and ask if he has heard of her or something. I''ll text you then." Katherine ended the call before Damien could respond and checked her phone.

    Sure enough, there was a text from Styles several minutes ago that said:

    [Styles: Falcon called from a payphone. She''s okay but she lost her phone. She said she''ll call us tomorrow. You cane back now.]

    Knowing that Amelia was still alive and safe, Katherine exhaled a sigh of relief. At least she could go back to her penthouse now. She didn''t like the motel''s vibe. Everything in the town just creeped her out.

    She typed a text and sent it to Damien before she set out and left in her motorcycle.

    [Katherine: I''m okay. Going home soon. Driving.]

    It was already half past ten in the evening when Katherine arrived back in Harbor City. She had to leave her motorcycle first in her old apartment building and take a cab back to Golden Phoenix Residences after circling around the busy neighborhood to make sure that no one was following her.

    It was such an eventful day for her and Damien. The thought of Shadow going after him really bothered her a lot. But what was Parker''s motive? Why did he send out a Steward Mission on Damien? Was Parker after Damien or was he after her? This one bothered her a lot.

    She nned on going to Amelia tomorrow wherever she was so that she could put an end to this charade once and for all. If it was only up to her, she probably would have started telling Damien earlier already. But Amelia had kept this a secret from Damien for thirty years. It wasn''t only Katherine''s secret to tell It was also Amelia''s.

    On top of that, Amelia was still keeping some things from them  which was understandable, but if they had to work together, they had to know about those things too.

    Golden Phoenix Residences

    Katherine rode the elevator going up to her penthouse. She was already tired and wanted to get some sleep. Getting wet in the pool that day was giving her a headache and she started sniffling.

    When she stepped out of the elevator, the lights at the entrance of her penthouse were off. It was already eleven in the evening and she figured that Styles must have already slept. The living room was pretty quiet.

    She took off her ck baseball cap and threw it on the floor. Her jacket went on top of it and her shirt also fell on top of the pile, leaving her with only her bra on.

    She was just about to unbutton her pants when she turned her head to the side and noticed a figure by the floor-to-ceiling window several meters away. With the lights turned off, she could only form a silhouette but by the looks of it, the figure was of a man and it wasn''t Styles!

    In her haste, she drew out the dagger in her right leg and threw it to the man''s direction. However, to her surprise, the figure only slightly leaned to the side and caught her dagger by its handle with his bare hand.

    "Impressive," Damienmented in his cold voice.

    Katherine immediately turned on the lights when she heard him, her face tainted with shock. "WhatDamien! I could have killed you! What were you doing?!"

    He scoffed and yed the dagger in his hand skillfully like it was something natural to do before he walked towards her and handed the knife back to her. "No, you couldn''t have. Not unless I let you."

    The two of them were face to face with only inches apart. She stood shirtless in front of him as she hesitantly received her knife back from him. It was the first time that she had seen Damien move so reflexively with a weapon apart from that tragic night many years ago and if she was being honest, it was actually kind of hot.

    Damien stared into her eyes, very curious as to where she came from and why the hell she was shirtlessbut also relieved that she was safe. She just flung a dagger at him in the dark but instead of getting mad, he found it amusing and attractive.

    Their minds were so in sync that they had the same thoughts:

    ''What else can you do, Damien?''

    ''What else can you do, Katherine?''

 Chapter 308: Beautiful Flaws

    Chapter 308: Beautiful ws

    "Where''s the rest of your clothes?" Damien asked in almost a whisper, his voice remained cold and almost angry while his eyes were trained on hers and not on her body. If he as much as nce below her jaw at the moment, he would lose it.

    "What" Katherine nced down and sighed, turning around to grab the shirt that was on top of the pile she just made. She wore it on her again and grabbed her jacket and cap too. Walking past him, she tossed her stuff on the sofa. "It''s my house, I can walk around naked when I want."

    "Except you''re living with another man who is not me. Do you always walk around naked while he''s here?"

    "Styles is asleep. I only do it when I''m alone." She rolled her eyes and slumped on the sofa, exhausted from everything that she did that day. The soft material against her back was so nice andfortingpared to the one she had fallen asleep on in the motel. Her back was aching and her eyes instantly closed as though she couldn''t be bothered that Damien was still standing there staring at her. She just wanted to sleep. "What are you doing here, Damien?"

    "I came to check up on you," he answered, walking towards where she was resting to check if she was harmed.

    "I already told you that I was fine"

    "It doesn''t mean I will stop worrying just because you said so." He dug his hands in the pockets of his grey trench coat.

    Katherine slowly fluttered her eyes open and looked at him. Underneath his coat, he was only wearing a in white t-shirt and ck joggers  something that he wore whenever he was just lounging at home.

    Home They didn''t share the same home anymore.

    "You didn''t have to drive all the way out here. You could have just called. And I''m home now, so there''s no need to worryAchoo!" She sneezed.

    "I will ride a ne if I have to, Katherine. You cannot stop me." He handed her a tissue.

    "Thanks."

    He didn''t have to ride a ne, really just a one-floor-down ride of the elevator. So convenient.

    "Are you sick? I knew the pool was a bad idea." He pressed the palm of his hand on her forehead to check her temperature. She didn''t feel hot.

    Just then, Katherine''s stomach growled and her hands flew to cover her tummy as though it will make the sound less audible. Damien only chuckled at her reaction and shook his head.

    "And you haven''t eaten yet" He turned around and strolled towards her kitchen and started grabbing some tools. "I brought food. Go and change while I heat it up," he said.

    Katherine followed him and leaned against the wall, watching him as he moved about in her own kitchen. "You seem to be so at home You''re raiding my kitchen now?"

    "Like I said, I brought food. I''m not raiding your kitchen, I''m just borrowing your tools to heat up the food. You did tell me to feel at home earlier." He winked at her, reminding her of what she said when they arrived during the day to take care of the bugs.

    "I can feed myself, Damien. You can go home now." She grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and drank it to cool herself. She was annoyed at the reminder because now she could only think of what he did to her in the walk-in closet. The scowl on her face was evident.

    "I will after you eat. And why are you irritated? Are you still sexually frustrated?"

    Katherine spat out some water and choked on it. Damien Park whose middle name was ''Shameless''... just couldn''t resist embarrassing her.

    "You are the most annoying man!" she bit out, wiping the water off her shirt.

    Heughed while stirring the food in the pot with a woodendle. He had a cute smile on his face as he said, "Thank you"

    "That wasn''t apliment!" She got even more annoyed by his nonchnt behavior.

    "I know I''m ttered." He winked at her again.

    "Ugh! You''re impossible." She turned around and headed towards her bedroom to change. She had to wash her face with cold water to calm down or she might have to punch Damien.

    While she was feeling all worked up, the charming, tall man in the kitchen was having the time of his life while fixing his love with some food to warm her up. Of course, Damien only found her reaction adorable. His Little Kitten was having a tantrum.

    Later

    "Do you really have to do this? I feel fine" Katherine climbed on her bed and settled in the middle, allowing Damien to tuck her in. "You''re overreacting."

    He ignored her and sat on the bed facing her. It had been a while since they were this close. Their rtionship was nowhere near how they were before but there was certainly some progress. "I''m d you''re okay I called you a few times but you didn''t answer. What were you doing?"

    "I fell asleep waiting for Falcon"

    He nodded softly and asked, "Is she a good friend of yours?"

    Katherine darted her eyes to the side as she tried toe up with how she was going to answer Damien. ''She''s your mother!'' she wanted to shout.

    "I actually just met her recently A few days before I came back"

    "I see The three of you seem to be a great team," he remarked.

    It was suddenly quiet as the two of them didn''t know what to talk about. But before Katherine could say anything, Damienid on the bed next to her.

    "What are you doing?" She flinched.

    "Don''t worry, I''m not going to touch you. Just let mey down for a bit." He kept his gaze straight at the ceiling. "This you and me, Katherine... It feels a little bit surreal."

    She turned andid on her side to face him, watching the outline of his face just several inches in front of her. He wasn''t wearing any perfume yet his familiar scent made her feel as though she was ''home''. She heard him but she didn''t know what to say so she just stared at him, her gaze tracing the curves of his nose, his lips, his jaw

    Damien shifted andid on his side facing her. The two of them were now looking at each other but not saying anything. The quiet moment allowed the two of them to appreciate the presence of the other without the need to talk.

    He wondered what was going on in her head. He wanted to ask but he didn''t want to disturb the peace in the air, afraid that if he said something, she might turn away. So just like her, he kept quiet.

    "Tomorrow, I''ll tell you" she started.

    "Hmmm?"

    "Tomorrow I''ll tell you the truth. And you''re not going to like it."

    Ever so slightly, Damien revealed a small smile on his face and told her, "The truth isn''t always pretty. And I might not like it But I like you. I''m not perfect either. So whatever ws you have, Katherine... They will only be beautiful to me."

 Chapter 309: Discovery (1)

    Chapter 309: Discovery (1)

    The night crept on with the moon and the stars shining in the sky. In the stillness of the room, Damien turned the heater on to allow Katherine to sleep more peacefully. She fell asleep sometime after Damien started humming randomly. He was nowhere near sleepy butying next to her made him feel as though he was dreaming.

    He watched as she softly snored, perfectlyfortable with his presence despite her trying to hide it when she''s awake. Carefully, he brushed her hair away from her face and she shifted in her sleep, subconsciously pulling his t-shirt toward her.

    Damien stilled before he relented and let her pull him closer. He was only half surprised when she buried her face in his chest, hugged him closer, and trapped him with her legjust like she used to. She couldn''t lie in her sleep. She missed him. She missed this. It was too natural for her to do so.

    He should have pulled away but he was selfish. In this moment of vulnerability, he took advantage of it and let himself savor the precious chance. Shifting her so that she was nowying her head on his arm, he pulled her even closer.

    "I''ll wait for you, love" he whispered to her ear. She didn''t respond but she nuzzled onto him even more as though it was her response, only she was still sleeping and unaware of what he told her.

    Damien''s satisfied smile ghosted his face as he closed his eyes and eventually fell asleep.

    November 8  Thursday

    Katherine woke up alone in bed, not remembering how she fell asleepst night. She felt like crap when her eyes felt hot and her throat was sore. She was sick.

    The sun''s rays cast through her ss windows, illuminating the space next to her. She looked at the empty space, remembering that Damienid beside her but he was no longer there now. She wondered where he was and when he left. Did he sleep in her bed? The thought made her already flushed face even hotter.

    Katherine''s eyes caught sight on a paper on the nightstand. It was a note written by Damien that said:

    [You were slightly feverish before I left. Take these meds when you wake up. It''s best to call in sick today, so please stay in bed. I have somewhere to be but I''ll be backter to check on you. -Damien]

    Next to it was a small bottle of medicine and a bottle of water.

    Feeling her heart warm up because of his sweet gesture, she took the medicine while wondering what time Damien left. She was feeling sick but her sleep was definitely greatpared to the previous nights. And she knew it was all because he was there for her.

    It was seven in the morning and Katherine contemted whether she should stay at home like Damien suggested or brave it through and get to work. She had a lot of things to do. First thing''s first: Falcon.

    "Have you heard from Falcon?" she asked Styles upon entering the kitchen. Thetter was making himself some breakfast.

    "No She did leave a voice message earlier saying that she almost got the guy. She''ll call us againter."

    "Who is this guy she''s chasing anyway?"

    "I don''t know She wouldn''t tell me. All I know is, he used to be her insider back at the Park''s. He suddenly disappeared and she lost contact with him." Styles munched on the sandwich that he just finished making and grabbed something from the fridge. He ced the covered bowl in front of Katherine and told her, "King Charming left this for you. Are you sick?"

    Katherine checked what was inside the bowl and found that it was chicken noodle soup. She felt Styles''s palm on her forehead but she was too busy admiring the food that Damien prepared for her to mind it. She knew he made everything from scratch, knowing that she loved the wide noodles that he made himself.

    "Yo, King Charming knows a lot of things. He made the pasta himself earlier. I swear he''s a cyborg or something. Ask him to do things for you and he probably knows how to do it." Styles took the bowl and heated it up for her, all while eating his sandwich which he held with his other hand. Crumbs fell when he moved about but Katherine was in a good mood to scold him.

    "He''s not a cyborg. He''s just he''s" She blinked, unsure of the best word to describe him. She gave up when she couldn''te up with something. "He''s just Damien."

    "Wow. You''re too in love with the guy..."

    She rolled her eyes and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. Being in love won''t save her today. Despite her profound feelings for him, she didn''t know what to expect when she would finally tell him the truth.

    It was after lunch when Styles and Katherine received a call from Falcon who told them that she was in Katherine''s old apartment with the guy she was after. Falcon couldn''t possibly bring him to Golden Phoenix Residences and risk getting him or any one of them harmed since they didn''t know who to avoid.

    "Why don''t you just stay? And I''ll go meet with Falcon. You''re sick," Styles told Katherine as the two of them prepared a bag with clothes and some food. He was worried about her.

    "I''m not hot anymore, see?" She pressed his hand to her forehead to prove her point. "I need to talk to Amelia. This cannot wait."

    "Alright. Suit yourself. But if you feel sick on the way or when we get there, I''m not taking care of you. I''ll send you home or better yet, I''ll call King Charming." He was partly joking and mostly telling the truth. As much as they needed to deal with this thing, he couldn''t possibly let herpromise her health.

    "You wouldn''t dare" She red at him, closing the bag and swinging it onto her shoulder.

    "Watch me," he countered, stealing the bag from her and carrying it himself.

    The two of them were in the elevator in no time. When they arrived in the lobby, Katherine mumbled about buying a car. It always slipped her mind. Now they could only hail a cab.

    Unbeknownst to them, while they were headed out using the front door of the building, Damien Park got inside through the side entrance and saw them going out. He wondered where they were headed to as the two were wearing ck outfits, caps, and sunsses.

    Damien tried to call them but the two had already gotten inside a cab that they hailed. He jogged out of the building, thankful that Markus hasn''t left yet and sped off with his car, leaving his assistant behind.

    It was just thirty minutes past one in the afternoon and there was not a lot of traffic. He found the cab they were riding in and without second thoughts, he followed them. Later, he was confused to see them stop in a busy district in Harbor City. "Where the hell are you going?" he muttered under his breath.

    This was the same district that he thought he saw her that one time. He tried to find her in the crowd but he didn''t see her again. Damien abandoned his car by the curb. It was probably illegal to park there but he didn''t care as he was determined to follow where Katherine and Styles were headed.

    From time to time, the two would look back as if to see if they were being followed. Probably because they were in a hurry, and maybe because Damien was being very discreet as he followed them  he was not discovered.

    Eventually, he followed them inside a very old building. Damien didn''t think people went there as it looked like it was abandoned and yet Katherine seemed to know the ce too well.

    "Falcon  Amelia," Styles and Katherine said at the same time.

    The mention of the name was very faint, but it was enough for Damien to hear.

 Chapter 310: Discovery (2)

    Chapter 310: Discovery (2)

    Katherine and Styles arrived inside the empty apartment that upied the whole floor. She walked towards the middle of the room where Amelia was with a man whom she was seeing for the first time.

    "Who''s this guy?" Styles asked as he followed Katherine inside, dropping the bag on the floor next to Amelia''s feet and forgetting the door he left ajar.

    "Thanks," Amelia said when she checked the bag''s contents. "This is Edward, he worked for the Parks for a long time, many years ago. This is Katherine and Styles."

    Katherine and Styles nodded at Edward and heard him say, "I know you I saw some pictures of you in the news." He pointed at Katherine, his brows knitted as he continued, "You also worked for Young Master before."

    "Young Master?" Katherine crossed her arms in front of her stomach as though she was bracing herself. She wanted to lean against something but ended up hugging herself instead.

    "Ah, Young Master Damien. It''s been a while but I can''t break the habit I still refer to him and Young Master William the same."

    Katherine nodded in understanding, feeling a bit weird talking about Damien while he wasn''t in the room.

    "Did you bring some food?" Amelia searched the bag on the floor and found some packed meals for her and Edward.

    Just then, Edward''s eyes darted to the side and saw Damien by the door. He straightened up and called him, "Young Master"

    "Edward" Damien muttered while he scanned the room, meeting Katherine''s shocked expression. "Damien How did you..." she called softly while her heart started beating erratically.

    "Hmmm?" Amelia probed and followed the direction of Edward''s gaze and saw her son standing and watching them. Her heart immediately pounded in her chest. She was unable to look away from her son. Her beautiful son whose face was now masked with confusion.

    "What''s going on?" Damien''s stare finallynded on the woman whose eyes greatly resembled his. "You"

    "Ms. Amelia, I didn''t know you have reunited with the Young Master?" Edward remarked, clearly oblivious to what''s currently happening.

    Damien heard the name twice since he arrived but it wasn''t until the man mentioned it that it all made sense to him. He thought he heard Katherine say his mother''s name earlier and almost immediately, he thought he may have heard it wrong.

    But now Looking at the woman whose face he had only seen in the one picture that he had of her, his heart began to ache. There were so many emotions going through him. A mixture of joy, pain, disbelief, and just numbness all rolled into one.

    Katherine was speechless and so was Amelia. This was never the way Damien should have known about his mother. Now that the cat was out of the bag, what were they supposed to do?

    Damien had an unreadable expression. He followed Katherine expecting and fearing to see that she was in danger. Instead, he was faced with a situation that he was not ready for. He was looking at the woman yet he couldn''t get himself to call her ''Mother'' even thinking about it was causing him to feel ufortable. It was such a foreign thing for him.

    "Damien" Katherine called him again and she started walking towards him. He wasn''t saying anything but just by looking at his eyes, she could see that he was baffled and perhaps even angry.

    Damien looked at Katherine and though he didn''t want to, he found himself pissed at her. He was mad. Whatever sick game this was, he didn''t expect her to keep this from him. Had she always known? Why was Katherine with her? Why were they together? All of a sudden, what Katherine saidst night came back to him. ''I will tell you the truth. And you wouldn''t like it.''

    Was this what she meant?

    His head was reeling. His eyes stung, causing him to blink several times. And then he turned around and left.

    "Damien, wait!" Katherine ran after him, leaving Amelia behind who was still stunned at the sudden discovery. She was not prepared just like her son. This must be too shocking for them.

    Katherine tried to go after Damien whose long strides made it difficult for her to catch up to him. "Please, Damien. Wait... Let''s talk."

    He could hear her calling him but he was too mad to look at her, so he just kept going down the stairs until he found a door to which he didn''t know where it leads to. He pushed it open and realized that he was at the back alley with no exit as both ends had been closed. Running a hand down his face, Damien wanted to scream.

    Meanwhile, Katherine had slowed down. She had been feeling dizzy since they arrived at the apartment and now that she was on the move, she felt like the world was spinning on her. And she was sweating like crazy. It didn''t matter. All she wanted was to find Damien. So she pushed herself and went after him until she saw him walk out the back door that was a dead-end. Her feet paused before she opened the door as she tried topose herself before she would face him.

    Opening the door, Katherine found him leaning against the dirty wall with an arm across his body and a hand rubbing his forehead  he was clearly distressed.

    "Damien" she called and her throat hurt when she did.

    "You knew you knew and you kept it from me" he said in a toneless voice, but she knew that he was mad.

    And he was right. She did know and she didn''t tell him. And that was wrong. But it wasn''t her secret to tell. Even so, it didn''t make her feel better.

    "What? You don''t have anything to say for yourself?" he questioned.

    "This isn''t mine to tell. Falconshe''s"

    "She''s Falcon?!" he huffed. Scoffing and shaking his head. He recalled that at the partyst Saturday night, Falcon was somewhat avoiding his gaze but he didn''t think much about it. The woman he just saw earlier looked exactly like the woman in the picture but he couldn''t tell right away that she was Falcon. Then he realized that she was wearing a disguise at that time and suddenly he recognized her as one and the same.

    There was a smile on his face but it was a smile of ridicule. He was mockingat who? He didn''t know. Maybe at the world. Maybe at himself for being damn stupid for not recognizing his own biological mother.

    Katherine could feel her body getting heavier by the second. She shifted her weight, trying to find the right stance in order not to fall over. She watched as Damien''s expression changed from anger to mockery and she hated herself for making him feel this way. "I''m sorry for keeping this from you. But everything that I was keeping from you... she''s part of it. She had been... keeping it from you for... a very long time All of these it''s not" She was now having shortness of breath.

    Damien hadn''t been looking at her so he couldn''t see that she was already flushed and sweaty from the fever. He thought she couldn''t talk straight because of the guilt she was experiencing. "Whatever her reason was, it was hers. Not yours. Out of everyone I trusted, you''re the least I expect to do something like this."

    He pushed himself off the wall and headed towards the door of the building to find his way out. "I''m leaving. I can''t stay here."

    Just when he pulled the door open, he heard a loud thud behind him. His head snapped towards where Katherine was standing only to find her now lying unconscious on the ground.

    "Katherine!" he cried out as he rushed to her.

 Chapter 311: Discovery (3)

    Chapter 311: Discovery (3)

    Seeing Katherine on the ground unconscious caused Damien to enter into protective mode as his mind quickly recalled what needs to be done in a medical emergency while he quickly went over to her. Despite his anger earlier, none of it mattered at the moment. All he wanted was to make sure she was okay.

    "Katherine..." He carefully pulled her up and cradled her in his arms, gently patting her cheek to wake her up only to realize that she was having a fever. "You''re burning up."

    He immediately gathered her in his arms and carried her back into the building. On his way to find the exit back to the streets, he bumped into Styles and he told him what happened.

    "I''m bringing her to the hospital," Damien said as he was on his way out, carrying Katherine in a bridal style.

    "No! No hospitals. It''s not safe there." Styles stopped him from getting out.

    "She''s sick! She needs a doctor!"

    "And I''m telling you, it''s not safe for Katherine to be in a hospital!" Styles insisted on his point. It didn''t matter that he was shouting at Damien Park. His first priority was Katherine''s safety. And by bringing her to the hospital, it will just make her look vulnerable in the eyes of the enemies who could possibly be lurking in the shadows and just waiting for the right time to strike.

    Damien breathed out and tried to calm himself. "Okay, fine. Let''s bring her home. I''ll call a doctor who can check on her."

    Golden Phoenix Residences

    It was already six in the evening and the sky had darkened. A small machine on the nightstand emitted steam with hints of aroma which would help Katherine, who was still sleeping, to feel better. She hadn''t woken up since she passed out earlier. Even when Jeffrey Evans came to check on her condition earlier, she remained unconscious for almost four hours.

    Damien was mad at himself. He was too mad to even notice that she was actually sick. He knew that she wasn''t feeling well before he left her apartment that morning. And because he was still reeling from the shocking discovery, he failed to realize that she was suffering. And instead of listening to her, he wanted to leave  to escape from reality. He didn''t know what would have happened if he had left not knowing that she fainted.

    Standing in front of the massive window of Katherine''s bedroom, Damien had his hands deep in his pockets as he stared at the view outside. He had been staring out the window for a while now, since the sun disappeared from the horizon and the twinkling lights of Harbor City started to sparkle below them. There were so many things going through his head. So many questions and he didn''t know which one to ask first.

    His motherAmelia, dropped by earlier to check how Katherine was doing. She stayed for just a few minutes while he continued to stay silent and ignore everyone else. He felt awkward knowing that she was there in the same room as him and the two of them hadn''t really spoken yet. What was one supposed to say to his biological mother when he sees her for the first time since he was born?

    As much as he was angry that Katherine kept something this important from him, the only person that he really wanted to talk to regarding this was no one else but her. Before he could speak to Amelia, he had to first talk to Katherine. He didn''t know why he felt that way. He just knew that he had to listen to whatever she had to say first before facing Amelia.

    A shuffling noise from the bed and Katherine clearing her throat pulled Damien out of his trance. He turned around and saw her waking up and trying to sit.

    Without saying anything, he walked up to her. He didn''t help her sit up but he handed her a ss of water.

    "T-Thanks" she said in a hoarse voice. Her throat was parched and hurt.

    When she was finished, she ced the ss on the nightstand where packs of medicines wereid. Slowly, the memory of the incident that happened in the alley came back to her and she immediately felt guilty. Raising her eyes up to look at him, she saw the way he looked at her with eyes so cold yet so loving. She was aware that she had hurt him once again.

    Katherine reached out to hold his hand and was d that he didn''t brush her off. But he didn''t hold her back like he usually would and that pricked her heart. She tugged him down until he sighed and sat on the bed next to her.

    "Have you two talked?" she asked.

    He shook his head and said nothing.

    "Is she here?"

    "She''s outside."

    "Don''t you want to talk to her?"

    She watched as Damien looked away, rubbing the back of his neck and running his fingers through his hair a few times. He was exasperated.

    "I want to hear you first," he said. "Before I talk to her, I want to hear from you first."

    Katherine clenched her hands together. This was it. She was finally going to show Damien all her demons.

    Not knowing where to start, she thought it was easier if he started the questions and she answered them. "What do you want to know?"

    "I don''t know, Katherine. Everything. Who are you? What do you really do? Who are you running away from? Who are you chasing after? Why are you with her Just tell me something. Anything," he spoke in a voice that was almost a whisper.

    The room was quiet for a while and the only thing they could hear was the white noiseing from the humidifier.

    "The things that I''m about to tell you" Katherine began and paused to gather more courage to admit everything to him. "Knowing these things can put anyone in danger. I kept it from you because having knowledge of their existence can put you on their radar. So, please I beg you, Damien please be very careful."

    Damien turned his head and met her misty gaze. The look on her face told him that she wasn''t selfishly keeping this information to herself  rather, she was scared of telling him for reasons he had yet to find out.

    Giving his full attention, he turned to face her and nodded for her to continue.

    Taking a deep breath, she told him everything, "My name is Katherine however, before I lost my memories five years ago, I had no surname. You tried to do a background check on me before but you didn''t find anything right? That''s because my records were wiped out. I didn''t exist. I didn''t have footprints. For six years, I''ve only used an identity that was given to me. You may have heard Styles calling me by a different name  it''s ''Queen''. I worked for a secret organization and that''s my alias. With an identity code Q78336."

    He had figured as much but finally hearing everything from her, it still felt bizarre. "What secret organization?"

    "Shadow." She swallowed  saying the name burned her throat. "It''s a covert branch of the government" her voice trailed off.

    "You work for the government?" He knitted his brows, showing that he was truly baffled at the information.

    Katherine buried her face in her hands, feeling stupid that she was so naive to believe that she worked for the government. She sighed. "At least that''s what we were told."

    "What do you mean?"

    "The entire time I was with them, that was everyone''s belief. That was all that we knew  that we all worked for the government. That we were doing everything for the good of the country."

    She tried to swallow the lump in her throat when memories of the innocent people she killed haunted her. Teardrops fell and she wiped them fast but Damien saw everything.

    "You''re an assassin," he muttered in a tone that wasn''t a question.

 Chapter 312: Discovery (4)

    Chapter 312: Discovery (4)

    "You''re an assassin."

    Damien''s words rang in Katherine''s mind, taunting and haunting her like she was a scum of the earth. Assassin  the word that was both foreign and familiar to her was something she never thought she would associate herself with. And yet herees Damien, calling her one without any second thoughts.

    She didn''t know which was more painful  that she acknowledged herself as one, or that he did? The first one hurt her. The other killed her.

    What was she supposed to say to that?

    Damien watched her expression grow from being ashamed to looking remorseful. It was such a painful sight to see and he wanted to hold her and tell her he didn''t care. That it didn''t matter to him. That he still saw her as Katherine. His Katherine.

    But while his heart and his brain were battling, his body grew tensed and he was unable to move. He could only look at her, so he balled his hands into fists as he tried to clear his head and move the conversation forward or he might break.

    "This organizationShadow were they the ones who put the bugs on us yesterday?" he asked.

    Nodding, she was thankful that he continued the conversation and didn''t linger on that dreadful truth. "Styles checked on it and he confirmed that it was Shadow."

    Damien nodded. At least he now had an identity of this group who was also after him. He didn''t care if they were after him as it''s not the first time that he had to deal with threats and had his life put in danger. But he cared that they were on to Katherine too. "Tell me how you ended up with them. What happened that night after I left you?"

    Katherine didn''t have to ask him which night he was talking about. She already knew he was referring to that one tragic evening when Shadow and the Parks came to assassinate her family.

    Until now, there were some pieces that she couldn''t put together about that night. It seemed as though she was deeply traumatized by what happened that she couldn''t remember everything so clearly after the explosion.

    Her hand flew to her chest wanting to clutch on the onyx ring that she kept close to her heart only to realize that it wasn''t there. Damien saw the panic that struck her face and he realized what she was looking for. He took something from his coat pocket and handed her a white gold chain with the onyx ring that he gave her a while back. "Looking for this?"

    When he saw her surprised look, he exined briefly, "The chain broke and it fell off when we arrived here."

    Katherine hesitantly retrieved it from him and instead of wearing it back on her, she just held it in her hand, embarrassed that Damien found out about the ring that she still kept on her. While she gave him back the engagement ring, the onyx ring stayed with her. Apart from her feelings, it was the one thing that she couldn''t let go of.

    "When you left me in the woods, someone found me. Chris he that man he found me. I thought the two of you were from the same group."

    "Why would you think that?"

    "I don''t know. I was twelve. It was dark. I didn''t know anything. He told me he was going to bring me somewhere safe but I didn''t want to leave. You said you wereing back for me but you didn''t"

    The reminder made Damien clench his jaw. He was still regretful that he couldn''t go back to her faster.

    Katherine breathed a heavy sigh and continued, "So I ran back to the house. I wanted to see my parents I wanted to save them. But before I could get back inside the house, Chris grabbed me, forcing me back to the woods. It was just a few secondster that the house exploded. What happened after that, isn''t so clear to me anymore. I just know that he got me out of there and brought me to an orphanage."

    It made more sense for Damien now. He had thought that he actually saw Katherine from the window while he was still trying to find her parents. She ran back towards the house and a few secondster the explosion happened. He was still inside the house and was lucky enough to get out of there alive. And that''s why he thought she was dead.

    "Why the orphanage? What about your grandfather?" he questioned.

    "I don''t know it''s hazy for me but Chris said something about it not being safe. It''s why we wanted to capture himst Saturday. But he got away."

    Damien rubbed his temple, a throbbing headache was starting to creep. "How did you end up with Shadow?"

    Katherine didn''t like having to recall the bad decisions she made as a teen. So she sped it up, grazing some parts to avoid the bitter part of her past to start haunting her again.

    "Chris took me out of the orphanage after I was there for three years. He brought me to Shadow where I started to train. I was fifteen when I entered and six yearster, I became one of the top agents in the organization. He promised to help me find the people responsible for my parents'' deaths. He gave me a false lead at first, in an attempt to make me believe that he was helping me to look for the suspects and made me promise that if it turned out to be a dead end, I would stop looking.

    "But when I didn''t see any results, I started my own investigations. I was already in, way too deep to stop. It was the day after you saw mest when I found out some startling truths about them. Shadow wasn''t there to save my family they were hired to assassinate us."

    Damien''s heartbeat was loud and almost frantic. This wasn''t what he was expecting at all. Just like Katherine, he had thought that the other group was there to save the Youngs and then it resulted in a war.

    Katherine continued to tell Damien how she found out about the truth, sparing him the part about her and Chris, and just told him she overheard about Operation Scorpion which led her to find out about the other things like killing innocent people and she didn''t even know.

    "What did you do? Why are they after you?" he asked.

    His voice had been very calm since they started talking that she didn''t know what was going on in his head. But she had already started this. There''s no going back now.

    "I" She swallowed, trying to force herself to admit another thing that her young self did so rashly. She looked away, unable to look Damien in the eye. What she was about to say wasn''t something a normal woman would do. It''s not even something a normal person would do. After learning she had killed innocent lives, she went on and killed more  only those people she targeted weren''t innocent. But even then, she still took lives.

    "Katherine," he called, his voice was firm yet gentle at the same time. "I need to know. You have to tell me what you did so I can understand everything."

    Katherine briefly met his gaze and she wanted to look away but for some reason, she held it. She looked at him straight in the eye and owned up to the monstrous thing she did.

    Already hating herself, her jaw tensed and she swallowed for god knows how many times already before she finally admitted, "I bombed Shadow''s base."

    Silence.

    He only looked at her and it scared her that she couldn''t read his expression.

 Chapter 313: Discovery (5)

    Chapter 313: Discovery (5)

    The silence was nearly deafening. It made Katherine feel like she was hearing a low-pitched sound ringing in her ear. Her gaze was still locked with Damien''s and it felt like forever since either of them spoke, causing her anxiousness.

    She started to question what was going on in his head. His expression was void of any emotions and it was hard for her to understand him at the moment.

    "Why aren''t you saying anything?" she finally asked.

    However, he remained speechless, just looking right at her as he contemted on things.

    "Damien" she called.

    Exhaling a short sigh, his shoulders rxed and he answered, "I''m just trying to wrap my head around it. I''m trying to imagine how you managed to do it."

    "What?" she whispered.

    "The image of you in my head I''m trying to see how it''s possible for you to bomb a secret organization''s base."

    Her brows knitted in confusion and frustration. Was Damien trying to imagine her capabilities? "Are you serious?"

    "What?"

    "First, you''re straightforward about calling me an assassin and now, you''re wondering how I did it?"

    "What do you expect me to think?"

    "Aren''t you fazed at all? Shouldn''t you be more shocked?"

    Damien let out a scoff  a mixture of mock and amusement. "Fazed? No. Shocked maybe, only a little. I''m not new to this world of underground or secret organizations, Katherine. I grew up knowing these things exist. I was trained by my father from a young age. I''ve told you a little about what my family does. So no, I''m not fazed. I had my suspicions, but maybe I didn''t want that to be the truth, so I didn''t allow myself to dwell on the possibilities of you being involved in something like this."

    He was right. But she didn''t think it was that fast for him to just ept the things that she admitted to him. It wasn''t because she thought he didn''t know about these things rather, she was feeling slightly hurt that he seemed so nonchnt about it. It was as though she wished that he would be mad at her instead and yell at her. She thought that it would make her feel better that way. His easy eptance over the matter made her sad. Her lips quivered.

    "You suspected me?" She hesitated, unsure of what she really wanted to hear from him.

    Damien had always been able to read Katherine. And seeing her expression, he knew that she was thinking of something else.

    "That''s not what you really want to ask me, is it?" he questioned in a confident tone.

    Of course, he knew her well enough to see right through her.

    "Ask me," he added with a gentler voice when Katherine remained silent.

    Her heart drummed in her chest while she wondered: ''What was the point in asking?'', at the same time that she tried to convince herself to just ask him.

    After contemting, she finally surrendered and probed, "Are you disappointed?"

    "Disappointed?"

    "... In me?"

    She watched as Damien looked at her with the familiar loving eyes that he had whenever she saw her. She could almost feel the warmth of those dark eyes that bore into her as if he was trying to see into her soul.

    It sounded poetic but she was in such a vulnerable state that at that moment, she wished that they weren''t talking about all of her demons. That instead of talking about bombs and killing, they should be like a normal couple who talks about rainbows and butterfliesor food and Damien''s exceptional cooking abilities that she could never match. Or maybe the fact that he could y her an instrumental with a piano and even make her fall asleep.

    Or maybe about their walk on the beach that one time or how they end up falling asleep when they nned to watch something at their home in Pearl Gardens. Her question sounded simple but she dreaded asking it because what she really wished for was that they could just go back to when she forgot about everything and didn''t remember her past. That it was just Katherine and Damien...

    But life was never fair, was it? And now she was asking him if he was disappointed in who she really was.

    Because if he wasn''t Should she tell him that she was?

    "Yes and no," he responded. "I''m not disappointed in what or who you were, Katherine. You were made to believe a lie. But I''m disappointed that you couldn''t trust me. I would have understood if it was before you lost your memories because we didn''t know each other that well back then. But now I came to know who you really are. I wish that you could have been honest with me earlier."

    She didn''t know how to respond to him. It took her a while before she managed to tell him, "If I were to face the same choices, Damien I would still choose the same and not tell you then. That''s just how I am."

    "Exactly. That''s who you are. You''re keeping this a secret because you were trying to protect me. That''s the kind of person I choose to see. Someone who cares about me."

    Water welled up in her eyes again and she blinked fast and looked down. She didn''t want to cry in front of him. She thought it was weak to do so.

    "But I''m a killer I killed people, Damien. I''ve taken lives that I could never bring back." She closed her eyes and swallowed the lump in her throat. Her chest began to feel heavy as the guilt crept up on her, wing her insides and shaking her conscience.

    "Look at me," he said. When Katherine refused to raise her chin, he called her, "Katherine."

    Hesitantly, she forced herself to match her gaze with his despite her lips trembling and her tears that were threatening to fall.

    Damien took a deep breath and told Katherine what she didn''t expect him to say, "So have I."

    "What?"

    "So have I I''ve taken lives that I could never bring back. You''re not the only one who has skeletons in their closet, Katherine. I''m just as damaged as you are."

 Chapter 314: Discovery (6)

    Chapter 314: Discovery (6)

    Katherine stared at Damien. She didn''t know what to think after hearing what he had said to her. He was still a teenager when they first met but when she recalled that fateful night she remembered that he looked so sure about holding the gun in his hand. He surely didn''t look like it was his first time.

    ''I''m just as damaged as you are.''

    Somehow, his words were both sad and beautiful. They were two imperfect souls with imperfect pasts trying to make sense of how they can be perfect for each other.

    She never expected anything from him. And even after hearing his confession just like she did, a part of her felt lighterthat Damien could understand what she was going through. But could he understand her guilt of taking innocent lives?

    The two just looked at each other and before Katherine could stop herself, she had already leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his frame.

    She didn''t know why she did that. The way he spoke sounded so confident but there was just something there that made her think it was quite sad and the urge to hug him had overtaken her rationale.

    Damien was taken aback at first and he froze for a second before he found himself returning her embrace. It was the first time that she initiated it since they broke up and the feeling of her warmth improved his mood.

    Her body temperature was still a bit high but it wasn''t as high as when she fainted earlier. He felt bad that they had to talk right now while she was still sick. Stroking her back and squeezing her before pulling back, he said, "You''re still a bit hot. Why don''t you rest more? We can talk againter."

    "No I''m okay. I don''t want to prolong this anymore. This might be the reason why I''m getting sick. It''s best to get it out of me."

    "Are you sure?"

    When she nodded, he did the same and then helped her settle in the bed again, cing pillows on the headboard for her to rest her back.

    "What do you want to know?" she asked.

    He thought about it for a while before he questioned, "What happened after that? You said you blew up the ce the day after ourst night together. How did you end up losing your memories?"

    "That It''s also bits and pieces for me. Styles was the only one I hoped to get out of there alive. Before that happened, he told me he was going home already but just when the bombs I set up were about to detonate, I ran into him and Chris. It scared me that he was still there. I wanted to drag him out with me but I don''t know the bombs blew up. The next thing I knew, I woke up in a dark room. I was in and out of consciousness. I remember I was able to escape one time but Chris caught me and"

    Damien''s brows knitted at the mention of Chris''s name and the way that Katherine looked distressed about the memory. His body went rigid. "So he really did this to you Why would he do that?"

    "He said Parker would kill me if he knew I was the one responsible for blowing up the base."

    "Parker?"

    "He''s Shadow''s head one of the founders. I was violent when I gained consciousness again. I was mad at Chris for keeping me when I learned that Parker was still alive. I wanted to go after him. Chris believed that wiping out my memory clean would keep me safe. And that I would get the chance to live a normal life instead of seeking more vengeance."

    "How did he..." Damien''s voice trailed off, unsure of how to ask her.

    "The procedure was painful. I remember writhing in pain, at least I think I was. I was paralyzed all over so I couldn''t move or talk." Katherine brought her knees up and hugged herself. She shook her head, not wanting to remember it anymore.

    "It''s okay you don''t have to tell me about that." He moved closer and sat next to her, their shoulders touching slightly. "I guess you were brought to the hospital after that then?"

    Thankful that he didn''t press on for her to continue talking about that gruesome memory, Katherine leaned on his side and nodded. "Monthster, I woke up. The procedure was sessful. I lived a life without knowing who I was at all. It was all too strange and empty. Five yearster, I came to yourpany. That''s pretty much the sum of it."

    The memory of seeing Katherine again five yearster after she suddenly disappeared on him shed in his mind. It was just like yesterday. He remembered feeling happy and angry at the same time when he saw her and then he got frustrated especially when she looked like she had no clue what was going on"And then you kneed me."

    "What"

    "You kneed me the first day I saw you in my office."

    Katherine gasped and snapped her head towards him, "You were about to kiss me!"

    Scoffing, Damien shook his head. "I was ying with you."

    "Yeah right"

    Maybe.

    The two of them shared a shortugh and then it was quiet again. This time, Katherine was the one who probed, "Don''t you want to ask about her?"

    He swallowed. Brushing his hand on his nape. He was having mixed emotions about the whole thing. "I don''t know what to ask."

    Seeing that he was having difficulty talking about his mother, she decided to start it, "I didn''t lie when I told you that I only met her recently. When I came back after bounty hunting, I saw her and Styles in the apartment that I was staying atthe old building you Wait. How did you find me there? Did you follow me?"

    "I I didn''t mean to. I mean I saw you and Styles leaving the lobby downstairs when I was just about to go up here to check on you. I called you but you didn''t hear me. You looked like you were going somewhere dangerous and you were still sick so I got worried I''m sorry."

    Katherine could only look at him. She was surprised but she didn''t even have the energy to get mad that he followed her. It was a pointless matter now but maybe they''ll have to talk about it againter.

    She decided to brush it off and sighed before she continued, "I thought Shadow or Chris had found me when I realized that someone broke inside. I sort of had a fight with her on the first day"

    "What do you mean?"

    "Well You don''t break in into someone''s ce especially if that someone owns a gun and a knife. So I flung a dagger across the room as soon as I saw someone appear."

    "You really don''t waste time, do you? You just go in blind and start attacking like you did with me yesterday?"

    "In my defense, I didn''t know it was you. But I''ve always been like that. Strike first, ask questionster."

    Damien chuckled upon hearing her statement. That was something that they could agree on. He was also sometimes impatient when ites to certain things.

    "Amelia''s a great fighter. I''ve sparred with her a couple of times. There were even tactics that I learned from Shadow and only realized recently that she was the one who came up with that strategy. Your mother is awesome, Damien"

    Hearing Katherine''s praise of his mother caused his ears to perk up. But another revtion stirred him. "She''s she''s also an assassin?"

    "I I don''t know about her whole story, she hadn''t told me much. I just know that she was once an agent of Shadow too. Her name was taboo after she went rogue. I guess you''d have to ask her that question."

    Left with no choice, Damien could only respond, "I guess I do."

 Chapter 315: Discovery (7)

    Chapter 315: Discovery (7)

    "What do I even say to her?" Damien''s hushed tone sounded slightly adorable to Katherine.

    "What do you want to know?"

    He didn''t say anything. This was a difficult time for him and seeing that he was nervous about talking to his mother made her smile. It was stupid and if people could see her reaction now they would think she must be weird for finding that cute. But she couldn''t help but feel excited that he was finally going to talk to Ameliahis birth mom.

    She remembered the hints of tenderness in Amelia''s eyes whenever they talked about Damien. It was so real and warm that it made Katherine miss her own mom at times. The reminder brought her back to that tragic night again from sixteen years ago and she sat straight facing him. Subconsciously, she grabbed his hand and squeezed it. "Damien that time sixteen years ago when you came into my room that night, when the war in my house broke out... "

    Baffled by her sudden eagerness, he arched a brow and nced to the side briefly as though he was trying to recall the memory. It only took him a second because that was also the one night that left a thorn in his heart. He nodded, "Yeah?"

    "Do you remember that before you helped me climb out of the window, there was someone else who came inside that room?"

    He didn''t know where this was going but his heart started to quicken its beating. "What about it?"

    "That was her."

    A look of bewilderment ghosted his face upon hearing Katherine''s words. He looked at her and his eyes widened as he stammered, "W-What do you What do you mean?"

    "Falcon learned that Frederick sent you there. She was there with Shadow. She wasn''t even supposed to go with them on the mission but she knew she had to be there because she didn''t want that life for you."

    The scene of that night began ying in his mind up until that particr time when someone came inside Katherine''s bedroom. Damien remembered even pointing his gun at that person. He didn''t recognize the woman as it was quite dark and just like him, she had ck stripes painted on her face. Was that really her?

    It was the first time that he had seen her that night and he didn''t even know she was his mother. There was a strange feeling within him that he didn''t recognize. It was a gush of mixed emotions that coursed through him. It was only when he felt Katherine''s fingers touch his face that he realized a tear fell from his eyes. What was happening?

    Damien was so overwhelmed with these unknown emotions that he could only close his eyes and bury his face in his hands. He loosened the tie around his neck when he felt that he suddenly couldn''t breathe.

    "Damien" Katherine worried. Should she not have said that? "I''m sorry Are you okay?"

    He blew out a sharp breath and leaned on the headrest of the bed. Everything was so strange. He had met his mother a long time ago and he didn''t even know. He pointed his gun at her and almost pulled the trigger. "I almost shot her," he whispered.

    Realizing what he was talking about, she immediately consoled him, "But you didn''t. She helped us out, remember?"

    Damien was quiet once again. He didn''t know what to think about Amelia. When his motherMiriam left him when he was a kid, he missed her. He didn''t like her so much because he always got scolded by her but he still called her ''mother''. There were only a handful of times that she showed kindness but when Nana told him the truth about his birth, he realized that Miriam was only ever kind to him when his father was around.

    Because of that, he never really knew what a mother was like. But with what hecked, Nana filled in. So even though he didn''t feel the affection of a mother from Miriam, he still felt loved because of Nana. So what was he supposed to feel for his biological mother?

    "You should talk to her" Katherine encouraged. She didn''t know Amelia that well so she couldn''t say a lot of things about her. It was best that whatever Damien needed to know about Amelia shoulde from the person herself.

    The question was  Is Amelia ready?

    Because Damien insisted that Katherine should rest more, he ended uping out of her bedroom alone and found Amelia and Styles in the dining room. The two had just finished setting up the table for dinner.

    Styles eyed Amelia but thetter could only stare at Damien, unable to start a conversation. He straightened up and nodded his head to the food saying, "Come and join us for dinner."

    Damien didn''t say anything in response but he went to wash his hands and joined them at the table. Styles sat at the head of the table with Amelia to his left and Damien to his right. The atmosphere was so bizarre that he felt a little awkward being there like the third wheel.

    "Katherine woke up..." Damien started. He was staring down at his empty te, refusing to look at his mother who was sitting in front of him.

    Styles froze in the middle of putting food in his mouth with a fork when he heard Damien speak. His mouth was open, ready to receive the delicious sweet and sour fish, but he was too stunned to eat. His eyes darted to Amelia, wondering what she would do or say.

    "That''s great Should we bring some food for her?"

    Amelia''s warm voice felt like a nket covering Damien''s shoulder. He had never felt something like that with Miriam before.

    "She wasn''t hungry. She''s sleeping again."

    "Okay Well, you must be hungry. Would you like some?" Amelia brought the te of sweet and sour fish closer to his te. There was a small smile on her face as she waited for him to answer. Truth be told, she was also nervous. But seeing that her son was civil to her, her heart hoped that they could at least share a meal together peacefully.

    Damien lifted his chin and for the first time, he met his mother''s gaze. She was as beautiful as the one he saw in the picture that Nana gave him. She looked so young that it was weird. It was as if she didn''t age at all. Her hair was straight her eyes were the same colors as his. And her timid smile was so friendly that it pricked his heart.

    Was she really his mother?

    The question still rang in his head despite the already obvious facts that were told to him.

    He couldn''t respond to her, rendered speechless at the sight of his mother. His trance was interrupted when he noticed some movements in front of him and that''s when he saw that Amelia had taken the initiative to scoop some food and had already ced them on his te.

    The gesture was so simple yet he felt that it was special  it was simple but Miriam hadn''t done it for him even once. He hadn''t spent longer than five minutes with Amelia at the table and there was already a huge difference between the two women.

    Swallowing the lump in his throat, Damien gathered his courage and uttered, "Thank you."

 Chapter 316: Discovery (8)

    Chapter 316: Discovery (8)

    "I''ll just" Styles jerked his thumb to the side and cleared his throat, unsure of what to really say to the two people since it was obvious that he was giving them privacy. "Good night."

    Amelia finished clearing up the table after their dinner with the help of Styles, and Damien who was still a bit awkward around her. Now that she and her son were left alone, she felt nervous knowing that the inevitable ''talk'' hase.

    "Would you like to drink tea? I prepared some oolong" she offered, in which Damien nodded with an unreadable expression. She smiled at him as she told him to wait in the living room.

    Damien rubbed the palms of his hands against his pantsuit, wiping the moist off as he watched Amelia serve him tea. He offered to make the tea earlier but she insisted on doing so. He was sitting on the sofa while she sat in the armchair to his right  it was just the right amount of distance between them.

    There was silence as they started sipping their tea. Thinking that he should open the conversation, he started, "Why are you here?" He kept his gaze on the teacup that he ced on the coffee table.

    Amelia let out a small sigh and set her own teacup down before facing him. "How much did Katherine tell you?"

    "Pretty much everything about her."

    Nodding, she held her hands together and decided that it really was about time for her son to know the truth. "In order to understand everything, I think we need to talk about how it all began."

    Damien darted his eyes and met hers, holding her gaze as though it was his assurance that he was willing to listen to her.

    "I used to work for your father Lawrence." There was a hint of a smile on her face when she mentioned her former lover''s name. "I was part of his personal security detail and I was just twenty years old. Your father was a few years older than me. I was usually assigned on thete afternoon to evening shifts when he spent most of his time at work. He was still a vice-president then. Lawrence was a very hardworking man."

    It was bizarre for Damien to listen to someonehis biological mother whom he just mettalk about histe father like it was just yesterday. He was going to learn about how their love story began and he didn''t know how to feel about it.

    "He liked his coffee ck, no sugar and during my shift, I would make him some. He didn''t really notice me at first, I was just a mere personnel after all. But one day my shift changed and I was assigned to work the morning shift. I heard from the others that he was mad on the nights that I wasn''t there. I guess he got used to my coffee. The other detail who reced me in the evening was a guy and he could make ck coffee just like any other but your father stillined. He said it wasn''t the same as how I made it." Amelia chuckled at the memory. She looked at the coffee table as though she was imagining that there was a mug of coffee next to her tea.

    "A few days after that, he told the head of security to put me back in my previous shift schedule. I started making him the usual coffee that I made him before and that night he asked me how I made them"

    "A pinch of salt," Damien muttered.

    "How did you know?"

    "I saw him doing it once when I was a child. I asked him why and he said it tasted better." He recalled that certain memory in his head and he felt nostalgic and mncholic. How could he have known that what he learned from his father and even applied it to himself actually came from her?

    When he got older and started drinking coffee, he remembered what his father did. He found the idea weird. Adding salt to coffee? Wouldn''t that make it salty? But that was also when he started to learn how to cook and even tried to learn how to bake basic recipes  adding salt to his food only enhanced the vor. So he tried adding a small pinch of salt to his ck coffee and to his surprise, it was actually good; it was smoother.

    After that, he pretty much formed the habit. He looked down and the corner of his mouth very slightly and briefly curled up at the realization. He picked up a habit and a preference from his father, not knowing that it was all because of her.

    Amelia studied Damien''s expression. She didn''t know what he was thinking about but she saw the small reaction on his face and it warmed her heart.

    "Eventually, we ended up spending more time together. He stayed in the officete a lot as he was working so hard to earn his father''s trust and approval so he could be the next president of Park Group. I ended up falling for him he was such a smart man. There were lots of women who tried to get his attention but I haven''t seen him with one. He was always working. Anyway time passed and we got closer. We had a rtionship but we had to keep it a secret."

    Even if she didn''t tell him why, he already understood why they had to.

    "We knew that our circumstances would never allow us to be together. He tried though he promised he would make it work. But then your grandfather learned about us and well, you probably know it already. Your grandfather was against us. I couldn''t me him. I had no parents and I only grew up with my grandmother. I finishedmunity college but that''s really all I had. A diploma. My background didn''t appeal to your grandfather."

    Damien knew that. His grandfather shared the same view with Frederick. The two would judge a person based on their background and family ties  connections and prestige were very important to them.

    "Even then, Lawrence tried to convince him that he didn''t care about anything else. He wanted to marry me" Amelia picked up the teacup and sipped her tea. Her throat started to feel dry and her eyes were welling up because of the memory that she had to tell her son. It was hard for her to recall all these things but it was better to tell him everything. So if he wanted nothing to do with her after listening to her side of the story, then she would understand. This was her chance to tell him her truth.

    Damien saw that she was getting emotional from their talk. It must be hard for her to retell the love story that didn''t end up with a happy ending. He was hurt because of his and Katherine''s situation but at least she was still there  they talked, they hugged, he could see her and hold her even if it''s not all the time.

    Whereas Ameliahis mother... she looked like she was still in love with his father. But what could she do? His father was no longer there.

    His hand slightly shook before he tentatively reached out and ced his hand over her clenched ones.

    For the first time, he touched her hand.

    For the first time, he touched his mother''s hands.

    And it felt warm.

 Chapter 317: Discovery (9)

    Chapter 317: Discovery (9)

    Feeling her son''s hand on hers, Amelia''s resolve cracked. She wanted to keep a safe distance between them because she was afraid to scare Damien away. After all, it''s the first time that they had the chance to just sit down and talk. He squeezed her hand gently as though he was silently telling herforting words without really speaking.

    She was somewhat taken aback. The gesture was too sweet and too warm that soon, the corners of her mouth turned up. His initiative gave her the strength to move forward and continue what she had to say.

    "Your grandfather never agreed to a wedding. He didn''t give us his blessing. He wanted to fire me from Lawrence''s security detail but he didn''t have the power to do so since your father was the one who hired meI was one of his personal security details and not the Park Family''s. Honestly, I couldn''t give up the job too. It was a high paying one and I needed the money for my grandmother. She was old and sickly.

    "Eventually, your grandfather found Miriam Zhao whom he thought was suited for Lawrence. He nned their wedding and forced your father to marry her. Your father didn''t agree but if he didn''t go through with the wedding your grandfather would have made my life difficult. We managed for a while but then when my grandmother had to be taken to a hospital, they turned us down..."

    Damien''s grandfather was quite an influential person. If he wanted something to happen, he was sure to make it happen. Amelia didn''t have to say more and Damien could already guess what happened next.

    "In the end, Lawrence married Miriam but he still went home to me. I got pregnant a few monthster. It was wrong he was already a married man. But I I also couldn''t give up on him. My grandmother died before you were born, so I really only had you and your father then and no one else. I guess I was vulnerable and needy. We were able to keep it a secret for a while but a month before my due date, your grandfather learned about my pregnancy."

    This time, a tear fell from Amelia''s eye,nding on the back of Damien''s hand. It started with a drop and then another followed and another until the tears just kept flowing out.

    Damien froze at the sight. He had just known her for a short period of time but seeing her cry crushed his heart. But his body won''t move and all he could do was order his hand to squeeze hers again.

    Amelia chuckled and reached for the tissue on the table, wiping her tears away as she said, "Sorry, I''m a bit emotional just remembering the past. I''m okay it''s just... a sad memory. That''s all."

    Damien pulled his hand back, his heart irregrly beat upon listening to her sniffs. The dreaded question that he had always wanted to ask her crept up once again, nagging him to ask her now but he hesitated, unsure if he was ready to know what she had to say.

    "Why did you leave?" He left out the word ''me''. He couldn''t get himself to say it.

    Amelia seemed to understand what he meant too and her heart pricked at the thought of him wondering why she left him with his father.

    "When I gave birth, I stayed in the hospital for a couple of weeks because you weren''t very healthy. It wasn''t anything serious but they had to monitor you. When we were allowed to discharge, Lawrence brought me to the Park Mansion. I didn''t want to but he didn''t let me go, I was still recovering and needed the help I could get to take care of you too.

    "I didn''t know Miriam very much as your father never talked about her. While I stayed there, he was always with me and helped me take care of you. Almost two weekster, your grandfather came to me He told me to leave without you and gave me a case full of money. I declined his offer. I could never exchange you for money."

    The mother and son exchanged looks. Even without him speaking, she already knew he was asking ''why'' with the way that he held her stare.

    Taking a deep breath, Amelia continued, "Your grandmother is a very kind woman. She was kind to me, at least Even if I wasn''t the legal wife. Lawrence had be the CEO and in front of everyone, Miriam was his wife And then I realized that I could never give you the kind of life that you deserved

    "Your father was a responsible man. I just knew that he could never leave Miriam or his family for me. There was no way your grandfather would allow me to stay. I was young but I didn''t leave because I didn''t love you. Believe me, part of me died when I left you with them. But I thought it would be best for you that way. They could provide you with anything If I brought you with me I I just didn''t want you to have a hard life."

    Amelia wiped her tears when Damien asked in a soft voice, "My father didn''t he stop you?"

    She shook her head. "I didn''t tell him I was leaving. I left after he went to work."

    Damien couldn''t understand what he was supposed to feel. There was something heavy inside of him yet he didn''t know what it meant. He was pissed at his grandfather. He wanted to be angry at her, but he couldn''t. He was mad at his father for not doing enough to keep her.

    If Amelia was special to his father as Katherine was to him, he couldn''t bear to think that he wouldn''t do everything to save their rtionship. So why? Why did his father fail to do that?

    He had too many questions for his father but that''s all they were going to be. They will be left as questions with no answers.

 Chapter 318: Discovery (10)

    Chapter 318: Discovery (10)

    Damien was pissed at the thought of his father not doing everything he could for Amelia. If he were in that position, he would most definitely do something to protect the woman he loved. There was just no way for him to abandon Katherine over someone else.

    If his father loved Amelia, why didn''t he leave the household? How important was prestige for his father to be kept on a leash by the Park Family?

    All this time, Damien thought his father was tough. That his fatherdespite the dark traits that he possessedwas a smart and formidable man capable of managing so many people and even ruling the underworld.

    It turned out that he was wrong about his father. His father, Lawrence Park, was nothing but a coward.

    A coward who couldn''t protect his real family. An idiot who let go of someone he loved in exchange for wealth and power. Damien was enraged at the thought of his father choosing anything else over Amelia.

    Seeing the change of expression on her son''s face, Amelia guessed what he must be thinking. She reached for his hand and enfolded it with hers, squeezing it as she told him, "Damien, don''t hate your father. He has done what he could during those times. It may not be the best choice that he could have made, but he chose to be everything to everyone."

    "How could you still defend him after what he has done? If he truly loved you, he would have left the household and started a new life with you somewhere. What kind of man makes his woman suffer?" His brows furrowed as he spat the words, evidently hurt and affected because of his father''s actions.

    A tear rolled out of her eyes at the same time that the corners of her mouth curled up. Raising her hand, she caressed her son''s cheek and he closed his eyes. "My son, you are a very good man. But you also have to understand your father. Before he met me, he had his goals and dreams. Throughout his whole life, he wanted nothing but to achieve those. He wanted great things for his people. I never wanted him to give up on those dreams just because I was already part of his life. That''s what love is, isn''t it? It doesn''t matter as long as your loved one is happy.

    "But shouldn''t he have been responsible and dedicated to you?"

    "He was. Always. He was. He worked hard so that he could be powerful enough to oppose his father. He fought and did what he thought was best for you and me. It was why he brought me with him to live in the Park Mansion. Don''t me him, son I was the one who was weak. I couldn''t handle being there with people who intimidated me. I was young and naive at that time, thinking that leaving you with your father was the only way that you could grow up happy. I had nothing in my name. I wouldn''t be able to provide you what you needed."

    Damien understood what she was saying but he still couldn''t ept what his father chose to do. He thought that his father just didn''t do enough.

    After a long moment of silence, he asked, "How did you end up in Shadow?"

    Amelia straightened up and took a sip of her tea. It was getting cold so she decided to make a new batch. "I guess Katherine told you everything she knew," she started as she went to the kitchen and Damien followed after her.

    "Just things rted to her" He sat on a stool and watched his mother move about in the kitchen. It was still quite surreal for him that he was talking to her so casually like this. There was a newly found fondness that made him eager to connect with her.

    "The Shadow that she knows now isn''t how Shadow was when it first started. I was part of the pioneer team when they established it. A few months after I left the Park Mansion, I was looking for a job in another state. Your grandfather was an influential man, I couldn''t get any job in Esmea, so I had to start somewhere. Just when I was about to leave the state, a man came to me and asked me if I wanted a job."

    "Is it that man called Parker?" he wondered.

    Amused that Katherine really had told her son everything, she smiled. She turned the electric kettle on and faced her son, leaning over the kitchen ind as she answered, "No, not Parker. It was another man, his name was Frankie Bianchi. Frankie was the original founder of Shadow and Parker was his right-hand man. When Shadow started, there were about a dozen recruits and I was one of them. Shadow was a security agencywell it still is but as I said, it''s not the same as how it started.

    "When Frankie recruited me to be part of the team, I was thrilled. The pay was good and I''d be working for the government too. We underwent necessary training and I passed every single one. I became an agent in less than a year and from then, we started operations that included surveince, infiltration, and other covert operations. I never doubted Frankie because he was the one who helped me and we all believed that Shadow was what they said it was."

    "What do you mean?"

    "Frankie told us that we were a division under the country''s intelligence agency. We never doubted him because from time to time, we would see government officials who would visit the base and have long meetings with him. We were sworn to secrecy and never talk about whatever we see within the walls of the base. But it wasn''t until many yearster that I learned the truth, Shadow was actually a counter-government unit."

    Damien was stunned, just like Katherine, his mother was also fooled by Shadow. They let her think that they were doing everything for the good of the country. But as it turns out, they were actually doing the dirty deeds for corrupt officials.

    "What happened then? Couldn''t you expose all their dirty secrets?"

    "It''s not that easy. I couldn''t know for sure who I could trust. Anyone could be anyone. People aren''t who they say they are. And if I make a wrong move, I could end up dead in just a flick. Knowing the secret is one thing, keeping it is another, and whatever you do with the secret can either save you or kill you. I choose to live. There''s no point if I wasted my life when Shadow will still continue to run its operations. Which is why it''s been years but I''m still nowhere near seeing my end goal."

    Amelia couldn''t wait for the day when Shadow will cease to exist. There must be justice somewhere She just got to have faith.

    "Did you leave as soon as you learned about the truth?" Damien was curious as to which point in her life she was able to get away from that organization.

    Shaking her head, Amelia uttered, "I couldn''t leave right away. By then I knew that if I did, they would have to hunt me down for knowing too much. I only left Shadow several months after that mission with the Youngs."

    He was baffled and then remembered what Katherine told him. "Katherine told me it was you that night Did it have something to do with why you left Shadow then?"

    The kettle''s button popped, indicating that the water was ready but Amelia remained immobile as she stared at the ind counter.

    "I wasn''t supposed to be on that mission. And Frankie found out about itter. He confronted me about it and told me that he learned about your existence."

    Amelia looked up and saw her son waiting for her to continue and the words that she never thought she would ever say in front of him just came out of her mouth, "So I killed him."

 Chapter 319: Discovery (11)

    Chapter 319: Discovery (11)

    The way Amelia said that she killed someone unapologetically made Damien look at her differently. How baffling was it to know that your mother was an assassin?

    He was both surprised and bewildered but at the same time, he also already guessed the reason behind her action but he just had to ask, "Why?"

    "A year after I became an agent, Frankie gave me a mission. He wanted me to infiltrate the Park''s organization."

    Damien was taken aback by what she said. There was even something like this going on? He darted his eyes to the side as if his mind was trying to imagine the possibilities about it happening. "Did you"

    "No, no" She shook her head, denying what he assumed. "I didn''t take it. Honestly, I didn''t know your father was in that business I was hired as his personal security detail, not by the Parks''. I figured that he separated the two to avoid infiltration or espionage. Your father didn''t tell me anything so I really had no idea. I only knew after Frankie told me. I then figured that he hired me because I had connections with your father. But there was no way that I could do it. Even though I knew about his involvement with the underworld business, I couldn''t ept the assignment."

    Damien''s mind went back to the past when he learned about his family''s business in the underworld. He wondered if there was an incident that could have been Shadow''s doing. "What was the mission?"

    "It wasn''t an assassination or anything. I believe someone gave a tip to Frankie and he needed to know more about your grandfather''s business. Shadow needed to be familiar with the happenings all throughout the country. They needed to know the ''Whos'' and the ''Whats''. But I declined the mission and when he asked me why I couldn''t do it, I had to lie to him."

    "What did you tell him?"

    "I told him that the reason I left was because I had an affair with your father and his wife and father found out. So I couldn''t possibly go back there."

    "Why would you say that?" he pondered. How could his mother say something like that and make herself look bad? She was selfless.

    Turning around, Amelia went to get the kettle and started brewing a pot of tea for them. She went back to face Damien and ced the pot in the middle of the ind counter, letting the loose tea leaves steep.

    Shrugging, she answered nonchntly. "That''s the only way I could think of at that moment and it worked. Frankie didn''t want topromise my identity so he let me go and found another agent to do it. I tried to keep tabs on your father and on you..." She cleared her throat. "Anyway, I learned the truth about Shadow many yearster after I joined. At the same time, it has evolved as an organization and became really huge. Some missions even involved going overseas. Months after what happened with the Youngs, Frankie called me in his office."

    ~~~

    About sixteen years ago

    In her mid-thirties, Amelia Silva worked at Shadow as one of the top agents. She had been working with them for a long time and most of the things had been smooth. Shadow had started as a great organization and everything was clean at first. It wasn''t until a decadeter when she noticed a few odd incidents. But because she was only an employee under thepany, she didn''t have any business to meddle with the bosses'' affairs.

    One day, Frankie called her to his office and she came in just like usual, ready to receive orders.

    "Agent Falcon," Frankie Bianchi called. He was about ten years older than her and he was about the same height as her but bigger. He had an unreadable expression like always and Amelia had never seen him smile even once.

    Amelia stood straight and looked straight ahead. "Yes, Sir."

    Frankie rounded his desk, his shoes squeaked whenever he walked. He stood in front of the ss window and watched the agents and employees from outside his office. "How long have you been with us? More than a decade? Fifteen years? Time flies by so fast, huh? Where does your loyalty lie, Agent?"

    Amelia didn''t understand where he was going with his questions but she answered them just like she should. "My loyalty is with Shadow, Sir."

    "Hmmm Then you don''t have any reason to keep secrets from us, do you, Agent?" He turned his head towards Falcon and his mouth turned up into a chilling smile. "Do you have secrets, Agent?"

    The look on his face frightened Amelia but she didn''t show it on her face. There had been only a few times when Frankie scolded her but it was all because of work. This time, however, was something strange. And she started to feel as though she was really in trouble.

    "I don''t understand what you mean, Sir," she cautioned.

    Frankie looked at her expression for a good minute before he went back to retrieve some pictures from his drawer and then tossed it on his desk.

    The moment Amelia''s gazended on the photos, her heart trembled along with her body.

    On the table were photos upon photos of her son, Damien Park who was currently fifteen years of age. There were pictures of him from school, with his friends, and cousins. She became pale white and could not utter a single word after seeing it.

    "Hmmm. I don''t even have to ask the question. It already looks like you know what I''m talking about. But let me just say it, and tell me if I''m wrong." Frankie sat on his desk, in front of Amelia who was only a few seconds away from breaking.

    "Operation Scorpion. You were there when you weren''t supposed to be part of the mission. How you heard about it, I don''t know. But it made me wonder why you were there. At first, I thought that you just wanted to help your juniors or maybe watch over them since it was Christopher''s first time without a mentor. But when we learned about the Parks'' involvement that night, I remembered what you told me many years ago Your affair with Lawrence Park."

    Frankie''s voice sounded like he was amused by his discovery. He watched as Amelia''s expression turned from one thing to another and then he continued, "So I had them watched  the Parks. Until I came across Lawrence''s son" He clicked his tongue. "Imagine my surprise when I looked at him and saw the resemnce."

    "What did you do to him?" Amelia''s tear trickled down her cheek as she spoke under gritted teeth.

    "Agent, don''t worry. I didn''t do anything to your son. At least not yet. I also haven''t told anyone about this realization. However, this is a problem, no? You have been working with us for a long time now, Agent But how do I really know where your loyalty lies when you have a son with the Parks?"

    Amelia met Frankie''s gaze and the two of them gave each other deathly res. She had done everything in her power to keep her distance away from her son. Despite knowing what his father was, she could no longer take him away from them too. She had no right and the life she was living then was not safe for him either. Now, Frankie learned about her secret. He used her of being a threat.

    But while Frankie thought of that, there was only one thing that Amelia had in mind:

    Frankie was a threat to her son.

 Chapter 320: Discovery (12)

    Chapter 320: Discovery (12)

    Amelia had known Frankie Bianchi for more than a decade now. When he gave her that job fifteen years ago, she had always been thankful to him. Though Shadow had changed a lotpared to how it was when it first started, she had already gotten used to that life and there was nothing else that she could do outside. She didn''t know what she signed up for and when she learned about it eventually, it was toote to turn around and walk away from it.

    She had learned to turn a blind eye about the things she heard within the walls of Shadow and just tried to live her life far from her son. She had already made the mistake of leaving him. She certainly didn''t deserve having him in her life now. The moment she walked out on him, she lost her rights.

    Amelia wished that for Damien''s sake, she had been stronger, that she had made a better choice, that she had been more mature to make the right decisions in life.

    When Lawrence got married, she should have stopped seeing him, but she didn''t. She was weak to let go of him. But after she gave birth and started living in the Park Mansion, she couldn''t stomach the feeling of being ostracized and judged by everyone who was looking at her like she was an abomination. She didn''t belong there with those people.

    Choosing to part with her son was the worst decision that she had ever made. She felt like she died inside but she constantly told herself that it was better that way. She thought that Damien could grow without being ridiculed about his family. He could have the life that everyone would be envious about.

    But the longer that she was away from him, the worse that she felt. At times she was very weak and had to see her son, she saw how happy he was with his life. And she was reminded that it was good for him to stay that way. There was no need to scare him away and there was no point in showing herself at that time because Shadow must not know about him. The only choice Amelia believed she could make which was in the best interest for her son was to just keep her distance from him.

    The minute that Frankie knew about Damien, his life had already been in danger. She just knew that he would turn it against her. And Amelia couldn''t risk getting Parker to know about Damien too. Frankie was evil but he could somewhat still be reasoned. However, it was different with his right-hand man. Parker stole from his own boss and even nned to double-cross him.

    Amelia couldn''t allow Frankie and Parker to get near her son, so she decided to take Frankie''s life. That night, she came to his house. The two struggled at first but with years of experience from being an agent, she definitely had the upper hand. However, just when she had ended his life, Parker appeared out of nowhere and caught her in the act. She escaped that night and Parker dered a hit on her.

    That was how she became Shadow''s first rogue agent.

    ~~~

    Amelia filled Damien''s cup of tea as she told him about what happened then. She spared him the gory details but she tried to exin her side the best that she could. She was thankful that her son was very patient in listening to her and gave her the time and chance that she needed to tell her side of the story.

    "Ever since that night, I have been on the run. Parker stepped in and became Shadow''s leader, recing Frankie and had me on the hit list for a long time. I became the top priority of all the agents for a year. I thought I was going to die then. But I managed to escape them and fled to Mexico for a while. I still had one person I could trust inside but he couldn''t really do anything else other than warn me. A yearter, Parker retracted the hit from all the agents and only left it to a few top agents while he made everyone in Shadow to stop talking about me. If he, as much as, heard someone mention my name, he had them executed without questions."

    With a cup in his hands, Damien processed all the information that Amelia was telling him. There were too many to absorb that night and everything just kept on piling up from one thing to another. He felt that he was about to have a headache. After taking a sip of the tea, he asked, "Why would he do that?"

    She shrugged. "Parker was there that night because he was stealing something from Frankie. He did catch me red-handed but it was the same for him. He didn''t say but I knew that he was there to get some important documents behind Frankie''s back. He was probably afraid that everyone in Shadow would know about it and use it against him. The thought of me still being alive and knowing his secret probably made him extremely ufortable. I had to fake my death."

    "Do you know his secrets?" he asked, but just when he did, a shattering sound came from Katherine''s bedroom. Their heads snapped towards it and the two raced to her bedroom to see what was going on.

    Damien swung the door open while his mother followed behind and they saw Katherine wiping the floor and picking up shards of sses. "What happened?" he worried.

    "Sorry, the ss slipped from my hand while I was going to get some water." Katherine looked up and saw Damien and his mother by the door. She wondered if the two of them had talked already. She had just woken up from a nap and was thirsty but because she hadn''t eaten yet, she was feeling a bit lethargic therefore losing her grip of the ss.

    He strolled towards her and helped her clean up the mess. "Are you feeling better? I''ll get you some food or you cane out to eat if you want to."

    "Yeah, I guess I could eat." She looked past Damien''s shoulder and saw Amelia lightly smile at her. Thetter didn''t say anything but by the look on Amelia''s face, it seemed as though she was thanking her. Katherine could only guess that the conversation between the mother and son must have been progressive.

    "I''ll go and heat up some food for you," Amelia offered before she closed the door to Katherine''s bedroom and left.

    Damien and Katherine washed their hands in the bathroom after cleaning up the mess and discarding the broken pieces of ss. It was quiet at first until she started, "I take it that you two have finally talked?"

    He nodded, wiping his hands with the small towel and faced Katherine when she followed up with another question, "How do you feel?"

    "Weird." He leaned against the counter and recalled what he and his mother just talked about earlier.

    "Are you mad at her?"

    "I don''t know Maybe I''m not sure"

    The two exchanged looks and did not speak for a while. And before Katherine could tear her gaze away from him, he reached for her hand and pulled her towards him.

    In the blink of an eye, Damien had his arms around Katherine''s waist and embraced her so tightly she thought she would break. But she didn''t pull away Instead, she found herself returning his hug with just about the same strength.

    "It''s okay You''re okay" she whispered.

 Chapter 321: Sleepover

    Chapter 321: Sleepover

    Katherine''s arms were draped on Damien''s neck as she hugged him back. Her fingers stroking and threading his hair in a very soothing manner. She wouldn''t know how it must feel like for him being in this mess and learning about everything in one night, not to mention learning about his mother after three decades. He must be having a really hard time.

    He buried his face on her shoulder, she was no longer feverish but she felt warm andfortable to touch. Her natural scent was everything he could have asked for and it soothed him. This woman was beautiful yet she was wed. Despite that fact, he still saw her as the most beautiful woman.

    "Do you hate me?" she wondered, her voice was soft and sad. She was still uncertain about the two of them but she just couldn''t help herself and know what he thought of her.

    Without lifting his head, he spoke against her shoulder, "How could I?"

    "I did many terrible things"

    "So did I," he remarked and mentally shrugged. It didn''t matter to him.

    His simple answer was enough for Katherine and when she pressed herself against him more, he tightened his grip.

    "I''m sorry about your mom," she softlyforted, heavy-hearted because of his discovery about his mother.

    She always saw him as this big man capable of conquering the business world but when it came to his mother, he looked vulnerable. Her heart ached for Damien and she wished that he didn''t have to suffer like this. It was unfair that he was going through this pain all because of the decisions that were made many years ago.

    Katherine had no right to me Amelia and she wouldn''t know how it really was to be a mother but she didn''t have to be one to empathize with her. For the short period of time that she knew Amelia, she could see that even though she made mistakes when she was young, she definitely regretted not being part of Damien''s life.

    He didn''t know how to respond to her, so he could only apologize to her too, "I''m sorry I followed you earlier."

    "Those two aren''t the same thing. Though I''m still mad about you following me, what I kept from you was a big secret."

    "Still I should have waited and trusted you since I already told you I would. It''s just I saw you were going out even though you were still sick. I was worried something would happen."

    When she didn''t respond, Damien lifted his head and rested his chin on her shoulder. "Katherine"

    "Hmmm?"

    "I"

    Katherine''s stomach growled heavily, interrupting what he was about to say. He chuckled and released her from his embrace. "Nothing. Let''s go feed that monster in your stomach."

    She pursed her lips into a thin line, embarrassed by what happened. He was just about to say something and now she ruined it  the monster in her stomach ruined it.

    Damien looked at her in the eye, wanting to read through her. He found both longingness and uncertainty. Tucking her hair behind her ear, he cupped her jaw and drew her in, pressing his lips on her forehead very gently and his lips lingered there for awhile.

    She closed her eyes, savoring the feel of his kiss. It was a different kind of gesture and probably not a romantic one. Because that kiss made her feel like he was trying to absorb whatever negative feeling she was having at the moment.

    He was the one she was supposed tofort after having the conversation with his mother and yet there he was, trying to bring herfort instead. He was being her onyx just like how she wanted to be his.

    Katherine didn''t bother to bring her food in the dining room and just ate in the kitchen ind counter where Damien brought her a stool to sit on as she didn''t want to sit on the breakfast bar. She was so hungry that she could eat a horse but her tongue just didn''t have the appetite. The bitterness in her tongue caused her to limit her food intake.

    Damien stood to her right, watching her eat her food while Amelia was finishing her tea  at the same time that she was observing her son eyeing Katherine the entire time. It was interesting for her to see him very affectionate towards Katherine.

    Katherine, who was halfway through her meal, suddenly looked up to Amelia and inquired, "Where''s Edward?"

    Amelia straightened up and put away her cup of tea, washing it in the sink as she answered, "He''s back at your old apartment. I hope it''s okay that he stays there for the meantime?"

    "It''s fine"

    Damien arched a brow at Katherine. "That was your apartment? You stayed there?"

    She nodded briefly and when he didn''t look away, she shrugged at him, not knowing what else to say about her shabby ce.

    He decided to let go of that for now and turned to Amelia asking, "What do you want from Edward?"

    "I just need to ask him some things I haven''t talked to him much yet. I''ll do that first thing tomorrow morning." Amelia emptied the pot of tea and washed it as well. She had a lot of things in mind but she chose to set it aside for now. Wiping her hands with a dry kitchen towel, she told the two, "It''s gettingte. I need to get up early tomorrow. I''ll retreat to my room first."

    "Oh, okay Thanks for dinner," Katherine said.

    Amelia smiled at Katherine and when she passed by Damien, she hesitantly ced a hand on his upper arm and gave it a squeeze.

    Damien was not used to interacting with his mother yet and he didn''t know exactly how to respond to her, so all he could do was give her a small, polite bow.

    When Amelia entered her bedroom, Damien was left alone with Katherine who was still eating her food. The two of them looked at each other without saying anything but somehow already knew what the other was thinking  Amelia and Damien''s interaction was a bit awkward.

    "Finish your food so you can go back to bed," he told her. He was quiet the entire time as he apanied Katherine while she ate but after his mother left, all he could think of was her dismissive answer when he asked about Edward, the man who once worked for the Parks. His gut feeling was telling him that there was so much more than that man and his connection with Amelia. He had to know what it was.

    Katherine finished her food and went back to her bedroom with Damien following behind her. "You don''t have to tuck me in, Damien. I am fine." She went straight to the bathroom and grabbed her toothbrush.

    Just when she started brushing her teeth, she looked over to him and saw him starting to take off his clothes. "W-What are you doing?" she stuttered with the toothbrush in her mouth.

    "I''m staying over," he answered confidently.

    "No, you''re not," she gulped and swore that she swallowed a bit of toothpaste. She hurriedly finished brushing her teeth and rinsed her mouth. "What are you talking about? Why are you staying?"

    Damien ignored her and he turned around, grabbing a shirt and joggers from a paper bag on the floor of the walk-in closet and without saying anything, he stripped his pants off him. The action made Katherine''s eyes grow wide  she had to turn around. "What are you doing?" Her heart raced as she heard shuffling noises behind her.

    The next thing she knew, Damien was walking past her and headed straight to her bed. He dove in and mumbled, "I''m so tired. Let''s sleep."

 Chapter 322: I call it bullsh?t.

    Chapter 322: I call it bullsh?t.

    Katherine ambled towards her bed in self-contained strides. Her eyes rapidly blinked and she stared agape at the man who was casually sprawled across her bed like a king who owned the space. Heid on his stomach with his legs and arms on the side, upying the entire king-sized bed.

    "What are you doing?" she finally managed to ask again as she stood by the bed and hovered over him.

    Damien had his eyes closed as he responded to her, "I''m going to sleep." His voice was rough and soundedzy.

    "I can see that." She scanned his body from head to toe and back up again. "But why in my bed? You have your own house to go home to."

    "I already slept herest night, what''s another night?"

    "Y-You slept here?!"

    Damien''s eyes fluttered open and he stared straight at her, his voice dropping low, "You didn''t let go of me. What do you think?"

    Narrowing her eyes, Katherine hugged herself when she suddenly felt defensive. She had no idea what happened after they talkedst night as she already fell asleep. "What do you mean I didn''t let go of you? I did no such thing!"

    "Are you calling me a liar then?" he challenged, locking his gaze with hers. "You didn''t know how much I sacrificedst night. I told you I wasn''t going to touch you and I even kept my distance but you held on so tightly and clung on to me. What was I supposed to do when you took advantage of me?"

    Katherine let out a nervousugh. She could not believe the nerve of this man using her of something she couldn''t possibly have done. She didn''t, did she? That''s impossible.

    She swallowed and stammered, "Y-You''re bing toofortable in here, Damien. Why don''t you"

    "It''s too far to go home. And I''m too tired to move. Do you honestly want me gone?"

    Indeed, Damien had been through a lot tonight. And going back home to Pearl Gardens would be a long drive. And truthfully, she didn''t want him gone. It''s just...

    Before she could even say anything, he reached for her wrist and tugged her down to the bed in one swift move. She yelped in surprise and her heart raced as he suddenly caged her body with his, trapping her in his arms and legs. "Damien!" she cried.

    He squinted his eyes as he turned off themp on the nightstand and shushed her, "Shh you''re too noisy."

    "Let me go. Why are you doing this?" She tried to wiggle her way out but he wasn''t letting her escape.

    "It''s revenge. I''m taking advantage of you just like how you did to mest night," he spoke above her head, secretly grinning as he closed his eyes, stroking her back as though he was trying to calm her down.

    Feeling as though it was pointless to fight it, Katherine exhaled a long sigh. Damien was being relentless and though she was trying to ''distance'' herself from him, she thought she could let this go. It''s not as if they hadn''t spent the night together before.

    But it was certainly going to be hard.

    "Fine. But no funny business." She clicked her tongue and felt him loosen his arms around her.

    He pulled back just enough so that the two of them could see each other face to face. They gazed at each other for a while in the darkness of the room with only the moon shining from the night sky outside, the ss walls surrounding her room allowing the dim light to enter.

    "Come back to me," he breathed.

    Hearing his plea, Katherine could sense the sincerity in his words. She felt the pleasure of his touch and their closeness at the moment. During the time that they were apart, she had the feeling of emptiness. But now right at this very moment, she felt safe in his arms and she felt whole.

    Just when she realized this, a sudden pang of guilt stabbed her heart once again. The familiar prick caused her to lower her gaze and swallow, wanting to distance herself from him but at the same time, not wanting to. Being in his embrace just felt so right and so wrong at the same time.

    "What are you thinking? Please talk to me No more secrets" he appealed.

    Katherine balled her hands into fists and he noticed when she turned rigid, wondering what was going on with her at the moment.

    He lifted her chin with his fingers, forcing her to look at him in the eye, wanting to know what she was so afraid of. "Please?"

    After contemting, Katherine finally told him, "You really want to know?" She saw him lightly nod before she continued, "I don''t know how to be with you I really want to But I can''t"

    His jaw clenched, and he was afraid to ask but he did it anyway. "Do you hate me that much?"

    She grimaced and her lips slightly trembled. "I couldn''t I don''t I think I should but I couldn''t."

    "So then why?"

    She had to swallow the huge lump in her throat and stop herself from shedding tears, so her eyes stung and her throat hurt. "Because you''re a constant reminder of that night. I know you didn''t harm my parents and I know you saved me. But you''re also the reason why I''m still alive While my parents aren''t. I should have died that night with them."

    Seeing the pained look on her face, Damien knew that until now, she was suffering from survivor''s guilt. Katherine was struggling because of the fact that she was saved from that tragedy while her parents didn''t survive. She was feeling remorseful and by being with him, she would always be reminded about that night when everything changed in her life. And it didn''t help that he was connected to the people who were hired to assassinate her family. It was truly a pitiful situation for both of them.

    Not knowing what to say, he could only pull her close and press his forehead to hers. He had already said his apologies before and saying them again felt like it wouldn''t make a difference. He just wished that he could do something for her so that she wouldn''t feel so miserable anymore.

    Was he supposed to leave her so that she won''t be constantly reminded of the pain of that night anymore? Would that help her at all?

    But he didn''t want to. Call him selfish, but he really didn''t want to part with her. She was his lifeline. They said, ''If you love someone, set them free''...

    "I call it bullsht."

    Katherine was taken aback by his sudden cursing. "What?"

    "People said that if you love someone, you should set them free" he repeated what he thought in his head verbally for her to understand. "But I call it bullsht."

    She didn''t say anything, waiting for him to continue what he wanted to say.

    "If you let go of the one you love, you''re not being a hero. You''re being a coward. I''m going to fight for us, Katherine. Even if I''m the only one fighting. There is no way that I can let go of you. So I call that saying bullsht. I''m staying, whether you like it or not."

    Katherine''s heart rammed in her chest upon hearing his deration. Damien''s words always made an impact on her but this deration he told her just now was so stubborn yet so sweet at the same time that she just couldn''t help but feel touched.

    "Do you understand?" he probed when she didn''t respond.

    She sighed and told him, "Just hold me."

    And he did. He held her tighter.

 Chapter 323: "We."

    Chapter 323: "We."

    Katherine''s resistance to Damien''s advances was useless. Despite trying to distance herself from him, she just couldn''t resist being lured in, allowing herself to just indulge in the luxurious feeling of being loved back by the man she loved.

    Being with him was easy. But it was also difficult at the same time.

    It wasn''t just the matter of them sharing the same intensity of love for each other. It was more than that. And Katherine''s wants and needs were in conflict with her thoughts, all because of feeling guilty towards her past. This wasn''t some petty feeling that she could just shrug off and it would just go away. The unpleasant feeling had been burning in her stomach, brewing like a high-quality drink, waiting to be spilled onto herself to remind her of what she was ''not supposed'' to do or to feel.

    She loved him. She really did. And that''s her heart speaking.

    But her mind was not letting her let go of the ill thoughts. There''s a reason why the brain''s position is higher than the heart''s. Because even though you feel so much, your brain still ends up making the decision.

    So was Katherine strong enough to withstand this trial? Could she allow herself to love without restraint once again? Would she give herself the chance?

    While she had all these thoughts in her head, Damien''s soft caress on her back was like his way of soothing himself too. He was the one doing long and warm strokes but it was as though the gesture was mostly for him. As if he was reminding himself that Katherine wasthere with him that he wasn''t alone. That even though meeting his mother was not how he thought it would benot to mention learning about his mother''s backgroundthat he was still okay. That he was going to be okay because Katherine was there with him.

    Only if she wouldn''t run away from him again.

    "How did you know it was me?" he asked. His voice was low above her head.

    Her eyes were closed but after hearing his question, they slowly opened and she thought about what he meant as she heard him add, "That night years ago. How did you know it was me? Why didn''t you recognize me before you lost your memories? But then recognized me that day you left"

    Katherine pulled back so that she could look him in the eye, feeling the need to do so. "I didn''t know back then Maybe because it happened a really long time ago that I may have forgotten some details about that night. But the day that I learned that the Parks were involved, and I knew you I just thought the puzzle fits. Maybe because I know more of you now and have seen you in so many more ways so much that when I started remembering things That day a couple of months ago, you appeared right after I remembered that night and I just knew. I don''t know how to exin it."

    "Is that why you left? You knew that my family had something to do that night. Did you end up hating me, that''s why you left?"

    Katherine didn''t know how to answer him. Mostly because she didn''t have just one reason why she fled. She darted her eyes to the side and lowered her head but Damien lifted her chin and told her, "I want you to tell me. I need to know."

    She briefly closed her eyes and took a deep breath before releasing it and then she answered, "Sort of I was all kinds of things at that moment. I was afraid scared angry overwhelmed Remembering who I was, my first instinct was to flee. And learning how you were there and that you were involved that night my parents me surviving It was too much. I couldn''t be with you. I just had to leave."

    Damien didn''t say anything as he felt that she still had so much to say, so he patiently waited for her to continue.

    "The things I did I remembered all the things I have done before I lost my memory. I couldn''t deal with myself. It was like I was under a spell that I couldn''t get out of. I was miserable, guilty, ashamed, and just hurt for everything that happened to me. I guess running away was how I thought I could protect myself. And I admit, I hated you for a while but I mostly hated you because I hated myself."

    "Do you still hate yourself?" Damien wondered. She was feeling that way while she was away and he was feeling the same thing about himself. What happened between them and what happened in the past caused them to feel somewhat the same guilt and reason to not want to be with each other.

    Going to therapy sessions, although he withheld information from his therapist, he was starting to realize that the guilt he was feeling was natural but it shouldn''t be that way because he saved her life. Regardless of his connections with his family''s underground business, he ended up doing something else that night of the tragedy.

    And for that, he shouldn''t be guilty. Which was why when he showed up to her ''Wee Home Party'', he had nned to be mad at her however the moment heid his eyes on her again after not seeing her for a while, the only thing he could think of was to run to her and beg her toe back to him. He was being selfish. And he just couldn''t help himself.

    "Maybe I don''t know I guess," she said in a whisper.

    "Katherine" Damien brushed her hair away from her face, his thumb stroking her cheek as he said, "People aren''t only good or bad. There''s no ck and white only. People do bad things but that doesn''t define who they are as a whole. You and I can do better. Maybe not the ultimate good but at least, we can do better."

    She matched his stare and held it, wondering how it was possible for his beautiful head to have this beautiful brain. "You know you make me start to wonder if you''re an immortal who has lived for thousands of years with that big brain of yours. You sound like an old person."

    His heartyugh tickled her heart, warming up her body. She had the urge to embrace him and so she did, burying her face onto his chest and feeling it rumble. It was such a wonderful feeling. After a while of silence, she let out a long sigh.

    "What''s on your mind?" he probed.

    "I''m just thinking" she mumbled against his chest, taking her time as she thought of different scenarios in her head. "I''m just thinking about what my next steps would be What am I supposed to do now?"

    Katherine felt Damien''s long sigh above her head. The sound made her think that he was exasperated and she was going to get a scolding. She grimaced and pulled back with a worried look.

    "We." His voice was cold and stern as though there was no room for negotiation.

    But she didn''t understand what he meant. "What?"

    Staring at her right in the eyes, Damien told her, "What are ''we'' supposed to do now. From now on, there''s no you or I. It''s ''We''. I''m not letting you handle this on your own. This isn''t a negotiation. We''re doing this together."

 Chapter 324: Okay...

    Chapter 324: Okay...

    Damien''s perseverance was very admirable. Katherine had no words for him and all that she could really do was stare. She was trying to figure out why he was doing this. He didn''t have to. She basically just admitted all her demons and he''s still right there with her.

    "Why?" she wondered aloud, her eyes never leaving his as she tried to study him.

    "What ''why''?"

    "Why would you do that? This isn''t your battle This isn''t your war."

    "It may not be directly mine but it''s yours. And your problems are mine."

    "You can''t just say that" She frowned. "Your mother is involved in it, and I am too but you"

    "Have you already forgotten what I told you before?"

    When she raised her brows in question, he continued, "That night when I confessed to you I told you that I won''t allow you to take back your words once you''ve decided. And you''ve decided. And this is me upholding my end of the deal. There''s nothing you can do except to ept the fact that I''m here with you."

    The memory from that night months ago when he told her he liked her and that he wanted to be with her shed in her mind. It was one sweet memory of him being so clear and straightforwardlike he always was. She hadn''t been the best person for him and yet he was still there. Constantly. How was she deserving of him? It''s too good to be true. How can he be so real?

    Her heart gradually raced until it was mming against her chest. How could she still hold on to her reservations when the man in front of her just wouldn''t give up? So how could she give up? The guilt was eating her inside, forcing her to pull away but there was a voice in her head telling her to hold on tight. To just be brave and see the good things.

    But what about Mom and Dad? How could she betray them when all she could see when she closes her eyes was a picture of them smiling down at her?

    What was wrong? What was right?

    Katherine didn''t realize that the tear that she was trying so hard not to shed just rolled out of her eye,nding on Damien''s index finger and he wiped it away. "Talk to me," he breathed.

    Releasing the air that she had been holding in, her chin wobbled as she confessed, "I missed you terribly, I do and I want to be with you so badly. So bad that it hurts. So I don''t know how I can do it. I feel that if I do I''d be letting them down."

    She felt his knuckle softly brush the side of her cheek again and she just let him. She leaned her cheek against his palm, wanting to feel the warmth of his skin. "I want to try I really really want to try"

    "Baby" he whispered, feeling hurt for her. "I wish I knew how you''re the only one who can do that. But if you do if you do take that step with me, I swear to god, I will walk the rest of the steps for you."

    "If I do If I do try Will you promise you''ll do it with me slowly?" Katherine was willing to give them a try again. But she thought taking things slow would help her deal with her inner battles. She wanted to be selfish. To just follow her heart despite what her brain was telling her. But to protect herself, she wanted to do it slowly. She thought that taking things slowly with Damien would prevent her from getting hurt.

    She wasn''t afraid that Damien would hurt her, rathershe was afraid that in the process of letting herself love again, she would be the one to break her heart. All because she wanted to love the person she knew she shouldn''t.

    Damien softly smiled, and responded, "Silly. Of course. I will walk with youheck, I will crawl with you if that''s what it takes."

    Katherine sniffed, a small smile started to form on her lips as she nodded. "Then okay"

    "Okay?"

    "Okay"

    Squeezing her waist, he nodded in agreement. "Okay"

    He tugged her closer, pressing his lips onto her forehead and ever so sweetly, his kiss lingered before he pulled back just slightly and did the same to her nose.

    When he pulled back and was about to kiss her on the lips, she stopped him with her hand, his lips pressing on her delicate fingers. "Can''t. I''m sick."

    He groaned. He had endured enough and now that she was ''okay'' with them, he couldn''t kiss her. Despite the risk of getting sick, he kissed her fingers a few times  the only separation they had between their lips.

    A huge smile broke his face, evidence of his joy. They agreed to take it slow but it doesn''t matter. As long as she was ''okay''... he was ''okay''...

    "I should ask why did you have a change of clothes in my closet? When have you decided to sleep here?" she questioned him with a very serious face.

    Damien only snorted, hugged her and tucked her head under his chin, closing his eyes before mumbling, "A magician never reveals his secrets."

    Katherine frowned. What magician? Since when did he be a magician? Despite her questions, she didn''t ask any further and just settled in his embrace. She liked the warmth that''s radiating from his body.

    The room was just at the right temperature yet her feet were icy cold like always. And just like she usually did, Katherine pressed her feetsicles onto his feet and legs. She trapped them under, entangled them in such an abstract form just so she would feel warm  and he let her, just like he usually did.

    They were quiet again, and there was only the sound of soft breathing. She noticed him rx and the pace of his breathing changed. "Damien?" she whispered very softly.

    The room was still and he didn''t answer. The next thing she heard was his very soft snore, making her chuckle. Poor Damien, he endured a lot today. He must really be exhausted.

    Slightly pulling back, she looked at him and saw his sleeping face. She missed looking at him like this. Katherine ran her fingers softly through his hair and he shifted a little, "Sleep," he mumbled through his drunken state.

    "Okay" She pulled the nket up, covering both of them properly and tucking them both. "Goodnight, Damien"

 Chapter 325: Mysterious Madam

    Chapter 325: Mysterious Madam

    Castle  Parker''s Office

    A young blonde female agent stood nervously in front of Parker''s desk. It was her first time facing the head of Shadow alone after a mission. As a level 2 agent, she didn''t get to face Parker that often. The only time she got to face him was when she, along with the rest of the agents who also leveled up, was given a new security level identity in Shadow. She didn''t understand why she was given this mission that came directly from Parker but she was in no position to question him.

    The female agent patiently stood and waited for Parker''s assessment of her written report. He was a scary person. A slim man with great posture and the air around him just screamed danger. His aura was intimidating like that of an important figure in the country.

    Parker closed the folder and tossed it on top of his desk. Steepling his hands in front of him, he didn''t look at the agent in the eye and fixed his gaze on the folder he just tossed, but the way he spoke sent chills down the agent''s spine, "Tell me what happened, Agent."

    The female agent cleared her throat and started to tell her story about what happened when she tried to put the bugs on Damien outside of Young Corporation and when she followed them towards Golden Phoenix Residences. She had exined everything in the written report so she only had to retell what she already wrote.

    Parker drifted his gaze from his desk to the agent''s eyes as though he was trying to study if she was telling the truth. He could see the beads of sweat forming on the agent''s face but he disregarded it and leaned forward. After a minute of silence, he nodded, "You may go. Ohand Agent? Keep this case confidential."

    "Yes, Sir." The female agent exited Parker''s office as soon as she was dismissed.

    When Parker was now alone in his office, one corner of his mouth tilted upward, seemingly amused by what he had found out after hearing the report. Ordering the steward mission wasn''t really aimed to spy on Damien Park or Katherine. His main goal was to see how they would react to the situation which was why he didn''t specify a high-level agent for the mission. A low-level agent could be sloppy but that wasn''t important.

    He still had doubts about Katherine''s memories. So how the mission ended was questionable and interesting but he couldn''t be a hundred percent positive on his doubts yet. So he may just have to be a little bit more creative the next time.

    A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. A staff came in and said, "Sir, your ne is ready."

    Parker kept the file in his drawer and locked it before he strolled out of his office. He had to fly overseas but it didn''t mean that he was abandoning his ns for Katherine.

    Harbor City, Esmea  November 9 at 8 a.m.

    Christopher Curtis came out of a hotel and entered a waiting ck vehicle that sped off as soon as the door closed. He was dressed in a ck suit and wore a serious expression on his face as he gripped the folder in his hand tightly. He was going to meet someone important today. Someone he had been meeting for a while now and he was starting to get impatient. His position in Shadow was already shaken based on the recent assignment that Parker gave him.

    He didn''t believe that Parker was going to just let the matter about Katherine go just like that but he could only follow his orders and stay out of his radar as best as he could. Now that he knew Parker was starting to doubt him, he had to move quickly or he may lose his chance. He was ying a dangerous game but after being in Shadow for too long, he was willing to take the risk and die trying rather than not try at all.

    Chris arrived at a really posh restaurant. An exclusive restaurant that was for members only. He looked up at the sign and read the bold signage that said "Central Harbor Restaurant". It had been a while since thest time that he came here almost six months ago and ran into Katherine who didn''t recognize him then.

    He wasn''t supposed to meet the person whom he was about to meet today as they were scheduled to meet in ten days. They had been meeting twice or thrice a year for a few years now but because of his current circumstances, Chris had to request an earlier meetup. It was a good thing that he was given this chance to see that person today. Because if he had to wait for ten more days, he thought that it would be toote and Parker might already order a hit on him.

    "The madam is ready to see you now," said one of the security guards to Christopher.

    Chris alighted the car and entered the restaurant, lowering his head as he followed the men in ck towards the private rooms on the third floor. Upon reaching the empty hallway that was leading to the private rooms, he took a deep breath and stood outside the door of the usual private room where they would often meet.

    He knocked once and then turned the knob, pushing it open to see a woman in her fifties waiting for him at the table.

    "Hello, Christopher, it''s lovely to see you. Come Have a seat," said the mysterious madam dressed in a cream-colored dress with an American g pin on the left side of it where her heart should be.

    Chris''s heart was hammering in his chest but reminding himself why he was doing this, he felt even more resolute as he stepped inside the private dining room and faced the woman with a strong resolve. He was doing this for the good of the country and its people.

    Meanwhile at Golden Phoenix Residences

    Styles was munching on his breakfast cereal when he received a notification on his handheld device. It was a notification from the search that he did on Chris from a few days ago after Katherine asked him to. A software program had been running since that night and it was the first time that he received a ping.

    He couldn''t see any details on his small device so he hurriedly went to his bedroom and checked the monitors. A high technology program was running on it. It was a facial recognition that would go over the security feeds that he hacked from the restaurant and the nearby establishments. It took him a while because some feeds were no longer usable or lost due to an automatic override if the feed wasn''t manually saved.

    Styles clicked the y button on the video and watched as Chris entered the restaurant and then exited it a little over an hourter. There was no one else with him so Styles had no idea what he was doing there or who he was meeting with.

    Even so, Styles was sure about one thing: Chris was there to give information to someone. He came to this conclusion when he noticed that when Chris entered the restaurant, he brought a folder with him. However, when he left the restaurant, there was nothing in his hands. But as to who he was meeting with, that''s what they needed to find out.

 Chapter 326: Damiens Wake-Up Call

    Chapter 326: Damien''s Wake-Up Call

    Golden Phoenix Residences

    It was already eight in the morning and the sun is high up in the sky but because Katherine''s ss windows were made of smart technology, it blocked the sun''s blinding light. The sunshine illuminated the room but it didn''t disturb the couple''s sleep.

    Damien would have already been up a few hours earlier like he normally would but he just had the most amazing sleep in a long time. Knowing the current situation due to yesterday''s incident and Damien''s orders, Markus didn''t call to wake him up and took the initiative to push back some appointments. Damien had not been getting enough sleep for months and now that he finally slept in, Markus didn''t want to disturb him.

    The two fell asleep around midnight and slept straight until morning. His eyes fluttered open and saw the beautiful view outside  a clear blue and sunny sky. He looked down and saw her and he decided that the outside view had been topped and didn''te close to the view of the love of his life whose face was currently resting against his chest, whose arms and legs were wrapped around him like a ko on a tree, and whose snore was soft and adorable  the vision of her just made his heart swell.

    Katherine was no longer feverish. She recovered so fast after having rested for a night. Everything that happened fromst night came to him and he was thankful that she opened up to him. There might still be some things that she''s hiding from him but that''s okay Now that he learned what he needed to know, they could just move forward from here. There was no turning back now. His eyes caught sight of the clock and he realized that he had slept in.

    He was supposed to be at work already but there was no way he could peel himself off from her. For the first time in a while, his morning was so good that he just wanted to stay a little longer. Yesterday, he was in a hurry for a meeting that he couldn''t cancel. But after what happenedst night and because of how he woke up just now, he wouldn''t trade this for a billion dors. This was just priceless. If anything, he would even dly pay billions for this to happen everyday.

    Tightening his embrace, Damien slipped a hand under Katherine''s shirt, feeling the smoothness of the skin on her back. He started caressing her gently, his warm hand gliding up and down her back in an attempt to wake her up so she could eat and take her medicine. It felt surreal to actually touch her like this as he hadn''t done it for months but he did it so naturally just like he did in the past.

    Katherine stirred in his arms and softly groaned, "Ngnnhh", nuzzling her face against his neck, wanting to smell him to make sure he was really there. God, she missed this so much  waking up next to him like this. She was slowlying to her senses as she realized she was feeling his hand on her back and she should have told him to stop or move his hand away but damn it It felt so good, she didn''t have the heart to do it. She wanted to believe she deserved this. The selfish part of her had won, telling her to ignore and let him because it felt good.

    "Good morning," he uttered in a rough voice  the very first words he spoke that morning.

    "Good morning" she repliedzily. "What time is it?"

    "Eight."

    She pulled backward with widened eyes as she looked at him, "You''rete for work. What are you still doing here?"

    He pulled her back to him in an instant, shoving her head against his chest. "Cuddling. What do you think?"

    "I can see that" she hesitantly responded. ''I can feel it!'' she thought. "Shouldn''t you be at work now?"

    "I should have been up since five. I woke up just now. I should be at work and yet here I am."

    His response was so casual and unhurried. And his hands were dangerously causing her some goosebumps.

    She should get up too. She should go to work today but how could she move away from such a wonderful feeling that''s called ''Damien''.

    Unknowingly, she leaned into him more, making him curl his mouth upward in satisfaction. She couldn''t deny that she wanted this too and it was amusing for him. "You should get up," he heard her say and he responded, "Mhmm I should." But he remained in the same position and did not even try to get up.

    "Wait... If you''re here, who is taking Bear out?"

    "Markus."

    "I feel bad for the guy. You make him do everything."

    "You''re right. I should get up now then, and do everything." Damien attempted to uncoil himself from her but he felt her tighten her hold on him, her arms and legs refusing to let him go. He softly chuckled, "I thought so"

    Katherine felt silly and slightly embarrassed but she couldn''t be bothered with that now. She was already feeling bold so she might as well just embrace being one at the moment. It was only the two of them and this man already knew her so well. What else could she be shy about? The fact that she wanted him with her just like thissimple cuddlingshe shouldn''t be shy about it.

    "I need to do some things today," she started.

    "Anything I can do to help?"

    She paused for a second to think and nodded, "Actually, yeah. That rmendation"

    "Already done. You''ll be hearing from them soon."

    Katherine pushed herself away from him and her brows knitted. "When did you do that?" she wondered. It was only the day before yesterday when he asked her to meet him for lunch so they could talk about it. And now he was telling her that he already did it? "You tricked me."

    "That I did." A smile sprawled across his gorgeous face and she couldn''t even get mad at him.

    "You''re sly, Mr. Park. You''d be a great con artist."

    Heughed. "Should I switch jobs now? Do you think I could make more than what I''m already earning?"

    She rolled her eyes at him. "You''re subtly boasting now Mr. Billionaire."

    "Come on. That''s such a repulsive title." He shook his head.

    Smiling, Katherine turned around and wanted to slither away from the bed when he stopped her. "Where are you going? Stay" Damien pulled her back towards him and hovered on top of her, his bodypletely covering hers.

    She gasped at the sudden movement, totally surprised by his actions. Damien kept his weight on his arms and legs. Her heart was in total chaos when she met his dark eyes gazing down at her, hungry salivating She gulped in anticipation, not knowing what to do at this point.

    Before she could do anything, he dipped his head low and his lips found the skin under her jaw. It was a sensitive spot, making her grip the sheets hard.

    "God, I miss you so bad" he breathed on her neck, his nose and lips brushing her skin as he spoke. His bedroom voice and his warmth did it for her, making her want more.

    Just when her hands found his back to pull him close, her cell phone buzzed from the nightstand.

    "Leave it. Please" He pressed a kiss below her ear, sucking it and eliciting a reaction from her.

    Katherine almost lost it but she found the will to gently push him off her. "It could be important." She regretted immediately but she braced herself because she couldn''t handle it if they didn''t slow down.

    She reached for her phone and read a text from Styles that told her he found something from the search.

    Welp, there goes her wake up call from Damien.

 Chapter 327: A New Member or a New Leader? (1)

    Chapter 327: A New Member or a New Leader? (1)

    Deciding to finally get up from the bed, Katherine went to the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth with Damien following her behind. Like the magician that he was, he had his toothbrush with him too and he started brushing his teeth with her in front of the sink.

    The two looked at each other with a toothbrush in hand  she was looking at him quizzically while he returned her gaze with a toothpaste-foamy smile. She turned around, facing the wide mirror that covered the wall of her bathroom on top of the double sink. He stood behind her, a hand nted on the counter and somewhat trapping her in ce.

    With his new found confidence, Damien just couldn''t get enough of Katherine. As much as he could, he wanted to be with her all the time especially now that he already knew the truth about her identity. He might have to work harder to help her but he was definitely willing to do that.

    He watched her watching him through their reflections on the mirror as they brushed their teeth. A chore that looked intimate for the two, all because they just enjoyed each other''spany.

    Damien finished brushing his teeth and he rinsed his mouth while keeping Katherine in ce with his other hand, refusing to let go of her, afraid that she would disappear all of a sudden if he as much as lose her at an arm''s length.

    When they finished washing up, he stole a quick back hug and a kiss on the neck before they finally went out of the bedroom. Katherine found him so clingy that morning but she didn''tin. After missing him for months, she allowed herself to just enjoy those little moments they could spend together amidst the chaos they were facing right now.

    "Good, you''re finally up," Styles muttered when he heard Katherine''s bedroom door open and close as he ted bacon and eggs. He looked up and saw Damien with Katherine who was still wearing a shirt and joggers and his mouth hung open. He didn''t think that the man would stay upand sleep in Katherine''s bedroom that night. It was the second night in a row and seeing King Charming in the morning was still quite weird for him.

    "Oh, I didn''t knowumI''ll just make more breakfast." Styles briefly made a polite bow towards Damien before he hurriedly went over to the refrigerator to get more bacon and eggs.

    Damien nodded and went to make himself some coffee and warm chocte for Katherine. He seemed to be more at home than she thought he would be.

    "What did you find?" she asked as she settled on the breakfast nook and started munching on a piece of bacon from the te, pulling Styles''sptop in front of her to check on the footage.

    "Careful on the bacon. Jeez." Styles gave her a table napkin for her oily hands, not wanting hisptop to get greased on. He pressed some buttons on the keyboard and told her what he found, "This was hard to get because there wasn''t a lot of footage left. Some were no longer avableanyway, this is him"

    Katherine watched the video on the screen and saw Chris going inside the restaurant alone. There was some security detail around him but none of them looked like they were from Shadow. Her eyes narrowed and her brows knitted as she studied the clip in front of her, wondering what Chris was up to that one time she ran into him in Central Harbor Restaurant.

    While Styles was exining to Katherine what his thoughts were on the footage that he found, Damien flipped the bacon on the pan that Styles abandoned, cooked the eggs and ted them before he joined the two over theptop.

    "What exactly are you guys looking for?" Damien asked, sipping on his ck coffee which he added with a small pinch of salt just like he usually did. The coffee habit that he found outst night actually came from his mother, the usual coffee that he drank now tasted even better and he found it interesting.

    "A couple of days ago I asked you about the restaurant''s membership"

    "The tinum Club?"

    "Yeah, that one. On May 19th, I ran into Chris while I was on my way to the bathroom."

    "You were with me for lunch" Damien recalled that day and remembered that he had a phone call and Katherine went to thedies'' room. He furrowed his brows at her and suddenly felt protective even if it was just a memory. How could he have known that she would meet that monster that day? "Did he do something to you?!"

    "No!" She quickly dismissed his fear, shaking her head for emphasis. "It was a coincidence. If I remember correctly, he also looked surprised to see me there. But I didn''t know who he was so I ignored him and went my way. Although before I entered the restroom, I did hear a woman''s voice calling him in the hallway."

    "Do you recognize that voice?" he probed.

    "I" Katherine bit her lip and stared at the empty space on the breakfast nook. "I don''t know who she was but her voice sounded like I don''t know, maybe I''ve heard of it somewhere. I''m not sure. Maybe it just sounded the same."

    Nodding his head, Damien set his mug down and asked, "So you want to know who he was meeting with that day, why?"

    "I just want to find out why he was there. You said that the club is exclusive to influential people. Well, Chris isn''t one and as far as I know, Parker is the one who meets all the influential people. So who was Chris meeting there?"

    "Do you think that Parker was also there?" he wondered and saw Katherine''s eyes widen at his question.

    She had been thinking about Chris only and didn''t think about the possibility of Parker being there. "Styles"

    Styles shook his head. "I don''t think so. I''ve reviewed the clips but I didn''t see Parker anywhere near the building. I''m beginning to think that there''s a secret passage going to this restaurant that I don''t know about." He shifted his gaze at Damien, wondering if he knows anything.

    Meeting Styles''s gaze, Damien understood what was going through his mind. "That, I''m not sure. I don''t have any shady businesses to have the need to do that, so I don''t know. But I might be able to see who had reservations that day"

    "If you''re thinking about that amateur hacker you hired to clean my Queen''s scandal with you that one time, then I can assure you that he wouldn''t know anything about it. He wouldn''t know anything that I don''t," Styles arrogantly muttered, but he gulped when he saw Damien''s icy re. His upper lip twitched and he got chills all over. This King Charming was too scary.

 Chapter 328: A New Member or a New Leader? (2)

    Chapter 328: A New Member or a New Leader? (2)

    "What? What is he talking about?" Katherine questioned upon seeing the men''s expressions as if they were talking about something she shouldn''t know anything about.

    Damien came to a realization that Styles was the hacker whom Zero told him aboutthe one whose skills were higher than Zero''s  that night when a scandal about Katherine and him broke the inte and he had Zero take care of it, only to find out that there was another hacker who was faster and more skillful.

    "Nothing important," Damien dismissed Katherine''s question and addressed Styles, "No, I''m not talking about that. I just happened to know someone who can probably help us." He grimaced at the thought of that certain person that he had to contact. There was no way that he would do it if he knew other ways But for Katherine, he would do anything.

    Styles slowly nodded and backed away from the nook and went to grab some tes from the cab. That morning before Amelia left to see Edward, she told him about what happenedst night and how she told her son about her past. Although she didn''t tell him anything about her son joining their little team, judging by how cozy Katherine and Damien were now and the fact that thetter was proactive in lending a hand, Styles thought that he was a great addition.

    Swiveling her chair to face Damien, she ced a hand on his arm and probed, "Can you really ask someone to help you with this? Who is this person?" Katherine was curious, especially since Damien''s expression didn''t seem like he was too excited to ask that person''s help.

    He clenched his jaw and stared at her, contemting whether it was necessary to tell her who the person was and decided that it wasn''t. "He''s You don''t really know him"

    "You''re not going to get in trouble, are you?" she worried. "It''s nice that you want to help us with this but I don''t want you to go through something that you don''t want to. Especially if that could harm you in the process."

    Damien dragged his gaze from the side to Katherine''s eyes and saw concern written all over her face, making him smile. "You''re sweet. Don''t worry, I won''t get into trouble. I just If I could help it, I wouldn''t ask this person but right now he''s the only one I know who could. It''s not a big deal." Cupping her face with his hand, he brushed his thumb on her cheek and pulled her close to press his lips on her forehead. "You should eat."

    "I guess I''ll start eating dog food from now on" Styles mumbled under his breath as he brought the tes to the dining table. His voice was too low but the couple definitely heard what he said. Katherine had a scowl on her face but her cheeks were red while Damien heartilyughed.

    The three sat at the table and started eating. Damien quickly tapped the screen on his phone and told Styles, "I sent you my email. Give me a list of everything you need and I''ll have it delivered today." He casually set his phone down on the table again and continued to eat without looking at Styles.

    Styles, who was still oblivious and thought that King Charming was talking to Katherine, drank his juice with one hand while the other checked the new message that he received on his phone. As soon as he saw that he received Damien''s email address through text, he froze, juice flowed out of his mouth and was poured back into his ss. King Charming was talking to him! The King wants a list of ''everything'' he needs?! Like everything?

    Lifting his head, he met Katherine''s amused expression. She only smiled and shrugged at him as though she was telling him, "He''s a billionaire. Go crazy!"

    She didn''t really say that, but she might as well have. It was exactly what Styles had in his imagination and he couldn''t contain his excitement  his heart was just about to burst. He turned his head to Damien and saw him just minding his own businessaka putting food onto Katherine''s te while she tried to refuse him because she could no longer eat.

    Styles wanted to say something but his mouth forgot to function and all he could manage to do was whimper an incoherent sound. He sounded like a dog trying to speak a humannguage but failing miserably.

    Hearing the weird sound, Damien turned to look at Styles and saw him agape. "What?" He straightened up.

    Styles opened and closed his mouth, unsure of what to say exactly. What was he supposed to say to this man?

    Katherine saw Styles''s reaction which she was all too familiar with. He looked like this when he tries to speak to a woman who wasn''t her nor Amelia. Styles also looked like this when he''s attracted to some girl but couldn''t speak a word. Was he attracted to Damien? She chortled.

    "What''s wrong with him?" Damien questioned.

    "I think he''s in love with you."

    When Damien heard Katherine, he snapped his head towards her and saw herugh. "What?!"

    "I think he wants to know if you''re serious about what you said. Can he really request anything and you will give it to him?" A smile flitted across her face before he took a sip of the warm chocte that Damien made for her. The drink tasted so good, she didn''t know how he makes them. She could make one for herself but Damien''s always tasted differentpared to hers.

    Realizing what Katherine was saying, he turned to Styles who was still staring dumbstruck at him and confirmed, "Yeah you can list whatever gadget or technology you want. You''ll get it on or before noon." When Styles didn''t say anything but only widened his eyes, Damien added, "Knock yourself out?"

    As soon thest three words left Damien''s mouth, Styles abruptly got up from his chair and was about to sprint to his bedroom but he stopped and quickly gave Damien a big kiss on the cheek. "I love you!" he praised. "No homo!" he added as he hurriedly went to his bedroom to list everything he wanted.

    Damien''s eyes went so wide. Styles just kissed him.

    "Ugh!" He pped his cheek with a table napkin and wiped the kiss off. He cursed under his breath and red at Katherine whoughed at him. "You dare tough?"

    Before she knew it, Damien went in for her neck.

 Chapter 329: A New Member or a New Leader? (3)

    Chapter 329: A New Member or a New Leader? (3)

    Damien''s mouth found the sensitive flesh on Katherine''s neck. He yfully bit it, his teeth grazing on her skin and heard her gasp but she didn''t move. She closed her eyes involuntarily while her hands clutched onto his t-shirt, seemingly pulling him closer instead of pushing him away. His lips rxed and the sucking was reced by a sensual open-mouthed kiss.

    "Naughty Kitten," he whispered before moving away from her.

    When she opened her eyes again, she saw him drinking his coffee as if nothing happened. She cleared her throat and shifted on her seat, pressing her thighs together to stop the tingling sensation that she felt just now and finding relief. "Mean," she scoffed.

    A small smile shed his face as he checked his emails and let her finish her food in peace.

    While the dining table was quiet, a doorbell was heard from the inte. "Are you expecting someone?" he asked as he was already on his feet. "I''ll get it."

    "No" She shook her head. No one really knew where she was staying now and she wasn''t expecting anyone anytime. She paused and watched as Damien checked the inte like he was so used to it. Katherine wondered how he was so quick to adapt to her ce. Though it wasn''t really a surprise  Damien was always very quick to adapt to a lot of things.

    Seeing Damien''s narrowed eyes, Katherine straightened her back and tilted her head to the side saying, "Who is it?"

    He crossed his arms in front of his chest and just stared at the small screen on the inte. He heard her question but he was far too busy debating with himself because he was seeing a fly on the screen. A fly who just interrupted his lovely morning with Katherine and was now by the private elevator at the lobby waiting for the security to give him ess.

    The guests of the penthouse owners would only be given a pass if they were confirmed through the inte.

    He did not notice that she had walked up to him and saw who her guest was until he felt her hand on his arm. "It''s Matthew" she uttered.

    "You told him where you lived but you were hesitant to tell me?" Damien eyed Katherine.

    "I didn''t tell him. I don''t know how he found out." She was reaching for the button to give Matthew ess when Damien stopped her hand. She raised a brow at him in question and he reluctantly let her go.

    While Matthew was on his way up through the elevator, the couple waited for him at the foyer. Damien had his arm protectively around her waist, showing ownership. Katherine rolled her eyes seeing how childish he was but she didn''t brush his hand away. The elevator dinged and Matthew came in view.

    Matthew''s gazended on Katherine first before he gave Damien a nod. He was only slightly surprised that Damien was there. Thest time he spoke to Katherine, the couple was not together. However, the two were clearly back now. Matthew ignored Damien''s presence and went in to give her a hug and a kiss on the cheek, unaffected by the icy man''s stare at his head. "Hey" he said as he squeezed her tightly.

    She returned her friend''s hug with her own, ignoring the fact that Damien still had his arm around her waist. It was a bit of an awkward movement but she worked around it. "How did you know that I live here?"

    "I haven''t heard from you in a while and I went to visit you at Young Corp but your grandfather said you took a leave because you were sick. I brought you some stuff." He raised the paper bag in his hand that was full of fruits and some warm soup.

    She had a smile on her face, clearly happy that she got to see her childhood friend again. She had been meaning to get in touch with him again but because she was dealing with a lot of things at the moment, she just hadn''t had the chance. She was immediately reminded of Emma and Adam, making her mood bitter for a second but she recovered quickly and stered a smile on her face.

    "Ah, yeah I''m fine now though but I decided not to go to work for the meantime. I had some things I need to do first. Come inside, Matty," Katherine ushered her friend inside her penthouse.

    "You''ve got a really nice ce here," Matthewmented as he looked at the view outside through the floor-to-ceiling window.

    "It''s over the top," she chuckled. "Can I get you anything?"

    Matthew spun around and saw Damien still standing so close to Katherine and it made him shake his head. The man was too possessive. "Actually, I''m not staying for long. I only dropped by to check on you. I need to fly to L.A. soon."

    "Oh, you are?" She walked towards Matthew, leaving Damien behind. It was ridiculous, she felt like she was on a leash. "What time are you leaving?"

    "Mm, I can have someone drive you to the airport," Damien offered in a heartbeat, eager to get rid of Matthew right away. Katherine scowled at him but he ignored her.

    "Thanks, President Park. But I have a ride waiting for me downstairs," Matthew mused and turned to face Katherine, "I have a projecting up soon and I was called for a meeting with the director and producers. I don''t know when I''ll be back but I''ll call you?"

    "Of course, Matty. Anytime," she promptly answered without thinking twice.

    "Good." Without hesitation, Matthew swept her in for another gutsy hug in front of Damien who became tensed at the sight. When Katherine returned Matthew''s hug, he whispered to her ear, "I''m happy as long as you are."

    She squeezed him after hearing what he said and released, "Thank you, Matty. Say hi to your mom for me."

    "I will." Matthew headed towards the elevator but he paused for a bit and spoke over his shoulder, "Oh, there''s something in that paper bag for you."

    "Ah Okay! Bye!" She waved back when he waved and walked away.

    Checking the contents of the paper bag, her eyes caught sight of a familiar-looking card that was now yellowish. Her heart raced when Damien came to her side asking, "What''s that?"

    "Nothing!" She hurriedly hid the card behind her and stepped away from him.

    Her actions caused his suspicions and he lunged at her. But Katherine was so quick to evade him and the two raced in the living room.

    "Stop chasing me!" she shouted.

    "Then stop running!" he shouted back.

    A ring from the inte interrupted their little cat and mouse game and Katherine was fast to get to it. In a second, she pressed a button and panted, "Matty, did you forget something?"

    Damien tried to pry the suspicious card from her hand that she was guarding with her life and he was just about to sessfully get it when the two heard a man''s voice from the inte. A familiar voice who didn''t belong to Matthew Jeong.

    "It''s me" the voice said. And in an instant, Katherine dropped the card on the floor.

 Chapter 330: A New Member or a New Leader? (4)

    Chapter 330: A New Member or a New Leader? (4)

    Damien went rigid upon hearing the man''s voice. He only heard his voice once in a phone call but he knew it so well already. His coal-ck eyes darkened as he stared at the device on the wall at the same time that Katherine''s hand trembled when she reached out to turn on the camera.

    She didn''t need to see him to know that it was really him because she was one hundred percent sure that it wasrather, she had to see to make sure that she wasn''t hallucinating. And judging by how Damien''s fingers and arm muscles flexed around her, she knew that he was also angry.

    As soon as Katherine pressed on a button, there was a movement on the screen and the camera from the lobby showed the man that she expected to see. "Chris" she muttered under gritted teeth, her voice dipping low.

    "Hello, Katherine," Chris responded with a nonchnt attitude and even gave her a smile through the lens when he saw the LED lit up.

    She pressed the press-to-talk mic to speak to him through the inte. "What are you doing here?"

    "Why don''t you let me up so we can talk." He said it like a statement instead of a request  as if it was an order.

    His boldmand felt very familiar to her. It was the voice that gave her orders back when she was still an agent in Shadow. The effect it had on her made her slightly shiver. She clenched her hands into fists and the rage within her red up. And yet without realizing, her finger was already hovering over the green button to give him ess.

    Damien instantly pulled her hand and snapped, "What are you doing? Why would you give him ess?"

    She didn''t know what to say and all she could do was stare at Damien who had a baffled expression.

    "Come on, Katherine. It''s just me. I''m alone. I promise," Chris reassured.

    The tone of his voice was all too familiar for her that she immediately knew he was telling the truth. But the reason behind his sudden arrival was still rming.

    "Styles!" she shouted and in a few seconds, Styles came out of his room with a huge smile on his face and a tablet in his hand. He was glued to the screen on his tablet as he listed down tons of things that he wanted for Christmaswell, for noonlike what King Charming told him earlier.

    "Yo, I gotta say Christmas came early for me. I can finally get that"

    "Tic toc, Katherine." Chris''s voice sounding from the inte halted Styles and he almost dropped his tablet.

    "Holy shwhat the hell is he doing here?" Styles''s eyes were wide as he came up to them and watched the inte. "Who''s with him? And what does he want?"

    "I don''t know. He says he''s alone. Call Amelia and tell her not toe back," she ordered. "And Styles, don''te out of your room."

    Styles disappeared and he was on his phone as soon as he reached his bedroom.

    When Damien saw Katherine press a button to give Chris ess to the elevator going up to her penthouse, he instantly whipped out his phone and pressed a speed-dial number. "I''ll call my security and have theme."

    While he was on his phone giving orders to his men, Katherine went to the sofa and dug underneath to grab hidden handguns with silencers. She heard him finish his call and she tossed him one as she huffed, "You know how to use that, right?" It wasn''t really a question, she already knew that he was capable.

    "I hate guns," Damien growled, checking if the Smith & Wesson handgun was loaded. It had 14 rounds. He mmed the magazine back into its ce and pointed it downward, gripping it with both of his hands.

    Katherine and Damien took cover from the wall behind the foyer, waiting for Chris to arrive through the elevator. When the two heard the elevator''s bell, they looked at each other and silently conversed with their eyes.

    Light footsteps resounded through the hall. Chris was very used to walking so light that there was almost no sound when he reached the foyer. He took in the empty ce, his eyes and ears always vignt.

    "I already told you I came alone. I''m unarmed." He raised his hands to unbutton his coat and heard the clicking of a gun, indicating that the safety was unlocked.

    "Stop. Hands up." Katherine appeared from behind the foyer''s wall with her gun pointing at Chris. Her eyes were fierce and her nostrils red upon seeing the man she used to look up to.

    A cocky smile broke onto Chris''s face and he stopped his hands from moving. However, he took a step forward in her direction. "Always so feisty, my Queen."

    "Don''t move." Damien came into sight and stood next to Katherine, his gun also pointing at Chris''s head.

    Chris did not expect Damien''s presence and his smug expression slipped from his face. He noticed that the two were still in their loungewear and his eyes tightened. Seeing the two lovebirds pointing their guns to him, he knew he was in deep sht. But his confidence never wavered. "I see" he chuckled.

    "What are you doing here, Chris?!" Katherine bit out angrily.

    "Lower your gun and I will tell you."

    "Not gonna happen," Damien hissed.

    "Alright. I''ll just show you that I''m telling the truth. I don''t have anything on me." Chris lowered his arms and started unbuttoning his coat.

    "Slowly," Katherinemanded.

    An amused look crossed Chris''s face and he couldn''t help but beam, "My I didn''t know you like a striptease, Katherine."

    "Shut up." Damien released the safety on his gun, catching Chris''s attention as he took off his coat. The former detested Chris''s attitude.

    Chris shrugged, tossing the coat onto the floor and he turned around for them to see that he wasn''t hiding anything on his waist. Damien wasn''t sold and so he walked over and patted him down to make sure he didn''t hide anything on his legs.

    "You didn''t tell me your sweetheart likes to cop a feel too" Chris taunted, his knowing smile stered on his face while his arms were raised.

    Irritated, Damien stepped back from Chris when he was done. He was standing behind Chris at the moment and without second thoughts, he swiftly mmed the base of his gun in a light, controlled strike to the bastard''s back of the headjust under the round bone, knocking him out.

    "Seriously? You liked this guy back then?" Damien huffed, staring at Chris who was out cold on the floor.

    Katherine was stunned to see what just happened. Damien hit Chris so fast, she didn''t even realize that he did until Chris dropped. "What?"

 Chapter 331: A New Member or a New Leader? (5)

    Chapter 331: A New Member or a New Leader? (5)

    Christopher Curtis had been knocked out for a little over two minutes and when he gained back his consciousness, he groaned, feeling the pain at the back of his head where Damien had hit him. He raised his hand to feel the sore spot only to find out that he was restrained with handcuffs to a chair and so were his ankles.

    He squinted his eyes, both from feeling the pain and also the sunlight that cast down his face from the open window. His vision was slightly blurry and he had a hard time making out the figures that were in front of him. He could sense that he was still in Katherine''s living room because of the samevender scent that he smelled when he walked in earlier. And when he finally managed to open his eyesthough a bit hazyhe saw several men in ck suits all over the ce.

    Chris''s eyesnded on Katherine who sat in front of him, cing one leg over the other and crossing her arms in front of her while she leaned back looking like ady boss. Her brows were furrowed but her expression showed a few emotions at a time. He swore he could see a hint of worry amidst the hate written all over her face. And because of that, he felt a tiny bit better.

    It hadn''t been a few seconds when Chris became conscious and Katherine had already flicked her foot to his shin. "Start talking!" she hissed.

    It made him chuckle seeing her like this. Typical Queen Impatient, haughty, yet still so attractive. "Was it really necessary to knock me out?"

    "No, but I don''t want to take any chances."

    Chris turned his head to the left where the voice who just spoke came from and saw Damien casually leaning against the wall with no hint of worry in his eyes like Katherine, except his was full of rage. It was the first time that he saw Damien face to face and right from the start he already sensed thetter''s dominating aura. The man''s coal-ck eyes stared back at him with obvious threats and he wondered how Katherine could be with someone like Damien.

    Damien crossed his arms and his muscles bulged from the pose, but Chris believed that he didn''t lose in terms of physiqueeven if the former was an inch taller, thetter thought that he could totally take him. Chris just had to get out of this stupid chair and handcuffs first.

    Ignoring Damien, Chris turned to Katherine and gave her a serious look. Judging by what was happening, Chris assumed that Damien must already know Katherine''s identity. "Why is your boyfriend here? Have you already broken your code?"

    "I don''t live by the code anymore," she answered almost instantly. There were a lot of codes to live by in Shadow but one of the most important ones was to always keep everything about Shadow a secret from people outside of the organization. This was to protect the agents, the organization, and the outsiders. The moment that these outsiders know about Shadow''s existence, it could be dangerous for everyone.

    "Ah So you don''t care that he''s a walking target now?" Chris briefly nced at Damien''s way to make an emphasis. "He''s already in danger. Next thing you know, he''ll walk out of this building and there''ll be a bullet on his head. Why would you do that? You have protected him for so long In the end, you''re the one who put him"

    "What are you doing here, Chris?" Katherine interrupted his speech. She already knew what he meant and the reminder just painfully wed her insides. Last night when she decided to tell Damien everything, it was the most difficult thing she had ever done. And until now, she was still unsure about what she did but sheid her trust in Damien, not that she couldn''t, but she had to.

    Hearing what Chris just said, Damien drifted his gaze to Katherine and wondered what the guy meant that she had protected him for so long. He had a feeling that it had something to do from five years ago.

    "Let''s not waste our time. Tell me why you''re here," she forced.

    Sighing, Chris shook his head. "I''m just here to warn you about your little n of trying to go against Parker."

    "Yeah, you already said thatst time."

    "You don''t get it, Katherine." Chris nced at Damien, wondering how much he knows.

    Realizing what Chris was thinking, she told him, "You can say what you need to say to me in front of him."

    Damien shot his men a look and without even saying anything, his security detail left the room.

    When it was only the three of them left in the living room, Chris continued, "Parker isn''t the same as he was five years ago before you blew up Castle. Simrly, Shadow isn''t the same. So if you think you can handle it alone, you''re delusional. Walk away from this, Katherine. Have a new life and never look back."

    "She''s not alone." Damien clenched his jaw. His eyes darkened and his face hardened. "She has me."

    Katherine''s heart throbbed because of Damien''s words. She already knew that but the way he said it just now made her feel confident. He''s right. She wasn''t alone. She has him. If Chris wasn''t in the room right now, she would have probably flung herself towards him and kissed him smack on the lips for being so charming.

    Contrary to Katherine''s adoration, Chris scoffed at Damien''s arrogance. He knew about his wealth, and the Park Family''s capabilities but what was his money going to do? Hire an army? Knowing that Damien left the Park Family''s influence and did not want to associate himself with them, moreover, his uncle was involved in the assassination of Katherine''s parents, Chris knew that the other would most definitely not use the backing of the Parks.

    So wherever Damien''s confidence came from, Chris found itughable. "Really?" He chuckled. "And what are you going to do? Do you even know who you''re up against?"

    "It doesn''t matter who they are. My family is the only thing that''s important to me."

    "The Parks? Those"

    "I''m not talking about my uncle." Damien walked over to Katherine and stood next to her. He already knew that Shadow knows about his family''s business and he figured that Chris may have thought he was referring to them. "I''m talking about Katherine. She''s my only family." He wanted to include Nanamaybe even his motherbut he didn''t have toy out his weaknesses to his enemy. "So, I don''t care if you think that Shadow is invincible. Even the strongest will fall."

    Chris stared at Damien, studying his determined expression and shrugged. "I must admit You have a very strong resolution. However, only time will tell who will win. That is if Parker doesn''t get to you first."

    Katherine uncrossed her legs and leaned forward, her heart raced as she studied Chris. "What do you mean? What are you nning?"

    "Not me. Parker. I told you I can only do so much for you, Katherine. The moment I reported back to himst Saturday, he gave me an assignment." Chris looked at Damien. "A thorough research about Mr. Damien Park. You know what that means, right? Queen?"

    She balled her hands into fists, shaking in rage at the thought of having Damien under Parker''s radar. This was what she was most afraid of. Even after trying her best not to put his life in danger, her fear still happened without her knowing.

 Chapter 332: A New Member or a New Leader? (6)

    Chapter 332: A New Member or a New Leader? (6)

    Of course, Katherine knew exactly what it meant when Parker asked his agents to look into someone. The man was interested in Damien and he could already be nning on either being affiliated, or have them assassinated. And she was pretty sure that Parker would never associate himself with the Parks.

    Feeling like a bucket of cold ice was poured on her back, Katherine''s breathing quickened and when she looked at Chris again, all she could think of was to put an end to this. Grabbing the gun that she kept on the side, she got up and in an instant, the gun was already pointed at Chris''s head. She was so fast, even Damien didn''t see iting and he was already standing next to her.

    The sun was so high up in the sky at half past nine in the morning. But the weather wasn''t hot in November, however, Katherine''s body felt like it was on fire. She couldn''t imagine what could happen to Damien and she didn''t dare to. Chris''s words from earlier rang in her head <em>"Next thing you know, he''ll walk out of this building and there''ll be a bullet on his head. Why would you do that? You have protected him for so long In the end, you''re the one"</em>

    Pressing the cold muzzle of the gun to Chris''s forehead, a tear rolled out of her raging, red-rimmed eyes. "What What the hell did you do? What did Parker order?" She didn''t want to believe that Chris didn''t want to harm Damien. After all, he ced a bomb in his car almost a week ago. A bomb that could go off while Damien was inside.

    Chris looked up at Katherine, perfectly calm as if there was no gun pointing at his head at the momentas if the cold metal wasn''t touching his skin and that at any moment, his brain could stter all over this nicely decorated posh living room. He looked at her with his clear blue eyes, unafraid, unaffected, and undaunted  because he didn''t believe that she had it in her to kill him. No matter how much she hated him for the things he did to her, she couldn''t kill him.

    When Chris didn''t say anything and only stared at her, she was even more pissed, her finger hovering over the trigger and almost pulling it. "Answer me."

    Katherine felt Damien''s hands on her waist. She had almost forgotten that he was there and as soon as she was reminded, her maddening pulse gradually slowed down. His hand traveled up to her armthe one holding the gunand he slowly tugged it away whispering above her head, "Calm down," and cing a kiss on her hair. The gesture was so sweet that it dissipated the anger within her, allowing him to take the gun away from her hand.

    Damien didn''t stop her to save Chrisheck, he would pull the trigger to get rid of the monsterrather, he stopped her to save Katherine from herself. Even though she didn''t tell him, and as much as he hated to admit, he knew that Chris meant so much to her. And if she killed him right there, she might not be able toe back from that.

    Chris met Damien''s eyes for a brief second and he knew why the other stopped Katherine. Clenching his jaw, he shut his eyes for a bit before answering, "I didn''t do anything. I only submitted my report to Parker and left his office. He only wanted me to keep an eye on the two of you and monitor Damien''s activities, see if he is working with his uncle. As to why Parker''s doing this, I don''t know what else he ns. You know that he doesn''t tell me everything."

    Katherine believed Chris''s words. Stepping away from his vicinity, she walked several steps away as though she was trying to make room for herself to breatheas if it was going to help her think better. "He sent a low-level agent on a Steward Mission a few days ago," she blurted.

    "What?" Chris''s head snapped towards Katherine, the surprise was evident in his voice.

    "I got rid of the bugs on us when I found out. But I don''t know how much they know."

    Chris tried to recall if there was any order given when he was in Shadow. He couldn''t know every little mission but all agents basically fall under him now. So he wondered and felt uneasy because of how it happened under his nose. "What does he look like?"

    "She."

    "A female agent?"

    Nodding, Katherine responded, "Blond, skinny, early 20s, aquiline nose, big blue eyes."

    Chris took in the description and mentally scanned the agents that matched in his mind and very soon, he thought of someone and nodded. "Yeah. Trixie. She''s a Level Two. I don''t think Parker wants to spy on you That mission might only be part of his scheme."

    "What do you mean?"

    "I believe he doesn''t buy you losing your memory. So he might have wanted to catch you in the act and see how you would react if you noticed..."

    Katherine already figured that much which was why she tried to act with Damien at that time. She drifted her gaze to Damien and the two exchanged knowing looks that only they understood. She swallowed and cleared her throat.

    "Now, why shouldn''t I suspect that Parker sent you here to kill us?" She waltzed back towards Chris and crossed her arms in front of her, mostly to feel safe and secure.

    Debating whether to tell her some truth, Chris contemted for a bit and weighed his options before settling to tell her what happened recently. He didn''t have to prove himself to Katherine but for some reason, he wanted to. "Because he''s starting to doubt me."

    Her brows furrowed, seemingly interested and concerned at the same time. Parker had always been like a father figure to Chris, trusting him with so many confidential things in Shadow. So how could he start doubting Chris?

    "I caught one of my agents following me for three days. I didn''t mind it at first since Shadow does random checks on everyone inside now. But after having had enough, I put an end to it and found Gus."

    "The Gazelle" she muttered.

    "What?" Damien probed.

    "Gus one of Shadow''s agents. We"

    "Gus has a crush on her," Chris interrupted with a teasing smile, remembering the days years ago when the two were still new recruits.

    "Shut up." Katherine red at Chris.

    Of course, another stranger had a crush on Katherine. Damien looked at the two, his patience was wearing out.

    Ignoring Katherine''s bark, Chris continued, "Gus is one of my trusted agents. He''s named after ''Gazelle'' fast and deadly."

    "Why would Parker send someone to spy on you?" she wondered.

    "Because I told him you weren''t a threat and now I know he doesn''t believe me. So he sent Gus to make sure that I''m not protecting you." Chris''s eyes were stern and cold as he spoke the words, looking her straight in the eye as he did.

    The tense atmosphere was interrupted by the ringing of Chris''s phone. Three pairs of eyes turned towards the coffee table, a phone buzzing on it with its screen lit up.

    Picking it up, Katherine''s hand trembled when she saw who the caller was. Her reaction told Chris that it was someone she feared.

    With a confident tone, Chris questioned, "That''s Parker, isn''t it?"

 Chapter 333: A New Member or a New Leader? (7)

    Chapter 333: A New Member or a New Leader? (7)

    Damien looked at the phone over Katherine''s shoulder and saw "Parker" a name that he had heard several times was now calling on Chris''s phone. He hadn''t seen or heard the man yet and he already thought that he was not a joke.

    "He''ll know something is up if I don''t answer his call," Chris said.

    Katherine breathed in and moved the cell phone close to his mouth. She didn''t like what was going to happen but there was no other choice. Hovering her finger over the green button, she warned, "I''ll put it on speaker. Don''t test me, Chris."

    Chris only looked at her without saying anything and watched her answer the call. "Parker," he said.

    "Were you busy, Christopher? Took you long enough to answer." Parker''s oddly familiar voice came through the speaker and Katherine stiffened, her hand tightening around the device as she tried so hard not to scream at the man or she would expose herself. She remembered his voice so well and she could imagine him talking as if they were in the same room.

    Judging by the voice Damien heard, he deduced that Parker must be in his sixties. He sounded like a polished gentleman, one wouldn''t think that he was actually a boss of a covert organization.

    "My apologies. I was going through security." Chris nced at Katherine and Damien as he kept his tone natural, sounding like he wasn''t tied up on a chair at this very moment and that his head wasn''t throbbing from the strike that Damien gave him earlier.

    "Where are you?" Parker''s voice waszy. There was muffled traffic noise in the background and the sound of pages of paper being flipped. She guessed that Parker must be inside the car and reading some documents.

    "Harbor City, Esmea. I''m at Katherine''s new apartment building."

    The sound of paper flipping stopped and Parker sounded more interested in the phone call. The name that Chris dropped caught his attention. "What are you doing there?" he asked even though just a couple of days ago, he told Chris to keep an eye on her and Damien Park.

    "She''s not in the building at the moment. I''m trying to see what''s going on with our rogue agent. I just arrived at her apartment." Chris''s casual answer caused Damien to raise the gun in his hand and point it to the other''s head, warning him of what he may tell Parker over the phone.

    Unlike Katherine earlier, Damien looked more confident in directing the gun towards Chris. He looked calm and evidently firm on his grip. His face was impassive but there was no doubt that he was dominant. Chris believed that if Damien really wanted to, he would pull the trigger.

    "Did you find anything?" the voice from the speaker of the phone asked.

    "Not yet. The ce looked upmarket, very fitting for an heiress. This doesn''t look like the Queen we know, Parker. She wouldn''t want to be in a pretentious ce like this," Chris spoke with so much confidence as though he knew Katherine very well and Damien didn''t like that, yet he kept himself cool and listened to the conversation.

    "People change, Christopher. I''ve taught you to look past superficial things. Search thoroughly. Find whatever you can that would prove she''s only pretending."

    "Yes, Sir."

    "What about Damien Park?"

    Parker mentioning Damien''s name made Katherine''s blood boil. She hated the way Parker said Damien''s name. She hated that Parker even thought of Damien and she hated that Parker was interested in the man she loved. She was so mad that she started seeing ck spots in her vision.

    Noticing the change in Katherine''s expression, Chris stared at her as he responded, "I haven''t gotten the chance to check on him yet. I will do so after I''m done here."

    "Good. Keep me updated, Christopher."

    "Yes, Sir."

    The call ended and Katherine released a breath that she didn''t know she was holding until she realized that she needed to breathe. She tossed Chris''s phone onto the sofa and ran her fingers through her hair. She was trying so hard to calm herself down. Her body was heating up and it was only a matter of time when she would lose it. She didn''t know what to do. She was about to go crazy thinking that she had really put Damien in danger.

    Seeing Katherine''s state, Damien put the gun away and immediately strolled towards her as she stood by the tall window. He caught her arm and drew her towards him, his arms wrapping around her and squeezing her tight. "Hey you''re okay"

    She hesitated before giving in and clutching onto his shirt. She was so afraid, not realizing that she was shaking and Damien was the only one holding her up. "I can''t I can''t let him hurt you. I shouldn''t have"

    "He won''t," he whispered, his voice was so gentle and soft against her ear. "He can''t touch me and he can''t touch you. I won''t let him. Do you trust me?"

    His voice was so low in her ear and it seemed to calm her down. She had forgotten that Chris was there and all that mattered to her now was Damienno one else. Pressing her cheek against his chest, she could hear the calm beating of his heart and she wondered how he was so calm even after knowing that Parker was targeting them. However, even though she wondered and was extremely worried, her own heart mimicked the calm beating of his heart. In his eyes, she wanted to be strong.

    Softly nodding her head, she responded in almost a whisper, "I trust you."

    Chris couldn''t bear to watch the two so he looked away. After a couple of minutes, he appealed, "You have to let me go, Katherine."

    She didn''t want to but she pulled away from Damien and stalked back to Chris, "Why would I do that?"

    "Because you wouldn''t kill me. So what are you keeping me here for?"

    "How do you know that I don''t want to?"

    "Oh, you want to. You just couldn''t."

    Katherine red at Chris, wishing that he didn''t know her so well. He was right  she very much wanted to but something was stopping her and she didn''t quite understand that.

    When she didn''t answer, Chris added, "You know that Parker would find out if I stay here too long. I need to report back"

    "Who were you meeting at Central Harbor Restaurant?" she questioned, ignoring what he was saying.

    A sh of surprise flitted across his face but he contained it right away and it was instantly reced by a mask of amusement. "Have you been spying on me?"

    "Just answer the question."

    "That''s none of your business, Katherine."

    "I will let you go if you answer me." She was ying with fire. She badly wanted to know what Chris was up to because the information could help them all in the process.

    "I''m in no liberty to divulge information even if you threaten me with a knife on my throat."

    His answer only made Katherine even more curious. And out of nowhere, she drawled, "You''re doing this behind Parker''s back, aren''t you?"

    Chris pressed his lips together, not wanting to answer her question and so she continued to press on. "You''re really not here for me nor for Damien. I''m guessing before you even came here, you met that person again, didn''t you?"

    Katherine was getting warmer but Chris could only look at her with an expressionless face.

    "You came here to me as an excuse So that if Parker callswhich he already didyou have something to back you up."

    The corners of her mouth curled up at the realization. She lowered her head to his level so that she was seeing him eye to eye and when he still kept his mouth shut, she provoked, "You''re betraying Parker."

 Chapter 334: A New Member or a New Leader? (8)

    Chapter 334: A New Member or a New Leader? (8)

    Damien''s lips parted as he looked at the way Katherine was trying to extract important information from Chris, admiring the way she was so curious and also thrilled at the newfound discovery. Just a moment ago, her confidence was roughly shaken, all because she was too worried about his safety. And it felt so damn good when she told him that she trusted him.

    He still gets surprised whenever he sees her handling deadly weapons but he wasn''t afraid of her. In fact, whenever this badass Katherine woulde to the surface, he found her exciting and beautiful. So, seeing her brain work like this, Damien could only marvel at her. He found her brain and skills sexy. No one could ever be her  and she was his.

    Meanwhile, Chris kept his face expressionless as Katherine stood before him, studying him. If his hands weren''t tied up in the armchair at the moment, he probably would have already pped his hands for her. He knew that she was smart, she always had been. He witnessed Katherine flourish and excel in training. She was a fast learner and quick to adapt to certain situations. Now, he was again especially impressedand he couldn''t be more proud.

    He couldn''t really tell her a lot, but because he was amused at the moment, he let the corners of his mouth curl up just slightly and didn''t avert his clear blue eyes from her. Though he shouldn''t be telling her his secrets, he was also eager to find out how far she would be able to guess. And maybe just maybe, he would consider another set of options moving forward.

    Katherine stared at his eyes intently, tilting her head to the side and raising her brows. Her eyes seemingly glowed as she examined Chris, wanting to see if he was going to give away anything. She could see that he was amused by her curiosity with the way that he was giving her a smug look. And even though she hated him right now, she could only think of what was going on in his head at the moment. "Why are you betraying Parker?" she questioned.

    Chris remained silent, his facial muscles were now rxed as he leaned against the backrest, wanting to give himself some space from Katherine whose gaze was fixed on him

    Seeing that he had no intention of answering her question, she tried to press on, "What flipped your mind that you are turning your back on Parker? You''ve always been behind him for so many years now So why are you doing this?"

    He slowly released his breath in a sigh, looking tired at the current situation that he was in. "Whatever I do in my own time doesn''t concern you, Katherine."

    "Then whye to me? If you are really here to warn me about not going against Parker, you could have just called. You''re good at finding phone numbers, right? So your appearance is what boggles me. And now I think I''m on the right track Parker doesn''t know about your meeting at that exclusive restaurant. You''re right though... Whatever you do in your own time doesn''t concern me at all. I don''t care if you go to hell, Chris. But you came to me." She shrugged.

    Chris balled his hand into a fist to fight himself against the urge to pat her on the head. He had alreadye into terms that she would hate him forever and he was okay with that. But this wouldn''t stop him from admiring her. "I''ve always cared for you. I may have done things that are not exactly humane, but all I did for you I did it thinking that I was doing it for your own good. But this what I''m doing now is for me. This is my battle, Katherine. And I don''t want you in it."

    Katherine swallowed and straightened herself up but she kept her eyes on him, his words churning in her mind and she was reminded of all the things that Chris did for her. He wasn''t always bad At least, he was never bad to her. He lied to her; yes. And that hurt her a lot. But even she realized that his selfish ways were all because he was trying to protect her. They may be so wrong in so many ways and she may not agree with everything that he did. But she understood and believed that he did care for her.

    She would probably continue to hate him despite understanding why he did what he did. Because even though she understood him, it didn''t mean that she could ept what he did. It didn''t mean that she would stop hurting just because she could see why he did it. And maybe it will stay that way for a long time maybe it will be forever.

    Desperate to know more about what Chris was doing, she crossed her arms and bargained with him, "Can you just tell me one thing? Tell me one thing and I will let you go."

    It may be stupid to let him go but he was right. She couldn''t kill him and keeping him in here would alert Parker, which she wouldn''t want. But that was the n in the first ce, to capture Chris so they could use him against Parker. However, things have changed now, Damien was with her  her strongest support. And Chris was doing something behind Parker''s back  and that could be crucial to their sess.

    "What you''re doing Is that going to bring down Parker?" she finally asked.

    Contemting his options, Chris thought that he might regret telling Katherine even just a tiny piece of information. But he didn''t really have a choice now. He had to leave this ce soon. Taking a deep breath, he looked up at her with a serious expression and told her with a clear voice, "Not Parker..."

    He watched as Katherine''s brows knitted in confusion at his initial words and then he continued, "Not only Parker. I''m bringing down Shadow."

    Her brows rxed and her expression turned from curiosity to eagerness with a mixture of fear, unsure of the unknown that wasing their way because this was something they did not expect  for Chris to betray Parker and take down Shadow. And when she thought that he was done, she heard him add, "It''s him and all the other executives behind him. I am doing this alone and I don''t want you involved."

    Damien, who had been observing the two the entire time, strolled towards Katherine and gently pulled her by the arm for a side talk. He tugged her towards the other side of the room, making sure they were out of Chris''s earshot. "You can''t let him go. What if everything he said is all just a scheme?"

    "What will lying about his betrayal of Parker do for me?"

    "Maybe he''s trying to gain your trust for whatever fcked up reason there is. I don''t know. He''s already hurt you one too many times. What''s stopping him again?"

    Katherine mused, biting her lip as she pondered upon what she could do at the moment. "You''ve heard the phone call earlier. Parker doesn''t know that I''m just pretending He may have already started to have doubts but if Chris was really against me, he would have already told Parker the truth. He''s not wired too I I don''t know, Damien I want to believe him."

    The two exchanged looks and he hated that she had faith in Chris. It bothered him but he couldn''t me her because, after all, she knew Chris more than he does. "Is this what you really want?"

    "I''m not sure. But this is what my gut tells me."

    Running a hand down his face, he could feel a headache creep up on him. "Fine. Your call."

    Damien called his security back in the living room and in just a minute, the cuffs and ties on Chris were off. He hadn''t been tied up for a long time and he wasn''t really tortured, but the spot on his head where he was hit earlier was causing him some serious headache.

    Chris rubbed the sore spot on his wrists where he was cuffed. "I mean it, Katherine. Justy low and Parker will stop going after you. You already have a good life right now. Don''t ruin it," he remarked as he fixed his coat in ce.

    Katherine didn''t respond to Chris. She stood next to Damien who was still reluctant on letting the man leave. His body was rigid and his eyes darkened at the sight of Chris who was about to leave. She could see the bloodlust in Damien''s eyes and she somehow knew what he was about to do.

    A mockingugh escaped from Damien''s lips as he rolled his neck from side to side. "Katherine may be merciful but I''m not. She''s the only reason that you''re walking away now." Raising the gun in his hand, he wanted to aim it at Chris''s head but restrained himself, so he lowered it and in just half a second, he pulled the trigger, shooting Chris''s thigh.

    "Next time, the bullet will go through your head."

 Chapter 335: Damiens Other Shade

    Chapter 335: Damien''s Other Shade

    Everything happened so fast. Chris could have avoided getting shot at but for some reason, he had expected that Damien wouldn''t let him go unscathed. He had his back facing Damien and Katherine as he was about to exit the penthouse. And when Damien spoke, he slightly turned his head to the right and sensed that Damien was going to shoot him. But he didn''t move, believing that he deserved the bullet.

    As soon as the bullet pierced through his thigh, he cursed. It wasn''t painft least, there wasn''t any pain right away. There was heavy pressure on the gunshot wound and a buzzing feeling. He clenched his jaw and squeezed his eyes before he inspected his wound.

    The wound was a few inches above his right knee on the side of his thigh and it avoided his femoral artery. If it was a couple more inches to the left, it could have been fatal and he could potentially bleed to death fast. He let out a breathy curse and in his mind, he reluctantly praised Damien for being skillful. He believed that the shot was calcted and that if Damien really wanted, he would''ve easily been shot right through the artery where he could bleed so much, or worse, a headshot.

    While he took out a handkerchief to tie it around the wound, he heard Damien gave amand to his men, "Patch him up before you send him off." The security held Chris by the arm to guide him out but he brushed them off and walked on his own, limping towards the elevator.

    Katherine was still tongue-tied after witnessing what just happened. She stared stupidly at Damien as she stood next to him, not even realizing that Chris was no longer at her penthouse and had left a small pool of blood on the marbled floor. There were a lot of things that ran through her head and she wasn''t really shocked at the thought of ''a gunshot'' but she was stunned to see Damien shooting someone without having second thoughts.

    Seeing someone shoot wasn''t entirely new to her given her job in Shadow before, but seeing Damien use a gun was. And her brain didn''t know what to process. Yes, she saw him with a gun on the very first time that she met him many years ago but she hadn''t seen him fire it. So this was different. Knowing that he knows how to use the gun was far different than actually seeing him use it.

    And just like what Chris had thought, she believed that if Damien really wanted, he could have killed Chris easily. It was a bizarre feeling and it was also admirable at the same time. She swallowed as she continued to gaze at him, suddenly seeing him in a different light. The kind Damien whom she knew for a long time, the one who was always gentle with her, and now this the badass Damien she just saw pull a trigger, looking so manly and dominant and hot.

    "You okay?" Damien asked when he noticed that she was staring at him. And when she didn''t answer, he lightly squeezed her arm to wake her up from her trance. "Baby, where have you gone to?"

    Katherine blinked and cleared her throat. "I thought you said you hated guns?"

    "I do. Doesn''t mean I''m not good at it." He winked, amused at her reaction when he caught her openly staring at him.

    Footsteps were heard from the side and they saw Stylese out from his bedroom.

    "Huh that was somewait... is that blood?" Styles''s eyes widened at the sight of the red pool on the floor. He quickly drifted his eyes to Katherine and then Damien, seeing if the blood came from one of them. "Is that Chris''s?"

    Katherine nodded once and looked at Damien again asking, "What now? I think I should call your mom."

    "Where is she?"

    Straining himself from vomiting, Styles averted his stare from the blood that was currently being cleaned by one of Damien''s security detail and turned to Katherine and Damien. "She''s at Katherine''s old apartment with Edward. I called her earlier and told her what happened so she''s still there now."

    She stashed the guns back to their secret locations, strapping them securely as she responded, "Should we get ready and leave? It''s best if we go to Falcon instead of having here back here."

    "Yeah. I''ll go shower. I''ll be ready in um half an hour." Styles hurried back to his bedroom. He could be ready in fifteen minutes but thinking that the two shared a roomst night, he thought of giving them more time to get ready since they had to share one shower. Half an hour was enough time, right?

    Katherine headed to her bedroom with Damien following her behind. Her thoughts were consumed about what Chris told her earlier and she tried to devise a n on what their next steps would be. She absent-mindedly went inside the bathroom to take a shower and was about to remove her top when she heard Damien''s footsteps behind her.

    "Wha" she gasped, seeing that he was holding the card that Matthew put inside the paper bag along with some fruits and soup. It was the card that she remembered sending to Matthew when they separated and he stayed in California. She sprang forward in an attempt to steal the card from him but he raised it so high up in the air.

    "Give that to me," she pleaded weakly before taking a step back when she saw Damien''s unreadable expression. His face hardened and if his icy stare could wound her, she would have already frozen on the spot. She didn''t have to read the inside of the card to know what she wrote to Matthew when she was twelve  she knew it by heart.

    "I That''s" She cleared her throat, taking a step back each time Damien took a step towards her. Seeing his expression, she didn''t know what he was thinking. He looked so cool just a few minutes ago but now she didn''t know what to expect.

    "Damien that''s" She swallowed when her hips touched the counter.

    cing a hand on the counter next to her hip, Damien''s arm grazed her waist and while he fixed his gaze on her, he raised the card up, then his eyes skimmed the swirls and lines of Katherine''s handwriting.

    She didn''t move. She didn''t dare to interrupt Damien catching her young self writing to Matthew many years ago. Though she could no longer remember it word for word, she was sure what it was about and that it was so silly. She watched as Damien finished reading and he lowered the card, cing his other hand onto the counter, trapping her between his arms.

    "Really?" Damien''s voice was low and his gaze was so intense she couldn''t move.

    "What"

    "You really wanted to marry Matthew?" he scoffed, his mind bringing him back to a couple of hours ago when Matthew stopped by and hugged Katherine so tightly despite his presence in the room. What a ballsy move.

    She knitted her brows together, frowning at him. "That was so long ago. I was a child."

    He huffed, leaning forward so they were only inches apart before he swore, "You listen to me, Katherine Young, there''s absolutely no fcking way you will marry other men besides me. I won''t allow it."

    She blinked. "I"

    "Are we clear?"

    Katherine had only managed to half nod when Damien said, "Good." And then he smashed his lips to hers.

 Chapter 336: Baby Steps

    Chapter 336: Baby Steps

    <em>Dear Matty,</em>

    <em>I got your postcard when you visited Los Angelesst week. You''re so lucky to see the Hollywood sign! Did you take a picture of it? I would love to see it so please send me one in your next letter!</em>

    <em>By the way, the school dance is just around the corner. I remember that we talked about it before you ghosted on me (before you left for Cali. I''m eye-rolling right now). Also, my ssmate bully Jenna (you know, the one who always wears her hair in a ponytail) has been giving me a hard time at schooltely because she heard that Bruce Ward asked me to be his date for the dance.</em>

    <em>Can you believe that he asked me? I know you don''t like him. And I didn''t say "yes" FYI. He''s a little cute but then I remembered he pissed his pants in 2nd grade when he got scolded by our homeroom teacher. HAHAHA.</em>

    <em>I also don''t think that I will go to the dance anyway because you''re not there so I know it will suck. If you hadn''t left, you''d ask me to be your date right? :p Coz if you wouldn''t, I would probably force you anyway. Even through letter, I''m still reminding you that I will marry you one day, Matthew Jeong. (Imagine my wide grin while I''m saying this.)</em>

    <em>Honestly, I miss you. It''s been a few months. And I get lonely sometimes when I do my homework. Write back fast.</em>

    <em>Your best friend in the whole wide world,</em>

    <em>Katherine</em>

    <em></em>

    <em>P.S. I grew another few cms. I''m still the tallest in ss. Do you think I can beat your height?</em>

    Katherine Young hadn''t received a response from Matthew after that letter which she sent the day before the tragic incident in her home happened. She had forgotten about it for a while and then remembered Matthew every now and then, wondering what happened to him and what he was up to while she was in the orphanage with all the other kids whom she didn''t get along with.

    She didn''t know how time had passed while she stayed there confused, traumatized and lonely. Eventually she came to terms with the fact that she had no one else but Chris whom she had ced her hope on to rescue her from this hellhole one day. She constantly wrote him letters even though he didn''t respond to any of them. Even so, she hoped that he read all of them.

    These thoughts about the past shed in her head like a lightning struck and when she realized that Damien had kissed her, she froze on the spot. It had been too long since thest time that they kissed and it made her want to melt into his embrace. And for a second, she forgot about her worries, allowing herself to respond to his kisses.

    His kiss was rough, dominant and fierce but she loved it, her heart fluttering with each of his strokes. The way his lips and tongue entangled with hers felt so right and sweet and hot. And when her hands glid up to his shoulders and she hooked her arms around his neck, he pulled her closer, encircling his arms around her waist.

    However, out of nowhere, she felt a struck of familiar tightness in her chest and heaviness in her stomach, causing her to abruptly push Damien away. Her breathing hitched and she hugged herself shaking as she closed her eyes and tried to calm herself down. The guilt was still trying to w her insides and it caught her as soon as she was on her way to a blissful state while being with Damien.

    Shocked by the sudden change in the air, Damien watched as sheforted herself while he stood taken aback by her action. She pushed him. She denied him a long kiss after having just responded to it. He was confused as hell on what went wrong and when he was about to ask her what''s the matter, a realization came to him, reminding him that she was still trying to iste herself because of her guilt.

    ''Damn it, Damien. You ruined it, you fool,'' he cursed himself. He shouldn''t have pushed his luck. He didn''t know what came to him when he said those things before kissing her. For a period of time, he had forgotten that their rtionship was still weak at this point after having just convinced her that they could do it slowly.

    He was consumed with jealousy after reading the old letter of her to Matthew when they were still very young that he forgot about himself and acted like an ass. He had no right to say those things; especially when she was in a flighty stage. She could disappear again any time and what he said might just cause her to leave him again. He instantly regretted and felt bad.

    "I''m sorry" he cautioned, lowering his head as he felt defeated. "I shouldn''t have said that."

    Katherine didn''t look up when he spoke, not knowing how to act after she just pushed him away. She didn''t want to do that, but her body involuntarily acted before she even realized it and when she came to her senses, she felt bad. Damien must be feeling awful and she didn''t know how to make him feel better. She didn''t mind what he said because now she couldn''t really see anyone else apart from Damien.

    When she didn''t respond, he decided to give her some space and reflect on what happened. This was just a minor setback. They could still make this work He would just have to be patient with her. He would crawl just like he promised.

    Anything for Katherine. His stupid jealous self would just have to suck it up.

    Damien took a step forward and was thankful that she didn''t move away. Gently cing a hand on her shoulder, he lightly squeezed it and kissed her hair before saying, "You go and take a shower, I''ll meet you outside when you''re done."

    "I''m sorry," she whispered, slowly looking up at him and meeting his gaze. She saw him giving her a smile before leaving her alone in the huge bathroom and closing the door behind him.

    Katherine hated what she did and she tried so hard to clear her thoughts and move on. Removing her clothes, she stepped into the shower and let the warm water pour down on her naked body. She stayed in the shower longer than she was used to, wanting to wash away her ill thoughts, guilt and self-loathing.

    When she was done, she quickly slipped into a in white shirt and her old faded jeans. She was just about to leave her bedroom when she passed by a picture frame that her grandfather gave her recently. In it was a picture of her when she was ten years old and her parents in the Young Mansion.

    Brushing her fingers on the photo, she spoke in silence, ''Mom, Dad I''m sorry I can''t hate Damien like I''m supposed to. You understand me, do you? If I push him away, I don''t know if I can still survive. I already tried doing that and yet here I am I couldn''t help but be drawn to him. What should I do? I wish you were here to tell me.''

    Katherine took a deep breath and walked away, wishing that she was brave enough to withstand the storms that were about toe her way.

 Chapter 337: Suppression

    Chapter 337: Suppression

    It was half past eleven in the morning when Katherine managed toe out of her bedroom. She stepped into the living room and found Styles''s excited eyes as he watched boxes and boxes of all the things he listed down on the email that he sent to Damien. He was like a little boy seeing his Christmas presents before him.

    There was a mixture of small and big boxes filling the space in the living room and Katherine wondered if it would all fit in Styles''s bedroom. As she scanned the area, her eyesnded on the man whose back was facing her while he was on a phone call. He was tall and looking soid back in his casual outfit wearing a in white t-shirt and ck jeans.

    She watched him talk for a couple of minutes before he turned his head in her direction and caught her staring. In a few seconds, he ended his phone call and walked towards her. "Ready to go?" Damien asked.

    Katherine''s breathing hitched when his familiar, delicious scent wafted in her nose, his clean aftershave and cologne blending together in a really tasty way  she had to swallow. And before she could stop herself, she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly, catching him off guard.

    Damien was surprised but he easily caught her slim body, taking in her soft and fragrant scent that he used to smell on her after her showers. She didn''t have to say it but he knew that she was apologetic about what happened earlier and so was he. "I''ll do better," he breathed against her neck.

    "So will I" she answered.

    "Ummm Sorry to interrupt your um... This." Styles shifted his weight as he spoke, not looking at the pair directly. "But I think we should go." He didn''t really want to go yet as he was excited to get his hands on his new toysgadgetsstuff for work, but they needed to leave.

    Damien tightened his arm around her waist once and nted a kiss on her neck before letting her go. "He''s right. We''ll stop by to grab some food on the way. Let''s go." He grabbed her hand and led her out of her penthouse while Styles followed behind.

    This time, there were several mening with them. A few of them wore ck suits and some in their casual clothes that would blend in with the crowd wherever they go. Damien drove his Range Rover Sport towards the busy district near Katherine''s old apartment. When they alighted the car at a parking lot, they put on their sunsses and walked towards the busiest area.

    Katherine''s hand inteced with Damien''s as they casually walked around as though they were on a date. He suddenly tightened his grip on her and she turned to look up at him, seeing his brows knit ever so slightly as if he thought of something unpleasant. "What''s wrong?"

    "A couple of months ago, I was around this area... and I think I saw you." He clenched his jaw before adding, "I called after you but I lost you quickly" He turned to her and asked, "Was that you?"

    She stared at him and her heart throbbed at the memory. She remembered that day so well and she even wished that the coincidence didn''t happen. She was out for merely ten minutes to buy food and when she was about to go back to her ce, she heard his voice calling her amongst the crowd. It took her everything not to turn around and run back to him. It was painful to force herself to get away from him for the second time and to keep convincing herself that it was the right thing to do.

    She nodded, not really knowing what else to say.

    "Okay" He nodded back. "At least now I know I wasn''t just hallucinating then."

    Ignoring the sea of people around them, she tiptoed and ced a kiss on his cheek. "I will try not to disappear on you again." She pressed her lips into a tight line.

    Heughed at her words, shaking his head. Of all the things she could say, she chose to say those words in an attempt to cheer him up. "You should work on your speeches. That''s not really convincing but damn it, I''ll take it."

    Katherine wasn''t really good with vocalizing her thoughts and while she deeply loved, Damien was more eloquent with his feelings.

    The group continued to walk around for a couple more minutes before finally finding themselves in Katherine''s old apartment. And upon entering the ce, they saw Edward on the shabby sofa quietly sitting by himself. He looked up when they arrived and there was an unrecognizable expression on his face.

    "Young Master," Edward greeted as he got up and made a bow, his head lowered as Damien walked up to him.

    "Where''s Amelia?" Katherine probed and just in time, the sound of the bathroom door clicked, drawing their attention towards it.

    They watched as Amelia came out of it, her eyes puffed and all red, looking like she had cried buckets of tears. Amelia had washed her face but it was evident that she had been crying a lot, making the others who just arrived wonder what happened before they came in.

    "What''s wrong?" Damien straightened, concern written all over his face seeing his mother in that state. They still had to work out their rtionship amidst everything that''s happening but he couldn''t deny that he was worried for her.

    Trying to defuse the tense atmosphere, Amelia slightly chuckled. "Oh, it''s nothing Just reminiscing some memories from a long time ago while I was talking to Edward earlier." She went to grab a bottle of water from the kitchen and continued to speak while she had her back facing them. "I can''t believe three decades had passed already. I''m so old."

    Turning around, a smile painted her lips. An odd and forced smile that was stered on her face  it didn''t match the loneliness in her eyes. And Damien saw that she was trying to hide something because she obviously looked pained whilst trying so hard to look okay, brushing whatever was making her sad away by nonchntlyughing. As to what it was and to whom she was hiding it from, he had no idea. But whatever it was that''s hurting her, he didn''t like it.

    "Oh, did you guys bring lunch? I was about to go down and get some. What happened at the penthouse by the way? Styles told me that Chris went there. He didn''t hurt any of you, did he?" She eyed the three of them, examining if they were all in one piece.

    Styles also found her mood and behavior slightly bizarre. He cleared his throat and brought the food that they got from a stopover and ced them on the kitchen counter. "Um. I didn''t really talk to him. Katherine..."

    "I''ll catch you up to speed but why don''t we eat first?" Katherine gave Amelia a quick eye signal as if to tell her that it wasn''t safe for Edward, who was an outsider, to hear anything that was rted to Shadow.

    Damien, who was still wondering about the reason behind his mother''s state, couldn''t help but nce at her every now and then. He had this nagging feeling within him that he couldn''t brush away. He just hoped that Amelia could clear it up for him because his gut was telling him that it could be something serious.

 Chapter 338: Alpha Teams Leader

    Chapter 338: Alpha Team''s Leader

    Inside the once empty apartment, Katherine stayed with Amelia in the kitchen talking about what happened with Chris earlier while they were washing and putting away the utensils that they used for lunch. Styles was at the sofa working on hisptop, Edward rested in the bedroom, and Damien was taking a phone call at the corner of the living room, his eyes scanning the entire ce and thinking about other proper measures that needed to be taken. There were a couple of Damien''s security detail inside the apartment while the others were scattered outside and around the building inconspicuously.

    In just twenty-four hours, a lot had already changed. Katherine''s team of three was now four, including Damien plus his security. His eyes darted to the kitchen and saw the two women talking. A strange feeling coursed through him. It was unfamiliar and it was only when he saw the two women together. One was the love of his life while the other was the one who gave him life.

    He had yet toe to terms with the fact that his biological mother was now there. She was so close and yet still so unfamiliar and familiar at the same time. This new feeling that he was experiencing was bizarre but it wasn''t repulsive. If anything, his heart swelled at the thought that he now has someone to call Mother. A real one. His thoughts drifted briefly to his other mother, Miriam, wondering where she was and what had happened to her.

    But because this was all too new, he didn''t think that it was going to be easy for him to be friendly with his mother. After all, it was the first time that he met her after thirty-one long years. He wished they had met under different circumstances and not because of this situation that they were facing. However, Damien was still thankful that he did meet her It felt like a hole in his heart was slowly being filled and everything started to make sense.

    He was a grown man. But every grown man still needs his mother. Beyond everything, he was a part of her  he stayed in her womb for nine months. That''s gotta be worth a lot, right?

    When Damien was done with his phone call, he strolled to the small kitchen, interrupting the women''s chat and heard Katherine ask, "Everything okay?"

    Nodding, he answered, "Yeah, I just spoke to someone from the club. I was told that you should be receiving an email from them real soon."

    "An email?" Just as she probed, her phone beeped, a notification shing on her screen indicating that she received an email. "Oh" She opened the email and read the ''Wee Message'' from the board of the exclusive club. There were a bunch of flowery sentiments in the long email with a link attached to direct her to create an online ount and take note of her credentials. It was like joining a social clique except this was an overly exclusive one with elite members. She felt weirdly thrilled at the thought.

    "You should receive your membership card in twenty-four hours. I''ll have someone personally deliver it to you."

    "Oh okay Shouldn''t I pay first, though? Do I need to do that online too?"

    "Don''t worry about that. I already took care of it." He tapped his screen a few times and sent her a receipt through email. "Keep this. Just in case they ask for proof when they deliver the card."

    Katherine''s eyes widened upon hearing Damien''s statement. She checked the email that he sent and for sure, it was a receipt for the outrageous fees signed and paid for by Damien Park on behalf of Katherine Young. A hundred grand for the registration and fifteen thousand for the yearly fee, amounting to a total of One hundred and fifteen thousand dors ($115,000). Her heartbeat raced and she quickly muttered, "What? Why would youDamien, you shouldn''t have. I could pay for it. I already prepared"

    "Let''s talk about it next time. That''s not important for now. Are you going to stay here all day?" His phone rang but he pressed a button, silencing the ring as he waited for her to answer his question.

    "IYes, I think so," she answered hesitantly. She didn''t like that he spent so much on her again but he looked like he was in a hurry so she chose to set that matter aside for now. "Why?"

    "I have to go somewhere right now. I''ll leave several of my men here with you. Come," Damien gestured for her to follow and she did until they reached thending space in front of her door where some of Damien''s security detail gathered.

    Turning to his men, Damien raised his voice only enough for them to hear him without the need to shout. "Listen up. Alpha team, you''ll stay here with them," he jerked a thumb towards the apartment, "and you''ll answer to her," he pointed at Katherine. "Treat her orders as if they were mine. Are we clear?"

    "Yes, Sir," the men of six from the Alpha Team responded in unison.

    "Felix," Damien called and Katherine''s former bodyguard came forward. "He''s the head of Alpha Team I don''t need to acquaint the two of you"

    She was surprised to see that Felix was actually there and he was even the head of the team. She was too busy minding a lot of things already to notice her former bodyguard was there the entire time. Katherine and Felix exchanged a friendly smile and a handshake before Damien ordered the Alpha team to go to their assigned locations.

    Watching the men disperse to their respective stations, Katherine pulled Damien aside and probed in a low voice, "Where are you going?"

    "I need to meet someone. It''s to get information regarding the one you needed from Central Harbor Restaurant." He caught her hand and inteced them together as he pulled her closer.

    "Then I''ll go with you!"

    "I have to go alone. Just stay here I''ll try toe back in a few hours." He could see the worry in her eyes and it warmed his heart seeing the all too familiar look that she would give him every time he would go somewhere without her.

    "But"

    A charming smile broke his face as he tucked some loose strands of hair behind her ear, cupping the side of her jaw and stroking her cheek with his thumb. "I''ll be fine. I will also have another team with me. It''s not dangerous where I will go so there''s no need to worry. You can call me anytime that you need to. Okay?"

    Katherine was reluctant but she nodded her head. She was too worried especially after what Chris told her earlier that Parker was already looking into Damien. What if he had ordered a hit on him or something? What could she do if she''s not with him? Despite her worries, she trusted him. "Be careful," she said in a soft voice, giving him a hug before he left.

    While Damien went to his car, one of his men from the Beta Team was walking next to him with a head full of questions. Damien noticed this and nced at the young man in his early twenties saying, "If you have something to say, spit it out."

    "My apologies, Sir. I was just wondering why did you leave Alpha Team to babysit your girlfriend? I mean Shouldn''t they be with you insteadnot that I don''t want to be guarding you, Sir, I''m just curious?"

    Augh escaped Damien''s lips upon hearing the question, startling the other men around them. They hadn''t seen their Bossugh so carefreely so this was new to them, making them more curious as to what he was going to say.

    "Who said they are babysitting?" Damien quirked a brow, earning his men''s full attention at his rhetorical question. "She doesn''t need babysitting because she''s very capable. Alpha Team is there to support my woman. She is their leader, not their charge."

 Chapter 339: For Katherine

    Chapter 339: For Katherine

    Knowing that his men thought that they were ''babysitting'' Katherine, Damien should be pissed and if it were any other day, he definitely wouldn''t have taken that remark lightly. Who dared to insult his woman?

    But because it was one of his protgs, Allen, he let it slide and chose to be amused instead as he was sure that they would be proved wrong when the timees. How ridiculous to think that Katherine was a charge. Yes, he loves herand yes, he worries for herand maybe if it was before, he would probably think of her as one too  all because he just wanted her to be safe. However, it was different now. Learning about her capabilities and skills, he admired and acknowledged them. Therefore, he was determined to treat her as an equal.

    Katherine may be vulnerable at times, but Damien knew better than to underestimate her. Treating her like a child who needs protection would only drive her away from him and that was thest thing that he wanted to happen.

    Inside a ck BMW sedan, Damien sat at the backseat of the luxury car while they were on their way to meet the person that he needed to meet. It had been years since hest saw him and if not because he needed something, he wouldn''t go out of his way and meet this guy. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, conditioning himself to be ready for when he sees him face to face after so many years.

    The ck sedan turned around a corner of a street that was thirty minutes away from the city proper. The street wasn''t crowded and it was somewhat a little grayas if it had no life, very rare did Damien find himself in ces like this as it looked a bit shady. When the car came to a full stop, Allen informed, "Boss, we''re here."

    Damien''s jaw clenched at the same time that he almost wished he didn''t have to do this. ''For Katherine,'' he reminded himself before opening his eyes and exiting the car.

    The month of November was getting colder even at three in the afternoon. His ck trench coat that covered over his casual T-shirt and jeans fluttered when the wind blew past him. He walked straight towards a vintage metal door, opened it without knocking and he let himself in while a few of his men followed him inside.

    "Where is he?" Damien asked when an old man in histe sixties came to greet him and then he took in the empty thirty square-meter entryway. The old man reminded him of Batman''s butler, Alfred Pennyworth, as he was always dressed in a suit, had gray hair and almost always had a stoic expression.

    "Chairman Park, Master is ready to see you. Alone," the old man said, bowing his head and gesturing his hand to the side.

    Damien followed the old man''s direction which led him towards the basement. His men started to follow him but he turned and ordered them, "You can stay here," and he headed downstairs before any of them could protest leaving him unprotected.

    His men disliked not knowing what was going on as they wouldn''t know how to protect their boss if the need arises. But they could only follow orders and when Damien gave them the address of where they were headed to earlier without knowing who they were going to visit, they could only hope that it was safe. Now they couldn''t do anything else but wait for when their Bosses back up.

    Damien took the spiral stairs that lead to the basement and found himself walking past heavy rolls of different types of cloths on the side before stepping into arge space that''s covered with stic drop cloths. The walls, some chairs or furniture were all covered with a stic drop cloth. The sight of it made him roll his neck.

    His footsteps were light even when the soles of his shoes stepped on the stic. They were negligible and drowned by the sound of Johann Sebastian Bach''s violin piece in the background. Scanning the entire room, he didn''t see anyone until he heard a crumpling noise from the left. Damien turned his head and saw a man with long blond hair and ck roots that fell past his shoulders.

    "Take off your coat," the long-haired man said without looking up. His cheekbones were high and his jaw was well-defined. He was so concentrated in the object in front of him.

    "I''m not here to be your subject," Damien responded, ignoring the other''smand and continued to stroll towards him.

    "Stop." The man turned his head to Damien, the corners of his mouth pulling up as he took in Damien''s appearance. There was a marvel in his eyes and his smile made him even more handsome than he already was without it. "You''re here for a favor. So you''re doing it on my terms. Take off your coat and hang it on that rack." His chin nodded towards the clothing rack near the wall.

    Reluctantly, Damien took off his coat and hung it like he was told. ''For Katherine,'' he reminded himself again.

    "Good. See? That wasn''t so hard. Now sit over there." The man pointed towards a red love couch in the middle of the huge room.

    "Wace," Damien muttered his name under gritted teeth.

    "Damien," Wace spoke with a teasing tone. "It''s been seven years. Just do it."

    Huffing, Damien took a deep breath and sauntered towards the red couch, hoping that it was clean and no one naked had sat there before him. "This is clean, right?"

    "I rubbed myself all over it while I was butt naked before you got here." Wace''s voice was toneless but the corner of his mouth curled up into a lopsided grin upon seeing Damien''s fierce re. "It''s clean. I just bought it."

    Damien was relieved but the image of naked Wace White was now in his head. "Asshole," he mumbled under his breath before lowering himself onto the couch.

    "You look good. As always. Are you married yet?" Wace asked as he nced at Damien before lifting the brush in his hand and drawing strokes on the canvas in front of him. His movement was so graceful, it matched so beautifully with Bach''s baroque music.

    Damien stared at Wace White, an artist who could most definitely pass as a model and he wondered what the man saw in him. Alianna''s voice rang in his head, "Damien''s lover boy", making him shiver. He wasn''t homophobic but he wasn''t into men. So his cousin''s words caused his brows to furrow. He didn''t hate Wace tooas long as the man kept his hands to himself, then it was okay.

    He didn''t know about Wace''s sexual orientation the first time they met at a party years ago. And when he noticed that the other was a bit too touchy for his liking, that''s when he started to wonder. Wace''s slightly queer personality was what made him unique and loved by his fans and Damien admired his works too but that''s it.

    "Rx your pretty face," Wacemented.

    "How long is this going to take?" Damien''s question sounded more like aint but Wace didn''t take it as an insult and evenughed.

    "If you stopining, we''ll be done in no time. Nowe on, tell me what you''ve been up totely." Wace dabbed his brush onto the tray in his hand and took his time with his work, a gorgeous smile stered on his lips as he did.

    ''For Katherine,'' another reminder chimed in Damien''s head as he slowly released a long exhale. He never thought he would ever find himself getting painted again by Wace White and he swore this was going to be thest.

 Chapter 340: Be My Date?

    Chapter 340: Be My Date?

    An hour had passed since Damien sat on the tufted red love couch. He wanted to hate sitting there while being painted by Wace White but the cushion was unexpectedlyfortable and the ssical music ying in the background was also quite rxing.

    From time to time, Wace asked questions in which Damien answered briefly  harmless questions about his current projects, his hotels and resorts, and did not repeat the first question about marriagewhich he was thankful because honestly, Damien didn''t know what to tell him. Sure, he and Katherine were working things out between them and he stupidly showed his possessiveness towards her with regards to marriage but after what happened that morning, he was slightly shaken.

    Brushing his thoughts away from that sad realization, Damien shifted his gaze to Wace and watched him work quietly on his canvas, ying with colors on the painting tray on his hand. There was something different about him this timepared to thest time that he had seen him seven years ago and Damien couldn''t quite put his finger on it. "Something''s up with you," he started.

    Wace nced at Damien from under hisshes, a hint of amusement ghosted on his lips before he turned his focus back on his painting. "What do you mean?"

    "I don''t know. You''re different Something''s changed."

    "Really? Have you finally taken notice of me?"

    Scoffing, Damien shook his head, "Dream on."

    "Talking about change... I can see you''re the one looking different now." When Wace saw Damien quirk an eyebrow, he continued, "Have you met someone?" Seeing that Damien didn''t respond to his personal question, he stered a mischievous smile on his face. "You did, didn''t you? Is she pretty?"

    Damien turned to look at the window, his mind brought him an image of Katherine with a bright smile on her face from when they visited France together where they had forgotten about their worries for a moment and just enjoyed each other''spany. "Peerless," he muttered in a low husky voice, it was almost inaudible but Wace heard him clearly.

    "She''s unparalleled, huh? You must like her a lot"

    ''Like'' was an understatement. What Damien felt for Katherine couldn''t be exined in mortal words as he himself couldn''t find the best word that could describe her so he didn''t bother to correct. "Are you done?"

    "Nowhere near," Wace replied almost instantly and observed Damien from where he was seated. "Tell me about this favor that you''re asking from me" He drawled thest word at the same time that he drew a long stroke on the canvas before him, taking a step back for a few seconds to inspect his work before dabbing his brush on it again.

    Finally able to talk about the reason why he was there in the first ce, Damien straightened his back and directly asked without second thoughts, "I need ess to Central Harbor Restaurant''s guestlist on May 19th."

    The paintbrush that had just kissed the canvas and was about to be dragged down halted, creating a small smudge on the paint. Wace then shot his stare towards Damien, his brows knitted in irritation at what he heard. Damien was putting him in a difficult situation, knowing full well that the owner of the restaurant was his father, whom he hadn''t spoken to in a few years.

    Wace and his father had a misunderstanding and because of pride, neither of them tried to be the bigger person, letting their disagreement drag on for this long. And now Damien was asking him to make a move. He clicked his tongue, exhaling a sigh out of no choice, and responded, "You''re a jerk."

    Damien chuckled, "Are you still not on speaking terms with your dad?"

    "Well, he isn''t speaking to me so I''m not speaking to him either." He rolled his eyes, annoyed at the thought of having to do this favor for Damien. The thing was, he couldn''t say no to Damien so there was no way he could go back on his words.

    "Your works are in his restaurant. Did you know that?"

    "Tsk. Is this your way of persuading me?"

    "You already agreed to do my request even before knowing what it was. You are going to do it and I don''t need to persuade you," Damien reminded him. He was about to stand up when Wace raised his index finger and signaled him to stop.

    "Don''t move. I''m not done with you yet. Sit your ass back down," Wacemanded, his voice dipping an octave lower than his normal voice. When Damien unwillinglyplied, Wace winked at him and chuckled, "Good boy. Why don''t you tell me why you need this guestlist?"

    "That''s none of your business, White."

    "You''re asking me a favor, it is my business." Wace shrugged, unaffected by Damien''s coldness. "You''re doing this for that girl, aren''t you?"

    Realizing that Damien wouldn''t answer his questions, Wace let out a sigh in resignation, "Fiiiiine It''s pretty rare for Damien Park to ask for favors, so I will take this as a huge honor."

    "You should. I''m not going to be your subject again. This will be thest."

    A yful rumble ofughter escaped from Wace''s pinkish lips, causing Damien to knit his brows together. This man was too pretty to be a man. He wanted to get out of there as fast as he could and go back to Katherine but his ns were instantly ruined when he heard the other say, "I really doubt that. But make yourselffortable, you''re going to be sitting there for a while."

    Damien slumped on the red couch, his back molded on the soft material and he wondered if Katherine was going to be okay while he was away.

    Squeezing more paint on his tray, Wace carefully dabbed it and swirled his magic on the canvas as he continued, "Oh, and since I don''t really like this favor that you''re asking from me, you''re going to need to do something else for me."

    "I''m not going to strip for you, just so we''re clear. I''m drawing the line."

    Damien''s statement made Waceugh again, his broad shoulders shook as his eyes smiled along with his mouth. "I''m ttered that you even thought of that. I won''t say no if you do, though, but no, I''m not going to ask you to take your clothes off. I''m perfectly fine with the image I have in my head." He nced at Damien while maintaining a grin on his face. For a long time, he hadn''t had this much enjoyment and he was d that Damien visited him even if it was because he needed something.

    Damien shut his eyes, reminding himself for the nth time that he was doing this for Katherine  it was the sole reason that kept him going. "For Pete''s sake, White, cut the crap."

    "Now that''s the grumpy Damien that I know"

    "I''m not grumpy."

    "Suuuuurrreee." Wace ced his paint tray on the table and grabbed two bottles of water from the mini-fridge, tossing one to Damien before twisting the cap on his. "You''reing with me to the auction next week."

    "What auction?"

    "Haven''t you received the invitation from the club yet? There''s an art auction and a few of my works are going to be on disy."

    Damien only remembered that Markus had told him about that invitation but because of his appointments and current situation, he didn''t n on attending and if he did, he was going to go with Katherinenot with Wace White. "Right"

    Wace dug a paint-messy hand in his worn-out jeans'' pocket and tilted his head to the side as he asked, "So? Be my date?"

 Chapter 341: A Tough Negotiation

    Chapter 341: A Tough Negotiation

    Wace ran his paint-messy fingers through his luscious long and silky hair that women were envious of and waited for Damien''s response to his bold invitation. Truth be told, he already expected rejection but he would push his luck and use the favor that Damien asked from him in his favor. He was just being resourceful, the Billionaire couldn''t me him for that.

    Damien looked at the man in front of him as if he had grown another head. "Date?" he probed, thinking that he misheard Wace the first time. "What?! No. Why would I do that?"

    "Because you''re asking me a favor." Wace shrugged nonchntly, the smile on his face showed his mischievous side.

    Damien could see through the other very clearly, knowing that he was being taken advantage of because of the favor that he asked. He already agreed to be the subject of his painting today, did he also have to be Wace''s date too? He disliked people who took advantage of him. "Isn''t that a bit too much?"

    "Talking to my father after so many years of ignoring each other is a bit too much."

    "Sitting here to be a subject for your art piece is already the extent of my bargain for the favor I asked from you."

    "Now now Damien, it''s still not being fair." Wace lowered himself on the armchair to Damien''s left and propped his elbow on the rest at the same time that he crossed his long leg on top of the other. "After all, talking to my father is one but asking something from himlike asking for ess to the restaurant''s guestlist which you and I both know is supposed to be confidentialis another thing. So you sitting there as my subject only covers one half of the favor. You need to fulfill the other half too. It''s only right, don''t you think so?"

    Damien narrowed his dark eyes at Wace, his stare showed irritation at this transaction. He wasn''t spending any money but it felt like he had lost a ton especially when he saw the other''s knowing smile Wace looked like he was already winning and Damien didn''t like it. He was already halfway through. How could he back away? Closing his eyes and picturing Katherine in his head, he convinced himself who he was doing this for again.

    "I will go to the auction but we''re not on a date," he answered, his eyes turning stern and cold as soon as they opened.

    "We will go to the auction together," Wace demanded, matching Damien''s stare.

    "You and I will arrive in separate cars."

    Revealing an attractive smile that could make women faint, Wace insisted, "We will walk side by side as we enter the venue and pose for a picture together."

    Scoffing, Damien curled a corner of his mouth upward to hide his already growing irritation at Wace''s game but he was determined to keep his distance from him as much as possible. The whole world knew that Wace liked men and Damien didn''t need the unwanted scandal. "You and I will stand two feet apart."

    "One foot. Take it or leave it."

    Clenching his jaw, Damien let out a sigh, exasperated from this negotiation. He couldn''t believe he was actually in this situation with Wace White. "Fine."

    "And you''ll stand next to me the entire party."

    "You''re enjoying this, aren''t you?"

    "Of course. What are you going to wear?"

    "Damn it, White. I''m not going to coordinate colors with you. This isn''t a date." Damien gritted his teeth before he took arge gulp of water, shaking his head and huffing. Where was Katherine right now? What was she doing? He should have brought her here. @#$%!

    "But it would be cute, no? We''re going to be matchy-matchy. How fun!" Wace chuckled as he got up from the chair, a satisfied smile brightened his face while he made his way back to the easel several meters away.

    Damien rolled his eyes at Wace who''s looking so manly yet using the words ''matchy-matchy''. "No, it''s not cute. Let me know what you''re going to wear on the morning of the event."

    "So you can find a color simr to mine?"

    Damien ran a tired hand down his face. He was almost at his wit''s end. "No, idiot. So I could choose something totally different. Can we get over this already? I need to be somewhere."

    Wace''s beautifulugh echoed in therge room. "You know being so irritable won''t make me hate you. You''re only bing more attractive the more you act like that."

    At this point, Damien was too exhausted to even make aeback so he decided to keep his mouth shut and just sat there expressionless, waiting for this hell to be over so he could rush back to Katherine as fast as he could.

    Seeing how tamed Damien looked at the moment while sitting on the red couch and looking at the sidehis mind floating somewhere only he knows, Wace found it so perfect. So beautiful. So serene. Damien wore a shirt and a pair of jeans  very casual and so contrasting to the luxe red sofa that he was sitting on yet he had this air around him that made him look like he belonged there. This made Wace happy. "Truly beautiful" he whispered to himself, his skilled fingers using the fine tip paintbrush to draw the details on Damien''s face very carefully.

    Katherine''s old apartment

    While Damien was away, Katherine spent the afternoon talking to Amelia and Styles regarding Chris and his ns. Knowing that he was doing something behind Parker''s back, they thought that they could use it to their advantage. However, to do that, they had to know if they could trust Chris''s words  so Damien''s sess that afternoon was necessary.

    As Katherine thought about this, she wondered where Damien could be at the moment and why he didn''t bring her with him. If it wasn''t dangerous, then why did he go by himself and left her out of it? He didn''t even tell her where he was going. She knew she shouldn''t be so bummed about it, given that she also hid things from him for a while, but she couldn''t help but feel helpless. This must be how Damien was feeling the entire time And now she felt even worse.

    Whipping out her phone, she contemted if she should send him a text and when she had decided, she quickly typed in a short message.

    [Katherine: Everything okay? Please be safe.]

    She waited and waited and waited for a few minutes but she didn''t receive a response when Damien would usually give her one very quickly most of the time. Thinking that he might be busy at the moment, she sent Markus a text message.

    [Katherine: Hi, Markus. This is Katherine. Can you send me Damien''s bank ount number? I need to return something.]

    It only took less than a minute for Markus to reply.

    [Markus: I will ask the Boss first.]

    Katherine''s brow twitched. The ever so loyal assistant always had to ask his Boss''s permission first. She huffed and was about to toss her phone to the side when she received an email notification. Tapping her screen, she opened the email and quickly read through it. It was an informal invitation to an art auction that was scheduled for next week. The email included an assurance to receive the formal invitation in the next few days that would be used as her ticket when or if she attends the said event.

    She was sure that Damien also received the same invitation and this was going to be her first social event in the exclusive club. Katherine wondered if the two of them would be going together.

    After all, she didn''t have to hide her identity now that she was Katherine Young. Herst name was at least worth it to stand next to Damien in events like this, right?

 Chapter 342: Katherines Wicked Smile

    Chapter 342: Katherine''s Wicked Smile

    Deciding to attend the art auction was a no brainer for Katherine. Essentially, she had to show her attendance to the Board and make herself known to the influential people that she might have to use for connections in the future. A lot of the members of The tinum Club were true upper sses in society. They were usually the old-money families who held the greatest political influence in the country.

    These people weren''t just nouveau riche. They were members of society, distinguished to have immense wealth umted and passed down through generations, whose roots could be traced to people of nobility. Although Damien gave a rmendation to Katherine which granted her eptance from the board, her identity as the heiress of Young Corporation also held a big weight. So Katherine earned her membership in the exclusive club and she had to make an appearance to show the other members who she wasbut not because she wanted to be epted, rather, she wanted her identity to be known.

    Katherine''s gut told her that this was her ticket to bringing Shadow down. So now that she had the opportunity to make connections with the people from the top, her team had to n how they would make use of those connections to their full potential.

    It had been an hour since Katherine texted Markus and she still hadn''t received Damien''s ount number. Her eyes darted towards Styles and she was tempted to ask him to hack into Damien''s files to get his ount number. However, she didn''t want to resort to that. She couldn''t ask Damien directly because she knew he would make up excuses and wouldn''t allow her to repay him for the exorbitant amount of fees he paid for her membership.

    "What''s got you thinking so seriously?" Amelia passed by Katherine on the way to the kitchen, her hands were full of grocery bags.

    "Nothing." Katherine got up from the sofa and followed Amelia. "What are you making?"

    "Just some sandwiches, the guys must be hungry." Amelia bobbed her head towards the Alpha Team who had been standing on guard since Damien left a few hours ago.

    "I''ll help." Katherine washed her hands and started on toasting the sliced bread pieces on the pan while Amelia prepared the ham, cheese, tomato, and lettuce.

    Meanwhile, Felix and one other member of the Alpha Team named Noah, were having a cigarette break out in the closed alley. Felix went out on the alley to smoke his cigarette where Noah was assigned to stay on guard and thetter joined the former.

    "Who''s this chick, anyway? Why the hell did Boss leave us here and took the B Team instead?" Noah scoffed, disdain written all over his face as he thought about guarding the female that he only knew about this week. He wasn''t part of the original five-member Alpha Team. It was only very recently that Damien added one more member to the Alpha Team.

    He was one of the best from the members of the Beta Team and after learning about the open spot in the Alpha Team, Damien''s best team, he applied for the selection and made the cut until he was finally chosen after many intensive rounds in the selection process. But even before that, he had just joined the Beta Team about the same time that Katherine left a couple of months ago.

    The men in Damien''s security detail didn''t gossip and so he had only seen Katherine that week. Suddenly knowing about this woman''s existence and now having made to babysit her instead of guarding their Boss didn''t sit well with him. He shook his head at the thought.

    "Careful with your words. You don''t want the Boss to hear you say that. Ms. Young holds a great value in his life and she could make or break you if she so wishes." Felix was in his mid-thirties, making Noah almost ten years his junior. He had somewhat gotten used to the kid''s cockiness and he could let it slide but since he had known Katherine for months now, he knew what type of person she was and he respected her.

    Noah clicked his tongue, unable to understand what Felix was trying to say. "Didn''t he just meet her? How could he possibly regard her like that? Also, B Team could do this sht instead. It''s not like there''s anything important that''s happening here anyway. Don''t you think the Boss was just honey-trapped?"

    "Pfft." A loud snort from behind them caused their heads to turn only to find Styles with cans of beverages in hand.

    Styles had his brows furrowed as he red at the man who just spoke ill of Katherine. He hated men who thought they were superior to women especially when it came to his Queen. He was so protective of her that he wouldn''t let anyone insult her. Pushing the bridge of his eyess in ce, his big mouth blurted, "I bet you a hundred bucks that she can kick your ass."

    Noah arched a brow, his eyes judging the sly look on Styles''s face as he so confidently made a bet. He threw his head back with a mockingugh. "What did you just say? A hundred bucks? Do you even know what you''re talking about?"

    Styles hid one of his hands that''s holding a can to his back and conspicuously shook it. "Of course. What? Are you afraid that she will win against you? You''re so full of yourself and even mocked her. I can''t wait to see you getting your ass kicked."

    Noah was enraged as Styles challenged him. ''Who does this nerd think he is?'' he thought. He didn''t believe that Katherine was capable of anything. After all, she was just an unknown daughter of a rich family. What could she possibly do? Moreover, Noah was extremely confident about his hand-to-handbat skills. So for him, this was nothing but a spineless taunting and a child''s y. "Yeah, right."

    Styles expected his response and this only annoyed him even more. "How naive. You just wait and see."

    "See what?"

    The three heads of the men in the alley turned to the voice that came from the door and saw Katherine bnce two tes of sandwiches on her palms. She studied their faces, noting Style''s irritated expression and the smug look on Noah''s.

    "This prick over here doesn''t respect you, Queen. He didn''t believe it when I told him you can kick his ass." Styles held his chin up, seemingly more confident now that his favorite woman just came to prove the annoying man''s idiotic thoughts.

    Katherine met Noah''s stare and she knew right away that Styles was talking about him. She looked at Felix but he only shrugged as if he didn''t want anything to do with what''s happening.

    Pulling a beautiful smile on her face, she walked over to them and offered the sandwiches she and Amelia made, cing the tes on top of a tall crate. "Ah, it''s okay. Don''t worry about it, Styles. Here, you''ve been working hard since earlier. You should take a break."

    Noah saw the attractive smile on her face and he couldn''t deny that she was indeed beautiful but that didn''t change his opinion about her. He watched as Katherine left the te of sandwiches and turned around to head back before he spoke, "Yeah. Besides, women belong in the kitchen. Their hands are so delicatethey shouldn''t be filled with bruises."

    Katherine''s hand had just hovered over the doorknob when she heard the man''s remark. A soft chuckle escaped her pretty lips as she took in the insult to her and all women.

    Turning around to look at Noah in the eye, she crossed her arms and a wicked smile broke her face as she muttered, "Say that again in front of my face."

 Chapter 343: Whos Your Daddy?

    Chapter 343: Who''s Your Daddy?

    Noah stood ramrod straight after seeing the glint sh in Katherine''s eyes. Her beautiful face matched with a fierce gaze made her look taunting yet he didn''t take her seriously. If anything, it only amused him how this woman tried so hard to appear scary but judging by the curves on her body and the pretty nails that she had on her fair hands, he didn''t think she could do anything more than a p.

    Shrugging, he popped a cigarette to his mouth and lit it up, his arrogant nature showing as he responded, "I''m just telling the truth. We don''t want women to hurt themselves. Don''t take it personally."

    Styles was already suppressing hisugh that his nose hurt. He sneaked a nce at Katherine and saw her smile getting brighter by the minute that she began to look a little scary, making him gulp. His Queen hated it when men stereotype females. This Noah was really going to get it today and Styles regretted that he didn''t bring a bag of popcorn with him.

    "I''m giving you a chance to take that back. Or I may have to force it out of you. And you don''t want that to happen." Katherine''s soft voice was like a caress, like a mother talking to her child.

    However, Styles knew all too well that this was the calm before the storm. The calmer she appeared, the heavier the thunderstorm. This was still on the Level 1 level of calm but even so, he believed that Katherine was just as destructive.

    Noahughed at Katherine''s attempt to look daunting. He found it amusing. "Please, Miss" He took a long drag from his cigarette and blew it to the side as he continued, "Why don''t you just go back inside and we''ll stay out here. Let us do our jobs to protect you."

    Rxing her face, Katherine had an unreadable expression as she contemted. If she turned around and left this man as if nothing happened, who knows what else would he keep saying behind her back? She didn''t mind gossip from time to time but what she hated was when people underestimated her. And this asshole of a man just insulted women.

    Turning to Styles, she lifted a brow up and saw Styles raise one finger up. ''One hundred bucks?'' she quirked her head to the side and nced at Noah again. "Your name''s Noah, right? I''m Katherine. My friend made a bet with you earlier, didn''t he? Are you up for it?"

    Noah chuckled, taking another pull of his cigarette. "That''s okay you don''t need to hurt yourself for this," he answered, the smoke escaping his lips as he spoke.

    Katherine skimmed his height and deduced that he was a few inches taller than her but he was definitely shorter than Damien. He had a tan skin, a sharp nose, and a pair of deep-set green eyes.

    She was certain that she could take him down so she dug a hand in her pocket, retrieved a hair tie and proceeded to bring her hair up into a ponytail. She didn''t want her long hair to get in the wayter.

    "Are you scared?" she questioned nonchntly, her hands busy securing her chestnut brown hair in ce high up her head. "Tell you what, I''ll double the bet. Two hundred dors. I think that''s almost how much you earn in a day, right? And I won''t even tell Damien you get extra today while being on his payroll despite what you said earlier. This stays between the four of us here. You get to keep your dignity for when I beat you after."

    Katherine didn''t know how much these men earn daily but she knew that Damien paid his employees handsomely and she was also aware of the average hourly rate of bodyguards. These men could be earning more in a day but earning two hundred dors easily should entice him. She had to teach this guy a lesson  her palms are itching to do so.

    Noah threw his head backughing at Katherine''s remark. He couldn''t believe the nerve of this woman, trying so hard to prove herself. He already knew that this wasn''t going to end well so why did she still want to drag this out? He shook his head, disbelief written all over his face as he assessed Katherine''s figure. This woman looked like the catwalk models he had seen on TV. What nonsense was she spouting?

    He figured that he could humor her and win easy money with no sweat. With a sly smile on his face, he responded, "Alright But don''t you go crying back to your daddyter. You know... if you broke a nail or something." He drew his cigarette and blew smoke up in the air, disappearing when the wind caught it.

    Katherine matched the smile on his face with her foxy ones, "Oh, I wouldn''t worry about that. What you should worry about though is yourself You know If you break a tooth or something."

    "You''re cocky, Sister. So how do you wanna do this? I don''t really hit women"

    "Too bad. I don''t have a problem hitting women or men."

    In the blink of an eye, Katherine twisted her hips at the same time that she raised her knee and kicked Noah sideways, her foot hitting the middle section of his abdomen which sent him flying in the air before hended on some crates.

    Felix, who didn''t want to be part of what was going on earlier, was leaning against the wall on the side. But when he saw Katherine''s swift attack, he pushed himself off the wall and stood straight, looking at Noah who was groaning on top of the crates.

    He then turned his head and studied the expression on Katherine''s face. The yful smirk on her earlier disappeared and was reced by a menacing stare. She looked totally like a different person. Who was this woman? Damien didn''t tell him a lot of things especially since what happened back at her penthouse in the morning was all very sudden. He didn''t want to pry so he didn''t ask questions and only followed orders.

    But this Katherine She''s really surprising.

    Noah managed to get up, spitting out the cigarette from his mouth and chuckling. He couldn''t believe that he got kicked just now. And by a girl no less! He didn''t expect that she would suddenly attack while they were still talking. How cunning!

    "Huh. You got lucky. Where''d you learn that from? The Cosmo magazine? Or from your girlfriends at the salon?" Noah was now irritated. He couldn''t ept that he just got kicked by a girl! He must admit that her kick did have some power to it but he refused to believe that she could do more than just that. Surely that was all she knew, right?

    "Trust me, Noah There''s nothing lucky about me. Are we doing this or what?" she probed, raising her hands up on an on-guard position with one hand forward and the other close to her face.

    Noah removed the gun on his holster and set it on top of a crate before he went to stand a few meters in front of Katherine. "Fine. But only one round and I don''t want to see you cry." A smug look on his face showed how amused he was at her. "Also When I win, you must admit ''Who''s your daddy?''"

    Katherine didn''t say anything. Instead, she opened her hand with the palm facing her, gesturing her fingers in a way that looked like she was saying a silentmand of e at me''.

 Chapter 344: Whos Your Daddy Now?

    Chapter 344: Who''s Your Daddy Now?

    Thest rays of the sun before it set cast on the wide grin on Noah''s face as he took in Katherine''s provocation. He thought the kick she did was just a lucky strike, but he was feeling so hyped up that he wanted to humor her, taking her next actions a little seriously.

    Seeing as she wanted to strike him first, he went for a quick grab and lock in order to subdue herto teach her a lesson that she shouldn''t casually provoke men or she would get hurt.

    Dashing forward, he swiped his right hand towards her right to grab her armonly to fail when she managed to shift her weight to the opposite side, evading his attempt.

    His eyes widened in surprise but he didn''t stop attacking her as he swung both his hands to her left, failing for the second time when Katherine weaved away from his hands by leaning back and shifting to the other side, evading his attempt for the second time. And that''s when he realized that maybe this woman did know a thing or two about fighting, but all she did was evade his moves.

    Wanting to see if he could scare her by actually trying to hit her, Noah threw punches to her direction with a little force this time. One. Two. "Fck!" he cursed when he felt a hit on his back, taking him by surprise.

    Katherine was able to dodge his punches and on the third move, she twirled around him so fast that before he could even register that, she had already elbowed his back.

    Noah recovered quickly, his body suddenly going rigid and on-guard, not knowing where this woman could strike him again. He threw more punches at her but she avoided all of them and when he got distracted, Katherine spun around him and the base of her fistnded a blow on his cheek, hitting him like a hammer.

    "What the!" He massaged the side of his face, flexing his jaw when pain radiated on the spot where she hit him.

    His eyes darkened and he shot her a re. This woman just hit him thrice now and he hadn''t had the chance to even grab her yet. She was so quick on her feet and it was as if her moves were calcted. If he thought that she just got lucky the first time or even the second, this third hit was definitely intentional and measured. "Who the hell are you?" he bit out, not realizing that he had spoken loudly instead of just thinking about it.

    Katherine''s adorable and cheekyugh filled the empty alley, her eyes smiling when she tilted her head and told him, "Oh, kiddo you don''t really want to know who I am I''m your worst nightmare." And she began to take offense, striking punches and kicks at Noah.

    His senses heightened  his eyes were keen and his ears perked up, picking up sounds and anticipating where she was going to hit him next. He dodged some while he also received some hits. He was backing towards the end of the empty alley and he could no longer take this woman as a joke or he would be cornered.

    She was so swift; her every blow was destructive and every strike was lethal. Noah had never fought anyone like her before. The way she fought was quite different and he couldn''t figure out what kind of martial arts she was doing because it looked like abination of everything.

    One second he thought she was doing karate until she was suddenly grabbing and kneeing and jumping and all sorts of things all at once. She was fierce and deadly. Katherine was bionic.

    With his heart racing and his blood pumping, Noah could feel the adrenaline rush and he found himself fighting for his life while trying so hard tond a single blow on her.

    Just when his back hit the wall and found an opening on Katherine''s side, he took his chances and tackled her. The two of them fell on the ground, his body hovering over her as he pushed her shoulders down, preventing her from getting up. Panting, Noah revealed a sly smile on his face when he had finally caught her and trapped her under him. "I must admit you''re quite feisty but you can''t beat a man''s strength. Game over."

    There was a sound of a door opening behind them at the same time that Noah had tackled Katherine but the two were so engrossed in their fight that they didn''t notice it. Because if they had only lifted their heads to the door''s direction, they would have seen Damien''s deadly re when he saw what was happening before himone of his security details was on top of his woman in apromising position.

    Katherine huffed and her eyes darkened. If Noah thought he had won already, then that''s where he was wrong. Before he knew it, she trapped his left leg with her right foot and bucked her left hip towards him and in an instant, their positions reversed.

    Not wasting time, Katherine coiled her hand around his cor and tugged, lifting his back from the ground at the same time that she pulled her elbow back and then her fist aimed for his face.

    Noah closed his eyes, anticipating the punch to hit his face, but it didn''te. And when he opened them again, his eyes widened, seeing her fist a hair''s breadth away from his nose.

    A mischievous smile ghosted on Katherine''s face as she probed, "Who''s your daddy now?"

    Felix and Styles, the spectators of their fight were speechless. But while Felix had a stunned expression, Styles had a smug and proud look on his face. He had always been confident when it came to betting with his Queen. However, when he turned his head and saw Damien by the door, blood drained from his head.

    "What the hell''s going here?" Damien''s low and cold voice rang in the air, his eyes never left Katherine.

    She raised her head, meeting Damien''s stare and that''s when she released Noah''s cor. She got up and dusted herself quickly before she jogged towards the angry-looking man. "Damien"

    Damien Park scanned her from head to toe. His eyes were so intense like aser beam, Katherine thought she was burned from their wake. "What happened? Are you hurt?"

    "No, I"

    "Ngnh" Noah pushed himself off the ground and tried to stand up straight but failed. He didn''t notice it earlier, but because his adrenaline was wearing off, his body ached everywhere from all the hits he received from her.

    "Dude You look like crap," Styles scoffed, delighted to see the bruises forming on his face where his Queen had struck him. He grimaced at the thought of how painful it must have been. Extending his hand out towards Noah, he mocked, "Pay up."

    Damien shifted his gaze to Noah and saw his beaten-up face. He looked at Katherine again and did not see any on her except that her clothes were a bit dusty from getting tackled on the ground earlier. He could guess what had happened before he arrived and he felt both pissed and proud. "Are you okay?"

    Katherine held his hand and pulled him back inside the building. "I''m great. Don''t worry about it. Come on, tell me what happened with that thing you did."

    He was still confused but he allowed her to drag him back to her old apartment. It was a bizarre scene to see in the alley when he arrived earlier. Now, he could only stare at her while his mind was full of questions.

 Chapter 345: His Woman is Enchanting

    Chapter 345: His Woman is Enchanting

    Once Katherine and Damien left the alley, Noah rubbed his jawhe swore when he felt sore all over. He couldn''t believe that he just got beaten up by a woman. He was ashamed of what happened and though he wanted to be pissed, he couldn''t help but admire Katherine''spetence. She surely didn''t need any babysitting; she could take care of herself. So what were they there for?!

    Seeing Styles being adamant about the bet, he didn''t have a choice but to pay up. Quickly taking out a couple of hundred dor bills from his wallet, he paid the other what he owed. He just lost from a fight and even lost some money. His boss, Damien, paid them all by the hour and they earned more than the bet but it was still so much money that he could have won if only he were better. Damn it.

    The sky had darkened and the day was about to end. He wished he could lie down and sleep so he could forget about this day already. Feeling the swell inside his mouth, he massaged his jaw again. The scene from earlier yed in his mind and he blushed. He might just have developed a crush on the badass girlfriend of his boss. He had always been so arrogant and she was the only woman who stood up against him. That was admirable.

    "Here," Styles handed Noah a can of soda after pocketing the pot money in his jeans, a yful smirk yed on his lips when the other received the can. He then turned around and went back inside the building, whistling a happy tune for having won a couple of hundred bucks so easily.

    Noah eyed Styles''s retreating back, cursing in his mind for getting tricked. Casually, he opened the soda can in his hand and in an instant, the liquid sprayed all over him, wetting his face and clothes. "What the hell!" he cursed, realizing that Styles must have shaken the can earlier before handing it to him.

    Felix let out a chuckle seeing the pitiful Noah getting bullied by Katherine and Styles. He was truly impressed by her. He didn''t know why, but even the first time that he met her, he could already feel that she was someone special. There was something about her that was quite differentpared to other women. He never judged Katherine especially because he owed Damien so much. If he respected her since the first time they met, his respect grew even bigger after witnessing what happened earlier.

    Noah wiped his face with a towel, chuckling at himself for the misfortune that he experienced today. What an unlucky day it was for him. Taking a sip from the can, he grimaced when the bubbly liquid filled his mouth, feeling the sting from the wound inside.

    His brows furrowed when he felt something hard swirling inside his mouth and he spat. A tooth flew out of his mouth and itnded on the asphalt. "Fck!" another curse escaped his lips when he realized that he just lost a tooth. His tongue did a search inside his mouth and he was relieved that it wasn''t one of the front teeth. It came from the sideprobably when Katherine had hit him a hammer-like punch from earlier. That woman possessed so much power.

    Felix let out another heartyugh, throwing his head back from finding Noah''s bad luck so funny. If Katherine or Styles hadn''t heard Noah earlier, he would have scolded him anyway. But this was probably a better oue for his subordinate.

    pping his huge palm on Noah''s back, he gripped thetter''s shoulder hard and told him in a firm tone, "I hope you learned your lesson now. Never underestimate women, kid."

    Arriving inside the old apartment, Katherine started bombarding Damien questions about his appointment.

    "So? What happened? Where were you? How did it go? Did you get it?" She was like an excited child who was so happy to see a parenting home after work. Her energy skyrocketed from all the action she did earlier, she felt like she was on a high.

    Damien watched her being so hyper, his dark eyes staring intensely at her as he scanned her body from head to toe once again as if he was afraid he missed to see that she was hurt. There were no scrapes or wounds on her face but her arms and shirt were dirty and a sheen of sweat covered her forehead.

    She looked like she was so excited to see him but he could tell that she was only doing so to avoid having to exin to him what happened in the alley. She may act so lively but the sweaty hand that was holding his at the moment gave her away.

    Exhaling a sigh, he dragged her directly towards the bathroom as soon as they arrived in her old apartment, passing by Amelia who was confused to see the two. He closed the bathroom door right away and without saying anything, Damien lifted her up on the counter, making her sit on it. She gasped in shock, confused as to what he was doing. "What''s happening?" she wondered.

    She watched as he moved around, looking for something in the cabs. "What are you looking for?"

    "Towels."

    "There." She pointed at the top shelf.

    Grabbing a face towel, he soaked it in water and squeezed the excess before he started wiping her face with it. That''s when Katherine realized that he was cleaning her up. "You don''t have to I can clean myself."

    He ignored her statement and continued to clean her face thoroughly but gently before he started on her arms and hands. He carefully wiped her knuckles seeing that there were bruises slowly forming on them; an indication that she had punched with force. He didn''t care about Noah''s wounds. Looking at Katherine''s delicate hands, he felt sorry that they were going to hurtter.

    Damien had an unreadable expression and Katherine couldn''t tell if he was angry so she kept her mouth shut and allowed him to do what he wanted. Quiet Damien made her nervous.

    After a few minutes of silence and Damien wiping her hands like she was a toddler who came home after dirtying herself from the yground, she finally heard him ask, "Are you going to tell me what happened back there or do I need to ask other people for that?"

    Katherine bit her bottom lip and contemted. She figured that it was better to tell him herselfand so she didstarting from when she walked in on them while she was delivering the sandwiches that she and his mother made for them. He didn''t say anything and just looked at her while she recounted the story to him,pelled to tell him every single detail of how she beat the crap out of one of his men.

    "Sorry" she said when she finished.

    The entire time that Damien listened to her, he was only regretful that he wasn''t able to see it for himself. More than he was worried for her and pissed on her behalf, he was proud of her. His heart swelled at the thought of his woman being so capable of defending herself. This womanHis woman was so enchanting.

    "There''s no need to say sorry. You only did what you could."

    "I just wanted to teach him a lesson."

    Because he couldn''t help himself, a corner of his mouth tugged upward, revealing a crooked grin as he patted her head and said, "You did great."

    Infected by hispliment, a blush crept on her cheeks, tainting her face and making her smile back at him.

    Tossing the wet towel onto the sink, Damien ordered in an authoritative tone, "Now take off your shirt."

 Chapter 346: Take It Off

    Chapter 346: Take It Off

    Katherine subconsciously crossed her now clean arms in front of her chest as though she was covering herself. Her eyes widened as they stared, gawking at Damien who just asked her to take off her shirt. "W-What do you mean take off my shirt?! Why would I do that?!"

    Damien''s thick brows knitted at her reaction. He let out another sigh before he told her again under gritted teeth, "Just take off your shirt."

    She watched as he removed his ck trench coat and tossed it on the counter next to her. Her stare followed his hand movements and saw him reach his back, his hands grabbing handfuls of cloth and pulling his t-shirt off him. She had seen Damien remove his shirt in this manner countless times before and it still didn''t fail to affect her. She had to swallow in an attempt to quench her thirst.

    Damien tossed his white t-shirt to her and she caught it. He was now shirtless in front of her, showcasing his ripped torso and making her cheeks blush.

    "W-Will you stop doing that?!" she stuttered as she tried so hard not to gape at his bare and perfectly formed chest.

    "Stop what?"

    "Thatthat You You can''t take your shirt off like that in front of me." She cleared her parched throat. Why was it so ridiculously hot in here so suddenly? Or was it only Damien?

    Furrowing his brows, he was evidently confused at her words. "How am I supposed to take off my shirt then? Are there any other ways?" he asked in a serious tone.

    Katherine gulped again, fanning her face with her slightly shaky hand as she suppressed the urge to roll her dark brown eyes at him. Why did he have to strip his shirt like that? Why did he have to strip his shirt at all?

    "Are you going to remove your top or do I have to take it off you?"

    His question startled Katherine that she snapped her head towards him, her eyesnding on his sculpted abdominal muscles and they traveled south and then she saw the beautiful ink on the skin of his V poking out from underneath his dark jeans  abination of orange hues and ck. "What''s that?"

    Damien followed her gaze on the waistline of his jeans where a part of his huge tattoo was showing. He had forgotten about it and the fact that she hadn''t seen it yet. Quickly grabbing the trench coat beside her, he wore it on him, closing the buttons and tying the belt securely to cover his bare torso. "Nothing," he answered. "Wear my shirt. Yours is dirty."

    The corners of her mouth curled down into a frown, disappointment written all over her face as she gazed at him. "Why wouldn''t you show it to me? That was a new tattoo, wasn''t it?"

    "Kitten, I swear. If you don''t change right now, I will do it for you."

    Clenching her jaw, Katherine was annoyed at him. How could he brush it aside and leave her in the dark? Why couldn''t he just answer her? Irritated, she knitted her brows and red at him angrily.

    The two of them exchanged heated gazes and wordlessly, she jumped off the counter and stood in front of him. And all while not taking her eyes off him, Katherine grabbed the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head, leaving her in a topless state. Her breasts that were covered with a skin-tone bra shook as she moved before throwing her dusty shirt at himwhich he didn''t catch so it fell on the floor.

    His eyes darkened with lust but he refused to look down past her neck despite his hard-on pushing against his jeans, begging for some action. This womanhis womanwas mad at him. But all his sick mind could think about at the moment was to punish herpush her against a wall and take herfrom ring at him and taking her damn time to cover herself up again.

    She sure was taking her revenge. He wasn''t the only one capable of making the other bothered. So she continued to look him in the eye, her movements slow as her hands looked for the hem of his shirt before she wore it on her.

    And when Katherine was again fully clothed, Damien just wanted to rip the shirthis shirtand tear it off her again. This was a bad idea. And he started it. ''You idiot,'' he cursed at himself.

    "Happy now?!" she bit out.

    Tentatively raising his hand, he snaked it behind her head, his fingerscing through her hair before he tugged the hair tie, releasing the strands of hair that was trapped and letting it cascade down past her shoulder like a waterfall.

    Inching closer with their gazes never leaving each other, Damien pressed his forehead against hers, his eyes closing as he calmed himself and told her in almost a whisper, "Why do you like making things so damn hard for me?"

    Katherine took in his fragrant scent, inhaling his minty breath as much as she could and leaning onto him, letting herself mold against his bodybecause she couldn''t help herself. "I want to see your tattoo..." she breathed, almost pleadingshe was dying to know what it was and why he got one. The curiosity was killing her.

    The corner of Damien''s mouth curved up and he softly chuckled. "You can''t."

    "Why noooooot?" she whined, her voice tainted with annoyance. Damien had been keeping things from her and she couldn''t ept it. "First, you didn''t bring me with you and you''re not telling me what happened to you this afternoon either. Now you''re not going to show me your tattoo?" She was exasperated, yfully hitting him on the chest with her fist.

    He captured the same fist and pulled it up to his mouth, kissing the bruised knuckles ever so gently and did the same with her other hand. "Not today."

    "Why not? When?"

    "When you''re ready."

    "When am I ready?"

    Damien''s sexy chuckle filled the bathroom and it annoyed her even more.

    Tilting his head to the side of her face, he spoke in a low and husky voice, his breath caressing her skin as he did, "When you''re ready to see me naked." And he kissed the part just below her ear.

    Damien felt her shiver in his arms before letting her go. "Let''s go. Or they''ll be wondering what''s taking us so long in here."

    He casually strolled out of the bathroom like nothing happened, leaving her still standing awkwardly while his words echoed in her head: ''Naked. Naked. Naked.'' She shook her head from side to side in an attempt to bounce his words out of her head.

    Katherine took her time topose herself. She wet her flushed face with cold, running water and fixed Damien''s shirt in ce that was loose on her. So she tied it on one side and tucked it in her jeans so she didn''t look like she was wearing a dress before she came out of the bathroom.

    She went to the living room and found everyone  Styles and Amelia on the left, the Alpha and the Beta Team on the right, and Damien in front of his men. She had yet to figure out what was going on when a familiar man walked up to her with his head lowered.

    She had only realized who it was when the sullen man bowed before her and coughed, "I take back my words Daddy"

 Chapter 347: The Man in Charge

    Chapter 347: The Man in Charge

    Katherine''s hand flew to her chest, surprised by what was happening at the moment. The atmosphere in therge living room of her old apartment was quite tense. It was cold inside despite having all the windows and doors closed. The sky outside was also already dark as it was already nearly seven in the evening.

    Her curious eyes quickly darted from Noah whose head was still bowed down to the rest of Damien''s security detail who were in two straight rows. And that''s when she saw that the men from Alpha and Beta Team had expressionless faces. They stood ramrod straight and they looked straight ahead but at nothing in particr.

    Her gaze thennded on Damien. He was already wearing a new white t-shirt, simr to her shirthis shirtthat she was wearing. He looked at Noah and her, waiting for her reaction to see what she was going to do the man who was covered in ck and blue all over.

    Hearing a soft whimper before her, Katherine''s attention was brought back to Noah and she noticed his hands that were balled on his side; his knuckles were ghostly white. She remembered that she had hit him once or twice on the rib cage earlier and he must be in pain with the way he was slouched forward in a weird bowing position. She didn''t know whether she should feel bad for him.

    Quickly ncing at Damien, she eyed him as if she wanted to ask what she was supposed to do but his face was void of any emotion. If she were to decipher what he was thinking, he was probably saying something along the lines of: "It''s up to you."

    Clearing her throat, she ordered, "As you were."

    Thankful that Katherine didn''t make it difficult for him, Noah slowly straightened his aching back as much as his body could take it and felt like a truck had hit him. He was just about to go back to his line when she called him again.

    "I''m not the only one you should apologize to. There''s another woman in the room whom you owed an apology. She was the one who thought of everyone in here, making sure you were well fed." She watched as Noah''s head turned to Amelia''s direction, guilt filling his eyes.

    Amelia didn''t have a clue as to what happened in the back alley until Styles told her. She found it hrious and thought that she probably would have done the same to Noah if it was her who was there earlier. Except she wouldn''t have held back like Katherine did  she thought thetter was too merciful.

    Walking up to stand next to Damien, Katherine added, "If you''re calling me ''Daddy'' because I kicked your ass earlier, you should be more afraid of her. She''s more ruthless than I am." She had heard several rumors about ''Falcon'' while she was still in Shadow. Her words caused Damien to nce at his mother''s direction, and she wondered what he was thinking.

    The rest of Damien''s men chortled augh. Before Damien came out of the bathroom, Styles had sent him a video clip of what happened in the alley that he had gotten from the CCTVs around the building. And when Damien came out and watched the short clip, Felix and Styles were also watching it on rey along with the rest of the security detail.

    So everyone in the room was already aware of what happened as they witnessed Katherine''s abilities ying through the video. Those who had doubts and questions about herthey now only had sparkles in their eyes.

    Katherine had wanted to keep the incident in the alley among the four of them who were there but Styles wanted to avoid any more possibilities of the same thing that might happen in the future. He was determined to have everyone around them show respect to his Queen. He just couldn''t take it if they say mean things about her behind her back. She had suffered enough already. She deserved respect and so much more.

    Noah''s face had gone beet red. He was already humiliated in front of his peers for being beaten up by a girlbut he didn''t resent Katherine, instead, he swallowed his pride and gave her respect. Hearing what she said about the other woman in the room, he gulped and bowed towards Amelia, wondering what he was supposed to call her. He called Katherine ''Daddy'' if this woman was more ruthless than Katherine, was he supposed to call her ''Grandpa''?

    "I apologize Gran"

    Amelia raised her hand and smacked Noah''s head. There wasn''t much force on the hit; it was like a mother scolding her child. "Don''t you dare call me grandfather. As long as you are sorry. Go back to your line."

    "Y-Yes, Ma''am." Noah rubbed the top of his head and went back to stand in line.

    Damien nced at Katherine and his mother before he faced his men, seeing the two women in his life gave him a fuzzy feeling inside. He looked at each and everyone''s faces before he spoke in a stern voice worthy of his position as their suprememander.

    "It seemed that some of you doubted me in the first ce. I don''t need anyone who questions my authority. If you have any problems with my orders, you are all free to leave right this instant. I will end your contract and you won''t receive any rmendations either. Apart from that, you all know what happens if you don''t abide by the rules. They exist for a reason. Are we clear?"

    "Yes, Sir!" His men answered all together like soldiers, passion heated their eyes as they were determined not to be stupid anymore. Those who dared to defy Damien Park only wished to have his head on a te.

    "With that being said, let me reiterate: Katherine Young isn''t your charge. She is in charge. You take her words seriously as if you''re following mine. You are not here to babysit. You are here to protect not just her or them, but each other," Damien said as he gestured towards Styles and Amelia. "Is everything understood?"

    After his men acknowledged his deration, he ordered them to prepare to leave the building and go back to Golden Phoenix Residences. Everyone dispersed, leaving Katherine and Damien alone in the now empty living room.

    "You know it looks good on you," Katherineplimented, a small smile painted on her lips as she gazed up at the tall and gorgeous man standing next to her.

    "What does?" He arched a brow up, curious as to what she had to say.

    She shrugged, looking yful as she recalled how he looked a minute ago. "You as theirmander-in-chief."

    "Hmmm Is that so? Does it delight you?"

    Feeling cheeky, Katherine tugged on his trench coat at the same that she tiptoed until her lips brushed against his ear and she breathed, "I like a man in charge." Her voice was sultry and smooth, making him stiffen and his muscles rigid.

    And before he knew it, she was already walking away from him, her hips swaying from side to side as she was on her way to the door. Her jeans were so tight that they hugged her perfectly round asshe had to swallow. This was her revenge.

    When will this ever end?

    One time he teases her; the next she teases him.

    Damien stood at the empty living room alone with his thoughts. He softly chuckled to himself, amused at his current state. He ran a hand along his sharp jawline and dragged it to his nape as he sauntered towards the door and muttered to himself, "Oh, fck me."

    Today was so long. He was so damn exhausted. So hungry. And just so done for the day. He couldn''t wait to go home, take a long nice cold shower and sleep.

    On Katherine''s bed.

    And with Katherine next to him.

    Yup. He couldn''t wait.

 Chapter 348: In His Favor

    Chapter 348: In His Favor

    It was a Friday night and the district outside of Katherine''s old building was bustling with activity. It masked the movements of Damien''s security teams perfectly as they made sure Edward would be driven back to his hideout safely. Damien had assigned some of his men to apany Edward on the journey for his protection.

    Damien watched his mother, Amelia, from a distance as she bid farewell to Edward. Until now, he was curious about what the two talked about that made Amelia so upset before they arrived at Katherine''s apartment that morning. It looked like he needed to have another conversation with her. Seeing the look on her face from where he stood, he couldn''t read her real emotions.

    A tug on his shirt interrupted his thoughts, finding Katherine next to him with curious eyes. "You okay?" she probed.

    "Yeah, let''s go." He gestured for her to move forward. All of them were heading towards the shopping district a block away where he parked his car.

    Even though it was only a short distance to Damien''s car, his security detail were strategically dispersed around them for their protection. Two of his men in casual clothes walked in front of them and three behind them. Behind the three men were Styles and Amelia with another two guarding their backs. The four of them were basically sandwiched by Damien''s men in an inconspicuous manner with a meter or two distance from each other.

    When they almost reached the parking lot, Damien tugged on Katherine''s hand, halting her walk. "What''s wrong?"

    Nothing. There was nothing wrong. Except just a second ago, he saw a loving couple whom they had passed by. The couple looked so happy just walking hand in hand with smiles on their faces and all of a sudden, he was envious.

    His rtionship with Katherine wasn''t how it used to be and though they flirt here and there, his fears of losing her because of her reservations prevented him from going all out. They were in the middle of a war between people whom he had yet to know more about and he had this sense of urgency that he must make the most out of the time they have together.

    From what Chris said that morning, that leader from Shadow was already looking into him. And there could be a hit on him any time soon for some unknown reasons without him realizing it. What if despite all his efforts, he''d still die before Katherine finds her justice?

    He just wanted to be selfish and spend more time with her as much as he could before everything was toote. "Have dinner with me tonight," he said.

    "Sure. We can stop by some ce to grab some food and bring it home?" Her innocent and pure eyes were so clear as shey looked up at him.

    Damien shook his head, a small smile danced on his lips while hisrge hand swallowed her delicate one. "I meant a date. Just you and me."

    Her brows crossed, evidently confused as to why he asked her out all of a sudden. So when she didn''t respond, he added, "Have you forgotten that you promised me a lunch date a couple of days ago? It''s already seven in the evening. So you owe me one."

    Katherine quickly scanned her memory and recalled that time before they discovered the bug. Last Wednesday, she did promise to treat him out for lunch on Fridaytodayin exchange for giving her a rmendation to The tinum Club''s membership. She was already an official member But a promise was a promise.

    "I didn''t promise you a date. You said it yourselfit''s a business meeting." A yful smirk yed on her lips, making him shake his head.

    "To-may-to To-mah-to. Whatever. Please?"

    Her heart fluttered and she felt a tingle run down her spine with the way he was giving her a boyish, charming smile. She was totally focused on his face yet her very observant ears perked up when she heard a group of female teenagers behind her gush about Damien''s handsome looks as if they were fangirling over an idol.

    She felt the urge to cover his face with a head mask so that they could no longer see himor maybe she could pick a fight with him so that he would knit his brows and it would make him less attractive. Except even then, he would still look cute. Why did he have to be so good looking? She wanted to me Amelia for giving him excellent genes.

    Damn it. She was getting possessive. So her immature self did what she thought she could do: She whipped her head towards the gushing teenagers and gave them a catty look, arching a brow and looking at them from head to toe.

    The teens gasped and scurried away as if they were scalded by her fierce re. What a scary woman!

    She wasn''t usually this petty but whatever.

    Damien''s sexy chuckle caught her attention and her cheeks blushed as she stared back at him. She knew he saw what she did and why she did it but she didn''t care.

    Lifting her chin up, she told him, "Fine. I''ll have dinner with you" He smiled but it slipped as soon as he heard her condition. "but you have to give me your ount number."

    He knew what she nned to do and he was avoiding it ever since Markus asked him that afternoon. "You don''t have to give the money back. It''s really nothing"

    Exhaling out a long sigh, she calmly told him, "It''s not nothing, Damien. Before I came to work for you in yourpany, I could barely even make a five-hundred-dor saving. Which was why that one thousand dors that Steven owed me before was such a big deal for me. I worked so hard in my part-time jobs only to receive a miniscule amount of money that''s hardly enough to cover for my rent and bills. I was so poor that sometimes my hourly wage was even below the minimum. It may be nothing to you but a dor means so much to me. I know how hard it is to work for money and you worked hard for yours. So please let me repay you."

    Damien listened to her rambling, his gaze zoning in on her pretty lips the entire time. And the more he listened the more he found her beautiful. Her logic made so much sense to him but all he wanted was to kiss her. Why did she have such a smart mouth?

    However, even though he understood what she meant, he was still unwilling to ept her money. So he did what he knew he was best atnegotiation. "Fine. But in my terms."

    Her ears perked up, evidently interested in what he had to say. "Okay"

    "I''m still against you repaying me for it but I''m willing topromise. From now on, you will pay for our meals until you reach the total amount that''s written on the receipt."

    Katherine narrowed her suspicious eyes at him. She knew that he was trapping her again just like what he did with that one time she stayed at the Royal Penthouse in his hotel.

    The only difference now was that she didn''t have to wait for a monthly dinner for her to pay up because she had more than enough in her bank ount to pay him outright. So perhaps she could take him out to dine in all thosevish restaurants and choose the most expensive meals they have to offer and she would be able to pay everything back in a few months.

    She bit her bottom lip as she thought about other ways on how she could pay up faster. A light bulb lit above her head and she proposed, "Fine. But do gifts count? I mean I''ll pay for the meals but can we count in the gifts too?"

    Damien couldn''t help butugh at her attempt to work something out with him. As if he could see right through her, he answered, "Sure. But nothing too expensive. Nothing more than a thousand dors."

    Damn it. She had thought of giving him a new car  a recement for his Aston Martin. She saw on the inte a while ago that the new model''s starting price was around $157K and the most expensive costs around $3M. She could have worked with that.

    "Five thousand," she said in reluctance.

    "Two."

    "Four point five."

    "Three max."

    She gritted her teeth before she huffed. "Fine." How could she ever win from the Resort King?

 Chapter 349: Surprise Center

    Chapter 349: Surprise Center

    Damien called Felix over and whispered something to his ear. He had stepped aside so Katherine couldn''t hear what he said and she waited patiently, watching as they finished talking and Felix saying something to his men through his earpiece.

    Damien went to talk to Styles and his mother, Amelia, only for a few seconds before he turned back to her and grabbed her hand. "Let''s go."

    "Where are we headed? What about them?" she wondered as she looked back and saw the others moving away while she was being dragged by him somewhere else.

    "They''re heading back to your penthouse. What do you want to eat?"

    "Um Pancakes?"

    "What?" He stopped in his tracks and looked at her with a bewildered expression stered on his face. It was fckin'' half past seven in the evening and this woman wanted pancakes. Her response was truly a surprise. "Pancakes?"

    Katherine realized that she should have said something like ribeye steaks or lobsters. You know, the obviously expensive food that she could spend her money on to quickly lessen what she owed him. But no she was craving for some pancakes. Her sweet tooth was begging for her to eat something that could satisfy her taste buds. "Y-yeah?"

    "You are so weird," he muttered, but he was already searching something on his phone.

    She watched as he quickly tapped on his phone screen and noticed him sending a message to someone before he put his cellphone back into his jeans pocket. Her observant eyes did a swift sweep of him, taking in his casual form. The ck trench coat was a great match with his ck jeans and the white t-shirt that''s hugging his torso was a great match with the white t-shirt that she was wearing.

    Subconsciously, she lowered her head ever so slightly and inhaled, catching his scent from her t-shirt. It was as though she was wearing him on her, enveloping her top with nothing but Damien. The thought made her blush, realizing that this was one of the things that she loved back then and until now  being around him, smelling him, or wearing his scent. If only she could bottle up his scent and spritz it all over her whenever she craved for it, she would.

    Damien snapped his fingers in front of her face, interrupting her daze. She was staring at him and did not respond to his question. "Where did you go just now?"

    "Oh. Um. So? Where are we going?"

    "Follow me." His fingers inteced with hers and he started walking forward, away from the shopping district, with Katherine in tow.

    "Wait... your car is parked that way!" She pointed to the opposite direction but Damien only continued to stroll forward.

    "I know. We''re going to walk. The night''s beautiful, Kitten. Let''s enjoy it." He smiled, briefly looking at her sneakers to make sure she was okay to walk a few blocks from there.

    She was curious as to where he was taking her but she allowed him to pull her by the hand as they maneuvered their way through the sea of people. He was tall, that he stuck out from the crowd and was able to see where to go.

    There were so many people that night in that part of the district that if he let go of her hand, they could easily separate. He was determined to tread through the mass and keep her safe, so he pulled her closer, putting a protective arm around her shoulders and guarding her against strangers with hisrge frame until they safely arrived in a less crowded ce that was two blocks away from the shopping center.

    "God, I thought we were never going to make it out of there," she huffed, disliking the hectic Friday nightlife in Harbor City.

    "You don''t like crowded ces?"

    "You know I don''t you don''t either. Why are you smiling?"

    "I think I''m starting to like it." His smile grew wider. Maybe he didn''t really like it but it was so much more tolerableespecially because he got to keep her next to him the entire time.

    Unsure as to why he was acting that way, she only gave him a quizzical look which only made him smile more handsomely. "Come on, they reserved us a table already," he said, holding her hand again before he casually ced it inside the wide and deep pocket of his trench coat.

    Her hand instantly became warm and she enjoyed walking with him on the sidewalk. She also stered a beautiful smile on her face, liking the way they strolled in the city without caring if people will see them together. She used to be conscious about this a lot back when she was still working for himback when she was just known as Katherine Miller, the nobodybut now, she couldn''t care less anymore.

    "Are we there yet?" she asked when they almost reached the end of the fifth block. She looked up at him and saw him nod towards the corner saying, "Look."

    Turning her head to the direction he was pointing, Katherine saw the familiar-looking street. Her brows knitted in curiosity as they hastened their steps until they reached the corner. That''s when she realized where he took her. It was the same crowded and narrow street with a lot of vendors that they went beforewhen it was her official first day working for him.

    They took a right turn and continued to walk through the crowd and she knew that in just a couple of minutes from now, she would find that special ce where Damien took her for the first time  a rundown diner. Katherine felt so nostalgic being there again. It had been half a year since but it already felt like years.

    The two didn''t waste time and found themselves inside the diner. They were immediately seated at a table and ced their orders. While they were waiting, Damien kept his eyes on her, watching her as she watched the inside of the diner so curiously.

    Katherine still found the inside of the ce very interesting. Just like how she remembered when she was here the first time, this ce still gave off a homey feeling and a vintage vibe which she foundforting. "What?" she asked when she caught him staring at her.

    "Tell me something about you"

    "What do you want to know?"

    "Anything that you haven''t told me yet." He was sure that there were a lot of things that he didn''t know about her yet and he was dying to know more. Katherine was like a hard candy with a surprise center  the more he ate, the more surprising things he discovered.

    She rested her arms on the table and pressed her index finger to her chin while the gears in her head worked. "Let''s see"

    Damien leaned forward, seemingly excited as to what she was going to tell him.

    "Ah" she chuckled, her eyes twinkling as she met his gaze. She didn''t think she was going to tell him tonight but it was all she could think of. "218"

    The smile on his face disappeared at the same time that his back straightened. He didn''t know why but his heart started beating faster as he waited for her to continue. Those numbers... After five long years, was she finally going to tell him? "Yes?"

    "It''s not really two-one-eight."

    "What do you mean?"

    "It''s twenty-one and eight." She watched as his baffled expression only continued to deepen. "It''s my birthday Eight as in the eighth monthAugust. And twenty-one as the day. My real birthday is August twenty-first."

 Chapter 350: Pancakes

    Chapter 350: Pancakes

    Damien''s nk expression wasn''t what Katherine expected to see, making her wonder as to what was going on in his head.

    Years ago, before she lost her memories, she told him she was going to tell him what 218 meant for her but she never had the chance to, even when she met him again after that auction. Things happened and they never got to talk about it. And now that she thought about the past, she mused as to why she even shared this part of her to him in the first ce. And to some stranger on top of that!

    Out of all the lies that she said back then Out of all the different personas that she had put on in front of people outside of Shadow, her birthday was the one thing that she held so dearly.

    When she joined Shadow, her life went through a period of ''reset''. No family. No background. She was no one. Her name was still Katherine but she was no one. And maybe she thought that remembering her birthday would keep her grounded. That even though she was living a new life, she could still have that part of her in her mindthe day when she was born.

    She didn''t share very important details about her personal life with anyone. Especially not to outsiders. The only people who knew about her real birthday from Shadow were Parker, Chris, and Styles. So she couldn''t tell why she was inclined to share that information with Damien back thena stranger that she had no business with. It was dangerous but she did it anyway.

    Now that she was no longer restrained to keep things from him, she could tell him that and so much more; it was such a liberating feeling. She wondered if it held a huge importance to him that she shared it just like how much it meant to her.

    But then she also pondered if he had already done a background investigation about her when she disappeared on him a couple of months ago.

    As if their minds were in sync, Damien drifted back to the day when hest saw her. That day she left. When he felt as if a huge boulder fell on his shoulders and crushed his bones.

    He had asked Markus to search for anything he could find on ''Katherine Young''. And after a few days, his assistant submitted the report to him on his office table. He was still lost, heartbroken and was sleep deprived, not knowing what he was supposed to do and where to look for her. But when the information that he asked forall packed inside a sealed brown envelopewas already in front of him, he couldn''tfor the life of himdare to open it.

    Damien had contemted hundreds of times as there was a part of him that was scared to read facts about her. He feared that if he read her file, everything would seem real. That she really was that girl many years ago. That she was the same girl from the family that his family was supposed to execute. He was still in denial. Which was why no matter how many times he was tempted to do so, he couldn''t convince himself to check the contents of the envelope.

    Weeks had passed and the envelope was still in his office, unopened, burning a hole inside his vault since he decided to put it there on the same day that Markus gave it to him. If he had read her file, he would have eventually realized what ''218'' meant to her.

    However, hearing it from her first hand, he realized that he made the right decision not to read her file back then. Because with the way that his heart was mming against his chest at the revtion, he certainly preferred that the information came from her.

    After a long time of silence, it was interrupted by the cking of tes that were ced on their table. "Here are your orders!" said the server.

    Damien hadn''t spoken for a few minutes now and was just staring at the table. Perhaps what she thought was a big deal for her wasn''t actually a big deal for him? Perhaps it wasn''t that important? Katherine waited for them to be alone again before she swallowed and hesitantly asked in a hush, "Are you disappointed?"

    "What? No" Damien snapped out of his trance. He saw her lips curved into a frown and he realized that he hadn''t responded to her yet. What a moron! "I''m sorry I was" He sighed as he lowered his head. He chuckled at himself before he reached for her hand across the table, shing her one of his gorgeous smiles as he continued, "I''m not disappointed. I''m delighted."

    "But you were in deep thought just now"

    Damien exined what he was thinking earlier, sparing her details about how shitty his time was while she wasn''t around. "Thanks for telling me It''s a bummer that we didn''t do anything special that day."

    "It doesn''t matter" She smiled, cutting a piece of the pancake on her te that was drenched in maple syrup and melted butter.

    The two didn''t know it back then but now that they do, he thought that it sucked. He also remembered that it was the day when he had to tell her about Margaret and the unborn child in her womb. What an awful way to spend her special day. He was relieved that he was at least able to fly her to France the next morning, it made the whole thing a bit better. "Well, it matters to me. I''ll make it up to you."

    "You don''t really have to"

    "You can''t stop me, Kitten. Come on, tell me more"

    Katherine rolled her eyes at his enthusiasm. It was strange how she was also excited to tell him about herself. And she was suddenly reminded of that night they spent together on February eighteenth  the magical night when she danced with him out in the balcony where she told him about her dream where they shared a kiss for the second time.

    She brushed her thoughts and cleared her throat. "Okay um My maternal grandmother was French. Her maiden name was Laurent and she was from Bordeaux. Her family had this vineyard there that we used to visit when I was young. I don''t know if it''s still there though It''s been a long time since I hadst seen them."

    "Would you like to go there again someday?"

    "Someday" She smiled. Dark thoughts were leering in the back of her mind, wanting to destroy her mood. But she didn''t allow it. Instead, she pushed it far back and locked it in ce, deciding to make this night worry-free so she could enjoy her time with Damien.

    Katherine didn''t long for anythingvish. Her wishes were pretty simple and so were the things that made her happy. Just like having pancakes for dinner with Damien in this rundown diner that not a lot of people knew about.

    While she enjoyed her food, she noticed that Damien hadn''t touched his te yet and when she looked up, she met his gaze. "Do I have dirt on my face? Why aren''t you eating?"

    "Nah You''re perfect." He winked.

    And just when she thought he was going to start eating when he grabbed his knife and fork, he reached towards her te and started slicing a piece of pancake. She watched as he swirled the pancake on the syrup and butter before he put it in his mouth. Her eyes grew wide, "Hey! WhyThat''s mine!"

    "Yours tastes better." He chewed the food unapologetically, shing her a goofy smile after he gulped it down. They literally have the same order of a stack of three pancakes. And yet he stole from hers.

    Katherine didn''t understand why Damien did it. So she frowned at him and stole from his te too.

    And of course he let her.

 Chapter 351: Cute Couple

    Chapter 351: Cute Couple

    Maybe it was stupid.

    Maybe they shouldn''t be so careless by being out in the open when they were supposed to be careful and watch out for potential hits on their heads.

    Maybe Damien thought they only had today to be happy.

    Maybe Katherine wanted to be happy even if it was only for today.

    Whatever it was that drove the two to act normal amidst the threats, was it so wrong to put their own happiness first and set aside their predicaments? Katherine questioned silently in her head while she watched Damien bid goodbye to Rose, the old woman who owned the diner.

    Several months ago, Katherine wondered how Damien could be so ruthless in business, thrashing hispetitors as he continued to rise to the top while being such a kind-hearted man who treated Nana very dearly. Two sides of him that she both loved and admired.

    Time and time again, he had proven himself that he''s worthy of her love even without him actually doing it on purpose. Damien was just being Damien and that''s why Katherine couldn''t deny her feelings for him. It was just impossible. Which was why when he strolled towards her, she proactively held his hand.

    The gesture didn''t go unnoticed by him. And he was d to see her slowly taking him back. Damien could only wish that their rtionship would only continue to be better, given that they were now open to each otherws and all.

    "Are you sure the pancakes were enough for you?" Damien asked as they maneuvered their way through the crowded street filled with locals and tourists who were enjoying their food trips. The smell of barbeque and cheese lingered in the air and he saw her breathe it in.

    The long stretch of the street had several kinds of popr Asian foods. Katherine''s eyes marveled at the sight of tasty-looking skewered meats, crispy deep-fried and even stewed dishes lined on the sides. It was crazier in the evening than it was in the morning when Damien first brought her there.

    "Hmmm maybe I''d like to try that!" she pointed at the deep-fried seafood to her left, already dragging him towards it.

    He was normally the one who reminded her of how unhealthy some foods are but at this point, he didn''t care about that. He was just happy that she was enjoying herself. Seeing the wonder in her eyes as she looked at the selection of seafood in front of her was priceless. "Try the shrimp."

    "Ah, really?" She turned to the vendor and ordered some deep-fried shrimp and squid. "Do you want anything for yourself?" she asked Damien.

    He threw his head backughing. And there he thought she was getting food for the two of them. It turned out what she ordered was only for herself. "I''m good."

    The olddy vendor looked at the two of them andmented as she prepared the food, "You two look like a cute couple. Here''s a couple of extra shrimps for you."

    "Woah! Thank you!" Katherine''s eyes widened in excitement upon seeing therge paper cup handed to her filled to the brim. "Ah, wait"

    She was just about to take out money from her pocket when Damien handed thedy vendor a hundred dor bill. "Thanks. Keep the change," he said before he ced a hand on Katherine''s shoulder, urging her to move.

    "WhatI was going to pay!"

    "You can pay for the next one." He draped a hand around her shoulders as they walked towards the end of the street.

    "But that was a hundred bucks!"

    "She said we''re a cute couple."

    Katherine looked at him with an incredulous stare. Here''s a billionaire next to her who just paid so much for some street food simply because he liked ament made by the vendor. "I bet she says that to all her customers to get more tips." She picked a shrimp, took a bite and the vors exploded in her mouth.

    "Well it''s working." The huge grin on his face made him look even younger. "I''m a businessman, Kitten, I know how it works. It just so happened that she was right. We''re a cute couple." He winked.

    She shook her head and rolled her eyes but formed a small smile anyway. When she finished a piece, she took another one and held it in front of his lips, "Here. It''s good."

    "I''m" He was going to decline but when he saw her mouth had downturned, he felt like he was being punched in the chest. So he received the food with his mouth and finished the whole piece quickly Even licking her thumb and index finger clean. "Mm. It is good." It was oily.

    Katherine was stunned for a second when his mouth closed around her finger but she recovered quickly and took him by surprise when she mimicked what he did and licked her thumb and index finger clean tooall while locking her gaze with his. Two can y at this game.

    Except their game had been in y for a while now. When will this end and who will win?

    Damien eyed her, his throat bobbing and his jaw ticking as he checked his self-contrnd his hard-on bobbed in answer. He shifted his trenchcoat and buttoned it to cover his pants.

    Seeing his reaction, Katherine knew she had won this round.

    Taking her hand, he dragged her with him in his long strides that she had to keep up. "Come on, we still have five blocks to walk."

    By the time she finished eating, they were still about two blocks away from Damien''s car but her feet were already killing her. They had walked to and from the diner and her sneakers probably needed recement as she was growing more and more ufortable each step. "Wait Can we stop for a bit? My feet hurt already."

    Damien studied her, ncing at her feet before wordlessly bending down, his back facing her. "Hop on. I''ll carry you," he said over his shoulder.

    "No, it''s okay I just need a minuteAh!" she yelped when he ignored her declining his offer and pulled her to his back, fastening the back of her knees with his hands. She instinctively hooked her arms around his neck and shoulders.

    Katherine almost had a mini heart attack because of his sudden gesture, her heart beating erratically in her chest that was pressed against his broad back. He got up and walked, careful with his steps as he carried her.

    Since they were approaching the busy district, a sea of people was already forming around them, causing her heart to beat even faster when she noticed stares thrown their way. "This is a bad idea, Damien. They could recognize you."

    "If they do, then they do. I don''t care." He turned his head to the right, meeting her re and he smirked.

    Katherine caught sight of someone taking a picture of them from the side and she swore she heard her surname being mentioned. "I think they recognized me Damien, they''re taking pictures."

    Ignoring other people, he faced front and continued to walk. "Of course, you''re the heiress of the Young Family. Look friendly and smile. You would want to look good in the pictures."

    He was right. Now that she no longer cared about any rumors thrown her way by being seen with Damien, there was nothing to fret. She chuckled at the thought and tightened her hold on him. What''s the worst that could happen?

 Chapter 352: Too Long

    Chapter 352: Too Long

    [Reader Advisory: It could get hot.]

    It was already nine in the evening when Katherine and Damien reached the parking lot where he parked his car. The two casually exchanged personal questions about each other, seemingly interested in wanting to know more than what they had known months ago.

    Because of her memory loss, she couldn''t share a lot about her with him back then and it was sad. However, she found herself enjoying the time that she opened up to him, telling him stories about her childhood life. And in return, Damien also shared some of his but he preferred listening to her babble more.

    By the time that they arrived at Golden Phoenix Residences, Katherine was still full of energy. The two entered the lobby together, earning nces here and there. There were a couple of employees who were about to bow and greet Damien but he was quick to subtly shake his head and dismiss them.

    He didn''t know why he still hadn''t told Katherine that he upied the top floor. He should have. It was the right thing to do. But the longer he kept it from her, the more difficult it was to just admit the truth. And by now, it was just too damn awkward to suddenly blurt it.

    Approaching the elevators, a staff member bowed her head and said, "Good evening, Chairman Park, Miss Young, our sincerest apologies but the penthouse elevators are currently unavable. They''re undergoing maintenance."

    Katherine didn''t think much of it when the staff greeted them. She was already used to people knowing Damien Park everywhere he goes.

    "Both of them? It''s half past nine in the evening. Why is the maintenance done at this hour?" he asked, a little irritation hinted in his tone. For privacy, the penthouse suites have two elevators and the other cars only reach a certain level.

    "I''m really sorry Chairman Park. This was scheduledter at midnight but"

    "It''s okay," Katherine interjected. "How do we get to my floor?"

    The staff looked between Katherine and Damien and hesitantly opened her mouth. Her penthouse? Was there something going on between the two? In the news article regarding Katherine''s identity, it was only briefly mentioned that she used to work in Crown Resort Group. But Katherine''s question just now made her think that there was more to them other than just being an employer and a former employee. Otherwise, why did she say "we" and "her floor"?

    Seeing the staff''s curious gaze, Damien raised a brow at her as though he was challenging her to question something personal. If she dares to.

    Realizing what she had done, the staff quickly looked down and gestured towards themon elevators. "In the meantime, you can ride in these express cars. Unfortunately, the highest floor they could go up to is the 59th floor and stairs should be taken from there to your floor. You can ess the staircase using your keycard."

    Katherine saw the staff swallow and looked nervous. It must have been nerve-wracking for her to face Damien Park like this, what more, asking him to take the stairs. She felt bad for the employee. "It''s okay. Thanks!" She turned to Damien and lightly tugged his trench coat. "Come on."

    The tall, disappointed man shook his head. He understood the need for maintenance but ording to the schedule that he was informed yesterday about, it should have been done at midnight. He was fine taking the stairs from the 59th floor but he was concerned about Katherine as she alreadyined about her aching feet earlier.

    Left with no choice, they used themon elevator. There were three people apart from them who entered the car. From the lobby, there was an express zone all the way up to the residential floors from 40th to 59th except for the 53rd floor where the bar and restaurant were located.

    Katherine and Damien stayed at the back of the car side by side. One of the three pressed the button for the 42nd floor and when the door closed, the car zoomed through the express zone. The movement caused Katherine to slightly sway to the side and Damien steadied her by holding her by the waist. She leaned into him, seeking for more warmth, tempted because of the way his arm protectively held her.

    When the three got off the car, the couple thought they were going to speed through thest floor only to find it stopping at the 43rd floor to pick up more passengers. There were six of them who got infour men and two womencrowding the space.

    One of the women went to stand in front of Damien. Not liking the proximity between him and the stranger, he pulled Katherine in front of him. She was startled at first but understood his reasons, so she did her part and ''shielded'' him from the woman. She was happy to do so, of course.

    There were two more passengers joining them on the 45th floor, causing everyone to shift. Katherine was forced to step back, bumping her bottom to Damien''s front. His hand automatically held her in ce, not allowing her to move anymore.

    Katherine''s heart started to race, noticing his growing erection that''s pressing against her hip. She heard him suck in air. It was subtle and only she could hear, and the chatter inside the car drowned it out.

    She stiffened when she felt his hot breath fanning against her ear, begging for her not to moveor was it the opposite?

    cing her hand on top of his that was resting on her waist, he tightened his grip, his fingers digging into her causing her to clench her jaw. This was bad. Dangerous even.

    What was she supposed to do? How could she help him? Should she lean away or should she press herself against him some more? Both of which seemed so cruel.

    Damien tried so hard to keep it together. But with Katherine in front of himhis hard-on pushing against his jeans, the smell of her shampoo, the softness of her skin, and just her mere presence was driving him crazy.

    Shifting her a little, his stiffness strained against the small of her back. And instead of moving her away, he pulled her hips to him, the friction making him even harder than he already was. Damn this elevator.

    He wasn''t the only one having difficulties as Katherine was already getting hotter by the minute. But with a car full of strangers, she could only stay still.

    The elevator stopped at the 53rd floor and thank heavens everyone else got off, leaving the two inside. The door hadn''t fully closed yet when Damien spun her around and immediately captured her lips. His patience had already thinned and he couldn''t wait to devour her. And it was the stupid elevator''s fault.

    Katherine was taken by surprise but she didn''t have it in her to push him away. She was mildly conscious about the CCTV camera inside the elevator but at this point, it was the least of her worries when she kissed him back.

    They arrived on the 59th floor in several seconds and they staggered their way out of the elevator without breaking their kiss. The stairwell was just a few meters from the elevator and Damien reluctantly pulled away to open the door. Through his hazy eyes, he was about to take out the keycard to his penthouse when Katherine swiftly took out hers and mmed it on the device.

    As soon as the door opened, he grabbed her hand and they jogged their way to the 61st floor. Panting, he pushed her against the wall next to the door and smashed his lips down to hers. His kisses were hot and wild and needy and she matched it with the same urgency while grinding herself to him, her hips bucking to him. He groaned in response and moved his mouth to trail kisses down her neck.

    It had been so long. Too long. And they just couldn''t help themselves. He was scared that if he didn''t stop himself, he''d have to take her right here... against the wall.

 Chapter 353: Some Dessert**

    Chapter 353: Some Dessert**

    [Warning: You know the drill.]

    The world spun around in Katherine''s lusted mind. There were so many things that wanted to pull her away from this but a big part of her just wanted to push it down and away.

    Damien''s hot open-mouthed kisses on her neck and down to her throat paired with his naughty hands that were everywhere on her sent dangerous jolts through her core.

    They were in the dark stairwell for Pete''s sake! Just exiting through the door and they should be out and find themselves in her penthouse. But even five steps out the metal door was one too many steps.

    She slipped her hands under his t-shirt, her palms connecting with his abdominal musclessculpted, hard, and tempting. Pulling him impossibly closer, there was nothing in between them except their clothes. His lips found hers again and when his tongue flicked the roof of her mouth, they moaned together.

    "I missed you" he breathed in between kisses.

    Katherine was just about to respond when her eyes caught a blinking red LED light on the corner. The security cameras. "Damien"

    He followed her gaze and saw what she noticed. His brows furrowed in annoyance and very swiftly, he pulled out his phone. Opening an app that was connected to the building''s security system, he typed the passcode and tapped his screen a few times. In the next second, the lights on the stairwell went offincluding the cameras on the stairwell connecting the 61st and 62nd floor.

    Katherine didn''t know what he did as she wasn''t able to see his phone screen. She watched as he put his phone back in his back pocket like what he just did was a normal thing to do and took her mouth again. She could have asked him a million questions she had in her head at the moment but she was heavily intoxicated by his scent and by her lust. Nothing was more important than this.

    Hooking her arms around his neck, she deepened their kiss as Damien trapped her with his thigh between her legs. She pushed the trench coat off him until it dropped on the floor. She whimpered when he tightened his grasp on her waist, pulling her down to his thigh and rubbing her apex through their jeans. And just equally, she could feel how hard he had gotten through the bulge on his pants that was pressing against her.

    Katherine was about to go crazy. Her body got hotter by the second and Damien just made it deliciously dangerous. They still had their clothes on yet she was already almost reaching her climax.

    The button of her jeans popped and the zipper glid down. Her mind hadn''t even registered what was happening when his skillful fingers descended, rubbing her clit through her soft, silk panties. He groaned upon finding her soaking wet.

    Katherine clenched his shoulders, moaning at the same time that their tongues danced together. His fingers circled and pressed and stroked through the unwanted silk that''s still covering her.

    Damien pulled back a little, resting his forehead to hers and panting as he drawled in a seductive and rough voice, "Let me make youe."

    There was no way Katherine would say no. There just wasn''t. Not when she was this damn close and this perfect man was going to give it to her. She''d be an ultimate fool to decline.

    A small nod was what he only needed from her before he tugged her jeans and underwear down her thighs. And without warning, he slipped in a finger, earning a cry from her mouth that he trapped by pressing his lips to hers.

    His other hand wandered and slid under her shirt, ying with her breast while he added a second finger inside her. His expert fingers pumped and swirled, hitting her G-spot just perfectly. She gripped his back harder, her toes curling as she was rising up and almost falling over the edge of euphoria.

    Katherine brought her hands down and started unbuttoning his jeansshe had to do something with her hands. She skimmed a hand down his erection and cupped him through his boxer briefs. He groaned and hastened the pace of his fingers inside her.

    She broke their kiss panting and her head fell on his shoulder. She was getting dizzy from the frenzy as her heart rammed against her ribcage, it was difficult to breathe. She started to rub him, matching his movements but he groaned and caught her wrist.

    "Stop or I''m going toe," he hissed, gathering her hands and cing them above her head, hisrge hand holding her wrists in ce against the cold wall.

    "Ride my hand, baby," he breathed, his voiceced with a roughness that she enjoyed. So dominating and yet she loved it.

    The only lighting from the small ss window of the door was enough to give them some light. She looked up and met his zing and intense eyes. He wanted to see here apart. He was already rock hard and she had wanted to take care of him too but there he was, wanting to satisfy herand wanting to watch her while she orgasms.

    Katherine locked their gazes as she bucked and rolled her hips, grinding against his hand and meeting his pumps. He sped up, thrusting in and out of her as she rode his hand just like he told her to.

    "Damien" she panted, chasing her peak. And then she screamed his name again as she shattered all over his hand and her voice echoed in the empty stairwell. She watched him watching her as she quaked, relishing the sinful and out-of-this-world taste of high.

    His fingers slowly ran along her slit, letting her ride out her orgasm before he pulled outpletely. And through their heated stares, he brought the index and middle digits that were inside her just now up to his lips and sucked her juices clean from his fingers. The sight of Damien doing that in front of her was so hot that she almost came again.

    He let go of her hands and she was about to reach for his waistband when he shook his head. "Next time." With a handkerchief, he wiped his hand and then the mess between her legs. He pocketed the handkerchief when he was done and put his trench coat on her after she pulled her pants up.

    "Why?" she wondered. She was spent. She just had the most amazing orgasm in months and he wouldn''t let her return the favor. What''s up with this guy? She could still feel the tremors in her core and she had to lean into him for support.

    His arms came around her naturally, holding her up as her legs became jelly while she had to catch her breath. He smiled at the thought of her wanting to relieve him but more than his desires for himself, he really just wanted to satisfy her first. He found pleasure whenever she finds hers. "We don''t have time, the cameras will be up again pretty soon, we need to get out of here," he said.

    Right. The cameras. How did he do that? Katherine wanted to ask but she didn''t have the energy. She made a groggy mental note to ask him about itter if she could remember. "Mm"

    "Can you walk?"

    "I think my legs forgot how to function." Her voice was a muffled noise against his chest.

    Damien''s shoulders shook when he chuckled and then he wordlessly lifted her up, carrying her bridal style out of the stairwell and towards her penthouse.

    As soon as the door closed behind them, the lights and cameras from the stairwell turned on. And the door lock beeped, ending their little detour.

    "Do you want to stay for dessert? There''s some ice cream in the freezer," Katherine mumbled. She nuzzled on his neck, inhaling her favorite scent while her eyes were closed as they entered the foyer of her penthouse.

    With a mischievous grin on his face, he whispered above her, "I already had dessert."

    She smiled against his skin. Ah. Some dessert.

 Chapter 354: A Regular Booty Call

    Chapter 354: A Regr Booty Call

    Stepping inside the luxurious foyer of Katherine''s apartment, Damien''s eyes immediately scanned the room and froze.

    "Why''d you stop?" she mumbled in a whisper that only they could hear.

    "Is she?" The voice came from an old man. Her eyes slowly opened ever so slightly and she peeked from her position through the small slits of her eyes, only to find her grandfather, aunt, Styles, and Amelia who was wearing a disguise in the living room.

    She stiffened in his arms, her brain almost malfunctioning at the thought of what she and Damien did past her foyer and past the stairwell doorall while her family was in here the entire time. And now she''s not moving while he was carrying her.

    Feeling his grip tighten on her, she didn''t know what to do. Was she supposed to wake up, jump out of his arms, and run to her grandpa? Or should she pretend to be asleep?

    "Mm She fell asleep in the car," Damien answered for her.

    Holy sweet pretzels! Katherine had to close her eyes and act the part. He made the choice for her and because she was horrified to see her family in her current state, she didn''t know what else to do except lie through the whole thing.

    "Ah She must be exhausted," she heard her grandfather speak before a tter of what she thought was a teacup being put on the table sounded.

    Yeah. Exhausted from their little escapade several meters from where they were standing that her legs turned into jelly. She could smell her guiltheck she could still smell her arousal around her, causing her heart to rapidly pump in her chest. The only constion that kept her sane was knowing that the inner and outer walls surrounding her penthouse were soundproof. Surely no one heard her scream through her orgasm in the stairwell, right?

    "I''m just going to put her to bed. Excuse me," Damien took light steps towards Katherine''s bedroom, leaving the awkward atmosphere in the living room.

    As soon as the door closed behind them, her shoulders sagged and she heaved out a long sigh. "Oh my god" She heard him chuckle above her and she buried her face on his neck. "Bathroom please."

    He entered the bathroom and made her sit on the counter. "Are you going to take a shower?"

    "I have to." She shrugged the trench coat off her with his help and saw the shit-eating grin on his face. "You''re not joining me."

    A sexy chuckle reverberated in his throata melody that made feather-light brushes in her heart. "Too bad. I give really good scrubs." He winked.

    There he was. The naughty, shameless Damien that she knew too well. It was true though. He did give really good scrubs that always came with neck and shoulder massages and she couldn''t even deny it.

    cing his hands on the counter on either side of her, he trapped her between his arms and leaned forward to press a kiss on her lips. "I have to go."

    "Where are you going?" she slightly panicked. They had been very close for the past three days and him leaving her at this hour stirred her heart. She hated herself for appearing to be clingy to him like a teenager that it even surprised her. She had never been attracted to anyone else like she was with Damien. This feeling of wanting to be constantly near him or with him scared her.

    She loved him back then and even until noweven more so now. Their separation didn''t lessen her feelings for him. If anything, it only made it stronger. How was she supposed to deal with everything? Why didn''t anyone warn her that being in love would make her feel weak?

    "I need to take care of some things. Are you going out to see your family?"

    "Yeah maybe after I shower."

    "I''ll tell them you''lle out soon."

    "Okay Are you going to be safe?"

    He softly smiled, liking the way she was worried about him. "Yes. It''s mostly just work stuff." He saw the faint disappointment in her eyes and he tucked her hair behind her ear, hooking his fingers under her chin and tilting it up. "What''s wrong?"

    Katherine shook her head and put a small smile on her face, realizing what she must have looked like. "Nothing I just I thought you were staying. I forgot that you had apany to run. You''ve been out of your office the whole day." She knew that he would want to be around her more during these times.

    "You don''t have to worry about that. I hiredpetent people and Caleb''s running it with me so it''s not a problem. Thepany can function without me for a while. I wouldn''t have hired them if they needed to be monitored every single time."

    "You''re right I just didn''t want to keep you from your responsibilities."

    Damien chuckled. "I''m not weak, Katherine. I can handle it."

    She could only nod at him, feeling a little better after his assurance. "If you um if you want toe back. The door''s open for you anytime." A faint blush colored her cheeks, feeling bold and shy at the same time. She almost regretted the hint that she gave him.

    Brushing his thumb on her cheek, he said, "I''lle back in the morning. I don''t want to wake you up in the middle of the night just to open the door for me." He kissed her forehead and pulled away. "Good night, Kitten."

    "Good night" She watched him leave her bedroom before she stepped into the shower and took a quick one. It took her less than five minutes to finish washing and then she put on a t-shirt and lounge pants before heading out of her bedroom to meet her family.

    However, just before she left her room, Katherine shot Damien a text. Her thumbs tapped so quickly on the phone screen and then pressed the send button before she changed her mind.

    [Katherine: You don''t have a keycard to my ce but you can have ess using a code.]

    [Katherine: My initials and birthday.]

    Letting out a long sigh, she put her phone on silent mode and kept it in her pants pocket before strolling out.

    Did she really just give him ess to her ce? It was like inviting him for a regr booty call! She shivered at the thought.

 Chapter 355: Friends?

    Chapter 355: Friends?

    Katherine sat with her grandfather and aunt in the living room with a cup of hot cocoa in her hands. Styles and Amelia already retreated to their rooms for the night, leaving Katherine to have some privacy with her family.

    "How are you feeling now? You should have rested more instead of going out. What if you got sick again?" Grandpa Young lovingly chided. Since Katherine had called in sick yesterday, he had been calling more often to check on her. He had wanted toe and see her, but Katherine told him not to or he might catch the cold.

    It warmed her heart now that she had other people apart from Damien and Styles who worried about her. This was what a family was like. They visit you when you''re sick and scold you when you misbehaved.

    "I only went to have dinner with um my former boss," she lied. She didn''t just have dinner with him that nightshe even had dessert in the fire exit of all ces. She swallowed the guilt and formed a small smile on her face. "I''m fine now, Grandpa There''s nothing to worry about."

    "Good. Good," he said. Next to him, Deborah Young ced the teacup on the table and turned to Katherine saying, "You and Chairman Park seemed to be very close." That was all she had to say. It was as if she was implying for Katherine to confirm the obvious. Which boss would carry their subordinate like that looking so intimate? But she wasn''t against it. In fact, it thrilled her to see how close her niece and the Chairman of Crown Resort Group were, knowing that Young Corporation would definitely benefit from their rtionship.

    Deborah had a smile on her face that didn''t mask her curiosity. She carried herself with confidence and had this air around her that Katherine couldn''t help but topare her aunt to Cindere''s stepmotheronly she didn''t look evil. Wearing a sophisticated business attire, it reinforced her image as someone with power and wealth, who had everything under control as she appeared calm and collected.

    There was something strange about her that Katherine couldn''t quite put her finger on. It was weird how she couldn''t read her aunt very well, causing her to put her guard up which boggled her.

    "Aunt" Katherine hesitated, unsure of what to tell Deborah. How was she supposed to answer? Should she confirm her aunt''s suspicions or deny it? Honestly, given everything that''s going on, it wasn''t the right time to announce her rtionship with Damien to her family yet. She didn''t have any excuse nor had she ever thought of one in case she ever needed to exin her rtionship with Damien to her family. Her eyes flitted towards her grandfather and saw the faint amusement dancing in his eyes. She met his stare, and as if he had seen her difort, he cleared his throat.

    "Deborah It''s not our ce to ask. Katherine is already a grown-upold enough to decide on her own. I''m sure she knows what she''s doing." Chairman Young briefly nced at his daughter before he looked at Katherine again. "Does the young man visit you often?"

    Just when Katherine thought her grandfather would help her let go of the matter, he then asked another question which wasn''t so differentpared to her aunt''s. Not wanting to disrespect him, she faintly smiled and told him part of the truth, "We''ve been seeing each othertely. We''ve been good friends after all."

    She lied again, but there was no way she would speak of the whole truth. This was a safer choice. But she wasn''t totally lying She and Damien were indeed friends, right?friends with benefits? What was shea teen? She made a mental eye-roll at herself. There were nobels in their rtionship right now, and she didn''t think they needed to have "the talk" to define what they were.

    It was prettyplicated.

    "That''s good. Being friends is good," Deborah Young remarked. "I''m d you''re adjusting to your new life very well and I hope that you can spend more time in thepany. You''ve called in sick for two days in a row and you have two days more to rest. I hope you cane back healthy on Monday."

    It had only been a week since she came back, and she had only been in Young Corporation for three days. She hadn''t really done anything productive inside thepany yet as she was held back a lot because of Shadow. With so many things going on in her life, it wasn''t a surprise that she got ill yesterday.

    "I apologize, Aunt Debbie," Katherine muttered the name her aunt insistedst weeksince they were a family. "I''ll get plenty of rest over the weekend and report to work on Monday."

    "You take your time to heal. Manager Price will understand," Chairman Young said.

    Deborah Young lifted a thick folder from the coffee table and handed it to Katherine, "That reminds me Michael Price sent this for you."

    "What''s this?"

    "Some files about the projects that your department is working on. He came to my office today, and he asked how you were. Later, he came back with these. He said you can study them when you can while recuperating so you''ll be ready when youe back."

    "Oh that''s nice of him." Katherine briefly looked at the folder and made a mental note to thank him tomorrow. "Thank you."

    "You need to rest, Pumpkin. We''ll take our leave." Chairman Young got up with Deborah, and Katherine followed them to the foyer. Katherine pulled him in for a bear hug and whispered, "Thank you, Grandpa I''ll call you soon."

    "Mm. You take care."

    "You and that young man Damien Park look good together. What do you think about him?" Deborah Young asked in a soft voice.

    "I" Katherine swallowed.

    Deborah lightly chuckled, "Oh, don''t mind me. I''m just teasing. My daughter Caroline is younger than you but she has no boyfriend yet although she goes on dates often." She rolled her eyes with a smile on her face, making her look friendly as she spoke. "I hope you can settle down and find someone you like. You''re not getting any younger, sweetie."

    "I''ll keep that in mind, Aunt Debbie." Katherine lightly bowed to her as Deborah patted her gently on the arm. She watched the two leave, and then she was alone again. She had no idea why she felt so stiff around her aunt. She could only guess it was because she was never really close to her when she was young. The short meeting was quite taxing for her, but she was d to see her grandfather.

    Entering her bedroom, she checked the time on the clock by her bedside table and saw that it was eleven in the evening. She wondered if Damien had replied to her text messages so she whipped out her phone, but there wasn''t any notification.

    Katherine contemted sending him another text message, but as her thumbs hovered over the text box, she didn''t know what to send. He must be upied at the moment, considering he had so many things to catch up on. If she sent another text, it would only disturb him and he wouldn''t be able to concentrate.

    Exhaling out a long sigh, she locked her phone and ced it on her nightstand before she covered herself with a nket. Just that morning, she had pushed him away, and he was still very understanding about it. And yet an hour ago, they more than made out in the dark stairwell. She let her lust get in the way and allowed herself to be pleasured when she shouldn''t have.

    ''What are you doing?!'' her inner voice scolded her, and she gripped the nket that''s covering her body, guilt visiting her once again now that she was alone and in deep thought. However, now she didn''t know what to answer. "Yes, Katherine. What the hell are you doing?" she mumbled to herself.

    Curling up into a ball, she grabbed a pillow and hugged it as she drifted off to sleep, shutting her inner voice out of her mind.

 Chapter 356: Maverick

    Chapter 356: Maverick

    Crown Resort Group

    The CEO''s office was still brightly lit despite the dark sky outside jeweled only with a waxing crescent moon with no visible sparkly stars. The air inside therge office space was neither too cold nor too hot, however, the atmosphere was quite tense as three men gathered at the fine leather sofa in the middle of the room with papers scattered on the coffee table.

    Empty coffee mugs were set in front of them, waiting to be refilled with a fresh batch of dark liquid that neither of them thought to do as they were busy discussing their ns.

    Damien had his elbows propped on his knees and his hands were steepled while his eyes stared at the only empty space the size of a quarter dor on the table that''s not covered with paper. He was expressionless but the dark pools of his eyes evidently showed his anxiety.

    For the past hour that he, along with Markus and Felix, tried toe up with a n on tightening their security, he had also filled in Felix the matter about Katherine with all that thetter needed to know. Outside of the Park family, there were only a few people who knew about Damien''s past and his family''s secret business, including Markusgiven that they grew up together and that his mother once worked for Damien''s familyand Felix, his head of security and the leader of Alpha Team.

    Just like his father, Lawrence, Damien made the same choice to keep his family background a secret from a majority of his security detail. It was to protect the family. And because Damien had been independent since he left the estate, there wasn''t a need for his security to know this part about him. Felix was a different case as they had met each other while Damien was still in the estate and the two only saw each other again yearster.

    A few years ago, before Damien met Felix again, he had set up a private securitypany called ''Maverick Security''from his second name. He didn''t set this up for financial gains, rather, it was for him to have total control over his security detail legally instead of hiring from other agencies. Which was why there wasn''t any advertising for his private securitypany. He didn''t keep it a secret but he kept it low-profile.

    When Felix came into the picture, Damien made him the head of Maverick Security in which he was given the full reign to train the personnel. Knowing that Felix was a skillful man, Damien trusted him with his security. The number of private guards grew over time and the sole purpose was to keep them as his personal security detail and deploy some to guard his businesses across the states and even some internationally. Damien''s identity as a billionaire made him a very easy target for the ill-minded people wherever he goes.

    But Damien being Damien, he didn''t like the idea of having men in ck parading behind and around him like he was some sort of a mobster. Which was why after Maverick Security had been established, he and Felix devised strategies on how to keep him secured without the need for dozens of security personnel around him all the time.

    However, now that things have changed, there was no way that they could keep the same strategy as it is when there''s an obvious threat lurking out there without knowing where or when it would strike them. And because he ced Katherine above himself, he decided to put his Alpha Team with Katherine. Yes, she was a capable woman and he acknowledged that, but even capable people needed help.

    "How many men can we have on stand-by?" Markus probed Felix as he got up and walked over to the corner of the room with an empty coffee pot in his hand and started brewing more coffee.

    "As of the moment, Alpha, Beta, and Delta Teams are ready, that''s 24 25 including me. And a few dozens more that''s on-call whenever needed. And if worsees to worst, mercs are at an arm''s reach." Felix stretched his arms above his head. He had been awake for almost 18 hours now, making sure everything that Damien needed in his security detail was being taken care of.

    Damien darted his stare at Felix and saw the exhaustion in his eyes. He rolled his neck from side to side and sighed before he got up from his seat and strolled towards the tall window behind his desk, observing the city below him. The night appeared to be calm but only he and a few other people knew of the real dangers that many innocent citizens out there don''t know about.

    He never liked violence, but familyes first. And he would do anything to protect his family. "We need to be more vignt. We don''t know who exactly we''re up against. An organization with many ruthless assassins could be lethal. But I doubt that they would send many on our way if the head wants to attack me or Katherine. HeParker, may have control over his agents but even he wouldn''t waste his men that he cultivated for many years. Especially if he already knows my uncle''s business."

    He wouldn''t ask his uncle for help. No way. But Shadow didn''t know that. And what they don''t know about Damien, they could use to their advantage. As of the moment, even though they know less about the current Shadow, the best that they could do is to strengthen their security.

    "That''s true. Do you need to relocate?"

    "Not necessary for now. I hope we don''t need to. It''s too early to say because of Katherine''s ns of keeping everything as it is. The security in Golden Phoenix is tight, but I''ll talk to her and see what else needs to be done." Damien turned to Felix and added, "You can go home now. You need to rest."

    Nodding, Felix got up and gathered his stuff. "You too. Don''t work sote. You also need rest." Being older than Damien, he already treated him as his younger brother. He always worried about him and could only hope Damien would take care of himself too.

    When Felix left, Damien and Markus had to go over somepany matters that needed to be dealt withpapers to sign, contracts to go over, and some corporate decisions to make. He had delegated some tasks to Caleb Yoo already but there were still responsibilities that he needed to take on himself. But he didn''tin at all.

    It was already a quarter to three in the morning when Damien and Markus finished their work and arrived at Golden Phoenix Residences. The two made their way up to the 62nd floor and just as they entered the foyer and Bear greeted their arrival, Damien checked his phone and remembered Katherine''s text messages hours ago. He contemted his response as he made his way to his bedroom.

    Just like the past few days, Markus also stayed in the penthouse as per his boss''s instructions. So when they arrived, Damien dismissed him for the day so Markus could get some rest. On the other hand, Damien changed his clothes, showered, got a few things from his closet before he strolled back to the elevator and entered the code to Katherine''s penthouse, smiling to himself when the indicator on the elevator''s panel lit to green when it epted its code.

    He made his way towards Katherine''s bedroom and as soon as he stepped inside and saw her in the middle of her bed, his anxious heart gradually pacified and he was finally able to breathe normally again.

    Wordlessly, Damien slid under the covers and reced the pillow that Katherine was hugging with himself, careful not to wake her up. He pulled her to his chest and pressed a sweet kiss on her forehead before closing his eyes. He felt her shift and mumble incoherent words in her sleep while she tightened her embrace on himthe adorable act made him curl his mouth into a smile. He was home.

 Chapter 357: Everything About Damien Is Manly

    Chapter 357: Everything About Damien Is Manly

    Katherine heard the opening of the door to her bedroom, the very light ninja-like footsteps, and the shuffling of the sheets. Her senses heightened but she kept her eyes closed and waited, knowing that whoever it was would approach her bed and she already knew what she had to do to defend herself. She remained still until the space next to her sunk and that''s when Damien''s familiar scent wafted into her nose.

    She was alert for possible danger but only a couple of seconds passed when she realized that there was no danger at all. So she didn''t open her eyes and kept them closed as she waited for Damien to settle next to her and pull her to him like he always did. Then she felt his lips on her forehead which instantly warmed her heart. She shifted in ce to find afortable position and murmured what she thought was understandable, "I''m d you came."

    But sleep intoxicated her so much that it probably didn''t sound like it. She hoped that he understood her and she thought he did because she felt his mouth curl into a smile against her skin before he softly whispered, "Goodnight, Katherine"

    She couldn''t find her sleep after being woken up and it only caused her subconscious mind to wee unpleasant thoughts.

    If only they met under different circumstances If only they didn''t have baggage with them If only they were a normal couple Katherine wouldn''t have reservations about being with Damien. However, she dismissed this small thought in her head right away. If things were different, they wouldn''t be Damien and Katherine. Everything else would change and they might not even meet.

    She contemted which was sadderhow they were now, or not meeting at all. It took her only a second to decidesurely it was thetter. She had already gone through a lot with Damien that she couldn''t imagine life without him.

    But was it really enough just to love him? Could it justify the fact that he was from the Park Family? Who could tell her? Who could help her? Who could make her ill thoughts go away and just let her be happy without worrying about what she was supposed to do or not do?

    What was right? What was wrong?

    Just that afternoon, she had a short conversation with Damien''s mother, Amelia. She didn''t mean to talk about her rtionship with Damien but Amelia asked out of concern. Amelia said she was concerned about Katherine and Damien''s future but Katherine knew that Amelia was more concerned about her son.

    "Don''t hurt my son," she said. Amelia''s voice was soft and calm just like a mother would talk to a child.

    Upon hearing those heartfelt words, Katherine froze for a brief second, unsure of what to say after that. She never had any intention of hurting Damien.

    She had been holding herself back and afterst night After her talk with him, they both agreed to take it slow. But what''s slow? Certainly what happened in the stairwell wasn''t slow, was it?

    Katherine found it a little unfair. She couldn''t really me Amelia because, after all, Damien was her son. ''But what about me?'' she asked in her head. Who was going to say ''Don''t hurt Katherine.''? There were two of them in the rtionship, and if Damien would hurt, that also meant she would hurt.

    Who was going to protect her if she was in pain because of their rtionship? If she made a mistake in their rtionship, who was going to be her savior? No one. She brought this upon herself. She made the decision to try getting back with him even if she wasn''t totally okay yet. So who was going to help her get up? No one but herself. That was just how it was going to be.

    Katherine was an overthinker. It was undeniable and she couldn''t help it. She knew her thoughts were wrong but she couldn''t stop herself. She knew it was dragging her mental health down, but she couldn''t stop it.

    Subconsciously, her hand gripped his shirt and she pressed herself more to him, findingfort in his embrace. Silently, she prayed to herself and to him, ''Damien Your mother said I must not hurt you. Will you tell me if I do?'' At this point, she noticed his steady breathing and realized that he must have already fallen asleep. ''Damien I fear that I''m only hurting myself and I would continue to do so in the future. For how long, I wouldn''t know. And I''m not certain how I could prevent that from happening. Even so Will you still stay by my side?''

    Selfish. She berated herself. How could she ask that from him? She already asked enough and he had already given enougheven so much more than what she deserved.

    But who could tell her what to do? How much should she give? And how much was she supposed to take?

    November 10

    Katherine didn''t know when she fell asleep but when she woke up, it was already seven in the morning. Her eyes fluttered open and she squinted when the ray of sunlight shone upon her. Turning to her left, she saw Damien''s handsome side profile. He was still asleep and normally, he would have woken up already but she knew he came inte and she didn''t dare to wake him up.

    Careful not to disturb him, she turned to her side and stared at his features. There were subtle movements in his eyes as though he was dreaming and she wondered what his dreams were. His reddish lips were slightly parted and he looked so peaceful.

    Her eyes traveled south, taking in the length of his torso and noticing the hem of his white shirt on the waist area had slightly swept up. She tilted her head in an attempt to focus on the ink that was peeking out of his joggers at the same time that her fingers slowly drew near it to lift his shirt ever so slightly. However, just as she was about to, Damien''s low and raspy voice made her flinch. "You''re gonna have to try harder than that, Kitten."

    "J-Jesus Christ!" Katherine''s hand flew to her chest, patting her frightened heart. "You scared me," she said in her rough, early-morning voice. "I thought you were asleep."

    A sexy smirk formed on his lips as he slowly opened his eyes. "I was." He turned to his side so that he was now facing her, his tattoo now impossible to see as he covered himself with the nket. "Morning."

    She tentatively gave him a re before scoffing, "Morning." Pulling the nket to cover herself as well, she moved closer to him and his arm naturally rested around her waist, his hand gently stroking her back. "You haven''t slept enough hours. You should sleep more," she added.

    "So you can take a peek again?"

    "I wasn''t gonnafine, so what if I was? Why can''t I see it?"

    "I already told you. You can''t see it yet unless you''re ready."

    "You can cover your manly parts. I only need to see the tattoo." She furrowed her brows and when Damien chuckled, she already knew what he was about to say. ''Everything about me is manly,'' was probably what he had in mind and the arching of his brow confirmed it.

    "Oh, get over yourself." Katherine rolled her eyes. "I mean it, you can cover your Oh Oh Did you Tell me you didn''t" Her grew wide and she gulped audibly as her mind ran wildly at the image of Damien''s tattoo in his private part.

    Amusementced his eyes and the grin on his face widened when he realized what she was thinking. But he didn''t confirm nor deny it. "Wouldn''t you like to know, Kitten?" He winked.

    And soon, he rolled out of bed and took off his shirt as he sauntered towards the bathroomthe muscles on his back flexed as his arms moved. "You can join me in the shower if you''re dying to see it."

    Katherine was appalled at Damien''s cheekiness. She grabbed the pillow next to her and flung it across the room. The pillow hit his back before itnded on the floor and his carefreeugh echoed inside the bathroom as he entered.

 Chapter 358: What Matters

    Chapter 358: What Matters

    Katherine refused to enter the bathroom while Damien was still inside. After spending a few minutes more in bed daydreaming about random things, she came out of the bedroom and walked across the hall to amon toilet and bath to wash up. She could hear some noises out in the kitchen and dining area but she couldn''t make out who it was. Her brows knitted as she concentrated, patting her face dry with a face towel.

    When she was done, she strolled out and headed towards the kitchen only to see the back of a man whom she had met yesterday. He was in a casual outfita ck t-shirt and jeans. Katherine saw Noah''s side profile as he was busy cooking some eggs, pancakes, sausages, and beans. There were different kinds of food on the kitchen counter and it appeared as if he had prepared all of them.

    "What are you doing?" she asked as she approached him, noticing the ck and blue bruises on his face. She could even see him grimace and clench his jaw when he moved here and there.

    "Good morning, D-DadMadam." He faced Katherine and croaked when he saw her scorn at the name he called her. He made a polite bow despite the ache on his side, his usual cocky nature was no longer visible that morning. She cocked a brow as she studied him, wondering what he was doing there cooking in her kitchen. Noah sported on a pinkcey apron with mittens in his hands.

    Surveying the dining and living room from where she stood, she saw several men from Alpha and Beta Team all over her ce. Footsteps were heard from behind her and Damien''s low voice sounded, "He''s on kitchen duty."

    He walked past Katherine only stopping to press a kiss on her temple before he went to meet Markus in the living room who brought severalpany documents for him to sign. Noah greeted his boss as well but the Big Boss ignored his greeting.

    "What do you mean kitchen duty?" Her eyes flickered between Damien and then Noah who was now back to minding his ''duty''.

    "Just like how it sounds, Kitten," Damien answered. He sat on the luxury sofa and started skimming through each page, signing the bottom before he flipped to the next one. "Where''s Felix?"

    "He''s" Markus nced very briefly at Katherine before he lowered his head and lowered his voice, "He''s on an errand, Boss." He cleared his throat.

    "Errand? What errand?" Damien questioned without lifting his head to look at his assistant. If he had, he probably would have understood what he meant right away. What kind of errand would he do without his order?

    Markus contemted how he was supposed to tell his boss that Felix had to take Bear out without alerting Katherine about the living situation. He was supposed to take the fluffy pupper out that morningobviously because Damien slept at Katherine''s againbut he was busy with somepany matters earlier and Felix was kind enough to walk the dog for him. He opened his mouth to answer but Damien already caught on and looked at him before he could say anything.

    "Ah" Damien nodded. He quickly finished signing the rest of the papers before he turned to Katherine who was already sitting next to him. "What do you think about Bear staying here?"

    Her eyes sparkled upon hearing his question. "Really? He can stay here?" she beamed.

    "Of course. I can bring him here now if you want." He stacked the documents neatly and handed them back to Markus without taking his eyes off her. He could see the excitement in her eyes and he imagined how Bear would react to see his mommy again. Turning to Markus, he ordered, "When you''re done with this, can you bring Bear over? He''ll stay here for a while."

    "Yes, Boss." Markus bowed when Damien gestured for him to go with a simple nod and he left Katherine''s penthouse.

    "Are you sure he can stay here? I mean.. What if I''m out? I don''t know if I can walk him" Katherine mused.

    Nodding towards Noah''s direction, he answered. "You have a dog sitter."

    Katherine saw Noah pause briefly but continued like normal. "I thought he was on kitchen duty?"

    "He''s all-around," Damien replied nonchntly while checking his emails from his phone. After learning about what happened yesterday in the alley, he was determined to give Noah a lesson.

    She leaned into him and whispered to his ear, "Isn''t that a bit much?"

    An annoyed look cast on his face as he faced Katherine. His brows furrowed and his eyes darkened. "No."

    If it were anyone else, they would find his expression intimidating. But not her. She understood what he meant and she nodded before pressing her lips on his cheek. It somehow lessened his annoyance and he ced his focus back on his emails.

    Since Noah was so cocky and disrespectful, Damien assigned him to be the house help, deducted his sry and put him on probation. He could have booted him out but Katherine already asked him not to fire the man. And honestly, they needed all the skilled men they could get at the moment. So even though he was reluctant to let him stay, he had to.

    "Do you have work today?" she probed.

    "Why?"

    "I wish you would sleep a bit more," she worried, taking in the small bags under his eyes. He had only slept for a few hours and Katherine believed he needed to sleep in more in order to function fully but this man probably thought he was superhuman or something.

    "I''m fine. I still have some things I need to go overter." He kept his phone away and gave her a small smile. "But I could use some food." Scanning the room, he wondered where Styles and Amelia were. "Where are they?"

    Just as he asked, the two appeared from their bedrooms and his eyesnded on his mother''s. Damien and Amelia exchanged awkward smiles as if they understood each other. All of them went to the dining table where Noah had set up their breakfast.

    The morning was quite an entertaining one with Styles''s nonstop chatter about his new gadgets and thetest happenings in the tech world. He was like a walking encyclopedia and a geek news anchor rolled into one.

    Damien and Styles even nned a future gaming session where they, along with Jeffrey and Caleb could y together. Seeing them getting along, Katherine was so d. She knew that Damien was trying his best to fit in her world and be friends with her friends and Styles was more than just a friendhe was a brother. Damien''s efforts meant so much for her, which was why when she met his stare, she mouthed, "Thank you".

    A couple of weeks ago, there were only three of themKatherine, Styles, and Amelia. Now there were four. Heckthere were more than just four if Katherine counted Damien''s men in their team.

    When at first she thought that taking down Shadow was going to be really impossible, now, she could almost confidently say otherwise. Their number is small. But they trusted each other. And that''s what matters.

    Katherine gazed at Damien and her heart warmed and throbbed and fluttered and did a backflip when she saw himugh at something only he and Styles understood. And that''s when she silently promised: ''I will be better, Damien. For you, I will.''

 Chapter 359: A Fluffy Reunion

    Chapter 359: A Fluffy Reunion

    The sun was high up in the sky at nine in the morning. The sun rays illuminated the living room of the 61st floor of Golden Phoenix Residences but it wasn''t hot at all. The air was crisp and fresh, making the Saturday morning quite pleasant and enjoyable.

    Inside Katherine''s penthouse, it was more crowded than usual because of Damien''s men who were stationed in every corner of her ce. Styles and Amelia joined her and Damien in the living room and just as they were about to sit, Damien''s phone rang.

    "Yes?" he answered after the first ring. "Okay." The phone call ended very quickly and he turned to Katherine. "Bear''sing over now."

    "Wait your dog?" Styles questioned, his eyes sparkling in anticipation.

    Damien nodded and got up, pulling Katherine with him as he walked towards the foyer to wee their fluffy baby. Styles and Amelia got up and faced the foyer but they remained in the living room which was several meters away.

    "Do you think he''ll remember me?" Katherine worried. It had been a while since she hadst seen Bear and she would be really upset if the puppy had forgotten her. Feeling her heart drum in her chest, she kept her keen eyes focused on therge entryway, waiting anxiously. It was a bizarre feeling, but she loved it.

    Damien recalled the time a few days ago when he took Bear out for a morning walk and actually saw Katherine out for a run around their building. Bear had somehow recognized her from a distance and barked. He had to hold the leash securely and tightly to keep Bear in ce. A faint, yful smile appeared on his face and he dug his hands in his pockets as he responded, "I''m sure he does."

    He watched Katherine, who stood diagonally in front of him, as her hands were sped together, seemingly excited and nervous at the same time. She looked like a child at the moment and it was a precious look to see. It was as if there weren''t any problems happening in their lives right now.

    A few momentster, they heard the sound of the elevator stopping at her floor and a couple of secondster, a huge brown, bear-like dog came running towards the foyer. Under the brightly lit space, Bear had a really soft brown fur and golden eyes. Its cute fluffy ears pped as it excitedly ran straight towards Katherine and Damien.

    "Oh my god!" Katherine''s mouth hung open as she gasped in shock upon seeing her furbaby had doubled its sizepared to thest time she had seen Bear. The pictures and videos that Damien sent her before didn''t do justice at all! Her heart skipped a beat when sheid her eyes on the ball of fur that''s speeding its way towards her. She knew what it was about to do and she didn''t know if she was going to take it.

    She yelped when she got startled as the 35kg pupper pounced on her waist, knocking her backward and losing her bnce due to how heavy Bear was. Good thing Damien caught her in time, his hands nted on her waist as he supported her from behind. "Bear, oh my god. You''ve grown so much!" Her eyes became misty while her heart throbbed at their reunion.

    She was the one who was supposed to wee Bear in her penthouse but it seemed like she was the one being weed. She couldn''t exin the feeling that she was experiencing right now. Probably because she didn''t expect the puppy to remember her at all but obviously, judging by Bear''s action, it knew who she was and it made her heart swell.

    Slowly kneeling on the floor so that she could support herself as she hugged Bear, she heard its little whimpers as though Bear was trying to say: ''Where have you been, Momma? Why am I only seeing you now? Can you see? I have grown!'' The thought made her teary-eyed and sheughed. This might be silly for other people who weren''t so fond of dogs but for Katherine, Bear was her baby. Bear was part of their family already. Even animals have hearts too, you know?

    "Look at him, Damien He''s so cute and huge," shemented, her fingers scratching Bear''s neck as she did. Bear''s tail wagged so fast as if it understood what the humans were talking about.

    "Mm He is." Damien patted Bear''s head before it gave each of them licks on their cheeks. He could see how happy she was to see Bear and thought that he should have done this earlier.

    "Oh my gosh, I can''t believe he''s this huge. Is he going to grow more?"

    "He''ll be six months soon. Yeah, he''s still growing and he''s growing fast."

    "I''m going to throw you a party, Bear! Yes, I will!" Katherine told Bear in a sing-songy voice, nuzzling her face on its fluffy neck.

    Katherine and Damien leaned back and covered when Bear shook its head, sshing its saliva. The twoined at the same time and watched as the fluffball made its way to Styles who was quietly and eagerly waiting for his turn to pet the dog.

    Styles restrained himself earlier because he didn''t want to interrupt Katherine''s reunion with her furbaby but the tion in his eyes was as clear as day. His face grew red and he could no longer hold himself back when Bear circled around him. He squealed in delight and squatted in front of Bear. "You''re the most adorable four-legged creature that I have ever seen. Can I keep you?!"

    There wasughter in the living room as they watched Styles y with Bear, giving it treats and teaching it some tricks. However, because he couldn''t resist his adoration towards the puppy, Styles would give the treat first before asking Bear to do the trick.

    "That''s not how it works, Styles. You have to make him obey first before giving him a reward. You''re doing it wrong." Katherine rolled her eyes butughed at the sight. She had her back leaned against Damien''s chest while his hand rested around her waist as he checked his emails on his phone with the other.

    "I know. But he''s so cute. How can I resist his face? His eyes are droopy He looks so sad" Styles faked a sob before giving Bear another treat. "Good boy," he praised. Bear didn''t even do anything and just sat in front of Styles, wagging its tail and waiting for the next cookie.

    The atmosphere in Katherine''s penthouse was so warm and jolly. She had almost forgotten that there was something out there that''s out to get her.

    Feeling a kiss pressed on the side of her head, she turned to see Damien and heard him say, "We should get ready. There''s somewhere I need to take you."

    Katherine straightened up and her curious eyes met his gentle stare. "Where are we going?"

    "Just in the city. Go shower and wear somethingfortable. I''ll go change and I''ll meet you here when you''re done."

    "Okay Is it only us? Or are theying too?" she wondered, her eyes looking at Styles and then at Amelia who was in the kitchen with Noah.

    "All four of us." Damien nced at his mother and cleared his throat. "I''ll let her know."

 Chapter 360: The Womens Delight

    Chapter 360: The Women''s Delight

    Damien drove the group in his Range Rover while his security detail was in five of the same kind of SUV in ck, following behind them in a convoy. Katherine was on the phone talking to her grandfather while sitting in the front seat. The car came to a stop at a red light and Damien looked at her.

    The corners of his mouth curved up as he took in the dress that she was wearing. It was the same dress that she wore months ago on their first date when they started to be official. A simple ssic white dress with front wrap closure and a tulip-style skirt that fell on her mid-thigh, showcasing her smooth, fair legs. It was the very same dress when he gave her a punishment that made her toes curl.

    She was a bit overdressed for where he was taking her though he did say she could wear somethingfortablejust like what he told her months ago too. But he wasn''tininghe actually loved the look on her.

    "What do you mean I already have" she questioned in a high tone, her brows knitting together in confusion. "No, I didn''t see And you didn''t tell me." She chewed on her bottom lip as she listened to Chairman Young on the other line. "I''m currently outside. I will checkter when I go backYes, Grandpa, I''m with him." Her voice softened at thest sentence at the same time that she briefly took a glimpse of Damien, already aware that he was staring at her.

    He cocked a brow up at her, silently questioning ''what''s up''. She said her goodbyes quickly and let out a sigh before ncing back at him and smiling. "It was Grandpa."

    "What did he say?"

    "He was asking me earlier where I was headed today. Told him I was out for an errand and that I was nning to buy a car afterwards but then he told me that I already have one. It''s apparently been sitting in the underground parking space since I moved in. He bought it for me and ''forgot'' to tell me. He thought I would notice the car key that was ced somewhere."

    "Ah" Damien nodded and stepped on the gas when the traffic light turned green. "You also still have the Jaguar, you know?"

    Katherine didn''t respond and just looked at the road ahead of them. She almost forgot about the car that Damien gave her a few months ago. How could she have forgotten that this man next to her showered her expensive gifts back thengave her a whole new wardrobe, a car, and a house. Everything was a nice gesture but there was just something about taking expensive gifts that just didn''t sit well with her.

    Seeing as he turned to a familiar road, she probed, "Where are we headed to? Yourpany''s a few blocks away from here."

    "Mhmm" that''s all he replied. She looked at him and waited until she noticed that they turned towards Crown Resort Group''s main office building, the car going down the underground parking lot. Normally, if Damien went to the office during the day, he would enter through the main entrance, leaving the car on the driveway for one of his men to park it somewhere. Other times, he would park it in the underground parking lot if he intended to stay longerlike when he used to stay at the penthouse on the top floor of the main office building for the night.

    Her brows drew together, seemingly curious about what they were doing there. "Your office?" she asked, ncing at him and seeing him press some buttons on a remote control that she saw for the first time. In a matter of seconds, a hidden garage-looking entrance appeared from a wall next to his dedicated parking space.

    The security detail in the SUVs behind followed them as they entered the lower ground level. The entrance closed after thest vehicle had passed. They spiraled one floor down the parking lot and entered what looked like a massive underground basement. "What What is this ce?"

    "Dude, this is" Styles was also surprised to see what was in front of them.

    When they alighted the car, the group followed Damien towards an entryway. The entire ce was a nk canvas of only concrete walls and floor with no paint at all. It was very basic but it had ample lighting on the ceiling that illuminated the whole ce. Her eyesnded on a lit signage above the entryway that read: Maverick Security.

    Snapping her head towards him, she raised a brow and probed, "Maverick Security? I didn''t know you owned a security agency." It wasn''t until a month after dating Damien that she came to know about his second name and she always found it really fitting for him.

    "It''s not really a secret. I just don''t unt it everywhere. The business is legal but we don''t advertise like others as I''m not after profit. Mostly it''s for the hotels and resorts'' security and very rarely do we ept VIP security. Come, let''s go inside." He ced a hand on the small of her back, guiding her towards the inner part of the area.

    Katherine was in awe seeing that there were a few other ck SUVs parked inside and several men in both casual and ck suit attires roaming about. She didn''t see this information about him owning a security agency six years ago when she did her research back in Shadow so it must have happened after that.

    Entering inside, she saw Damien''s men had dispersed to different locations, evidently feeling at home in the ce as they arrived. She took in the sameyout of only concrete walls and flooring. There were several other men in the area whom she was seeing for the first time. All of them turned to their direction and greeted Damien respectfully with a bow before going back to what they were doingbut not after ncing at Katherine and Amelia''s way.

    On the left side was a wide, open gym space with various kinds of equipment filled with buff-looking men working out. In the middle section was a t mat area and also a boxing ring. On the right were a few closed-door spaces that made Katherine curious as to what was behind those doors.

    A man came to Damien''s side after being signaled and Damien said, "This is Styles. Can you show him the tech room?" After Styles followed the man and disappeared round the corner on the left side, Damien turned to Katherine and Amelia. "This way," he said and led the way towards the far-end door to the right.

    Katherine and Amelia looked at each other, not knowing what to expect but followed Damien anyway. Katherine''s heels clicked on the hard concrete floor and that''s when she realized that she was probably overdresseding to this ce. She didn''t really expect for Damien to show her this and because she nned to go somewhereter, she thought it would be nice to dress up.

    Damien opened the door and stepped aside to let Amelia in first and stayed behind Katherine before throwing a warning re at the men who ogled at the women with him. cing his hand on Katherine''s waist, it was as though he was dering: ''She''s mine. Keep your hands off her or I''ll chop them off.''

    Seeing their boss''s protective stance, the men immediately looked away and minded their own business.

    The three of them walked several more steps deeper inside before they entered another room and Katherine''s eyes lit up as soon as she realized what the room wasa shooting range.

    Damien observed the looks on the women''s faces as they saw the sight in front of them and he subtly shook his head when he noticed their delight but a small smile ghosted his face. "Feel free to practice here anytime you want," he said as he strolled towards the small armory inside the range.

 Chapter 361: Shooting Range

    Chapter 361: Shooting Range

    Two of Damien''s security detail were inside the range target shooting when Damien, Katherine, and Amelia arrived. Once the men noticed their boss and the two women with him, they finished the round and stopped, curious to see what they were going to do there.

    The control booth in the range had a wide selection of long guns and handguns in the armory that was avable for shooting practice in the range. Rows of long guns like shotguns and rifles were disyed on the concrete wall in various sizes while the collection of handguns including revolvers and pistols were disyed on a wooden counter.

    Katherine and Amelia followed Damien as he headed towards the control booth. He went behind the counter and unlocked the safety locks.

    "What do you want?" he asked the two as they approached.

    "Glock 17," Katherine and Amelia answered at the same time, their eyes zeroing in on the 9mm handgun in the middle of the counter. It was beautifully disyed on a ss stand, keeping it upright. They looked at each other and a slow smile ghosted their faces for choosing the same kind of gun.

    Damien nced between the two and he stifled augh. He had already noticed the simrities between Katherine and Amelia. If he didn''t know any better, he would think that they were the mother and child. The Glock 17 handgun was one of the mostpact guns with an immense amount of firepowereasily one of the best handguns out there, which was why it was understandable that they would choose the same one.

    "Okay Hmmm... I''ll take the Sig P226 then," said Katherine, choosing the one next to the Glock.

    Sig Sauer P226 is definitely an appealing handgun which had been specially designed for the U.S. Army and carried by Navy Seals and otherw enforcement officers. It was also one of the best choices for handguns. Damien was slightly impressed that Katherine really was knowledgeable about guns. He had seen her with weapons before but even until now, he still couldn''t get used to it. And it was the same for his mother.

    Just a few months ago, he wouldn''t even think that he would ever be in this situation. And yet here he was, in a shooting range with the two important women in his life.

    "It''s okay,dies. We have enough. You both can use the same kind." Damien took out two Glock 17sone in olive drab color while the other was ckand carefullyid them on the counter in front of them.

    Amelia took the olive drab and inspected it while Katherine grabbed the ck one and did the same. They needed to ensure that the weapons were unloaded and cleared. He then ced a box of ammunition on the counter and grabbed a few more handguns from the shelf, bringing everything towards the firingnes and gesturing for them to follow.

    There were sixnes in total and the two women upiednes three and four. While Damien prepared the target carriers for their paper targets, several of his menmost of them only seeing the two for the first timeentered the shooting range but stayed behind a thick ss wall divider to the side which mutes the sound of gunshots from the firing station. They had seen Katherine and Amelia enter this area awhile ago and they got curious who they were.

    Damien didn''t say anything to them and he didn''t n to exin who they were unless it was necessary. His mother Amelia wore a medium-length blonde wig over her natural dark hair, making her look even youngerand the men who hadn''t met Katherine and Amelia were evidently interested in them, seeing that they were two beautiful women.

    Noticing the men behind the ss wall who were so curious about what''s happening, he shot them a brief look through the ss before making his way towards his mother and giving her two magazines with 17 rounds of bullets each. "Do you need anything else?" he probed.

    With a charming smile on her face, Amelia met her son''s stare and shook her head. "No, I''m good." She was d that Damien had started to warm up to her. It was still a bit awkward but there was definitely some progress between them. She didn''t want to pressure him for anything because she understood how awkward it must be.

    He nodded and went to Katherine at the nextne. "You sure you know how to use that?" A yful smile danced on his lips as he ced the magazines on the counter. She looked veryfortable in her zone like she was born for this. She had her hair tied up in a ponytail, exposing her wless skin and he just couldn''t help but gulp upon seeing her nape.

    Should he have been more specific and told her to wear a shirt and jeans? Why did she have to wear a dress? It was too distracting for him.

    "I can bet with you if you want," Katherine dared to challenge with a sly look on her face.

    "Hmmm I thought you didn''t like bets?" Damien picked up the Glock, checked to see that the chamber was empty and proceeded to remove the frame, the spring, and then the barreying the parts on the t surface in front of Katherine. He raised his brow at her as if he was challenging her back.

    Amused at his attempt to test her skills, her face brightened, making her look even more beautiful. Assembling a gun was child''s y for her. "You don''t actually think this is going to fluster me, Mr. Park, do you?"

    She looked up, met his gaze and locked it. Then, all while holding his stare, she picked up the barrel, slid it back on the frame before she set the recoil spring in ce. With one hand holding the frame and the other holding the handle of the gun, she married the two pieces together and cocked the gun. Reassembly done. Easy. She shrugged nonchntly.

    A proud smile cast on his face. What an arrogant Little Kitten. "Mm I just wanted to see for myself." He gave her a full magazine in which she received and mmed it in ce.

    "Where''s your gun?" she asked.

    "Later." He handed her a pair of earplugs, earmuffs, and shooting sses for protection. They had just put them in ce when they heard gunshots being fired from the nextne and realized that Amelia had already started.

    Katherine and Damien watched as Amelia pulled the trigger consecutively until she maxed out. ps and howls were heard from behind the ss as the men saw her perfect score from where they stood.

    Damien pressed a button on the side of Amelia''s divider and the paper target traveled through the target carrier towards them. Upon closer look, all her shots were within the X and 10 rings. The corners of his mouth curled up as he nced at his mother and remarked, "Nice."

    How bizarre was it to see his own mother use a gun? It had only been a couple of days since he learned the truth about their rtionship and now they were already sort of bonding over weapons.

    "I''m sure you''re also good at it," Ameliamented.

    He swallowed. "Dad He taught me."

    For a nanosecond, her heart skipped a beat, but she nodded and stered a small smile as she told him, "You learned from the best."

 Chapter 362: One Wish

    Chapter 362: One Wish

    A silent understanding between Amelia and Damien ensued. There were a lot of things that needed to be said about their rtionship but talking about it felt like hard work. It wasn''t supposed to be like that given that they were connected by blood. However, it''s not as easy as one two three because there were thirty-one years and a million ''what-ifs'' that separated the two.

    As much as Damien wanted to have all the answers to his questions, a part of him wanted to protect himself from any possibilities of hurt rted to his mother. After all, he had already been left once by the woman whom he thought was his mother. Miriam wasn''t a perfect motherthough he couldn''t really make anyparisons to begin with. Nevertheless, for eight years, she was the only ''mother'' he knew. And even though he had very little ''good'' memories with her, he grew up knowing she was his mother.

    And for twenty-two years that he thought Miriam was his mother, he had been crippled at the thought of wanting to recreate the only ''good'' memory of her that led him to learn how to cookonly to find out that it was a false memory. It turned out that he didn''t actually have any worthy memories of her.

    Living that lie for all his life and learning the truth about it, he didn''t want to expect too much from Amelia. She had left him when he was only one month old, so he pretty much didn''t know anything about her and was only getting to know her now.

    He could feel that there was something inexplicable whenever she was around himsomething that he hadn''t felt with Miriam before. And he couldn''t deny that this was probably his blood reacting to its source. But this wasn''t enough for him to just jump on the train and be a son to her like nothing happened for the past three decades.

    However, it didn''t mean that he was punishing her. He just wanted to take his time getting to know Amelia and maybe then, things will juste naturally between them.

    Meanwhile, Amelia could see that Damien was trying his best. Even though they were in quite an awkward phase at the moment, she was already thankful that he wasn''t ignoring her nor was he cold towards her. He''s hesitant and careful but that''s okay. At this point, she couldn''t ask for more and she would have to just be patient now that they would have to be around each other more often. It may be very selfish of herto think that she was the one who leftbut she only had one wish pertaining to Damienit''s for him to call her ''Mom''.

    ''You learned from the best,'' Damien repeated Amelia''s statement in his head and the image of his father appeared in his thoughts. He wasn''t a perfect father too but he was his father and he loved himand he was indeed the best. Lawrence Park was a great leader and a skillful man who had only taught him the best. Despite not liking how his father had shaped him growing up, Damien could only be thankful. "Mhmm He was," he muttered.

    A warm smile brightened her face and she turned back to the table in front of her, reloading the Glock for another round. Setting the gun down the table, she massaged her right arm, rotating her shoulder in a circr motion as she asked, "How long have you had this agency?"

    Damien noticed this habit or reaction from her for a while now and he wondered if her shoulders were sore. He released the paper target from the carrier and put it aside before recing it with a new one, pressing a few buttons on the divider right after and watched as the paper target traveled back to its ce twenty meters away.

    "Fouralmost five years. There was a breach back then and I figured it would be much safer this way to have total control over the guys. Train and groom them on my terms instead of hiring externally." Amelia nodded and he asked, "Have you always been good with guns?"

    "Ah" she softly chuckled. "Honestly, I was average when I used to work for your father. Later, I realized that I was initially ced on night shifts because your father was mostly cranky during the night whenever he was workingte, so it wasn''t because I was really good. The security head must have thought I was perfect to receive Lawrence''s tantrums whenever there was one. He could be a big baby sometimesyour father." A hint of blush colored her cheeks.

    Realizing she had strayed the conversation, Amelia cleared her throat and continued, "I like hand-to-handbat better since I learned martial arts. It was only when I came to Shadow that I got to practice and improve my marksmanship."

    Katherine who was quietly listening to their conversation inched closer and stood next to Damien, her left arm slightly leaning to his right as she chimed in, "You know, Falcon is sort of a legend back there. She actually developed tactical and strategicbat techniques that have been used until now I believe. A lot of what I learned there came from her. I only knew until recently." She cheekily winked at Amelia.

    Damien briefly nced at Katherine and then at his mother, impressed by what he just heard. Even though he loathed Shadow for what it is, he couldn''t help but brush that thought away and acknowledge the discovery that he just found. "I see"

    Amelia chuckled and shook her head. She didn''t think much about her contributions as a pioneer in Shadow. Back then, she was only doing her job.

    Waving his hand in the air as he called someone from a distance, Damien met one of his men halfway and told him something that the two women couldn''t hear from where they stood. When he turned around to face them again, he looked at Amelia and said, "Carl, this is Um" He paused, wondering how he should introduce his mother.

    "Hi, I''m Lia, nice to meet you," Amelia extended her hand as she introduced herself under an alias.

    They still weren''t ready to reveal her identity yet so they wanted to keep the truth only to those people who are in the ''need-to-know''.

    Catching his mother''s thoughts, Damien continued, "Right Escort her to the dojo and show her around." A ''Dojo'' is a Japanese term that means "hall or space for immersive learning". But as a Western concept, it''s a Martial Arts training ce.

    Damien thought that by showing what he had with Maverick Security and what else he could pull offter, it would be easier for them to strategize their ns. Turning to Amelia, he probed, "Would that be alright?"

    "Of course." She nodded and was about to take a step when Carlone of Damien''s trainers in the security spoke up, "AhWait. Boss Is it okay if" he awkwardly pointed with an open hand at the gun near Amelia, "I arrivedte. I didn''t see her earlier and they''ve been talking about it in the theatre. They said she was so good." He jerked his thumb over his shoulder, pointing at the men who were inside a clear ss room where spectators could watch the target shooting.

    Damien shot a quick nce at the theatre before he faced Amelia. "Cover your ears, kid." She winked. Turning around, she picked up the handgun, aimed at the paper target and fired.

    Carl, who didn''t wear earmuffs, got startledhis hand immediately flew to his ears to cover and then stepped back to watch. Soon, after a full seventeen rounds of shooting, another round of apuse and muffled howls were heard from the theatre.

    Just like the first one, Amelia perfected her score, of course.

 Chapter 363: King or Queen

    Chapter 363: King or Queen

    Amelia left the shooting range with the trainer, leaving Damien and Katherine inside. The two men who were there earlier went to join their colleagues in the theatre to watch the two. Some of the men in the agency knew who Katherine was as they had seen her work in Crown Resort Group a few months ago and found out about her identity through the released news articles.

    Apart from Alpha, Beta, and Delta Teams, no one else knew about Damien and Katherine''s rtionship. It was the first time that they had seen their Big Boss bring women into the agency, so today was definitely interesting for them.

    "So what do you want to bet?" Damien asked as he turned to face Katherine.

    "Hmmm I can''t think of any. What do you have in mind?" she wondered and watched him as he took the gun that Amelia used along with a box of ammunition to herne. He checked the Glock and reloaded the magazine with bullets, his fingers working systematically as if he had been doing this his whole life.

    Her eyes trailed from the fingers on hisrge hand to the veins that are jutting out of his arm. He was wearing a dark grey Henley shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. She had been seeing him in very casual clothestely, and it was quite a delicious sight to seesomething different from his usual everyday office wear. He looked soid back, yet still so put together.

    He didn''t bother to style his hair with pomade that day but it still looked healthy and shiny as it fell on his forehead and covered his eyes whenever he lowered his head, so he constantly ran his fingers through his hair to sweep it backward.

    His jaw clenched as he thought about what she asked and he tilted his head to the side, "Hmmm How about... winner gets to be the King for the day?"

    Her brows furrowed in confusion. "King?"

    "Or Queen." He smiled.

    "So if I win, I get to order you around and all?"

    "Sure."

    "Hmmm for one day?"

    He nodded. "Twenty-four hours. You in?"

    Katherine studied Damien''s face as though she was trying to see if he was nning to trick her so he could win but all she saw was his clear dark, serious-looking eyes. Crossing her arms in front of her, she challenged, "You''re not nning anything to cheat, are you?"

    Damien''s head hung low at the same time that his hand flew to his chest, gripping it and faking a hurt expression. "Ah You really think I would do that?" He had his eyes closed shut as he heaved out a long sigh before he cheekily opened one eye and peeked at her, "Are you scared that I would beat you?" A devilish smirk slowly appeared on his face and he dug his hands in his jeans pockets.

    She cleared her throat and straightened up. He looked so smugbut even his arrogance looked so temptingly tasty. What was up with Damien today? And this thing about guns Katherine never thought this day woulde where they bonded over guns. What a very interesting turnaround.

    "Why would I be scared? Let''s up the stakes, why don''t we? First agreement plus..."

    "Plus?"

    "I don''t know I need to think about it first." She didn''t know what she would bet. She was too distracted looking at his lips to think about what she wanted to gain after this little game of theirs.

    Damien''s sexyugh tickled her abdomen. "Fine. Let''s do this first, and then you think about the other prize once we know the winner. Deal?" He extended his right hand towards her, waiting for her to shake on it to seal their agreement.

    Katherine lowered her gaze to hisrge hand before shaking it. "Deal."

    "So how do we do this?" He stood next to her, pressed a few buttons on the panel and the paper target glided towards the far-end of thene twenty meters away.

    "Your call."

    "Let''s finish this quickly. How about two out of three? Ten rounds each," he suggested.

    "Okay." Katherine shrugged. The two then prepared three magazines with ten bullets each. Damien went to thene next to hers and prepped his own station, two magazines ready on the counter while one was already inside the Glockshe did the same.

    When their targets were ready, and they were seplete with earplugs, earmuffs, and eyewear, Katherine and Damien took their stance. With both hands gripping the Glock, they pointed at the target, turned their heads to look at each other and together, they nodded. Soon, the couple started pulling the trigger consecutively until all the bullets were used up on the first magazine.

    In the theatre before their first-round started

    "Woah Look at that Miss" One man started, his eyes locked on Katherine''s form and took in her appearance. "She looked so feminine, yet so badass. She''s even wearing heels, yet it doesn''t look like it''s her first time holding a gun."

    A man from the Delta Team smacked the man who just spoke on the head. "Don''t ogle on her. If Boss sees you, you''re dead."

    "Are they dating?" one of them asked.

    "What''s it to you if they are? You like gossip so much," another one answered, shaking his head.

    The muffled sound of gunshots caught their attention, and they turned their heads to see Damien and Katherine through the ssthey started firing their shots. The men in the theatre didn''t know about the couple''s bet as they couldn''t hear conversations from inside the range. However, looking at the two, they somehow sensed that they were in some sort ofpetition.

    Once the round of shots was finished, they saw the paper targets being carried forward. And it only took one of the men to start pping and cheering for the others to follow suit. From where they stood, they could see the bullet holes on the paper targets clearly. A lot would aim at the X or the center of the body silhouette on the paper target, but upon inspecting Damien and Katherine''s papers, the two had aimed for headshots.

    All rounds of Damien and Katherine''s shots were clearly aimed for a kill. Instead of several holes punctured on the paper targets, there were only two or three of them on each, yet the holes were big. Since there were ten rounds of bullets fired, this only meant that they were precise with their aims and had targeted the same spot, causing the holes to get bigger.

    "F*ck who is this woman?" a few of the men wondered. They already knew about their Boss''s skills as he would visit the agency once in a while to brush up on his skills to avoid getting rusty. But it was their first time to see Katherine there, and it certainly impressed them.

    "She''s surely" The man who spoke gasped when he saw Damien look their way with an intense re. The men inside the theatre shut up as they watched their boss walk over to the control booth and press something on the control panel. The next instant, the clear ss window that divided the theatre and the range turned opaque. They could no longer see anything that''s happening inside the shooting range.

    The air suddenly became cold inside. The men exchanged looks with silent questions running through their heads, but they chose to keep silent. Left with no choice, they exited the theatre quietly, giving Damien and Katherine their privacy.

 Chapter 364: Dicey

    Chapter 364: Dicey

    Seeing Damien close the ss window of the theatre, Katherine raised a brow at him but he didn''t say anything when he met her gaze. She watched as he went to the double doors of the range and locked itaugh slipped out of her and she set her gun down the counter, turning around to face him as he approached. "Should I be scared that you locked us inside?"

    They were wearing a ballistic eyewear but she could still see his eyes darken and so did the aura that resonated within him as he strolled towards her.

    As soon as Damien was in front of her, he slid his earmuffs off, tossed the earplugs away and removed his eyess so he could look at her clearlyKatherine did the same. He then trapped her between his arms, his hands nted on the counter on either side of her. The two were now on eye-level and a few inches apart. She didn''t find his stance intimidating at all, or if she did, she didn''t show it when she casually crossed her arms in front of her and curled her mouth into a smile.

    "What are you doing, Mr. Park?" she probed, her tone obviously flirty. Up close, she could see the one-day-old stubble on his chin and she cleared her throat when the image of it grazing her skin shed in her head.

    Damien ignored her question and nced at the paper target behind her. She aimed for headshots just like he did and she was a sharp-shooter too. Seeing her skill like this made him all excited that his erection bobbed in approval and begged for a pat on its head. Maybe more than a patmaybe a rub. He could feel his jeans got tighter as it was getting ufortable.

    Dragging his gaze back to her, his eyes traced the outline of her nose down to her lips and lingered there for a bit before looking into her eyes. "Do you know how sexy you look right now?" Her lips parted upon hearing his question. "You have no idea, do you?" He didn''t mean she was sexy because of her figure. She was sexy because of her ability.

    Tilting her head, she wanted to find out what he was nning. "Is that why you closed the door and the ss window?"

    "I don''t like to have an audience."

    Amused, Katherine cast a smile on her face and challenged, "Why? What are you gonna do?"

    Damien''s jaw tensed at her provocation. She was getting bolderrather, she was like her old selfconfident, haughty yet ssybut an upgraded version. Gone were the lies that were hiding in her eyes. They were clear now and he liked it. She had her walls up but now she was letting him in. So he smiled and leaned forward until his lips were just an inch away from hers he could feel her breath.

    Her gazended on his lips and she watched him nt his head at an angle before inching closer. Instinctively, Katherine closed her eyes and anticipated for the kiss to happen but it didn''te. When she opened them again, she saw his devilish smile before he moved his mouth to her ears and his hot breath fanned her skin as he whispered to her ear, "Trust me, Kitten I want to do a lot of things to youyou wouldn''t be able to walk straight for days."

    His voice was low and rough. She sucked in air when the stubble on his chin touched her jaw. Brushing his nose on her hair, he inhaled her shampoo scent that smelled like coconuts and vani, and then he added, "But right now, we have a deal to settle. May the best one win. Good luck."

    Katherine slightly lost her senses when her hands were subconsciously raised in the air as if she was going to grab him closer but he was already gone and had returned to hisne. "Ready?" she heard him ask, snapping her out of her trance. She looked at him and saw the smug look on his face while he was reloading his gun and then put on all the protective wear again.

    The asshole did it on purpose to throw her off her game and she refused to admit that it was working. She wanted to curse herself for being so weak against him. Damien yed her dirty.

    With a serious look on her face, she straightened her spine and turned around to reload her own Glock. "Are we talking or are we doing this?" She was salty.

    Once she had worn her own protective gear, the paper targets were reced with new ones and were back on their ces meters away, the atmosphere was quiet and Damien gave the signal. Soon, their index fingers started pulling the trigger.

    Sessive gunshots echoed the ce. Once. Twice. ThriceAll ten rounds were shot from each of their weapons.

    Katherine tried to concentrate but on her eighth round, her mind suddenly betrayed her and decided to remind her of what he just did a while ago. She could still practically feel his mouth near her cheek, it caused her goosebumps on her arms and she shivered at the thought. "Shit," she cursed and had unintentionally shot a few inches away from her aim.

    This was why holding a gun was dangerous. You mustn''t be distracted!

    As the paper targets traveled towards them, she could already see that one hole on the paperthe outcast. It was still on the head of the paper target but it was situated at the side of the silhouettethe ear part. Damn it.

    Katherine nced at Damien''s paper target and the bastard still maintained a perfect score. The smirk on his face from earlier got even wider. It was annoying.

    It was a tie in the first round. So with Damien winning this round, that''s already two wins. She lost. She put her gun down and was about to call him out for what he did that distracted her but heard him say, "Let''s do one more round. I''ll give you a chance." He winked. The audacity of this man.

    So this was how he wanted to y her? Fine. She could y his game too!

    Lifting the corners of her mouth into a sexy smile, Katherine walked towards Damien, her hand caressing his arm as she stepped in front of him. "Aww you are too generous. Let me help you with that It''s the least I can do for you." She carefully took the gun from his hand which he hesitantly released.

    He was surprised by the sudden approach that he had to step back and let her in his space. "It''s okay, I can" His voice trailed off when she turned around so that her back was facing him and bent over, her ass was in the air as shezily unloaded the magazine of his Glock 17.

    She lightly swayed from side to side. It was like an invitation. His eyes raked her backside, taking in her teasing form as if she was begging to be taken right there. Damien swallowed at the same time that his sporting hard-on got even harder.

    Katherine was indeed dangerous. He had attacked earlier and she retaliatedand he didn''t know if he had the will to control himself.

 Chapter 365: His Femme Fatale

    Chapter 365: His Femme Fatale

    Seeing Katherine''s brazen taunting, Damien tilted his head and unabashedly skimmed her sexy back that''s been disyed for him so temptingly. He ran the tip of his tongue on his bottom lip, thinking of different ways to take her if he gave into temptations. Should he take her like this, or flip her and put her on the counter and''What the hell are you thinking right now? This is what she wants! This is her revenge and you''re falling for it!'' he scolded himself.

    Softly chuckling to himself for where his mind had wandered off to, he took steps towards her until he was directly behind herthe bulge on his pants a hair''s breadth away from her perky bottom that she so proudly showcased in front of him. She must have noticed that he came over because she turned her head sideways and peeked over her shoulder to look up at him. And damn if that didn''t make him even go impossibly harder.

    Katherine turned her focus back to the Glock that was in front of herand not the Glock that Damien was currently sporting in his pants.

    "Ready for round three?" she asked with a knowing smile on her face before a gasp escaped her mouth. He had pressed himself behind hershe could feel him beneath his clothes. How long had he been like this? Arge hand gripped her hips, kept her in ce and froze her on the spot.

    But if she thought that he would make a move on hermore than this, that''s where she was wrong. Because just then, Damien leaned forward, purposefully pressing harder against her backside to reach for the paper target above them. He reced the paper with a new one and pressed a button to deliver the target back in ce.

    He watched the target carrier move and then lowered himself towards her, slightly moving the earmuffs on her head to whisper, "I know what you''re doing, Kitten. But I can still handle myself. The question is Can you?" He carefully set her earmuffs back in ce and then moved away from her to rece the paper target on herne.

    Katherine''s face was flushed and she audibly swallowed. Her heart beat so erratically in her chest because of Damien''s devious moves. What did she expect to happen? That she would be able to throw him off his game just like what he did to her? She straightened up and turned to watch him work on herne, her brows furrowed in slight annoyance that her retaliation didn''t seem to work. But then her eyes lowered on his pants and she smirked. And judging his body''s reaction, it looked like it did.

    She pped the loaded magazine on Damien''s weapon and when he came back, she carefully handed the gun back to him. He knew what he did, so he suggested to do another round, and she wouldn''t want to let it go. Naturally, she took advantage of it and returned the favor.

    "Thanks." He smiled his boyish smile.

    But this time, she didn''t allow herself to fall for his charms. She couldn''t afford to lose twice. Nice try Damien. So when she walked past him, she made sure to run her fingers along his shoulder, up his neck, and to his nape. "Anytime" She returned a smile that equaled his.

    Damien shivered from her light touch on his skin. He took a deep breath and rolled his neck from side to side in an attempt to shake off the lustful thoughts and sensations wing his entire being. Damn this woman.

    "Ready?" she started. Damien didn''t respond and so she chuckled and started firing her shots. He followed soon after.

    Thest round ended quite fast and Katherine was satisfied with her performance this time. So when the paper targets traveled towards them, she kept her gaze centered on Damien''s paper and she couldn''t help but widen her smile that it almost hurt her face. He messed up too. He did pretty well but just like her second round, he slipped.

    Taking off her protective gear, she brushed her hair with her fingers to fix it in ce before she turned towards Damien. He had removed his gear too and had leaned his lower arms on the counter with his head hung low as though he was trying to calm himself down.

    "A It''s okay You did great," she said as she leaned against her side on the divider that''s separating theirnes, her arms crossed in front of her chest. She couldn''t help but silently chuckle as she teased while looking at him, her shoulders shook as she did.

    Damien let out a long sigh before he looked up to the paper target above him, his eyes focusing on that one hole that only managed to graze the silhouette''s cheek. It was only the third round when an image of Katherine''s form from earlier shed in his mind,distracting him from his game.

    He couldn''t possibly shoot straight with that image stuck in his head. And when he realized that he had slipped, he took a deep breath and berated himselfthe rest of the shots were fired and his aim returned to normal.

    Turning his head towards her, he raised a brow when he saw the smug look on her face. "Are you gloating?"

    Katherine shrugged, keeping the smile on her face intact. "What? You scratch my back, I scratch yours"

    A mockingugh escaped from Damien''s mouth and before she knew it, he had reached and grabbed her arm, hauling her towards him. In an instant, she was trapped in his arms and he was deliciously pressed against her.

    Cocking his head to the side, his voice dipped lower as he responded, "Baby, that''s not how that works Your cat nails are longer. I scratched youyou got tickled. You scratched meand I bled."

    There were butterflies rioting inside her stomach with the way he spoke. Jolts of electricity shot through her core and traveled to her feet, making her toes curlshe had to shift her weight or her knees would buckle. Sliding her hands to his chest, sheughed along with him. "You are so dramatic. I just returned the favor."

    Shaking his head, Damien pulled her arms up to his shoulder and she instinctively hooked them around his neck. "Tu es vraiment une femme fatale,"''You''re really a femme fatale,'' he said in French. "Dangerous, charming, clever"

    Amused by what he said, she pulled him closer, her hands ying with the hair at the back of his head. "Hmmm A femme fatale, huh? If I am what you say I am What about you then? Homme Fatale? A handsome devil? Tell me, Mr. Park What should I call you?"

    He scanned her face and appreciated her true beauty. Because even without makeup, she looked wlessher cheeks were rosy and her lips were plump and kissable. He leaned forward and captured her lips with his. He inhaled her sweet, sweet scent and tightened his embrace around her waist. When they broke their kiss, he pressed his forehead to hers and breathed, "Yours You can call me yours."

    Katherine''s brain was foggy from the kiss that they just shared. It took her a while to register what Damien just told her. ''Yours,'' he said and she softly chuckled. Well what do you know? He''s a romantic handsome devil.

 Chapter 366: She Swooned

    Chapter 366: She Swooned

    Because Katherine didn''t know how to respond to his "Yours", she pressed her lips to his and pulled him closer. His familiar, tasty scent wafted her nose and she wanted to never pull away, enveloping herself with his warmth.

    She never thought she could be this bare with him. She had all her clothes on yet she felt that she had already stripped her protectiveyers for him to see a side of her that she had never shown others before.

    A part of her that she was so afraid for him to know.

    A part of her that she was ashamed ofonly to find out that he weed her with his arms wide open. Just like what he told her months ago when they first got together:

    <em>"But I''m afraid that if I fall for you... I might fall so hard and get myself hurt. Will you catch me?"</em>

    <em>Not even blinkingin a heartbeat, he told her, "With arms wide open."</em>

    It had been half a year since then but true to his word, he''s still here, epting her with arms wide open. And she wanted to do the same for him. She epted him for who and what he was But the questionid on whether her parentswherever they were nowcould also ept him. She didn''t allow herself to linger on that thought, shoving it at the back of her head.

    She let him pull her up the counter and he settled between her legs. He broke the kiss after pressing one more on the corner of her mouth, "So How do we decide who won?"

    Katherine, who was still slightly flushed from locking lips, fluttered her eyes open and met his. Cocking her brow up, she answered with a question, "What do you mean? I clearly won."

    "Only ''cause I gave you the chance." The mirth in his eyes was contagious. Katherine startedughing.

    "You tricked me."

    "So did you."

    "Fine. How about we both agree to be winners?" she said as she yed with the buttons on his dark grey Henley shirt, doing and undoing them with her fingers while she wondered if she could just rip his shirt off himtear it to pieces and ravish him right now. Her fingers paused and she cleared her throat to brush off the lewdness in her thoughts.

    She was just about to lower her hands when he caught both and ced a kiss on each of them. "I don''t mind. So My Queen, what''s your first order?" He yfully bit the knuckles on her left fist, his moist lips brushed on her skin made her hot and bothered.

    "First, help me get off here and then show me around yourpany. I want to see what else is in this ce," she said as she tried to distract herself from his moves.

    "Your wish is mymand." He gave her a chaste kiss on the lips before he gave her a bow and genuflected like a servant would to his queen.

    After he helped her down the counter, the two put away the guns and ammos back to their ces in the control booth and they left the shooting range.

    "Ah, wait Before we go back out there, there''s something else I want to show you." Damien grabbed her hand and led her towards the opposite room. He pressed a device on the wall and nted his entire palm on a digital scannerafter which, he moved his head towards the device and had his retina scanned.

    Katherine watched him go through the security check and wondered what that was for. Whatever was behind that door must be really important for him to have that kind of security. Her interest was piqued. After several seconds, the LED indicator on the security panel turned green and a click was heard.

    "Come." He pulled her inside with him and when they entered, the room lit up automatically. White fluorescent lights brightened up the space which was nearly as huge as the shooting range. Katherine''s eyes went wide upon seeing rows and rows of weapons, ranging from knives to long guns and handguns. If she hadn''t been in Shadow, she would have probably fainted to see the weapons that filled the room.

    "Holy hell" she muttered in shock as she continued to scan the room. Taking in the different types and functions of the weapons around her, she recognized a lot of them but there were several new ones that hadn''t reached the market, yet it was there in his arsenal. She never thought that Damien would have this kind of collection. It was as though she suddenly didn''t know him anymoreyet still feel oh so familiar.

    Damien studied the expression on her face and thought that he must have been way too casual about showing this area of thepany. She had a shocked expression and was unreadable, it made his heart race. Did he make a mistake?

    "What WhDamien this" She swallowed, unsure of how to react to what she''s seeing. It''s not the first time that she had been to an armory as CastleShadow''s Base, had a huge space dedicated to it. But associating Damien with this armory was quite new to her that it made her speechless.

    "Maybe I shouldn''t have brought you here" he regretted.

    Realizing that she wasn''t making any sense, Katherineposed herself and let out a sigh. "No I''m just surprised. That''s all" Walking towards the nearest shelf to her right, her hands carefully skimmed the different sizes of handguns. "How could you have all of these?" Obviously he had a private securitypany but the idea still stunned her. After all, she only knew about Maverick Security an hour ago.

    "They''re all legally owned. Every single one has a license and every detail has a permit to carry, as long as they''re on duty. Permits to conceal carry and open carry isn''t a problem in Esmea."

    Right. How could she forget? In Esmea, anyone could purchase and own a gun but carrying them is a different matter. Given that Damien has connections and has a legitimate business, this wasn''t a problem for him. The information that''s swimming in her head made her oddly excited, especially as she strolled a little further down the aisle as if she was window shopping.

    "I know I already told you this but for someone who hates guns, you sure are really good at using them. And" her hands waved the whole lot and shrugged as she added, "...you even have an arsenal."

    Seeing her reaction, Damien was finally relieved. She was only initially surprised and had quickly wrapped her head around the whole thing. Softly chuckling, he told her, "And like I told you, I don''t like them but it doesn''t mean I don''t know how to use ''em. This is a necessity." He gestured at the weapons. "I receive threats almost everyday. But that''s not why we''re here Follow me." He nodded towards the left corner of the room.

    Her brows furrowed upon hearing him say that he ''receives threats daily''. Being at the top of his field and a billionaire at that really isn''t easy. Katherine followed him and watched as he stopped in front of a selection of daggers in different forms and sizeslong ones, short ones, and even shurikens or ninja stars.

    Damien retrieved a locked wooden case from the top shelf and he handed it to her after opening it. "What''s this?" she asked and was again surprised at what she saw insidetwo very high-quality knife knuckles.

    "I''ve had them for a while. It was actually a gift from my father a few months before he passed. I want you to have them."

    While other gentlemen gave choctes and flowers to their women, this gentleman right heregave her knives. And damn if that didn''t make her swoon.

 Chapter 367: God of Death

    Chapter 367: God of Death

    Two ck curved-de knuckle knives settled inside a velveted interior of the wooden case. Even if Damien hadn''t started telling her the details about the knives, she already knew the kind of material that it was forged from. Knuckle knives weren''t necessarily interesting. However, those that she had used in the past all had markings of the brand on the steel or the handle. This one didn''t but the handle of each knife had an interesting design which made it unique.

    "Carbon steel trench knives with a curved de," he started, cing the case on top of a counter. "While stainless steel is amon material for knives because of its durability and rust resistance, it doesn''t stay sharp for a long time. Thus, you need to keep sharpening it. This high-end carbon de knife, on the other hand, can be easily sharpened and can stay sharp for a long time. Though they could get brittle easilypared to stainless but as long as you take care of it, it''ll maintain its form."

    Katherine knew a thing or two about the qualities of a good knife. And she was impressed by his knowledge as well. "Why are you giving me this?" she asked.

    "I don''t really use it. It''s mostly been tucked away since I had it. You like knives I figured you''d want them. Careful" he warned when Katherine picked up the knife. "It''s really sharp."

    Sure enough, when she picked it up and tested the de using her thumb really carefully, a couple of secondster, it bled. She had a couple of stainless steel and also carbon steel knives but she had never owned one like this before. "It''s very light..." she remarked, amazed by the craftsmanship of the steel de.

    She inserted four fingers through the spaces and gripped it tightly with her hand, the curve de stood on the outer side of the fist that''s opposite her thumb. Turning away from Damien, she waved her fist in the airthe one that''s holding the trench knifeshing and crossing as though she was attacking someone.

    Holding and using it felt a bit foreign and it was probably because it was new to her. But she could totally get used to it over time.

    Damien watched her as she examined the piece carefully, inspecting it as if she would have to give it a grade afterward. He wondered if she liked it as she hadn''t said much since earlier, so he was very curious as he observed her expression. When she was done, she gently ced it back on the wooden case.

    He dug out a white handkerchief from the pocket of his jeans, grabbed her hand and wrapped the cloth around her thumb to stop the bleeding. "Are you sure you''re giving this to me?" he heard her ask. She had always been hesitant about the gifts that he gave her, so he had somewhat expected this already. "Don''t tell me you''re going to decline it?" He arched a brow, challenging her to argue back.

    She wouldn''t. "Sell them to me."

    "What?" His brows furrowed even deeper upon hearing her statement. What was she up to this time?

    Retracting her hand from him, she crossed her arms in front of her and looked all serious. "They say it''s bad luck to give knives as a gift. ording to superstition, a knife given as a gift will sever the friendship between the giver and the receiver. To save the friendship, the receiver must give a coin to the giver as if it was bought. Therefore, sell them to me so that I have to buy them from you. Give me your sales pitch, President Park."

    ''Is she serious?'' he thought. "Is that really necessary?"

    "Well if you don''t want to sever our friendship" She shrugged.

    His jaw tightened. Their rtionship was fairly new. He couldn''t afford to ruin any ''ship'' that they have. Even if it''s only a superstitious belief, he wouldn''t want to risk it. No fcking way.

    Staring back at her, a knowing smile formed on his lips as he decided to y with her, but he had to be clear about their deal. "A penny. Just a penny for each knife and nothing more."

    "Tsk," she clicked her tongue. He had actually read her mind. She had thought about paying him back the $100K+ that she owed him for the knives. Slightly annoyed, she rolled her eyes. "Fine. Now,e on Tell me more about these items."

    Satisfied with their agreement, his smile widened and he rubbed his hands together in excitement. He never thought that he would ever have to do a hard sell of knives for only a penny each. Seeing the amusement in his eyes, Katherine got infected with his mood.

    "Very well... These knives aren''t your ordinary carbon steel knives that you can buy in the market for just fifteen or twenty dors. If you look closely, the design on the de is quite intricate. There''s nothing else like these knives out there"

    "What do you mean?" She nced at the des of the knives, taking in it thebination of what seemed like a theta symbol, a flower, and other stuff that''s uniquely blended together.

    "They''re custom-made. There are only two of these in the world. Theta, poppy flower, butterfly, sword, and inverted torch. They''re supposed to mean ''Thanatos''." He pointed at the detail on the handles of the knives.

    "Thanatos? Like The god of death?"

    "Mhmm My father had them made when he visited a friend in Greece. His friend was a desmith."

    Learning that the knives were custom-made, Katherine was now sure that they must cost a fortune. "How much is the original value of these knives?"

    Damien was hesitant about telling her the real price so he contemted. "I''m not really sure. My father didn''t tell me when he gave them to me. Maybe around two thousand each?" It was probably more but that didn''t matter now.

    She looked at the knives again and then at Damien, biting her bottom lip as she thought about it for a second. She actually really wanted the knives but"Your father gave them to you. Apart from the price, it has sentimental value Now I''m not so sure about epting them."

    "They''ve been in this case for a while. The only times I''ve taken them out is when I do some maintenance on them. They used to be up in the penthouse but I''ve moved them here just recently when I nned to bring you down here. I want to give them to you It''s better to give them to someone who actually knows how to use them."

    He watched as she chewed on her bottom lip as though she was in deep thought. He was d that she was actually considering this and not outright refusing. It only meant that she really wanted to have the knives but was conflicted after learning more about where it came from. Did he just oversell?

    "And you''re selling these to me for a penny each? You''re ridiculous."

    A sexy chuckle escaped his lips and he pulled her closer, encircling his arm around her waist. "I meant to give it to you for free but you went on about this stupid superstition and stuff." He shook his head. "So what''s it going to be, Ms. Young? Deal?"

    Katherine gazed at his eyesthen at the beautiful, curved desthen back at him and sighed. She rummaged through her wallet and felt lucky to find two pennies inside. She held them in her hand and gave them to Damien, pursing her lips into a thin line before she had the guts to say, "Deal."

    He happily received the coins and pocketed them safely. Closing the wooden case, he grabbed it and Katherine''s hand and said, "Let''s go. Let me show you around And then take me out for food."

 Chapter 368: No, you!

    Chapter 368: No, you!

    Damien led Katherine towards the dojo that is located on the other side of the area, passing by the boxing ring and the open gym space. The dojo was a closed room with one wall made of ss, allowing any observer to watch the sparring sessions from the outside. There were already several men crowding outside the room but as soon as they noticed their boss, they gave way for him and Katherine.

    The two stood at the space that the men made for them and Katherine scanned the interior of the dojo. Inside the room, the entire flooring was covered with red and grey tatami mats, one side of the wall was fully mirrored while the other end had several heavy bags suspended from a heavy-duty bar attached to the ceiling.

    One look at it and Katherine could really see how Damien had thought and nned everything through. "I never thought that there was something like this below the main building The dojo, the shooting range, the arsenal It''s"

    "What?" Damien studied her face and saw her apprehension.

    She looked over his shoulder and saw that the men were not near enough to hear them if she whispered. "It kinda reminded me of Shadow," she said carefully and met his stare. "It''s nothing. Just a silly thought."

    He could see why she would think that way and he didn''t me her for it. He had nothing to hide from her. Curling up his mouth into a smile, he ced a kiss on her temple and whispered, "No thought of yours is silly."

    A movement from inside the dojo caught Katherine''s attention and when she turned her head, she saw Amelia had just flipped a man onto the mat. "Your mom kicks ass" She couldn''t help butment.

    She had to admit that Damien''s mother was better at hand-to-handbat than she was. Katherine preferred to use knives and guns more than her bare hands. Damien, on the other hand, was an excellent marksman though he didn''t like using guns and was also a skilled hand-to-handbat fighter. She wondered who would win if the two were to spar.

    "She''s alright, I guess," he hesitantly replied. He was clearly impressed to see Amelia expertly handle the sparring, taking down her opponents who were attacking her from all sidesbut he was shy to say what''s clearly going on in his head.

    Katherine could see through him despite the mask that he so carefully put on. Amelia was no doubt impressive and she was sure that Damien thought the same. But she didn''t call him out for this. She knew how it felt to not be ready for something, therefore she could understand if he wanted to take his time.

    The two stayed to watch for a couple of minutes more before Damien brought Katherine to tour the other parts of Maverick Security. She met a few of his men and learned what their roles were in thepany. Thest room they visited was the tech room where dozens ofputers were found and several small andrge monitors span across the walls.

    In the middle of the room was Styles using a supeputer to y a first-person shooter game along with a few men. It wasn''t what Damien expected to see at all. And while most of the men were rowdy as they cheered the yers during the game, there were a few of them who noticed their boss''s presence and instantly froze. They were just about to greet their boss when Damien shushed them as he carefully walked up behind Styles and one other man from the tech department.

    When Damien was directly behind the two, the rest of the men finally noticed their boss and they became silentthe only voices left were Styles and the other man who was also wearing eyesses and was about the same age as the former.

    "Eat shit!" Styles dissed as he killed a few mobs in the game.

    "No, you!" the other said.

    With an unreadable expression, Damien crossed his arms and the air around them instantly dropped. He was expressionless but it was clear that he was suppressing himself not tosh out. At least not yet.

    "Go to the northeast camp and deploy your troops on the east and north," his voice dipped lower as hemandedlike a chiefmander would. Styles didn''t respond but oddly, he followed Damien''smand. "Dock. Shift left. Shoot," Damien ordered. And again, Styles followed. "Stop. Draw your sniper. Aim at the second to the right window from the top floor."

    Styles who had been following orders suddenly felt something was off. That''s when he furrowed his brows and raised his voice a little, "Who the hell is giving this", his voice trailed off as soon as he met Damien''s icy stare. He swallowed.

    "Yo! Why are you not moving?" The other man elbowed Styles and when there was no response, he turned his head and looked up only to find Damien looming over them. He almost wet his pants.

    As if their butts had been burned, Styles and the other man got up really quickly, standing ramrod straight in front of Damien. "Y-Your Majesty," the man with the scrawny features greeted.

    Styles looked at the other with a questioning brow, wondering why he was calling King Charming ''Your Majesty''. ''Oh! I see'' he realized.

    "Have you finished your tasks today?" Damien questioned.

    "Yep. I sent them to your email an hour ago."

    "Good. I''ll send you a couple moreter."

    "Yes, your majesty." The scrawny-looking man didn''t dare to protest.

    Damien looked at the two in front of him, examining them carefully. "You two seemed to be getting along well." The two looked at each other but didn''t say anything. "I thought you''d be on each other''s throats when you meet."

    "Why?" Styles wondered.

    "Styles, meet Zero. He''s the team leader here," Damien introduced nonchntly.

    "WaitWhat? He''s Oh" Styles and Zero answered in unison and the atmosphere suddenly felt awkward.

    Zero noticed Katherine next to Damien and his eyes grew wider, "Ah, it''s you um. Hi."

    Confusion painted her face as it was the first time that she had met Zero but he seemed to have known her for a while. "Do I know you?"

    "Oh. No, ma''am But it''s a pleasure to finally meet you. I''m"

    "Busy," Damien interrupted, taking out a few bills from his wallet, he turned to the closest man next to him and said, "Go buy some food. Make sure Zero eats." ncing at Zero, he added, "Why do you look skinnier every time I visit? People might think I''m not feeding you boys enough."

    Zero sheepishly scratched the back of his head, unsure of what to reply. He eats like most men here but he had always been skinny.

    "We''re leaving. Carry on," Damien remarked, grabbing Katherine by the hand and bringing her with him out of the room.

    "I thought you were going to reprimand them," she said as soon as the door closed behind them.

    "I was but they''ve worked so hard the past few days. They deserve a break once in a while. There isn''t much to do today anyway. And when they do need to work, they always deliver. So it''s fine."

    Exiting Maverick Security, Damien ushered her towards the Range Rover and helped her in the passenger''s seat. Once he got in the driver''s side, he asked, "Aren''t you going to be cold? You''re wearing thin clothes. It''s 18 out there. You should have at least worn high boots or pants."

    "I didn''t think it would drop and I don''t have many clothes for cold weather anyway."

    He shed her a smile before starting the engine and said, "Then let''s go buy you some."

 Chapter 369: Date a Damien

    Chapter 369: Date a Damien

    At noontime in Harbor City, the weather was chillynot so crazy in November at Esmea but it wasn''t exactly cozy to be out on a date or whatever it was with Damien and Katherine on a Saturday. He seemed to be taking advantage of their little agreement that he pulled the ''I''m hungryfeed-me-with-the-money-you-owed-me-card'' just to get her to go out with him.

    It''s not that Katherine wasn''t aware of what he was doing in the first ce but even so, she didn''t say no to it. She didn''t want to. For all she knew, being out with Damien was the most natural thing that she could think ofwith or without Shadow on their tails. Because as of the moment, there was really nothing else they could do.

    It was impossible to march inside Shadow and ambush the cethat is, if they would even find out where the new base was in the first ce. It was impossible because just destroying its base wouldn''t stop Shadow''s operation. The incident from five years agowhen Katherine bombed Castlealready proved that to be true.

    Now, she was older and wiser and not doing anything at the moment seemed to be the best option they had. Sometimes, being at war didn''t mean that they should fight the battle through a blood bath. Being at war meant valuing the lives of the people they cared about. Katherine shouldn''t iste herself After all, she was back in Harbor City as Katherine Young.

    And Katherine Young wouldn''t hide.

    Katherine Young would want to stand next to Damien Park with her head held high, believing that there''s nothing she couldn''t do with him beside her.

    ''Soe at me, Parker I''m not alone now,'' she thought to herself.

    Katherine''s trance was interrupted when arge hand cupped her shoulder. She looked up and heard Damien ask, "You okay?"

    "Yeah, what were you saying?" she asked as she alighted the vehicle with his help. They arrived at a shopping district and the valet took the car.

    "I was asking if you''re hungry. We could eat first before we buy what you need. God, your hands are freezing. Why are your hands always so cold?" He took both of her icy cold hands and wrapped them with his. He blew warm breath onto them and rubbed his hands on hers. He had always known about her having cold hands ever since but it somehow got even colder this month.

    He sighed as he eyed her outfitthe white dress that he loved on her and a pair of heels. "This won''t do. We should get you some warm clothes first. I love your dress, but that isn''t exactly doing you any good right now."

    "Okay" Just as Katherine answered him, her cellphone rang. She whipped it out of her purse and saw Matthew''s caller ID. She nced at Damien who saw her phone screen and she was relieved when he only rolled his eyes and reluctantly said, "Go ahead, answer it. I''ll give you a minute. Don''t go too far, I''ll be nearby." He gently patted her head before turning around and heading to a boutique.

    Katherine answered her phone call while Damien entered a posh store that had pre-winter clothes. The saledy greeted him as soon as he walked in and all he asked was: "Where''s thedies'' section?"

    The saledy kindly ushered him to the women''s clothing and apparel where he quickly came up with Katherine''s entire outfit effortlessly like he was her personal shopper. The saledy didn''t even have to help him choose the colors as he was confident with his choices. He had no second thoughts. He went in and grabbed the pieces that he thought would look good together on Katherine and went straight to the cashier.

    The cashier was processing his purchases when he remembered something and turned to the saledy again, "Where are your gloves?"

    She led Damien to a corner where the gloves are shelved. He chose a pair that went together with the outfit he picked out earlier. However, while he was on his way back to the counter, a pair of gloves and a hat set caught his attention. He tilted his head as he looked at the items on disy and his mouth curled up into a knowing smile before he grabbed the set and paid for them as well.

    Katherine came inside the shop when he was about to leave. "Ah, good. Here Change into this," he told her as he handed her one of the paper bags in his hand and turned to the saledy, "Can you assist her to the changing room?"

    "Of course, sir. This way, ma''am," said the saledy.

    Katherine exchanged looks with Damien as she didn''t know that he had already bought her stuff. Typical Damien. Date a Damien and he''ll turn you into a living barbie.

    Without protest, she changed into the outfit that he got for her and stared into the mirror. "Not bad," she muttered to herself before going out of the changing room and faced Damien who had just finished a phone conversation. "If you weren''t running a multi-billion dorpany and topping the resort industry, I would definitely see you in fashion," she joked, and the saledies around them stifled a chuckle as well, seemingly agreeing to what she said.

    Taking in her new look, there was a smile on Damien''s face, evidently satisfied that she was now covered appropriately for the cool weather. On her were a cashmere square turtle neck in a light oatmeal color, a pair of blue washed jeans, and a pair of suede taupe over-the-knee boots set on a bold tform and block heel. The whole thing fit her like a glove as the sizes he picked out were perfect. Just how?

    "Please. I only know a little about clothes. What I do know... is how to spend money on quality-guaranteed items. Am I right,dies?" he threw the question without actually looking at the saledies as his eyes were only locked at no one else but Katherine''s. "Shall we?"

    The two exited the shop, leaving the saledies gushing about the fact that a handsome man just paid a couple of thousand dors for an outfit for his woman. They could only dream that it could also happen to them.

    "Ah, hang on." Damien stopped Katherine and took out the set that he got earlier. Before she could even see the design, he quickly wore the winter cable knitted beanie on her head and then slipped on a pair of fluffy gloves on her hands. He took a step back and had to cover his mouth with his hand as he examined her. ''Fck. She''s so adorable. What do I do?''

    "Really? Now I just think you''re ying with me," she mumbled as she studied the gloves on her hands. They were warm and fluffy and they were cat gloves in light grey and pink. The fingerless gloves were designed to look like cat pawsfluffy, soft, and warm. Her fingers slipped through the holes; half of them were covered and half were exposed but they kept her hands warm yet she was still able to move her hands freely if she had to use her phone or whatever.

    She was just about to reach for the winter cap on her head when Damien grabbed both of her hands. "I couldn''t find anything else. These were the only ones they had," he lied, not wanting her to find out that her cap also had a cat designas in, light grey fluffy cap with pink cat ears. "Let''s go and find somewhere to eat. You''re paying."

    He held her hand as they walked towards where the restaurants were in the shopping district. All without realizing that from a distance, a paparazzi had been taking pictures of them nonstop since they arrived.

 Chapter 370: Nefarious Audience

    Chapter 370: Nefarious Audience

    "Oooh Would you look at that? It''s not everyday you get the chance to see the Resort King without his bodyguards around. Looks like he wanted some alone time With his former secretary, no less," the paparazzi spoke to no one in particr as his index finger constantly tapped the shutter click of his expensive camera with a long-range lens that should be illegal.

    He was in histe thirties and knew nothing but to use his photography skills and sell photos to tabloids and journalists. Esmea was home to a lot of celebrities and wealthy peoplea perfect money-making opportunity for people like him.

    Because he was very absorbed in his stalking, he didn''t notice that someone approached him from the sidea petite, skinny woman with ck hair and round eyes. She watched the familiar-looking man with a camera and followed the direction of where his camera was pointing at but didn''t notice anyone. "What are you looking at?" she subtly asked. She had spoken so suddenly that the paparazzi jumped a little.

    "Who are you? Go away," he said and went back to minding his own business.

    "Jerry You know I could report you easily, right?"

    The paparazzi, who was called Jerry, was shocked to hear his name from the stranger next to him, wondering how she knew his name. This time, he faced her, his brows knitted together in confusion as he studied the woman''s features. "Wait I know who you are" he started. She looked quite familiar but he wasn''t sure where or when he had seen her.

    With deep-set dark eyes, ck hair, and very kind-looking, she crossed her arms in front of her and stered a smile on her face. "Don''t tell me you have already forgotten who I am? You used to work for my grandfather a long time ago."

    Realization dawned on the man as he examined the woman''s features again and his expression rxed. "Ah You''re the granddaughter of the Chairman of Hara Construction Company. Yeah, I remember you. But weren''t you in Japan?"

    "I came back a few months ago Figured I should help my dad this time," Margaret Hara answered.

    "You''re still in construction?"

    She nodded then her eyes lowered curiously to the camera in his hands. "You look very busy. I just wanted to say hi since I noticed you earlier while I was walking."

    Jerry nced down at his camera and unintentionally, Margaret saw the figures in the small screen and her brows furrowed. "Wait Is that" Before he could protest, she had already grabbed the heavy camera to look at the screen clearly where she saw Damien and a woman she didn''t recognize.

    Jerry pulled his camera backhe didn''t like people touching his stuff. "It''s nothing." He didn''t want to say anything about his findings because he knew a little about her connection with Chairman Damien Park a long time ago. When Jerry used to work for her grandfather, he had seen Damien and Margaret together visiting the constructionpany several times while Crown Resort Group was still in the works. Knowing her connection with the subject in his photos, he became defensive and wanted to leave.

    "That''s clearly not nothing, Jerry. Where is this taken and who is this woman?" Margaret questioned but he kept his mouth shut and took a step back. She scoffed at his reaction and rolled her eyes before she pulled out her wallet and took out a hundred dor bill. "Now, are you going to tell me or what?"

    His eyes darted directly to the bill in her hand and without second thoughts, he snatched it from her hand and started spilling. "Restaurant across the street. The woman''s name is Katherine Young."

    Darting her eyes towards the restaurant, she squinted them and saw the pair at a window table. She arched her brow seeing the smile on Damien''s face as he chatted with the woman in front of hima woman who wore a cap with cat ears. Since when did Damien like kawaii girls? She scoffed as she tasted the bitterness on her tongue. "Tell me more about that woman."

    When Jerry didn''t respond, she turned and saw him with his open palm. He didn''t have to say anything and she already understood what he was asking for. Wordlessly, she took out another one hundred dors and gave it to him.

    Pocketing the bill in his shirt''s front pocket, he nodded at the restaurant, "She''s the heiress of Young Corporation."

    "What? That child? Isn''t Chairman Young''s granddaughter in her early twenties? What''s Damien doing with someone a decade younger than him?" The crease in her brows got even deeper.

    "Miss, you need to update yourself with the current happening. The woman you''re talking about is different. Katherine Young just reunited with the chairman after being away for a decade and a half. She''s the daughter of the chairman''ste son."

    "What do you mean by ''she just reunited''? What''s the story here?"

    "Do you remember that tragic ident that happened with CEO Mason Young''s family a long time ago? Apparently, she''s the daughter and she somehow survived that day. The family practically buried a different corpse back then."

    "Huh So that woman has such a background story. And how does Damien Park know her? Are they together? Waitshe''s from Young Corporation." A dryugh escaped from her mouth as she narrowed her eyes at the pair in the restaurant. Young Corporation had always been Hara Construction Company''s rival. Seeing as Damien and that woman together right now, she remembered what he told her back when she met him at the end of summer party a couple of months ago:

    <em>"...whatever the result may be in the future, I can assure you it doesn''t have anything to do with you. It''s strictly business. So whatever you''re doing right now doesn''t change anything."</em>

    ''Ha! Strictly business Doesn''t have anything to do with me? Right While that may be true. What is this now, Damien? You''re getting chummy with the granddaughter of our biddingpetitor?'' she thought.

    "Well" Jerry hesitantly muttered, amusementid in his eyes as he observed her reaction. He remembered that she had been obsessed with Damien Park years ago. With this new information, he was curious about what she was going to do with it. Taking advantage of the other information that could be worth something, he paused and waited until she gave him two more hundred dor bills. Even this simple and searchable information already earned him easy money.

    With a huge grin on his face, Jerry patted the four hundred dors inside his front pocket. "Ms. Katherine Young used to work for him as his executive assistant-sh-office secretary for a few months. But judging by their interaction and bodynguage, it seemed like they had been quite close for a long time. Maybe even while she was still working for him."

    The gentle tone of his voice did nothing to mask the allusive remark that he intended for Margaret to understand. A sly smile formed on her innocent-looking face upon hearing the information. This information was scandalous enough to hurt the woman''s reputation and even Damien''s. But that wasn''t the only thing she was after.

    How would Damien''s reputation look in the business world if word gets out that he was ''cozy'' with one of their project''s bidders? He was a ruthless businessman but one thing that he took pride in was fairness. ''How daft have you be to be seen dating this woman out in the open, Damien?'' Margaret chuckled.

    "Jerry" she called the money-sucking paparazzi next to her. "How would you like to earn more money?"

 Chapter 371: The Mole

    Chapter 371: The Mole

    Castle

    Parker was in his office with Agent Gus when a knock on the door was heard. He eyed the door for a brief second before he turned back to Gus and told him, "I want a full report in three days. Do whatever you need to do and keep in touch. Do you understand?"

    "Yes, sir." Gus gave him a salute before he left Parker''s office. When he opened the door, he came face to face with Chris but they only looked at each other for a nanosecond before Gus made a polite bow and walked past his mentor.

    Seeing Gusing out from Parker''s office, Chris knew that Parker was once again doing something without his knowledge. "You''re giving Agent Gus a mission?"

    "I am. Is there a problem?" Parker answered nonchntly as he sat on his chair and started going over the first folder on top of his desk.

    "Not at all I was going to assign him a new one. I''ll just give it to another agent then," Chris wlessly answered, sounding so natural. "Can you forward the details of that mission to me so I can file it under his name?" he asked subtly in order to get more information.

    Parker nced up at Chris and studied his expression before responding, "Filing is not important for this one. I asked him to tail former Agent Queen and test her. See if she bites." He smiled an obviously fake one before looking down at the papers again.

    "Katherine?" Chris raised a brow, his heart started racing knowing that Parker had started his move on her. The only thing that''s stopping him from rushing out of Castle right now was that the agent whom Parker had assigned this to, was Gus. He could still catch up to himter. "I thought I''ll be working on that?"

    "Don''t worry about it now, Christopher. Besides, I have something that I need you to work on. I cannot give this to anyone else You''re the only one I trust." Parker gave the other a long and hard stare.

    Chris didn''t like that he simply brushed the topic away as though Katherine was insignificantas if her life wasn''t worth that muchas if taking her away from his hands was that easy. But he couldn''t show any emotions while facing Parker. It was too dangerous.

    "What is it?" he questioned, hoping that it was something he could finish swiftly and effortlessly so he could focus on intercepting Gus''s mission before he puts Katherine''s life in jeopardymore than it already was.

    "I need your full attention on this matter. Can I trust you with this?"

    "Of course, Sir. You know you can," Chris answered as-a-matter-of-factly.

    Nodding, he leaned against the backrest of his armchair and inteced his fingers in front of him as he dipped his voice lower and said, "There''s a mole in Shadow. I want you to find out who it is and cancel. I don''t care who and how long he or she has servedyou execute as per protocol."

    Hearing Parker''s statement, Chris could feel knots inside his stomach twisting and burning his gut. With a shocked expression, he probed, "A mole?"

    "Yes. Word came from The Advisers that there''s a double agent inside Shadow who has been giving vital and confidential information to someone from the government."

    "And how did they know about this?" he wondered. The beating of his heartbeat was erratic inside his chest. He couldn''t calm down since Parker told him about the ''mole''. He was that moleand Parker just ordered a kill.

    Parker subtly shook his head as he got up from his seat and poured himself two fingers of scotch and another for Chris. "They didn''t give me much information as they don''t have concrete evidence either," he stated as he handed the other ss to Chris.

    "Then how did they find out about the mole?" Chris didn''t hesitate to ept the drink. Boy did he need a drink at this time! He had been very careful for the past four years, risking his life every time he had to meet the madam. But he still wasn''t ready to finish this damn thing; he was still so far from discovering who ''The Advisers'' were.

    And he was nowhere near meeting his end goal. He needed more timewhich he was already clearly losing.

    "They didn''t say. Now it''s our turn to investigate. Look into each and every agent or employee. Do not trust anyone else with this matternot even the elites. I want you to personally handle this yourself and if you need help in dealing with this, you are allowed to tap into only one of the elites. You don''t have to wait for my signal, once you know who this son-of-a-bitch is,plete cancel. Are we clear?" Parker''s voice was clear, deep, and authoritative.

    The amber liquid burned Chris''s throat as he gulped the entire thing. He could feel it travel down to his stomach and shing his insides that were already burning with guilt. Was he supposed to shoot himself in the head now?

    ''Complete Canction,'' the term ran in his head. He was a nobody before he came to Shadow and he became excellent in his field but no one from the outside world really knew who he was. If he was going to bepletely canceled, that would mean that not only was he going to be killedhis identity would be eradicated. And it would be as if he didn''t exist at all.

    Not that it mattered to the outside world since he didn''t have a family. And he was sure that most if not all from Shadow wouldn''t really care about him if they knew he was the mole.

    For the people whom he thought would at least mind if something happened to himhe could only count them on one hand. Heck, there were probably only three of them.

    Setting the empty ss down Parker''s desk, he straightened himself and faced his boss. "Yes, Sir. I understand."

    Meanwhile, back at Harbor City

    While Katherine and Damien were enjoying their meal and not caring about anything else at the moment, they weren''t aware of the troubles that wereing their way soon.

    She turned her head to the window and her vision went past her own reflection and went straight to see the children who were ying right outside the restaurant. The clouds in the sky moved, covering the sun''s rays and darkening the ss window. It was only then that she clearly saw her reflection and noticed the ears sticking out of the cap that Damien made her wear earlier.

    "Oh my god. You made me into a cat," she gasped and her cat-paws-gloved hands flew to her head before he could stop her.

    "Ah That didn''tst long" He clicked his tongue, a faint smile forming on his lips as he continued to stare at the adorable little Kitten in front of him. When Katherine turned to face him and saw the grin on his face, she could only roll her eyes andugh.

    And because she already dressed the part, she made use of it. So she raised her paws under her chin, pouted her lips and twinkled her eyes at him. "Meow!" she cried very cutely.

    The smile on Damien''s lips disappeared upon hearing the sound, bringing him back to that one-drunken-Katherine who meowed and purred at him many months ago. ''Fck. Could she be any more adorable than she already is?'' His heart did a somersault.

 Chapter 372: With a Man

    Chapter 372: With a Man

    Looking at Katherine mewl at him, Damien had a hard time pulling his stare away from her face. When he did, he just chuckled and then ran his fingers on her facehis way of gently saying: ''Stop or I''ll break because of your cuteness''.

    Reaching out across the table, Katherine stole fries from his te and shoved them to her mouth. Wordlessly, he cleared some items to the side and slid his te towards her so she could ''steal'' some more. The little gesture made her smile because Damien was never selfish. He had always been thoughtful and always shared his food with her. Sometimes, she''d feel bad but most of the time, she''d just feel thankful.

    "I forgot to tell you I received an invitation from the club about an auction. You''ve probably already received yours too, huh? Do you think I would find the person we''re looking for in that event?" she asked, dipping a fry into her sundae before eating it.

    Hearing Katherine mention the auction, Damien paused for a brief second before looking at her. "Have you responded to the invitation already?"

    "Not yet I wanted to discuss it with you first."

    "I see" He nodded. "I''m not sure as we don''t know who it is for now but there could be a possibility. A lot of the members like to join the auctions especially if they are for charities. Everyone has different reasons as to why they are there. Some are good while the rest is just for tax exemptions; buy a piece, im it was bought in charity, then you''ll get a hefty tax deduction at the end of the year. Most often than not, these events are solely for connections orworking."

    He had told her this before so it wasn''t surprising anymore. Munching on another fry from his te, she asked, "What about you, President Park? What kind of person are you when you attend these events?"

    "It depends. I''m all for charity In fact, I''ve been donating for as long as I can remember. I also have several schrs who have already graduated. All these thingsI did, I''m still doing and I will continue to do so with or without these social events. But, as a businessman I can''t deny the fact that these gatherings are indeed beneficial. I would admit that I used to do it a lot more back when I just started thepany. It''s quite different now Opportunitiese even without me looking for it. And honestly it''s more tiring than interesting."

    "Hmmm I guess your world is really differentpared to us peasants" she smiled and heard him scoff.

    "I never nned to make it this far I mean of course, I dreamt big and was even greedy when I started to make more than I thought I could and that was only the second year of my career. But the more I rise the more dangerous it is up there. You forget yourself, you know?"

    She wiped her hands and leaned over the table, observing Damien as he finished thest of his burger. A man who scolded her for eating fast food or unhealthy food was in front of hereating a huge burger. A man whose principles in life were both rtable and sometimes admirable. A man whose bank ount could feed a whole nation yet still remained this humble.

    "Anyway we''ve strayed off-topic. But yeah I guess that''s possible. Are you sure you want to attend?" he asked.

    "Well I did join the club for some of the perks you mentioned. Connections. So yeah... I''m thinking of going. Why? Don''t you want me to go?" she probed, unsure why he was even asking the question.

    "It''s not that. I was just curious. It will be your first club event after all. Let me know if you''ve decided I''ll arrange a team to help you prepare."

    Katherine straightened in her seat, finding his words a little weird. "Team? What team? Why would I need a team to prepare? I have a few nice dresses in the closet. If that''s not enough, I could go shopping. Is there really a need for that?"

    "Kitten, it will be your first time. It will be like your debut meeting with these people If you want connections, let me help you gain the attraction. You''ll thank me for itter." He drank his lemon water, punctuating their conversation.

    With that, all she could do was nod. Damien had been in the circle for a long time. She trusted that he knew what he was doing so she would definitely follow his advice. "Alright then If you say so I''ll go ahead and respond to the invitation." She picked up her phone and searched for the email that she received the day before and quickly followed the instructions to respond to the invitation and once she was done, she kept her phone back in her purse. "Okay, now that''s done. Tell me what I need to do next."

    A sexy smirk formed on his face, causing the butterflies in her stomach to awaken and flutter their wings. She had to purse her lips together to suppress herself from smiling silly.

    "Hang on." Damien whipped out his phone and sent Markus a message, ordering him to prepare a team for Katherine on the day of the auction. When he was done, he turned back to Katherine and told her, "You''re free this afternoon, right? Let''s go and give Mr. West a visit. I''m sure he''ll love to design your outfit."

    "Isn''t he like exclusive? And the auction is a week away. That''s too little time for him."

    Standing up, he grabbed her hand and dragged her out of the restaurant. "That''s not a problem. Besides Nothing is impossible for Mr. West. Let''s go hurry. I heard he''s flying to France today. We need to catch him."

    Katherine had to catch up with Damien''s long strides until they made it to his vehicle. Her mind brought her to think about the auction and wondered what would happen then as she had no idea what to expect. "You''re going too, right?" she suddenly asked.

    "Pardon?"

    "To the auction Are we um Can we Are we going together?" All this time, Katherine just assumed that they were going together but then she remembered that when they started talking about it earlier, Damien never told her about going there with her. He never said anything about going there at all. If he already knew about this beforehand, she wondered why he hadn''t brought it up.

    She was looking at the road before them, waiting for him to answer and when he didn''t say anything, she found it quite bizarre. And she couldn''t help ither heart just started getting anxious, so she blurted, "I mean only if you want to. Unless you''re already going with someone" The words left her mouth before she could even think about it and listening to her own words made her feel uneasy.

    Silly. Stupid. Why.

    But when he still didn''t say anything, it only made her feel even more anxious.

    Damien had no idea what to say to her. It was the first time that he was rendered speechless and absolutely clueless about how to break it to her. Fck. It was the first time that she invited him out to attend a social gathering where people could actually see them togetherthis time without hesitation.

    And there he was, having a damn difficult time thinking about how to tell the love of his life that he had to go with a man. With Wace White, no less.

 Chapter 373: A Privilege

    Chapter 373: A Privilege

    The atmosphere inside Damien''s car was awkward while Katherine''s question lingered in the air, waiting for an answer that didn''te. Not knowing why he hasn''t said anything, she had no idea how to act now. She snuck a nce at him earlier and all she saw was his impassive expressiona face that she rarely saw on him. Especially after having just asked him if they were going to go together as a date.

    Was she too vague? Too forward? Should she rify? She totally had no idea what to think after not hearing any response from him at all.

    And for the first time in a long time, she was insecure and she didn''t even know what she was feeling insecure about.

    The rest of the car ride was spent in silence until they reached the district where West Bespoke Tailor was located. Damien helped her out of the vehicle and Katherine tried to ignore the nagging feeling she had in the pit of her stomach. She decided she would ask him againter if he wouldn''t bring it up again. This was just so unlike Damien and it was bugging her a lot.

    As they headed towards Mr. West''s luxury boutique, she felt nostalgic. It had been a long time since shest set foot inside. She remembered that thest time was when she had to do thest fitting of the gown that she wore during the charity g that the Parks hostedwhere she was blindfolded in order for her not to see what she was wearinga total surprise that Damien orchestrated.

    Of course, how could she forget when he helped her "feel" how her gown looked like while blindfolded.

    It was such a memorable experience for her because it was the first time that she wore an extremely expensive gown. A gown that made her look like a glowing jellyfish amidst the riches who bid for the gown that went up to millions.

    Waitshe turned to look at Damien and remembered that he had won that bidding at $2,180,000. He recreated the whole bidding war and followed what she did to him many years agoprobably in an attempt for her to remember something of the past which was quite clever as it was actually sessful. He had remembered the numbers 218 for five years without even knowing what it actually meant.

    She was quite conflicted at first because he was elusive earlier but the reminiscence buttered up her heart and she melted. ''Fine. Whatever you''re up to, Damien, I''ll try to be patient,'' she said in her thoughts.

    Soon, they arrived at West Bespoke Tailor and they were just in luck as Mr. West was still there. They were greeted by Ava, the kind staff whom Katherine had been acquainted with since she first visited. Damien had called in earlier and told them that he wasing so Mr. West intentionally waited for them.

    "Mr. West, thank you for waiting. I hope we''re not dying your flight." Damien shook Mr. West''s hand as soon as they met.

    "It''s alright. The ne can wait an hour more. What can I do for you today, Mr. Park? I believe we were scheduled for yourst fitting on Wednesday? Please, have a seat." Mr. West gestured for Damien to sit at the leather armchair but thetter declined politely. It was only then that he noticed Katherine a few steps away from them. "Oh"

    "Ah, Mr. West, I hope you still remember Katherine?" Damien ushered Katherine forward, cing his hand on her back.

    "Of course, how could I forget? It''s lovely to see you again, Katherine." Mr. West shook hands with her and listened as Damien told him, "I was wondering if it would be possible for you to have another project? It doesn''t have to be an entirely new line but the thing is, it will be Katherine''s first ball from The tinum. I want her to have that longsting impression to awe the members and I know that wearing your creation will help with that."

    Mr. West nodded softly while Damien spoke and then looked at Katherine, who was currently quiet as she felt a little shy being talked about. Instead of replying to Damien, he turned to Katherine instead and told her, "I would be more than willing to work with Natalie Young''s daughter."

    The mention of her mother''s name sent chills down her spine and she froze. Never had she expected Mr. West to ever mention her familyespecially not her deceased mother. "Y-You know my mother?" she stuttered and was hesitant to ask. Even Damien was surprised to know that Mr. West knew Katherine''s mother.

    Mr. West was in histe thirties. He had an average height, a clean haircut and had dark eyes. He didn''t smile often but when he did, he looked really gentle. Just like at that moment, it was the brightest smile that he had ever shown her since they first met and she felt like it was such a rare sight. "Darling, I know your parents," his words were a shock to the couple, causing them to just stare at him, unsure of what to say to that.

    "They were the ones who helped me settle here in Esmea. And without them, I wouldn''t be who I am today. They were the first people who believed in what I can do. Your mother, Natalie, and your father, Mason, were really good people. So, of course. I would be honored if you would wear my creation."

    Katherine could feel her heart quicken as she listened to Mr. West. It was such a bizarre feeling knowing that there was someone who knew her parents like this. Subconsciously, she had gripped Damien''s handas if doing so would help calm her racing heart.

    "H-How did I not hear about you?" she wondered.

    "You were still young and in school back then. I mostly meet them outside. But I''ve heard a lot about you because of your parents." Mr. West answered, slightly feeling sad yet happy at the memory in his mind.

    "I I" Her voice trailed off until she felt Damien squeeze her hand as if he was giving her some courage, soothing her throbbing heart. And it helped. "I don''t know what to say to that"

    Softly chuckling, Mr. West shook his head, "There''s nothing to say It will be my pleasure, Ms. Young." And he gave her a 90-degree bow, in which Katherine hurriedly responded with her own.

    With all the emotions that''s stirring up inside Katherine, she was definitely overwhelmed to wrap her head around what she just discovered. Mr. Westone of the most prominent designers in the industry just told her that it was his pleasure to let her wear one of his creations. To top it off, her parents were a huge part of his sess. What could she say to that?

    "Thank you, Mr. West," she muttered.

    "Please, call me Samuel," he said before he turned to his assistant, Ava, and asked her to help with Katherine''s current measurement.

    Mr. West allowing Katherine to call him by his first name was also surprising for Damien because not everyone had the privilege of doing so. Even he had never called Mr. West by his first name. This privilege that only Katherine had was definitely worth a lot. The pride that Damien had for her only continuously grew. She''s truly one of a kind.

 Chapter 374: Trouble is Brewing

    Chapter 374: Trouble is Brewing

    As soon as Chris left Parker''s office, he looked for Gus and found him in his apartment which was several blocks away from Castle. Agent Gus was packing his things, preparing himself for a trip to Esmea by taking with him several identity cards and passports along with his weapons and other essentials. Chris knocked and Gus opened the door for him.

    "Augustine..." Chris muttered when he entered the other''s room, taking in what his agent was doing.

    "Sir," Gus straightened up and greeted his mentor. He was already aware of what Chris''s reason was for visiting him.

    "You''re going to Harbor City for Agent Queen," Chris stated and saw Gus nodded. "What do you n to do?"

    "I will do as I was told, Sir. It''s Parker''s orders."

    "And what exactly are Parker''s orders?" Chris lowered his voice.

    Agent Gus nced at the door behind Chris out of habit before he answered, "He wants me to test Agent Queen. See how she reacts to certain situations"

    "To see if she''s lying"

    Gus nodded and continued to pack his duffel bag. He didn''t own much and his duffel bag could hold all of the things that he needed for the trip.

    "Gus"

    Gus paused and balled his hands into fists. "Is what they''re saying true? Is Queen really..."

    Chris studied Gus''s pained expression. Back then, Katherine and Gus were sort of rivals in Shadow. The two were always inpetition from a simple gun assembly or one-to-one sparring to how many cases they cleared in one month. Gus was like the male version of Katherineand it was probably why the duo was Chris''s favorite.

    Katherine only saw Gus as a rival or a colleague and nothing more. Despite the fact that Gus always kept to himself, Chris knew that he saw Katherine as a woman. But because rules are rules, Gus never did anything to cross that line.

    He was sent to longer missions so he was away more often. And at the time of the bombing, he was on an overseas mission and when he came back, Shadow already had a new base. Until a few days ago, he hadn''t heard anything about Katherine. For the entire five years, he had only asked about her once. And thinking that she had died, he moved on. Now, Parker''s orders brought him into a difficult situation.

    "Parker said she''s a rogue agent," Gus added. "Why? What''s the truth?"

    Chris didn''t think that there was a need for him to discuss Katherine with anyone else in Shadow for whatever reason. That will onlyplicate things more. Seeing as Gus questioned him this, Chris could see that the other was having a hard time epting the truth. Whether or not Katherine was in the right, the truth of the matter was that she was indeed a rogue agent.

    Leaning against the wall, Chris crossed his arms. "Did you like Agent Queen?"

    "She''s great at her job."

    "That''s not my question, Gus."

    "She''s She was a rival. Her skills kept me moving forward because I didn''t want her to beat me. I guess It was good having her around."

    Chris suppressed a chuckle but he didn''t call the other out. "What do you think of Shadow, Agent Gus?"

    "I I don''t know how to answer that question, Sir."

    Nodding, Chris straightened up and walked towards Gus, digging his hands in his pockets as he said, "Forget it. When you get to Harbor City Call me."

    Gus thought that Chris would stop him from going and was surprised to hear what he just said. "You''re not even stopping me? Should I take that as a hint that Queen really is a rogue agent?"

    Clenching his jaw, Chris took a deep breath and looked at Gus in the eye as he told him, "Augustine When you meet your friend, look at her in the eye and follow what your gut tells you to do. I trust your judgment."

    Agents were meant to follow orders from the higher-ups. And just like Katherine, Gus was used to following orders. For a couple of times now, Chris had him make decisions for some things and it felt weirdat the same time liberating. There was something more to the story about Parker''s order and judging by Chris''s parting words, his gut was telling him to follow his mentor. And that''s exactly what he was going to do.

    When Gus left, Chris drove back to his ce and packed his things too. He trusted that Gus wouldn''t do anything reckless but he could never be too sure as he couldn''t really trust anybody 100% these dayshe could only trust himself. After packing, he pulled out one of his extra phones and searched for Katherine''s new phone number that he had acquired just recently then dialed.

    Rings sounded from the other line but no one picked up. He wanted to warn her about what wasing but he guessed that she must have filtered out unknown phone numbers. When his call wasn''t answered, he ended the call and was about to send her a text only to receive another phone call from one of his men, interrupting his ns.

    Meanwhile, back at West Bespoke Tailor...

    Katherine was busy being measured from head to toe. Ava was very thorough about all the measurements to make sure that her gown will fit her like a glove. She stood on a tform while Ava worked on her. Damien, on the other hand, sat on an armchair behind a curtain that separated them and waited.

    Despite the distance, Katherine heard a buzzing sound that came from her purse which was on Damien''sphe was sitting several feet awayand she tilted her head towards the curtain to ask him, "Damien, can you check that for me?"

    "Sure." He opened her purse and took out her phone. Just then, the ringing stopped but he was able to see an unknown number on the screen. "Call stopped. The number''s not saved. Were you expecting a call from someone?"

    Knitting her brows, Katherine thought about it for a second and replied, "No not really."

    He was just about to put her phone back to her purse when she received a text message from an unknown number. "You have a text."

    "From who?"

    "I don''t know. It''s not saved."

    "Will you check it for me, please? It might be important."

    Opening the message, it was his brows that furrowed this time when he read the text.

    [Unknown Number: This is Matty. I had to change my number again. Save this and delete the old one.]

    Damien couldn''t tell if the text message was real, wondering why Matthew changed phone numbers ''again'' like he said when he just called Katherine earlier. He stared at the message as if he was trying to decipher it when he heard her ask, "Well?" She whisked the curtain aside and came out of the room.

    Katherine thanked Ava as she casuallybed her hair with her fingers. Ava gave a polite bow before leaving the two. Picking up her fluffy cap and gloves, she wore them on her and repeated her question, "Well? Who is it?"

    He nced at the phone in his hands again and told her what he found. "Jeong texted, saying he changed numbers. I cross-checked and it''s not the same number who called just now." He took out his phone and copied the number who called earlier and decided to have it checkedter.

 Chapter 375: Who Am I?

    Chapter 375: Who Am I?

    Bewilderment masked her face as Katherine studied Damien''s equally confused expression. She walked up to him and received her phone, her eyes scanning the screen where the unknown number sent her a message.

    "Matty changed numbers again?" She looked at the text message and then checked the call registry to see what Damien meant, wondering what was going on. "That''s weird."

    Damien didn''t like that Katherine was calling Matthew by that name. It felt so intimate but he didn''tment on it despite feeling a bitter taste on his tongue. "Why does he change numbers often?"

    "I didn''t really ask" She called the number that sent her a text message and after two rings, someone picked up the call.

    "Hey, Kath," Matthew answered.

    "Matt, oh it''s really you. I wasn''t sure, so I had to call."

    "Yeah, sorry for the trouble"

    Katherine met Damien''s stare as she spoke on the phone. She softly nodded her head as if to assure him that everything was okay. "It''s fine. Hey, did you call me earlier? I mean before you texted?"

    "No I''m on the road on the way to a studio. I only sent you a text. Why?"

    Hearing his response, she mouthed the words ''not him'' to Damien. "Nothing. Just curious Alright, Matty. I''ll talk to you soon. Bye."

    When their call ended, Katherine searched for the missed call again and pressed the call button. She waited for a beat before she heard a busy tone on the other line. She wasn''t familiar with the phone number, so she wasn''t sure who to expect. She gave it another try but when the line was still busy the second time, she gave up.

    "I can''t get through." She put her phone back into her purse and sighed. Just in time, Ava came back and told them that everything was done. Katherine was told toe back at the same time that Damien was scheduled on Wednesday.

    Mr. West also appeared with a small suitcase in hand. They bid each other farewell and once the couple left West Bespoke Tailor, they headed back to Damien''s Range Rover.

    Feeling the need toe clean to Katherine, he helped her up the passenger''s seat and reached for her hand. When she met his stare with a small smile on her lips, he started, "Katherine, listen About the Auction"

    "I''m confused. Isn''t it just an auction? Why did you say it was a ball?" she interrupted when she remembered what he said back at Mr. West''s shop.

    "It''s a social event. The ball always serves as an excuse for the attendees to unt what their bank ounts can afford. The auction is only part of the whole thing. The show actually starts as soon as the attendees step on the red carpet."

    "Hmmm Sounds exciting," Katherine muttered with an obviousck of enthusiasm just thinking about the whole thing. How could Damien be with these people all the time and not feel worn out? It must be exhausting. The event hadn''t even happened yet and she was already exhausted just thinking about it. "Ah, you were about to tell me something? Sorry, I cut you off."

    "Mm. I was saying For the club event I really want to go with you. But remember yesterday while I stepped out for a bit? I actually went to see" Damien''s phone buzzed in his pocket, jolting him from the conversation.

    Taking out his phone from his pocket, he checked the caller ID and saw that it was Alianna. He casually canceled the phone call without second thoughts and continued where he left off, "I went to see the son of the owner of Central Harbor Restaurant."

    Katherine nced at the phone in his hand. She saw him cancel the call but she failed to see who called him. Dragging her eyes back to his, she probed, "You know the owner''s son?" The phone in his hand rang once again and just like the first time, he canceled itthis time, he was growing annoyed by the interruptions.

    "Y-Yeah His name is Wace White." Another call came in, pulling their attention to the screen and causing their eyes to narrow at the sight.

    "You should answer that" she suggested.

    "It''s Ali. I''ll just call her againter." Not bothering to cancel the call for the third time, he was about to pocket his phone when he heard Katherine say, "You can tell me what you need to tell meter. What if it''s an emergency?"

    Damien eyed Katherine and an image of Nana shed in his mind. He knew that he shouldn''t ignore the calls especially since Alianna seemed so determined to reach him. Sighing, he pressed the green button on the screen and answered, "Ali?"

    "Oh my god! How could you keep rejecting my calls?! Where are you? Are you still with Katherine right now?!" Alianna''s voice sounded slightly panic-stricken and irritated. Damien could hear some noise from the other line but he couldn''t make out the sounds.

    "What''s wrong? Why do you sound so agitated? And how did you know I''m with Katherine?" He shifted his gaze to Katherine''s eyes and saw her raise a brow in confusion, in which he answered with a small shrug.

    "You don''t know what''s happening? Hasn''t Markus called you yet? You''re all over the inte! Everywhere!"

    "Waitslow down, Ali. I''m not following. What do you mean?" He hurriedly pressed the loudspeaker on his phone screen so they could listen together.

    A long sigh was heard from the other line as Alianna tried to calm herself down. "There are several articles circting everywhere with pictures of you and Katherine. There are a lot of spections too. You two have be the talk of the town and I''m not liking what I''m reading here. Go and search your names online."

    Katherine and Damien looked at each other, totally clueless about what was going on. He quickly searched their names on an online search engine with Alianna still on the call and found dozens of articles about them, along with the pictures that were taken just a couple of hours ago.

    "That''s wow, whoever they are they''re fast" Katherine remarked.

    "Ali, I''ll call youter." Damien ended the call without waiting for a response and turned to Katherine, "Are you okay?"

    "Yeah..." The headlines were different in each article but what Katherine was concerned about was those that talked about Crown Resort Group''s bidding project, implicating Damien''spany and Young Corporation. "But are you?" she probed.

    "This is nothing." He checked his phone again and received a notification about an emergency meeting with Crown Resort Group''s board in an hour. "Call your grandfather. He may want to speak to you. I''ll drop you off wherever he is."

    Katherine caught sight of the notification on his phone and got worried. "The Board requested a meeting?"

    "Don''t worry This is just child''s y." Seeing the concern written all over her face, he gently brushed his thumb on her cheek and pressed a kiss on her forehead before he reassured her, "Who am I if I can''t protect you?"

    The rhetorical question was simple yet it made her feel like there was a gush of warm stream spiraling in her stomach.

 Chapter 376: Under the Sheets

    Chapter 376: Under the Sheets

    <em>Just in:</em>

    <em><strong>Chairman and CEO Damien Park</strong> of Crown Resort Group caught getting "overly-friendly" with his former secretary <strong>Katherine Young</strong>, the heiress of Young Corporation, on a chilly Saturday afternoon at Palm district, Harbor City.</em>

    <em>Not too long ago, we read about the dramatic life story of Katherine and her reunion with her family. A banquet for her "Wee Home Party" was held in Magnum Hotel just a week ago where everyone who was anyone was invited by her grandfather dearestthe Chairman of Young Corporation.</em>

    <em>And by everyonewe can now safely say that her former employer, Resort King Damien Park, also attended the said party.</em>

    <em>The two are clearly veryfortable with each other. Mr. Billionaire even went shopping and bought his girlfriend an entire outfit! As you can see, Miss Katherine Young changed from a cute date dress into warm long sleeves and jeans to cover her up. What a dream guy, eh? They look extremely adorable especially when he put on the cute cat gloves and hat on her.</em>

    <em>Who would have thought that this ruthless businessman had such a soft side?</em>

    <em>But wait, that''s not all. Rumor has it that the two were even seen making out in the open! If the two are really in a rtionship, this might not be shocking at all, huh?</em>

    <em>Brace yourselves because this will get a little bumpy. For those who aren''t reading the business section of your daily news, Crown Resort Group (CRG) is currently hosting a bidding for their multi-million dor project. For the past few years, CRG started to venture into the real estate industry. Now, thepany is getting more and more serious about this field. Several constructionpanies have already applied to join the bidding war, including Young Corporation. Getting interesting?</em>

    <em>Judging by the pictures taken just a couple of hours ago, does this mean that the winner had already been decided even before the actual bidding had taken ce?</em>

    <em>Uh-oh. Sounds like something shady has been going on under the tableand under the sheets. If you know what I mean. *wink wink*</em>

    <em>Nevertheless, can we just say that the King looks extra hot in all his casual glory? Look at those biceps!</em>

    <em>Catch you on the flip side.</em>

    <em>Yours truly,</em>

    <em>Hermoine Whispers</em>

    Katherine couldn''t contain herughter upon reading the article on her phone as she sat on the passenger''s seat of the Range Rover while Damien was driving towards the Young Mansion located in the north, outside of Harbor City.

    The sound of herughter made him turn his head and he saw the amusement on her face as she stared at the device in her hand. "What''s so funny?"

    "This article" she chuckled again before rereading the entire thing to him. "How can this writer beplimenting and attacking at the same time?" She scrolled down and casually read thements in the article. Apart from this one, there were a few more online but this one caught her attention as she used to read from the same source regarding celebrity or famous people''s scandals. Never did she think she would find herself on the same website.

    He shook his head and found it hrious just like Katherine. For almost a decade in the business, he had his fair share in some gossip columns. However, this time, it involved Katherine and the credibility of both the Crown Resort Group''s and Young Corporation''s credibility. If this wouldn''t be handled properly, it could leave a bad reputation for thepanies.

    "There would be moreing after this one. And it could stem into a more ridiculous story. I suggest that you don''t read anymore after this," he said after entering the gates of Young Estate and continued driving down the path to the mansion.

    When the vehicle pulled over at the front, he turned to Katherine and held her hand. "Are you sure you''re okay? Please tell me honestly if you''re not. I''d rather want to know if you''re hurt, pissed, or sad, or whatever than hear you say you''re okay when you''re not."

    Seeing the concern cast on his face, she squeezed his hand and gave him a small smile. "I''d be lying if I tell you I''m a hundred percent okay. I''m more worried about thepany, my grandfather and aunt I''m not really used to these scandals so I don''t know how they work. But you don''t have to worry about me, Damien. I''m not weak."

    "I know Just I promise you, I will take care of it. I" He was cut off when Katherine abruptly leaned forward, held the sides of his head and pulled him in for a kiss, her lips smashing into his to shut him up. "No more promises. I trust you," she whispered after pulling away.

    Gazing back at her, Damien could see the strength in her eyes and that''s when he nodded, feeling reassured that she was okay. "Okay"

    "I''ll have to talk to Grandpa. I don''t know what he''ll say about this but I''m sure he''s fine. Will you call me after your meeting?"

    "Of course. I wish I could greet your grandfather but I have to get back to the city right away. But I''ll pick you upter?" He tucked her hair behind her ear and she answered with a nod.

    When Katherine got out of his car and he left the premises, she entered the mansion where the servants greeted her arrival. She went straight to see her grandfather who was found in the back garden ying chess with himself with a smile on his face. Odd.

    As Damien arrived at the board room in Crown Resort Group''s main building, all the executives were already present and waiting for him. Some of the board stood up to greet the Chairman while the others could only look at him as he walked towards the head of the conference table, eyeing the outfit on his body andparing it to the pictures that were circting online.

    d in a modern power suit, Damien stood tall and confident in front of the Board. He had changed from the casual outfit into a single-breasted two-piece suit in his penthouse on the top floor just before he went to the board room.

    He looked sharp and smarttotally different from the image on the picture, making the entire Board question the articles'' legitimacy. Gossips could be ignored but not if it would hurt thepany. Now that they had seen the chairman, what were they supposed to think?

 Chapter 377: Chairman Damien Park (1)

    Chapter 377: Chairman Damien Park (1)

    Crown Resort Group

    A long, sturdy table and executive chairs of white and gold designed the modern boardroom of the main office building, making it look pristine and royal. Damien took a seat at the head of the table, looking like a true king in his custom-fit ck pinstripe suit with the view of Harbor City from the tall ss window behind him as his backdrop.

    He scanned the room, taking in all the faces of the executives that were present in the meeting as though he was making a mental note to see those who had malicious intent and those who were just genuinely concerned.

    "Are the articles true about you and" Mr. Akins was the first one who spoke, he sat a few seats away from the head of the tableto the left of Damien. Thetter looked at Mr. Akins with an impassive expression but remained quiet until someone else from his right spoke, "Chairman With all due respect, we need to know the truth about your rtionship with your former secretary," said Mr. Tyera big-headed executive who had always been a pain in the ass.

    Damien found Mr. Tyer''s fake smile to be nauseating. Mr. Tyer was in his forties. He had hands like that of an elephant, jeweled with gold rings that were clearly too small for his fat fingers. He had the physique of a bouncer with no neck. Damien had long been tolerant of this buffalo and something was telling him that his patience might just see the red line today.

    "Regardless of whether it''s true or not, my personal life has always been separate from my business. I hope you understand that, Mr. Tyer," Damien responded with a smile of his own.

    "Of course. But it''s vital information especially since it is putting thepany in a bad light Don''t you think so, Chairman?"

    Eyes darted between Mr. Tyer and Chairman Damien Park as the two exchanged controlled statements that wereced with obvious taunting.

    Damien leaned against the backrest of his throne and steepled his hands, looking arrogant in his form as he remarked and addressed the board, "Whatever I do with my personal time has got nothing to do with everyone in the room. I don''t go asking what you do with yours, do I? Whether you''re sleeping with your wife at your million-dor homes or you''re fcking your mistresses in Crown Hotels and Resorts." He eyed a few of the men in the table who were guilty of what he said.

    The guilty cleared their throat and averted their gazes, afraid to meet the Chairman''s intense stare. Mr. Tyer was one of those guilty executives, but unlike the others, he didn''t hide ithe only chuckled at thement. His wife was someone from the upper ss while his mistress was a model who also came from a prominent family.

    Seeing the reaction of the men, Damien continued, "While we are on that subject, I suggest that if you want to continue your infidelity, it would be best that you check in to other hotels. You''re the one bringing our brand down. Not me."

    Mr. Tyer hardened his face at the statement, not liking what Damien said. "Chairman" he muttered as if calling Damien''s title was unpleasant for him. "Weren''t you also using our hotels for your nightlife?"

    Damien saw the amusement in Mr. Tyer''s eyes and he matched his gaze with his fiery ones, leaning forward on the table and curling his mouth into a smile. The nightlife that Mr. Tyer used him of was all in the past. It had been a really long time since he partied like there was no tomorrow. Gone were those days.

    "I did, didn''t I? But did you also know that I always paid my bills? I don''t rob my ownpany, Mr. Tyer." Damien''s words were simple, yet it gutted the men who took advantage of their position on the Board.

    Despite knowing there were those who used privileges more than they were allowed to, Damien looked past it and didn''t demand settlement from them. But it didn''t mean he would just let it go, especially not if they were to go against him. Having power didn''t mean that you have the right to abuse it, rather it''s knowing when to use your power at the right time.

    Obviously, Mr. Tyer was also one of the guilty ones. However, he was the only one who had a thick face who tried to challenge Damien. Brushing off his guilt, Mr. Tyer added, "Even so How are we any different? Why can you but not us?"

    How ridiculous. Damien couldn''t believe he had someone on the Board just like this buffalo. "The difference? Isn''t it still obvious by now?" Opening his arms in front of him, he continued, "I''m not married I don''t have a mistress. And I''m the one sitting here."

    Mr. Tyer''s face darkened. The arrogant bastard from the Park family rubbed his role as the chairman on his face. Being more than ten years his senior, he couldn''t take someone else, who was younger than him, had a higher role and was domineering. It hurt his ego.

    Mr. Akins, who had been quiet since his first question earlier, decided to sway the topic back to the matter. "Chairman, what do we do about this issue?"

    Damien turned to Mr. Akins and nodded, thankful that he was sensible enough to talk to. The others who were also eager to address the problem turned their focus and waited for the chairman to speak. Turning to his assistant who was sitting to his right, Damien asked, "Bring us up to speed regarding the current situation, Markus."

    "Certainly, Boss." Markus pulled up his tablet and started, "There are at least ten different versions of write-ups from several famous online columns published an hour ago and it''s now all over the intemostly just from curious citizens whose interests are nothing but gossip. However, we have been receiving non-stop calls from the media who wanted to know what thepany has to say about this. Some of the bidders had also demanded to hear from us."

    The current situation was just like how Damien had predicted. More than the truth about his rtionship with Katherine, the bidders all wanted to know if they could still trust Crown Resort Group to exercise fairness and equality.

    While he was on his way here, he had already thought of ways on how to solve the problem. At the moment, he allowed the executives to absorb the current situation. With tablets on their hands, they read the file that Markus had distributed to the group regarding the concerns of the bidders.

    Damien rested his forehead on his inteced fingers with his propped up elbows. He closed his eyes and let his mind wander to different factorsfirstly, Katherine. Secondly, Young Corporation. Next, Katherine and her family''s stand on this matter. Lastly, the bidders.

    "Boss?" Markus called his attention and when he looked up, he saw that everyone was waiting for him to speak.

    This was just a trial. He didn''t care about any gossips regarding him but what he couldn''t take was that Katherine was involved. Not to mention, Young Corporation was also implicated. Taking everything into consideration, Damien wasn''t one hundred percent sure of his next steps but he would do it with everything he got.

 Chapter 378: Chairman Damien Park (2)

    Chapter 378: Chairman Damien Park (2)

    Damien straightened up and dipped his voice lower as he ordered Markus, "Alright Take all their sites down and sue each of them under defamation and invasion of privacy on false light. Unless they take down their articles and make a public apology addressing what they did, don''t give their sites back. cklist them. Issue an announcement that moving forward, they can no longerin any way or formuse ourpany''s name. Draft a contract and make them sign. Release a list of these entities. Make sure it''s clear that we are not tolerating their behavior.

    "Also address the mass so that those individuals who will continue to share these articles along with their defamatory allegations would suffer the same fate." Damien''s orders were punctuated as he got up from the chair and stood in front of the table, his eyes scanning the executives as he asked, "Do you have any other suggestions on what penalties you want to add?"

    The boardroom was quiet as they took in what he just ordered. cklisting the entities who dared to write those articles just met their doom. Once that list would be released,panies would take note of Crown Resort Group''s status and power in the business industry. Crossing the Resort King was truly a wrong and idiotic move.

    One of the executives raised a hand and asked, "What are we going to do with the issue regarding Young Corporation? Shouldn''t we just disqualify their entry?"

    "Yes, why don''t we just take out Young Corporation on the list? If they''re no longer part of the bidding, that would pacify the bidders. Anyway, there are otherpanies that are qualified to win. Like Hara Construction, for example. And besides, we have worked with them in the past, haven''t we?" Mr. Tyer stated with confidence.

    Damien''s attention was once again brought to Mr. Tyer. Though thetter looked genuinely neutral on this one, that didn''t change the fact that Damien didn''t like the suggestion. "If we disqualify Young Corporation, that would appear as if we''re iming what''s written to be true. Gentlemen, it''s already the 21st century."

    "What are you saying, Chairman?" Mr. Akins probed.

    "Not everyone tantly believes these gossips nowadays. Not all people are stupid and just believe everything that they see on the inte. We''ll turn this situation into our advantage."

    "And how will that be possible?" Mr. Tyer raised his chin, truly curious as to how Damien Park would make this situation all better.

    Digging his hands in his pockets, Damien looked every bit of a businessman as he addressed the issue, "We''ll go through the same process; the bidding will be judged fairly ording to our matrix."

    Mr. Akins thought about it for a second and questioned, "What if the other bidders protest? Surely some of them will think this is unfair if Young Corporation will still be part of the bidding Whether the usation regarding your rtionship with Ms. Young is true or not, the seed of doubt had already been nted. How can we assure the bidders that we are going to do this fairly?"

    "We will call all of the bidders for a meeting on Monday. Address the issues and ensure that it won''t affect the results."

    "How?"

    "Initially, presentations are going to be privately presented but this time, we''ll do it with all of the bidders as the audiencewhere each of them can see the capabilities of their rivals. Bidding will be transparent. This will up their game and the bidding will be even morepetitive. After all, this is a multi-million dor project. We could only expect the best." When Damien saw that Mr. Akins nodded in agreement, he probed, "Any more questions?"

    "So it doesn''t matter who wins the bidding? Even if it''s not Young Corporation?" Mr. Tyer wondered aloud.

    "Mr. Tyer Young Corporation had been a part of the initial list when we started the nning months ago. During that time, Ms. Young was still working with us under her former identity as Ms. Katherine Miller. That doesn''t change anything. This is all just a big coincidence. Whether or not she has connections to Young Corporation, the bidding will proceed as to how it should be: Fair and Transparent."

    Not willing to back down, Mr. Tyer challenged, "So, you''re not going to address the truth about your rtionship with that woman?"

    Damien''s expression darkened and he nted his hands on the table with force as he responded with conviction, "Mind your tongue, Mr. Tyer. Her name is Katherine Young, an heiress from a noble family. Ms. Young deserves to be addressed with respect."

    He pulled his gaze away from Mr. Tyer and met Markus''s who understood his silent order right away. Markus got up from his seat and distributed files to each of the executives. As soon as the Board saw the papers that were distributed, their interest was piqued.

    When everyone had their copies, Damien asserted, "The only truth that you need to know lies in that paper. Facts and numbers that you only need to focus on and nothing else."

    "These are thepany''s monthly revenue reports?" one of the Board asked upon seeing the charts and graphs along with numbers and data of Crown Resort Group''s monthly financial report. The entire Board didn''t understand why they were looking at the charts for the months of April to August.

    "That''s right. Ms. Young, formerly Secretary Miller, worked under my supervision from May to August. As you can clearly see from the stats, revenue spiked at the end of May. A huge differencepared to April. And it has been steadily growing and improving to this date. Thepany''s profits have increased. So regardless of the truth of our rtionship, it doesn''t matter and most importantly, it doesn''t concern you.

    "As the Chairman and CEO of thispany, I promised you that I would deliver my duties and responsibilities, bringing in money and reputation that ourpetitors could only dream of. We are at the top. The leader of the industry. I haven''t failed you since the beginning. I hope that you can share the same views that I have and continue to put your trust in me that this will only bring us higher. Crown Resort Group will only continue to rise."

    Damien''s words prated into the minds of the members of the Board. Whether they came to the meeting with doubts or not, all of them left in satisfaction from the Chairman''s way of handling the problemor at least pacified until the meeting with the bidderses on Monday.

    Everyone left except for Damien and Markus. The sky had turned dark and the room was still and quietit was as though there hadn''t been any arguments a while ago.

    Damien slumped on his chair and threw his head back with his eyes closed, feeling a headache creep upon him as he recalled what happened during the meeting.

    "Boss, PR is ready," Markus uttered, waiting for Damien''s order. His fingers were ready to work as soon as his boss gave the go signal.

    With a long and deep breath, Damien opened his eyes and loosened his tie. "Proceed," he said with a simple nod.

    "Got it." Markus tapped his phone screen and followed Damien out of the room. "Are you going home, Boss?"

    "Hmmm I''ll go pick up Katherine at the Young Mansion."

    "Ah Good luck, Boss."

    Entering the elevator, Damien sighed once again. "Yeah Thanks. I think I''m going to need it."

 Chapter 379: Lullaby

    Chapter 379: Luby

    CEO Jun Hara''s house

    On the west side of Harbor City, a gated house with a stone fence stood tall and morous. Green grass surrounded the big house and a colored fountain sat in front of the front door. Abination of yellow and white lights illuminated the interior of the house where vintage-elegant was the theme.

    Mr. Hara casually browsed the tablet on his hand as he sat on the sofa. A crease formed on his forehead, evidently bothered by the email that he was currently reading. The light cking of heels echoed in the living room as Margaret entered the room with a huge smile on her face.

    "What are you reading, daddy?" Margaret leaned over to see what her father was looking at but she was only able to nce at the tablet before he closed the screen and turned to her. "Mm, you''re home?"

    "Yes." She walked around the sofa and sat next to her father with a sigh, "I''m exhausted."

    "Why? What did you do today?"

    "Oh, nothing much really Just out shopping with the girls." She turned to her father and met his gaze. "What are you thinking about, daddy?"

    "It''s nothing, I''m just wondering what Chairman Park is going to say on Monday," he answered, cing the tablet on the coffee table in front of them.

    "You''re going to meet Damien on Monday? Why? Can Ie?" Margaret immediately straightened up, a glint shed across her twinkling eyes upon hearing Damien''s name. She had just read the articles online before she arrived home. The original write-ups had been taken down, however, the news had already spread so widely thatizens were still talking about it.

    She didn''t like that Damien and that woman he was with in the afternoon were being talked about like they were a celebrity couple. But that was just a temporary thing. She knew that this would cause a ruckus with the board knowing that they wouldn''t want theirpany''s image to be tarnished. Once that happens, kicking Young Corporation out of the picture was going to be easy.

    "You haven''t Hmmm Don''t search anything online for now, okay? Crown Resort Group requested a meeting with all the bidders of the project on Monday. Also, we''ve talked about this. It''s better if you don''t go anywhere near Damien Park." Jun Hara studied his daughter''s face as if he was trying to search for something before probing, "You didn''t see him, did you?"

    "Of course, not, daddy. I told you I''m fine now. I promised you that I would stay away and I did I haven''t seen him at all. I swear." A charming smile cast her face, looking so angelic as she lied to her father''s face.

    Breathing out a sigh of relief, Jun Hara nodded and patted Margaret''s head. "Good girl."

    "So I really can''t go with you?"

    Her father only eyed her and she pursed her lips into a thin line, raising her hand in surrender as she got up. "Okay okay I was just confirming. Fine I won''t go"

    "Mm. Have you eaten dinner?"

    "Yes, Dad. I''m going up to my room now." She pressed a kiss on her father''s forehead before happily strolling towards her bedroom with a wicked grin on her face.

    Jun Hara watched as his daughter walked up the stairs with worry written all over his face. "Don''t forget to take your medicines. Good night."

    "I won''t, daddy. Good night!" Margaret disappeared from his sight and she entered her bedroom, locking the door behind her.

    The yellow light that softly brightened her bedroom made the whole ce look serene and calm. Her bedroom had shades of pink and white on the walls, the curtains, and even the drapes on her canopy bed. Margaret Hara had this adorable and innocent persona; one look at her and you''d want to be friends with someone as cute as her.

    With a smile on her face, she went to her dresser and sat in front of the mirror. She looked at herself, turning her face from side to side as though she was examining her appearance. Picking up a wooden paddle brush, she started to brush her hair carefully, humming to the tune of Luby by Krzysztof Komeda.

    When she was done, Margaret washed up and changed into a floor-length white nightgown and padded towards her tall dresser, pulling the topmost drawer open where untouched bottles of pills worth a few months were kept hidden. She nced at her reflection on the mirror next to her and smiled before briefly looking at the medicine bottles again. Then she closed the drawer and went to her bed. Daddy wouldn''t know if she missed a few pills or so anyway

    There were a few stuffed toys on her bed but she grabbed for the baby doll as soon as she crawled to the middle of the bed and cradled the baby in her arms. "Hey, baby did you miss mommy?" A gentle smile formed on her lips as she softly caressed the baby doll''s face. "I saw your daddy today He was out with someone else but that''s okay... He''ll be back, I''m sure of it. I''ll make sure of it."

    Margaret got settled under the covers and turned off the lights. It was still and quiet and the only sound that could be heard was another round of humming from the same spine-chilling tune that filled her room"Luby"

    "I wanna see your daddy again soon What do you think I should wear?" she casually asked the baby doll in her arms as if she was expecting it to respond.

    Margaret Hara left Esmea almost a decade ago. Everyoneexcept her familythought that she left for Japan to manage their business there. While that was partly true, no one else really knew what happened to her all these years.

    Now, she appeared as if she was a normal, beautiful woman in front of her friendsand only the walls of her bedroom and the doll in her hands truly knew what happens at night when she''s all by herself.

    "Hush now, baby, don''t cry Daddy and mommy are going to be together again soon. We''ll be a happy family," Margaret softly said and then started, "La"

 Chapter 380: An Ambush

    Chapter 380: An Ambush

    Young Mansion

    Resort King Damien Park stood in front of Chairman Theodore Young and CEO Deborah Young in therge,vish living room of the Youngs. Katherine''s grandfather and aunt were sitting on the sofa while she stood next to her grandfather, facing Damien and getting her hands all mmy as she stared at him. She didn''t know what would happen that night and the heaviness in her heart did nothing to calm her down.

    Katherine watched as Damien slowly angled the upper half of his body into a ny-degree bow. She hesitantly moved towards him but she caught his stare as if he was telling her ''no''.

    "Chairman, President Please ept my apology," he muttered while keeping his head down.

    Seeing Damien bow to her grandfather and aunt while looking so humble like this was very new to Katherine. The living room was in utter silence after he spoke. There was a mixture of pain and adoration that''s churning in her chest as she looked at him, and her grandfather and aunt''s silence made her want to stand next to Damienso she did just that.

    Walking over to Damien''s side, she followed what he did exactly, bowing to her grandfather and aunt. She didn''t say anything and could only purse her lips together, wondering what''s up with her grandfather. He waspletely differentpared to how he was earlier when she arrived and saw him smiling while ying by himself.

    She took a peek at her right and saw Damien smiling at her, his face brightening at the thought of her joining his stance. She smiled back at him but kept her head down. "I I''m sorry too, Grandpa Auntie"

    Grandpa Young looked at the two young ones in front of them and a grin threatened to form on his face. Clearing his throat, he questioned, "What do you and yourpany n to do about this?"

    Without raising his head, Damien answered, "I assure you, Chairman Young, President Young, the bidding process will go as nned. Young Corporation will still remain as an applicant. At Monday''s meeting, we will announce the modified process."

    "Modified process?" Deborah Young probed.

    "Yes. Instead of a private presentation per bidder, it will be done in front of the other bidders," Damien confirmed.

    Grandpa Young nodded and mumbled as he absent-mindedly looked at the side, "Transparency"

    There was another long silence and Damien was beginning to feel ufortable with his body''s position but he didn''t show it at all. Carefully, he snuck a nce at Chairman Young and when he met the old man''s stare, he averted his gaze real quick and bowed again. He didn''t get nervous often but he noticed that when he did, it was mostly because of Katherine or her family. He wanted so badly to get epted and even with his status, he felt that he still had to prove himself to her family.

    He swallowed the huge lump in his throat and thanked himself for being physically activeor else, he probably would have fallen down for bowing like this for a long time. A sheen of sweat formed on his forehead as he waited for the nobleman in front of him to say something.

    "Very well," Grandfather Young said. "Deborah, what about our PR?"

    "I was going to talk to our Katherine about this I don''t want to release anything so rashly. So I''m just waiting for these two to tell me what''s really going on between them" Deborah observed the two and kept her face gentle, like how a loving aunt should be.

    "That''s enough You can sit down now Both of you," he told the couple.

    Katherine and Damien straightened up and looked at each other, their eyes conversing silently with an understanding that only the two of them knew. He ushered her towards the sofa and they sat next to each other, in front of her grandfather and her aunt.

    The servants brought some drinks over to the coffee table. Damien consumed the entire ss of water, clearly parched because of the mental stress that he was having. Katherine wanted to hold his hand but she held herself back because of the other two people in the room.

    Grandfather Young waited until Damien set his empty ss down before asking thetter directly as a grandfather, "Young man, what do you think of my granddaughter?"

    The question made Katherine''s heart race and she snapped her head at the old man, "Grandpa!" Her brows furrowed, not liking why her grandfather was suddenly asking that question.

    "It''s okay, Katherine" Damien gently ced his hand over hers and squeezed, reassuring her that he didn''t mind the question.

    Grandfather Young ignored his granddaughter''s protest and asked further, "I heard that you two were engaged before Have you two reconciled? Are you nning to get married again?"

    "Grandpa! What are you doing?" Katherine was exasperated. Why was he asking all these questions now? Her face got redder by the second.

    "I want to know and hear what he has to say about you. I''m your grandfather, Pumpkin. And I haven''t been with you for many years but that doesn''t mean I stopped caring for you. I will continue to be your grandfather while I''m still alive and I''ll act like it every chance I have."

    Katherine bit her bottom lip and felt a prick in her heart upon hearing what her grandfather had to say. She caught sight of her aunt and saw her smile, so she returned it with her own timid one and nodded. Turning to Damien, they exchanged looks and she listened as he spoke in such a confident manner.

    This would be the first time that Damien would ever do something like this. His heartbeat mmed against his chest that he could feel it almost wanting to break out of him. But he manned up and used all the guts he had to say: "I have tried my best to protect her and I still am and I will continue to do so. I am ashamed to admit that I''ve hurt her in the past I don''t think I deserve her at all. But I love your granddaughter, Chairman Young. So if you give me your blessing, I would spend the rest of my life making it up to her."

    Hearing him say the "L" word made her stomach melt into mush. Therge hand that was holding hers at the moment burned her skin.

    Katherine was so not ready for this. This was an ambush! Her casual Saturday with Damien went from exciting to sweet, to scandalousand what was this now?

 Chapter 381: The Permission

    Chapter 381: The Permission

    Grandfather Young was impressed at how determined Damien Park was in pursuing his granddaughter. It had only been a week since she came back and he thought he would need to do his magic and it would take a long time for the two to find each other again. As it turned out, he wasn''t really needed. Fate brought the two back together again But he wouldn''t mind giving a shove or two to bring them even closer.

    Katherine could only stare at Damien who was staring back at her, a handsome smile painting his lips and making him look even more gorgeous. This man just told her grandfather that he loves her. He said the words as if he had been ready for a long time to say them anytime that he needed to. Anytime that he was allowed to. And damn if she didn''t fall in love with him even more.

    But while most of her was dancing in glee, the ugliest part of Katherine tried to burst her bubble and reminded her of the ugly truth: Damien was a Park. And they were currently at the Young Mansion where her father was probably watching over her. Silently, she prayed as if someone could hear her cry. ''Daddy, he just dered he loved me It''s okay to love him back, right? You won''t get mad, right? If you do Can I convince you otherwise?''

    Usually, Katherine would feel the guilt creep up on her by now, but this time it was different. It wasn''t a good feeling though it wasn''t unpleasant either It was just there. Like a ball of something unknown floating in her heart. She was mostly scared and would feel bad whenever she felt these strong emotions but for some odd reason, she wasn''t scared today. Rather, she was just wonderingas though waiting for approval that it was okay for her to proceed. But as to who will give her the ''go'' signal, she had no idea.

    "I see" After a while, Grandfather Theo finally spoke. He observed the two and nodded as if he was satisfied with something. "I don''t know what happened between the two of you and it''s not my ce to ask, so I will just leave it at that. You are both adults and you can figure it out yourselves." Then he turned to Damien, "Young man, if you want to make it up to her, that is for her to decide if she will allow you to do thatyou did ask for the rest of your life and that''s a long time"

    "I don''t care how long it takes. If she doesn''t agree now, I''d have to make her agree somehow." Damien was obviously adamant, and this made Katherine scoff at him. Wow. So persistent.

    "Good luck with that then." This made Grandfather Theo chuckle, seeing how Damien was dead set on marrying Katherine. "However You asked for my blessing. What exactly are you asking for?" He didn''t actually have to ask. Grandfather Theo wasn''t an imbecile. He knew exactly what Damien meant, but he wanted to hear the words from his mouth, making sure that they were on the same page and everything was clear. Or maybe he just wanted to grill the already nervous young man a little more.

    Damien faced Katherine''s grandfather, his hands nted on his knees as he rified, "Chairman um, Grandfather," he started, softening his tone and strengthening his determination. "I would like to ask for Katherine''s hand in marriage."

    "D-Damien" Katherine stuttered in almost a whisper, her mind reeling at the scene happening before her. Where was all thising from? Why is he suddenly doing this?

    Katherine was ignored as Damien darted his gaze between her grandfather and aunt and then continued, "Katherine didn''t know her family before. If she did, I would have asked for permission from you before proposing to her. We''re still working out our differences and I know it''s been hard on her but I just want to let you know that I still want to marry her. I don''t know if she still feels the same way but I''m willing andmitted to us. I hope that you give us...me your blessing to marry Katherine." He swallowed, a drop of sweat ran down his back and his temple.

    The woman in question was left speechless at the side as she continued to watch the event unfold in front of her. Her hands now felt cold. Was what''s happening right now normal? Was this really how it''s supposed to be? Why did no one inform her? She remained quiet, but why did it feel as though Damien just took the words out of her mouth. Why did it feel as if she was the one talking and asking for permission that her ears and cheeks became hot and red?

    ''Damien, I think you need to stop or calm down or I don''t know my seat is burning hot,'' she chanted in her head where she thought she was safe.

    Grandfather Theo turned serious and whispered something to Deborah Young. Thetter nodded and excused herself from the conversation, leaving the three in the living room. He then faced Damien once again and told him, "Thank you for being honest. I admire your resolve and I can see that you do care for my granddaughter. Giving you my blessing is not really the problem it''s whether you two are ready for each other. Getting married is up to you as it''s honestly the easiest part. The real challenge is staying married.

    "I only want what''s best for my dear Katherine. As long as she''s willing to take you in her life, then I''ll give you my blessing. But not until this bidding process is over. I don''t mind any gossips That''s nothing. What I do mind is if she gets hurt. I think it''s best to revisit this idea when everything is already calm. What do you think?"

    Damien''s mouth curled up into a smile as he agreed with Grandfather Theo. "Yes, Chairman Young. I understand and I agree."

    Katherine''s mouth hung open, her eyes drifting between Damien and her adorable grandfather. "Um Hello? Am I not part of this conversation? Is nobody interested in what I think about all of this?!"

    Just then, a servant came over and announced that dinner was ready. Grandfather Theo got up from his seat and told the other two to follow him to the dining room. "Let''s go have dinner. I asked the chef to prepare a feast for us."

 Chapter 382: Just Because

    Chapter 382: Just Because

    Katherine couldn''t believe that she was really ignored the entire time. Had she suddenly turned invisible and did not know about it? How could these men in her life im that they care and love her but don''t even stop and listen to what she wanted to say? They talked and agreed and decided, mentioning her name but not really talking to her as if she wasn''t there. She was floored.

    Damien got up and held out his hand for her, in which she took rather forcefully and then called her grandfather, "Grandpa, I just need to talk to Damien for a bit. We''ll be there in a few." She smiled and then pulled the tall man out to the terrace without waiting for her grandfather to respond.

    The night was chilly, and the air was fresh and crisp. The cold wind pped her face as soon as she stepped out with Damien in tow, but she didn''t care and continued to drag him towards the cornera blind spot for the security cameras around the mansion. She let go of his hand and snapped at him, "What the hell, Damien?"

    She knitted her brows together, but all she got in return was an amused grin from his annoyingly handsome face. Did he seriously think this was funny? She crossed her arms in front of her. "What are you smiling about?"

    "You"

    "What?"

    "You" he chuckled. "Are you trying to be mad at me right now? Because you''re too adorable to be looking angry." He couldn''t take her seriously if she looked this cute even while she was trying to scowl at him. God, he was doomed. Whipped. Fallin'' fcking head over heels.

    Exasperated, Katherine turned away from him and let out a long sigh. "I''m serious, Damien. What was that all about?"

    "What? Did I say something wrong?"

    "You" She gulped and continued to avoid his gaze. "Shouldn''t you at least have discussed it with me? How am I hearing this all so suddenly?"

    "Discuss what?" Damien held her elbow and pulled her to face him so he could see her eyes. "I just told the truth about how I feel. It has always been the same. Whether you''re a Miller or a Younga secretary, a badass secret agent, or even an assassin None of it matters. Nothing changed, Katherine I love you."

    Damien had wanted to hear her say the words back, and he felt slightly uneasy that she didn''t. But he wouldn''t demand it from her. Though it was hard, he would have to wait for that and that''s all that he could do.

    Even over the cashmere sweater that she had on her, she could feel his very warm hand that touched her arm and she unknowingly leaned towards him, seeking more warmth from this cold Saturday night.

    Her cheeks glowed as she held his gaze and as if by nature, his arm came around her waist, pulling her even closer to him. "You''re unbelievable" she muttered, her voice soft and charminga melody to his ears even if her words weren''t exactly apliment.

    "Mm."

    Katherine searched his eyes for answers that she already knew were there, yet she was greedy for more. She wanted to drown herself in those ck pools of beautiful and intense eyes. And she rxed as if finally finding thefort that she was confident to find in him, her palms resting on his chest.

    "Tell me what''s on your mind, Kitten."

    She sighed. "I''m just trying to figure out what we are to do next"

    "You don''t need to worry about thepany. I already took care of it. I''ll also have the PR discuss with Young Corporation''s PR team to be in sync, make sure nothing that we don''t want is out there."

    "That''s not what I''m talking about."

    "Then what?"

    "Damien What you said earlier about getting married"

    "Shh" he interrupted her softly, tucking her hair behind her ear as he added, "You don''t have to say anything about that now. Your grandfather asked and I only answered truthfully. I know you''re not ready to talk about that yet. You don''t have to rush. Baby steps, right?"

    Katherine found pleasure at their closeness. Her eyes fell to his lips, and she parted hers. Forgetting everything else, her hand clutched his tie, and she pulled him down, her lips capturing his with a blissful kiss.

    At first, Damien was taken aback by her gesture, yet it didn''t take him a long time to respond to her hungry kisses. She gently pushed him against the wall and deepened their kiss, her arms going around his neck and her feet tiptoeing to level with his height.

    Katherine didn''t know what came over her. She just wanted to kiss him.

    When she broke their kiss, he looked into her eyes and asked, "What was that for?"

    "Just because"

    "Just because?" he chuckled.

    "I just feel so blessed to have you." She gently caressed his forehead, pushing his loose hair back in ce. "I won''t let you down, Damien."

    "What do you mean?"

    "I mean I''ll do my best not to disappoint you."

    "You won''t." He held her hand and pressed a kiss on it. "Kitten, as much as I want to stay here and get frisky with you, your family''s waiting for us. They might get the wrong idea if we stay out too long." A jaunty smile cast across his face, earning a blush on Katherine''s cheeks.

    "You, Mr. Damien Park, have a very naughty mind." She pped his chest yfully before turning away from him.

    "Hey, you''re the one who dragged me in here to make out," he teased.

    "Oh my god! You''re so loud, they''re going to hear you. Shush!" sheined under gritted teeth, linking their arms together as they headed towards the dining area.

    "Let''s continue once we''re home," he kindly whispered into her ear just as they entered the dining-roomshe had to grip his arm a little tighter than she should to suppress herself from barking out augh.

 Chapter 383: Anything Is Possible

    Chapter 383: Anything Is Possible

    During dinner, Damien and Katherine''s aunt, Deborah, talked about what they would release from theirpany''s PR. They coordinated and came to an agreement as to what they would release to the public if there was a need. To keep things private and safe, they decided that it would be best for now not to address the issue regarding the status of Damien and Katherine''s real rtionship. It wouldn''t help either parties at this point anyway so there was no need toment about that matter to the public. What''s important at the moment was the bidding.

    The entire time that the two conversed, Katherine kept silent as she ate. asionally, she would notice Caroline Young, Deborah''s daughter, fawning over Damien who sat opposite her at the dining table. It was quite weird for Katherine to witness another female ogle Damien unabashedly in front of hershe didn''t know whether she should call her out or just let her be.

    However, she couldn''t help herself so without thinking much, she blurted, "Wipe your drool, Caroline."

    Caroline, averted her gaze away from Damien and wiped her mouth with the table napkin absent-mindedly. It onlysted for a few seconds before her gaze went back to Damien again. Katherine could only shake her head seeing as the other was hopeless now.

    After drinking their after-dinner tea, Damien and Katherine decided to go home. The five of them stood outside of the Young Mansion saying their goodbyes. Deborah Young took advantage of the opportunity that Damien Park was in their territory at the moment so she pulled all her aces and talked about stuff that she thought the Chairman of Crown Resort Group was interested in regarding business. This was a chance that didn''te by often so despite knowing that he and Katherine had feelings for each other, she wanted to make sure that she could impress Damien Parkhoping that it would be enough to sway him to favor Young Corporation.

    Katherine went closer to her grandfather and gave him a big hug, whispering to his ear so that only the two of them could hear, "I know what you''re doing"

    As if Grandfather Theo could already understand what his granddaughter meant, he chuckled, "Is it working? Do you love him back now?"

    Pulling back, Katherine raised her hand in front of them, showing five fingerstheir little secret signal that meant: ''Can you keep a secret?''

    Upon seeing the sign, Grandfather Theo curled his mouth into a smile and nodded enthusiastically at their own little game and he heard her say, "I never stopped."

    The look on Katherine''s face when she said the words was solemn and gentle. And she was telling the truth. The gravity of her words could be felt when he looked into her eyes.

    "Then you shouldn''t make him wait," he told her.

    With a small smile, she kept her voice soft. "It''s not as easy as 123, Grandpa"

    "Nothing is easy. But anything is possible if you put your heart into it, Pumpkin." He gently patted Katherine''s head just like he always did when she was still a little girl.

    "You think so?"

    "I know so And I''m sure your daddy and mommy are happy for you"

    Hearing what her grandfather just said, she had to force out a smile to mask the uneasiness in her heart. ''Was that really true? Are they really happy for me?'' she wondered silently.

    Brushing those thoughts aside, Katherine noticed Damien''s signal and so she gave her grandfather a quick hug and bid him goodbye. "We have to go, Grandpa. I''ll call you soon."

    The drive on the way home was quiet. It hadn''t been five minutes that Damien was driving when he noticed how Katherine''s mood was slightly off. Reaching for her hand across the front seat, he asked, "Did your grandpa say something to you? You look a bit upset."

    Katherine was in a trance just now and did not notice Damien''s concern until she felt his hand on hers. She was just thinking about what her grandfather told her earlier and it slightly bothered her. Squeezing back hisrge hand, she said, "Damien I haven''t visited my parents yet"

    The car slowed down and he pulled over on the side of the road with the hazard on before he turned to face her. "Where are they buried?" He nced at the time on his watchit was almost nine in the evening. "Did you want to go today? I could drive and apany you there"

    She shook her head in response. "Sorry, Grandpa just said something that made me think about my parents. It''s okay not today" She smiled. "Let''s go home."

    "Are you sure?" he worried, brushing his knuckles against her cheek. When she nodded, he pulled the Range Rover back on the road and drove towards Golden Phoenix Residences.

    When they were in the elevator, Damien thought of telling her about his ce at the top floor of the building but just as he was about to say something, Katherine asked, "Earlier At Palm District, you were telling me about the restaurant owner''s son. What was his name?"

    He had one hand inside his pocket while the other ran through his hair and scratched the back of his head. He thought he could already forget about White. But it looked like it wasn''t his day today. He ran a tired hand down his face and let out a heavy sigh before saying, "Wace White."

    "Why is that name familiar? Where have I heard of it?"

    "He''s that artist the one who made the painting that you saw in the private room of Central Harbor Restaurant."

    "Ah" Katherine''s mouth cked upon the discovery, recalling what Alianna said about that artist. ''Damien''s lover boy'' echoed in her mind. She was momentarily immobile inside the elevator until they reached the 61st floor. "Ah... that man"

    The two stepped out of the elevator and Damien had to pull her by the hand to see her face. When he did, he was sure that he could see amusement in her eyes. A slow smile formed on her lips and she asked further, "And how was your um meeting?"

    Loosening the tie around his neck, he suddenly felt suffocated by the attention. But he couldn''t escape from this anymore. He had to tell her somehow. "I really want to go to the auction with you"

    "O...kay? Thene with me..." she hesitantly muttered, baffled by his statement.

    "I can''t."

    "Why not? Is that man, not allowing you to go there?" Though it did not make sense at all, that was all she could think of.

    "No the opposite. He wants me to go there with him as his date" Damien tried his best to be careful with his words but no matter how he spoke, in the end, the truth was still the same.

    Katherine''s giggle filled the hallway of the 61st floor. "Ah?! He what?"

    Damien''s head hung low. Her giggle used to be music to his ears but now, it was slightly annoyingall because she wasughing at the thought of him with another man.

    "A Why do you look so sad?" Her sing-songy voice and cutesy expression as she teased him did nothing to appease the sulking man. "Is that why you didn''t answer me earlier? Did you think I was going to get upset that you aren''t going with me?"

    With nothing to say, he could only stare at her with his eyes lookingzy as hell.

    Hooking her arms with his, she ushered him towards her penthouse. "You should have told me sooner, Damien I didn''t know you were into men" A huge grin cast on her face as she spoke.

    He clicked his tongue and pinched her cheek. "You''ll regret saying that."

 Chapter 384: A Bold Move

    Chapter 384: A Bold Move

    Sunday, November 11

    Just like the day before, Noah was still on kitchen duty and so he prepared a hearty breakfast for the team. After eating, each of them helped out in clearing the table. When Damien left the room to take a shower, Amelia went to ask a favor from Katherine.

    "Hey, um I was wondering if I can borrow your bike?" she asked, digging her hands in the back pocket of her jeans.

    "Yeah, sure" Katherine nodded without thinking twice then retrieved the motorcycle''s key from the drawer in the foyer and handed it over to Amelia asking, "Where are you going today?"

    Receiving the key from the other, Amelia thought about it for a second before she answered, "I just need to find something. I won''t be far. You can call me if you need anything or text. Whichever"

    Amelia left soon after, leaving Katherine slightly confused as to why she was acting a bit suspicious. Amelia didn''t even wait for Damien toe back out before she leftit was as if she left while he was not in the room on purpose. However, this was only Katherine''s spection and she didn''t let it bother her. Later that morning, she decided to take Bear out for a walk so she went out and Felix left with her.

    After a twenty-minute work-out, a long warm shower and a shave on the face, Damien came out to the living room only to find it empty. "Where did everybody go?" he wondered aloud, scanning the room and only seeing his men inside.

    "Falcon left earlier when you went to the bathroom and Ms. Katherine took the dog out with Felix. The guy is in his room," Noah told his boss as he wiped the dishes dry.

    Damien then went to Styles''s bedroom, knocking before opening the door. "Yo, what''s up? Come in." Styles nodded when he saw who was at the door.

    "You busy?"

    "No, no I was just trying to upgrade some software. Do you need anything?"

    "Amelia Did she say where she was headed today? I was going to talk to her about something," Damien hesitantly asked, rubbing his nape sheepishly.

    "She left?" Styles probed and tilted his head as he tried to recall if Falcon told him something but nothing came up. "I don''t remember her telling me anything recently. Is it important? We can call her back"

    "No, it''s okay. It can wait"

    "Hold on, let me check her tracker." Styles was already on his keyboard, typing so fast there were multiple windows popping up on his monitors. Damien wanted to stop him but results came out of the screen before he could even say something, his eyes focusing on the blinking red dot on the digital map.

    "Where''s that?" Damien walked closer, seemingly curious as he watched Styles work on his magic. The window zoomed in showing terrains on the digital map and the blinking red dot was moving.

    "Hmmm Well, she''s not in the city proper... Let me just" The sound of tapping keys filled the room. "There. It looks like she''s moving towards thehuh... I''m not sure what''s in there."

    "I do" Damien muttered as the gears in his head tried to make sense of what he was seeing at the moment. "Park Estate. That road leads to the Park Estate" It was as though he didn''t want to believe that his mother was really heading towards that ce but he couldn''t think of any other reasons.

    "Park Estate But what would she be doing there?" Styles was also baffled as Falcon didn''t tell him anything recently. His fingers tapped on the keyboard real quick, trying to locate the Park Estate on the map and from the looks of it, Amelia was about twenty minutes away from there.

    Damien was also looking at the screen, seeing the same window as Styles and his heart raced faster by the second. "I Thanks," he mumbled before leaving Styles''s bedroom in a hurry.

    He didn''t have to think twice before deciding to go to the estate as well. His mother was on her way there and he didn''t know why. That ce was swarming with his uncle''s men. He didn''t want to imagine what would happen if she went there.

    Hastily, Damien grabbed a key from the key holder in the foyer and made his way out to the elevator. Coincidentally, Katherine was back from the dog walk.

    "Damien You''re going somewhere?" she asked when they bumped into each other.

    "I need to go to the mansion. I think Amelia''s headed there."

    "What? Why? Let me go with you!" She was already handing the leash to Felix.

    "No, just stay here. I''ll call youter." He kissed her temple and hurriedly stepped inside the elevator, leaving Katherine, Felix, and Bear out in the hallway.

    As soon as Damien got in the basement parking, he sprinted towards his Range Rover, clicking the key fob in his hand. To his surprise, a different car beeped and not his Range Rover. He looked at the key in his hand only to see that it wasn''t his. He pressed the button again and searched for the car that blinked and made a sound.

    A few cars away from his Range Rover was a red Lexus LC with its lights shing. "Huh" The car looked so ''Katherine''. Sexy and Powerful. Without thinking much, he got in the car and sped off into the traffic.

    Carefully, he called Styleswho answered on the first ring. "Where is she now?"

    "Still heading there. Are you going after her?" the voice from the other line spoke.

    "Yeah. Keep me posted." He ended the call and stepped on the gas. He tried so hard to think of reasons why Amelia was going there but didn''t tell him.

    Park Mansion

    Damien didn''t see any unfamiliar cars outside the mansion, so he wondered if Amelia had snuck inside. He was greeted by a few servants when he walked through the front door but as he scanned the interior, it didn''t look like they had visitors. However, Styles confirmed to him that Amelia was in the mansion.

    He became more and more nervous as he surveyed the ce until he found his way to the second floor. His instincts were telling him that he would find her in the study. With hurried but light steps and paying careful attention to his surroundings, he arrived at the end of the hall. He slowly opened the door to the study and his stomach almost dropped when he saw her in the middle of the room and met her widened eyes.

    "What are you doing here?" He entered the room and closed the door behind him.

    "Damien I" Amelia was equally surprised to see her son catching her in the act of snooping inside Frederick Park''s study. She was too upied and frustrated in her search earlier to notice someone''s footsteps.

    Damien scanned the room but did not find anything out of ceas far as he knewbut he was sure that she was searching for something inside.

    Just then, heavy footsteps and some murmurs could be heard outside the study. Amelia and Damien knew even without seeing the person who was about to enter the study that it was none other than Frederick Park.

    Before Damien could say anything else, Amelia had already slipped behind a thick maroon curtain next to a shelf which was near the door. It was a bold move but it was the only ce she could hide.

 Chapter 385: Digging up an Ugly Past

    Chapter 385: Digging up an Ugly Past

    Damien eyed the heavy maroon curtain that Amelia was hiding behind. She was so close to the door but she was perfectly concealed that if he hadn''t known she was hiding in there, he wouldn''t even realize. His stare drifted between the door and the curtain, unsure of what he was supposed to dohis heart palpitated at the thought of her getting caught. ''Fck!'' he silently cursed.

    Toote. The door opened and in came his uncle, Frederick Park, who looked surprised to see him in his study. "Oh, Damien You''re here. The servants told me you arrived. I was wondering where you were." He walked deeper inside the study with his back facing the doorfacing Amelia.

    As naturally as he could, Damien showed an impassive expression on his face as he nodded. "I came to talk to you. I should have called but I didn''t know I wasing here until I reached the gates." He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "I guess I just have a lot on my mind."

    Seeing as his nephew came to him looking like he was in trouble, Frederick Park readily gave him his undivided attention. "You must be stressed with all the ruckus. What can I do for you? Come, sit. Do you want something to drink?"

    Frederick still had his back to Amelia as he walked towards his desk. While he was distracted, Amelia took the chance to slip out of the study with light footsteps. She flitted through the curtains and the door that was left ajar. In a matter of seconds, it was only Damien and his uncle inside the study while Amelia sneaked her way out of the mansion.

    Damien let out an inaudible sigh of relief when he saw that his mother managed to safely escape. He still didn''t know what was going on but he had to keep up with his lie now. Thest time that he came to Frederick Park for a talk was about Katherine''s identity. For the longest time ever since he left the mansion, he and his uncle had their differences but as long as they could help it, they remained civil.

    "No, thanks. I''m good. Thepany matters had already been taken care of. It wouldn''t be a problem. But I was just wondering if it somehow affected Park Group as well? I hope you aren''t put in a tough spot. I didn''t read all of the articles but there was one that mentioned thepany. I just hope the matter didn''t implicate you. If it did, I apologize, Uncle."

    "Mm." Frederick nodded as he sat down in his armchair. He opened hisputer and the screen showed the most recent window that he readst night. It was the write-up that Damien was talking about. Though Damien had his ownpany, as a famous person who is part of the Park family, his name would still be linked with his uncle who is the current Chairman and CEO of Park Group. The writing didn''t say much about Park Group but there were a couple of statements that questioned Uncle Frederick''s ''views'' about the ''underhandedness'' of his nephew and Katherinewith her being the granddaughter of Young Corporation''s chairman, one of CRG''s project bidders.

    This particr issue could be ignored but Damien showed concern that Park Group was still mentioned somehow.

    "Ah, this is no big deal. I''ll just ignore it," Frederick Park waved his hand in the air. "Is that all that you came here for?"

    In order not to look suspicious of his sudden visit, Damien talked about the g that his uncle was hosting which was scheduled the week after the auction by The tinum Club. For each g that the Parks hosted, Frederick Park made sure to assign them their parts or ''contributions'' to the said event. It was important to keep up appearances that they were a united family. It was Damien''s perfect excuse.

    When their conversation was over, he went to see Nana who was so d to see him. As usual, she asked about Katherine, so Damien had to promise her that he''ll bring Katherine to visit her again soon. Later, Damien finally left Park Estate. He was dying to get some answers from Amelia.

    He contemted calling her phone but as he drove along the long road back to the city, he noticed a ck motorcycle that was parked on the side of the road under arge shade tree. Narrowing his eyes, he caught sight of Amelia leaning her back against the trunk of the tree. That''s when he realized that she used Katherine''s motorcycle and drove it here.

    Parking the Lexus next to the tree, he got out of the car and searched for words to start their conversation. Questions were swimming in his head and he didn''t know what to ask first. Looking at Amelia, she appeared to be troubled as she hung her head low.

    "I need you to tell me the truth Please" Damien''s voice was low, sounding almost dejected that he had to plead to his mother. "What were you doing there?"

    Amelia knew that she could no longer keep it from him. It was just impossible. Clenching her jaw, she closed her eyes, feeling her heart ramming against her chest as she tried to control her emotions. "Thest time that I saw Edward He told me something that your father" She was also still confused about what Edward told her, so rying the information to Damien was hard for her.

    She cleared her throat and raised her head to look at her son in the eye. "There''s a possibility that Frederick has something to do with your father''s death."

    Hearing the words from her, Damien felt like a bucket of cold water was dumped on his back. He never expected to hear that at all. It was mind-boggling, causing his brain to go fuzzy as he tried to make sense of what she said. "What are you talking about? Dad died in a car crash" His voice trailed off as images of his father''s ident yed in his mind.

    "I know That''s what I thought too All these years that''s what I thought"

    "So, why?" Damien furrowed his brows, a headache already forming in his head as he continued to be confused about the topic. "Did Edward tell you that? What did he say? It can''t be Uncle Frederick is dad''s brother. Why would he do that?"

    "That''s what I want to find out What Edward said didn''t make sense either. So I had to try my luck and see if I could find anything on Frederick."

    Damien staggered, his back hitting the car and he slid down until he was sitting on the dirt with his hands on his head. His vision swirled and he felt like puking.

    Not a secondter, he turned to the side and hurled on the ground.

    Amelia immediately rushed towards him, patting his back and taking out a handkerchief to clean him up. "I shouldn''t have told you I''m sorry"

    Shaking his head, Damien wiped his mouth with Amelia''s handkerchief and got up. He was feeling all sorts of mad at the moment and all he wanted to do was to confront his uncle. He reached for the door handle of the car but his mother stopped him. "What are you doing?"

    "I''m going to find answers! I need to go back."

    "How? By asking your uncle? Do you really think if he was guilty, he would just tell you the truth?!" Amelia sighed. "Damien, we need to think this through. We can''t be rash."

 Chapter 386: A Mothers Embrace

    Chapter 386: A Mother''s Embrace

    Damien''s hand hardly touched the car''s door handle when Amelia stopped him, her hand ced on top of his. He understood what she meant but everything just didn''t make sense to him at the moment. He felt like he had just received a huge blow when she told him that his uncle might have something to do with his father''s death. He didn''t even consider that possibility.

    He and his uncle clearly had issues with each other, but he never thought that Uncle Frederick could do such a thing could he? But how?

    Damien was fourteen when his father died but he could still remember how it was. All his lifeever since that day, he had carried the burden that it was because of him. That he was the reason why he lost his father from that car crash. And now all of sudden He was so confused. It was as though his mind didn''t want to process what Amelia told him. It was as if his brain wanted to reject it.

    "Damien Look at me." Amelia called him. He didn''t realize that he had been in a trance and he was just standing there, trying to process things. He felt two soft yet calloused hands touch both sides of his face and when he came back to earth, he met his mother''s worried eyes. "Hey"

    "How how could this be true?" he managed to utter.

    "I know It''s hard to process. But I need you to stay strong. I didn''t want to tell you yet because I don''t have any hard evidence with me. I didn''t tell you I was going toe here because of that. If Frederick isn''t guilty and I told you this, it will ruin your rtionship with your uncle. Even if I don''t like that prick, he was still there while you were growing up. So I couldn''t just blindly use him... I needed proof."

    "What exactly did Edward say? Was that why you were crying that day?" Damien recalled two days ago when they arrived and he saw her looking forlorn.

    Amelia nodded, lowering her hand and subconsciously holding his arm as she recalled. "Edward was sort of my inside man while he was still working at the mansion. We don''t really meet often because I cut all ties with the outside world when I was in Shadow. I can count the number of times I met him over the years with one hand. Anyway, he told me that he overheard Frederick talking to someone on the phone. It was on the day that your father died."

    "What did Edward hear?" Damien was willing to ignore the fact that she had been in contact with the man all these years. That''s not what''s important for him right now. "Who was Uncle Fred talking to?"

    Shaking her head from side to side, Amelia sighed. "Edward didn''t know who it was. He said all he heard was: ''Are you sure everything is set? Make sure no one will suspect. Tonight.''."

    "That''s pretty vague," Damien muttered.

    "That''s what I said. It could have meant anything. Edward didn''t think much about it when he heard that. But after that phone call, Frederick looked like he was waiting for something to happen. The mansion received the call about the identter and while everyone was in a panic, Edward just felt that something was off about Frederick. He couldn''t quite ce his finger on it. Lawrence was supposed to be the chairman of Park Group the week after that day but"

    Amelia''s voice trailed off. Even if she didn''t finish her sentence, it was understandable what she was trying to say. If Damien''s father didn''t die that day, he would have been the next chairman. Damien didn''t even know any of those things back then. But he did remember that the mansion was in chaos after receiving that phone call from the hospital, informing them about his father''s car ident. Everything was a blurter. The only clear thing for him was that he was ming himself since that day because if it weren''t for him, his father wouldn''t even be driving the car.

    All of this was too much for him. What seemingly was a normal Sunday turned out to be the opposite with such a shocking turn of events. What if what happened back then wasn''t an ident at all? Like what Amelia told him just now, what if his uncle had something to do with the ident? While his head was reeling, he could hear her muffled voice talking to him but he didn''t understand anything that she was saying. The next thing he knew, she had pulled him, her small frame trying to envelop his tall built in a tight embrace.

    "I''m sorry you had to hear this. Everything will be okay" Amelia whispered, her hands stroking his back as she tried tofort him. It had been so many years since Lawrence died but after hearing things from Edward, that wound in her heart got scraped ugly. And now she could only imagine what her son must be going through. She didn''t even know how tofort him. She wasn''t around when he was growing up. She sucked as a mother. Not knowing what else to say, she just tightened her embrace and kept stroking his back.

    Damien felt deted. But for the first time in forever, his heart swelled at the thought of having Amelia there with him. The feel of her arms cradling him brought him back to when he was a little boy when his knees got hurt after falling down. It was Nana who held him up and hugged him while he cried and he foundfort in that. However, this was different. He couldn''t exin how heart-warming it felt. It was simr to that of Nana''s hug except it was so much more. A different kind of feeling that he hadn''t felt from anyone else. Different from Nana''s, different from Katherine''s.

    Despite being hesitant at first, Damien found himself returning the movement when his strong arms encircled around his mother in a tight hug.

    "My sweet boy, I know it''s hard but we''ll have toe up with a better n than going in blindly. We''ll figure this out. Whatever is the truth If your father''s death wasn''t an ident, I''ll make sure that whoever was responsible will pay."

 Chapter 387: What I Like About You

    Chapter 387: What I Like About You

    Damien and Amelia went back to Golden Phoenix Residences together in a convoy after agreeing that they need to be smarter to find out the truth. They decided that they would have to taunt Frederick anonymously. And if he was indeed guilty, he''s bound to slip up one way or another.

    Damien''s hand gripped the steering wheel tighter and his face hardened at the thought of finding out the truth. There were so many things going on around them at the moment and he just couldn''t catch a break. The only sce that he could find among all these troubles is the fact that Katherine was there. So was his mother. And other people whom he cared about were all safe.

    Golden Phoenix Residences

    Damien and Amelia arrived back at Katherine''s penthouse on the 61st floor. As soon as they entered, he excused himself and told his mother that he would update Katherine about what happened today.

    The living room and kitchen were empty and so he went straight to Katherine''s bedroom. "Katherine?" he called.

    "I''m here!" she shouted from the bathroom. He strolled in and found her applying some ointment on the side of her arm where a small bruise was forming. It was the same tube of medicine that he gave herst week for the bruise on her thigh.

    "What happened to you?" Damien examined her arm, inspecting the bruise that was just above her elbow.

    "Ah, some jerk bumped into us earlier while I was walking Bear out. I could have avoided but Bear got excited and" She sighed. "It''s hard to control a heavy dog. I ended up hitting my arm on the pole by ident. It''s nothing I''m fine." Curling her mouth into a smile, she put away the tube of ointment for bruises into a medicine box and stored it under the sink cab.

    Turning to face Damien, she pulled him out of the bathroom and they sat on her bed. "What happened? Why did you run off like that earlier? Oh, and did you take a cab? I found your keys in the holder" She jerked her thumb over her shoulder.

    "Huh? Oh Right. I grabbed the wrong keys. I borrowed your red Lexus." He dug the car key fob out of his pocket and handed it over to her.

    "It''s a red Lexus? It must have been what Grandpa got for me." She told Damien that she had asked Felix to look for the car keys that her grandfather told her about before. Felix must have ced it in the holder together with the other keys. After her exnation, she diverted the subject back, "Did something happen between you and Amelia?"

    Damien drove a tired hand down his face and his head hung low as he started recalling what happened at the Park Mansion earlier and retold Katherine everything. Even after calming down, he still found the new revtion quite disconcerting.

    "All these years I We thought he died from that car crash. Was it all staged? I don''t know what to believe anymore. I need to find out the truth, Katherine I have to." He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.

    "Oh my god I''m so sorry, Damien." She reached out and sped both of his hands. She, too, was feeling unsettled even by just listening to his story. It''s already hard to trust someone whom you just met. And for someone whom he had grown up knowing, that''s even harder. "If Ifter What will you do if we find out Uncle Fred was really involved in your father''s death. What then?"

    Damien had been asking himself the same question over and over again while he was driving back here. He had even considered turning the car around and waltzing back to the mansion to confront his uncle for the answers. He could imagine himself threatening Uncle Fred for an exnation But his mother was right. So he fought the urge to demand answers violently.

    Now that Katherine was asking him the question that had been nagging him all along, he was only even more confused. He would definitely seek revenge. With all the pent up anger within him, he could only ball his hands into fists and let out a sigh. She slid her hands over his and he loosened them, findingfort in her touch. "I don''t know, Katherine We''ve always had our differences but this I don''t know what I would do." He shook his head.

    Seeing his frustration right before her eyes, she felt her chest constrict. She didn''t like seeing him like this. So torn up and feeling defeated. "Don''t worry, Damien. We''ll get to the bottom of this. We''ll make sure to find out the truth about my parents and your father as well." Bringing her hands to the sides of his face, she made him turn and meet her gaze. "I''ll be right here with you. Every step. Whatever you need, I''ll be here. Just like you are to me."

    Nodding, he pulled her towards him and made her sit on hisp with her legs on either side of his thighs. She adjusted herself as she straddled on top of him, her arms naturally hooking around his neck while his hands held her waist. They looked into each other''s eyes as though they were searching for security that only the two of them could give to each other.

    Katherine nted her head as she leaned forward and their lips met. Their kiss was soft and gentle as if they were afraid to break each other. Her tongue grazed across his lips and he parted them to give her ess which she dly took. He deepened their kiss and she responded with the same fervent need.

    Soon when their kiss broke, she leaned her forehead to his and whispered, "You know what I like about you? Well, one of the things that I like about you at least..."

    "What?"

    "You always know what to do."

    Damien had to pause for a minute before he replied to her statement. "I don''t know about this one"

    Pulling back slightly so she could look at him with a serious expression, she told him, "You''re Damien Maverick Park. You don''t think and behave like others. And you''re formidable. Also you have me. Weren''t you the one who told me before? We''re in this together."

    He tucked her hair behind her ear, a smile now slowly forming on his face. "I did, didn''t I?"

 Chapter 388: Identity (1)

    Chapter 388: Identity (1)

    Monday, November 12

    The day came when Damien''spany, Crown Resort Group, held a meeting with the project bidders from differentpanies. Katherine woke up alone in bed and after washing up, she went to join the rest in the kitchen. She had gotten used to seeing security in her penthouse as Damien had arranged a rotation of men to stay with them. Felix would mostly be with her if Damien wasn''t around.

    "Have you seen Damien?" she asked while grabbing a mug to make herself some warm chocte.

    "He stepped out an hour ago to change. He said he''ll be back soon," Amelia answered as she finished up her food at the breakfast bar. "Aren''t you going out today too?"

    "Yeah, I have to go to thepany and see my boss." She scrunched up her nose, imagining what Michael Price would say to her when she would meet himter.

    Just then, footsteps were heard from the side, catching their attention. Damien strolled in, d in a business suita tailored three-piece suit in navy blue. He went straight to Katherine and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Good morning."

    She stopped wondering where he always disappeared to, in the morning, anding back already dressed. He must have a secret mobile closet somewhere nearby where he hid stuff and could change his outfit anytime he wanted. Like Mojacko or something. Weird thought but Katherine hadn''t eaten her breakfast yet so her mind wasn''t at its best at the moment. "What time do you need to be in the office?" she askedher voice was still hoarse at seven in the morning.

    Damien nced at his ssic Patek Philippe watch while keeping his other arm rested around her waist. "In an hour. I still need to be at the regr Monday meeting. Are you joining the bidders meetingter?"

    "I don''t know yet. I have to ask if I should be there. What do you think?"

    "It doesn''t matter to me. I mean it would be nice if you woulde of course. But if you don''t feel like going, it''s fine too. I just want to remind you that all of the bidders are going to be there. I''m sure they wouldn''t do anything to you but there might be stares."

    "What time did you say it starts?"

    "At ten. Conference room three at the hotel." He took the mug of hot chocte from Katherine''s hand and took a sip. "Mine tastes better," he remarked as he gave the mug back to her.

    "Yeah I don''t know how you do it. I need you to teach me." She nursed the mug in her hands, her lips pursed in a thin line as she stared at the chocte liquid in her cup.

    "Next time. I have to go. I''ll see youter." Damien hooked his finger under her chin, tilting her head up and kissing her on the lips before letting her go. "Take care," he heard her say.

    "Hold up, Damien" Amelia caught up to her son and handed him a ceramic travel mug. "Here, I made you coffee. Good luck."

    "Oh" Damien eyed the white tumbler that his mother was holding. He received it hesitantly with both handsthe warmth of the hot liquid inside the mug was barely felt because of its sleeve, protecting his hands. "Thanks," he uttered with a smile and turned on his heel, ncing at Katherine who was all smiles at the scene before he left.

    Almost two hourster, Katherine received a phone call just as she was getting ready to leave. Looking at the caller ID, she picked it up as soon as she saw Michael Price''s name on the screen. "Mr. Price," she answered,bing her hair simultaneously.

    "President Young told me to pick you up on the way. You''reing with us to the meeting." The sound of car horn was heard from the background as Michael spoke.

    "I am? Is that really okay?"

    "Probably not the best choice but you''re already part of this team. Whether our rivals like it or not, they would be seeing you from now on. It would be best to get used to it."

    "I was going to ask my aunt about it but okay. I''ll go then."

    "Good. I''ll be out front in ten minutes. Bring your files."

    "Yes, sir."

    When the call ended, Katherine hurriedly fixed her outfit. Wearing a navy blue suit over a sheer ck top, she pulled the sleeves to her elbows and wore a pair of ck stilettos. She looked edgy on her business casual look, not even realizing that she was matching Damien''s clothes.

    She grabbed her purse and some folders before leaving the penthouse. Soon, she was in Michael Price''s car with the team and they headed to Crown Hotel. There were five of them including her. The ride was quiet except for Price''sst-minute reminders.

    Once they arrived, they entered the hotel and made their way towards the meeting venue. Reaching the end of the hallway of the second floor where conference room three was located, Katherine turned to face her colleagues. "Before we go inside I just want to apologize for the trouble I''ve caused. I''m sorry." She bowed to them.

    "It''s not your fault so there''s no need to apologize," Michael Price said and the others chimed in response, agreeing with him. "Come on, the meeting is about to start." They moved towards the double doors and entered the room.

    Feeling like she was carrying a huge boulder on her, Katherine squared her shoulders and raised her chin up. Just like what she expected, heads turned to her direction, and eyes were giving her stares as she walked towards their assigned seats. But that didn''t faze her. She kept her head held high and ignored the unwanted looks that were thrown her way.

    The only good thing there was in this situation was that these people were all professionals. So even if they bore hatred or disdain towards her, all they could really do was stareprobably give her dirty looks or quietly whisper but that''s all. Nothing that could really harm her. Since everyone was looking, she might as well smile and stay pretty. That would annoy them more.

    Damien was at the long table that was set up on stage sitting next to Caleb and a few other CRG employees. As soon as Katherine entered the double doors, he watched her until she sat down while keeping his poker face in ce and suppressing the urge to smile at her cheekiness. Subtly, he sent her a text message.

    [Baby Bear: You look beautiful.]

    Katherine read the text from Damien and she had to bite her inner cheek. Without ncing at him, she sent her reply secondster.

    [Katherine: I know. And you look delectable. Don''t smile. Lots of women here.]

    Damien couldn''t help himselfthe corners of his mouth twitched a little.

    [Baby Bear: I doubt anyone would dare make a move on me with you in the room. Especially not with you matching my outfit. You''re so bold, Kitten.]

    Reading the new text message, Katherine''s eyes flitted to Damienwho nonchntly avoided her gaze and kept his eyes on his phoneand then down to her clothes. That''s when she realized that she had unknowingly chosen the same color. She was pretty sure that others noticed it too. Great. Just great.

    She was about topose her reply when she received another text message.

    [Unknown: Watch your back.]

    Katherine straightened in her seat upon reading the text. She whipped her head around but didn''t see anyone suspicious. Just then, Caleb''s voice came through the speakers as he opened the meeting, requesting everyone to keep their devices in silent mode and give their undivided attention.

 Chapter 389: Identity (2)

    Chapter 389: Identity (2)

    Katherine hadn''t taken a peek at her phone since she pocketed it half an hour ago. At the back of her mind, she wondered who could have texted her that message but she forced herself to focus on the meeting and chose to deal with itter.

    Crown Resort Group finished its announcement earlier and was now giving more details on how the new process would take ce. Later, the bidders would have to draw lots in order to know the sequence of the presentation which will be held next week in front of everyone in the room. There were a total of ten bidders for the project. Initially, there were only six of them. However, after CRG''s announcementst Saturday regarding the transparency of the bidding process, four morepanies wanted to take their chances.

    Before the sortition, Vice-President Caleb Yoo patiently answered several questions from the bidders regarding the project. During this time, Katherine felt stuffed. She never liked crowded ces and knowing that this modified process was because of the scandal about her and Damien, she had been feeling eyes at her head the entire time. Wanting to get some fresh air, she excused herself and told Michael Price that she would be stepping out for a bit.

    As soon as she exited the conference room, Katherine was immediately relieved. Seeing the familiar hallway of the second floor of the Crown Hotel, she felt nostalgic being there. Thest time that she was there was a few months ago when she and Damien, along with a few main office employees went to perform an inspection. She was still a CRG employee then, now she was merely a hotel guest and it felt weird.

    Knowing the hotel''syout, she knew where to go. She wanted to go up the third floor where there was an open balcony that was overlooking the garden. On her way, she decided to relieve her dder first and went to the washroom before going up to the next floor. She didn''t stay long and she came out after washing her hands. However, just before she was about to take the stairs, a female voice caught her attention.

    "Hi, excuse me, do you know where conference room three is? I''m really bad at directions." A woman with a very amiable expression smiled at Katherine.

    "Yes. It''s just down the hall." Katherine extended her hand out, an open palm gesturing towards the direction of the room.

    "Ah, thank you!" The woman softly chuckled, her eyes twinkling as she did. "I''m actually here to see my husband. I heard he was going to have a meeting here and I wanted to cheer him up."

    "I see Good luck." Katherine returned a polite smile.

    "Thanks for helping me. What''s your name, by the way? I''m Margaret." The woman extended her hand out to Katherine.

    "I''m Katherine. No problem. I''m sure your husband will be d to see you''re supporting him." Katherine shook hands with Margaret very briefly and her instincts were telling her there was something odd about the woman.

    "You think so? I actually haven''t seen him in a while He''s been very busy. I hope he will be happy like you said. Are you going there too?" Margaret tucked her hair behind her ear in a verydy-like manner.

    "Later. I just need some fresh air first." Katherine then headed to the third floor using the stairs and strolled towards the balcony.

    When the fresh air hit her face, she closed her eyes and breathed deeply. It had only been a little over an hour since the meeting started but she was already dying to get out of there. She wondered how Damien did it for yearsconstantly attending meetings and facing businessmen and other people must be exhausting. She didn''t think that she was cut out for something like this.

    Katherine stretched her limbs and thought to call her grandfather. Whipping out her phone, she dialed her grandfather''s number and the old man picked up on the first ring, making her chuckle as she imagined that he must have been waiting for her call. Then she told him about the meeting, letting him know the updates on the process before she went out earlier which he already knew given that Damien had informed himst Saturdaywhen he was determined to ask for her hand in marriage out of nowhere.

    Their callsted for a couple of minutes more before it ended. Then she decided that it was time to go back to the meeting, so she walked back inside and headed for the stairs. Just as shended on the second floor, she could sense that someone was following her.

    Slowing down her steps, she clutched her purse and carefully looked over her shoulder and sure enough, a few meters from where she stood, there was a tall figure wearing an all-ck outfita hoodie, ck jeans, andbat bootsleaning casually against the wall just as she peeked. He was sort of out-of-ce considering that the second floor only had conference rooms and didn''t have any private rooms.

    Wanting to see what that was about, she continued to walk forwardthe path she took led to the washroom that she went earlier, and it was away from the conference room. Her senses were heightened as she kept walking and when she reached the end of the hallway just right outside the restroom, she stopped. In front of her was a decorative mirror that was ced above a console table.

    She stared at the reflection on the mirror and saw the familiar face of her unwanted follower. Katherine could feel her heartbeat rise up her throat but she swallowed it down before she voiced, "Who are you? Why are you following me?"

    The man did not respond and she kept her back facing him. When she saw him take measured steps towards her, she darted her gaze towards the security camera at the corner of the wall. A couple of secondster, her vision went dark and her body went limp.

 Chapter 390: Identity (3)

    Chapter 390: Identity (3)

    Crown Hotel  Conference Room 3

    Earlier, Damien Park saw Katherine get up from her seat and walk out through the double doors while they were answering questions and rifications from the bidders. However, it had been fifteen minutes since and she hadn''te back yet, making him wonder if she left somewhere. But if she did, she would have informed him, right?

    His eyes were fixed at the double doors where she disappeared a while ago, feeling uneasy by the minute that she hadn''t returned. If she went to the restroom, she should have been back by now knowing that the washroom was just on the other end. Where could she be?

    Damien whipped out his phone and tapped the screen quickly to send her a text message.

    [Damien: Where are you?]

    He waited for a minute but there was no response, so he sent another text.

    [Damien: Everything ok? You''ve been gone for a while.]

    The double doors opened and he snapped his head towards it, his eyes narrowing at the woman who just entered. He knitted his brows upon seeing Margaret enter the conference room, meeting her eyes only for a brief second before averting his eyes away, looking back at his phone screen. He waited for Katherine''s response as he began to feel anxious, his knee bouncing up and down under the table. He was getting impatient.

    Caleb noticed his restlessness and he raised his brow at his friend but Damien only shook his head subtly, not wanting to disturb the meeting. Thetter wanted to call Katherine and he was just about to dial her phone number when a question from one of the bidders demanded his attention. So even though he was reluctant, he shifted his focus back to the meeting and ced his phone down on the table to answer.

    More than twenty minutester, the meeting had finally ended and as soon as it did, Damien called Katherine. The line was silent longer than it should have before an automated operator sounded, <em>"The number you have dialed cannot be reached at the moment. Please try againter."</em>

    He tried two more times but the results were the same. His anxiousness grew even more.

    In a hurry, he left the conference room but before he could reach the door, he saw Michael Price from his peripheral vision. "Price," he called the other''s attention.

    Michael turned to Damien and greeted him as he approached. "President Park. Yes?"

    "Where''s Katherine?" Damien didn''t waste time and asked directly, not caring whoever would hear around them. His hand clutched his phone tightly to ease his nervousness.

    "Oh, I was wondering about that too. She said she was going to get some fresh air but she didn''te back I could wait for her but I actually still have a meeting that I need to get to so I need to leave."

    Damien nodded. "I see. I''ll give her a ride to the office when I find her."

    Michael Price, along with the other Young Corporation employees, left in a hurry, leaving Damien still clueless about Katherine''s whereabouts.

    Walking towards Crown Resort Group''s main office building which is next to Crown Hotel, Damien called Felix who picked up on the first ring. "Where''s Katherine?"

    "I''m not sure. Isn''t she with you at the meeting?"

    "Where are you? Why aren''t you with her?"

    "I''m down at the office, turning over some paperwork that you asked me earlier. What''s wrong?"

    Damien only remembered that he did ask Felix to finish some tasks at Maverick Security. Since he was with Katherine in the room, he became lenient. Now he felt like sht. "I can''t find her. Do a search. I''m going down there." When the call ended, he sprinted towards the elevator and headed straight to the basementat Maverick Security.

    Using his private elevator, Damien pressed a unique code on the control panel and the car moved downwards. When the door opened, he was already inside Maverick Security''s training base where several of his men greeted him as he passed and went straight to the tech room.

    Opening the door, several monitors have been used to search for Katherine as per Felix''s guidance. "Zero, search from forty-five to fifty minutes ago. She left conference room three on the second floor around that time," Damien ordered as he approached.

    "Got it." With quick fingers, Zero maneuvered the security camera''s footage and in a few seconds, he found Katherine exiting the conference room. "Found her."

    Damien''s eyes were glued at the screens in front of them. Zero controlled the yback of the clips where the screen showed simultaneous motions from several security cameras as though they were following wherever she was headed. The yback looked smooth but it was all Zero''s doing as his fingers magically flitted across the keyboard to pull up different angles of the videos.

    They watched as Katherine walked the hallway from the conference room to the other end of the hall, entering thedy''s room. Damien''s heart raced as he waited for Katherine toe out. ''She has to.'' The clip was brought forward until they saw her leaving the restroom and heading towards the stairs but a woman came and talked to her. "Stop," he muttered. "Zoom in."

    There, he saw that Katherine was talking to Margaret Hara. His jaw clenched at the sight. He didn''t like where this was heading. However, he saw Margaret enter the conference room earlier. His brows furrowed in confusion as they continued to watch the security footage. He was slightly relieved when the two only talked, yet now, they were watching Katherine go up the third floor and stayed out in the balcony for a while beforeing back in.

    They were focusing on Katherine the entire time and only noticed that there was a suspicious man following her several meters away. "Wait, what''s that?" Damien pointed at one of the monitors and Zero divided the screens showing Katherine and the man who was following her.

    Watching Katherine back on the second floor, Damien barely blinked as he was afraid to miss anything. It was as if time stood still and his breath was taken away from him when he saw the hooded man approach Katherine from behind and injected something to her neck.

    His heart dropped seeing a lifeless Katherine being carried out by the man. He paled at the sight and he could hear his heartbeat pounding in his ear.

    "Boss, look," one of his men called and pointed at one of the screens.

    Damien''s eyes drifted towards it and watched a clip from an angle where Katherine was facingit was before she lost consciousness. Her eyes were looking straight at the security camera as though she was sure that Damien was watching her at that moment.

    He took over the keyboard and pressed several keys until the screen was zoomed in at her face, just in time for him to see Katherine mouth the words: "Find me."

 Chapter 391: Identity (4)

    Chapter 391: Identity (4)

    Damien reyed the same two-second video clip of Katherine mouthing the two words before she was taken. "Find me"she said, and the emotions bubbling inside him instantly changed from fear to anger real quick. Over and over he reyed the same two-second clip, his fingers frantically tapping the buttons. ystoprewindrepeat.

    "Boss?" Zero called his attention hesitantly while Felix ced a hand on Damien''s shoulder, snapping him out of his trance.

    "Where''s the rest of the footage? Where did he take her?" Damien turned to Zero who immediately traced the rest of the clip. "Look for that woman she talked to earlier after she got out of the bathroom," he told the man next to Zero who was also quick with his fingers and eyes, following orders from his boss. If Margaret had anything to do with what was going on, he swore she''d see his wrath.

    "Something''s off," Felixmented.

    "What?" Damien snapped his head towards Felix, reading thetter''s expression to see what he was referring to.

    "The way that man grabbed her. It''s He''s skilled."

    "Boss, we can only see him leave the building through the cargo exit. Here, he got in a ck sedan with no tes. After that, he joined the traffic. It looked like he came in prepared, he bypassed the security and altered the feeds the entire time. I didn''t even receive any notifs." Zero tried following the car but after the sedan turned at the intersection, his pace slowed down as he needed to ess more secured city cameras. Damien cursed upon hearing what was said, "Why the hell was no one guarding that exit?!"

    The room went quiet and the temperature dropped at the harshness of Damien''s voice that even Felix could only keep his mouth shut. Damien didn''t wait for answers when he told Zero, "Keep searching."

    Turning to Felix, he ordered, "Round up Alpha, Beta, and Delta Team. Gear up and get ready. We''ll move out as soon as we have a location."

    "Understood." Felix didn''t waste time and called the men to gather at the base. This was a serious matter that they couldn''t afford to make any mistakes.

    Damien quickly called Styles and thetter answered on the first ring. "Styles here. What can I do for you, my King?"

    "Katherine has been taken." His voice was devoid of any emotions. Only impassive and iciness.

    "Taken? As in ''taken'' taken? Like the movie ''Taken''? How?!" Styles''s panic-stricken voice was evident through the line.

    "I don''t know. She" Damien''s eyes narrowed at a monitor where an image of Katherine from a paused clip was showna frozen screen where she was mouthing words at the camera. He wondered why she didn''t fight back. The man was obviously taller and heavier than her but he believed that if she really wanted, she could most definitely get away. So why? Why did she let him take her? "She let him" he muttered absent-mindedly.

    "Huh?"

    "Styles, why did she not fight?"

    "Hold on. What are you talking about? Did you check the security feeds?"

    Damien moved towards Zero and was about to coordinate the two together. "Yes. Can you ess it from there? I''ll grant you"

    "No need. I''m already in," Styles said in a serious tone. The wild tapping of the keyboard sounded through the speakers.

    Damien didn''t know if he should be thankful or wary that Styles was able to gain ess to his security. Just how much was this man capable of? Brushing the thought aside, he went to rey the two-second clip again and rewound to a few seconds before that.

    Zooming in at her expression, it was clear that she was looking through the reflection on the decorative mirror in front of her. It looked as if she knew the man but judging by what she told her follower, it seemed that she asked who he was. This made Damien even more baffled.

    ''What''s on your mind, Katherine?'' he thought.

    While Damien was busy deciphering the footage, Styleswho was at Golden Phoenix Residenceswas already in contact with Zerowho was at Maverick Security. The two of them patched a two-waymunication so they could talk freely to each other while Styles worked on the video footages remotely. Styles was able to find the part where Katherine was walking towards the end of the hall before she got taken and he watched carefully, taking in every detail of her movements.

    Styles worked with Katherine back in Shadow on all of her missions, so he knew her pretty well with regards to strategies.

    Styles and Zero coordinated, looking for angles of the man from different cameras in the hallway. The hooded man was mostly careful but there was one footage that he wasn''t able to avoidshowing his reflection on the mirror, enough for Styles to recognize him. "Holy shit," he bit out.

    "What''s wrong? What did you find?" Damien quickly searched the dozens of monitors in front of them, impatient to see what Styles found out.

    Carefully, Styles muted hisms that''s connected to Zero''s and made sure that only Damien could hear him before he said, "I know who this is"

    Damien didn''t say anything because with just the fact that Styles recognized the man, he already knew who was behind this.

    "His name is Gusone of Shadow''s agents. If what I''m thinking is right, Parker must have ordered this agent to kidnap her to test her responses. Agents from Shadow were trained to withstand torture. I just hope Gus wouldn''t do that to her."

    Damien thought that Katherine must have wanted to keep her identity intact by letting herself get taken instead of fighting back. He clenched his hand in frustration. "Can you find her?" Damien was already fuming. They already knew that Shadow was targeting them, so he med himself for allowing this to happen.

    "Ah yeah If she''s wearing that ne, yes of course. I can find her."

    "Ne?"

    "Ring. Or whatever. That ring she has that had ck stones? She asked me to ce the tracker there. But she doesn''t wear it on her finger though. She got a long chain and used it as a pendant. Anyway, I''m sure you''ve seen that already. Let me just run the tracker." Styles started running the software on hisputer and searched for Katherine''s tracker.

    Damien clenched his jaw as he listened to what Styles said. Of course he knew what ring Styles was talking about. He gave her that ringthe onyx ring. Thankful that she had that ne with her, he could only hope that she was safe. Closing his eyes, he prayed that they would get her location as soon as possible.

    "I got a ping. But I don''t think she''s still there. I lost the signal just before the tracker entered the outskirts of Harbor City. He might have used a signal jammer or something," said Styles.

    Damien''s eyes slowly fluttered open and he let out a long exhale. "Send me thest pinged location. We''ll start moving. Search the area for any possibilities of where he could have taken her."

    "Roger that."

    "Styles?" Damien called the other''s attention, his voice was a mixture of icy and anxiousness.

    "Yes?"

    "Hurry."

    The call ended and Damien''s eyesnded at the monitor where Katherine''s image was frozen on the screen. Staring at those wistful eyes, he silently mumbled, "Don''t worry, Love. I''ming for you."

 Chapter 392: Identity (5)

    Chapter 392: Identity (5)

    Thirty minutes away from Katherine''sst pinged location, there was an unfinished construction site that had been abandoned for a few years now.

    It was high noon on a Monday morning. However, it didn''t seem like so inside the dingy space of the only room that was semi-finished in the area. It had four walls, a ceiling, cavities for windows and doors but no actual windows and doors. The room was located at the east side of the construction siteit was used as a storage for some scraps and materials. The cavities were covered using the scraps that wereying around the area, darkening the entire room.

    It had been half an hour since Katherine was brought there and more than an hour since she had been kidnapped. She was tied up to a pole, her wrists were bound by heavy-duty duct tape behind her and her waist was tied to the pole too. Having been unconscious for a while, her head hung low and her bare feet started getting cold.

    She finally gained consciousness when she heard some noises around her. She tried to open her eyes only to find that there was light fabric covering her eyes, so she couldn''t see clearly. Realizing her situation, Katherine wanted to exhale a heavy and exaggerated sigh but stopped herself. What kind ofme kidnapping was this?!

    She wanted to snort at Gus. Duct tape on her wrist and waist to a pole? Really? And a light fabric to cover her eyes? Was this some kind of a joke? It was as though he was expecting her to escape and actually be sessful.

    But what did she know? It had been more than five years since she hadst seen Gus. Maybe he became dumb the longer that he stayed in Shadow. Either that or he was really doing all of these on purpose.

    Katherine groaned when she felt her head start to pound. Though her eyes were covered, she managed to slightly open them until she could vaguely see silhouettes through her marred vision. She couldn''t see clearly, so she could only focus on her hearing and other senses.

    There was a light pitter-patter of the rain from outsidewherever she wasand it made the room smell musty and moist. She wasn''t in any pain except her neck from the prick of the needle. It was tolerable but she never liked needles. Her feet were like icicles and she wondered where her shoes were.

    "Hello? Is anybody there?" She made her voice sound weak, not knowing who was watching or listening.

    There were footstepsing towards her and by instinct, her head turned to the direction of the sound while she tried to make up the approaching figure. She bet it was Gus.

    "Good. You''re awake," he saidnow she was certain that it was indeed him when she recognized his voice. ''Hey, Gus,'' she said in her thoughts.

    But she had to lie. "Who are you? What do you want from me?" Katherine sounded scared.

    He didn''t answer and she focused on his footsteps and subtle movements. There were shuffling sounds in front of her and she was getting annoyed that she couldn''t see clearly through the fabric that''s covering her eyes. She had to really concentrate until she could make out some shapes and figures. ''What the hell are you doing, Gus?'' she wondered.

    To keep up with her act, she offered, "Since you kidnapped me, I''m sure you know who I am" The man paused upon hearing her statement, his ears perking up in anticipation. Straightening his back, he looked at her, waiting for what she had to say.

    "I''m from the Young family my family has money. Just tell me how much you want and we''ll give it to you. I won''t tell the cops, I swear!" Katherine suddenly heard Styles''s voice in her head telling her, ''You''re such a drama queen''.

    She heard Gus scoff at her words and then he went back to working on whatever he was working on several feet away from her. Right. What would he need money for? If he''s Shadow''s soldier, he only followed orders. No agent in Shadow was hungry for money. Even Katherine herself felt like rolling her eyes at what she offered. If she were to really entice Gus, she knew what he could possibly want. Something that Shadow could never give him.

    Seeing as he wanted to ignore her, she just kept going. "What''s your name? I''m Katherine I don''t have a lot in me but if you check my purse, you can take all the cards in there. Just please don''t hurt me," she begged.

    ''Right. Hurt me, Gus... and I''ll break your face once I get out of these restraints,'' she thought.

    "Oh shut up. You talk too much." Gus shook his head. He couldn''t believe that this woman that he had tied on the post was the same woman that he knew. How weak. And chatty.

    Katherine lowered her head, her mouth twitched at his remark, feeling both dejected and pissed. She wanted to break free from her restraints so she could smack his head for thement. If she really tried, she could loosen the tie on her. But all she did was try to feel and familiarize herself with how she was tied up just in case. At the moment, she could only be patient.

    There was a click and she raised her head. Trying so hard, she had to focus on what''s in front of her until she was sure that there was a small red blinking light a few feet away. Damn it. The asshole was recording her.

    She didn''t have to ask. She could already guess that Parker could be watching her. Whether it was a live feed or a recording to be reportedter.

    "Please Mister Just let me go I promise I won''t tell anyone." She started trying to loosen the tape around her wrist. The idea of Parker seeing her all tied up like this made her sick. Her headache was unbearable, making her want to puke.

    Trying so hard not to make a mistake, Katherine became extra careful. If she slips up and Parkeror Gus could see through her acting, she could end up dead.

    Or worse, her canction could lead her to be wiped out from the face of the earth, and Damienand her family would never know what happened to her. How she died. Or where her corpse could be. She would just disappear without a trace. And that''s what she was afraid of.

    It was the worst way to go. If she died, she would want to be properly buried. So there was no way in hell she would ever die in the hands of Shadow.

    Katherine just needed to buy some time. She trusted that Damien would find her. He must.

 Chapter 393: Identity (6)

    Chapter 393: Identity (6)

    The sky became darker and the rain became heavier outside. Despite her situation, Katherine foundfort in the fact that at least the clouds were crying for her.

    Dramatic? Pfft. Better than getting stuck here with Gus for the pastshe didn''t even know how long she had been there. She lost track after waking up. With this cold weather, she''d very much prefer to be curling up in bed. Possibly with Damien. Gosh, this kidnapping made her have so much time to think about things she wished she had at the moment.

    For the past few minutes, she''d exhausted herself thinking about why Augustine was doing this to herrather, why Shadow was doing this to her. The only conclusion she came up with was that this was a test. Parker must have thought that capturing her would prove something. Katherine thought back to before she lost her consciousness while at the Crown Hotel. If she had fought with Gus and escaped, he could have reported back to Parker and told him what happened.

    If that happened, who knows where she could be at the moment. Probably hiding from the hundreds of assassins that Parker would have sent to cancel her. And most likely a ''cleaner'' to do the nasty job of finishing the work, making sure there''s no trace of her corpse anywhere.

    She had once witnessed a cleaner do the work and she gagged at the sight of it, suddenly feeling pity for the one being canceled. She swore she had nightmares for a while after that.

    "Tell me what''s your name." Gus''s voice soundedzy, snapping her out of her wild thoughts.

    Katherine sighed. Her arms and legs were already sore as she had been standing and tied up for god knows how long now. She was tired, cold, and already annoyed. "We''ve been over this a billion times"

    "And we''ll keep doing this a billion times more. Stopining." He was insistent, though his voice was still lifelessas if doing this was beyond him and a waste of his time. "Your name."

    "Like I said for the first hundred times. My name is Katherine Young. Daughter of"

    "Your name."

    "Oh my god. Will you just kill me instead?!" Katherine didn''t know what Gus was up to by asking her name over and over again. She was hungry and irritated and her whole body was aching. It was probably past noon by now and her stomach growled as aint.

    Gusughed, his deep voice reverberating in the entire space upon hearing her snap at him. If he thought this woman in front of him was different from the woman he knew back then, he could certainly see some simrities between the two now.

    For one, she has a smart mouth. Two, she''s easily annoyed. Three Well, he was still about to find out.

    Pissed that Gus was mocking her, she bit her tongue to stop herself from snarking ament that could break her facade. She decided it would probably be best to keep her mouth shut and not utter a word anymore. But not after she asked, "Can I at least have some water, please? I''m dying here."

    Already standing up before she even finished her request, Gus grabbed a bottle of water from his bag and unscrewed the top. Carefully, he tipped the water bottle and helped her drink from it, noticing her dry and pale lips. Did he overdo it? He pulled the bottle back after letting her sip a little. Captives shouldn''t be left satisfied.

    Though still feeling parched, Katherine uttered a ''thank you'' and earned a scoff from him. He had gotten even cockier over the years.

    When she sensed that he had walked away, she continued to subtly twist and turn her wrists. The heavy-duty duct tape lived up to its name and she could only wish that there was some progress there somewhere, hoping that if she sweats, it could probably help loosen up the adhesive.

    "Your name," he demanded once again as soon as she sat down.

    "Honestly, buddy mister whoever you are I don''t know why you''re doing this. Is this part of some kinda kinky stuff or something? You wouldn''t sell this to foreigners, would you?" Her head was pounding and she was slightly feeling sickprobably an after side effect from the sedative that he injected her earlier. But talking was the only way she thought could help her stay up. She was debating with herselfwanting and not wanting to shut up. How long has it been? Because it felt like an eternity already.

    "You have a very wild imagination. Just like someone I used to know." Gus stared at her, wondering what this rogue agent was thinking.

    "Really? Tell me about this person you used to know Was she pretty? This person is a woman, right?" Her interest got piqued.

    "Oh, she was pretty alright. Really skilled too Probably one of the best."

    Katherine didn''t respond and waited for him to continue as she felt like there was a ''but'' in there somewhere.

    "But She''s blind. Sometimes selfish. Really sensitive. Irritable"

    "She sounds like a btch," she remarked. "But the way you describe her, why does it seem like you like her?"

    Gus narrowed his eyes at Katherine and Chris''s words rang in his ears: "Did you like Agent Queen?"

    Perhaps. Whether he did or not, this woman in front of him was no Agent Queen. For him, she died during the first Castle''s explosion. So it shouldn''t matter.

    "Your name," he muttered again, diverting the strayed topic back.

    Noticing Gus''s reaction, Katherine silently sighed and kept her mouth closed tightly. She decided that she wouldn''t utter any more words.

    Meanwhile

    A few ck SUVs parked at the roadside waiting to receive the possible location of where Katherine could have been taken. Damien sat in the front seat with an unreadable expression. His hair was disheveled from the countless times that his fingers had run through it in frustration.

    He had removed his coat and was only wearing a ck dress shirt with the top button undone and sleeves rolled to his elbow. In his hand was his phoneand he had been staring at it for the past few minutes waiting for Styles''s survey results. He, along with his men, had been sitting in the vehiclesat the location where Katherine''s tracker lost its signal.

    "I found three within twenty kilometers from where you are. You''d have to split to cover more grounds. I''m sending the coordinates directly through your cars right now," said Styles. And in the next second, three locations popped up as destination options on the dashboard screen.

    Damien read the names while Styles added, "I think your best bet is the first location. It''s a construction site. I checked the city''s cameras to track the car he was driving before he left the city. Though I lost track when he entered the outskirts, this was the only ce that made sense. I could be wrong and he might just be diverting... Your choice, Boss."

    Noting what Styles said, Damien''s instinct was also telling him to choose the same. The rain poured down heavily on the roof of the SUV and the sky above them roared, seemingly angry at the creatures on earth. He tapped a button on his earpiece and addressed his men, "Follow the coordinates on your dashboard. Noah, you take the one on the northeast. Gideon, southeast. We''ll head to the northside. Let''s move."

 Chapter 394: Identity (7)

    Chapter 394: Identity (7)

    "Have you called someone for ransom yet? Who did you call?" Katherine was running out of dumb talk ideas to say. What else could a person not rted to Shadow say when kidnapped? It didn''t help that her stomach had beenining since forever. "You could at least give me candy or something." God. Gus was such a terrible kidnapper.

    "I will, after you tell me your name," he responded.

    "How about you tell me what you want to hear instead? You asked for my name and I already gave it to you but you still continue to ask. Did you perhaps mistook me for someone else?"

    Lightning and thunder cast the sky and she flinched at the sudden sound before sighing. She had lost the energy to stand still so she spread her feet wide and leaned against the pole that she was tied to. The concrete floor was cold but there was nothing she could do since she was barefooted. She tried to wiggle her wrists again and thought that since a while ago, the duct tape on her had only moved a tiny bit.

    "Since you''re not epting my answers, how about you tell me your name instead. What''s your name?" When Gus didn''t answer her question, she continued, "Let me guess. You''re probably a Martin no Bruno? Ah Loki"

    "You think this is a game?" Gus''s cold tone rang in the room and Katherine almost wanted to smile.

    "Mister, you should tell me what you want from me because I have no idea why I''m being held up here. I have already pleaded for you to let me go. Answered your one question yet you aren''t satisfied with my answer. So please enlighten me. What do you want from me? Do you want me to cry?" she bit out under gritted teeth.

    Earlier, Gus had wanted to catch her in her lies, even recording her so he could turn it over to Parker just like he asked. But now, the more that he observed her, the more he got curious as to what''s beyond thiswhatever she was hiding.

    While he mentioned traits about her earlier''someone he used to know''he had left out the part about her being such a good liar. It wasn''t something surprising knowing that agents in Shadow were taught how to lie. It was just part of their skillsetas having different identities every mission required them to live their lies.

    Katherine aka Queen was one of those who could lie smoothly that you couldn''t suspect a thing. It was admirable and frustrating at the same time. It was probably why her missions were mostly being a seductress. She looked and could act the part. And with her fighting skills, she''s one deadly woman.

    So what exactly was the truth?

    Hearing herints, Gus thought he should switch it up a bit. "Very well, how about this. I tell you a story and you tell me whether I''m lying or not."

    Katherine could feel the headache building up, throbbing from the base of her neck to the back of her head. She squeezed her eyes shut and whimpered, praying it would go away. "How would I" she gulped. "How would I know if you''re telling the truth? I don''t even know you."

    "You''ll see. Let''s start with an easy one. Eight years ago, there was a bomb threat at Times Square, New York." Gus crossed his arms in front of his chest as he watched her carefully, his biceps bulging at the pose.

    Katherine''s ears perked at his statement. He was referring to an incident that happened eight years ago while she was still in Shadow. She and Gus would sometimes go on missions together and this incident was one of them. It wasn''t a bomb threat at allit was an assassination mission disguised as a bomb threat.

    Realizing what he was doing, she quickly came up with a response, "There was a bomb threat at times square? I wouldn''t know that. I had been in an ident five years ago and I couldn''t remember anything before that."

    Gus''s face remained stoic and he spoke again. "Airbus Z940 was hijacked on its way to Russia."

    "Why are you talking about bombings and hijackings? Are you a terrorist?" Her pitch went higher, masking her annoyance that Gus was doing this on purpose. He was trying to get her to correct the intentional mistakes in his statements.

    "You''re one tough cookie, Queen," he mumbled in a low voice but enough for Katherine to hear.

    She felt slightly nostalgic at the way he said the words as it wasn''t the first time that Gus told her that.

    Just then, several beeps sounded from a few feet away and she sensed him walking away from her. "Looks like your knight in shining armor is here to rescue you. Too bad we didn''t have more time."

    "What?" she whispered and her ears tried to pick up sounds from here and there but the rain outside was too loud for her to notice anything else. She tried to straighten up but her legs have turned into jelly and she could barely stand. Even with her eyes closed, she could feel the room spinning.

    Very faintly, Katherine felt Gus''s presencee near her and before she could open her mouth to speak, she heard him say, "I really wish you''d forgotten the past. Good for you."

    And with that, he fled the ce, leaving Katherine still tied up to the pole. She could sense that she was already alone in the room. So with all of her might, she tried to wriggle her wrists while ignoring the tension in her head. "Come on, Katherine," she panted.

    She was breathless yet she didn''t stop. The binding started to loosen up just as she heard a voice calling out her name. "Katherine!"

    Her head snapped up to the direction of the sound, her heart racing frantically at the familiar voice. "I''m over here!"

    Hearing her voice, Damien''s eyes sharpened and he quickly sprinted towards the only room at the east side of the construction site. His men were following him behind while strategically and carefully surveying the surroundings. With a gun in his hand pointing at the ground, he carefully raised it forward as soon as he entered the room only to find Katherine alone and tied up.

    "Katherine!" He tucked his gun at the back of his waistband and hurried over to her, holding her up and taking off her blindfold immediately. "Oh thank god."

    "Damien" was thest word she mumbled just before she fainted.

 Chapter 395: Identity (8)

    Chapter 395: Identity (8)

    Earlier

    Damien and Felix, along with three other men, were on their way to the north outside of Harbor City where the construction site was located. Damien had been feeling quite anxious since he found out Katherine''s abduction. Not knowing where to find her was one of the worse things on top of being clueless as to whether she was okay.

    When they were five minutes away from the site, his smartphone rang and he answered without checking who it was. "Damien," he said.

    "Where are you? Styles told me what happened." Amelia''s voice sounded from the other end of the line and he recognized his mother''s voice right away.

    "We''re heading north."

    "I''m going with you. I''ll catch up."

    Damien heard some shuffling sounds from the other line and he could guess that she was already preparing to leave. "No, don''t. Don''te. Just stay there."

    "Why? Katherine''s in danger. I want to help."

    "I know that. But I don''t know what to expect once we arrive there. This is Shadow we''re talking about. It''s dangerous for you to be seen there. They''re already targeting me and Katherine. We can''t let them know of your presence." Damien''s voice was low and authoritative at the same time. He knew that she was capable of taking care of herself, but he didn''t want to take any risk.

    Amelia paused as she thought about what her son was telling her. He was right. She had spent so much effort to hide and stay away from Shadow''s radar. As far as Parker knows, she''s already dead. If by any chance she would be seen there, it wouldn''t only be Katherine and Damien who would be the walking targets. It was indeed best if she would stay hidden.

    However, the thought of her son facing Shadow right now was making her heart heavy. These people were ruthless. As long as an order was given, they wouldn''t hesitate to kill. She didn''t know who Agent Gus was but if he was Katherine''s friend back in Shadow like Styles told her, she could just hope that he wouldn''t harm a hair on her head for old time''s sake.

    "Fine. I won''t go there. But keep your lines open with Styles. The moment I sense that you''re in danger, you cannot stop me. I''ll drive towards the north but I''ll stay a few minutes away," she said.

    Damien could only agree to what she said. When their phone call ended, they were almost at the location. They could already see the construction site several meters away, and everything looked quiet. It was dark and there weren''t any vehicles in sight. Just as they hade to a stop, Damien received a phone call from Noah.

    "Boss, we''ve searched the area. Everything''s clear here in the northeast."

    "Noted." Damien turned to Felix who also received simr info from their men in the southeast. Nodding, he stepped out of the car and they gathered. The rain poured heavily from the sky but that didn''t stop them. "It seems quiet but keep your guards up. We don''t know what we''re dealing with."

    They all strapped on a bulletproof vest and each had their weapons in hand. A submachine gun for Felix, while Damien opted for a handgun. With hand signals, Damien gave his instructions to search the perimeter. They all had earpieces on, all connected with each other while Damien was also connected to Styles who was getting anxious at the moment.

    "Be careful, my King. This agent is very skilled. I''m crossing my fingers that he didn''t harm Katherine," Styles reminded over thems.

    "I don''t care if he''s skilled. He better not touch her or he''s going down today." Damien''s icy tone sent shivers down Styles''s back.

    "I''m going in." Damien carefully surveyed the area, his hand gripping the handle of his gun while the other supported the base. Raindrops kept falling over his head, drenching his hair and clothes but he kept going. The site wasn''t huge. It was less than a thousand square meters and soon after his men had searched the perimeter, they met deeper into the location.

    A tter sounded from the side and he ordered Felix to check it out. Thetter hurriedly went to the direction where the sound came from and it led him back out and into the woods.

    "Katherine!" Damien called a few times and to his surprise, a faint cry was heard from the room where they were headed to. "I''m over here!" she responded. And as soon as she did, he hastened his steps until he entered the darkened room and found her all tied up.

    "Katherine, oh thank god." He managed to get to her just before she fainted. Without any dy, he cut the tapes that tied her to the pole and carried her out safely.

    Golden Phoenix Residences

    In the middle of the bedid Katherine Young with an IV attached to the back of her hand. There were bruises around her wrists from being tied up tightly earlier. Amelia had changed her clothes intofortable loungewear after they cleaned her up. It was already eight o''clock in the evening and she had been unconscious since Damien rescued her.

    Damien had been debating with himself whether he should inform Katherine''s grandfather about her getting kidnapped, but just as he was about to make the call, she groaned from the bed, catching his attention.

    "Ah Damn it. My head," she mumbled as she raised her hand to massage her temple only to find a tube attached to her. "What"

    "Baby, are you okay?" Damien sat on the bed, concern written all over his face. He had been waiting for hours and seeing her awake was such a relief.

    "Damien... What''s going on? Why am I" A sh of images appeared in her mind, reminding her of what happened. She realized that it wasn''t a dream and now she was home. "Oh" she sighed and tried to sit up on the bed with Damien''s help. She immediately wrapped her arms around him, thankful that he found her just like what she believed he would. "You came for me."

    "Of course, I would." He naturally returned her embrace, careful not to squeeze her too tight. "I was so worried I thought I wouldn''t find you."

    "I believed you would. I could have tried to get out of there, but wait" She pulled away and knitted her brows. "What happened? Where''s Gus? Did you find him?"

    Damien looked at her and couldn''t help but feel bitter. "Are you talking about the one who kidnapped you? Why? Are you worried about him?" He was still pissed that they lost the guy and wasn''t able to capture him.

    "Of course not! I was just wondering where he went because he was just suddenly gone. I thought he was going to face you. Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" She quickly scanned his physique, her hands stroking his arms and chest but didn''t find any wounds on him.

    He softened his expression. He could not believe that she was the one who got kidnapped but here she was, worried that he was hurt. His heart throbbed at the thought.

    "I''m fine. Don''t worry about me." He caught her hand and held it, pressing a kiss on her fingers before he gave her a reassuring smile.

    When she rxed, he looked into her eyes and told her, "Felix found something while he ran after him. I want you to tell me the truth."

    "What is it?"

    Damien reached for the video recorder on the nightstand and gripped it tightly. With a serious expression, he probed, "Did he touch you?"

    Katherine eyed the recorder in his hand, and it took her a few seconds before she understood what he was asking and her eyes widened in horror. "Oh my god, no! No-no-no. He didn''t!"

    Seeing the truth in her eyes, he could finally rx. His mind had been reeling from just thinking about possibilities while she was in captivity. He almost lost his shit.

    "As long as you''re okay," he whispered as he pulled her against him.

 Chapter 396: Identity (9)

    Chapter 396: Identity (9)

    A growling sound from Katherine''s mid-section interrupted their hugging.

    "You''re hungry" Damien pulled back and his eyes instantlynded on her stomach.

    "I haven''t eaten since morning." A pout formed on her lips, making her look extra pitiful and adorable that it crushed his heart.

    "That bastard." He clicked his tongue and got up. "I''ll bring you some food."

    "Ah! I''ll go with you."

    Before he could stop her, she had already pulled out the IV catheter from the back of her hand. He narrowed his eyes and watched as she pressed the part where the IV needle was earlier with a band-aid that she kept on the nightstand and proceeded to close the IV flow regtor.

    When she met his questioning eyes with her innocent ones, she was confused. "What?" As if what she did was a normal thing to do.

    "You should rest. Why did you remove your IV?" he questioned.

    "I don''t like needles. And I''m fine now. I''m just really hungry. Please feed me," she pleaded, with hands pressed together like she was praying kind of pleading.

    How could he decline her request looking like that? He would seem like a monster. "Fine." He dug his hands in his pockets as he headed outside and she followed behind.

    At the kitchen, Katherine and Amelia sat by the ind counter while Damien grabbed a few ingredients from the refrigerator to make some stir-fried chicken and vegetables. It was the fastest that he could make so she wouldn''t have to wait long.

    "So this agentthe one who took you. You knew him?" Amelia asked. Her hands were nursing a cup of chamomile tea that she asionally sipped from time to time.

    "Yeah. We sort of joined Shadow together. He was a Type A."

    "An orphan," Amelia confirmed.

    "Yeah." Katherine nodded and turned to face Damien, watching him as he started slicing up boneless and skinless chicken thighs into bite-sized chunks. When he had enough for about half a cup, he kept the rest of the chicken aside and started preparing the vegetables. "Wait Can you add more?" she requested, pointing at the chicken.

    Damien''s hand paused mid-air and his gaze flitted from Katherine to the chicken. Raising a brow, he sliced up and added some more.

    "More, please" She bit her bottom lip, already salivating when he hasn''t even started cooking yet.

    So, of course, he added some more. And then looked at her as if he needed her confirmation if the one cup of chicken was already enough.

    "A little more?" She unabashedly smiled and rubbed her hands together. She was really hungry.

    Shaking his head, Damien could onlyply with his Queen''s demands. When she was finally satisfied with how much meat there was, he started stir-frying using a wokbroli florets, snow peas, and bell pepper were incorporated into the chicken dish. With his chef skills, his movements were systematic and he was able to cook the food just as Katherine''s stomach started growling again.

    "What did he say?" Amelia asked as she poured a ss of water for Katherine while Damien ted the stir-fried dish on top of a bed of rice then ced it in front of her.

    "Thank you," Katherine told the two and started to eat a spoonful of the delicious food, chewed, and then swallowed before she answered, "Nothing much really. He just constantly asked me for my name." Another spoonful of stir-fried chicken and vegetables with teriyaki sauce and fluffy rice went past her lips and into her mouth. She had to close her eyes as she savored the tasty dish that exploded in her mouth.

    "What do you mean he asked for your name?" Damien probed.

    "Literally that. ''Tell me your name. What''s your name. Your name.'' Over and over even after I told him I was Katherine Young."

    "Is that all? He didn''t ask you anything else?"

    She snorted and rolled her eyes. "It was the only thing he asked. And trust me, it got annoying after the tenth time and I lost count after that. That, plus me getting hungry was not a goodbination. A different kind of torture, I say. "

    "He wanted to hear you say it." Amelia''s voice was low. She averted her gaze to the side as if she was imagining something.

    "Hear what?" Damien looked at the two women in front of him. There was an understanding between the two that only they knew.

    Katherine gulped down her food and drank water. "The agents in Shadow live by several codes. Actually, many. One of which is a constant reminder to everyone." She nced at Amelia and continued, "We don''t have an identity. As far as we all were concerned. We only exist for Shadow. Live and breathe for Shadow. He asked for my name. But agents don''t have ''identities''. WeThey basically don''t exist anywhere. So what he really wanted to know was if I would tell him I don''t have one."

    "But wasn''t it easy to just lie your way through? He spent the whole time asking you the question, wasn''t that a waste of time?"

    "It doesn''t matter. He wasn''t only testing my words. The entire time he had this recorder on. I''m assuming it was for Parkerhe who sees with all his senses."

    "Hmmm." Amelia chimed in. "Parker is great at reading people. He could tell when you''re lying by just observing your bodynguage. How was your Poly test?" She turned to Katherine.

    "I aced it." A small smile danced on her lips before she chewed another spoonful of food, seemingly proud that she was great at keeping the lie during the test in Castle.

    "Poly? Like a polygraph?" Damien probed.

    Amelia nodded. "Yeah. We were trained to beat the test but not everyone actually passes it. It''s why each agent has different types of missions than the others. The missions were assigned depending on their skillset. Polygraphs aren''t 100% reliable. However, the FBI, the police, etc.they still use it as of date. So it''s important for us to be able to handle it, in case we were caught one day while on a mission."

    "What if an agent didn''t pass that test and he gets caught by the police? What happens if he can''t lie his way out?" Damien was curious.

    Katherine and Amelia exchanged looks as though the information was something unpleasant. Katherine pushed her empty te forward, drank the rest of her water, and wiped her mouth dry before she answered, "It usually depends on how valuable you are to the organization and what kind of mission you''re assigned to. But we couldn''t expect Shadow to rescue us. If that''s the case We have to do a self canction."

    When Damien''s brows furrowed deeper as though he had an idea what Katherine was saying but he wasn''t sure if he thought right, Amelia cleared up the confusion and told him directly, "We have to kill ourselves."

    Damien swallowed at the thought of the two women being part of this dark organization in the past. How could they exist?

    He knew about the existence of the underworld and crime syndicates but Shadow wasn''t anything like what he knew. There seemed to be something darker than what Katherine and Amelia were aware of and that''s what they needed to find outthe truth about Shadow. So that once and for all, they could bring it down.

    But will they be able to beat this cruel organization with their current resources? How much light do they need to have in order to ovee this darkness?

 Chapter 397: New Moon

    Chapter 397: New Moon

    After Katherine finished eating her scrumptious meal, she and Damien went out to the balcony to get some fresh air. It was no longer raining and sitting by the pool under the new moon and the calm night was quite peacef total opposite of the eventful day that they had.

    They each sat onfy armchairs facing the view of the dark sea. The stars in the dark sky weren''t a lotpared to the other nights but it was still a beautiful sight to look at. Katherine brought her knees up, hugging them to warm herself up and adjusting the fleece nket over her shoulders that Damien put around her earlier.

    He stretched his limbs while he was seated and threw his head back, closing his eyes as he took a second to rest. There was silence for a few minutes as they enjoyed the quiet night before he started, "I was going to call your grandfather and tell him about what happened."

    Katherine snapped her head at him and immediately said, "You can''t! You didn''t tell him anything, did you?"

    He shook his head and gave her a reassuring smile. "I didn''t. It would be an unnecessary worry for him and I think you didn''t need to tell him more lies."

    A pang of guilt shed her heart. She was indeed lying too much but all for a good reason. Ignoring the ill feelings, she nodded and tightened the covers around her. "Thanks You can''t let the news about my abduction go out either, not just for my family but because it will only paint a bad image of your hotel and Maverick Security. So let''s just keep this under wraps."

    Damien leaned forward with his head in his hands, seemingly distressed about what Katherine just said. He ran his fingers through his hair several times out of frustration and looked at a distance as he thought about things.

    "What are you thinking about?" she wondered.

    He tilted his head sideways and looked at her, trying to grasp the thought of her being next to him safe and sound. But just earlier that day, she had been captured. He swore he felt like his chest was being crushed not knowing whether he would see her again.

    Reaching out to touch his arm, she gave him a small smile. "Hmmm?"

    He nced at her hand on his arm, ced his hand over it, and whispered, "I''m sorry."

    Katherine was taken aback by what he muttered. "Why are you sorry?"

    Letting out a deep sigh, he lowered his head and rubbed his nape as if it would relieve the stress that he had. "I wasn''t able to protect you."

    Hearing what was eating him up made her feel horrible. She swiftly got up from the armchair and kneeled in front of him, the nket falling on the floor as she did. With both hands, she held the sides of his face and tipped his head towards her so that they were staring at each other. "Damien, it''s not your fault. It was my choice to let him take me. Otherwise, I would have blown my cover."

    Damien felt an inexplicable pain at the back of his throat while the scene from the security footage of her getting taken by that man reyed in his mind once againthe look in her eyes when she mouthed the words ''find me'' haunted him. It scared him that he wouldn''t be able to find her. That he would be toote.

    He lowered his gaze, looking at the floor space between his feet when he couldn''t look at her anymore. "That doesn''t change the fact that I feel like sht for not doing what I am supposed to do. You were on my turf, Katherine. It happened while I was in the same building. On the same damn floor and I only knew almost an hourter. I felt I feel helpless that I couldn''t prevent it from happening."

    She rubbed the back of his hand tofort him. "You can''t be mad at yourself for that Be mad at me instead."

    Damien raised his head and narrowed his eyes at her. "Why would I be mad at you?"

    "Because I didn''t fight back. If I had, I wouldn''t have been captured." She shrugged.

    "But if you did that"

    Katherine slowly smiled at him and he softly chuckled at the realization. They were only going around in circlesexcept he was on the defense this time. "Fine. Okay. But it still feels awful and that I can''t help. Felix is already doing an internal investigation. We''ll tighten the security even more."

    He pulled her up and made her sit on hisp, in which sheplied and settledfortably in his arms. "It feels good like this. I had to stand for hours and the floor was cold. Stupid Gus. I''ll get back at him for that," he heard herin. He pressed a kiss on her hair and tightened his embrace.

    "Then we''ll stay like this for a while. But we have to go inside soon as it''s getting colder by the minute," he said as he tried to warm up her cold hands.

    All of a sudden, the image from the security footage of Margaret talking to Katherine shed in his mind and he knitted his brows. A bitter taste lingered in his tongue at the thought of that womaning near Katherine. "Earlier when I watched the security clips, I saw you talking to a woman when you got out of the restroom." When she looked at him, he added, "That was Margaret."

    "You know her?" She arched a brow as the face of the woman from that time formed in her mind.

    "She''s the daughter of Chairman Hara of Hara Construction."

    "She''s Margaret Hara..." Katherine shifted her gaze at nowhere in particr. Her mind brought her back to when the woman approached her then. She looked like an innocent-looking person. Always smiling and looking amiable.

    Her nose wrinkled at the memory of them shaking hands and she vaguely remembered the strange feeling that she got. Like something was odd with the woman. Could it be because of this? Because she was that woman whom Damien told her about?

    The better question was probably: Did Margaret know who she was when she approached her? Because if she did, Katherine thought she was such a sly person.

 Chapter 398: One Sweet Kiss

    Chapter 398: One Sweet Kiss

    The scene from that morning yed in Katherine''s mind and she tried to recall any signs. Margaret was a few inches shorter than her. She had long ck hair and had a very amiable expression. Katherine could see that Margaret was charming too as she smiled a lot so if she hadn''t known about what she did to Damien years ago, she would definitely be fooled.

    Who would have known that an innocent and sweet-looking woman was that maniptive? No wonder she felt something off about their encounter. Katherine wondered if that petite woman had changed or was she still wicked like before.

    She was so distracted by her thoughts of that morning that she didn''t hear Damien''s question until he yfully bit down her shoulder and said, "What''s on your mind, Kitten?"

    "WhatOh, sorry. I was just thinking about that woman" She swallowed.

    He studied her face and saw how serious she was as she thought. "She talked to you. What did she say? Did she do something to upset you?"

    Katherine breathed in deeply and leaned against him more and in return, he tightened his arms around her. "No She was just asking where conference room three was. She said she was there to visit her husband."

    "Husband? She''s married?" Damien thought about it briefly as he hadn''t heard any news about her wedding. Maybe she did it in Japan or maybe in secret. He didn''t really care. He didn''t even spare her a long nce when she entered the conference room earlier.

    Shrugging, she yed with the hem of his sleeve absent-mindedly. The warmth that''s radiating from his body immediately warmed her up. It was cold out on the balcony but she didn''t want to move. The night was so nice that time that she only wanted to snuggle with him. "That''s what she said."

    When he didn''t say anything, she nced up and saw him in deep thought. "Why?"

    Damien softly smiled and kissed her temple, his hands rubbed her cold arms. "Nothing. I just don''t want her causing you any trouble."

    "Don''t worry, Damien, she won''t. If she does, I can handle her just fine."

    His smile widened and he chuckled. His woman was Katherine. Of course, she could handle it. "I''m sure you can." He tilted his chin up, his lips waiting to meet hers.

    Heat pooled in her cheeks as Damien silently asked her to kiss him. Shifting in hisp, she encircled an arm around his shoulder and her hand cupped his jaw as she leaned in and pressed her lips to his. One sweet kiss that made his heart smile. One sweet kiss that made the butterflies in her stomach go wild.

    She pulled away but he ced his hand at the back of her head to keep her in ce, unwilling to break their kiss just yet. She giggled and allowed him to deepen their kiss. The cool breeze made her shiver but in the warmth of his embrace, the cold didn''t bother her.

    They kissed softly. Gently. Passionately. As if their worries were non-existent. As if he wasn''t guilty just moments ago about not being able to protect her. As if her reurring guilt wasn''t trying to scratch her heart again. Katherine was bing more and more greedy of Damien. It might be wrong and it might be too much but at that very second, she just wanted to forget and bask in the feeling of loving and to be loved in return.

    When they broke their kiss, she pressed her forehead against his and whispered, "Will you stay tonight too?"

    Recently, Damien had been spending the night in Katherine''s penthouse. It felt as though they were back to how they were before everything went down between them. He would sneak in at night, after she sleeps, to share her bed even without being invited. However, just now Was this an invitation? He badly wanted to take it.

    "I have work to do" As soon as he said the words, he swore he saw the corners of her mouth curl down ever so slightly, so he added, "...but I''lle back once I''m done. Don''t wait for me, though. You need to rest." He kissed her forehead and all she could do was nod.

    Damien brought her back in her bedroom, tucked her in, and left her penthouse. Once hended on the 62nd floor, he went straight to his study where Felix and Markus arrived a couple of minutester.

    While Damien was busy reviewing contracts and signing reports, Felix went over the results of his initial internal investigationgiving details about who was assigned in certain parts of the hotel at that time. "Fire them all," he ordered without second thoughts and without even raising his head. "All of those you mentionedgive them severance pay, let them sign an updated NDA contract, and dismiss them."

    "Understood," Felix and Markus answered in unison.

    Closing the folder in his hands, Felix probed, "What about the abduction? What are you going to do about it?"

    With a heavy sigh, Damien slumped in his office chair and leaned his head against the backrest. "We can''t release anything to the public. That will put us in a bad light. Even if Katherine intentionally let herself be captured, we''re the only ones who knew about it. It''s aplicated matter. Katherine doesn''t want her grandfather to know about the situation either"

    "So We''re not going to do anything?"

    Damien was silent for a whole minute before he looked at the two men in front of his desk. "Felix, you still keep in touch with that detective, right?"

    "Detective Donovan? Yeah, I can call him anytime."

    "Can we trust him?"

    "I''ve known him all my life. Yeah, we can trust him."

    Nodding, Damien leaned forward and instructed Felix to fill in the detective about the incident but to keep the matter confidential. "Have the case on blotter but not draw the media''s attention, and as much as possible, it should be away from us. Shadow will suspect if we don''t do anything about this. The natural move would be to get the police involved. But we don''t want it to be huge that it attracts attention. I''m sure Shadow is still observing our next moves. I think this is the safest.

    "I talked to Styles earlier and he told me that Shadow has eyes everywhere even in the police force. So once we have it on the police blotter, Parker would know about it. It''s a long shot but it''s worth a try."

    Understanding what Damien meant, Felix and Markus nodded, and the three of them continued to revise the tightening of their security.

    It was already three in the morning when Damien finished his work and went back to Katherine''s penthouse. He still had to go to work a few hourster and sleeping next to her was just what he needed to recharge himself. He had a long day that exhausted him to the core. Emotionally. Mentally. And Physically. He could only wish that when he wakes up, there''ll be no more surprises like yesterday.

    He crawled on the bed next to her and just when he closed his eyes, he heard Katherine mumble in her sleep, "Damien..."

    He turned to look at her and softly chuckled before he pressed one sweet kiss on her forehead. "You better be dreaming about something nice, Kitten."

 Chapter 399: The Things You Cant Unlearn

    Chapter 399: The Things You Can''t Unlearn

    November 13

    Tuesday morning''s weather forecast said that it was going to be a sunny daybut lowkey, Damien predicted for another heavy rain to fall somewhere in thete afternoon to eveningthe sudden ache in his left ankle told him. He just couldn''t trust the weather nowadays.

    He had only slept for four hours or less and he was already awake at quarter to seven in the morning. Katherine was still fast asleep to his right with her back facing him. He rolled towards her, pulling her so that her back was pressed against his chest and they were spooning.

    She stirred in her sleep and mumbled, "Mm Is it morning yet?"

    "It''s still early. But I need to leave already. You can go back to sleep," Damien whispered above her, his hand slipping under her top and caressing her tummy.

    "Do you need to go? Let''s just stay in bed today. I don''t wanna do anything." Katherine''s eyes were still closed, not wanting to fully wake up as her whole body ached from everything that happened to her yesterday. She leaned against him even more, liking the warmth that surrounded her.

    Ah. Bed weather. Something that Damien would actually prefer to do with Katherine right now. He was already regretting that he couldn''t stay. "I''m sorry, baby. I have an important meeting today it has been scheduled six months in advance. I can''t miss this." He kissed her hair.

    She spun around slowly, her eyes trying to open as she looked up at him. "Meeting?"

    "Yeah. Mr. Richardson. Do you remember? You scheduled it."

    "The acquisition?" She was fully awake now that she remembered the very difficult appointment she set half a year ago. "Has it been that long already?"

    "Mm. Thanks for setting this up."

    "I guess I can''t convince you to stay today then"

    "You have me any other day. Just not today. I''ll make it up to you. I''ll see you after dinner?" A smile painted his face as he swept her hair away from her face. When she nodded, he rained kisses all over her face and neck before he got up and left her bedroom.

    "Wait" she called but he was already gone. She wondered where he was going given that he hasn''t washed up and changed yet. She guessed he had a mobile closet somewhere. With so many surprises he has, she probably wouldn''t even be surprised if he lived in the same building. The thought made herugh. ''Why would he be staying here? Damien doesn''t like huge houses.''

    Her train of thought was interrupted by the ringing of her phone. She answered the call as soon as she saw that it was her grandfather. Grandpa Theo asked if she was going to work today so they could meet. She had to show up for work today as she already missed a lot in her first week. Not exactly the kind of impression she wanted to leave on the executives. Deciding to leave for work, she washed up and got ready.

    Young Corporation

    The day at the office went by in a blur. Katherine could remember how busy she was when she worked as Damien''s secretary months ago. Although Damien was somewhat forgiving towards herprobably because well, it was her. Even so, Damien was a workaholic. He had a whole year of appointments nned and at least the next three months were already packed.

    But when she started working with him, as much as she could, she adjusted his schedule in a way that he wouldn''t end up overworking himself. Being his secretary taught her a lot of things. Although she was still learning the ropes about her department, she could say that the workload was manageable.

    But if someone would ask her if this was what she really wanted to doshe would have a different answerpared to what she wanted back when she was still a child.

    She was once an innocent child who saw her parents as her role models. But all of that disappeared after that tragic night. Then she came to face the darkness when she was in Shadow. And everything she learned and knew in the organization, she could no longer undo.

    There was just so much evil in the world that she didn''t think sitting in an office would keep her sane especially knowing that out there, there were people like Parker. People who were serving the country, people whom the citizens look up to, and people whom they think were good were actually criminals. People just like herat least, what she was before. An assassin who was following orders from the likes of Parker.

    No matter how much she disliked it, she already knew about its existence. So running their family businessYoung Corporationsuddenly became the least of her priorities.

    The day darkened so fast even when it was still twenty minutes to six. The sky growled and the rain poured once again just like before. Katherine was inside her office when her grandfather called her toe up to his office when she was done with work.

    After a long day of reading a bunch of documents and familiarizing the work process in their department, she was spent. She hadn''t heard from Damien since the morning. Hisst text message was still sitting in her inbox since that morning after he left.

    [Baby Bear: I have a feeling it might rain today. If you''re heading out, bring an umbre. I''ll make it up to you, I promise. Think about me from time to time even when you''re busy.]

    Katherine forgot to reply to him and when she remembered, she was afraid she would disturb his meeting so she decided to wait until he contacts her again.

    She cursed herself for not listening to Damien. It really was raining but she didn''t bring any umbre.

    When she arrived at her grandfather''s office on the top floor, she found him watching a variety show on TV. He wasughing and stomping his feet in amusement, making hisughter so contagious that Katherine started smiling as soon as she saw him.

    "Oh, good you''re here! I found something for you while I was in the studyst night. I thought you might want to see it." Grandfather Theo got up and retrieved something from his desk.

    "What is it?" Katherine walked up to him, curious as to what he was going to give her.

    "I don''t know if you remember this, Pumpkin But when you were younger, we used to record videos with your mom and dad. These are very old but I had Frank check it for mest night and it still works." He handed her an old video camerathe one that uses tapes to record.

    Her heart sunk upon seeing the very familiar-looking object. She hesitated but eventually received the camera and held it like it was a treasure. "Grandpa"

    A faint smile formed on Grandfather Theo''s face and he ushered her to sit on the sofa. "I don''t know how to put that thing on TV. Frank''s not here at the moment but he made sure that thing has a battery, so if you can figure it out, you should try to see what''s in it."

    With slightly trembling hands, she stared at the video camera. She was half excited and partly nervous as to what she would see because she was sure that whatever was in there, would break her that night. "I I"

    "I watched some parts of it and it was on your eighth birthday. It''s a pretty good clip. You looked really happy."

    "Grandpa I''m not sure if I want to see this"

    "Sure you do," he said as-a-matter-of-factly. "It''s been so many years. I''m sure your mom and dad want you to."

    Katherine hesitantly turned on the device and it came to life. A small screen lit up, showing faces that she hadn''t seen in a while. And with a shaky finger, she yed the video.

    Only a second had passed and a tear already rolled out of her eye.

 Chapter 400: Us Against The World (1)

    Chapter 400: Us Against The World (1)

    <em>"Hello, our little angel" a man said.</em>

    <em>"Oh, mon bb" a sobbing woman cooed ''my baby'' in French.</em>

    <em>The setting of the video that was ying in the camcorder was in a hospital. The mother cradled the newborn baby in her arms while the father gently caressed the infant''s forehead with the tips of his fingers. The smiles on their faces were full of love and warmth that only a child would understand if they ever get to see it.</em>

    <em>"What would you name your baby?" someone asked in the background.</em>

    <em>The mother nced at her husband and then gazed at her baby with joy in her eyes. "Katherine It means pure." Her French ent was almost lost in her quiet sobs.</em>

    <em>"Mm. It''s also powerful and royal," the father agreed.</em>

    <em>"Beautiful name. Baby Katherine Young it is," the other person said.</em>

    The video clip was cut after that and another one yed. This time, it was a clip of Katherine''s first birthday. Then the second. And then the third. They were only very short clipslike snippets of her life until she was eight.

    <em>"Daddy, why do you keep recording my birthdays?" little Katherine wondered as she took a bite of her birthday cake.</em>

    <em>"Because they''re important. I want to capture these precious moments and look back at them whenever I want to in the future. You only get to be little for a short time," Mason Young answered.</em>

    <em>"Am I growing up so fast?"</em>

    <em>"Yes, but I don''t want you to. So don''t hurry, okay?"</em>

    <em>"I''ll always be your little girl, daddy! Even when I''m twenty or thirty or fifty!" Katherine giggled. Her face was so bright in front of the camera.</em>

    The ninth birthday came the tenth and eleventh.

    <em>"Qu''est-ce qu''il y a, chrie?" Natalie Young asked her daughter what was wrong when she saw Katherine''s misty eyes.</em>

    <em>"Maman... I hate Matty. He was so mean to me today." Katherine pouted, irritation was written all over her face. "There was this homework I didn''t do so well and he scolded me. I don''t want to go to school anymore and I won''t forgive him."</em>

    <em>"Are you sure? He''s always been there for you though Maybe you should talk to him. Look, he just arrived. It''s your birthday. Do you really want to stay angry with him today?" Mason Young chimed in and the video clip was shaky in his hands while he moved around.</em>

    <em>"I won''t forgive him unless he says he''s sorry," Katherine stubbornly dered, refusing to even turn to see Matthew and his mother entering their living room.</em>

    <em>Natalie kneeled in front of Katherine, taking her small hands and sping them. "Let me tell you something Forgiveness isn''t given only because someone tells you sorry. If you don''t learn to forgive, you will be your own prisoner. Forgive even if they''re not sorry. If you hold on to your anger, it will only hurt you... It will keep hurting here" Natalie pointed at Katherine''s chest where her heart should be. "And I don''t want you to hurt. I want you to be happy. Always Always choose happiness instead of hatred. Because no matter what, as long as you''re happy, we''re happy. D''ord?"</em>

    The video camera''s screen was mmed shut and Katherine could no longer control the tears that were pouring out of her eyes. Her heart was in so much pain that she could hardly breathe. It felt as though it was squeezed yet blood kept flowing out of itthe ache didn''t end.

    And for the first time, in a really long time Katherine grieved.

    Grandfather Theo also cried with her, his tears wetting his cheeks as his heart ached for his pitiful granddaughter. He could only console her by wrapping his arms around her shoulders, stroking her and gently rocking her back and forth while she wept and broke down.

    Since he met her again, it was the first time that she actually cried like this in front of him and he felt relieved. All this time, he thought that she was only keeping it in and he didn''t think that it was healthy for her. There was only so much pain, hatred, and guilt that one person could take. He was afraid that one day she would lose herself for trying to keep it in.

    "My dear Katherine everything is going to be alright" he softly told her. Katherine remained in her grandfather''s arms while the sky cried heavily with her.

    The image of Damien shed in her mind and she slowly pulled away. The urge to see him became greater each second. "Grandpa, I need to go." She quickly shoved the device in her bag and sprinted out of Grandfather Theo''s office. She heard him call after her but she didn''t stop and hurriedly rode the elevator.

    She dialed Damien''s phone but it didn''t ring. She tried three more times but still nothing, so she tried to call Markus but his phone was busy too. Feeling frustrated, she called Styles who answered on the first ring. "Where''s Damien?" she asked right away.

    "Umm He isn''t here"

    "Can you find him for me? I tried to call him but it didn''t go through."

    "Well he was here earlier buthold on, let me try to check the security cameras and see what time he left the building, and maybe I can see where he was headed." The tapping of keys sounded in the background and Katherine anxiously waited. "That''s strange"

    "What''s strange?" Her heart raced.

    "Well he entered the elevator but he didn''te out of the lobby Eh? Wait Hold on a second Does he know someone else in the building? This is weird He clearly entered the elevator and stepped out but he didn''te out of the lobbyWait a minute! It was not going down it was going up!"

    "What do you mean? The next floor up? Who''s living on the 62nd floor?"

    "I No record. Not in the database."

    "What are you saying, Styles?"

    "There''s no record of the tenant on the 62nd floor. So I don''t know who is living there."

    Katherine reached the ground floor of Young Corporation and she stopped in her tracks. The gears in her head started working quickly. The incident about the security cameras on the stairwell and how Damien was able to control it shed in her mind. "Styles, is Maverick Security responsible for the building''s security system?"

    "Yeah, King Charming gave me ess to"

    Katherine ended the call without saying goodbye. Her heart was beating so fast, she was afraid it would leap out of her chest. She looked for the video that Damien sent her on the day she movedthe one where he took with Bear in a ce that she wasn''t familiar with. When she found the video, she pressed y and carefully watched the entire thing, taking in the background view of the clip.

    And when she saw it, she paused the video and stared at the corner left of her phone screen where she saw the exact same view from her bedroom. She couldn''t believe it. Damien lived on the next floor above her and she didn''t even know it!

    Katherine rushed outside the building and hailed a taxi under the heavy rain. She heard Felix calling her name from the lobby but she ignored him and got inside the taxi that stopped for her.

    "Golden Phoenix Residences," she told the driver who sped off right after.

    It was still rush hour and it made her more anxious. When she was a block away from her building, the car was stuck in traffic. Feeling impatient, she paid for her ride, got out, and started running. She was soaked but she didn''t care. She wanted to see him so badly and neither the rain nor the traffic could dy her.

    When she finally reached the front of her building, Katherine was drenched, rainwater dripping from her hair and clothes. As she entered the lobby, she called Styles. "I''m going to ride the elevator. ess 62nd for me."

    "You think he''s there?"

    "Just do it." She got in the elevator and looked at the camera, aware that Styles could see her. She pressed the option for the 62nd-floor penthouse and it asked for a code. She could try to guess what the code was but she waited for a few beats and the car started moving, bringing her to the topmost floor swiftly.

    She was slightly lightheaded from the ride but as soon as the door opened and she stepped inside the foyer, her racing heartpeted with her head.

    "Katherine?" Damien appeared from the side looking confused and worried at her appearance.

    Without any care about her surroundings, she let go of everything and took long strides towards him. Grabbing fistfuls of his cor, she pulled him down and crashed her lips to his. <strong><em>''Hell be damned. There''s no going back now, Damien. Because from here on out, it''s us against the world.''</em></strong>

 Chapter 401: Us Against The World (2)

    Chapter 401: Us Against The World (2)

    If you don''t learn to forgive, you will be your own prisoner. If you hold on to your anger, it will only hurt you And I don''t want you to hurt. I want you to be happy. Always Always choose happiness instead of hatred. Because no matter what, as long as you''re happy, we''re happy.

    The words that her mother told her when she was young pierced through her heart. It gutted her and left her bleeding. Hurting. It made her weak. For the longest time, she had this overwhelming heaviness in her heart. It was a mixture of longing, hatred, guilt, love, loneliness, and a lot more that she couldn''t recognize.

    The guilt that was wing in her heart whenever it had the chance was something she thought she would have to live with for the rest of her life. And it wasn''t fair for Damien It wasn''t fair that he was always there yet she couldn''t give her all.

    What her mother said hit her so badly that even if it was said a long time ago when the reason wasn''t even remotely rted to how she was feeling right now, it was as though they were telling her exactly what she needed to hear from them. Even when they''re no longer there.

    Katherine was broken. She was a broken soul who was trying to survive from a gleam of hope that she so badly wanted to hold on to. She wasn''t hurting only because she lost her parents She wasn''t hurting only because Damien was from the Park family And she wasn''t only hurting because of the many lives she took when she was in Shadow... She was also hurting because in the midst of looking for justice for the people responsible for her parents'' deaths, she lost herself and she forgot everything that her parents taught her: To always choose happiness.

    Ever since that night, she had been living her life with a burden that she shouldn''t have carried. She was young. A mere child. She was the only one responsible for her own happiness and yet she failed to do what her parents wanted her to. No wonder she couldn''t truly be happy No wonder even when she was smiling, she wasn''t truly free

    The pain and guilt that she tried to lock away in her heart would still find its way out and eat her up from the inside because she couldn''t forgive herself. And she couldn''t because she became the person that she wasn''t supposed to be. She became the person that she hated. She worked in an organization that murdered her parents. Granted that she didn''t know But that didn''t change the fact that she indeed became one of them.

    But enough was enough. For her to be truly happy, she should learn to forgive. Forgive herself for all the things that she did. For her to stop hurting, she needed to reach for her happiness, grasp it firmly in her hands and not let it go.

    When Damien appeared in front of her wearing a rolled-up white dress shirt, ck suit pants, and eyesses that she loved seeing on him, her mind was emptied and all she wanted to do was kiss him. And that''s what she did.

    Although he was surprised by what was going on, Damien didn''t push her away. Katherine was dripping from the rain outside. Her clothes were all wet, her hair was disheveled, her body was trembling, and her hands and lips were cold. Instead of pulling away, he pulled her closer, the wetness from her clothes transferring to his dry ones but that didn''t bother him. Something must have happened for her to be like this and he didn''t know what.

    When she broke the kiss, she slowly looked up at him, her eyes glistening with tears. "I choose you" she whispered. ''I choose my happiness. And you''re mine So I choose you,'' she said the rest in her thoughts because she was too overwhelmed at the moment to speak more.

    "What?" Damien was baffled, his heart throbbing at the sight of her tears. He wiped them with his fingers as he tried to make sense of what was happening to her. "What happened? Why are you drenched? WaitHow did you know I was here?"

    Sniffing, Katherine tried to recall how she got here but everything was all blurry now that she couldn''t think straight. So much was happening with her at the moment.

    A cough sounded from a distance and she turned to the side only to find a few men wearing business suits in the living room looking at them like they were watching some live soap opera. It was only then that she realized that they weren''t alone.

    Katherine suddenly became conscious about being there. Her hands clutched his shirt tighter, hyper-aware that what she just did was inappropriate but she didn''t know what to do anymore. She gulped and loosened her grip as he wanted to back away. "I I''m sorry. I''ll just"

    "Gentlemen," Damien addressed the men, his body strategically covering Katherine''s because her clothes were all wet and they became see-through. "My apologies But I''m afraid we have to call it a day."

    "Of course, Chairman Park," one said and the others followed. They got up and headed to the elevator with Markus guiding them. Soon, Katherine and Damien were the only ones left in the massive penthouse.

    The ce went quiet and he slightly put a distance between them so he could study her better. "Care to tell me what''s going on?"

    She suddenly became conscious about her appearance that she brought her arms across her chest. "Um"

    Exhaling out a sigh, he grabbed her hand and pulled her with him, bringing her to his room on the second floor. "Come, you need to change. You''re going to catch a cold like that. Didn''t I tell you to bring an umbre? What do I do with you? Seriously You didn''t even respond to my message all day and now you show up unannounced looking like a wet chick drenched in the storm. You just got sick a couple of days ago. Do you want to get sick again? Do I have to always"

    Damien swallowed the rest of his words when Katherine pulled her hand from his grip and the next second, her arms went around his waist. She hugged him from behind, her front pressed against his back and she held him tightly. "I''m sorry"

    His eyesnded on her arms that were firmly locked around his waist. Then he looked past his shoulder to peek at her. Something was definitely wrong with her tonight.

    "Don''t be mad anymore I''m sorry" she repeated.

    His heart quivered. He could feel her slightly shaking because she was soaked. He wasn''t totally mad. Just worried. Turning around, he tilted her chin up so he could meet her eyes.

    "I realized a lot of things. And I''m sorry I couldn''t do it sooner. I don''t care about anything else anymore. I just want to be happy," she said.

    "You need to tell me what happened to you so I will understand. But we need to change first."

    Katherine nodded and she tiptoed to kiss him again. Because she couldn''t help herself. What was she doing? She loved this man. That''s all there was to it. Other things shouldn''t matter.

    Unsure why she was acting weirdly that night, he still kissed her back. He deepened the kiss and squeezed her once before letting go. "I swear, Kitten... if you keep kissing me like this, I might not be able to control myself."

    She pursed her lips into a thin line and a blush crept on her cheeks. She actually didn''t mind.

    "Come on." Damien grabbed her hand again and led her to the master bedroom.

 Chapter 402: Bold Kitten

    Chapter 402: Bold Kitten

    Katherine still couldn''t believe that Damien actually lived one floor above her. She watched his back as they walked up the flight of stairs, passing by door after door until they reached the end of the hallway on the second floor of his penthouse suite.

    So this was where he and Bear were staying? When they reached his bedroom, she was surprised to see its sizeeven the bed was super king-sizedtruly fitting for him. Of course, she knew he was extremely well-off and could totally afford the ce. Maybe even the whole building. But it still shocked her. It was like double the size of her penthouse. Jeez.

    "I only have my clothes here. So you''ll just have to use mine," he said as he strolled to hisrge walk-in closet that was full of business suits and essories.

    It was definitely bigger than their closet in Pearl Gardens but this whole penthouse was simr to the penthouse in the main building of Crown Resort Groupthe one that''s on the same floor as his office. It definitely looked more like a luxury bachelor padsolely designed for a single man. No feminine touch anywhere at all. The only difference was that this was a supersized one.

    "That''s okay" She watched him reach for the drawer several steps away and rummages for clothes. They were alone in his bedroom and she''s literally wet. The sudden urge to have him was strong and she convinced herself that she shouldn''t have to wait for him to make the first move. She could do so just as much as he would.

    Looking at his back as he moved here and there, she slowly made her way towards him and started unbuttoning her top. She was practically looking bare with how the top clung to her torso, her bra transparently visible. She removed her white top, letting it fall on the cold floor that she was now left with only her ckcy bra, ck pencil skirt, and ck Louboutins. He turned around and was surprised to see her that his body halted as his eyes locked with hers.

    She took a step closer towards him and expected him to meet her but he refused to even look lower past her chin. He had clothes in his hands and he just stood there staring back at her. The butterflies in her stomach were frantic but she continued to move closer until she was in front of him and without second thoughts, she kissed him. Her hands rested on his chest and she waited for him to respond but he didn''t kiss her back.

    Confused, she pulled back and studied him. His face had gone hard and his gaze darkened. She couldn''t guess what he was thinking, his expression was totally unreadable and it made her heart beat faster.

    "Take a warm shower ande out." Damien gently ced a hand on her back and led her towards the bathroom. He pressed a button on the wall next to the door frame, dimming the ss walls to give her privacy and then closed the door.

    He literally just deposited her inside the bathroom and left her confused. ''What the hell?'' Katherine blinked several times but all she saw was a closed door in front of her. Did he really just do that? Damien just tried to avoid her and she couldn''t help but wonder if he was suddenly bing distant now that she wanted him. That wasn''t it was it? She was totally baffled.Left with no choice, she showered quickly and came out wrapped in a fluffy white towel.

    Damien didn''t give her the clothes that he was going to lend her, so with only a towel wrapped around her damp body, she waltzed back to the walk-in closet and found him with nothing but his dark grey joggers hanging lowly on his hips. His back faced her and he was on the phone. When he noticed her presence, he ended the call and pointed at the set of clothes he left on the counter next to him. "Get dressed. It''s cold."

    Really. This man How could he nonchntly speak to her while looking so tasty in his topless state? Why was he trying so hard to clothe her when right now, all she wanted to do was undress both of them? Was this some sort of reverse psychology?

    Ignoring what he said, Katherine approached him, her eyes trained on the waistband of his joggers. All she had to do was pull it down and she could finally see that ink on his skin that he so refused to show her. It was peeking out but she could barely make out the design. Of course, that wasn''t the only one she was eager to have her eyes on. "Why didn''t you kiss me back, Damien?" She drifted her stare back up and challenged him as they faced off.

    He still refused to lower his eyes. A small smirk formed on his lips and then he kissed her. Hard. And rough. And deep. And hot. It was a kiss that made her forget her name. The kind that put her on a high. It was that good. His tongue assaulted her mouth and she moaned in satisfaction, pulling him impossibly closer.

    However, he broke the kiss, leaving her breathless. "Get dressed, Katherine. Or do I have to dress you myself?" he ordered in a low, icy tone.

    ''Seriously. What the hell is going on?'' Katherine couldn''t understand why he was doing this. Did she do something to make him act like this? Before, she was the one pulling away. Now that she was bold enough to initiate something, he''s suddenly no longer interested?

    ''Fine. Be that way, Damien. You want to try and avoid me? Let''s see how long you''llst.'' Katherine subtly formed a devilish smile on her face.

    Without taking her eyes off him, she grabbed hold of the top of her towel and tugged it off her. The fluffy white that was once the only one covering her privates was now on the floor. Katherine stood confident and deliciously naked in front of Damien. For the first time, she didn''t want to hide.

    Earlier, he resisted looking at her when she still had a few pieces covering her body. He knew what she was trying to do but he still didn''t make a move. However, this time, he unabashedly looked at her. Really looked at her. ''How fcking bold, Kitten.''

    His eyes raked along the swells of her breasts, seeing the peaks of her erect nipples, and down to her mound ever so slowly, taking in the smoothness and flush of her skin that was calling out to him. His fingers itched to caress her. His erection urged him to do something or it was going to be painful. But he fought these urges and he shifted his gaze back to her face again.

    Silence hung in the air and when she was sure that he wouldn''t do anything, she was slightly disappointed and pissed. She knew that he was clearly affected by the way his throat bobbed when he so shamelessly looked at her nakedness. But why wouldn''t he make a move? She got frustrated.

    "Clothes. Now." Damien passed her the set of clothes that he prepared for her and went to grab a shirt for him then wore it.

    Feeling unaplished, Katherine put on his in grey shirt and checked boxers. She felt like sulking. She couldn''t understand why he was avoiding her when he clearly wanted her too. Was she too forward? Did that scare him?

    "Follow me to the kitchen. You haven''t eaten yet, have you? I''ll make some dinner." Damien was already heading out the door when he spoke.

    ring at his broad back, Katherine pouted and reluctantly replied, "Yes, President Park. Whatever you say."

 Chapter 403: Uneasiness Masked in Coldness

    Chapter 403: Uneasiness Masked in Coldness

    Katherine dejectedly followed the man who was acting cold towards her until they reached the kitchen. Damien started grabbing different stuff from the cupboards and fridge but she couldn''t care less as she unceremoniously sat on a stool by the breakfast nook and watched him, her head restingzily on her hand.

    He would nce at her every now and then but they would just stare at each other and then he''d continue cooking whatever it was that he was cooking. Her imagination made her see a huge question mark next to his head. She really was confused as to why he kept his distance. Did he not want her anymore? That couldn''t be possible. His body clearly reacted. So, why, Damien? Why? She sighed.

    Since he was ignoring her at the moment, she decided to make her eyes busy elsewhere. She turned her head from side to side, taking in what her eyes could reach and she was amazed at how huge the ce was. "You really live here?" When he didn''t answer right away, she fired all her questions, "Since when? Why didn''t you tell me? Did you know I was going to live here? Did you n this?"

    His hands that were busy working on a pot paused mid-air and he raised his head to look at her, his brow cocking at her wordsher usation. It pissed him off. He wasn''t angry earlier. He didn''t really know why he was acting that way but hearing her use him, he couldn''t help but feel off. His jaw ticked.

    Damien was already used to her push and pull game. Her ''not readiness''. Her unwillingness to give her all. And just out of nowhere, she just came barging in his ce and dered what she told him earlier. He didn''t know what happened to her during the day. But the sudden change threw him off bnce that he didn''t know what to do. So without realizing it, he settled for uneasiness. And his uneasiness was reflected in his coldness.

    "At first I thought something bad happened to you againwhat with you suddenly appearing in wet clothes and crying. Now I don''t know anymore. You keep on confusing me, Katherine. Did youe here just to use me?" he questioned.

    The change of tone in his voice rocked her heart and she straightened in her seat. What she said was wrong and she wished she could take that back. "It''s just a question."

    His intense gaze burned her skin and it made her ufortable. He lowered the heat of the burner and made his way around the counter to face her. "Yes, I live here. I have been living here since the day after you left. No, I didn''t know you were going to live here and no, I didn''t n this. Maybe you forgot, Katherine, but you left and I had no clue as to where you were or what happened to you. You left and just suddenly appeared again... I don''t like your usation."

    Katherine gulped, the urge to cry hurt her throat but she swallowed it and blinked fast. She deserved those words he said and she couldn''t me him, so all she could do was ept. "I was just asking"

    He could see that it was hurting her but for some reason, he couldn''t stop himself today. "Really? Then let me ask you too. Why are you here in the same building? Could it be that you moved here knowing that I am here?"

    "Hey!" She grimaced.

    "Doesn''t feel good huh?" He was being an ass at the moment and he knew he should tone it down, so he softened a bit. "You know me better than anyone, Katherine. Your usation was unnecessary."

    She bit her bottom lip and chewed on it before she could utter, "I''m sorry, Damien I shouldn''t have said that. It was stupid of me. I spoke without thinking."

    Damien let out a sigh and briefly looked down to reset his mood. And when he looked at her again, he nodded. Obviously, he couldn''t stay ''mad''. He took her hand and kissed the back of it. "Actually, you think too much."

    Katherine felt better when he brushed his lips on her skin. Carefully, she asked again, "You still didn''t answer my other question Why didn''t you tell me then?"

    Sauntering back to his cooking, he kept his voice gentle. "I like keeping you close. And I don''t want you running away. I thought that once you know I''m nearby, you might leave and disappear on me again."

    She didn''t have anything to say to that. Her track record wasn''t spotless and that made her feel bad. She was guilty. Unsure of how to answer him, she cleared her throat. "Did you ever even n on telling me? I mean this is good. Now that I know, At least I don''t have to wonder anymore. I actually started thinking that you have a telephone booth somewhere or something." She took a sip of the water that he gave her earlier.

    "A telephone booth?" he wondered.

    "Yeah You always disappear from my ce and thene back with different clothes on you in a short span of time. You changed into something rather quickly outside my penthouse. For a bit, I thought you were like superman changing in telephone booths."

    Damien threw his head back andughed. His worries disappeared for a minute and he found her thoughts amusing. He always knew that she was an overthinker but who would have thought that she had these crazy ideas in her head?

    Seeing hisugh made her smile, her cheeks blushing as she watched him look so carefree.

    "Does that entice you, Kitten? Is that your fantasy? Superman?" A sexy, teasing smirk danced on his lips and her stomach flipped.

    As if she wasn''t affected by that just now, she shrugged. But that didn''t stop her from talking in her mind, <em>''I don''t need fictional characters, Damien. You''re my fantasy.''</em>

    Damien was finishing up his dish. He made pasta that night. He didn''t make the pasta from scratch though like Katherine always liked. He used a store-bought dried pasta. She peered and saw what he was making and very faintly, the corners of her mouth curled down seeing that he was making a vegetable pasta dish. And by vegetableit was spinach. It still looked tasty and she was sure it was, but her tummy refused to ept that there was no meat in it. Not even a tiny one. She started to think that he was punishing her for something and she didn''t know why.

    He was ting the dish when he nced at her and caught her small grimace at the vegetable pasta. Sighing, he went to retrieve something from the fridge and then started grilling a few strips of bacon. He immediately saw the light in her eyes and he could only shake his head at her now smiling face.

    When the bacon was done, he crushed them on top of her pasta and grated fresh parmesan. They exchanged looks and wordlessly, he added extra parmesan on hers. He saw her widen her smile. This woman really... His te only had spinach pasta and parmesan while Katherine''s had bacon and lots of parmesan. When she was happy, he set the tes on the breakfast nook where they decided to eat.

    He sat next to her and gave her a fork. "Eat."

    She licked her lips at the sight of the dish but before she started eating, she turned to him and met his eyes. "Are you mad at me? You were acting a little differently. You''ll tell me if you are, right?"

    Damien softly shook his head. "I''m not mad I''m just trying to process this." He held her head and kissed her temple. "Let''s eat first. And then we''ll talk."

 Chapter 404: The Challenge

    Chapter 404: The Challenge

    Katherine marveled at Damien''s penthouse suite. She couldn''t get over how massive it wasand evidently luxuriously designed. They had the same view from the tall ss windows, but being in his suite felt like she was in a whole different world. Well, at least, she thought they were in a different buildingwhen in fact, it was just a floor above hers.

    She scanned the area as they sat down on the luxe sofa, and then she looked at him. The entire ce suited him actually, but she could say that it was both him and not him at the same time. She could see him living in it, but also not because she knew what he really preferreda house that''s big but just enough. Enough for what he really needed. She remembered that he told her he didn''t like Park Mansion because of how huge it was. It was so huge, yet he still felt alone in it. So him staying here in this massive suite confused her.

    "I thought you didn''t likerge houses?" she asked him, bringing her knees up on the sofa and hugging them as she faced him.

    Damien looked around and tried to carefully word his answer. "I didn''t like staying in Pearl Gardens. It reminded me too much of you. I could barely go home that night. Even my penthouse in the office reminded me of you." He softly chuckled. "Everywhere actually So I wanted to stay in a new ce. Arge one just like this so it doesn''t feel suffocating."

    Katherine stared at him for a long time. Her heart throbbed at the thought of his situation when she left. She wasn''t the only one hurting. They both were. But it hurt her even more knowing that he suffered too. She squeezed her fist once and then she climbed on hisp, letting herself sink in his embrace.

    She did it without his invitation. She invaded his space and acted cutely but she was dead sure about what she had decided already. There really was no going back. She was serious when she told herself that earlier. Even if there were still some shards of pain left in her heart, she knew that it would stay like that for a while. She knew that the pain would never leave, but she also knew that she would just have to get used to it, believing that someday, it would no longer hurt. It would just exist but it will no longer hurt. Katherine was already determined.

    Wrapping his arms around her, he inhaled the scent on her hair. She now smelled like him, and he loved it. "How did you know I was here?"

    Katherine smiled and told him about what Styles did because she asked him to.

    Damien chuckled, and his forehead fell on her shoulder. "I need him on my team. What does he like? Does he like money? Women? Properties? Tell him to give me a price and I want him to modify Maverick Security''s system."

    Sheughed along with him and settled deeper in his arms. "You tell him that. It''ll boost his ego for sure. Take it easy though Don''t scare him with your offers He''d probably do it for you for free too."

    "Oh, I can''t do that. But duly noted." There was a brief silence in the air and he yfully pinched her side. "So, are you going to tell me what happened to you?"

    Katherine shifted in hisp so she could look at him without straining her neck. "I watched something earlier Videos Of my parents and me when I was younger."

    He softly nodded and waited for her to continue, so he kept silent.

    Smiling reluctantly, Katherine yed with his shirt and continued, "I lost myself in Shadow. I became blind and forgot everything that my parents taught me while they were still alive. I was hesitant to be with you because I was afraid that they''d see me and be disappointed with my choices. Shadow was hired by someone I don''t know yet... and your family was there too... But even if I wanted to hate you, I couldn''t. Because I know the truth and I know what happened that night... You saved me.

    "But the pain and guilt" She clutched her chest where her heart should be. "I can''t control it. Whenever I try, it constantly reminds me why I shouldn''t be with you. That my parents might be looking down at me. I was battling with myself It was hard."

    Damien was also pained while listening to her exnation and he tightened his arms around her. "What changed?"

    "There was a video... My mother told me something that I had forgotten for so many years. It might have been many years since she said those words, but seeing that video and hearing her say that again, it woke me up" She stared right through him. "And the entire time, I was thinking of you. I''m choosing my happiness, and you''re my mine, Damien Do you believe me?"

    He stared at her. His heart rammed in his chest as he met her gaze. He wanted to say yes, but he was also holding himself back. After all this time, he finally heard what he wanted to hear after they got separated. That even though they had aplicated past, she still chose him. But maybe Maybe he was just hurt too much

    She was always disappearing on him. Granted, in the past, it wasn''t totally intentional but thest one wrecked him. It broke him in ways he didn''t know if he could still heal from. Even until now when he was sure that he really wanted to be with her, he was still trying to pick up the pieces of his heart of his soul and then tried to put them all back together.

    Maybe he was really hurt badly that even now that she said she was sure about them, that now she was finally seeing things the way he didhe was still afraid to ept it. Because if he did, what if she disappears again?

    Hearing her say all of this made him happyheck, he could probably fly if he tried to jump. He was ecstatic. But at the same time, he was also scared. Because all of this happened in just one day. Just one day and she changed. What if one day she reverted to her old self?

    But with all of these in his head, it didn''t mean that he no longer wanted her. He would always want her. Always.

    Seeing as Damien didn''t respond to her question, Katherine started to get nervous. "You don''t believe me" she mumbled weakly in almost a whisper. The next second, a tear fell from her eye. She should have known that he wouldn''t just ept what she was telling him. After all, she had been very hesitant before.

    ''Oh, I do, Love It''s just...'' he silently said in his thoughts. He brought a hand up to her face and brushed the tear with his fingertips. He hated seeing her cry. But he didn''t want to lie to her.

    "Talk to me" she whispered, almost pleadingshe was scared that she was losing him.

    After a long silence, Damien finally made a small nod. And the words that came out of his lips the next second ignited a spark in Katherine''s heart.

    With a serious tone, he stared into her brown eyes and challenged her, "Prove it."

 Chapter 405: Challenge Accepted

    Chapter 405: Challenge epted

    "P-Prove it?"

    Katherine gazed at Damien like he was a god. In some ways, at least in her eyes, he was. Hearing the words escape from his lips, her heart skipped a beat as if she had just heard the best news in her lifetime. He was challenging her and damn if that didn''t excite her.

    He stared back at her but it took him a while to respond to her probing. He silently nodded and she revealed a small smile as she asked him, "How do I do that? What do you want me to do?"

    He shrugged, looking so nonchnt about it. "That''s for you to find out."

    "But How would I know which one will work?"

    Damien curled a corner of his mouth into a crooked grin and tapped the tip of her nose with his pointer finger. "You''re smart, Katherine. You''ll figure it out."

    She didn''t know why but she was so thrilled at the thought of having to prove herself to him. It was as though she was given an opportunity to show off her skills and be graded for it. It might be bizarre for some but this only gave her the opportunity to shine bright like a diamond in his heartso much so that no other woman could everpete with her. Not that she was doubtful of him. However, with this, she would resort to any means so he would believe her. And she wouldn''t stop until she gets his approval.

    Time and time again, Damien proved himself to her even when she didn''t ask him to. He was always the giver. Earlier when she decided to tell him straight about her choicethat she would give her all for himshe knew that Damien was a bit apprehensive. Even if he didn''t ask her to prove it, she would still do it. But since he did, she might as well double her effortsheck she would triple it or even more. He deserved it.

    Her train of thought was interrupted when he moved her aside and he got off the sofa. "WaitWhere are you going? Wait for me!" Katherine all but climbed on his back like a monkey would, refusing to get left behind.

    Oof. Damien instinctively held her thighs on the sides of his waist so she won''t fall off his back. "What are you doing? You could have fallen down!" He crossed his brows and looked over his shoulder, his face now less than an inch from hers. He was surprised at her action but when he saw her beaming face, he could only chuckle. "Come on, aren''t you at least going to give me a clue?" he heard her say.

    Shaking his head, he adjusted her weight on his back and slowly walked towards the second floor. "You''ve really gotten so bold now. You weren''t like this before."

    "Why, President Park? Do you prefer a meek little kitten? Or... a feisty tiger?" She snickered behind him as she tightly clung her arms around his neck.

    Damien didn''t say anything and only smiled faintly at her question as he carried her to the master bedroom. He already knew the answer but he didn''t want to tell her. She would just have to find out someday.

    "I saw you smile. What''s that smile?!" she urged.

    "Kitten, you surely are very talkative when you''re excited." He pinched her thighs and stole a kiss on her cheek.

    "And you''ve be very stingy and meaner," she responded before yfully biting down on his shoulder. Holding on tight, sheid her head on his shoulder and relished the warm feeling of being carried on his back.

    Once theynded on the second floor and reached the master bedroom, Damienid her down in the middle of the bed and she pulled him down with her, her legs mping around his waist and not allowing him to get up. He put his weight on his arms and knee as he hovered over her. Then she leaned up to kiss him.

    "Is this what you want, Kitten?" he whispered in between kisses.

    "I want more."

    Damien deepened the kiss when he heard her plea. His hand caressed her sides and he trailed soft kisses down to her throat. Like the tease that he was, he looked up at her and locked his gaze while he made open-mouthed kisses towards her chest. She wasn''t wearing any bra underneath the shirt so the warmth of his mouth prated through the fabric.

    Watching him make his way to the peak of her left breast while his hand grabbed the right, she bit her bottom lip and clutched his shirt as she closed her eyes in satisfaction. Soon, she felt him close his mouth around the tip, his tongue flicking on it and making her moan. Even with the shirt on as a barrier, she grew hot under his touch and ached for more.

    The warmth was suddenly gone when she felt his weight off her. Confused, her eyes fluttered open and saw him fix a nket over her, tucking her in. "That''s all for tonight. Goodnight, Kitten."

    "W-What? Where are you going?" She sprang up in a sitting position, her eyes widening as she watched Damien all but turn around and headed out of the room.

    "To the next room. You sleep here." And with that, he turned off the lights and closed the door, leaving Katherine with her mouth hung open.

    She scowled in frustration and slumped back down on the bed. How could he leave her just like that? What an ass!

    For a tiny second, she contemted touching herself but decided against it. No way was she going to resort to that. She grabbed a pillow and screamed on it, annoyed at the devil who just yed her.

    It was more than an hourter when Katherine found herself unable to fall asleep. When she could no longer take it, she looked for him and found him in the room next to the master''s. Seeing as he was fast asleep, she snuck in and got under the sheets very carefully not to wake him up and settled in.

    "You''re very mean, Damien. But I''m not giving up. Just you wait," she whispered.

    "Looking forward to it."

    "You''re awake? Since when?"

    "Since you entered the room. Go to sleep. I have a meeting first thing tomorrow."

    Pursing her lips into a thin line, Katherine snuggled closer to him and drifted off to sleep.

    November 14

    When Damien woke up the next morning, Katherine wasn''t next to him like always. Most often than not, he always woke up before her but this time, she wasn''t there. It was still a few minutes past six in the morning. ''Where the hell is she? Is she okay? She isn''t sick, is she? She didn''t leave, did she?'' His heart raced at the thought and he began to search for her in his huge ce. First, he checked the master bedroom and bathroom but she wasn''t there.

    Quickly, he headed to the first floor and the smell of something delicious invaded his nostrils. Before he knew it, his feet brought him to the kitchen where he found her cooking with her back facing himwearing only his t-shirt that fell on her thighsand he hoped she wore the boxers underneath or else that would only mean she wasn''t wearing anything below...

    She spun around and was surprised to see him. "Oh! Good morning!" A bright smile greeted him. "I raided your kitchen. I hope you don''t mind," she said.

    Damien let out a sigh of relief seeing that she was safe and soundand she didn''t leave. He ran his fingers through his hair as he walked up to her and looked at the mess she made. There were eggs and pancakes. "What are you doing this early?"

    "Isn''t it obvious? I''m making you breakfast. You have a meeting today, right? Go wash up. I''ll take care of you from now on." With a spat in hand, she tiptoed and kissed his cheek.

    He took a nce at her bare legs and he could barely see the boxers she was wearing. ''Damn it, Damien,'' he scolded himself when he left to take a shower. A cold one.

 Chapter 406: King and Queen

    Chapter 406: King and Queen

    Young Corporation

    After Katherine spent the night at Damien''s penthouse and made him a hearty breakfast, the two went to work separately. She didn''t want to keep him for too long so as not to hinder him from his work. He had been going to meetings a lottely, making him incredibly busy. Because she had caused him a lot of trouble these days, she didn''t want to add any more to his burden.

    But that didn''t mean that she would go easy on her little mission. She had yet to decide what to name her mission as she had two goals in mind. One is to make him believe her, obviously, so she would have to prove her undying love to him. Twowell, to make him surrender to her advances. She just couldn''t take his avoidance! It''s so unlike him and she didn''t like it. She knew that he was doing this on purpose and it was killing her.

    He had to give in somehow! The question was, how? What could she do? Should she just continue to strip in front of him until his nose bleeds? Surely she couldn''t do that.

    So she would just have to be more creative. She''s Katherine Young aka Queen. She could definitely do it!

    Gosh. Even in her mind, she sounded crazy. Was she really nning on how to seduce her own man? Fine. Let''s see how long he''llst.

    Katherine spent the morning buried with paperwork. It was ten in the morning when her mind drifted to Damien and she thought of sending him a text message, hoping that it would put a smile on his face. She was hesitant to send it at first but she did it anyway.

    [Katherine: I''m at the office. I have so many files to read to learn about thepany. I feel like a student again. Not gonna lie, I actually missed working for you. And I miss you already.]

    She was never the showy type of girlfriend. At least not so much. She did have her moments but it was mostly Damien who always took the first steps. Texting her first, calling her first, taking care of her first. Now it''s her turn. She just hoped he wouldn''t get sick of her being the clingy type. For the sake of this mission, he shouldn''t.

    Waiting for his response made her anxious and she stared at her phone for a whole minute before it lit up from his response. Damien was currently at a meeting in thepany but he managed to respond to her anyway.

    [Baby Bear: You want to work with me again?]

    Seeing as his saved name was still the same, she decided to change it to "My King"

    [Katherine: If you''ll have me back, President Park, I don''t mind being your ve.]

    [My King: Never. We''re equals. Though I don''t mind being your ve.]

    She smiled upon reading his response, finding their little exchange amusing.

    [Katherine: Haha. Damien Park... My ve? I don''t think the world will let me if I make the King be my ve. Everyone will hunt me down if I do that.]

    [My King: Katherine, <em>the key to living like a King is to work like a ve.</em>]

    The words struck her. He was not the Resort King for no reason. Even if he came from a wealthy family, he worked hard to be where he was now. Truly, he deserved to be on top. His words of wisdom were inspirational. She thought about her response but she received two more texts from him.

    [My King: For you, I will, My Queen.]

    [My King: Also, though I would love for you toe back to thepany, I wouldn''t steal you from YC. Your grandfather might have my head if I do that.]

    Katherine chuckled at the message. She was about to respond when herndline rang. It was a call from the CEO''s secretary requesting for her to go to the CEO''s office. Picking up her bag, she left in a hurry and went to see her aunt.

    When she arrived at her aunt''s office, she felt a strange nostalgia. She used to visit her father here when he was still alive. Thebination of mncholy and bitterness washed over her but she forced on a smile as she greeted her aunt. "Good morning, President Young. You called for me?"

    "Hello, dear. Come sit," Deborah Young gestured towards the luxe sofa and they sat side by side. "It''s only the two of us here, you don''t have to be so formal. You can call me as usual."

    Katherine made a small smile and politely bowed, wondering what her aunt wanted from her.

    "How are you feeling? Are you adjusting to your work well?" Aunt Deborah asked.

    Katherine answered her truthfully, telling her that it was tough at first because of the different environment but she wasn''t totally lost. She was a fast learner, so self-studying the materials given to her was a breeze.

    Aunt Deborahplimented and wished her well with her adjustment, making her look very kind. "How''s President Park these days? I hope you two are well?"

    Truthfully, Katherine didn''t like talking about her rtionship with Damien to anyone. Not even her aunt. So she was a bit reserved when she answered, "I would like to apologize again for the trouble we caused recently, Aunt Debbie. I hope thepany isn''t suffering too much because of it. I promise I will try to avoid such things in the future."

    Deborah ced a hand on Katherine''s shoulder with a gentle smile on her face. "Don''t worry about that anymore. That matter has been handled now. We can just focus on the bidding. Besides, I support your rtionship with President Park. In fact, why don''t we have dinner together? Just us three I would love to get to know you both more. How does Saturday sound?"

    Katherine felt a little uneasy but she just softly chuckled. "Oh Um President Park has been quite busy these days, so I will have to check with his schedule when he''s free. We also already have a prior engagement at the Central za on Saturday. So"

    "Central za?" Deborah''s ears perked up. Central za was a prestigious hotelmuch like Crown Hotels. "Are you... attending a party?"

    "Sort of. It''s actually an auction I''m still a bit unfamiliar about what really happens there as I''m just new to the club."

    "The club?" Deborah''s brows knitted in curiosity, eyeing Katherine very carefully as she probed.

    "Yeah... Have you heard of The tinum Club, Aunt Debbie?" Katherine wondered.

    The vein in Deborah''s neck ticked at the mention of the club. Of course, she had heard of it. She had tried to apply for membership in the club a few times but she never got any response from the founders of the club. "I have. You''re a member?"

    Katherine nodded and a small smile painted on her face. "I just recently got in actually. Are you also a member, Aunt Debbie?"

    With a forced smile, Deborah shook her head and masked her jealousy. "Ah, no. I don''t have time for clubs. I''m far too busy with work as you can see... I wish to attend parties but even those invites I have on my table, I only seldom respond with a ''Yes'' on the RSVP." She waved her hand nonchntly. "Withpany matters, I wouldn''t have a lot of time," she lied. She couldn''t believe that this woman just came back not too long ago and now she was a member of that exclusive club? Bitternessced her tongue as she bit back a scowl.

    "I see" Katherine smiled and nodded.

    Saved by the bell, Deborah Young''s secretary reminded her of her meeting in a few minutes. Deborah then turned to her niece and told her, "Well, it can''t be helped. Next time then, when President Park will have free time."

    Feeling bad that she had to decline her aunt''s invitation, Katherine offered, "How about Sunday? We can go to the house so we can have lunch or dinner with Grandpa and Caroline."

    Deborah nodded in response. "That would be lovely, dear."

 Chapter 407: An Adorably Deadly Kitten

    Chapter 407: An Adorably Deadly Kitten

    "Thanks!" Katherine excitedly received the takeaway paper bag from the counter. She was currently in one of the restaurants that she and Damien used to order from when she was still working at Crown Resort Group. She had ordered the food through the phone while she was still at Young Corporation and then she drove to the restaurant in her new red Lexus to pick up her orders.

    Checking the contents of therge paper bag, she made sure that everything was there before she left. Since CRG''s building wasn''t far, the drive there only took a couple of minutes. She parked at the basement parking and made her way to the top floor. Before she came, she had already contacted Markus to make sure that Damien would be in his office when she would arrive.

    Katherine peered through the paper bag again and the corners of her lips curled up into a smile, making her look more radiant. Landing on the top floor, she fixed her clothes and brushed her hair in ce. She couldn''t believe she was actually nervous visiting Damien at work that her heart was beating erratically in her chest.

    With a bright smile, she knocked on therge sturdy door to his office and waited until she heard him say, "Come in." Before opening the door, she looked down at her top. She was wearing a blush button-down long-sleeved top and a white pencil skirt. She bit her bottom lip and decided to y a littleso she unbuttoned the top two buttons of her blouse, revealing her healthy cleavage just a bit. And then she opened the door.

    "Hi, I brought" Katherine''s lively greeting broke off when she saw Executive Assistant Manager Jun from the Crown Hotel next to the main office building standing in front of Damien''s desk.

    "Katherine" Damien muttered upon seeing her enter and he straightened up in his seat. Not having received a response from her from hisst text message, he thought that she was busy, so this was a pleasant surprise for him.

    She paused at the door and tried to keep her smile intact but it slipped a little and she couldn''t help it. However, she reced it with an even brighter one. When she was still working here, this hotel assistant manager was one of those people who talked behind her back. The first time that Katherine met Ms. Jun was when Damien let her stay in the Royal Penthouse. Ms. Jun, along with General Manager Chu were the two who assisted them when Damien showed her the penthouse that day. Ever since then, this same woman had been giving her cold stares.

    "Oh, sorry. I didn''t know you hadpany. I brought you lunch. I wanted to eat together with you." Katherine slightly shook the paper bag in her hand.

    Ms. Jun turned to Katherine and greeted with a fierce stare and a fake smile, "Good afternoon, Miss Young."

    "Sorry you are?" Katherine arched a brow at the woman and gave her a once over. "Oh, right. Ms. Jin, was it? My apologies for not recognizing you. I easily forget faces."

    "It''s Jun, Ms. Young," the other said, her cheek twitching from maintaining her smile and trying to disregard the insult.

    Damien watched as Katherine shrugged and nonchntly made her way to the sofa set in front of his desk, curious as to what she was up to. "Ah okay," she replied casually and sat down and started taking out the contents of the paper bag.

    There were a few things that she ced on the coffee tablesome tes, sses, a couple of take-away containers, and a medium-sized styrofoam box the size of a shoebox. She unceremoniously lifted the side of her skirt and took out a knuckle knifethe "God of Death"one of the knives that Damien gave herthe one that she bought from him for a penny.

    Katherine then sat on the sofa and twirled the knife around her finger once and innocently smiled as she looked up at the two pairs of eyes looking at her. "Oh, please don''t mind me. I''m just going to prepare lunch on this table. Carry on," she softly said. And then with precise movement, she sliced the packaging tape that''s wrapped around the styro box in one swift move. Her movement was so fluid that it was impressive.

    Ms. Jun gulped and shivered at the sight in front of her. ''This bitch is crazy!'' she thought, her eyes widening at the weapon on Katherine''s hand that she yed so effortlessly like it was a normal thing to do.

    Seeing the scene unfold before him, Damien subtly touched his nose to suppress the amusement that''s threatening to show on his face but his mouth still curled upward slightly anyway. His Kitten was adorably deadly.

    Clearing his throat, he signed thest paper on the folder and mmed it shut. "We''re just finishing up."

    Ms. Jun snapped her head. She already missed out on her chance. "What about"

    "Next time, you can just drop this off at the reception." Damien cut her off and pointed at the folder. "Don''t tire yourselfing up here just to give this. Email is fine. You didn''t have to send this personally on behalf of Mr. Chu. Even he doesn''te to my office unless I ask him to."

    Ms. Jun was embarrassed. She rarely got the chance to face Damien like this. Mr. Chu was on a one week leave of absence and she took it as an opportunity to have more encounters with the CEO. "I just thought that reporting it personally will show my sincerity, President Park."

    Damien didn''t look up and kept his gaze at the table, not wanting to spare her a nce. He wasn''t dumb. He knew what she was doing as he had noticed it for a while and seeing as she was taking advantage of the situation, he wanted to shut her downpletely. "It''s unnecessary. Your job is to focus on the hotel as an Assistant Manager. You work for thepany, Ms. Jun. Not just for me. So your sincerity to me is not needed. I have my girlfriend for that." He shifted his gaze to Katherine and met her intense stare.

    Without waiting for a response, Damien finished the conversation. "You may leave."

    Totally discouraged, Ms. Jun bowed and kept her head down as she headed out the door.

    "Oh, Ms. Jin? Would you mind locking the door on your way out? My hands are kinda busy Thank you." Katherine wiggled the fingers on her empty hands, a charming smile stered on her face as she faced Ms. Jun.

    Damien could only shake his head. He was amused and proud at the same time but he kept his expression impassive.

    Once they were alone, Katherine cocked a brow and made her way towards him. "Harsh But I like it."

    "Kitten, did youe here to stake your im or show your ws?" His eyes nced at the knife that she left on the table.

    "Can''t it be both?"

    She positioned herself to sit on his desk facing him and crossed her legs. He leaned back and scanned her length, his eyes staying a little too long on her thighs before fixing it at her face. Her sitting on his desk reminded him too much of how heid her t on her back on that very same desk she was sitting on and took her there rough, fast, and hard. The image in his head made him swallow.

    Katherine lowered her gaze and saw his pants stiffen and she smiled knowing what exactly was on his mind even without him saying it. Damien got up and settled between her legs, softly caressing her thighs as he leaned forward to kiss her neck and she tilted her head back to give him more ess.

    However, it onlysted for a second. "Let''s eat. I''m hungry." He buttoned up the top buttons of her blouse and he strolled to the coffee table.

    She scoffed and followed him. Despite failing on her attempt again, she happily served him food and asionally fed him. She enjoyed their time together and she would just have to keep on trying.

 Chapter 408: A True Warrior

    Chapter 408: A True Warrior

    After lunch, the two stayed on the sofa to rx for a bit before going back to work. Damienid his head on Katherine''sp with his eyes closed as per thetter''s suggestion to take a nap and rest, even if it was for a while. Katherine looked lovingly at Damien as he napped, her fingers softly caressed through his hair while her other hand rested on top of his chest.

    She gazed at his face, taking in the sharpness of his nose and his slightly parted lips as he slept. And because she couldn''t help it, her eyes wandered from his chest down to his stomach and a little bit lower. She wondered if he would finally give in if she took advantage of his current vulnerability. He was asleep, wasn''t he? Lifting her hand ever so carefully, she moved it down south of his body until it hovered over the waistband of his pants. If she could just

    Katherine gasped when he caught her wrist, and then she met his amused stare. He chuckled as he brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. "You''re one sneaky little Kitten."

    Rolling her eyes, she couldn''t help but knit her brows at him. "Well, if the snack is left at the table unguarded, it''s only right for the Kitten to take it."

    Damienughed and yfully bit her hand. "Naughty Kitten."

    The ringing of his cellphone interrupted their little y. Hezily whipped it out of his pocket and checked the screen. "I have to take this," he said just before he sat up on the sofa.

    Katherine suddenly felt empty without his head on herp. She casually brushed off some lint on his dress shirt as he spoke to the caller. The two were speaking in French which she could understand most but she doubted that she could speak them as fluently as before she lost her memory. She was afraid that the secondnguage she knew since she was young was totally lost on her. The phone call didn''tst long and when he pocketed his phone, she probed, "You''re going to France?"

    "Mm. In Nice."

    "When are you leaving?"

    "Tonight at ten." Damien turned to face her and saw her face fell from his announcement.

    Katherine thought that she had time with him tonight, so finding out he was going on a trip sucked. Ever sincest night when he told her to "prove it", she had been looking forward to spending time with him. She was actually excited to try new things tonightuntil he told her he was leaving.

    Seeing that she wasn''t saying anything, concern flitted across his expression. "Are you sad?"

    It took her awhile to answer, but when she did, her tone was impassive. "When are youing back?"

    "Just in time for the auction. Earliest will be Friday night. Latest on Saturday noon." He kept his eyes on her face, trying to study the change in her expression. "You''re already used to me going away on business trips. What''s with the long face?"

    She bit her bottom lip and hesitated when she spoke her thoughts. "I know that but... you''re not doing this just to avoid me, are you?"

    "What?" He chuckled. "What are you talking about? Who''s avoiding who? Why would I avoid you?"

    Katherine crossed her arms in front of her chest and arched her brow at Damien. "Really? You''re not avoiding me?"

    The smile on his face widened even more when he saw her reaction. "You''re cute, Kitten." She pouted at that and heughed even more. Pulling her to him, he asked, "Come on. What can I do to make that pout go away?" When she didn''t answer, he pressed his lips on her jaw and slowly trailed kisses down her neck. "Hmmm?"

    She immediately forgot what she was even annoyed about. Every kiss on her skin caused the butterflies in her stomach to flutter, making her ticklish. But of course, she didn''t stop him. He pushed her down to the sofa till sheid t and he was on top of her. Trying to take her worries away, he kissed her mouth softly and gently until he felt her rx under him.

    Just then, Katherine''s phone on the table rang. They didn''t stop and just let the ringing end on its own. However, when her phone rang again, the two of them peered to check the screen and saw Michael Price''s name. "He sure has a habit of interrupting us," Damien said, his voiceced with bitterness making her snicker.

    "It might be important." She was reluctant but answered the call anyway. Mr. Price informed her that an important meeting from a client was pushed earlier. It was one that Katherine wanted to handle herself as sort of a practice for her. The meeting was in an hour and so she was expected to return to the office soon.

    "I have to go back. It''s a meeting with G&G group. We''re going to close the deal of a project and yesterday I offered to handle it myself," she said.

    "G&G? Wow That''s a hugepany. I''m sure you can handle it just fine."

    "I have to... Or else they will keep looking down on me."

    "They?"

    "Some people in thepany think I don''t deserve the position. And I''m already convinced that I''m not cut out for it." She sighed before pulling a small smile on her face.

    "Please. You worked here and I know you''re capable. Even if you prefer to hold guns and knives, a true warrior knows when to put them down to use their bare hands. Protect your legacy, Katherine. You make sure they know who you truly are. No one knows you better than yourself, so prove them wrong."

    "Thanks for the pep talk. I needed that," she said, her face now brightened up at his words.

    Young Corporation

    Katherine finished the meeting with the client and they would have to wait for a few days for the final decision. When she was on her way back to her office, she bumped into Director Bai, their department director, who asked her to send a few documents up to the CEO''s office.

    She dly epted the task and soon, she reached the top floor where the CEO''s office was and found the secretary''s desk empty. There was no one else in sight and so she decided to go straight to the door. She knocked and no one answered. Contemting where she could leave the documents, she decided it would be best to deliver it inside her aunt''s office where she thought it was safer.

    Setting the documents down on the mahogany desk, Katherine was just about to leave when she noticed a few crumpled papers around the trash bin. She figured that her aunt was toozy to properly toss the paper. She picked them up to throw them away but she did a double-take when she read familiar words on the paper.

    Without much thought, she uncrumpled the paper and read the first few lines of texts. She realized that it was an application letter addressed to The tinum Club which was dated many years ago. This wasn''t what was surprising, because there were three more crumpled papers with a simr letterall of them were written years ago and the most recent one was two years.

    Confused, Katherine''s brows furrowed as she looked at all the letters in her hand. Why would her aunt lie to her earlier? Deciding that she couldn''t stay very long in the office, she kept the papers in her bag and left the room while she continued to think of possibilities to her most recent discovery.

 Chapter 409: A Seed of Doubt

    Chapter 409: A Seed of Doubt

    When Katherine got off work that day, Damien insisted on picking her up from Young Corporation and letting Felix drive her car back home. Then they headed to West Bespoke Tailor to have the final fitting of their outfits done. Upon arriving, she didn''t allow him to see her when she went in for her dress fitting, so he could only see her in it on Saturday. Katherine couldn''t believe that Mr. West was able to pull it off with a custom made dress in just a few days. Though it was still iplete, she was already loving the design that she actually looked forward to wearing it on soon.

    After the two were done with their fitting, Katherine urged Damien to have fast food for dinner instead of going to a fancy restaurant. She even convinced him to order from a drive-thru, and since he couldn''t really say ''no'' to her, he obliged. With their takeaway dinner, they drove to a spot overlooking the harbor to have their meal.

    The night was calm yet a bit chilly and surprisingly, there weren''t a lot of people in the area, unlike most nights. The moon shone above them and there were only a few stars visible in the sky. In front of them was arge body of sheltered water with plenty of boats and ships at the dock. They were on elevated ground so the view from where they parked was marvelous.

    Katherine and Damien ate inside the car and when they finished their meal, they quietly enjoyed the peaceful evening. He looked at her and saw the slight crease in between her brows. Noticing that she was in deep thought, he gently touched her chin and urged her to face him. "Is everything okay? What''s on your mind?" he asked.

    She met his concerned gaze and she thought of sharing her uncertainties with him, "The Club"

    "You mean The tinum Club? What about it?"

    She shifted in her seat so she could face him and talkfortably. "It''s an exclusive club, right? What could be the reasons why an applicant would get rejected?"

    "Hmmm" Damien thought about it for a second. "There are many factors actually. Likereputation, social status, if one or many of the founders suppressor are against the applicant from joining. Why do you ask? You''re already a member"

    "Well, I" Katherine opened her bag and showed him the papers that she took earlier. "I found these in my aunt''s office this afternoon when she wasn''t around. Actually, I wouldn''t have thought much about this had we not met and talked in her office this morning. She invited usyou and mefor a meal on Saturday but I told her that we had a prior engagement. That''s when we talked about the club. I remember she said something like ''not having time for clubs like that''... She pretty much said that she wasn''t interested."

    Damien started checking the papers while she continued, "So when I delivered some documents to my aunt''s office this afternoon, I happened to find these by the trash bin. I wonder why she lied and why are there so many applications? Or was she a member and these are applications for renewal? It doesn''t look like it though. I don''t have to apply for renewal every time, right?"

    "No, you don''t. Normally, you''d be billed for a renewal fee but you don''t have to send applications every time," he answered as he continued to check the letters, noting the dates on them.

    "Mhmm That''s what I thought. So this could only mean that she tried to apply several times. But why do you think she lied about it?"

    Damien shrugged as he handed the papers back to Katherine. "Maybe she was embarrassed? You got in fairly easily only a week after you returned here. Judging by those applications, she must have applied several times but got rejected. That''s just my spection."

    "If that''s the case, that must be frustrating. Could you deduce the reason why?"

    "I''m not sure I don''t know your aunt very well. Do you want me to look into it?"

    "It''s okay, I''ll do it. You already have too much on your te It isn''t urgent anyway, I''m just curious about it. Did you say you were leaving at ten?" She checked the time on the dashboard.

    "Yeah, I still have an hour and a half. We should leave. I need to grab some stuff at the penthouse."

    Gold Phoenix Residences

    At a quarter to nine in the evening, they arrived at the 61st floor penthouse where Damien apanied Katherine until they reached her bedroom. She went to the closet and turned to face him. "I want to go with you..."

    "You mean... to France?"

    She nodded. "Will you tell me what you''re currently working on?" She was curious as she had no idea about his current projects unlike when she was still in CRG.

    "That depends. Why do you want to know?" He looked at her in the eye and was careful with his expression.

    "Just curious So will you tell me?"

    "Maybe"

    She opened her mouth to respond but then she took her words back right away. "You know what, forget it. I have missed a lot at work already. Too bad I don''t work for you anymore." She shrugged and without thinking twice, she took off her clothes until she was only wearing undergarments. "And too bad you''re also leaving tonight."

    Katherine took steps towards him slowly, watching him scan the length of her body.

    "I''ll be back before you know it"

    "Are you sure I can''t make you stay?" She closed the gap and toyed with his tie before yanking it off his neck in one swift move, Katherine style.

    Unabashedly, she leaned against him and fiddled with his cor, popping the top buttons and her fingers skimmed his chest. They were so close that she could feel his erection.

    Damien''s jaw clenched as he tried to control himself. But since he was going to be away for two days, he decided to give in just a little. So he backed her to the wall and pressed her there. He had her hands pinned above her head and he left soft bites on her neck, her shoulder, and the top of her breast. She squirmed but he didn''t let her touch him.

    "You better behave while I''m away, Kitten," he whispered in a rough voice a hair''s breadth away from her lips just before he kissed her hard.

    Later

    At the foyer of Katherine''s penthouse, Damien gave Felix some orders before leaving. "...Just be with her while I''m away. Don''t leave her unattended even if she says she''s okay to be left alone and keep your lines open."

    "Got it. What about the other?" Felix probed.

    "You mean me?" Amelia appeared from the side, a smirk forming on her face as she approached them. "I can take care of myself, Damien. You don''t need to worry about me. No one knows I''m alive except you people, so my life isn''t really in any danger."

    Damien and Felix exchanged looks before the former changed the subject. "I''ve set up a meeting with you and the detective. Wear a disguise when you meet him and tell him everything you know about what Edward told you. I''ve already arranged for his amodation. He''ll be safer under our watch. No one else can know that we have him."

    "Okay I understand"

    "And" Damien swallowed, still unsure of how to address the woman she was talking to. "You can''t go back to the mansion anymore. It''s unsafe for you. Just wait for me until Ie back before you do anything else, is that okay?"

    Amelia formed a small smile seeing that her son showed concern for her. "I will try my best."

    Damien was worried about the two women. <strong>If only he knew that while he''d be away, the two woulde out to y.</strong>

 Chapter 410: Who Says I Cant Enjoy Watching?

    Chapter 410: Who Says I Can''t Enjoy Watching?

    November 15  Thursday

    Katherine''s day at work was uneventful. She was able toe up with a list of highly paid employees from when her father was still at Young Corporation and tried to learn more about those peoplewhile some were still at thepany, the rest were either retired or had resigned. She decided that she would have to investigate the people on her list to gather more information. She might even approach some of them personally just to make sure she doesn''t miss anything. The person who was responsible for her parents'' death should be someone with money, after all, the subject was able to hire two teams.

    At this point, she thought to check out Young Corporation''spetitors that year to rule out certain possibilities. However, she felt that whoever ordered the mission must have a personal grudge because the attack was personal. But she didn''t want to ignore any possibilities. The scope was too big for her, butpared to where she left her trail years ago, she was now closer than evercloser than when she was in Shadow. And without knowing where to look, she could find any skeletons.

    What she learned in Shadow came in handy for her: Not to trust anyone. The possible suspects could be an enemy or a ''friend''. At first, Katherine wrote a list of the people around her who showed different reactions when she joined thepany. Knowing that she survived that night''s tragedy could be rming for whoever that person was. There were a few of them that she nned to investigate more. However, that person could also be really good at masking their intentions or guilt, which made it rather hard for her to deduce who among the "nice" people in her list was guilty.

    But who benefited a lot when her father died? The only one in her mind was her aunt. However, Deborah Young did not be Young Corporation''s CEO until many yearster after her father''s death because her grandfather assumed the CEO position again after that tragedy. And she couldn''t see any taint in her aunt''s reputation to doubt her. Should she start investigating her then?

    Katherine''s day at the office went by quickly as she had a lot to do. She had only received a text from Damien once in the morning when she woke up telling her that he arrived in France safely and would be busy the whole day so that he could catch a flight home faster. It was already six in the evening when she returned home and decided to send him a message to inform him. But it wasn''t until it was eight in the evening when she received a response.

    [My King: Hey I just arrived back at the hotel. I still have to review some documents before turning in though. Your day must have been exhausting, just like mine. I hope you''re okay.]

    [Katherine: Isn''t it 2 am there? Aren''t you going to be more tired tomorrow if you''re not sleeping yet? I am okay, don''t worry about me. I hope you are too. IMY.]

    Instead of getting a reply, Katherine''s phone rang and Damien''s caller I.D. shed on her screen. Without any dy, she epted the call. "Hi"

    "You miss me already?" he asked in a yful tone.

    "Of course, I do. Don''t you miss me?" She heard Damien''sugh and a soft "Mm" from the other end of the line. Pressing a button on her screen, she told him, "Turn on your video."

    "What?"

    "Your camera. I want to see you," she said as she stared at her phone and waited for his video to appear.

    A couple of beatster, Damien''s face came on. He was wearing a white dress shirt with the top buttons undone, looking serious and gentle with his eyesses sitting on the bridge of his nose. "This was a bad idea" she muttered to herself seeing as Damien''s appearance just made her miss him more and he was far away. It had only been less than twenty-four hours since shest saw him and she was already missing him badly. How clingy had she gotten? She cursed herself.

    "What did you say?" he probed. There was a small smile forming on his lips as he looked at her through the screen. Since he arrived at Nice, France, he had been very busy. But seeing her even only through a video call was such a stress reliever.

    Katherine shook her head and when he asked her how her day was, she told him what she did in the office. "Just be careful while you''re there. You never know who''s watching you," she heard him say. She could see that he was already tired so she didn''t want to keep him up for too long.

    However, when she said they should end the call so he could rest, Damien asked her to stay for a bit more. He would be busy the next day too and talking to her at the moment would help him get through the next day.

    "Okay, but only a few minutes more, and then you really need to rest," she insisted. "What do you want to talk about?"

    He shrugged. Truthfully, he didn''t want to talk. He just wanted to look at her. "I don''t know, tell me anything."

    She was on the bed, lying on her stomach as she talked to him on the phone. She nervously touched her lips when she thought about something naughty. "Well, since you don''t know what to talk about. We don''t have to talk."

    "We don''t?" He knitted his brows slightly and watched as she adjusted her phone so it was angled slightly upward. Then Katherine kneeled on the bed. She was wearing a blush button-down silk top and shorts, looking so soft and feminine. He wondered what she was about to do, but when her fingers started fiddling the buttons of her top, he could already guess. "What are you doing, Kitten?" he asked anyway.

    She didn''t answer and continued to slowly unbutton her top. He leaned forward and kept his eyes fixated on the screen, subtly wetting his bottom lip with his tongue. "Do you n on stripping your clothes in front of me every chance you get now?"

    "Are youining?" She had unbuttoned her top halfway already, showing that she wasn''t wearing any bra underneath. The swells of her cleavage were clearly visibleit looked sexy but also so teasing as she was still covered. Her fingers traced her neck down to the spot between her breasts. "Hmm?"

    "I didn''t say that." He swallowed and shifted on his seat. Damn this woman. Before, she''d still get shy by the idea of doing this on a video call but now She was making it hard for him to resist any longer. If she continued to do this, he might just give in.

    "For someone who''s been trying to avoid me, you sure stare a lot, Damien You like it when I do this," she teased.

    A chuckle escaped past his lips upon hearing her words. "I may try not to touch you, Kitten, but who says I can''t enjoy watching?"

    "Shameless" She smiled. "But I love it."

    "Why d''you stop?" he wondered when she stopped unbuttoning her top. Her cleavage was already fully showcased, but most of her were still covered. He suddenly became greedy. And the hard shaft inside his pants agreed with him.

    "Don''t you think it''s unfair?" She tilted her head to the side as she questioned.

    "What do you want me to do?"

    "Surprise me."

    His eyes darkened as he straightened up and started unbuttoning his shirt as well. Even with just a few buttons off, he already looked so sexy, and he was moving so painfully slowly that it made her bite her lip in anticipation.

    Just when he finished thest button, a knock on Katherine''s door disturbed their sexy time. "Sorry, give me a sec," she got up from the bed and covered herself to answer the door.

    It was Amelia, and she wanted to borrow Katherine''s bike. When Katherine came back to the video call, Damien asked, "Who was that?"

    "Your mom, she borrowed the motorcycle."

    "Where is she going?"

    "I didn''t ask. Should I go and ask her?"

    "No, it''s okay."

    Katherine saw him checking his watch and she worried that it was toote for him. "You know what, you should take a rest now. It''s half past two there already and you still have a long day ahead of you tomorrow."

    "I guess I should. I''ll call you again tomorrow?"

    "Of course. Take care, Damien." When their call ended after their goodnights, she slumped on the bed and sighed.

    She considered going to sleep early, but the thought of Amelia going out tonight made her feel uneasy after what happenedst Sunday back at the Park Mansion. Thinking she should check on her, she went to see Styles.

    "Do you know where Falcon is headed?" Katherine asked as soon as she entered Styles''s bedroom.

    "Uhh" He swallowed and contemted on what to say. On his screens were several programs running, but what caught Katherine''s attention was the blueprint of Park Group''s office next to live security feeds of the building.

 Chapter 411: No Escape

    Chapter 411: No Escape

    Amelia sped off with Katherine''s bike and headed straight to Park Group''s office building. Damien told her to stay put but she just couldn''t help herself because sitting and doing nothing only made her feel restless. And meeting the detective earlier that day only made her even more unsettled. She had this itch to scratch, so she needed to do this, or she might go crazy.

    Soon, she arrived at the building''s block and parked the motorcycle at an alley nearby. She had spent months in this office when Lawrence Park was still alive, so she knew the ce pretty well. Despite some changes on the exterior of the building, the interior was still pretty much the same. And with Styles in her earpiece, it made her work more manageable.

    She didn''t really know what she needed to find, but if Frederick didn''t have anything valuable for her at the study in Park Mansion, he must have something in his office. "Styles, tell me when you''re ready," she said as she waited for his signal. She was wearing an all-ck outfita fitted leather jacket, pants, a hip pack, lightweight tactical gloves, and she had her hair up in a ponytail.

    "Alright, I''m in," Styles said through thems. "You should be clear in the south. But you only have a minute to pass through there before the guardes back."

    "Got it." Amelia opened the door of the south entryway which was located in the back alley where she parked the bike. With a small tactical shlight, she breathed in and entered through the door quietly.

    "Cross the hall and enter the elevator. I already altered the camera feed and the security system. You''ll breeze your way through to the top floor in 14 seconds."

    She followed his instructions and in no time, she arrived at the top floor. "I''m here. This seems to be very easy. Watch my back, Styles. I''m heading to the office."

    "The coast is clear. You have less than ten minutes."

    Amelia reached the door to the CEO''s office and she clicked her tongue when she saw the digital door lock. It had been many years since shest came here but she pictured that the door would have been the same. How times have changed! "The door has a smart lock," she said as she stared at the rectangr device with a digital touch keypad above the handle.

    "Don''t fret. I got you. How does it look like?"

    "Sending you a picture." She took a quick photo of the door lock and sent it to Styles who received it a few secondster.

    "Alright. One sec." The sound of his mechanical keyboard tapping in the background onlysted for a few seconds before he came back. "See that small panel on the bottom of the handle? Pry that open from the bottom and there should be a Type C pin slot. Connect that to your phone."

    Amelia held the shlight in her mouth while she did what Styles asked her to do. She took out a USB connector set that had several types of connectors attached on one end while the other matched her smartphone''s slot. She didn''t know what a Type C was but she attached a connector to her phone through the charging port and managed to find one that was able to fit the small slot on the door''s smart lock''s control panel.

    She must have done the right thing when she heard Styles say, "Good, give me a few seconds." There were a bunch of numbers and letters appearing on the screen of her phone that she didn''t understand. A loading bar appeared and the next thing she knew, there was a click on the door and then it opened.

    "Bravo, Styles. We should rob a bank next time," Amelia joked as she got inside the office, leaving the door behind her ajar.

    "I don''t mind that," Styles casually answered as he kept his eyes on his monitors, making sure that the guards were away. "You have about six minutes left, Falcon."

    Entering the room was nostalgic for her as it was once Lawrence''s office when he was still alive. When he became the CEO, she was already a few weeks pregnant and she was still working for him at that time. Brushing the memories that were wing its way to resurface in her mind, she started on the desk and picked open the locked drawers, rummaging them carefully. Most of the contents inside werepany documents. On the bottom drawer was a bottle of expensive whiskey and a handgun with bullets and magazines next to it. "No surprise there," she muttered to herself.

    She was just about to close the drawer when she noticed the base of it. The interior height of the drawer box didn''t seem to match the height of the drawer''s face. She reached in and tried knocking the floor of the bottom drawerit was hollow. She carefully removed the bottle of whiskey and handgun, set them on the desk, and then tried to lift the board up.

    Inside the secretpartment, there was a long envelope. Amelia took it out and checked the documents inside. "What are you hiding in here, Freddie..." she muttered as sheid the papers on the desk. They were all titles of different properties locally and internationally.

    "Falcon, you need to get out of there now, two men in ck are heading up," Styles''s voice rang in her ear and she quickly took out her phone as she said, "Hang on, I need to take pictures."

    "You have less than a minute to get out of there."

    She took pictures of the titles and returned everything back to their ces. When she was done, she backed away from the desk and caught sight of a huge painting behind the office chair. She only remembered that there was a safe behind it. "There''s a"

    "What are you doing? Get out of there now!" Styles was getting anxious.

    "But"

    "Falcon, now! The elevator''s arriving."

    Amelia hissed and hurriedly slipped out of the room, the door closed and locked behind her. She headed straight to the stairwell as per Styles''s directions and just as she disappeared through the door, the security men waltzed in the hallway. She sighed in relief as she barely made it out of there.

    "You''d have to go down until the twelfth floor through the stairs and go to the opposite hall. Be careful, there are a few men at the eleventh-floor."

    Amelia alighted the flight of stairs and when she was about tond on the twelfth, she heard voices from the floor down and the smell of cigarette was evident. She stealthily opened the door, careful not to make a sound that would catch the men''s attention. When she was back inside the main building, there was static in her earpiece and she couldn''t hear Styles clearly. "Styles? Styles!" she whispered loudly but she couldn''t hear his voice anymore. She checked her phone and found that there was no signal. "Sht."

    Without guidance, she decided to move on her own and cautiously proceeded towards the opposite side of the building like Styles said earlier. She took her time avoiding the cameras as she didn''t know whether the security feeds were still altered or not. When she was just about to reach her destination, there were faint voices that wereing to her direction. She looked from left to right, in search of a ce to hide. Just when she was about to move, a hand reached to grab her arm and hauled her inside a utility room.

    Her heart raced at the surprise. Amelia retracted her arm and was ready to attack until she heard the other whisper, "It''s me."

    The room was dark and she could barely see the other person but she recognized the whispered voice immediately. "Katherine?" she whispered back, confused as to why she was there.

    ...

    ...

    ...

    <strong>November 16  Friday</strong>

    Damien justnded on the tarmac at 11:50 in the evening with an anxious heart. As soon as he did, he immediately called Katherine but she didn''t answer. He tried Amelia and Styles but there was no answer either.

    "Why the hell is no one answering my calls?" he bit out as he approached Markus who stood next to the Range Rover.

    Markus cleared his throat and scratched the back of his head as he shifted on his weight. Then, he informed the already irritated Devil in front of him. "B-Boss Ms. Young and your mother" He swallowed. "They''re at the police station."

    The look on Damien''s face was unreadable as he wordlessly got in the driver''s seat. Markus had to climb the backseat of the car quickly before his boss sped off into the traffic.

 Chapter 412: No Escape (2)

    Chapter 412: No Escape (2)

    Thursday Night

    Katherine didn''t have to ask Styles to understand what was going on seeing that he and Amelia were on a secret mission to infiltrate Park Group''s main office building. As to why Amelia was doing this, she could only guess that she wanted to find evidence at Frederick''s office.

    Katherine knew that Damien had already given instructions toy low. And without backup, she was worried that Amelia might get in trouble. Sure, Amelia was one of the best Shadow agents and was very skillful, but this was Frederick Park she was going head to head against. They shouldn''t be toox about this whole thing.

    There were notifications and beeping sounds on the monitors that caught Styles''s attention. He immediately put the headphones on, ignoring her presence and started typing away, trying to bypass the security system. Katherine knew that once Styles was in the zone, he couldn''t be disturbed as he would be very focused on the mission.

    Sighing, she went back to her bedroom and quickly changed into her ck lightweight tactical outfitpants, long sleeves, boots, and a ck cap. She was ready in less than two minutes.

    Contemting whether she should bring a gun, she stared at her stash and ended up choosing the pair of "god of death" knuckle knives that she already loved before stalking back to Styles''s bedroom. When she got in, he was still busy doing his thing.

    "I''m borrowing these, Styles. Bye," she said as she grabbed a handheld monitor from the table next to himit was wirelessly connected to hisputerand then she slipped out of the penthouse only to be stopped by Felix at the foyer.

    "Where are you going?" he asked.

    "Park Group. Amelia snuck in. I need to help her." Katherine didn''t stop as she spoke and headed straight to the elevator.

    Felix was still surprised at what was happening. He didn''t even notice Amelia had left. How did that happen? "This is a bad idea," he muttered as he got in the elevator with her. They started to descend towards the basement parking.

    "I can''t just let her go alone. And you can''t stop me."

    "Damien will kill me," he said under gritted teeth.

    "He''ll ughter you if something happens to his mom," Katherine teased, a faint smile forming on her lips as she alighted the elevator out to the basement.

    As a former Navy seal, nothing should faze himexcept at this moment, he was more anxious at the thought of Damien learning about this. Following Katherine to her red Lexus, he snatched the keys from her hands and got in the driver''s seat. "At least let me drive."

    They sped through the traffic and once they arrived at the back alley of Park Group''s building, they found Katherine''s motorcycle. She handed Felix an earpiece for their two-waymunication system and the handheld monitoring device that she ''borrowed'' from Styles. On the screen showed all the security feeds from Park Group.

    Katherine''s phone rang and she answered as soon as she saw Styles''s I.D.

    "You took my tablet! Don''t tell me you''re already there," Styles''s frantic voice was heard over the line. "You are" he murmured right after and Katherine could only guess that he saw her location on his monitor.

    "You expect me to let her go by herself?"

    "She''s already inside. She''ll be out soon."

    Katherine studied the feeds on the monitor and told him, "Men going up. She has to take the stairs. Styles, I have to go in. Tell her to take twelfth."

    "Sht. I just saw it."

    She passed the device to Felix who held her back before she could step out of the car. "You''re not going in there, Katherine."

    "The hell I''m not. Look at that, she''s outnumbered. You stay here and be my eyes and ears." She quickly retracted her hand and shoved the device to his chest.

    Felix was taken aback at how fast she moved. One second she was just in the car and soon, she had already slipped inside the building. "Fck."

    "Don''t curse in my ear, Felix," Katherine whispered through thems and he remembered that they were already connected. Without much choice, he could only help her by guiding her inside the building.

    "Katherine?" Amelia was surprised to see her there. "What are you doing here?"

    "I''m your backup. Now we have to get out of here. The ce is crawling with security." Katherine peeked outside and saw two guards roaming and doing their rounds. They waited for their chance before they could get out of the utility room safely without getting detected.

    Since Amelia lost connection with Styles, Katherine could only rely on Felix''s guidance. They reached the stairwell and started going down. However, on the ninth floor, there were a few idle men and so they had to go back inside the building only to find the door to the tenth floor locked.

    Just then, Styles came through Amelia''s earpiece again, "Falcon! Can you hear me? Sht I lost you earlier."

    "I can hear you now. What do we do?" Amelia probed in a hushed tone while Katherine watched her.

    "You can''t go in the tenth, there are a dozen men as soon as you go out. Your only choice is to go down and take out the two at thending." While Styles was back in giving directions, Felix was on standby. Thetter was itching to go in but it might onlyplicate things more so he could only wait for the two women toe out.

    Left with no choice, Katherine and Amelia exchanged looks and nodded. As soon as they descended the stairs and made their presence known, the men in the stairwell were alerted.

    "Who are you? You''re not allowed here"

    "Hey boys~" Katherine muttered just before she leaped and skipped several steps, her knees were bent up and her feet were in the air before they hit one of the men''s chest. The man stumbled backward and hit his head on the wall while shended gracefully on the 9th floor''snding.

    Meanwhile, Amelia didn''t waste time and surprised the other who was still stunned by the sudden attack and gave him several blows on his upper and lower body. Soon, there were two unconscious men on the floor.

    The two women continued heading down the stairwell. They had to face a few more men on their way but they were able to handle them just fine and knocked them out cold. It was the first time for them to work together actively like this but they were so synced with each other that it seemed as though they had been doing this for years.

    Reaching the second floor, they had to cross the other side of the building again in order to pass through the same door that they used to enter inside. But before they could step out of the stairwell and into the main building, an rm went off inside Park Group.

    "Uh-oh, one of the guards alerted the rest. You need to get out of there fast or we''re dead." Styles had his eyes fixed on the screen trying to bypass or stop the rm from ringing at the same time that he was looking for a way to get Katherine and Amelia out of there. "They locked the south door. Oh, we''re so dead."

    Katherine and Amelia looked at each other. They were panting as they had to descend a flight of stairs and take out the security men at the same time. Now that they were locked inside, was there really no way out anymore?

 Chapter 413: Run!

    Chapter 413: Run!

    The air inside became thick and the two women churned their brains thinking for an escape out. There was no way out on the first floor and their only choice was to cross the other side of the building through the second floor to get to the south door as the west and east exits were all inessible.

    Facing Katherine, Amelia ced a hand on her shoulder and said, "I don''t mind being caught by them. But not you. You have to get out. They can''t know you''re here."

    "What"

    "On the count of three, we''ll bust through this door and I''ll create a distraction. You go straight to the south door. By then, Styles will be able to open it for you."

    "What are you talking about? I won''t leave you here. No way!" Katherine shook her head, unwilling to do what Amelia was nning. She came here to back her up. What kind of person would she be if she left her here? "I''m not leaving you here, Falcon. And you can''t make me."

    Amelia sighed. "You''re so stubborn." With one hand on the handle, she held the other up and silently counted, "One Two Three" She pulled the door open and the two of them sprinted deeper into the building.

    "There they are!" one of the guards shouted.

    Just a few seconds in and the two women were already surrounded by men. They kept their heads down in order not to be recognized with their caps and masks covering their faces.

    Amelia brought her fists up in front of her on an on-guard position, while Katherine took out the knuckle knives that she attached to each of her thighsshe swiftly pulled it out and twirled once before her fingers found their slots inside the knuckle holes, the extremely sharp knives pointing outward below the bottom of her fists.

    The "god of death" knives shone under the fluorescent lights at the same time that her fierce eyes darkened. She positioned one near her face while the other was slightly forward.

    Amelia and Katherine had their backs facing each other while the men surrounded them trying to gauge how they were to capture these intruders.

    Two men started to close in and a fight ensued. This wasn''t supposed to be a war as it was a simple investigative mission but fights like these were expected. It was inevitable. But as much as possible, Katherine tried not to slice them with the knives in her handsat least, she was trying to avoid hitting any vital parts and only aimed to knock them out. It was the same for Amelia.

    "I almost got it," Styles spoke through their ears while they were busy attacking and counter-attackingall while avoiding to kill the men.

    The two Femme Fatales were fast and sharp. Soon, the dozen men that surrounded them were down to six. The security detail that night was a mixture of Frederick''s men and regr security guards so their level ofbat fighting was different from each other. But with their uncoordinated attacks from every side, it was a bit tricky for the two women to try and avoid injuring them heavily.

    "Ah!"

    A cry caught Katherine''s attention and when she turned, she saw a huge man behind Amelia with his arms locked around her neck. She looked tinypared to the giant. Without hesitation, Katherine dashed towards them shouting, "Give me a lift!"

    Amelia was already getting choked and she almost did not understand what Katherine was asking but when she saw the other running to her direction, her instincts kicked in. She removed her grasps from the man''s arms, inteced her fingers together and held them open in front of her just in time for Katherine''s foot to step on it, and gave her a boost upward.

    The next second, Katherine was high up in the air with her right fist pulled back just before she delivered a punch straight to the huge man, the hard steel knuckles of her knife damaging his face. He let go of Amelia and he wiped the blood on his cheek. Apart from the busted skin, he was also cut by the knife.

    "The south door is open! Run!" Styles''s news rang in their earpieces and the two made a run for it with the rest of the men running after them.

    Just before they reached the south door, Katherine noticed an approaching man in a business suit several meters on the east side of the building and when she concentrated her stare, she recognized him. ''William'' she thought. She lost her focus and almost didn''t notice the gun that he pointed at her.

    "Queen!" Amelia hissed and pushed her forward. They disappeared at a corner and sprinted out through the south door.

    As soon as they exited, the door locked behind them. "I locked them inside. You only have thirty seconds before their system resets. Go go go!" Stylesmanded.

    "Let''s circle around the city. I''ll meet you back home." Amelia headed for the motorbike while Katherine went to the Lexus and nodded in agreement.

    Felix, who broke out in sweat watching the events unfold on the tiny screen, already had the engine running. So as soon as Katherine got inside, he sped off into the night.

    Golden Phoenix Residences

    While the three took their time to go back to the penthouse, Styles moved quickly and deleted all traces of them ever being anywhere near Park Group. He nted a virus that attacked Park Group''s security system, destroying their security footage in thest twenty-four hours.

    There was a look of triumph on his face as his fingers danced on his mechanical keyboard. He was so thrilled at what just happenedit had been a long time since he had been challenged like this and the exercise made him feel invigorated.

    If Styles was an addict, this was his drug.

    Later

    The two women, along with Styles and Felix, gathered at the kitchen. There was arge tablet on the kitchen ind counter the size of a long envelope and on the screen were the pictures of the titles that Amelia took from Frederick''s office. They still don''t know what to do with that but Amelia had asked Styles to look into it already and he disappeared back to his bedroom, leaving Felix and Katherine with her."Hey Um, Felix," Amelia started and the stoic man had an unreadable expression as he looked at her. Felix was still having a hard time wrapping his head around the idea of her being Damien''s mother as she looked like she was younger than himat the same time, his chest was heavy, unsure of how to handle the situation. Damien will definitely kill him. The two women were a handful. He thought he aged a hundred times the past couple of hours.

    "Thanks I know you have to report back to him but can you at least wait until hees back?" Amelia requested.

    "Whatever." Felix shook his head and left the kitchen.

    "That was reckless, you know You should have at least told me so we could''vee up with a better n." Katherine''s expression was soft as she spoke.

    "I know." Amelia nodded. "You have to understand, though... I had been a lone wolf for so many years. Even with Styles thest five years, I still operated alone most of the time. Old habits die hard and I''m sure you know what I mean."

    Unfortunately "I do," Katherine agreed. Only the two understood what they meanting from the same dark organization.

    It was quiet for a few beats before thetter spoke again. "But it''s different now I want to change for him. I want to be better. I can''t lie to him, Amelia. Not anymore..."

    "I know And I''m not asking you to Just at least until hees home. I don''t want him to worry while he''s on a trip."

    Katherine inhaled deeply and was hesitant when she agreed. "I''ll head to bed now."

    "Hey, Katherine?" Amelia called, and when the other turned, she made a small smile. "Thank you."

    Katherine returned the smile. "Anytime."

 Chapter 414: A Night Out (1)

    Chapter 414: A Night Out (1)

    Friday  November 16

    Katherine made a lot of progress at work in the past few days. If she had doubted herself that she wasn''t cut out for this kind of environment and work, her mind was slowly changing, and she could actually imagine herself being part of Young Corporation. Memories of her childhood about visiting her father in the office resurfaced. It was sad yet also nostalgic, and it drove her, even more, to keep investigating her parents'' deaths.

    While she was buried elbow-deep with workte in the afternoon, a knock on the door interrupted her concentration. She looked up and saw Michael approach her desk with two cups of coffee in hand. She was about to stand to greet him, but he raised a hand to stop her and said, "It''s okay. Here I hope this fuels you." He ced one cup on her desk and then took a sip from his. "You''re really serious about this, huh?"

    Katherine could only form a small smile on her face. She picked up the coffee and sipped, wishing that it was Damien''s hot chocte instead. Thinking about him made her miss him a lot, so she shrugged off her thoughts of him. "I have to. It''s hard being the outcast in my own family''s business."

    "That''s rubbish," Michael muttered and his ent showed. "Your first week wasn''t very admirable, yes, but you''ve worked so hard these past few days. Everybody can see that."

    "Yeah Well Only time will tell if I can really win everyone''s approval." She shrugged.

    Michael Price stared at Katherine, taking in all the files on her table. He subconsciously scratched his temple as he contemted. Checking the time on his watch, he softly sighed and told her, "You know what I don''t mind helping you out."

    "Oh, I don''t want to impose I know you''re busy..."

    He rolled up the sleeves of his blue dress shirt, started grabbing the papers from her desk, and moving them to the coffee table. "Not busy for this. It''s still work, after all, Ms. Young. We need to make sure you seed for thepany to win. As much as you want to prove yourself to everyone, our main goal is to close the deal. I''m all for hard workand Imend you for that, but epting help wouldn''t make you any less hardworking."

    Realizing that he was right, it was indeed better to have him help her prepare for the presentation. He had been in the department far longer than her, and he most definitely knew a lot more than her. It would be a smart move on her part.

    "Alright then It''s an honor to have you teach me, Mr. Price." Katherine got up and went to sit with him on the sofa. She was ready to get to work and get herself up to speed. She needed this.

    "Please. We''ve been at this already. Call me Michael," he reminded before grabbing one file and began borating on essential details.

    The two spent hours working on the preparation of Katherine''s presentation. She hadn''t worked this hard before. And with one goal in mind, Katherine was determinedshe was like a horse on a race track with the finish line as her goal.

    It was already almost eight in the evening when they decided to stop. As Katherine and Michael reached the lobby, he turned to her and said, "I think you''re ready. Just practice like earlier, and I''m sure you''ll be fine."

    "You think so?"

    "Well, you better. The deal is in your hands. I''ll see you on Monday for your mock presentation." Michael did a subtle wave before he disappeared out of the building.

    Katherine took a deep breath; her heart beat faster than usual with just the thought of doing the presentation next week. Felix came to her side and the two returned to Golden Phoenix Residences.

    She was so busy the whole day that she had only sent Damien a couple of texts in the morning and at lunch but she hadn''t heard from him since. She knew that he wanted to hurry back home so he must have had a jam-packed schedule. With that in mind, she patiently waited.

    "Where''s Amelia?" she asked Styles while she ate her dinner.

    "She just stepped out for a bit. She said she''d be at the convenience store downstairs." Styles grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and settled next to her. "Did you know? It''s her birthday"

    "What?" She was chewing food in her mouth when she heard Styles and the news caught her by surprise. "Why didn''t she say anything?"

    "She''s always been like that. For the few years that I''ve known her, she never told me. It wasn''t until three years ago that I asked. She doesn''t like celebrating it." He shrugged.

    Katherine lost her appetite. The thought of Amelia not celebrating her birthday made her sad. And Damien wasn''t even around She bit her lip and thought about what she could do for her.

    Later

    Katherine went to take Bear out for an after-dinner walk and Felix went with her. She was already used to having him around as per Damien''s order so, at this point, she didn''t mind anymore. While they were on their way back home, she caught sight of Amelia sitting casually outside of the convenience store on the corner of the block with two cans of beer next to her.

    Having a strange feeling deep in her stomach, she stared at Amelia. She couldn''t just leave her alone like this Amelia looked lonely on her birthday. Her stomach twisted at the thought. Turning to Felix, she told him, "Can you take Bear up? I want to bring her to the bar across the street." She nodded to Amelia''s direction.

    Felix gave Katherine a look as though he didn''t want to leave her alone. God knows what will happen if he didhe would be two hundred years older!

    As if she read his mind, she chuckled and reassured him, "It''s just across the street, Felix. You cane after you take Bear upstairs."

    He was hesitant to leave but he nodded and took Bear with him. When he was gone, Katherine strolled towards Amelia. "Hey"

    "Katherine Do you need anything?" Amelia asked.

    Katherine pursed her lips into a thin line and shifted her weight. She didn''t know why she was feeling nervous but she cleared her throat, grabbed Amelia''s hand, and pulled her to her feet. "Come. I can''t let you celebrate alone. Damien wouldn''t like it."

    "What?" Amelia was taken aback. Katherine dragged her to the bar across the street, and she allowed her. "Styles told you... That little" Sheughed.

    Once they were seated at an empty table, Katherine ordered a few snacks and beer.

    "Why am I the only one drinking?" Amelia wondered when the other pushed the bottles towards her.

    "Because it''s your birthday."

    "I don''t think that''s how they do it." Amelia chuckled. "We don''t really have to do this, Katherine. I was going toe up after I finished that can."

    "Nah-uh. You''re not spending your birthday alone." Katherine tossed a nut into her mouth and smiled at Amelia. Thetter looked at her in deep thought, then she grabbed a bottle of beer and ced it in front of Katherine saying, "If you really want me to celebrate, you''re drinking with me."

    Katherine darted her stare at the bottle and then back at Amelia. One bottle wouldn''t hurt. "Fine."

    They clinked their bottles together and the next words that came out from Amelia''s pretty lips made Katherine think that this was a bad idea.

    Crossing her arms in front of her chest, Amelia curled her mouth upward and started, "So, Katherine You and my son..."

 Chapter 415: A Night Out (2)

    Chapter 415: A Night Out (2)

    At nine in the evening on a Friday night, the bar was crawling with socialites and wealthy party-goers who came after concluding their work from their day jobs or their family businesses and were there to unwind. There was pop music sting through the speakers and most of the guests had either hard liquor or cocktails in their hands. But not Katherine and Amelia''sthey were the odd ones with beer in their hands.

    Since Katherine saw Amelia drinking beer earlier, she figured that''s what the other liked to drink so she ordered without asking. Now she was nursing a bottle in her hands, taking her sweet time so she wouldn''t get tipsy or sleepy. But as soon as Amelia broached the topic about Damien, Katherine suddenly felt uneasy. She was there to apany Amelianot gush about her love life.

    "I''m not going to talk to you about Damien." Katherine took a swig of the beer. "It''s your birthday, not mine. So you should be on the hot seat." It was a good thing that they were in the corner booth, away from prying eyes. They didn''t have to shout in order to hear each other either.

    Amelia''s eyes smiled just like her mouth did. "Very well"

    "Why were you drinking alone?" Katherine wondered.

    Amelia took a deep breath and she looked up as though she was thinking about a precious memory. From the way that she had a sweet smile on her youthful face, Katherine could only guess that she was probably thinking about Damien''s father.

    "I don''t celebrate birthdays At least I stopped at some point in college. I don''t have many good memories about them, you see? Until Lawrence Lawrence Park, Damien''s father Have you seen him? Damien looked a lot like him." Amelia paused to take a healthy swig of her beer, the smile on her face didn''t go away.

    "I don''t even know how he knew it was my birthday, or that I don''t celebrate it. But after he got off workbefore he went homehe asked me to go with him to a convenience store near the office. So I followed him and he bought two cans of beer, and then we sat outside and drank. I was baffled by how such a man who was high up the food chain would sit outside a convenience store with me and drink beer like it was normal for us to do so. We weren''t together at that time yet. But I guess that''s when I started seeing him differently...

    "We didn''t talk a lot but at that time, I thought that he must have done that so I don''t feel alone. Kinda like what you''re trying to do right now." She softly chuckled. "So, yeah After I left the mansion, I''ve been doing the same thing. I only drink one of the cans though" She drank her beer again.

    Hearing her story, Katherine felt a prick in her heart. That exined why there were two cans of beer when she saw her outside the store earlier. Was she drinking alone and imagining that her lover was still there? Katherine couldn''t imagine how painful it must be She couldn''t imagine losing Damien forever. Her eyes became misty so she quickly blinked to make the sting go away and drank her beer to hide her reaction.

    It was quiet for a bit before she probed, "You must have loved Damien''s father a lot It''s been years and you still talk about him so fondly"

    The beer bottle in Amelia''s hand was cold, droplets of water trickled down the ss and settled on the coaster. She traced the liquid on the bottle with her pointer finger and swirled it absent-mindedly. She swallowed upon hearing Katherine''s statement. "I don''t know how to measure what I felt for Damien''s father. All I know is that I won''t ever feel the same way towards any other man."

    Amelia lifted her stare and met Katherine''s curious gaze. "Doesn''t make sense, huh? If I loved him that much Why did I leave?" Katherine didn''t say anything but Amelia continued anyway. "Honestly, I don''t have any excuse for what I did, except that I was weak. I was surrounded by people who were out of my league, and it overwhelmed me that I wasn''t one of them. Lawrence''s father Ah It''s no use talking about the dead."

    "Do you regret it?" Katherine bravely asked.

    "Everyday." Amelia finished her bottle and quickly wiped a tear that escaped her eye.

    "Every damn day, I do. Even his death I regret it even though it was an identand I keep thinking Had I not left that day, would he still be alive?" The smile on Amelia''s face didn''t make her look happy. If anything, she looked even sadder. Just how much pain was she keeping inside her? "It sucks that I have all these ''What ifs''. I guess this is my hell while I''m still alive."

    Oh god. How did Katherine end up in a situation like this? This was supposed to be a celebration for Amelia''s birthday. She should have just bought her a cake and called it a day. But then again Seeing her outside that convenience store earlier, she looked like she just needed a drink and a friend. And Katherine was bad at being one. She sucked in air and took arge gulp of the beer, the tiny bubbles bursting in her mouth and she grimaced at the bittersweet taste.

    "His death wasn''t your fault. And neither was it Damien''s..."

    "Why do you say that?"

    "I''m not sure why he mes himself But that''s what he saidthat it''s his fault his father died."

    Amelia slightly nodded. The topic was getting depressing and she wanted to change it badly. She grabbed another bottle of beer and pointed the tip at Katherine. "It''s your turn."

    "What about me?"

    "Do you still love my son?"

    Katherine shifted her gaze away from Amelia and she saw Felix, he was sitting at a few tables away. She kinda wished he joined them so she wouldn''t have to talk about this with Damien''s mother. Talking about Lawrence was different. That was Amelia''s story and Katherine didn''t know the guy. But talking about Damien with his mother? It made her nervous. "I''d rather not talk about that"

    "Why not? Do you not like him anymore?"

    "No, it''s not that. I just I don''t talk about this stuff openly." Katherineid the empty bottle on the table and spun it around.

    "I just told you about mine Come on, I''d love to know more about him."

    Katherine looked up and met Amelia''s earnest gaze. She contemted and thought that maybe it was okay to talk about it. "Okay Well He''s He''s"

    "Really? Not one word?"

    She took a deep breath and spoke her thoughts, "It''s hard to describe. Damien is a lot of things, but he''s also iparable... He''s assertive, a leader... really smart... He knows what he wants and when he decides on it, he''ll be dead set and does whatever it takes for it to be his. He has different sides... One that he shows when he''s with his business partners... another one when he''s with his friends... another when he''s with Nana... and another when he''s with me... He may look like a tyrant and unreachable in the eyes of his employees but... above it all, he''s just a normal person... He''s strong but also has a kind heart."

    "Very simr to his father," Amelia remarked. "Looks like you know him really well You two look great together."

    "Honestly, I don''t think I deserve him."

    "Is that so? What are you going to do about it?"

    Amelia''s question caused a stir in her heart and she chugged the rest of her beer. With so much certainty, she answered, "I''ll prove it. I''ll do whatever it takes until I deserve him."

 Chapter 416: A Night Out (3)

    Chapter 416: A Night Out (3)

    "And you know what''s annoying? He''s so bossy! <em>''Kitten, don''t do this. Kitten, don''t do that. Do you want to be punished... Kitten?''</em>" Katherine mimicked Damien''s voice, her hands waving mid-air before finishing her third bottle of beer.

    Amelia rolled her eyes. "Ugh, each time, he appears to be more and more like his father. Lawrence was also strictAmelia, you shouldn''t do this." She hupped, knocking an empty bottle down when she mmed her palm on the table. The other empty bottles shook.

    "Men, am I right?"

    "I''ll go pee." Amelia slid out of their booth and got up.

    "I''ll go with you." Katherine followed.

    The two headed to the restroom and when they passed by Felix, he stood up to apany them across the room but Amelia and Katherine mped their hands down on his shoulders, keeping him seated.

    "You stay here, handsome. You don''t think you can follow us to the little girl''s room, do you?" Ameliazily traced her cold fingers on his nape, making him shiver.

    With a bright smile on her face, Katherine patted his head gently, "Good boy, stay."

    Felix could only take a deep breath in and increase his patience as he remained seated, and watched the two women walk towards the restroom. When he knew Damien would be away for a business trip, he tried to mentally condition himself. His boss would be away for just a couple of days, surely it wouldn''t be that badhe thought. Now he was stuck with these two women, who seemed to be creating trouble and leaving chaos on their trails and it was just the second day. He could take a fight at any time but who prepared him for this?

    Thinking that the women had enough drinks for the night, he decided that when theye back from the loo, he would force them to go home. It was probably wise to call a few of his men to escort them out too, so he whipped out his phone and called Noah.

    While he was busy on his phone, Amelia and Katherine came out of the restroom giggling at something they found funny. They were already tipsy.

    "Hey, you know whatI want to go somewhere else." Amelia held Katherine''s elbow.

    "At this hour? It''s" Katherine squinted her eyes to check her phone. Sheughed that she couldn''t see the time clearly. "I can''t read Ten? Jeez. And look at that, Damien hadn''t even responded to any of my texts." She scoffed.

    "Forget him. Let''s go. There''s something I need to steal."

    "What? But Felix"

    The two nced at Felix who caught their gaze from across the room. "He''s a big boy. He''ll be alright."

    Amelia grabbed Katherine''s hand, and the two left through the side exit that led to an alley. As soon as they reached the main street, she hailed a cab and they got in. Amelia babbled the address to the driver and she studied their clothes. "We need to change, we can''t get in wearing this," she slurred her words.

    "What''s wrong with my outfit?" Katherine questioned as she looked at her clothes through her sleepy eyes. She was wearing jeans, a shirt, and sneakers, looking very casual just like Amelia.

    "We need something else." Amelia stopped the driver a few minutester, paid the fare and they alighted the cab.

    Katherine blinked as she raised her head seeing the bright signage of a boutique. There was a clothing store that was open until midnight and Amelia dragged her inside. "Woah~ Did you want to steal dresses?" Katherine asked and Amelia chuckled at the same time that the wind chime tinkled when they pushed the door open.

    The two women came out in glittery short dresses and high heeled shoes ten minutester. The district was bustling with people, after all, it was still ten in the evening on a Friday. The night was still young and the party was just getting started in this part of Harbor City.

    "We''re like twins." Katherine burst outughing at their simr outfit. They were wearing the same style of V neck mid-thigh dressa champagne color for Katherine and a ck one for Amelia. They didn''t have full-on makeup but their skin was glowing and their lips popped with a red-colored matte lipstick.

    Both of their faces were flushed as they walked towards a club across the street that had a glowing neon sign that said "Naughty Bunny Club". With one foot in front of the other, the two catwalked their way towards the entrancesurprisingly, they were still able to keep their walks straight even with heels on. Amelia drunk more than Katherine did and the two were buzzed, but the Femme Fatales were dressed to kill that night, looking as if they were there on a missionand they were...sort of.

    Amelia smiled and winked at the bouncer as they approached. The two women bypassed the long line and ignored theints of the people in the queue, patting the bouncer''s chest and subtly cing a Benjamin in the pocket of his dress shirt as they passed.

    The song "Boss Btch" by Doja Cat sted through the high-quality speakers inside the nightclub. Naughty Bunny Club could fit four hundred patronsfortably but that night was packed and the number of guests probably almost doubled. It was noisy, steamy, and just energeticand it had only been an hour since the club opened that night.

    The two women approached the bar and Amelia gged the bartender down, ordering a couple of shots of tequs.

    "Oh, no I don''t think that''s a good idea," Katherine shouted through the loud music, eyeing the shot ss of pale amber liquid like it was poison.

    "You''re gonna need it." Amelia licked the salt on the back of her hand and smiled at Katherine as she raised her shot ss. "Adentro!" (Bottoms up!) And she threw her head back, gulping down the distilled spirit in one shot before biting down a slice of lime.

    Katherine bit her bottom lip, contemting her next move. "Screw it." She picked up the shot of tequ and did the same. She shook her head and winced as the alcohol burned her throat.

    Amelia then whispered to Katherine and her gaze pointed at something to their right where the VIP section was. They exchanged gazes, their eyes silently conversing as though they already knew what they needed to do. A slow smile broke their faces before they headed down the dancefloor, joining the hundreds of people in their craze.

    Their bodies moved in sync with the beat of the music. Their hips swayed and their hair flipped, inviting eyes from both men and women around them. Katherine and Amelia looked tempting and dangerousand they were. The two seductresses caught the attention of a man in a business suit from the VIP section.

    Behind the man was a wall with a unique decoration. On the wall was a coge of picturesa collection of pictures from their guests dated so many years ago. The club had been operating for more than thirty years. It had changed owners and style over the years, but the pictures on the wall still remained. The original owner of the club only had one request: To keep the pictures on the wall as is and was never to be touched.

    But that night, Amelia nned to steal one of them.

 Chapter 417: A Night Out (4)

    Chapter 417: A Night Out (4)

    Naughty Bunny Club

    Katherine and Amelia were invited to the VIP section. It hadn''t even been ten minutes since they started on the dance floor and they were already in. Too easy.

    There were dozens of people in the exclusive area. It was like a nightclub on its own with a separate bar filled with more expensive liquors. It was flowing with drinks everywhere and the two women just received their toast. "Bottoms up! A toast to our new friends, Tiffany and Victoria!" one of the girls shouted as she distributed tequ shots to everyone, courtesy of the man in a suit who seemed to be a big shot in the club. With shot sses in their hands, they raised it to him as ''thanks'' before gulping it down.

    Katherine and Amelia didn''t know who he was at first, but they overheard his name earlier from one of the women whom he also invited up in the VIP section. Apparently, his name was Giovanni De Luca. If they were right with their suspicion, he should be the rumored Boss in the De Luca familyan Italian-American mafia. As for what he was doing in Esmea, they didn''t know. Esmea, especially Harbor City, was supposed to be untouchableall because of the Parks.

    He looked young to be the head of the mafiaprobably in his thirties. But he sure had the aura of one. He had a few bunnies on each of his sidesthat''s what the women around him looked like, they literally had bunny ears and tails and were wearing bodycon dresses. They worshipped him like he was the king; their hands caressing his thighs, arms, and chest. Naughty bunniestruly fitting with the club''s name.

    It became a little tricky for Katherine and Amelia, aka Tiffany and Victoria respectively, with Giovanni''s presence. But if it wasn''t for him, it would have taken them a while to get in the VIP area. They continued to act like they were there just to have fun. Even when Amelia was already drunk, her eyes were so sharp as she searched for the picture which she was looking for on the wall. There were hundreds of them and she could only look from where she stood a few meters away.

    "Gotcha," Amelia muttered under her breath when she found it. She locked her eyes on her targetit was right above Giovanni''s head.

    She took a step forward, a n already churning in her head. The man was there but she didn''t have any other choice. However, Katherine held her back, her head subtly shaking from left to right. "Patience," she whispered.

    Amelia got restless by the second. But as if the heavens was on her side, one of Giovanni''s men whispered to his ear and the next second, he got up and left the VIP area along with the rest of his men. The bunnies got up and vacated the spot too.

    Taking her chance, Amelia moved quickly and went to snatch the photo from the wall, careful not to tear it. Katherine followed behind her, making sure no one was paying them any mind.

    "Hey, that''s stealing," a man with an ented English appeared out of nowhere and ced a hand on Amelia''s ass.

    Amelia pped his hand away and gave him a deadly re. Katherine was surprised at what was happening but she quickly caught on. Her eyes darkened when she recognized the man. She hadn''t met him personally before but Alianna showed her a picture of him. It was Craig, Ali''s woman-hitting-ex-boyfriend, whom Damien and Caleb exercised their fists and kicks on.

    While Craig stood casually sipping the alcohol in his hand and giving the two a perverted stare, Katherine whispered something to Amelia. Then, their scowls turned into seductive smiles that could kill if they stared too hard.

    Katherine sauntered towards him and raised her delicate hand above his drink, her middle fingerzily tracing the rim of the ss. "Can you not tell anyone please?"

    He raked his gaze down Katherine''s chest and the finger that was ying on his ss. He smirked. "I can keep a secret Only if you"

    "Oh, I know what you want, pretty boy."

    "Craig. My name''s Craig," he said, downing the rest of his alcohol.

    "Hmmm. I know"

    "What?" He put the empty ss down the table and turned to Katherine.

    "Nothing. Why don''t we get out of here?" she proposed. Her voice was very suggestive that Craig''s grin widened in excitement.

    "What about your friend? Will she be okay if we leave?"

    Amelia mirrored Katherine''s indicative expression as she walked closer and said, "Who says I''m noting? We''re a package deal." She nced at Katherine with a knowing look and then back at Craig.

    His eyes went wide. He could not believe that he got so lucky that night. "Davvero?" (Really?)

    Katherine and Amelia brought him out of the club and the man had a huge smile on his face while his arms were around their waists. He told them that his hotel was nearby but as they stepped out of the club and walked several meters away, Katherine pped his hand off her waist and grabbed him by the wrist. She all but dragged him to a dark alley and with a sly look on her face, she said, "Your hotel is too far. I can''t wait."

    "Woah~ Okay~" Craig was still clueless as to what was about to happen to him.

    Katherine and Amelia pushed him against the wall and he whimpered, but he chuckled thinking they were just too eager to get their way with him.

    Oh, they were eager alright!

    He had such an arrogant-looking face. He started unbuckling his belt as he asked, "Who wants me first?"

    The two women exchanged looks for a brief second and when Amelia nodded at the other, Katherine turned to face Craig with a wicked smile and answered, "Me."

    Then, Katherine''s fist connected with his eye.

    Police Station

    At midnight, Damien arrived at the police station where Markus said the two women were. As soon as he stepped in, he quickly scanned the ce and he met Felix''s anxious eyes. Thetter was sitting on a bench and he immediately got up but couldn''t say anything.

    Damien red at him. Felix was older than him, but right now, Damien didn''t give a damn. He didn''t know what happened yet, but he was already mad.

    "Chairman Park," a man called his attention.

    Damien looked to his left and saw a man approach him. "Detective Donovan. What happened? Where are they?"

    The detective gestured to the side and Damien followed him deeper into the station. "Don''t worry, they''re intoxicated but they''re both safe. I had to put them in a holding cell though. I saw them outside the Naughty Bunny Club at Mango District."

    "What the hell were they doing there?" Damien couldn''t begin to imagine how in the world they were drunk and was even in that club. "Are they in trouble?"

    "Well I recognized Lia since I met her yesterday, and I would have just given them a ride home. But"

    Amelia went by the name ''Lia'' when she met the detective, so Damien didn''t correct him. "But what?"

    They entered the area where the holding cells were and the detective pointed his hand to the first cell. Katherine and Amelia were sitting beside each other on the floor and sleeping. They leaned against the wall and shared a thick nket that covered them from the neck down. If they weren''t in jail, they would have looked sweet and cute; except they really were. And in the cell next to theirs was Craig, who was all ck and blue with a busted lip and a ck eye.

    "When I found them in the alley, thedies were beating up that man over there. I stopped them and I would have just sent them all home, but he imed that he saw them stole something from the club."

    "They stole something?" The crease in Damien''s brow got worse.

    "That''s what he said. And he threatened to tell the owner of the club. I thought of settling this quietly and letting you guys know first so I brought them here and called Felix."

    "What did they steal?"

    The detective scratched his throat. "I don''t know Lia is hiding it inside her dress and she refuses to give it."

    Damien ran a tired hand down his face. He just couldn''t catch a break with these two women.

 Chapter 418: A Night Out (5)

    Chapter 418: A Night Out (5)

    Damien and Detective Donovan''s voices woke Katherine up. She slowly fluttered her eyes open and her vision was still somewhat blurry. She and Amelia hadn''t been sleeping long as they were only brought in twenty minutes ago.

    Though she couldn''t see him clearly yet, she could already see his form and she knew right away that it was him. "Oh, my King is here~" she sang. Her face was still flushed and she had a silly grin painted on her face.

    Next to her was Amelia, who got woken up by Katherine''s announcement. "What? Oh! The bossy man is here, Kitten?"

    Hearing their words, Damien''s gaze narrowed at them in pure bewilderment. He had so many questions running in his head but he didn''t know which one to ask first or if he should even ask at all. The two had been talking about him behind his back? He mildly scoffed. His expression wasced with full disbelief as he was amused and annoyed at the same time.

    Sighing, he turned to the detective and asked, "Could we move them somewhere?" Despite the build-up of his anger, he knew the floor was cold. At one point he thought he should just turn his back and leave them there until they sobered up but who was he kidding? He couldn''t do that. He was battling with himself and he was already losing.

    "Sure, of course. I intend to move them before you arrive anyway. I just have to get the investigation room cleared." Detective Donovan ordered one of the policemen to unlock the jail cell and as soon as it was opened, Katherine dashed towards Damien and hooked her arms around his neck.

    He held her by the waist to steady her up as she was still intoxicated and couldn''t keep a straight posture. When she stood on tiptoe, only then did he realize that she was barefooted which made him frown. She had removed her shoes and left them inside the cell. Looking down at her, he saw her smile slip and she grimaced before saying, "You''re such a bad person."

    Damien could smell the alcohol around her, mixed with the smell of cigarette smoke that probably came from the club they went to, masking her faint sweet smell. His expression was unreadable as he looked at her but when he heard her words, his jaw ticked. "Look who''s talking. I''m not the one who got arrested."

    Her eyes were half-closed and her pout deepened when she turned to Amelia who was standing at the side and she said, "See? I told you he''s mean to me."

    Damien nced at his mother who was just as drunk as Katherine and saw her nod in agreement. He could only shake his head seeing that the two were in cahoots. And the worse thing was, he didn''t know which one was the bad influencehis Kitten, or his mother?

    They were all brought to an investigation room to settle the matter at hand. Detective Donovan was aware of how Damien helped his friend Felix, so when Damien requested to deal with this under the radar, the detective agreed straightaway. Damien was thankful enough that Detective Donavan was the one who saw the incident because if it were any other and the news broke out, it would be difficult to contain.

    Inside the investigation room, there was a rectangr metal table that was bolted on the floor and three metal chairs. Craig sat at one end while Katherine and Amelia sat on the other. Each had a cup of hot coffee in front of them but only the women had nkets over their shoulders. Damien stood on their left while the detective on their right.

    Damien studied Katherine and Amelia, taking in the messy hair and glittery outfit that peeked through the nkets. There was no use mulling over what had happened already, so he put his hundreds of questions aside. Since his mother refused to talk to the detective, he decided to start the questioning himself.

    He looked at the two whose re was fixed at Craig and asked, "You stole from the club?"

    Katherine was quick to point at Amelia and innocently ratted her out, "She did."

    Amelia nonchntly picked up the ss of water next to the coffee and sipped, avoiding her son''s judgy eyes.

    He took a deep breath and asked another question, "And you two beat up a man?"

    This time, it was Amelia who pointed at Katherine. "It was her idea."

    Like the child that she was at the moment of intoxication, Katherine pointed at Craig, "He grabbed her ass." In which, Amelia agreed and added under gritted teeth, "He squeezed it." And as if that wasn''t enough, Katherine continued, "He also had his arm around my waist." Of course, Amelia just had to add fire, "And mine."

    "You liked it!" Craig smirked.

    Damien''s eyes darkened hearing all the noise while images of what happened yed in his mind. He turned to Craig with a menacing re. This man dared to put his hands all over his woman and his mother. Damien could just kill him right now. Grabbing by the cor with one hand, his other clenched into a fist as he bit out, "You alreadyid a hand on Alianna and now you even touched them? I think I haven''t beaten your senses out of you enough."

    "Chairman Park" Donovan stopped him and though he was reluctant, he released Craig and stepped aside.

    "Look at them! Wearing like that in a club. They''re asking for it," Craig muttered.

    As soon as thest words left his mouth, Katherine and Amelia dashed forward wanting to strangle him to death. Damien was quick to sweep Katherine by the waist, his arm locking around her while she tried to kick and grab CraigDonovan did the same to Amelia. The two women were simply wild and reeked of bloodlust.

    It took the two gentlemen so much effort to put them back down on the chair, finally, the two troublemakers agreed to behave.

    When the room was quiet again, Detective Donovan turned to Amelia, "Where is that thing you stole?"

    Amelia refused to look at the detective but her eyes shifted and met Damien''s who was waiting for her to say or do something. Reluctantly, she pulled the photo out of her dressshe hid it in the front of her tummy, below her chest. Then, she carefully ced it on the cold metal table in front of her. Her hand was slightly shaking and her eyes instantly reddened as she stared at it.

    Donovan picked it up and he let out a small sigh when he saw the photo. His eyes darted from Amelia and back to the photo before showing it to Damien.

    Unsure of what he was going to find, Damien knitted his brows at the item on Donovan''s hand. Seeing that it was only a mere picture made him even more confused. They got drunk and went to a notorious nightclub. He couldn''t believe that they did all that and for what? Just to steal a photograph? What was so important about it?

    Receiving the old picture carefully, he looked at it and the expression on his face went from hard to unreadable. He swallowed when he couldn''t lift his gaze away from the picture.

    Damien''s heart swelled and he didn''t understand the emotions that coursed through him as he stared at the old photograph on his hand. Because it was a photo of his motherAmelia, and his fatherLawrence with smiles on their faces while their hands rested on top of Amelia''s belly.

 Chapter 419: A Night Out (6)

    Chapter 419: A Night Out (6)

    Outside the police station

    Damien thanked Detective Donovan as they left. They shook hands and agreed to keep in touch the following days until the case officially closed. Despite having Amelia''s face on the photo, she was only the subject of it and the club was still the owner of the photoso technically, she really did steal the photograph. With this, Damien would have to contact the club owner and settle it amicably. As for the photo, Amelia had to let go of it.

    All five of them left the station and were on their way home. In the Range Rover Sport, Markus was in the driver''s seat, Felix sat on the front passenger seat while Damien and the two women were at the backon his right was Katherine while on his left was his mother. The car ride was quiet and the tension in the air was thickit was suffocating. Felix attempted to clear things up so he called, "Damien"

    "Later," Damien abruptly stopped the conversation before it even began so Felix nodded and kept quiet.

    He had been on a long flight and he was honestly tired as he was still working even in the ne. Damien just wanted to close his eyes and wake up tomorrow, hoping that everything would be better and less pain in his ass.

    Feeling a delicate hand touching his hand, he looked down and saw Katherine intecing her fingers with his. Turning his head to the right, he watched her sleep for a bit before carefullyying her head on his shoulder and adjusting the coat that he had ced around her earlier to cover her up. Despite being mad, he couldn''t just let her freeze knowing that she easily gets cold.

    Amelia leaned her head back on the headrest while she stared outside the window, watching the lights and buildings that they passed by. She was still buzzed butpared to earlier, her energy had already died down and she wished that she could just crawl into her bed. She tightened Felix''s jacket on her subconsciouslyhe had given it earlier before they left the stationwhile she immersed herself in her thoughts.

    All she could think about was the picture. She could still remember the day that photo was taken like it happened just yesterday. Who knew that it had already been thirty years? Back then, Damien was still inside her belly when her life was sweet and also a mess.

    "I was only a few weeks pregnant when we took that photo. It was taken shortly after I told him the news" she whispered. Her voice was soft and low but it was enough for Damien to hear her as he was sitting right beside her.

    He didn''t have to ask what she meant. He already understood that she was clearly talking about that photograph that she stole from the club. His mother looked impassive but the way she spoke sounded so mncholic that he was hurting for her. He recalled the photograph in his head and he could see that his parents looked so happy in it. It was the only time that he had seen his father smile like that. Never, not even once, had he seen his father smile as he did in that picture while he was still alive.

    Damien didn''t say anything, but he ced his hand over his mother''s hand and gave it a squeeze. At this point, he didn''t think that there were any words that couldfort her. Amelia sniffed but she suppressed her tears and just closed her eyes for the rest of the ride with her son''s hand giving her thefort that she needed.

    ...

    Golden Phoenix Residences

    The men brought the two women up the 61st floor penthouse and put them in their respective bedrooms. Afterying Katherine down on the bed, Damien covered her with a nket and decided to check on his mother first.

    Since the men couldn''t touch Amelia beyond what was appropriate, they just let her sleep in her dress, tucked her in and left. Damien, however, stayed behind and sat on the bed next to his sleeping mother. There were still a lot of things he wanted to know about her but after seeing her bearings that night, he couldn''t even get mad anymore. How could he after knowing all that earlier?

    He took out his phone and tapped it a few times before putting it away. The next second, Amelia''s phone on the nightstand lit up and he opened it, tapping on his own message that he sent herit was a picture that he took of that old photograph at the station earlier. He stared at it for a while and even though he knew she couldn''t hear him at the moment, he still spoke, "I promise I''ll get you that picture. I hope this is enough for now."

    After making sure she was tucked in, he left the room and went back to Katherine''s bedroom. Once he entered, he heard a belching sound from the bathroom. "It''s disgusting," he heard herin when he found her by the toilet bowl.

    "Who told you to drink?" He walked towards her and helped her clean up. "Didn''t I tell you not to drink when I''m not around?" he scolded as he handed her a toothbrush.

    Not wanting to speak, Katherine only pouted as she brushed her teeth with her eyes closed. Her head was still spinning so she leaned against the wall by the sink. She had sobered up a bit but she still felt awful. There were shuffling sounds somewhere nearby but she was too tired to even check what Damien was doing. When she was done, he gave her a set of sleepwear, which she wordlessly changed into.

    Katherine zigzagged her way to the bed, dove in, and curled into a fetal position. Then, Damien sat next to her quietly and pulled her nket up to her shoulders. It was quiet for a bit before she raised her gaze at him, pleading as she touched his hand, "Please stay with me"

    Damien didn''t bother to argue. He was exhausted and honestly, he didn''t even know if he should stay mad. Especially since they were already back home and she was safe. Heckshe was never even in dangerCraig was the one in a pitiful state. But that didn''t change the fact that he was still worried because so many things could have gone wrong that night.

    So, he changed out of his clothes and wore a set of sleepwear that he had in his luggage, then he climbed in bed with her. "You misbehaved," he muttered as soon as she snuggled up to him.

    "I''m sorry" Katherine pressed tiny kisses on his neck and jaw.

    "What am I going to do with you?" Damien sighed and he couldn''t help but pull her closer. "You''ll probably not even remember any of this tomorrow."

    "It was her birthday"

    "What?"

    "Amelia. It was her birthday today."

    He froze when he heard her as he was unsure of what to say to that. He felt her shift in his arms and he listened as she continued, "You should have seen her, Damien. Your mom looked so pitiful alone, I almost cried." Her words soundedzy, she was mumbling while her eyes were closed. "I like your mom... She''s so fun to hang out with. I just wish she wasn''t sad anymore. You''d like her, Damien... She''s nice..." Her voice trailed off and Damien knew she was already very sleepy.

    "Go to sleep now," he whispered above her and she nodded softly.

    Damien couldn''t sleep right away after that as he tried to imagine what the two women in his life did while he was away. Realizing that Katherine bonded with Amelia on her birthday, he felt an inexplicable warmth in his chest. Hugging her tighter, he kissed her forehead and whispered, "Thank you."

    "I''ll prove it to you, Damien. I promise, I will," she murmured.

 Chapter 420: Disappointment

    Chapter 420: Disappointment

    Saturday  November 17

    Katherine woke up from the sound of her rm clock that was set to 6:30 in the morning by default. She mmed her palm on the device shutting it up and the room was quiet again. The pounding of her head made her grimace and she whimpered as she massaged her temple. She slowly fluttered her eyes open and found herself in her bed alone. She could vaguely remember that Damien was therest nightor was she just imagining that?

    Wanting to get out of bed, she washed up and wore a thick and long cardigan over her sleepwear before she strolled out of her room. She had her hair tied up in azy bun and she squinted as she reached the kitchen, finding the daylight very bright. There, she saw Damien sitting at the breakfast table with a cup of coffee in front of him and nothing else while Amelia and Styles were cooking by the stove.

    Katherine went straight to Damien who looked at her with an expressionless face, and she knew that he was mad. She didn''t say anything and only nuzzled her face on his upper arm, her guilt and headache winning over her and she didn''t do anything to fight it.

    "I still can''t believe that I missed out on all the funst night!" Stylesined as he was frying an egg on the pan. "Why did you leave me out? No fair!"

    Katherine couldn''t be bothered to exin to Styles, her head was so heavy and painful that she wanted to bang it on the wall. She faintly heard Damien whisper above her, "There''s medicine on the counter. Aspirin, not ibuprofen."

    She straightened up and eyed his ck coffee. Seeing her stare, he gently slid the mug towards her and she wordlessly took a sip. She didn''t like ck coffee so much but she found that Damien''s coffees were always different, that she didn''t mind having some. The smell of coffee invaded her nostrils waking her up. "Thanks," she said and put it back down.

    The thought of taking a pain reliever was very tempting for her so she grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, passing by Styles who was cooking the eggs. The smell of eggs was so unappetizing for Katherine that she gagged and puked at the sink.

    "You okay?" Styles worried. He watched as Katherine gargled mouthwash and wiped herself while his mind went to a ce that made him gasp. He looked at the egg, took note of the time of the day, and then looked at Katherine who just vomited. "ARE YOU PREGNANT?!" he questioned.

    Heads snapped in her direction and eyes widened at Styles''s assumption. He and Amelia were speechless, while Damien froze in his high stool. His brows furrowed and then rxed and furrowed again, unsure of what the hell was going on as he continued to stare at Katherine.

    She still had her back facing them so she didn''t see their reactions. Wiping her mouth, she muttered nonchntly, "Yes."

    The three looked at her in utter shock. Damien choked and coughed.

    Could it be? Thest time they had sex was before she left. That was two months ago and they definitely did not use protection but Katherine was taking pills. He was so confused at the moment. She didn''t. She didn''t do it with others, did she?

    When Katherine turned around, she saw Damien shift his gaze to her tummy which she touched by instinct. She cleared her throat when she noticed the weird atmosphere in the kitchen and casually answered, "Yes, the father''s name is Tequ. He''s one hell of a drunkard, he makes me sick." She smacked Styles''s head. "Stop speaking nonsense."

    Damien let out a sigh and subtly shook his head. If it was a sigh of relief or disappointment, only he knew.

    Styles rubbed the spot on his head and clicked his tongue. "Tsk. Too bad. It would have been nice to have a little kiddo around here."

    Katherine ignored Styles as she took her medicine and went back to Damien''s side. "Damien"

    He only looked at her, waiting for her to say what was on her mindsurely she had a lot of things she wanted to say after her little soirest night. But when she chewed on her bottom lip, he knew she didn''t know where to start, so he asked, "You remember what you didst night?"

    She nodded. When he only raised his brow at her, she cleared her throat and hesitantly whispered, "I''m sorry?" When he still didn''t answer, she added, "Forgive me?"

    Damien remained quiet and the air in the kitchen became thicker by the second.

    "Don''t be mad at her It was my fault. I asked her to drink," Amelia said.

    "No, I decided to drink." Katherine swallowed. "It''s my fault."

    Damien pinched the bridge of his nose. Should he stay mad or what? Last night, he brushed it off so he could peacefully sleep but now that he was awake again, recalling the incident only made his head throb.

    Felix came in and looked at the two women and thetter knew that they shoulde clean now or he''ll beat them to it. Katherine and Amelia exchanged gazes and when they were about to confess, Damien''s phone rang.

    "It''s Frederick," he announced as he got off the stool.

    The two women''s eyes went wide and Amelia stopped Damien, "Wait! Before you answer that, there''s something that I need to tell you."

    The look on her face made Damien suspect that it must be rted to his uncle seeing as she appeared to be nervous. "What did you do now?" he probed cautiously but his expression was already off.

    "I"

    Katherine, who could see Damien''s already disappointed face, interrupted, "I broke into Park Groupst Thursday night."

    Everyone in the room looked at her, and Damien''s eyes darkened as he bit out, "You did what?!"

    "I couldn''t help it. I needed to find evidence. I couldn''t stay still."

    "Why?!" He ran his fingers through his hair, trying to piece everything together. Just how much had happened while he was gone for only two days? "Then what? What happened? Why didn''t you tell me? Did you get caught? Is that why he''s calling?"

    "No!" She shook her head. "I got away I don''t think I was recognized."

    For some reasonand like he always had in the past, he could read her eyes. Why did it seem like she was lying? Or maybe keeping something from him?

    His cellphone had been ringing the entire time until the ringing stopped. However, Frederick called him again, interrupting the intense conversation. Damien sighed and his jaw clenched as he stared at his phone screen. ncing at her, he said, "We''re not done here, Katherine." He picked up the phone call and walked out to the balcony to have his privacy.

    Everyone in the kitchen watched as Damien talked to his uncle over the phone. He had his side facing them but his stressed expression was obvious.

    "Why did you do that?" Amelia questioned Katherine in a hushed tone.

    Katherine didn''t know why she did that either. When she saw how he looked at Amelia earlier, she just suddenly blurted that out. Shrugging, she answered, "I don''t know Maybe he''ll be less mad if I said it was me"

    Damien finished his phone call and got back inside. When he grabbed his coat, Katherine asked, "Where are you going?"

    "He''s asking me to go to the mansion. It''s aboutst Thursday night," he answered without looking up.

    She swallowed, already feeling the rejection and the bitterness even before she could ask. "Can I help?"

    ncing at her, he shook his head. "You''ve done enough," he spoke in a low voice and then left the penthouse.

 Chapter 421: A Cleanup

    Chapter 421: A Cleanup

    Park Mansion

    Damien parked his car in front of the mansion''s entrance with the butler and servants greeting and weing him as he entered.

    To get to the study room, he walked past the living room and morning room where he did a double-take when he heard some sobbing. He peeked through the morning room and found Alianna in an armchair. "Ali?"

    She looked up and quickly wiped her tears with her fingers and went to greet her cousin with a light hug. "Hey I didn''t hear youe in."

    "What happened? Why are you crying? Did Caleb"

    "No. No It''s Mom. She''s mad that I''m here. She just called me a couple of minutes ago and said some stuff that made me upset too. It''s nothing. Don''t worry about me."

    Damien could see how upset she was with how puffy her eyes were though she tried to brush it off. Nodding, he gave her a shoulder a squeeze. "If you need anything, just let me know, okay? Any time."

    "Thanks, Damien. What are you doing here this early?"

    Just then, Frederick Park came in and called Damien''s attention. "Come up to the study," he said and disappeared from the morning room.

    "I have something to discuss with Uncle. I''ll see youter?" He and Alianna bid farewell and he followed his uncle up to his study.

    When he stepped inside, he could feel the heavy atmosphere from his uncle''s mood. He looked at him and all he could think of was whether his uncle was responsible for his father''s death, but he brushed it aside and focused on the matter at hand: Katherine. "What happened?" he asked.

    "Park Group was infiltratedst Thursday night," Frederick Park sighed as he poured whiskey into a ss. "Want one?" he asked Damien, who shook his head to decline.

    "Infiltrated? What did they want?" Damien carefully observed his uncle''s reaction, but all he could see was how pissed Frederick was.

    "I don''t know. The security system was overridden externally. I have no clue what they want and why this is happening now. She''s quite skilled and even managed to knock out my men," Frederick scoffed.

    Damien tensed his jaw. ''Katherine,'' he thought. "She? You recognized her?"

    "No, but my men reported that both of them were very skilled in fighting. My men ended up in the hospital."

    "Wait, both? You said ''she''? There''s more than one?" Damien''s brows knitted at the same time that his heart raced.

    "Did I?" Frederick rubbed his forehead and finished the rest of his whiskey before pouring another shot. "Well, there''s two of them. Both women. You think one of ourpetitors sent themGu, Chen Enterprise, Feng Group?"

    Damien darted his eyes to the side, his mind was reeling at the thought of what Katherine said before he left her penthouse this morning. If there were two women who broke in Park Group, it must be Katherine and his mother. Why did she admit it was her? Was she trying to cover up for Amelia? Why would she do that?

    Running his fingers through his hair, he shook his head and went to the shelf where his uncle kept the liquor, then poured himself a shot of whiskey. "I don''t know. It could be possible Chen Enterprise had done it a few years ago. What''s stopping them from doing it again?"

    "I need to get to the bottom of this. It''s why I called you here."

    "What do you need?" Damien''s hand suspended mid-air just before he could take a swig of the alcohol.

    "My team tried to recover some of the footage but it''s no use. Whoever they were, this time, they did well wiping out any traces. Fcking assholes."

    Damien didn''t respond, the headache that was just mild earlier had somewhat prated into his skull, drilling a hole that he couldn''t patch up.

    "I will hire Maverick Security. I need to get this done and over with. I need your team to work solely for recovering the data that was lost. You don''t have to provide the security detail, I''ll just add more of my men in the main office building for now. That wouldpromise the warehouse but we''ve been quiet for a while, so I don''t have to worry about that at the moment. You''ll lend a hand, wouldn''t you?"

    Did Damien have a choice? Of course not. "Of course. Whatever you need." After all, Park Group was a legitimate businesshis father worked hard to bring it to new heights while he was still alive. And as far as Frederick Park knew, it was one of thepany''spetitorsDamien just had to keep it that way to keep him away from Katherine and Amelia.

    "Did you lose something from that night?" he asked.

    Frederick shook his head and let out a heavy sigh. "I don''t think so. But who''s to say that I didn''t until I won''t be able to find somethingter. I just hope they didn''t get anything valuable"

    Damien nced at his uncle and he wondered if his mother got something useful when she broke in. At this point, he guessed that it must be her who nned this as it was for his father''s death after all.

    His thoughts brought him back to Katherine''s expression from earlier. He was so mad when she admitted what she did. Thinking about it, he must have been too harsh when he left like that. But what was he supposed to do? He was disappointed when he learned about it. Why was she covering for his mother? He didn''t know whether he should be thankful that she tried to protect her or be mad that she lied.

    He would have to ask the two women about thatter when he goes back to the penthouse. But he would have to take care of this matter with his uncle first and then that thing at the Naughty Bunny Club. He had received information from Felix that morning that he was able to locate the owner of the club and Damien nned to give him a visit that morning while he was in town.

    It was only eight in the morning and he was already busy. He just wished that the auction tonight wouldn''t be a problem. It would be a peaceful night, right?

 Chapter 422: A Business Deal

    Chapter 422: A Business Deal

    Magnum Hotel

    Damien received information on the whereabouts of Naughty Bunny Club''s owner and it led him to Magnum Hotel. He got curious seeing as the address wasn''t a residential one. What was the owner doing in a hotel? Did it mean he''s not a local?

    When he arrived at the hotel''s main lobby, Felix was already there waiting for him. "I have a bad feeling about this," he heard him say.

    "Why? Who''s left at the penthouse?"

    "Alpha team." Felix pushed the button of the elevator and held the door for Damien as they got in. "I went to the club earlier today and I didn''t recognize the security. They aren''t from around here. They were even sniffy in giving me the info until I told them that you sent me."

    Damien tried to think of who the owner could possibly be but he didn''t have a clue. When they reached the floor, they stepped out of the elevator and headed towards the suite. When they turned a corner and headed towards the presidential suite, several men stopped them in their tracks.

    "You can''t be here," one of them said. He was wearing a ck fedora hat. He had an average height but he sure was gutsy to face Damien''s tall figure.

    Damien cocked a brow. Judging by the looks of the men who stopped them, he suspected that they were some sort of a mob or something which shouldn''t be the case if they knew that Harbor City was under his uncle''s territory. So whoever this man was, he sure had the guts to stop a Park. "Says who?"

    The men looked at each other and chuckled, arroganceced their faces as they looked at Damien and Felix. There were only two of them while there were six men guarding the presidential suite. The guy wearing a hat came forward and answered, "How about you give me your name and I decide whether you''re worthy of knowing."

    Damien found them incredibly ridiculous. He scanned the group who were seizing him and Felix, then he looked at the man in the eye. Digging his hands in his pockets, he walked closer, towering over him, and darkened his stare. "Tell your boss Damien Park is here."

    The man in a fedora hat suddenly felt little when Damien spoke his name. He had been used to his boss''s deadly aura but Damien''s was just as scary. He didn''t answer but he stepped back, knocked on the door and entered. He was only gone for a few seconds before he came back out and let the two pass.

    Damien and Felix entered the presidential suite and were greeted by a heavy smell of tobo in the air. There was a woman''s underwearying on the floor and another on the coffee table. They exchanged looks and waited for someone to appear.

    Just then, a man in a tailored grey three-piece suit with brown leather shoes appeared from the side. He had a chiseled jaw and stubble on his chin as though he couldn''t be bothered to shave for a couple of days. He had green eyes that stared at Damien so sharply as he approached.

    "It''s a pleasure to finally meet you, Chairman Park," the man said, extending his right hand to Damien.

    "And you are?" Damien received the handshake, noting the firm grip that the other gave.

    "Giovanni De Luca," he answered.

    Damien was surprised. He didn''t think that he woulde face to face with a De Lucaa Mafia leaderin Esmea. Not to mention, he had thought that Giovanni was an old man, but judging by this man''s appearance, he should be in his thirties.

    "Please, have a seat." Giovanni gestured at the empty armchairone that didn''t have a woman''s underwear.

    He offered Damien a drink but thetter declined and went straight to the point. "You own the Naughty Bunny Club at Mango?"

    Giovanni smiled before sipping the cappino in his hand. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit, Chairman Park?"

    Damien didn''t like it whenever people chose to avoid answering his questions but he ignored the other''s attempt to skirt the issue and told him directly, "Two of my people took something from the clubst night. I was told that the owner was staying here in this room. I''m here to settle the matter."

    "Ah So you represent those women from the clubst night. Hmmm Such finedies Except they''ve got very naughty hands, if I may say..." Giovanni drawled. He sat across Damien, an air of nonchnt attitudecing around him. "The one in ck was really stunning, but the other one was more my type."

    Damien''s inteced fingers tightened upon hearing his statement. ''This bastard Did he think he could get to Katherine? Over my dead body.'' He clenched his jaw before he straightened up and told him, "They are off-limits, especially ''the other one''."

    "Oooh. Protective, are we?"

    "She''s my girlfriend."

    "Well, I''ll be damned... I didn''t know you do girlfriends, Chairman Park. Not what I expect from someone like you."

    "There''s a lot of things you don''t know about me. Why don''t we skip the pleasantries and get to the point?"

    Setting the cappino down on the table, Giovanni looked at Damien, gestured with his hand and said, "Alright, let''s hear what you have to offer."

    "I''d like to keep things under wraps." Damien kept his voice firm and his face unreadable.

    "Sure. That''s not hard to do. But what do I get in return for... ''keeping it under wraps?''" Giovanni did an air-quote for emphasis, a faint smile dancing on his lips.

    "What do you need?"

    "That easy, huh? You''ll grant anything?" Giovanni raised a brow. "Why do I feel like this isn''t the only thing you came here for?"

    Taking a deep breath, Damien responded, "The thing they took. I want to keep it."

    Giovanniughed, rubbing the stubble on his chin and leaning against the backrest. "So... they stole something and now you want to keep it. What''s so important about this item? Wasn''t it just a photograph?"

    "It''s a memento of someone important to me. Nothing that''s of use to you, I can assure."

    Contemting, Giovanni scanned Damien''s face as though he was trying to see if he was telling the truth. "Hmmm... You see, one of the things in the contract, when I bought the club, was to keep that wall untouched. You may be right, I don''t have any use of that photo. However... I''m a man who honors contracts, Chairman Park. So... what you''re asking costs a lot."

    Finally. Damien was now certain that a De Luca indeed bought that club. And now, Giovanni was asking for a bargain. A corner of his lips raised into a lopsided grin and he lowered his voice, "You must have forgotten something... A De Luca or any of the Italian-American syndicates cannot touch Esmea. You being here is already asking a lot. I can have you kicked out of here faster than you can imagine. You may be able to walk freely in this state as long as youe here in peace but that contract of yours from the club you just signed?" he scoffed, "...If I really want to, I can impose the concord and have that nullified."

    The smile on Giovanni''s face widened as if he wasn''t being threatened just now. "Fair enough. But, stealing is stealing, Chairman Park... And you''re asking to keep the evidence. How about we agree to make this beneficial for both of us. Ya know... You scratch my backI scratch yours kinda thing?"

    "In exchange for keeping the photo"

    Giovanni raised his index finger, "And keeping the authorities away from this mess." He winked, making sure Damien understood that he was asking two things from him.

    "Tell me what you want."

    Getting up from his seat, Giovanni buttoned his coat. "I''m just here for business, Chairman Parklegitimate business. And I swear on my life that''s all there is to it. So, can I keep the request forter? You reign in this state. I would need your favor when the timees."

    Damien got up and kept his stare locked at the other. They were standing face to faceboth of them having dangerous auras around them. Then, Damien shook hands with him. "Deal. Come and see me when you want to collect."

    Giovanni''s devilish smirk broke across his face as their firm grips sealed their agreement. "It''s a pleasure doing business with you, Chairman Park."

 Chapter 423: Her Other Project

    Chapter 423: Her Other Project

    It was almost lunchtime when Felix came back to Golden Phoenix Residences. He found Amelia, Katherine, and Styles in the living room hovering on aputer that thetter was working on.

    "Right there" Styles tapped a key on the keyboard and the screen froze, showing a picture of a man in a suit.

    "That son of a btch. I was right," Katherine cursed. Her brows furrowed as she stared at the screen and saw Chris getting out of the Central Harbor Restaurant on the day that he paid them a visit in the penthouse. In fact, the footage that they saw showed a timestamp, and it was an hour before Chris arrived at the penthouse.

    Though seeing hime out from there didn''t prove anything yet, she was already feeling positive about her doubts. "Did you see who else was there? We could only see his exit, so where did he enter?"

    Styles shook his head. "I tried, but it''s been a bust. It''s like I said before, there must be some other ways to get inside that restaurant. We have to get a blueprintyout of this building. We need to know where he went in or whoever that mystery person he was meeting there."

    "Do you think that restaurant is" Amelia''s voice trailed off, but even if she didn''t finish her words, Styles and Katherine already knew what she was thinking.

    "No, it can''t be" Katherine shook her head softly, though a part of her was already almost convinced.

    "It''s impossible," Styles''s voice was also unconvincing. "Isn''t it? That No. That can''t be Shadow''s new base Can it?"

    The air in the room suddenly became thick as the three of them wondered the unthinkable. "Whatever it is, we''ll hopefully get more information after tonight''s party," said Katherine.

    They were so engrossed with what they were doing that they didn''t notice Felix had already sat in front of them. It wasn''t until Styles acknowledged his presence that the two women looked up.

    "Felix You''re back." Katherine scanned the room but she didn''t see Damien anywhere.

    Taking something out from the inner pocket of his jacket, Felix handed a medium-sized brown envelope to Amelia. "Damien wanted me to give you this."

    "What is this?" Amelia received the envelope and carefully took out the contents inside. Her eyes immediately watered upon seeing the familiar photograph, only this time, apart from the original photo, there were a few more of that photograph but in different sizes. Damien clearly had this done for her to be able to keep it wherever she wanted. Katherine saw the photo and a small smile painted her face as she gently stroked Amelia''s backshe was happy for her.

    Amelia was still very surprised to see the photo. She thought she had really lost it because she was made to surrender itst night. When she saw the digital print on her phhe one that Damien sent hershe had epted the fact that she may never have the original one anymore. "How did you get this back? I thought you had to return it to the club?"

    "We located the owner of the club and Damien made a deal with him so you could keep that. A very sneaky deal, if I may say but well It was Damien''s choice," Felix answered.

    "What deal?" The concern on Amelia''s face was evident.

    Felix then told them about Giovanni De Luca and Damien''s meeting earlier and how they came to an agreement.

    "What?" Katherine shot up from her seat, clearly shocked to hear what Felix just told them. "He made a deal with the Mafia?!"

    Amelia was also stunned. "So a De Luca owned that club? No wonder he was therest night"

    Felix nodded. "And Damien surely didn''t like the way that De Luca talked about you." He nced at Katherine, who shifted under his gaze.

    Katherine and Amelia looked at each other; they were reminded of how they danced to gain any of the VIP''s attention.

    Clearing her throat, Katherine asked, "Where is he? What time is heing back here?" She didn''t like not seeing Damien. He had onlye backst night and he was already gone the next morning.

    "I''m not sure. He didn''t say anything abouting here today."

    "Was he still mad at me?" Her voice sounded weak. When Felix only shrugged and didn''t say anything else, she could only nod. She couldn''t me Damien. Aftering back from the trip, he had been disappointed consecutively. She excused herself and headed towards her bedroom.

    However, just before she reached her door, there was a team of stylists and assistants that entered her penthousealong with Ava, Mr. West''s assistant, who came with the dress that Katherine would be wearing for tonight''s event. Her evening dress was on a mannequin and it was covered with a cloth to avoid it from getting dirtyand for the prying eyes, of course.

    "What''s this?" Katherine wondered. She wasn''t surprised to see Ava as she had expected for the dress to be delivered at that hour, but she wasn''t sure about the other people whom she had only seen today.

    Just as she asked, Markus came in. "Good noon, Ms. Young. This is the team that will help you prepare for tonight''s event."

    "But I didn''t order a team"

    "Mhmm. But Boss did. He had it arranged sincest week. They''ll be following the service that he had requested then. Where shall I have them set up?"

    Still somewhat surprised, Katherine pointed at her bedroom. "In my room is fine" As soon as she said that, the team of stylists brought all their stuff to her room. It reminded her of that preparation for the g that Damien had arrangedwhere she ended up being auctioned to in the eveningwell at least, her evening gown was. The evening gown that made her glow like a luminous jellyfish.

    The memory made her blush and she bit her bottom lip. She felt even guiltier than she already was. Ugh. Whatever she did she just ended up disappointing Damien every single time. Now she was ashamed and disappointed in herself. How was this helpful in her quest to ''proving it'' to him? It didn''t help at all. She was still at the bottom level. She had to appease him so he wouldn''t be mad anymore. And she nned to do that tonight

    The n for her mission was still in the works and it won''t happen anytime soon. However, that didn''t mean that she''d have to stop her other project, did it? The frown on her face slowly turned into a charming smile as she thought of ways on how to shake Damien''s wall. He couldn''t keep avoiding her advances, could he?

 Chapter 424: Silhouette (1)

    Chapter 424: Silhouette (1)

    At six in the evening inside Katherine''s penthouse, the atmosphere was quite lively in the living room with Styles telling Felix and Noah about the new console game he was ying. "I''m telling you, man! The new Call of Duty right now is sick! It''s the sht!"

    The other two men were engrossed in listening to him enthusiastically talk about the game, detailing the cool features and whatnots in it. Styles grabbed a water bottle from the coffee table, twisted the cap, and took a sip. He was parched after all that chatter.

    The sound of a door swinging and some shuffling noises from the side caught their attention. When he turned to look at what it was, he malfunctioned and forgot to swallow, that water came out of his mouth and dripped down past his chin, wetting his shirt. His mouth hung open.

    But he wasn''t the only one who forgot to breathe. Even Felix and Noah''s lips were parted and they had a dazed look on their faces as they caught sight of Katherine approaching the living room wearing her evening dress for the auction.

    Seeing their shocked expressions, she couldn''t tell what they were thinking as they hadn''t moved a muscle or said anything. "Uhh Do I look okay? ''Cause I don''t think I have time to change anymore..."

    Styles choked on the water and he was sent into a coughing fit. "N-N" *cough* "No" *cough* "No!"

    Felix cleared his throat and pulled his stare away from her. When he saw that Noah was still gaping, he elbowed him roughly. "Aw!" Noah whimpered. "What? You were staring too!"

    The two turned back to Katherine and shook their heads. "No, don''t change!" they said in unison.

    "You look Um" Styles was trying to think of aplimentary word that wouldn''t sound weirding from him. She looked hot, but he couldn''t say that to her. He cleared his throat and coughed twice before he continued, "...stunning. Yes."

    "Mm. You look nice," Felix said shyly and rubbed his nape. There was no way he could say ''hot'' to his Boss''s girlfriend. His ear reddened at the thought.

    "Yes. Nice," was all Noah managed to say and his cheeks were flushed.

    Amelia chuckled as she appeared from the corner and went to Katherine''s side saying, "I think what they''re trying to say isYou look hot."

    The three men were either scratching a random itch or pursing their lips upon hearing Amelia''s statement. They didn''t even want to correct her as she just took the words out of their mouths.

    "You look very beautiful, Katherine. I''m sure Damien will love it when he sees you," Amelia said.

    "He''d better. Because I love it very much." A slow smile formed on her lips as she checked herself out on the mirror several meters away.

    Amelia gently fixed a stray hair away from the other''s face and reminded her, "Don''t forget to enjoy. It''s a party, after all."

    Central za Hotel

    Katherine arrived at the venue a minute after the red carpet was opened. She came out from a red Koenigsegg CCXR Trevitaa 4.8 million dor luxury sports car. Felix was the one who drove her to the hotel, so she figured that it was obviously Damien who arranged it for her. It probably had something to do with ''arriving in style'' or ''catching everyone''s attention'' so that they would all remember her.

    And everyone did notice her presence the moment she alighted the car. But it wasn''t just because of the damn expensive vehicle. Everyone''s eyes fell on her and they were all stunned to see a goddess walking on Earth before them. There were several media outlets who covered the red carpet. It was just like what Damien told her before, this event wasn''t like any other.

    Most of the guests were wearing couture dresses and suits from famous designers. There were celebrities, politicians, and other influential people who walked the red carpet before her, all heading towards the entrance of the venue. However, when she appeared at the foot of the carpet, she stole everyone''s attention. Who was this new face? And why was she so striking?

    Some people recognized her and some didn''t. She didn''t have anyone beside her to walk the red carpet, so she took steps forward and was about to enter the venue alone when all of a sudden, an open hand appeared to her left.

    She turned to face the person and a smile broke her face. "Mr. West! Ah Samuel" she corrected herself when she remembered that he insisted on being called by his first name. The people who heard her were surprised to hear what she called Mr. West. As far as they knew, no one else could call him by his first name.

    The two walked the red carpet together, took photos, and entered the venue. A lot of the spectators were surprised to see that Mr. West himself showed up and escorted Katherine. Her entrance became the talk of the town very easily.

    The first part of the event had already started and people were busy mingling with everyone everywhere. And when Katherine came in, whispers and stares were shared. The women were either envious or jealous of her gown and the privilege that she got to wear a West gown, especially when they saw that she was his muse that night. One wouldn''t be surprised that the men were definitely checking her out.

    However, she paid no attention to them. She scanned the whole ce to look for the only man whom she wanted to hearpliments from and whose eyes she wanted to be focused on her. And there he was, standing by the stage, wearing a bespoke tuxedo that matched her dress Just like she nned.

    Katherine''s floor-length mermaid dress had a fitted nude sheath silhouette with a detachable skirt that could create two beautiful looks, which she intended to do that night. The deep V neckline that ended just above her navel gave her a sweetheart and seductive aura. It had very thin strapsthe back had a V style and the side also had a steep V cut out, exposing her skin very nicely with just the right amount that she didn''t look trashy.

    The detailing of the dress was made of glitteryce, making her sparkle under the chandeliers'' lights. She looked sexy yet sophisticated in her West gown.

    Meeting his gaze, she curled the corners of her mouth into a charming smile and she hoped he would smile back. It didn''t matter that the people around them were looking at her and wondering who she was smiling at.

    ...

    Across the room, a man with long blonde hair, that was tied up in a ponytail, stood next to Damien and whistled. "Damn" he muttered as he stared at Katherine, a gorgeous crooked smile dancing on his lips as he took in her dress. "She looks prettier than in the photos."

    Damien, on the other hand, had his gaze locked with hers before he raked it along her body. He had no idea she would be wearing something so daring yet ssy like that. Even if he didn''t look around him, he was well aware that every man in the room was checking her out. And damn if he didn''t want to stride across the room and cover her up so no one else could see her but him.

    He swallowed when his inner self reminded him, ''Isn''t giving her a grand entrance what you wanted? Don''t act like a jealous, overprotective boyfriend and get your sht together.'' He took a sip of the champagne in his hand to calm his nerves.

    But it was so hard when all he could think about was the soft skin on her chest and the silhouette of her legs. She was clearly teasing himagain. And she was winning. He felt suffocated, so he slightly loosened the bowtie and rolled his neck from side to side. ''Please, do something,'' the soldier in his pants begged.

    He couldn''t think straight. All he could do was stare at her. Wace said something to him but he honestly couldn''t care as he was too busy ogling Katherine. He watched as she took out her phone and yed with it. The next second, the phone in his coat pocket vibrated. He whipped it out to checkit was her.

    [Katherine: What? Not even a smile? Nopliment? I get that you have a handsome date tonight and that you''re still mad, but you could at least give me a little attention.]

    Damien suppressed the urge to smile. This woman was really something.

    [Damien: You look ravishing.]

    He looked up from his phone and met her gaze again just before she checked her screen. A beautiful smile spread across her lips when she read his message and she looked even more enchanting. ''Damn it. Tonight''s going to be a long night.'' He downed the rest of his champagne.

 Chapter 425: Silhouette (2)

    Chapter 425: Silhouette (2)

    Not wanting to wait for Damien to do anything, Katherine made the first move. Mr. West had just excused himself to talk to other club members, so she took the chance and made her way to the two handsome gentlemen by the stage.

    The long, blonde-haired guy was a couple of inches shorter than Damien, but he was quite the looker too. He wore a pink tuxedo with whitepels and pants; it was a nice contrast to his bearded look. If Katherine hadn''t researched about him earlier, she would''ve thought he was one of Damien''s friends.

    But Wace White was nowhere near her dashing Damien, who wore a slim-fit tux in ecru which had a textured detailing almost simr to that of her dress''s glitterycea West design, of course, and something that she did behind his back. The peakpels on his tux and his pants were ck, making him look extra debonair. The most important thing was, they matched.

    She didn''t know if he noticed it yet, but she was sure that by the time she reached them, the prying eyes of women, who had been eyeing him since, would. For an exclusive club, there sure were a lot of members. And both men and women were itching to make Damien''s acquaintancefor business or pleasure.

    However, she would make sure none of the women with foul intentions could even have the guts to imagine they had a chance with him. They''d have to go through her if they dared. Thedies in all sizes and ages were holding back as they were either feeling ''too inferior'' to make the first move on him, or feeling ''too reserved'' that they didn''t want to make a bad impression. But not Katherine, of coursefor Damien, she was already naughty.

    ...

    "Hey" she greeted in a soft voice, her fingers subtly brushing against the back of his hand as she gave him a feather-light kiss on the cheek.

    By instinct, he ced his other hand on her back; he could smell a hint of orange, jasmine, rose, and vani on her when he returned the greeting. Her sweet fragrance lingered and stayed on him even when she pulled away.

    "Of course the King gets the woman," they heard one spiteful man say a few feet away from where they stood; it made her smile. He had one cheeky Kittenattracting many guys'' attention.

    Then, Katherine turned to the man next to Damien and extended her hand. "Hi, you must be Mr. White. I''ve heard so much about you."

    Damien still had his eyes fixed on her face; he just couldn''t help it as it felt like he would miss a lot if he so much as blink. Wace received her waiting hand and turned it down, so the back was facing up, and the next thing he knew, the asshole brought her hand up to his face and kissed it.

    "You''re quite lovely, Ms. Young. Your dress suits you very well," Wacemented. Damien shot him a look, but Wace ignored him as if he didn''t exist and continued shing his smile at Katherine.

    "Mm I didn''t know you''re such a smooth talker and quite fashionable too." Katherine gave him a brief once over. "I saw your works in the hallway, Mr. White I''m instantly a fan."

    "Katherine" Damien called her attention, not fond of the way the two were getting friendlier by the second.

    "Ah Here. You forgot this at home." Katherine took out a white and gold piece of jewelry from a t velvet box in her purse. She swiftly pinned it to the leftpel of Damien''s suit and patted it in ce afterward.

    Wace chuckled when he saw what she pinned on him. "I didn''t know you were a catdy, Damien."

    "What?" Damien wasn''t paying attention. He didn''t even know what she put on him until he heard Wace''sment. He looked down and inspected the jewelry on his tux and found a cat. It had a white body while its head and tail were gold. The feline was in a sitting position with its head tilted to the side, and its judgy eyes were staring directly at himor whoever was looking at it.

    "Oh, he''s not very much of a cat person really... He only has one Kitten forever until he grows old and has grey hair," Katherine corrected.

    Damien raised his head and met her gaze; they looked at each other, and only the two of them understood what the other was thinking. She was staking her immarking her territory. Let it be known to everyone that she owned him ''Forever?''

    Wace chuckled upon hearing her statement. It wasn''t hard to see what she was doing, and despite their little inside joke, he somehow caught on that she was referring to herself as the kitten. He found the two amusing, the excitement and thrill coursed through him, widening his grin.

    Turning to Wace, she put on a polite smile. "Mr. White, I''ve been told that you can help us? I''m looking forward to your end of the bargain."

    Wace''s gorgeous smile could melt many women, but it was ineffective for Katherine. "Man, she doesn''t y. I like her already."

    Damien let out a deep sigh and drank his second round of champagne. Why did it seem like he had be the third wheel in this trio? No. There was no trio. It was only him and Katherine, Wace was just a prop. He had to get rid of the prop soon.

    As if fate wanted to y with Damien, Wace kept his and Katherine''s flutes aside then turned back to her, saying, "Ms. Young, please May I have this dance?" He extended his hand outward.

    "White." Damien''s face hardened. Why was this man such a troublemaker? He leaned forward and whispered to Katherine, so only they could hear, "Let''s talk."

    With a gentle-looking face, she answered, "Honey, it''s rude to turn down Mr. White, don''t you think?"

    Wace suppressed another chuckle. "True. It''s rude to turn down Mr. White, Damien. Settle down, handsome. It''s only right for the host to entertain his guest." He patted Damien''s back and took Katherine''s arm, hooking it with his as he dragged her to the dance floor.

    Damien had no choice but to watch Wace take away his girlfriend. A minuteter, Jeffrey appeared on his side. After their brief greeting, he asked if Katherine came, and Damien nodded in their direction at the dance floor.

    "Ha! Loverboy took your girlfriend?" Jeffrey teased. "I didn''t think you''d allow him to be honest. After all, he''s quite thedies'' man."

    Damien snapped his head at his friend, his brows knitting in confusion. "What are you talking about? Isn''t he gay?"

    Raising a curious brow, Jeffrey turned to face the other and scanned his facial expression. "You... didn''t know?"

    "Know what?"

    "Bro, Wace is bisexual. He swings both ways," Jeffrey responded. "And I hear he''s quite the casanova. Isn''t it why he''s called loverboy?"

    Damien''s stare instantlynded on the two on the dance floor. Wace held Katherine''s hand, and his other hand was ced on the small of her back. The next second, he met Wace''s gaze, and thetter formed a slow smile.

    "Huh." He could not believe it. Downing the rest of his drink, Damien muttered, "Jeff, if I kill someone tonight, help me hide the body."

 Chapter 426: Silhouette (3)

    Chapter 426: Silhouette (3)

    ''Help me hide the body'' the words echoed in Jeffrey''s head like a broken record.

    He looked down at his clothes, and he frowned, realizing that he was wearing an all-white tux. "Bro, we chose the wrong day to bury a body. You should have told me, and I would have worn an appropriate outfit." He clicked his tongue.

    Damien nced at his friend, and he chuckled, feeling better knowing that even though they were only joking, he was sure that he could definitely count on Caleb and Jeffreyeven if it meant that they had to hide a corpse.

    But was he really kidding? He looked back at Wace and Katherine. The two seemed to be talking about something hrious because she justughed at something he whispered to her ear. Nah, Damien was convinced he couldmit a crime tonight.

    Putting away his flute, he sauntered towards the two on the dance floor. Just then, the music stopped, and an emcee appeared on stage, catching everyone''s attention. The first part of the program was the red carpet where Damien had to walk with Wace and even took a picture with him. While the guests were arriving and gathering in the main hall, the music, dancing, and drinking had already started. Now the second part of the program was about tomencethe auction. Damien had to be up on stage with Wace soon, but his feet were taking him towards Katherine instead of getting ready to go up the stage.

    Katherine and Wace had pulled away from their dance and were facing the stage when Damien arrived behind them, and he all but unabashedly put himself in between the two, cing an arm around Katherine''s waist protectively, who stood on his left. "Damien" he heard her mutter. Wace, who was standing on his right, softly chuckled, "I get to see a new side of you every second, Damien. It''s refreshing."

    Damien ignored what the other said as he tightened his hold around her and leaned in to whisper in her ear, "We need to talk."

    "Those words You''re not breaking up with me, are you?" Katherine whispered back. When she looked up at him and met his eyes, she saw his brows slightly crossed, and she couldn''t tell what he was thinking at the moment. "You are? Are you that mad?" Her heart started racing, and she swallowed the massive lump in her throat. ''But I still have a lot to do for you''

    "Don''t be ridiculous." Damien gently squeezed her waist. He scanned her face, noting that she only had light makeup on but was still glowing. She had her hair down naturally and styled it with soft waves, making her look even more alluring than she already was. His Kitten was so beautiful that he was conflicted. "I am indeed still mad, but I''m not irrational. However, we do need to talk about it."

    She took it as a reassurance and it drove her fears away, so she nodded and responded, "We will. I was going to anyway even if you didn''t ask me. I''m sorry, I"

    "We need to go." Wace nudged Damien, interrupting Katherine''s apology. He turned to her, shing his gorgeous smile and said, "I''ll have to steal my date." He winked.

    "We''re not on a date," Damien asserted, rolling his eyes. Facing Katherine, his hand was still resting on her waist when he told her, "Stay here where I can see you."

    "Okay Hurry back, or I''ll get cold."

    Damien felt tiny feathers tickling his heart. Damn it. Without thinking much, he started to unbutton his coat to give it to her, but she stopped him, and she chuckled, "No, don''t. You look better with it up there."

    "Oh, my god. Stop." Wace did the biggest eye roll. "You two make me want to barf." He flung an arm around Damien''s shoulder and eyed Katherine. "Sweetheart, I like you and all, but you''re hogging my date." And then he left with Damien. Katherine was in awe, but she could onlyugh at the situation.

    The emcee on the stage gave a recap of the events that happened during thest six months about how much The tinum Club was able to raise funds for various charity events. The purpose of tonight''s auction was still for charity, and Wace White was generous to donate the proceeds from the auction of his works.

    Damien went up the stage with Wace as he received a recognition award for having the highest amount donated during those six months. Actually, he didn''t like to receive the awardit wasn''t as if he gave money just to be recognized. But Wace insisted that he receive it, and Damien thought it was a better cover for him to be up there next to the man during the segment instead of beingbeled as his date.

    Apart from the award that Damien received, themittee gave him a surprise while he was on stage. A dozen college students came up and greeted him with a bow. He was shocked as he recognized a few of themthey were schrs, and he was their benefactor. The schrs shook hands with him, and some even hugged him. The smile on his face made Katherine teary-eyed.

    "You''ll ruin your makeup if you cry." A man came to her side and handed her his handkerchief.

    Recognizing the voice, Katherine snapped her head, and her eyes widened. "Matty!"

    "Hey, Kathy." Matthew gave her a brief side hug. "You look really nice."

    "Thanks, you too! What are you doing here?" She gave him a once over and found his outfit of the night quite interesting. "Are you a member too? Why does your outfit look familiar?" she wondered as she carefully patted the tears on the corner of her eyes.

    "Sort of. Long story short, I''m one of Mr. White''s models tonight." He looked at her and casually fixed her hair away from her shoulder. "I didn''t think I would see you tonight." Someone called him from a distance, and he nodded before turning back to her, "Show''s about to start. See youter?"

    Katherine watched as he left and entered the backstage. Shifting her gaze back to Damien, she met his intense, curious, and questioning stare. He must have seen Matthew just now. She smiled at him and mouthed, "I''m proud of you." Perhaps he understood it because there was a faint smile that formed on his face after that.

    A presence on her right caught her attention, so she turned her head to look. A woman wearing expensive clothes stood next to her with a ss of champagne in her hand. Katherine didn''t know who she was as she hadn''t seen her before. She looked averageas in, nothing stood out of her appearance, but Katherine noticed a mole near her lips.

    "How do you know Matthew?" the woman asked.

    Katherine was caught off-guard by her question. She suddenly felt uneasy with her. "I''m sorry?"

    The strange woman turned to face Katherine, her brow arching as she looked at her from head to toe. "How do you know Matthew Jeong? I saw you talk to him just now."

    The hostility in her voice was evident, and Katherine didn''t know whether tough or cry with the way the woman was acting. What was her problem? "He''s a friend." She kept her tone light.

    "A friend?" the woman scoffed and eyed the handkerchief in her hand. "Does a friend act so nicely like that to you?" When Katherine didn''t answer, she kept her voice down and she added, "You better stay away from him, or you watch your back." Then, she walked away.

    Katherine found the whole conversation weird. Where did thate from? And who was that woman? She was so dumbfounded that she was speechless for a minute. "What the hell just happened?" she muttered to herself.

    When she looked back at the stage, she saw Damien look at her as if he was asking ''What happened?'' And because she honestly had no clue, she could only shrug her shoulders.

 Chapter 427: Silhouette (4)

    Chapter 427: Silhouette (4)

    Before the auction started, there was a short fashion show of Wace''s works. And like Matthew said earlier, he was one of the models. Wace White and Samuel West coborated on this projectKatherine knew that thetter also had pieces in the auction but she only just found out that the two had worked together. Samuel provided in colored dresses and dress shirts that ranged from casual, semi-formal, and formal, while Wace handpainted the designs on the nk canvas. With two geniuses working together, the result was fantastic.

    There were twelve pieces that were up for auction. Each uniquely designed and very pleasing to the eyes. Katherine didn''t n on joining the auction but everyone was given a paddleas if everyone was expected to join. After all, everyone in the room had deep pockets.

    She stood by herself but she didn''t mind. And since everyone was focused on the program, she used the time to survey her surroundings, observing and taking mental notes of the personalities in the room that she was more familiar withtheir jobs, their bodynguage, whom they were talking to. She was doing it blindly but it was better than doing nothing at the moment. However, she focused on the more important people that were presentthe politicians. There weren''t many that night, moreover the ones present were unknown to Katherine.

    asionally, she would meet Damien''s eyes and she would give him a flirty smile. From across the room, she would look at him through her eyshes, and raise her ss at him as though she was giving him ''cheers''. He''d slightly crease his brows, and just awhile ago, he mouthed, ''Stop drinking.'' She chuckled at his overprotectiveness because she had only been nursing one ss of champagne since earlier. She had barely even drunk more than two sipsand the one Wace gave her earlier, she only took a small sip. But then again, she couldn''t me him after what happenedst night.

    When she shifted her gaze back at the stage and watched the scene unfold, a dress caught her attention and though she didn''t n on joining the auction, she raised her paddle and chimed in her bids. She liked the dress and could imagine herself actually wearing it but when the amount went over fifty thousand dors, she stopped. These people around her were high rollers and she didn''t think she could spend more than that for a dress, even if it was for charity. Or maybe she was just stingy. Someone else won the dresster, an old man several feet away from her.

    Another dress came that she liked and she joined the auction again but just like the first time, she stopped when it went over fifty thousand. The two dresses were from the casual and semi-formal category, and both really suited her tastethey were both white and had floral designs on them. The old man from earlier also won that dress, making her think that her taste was simr to that old man who spent so much on the dresses. It was either that or maybe he was buying it for his young mistresses.

    "Oh, well," she mumbled to herself, then let out a sigh and just enjoyed the rest of the auction. When it was finally over, Damien came back to her side. "You okay?"

    "Yeah, congrats on your award," she said as she gave him a hug, her arms went around his neck and she pressed her lips on his cheek. He smelled deliciouslike alwaysonly tonight, his parfum was more sensual and audacious that she couldn''t help but inhale more of it. He smelled fresh, with hints of bergamot and applehe smelled luxurious and heavenly, she was ready to die.

    Her eyes took notice of several women behind him who had sticky gazes, and she tightened her hug just to annoy the hell out of them. She saw them roll their eyes at her, and they did not even bother hiding it. So like the child that she was, she gave them a bright and beautiful smile.

    Damien''s hand was on the small of her back, hisrge, warm hand pressing against her skin and it made her tingle. "Thanks. Dance with me"

    "Chairman Park," a woman in her forties interrupted.

    They turned to face the woman and she began to introduce herself. She was an investor but he wasn''t familiar with her. At first, she congratted him on the award, and then she started talking about a project that Crown Resort Group was nning. The project hadn''t even been announced to the public yet, but people talk, and a lot of wealthy people want to dip their fingers in itif not their whole body. Partnering with CRG only meant that the project would be a sesswhich equates to millions of gains. Since one of objectives of being in The tinum Club was towork, Damien had been receiving dozens of proposals since he arrived. It was inevitable.

    But Damien wasn''t in the mood to talk about business at the moment, and this woman just interrupted his time with Katherine when he was finally able to give her his attention. The woman was still going on and on with her thoughts about the project when Damien stopped her, "My apologies, Madame. But I''m afraid I can''t talk about it at the moment." He swiftly handed her his business card and added, "You can contact my assistant for appointments. There are some very important matters I need to discuss with my family. Excuse me." Holding Katherine''s hand, he then walked out of the conversation.

    Katherine was brought to the corner of the room away from the crowd. The next part of the program had just started and it was the nomination of next year''s club officers. However, Damien couldn''t care less about it. He faced her and fixed his eyes at hers, "I''m giving you a chance toe clean. Why did you lie?"

    This was it. She liked that he didn''t skirt around the issue and went head-on. But before that, she just had to ask to know how to exin things to him. "How much do you know?"

    "Everything."

    "Everything?"

    "I saw the videos from Styles and Felix told me what happened. Yes, Katherine. Everything."

    She swallowed. Now that they were talking about it, she actually didn''t know where to start. And just as she was about to open her mouth, he added, "We were on a call when she left. Why didn''t you tell me?"

    "That happened after the call... I didn''t know I was going after Amelia until I was already on my way out. I didn''t think... I just... moved. After knowing what she was doing, I couldn''t let her go there alone."

    Damien crossed his arms in front of him, his tall figure hovered over her frame but with her high heels and already tall height, she didn''t feel intimidated. "So why didn''t you tell me then? You could have called backafter that, or the next day. Even leaving a message would have been okay, but you didn''t. I thought you weren''t going to lie to me anymore. I know you''re a good liar Katherine. People might not see it when you do but I could. And I don''t like being lied to. Especially by you."

    "I know... I was wrong. I was going to tell you right away but..."

    "Did she ask you not to tell me?" He waited for her to answer but she took her time and bit her lip. "Katherine."

    "Only until youe back from France. I know it''s still a lie of omission and I really feel bad. She didn''t want to worry you while you were away. But then you came home and then..."

    "Then you two got drunk and got your asses arrested for stealing."

    "You make it sound so bad..."

    "Because it is bad. Do you know what would have happened if it wasn''t Detective Donovan?"

    She bit her lip. Her heart was racing because he was scolding her but at the same time, she also felt warm. No one scolded her like Damien. He was the only one who did and she liked it. It was fcked up, yes. It didn''t mean that she would deliberately make trouble. It wasn''t her kinknot that she had one.

    However, this man in front of her looked so manly at the moment, she just couldn''t help but fall for him even more. Why did he have to be so Damien?

    Katherine looked up to tell him she was sorry but a cry from the other side of the room made their heads turn. Someone had fainted in the middle of the program and people gathered around an area. And then she saw a familiar silhouette from a distance.

    "Chris," she muttered.

    "What?"

    "Chris. He''s here."

    She jolted to the right but Damien caught her wrist and stopped her. "What are you going to do?"

    "Damien, he''s here! He could be on a mission! Do you know what that means? He could be here to kill someone. I have to stop him!" Katherine was once part of Shadow and knowing the chances that Chris was here on a missionpossibly assassination missioneven if she didn''t know the reason behind it, she just couldn''t let it happen.

    "I''m going with you," he punctuated their conversation.

    The two maneuvered their way through the sea of people and exited the side entrance where Chris disappeared.

 Chapter 428: Silhouette (5)

    Chapter 428: Silhouette (5)

    Leaving the main hall of the event, Damien and Katherine found themselves in the hallway. The colors of the walls and the carpet reminded her of that time in Magnum Hotel where they first saw each other again a couple of weeks ago during her Wee Home Party.

    That time, they were estranged, hurt, lost, and all sorts of things altogether. After promising each other that they would always be together, they still separated and were heartbroken. Tears were spilled, hopes were almost gone, and they thought of giving up. But as fate kept leading them back together, they took their chanceseven if it meant that they would still keep hurting.

    Katherine and Damien took the leap. Their rtionship was wed and so were they.

    The two had every reason to let go and just be done with each other. They were like two mas repelling and attracting each other. But subconsciously or even deliberately, despite their differences, they made their choice and bonded.

    Which was why at that very moment, they became one. Just a minute ago, they were having a discussion about liesDamien scolded Katherineyet now, they were in sync. Just like mas, they had this invisible field that''s forcing them together. That''s how strong their rtionship was.

    Katherine was now desperate to keep it that way. She couldn''t afford any more setbacks. She could no longer bear for him to keep worrying about her. It was time that she changed. And hell be damned, it was going to be hard.

    As they looked from left to right, Katherine and Damien found Chris at the other end of the hallway. Chris was talking to a woman, whose back was facing them. The other end of the hallway was so far away that they couldn''t see them clearly, especially since the hallway was dark. Such convenience at a time like this when they needed to know who Chris was talking to.

    Arge hand grabbed Katherine''s wrist and pulled her to the corner, pressing her to the wall. "We can''t be seen. We don''t know who they are," Damien whispered. His body was pressed against her front as he stealthily took a peek from where they were.

    Their position was so intimate and she shouldn''t even be thinking about anything else other than what they were supposed to do: Find out Chris''s contact in the clubbut who could really me her? It was as though Damien''s sex pheromones were on a high and was spellbinding her. It was ridiculous that she was lusting over him at a time like this. ''Not now,'' she scolded herself and tried to shift her focus back to the matter at hand.

    He grabbed her hand and dragged her with him, deeper into the hallway. "They''re moving. Let''s go."

    Katherine kept up with his long strides as they hurried. The space where Chris and the woman were just now was already empty. Her brows knitted. "Where are they?"

    "She went towards the lobby. The other took the elevator."

    "Damien, you need to go after her," she said.

    "What about you?" Concern was written all over his face when he already knew what she was about to say.

    "I have to go after Chris. You know the club members longer than I do, I wouldn''t recognize that woman, whoever she was."

    Damien didn''t like it but at the moment, he knew this was the best option. "Do not engage, Katherine. Promise me. Unless you really need to. Stay out of danger."

    "I promise." She swiftly tiptoed and kissed his lips without hesitation before turning towards the elevator. She watched where it stopped and saw that it went all the way up to the twelfth floor.

    He tore his gaze away from Katherine and turned his heel towards the lobby. He hastened his steps to catch up with the woman who was just about to leave the hotel. And right as hended by the front desk, the woman had just gotten inside a ck limousine at the entrance. Damien all but sprinted outside only to see the limo speed off into the main road.

    He panted and ran a hand down his face in frustration, ignoring the curious gazes of the people looking in his direction. He failed to see the face of the womanall he got from all that was her silhouette. But even if it was a long shot, he was hopeful that once Wace gives him the guestlistter, he would be able to recognize who she wasif she was the same person whom Chris kept meeting at Central Harbor Restaurant so secretly.

    Meanwhile, Katherine was getting inside the other elevator when a hand harshly grabbed her by the elbow. Her instincts kicked in and she immediately tore her arm away from the other in one swift move. Her other hand hung mid-air and she was about to hit the person''s neck when she recognized who it was. Her brows furrowed and her eyes were menacing as she spat, "You again?"

    "Huh!" The woman from earlierthe one who warned her to stay away from Matthewhad her eyes widened as she gaped at Katherine''s hand. "Are you about to hit me?"

    "What the hell is your problem? Get lost!" Katherine was already at her wit''s end. This woman kept appearing out of nowhere, it was pissing her off.

    The elevator door closed on her so she had to press the door open again. Without waiting for the other to answer, she stepped inside, turned around, and met the woman''s crazy stare.

    "You''ve got the nerve to shout at me? You already have a boyfriend, but you still flirt with Matth"

    The elevator door shut on the woman''s face after Katherine repeatedly pressed the close button. Her adrenaline shot up because of that womanif she hadn''t controlled herself, she could have broken that strange woman''s neck. She just lost seconds because of her. Her jaw ticked as she waited impatiently for the ride to go up the top floor.

    She didn''t expect to see Chris that night. There were a lot of questions in her head and she needed answers. The ding of the elevator drew her back to reality and she quickly stepped out of the car. The twelfth floor was so quiet as she looked around, realizing that the doors were probably to presidential suites.

    Katherine contemted whether she should start knocking doors or eavesdrop from the door. What if he was sent here to kill someone? What if

    Just as she was thinking of a n, she heard the sound of a helicopter from the floor above her. Her eyes went wide and her head snapped towards the stairwell''s direction. Without second thoughts, she dashed towards it and climbed the stairs that led to the rooftop.

    "Stupid heels. Stupid dress," she hissed when she almost stepped on her dress and struggled on her heels. She always hated running like this. But it wasn''t as if she could have predicted she would be chasing Chris in this dress. ts just weren''t an option for her if she wanted to look good.

    Katherine pushed open the door to the rooftop and just as she stepped on thending, she saw a helicopter lifting off the ground with Chris inside, and they met each other''s stare.

    She raised her arms up to cover her face as the wind created by the helicopter''s de rotation was too strong, blowing against her body. She watched as it ascended higher in the air and she realized that there was nothing she could do now. They stared at each other but neither of them knew what the other was thinking. Then, the helicopter flew away, leaving her even more confused than she already was.

    Katherine was in a daze as she went back down to the twelfth floor where she met Damien again. He sighed in relief seeing that she was safe but he worried that something happened to her. After she told him what transpired, they headed back to the party. She had somewhat calmed down as they reached the floor, but she still thought it was a waste that she didn''t get to Chris faster.

    Just when they turned a corner, the woman from earlier appeared from the side and her snarky expression greeted them. With an arrogant look, she stalked towards Damien and bit out, "Did you know that your girlfriend was flirting all night with men?! You better make sure she keeps her hands to herself" The woman swallowed the rest of her words when Katherine strode towards her, and pushed her against the wall, choking when Katherine''s fingers wrapped around her neck.

    "You," Katherine spoke under gritted teeth, her eyes were aze and her face spelled wicked. "You cost me time. I don''t know what the hell your problem is, you sociopath! Your obsession with Matthew made you unlucky to have stepped on and mine like me. Tell me, do you want to meet him face to face in ck and blue, or in red?"

 Chapter 429: Silhouette (6)

    Chapter 429: Silhouette (6)

    Damien could have stopped Katherine from the start but he wanted to see how far she would go. He had no clue who the woman was; she suddenly appeared in front of them and started spouting absurdity. But with the way Katherine attacked, he could guess this wasn''t the first time the two had an encounter.

    He watched as Katherine pushed the other against the wall and when he thought she would cuss and shout, her fingers wrapped around the woman''s throatand the bloodlust in her eyes was clear. He hesitantly took a step forward until he heard her speak about Matthew with the woman, so he did a double-take and that''s when he realized that she was the woman who came to Katherine earlier during the second segment of the program.

    "...Tell me, do you want to meet him face to face in ck and blue, or in red?" she said.

    It seemed like it wasn''t him who needed Caleb and Jeffrey''s help to hide a corpse. Even if Katherine didn''t ask, he would readily do it for her.

    "Katherine." Damien''s voice was soft as he ced his hands on her arms and pulled her away.

    "H-Help!"

    He didn''t give the woman a nce even when he heard her cry. Instead, he slid his hand to Katherine''s wristthe one choking the otherand pulled it away. "Baby, that''s enough," he said in a gentle voice above her.

    Katherine unsped her hand from the woman''s neck. Thetter coughed and sunk on the floor, gasping for air as tears wet her cheek. Wordlessly, she whipped out her phone and called someone. In the next second, she spoke, "Hey, Matty, I found her. We''re just outside the west wing double doorsokay." The woman looked up and her eyes widened when she heard the phone call. Then, she attempted to crawl out but Katherine blocked her with her foot.

    "Don''t even think about it. You better believe I''m in the mood to chase after you even if I have to do that barefoot," Katherine threatened and the violent look on her eyes said that she was telling the truth.

    "Who is she?" Damien finally asked.

    "She''s Matthew''s crazy, obsessed stalker." Katherine handed her phone to him, showing the message that she received from Matthew when she was on the rooftop earlier.

    The woman was the reason why Matthew had to move to a new apartment or house frequently in the past. It wasn''t until he found the ce in Pearl Gardens that the stalker couldn''t reach him due to the strict security. But that didn''t stop her from appearing anywhere else just to get to him. He told Katherine about this stalker a couple of weeks back when they had lunch together.

    Damien read the text on her phone.

    [Matty: Remember that crazy fan I told you about? She''s the woman who approached you while I was backstage. Stay away from her. She''s dangerous. I already called security.]

    Damien nced at the woman on the floor and his brow furrowed in disgust. His gaze then shifted to Katherine and noticed a cut on the fair skin of her arm. "What happened to you?" he gently grabbed her elbow to check on the wound. It was about an inch long and though it wasn''t bleeding, it was red, and he didn''t like it.

    "I must have gotten it when she grabbed me earlier while I was getting in the elevator." Katherine didn''t even notice the cut until now. The stalker didn''t have long nails but she had a ring on her finger that was sharp and pointy. "I''m okay" she said to reassure Damien, knowing that he could get crazy worried even with a small cut.

    The door on the side swung open and out came Matthew along with two police officers. He nced at them, trying to assess the situation when the stalker crawled to his feet and hugged his leg crying crocodile tears. "Matthew, that woman! That woman choked me!"

    The horror on Matthew''s face was indescribable. It was as though he wanted to kick the woman away but he just stood frozen on the spot.

    "It was self-defense," Damien dered with a straight face and showed Katherine''s small cut. "That woman attacked first."

    Katherine looked at Damien''s passive expression. This man told her earlier that she was a good liar but ever since she knew him, she thought he was a great liar. The man can lie without so much as a blink. She almost believed him if only it wasn''t her he was talking about.

    That wasn''t self-defense at all. Maybe back when the stalker grabbed her by the elevator and she was about to hit her, yes. But a few minutes ago, she didn''t have to shove her to the wall and choked her. It just so happened that her emotions were through the roof due to what just happened, and she was frustrated about so many things that she just snapped when the woman spouted idiotic ims to Damien. Katherine knew that he wouldn''t just believe anyone saying things like that but it still pissed her off.

    Hearing him say that it was self-defense, she wasn''t going to correct him, but she felt him squeeze her hand as if to say: "Just go with the flow and let me handle this." So she did.

    Katherine curled her mouth into a frown, looking so hurt like a meek little kitten and leaned against Damien''s chest. Then his arm naturally went around her like he wasforting her. Such perfect tandem only they can pull off.

    "What?! That''s not true! Don''t believe her! She''s really strong! I almost died!" the stalker shrieked. The officers looked between the two women as if they were trying to see who was telling the truth.

    Damien maintained his cold tone when he insisted, "This is a private function for club members only, and that woman isn''t one. If you don''t take her away right this second, I will file awsuit for physical injury and I will testify." This time, he directed his icy stare at the woman who cowered in fear from his threat.

    The woman surely knew who Damien Park was and what his money and reputation could do that she realized it was better to keep her mouth shut or she would suffer more. After Matthew told the police officers that he could also attest to the stalker''s aggressive and violent behavior through medical certificates and proofs, they arrested her and brought her to the police station.

    "I''m sorry that she got to you," Matthew told Katherine. He took a deep breath and ran his hand through his hair, the wrinkling of his brows showed how worried he was.

    "I''m okay, don''t worry about me," Katherine reassured, "Just make sure she stays in jail this time."

    Matthew chuckled in resignation and shook his head.

    Damien handed a card to Matthew with his personal number written on it. "Give me a call tomorrow. I know a few people who can help."

    "Thanks. Well, I better go, they need me at the station. I''ll catch you again next time, Kathy." Matthew gingerly gave her a brief hug. This time, Damien allowed it and gave the two some time.

    ...

    "Are you sure you''re okay?" Damien nced at her as he gently put a band-aid on her cut. They were inside an empty dressing room next to the event hall.

    Katherine had a faint smile on her face as she watched him take care of her. "I''ve gotten worse before, Damien." He raised a brow at her like he didn''t understand, so she exined, "I''ve been shot twice and had a knife slice my hand." The crease on his brow got deeper and she chuckled. "You''re wondering why I have no scars?"

    He nodded and helped her up from the sofa. "I''ve seen you naked plenty of times, Katherine."

    The smile on her face widened at his statement. "Perks of being in Shadow. Not everyone gets the same treatment though. Only a few of us were given the privilege to receive high-tech scar revision surgeries. I can''t have battle scars in my line of work."

    Damien didn''t even want to ask her to rify what he was thinking. He either didn''t want to know or didn''t have to know.

    "Come on, let''s get back inside. It''s time to collect what we came here for." He grabbed her hand and they headed back to the party.

 Chapter 430: Silhouette (7)

    Chapter 430: Silhouette (7)

    The party in the event hall was still in full swing when they returned as if nothing happened earlier. Without caring about the prying eyes of the people around them, Damien and Katherine walked hand in hand as they sought for Wace.

    People stared and whispered, but they didn''t give a damn. They were caught in an online scandalst weekend and here they were, proving to everyone the truth. Even if they were only holding hands, that already spoke a lot especially when Damien Park was known to be someone who didn''t do any PDA.

    "Have you seen White?" Damien asked Jeffrey when he approached him. Thetter was talking to a woman with ck hairsomeone Katherine hadn''t seen before, but it seemed like Damien had met her already since she briefly greeted him. If Katherine had to guess, she would bet that she and Jeffrey had a little something.

    "I did earlier, I''m not sure where he is now though. Did you check backstage?"

    "Thanks." Damien was already walking towards the backstage with Katherine in tow as soon as Jeffrey answered.

    Arriving at the backstage, they saw Wace scolding some staff that was handling the clothes with his hand-painted designs. "Are you nuts?! Don''t hold it like that! You''ll ruin the dress!" He was a totally different person when it came to his works. Meanwhile, Mr. West, like the calm person that he was, spoke gently to the other staff.

    Katherine saw the two dresses that caught her interest during the auction several meters away. Mr. West and Ava carefully packed them in garment bags. She silently sighed and thought maybe she could ask the two to make her one in the future.

    "White," Damien called and Wace turned to face them. His irritated expression slipped, reced by a soft expression when he saw Katherine and Damien.

    "There you guys are. I wondered where you two have gone off to. That didn''t take long." A slow smile formed on Wace''s face as he shifted his gaze between the two, his insinuation didn''t go unnoticed.

    Damien rolled his eyes. This man takes every chance he gets to tease. Not willing to waste any more time, he started, "Your auction is done. I''ve agreed to all your terms. Now it''s your turn."

    Wace let out a sigh before taking out a piece of white envelope from the inner pocket of his coat jacket and handed it to Damien, "I don''t know what you''re going to do with that but I hope that''s useful or I''d consider a hit on my pride talking to my father first." When Damien received the envelope, he added, "Now, how about a hug to close the deal?"

    Damien''s brows immediately knitted at his bold statement. "I''m not hugging you."

    Wace''s smile widened as he responded, "I''m not asking you." Then his gaze flitted towards Katherine. "That is indeed for her, right?"

    Damien scoffed, "You''re not"

    "It''s okay, Damien, it''s just a hug." Katherine leaned towards Wace and gave him a hug.

    Seeing that Wace got what he wanted, Damien could only clench his jaw.

    However, before Katherine pulled away, she whispered to him in a slow, dangerous tone, "But my hugse with a price, Mr. White. So now, you owe me one. I hope you''re ready because I will collect anytime." And then she stepped back, a charming smile stered across her face as she looked at him with a glint in her eyes.

    The smile on Wace''s face slipped and he nced at Damienwho now had a grin on his face. Then he threw his head backughing, clearly amused at what just happened. He couldn''t believe that Katherine was such a cunning woman. When he met her earlier, he could see that any man could immediately fall for her looks, but he wondered how Damien got his head wrapped around her finger and how he fell head over heels. "Now I see why." Katherine Young was a femme fatale.

    Katherine and Damien slipped out of the party and went to find a quiet ce, so they found themselves back in the dressing room they went to earlier. Taking out the piece of paper inside the envelope, they started to check the names on the list, which had about thirty people on it.

    "How did she look like?" Katherine asked.

    "I only saw the silhouette, and I''m not sure if I even know her." His eyes quickly scanned the dozens of names but he didn''t see one that caught his attention. Without lifting his gaze from the paper, he asked her, "Can you call Styles?"

    Katherine wordlessly called Styles using her phone and ced it on speakers.

    "Yelow!" Styles answered on the first ring.

    "Styles," Damien started, "I''m sending you the list. Gather everything you can get from each of the names."

    "Got it."

    "How soon can you finish?" Katherine asked.

    "Uhh A couple hours?"

    She turned to Damien with a curious expression and asked, "Do memberships extend to spouses?"

    He nodded. "Yes. They''re usually treated as one entity so only one of them needs to be a member, and the spouse is an automatic extension."

    She brought the phone near her mouth and spoke to the line, "Styles, include their spouses if any. Just in case. I don''t want to miss anything. Take your time."

    "Gotcha."

    The call ended and the two sighed simultaneously. "Good thinking," Damien remarked.

    "Back then, we''d do the same. Some targets would use their spouse''s identity when they do something under the table. So we rule out possibilities of those as well."

    "You must have been really good at what you did" he muttered without thinking and saw her shift ufortably. "Hey" He grabbed hold of her hand and pulled her towards him. "Come here..." Leaning half of his bottom against the edge of the table, he settled her between his legs and ced his hands on her waist.

    Katherine felt warm as soon as the palm of his hand brushed the skin on her back and she naturally rested her hands on his chest, a small smile forming on her lips as she spoke, "We didn''t get to finish our conversation earlier."

    "Mm. I''m all ears."

    "I know I did something wrong and I understand that you''re mad I haven''t been in a serious rtionship before you, Damien. I don''t know what I''m supposed to do. I suck at this. So if I did something that affected you in a way and I wouldn''t know, I''m sorry... I didn''t do it because I want to hurt you. I would never do that on purpose. You know that, right?" She spoke in a voice so calm and gentle that tugged Damien''s heartstrings.

    He nodded softly and tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "Of course."

    "So you''re mad that I didn''t tell you or you''re mad about the infiltration?"

    Taking a deep breath, his head fell forward andnded on her chest, his forehead pressed against her skin. "Both. I don''t like not knowing what''s happening with you or her now that she''s around. It pisses me off that I''m thest one to know."

    Her fingers slid through his hair, caressing his head as he rested on her chest. "That night when we came back from Park Group, your mom she told me that she had been a lone wolf for so many years. And I get that. Lone wolves are self-sufficient They believe they can handle any curveball on every mission. They aren''t dependent people And I could say that I could be one myself, and though it''s hard, I really am trying to change that. And I probably won''t be able to changepletely I just want you to know that."

    Slowly, he raised his head and looked at her. "You can''t keep doing things on your own, Katherine."

    "I''m sorry for making you worry. I won''t do it again." Katherine leaned in and pressed her lips to his. When she pulled back, she smiled and told him, "You know what"

    "Hmm?"

    "Lone wolves can never lead"

    "What are you saying?"

    "You should lead us."

    Damien barked augh. "You called me a tyrant once. Would you like a tyrant leader?"

    "I don''t remember. But I do remember saying I like a man in charge."

    The sweet smile on her lips lifted his mood. He kissed the corner of her mouth and pulled her with him. "Come on, you owe me a dance."

 Chapter 431: His Kind of Crazy

    Chapter 431: His Kind of Crazy

    Thest segment of the program was the partydrinking and dancing.

    Other people thought that the rich don''t know how to party like ordinary people do. Actually, the rich know how to party, it''s just that they could be wilder and crazier. While a lot of the club members think they should be keeping their ssespecially the oldies, the younger onesthe young millionaireshowever, they tend to go crazier. With an open bar and excellent choices of liquor, they sure make the most of their night. After all, what happens during club events, stays in the club.

    So, when Damien and Katherine came back inside, the dancing had alreadymenced. Everyone had drinks in their hands and shit-eating grins on their faces. Those who got to go home with the title ''winning bidder'' on their names had just proved how wealthy they were, so they were the ones who roamed around with arrogant smiles on their faces and providing more booze to everyoneas if the open bar wasn''t already enough. The others who were outbid, well they had fake smiles on their faces, and possibly their fifth or eighth ss in their hands.

    At this point, the sharksthose who came to the party solely towork, had probably maxed out handing their business cards since the start, so now they''re on full-on party mode.

    Basically, everyone was just having fun now. So when the pair came back, people just no longer cared and minded their own business.

    Which was a good thing for the two, of course, because without prying eyes, they could finally enjoy the rest of the night and not worry a lot.

    Katherine swiftly unhooked the detachable slightly poofy skirt around her waist and tossed it to an empty chair, leaving her with only the mermaid skirt and showcasing the natural curves of her figure. If she already looked stunning and elegant on the first look, this one made her look sexier and more daring.

    Damien was surprised to see her second look for the night, but he revealed a knowing smile when he met her gaze and then brought her to the middle of the dance floor. The lights were dimmed and there were just too many people to even know whoever was dancing next to them. Especially at a guest count of over three hundred people, one just couldn''t keep track of everyone. At the moment, the music that sted through the speakers was a ssical version of a popr R&B-pop song. It was refreshing and actually nice to dance to.

    Taking her left hand, Damien brought it up to his right shoulder and pulled her closer. He ced his right hand on the small of her back while their other hands joined together at the side and they started to sway from side to side.

    Thest time they danced like this was a couple of weeks ago during Katherine''s Wee Home Party, however, unlike that time, tonight was sort of special. Because although they still had a lot on their te, their rtionship was better. Now, she knew what she wanted and it wasn''t only Damien who was fighting for themshe''s fighting alongside him now.

    "How do you like my dress?" she asked, her faceced with anticipation, especially when Damien looked at her and his sticky gaze roamed over her top.

    "I don''t know if I''m going to reprimand you for wearing something so"

    "So?"

    "So daring. Or thank you for wearing something that brought your best self."

    She chuckled. "I look like my best self? And tell me, what does that look like?"

    "Confident." He stared into her eyes. "You look confident. And that''s the best look you have tonight."

    "Really?"

    "You could wear a sack for all I care, Katherine. But if you carry it with the confidence you have, you''d still be the most beautiful woman in the room."

    Hearing hispliment, Katherine couldn''t help but feel the heat grow on her cheeks. Why was this man making her blush? After all this time, he still didn''t fail to make her feel appreciated. It was why she liked being with Damien. With him, she felt loved. She felt like she mattered.

    "You''re blushing," he said in almost a hushed tone, and a satisfied grin crossed his face. "Am I making you blush?"

    "Oh, shut up, Damien." Katherine rolled her eyes and softly chuckled with him.

    Then she lowered her eyes and gently brushed her fingers on his tux. "Have you not noticed, or you just didn''t care?"

    With a confused look, he probed, "What are we talking about?"

    "Your tux my dress"

    Damien briefly nced at their outfits and he subtly shook his head, pinching the side of her waist as he whispered to her ear, "Of course I knew. Did you think you could keep something like this from me, you sneaky little Kitten."

    She giggled in his arms, enjoying the way he so warmly whispered to her in his rough voice. "You look really nice, Damien. You''re dashing as always and especially tonight."

    When she pulled back, she was surprised to see something sparkly on Damien''s hand that was opened towards her. "What is that?" she asked. She picked it up and examined the item,ughing when she realized what it was: a gold, sparkly fluffy cat brooch with a crown on its head. It was sitting with its fluffy tail filled with shiny rhinestones just like the rest of its body and the crown.

    Katherine found it so hrious. "How? Why? Waitdo you think I look like this? How did you even think of buying one like this?"

    "Felix. He told me you bought something," he said as he nced at the white and gold cat with the judgy eyes on thepel of his tux. "I happened to pass by a store in Nice on my way to the next meeting and saw that. It reminded me of you." He took it from her hand and pinned it on her dress, atop her left breast.

    "Here I was, thinking that I look like that cat that''s on your tux. Scary and intimidating In the end, you only see me as a cute and fluffy cat?"

    Damien didn''t say anything, but a heart-stopping smile broke his face, causing the butterflies in her stomach to flutter wildly. "Can I tell you something? Promise you won''t judge?" she asked.

    "When have I ever judged you?"

    "True." She bit her lip and took a deep breath before she admitted, "Is it weird that I find you reprimanding me ''hot''?"

    "What?" A baffled look reced his smile, unsure if he heard her right. When she didn''t rify herself, he probed, "You find my reprimands ''hot''?"

    Katherine looked at him straight in the eyes, giving him the reason to believe that she was telling the truth.

    Realizing that he heard her right, the gears in his head turned and there was an air of dominance dancing around him. Damien''s voice dipped lower when he asked, "Have I told you that you''re crazy?"

    "You think I''m crazy?"

    A hint of a devilish smirk teased his lips before he leaned in to whisper, his hot breath fanning against her skin as he spoke, "Yes. But you''re my kind of crazy."

 Chapter 432: Damiens New Pocket Square

    Chapter 432: Damien''s New Pocket Square

    The intoxicating smell of Damien''s Eau de Parfum assaulted Katherine''s nose in the most luxurious way. She liked the way it lingered around him; his natural scent alone that she already loved mixed with the scent of bergamot, citrus, and apple only made him smell even more heavenly.

    She wasn''t always this attentive to scents, but there was just something about Damien that made her crave him. Her desire was awakened and she had never experienced this with anyone else before. Was she crazy? Maybe she was. But that''s okay, he just told her that she was his kind of crazy anyway.

    A slow smile formed on her lips when her crazy switch flipped on. ''He wanted crazy I''ll show him crazy''

    As if on cue, the music in the background changed into something that only made her ''crazy n'' even better. Though it was a revised version, Katherine recognized the song. It was Havana by Cam Cabelloa salsa-inspired mid-tempo pop song with R&B-pop beats. ''Setting the mood Perfect,'' she thought.

    Taking both of his hands, she ced them on her waist and she started to slowly sway her hips, her hands resting on his chest as she gazed at him. Casually, she started, "Thanks for arranging the team who helped me prepare earlier"

    "It''s nothing. Did you like it?" Damien lowered his gaze to her delicate fingers that were toying with thepels of his tux.

    "Mhmm" she slowly slid her hand up to his neck, subtly grazing the tips of her fingers on his skin. He clenched his jaw at the same time that he squeezed her waist, and she knew that she hit the spot. ''Step 1,'' she said to herself.

    "I enjoyed it. I felt like I was in a spa" Katherine smiled a seductive onesubtle yet alluring. "But did you know that I also went to a spa while you were away?"

    "You did?"

    "Mhmm" The soft, sexy humming of her voice made him swallow. They were close enough to each other, and away from the speakers that they were able to talk normally without the need to shout. The small movement in his throat indicated that she had justpleted ''Step 2''.

    "I had a leg massage I got my nails done and"

    Just the mention of her legstwo of his favorite parts of heralready made his eyes wander down to the soft V of her cleavage. "And?" he probed, his voice getting weaker.

    Katherine leaned towards him, her lips brushing ever so faintly against the skin below his ear as she said in a sultry voice, "I had waxing done too Brazilian"

    Damien closed his eyes when his imagination went wildthe image of Katherine on his bed all naked, bare, and ready for him. Her boldness was weed but they were in the middle of the dance floor with hundreds of people for fck''s sake! If she kept this on, he wouldn''t know what he would do. He''d have to have herand soon.

    "Why are you telling me this now, Kitten?" he grunted, holding her closer than ever.

    ''Step 3, check.''

    "Just ''cuz Why, Damien? Are you thinking about me right now?" Katherine didn''t need to ask, and she didn''t wait for him to answer. She put some distance between them and she sensed his hesitation when he still kept her at an arm''s length. Locking her gaze with his, she started swaying her arms in sync with her hips.

    The way she danced in front of him was ssy, yet sexy. Her movements reminded him of something but he brushed it away from his thoughts quickly and focused on the way she smiled at him. A smile that wasn''t like her usual charming one. It was a smile of confidenceced with fatalityit was as though she was sure that whatever she was doing, he got him hooked.

    When he thought that she was done with her teasing, she suddenly inched closer and asked him, "Damien Are you familiar with the French brand ''La Folie''?"

    He creased his brows, unsure where she was getting at. "You mean, La Folie, the House of Lingerie? Why?"

    "Uh-huh. I went shopping too..."

    "What did you get?" His eyes lowered to her body again, wondering if she was wearing what she bought.

    Sliding his hands down to her hips so that they sat atop the sides of her underwear, she told him, "Une culotte  systme aimant." (A panty with a maic system.)

    "What?"

    Just as he asked, she ced her hands on top of his, and with one swift nudge of her fingers, the mas of her underwear unspedthe movement happening below his fingertips. His eyes widened, realizing what she just did. Katherine wore maic underwear and judging by what just happened, the maic sps were released. She then slightly moved his hands upward, releasing the underwear and letting it fall on the floor. ''Step 4.''

    Damien''s heart was about to jump out of his chest. His instant reaction was to cover her but before he could even move, she had already bent down and picked up her underwear from the floor ever so casually as if she was just picking up a ballpen she dropped. And to add to his already shocked expression, she tucked hercy underwear into the front pocket of his tuxedo as she nonchntly said, "You dropped your pocket square, Mr. Park..."

    His eyesnded on thecy fabric that was now sticking out from the left pocket of his tux. She fixed it, so that it actually looked like a normal pocket square on his tux.

    Katherine''s underwearthe one she just wore, was fcking sticking out of his front pocket for the whole world to see. That wasn''t even the most shocking point. It''s the fact that she wasn''t wearing any anymore.

    Damien drifted his eyes and caught hers. He was already unbuttoning his coat as he spoke in a hushed tone, "Have you gone mad, Kitten? Your dress It''s light your underwear... People will"

    "I need you, Damien" Her voice was anything but needy.

    Katherine had a resolved expression on her face. She wanted him tonight, and she would make sure she gets it. "You better do something fast or they will start noticing I''m not wearing any..."

 Chapter 433: Checkmate *

    Chapter 433: Checkmate *

    [READER ADVISORY: h h h. Do I even hafta?]

    "Home. Now." Damien''s icy tone, fiery gaze, plus Katherine''sck of underwear made her shiver.

    The next second, his coat covered her shoulders. It was warm and it was making her feel even hotter than she already was.

    He all but grabbed her by the hand and took long strides towards the double doors. She had to keep up with his urgency that she had no time to pause, snatching the detachable skirt she hung on a chair earlier and then headed out.

    Without stopping, Katherine and Damien half-sprinted towards the elevator, and as soon the doors closed, he pressed her against the wall and smashed his lips to hers. He kissed her with a fervent need that she almost couldn''t keep up but would never refuse.

    The elevator dinged and the door opened, finding themselves at the basement parking of Central za Hotel. Fumbling for the car key fob, he pressed a button and a car sounded not far from where they stood. He took her by the hand and hastened his steps as he brought her to the car.

    "You''re in a hurry," she teased, painting a devilishly handsome smile on his face.

    They got inside the red Koenigsegg CCXR Trevitathe car that Katherine rode to the hotel earlier. When they were settled inside the car with Damien in the driver''s seat, he nced at Katherine to his right and winked, "Good thing my car''s fast." Then he mmed his foot on the gas pedal.

    She giggled in her seat, the fine leather material felt luxurious against her skin. "Your new pocket square looks nice." She looked down at the fabric on the coat that she was wearing. "If I had known, all this time Should I have done that right from the start, Mr. Park?"

    "You"

    The rest of his words were cut off when Katherine''s hand brushed against his thigh. He caught her wrist and bit her hand yfully. "Naughty, Kitten. Did you miss me that much?"

    "Let me prove to you how much I did."

    The car ride was fastespecially because they drove in a sports car. It was a good thing that Central za wasn''t that far from Golden Phoenix Residences. Hurriedly, they got in the elevator as soon as they parked his car in the basement.

    "Your ce or mine?" Damien probed, his index finger hovering between the buttons of their penthouses.

    Grabbing him by the cor, Katherine pulled him down towards her saying, "I want a huge bed and no disturbance," and then she kissed him.

    She heard him m his palm against the control panel, a few shuffling sounds, and then the beep that indicated his ess was grantedall without breaking their kiss. Soon, they ascended to the topmost floor.

    When they reached Damien''s penthouse, Katherine had already unbuttoned his shirt halfway. She yelped when he picked her up bridal style and brought her up to the master bedroom. On the way, he cursed a few times, regretting why he had such a huge penthousethe travel to his bedroom was impeding what they were looking forward to.

    "Slow down, Damien." She couldn''t help butugh at his impatience.

    "You pulled that stunt and now you expect me to slow down?" He kicked the door open and the massive master bedroom with a super king-sized bed in the middle greeted them.

    He put her down gently, steadying her so she could stand upright. "Katherine"

    "I''ve missed you" she said, brushing her hand against his chest as she looked up at him and stared into his eyes. And it wasn''t just an <em>''I haven''t seen you for days''</em> kind of missit was <em>that</em> and <em>''I''ve been so cold for a very long time without you, now I can''t wait to have you again''</em>.

    Damien swept the stray hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ear. He knew what she meant and he felt the same way too. "So have I," he said. "When I told you earlier that you look ravishing, I didn''t just mean that you looked entrancing. I also meant that you look delectable."

    From her ear, his fingers traced the side of her neck, then along her shoulder. His finger went under the strap of her dress and nudged it outward, the strap falling over her shoulder just as he kissed the spot where the strap once was.

    His lips were cool against her bare skin. She closed her eyes and tilted her head, giving him more ess to her neck as he gave her feathery open-mouthed kisses. When he reached her ear, he breathed, "And I can''t wait to ravish you."

    ''Step 5. Checkmate.''

    He pulled her closer, raining more kisses along her jawline while he peeled her dress off her. Katherine was now fully unclothed and exposed in front of himthis time, she didn''t even do it herself.

    Their lips met again. Andpared to how rushed they lip-locked earlier, this time, they were gentle. It didn''tst long though, because Katherine wanted more.

    She slipped past his lips and kissed her way down his throat, and past his chest at the same time that she hadpletely unbuttoned his shirt. She stripped it off him until his torso was bare and pressed a kiss on his neck, licking his sensitive spot, and then she heard him moan her name, "Katherine..."

    Damien watched as she unbuckled his belt, unbuttoned and unzipped his pants. Soon, she tugged it down, her hands hooking at the waistband of his boxer briefs. Katherine looked up at him, and they stared at each other as if there was a silent agreement between them. Then she kissed him on the lips, on his chest, on his abdominal muscles, lowering herself until she was kneeling in front of him and leveled with his erection.

    She kept her eyes fixed at the ink on his skinat the right of his V. And without any more dy, she pulled down his boxer briefs, his shaft springing out so proudly in front of her. As much as she was so thirsty to taste him, her gaze marveled at the beautiful tattoo that he had on his body.

    The orange and ck colors that she noticed before was now aplete image before her: one could see a small fluffy kitten looking at its own reflection in the wateronly the reflection was that of a fierce-looking tiger. The whole art painted with orange and ck and a few hints of contrasting colors around the kitten and the tiger blended together was "beautiful" she said, tracing the lines and the circles on the tattoo.

    Damien''s cock bobbed at her every touch, the roof of his erection coated with his clear slick. He got harder by the second she stayed down there, her mouth just a few inches from his throbbing shaft.

    "I love it, Damien." Katherine didn''t have to ask. She already knew what the tattoo meantit was as clear as day. "So, please let me show you my thanks."

    She looked up at him, and the way she did, he already knew what she nned to do. But he still asked anyway,"How do you intend to do that?"

    "By making you the happiest man tonight." And then, Damien''s eyes closed just as her mouth wrapped around the head.

 Chapter 434: Theres No Going Back

    Chapter 434: There''s No Going Back

    The feel of Katherine''s mouth around him was beyond his imagination. Damien couldn''t lie that he had dreamed of this. Even if they had done the deed several times in the past, this was the first time that she had ever been so bold taking him in her mouthand damn it, he had been missing a lot. "Fck." His cursing was breathy when she circled her tongue around the crown before releasing it.

    Her fingers went around the base of his shaft, and she stroked him once before kissing the tip. Rearing her head back briefly, she ran her tongue up his angry, pulsating length and enclosed her mouth around him. He groaned as he threw his head back, his hand subconsciously cupping the back of her head as she went as deep as she could until he hit the back of her throat. "Oh" It felt so good he could barely hold it in.

    When she pulled back, Damien opened his eyes and met her pair of hazy ones. God, she looked so beautiful.

    However, just before she was about to take him again, an uninvitedunwanted thought pushed its way to the front of his mind, and all of his selfish desires went away. It was out of nowhere and it suddenly smacked him right in the face. "Wait" his rough voice made her pause. He pulled her up to her feet, seeing the confusion on her face when he wiped her mouth with his thumb. She didn''t understand why he stopped her.

    He didn''t want to ask, but if he didn''t do it, he would probably go crazy thinking that he should have. So even if he was reluctant, he let the words escape from his mouth. "Why are you really doing this, Katherine? Is this how you''re trying to prove yourself? Getting me to bed?"

    The question rang in Katherine''s ears. All of her confidence, her resolvegone.

    Feeling embarrassed by what was happening, she unknowingly covered herself with her arms. Oh god, what was she doing? ''This wasn''t what it looked like It''s not what he thinks''. Doing all of this, did she seem like she was desperate just to get him to take her? She did She absolutely did want him. But all this time, did he only think like that? That this was all she would do to prove to him how serious she was? Her mind was reeling at the thought of Damien questioning her motive.

    She lowered her gaze, her hands suddenly quivering at the same time that her heart seemed like it was squeezed to a pulp. "I" Before she could even speak any more words, a tear escaped her eye. What kind of woman was she, forcing herself to him and making him misunderstand?

    Katherine picked up her dress that was still around her feet and pulled it up until she was wearing it on her again. "This This isn''t it. O-Of course not. How could you..." Why couldn''t she speak properly? The lump in her throat was building up as her heart ached with him questioning her advances. What a huge blow. Was she really wrong all along? Was she the only one who thought she separated the two? Her inner desires and her n to prove to him were not the same. She didn''t think he''d misunderstand. She was foolish.

    "Maybe Maybe this was a mistake. I''m sorry, Damien." She turned on her heel and headed out the door.

    "Fck. Wait." He hurriedly pulled his boxers and pants back up and stopped her. "Katherine, wait. I didn''t mean anything else by it. It was just a question." Damien caught her wrist and he spun her to him.

    But Katherine couldn''t look at him. She was so damn embarrassed she didn''t even know what was what anymore. Was she wrong to do all those things? Should she have not done it?

    "Baby, look at me" He hooked his finger under her chin and made her look at him. "I didn''t mean to ask it like that. But since that day you came here and told me all those things, you''ve" He sighed. "I just don''t want this to be the only thing that''s going on between us. I want to make sure we''re more than just this. You told me you''re choosing me And I don''t want you to think that this is the only thing I wanted from you. This isn''t what I needto know that you''re really staying this time. For good."

    "I am, Damien. I am. But how could you think that of me? It kills me that you even thought of that. It''s not even just about questioning my motives of... wanting to do it with you. Fine Now, I get it that you could think that way, maybe it is my fault that I''ve been too aggressive in wanting you." How embarrassing. The tears that she tried to hold back were now escaping her eyes. "But it''s thatyou think that I don''t know what you really want Of all people whom I thought would understand me, you questioned... Did you think I was this shallow? That what I only know is selling my body?"

    The hand that sped around her wrist rxed. The crease that was evidence of his confusion was gone. Damien stared at Katherine and saw the hurt he had caused for even having that thought. Why the fck did he question her? How stupid was he? He should have known. He should have believed and had faith in her. Now he felt awful for even asking that. The timing was wrong. How he questioned her was wrong. God, he felt like an idiot. If he was in her position and she questioned him too, he was sure he would feel insulted.

    He hesitantly brought his hand up and cupped her face before pulling her into his arms. "I''m sorry I was insecure. I shouldn''t have questioned you like that... You''re right. I should have known"

    "No, it''s my fault. You''ve been denying me yet I forced it. I shouldn''t have, and I''m sorry."

    He didn''t know why he was even denying her when all he really wanted was her. He should have just told her what his hesitations were. He pressed a kiss on her forehead and looked into her eyes, wiping the moist on her cheeks. "If this isn''t it, then..."

    "I can''t tell you yet."

    "Why not?"

    "Because I so badly want to seed. But as of now, I''m still working on it. And telling you might jinx it."

    He didn''t know what she was nning but he wanted to support her. "What are the odds of you seeding... whatever you''re nning?"

    Katherine shook her head. "I don''t know... if I''m being optimistic, it''s highly likely. No, you know what? I''ll make it happen. I will make sure of it."

    "So this You seducing me"

    "This is just me wanting you Damien. I love you and I''ve been longing for you. And I''m not saying this just because of now. I should have said this early on... But I do... I still love you, and I always will," she spoke in a clear voice despite her confidence wavering. "And I''m horny, okay? There I said it."

    Her admittance amused him, painting a slow grin on his face. It had been so long since thest time she said those words: I love you. And hearing it again ted him, he could fly. And what kind of boyfriend was he if he didn''t take care of his girlfriend''s needs? But when he saw her serious expression turn into a frown because of his reaction, the grin slipped from his face and heposed himself.

    Taking her face into his hands, he asked her in a low voice that sent a chill down her spine, "Is this what you really want?"

    It took her a few seconds to contemte but with his warm hands on her skin, she couldn''t deny that she really wanted it, so she nodded.

    "There''s no going back from this once we start. I''ve been holding myself back, Katherine, I don''t know what I could do to you."

    Returning his earnest gaze, she spoke in her most sincere voice, "I want you, Damien Park. And I want it all."

    Closing the distance between them, he pressed their bodies together and spoke just a hair''s breadth away from her lips, "Then you better be sure you''re ready because I don''t have ns on letting your rest tonight. It will be raw... and rough."

    Katherine softly gasped when she pressed himself harder against her, realizing that his g was still up.

 Chapter 435: Naughty, naughty Kitten

    Chapter 435: Naughty, naughty Kitten

    [ I listened to High by Dua Lipa while writing this. ]

    ~

    The master bedroom in Damien''s penthouse had floor-to-ceiling ss windows covering two of the three walls that had coastal views. Opposite the bed was a lit digital fireceit was the only light apart from the natural night skylight that illuminated the massive bedroom.

    Damien cupped Katherine''s chin with his thumb and index finger, lifting it up and meeting her watery eyes. He regretted what he did earlier. But after clearing the matter with her, he was now feeling more settled. If she was to ask him, she didn''t need to prove it anymore. What he told her a few nights ago was out of whim due to his insecurities. He got scared and was taken aback by her sudden change.

    He had some time to think about where they were in their rtionship. And all this time he had always put Katherine first and he nned to continue to do so. He was convinced to continue loving her even if it meant it was only him fighting for them. But it all changed. Despite being disappointed at what happened recently, he could see that she was only doing what she could for his mother, with him in her mind.

    It was dangerous and risky and a pain in his ass. But despite it all, he didn''t fail to see that she did that for Amelia, and she did it for him too. That morning before she came out of the kitchen, Damien had a short conversation with his mother. She told him that she remembered everything that she and Katherine talked about the night before. And the way she retold her the words that Katherine said about him caused his heart to throb.

    <em>"If you are hurting while you are with him, why stay? Why not leave?" Amelia asked.</em>

    <em>Katherine''s flushed cheeks and almost droopy eyes were apanied by a small smile before she answered, "Because I love him. My pain in here," she pointed at her chest, "isn''t because of him. It''s because of me. Damien is the only one I can see myself growing old with. It hurts when I''m not with him and it still hurts even when I''m with him. The only difference is that it hurts less when I''m with him. And I know now that it''s gradually going away. I can feel it. Hey, Amelia Do you know that love never runs out?"</em>

    <em>"What do you mean?"</em>

    <em>"That ''To infinity and beyond'' is a real thing. He saw all of my darkness, yet he chose to stay. He loves me And I want to be his ''infinity and beyond''... Because I don''t want to be his happy ending I want us to not ever end at all. So I will make sure of it I will because my love for him will never run out."</em>

    Damien wished that he heard that personally from her. He never doubted her love, but he did question whether she would stay. Now he wouldn''t ask her that anymore. But he was still looking forward to whatever she nned to do.

    He lowered his gaze on her waiting lips. Slightly tilting his head to the side, he ducked and captured her lips with his. He could feel that she was still a bit hesitantprobably because of what just happened. Wanting to brush away her reservation, he deepened the kiss, pulling her impossibly closer. His tongue dipped past her lips and stroked the roof of her mouth, grazing her tongue as he did and she moaned.

    Katherine kissed him back, returning the same intensity that he was giving her. His arms went around her waist and he slowly brought her back to the bed. As they reached the chaise lounge at the foot of the bed, he swiftly peeled off her dress once again. However, before he couldy her down on the sheets, she broke the kiss and looked up at him. "What is it?" he wondered.

    "You interrupted me earlier. I wasn''t finished," she said.

    Realizing what she meant, Damien''s jaw ticked. "You don''t have to."

    "But I want to. You always please me. I want to be able to do the same for you." She trailed her hands from his chest down to the waistband of his unbuttoned pants.

    Who was he kidding? It was one of his fantasies.

    When he didn''t answer, Katherine started to pull down his pants along with his boxer brief. He caught her wrist and she paused. "I don''t want you on your knees."

    There was a slight crease between her brows, confused why he wouldn''t let heruntil he held her shoulders and pushed her down to sit on the chaise. Katherine watched as he stripped his pants and brief in front of her. His erection was just as angry as before; the crown where her mouth was earlier was weeping. He didn''t want her on her knees but that didn''t mean he didn''t want her to take him in her mouth.

    Damien stroked his length oncetwiceand then he closed the distance between the swollen head and her lips. Without breaking their eye contact, Katherine wrapped her fingers around his incredibly erect rod, stuck her tongue out, and licked. He groaned at the feel of her wet tongue caressing the tip of his head that was coated with his pre-cum. ''Naughty, naughty, Kitten.''

    He ran his fingers through her silky brown hair, and he cursed just as she enclosed her mouth and went deeper without warning. Fck. He was so deep into her, he was amazed at how much she could take. He filled her mouthpletely, and then he started sliding his thickness in and out of her.

    "Ahh" His eyes closed as she slowly pulled away, her tongue swirling around his length as she did, and released him with a pop. She did all that all while keeping her eyes on him. "That was so good," he breathed, his eyesced with lust when he looked down at her.

    As soon as he saw her part her lips for him again, he slid himself back into her, letting out a low growl as she startedpping up his very hard shaft so fcking deliciously like he was herst meal. This was so much better than his fantasy of her.

    Damien hissed and was about to go crazy when she all but moanedthe long, low sound vibrating around the head of his cock. "Oh, fck." He unknowingly tugged her hair and then pumped some more, his eyes darkening and his heartbeat increasing by the second as he assaulted her mouth.

    It was as if his whole body was numb and on fire, feeling both helpless yet alsopletely in control with his orgasm that was teasing its peak. The intense feeling crept up from every corner of his body, desperate to be released. "Stop, Kitten, or I''lle."

    He reluctantly pulled out of her and she gently wiped her mouth with her fingers, "I don''t mind, Damien. You can"

    "No. Not yet. It''s my turn."

    Katherine watched as Damien walked to his nightstand''s drawer to retrieve something and when he came back, he handed her a ck sleeping mask. "Put this on," he ordered in his gruff voice.

    "What? Why?" she asked as she held the silk, luxury mask in her hand.

    With a sexy smirk on his handsome face, he pressed a kiss on her lips and said, "You''ll see."

 Chapter 436: Bad Boy Brought Her Heaven

    Chapter 436: Bad Boy Brought Her Heaven

    The sleeping mask that''s covering Katherine''s eyes was soft and silky. Everything was now dark for her.

    Damien took her hand and led her to the middle of the bed. Sheid there all naked and bare for him to feast his eyes on. She didn''t know where to put her hands until he said in a low,manding voice, "Keep your hands at the side."

    He was so damn bossy, and she felt too vulnerable. But sheplied anyway, keeping her hands on either side of her.

    She could hear shuffling sounds here and there, and not knowing what was happening around her only heightened her anticipation. What was he going to do? Why did he have to cover her eyes? She was dying to see him but he took that privilege away from her. So mean.

    "Are youfortable?" he asked.

    She slightly turned her head to the left where his voice came from. "Yes."

    "Good."

    Another shuffling sound. And then the bed sunk by her thighs. "You look so beautiful, Katherine," he said. Her heart started to race, and her chest heaved up and down. She could imagine him kneeling before herthat was all she could do anyway. "Damien" she called.

    "Is this what you want me to do, Kitten?" His hand finally touched her skin. He bent her knees up and nted the soles of her feet on the bed. Sliding his hands on the side of her thighs as though he was warming her up, the heat on his palms transferred to her body.

    "I want you not to hold back. Take me like you''ve never before. I''m all yours, Damien. Do whatever you want with me Dirty, rough, unrestrained." Katherine was back to her bold self, too bad she couldn''t see him right now.

    The next thing she knew, he opened her legs apart and crawled on top of her. "You can''t take that back, Kitten." And then she felt his mouth close around her nipple while a hand grabbed her other breast.

    "Mmmm" Her hands went around his torso as he greedily sucked and did the same to the other.

    Gently but also firmly, he swatted her hands off him and nted them back on the bed. "I told you to keep your hands on the side. You don''t listen." He nipped the bud of her nipple with his front teeth causing her to gasp.

    She was surprised at the surge of pain yet delicious sensation at the part where he just bit her. Then, she felt him smile against her skin. Damien was such a bad boy. And damn if that didn''t make her even wetter than she already was. She was already so wet that she could smell her arousal in the air.

    His erection pressed against her belly, and he was still hardpossibly even harder than when she took him in her mouth. What she did to him earlier was such an experience for her too. Tasting him and feeling his smooth, velvety member with her lips and tongue, and knowing that he was enjoying it, already gave her satisfaction. Doing this to her, blindfolding her and having his way with her Did this excite him just like it was stimting her? Such an indescribable, satisfying feeling.

    "Spread your legs wider, Love."

    And she did. She was all too vulnerable, yet she unabashedly opened widespread-eagled for him, aware that he could see everything while she couldn''t. "Good girl," he heard him mutter.

    His warm hand wandered from her breast down to her abdomen in such a slow, painful manner, leaving a trail of hot sensation on its wake until his fingers brushed against her wet folds, sliding along her slit.

    "You''re dripping wet, Kitten. You''re enjoying this."

    He didn''t even ask. He knew. "Yes." She bucked against his touch and sighed when his fingers left her core.

    He pressed his middle and index fingers onto her lips before he pushed them inside her mouth. "Taste yourself. Taste how delicious you are."

    Heat crept on her cheeks as she swept her tongue on his fingers and tasted her sweetness. She didn''t know she would find this hot. "Mmm"

    His fingers disappeared from her mouth, and then she cried out when he slid the same fingers into her core. "Ah!" Her hands flew to his arms, and just like the first time, he swatted them away and the fingers that were inside her stilled. How torturous!

    "Don''t make me repeat it, Kitten. You''re very defiant." His low, icy tone sent jolts of shock straight through her. And then he bit her shoulder this time, making her whimper.

    Katherine didn''t know if this was really a punishment when he bites her. Because whenever he did, she only wanted more. But she submitted and clenched the sheets instead. She was helpless, and she was greedy, wanting him to touch her more.

    Trailing kisses and licks from her neck down to her abdomen, Damien started to pump his fingers into her slowly, adding to her already building up climax. He had just begun, was she already going toe?

    She shivered when his tongue reached past her navel and then flicked at her clit the next second, and then his mouth enclosed on it the next, sucking and lickingpushing her to the edge of the cliff. She screamed at the torturous sensation. She was about to fall and sumb to her orgasm only to feel him pulling his fingers out and his mouth off her.

    "You like that, huh?" he teased, kissing her inner thigh.

    "Damien please" she begged for her release.

    "Please what, Love?"

    "Please make mee." She was already panting, curling her toes and gripping the sheets beneath her until her knuckles turned white. "IAh!"

    Katherine cried out when his fingers rammed into her heat once again. He blew his hot breath against her swollen bud, and then pressed his lips and tongue,pping her up like she was the most delicious dessert he had ever tasted in his life. She bucked against him, shoving herself onto his mouth. "Oh, god!"

    "Mmmm," he moaned. The intensity of his violent assault in her core went a level higher when he hummed against her sensitive fleshthe vibrations causing her to writhe; she thought she would explode. "Fck. You taste so good."

    The way he sounded while he ate her up was the hottest thingon top of what he was already doing to her, and she shamelessly chased her high. Not being able to see anything only made her even more sensitive. He deprived her of her sight, yet he gave her the best feeling as it amplified her other senses. This was what he wanted her to experience when he asked her to put on the blindfold.

    She heard them say that all good boys go to heaven. However, this bad boy right here brought heaven to her instead.

    "Damien!" Katherine so badly wanted to release.

    "Come," he ordered just as he curled his fingers upward, hitting her spot. "Right now."

    "Damien!!!" She came, her climax crashing into her like an avnche. Her entire body tingledfrom her fingertips to her curled toes. She bucked and writhed until her entire body was screaming.

    Letting her ride out her orgasm, he swirled his fingers slowly until hepletely retracted it from her. She could still feel tremors lingering from her insides, her opening, and then down to her toes. Her sensitivebody was aze. If he touched hereven the slightest of touch, she''d probably orgasm again the next second.

    Katherine blinked a few times when he gently peeled the blindfold off; her vision was still hazy, but seeing Damien again was such a relief. He hovered over her and kissed her on the lips. "Are you still okay?"

    "That was amazing," she muttered, nodding weakly and hugging him.

    "Good. Because I''m not done with you just yet," he breathed against her lips just before he mmed his cock inside her dripping, wet center.

 Chapter 437: Hitting The Spot

    Chapter 437: Hitting The Spot

    Without as much as a warning, Damien had entered her once againonly this time, it wasn''t his fingers deep inside her.

    Katherine dug her fingers into the flesh on his back as he continuously pounded into her. So unforgiving. So raw. So wild.

    His length was so impossibly hard like a rod, mming inside her without restraint just like she had asked him. "Oh my god, Damien!" She bit his shoulderwhere his onyx tattoo should beas he buried his face into the crook of her neck. He kissed the spot below her ear in between his breathy moans, cursing when she started meeting his every thrust.

    She tried to keep up with his pace, yet the more she did, the more intense it got and he became even more frenziedand she loved it. "More," she begged without realizing it. "More, Damien."

    "Sht." He pulled out, surprising her.

    "WhaAh!" she yelped.

    Just as she thought he stopped, he all but flipped her onto her stomach. "Up," he groaned at the same time that he yanked her to her knees so that she was now on all fours for him.

    Katherine''s heart was beating frantically in her chest. Before she could even recover, he had already mmed back inside her. This time, he drove even deeper into her to the hilt. He held her by the waist, then he slid a hand from her nape down her spine.

    "You were so naughty, Kitten."

    "Oh my, gAhh!!!"

    She cried out when his palm connected with the right cheek of her ass. She could not believe that Damien just spanked her. And that wasn''t even the most surprising thing for herit''s that she didn''t hate it at all. In fact, she may have even loved it. It stung the moment it happened, but then he rubbed the same spot so gently like he wasn''t rough just a second ago.

    Katherine grabbed a pillow from above her and hugged it, lowering herself onto her elbows as he got even more intense for her. She asked for this, now she was getting it. He gripped her by the waist so tightly as he drove into her repeatedly. Squeezing her eyes shut, she could feel her walls tighten just as he hit the deepest part of her.

    "You misbehaved while I was away," he grunted. "Breaking in getting drunk going to jail."

    "Ahh!" She cried once again and then moaned when another palm met her bottom. "Mmm Damien"

    "Yes?"

    "It''s too much"

    "You want me to stop?"

    "No. I''m going toe again. Don''t you dare!"

    Damien chuckled and increased his pace. She squirmed and screamed as she found her second orgasm and came, her walls tightening around him.

    "Fck. Fck. Fck." He lost it when he felt her convulse around his length. Chasing his own climax, the pressure kept building and building. His clutch on her tightened even more.

    "And that stunt you pulled at the party," he growled, giving her another spank and hearing her yelp. "Taking off your underwear in a room full of people. So naughty, Katherine!"

    She knew she would get punished for what she did. She just didn''t think she would receive her punishment like this. Another orgasm was building up inside her just as she had calmed down a notch.

    "Damien" Tears brimmed her eyes. She was on her way back up the cliff again. "Please" Her knuckles were so white from clutching the pillow and the sheets.

    "Are you still on the pill?" It was probably toote but he still asked, his breathing ragged.

    "Yes!"

    "Come with me." Reaching around her, his fingers found her engorged nub and he pressed on it at the same time that he continued to thrust into her. Once more. Twice.

    Just as he said that, she screamed his name and she was on her third mind-blowing release. She spasmed, riding the waves and waves of the overwhelming torrent of her orgasm.

    "Katherine!" Damien''s whole body tensed up as he unloaded everything into her. With her inner walls still clenching, she milked him until he found the end of his rush. Then, he fell forward, his front pressing against her back as they both panted and copsed on the bed.

    When he pulled out of herter, none of them spoke, but their heated bodies still found each other. She was so spent, she couldn''t move a muscle but he carefully spun her around so that they faced each other. His gentleness now was such a contrast to his roughness just a couple of minutes ago.

    "Say it again" he whispered above her with his eyes closed.

    "Mmm?"

    "Tell me you love me."

    With all her might, Katherine shifted in his arms until she was level with his face. They were both sweaty and sticky, but that didn''t matter at all. cing her hand against his cheek, she watched as he fluttered his eyes open. And when they met each other''s longing gazes, she told him, "I love you, Damien. Yesterday, today, and tomorrow. I love you. Until we have grey hair, and we grow old, I will still love you."

    She didn''t wait for him to respond, and she pressed her lips to his, kissing him so softly yet surely like she wanted him to understand her feelings.

    When they broke their kiss, a smile gradually painted his face. "I love you, too, Katherine. Always. Forever. To infinity and beyond."

    She widened her eyes, understanding what he just said. It didn''t take her long to realize that Amelia must have told him about what they talked aboutst night. She was drunk but she meant everything she said. She smiled for him and kissed him again.

    His hand traveled down her back,nding on the spot where he spanked her and he stroked it. "I''m sorry I hit you."

    Katherine knitted her brows and then rxed when she chuckled, shaking her head. "Don''t be. I''m not. I liked it."

    Damien threw his head back andughed with her. "You''re really one crazy, naughty Kitten."

    "Mhmm And I''m all yours," she said.

 Chapter 438: Treading Through It All

    Chapter 438: Treading Through It All

    At a quarter past midnight, the couple who just had the most amazing exercise they''ve had in a while was all snuggled up in bed. Katherineid on Damien''s chest with a soft nket covering their naked bodies.

    Compared to their previous lovemaking, what they did earlier was far different from what they have had. In the past, they had barriers upmost of it was Katherine''s, but Damien had some too. However, tonight was proof of just how much they had been holding back. Both of them got to see each other''s different sidein bed.

    All this time, Katherine had been struggling but still continued to try and give her all. Simrly, Damien had been struggling but still continued to be what he needed to be.

    Two imperfect soulsnot trying to be perfect But trying to be just right for each other, no matter how hard it already has been for either of them.

    It hadn''t always been and probably still wouldn''t be the smoothest sail for Katherine and Damien, but neither of them was willing to give up. No matter what storm maye, no matter what hail may fall, these imperfect souls would tread through it all.

    The moon was high above the sky, serving as the only light that''s illuminating the master bedroom. Despite the cold wind outside at this time of the year, Damien made sure that the temperature in the penthouse was just right. The air smelled ofvender and sexabination they could get used to if they keep going at itwhich wasn''t a question anymore.

    The buzzing of a phone from the nightstand woke Damien up. It had only been an hour since they had snoozed. Reaching out to check who was calling at this hour, he squinted his eyes and saw that it was Styles. Careful not to wake Katherine up, he slid out of bed and reced himself in her arms with a pillow. Then, he answered the phone call as he got in the walk-in closet to grab himself a new set of clothes.

    "Damien," he answered.

    "Where are you guys? I''ve been calling Katherine but she''s not picking up. Shouldn''t you guys be home already?" Styles asked.

    "We''re back at my penthouse."

    "..." There was a short silence before Styles''s voice came back again in a teasing tone. "Ah Eh I see I get it You guys"

    Damien rolled his eyes. If Styles was in front of him right now, he would see the other wiggling his eyebrows as he spoke.

    "...hey, I approve of this. If I had a girlfriend and she also looked like that tonight, I''d also"

    "Styles." Damien''s icy tone interrupted Styles''s teasing.

    "Right." Styles cleared his throat. "You guys have time? I found something you will not believe."

    "What is it?"

    "I think it''s better for you to see it personally, it''s hard to talk on the phone."

    "Come up. I''ll let you in." Damien ended the call and walked out of the closet.

    Already dressed in a in white shirt and ck joggers, he nced at Katherine who was still sleeping in his bed and a small smile crossed his face. He was about to go out but took a detour and went to press a kiss on her forehead, then fixed the nket up to her shoulders. "I love you," he whispered above her before he left.

    "Wow! Your ce is huge, man." Styles''s eyes were wide as he took in Damien''s penthouse. He had his tablet in one hand and a stack of papers in the other. Damien led him to the study on the second floor.

    The two discussed Styles''s research as they looked into somewhat suspicious people. Damien held a few papers and then Styles handed over his tablet showing a video clip. "Here''s what I got from what you asked earlier when you called me outside the hotel. It was a bit of a challenge but I managed to do it."

    Damien watched as the video yed on the screen. It was from the time he chased after the woman who got in the car. He called Styles after that, hoping that thetter would be able to get a visualfrom the city camerasof whoever that woman was. The image of the woman came up on the screen and Damien found her familiar, but he just couldn''t remember where he had seen her. He would usually remember people by their faces easily especially if he had talked to them personally. But this woman seemed to be just a familiar face as he didn''t know who she was.

    Styles tapped the screen on his tablet and another picture of the same woman appeared. It looked like it was taken from a newspaper article. "Her name is Sandra Hughes"

    "Who is she?"

    "Ready?" Styles tapped the screen again. "She''s a Director in the National Intelligence Agency."

    Damien knitted his brows together. "She''s NIA? What''s Chris doing with someone from the NIA? Isn''t Shadow not part of the government?"

    "That, I cannot answer. Before I left Shadow, Parker always does all the negotiations and every request goes through him. I''m not sure if he has started giving Chris that responsibility but even so Chris meeting this person from NIA alone sure looks weird. Agents, including Chris, don''t meet with clients directly. That is if Hughes is a client."

    Damien leaned against the backrest of his chair and thought about possibilities when Styles continued, "There''s more. I gathered data from the list of people you gave me. And so far, I can almost guarantee that Hughes is the same person whom Chris is meeting at the Central Harbor Restaurant."

    "What supports your theory?"

    "She''s not on the list that you gave me tonight, but" Styles handed him a paper filled with Sandra Hughe''s information. "Just like what Katherine thought, Hughes is apparently the wife of one of the club members. Her husband is Josiah Connor."

    Studying the file that Styles gave him, Damien recognized the man, he''s one of the well-known wealthy people in America. "I didn''t know he had a wife and a Director in NIA at that," he muttered absent-mindedly. "So, this Chris If what Katherine suspects is right, then Chris is a double agent?"

    "I guess? Who knows?"

    Damien put the paper down on the table. "Let''s say he is. He has a lot of information that could take Shadow down."

    Styles ran a hand down his face and sighed. "I''ve known Chris since I entered Shadowa year before Katherine joined. But I can never tell what the man is thinking. I wish he was here to answer the questions. That would be a hell of a lot easier than us only suspecting."

    "Then let''s make that happen. Can you find a way to contact that man? Lure him in?"

    "I can''t guarantee that, but I can try. I''ve always wanted to try actually but with Chris, you''d never know what his next moves are. And that''s actually scary."

    "Let me know once you found a method. Don''t do anything yet. Let''s wait for when Katherine wakes up in the morning. But if we''re on the right track, we''re a step closer to ending this once and for all." Damien got up from his seat and Styles followed him out of the study. "How''s that other thing I asked you?"

    "No dice. For thest five years, I''ve been trying to stay away from their radar. If they so much as sniff that someone''s trying to get to them, we''d be over before we could even blink. And I''m not liking that they had found another person to rece me there. Tch." He scoffed.

    "We''ll get there. Just let me know if you need anything, I''ll get it for you." Damien patted the other''s back as they reached the living room.

    Styles had a huge smile on his face. "How about a Lambo?"

    Damien looked at him with an unreadable expression and then he heard himugh before saying, "Nah, too much. I''ll see you tomorrow, King CharI mean, bro."

    After their meeting, Damien went back to bed next to Katherine. He thought about what he and Styles discussed just now. Even if it''s just a little, at least, they were on to something.

 Chapter 439: Definitely Worth It

    Chapter 439: Definitely Worth It

    True love isn''t just about having someone you can''t live without. It''s about realizing that not every day is rainbows and butterflies It''s that even if there''s a storm, you make sure you''ll be each other''s reason for living. -Nixxxie

    Sunday  November 18

    It had been a while since Katherine woke up with Damien''s palm on her breast, not that she wasining. It just had been a while, so it felt familiar and also new.

    Turning carefully so that she was now facing him, she stared at his gentle, sleeping face and a surge of thoughts came crashing down on her.

    Over the days that they had started rekindling their rtionship and sleeping in one bed, today was the most satisfying for her. It was a beautiful reminder that waking up and seeing him next to her was what she wanted until the rest of her days, and she hoped that he would feel the same way. He had broken down her walls when she allowed him, at the same time that she lowered them for herself. And it was the best decision that she had ever made.

    When she came back and stopped hiding from everyone, she was afraid of facing him again. She feared that she wouldpletely break once she saw him again. But there was a truth that she hadn''t told anyone: she feared that once she met Damien, she''d break his heart just as she would be breaking hers for trying to stay away.

    Katherine didn''t know it then That it was love. That more than having the fear of getting hurt, she feared that he would too. All the while she called herself a coward. All the while she called herself stupid. She failed to see that the more she pushed him away, the more they got hurt. The more she denied herself of loving him without restraint, the more that she was shackled by the pain that only she created herself.

    And when she finally decided to take the step the crawl towards him, guilt tripped her over and over on random times. She wished that she had known better. She wished that she was smart enough to know what to do. She wished that instead of being weak and getting swallowed by her emotions, she should have gotten up and faced her demons head-on.

    But if everything was so easy, would one really call it love?

    "Whates easy won''t alwaysst. Whatsts won''te easy."

    And she was certain that she wanted them tosteven if she''d have to go over a hurdle or crawl in the mud.

    "If it''s easy, it''s not worth it. If it''s worth it, it''s not easy."

    Katherine inched closer, pressed their foreheads together, and whispered before his lips, "You''re definitely worth it."

    Just as thest word left her mouth, Damien softly kissed her. She was initially surprised but she responded to his kiss so naturally, molding herself into his body as he pressed himself against her.

    "Mm!" She gasped into his mouth when she felt his morning wood poke against her belly andughed as she broke their kiss. "Well hello there, little buddy. Good morning to you too!"

    "Little?" He cocked his brow at her.

    And then, Damienbeing Damien, he all but whipped the fleece nket to the side, his erection bobbing as it surfaced while heid on his back."You call that little?"

    Katherine darted her perverted gaze below his abs and sure enough, the thing that she just called ''little'' scowled at her angrily.

    There was nothing little about Damien Park. Parts of her body knew that. And Damien knew that she knew thatwhat with the way she just clenched her thighs together, bit her bottom lip, and blushed.

    The hand that she had rested on his chest slowly moved southward, her fingers tracing the furrows on his abdominal muscles. Her lips pressed on the side of his torso, making little kisses as she traveled downwards.

    Just when he thought she would hold him, her naughty fingers took a detour and went straight to the tiger''s body. She was eye level with his hips as she marveled at the tattoo.

    "When did you get this done?" she asked.

    "Almost two months ago."

    When Katherine saw it the first timest night, she was too excited to really examine the ink. Now that she was studying the tattoo, it looked even more beautiful. It was asrge as two of Damien''s hands aligned together. The tail of the crouching tiger ended just above the middle part of the right of his V, while the kitten was at his upper thigh. The feline was looking at its own reflection as it stepped into the water to find the fierceness of the tiger looking back at it.

    The design was vivid and colorful. Different shades of colors, apart from the two animals, blended harmoniously that it made it look so alive. She didn''t think she would be attracted to a tattoo this much, especially since it''s his. Maybe because it''s his that she loved it so much.

    The tattoo was perfectly doneit tugged her heartstrings. The kitten wasn''t afraid of its own reflection, instead, it acknowledged itas if what it saw was its true self. That no matter how small or weak she appeared to be, she was a tiger who was determined, bold, and strong-willed. Damien knew itno, he believed it. And she fell for him even more.

    "Did it hurt?" she asked.

    A slow smile formed on his lips as he ran his fingers through her hair. "It was worth it."

    Katherine crawled back up to kiss him on the lips. Damien naturally pulled her on top of him and ground his erection against her folds. "Ready for a morning workout?" he asked in between kisses in his low, sexy voice that only made her moan.

    "Did you even have to ask?"

    "Then you better take back calling him little." He gripped her hips and softly chuckled. "He''s offended. And you won''t like it when he''s angry."

 Chapter 440: One Good Thing

    Chapter 440: One Good Thing

    The smell of breakfast which filled the kitchen wafted in Damien''s nose as he entered. He was already dressed in a light blue shirt with sleeves rolled up to his elbows and a pair of khaki pants. Seeing Katherine wearing his white dress shirt while she made a mess in his kitchen put a smile on his face. He''d love to wake up every morning like thismessy kitchen or not.

    He watched as she grabbed a pack of frozen peas from the freezer and pressed it on the right of her butt over his boxers that she wore. The only time he hit her there wasst night and he didn''t do it again. He hissed at the sight and kissed her neck from behind. "Sorry again. No more spanks for you."

    "What?" She whipped her head to the side, her hand still rubbing the sore spot on her butt. "Ah, no! I bumped into the corner of that counter. I didn''t get hurtst night."

    He gave her an eye, and she didn''t seem to be lying.

    "Still. No more spanks for you," he insisted.

    Katherine tossed the peas onto the counter, and shed him a teasing smile as she approached. "Then can I do it to you instead?"

    Damien''s chuckle made her blush. "Only naughty girls like you get spanked."

    "Tch." She rolled her eyes, silently wishing that the day woulde when she gets to spank him. A smile broke her face at the thought of it.

    "What are you making?" He snuck a peek at the pan behind her.

    "Souffl pancakes. Have you tried them? They''re so fluffy like clouds!"

    "Where''d you learn how to make these?"

    "Inte. I practiced while you were on a trip." Katherine proudly smiled as she ted three fluffy pancakes on a shallow bowl. She garnished it with some blueberries and strawberries, then dusted with powdered sugar. cing it in front of him, she handed him a fork and waited for him to take a bite.

    Damien took a generous bite and a moan of approvalbined with his eyes closing made her happy. "They''re amazing, thanks," he said and then softly chuckled when she bent her head forward as if she was asking for a pat, in which he happily obliged. Katherine could be really adorable from time to timejust like a fluffy kitten.

    ...

    An hourter, Damien was on his way out of the penthouse with a briefcase in hand. As he reached the foyer, he turned to Katherine and told her, "You should rest more. I''ll pick you up at lunch and then we''ll head to your grandfather''s mansion."

    She shook her head and walked with him to the elevator. "There''s something I need to do for work. I''ll just stay at my ce while you''re out. You''re heading to Park Group?"

    Damien nced at her before he pressed a button at the elevator and sighed. "I have to clean up your mess." She bit her lip and he rephrased his statement. "Her mess."

    Katherine cleared her throat and they descended to the 61st floor. "Oh, by the way, have you seen the property titles that your mom got from your uncle''s office?"

    "Right. I haven''t yet. Will you grab me copies of those once Ie to fetch youter?"

    "Sure." She gave him a peck on the lips before stepping out of the car. "Later, Damien."

    "Mm. Check in with Styles. Then keep me posted with your findings," he said just before the door closed.

    When Katherine got inside the penthouse, she saw Styles in the living room. He was in a daze and didn''t move an inch even after she called him. "Hey! I was calling you. Is everything okay?"

    "Queen I I Look" Styles extended his hand outward, showing her a piece of device.

    "Whose? Is that yours?" Her brows knitted and she listened as Styles told her what happened.

    As Damien reached his car, his phone beeped and he checked the message that came from Katherine.

    [Naughty Kitten: You bought Styles a Lamborghini?!]

    He was about to send his reply when another message came through. It was a GIF of an angry kitten scowling at him. He chuckled heartily, finding the little cat so adorable. Quickly changing her name, he went back to the inbox and another message arrived.

    [Angry Kitten: You broke him! He''s not functioning properly anymore! You better fix him, Damien.]

    [Damien: He''s not a machine, Katherine. Tell him it''s an advance payment for when he finds the base.]

    [Damien: Or I''ll take it back. Including the others.]

    Katherine let Styles read Damien''s response. When he was done, he wordlessly returned her phone and headed to his room.

    "Where are you going?" she asked.

    "Work."

    She let out a chuckle and shook her head. Just as she was about to start her work, Ava from West Bespoke Tailor arrived bringing two garment bags with her. Katherine was confused as she wasn''t expecting her that day, but all Ava said was, "These are from Chairman Park. I''ll take my leave now, Ms. Young. Have a good day."

    Still unsure what the dresses were, Katherine slowly opened the bags and found the two dresses from the auctionst night. It didn''t take her long to figure out that the old man who won the bid was probably Damien''s proxy. A sweet smile brightened her face as she went inside her room and sent Damien another text.

    [Katherine: You are as crazy as me. Probably even more. I love the dresses. Thank you.]

    [My King: Anything for you. Wear er.]

    Finally ready to work while Damien was out, she grabbed several binders that she kept inside one of the bottom drawers in her closet andid them all on top of her bed. With a random hair tie that she took from her dresser, she had her hair pulled back into a ponytail and muttered to herself, "All right. Where were we"

    Park Group

    Damien arrived at his family''spany with a few men with him from Maverick Security. A skinny man in an all grey tracksuit, ck cap, and a ck mask walked next to him. He carried one briefcase with him and he kept his head down as they got inside the elevator. "Zero," Damien called the skinny man.

    "Yes, Your Majesty?"

    "Are you ready?"

    Although a mask was covering his mouth, a sly look on Zero''s eyes formed as he smirked. "As I''ll ever be."

    Damien took out a small device from his pocket and handed it over to Zero, saying, "This is what Styles gave me. He said you''ll know what to do once you''re in. Do you?"

    Zero plucked the sh drive from the other''s hand and swiftly put it away for safekeeping. "Of course. They won''t notice a thing."

    "Good." Damien whipped out his phone and called his uncle, telling him that he wasing up.

    There was actually one good thing that came out of the infiltration. Maverick Security would now be in charge of Park Groupwell, partly in charge. But because of this, it would be a breeze for his future ns: Taking over Park Group and eradicating the underground business that his uncle was still running.

 Chapter 441: First Phase

    Chapter 441: First Phase

    Park Group

    Damien was overseeing Zero''s work in the tech room. He had requested not to disturb his men while they worked and though Frederick Park''s tech team was hesitant, they didn''t really have a choice.

    A dark aura nketed Damien''s appearance, making him look unapproachable that his uncle''s security team didn''t dare to get in his way. He rarely visited Park Group and now that he was here for business, it made his visit very serious. Damien didn''t do anything except apany his men while they workedwell, while Zero pretended to work what was lost from when Amelia broke into the building a few nights ago.

    Zero had set up his work station in the middle of the tech room and Damien sat in an armchair several feet away. Styles gave them a few working security feeds that they could show as if they were able to recover some, but among those, it would be impossible to get an ID of the two womena few from a far distance, and one which was closer but didn''t have a good angle.

    A man came in and whispered to Damien, telling him that his uncle wanted to talk to him. So he got up and left the room after telling Zero to continue with his task. He was led to a room next to the tech room where Frederick Park was waiting.

    It was a small meeting room with a sofa set, with cups of teas on the coffee table. His uncle sat in one of the armchairs and Damien strolled to join him.

    "How was it?" Frederick asked as soon as Damienzily sat on a sofa.

    "My man''s working on it at the moment. We should be getting news soon."

    "Do you think I should rece my tech guys? I need better security in this building."

    Damien had expected this from his uncle, but he didn''t show it when he answered. "If you want my opinion, I think you need to make some modifications to your security system. This wasn''t the first time it happened with the current security and tech team. Although you actually caught the intruders the first time, you don''t want another one like the recent."

    "So what do you suggest?"

    "I''ll provide some of my men from the tech team in Maverick Security. I usually only provide detail service but I can spare a few for your tech room to update the building''s security. This happened once and this could happen again. I can also provide six highly trained men to rece those who are still in the hospital for the meantime." Damien had a casual expression as he suggested. Putting the delta team inside would be helpful.

    Frederick thought about it for a second before agreeing, "All right. Just send me a contract and an invoice. I''d rather want to pay you than a stranger."

    Damien wanted to chuckle but he kept his face straight. Investigating his uncle would be a lot easier now that he would have ess to Park Group. He was free toe and go as he pleasedhis shares in thepany backed that up. However, because he had distanced himself away from the family, suddenly showing his interest would be suspicious.

    He could have done this a long time ago but he didn''t have apelling reason to meddle with the family business. However, before leaving the Park Estate yesterday, he overheard his uncle''s men talking about a shipment that wasing in that night. Although he no longer took part in that side of the family business, he knew the usual ces and routine of the operations. And what he heard was out of the usual.

    So, Damien sent a few of his men to check on itst night and sure enough, it was what he was afraid to learn. Frederick had already dipped his foot in the drug business.

    The Park Family''s underground business mostly involved smuggling, selling of intel, having transactions that were deemed illegal because it''s either uwful in nature or those that fail toply with the government''s strict requirementslike selling banned weapons or providing illegal services. However, Lawrence ParkDamien''s fathernever liked drugs. That was the only thing he would never touch; even his grandfather who was a dictator never wanted to involve themselves with drugs.

    Now, Frederick, who hadplete reign over that business, was creating chaos, and Damien wasn''t going to take any of it. So with their suspicion about Frederick''s involvement with his father''s death and this new knowledge about the illegal substance, Damien had to put a stop to it and he wouldn''t be able to do that if he kept his distance.

    It was going to be tough to get himself involved with this part of his family again; especially that while he nned to put an end to their family''s ndestine business, he had to make sure it wouldn''t harm his family''s reputationNana and the others he cared about, as well as the legitimate businesses that they owned.

    Damien''s jaw ticked when he was reminded and he masked a sigh with a cough. His voice was low and unapologetic as he spoke, "Don''t worry about it, Uncle Fred. What are families for? We have to take care of each other. Besides, I can''t allow anyone to harm Park Group. It is our family''s empire Whoever ruins it will be ruined." Rotating his neck from side to side, a devilish smirk teased his lips. "Maverick Security won''t charge for the tech service, only my men''s wages." And without saying it out loud, he thought, ''After all, I''m not running a charity.''

    "Of course. That''s understandable. It''s a good thing that I asked you." Frederick massaged his temple. "Did you know that William was here that night?"

    Damien''s brows knitted upon hearing this discovery. "William was here?"

    "That son of mine" He shook his head. "He saw them exit the south door right before his eyes. And he let the women get away."

    Damien had no idea, but seeing as William didn''t contact him about anything, that only meant that he didn''t recognize Amelia and Katherine, right?

    The instation of the software was done. And after ironing out agreements with his uncle, Damien left Park Group just in time to fetch Katherine from their ce.

 Chapter 442: Holding Hands

    Chapter 442: Holding Hands

    Golden Phoenix Residences

    Katherine''s phone buzzed and she absent-mindedly patted the bed to look for it with a pen cap between her teeth and a ballpen in her right. She was so immersed in her work that she didn''t take a break since Damien left earlier. That was almost four hours ago.

    When she found her phone, she quickly tapped the screen and read his text.

    [My King: I''ll be there in 20.]

    Her eyes grew wide and the pen cap fell from her mouth when she saw his text and the time. "Oh, my god," she mumbled before tossing her phone on the bed and hurriedly cleared the binders and then shoved everything back to one of the bottom drawers of her closet. Then, she quickly showered, blow-dried her hair, and changed into the dress that she hung up earlier.

    Katherine wore a white long sleeve wrap silk dress by Samuel West and it had a hand-painted turquoise themed multi-color floral design by Wace White. It was one of the dresses that Damien got fromst night''s auction. It had been dry cleaned and adjusted to fit Katherine''s measurements. Considering that the auction only happenedst night, it was quite fast.

    She received another text from Damien twenty minutes after the first one, saying that he was already out at the front.

    Since they needed to drive a distance, Damien kept the engine of his Range Rover running as he waited for Katherine to arrive. He had his left hand on the top of his steering wheel while his other hand yed with his phone.

    He turned his head when he noticed a figure approached his car and a boyish smile ghosted his lips as soon as he saw her. The white silk dress with floral design looked great on her. The long sleeves were perfect for the current weather, but the long slit that reached the upper part of her thigh exposed her to the cold wind. Nheless, it appeared as if it was made for herit was so Katherine.

    "Hey" Katherine smiled as she got inside the passenger''s seat, leaning in to greet him with a kiss.

    "Hey yourself" he responded after the kiss, "You look incredible," and then ced another one on her neck, inhaling her scent as he did, "...and you smell divine. Want to skip lunch instead?" The tip of his nose grazed along the side of her neck, causing her to slightly shiver.

    Katherine giggled, holding his hand when he reached for hers. "We could If you want Grandpa to scold you."

    Damien leaned back, chuckling as he put the car in gear, and then stepped on the gas. He certainly didn''t want Grandfather Theo to get mad at himhe was his huge backing.

    "You brought the files I asked you earlier?" he probed.

    "Yeah, I have them here." Katherine wiggled the tablet in her hand and ced it in her bag. Damien reached for her hand again and she inteced their fingers together.

    "You didn''t tell me that William saw you that night."

    She snapped her head at him, her brows knitted in confusion. "But you said that you already knew everything"

    "..." Damien nced at her and focused back on the road. "No one told me that."

    Squeezing his hand, she ced another one on top of it, covering his with her warmth. "It was only for a few seconds. It happened before we got out."

    "Did he see you? Do you think he recognized you?"

    "I don''t think so He pointed a gun at me."

    The traffic light turned red and he stepped on the breaks just as she spoke. He didn''t know what to say, so he could only sigh.

    Young Mansion

    There was a feast on the long table but there were only five of them. It was filled with all of Katherine''s favorite dishes when she was still a child. And Damien enjoyed listening to Grandfather Theo''s stories about her childhood.

    Deborah smiled at Katherine when sheplimented, "You look glowing, dear."

    "Thank you, Aunt Deb. Damien treated me to a spa yesterday" Katherine formed a knowing smile, sliding her hand onto Damien''s thigh under the table. She felt his muscles tense, but his expression remained unchanged. Even after she slid it a bit higher secondster.

    She was merely teasing him. But if she thought that she could surpass his shamelessness, that''s where she was wrong.

    Because while she smiled like she wasn''t doing anything naughty, he grabbed her hand, ced it on top of his growing erection and held it there. She wanted to tease... Well, that''s what she got for teasing.

    Katherine swallowed and her hand stilled. With her other hand, she grabbed her ss of water and drank it all. Thirsty. She was thirsty.

    For others, it would look like they were only holding hands. So as long as they wouldn''t look under the table.

    Deborah''s face brightened. "Oh, is that so? Where is this spa? I''d love to try their services sometime."

    With his hand still ''holding'' Katherine''s under the table, Damien answered in a casual tone, "It was a house service yesterday, but I can arrange an appointment for you and Caroline when you''re free."

    "I''m free tonight!" Caroline chimed in.

    "Caroline!" Deborahughed. "I apologize, Chairman Park."

    "Please, feel free to call me Damien. We''re not at work right now And any of Katherine''s family is already mine." He smiled, and Caroline stupidly giggled. "Sure I''ll give them a call and have them ready for tonight."

    The rest of the lunch went by smoothly and everything looked normal. They had tea in the tea room after lunch where Damien talked about his childhoodminus the unspeakable ones, of course. And how he started Crown Resort Group from the ground up. Just like what her aunt said before, she just wanted to get to know the two, so her questions were somewhat centered on their rtionship and nothing businessy. However, that still didn''t brush away Katherine''s growing strange feeling about her aunt.

    It was alreadyte in the afternoon when they decided to leave. On the way home, Katherine asked Damien if he could ask someone to check the reason why her aunt got rejected by the club. She didn''t know why but that bothered her a bit because she couldn''t think of a reason why the council would decline her application. At first, she wanted to do it herself but she was still new and didn''t know people in the club like Damien did.

    He was happy that she asked him. He knew how Katherine liked to do things on her own, but now, she was depending on him.

    "Oh Um" Katherine cleared her throat. "By the way I need to go on a business trip."

    "You do? They''re sending you to one this soon?" He wondered.

    "Mm. They think it would help me. Actually, I proposed it. I wish to learn my own way and I think visiting some ces would be helpful."

    Damien couldn''t agree more. It''s how he does it most of the time. Immersion was one of the best teachers. "I see When are you leaving?"

    "Tomorrow"

    "Already?" His brows furrowed at the sudden announcement. "And how many days will you be away?"

    "Hmmm A few days to a week? I can''t be sure yet I have to check with thepany tomorrow."

    They arrived at the basement parking of Golden Phoenix Residences and after parking on his spot, Damien helped her out of the car, then they headed to the elevator. He was quiet the entire time that they rode and reached her penthouse. He was used to going on trips but he wasn''t used to her going to one. The urge to go with her coursed through him.

    "I''m notfortable with you traveling by yourself," he said as they alighted the elevator.

    They stopped in their tracks and she faced him, thinking for a minute before she nodded. "How about I bring Felix with me? Will that make you feel more at ease?"

    He would have wanted to go himself but with this week''s workload, that would be impossible. At least she was willing to be apanied. "Definitely."

    Katherine hooked her arms around his neck and looked at him straight in the eye. "But you have to promise me something."

    Damien naturally held her by the waist and matched her serious gaze. "What is it?"

    "You can''t ask me You can''t find out where I go or what I do. From Felix or anyone else." Her voice was gentle and careful as she spoke. She saw his brows crease deeply when he heard her.

    "And why is that?"

    "I''ll be going out on a business trip at the same time, I will also be doing something personal. But I need you to trust me. Please? I promise I will tell you everything when Ie back. You can ask me anything thenjust not while I''m away."

    Katherine asked him to trust her. And although he was a bit nervous with the secrecy, that''s what he was going to do. She did promise to tell him once she returned. "Are you going to be safe? Can you assure me that?"

    A sweet smile formed on her lips as she nodded. "I promise I will be. And I will call you every single day. You have nothing to worry about."

    "Okay" Damien gently squeezed her waist and kissed her. "You better."

 Chapter 443: Our King Charming

    Chapter 443: Our King Charming

    Katherine had a bright smile on her face as she entered the foyer with Damien. The white silk dress flowed nicely on herevery step she took, the very smooth and light fabric would flutter about her fair legs in rhythm with the swaying of her hips.

    Damien thought that Katherine might as well be a model with the way she carries the clothes she wore. It was a good decision to get her the dress. Not only did she like it, but she also looked great in it. He couldn''t help but keep her close to him so he had an arm around her waist as they walked deeper into the penthouse.

    When they reached the living room, he dug his hand into his pocket to retrieve something as he saw Stylesing towards them. "Here, Zero said thatoof!"

    "Bro!" Styles pounced on Damien, his arms wrapping around the other''srge frame. He was a few inches shorter than the otherabout Katherine''s height. "I was partly kidding about the Lambo But Oh! You''re definitely myI mean our King Charming."

    "I''m sorry, your what?!" Damien''s low, confused tone rang in the air as he was getting squeezed by Styles''s hug.

    "I will take care of the precious car. I promise! And I''ll be your ve!" Styles sniffed, his eyes brimming with tears as he did and his mouth curved down into a pitiful pout.

    "Uhh No need for that" Damien looked at Katherine like he was asking for help.

    However, Katherine only crossed her arms, amusement painted on her face as she watched the two in front of her. She shrugged at Damien and told him, "Your fault. I told you that you broke him."

    Damien pursed his lips into a thin line. He was actually thinking if he made a mistake buying Styles what he askedst night.

    She couldn''t bear to see the look on his face, so she softly chuckled and helped him get Styles off him. "Alright, that''s enough. Stop hogging. He''s mine."

    "Tch." Styles gave her an eye. "Stingy," he muttered.

    Katherine stuck her tongue out at Styles and hugged Damien''s arm. She pretty much looked like a satisfied kitten who got the cream and more.

    Damien could only shake his head seeing the two, but he locked his fingers with hers and handed a sh drive to Styles. "Zero told me to give this to you."

    "Ah! Great! It''s for easier remote ess to Park Group." Styles winked. "Alright! I''ll get to work now." Then he disappeared into his room.

    Amelia''s voice sounded from the kitchen, her head sticking out from where she stood. "You two should rest for a while. Dinner''s going to be ready in an hour."

    "Okay!" Katherine nced at Damien and a smile broke her face when she added, "Damien said he''ll help you."

    "He did?"

    "I did?" Damien was taken aback at Katherine''s impromptu offer. "Aw!" he winced when she elbowed him on the side. Clearing his throat, he rified to Amelia. "I did. I''ll just change my shirt first ande back."

    Katherine slipped out of Damien''s grasp and hurried to her bedroom. She guessed that he was not going to let that go. "I''ll just be in my room."

    "Right behind you, Kitten," he muttered behind her back. His voice was low enough that only the two of them could hearand cold enough for Katherine to feel a shiver run down her spine. Soon, they vanished into her room.

    Just as the door closed behind Damien, Katherine had sprinted to the middle of the room. "This is good, Damien You two need to spend more time."

    "But you threw me to the sharks unarmed, Little Kitten. That was a naughty move." He stalked towards her as she circled around her bed.

    Her heart was beating erratically as she watched him roll his head from side to side like he was about to wrestle her. It only took him three long strides to get to her and they fell on the bed with him on top. "Hey! That''s cheating!"

    "I never y fair, Kitten." His lips dove to her neck, kissing her on her sensitive spot, making her giggle and squirm beneath him. She wriggled when his hand dangerouslynded on her inner thigh. "Naughty."

    "Damien!"

    "Oh, what''s this?" He raised his head and cocked his brow as he reached for something below one of the pillows.

    Katherine grew her eyes wide when she realized that it was one of the binders that she used earlier. Her instincts kicked in and in the next second, she locked her legs around his waist and rolled them to the side until he ended up on his back and her straddling on top of him.

    "Hey!" He was surprised as his hand had only grazed at the binder before she grabbed it and held it away from him. "What are you hiding from me, Katherine?"

    A smooth, charming smile stered on her face as sheughed. She was still on top of him and she was liking the view. "Remember how I just asked you not to ask questions a few minutes ago? This is part of that. This is work" Bending down, she pressed a kiss on his lips and she gasped when he gripped her by the hips, pushing her down to the hard bulge in his pants.

    "I don''t like this secrecy. I''m giving you a maximum of five days, Kitten." He nced at the binder that was still in her hand. He could easily snatch it from her but he already promised. God, this was hard.

    "That works for me. I think that''s enough time. But only start counting five days from tomorrow." She kissed him again. "You should go back to your mom. I''m sure she''s excited that you''re helping her."

    Without warning, Damien flipped her to her back so that he was now hovering over her. "I''ll get back at you for this." Then, he unbuttoned his shirt and stripped it off all while she was below him. But before she could touch his abs, he got off the bed and went to grab himself a shirt from the walk-in closet. Katherine followed him there to change out of her dress, however, he stopped her, "Don''t change yet. I like you in that dress."

    "Really?"

    "Mm." He changed into the shirt and pressed a kiss on her lips, whispering just before he backed away, "And I want to be the one to take them off youter." He disappeared from her bedroom after that, leaving Katherine flushed and looking forward to ter''.

    She put away the binder. Since she didn''t have anything else to do, she decided to go and sit in the living room where she could nce at Damien and his mother from time to time while they worked in the kitchen. Wanting to give them some privacy, she whipped out her phone and put on her earphones, then she started to watch some videos on it. Every so often, she would write something in her small notebook.

    Katherine nced up and caught him looking at her, she shed him a smile and he winked.

    In the kitchen, Amelia chuckled when she saw the couple. "You two are cute."

    Damien didn''t say anything but there was a hint of a smile on his face when he heard his mother.

    "You know I envy Katherine" she said.

    From the chopping board, his hand stilled while holding a knife and he looked up at her. His smile slipped when he asked, "Why?"

    Amelia shrugged, throwing a kitchen towel onto the counter before she faced her son. "She''s brave. She ran away, yes, but that''s understandable but she''s back now and she''s doing what she can to stay with you. She''s doing something I couldn''t."

    Damien understood what his mother was saying and it was depressing. Putting the knife down, he turned to face her and said, "You know... I had nned something tomorrow evening, but there''s been a change of ns. Would you like to have dinner with me? Just you and me"

    A slow smile cast on Amelia''s face and she nodded. "I would love that."

 Chapter 444: Breathe a Word

    Chapter 444: Breathe a Word

    Damien and Katherine came back from walking Bear out after dinner. They dropped him off at the 61st floor and then went up to his penthouse. This whole thing about them having their own ces at the moment was both strange and also a good thing. Especially since there were other people living in Katherine''s penthouse. Ever since their rtionship improved several days ago, Damien got Markus an apartment several floors down. Now they had more privacy.

    Having the whole ce to themselves, they could have all the fun imaginable. Reaching Damien''s bedroom, he gestured her towards the bathroom and started taking off his shirt. "What time are you leaving tomorrow?" He tossed it on the ck marble floor of the bathroom as soon as they stepped inside.

    "Around noon."

    He grunted when he realized that he had a lunch meeting. "I can''t even have lunch with you tomorrow?" His pants came off next, leaving him with only his boxer brief.

    Katherine unabashedly watched him as he stripped off his clothes in front of her, ogling at the nes of his broad chest and the hard buns that were all hers. "I can drop by your office before I leave. How''s that?"

    He called her over and she sauntered towards him. "Come by early. You''ll be gone for days." His arms went around her waist and he dipped his mouth to her neck, nibbling on her sensitive skin. "I will miss you," he whispered against her skin. The silk fabric of her dress was so smooth under his touch But his hands were looking for a better surface to caress as they searched for the tie of her wrap dress.

    Katherine giggled from his kisses, her hands were busy stroking the muscles on his arms. "So will I"

    "Let''s get in the bath," he said just as he pulled the tie, releasing the knot of her dress. Katherine only had to put her arms down and the silky, smooth dress slid off her body andnded on the marbled floor, pooling around her feet.

    A few minutester, Katherine''s giggles turned into moans that were in harmony with Damien''s sexy groans.

    Monday  November 19

    In the elevator, Katherine and Damien were on their way to the basement parking. In his hand was her luggage and he looked at it, wondering where she was headed to. Overseas?

    "Are you sure you don''t need anything from me? Anything that I can help you with on this trip?" he asked.

    Biting her lip, she contemted for a bit and finally said, "You know what I need to borrow your car."

    "The Rover?" He raised a brow, genuinely curious about her trip. So she was only staying in the state? Or somewhere near?

    "No The fast one." She looked up to meet his curious stare and she immediately added, "I won''t blow it up. I swear!"

    Damien chuckled at her reaction. He wasn''t even thinking about it. But what will she do with a fast car? Even with the question in his head, he nodded. "Okay. But only if Felix drives it."

    It was Katherine''s turn to arch a brow at him. "What? You don''t trust me driving your car?" She waited for him to answer but he didn''t say anything. They stepped out of the elevator and headed to his car. "Why aren''t you answering, Damien? Don''t ignore the ques"

    He shut her up with a kiss. "We''ll bete. We need to leave now." He put her luggage in the back of the car and opened the passenger door for her.

    She frowned as she got in his Rover and her pout got deeper when she saw the smile on his face. "Tch."

    Damien dropped her off at her office and he drove to work. Katherine spent a couple of hours smoothening out some things with Michael Price in his office before she had to leave.

    "I have to say, Katherine I''m actually eager to see this. Well, it looks like you have set your eyes on the prize. All we can do now is hope for the best. Don''t worry, if you need anything, you can always call the team," Michael told her as he showed her the door. "Oh, one more thing. I found this in the archives. I think you might want to see it."

    She eyed the t brown envelope in his hand and gingerly received it. "What''s this?"

    "It''s one of your father''s old presentations. I just thought you might want the inspiration while you''re on the trip."

    Feeling touched, she formed a small smile on her face. "Thank you, Michael."

    Katherine was all set for her trip, so she headed to Crown Resort Group like she promised Damien that she woulde by before leaving. She could only stay for half an hour as he was about to leave for his lunch meeting and she had to be on the road early.

    They were like a new couple who didn''t want to part from each other as their hugssted for minutes and their kisses seemed endless.

    When they were finally ready to part, they headed to the elevator and descended down to the basement where their cars were waiting.

    "I love you. I''ll wait for your call," he said and kissed her for the nth time.

    "I love you too. I will. Take care." Katherine gave him another brief hug before he left and they reluctantly parted. She watched as he climbed into his car and drove away.

    Markus stood next to her and when Damien''s car was no longer in sight, he handed her a small device without saying anything.

    "Is this everything?" she probed.

    "I think so. I can''t believe you got me to do this."

    "Atty. Lee Don''tyou want me to seed?"

    He gave her a serious stare and looked at her for what seemed like an eternity before he spoke, "For all our sakes, please do seed." And then he left.

    Katherine couldn''t contain herughter. She didn''t know if that was an insult or it was his way of cheering her.

    She strolled to the Koenigsegg that was waiting for her a few meters away. And like Damien had insisted, Felix would be driving the car, so she got in the passenger seat. The car came to life and she heard him ask, "So, where to?"

    Pressing the control panel of the satellite navigation, she typed in an address and told Felix to follow it. Without questions, he followed the turn by turn directions. The ride took a couple of hours and soon, they arrived at a location that she hadn''t visited in a while.

    "What the" Felix''s brows knitted as they approached the pinned location. No wonder the address looked familiar but he wasn''t sure until they got there. "Really?"

    Katherine smiled at him. She put on a ck cap and kept her head down as they alighted the car. Once they were headed to the lobby, he nced at the huge sign above them that said: "Bayside Resort". She cracked her knuckles and made sure Felix understood her threat as she told him, "Breathe a word to Damien and I swear, I will kill you in your sleep."

    He nced at her. He wasn''t afraid of the threat but he was sure that she wasn''t kidding when she said that.

 Chapter 445: Little Boy

    Chapter 445: Little Boy

    "Are you settled in just fine?" Damien asked Katherine on the phone as he tried to choose a dress shirt that would match his pants.

    "Yeah, I''m okay here. Don''t worry about me."

    He stood topless in his walk-in closet. Usually, it was easier for him to choose what to wear, but he didn''t know what was up with him today that he couldn''t pick a damn shirt. How difficult was it to dress up? It seemed like none of the hundreds of clothes he owned passed his approval. He cursed.

    "Woah. What''s got you so worked up?" she wondered.

    "Sorry. I''m I don''t know what to wear." His voice was sheepish as he rubbed his nape and sighed, embarrassed that he just said that and sounded like a girl.

    Katherine chuckled at his dilemma. "Mr. Billionaire having trouble looking for a dress to wear on his first date? Yikes!"

    Damien rolled his eyes. "HaHa. A little help maybe?"

    "Of course. Anything for you. What are you wearing? Turn on your camera."

    He did as he was told and extended his hand away so that the video could capture his figure. He heard her whistle and saw her wiggle her brows as she teased, "Mm Daddy looks so fine~" He couldn''t help butugh at her silliness, the muscles in his abdomen rippled as he did. "Come on. Be serious, Kitten."

    "Alright alright, jeez." Katherine also turned on her video, careful not to show any designs on the wall of her suite so he wouldn''t recognize where she was. "What''s the color of your pants? It''s dark in there. I can''t see clearly."

    "Grey chinos," he answered at the same time that he turned on all the lights in the closet.

    "Ah, look to your left. I hung up a crew neck sweater this morning. Wear that."

    Damien looked to his left and a sweater caught his eye. He removed it from the rack and showed it to her, the soft pink cashmere felt nice in his hand. "This?" he probed.

    "Yeah. Go on try it."

    He wore it on him and checked himself in the mirror. He wasn''t used to wearing this kind of color but it did look nice when paired with his grey pants. "What do you think?" he asked.

    "You look pretty," she said, earning another eye roll from him and sheughed.

    Damien picked up his phone and brought it with him to the bathroom. "I won''t have time to change anymore. She''ll be here anytime soon."

    "Seriously, I mean it. You look very nice and... approachable. I''m sure she''d think the same. You''ll do great, Damien."

    He smiled. "Thank you. I''ll call youter?"

    "Mm. Enjoy dinner with your mom."

    "Be safe, Katherine."

    When they ended the call, he looked at himself in the mirror and fixed his hair. He didn''t put any wax or gel and decided to let it fall naturally on his face, the tips of his hair grazing his brows. He stared at his reflection for several seconds before he ran his fingers through his hair back a few times. He just couldn''t decide what to do with himself.

    "Sht," he cursed when he heard the doorbell rang. Amelia had arrived.

    "Come in." Damien ushered Amelia into the living room.

    "Here I got these from the shop downstairs. I wasn''t sure what to bring..." Amelia handed him a wine bag, a bouquet of flowers made of gardenia and lc, and a t box of pastry. "And I also got you an apple tart from the French bakery at the corner. Katherine told me you love it."

    "Ah You shouldn''t have. Thanks" A warm smile cast on his face as he received the gifts and went to put them away in the kitchen. Katherine sure was trying her best to help mend his rtionship with his mother.

    She followed behind him and offered to put the flowers in a vase. He was suddenly nervous with her around. Usually, there were other people in the room, but it was just the two of them now and it felt awkward and familiar at the same time that he didn''t know if he was doing okay. Grabbing an empty vase from the cab, it almost slipped from his hand but he caught it just in time. He didn''t think she noticed it.

    Damien toured Amelia around his penthouse, showing her the library, the study, the gym, the bedrooms and baths, the pool, and the balcony. He felt like he was just showing off at this moment but he wasn''t really sure what else to do. What was one supposed to do in his ce?

    They''ve had a conversation before and casual interactions here and there. But this was the first time that he actually got to bond with her. What he was feeling was different from when he''s with Katherine. He also got nervous around thetter but it was a different kind of nervouspared to what he was feeling now.

    He didn''t realize it yet but there was this feeling inside him It was as if he was afraid that she wouldn''t like him. It was a silly thought. But she was his mother. And although he didn''t want to think about it anymore, she did leave once Maybe this was why he was anxious about this dinner.

    When they finally circled back to the kitchen, he checked on the beef that he left to slow cook since he arrived at four in the afternoon. It was still half past five at the moment, so the meat needed more time to tenderize.

    "That smells great. What are you making?" Amelia wondered, a beautiful smile forming on her face as she peered from the side.

    The question struck Damien and he froze. He nced at her and then at the meat that he was cooking. He hadn''t realized what he was preparing until she asked because he had done it a hundred times in the past that it already seemed like a routine for him. His heart suddenly raced, not knowing how to answer his mother.

    He didn''t like lying, so he decided toe clean. Damien scratched his head as he faced her and started, "Actually I didn''t realize that I was preparing this until you asked. It''s beef noodle soup one of my specialties" Then, he told her about how he started making them and that it was the only good memory he had. He was hesitant to talk about his other mother, Miriam, but Amelia listened to him patiently. When he was done exining, he uneasily waited for her to say something.

    "Were you worried that I was going to get mad or upset?" Amelia probed, her expression unreadable.

    He didn''t answer but the bobbing of his throat indicated that he was indeed worried.

    She chuckled upon seeing his reaction and without thinking much, she closed their gap, raised her hand, and patted his head gently. "You did great growing up by yourself, Damien. I wish I was there. But you don''t have to feel bad about your past. You learned this by yourselfwith or without other people''s help, it doesn''t matter. It''s food and it''s made with good intentions. I will enjoy eating it because you made it."

    The two exchanged smiles and Damien felt better right away. "Are you hungry already? It still needs about half an hour or so until it''s done."

    "I''m okay. It''s still early. It smells delicious already though. I can''t wait to taste it." She inhaled the aroma of the braised beef and her mouth watered. "What can I do to help?"

    "Hmmm There''s not much left to do But you can help me with the vegetables?" He wiggled the bok choy in his hand.

    "That I can do." Amelia rolled her sleeves up to her elbows and washed her hands, ready to get to work.

    While his mother worked on the vegetable, he decided to whip up some appetizers that they could snack on while waiting. His anxiousness slowly floated away as time went by.

 Chapter 446: Her Sweet Little Boy

    Chapter 446: Her Sweet Little Boy

    The beef noodle soup was served in a white bowl. It was a ssh of colors which made the dish look very appetizing. Vivid colors of green from the vegetable, brown from the meat, and white from noodles, along with other garnishes that decorated the whole dish, were all married with the reddish rich soup of the braised beef. Damien clearly took pride in his creationit looked like a dish that was served in a restaurant.

    Amelia''s mouth watered as she gaped at the bowl of beefy goodness in front of her. The smell of it lingered in the air and attacked her nose, calling for her to have a taste.

    "Do you like it spicy?" Damien asked, his hand paused as he was about to chop chilies.

    "Only a bit, please."

    The freshly chopped red chilies were sprinkled on top of the dish, adding more kick to the already delicious food.

    He brought the two bowls to the dining table that he had set up earlier. The bouquet of flowers that she brought him added color to the table set, making everything look vibrant, a contrast to the otherwise gloomy sky outside.

    Damien sat at the head of the table while Amelia settled on his left. He waited for her to taste what he made but she only stared at the bowl. "Is there something wrong? Do you want to eat a different dish instead? I can"

    "Oh, no, Sweetie It''s" Amelia softly chuckled. She must have looked weird just now as she wondered how the food would taste once she starts eating it. She didn''t realize that her silence caused him to worry. "It looks delicious. It looks too good to be eaten it''s a shame."

    He exhaled a sigh of relief when he heard that, a boyish smile shed on his face at thepliment. "Go ahead. I want to know if it suits your pte."

    She wet her lips as she picked up the porcin soup spoon to her right and scooped a spoonful of the colored liquid. Bringing it to her lips, she blew on it twice and carefully drank the velvety, smooth texture of the rich broth. Her eyes closed just as the delicious soup hit her taste buds, and she hummed. "Wow This is the best soup I have ever tasted!"

    Damien softly chuckled. Was she just saying that?

    "No, I''m serious You can run your own restaurant with this dish!" Taking a chunk of meat and eating it, she sighed as it melted in her mouth. "Oh my god. And this beef It''s so tender and vorful."

    He shook his head and mixed the dish in his bowl. "Nah, I''d rather have them at home. I''m sort of stingy when ites to food."

    "You are?"

    "Well I mean I can share my food, but I''d rather cook at home and only share them with friends and family."

    "I see" Amelia had a small smile on her face as she continued to eat more of the dish. What he just told her warmed her heart. Because in a way, she could see herself in him. She was also stingy when it came to her cooking. She loved it whenever she heardpliments about how delicious her dishes werenot that a lot of people have tasted thembut whenever she did cook, she liked that she was only able to share it with the people around her. It was as if it made the whole thing even more special.

    "How do you like the taste? I mean anythingcking or too much? That way I''d know when I make it again." Damien didn''t really think much when he asked. He always did the same even with Katherine. However, when he nced at her, she smiled at him. That''s when he realized what he just said. Even so, he didn''t want to take it back. He meant when he said it. Despite what happened between them, he wanted to make it better. So, yes, there would be a next time.

    Hearing his question warmed her heart. She fought the urge to shed the tears that were stinging her eyes, and she forced herself to swallow the huge lump in her throat. For the past thirty years that were filled with regrets and ''what-ifs'', she had finally smiled a genuine one. And it was all because of himher son. Her sweet boy who had grown up so tall and so handsome, just like his father. It was both painful and sweet, yet she was d that she was there, sharing a bowl of homemade beef noodle soup. It was humble. And it was heartwarming.

    She softly shook her head, her hand patting the back of his arm as she said, "You don''t need to change. Everything''s perfect."

    How peculiar was it that even the simplest form of her statement brought him a surge of joy that coursed through him in the most satisfying way? It was like bringing home an aced test paper and showing it off. ''Look ma, I did good.'' Was this how the boys whom he knew back in school felt when they came home? Was this how they felt when their mothers patted their head and told them: ''Yes, you did well, my good boy.''?

    Because that''s how he felt. He felt like a little boy who just came home to his mother. How he wished he could feel like this every time whenever she was around.

    Sometimeter when Amelia was about to finish her bowl of beef noodle soup, she put down her spoon and drank water to clear her mouth. Damien looked up at her and waited as she looked like she wanted to say something.

    "You know This dish reminds me of something," she started.

    "Hm?"

    "Back in the daywhen you still weren''t conceived, your father and I used to go to this small Taiwanese restaurant. I found it in passing and thought I''d bring one for him for dinner. He ended up liking it so much that we often visit the ce." Sheughed. "We frequented the ce a lot that we even got to know the chef. I think the restaurant is still in business until now. I wonder if the old man is still alive"

    "Chef Huang" he mumbled, his heart racing as he recalled what happened several months ago when he learned the truth about Miriam and the noodles.

    "Oh, you know the ce I''m talking about? Have you met the chef? How is he?"

    Damien couldn''t understand what he was feeling at the moment. He didn''t recognize the emotions within him apart from onerelief. However, he was so taken aback by this new information that he looked downcast.

    Amelia noticed the change in his expression and she wondered if she said something wrong. "Are you okay?" She gently stroked his arm.

    When he looked up at her and met her stare, he started telling her about what happened several months ago. He didn''t think of telling her about it while he was exining the dish earlier as the matter was tooplicated and he thought it was unnecessary. But who would have thought that everything was connected?

    "I see" she muttered. "There was a time before your father married Miriam Zhao that she had us followed. Your father didn''t know anything about her then as he refused to learn who the woman was, but we caught a man who followed us everywhere. When we questioned him, he said that Miriam sent him, asking him to note wherever we went and all that. It was ridiculous but I guess she found out about that restaurant too."

    Everything made sense to Damien now. He had been wondering why Miriam would go through the trouble of getting a bowl of noodle soup from that restaurant. She acted like a good mother when he was around and even used the same food as if it would lure his father to notice her.

    He stared at his mother, Amelia, who was still reminiscing about the past. He felt somewhat thankful that in the end, this bowl of beef noodle soup wasn''t so bad after all. That even though it started as the only good memory he had of Miriamand thenter ended up with it being a shamonly to turn out to be a sweet memory for his real mother and father.

    Despite being a bit hesitant, Damien proposed, "Next time Would you like to go there with me?"

 Chapter 447: His Smart Little Boy

    Chapter 447: His Smart Little Boy

    About twenty-four years ago

    d in a pinstripe business suit, Lawrence Park came down the stairs with a young seven-year-old boy, holding his small hand in his as they headed towards the living room. "Make sure you attend your sses at the dojoter. Do you understand?" The little boy bit his bottom lip and did not look at his father. "Damien Maverick Park, you answer when I''m talking to you."

    "But I have piano lessonster" His little voice sounded meek as though he already knew what his father would say.

    Lawrence sighed, rubbing his forehead as he bent down to his son''s level. He stared at him for a long time as if he was looking for something he couldn''t see. There was a destion in the father''s eyes, something that Damien couldn''t understand whenever his father looked at him. Did he make his father sad?

    "Fine. Just today. I''ll call your sensei and tell him you''ll attend tomorrow''s ss instead. Happy now?"

    Damien didn''t know how his father could tell what he was feeling just now. However, just hearing his father say that wasn''t enough for him. So he didn''t answer.

    "What?" Lawrence asked.

    Damien pointed his little finger towards his father''s inner coat pocket where he always kept his Motor phone. When his father raised a brow in question, he added, "Call Sensei now."

    Lawrence chuckled. His little boy was smart. He thought that he could be a great businessman in the future. His little boy didn''t yhe knew what he wanted and he even made sure he would call the sensei in front of him. How adorable.

    Left with no choice, Lawrence took out his flip phone and called Damien''s Japanese Jiu-jitsu Sensei, telling him about the change of ns. After making the call, he put his phone away and saw the small smile that formed on his son''s face. It made him smile as well. He ruffled Damien''s hair and kissed his forehead. "I''ll see you tonight. Be good, okay?"

    Damien nodded enthusiastically, encircling his little arms around his father''s neck into a tight hug, and kissed his cheek. "Thank you, daddy."

    "Anytime, son." Lawrence hugged his son''s little frame before getting up.

    The sound of high heels from the side and a woman''s voice caught the father and son''s attention, "Oh, good. Lawrence, you''re still here... I''ve prepared lunch for you today. Come, Damien, it''s your favorite noodle soup too."

    "Go, eat your lunch," Lawrence whispered to his son. The change in his expression was evident. Just a few seconds ago, his mood was better because of Damien but as soon as Miriam appeared, he returned to his aloof, cold self.

    She took Damien''s hand and led him to the dining room. Seeing as Lawrence ignored her as usual, she turned to him and asked, "Aren''t you going to join us? It''s also your favorite, isn''t"

    "Not hungry," he interrupted and then he left the mansion.

    As soon as Damien and Miriam were alone, thetter''s bright smile turned into an indifferent expression. She brought Damien to the dining table and ced a bowl of beef noodle soup in front of him. "Finish your food," she said in a toneless voice before walking out of the dining room, leaving Damien alone to eat by himself.

    There were servants around him but they stood at the side, so he ate his meal in peace. He would have liked it if his mother or father joined him to eat, but he didn''t think much of it and continued to eat the delicious food by himself.

    "Young Master, would you like some more meat?" the butler asked, in which Damien nodded in response. "Yes, please," he said.

    Present

    After their dinner, Damien and Amelia shared the apple tart for dessert. He topped each of their servings with vani ice cream and talked about their lives. He told her some of his childhood stories while she told him some of hers. They kept their conversation light as though they were two friends who were getting to know each other.

    Later, they stayed in the living room and enjoyed the bottle of wine that she brought earlier. It wasn''t the best wine that he had drunk but he enjoyed it nheless.

    Suddenly remembering something, he got up from the sofa and excused himself. When he came back, he brought a medium-sized box that was filled with a lot of stuff. "I got this from the mansion when I went therest Saturday. These are the only things I could get in a short time. I''ll have to find the others when I can." He set the box next to her.

    "What are these?" Amelia wondered before she could peer into the box.

    "It''s nothing much" Damien rubbed his nape sheepishly. "Just some old photos of me. If you''d like to see them. I tried to get as much as I could where Dad was in it too, but he didn''t like being photographed I guess."

    Amelia''s chin wobbled upon seeing Damien''s baby pictures. She chuckled to mask the pang in her heart andmented, "Typical Lawrence."

    "I Uh I didn''t have much growing up too. I think I didn''t like photos just the same. I''ll ask Nana when I go back, I''m sure she must have kept a lot..."

    At this point, Amelia could no longer hold back her tears as she continued to dig into the box full of memories of Damien''s childhood. There were several pictures of him while he was still very young, probably not more than three years old. His beautiful face was all she could think of in the past years. The pain was indescribable as if her heart had been constantly in mes that she couldn''t put out no matter how much water she tried to pour into it.

    It pained her to see those pictures just as much as she was eager to keep all of them. The fusion of pain and joy was ugly but it was beautiful just as wend she didn''t know which one won.

    Seeing his mother suddenly breaking down made him feel like his heart was going to shatter. He instantly regretted that he showed her the pictures, thinking that it was going to make her smile or feel happyinstead, she was bawling her eyes out. ''Sht. What did I do?'' he worried as he stood frozen on the spot, not knowing what to say or do.

    Without much thought, Damien knelt in front of her, then he gingerly stroked her back. However, the moment that his palm touched her, she cried even harder. He was taken aback when she turned and hugged him so tightly.

    "I''m sorry I''m so sorry Momma''s very sorry" was all that Amelia could manage to say over and over in between her mournful sobs against his shoulder.

    It took him a few seconds to respond, then his arms went around her frame. She was trembling as she continued to weep in his arms. He didn''t know what to tell her. He didn''t know what words would make her feel better. Because while she was in pain, he was too. This was what he had missed out all of his life. And after thirty long years, he had finally started to fill the void in his heart.

    Not knowing what to say, he gently stroked her back. Damien was so sad for her as much as he was sad for himself. He tilted his head back and kept himself strong, but a stray tear rolled out of his eye despite him holding it in.

 Chapter 448: An Angel

    Chapter 448: An Angel

    Amelia had never cried so much in her life. It was as though all thirty years'' worth of ache came crashing down like a broken dam that could no longer hold. She was a mess, but Damien was patient with her. He let her cry on him until she felt better, and she clung onto him as though he was her lifeline.

    Despite wanting to be able to hold her son like this, she didn''t expect that she would ever have the chance to meet him. Maybe she did hope that she would but she didn''t want to expect good things. After all, she didn''t think she deserved his recognition.

    After some time, the two sat side by side on the sofa quietly. She had a box of tissue on herp and she wiped her eyes, patting it dry as she snuck a nce at her son next to her. She chuckled at herself and said, "I''m sorry, I ruined your night. You must be thinking I''m a mess. I didn''t mean to break down like that." Her voice was hoarse from all the crying that she did.

    "It''s okay I understand," Damien responded. He thought about what to tell her and after contemting he let out a sigh, faced her, and started, "ListenI''m not I don''t know what I need to do when ites to you. I''ve never really known what a mother does because Miriam that woman hasn''t exactly been an ideal one. But Nana has been very good to me. Even though she was always traveling, I can always say that she''s my family and the closest to a mother that I could ever have."

    He didn''t know where he was going with this but he just thought of speaking whatever was on his mind.

    "All this time, I thought someone else was my mother. She left when I was eight and even though she wasn''t exactly nice to me, I had always been wondering where she was and if there was something wrong with me Until I just got used to not having a mother I guess. And then I found out about you months ago It got me thinking. I couldn''t bring myself to try and look for you because you left before you even got the chance to know me. So I thought What was the point? If I tried to search and actually found you, would things be better?" He softly chuckled.

    Damien thought about the letter that he still kept hidden in his closet. He had no clue when he was ready to open it. Even after meeting Amelia, he wasn''t sure if he could find the courage to read what was written on it. Now that he was here with his mother, he suddenly had the urge to take a peek.

    Clearing his throat, he turned to face her. "I can''t tell you that I''m not mad anymore. I was at first, but I just want to move on. And honestly, it''s exhausting I just want to start over. I don''t know how we''re supposed to do this but I am willing to get past everything. So, I hope you understand if I''m taking my time."

    There were still tears brimming in Amelia''s eyes as she listened to Damien. She nodded and curved her mouth into a smile as she reached out to caress his cheek. "Katherine is right about you" When he raised a brow in question, she continued, "You''re very understanding."

    She looked at his face, examining every feature as if she was searching for something. And then she smiled when she saw it. She didn''t tell him what she saw and kept it to herselfDamien was a spitting image of his father Lawrence, and it broke her heart all over again. "May I hug you again?"

    He smiled at her and when she went in for the hug, he allowed himself to relish the feeling of having a mother. His heart warmed at the thought and he looked forward to getting to know her more.

    It was already ten in the evening when they decided to call it a night. Damien had thought of inviting her to stay over but it might be too much for one day for the two of them.

    Just after they put away the dishes in the kitchen, Amelia turned to face her son, who was currently loading the remaining dirty dishes into the washer. There was hesitation written all over her face and she clutched her hands together as she called, "Damien There''s something I need to tell you"

    When he faced his mother, he could see that she was nervous. "What is it?"

    Taking a deep breath, she leaned her hip against the counter for support. "While we''re doing this ''getting to know each other'' thing... I thought I should tell you something that you might want to know. I wasn''t going to tell you this tonight but I guess there''s no better time than today."

    Giving his undivided attention, he softly nodded, allowing her to continue.

    "Crown Resort Group When you started it years ago, you ran into a bit of trouble with the funding"

    "How did you know that?"

    "I was in the area and I thought I might check in on how you were Anyway Um" Amelia didn''t really know how to confess it. She was bad at this.

    "Just say it" he said, seeing how she was struggling.

    She swallowed and finally told him, "ASLP. It''s me... and your father... sort of..."

    He knitted his brows at what he just heard. Confusion masked his face and he looked away as he recalled what happened in the past. ASLP was an anonymous angel investor of Crown Resort Group. Damien faced some problems back then and without ASLP, he wouldn''t have hispany today. But why was she saying that it was them? Where did she even get the money? "How?" was all he could ask.

    Amelia couldn''t tell what he was feeling, but she already started thisall she could do is continue. "Before you were born, your father and I set up an ount. And we kept putting money there monthly. Of course, he put in more than me but it was sort of our savings that we could use for you. I was stubborn, you know? I told him I could only use money as long as I contributedsilly me was prideful and didn''t want to feel like a charity casewhich was why he decided to create that ount.

    "After I left, I thought that your father had stopped or withdrawn the funds but I only learned many yearster that he didn''t stop the monthly deposits. Maybe he thought that I would need it someday and so he decided to keep it running. Anyway When he... passed away, I became the sole owner of the ount. It was full of money that I wouldn''t ever touch So Yearster when I found out about your situation, I decided to add some of my savings to the ount and then put that money into use as your seed investor. ASLP It stands for your father''s name and mine. Amelia Silva"

    "Lawrence Park" he muttered under his breath, and he swallowed the unknown lingering feeling within him.

 Chapter 449: A Surprise Guest

    Chapter 449: A Surprise Guest

    Damien didn''t know what to think about the new information. The investor who refused to show themselves and only had attorneys who represented them during the contract signing was actually his mother. It was during the time when he was starting Crown Resort Group and his first project was the Bayside Resort. ASLP didn''t ask for any ridiculous conditions. Apart from themon terms of having equity shares of thepany, they only asked for one thing: To keep their identity as anonymous.

    Anonymous angel investors weren''t umon, but he did find it strange that the much-needed funds suddenly arrived when he badly needed someone to believe in him and didn''t even ask for anything in return. He just didn''t think it would be her.

    It was only the first night that Katherine wasn''t around, and it already seemed like he had opened another pandora box.

    It was an emotional night for the mother and son. Learning about her being the seed investor gave Damien mixed feelings. He wasn''t madthere was no reason to be. Or probably just the fact that she was there all along but still didn''t show herself. However, there was no point going back in circles, so he was d to learn about this despite how strange things seemed to be at the moment.

    It was almost eleven in the evening when Amelia retired for the night and went back to the 61st floor. She invited him toe down and join her for breakfast in the morning if he had the time to drop by before going to work. Damien epted her invitation and ended the night with a brief hug. So much for first dates.

    When his mother left, his penthouse felt rather empty again. Katherine was away on a trip and Bear was with Styles. He chuckled at himself and ran his hand down his face, sighing at the long night he just had. A long but beautiful night.

    Damien took a quick shower and decided to give Katherine a call. He had put his phone in silent mode since dinner, so he only got the chance to see her messages then.

    [Missing Kitten: How''s dinner? I hope you saved me some of the food you cooked. Can it wait until I get back?]

    [Missing Kitten: This is what I ate for dinner. Now I''m starting to regret it because I''ll miss it when Ie home.]

    He opened the image attachment and saw several pieces of croquettes on a te. He chuckled, knowing how she just couldn''t stay away from fried food.

    [Missing Kitten: Is it stupid that I''m actually jealous right now? You''re on a date T_T]

    [Missing Kitten: I know I''m being stupid. You don''t actually have to answer that. IMY.]

    "Cute." He softly chuckled and not a secondter, he called her. There was a shuffling noise on the other line when the call was picked up and he waited to hear her voice. His brows furrowed when she didn''te on the line. "Katherine?"

    "Ngnnnh"

    Her long groan caused him to deepen his brows further. "What Are you okay?"

    Katherine cleared her throat but her voice was still hoarse. "I''m okay" she answered. "I fell asleep." She yawned.

    Damien noticed the sudden lighting from his phone screen that was pressed on his ear. Realizing that she had turned on her video, he turned on his as well. Sheid on her side, her camera showing only her face, pillows, and white sheets. She looked beautiful despite being tired. "Hi" she whispered, a small smile forming on her lips.

    "Hey," he smiled back. "Sorry I couldn''t respond to your texts earlier."

    "That''s okay. How was dinner? Did you two have fun?"

    Heid on his back and started telling her about his evening with his mother, sharing his thoughts and the new things he learned about her. Every so often, Katherine would nod or hum in agreement while she listened to him. When she stopped responding, he nced at her video and saw that she had fallen asleep.

    Damien felt sorry that he''d spoken a lot and hadn''t even asked her how her day was. She seemed to have really worked hard that day for her to be this tired. "Good night, Katherine," he whispered, stroking her face on the screen with his finger before closing their video call.

    A minuteter, he received a text message from her.

    [Missing Kitten: I''m sorry I fell asleep. I want to hear everything again when Ie back. I''m d you two had a good talk. You should read that letter You can do it, I believe in you. Good night, Love.]

    He stared at the message and mulled over what she said. Could he really read that letter? He didn''t know how many minutes had passed when he finally pushed himself off the bed and headed to his closet to look for it.

    However, no matter how much he tried, he couldn''t find the damn letter. He nearly turned his closet upside down. It wasn''t until he was about to reach for a cab when the realization hit him. He doubled-overughing at himself, thinking of how stupid he was just now. Of course he wouldn''t find the letter hereit was in Crown Resort Group''s main office building''s penthouse.

    Grabbing a trench coat, his keys, and wallet, Damien headed over to his office. Just as he reached his car in the basement parking, he noticed someone standing next to it. He met his gaze and even if the other hadn''t spoken yet, he could tell what he was there for.

    "What are you doing here?" he asked as he approached him.

    Taking in a deep breath, William yawned and rolled his neck from side to side. "You know what I actually don''t know. I came here with one objective but I''m starting to second guess."

    The cousins stared at each other for a while before Damien let out a long sigh. The letter had to wait because this bastard was probably here to bargain or threat. He watched William stroke the hood of Katherine''s red Lexus that was parked next to his car.

    "Nice car," Williammented.

    Damien clenched his jaw and reluctantly told him, "Come up. Let''s talk at my ce."

    A slow and dangerous smile crossed William''s face as he walked up to Damien. He flung his arm around the other''s shoulder and teased, "Ah Is that how you invite women up to your ce?"

    And thus, the two men rode the elevator towards the 62nd floor penthouse.

 Chapter 450: A Brewing Conspiracy

    Chapter 450: A Brewing Conspiracy

    William made himself at home, strode towards the kitchen, and grabbed a bottle of beer from Damien''s fridge. "Want one?" he asked the owner of the house.

    Damien shook his head and slumped onto the sofa in the living room where William joined him afterward. He couldn''t be bothered to call him out anymore. What was the point? He rubbed his temple when he felt an iing headache. William seemed to be chirpy and it bugged him that he was like this. He couldn''t tell what the man was thinking at the moment.

    "Why are you here, William?" Damien asked.

    "Can''t I just visit you?" William answered in the most uninterested voice before he took a swig of his beer.

    For the past months that Katherine was gone, William, Caleb, and Jeffrey had been around him. They came and went in his penthouse or in his office just to check on him or keep himpany as if he needed a babysitter. When Katherine came back, they called him several times too. He stopped responding to them and they somewhat understood that he wanted to be left alhat they didn''t need to worry anymore. It was either that or maybe Ali had told them about him getting back with Katherine.

    However, he knew that William didn''te that night to check on him. He was there to talk about what happened at Park Group a few nights ago. Damien had actually nned to see him dayster for something that he had nned. So, seeing hime to him was half a surprise and half expected.

    "Cut to the chase," Damien muttered.

    "Always the straight-forward one." William let out a sigh and took another sip of his beer. It was silent for a few beats before he told him, "I know it''s her."

    Damien''s heart started to increase its pace. He was still surprised despite having the feeling that he might already know. "What are you talking about?" he asked in a toneless voice.

    William softly chuckled. "You''re really going to make me say it?" he asked. When Damien didn''t answer, he continued, "Fine. I know that it was Katherine that night. She, along with another woman, infiltrated Park Group." He looked at Damien and met his gaze. His cousin had an unreadable expression. "Don''t bother denying. I already checked my facts."

    "How did you find out?" Damien was genuinely curious. "How did you recognize her?"

    "I didn''t at first. She was unrecognizable with her get up anyway." William saw him crease his brow, so he added, "I drove by the south entrance minutes before it happened. I only thought to check my dashcam the day after and guess what I foundrather who?"

    Damien closed his eyes for a brief second, already knowing what William was about to say next.

    William softly chuckled. "It was Katherine and one of your men in that red Lexusthe very same one down at the basement parking."

    Damien clenched his jaw and was about to respond when the other spoke before he could, "Don''t worry, I didn''t tell anyone."

    "And why the hell not?"

    William cocked a brow at him. "Do you want me to tell someone?"

    "Cut the crap, William. Why are you really here?"

    "Because I want answers." William''s expression turned serious. "She''s Katherine Young. And I''m pretty damn sure you both know what that means now. She left Now she''s back And you two looked like you''re Hollywood''s newest celebrity scandal who''s in your honeymoon stageas if nothing happened."

    Damien got up from the sofa and grabbed himself a shot of hard liquor, shaking his head as he listened to William''s ramble. He could tell that his cousin was annoyed that he didn''t ''update'' him with his love life''s status. And the incident fromst Thursday night caused this visit.

    "We''ve never been a family for a long time and that''s my faultI know that. But I had your back when she turned hers on you. So please, enlighten me. What is with you two? And why the fck is she snooping around in my territory? Is she back for revenge? What does she want?"

    Damien''s hand stilled from pouring the amber-colored liquid into the ss for a few seconds before he poured two fingers into two sses. Apart from the fact that Katherine was indeed back for revenge, that night, she wasn''t there for that. However, he couldn''t tell William the whole truth. At least not yet because it wasn''t only his secret to tell.

    His rtionship with William had improved over the past couple of months. They weren''t exactly back to how they were back when they were still young, but they were already on speaking terms and no longer avoided or messed with each other.

    Without asking, he gave the other ss to William and sat in the armchair facing him. "I can''t tell you anything about that yet. Give me time" The other scowled at him, clearly pissed that he was asking for him to have patienceand William wasn''t friends with patience.

    The expression on Damien''s face went from looking uneasy to looking confident. His n was already in ce and he needed William''s help for it to seed. He knew about William and Frederick''s rtionship. Although William sought for his father''s approval, he hated his father almost as much Damien didprobably even more. Damien would be using his cousin, but he was sure that William wouldn''t mind as long as they both get what they want in the end.

    "However Let me offer you something instead. Something that I know you cannot refuse. I was going to tell you about this at the end of the week but you''re already here now"

    Intrigued, William swirled the drink in his ss and carefully replied, "I don''t know what you think can entice me at this point, but go on..."

    Damien''s eyes darkened as he looked at the other in the eye and asked, "How would you like to take over Park Group as the next CEO?"

 Chapter 451: Damien Snapped

    Chapter 451: Damien Snapped

    Tuesday  November 20 at Bayside Resort, Florida

    Katherine had a long day ahead of her. She could choose to cut down what she had nned, but she was determined to work her ass off while she was here. At seven in the morning, she was having breakfast at the balcony of her suite in Bayside Resort. She was on her second croissant when she started watching a video on herptop and scribbling down her notes on a steno pad.

    Felix appeared from behind her; he was staying in the suite next to hers and they had an adjoining balcony. With his breakfast te in hand, he joined her on the table and he nced at her while she seriously worked on her mission. "You look like you''re studying for a test," he remarked just before he took a bite of his bacon and toast.

    "Mhmm. A test I don''t ever want to fail. I''m doing this as if my life depends on it," she answered without lifting her eyes from the screen and continued to eat the pastry that she had with strawberry jam.

    He looked at her and couldn''t help but admire her diligence. Since he had known Katherineespecially recentlyhe had grown to like the kind of person she was. Despite her stubbornness, she was strong-willed and kind-hearted. He couldn''t imagine what she had been through in the past and he didn''t want to ask her either. She was like a sister to him already and even though he wouldn''t admit it, he would protect her even without Damien''s paycheck.

    Clearing his throat, he asked, "You do know that you don''t have to do this, right? You can simply"

    "I know that" she interrupted, forming a small smile on her face as she nced at Felix briefly before returning her gaze at the screen of herptop. She was nervous, but that wouldn''t stop her from what she nned to do. "But I''ve never worked so hard in my life like I''m doing now. I don''t want to do anything half-assed."

    And that''s what she did. She worked hard all week while she was away on her trip.

    Taking a sip of his orange juice, he asked, "Is there anything I can do to help?"

    Her hand paused from taking down notes and she looked up at him, contemting for a second before she probed, "Actually Hmmm How good are you withputers?" Felix arched a brow at her, unsure of where she was going with this.

    From time to time during the week, Katherine would send a message to Damien and called him before going to sleep. She knew that he was also busy with his work so they could only catch up whenever they had free timewhich wasn''t a lot.

    Meanwhile, back at Harbor City, Esmea, Damien had been having his meals over at the 61st floor penthouse. Before work, he would go down and join his mother for breakfast, and in the evening, he would drop by and end up having dinner with everyoneAmelia, Styles, and Markus.

    Damien would wake up with Katherine''s morning greeting, and he would miss her the whole day if he didn''t hear from her until he''d receive her call in the eveningit was the same for Katherine too. The two of them just couldn''t stand being away from each other.

    Thursday  November 22

    It wasn''t until Thursday that Damien began to feel even more uneasy with Katherine not being around him. Was she in Harbor City? Or was she even in Esmea? Where the hell was she?

    Earlier that day when he had an hour break, he sent her a text message and even tried to call her but she did not pick up her phone. Compared to the other days, he didn''t hear much from her today and it got him all worked up. She didn''t respond to his text until hourster, and he didn''t see her reply right away, so when he tried contacting her number, she was out of reach.

    He was getting frustrated with all the waiting. He wasn''t usually this clingyokay, maybe he was, but the thought of her being away to god knows where and not knowing what she was doing or whether she was safe at all, was making him anxious. Sure, she would make sure to text him and let him know that she was fine, but that didn''t stop him from worrying about her.

    Felix wasn''t any good either. Damien had sumbed to the temptation and he tried to contact the former. Although Felix wouldn''t answer his calls, Damien would receive a text message soon after:

    [Felix: We''re okay.]

    [Felix: She''s okay.]

    [Felix: Stop worrying. You''re going to get ugly.]

    Thest message ticked him off.

    Damien was sure that Katherine told Felix not to say anything. And for him, not knowing anything felt like hell.

    He had been tempted several times to have her tracked down but he would remember his promise. However, when evening came and he still hadn''t heard from her, Damien snapped.

    Golden Phoenix Residences

    With headphones on, Styles yed Red Dead Redemption on his Xboxat the same time, he munched on some potato chips. "Let''s go rob ourselves a bank!" he said in a Southern drawl attempt.

    He was concentrated on the game he was ying when all of a sudden, the door to his room burst wide open and hit the wall as Damien waltzed inside angrily. Styles jumped up in fright that he had a mini heart attack and his potato chips flew out of the bag.

    "Where is she?!" Damien bit out.

    Styles''s eyes were wide as he looked at the manhe almost shit his pants from that fright. "Shit. You scared the bejeezus out of me!"

    "Where. Is. She?" Damien repeated.

    Styles patted his chest, calming down his heart. He liked King Charming but if this keeps up, he would die early.

    Setting down the bag of chipsor whatever was left in iton the desk, along with his Xbox controller, Styles wiped his fingers with wet wipes and sighed. "You''re not supposed to know. You know that."

    Damien clenched his jaw and the crease on his forehead deepened. "I don''t give a fuck. Just tell me"

    Styles crossed his arms in front of him, waiting for Damien to finish his sentence.

    Sighing, Damien toned down his voice. "Don''t tell me where she is. But can you at least check if she''s somewhere safe?"

    "Turn around."

    "What?"

    "You can''t look at my screen. Turn around."

    Damien reluctantly turned around and Styles did his magic. The tapping of his keyboard stopped and Damien waited but the other didn''t say anything. "Styles?"

    "Huh She''s um... She''s fine."

    "Why did you hesitate?" Damien was about to turn around to look at the screen but before he could do so, his smartphone rangit was Katherine.

    He picked it up right away and heard her voice from the other line as soon as he pressed the receiver to his ear, "Hey, Damien. Sorry, my battery died earlier. I just got back at the hotel. How was your day?" Katherine''s voice was so gentle that it washed away Damien''s worries as soon as he heard her.

    "It was fine How was yours?" Damien''s voice went from angry to soft real quick. He left Styles''s bedroom and continued to talk to Katherine on the phone.

    "Tch," Styles clicked his tongue. "How cruel."

 Chapter 452: Chasing Dreams

    Chapter 452: Chasing Dreams

    Friday  November 23

    It''s been four days since Katherine left for the business trip. And while Damien used to go away for this long or sometimes even longer, he just wasn''t used to her leaving. It wasn''t that he didn''t trust herbecause he knew that she was faithful. However, with everything that''s going on right now, he couldn''t help but worry that Shadow could get to her and he wasn''t around.

    How long was she nning to be away? Damien checked his phone again. He had just gotten out of a meeting thatsted for three hoursand it wasn''t a good one as he ended up scolding his employees for notplying with a deadline. It didn''t happen all the time, and when it did, he would usually be more forgiving. But today just wasn''t his day.

    "Fix it! I want it on my desk noter than six." He got up from his seat and buttoned his coat. Scanning the faces of the people at the table, his eyes were cold and unforgiving.

    The employees gulped and fidgeted in their seats. ''Whoever made their boss angry should be punished,'' they thought.

    "Disappointing," he muttered just before he left the room.

    As soon as he disappeared, the employees deted in their seats. "Mr. Lee" one of them called Markus. "It''s already four p.m. How are we going to fix it by six? We will die!"

    Markus knew that trying to fix the problem could take hours, however, it was the staff''s fault for not finishing on the deadline despite being given enough time. It was just their bad luck that his boss was currently suffering from an illness.

    The illness? Damien was lovesick. ''That was probably it'', Markus thought.

    He took a deep breath and addressed them, "Then you should start working. Time is ticking." And then he left the meeting room.

    CEO''s Office

    Damien just didn''t feel like himself without Katherine. What had he gotten himself into? Why was he like this with her? He felt weak and just constantly pissed.

    When he got to his chair, he slumped and threw his head backward on the back rest. He chuckled and massaged his temple. ''She''s okay. She''s okay. She''s okay,'' he chanted in his head.

    His phone beeped and he quickly checked only to be disappointed that it wasn''t Katherine who sent him a message but a reminder from themittee of the g that the Parks were hosting next week. He sighed and was about to pocket his phone when he thought of sending Katherine a text.

    [Damien: Youing home yet? I''m already a mess and it''s your fault. Bad Kitten.]

    He stared at his message and decided to send another.

    [Damien: I''m okayin case you''re wondering. Please be safe, love.]

    "So whipped," he mumbled to himself.

    Golden Phoenix Residences

    At eight in the evening, Damien arrived at the 61st floorKatherine''s penthouse. It had already been his routine toe by since he was living alone in his ce and hers just had more people in it. He had changed a lot sincehe didn''t like being in a crowded ce and would prefer a quiet room before, but it was different now. With Styles and Amelia around, he actually enjoyed having theirpany.

    Just as he stepped into the living room, his phone rang and he hurriedly went to check. He mumbled a curse when he saw that it was Alianna but he answered anyway. "What?"

    Alianna''s cheerful voice came through the speakers, "Damien! Is Katherine home yet? She''s not picking up and you didn''t answer my text earlier. I want to"

    "No. Stop asking me!"

    "..." Ali was surprised to hear his irritated tone, but she wasn''t going to have it, obviously.

    "Oh my god! Why are you so cranky?! Are you on your period?!"

    Realizing that he just snapped at his cousin, Damien let out a heavy sigh. But he wasn''t in the mood to talk to her. Katherine could call any time and Ali would only keep the line busy. "Yes, I am. Now I need my rest. Bye."

    He put his phone away and his stare darted to the side. He found his mother looking at him with a curious gaze. Feeling silly, he rubbed his nape and walked over to join her on the sofa. "Sorry, bad day at work."

    Amelia had her legs crossed on the sofa with a bowl of popcorn in her hands. She offered the bowl to Damien but he declined the offer. "Would you like something to eat? I can cook for you real quick."

    "No, thanks. I already ate." He took off his coat, tossed it to the side, and rolled up his sleeves. ncing at the TV, he arched his brow when he realized what she was watching. "You like basketball?"

    She nodded enthusiastically. "I like howpetitive it is."

    "I could never tell that you like it" He chuckled. "Dad was into basketball too. Wellhe enjoyed watching it at least."

    "Do you like it? Basketball?" she asked.

    "I don''t hate it I yed it in school too. But I prefer ser and ice hockey."

    "Really? That''s interesting! I''m sure you''re really good at it... Your father told me that when he was younger, he used to y basketball a lot and he was even a varsity yer. He was offered a schrship but he had to turn it down because of your grandpa." She rolled her eyes. "We watch it together sometimes. He even bought us front row tickets to a game between Esmea Wolves and Miami Bobcats." She chuckled and there was a sparkle in her eyes. "That was so much fun"

    Damien knew about his father ying basketball once too but his father only told him that in passing. "You miss him"

    Amelia smiled at her son and turned to face the huge TV screen again. "Your father said he dreamt of owning a team. He wanted to buy Esmea Wolves that didn''t happen"

    "He wanted to franchise a basketball team?" Damien probed and saw his mother nod absent-mindedly before sheined about one yer in the game who just got a foul.

    Just a few days ago, he learned about her being ASLPCrown Resort Group''s angel investor. She basically owned shares of thepany. When he offered to provide her a reputable financial manager, she refused, saying that she didn''t need one as she hadn''t touched a single cent from the investment she made years ago. "I may have put in the money but it''s still yours. Your father and I prepared that ount for you. So whatever that investment earned It''s yours," she told him.

    Damien didn''t feel right after hearing that, but he didn''t know what to say, so he kept quiet and decided to deal with itter. He watched her silently, his eyes darting between his mother and the TV screen. He had been thinking about what to give her without asking her. And after hearing her short story about her and his father, a sudden impulse nagged his heart. He just had to do it. His gut told him to do so.

    Therefore, in the next second, he sent Markus a text message.

    [Damien: Find Esmea Wolves'' current owner. I want to buy out the team. Draft a contract.]

    Putting his phone away, he slightly felt better knowing that when he gets this done, he''d be aplishing one of his father''s dreamsat the same time, he''d be making his mother happyhopefully.

 Chapter 453: The Representative

    Chapter 453: The Representative

    Saturday  November 24 at The OaksCaleb''s Apartment Complex

    At eight in the morning, Caleb and Alianna were at the dining table having breakfast. They wereughing at the show on TV while enjoying their bread and butter with coffee. Their routine had been like this for weeks now since Ali came back to Esmea. She flew back to Italy a couple of weeks ago to ship her things, determined to leave her life there, and be with Caleb.

    She would still stay at the Park mansion about three times a week and at Caleb''s for the other days. She had yet to decide what to do with her career but she had already taken a break and just wanted to enjoy her time here. There were so many things to do and so much stuff to n. But she wasn''t in a hurry. Because now, she was staying for goodfor Caleb.

    The phone on the table made a sound. It was an rm set by Caleb because he needed to leave for CRG in an hour.

    "Aww You''re leaving already?" Alianna pouted. She got off her chair and sat on Caleb''sp facing him. "What can I do to make you stay?"

    He chuckled, cing his hands on her waist and nuzzled his nose on her chin. "I wish I could. But today''s an important day and I have to be there."

    "Ah, that bidding thing? Can''t Damien do it himself? Just stay here, Cay Stay with me," she teased while stroking his broad shoulders and chest.

    "Can''t. He''s been already in such a mood since Katherine left for the trip. He''s like a brooding cat. Quiet but deadly."

    Ali couldn''t help butugh at his statement. "Can''t believe he shouted at mest night. It has only been a few days! I wonder what he would do if Katherine leaves longer than that. He''d probably be running hell by then."

    "Has she gotten back to you?"

    "No" She sighed. "I think she''s really busy. She usually responds to my texts fast but she''s been MIA. Do you think she''sing back today? Where is she anyway?"

    "I have no idea. No one does"

    "Well, I''ll keep texting her then. She should reply some time."

    "Have you told her already?" he asked.

    Alianna shook her head and pursed her lips into a thin line before she said, "I couldn''t get a hold of her And I wanted to tell her in person. I just might have to tell her next week. Hopefully, she won''t be busy."

    "Mm." Caleb raised his chin up, asking for a kiss. "I have to shower quick."

    Alianna granted his request and kissed him deeply. "Me too. I need a quick one." A sly smile formed on her face and he chuckled at her insinuation.

    "Then we have to get going." cing an arm under her legs, he carried her bridal-style towards the bathroom. She squealed in surprise and delight, already loving her Saturday and it was just starting.

    Crown Hotel

    The presentation of the bidding was going to take ce at the Crown Hotel that''s next to the main office building of Crown Resort Group. The huge hall was filled with people. A stage was set up along with rows of chairs for CRG employees who were in charge of the project, including some CRG directors in attendance, and the bidders from different constructionpanies.

    The program was about to start in five minutes but the CEO and the COO were still nowhere in sight. The bidders grew nervous with each passing second and when the double doors to the right of the hall opened, everyone''s heads turned in that direction.

    Damien Park entered with Markus behind him, and a few secondster, Caleb made his entrance.

    Caleb caught up to Damien and nced at him. "You look like you''re about to murder someone. You woke up on the wrong side of the bed today?"

    ''More likeI woke up and still no word from Katherine since yesterday. I didn''t just wake up on the wrong side. I slept in the wrong bed!'' Damien huffed. It was the wrong bed because Katherine wasn''t in it, so this man was sulking.

    He gave Caleb a once over, his eyes zeroed in at the lipstick mark on his neck and his lip twitched, knowing full well how that got there and who gave it to him. "Wipe that lipstick off your neck." His voice was low and cold. "No consideration."

    Caleb''s hand flew to his neck and rubbed Alianna''s lipstick off him. He wanted tough at Damien but he suppressed hisughter because he didn''t want to be his punching bag. ''Seriously Katherine shoulde back already,'' he thought.

    The host for today''s program began the introduction as soon as Damien and Caleb sat on their chairs. The ten bidders had already drawn lotsst week for the order of presentation today so they knew when to get ready. They had already submitted their designs and ns beforehand, but due to the changes made, they were going to present them in front of everyone. Each bidder would be given a maximum of ten minutes to present their designs and they could get creative in their proposal. After which, they would submit their bids to the panel. The results of the bidding would be announcedter in the day after Crown Resort Group''s deliberation.

    Damien had been looking forward to this day so that they could finally move on from this part of the process. However, when he looked at the team of Young Corporation employees several rows away and did not see his Kitten, he looked distracted. He seemed uninterested the whole time as he listened to the presentations of the bidders on stage. Checking his phone for any notifications, he calmed himself down. ''I guess she wouldn''t being home today either,'' he told himself.

    Because they encouraged the bidders to get ''creative'' with their presentations, there were a few bidders who went all out and did some weird dancing and singing like it was some broadway show. It only gave him a headache and he wished that the event would finish faster.

    Young Corporation was thest presenter. He had high hopes for them, but for thest three biddersthe broadway show biddershe had his eyes closed and just let his ears do all the work. He could hear shuffling here and there as Young Corporation set up their stuff on stage, and he waited for them to start.

    Caleb elbowed him on the side and he snapped his head at him with his brows knitted. "What?!"

    "See for yourself," Caleb nodded towards the stage.

    Damienzily dragged his gaze to the stage and saw Price setting up their model design on the table, with the help of his people. Then, a familiar figure caught his attention. She stood next to the huge screen, wearing a very nice dress that he loved on her and looking so beautiful as she smiled at him.

    He straightened on his seat and he would have gotten up and ran to her if Caleb hadn''t stopped him early on. He was helpless, and all he could do was watch her as she picked up the microphone and addressed the audience.

    With a sweet smile, she looked at the VIPs in the front row, and then theirpetitors in the back. "Good morning. My name is Katherine Young and I represent Young Corporation."

 Chapter 454: The Presentation

    Chapter 454: The Presentation

    Breathe in. Breathe out.

    Katherine conditioned herself to get ready to go up on stage while she was still outside of the hall. She had a stack of index cards in her hand that she used to fan her face as she was getting flustered at the thought of being the next one to appear in front of the crowd.

    She never liked crowded ces. She didn''t like appearing in front of so many people and giving a speech. If she could only present in front of Damien, she would do it in a heartbeat. But in front of sixty or so people, her heart was racing. It may not be a lot for others, but more than one is already a lot for her. And now she just had to do thispour her heart and soul like she was meant to do this. She just hoped she wouldn''t make a mistake and make a fool of herself.

    "You''ve practiced enough. You''re going to kill this," Felix said as he handed her a water bottle. He took the stack of index cards from her hand so she could drink properly.

    "Thanks. It''s the first time I''m so nervous like this." She took a sip of the water that cooled down her dry throat. She felt slightly better. She took a deep breath and realized that she was still indeed so nervous. She hadn''t felt like this before, not even when she had SS missions in Shadow. "Damn it, I need to stab someone," she muttered to no one in particr.

    He gave her a strange look, thinking that she had this weird way of releasing her frustration. He shook his head and handed the index cards back to her.

    Katherine looked at the cards for a bit and her hand hovered to take it, however, she curled her fingers inwardly and retracted her hand. "You know what I won''t need that."

    "Are you sure?"

    She nodded, a glint of determination in her eyes. "I know it by heart."

    Dressed in a blush pink off-the-shoulder tea-length pleated balloon skirt, Katherine stood tall and confident on stage in front of the VIPs from Crown Resort Group and theirpetitors.

    When Michael Price gave her the go signal, she smiled sweetly to the audience and started, "Good morning. My name is Katherine Young and I represent Young Corporation."

    "My grandfather, Theodore Young, built thepany from the ground up in his early twenties. With minimal support from his family, he worked hard until Young Corporation became what it is today. Now, we have expertise in engineering, procurement, construction, and project management. We take pride in our work and when we learned about Crown Resort Group''s new project, we knew we just had to take our chances."

    She took a deep breath and her face turned serious. "CRG mirrored how Young Corporation started. It all started from a dreamuntil that dream was turned into a n." The huge screen behind her came to life and everyone could see moving pictures of Bayside ResortDamien''s very first project. It was also the same ce that he met her again after many months of searching only to have her disappear minutestereven after hoping that she would still be there when hees back.

    The next slides showed CRG''s greatest aplishments that made them known nationally and internationally. "Over the past years, CRG experienced challenges and encountered roadblocks. However, the desire to ovee and advance drove them to what they are very much known as nowthe leader in the hotel and resort industry." The next slide showed Young Corporation''s set of greatest aplishments. "Simrly, Young Corporation met failures while we tried to climb higher. However, a decade of trial and error only made us stronger. We endured and we overcame setbacks. And decadester, we still stood strong."

    Katherine''s way of showing how the twopanies were alike reached the VIPs'' hearts. It wasn''t what they expected to see today in a bidding project, but they were reminded of how theirpany started from a small dreamthat despite the challenges they faced, they stood tall and proud and even surpassed that small dream.

    She continued to recount several remarkable achievements of CRG that probably only the VIPs know. All of which she got with her efforts while she was away on the business trip. And they incorporated all that she learned on the short immersion to the model designs that she and Michael Price presented that day. The designs had already been finished weeks ago, but because of her efforts, they were able to amplify it to an even better one. It only goes to show how much they know about CRGand this impressed the VIPs.

    "Young Corporation''s greatest loss was back when a tragedy happened in my family that resulted in the loss of lives. My father was a great man. He was a great CEO. And thepany suffered when he passed away. I may not remember what happened all those years ago... However, it''s already a part of history... howdespite losing its leaderwe continued to strive, function, and excelled. And that''s because Young Corporation is a self-sufficientpany. That even after a great loss at that point in time, we stood, we persevered, and we conquered."

    The audience was enthralled upon hearing Katherine. Her talk about the ounts of failures inspired them. They were moved by how Young Corporation was able to withstand the trials they faced and transcended even afterward.

    For a second, she nced at Damien and met his gaze. She wanted to make sure that he would hear her clearly and understand the rest of what she was about to do.

    Pressing a button on the small remote in her hand, there were several pictures of hotels and establishments that shed on the screen. She saw the change in his expression, and she knew that he was looking at the picture of the Onyx Mountain Hotel on the screena heartwarming surprise for Damien when Katherine mentioned that Young Corporation was behind that project. Then she began, "Someone once told me that to be a king, one has to work like a ve. And for decades, Young Corporation worked hard to achieve and even surpass our goals."

    ncing at Damien again and then at the VIPs, she continued, "We understand Crown Resort Group''s needs and wants. And not only can we support their mission and vision, but we can also provide what otherpanies cannot do," she said in a poised manner. She would have sounded arrogant if she didn''t look and sound like she had the right to do so.

    "Young Corporation isn''t limited only to the U.S. We operate worldwide. We have achieved shrewd acquisitions and effectively delivered high-profile andrge scale infrastructures. We aren''t here only for this project." The next slide showed theirpany''s vision which was quite aligned with Crown Resort Group''s.

    Then, she added, "During CRG''s anniversary, Chairman Park said in his speechand please allow me to quote that." The screen yed a short clip of Damien giving a speech in front of his employees which was also televised locally during that event months ago.

    ~

    <em>"Although Crown Resort Group is fairly new in the real estate business, I believe that just like our hotel and resort chains, we will triumph. And until we find the key to break out and expand internationally for this new venture, we will not be hindered. To sess," said Damien Park in his speech as he raised a ss of champagne.</em>

    <em>~</em>

    Walking towards the middle of the tform, Katherine addressed the VIPs. She lingered on Damien for a beat longer before looking at the others. "Chairman Park, Directors I humblyno, I confidently im that Young Corporation is the key that you are looking for. If you grant us, we would not only promise sess in this current project. If ourpanies work together, we can guarantee that we will triumph. Together, we will grow. Together, we will rise. And Together, we will bring Crown Resort Group worldwide to much greater heights."

    Katherine prayed that Damien understood what she was trying to say. That she wasn''t only here for now. She was here for good. She was going to stay with him for good.

    The hall was silent as they stared at the bold Katherine Young on stage. They were in awe at how she shamelessly promoted theirpany and even promised more sess after this projectas if she was assuming that CRG would readily have more projects with them after this. While most of the bidders were focused on how sessful the project would be if CRG chose theirpany, Young Corporation unabashedly guaranteed international expansion.

    In a room full of people, Katherine looked like she was doing a presentation for the bidding.

    But no. This wasn''t just any simple presentation, was it? In a room full of people, only Damien noticed that what Katherine just proposed wasn''t merely any business scheme. It was more than thatat least for him. Her every word, whenever she spoke, meant something else.

    Damien''s face was unreadable as he gazed at her. This. This was what she prepared for him. His heart pounded in his chest, drumming and kicking against his ribcage like it wanted to get out and break free as the realization hit him. ''Is she Is she doing what I think she''s doing right now?''

 Chapter 455: Be My Onyx

    Chapter 455: Be My Onyx

    Damien''s attention was all on Katherine now. Ever since he saw her on stage, he hadn''t taken his eyes off her.

    He was surprised to see her as they hadn''t talked about the bidding at apart from the fact that she didn''t tell him when she wasing back. It was like a mutual understanding that since they were in apromising situation, it was best not to discuss anything rted to it. Thus, he didn''t know that she would represent Young Corporation. Even though he didn''t expect it, he somehow had a feeling that she would pull something like thisto make sure that everyone would see theirpany''s capabilities. He just didn''t expect that she would blow him away.

    Damien''s heart beat faster the whole time she spoke. And whenever she nced at him, he wished she looked longer. He wanted to run up on stage, almost not caring about the audience anymore. He was definitely going crazy. It had only been five days and he was already like this. Who would have thought that he''d find himself falling head over heelsagainwith the same woman? Caleb better be holding him down securely or he might make a fool of himself and interrupt Katherine''s presentation.

    Seeing that everyone was still stunned at her, Caleb started pping and everyone followed suit. Katherine didn''t garner everyone''s attention only because she was articte and meticulousshe had such a strong presence that could equal Damien''s whenever he was on stage. It was strange yet fitting.

    Damien watched as she handed the microphone over to Michael Price, giving him thest minute to wrap up their presentation. His knees jittered in anticipation and he repeatedly ran his hand through his hair as he couldn''t wait to talk to her.

    After Young Corporation submitted their bidding, Caleb then got on stage to tell the bidders that the panel would deliberate on their presentations and the results would be out in a couple of hours. Meanwhile, the participants could wait in the next room where refreshments and lunch would be served.

    Damien ran a hand across his mouth and jaw, waiting for Caleb to finish his announcement. Katherine was sitting with her teammates several rows away and they could only look at each other quietly at the moment. It was annoying.

    As soon as everyone started getting up, Katherine looked for Damien. She saw him just a few seconds ago but he was no longer where he was seated. Noticing her phone buzz, she checked it and saw his message.

    [My King: Stairwell]

    Not wasting time, she hurriedly walked in her heels and headed to the stairwell to meet him. She rubbed her hands down her skirt when they started to sweat. Did he understand her message? Did she do it properly? Did she miss something? A hundred questions crossed her mind.

    Katherine hastened her pace and soon, she arrived at the end of the hallway. She pushed the fire exit door and as soon as it opened, arge hand grabbed her wrist, dragging her inside and in the next second, she was pinned to the wall.

    Lips crashed hers, arms wrapped around her waist, and a familiar tasty scent enveloped her entire body, then she was kissing back. Her arms went around his neck and she nted her head to deepen their kiss, making their reunion such a bliss.

    "Damien" she whispered when he finally let her breathe.

    "Katherine" he called as he pressed his forehead to hers and cupped her face with his hand.

    She slid her hands down to his chest, her heartbeat still increasing as she started, "I Did you understand"

    "Shh We''ll talk about itter, Love. Be my onyx for a while."

    Softly nodding, Katherine smiled and slipped her arms around his waist. She hugged him tight as if she wanted to suck all his worries awayjust like an onyx.

    "I missed you," she said against his shoulder.

    "Then you shouldn''t have been gone for too long."

    She chuckled at what he said. She had only been away for five days and they barelysted the temporary separation. "But I needed to."

    "Hmmm You were amazing up there, Katherine." He pulled back slightly and looked at her in the eyes. "And I heard you I understand."

    "Really?" Her brows wrinkled.

    Damien''s phone started to ring but he didn''t answer it. "Every single thing. I heard you loud and clear." He kissed her on the lips briefly, punctuating his statement. "We''ll talk again after, I promise."

    When he left for the deliberation, sheposed herself before going back out there. She was flushed and excited at the same time. Soon, Katherine joined the others in the room next to the event hall earlier.

    Heads turned in her direction when she stepped inside and she couldn''t tell what they were thinking about. Did she overdo it during the presentation? Were they about to murder her? She snorted in her thoughts.

    "Ms. Young?"

    She turned her head when two men came to her. "Yes?"

    "We just wanted to congratte you. You were great up there. Your speech was very inspirational," one of them said. "That''s right! I suddenly remembered my father when he started our smallpany. Anyway, we''re rooting for you. Congrattions on your victory!" the other one told her.

    "Oh, but the deliberation isn''t over yet" Katherine nced at their extended hands and felt uneasy.

    "Nonsense. I admit, we sort of judged you when that news came out. But after that presentation, I am now a fan. I have a feeling that you won."

    It was a bizarre feeling but she could only nod and ept their greeting. When the two left, a few others came forward to say the same thing. Now she felt suffocated with the attention.

    The tense and long bidding process was about toe to an end. It had been postponed, resumed, and even embroiled in a scandal. But in an hour or so, it would finally be over. However, as much as she looked forward to the awarding of the bidding, she was more eager to finish what she started with Damien, so she couldn''t wait for this to be over.

    Taking a peek inside her purse, Katherine reached in and her fingers brushed against the luxurious feel of a velvet box that she kept safe inside. Then a sweet smile cast on her lips as she gave it a pat. "Just a little while longer," she muttered.

 Chapter 456: No Hesitations

    Chapter 456: No Hesitations

    Katherine''s heart was frantic before she started her presentation, and when she was up on stage, she was even more nervous but it didn''t show on her expression. She looked calm, prim, and proper. She was elegant with the way she carried herself. And now that they were waiting for the result, she was both excited and anxious.

    The room where all the bidders waited had round tables in the middle while food and drinks were on the sides. When everyone went back to their seats after greeting her, Katherine also headed to where her team was seated but just then, a woman''s voice called her name.

    Turning around, she saw Margaret Hara. "Congrattions," she said with a charming smile on her face.

    Katherine looked at her waiting hand and then returned a sweet smile of her own, ignoring Margaret''s extended hand. "Thank you."

    Knowing who Margaret was after Damien told her, she became cautious around the woman. It was impossible for the other not to know who Katherine was in Damien''s life. Margaret was from Hara Construction, so she should have known about the scandal that happened recently. It made her think that Margaret was doing thismeeting and chatting her upon purpose.

    Margaret retracted her hand and Katherine asked, "Where''s your husband? I want to congratte him too. I''ve watched everyone work hard today... We all deserve the spot." Katherine gauged Margaret''s reaction when she added, "Oh, and aren''t you also from Hara Construction? I should congratte you as well."

    Margaret''s brow twitched but the smile on her face didn''t falter. "Ah, yes Thank you. My husband" She nced at the side as if she was looking for someone. "He was there during the presentations earlier, but he had to step out for a bit. You''ll probably see himter. He''s the one in a blue suit."

    Katherine contained herself when she remembered that Damien was also wearing a blue suit. She didn''t show any changes in her expression as she nced at the people around them. There were others who were also wearing a blue suit. Maybe it''s just a coincidence. "I see Well, I think it''s good that you''re here to support your husband. I''m sure he''s happy that you''re here."

    "He hadn''t seen me yet as he was too busy." Margaret softly chuckled. "But you''re right, I love supporting him. I''m quite protective too..."

    Katherine just couldn''t shake the ominous feeling that she had towards the woman before her. It couldn''t be only because Margaret and Damien had a past. Nevertheless, she put her guards up well around her. "I understand. I''m also protective of mine."

    "Oh, you are?"

    "Mhmm" Katherine nodded, and then very slightly, she leaned closer towards Margaret so that only thetter could hear. Her gaze darkened without even trying as she spoke in almost a hush, "Because if I catch even just a whiff that someone touches my bottom line... I don''t hesitate to go for the kill."

    She swore that she heard a suppressed gasp from Margaret and Katherine softly chuckled as she added, "Figuratively, of course." She backed away at an arm''s length, smiling when she thought to herself, ''And quite literally.''

    Margaret let out a small chuckle as if she was amused by Katherine''s obvious threat. "You are not only smart, Ms. Young, but you are also funny. We should grab a cup of coffee sometime."

    "Thanks for the invite, but I''m not really much of a coffee drinker..."

    Margaret subtly raised a brow and was about to respond when Michael Price came and held Katherine by the elbow.

    "Katherine? It''s starting," he said.

    shing her haughty yet sweet smile, Katherine said, "Have a good day."

    As soon as Katherine left with Michael, the smile that Margaret kept on her face the entire time slippedreced by a dark, menacing stare before she walked out of the room.

    Caleb arrived in front of everyone and stood on the tform. Although they said that they would announce the awarding in a couple of hours, their deliberation onlysted for half an hour.

    Katherine looked from left to right in search of Damien but he was nowhere in sight and it made her uneasy not seeing him. The awarding would be announced and she wanted him to be there.

    Just as Caleb started his introduction, the door to the left opened and Damien entered, joining the other on stage. He stood tall and confident, looking equanimous as he could ever be. He briefly nced at Katherine with a gentle expression before looking at the rest impassively.

    Looking at the crowd, Caleb started, "After deliberating, Crown Resort Group decided to grant the Crown Residences project to our new partner... Young Corporation!" Everyone in the room pped their hands and the result of the bidding was shown on the screen, along with the details of each bidder''s proposals.

    The bidders were impressed to see that Young Corporation''s bidding amount wasn''t that low. Out of the ten, Young Corporation''s amount was ranked ninthwith ten being the highest. They already admired Katherine''s presentation earlier and now that they saw the amount that they had put on the bid, the bidders could only ept the fact that it was a fair judgment.

    Katherine could not exin her joy at that very second. It was a different kind of aplishment for her that she had never experienced before.

    Michael Price''s team was invited up on the stage as Crown Resort Group gave them the award as a winning bidder. Damien and Michael stood next to each other, shaking hands as they posed for a photo op. The twopanies congratted each other on stage and while most of them were busy, the photographer called Damien and Katherine to pose together for a picture, asking them to shake hands. She nced at Damien but he didn''t say anything as he readily obliged the photographer''s request.

    She didn''t know why but she felt butterflies getting crazy in her stomach as she received his hand and posed in front of the camera. It was the first time that their photograph together was taken and would potentially be posted publicly with their consent. She was standing next to the Resort King and was fangirling at the momentshe tried so hard to hide her giddiness. It was such an odd yet a weed feeling. Katherine finally stood next to Damien, and unlike before, she was proud of herself this time.

    Just as the photo was taken, he whispered to her so that only she could hear, "My phone''s ringing, I''ve been expecting this. I''ll see youter." And then he disappeared out of the room.

    Katherine didn''t get the chance to respond but with everyone''s attention on their team, she could only be patient until the end of the announcement.

    The moment that Caleb closed the program, she rushed out of the room to look for Damien. She was like a little girl who couldn''t wait to be praised by a teacher for doing a job well done with homework. ''Where are you, Damien?''

    Reaching the hallway, she didn''t see him at all. Wondering if he had gone to his office, she hastened her pace and went down towards the ground floor of the hotel so she could get to CRG''s building. Her shoes were killing her but she didn''t mind it one bit with her determination growing every time she took a step forward.

    When she reached the ground floor, she did a double-take as she caught sight of his figure in the middle of the lobby. And without caring whoever was around, she called his name, "Damien Maverick Park!!!"

    Heads of the hotel guests and hotel employees turned in her directionincluding Damien who was still on the phone. A radiant and dazzling smile cast her beautiful face as she took steps towards him. It was light at first and then she began to run.

    Damien ended the phone call abruptly just as she pounced into his arms. He caught her by her waist and steadied her, and before he could say anything else, Katherine hooked her arms around his neck and smashed her lips to his.

 Chapter 457: Best Decision

    Chapter 457: Best Decision

    Just before Katherine reached the lobby, Damien was on the phone with someone from The tinum Club. While she was away on the trip, he tried to contact people from the club to find out any information about Deborah Young''s application. Because the club regarded details about applications or the member''s information''s privacy with utmost importance, it was quite difficult for him to get answers.

    He thought about contacting Wace, however, apart from the fact that he didn''t want to be associated with him again, the Whites weren''t part of the council who handles the application, so he doubted he was of any help. It was aborious process, but today, he was expecting some positive feedback. And he was finally getting one.

    "I see. In that case, I will see you"

    "Damien Maverick Park!!!"

    The familiar voice that called him oh so loud interrupted his phone call. Snapping his head to the side, he was surprised to see her run towards him. She looked so overjoyed that he couldn''t help but smile at the sight of her. Damien chuckled as he caught her in his arms. And when she pressed her lips to his, he forgot what he was about to say.

    He forgot where he was.

    He forgot that hotel guests were around them.

    He forgot that his employees were present.

    He forgot that some of the mediawho covered the biddingwere just several meters away.

    But he didn''t forget to kiss her backa long and affectionate kiss.

    His hand slid through her hair and cradled the back of her head as he deepened the kiss. shes from the cameras of the people around them did nothing to their supposedly private moment. The legendary Resort King and the heiress of the Young family just made their rtionship publicvery soon after the awarding was announced. They would definitely see themselves on the headlines.

    The sound of pping and howling were ignored until a minuteter when they finally broke their kiss. With their foreheads pressed, the twoughed at themselves.

    "What was that for?" he asked, his hands holding the sides of her face.

    Bringing her hands to his wrists, she answered, "I I just wanted to."

    "You do know where we are, right?"

    Katherine nodded and slightly leaned back, raising her gaze to meet his. His cheeks became a bit rosy and she could feel that hers were flushed too. With a smile on her face and confidence in her eyes, she told him, "I don''t care anymore, Damien. I''m done hiding. I love you And I want the whole world to know that."

    Gently sweeping her hair back, a gorgeous smile painted his face as he looked back at her. He could sense how happy she was and it was infectious. He had not seen her this happy before. And hearing what she just said caused his heart to ram against his chest. Only Katherine could make him feel like this.

    cing a sweet kiss on her forehead, he took her hand in his. "I feel the same But I''m not ready to share you with the world yet. I''m stingy when ites to you. Let''s go somewhere private."

    Ignoring the calls of the media behind them, Damien and Katherine held hands as they walked through the connecting doorthat was for staff onlyof the hotel and CRG''s main office building.

    The result of the bidding and the footage of the awarding earlier yed through the screens on the walls of the lobby. It was a working Saturday for the main office, so there were employees in the area. And when they spotted their Chairman, they bowed to greet him politely until they noticed him holding Katherine''s hand. Their fingers were inteced together, showing an obvious, mutual action. A lot of them were surprised and some who were friends with Katherine felt giddy when they saw the sight before them.

    As soon as the door to the Chairman and CEO''s office closed, Damien turned around and was about to go in for another kiss when Katherine chuckled and ced a hand on his chest. "You have to let me speak first. I''m going crazy and my chest will explode."

    Heughed with her and leaned his bottom against the back of the sofa. He spread his hands in front of him as he told her, "Okay, I''ll listen."

    She stepped forward, cing herself in between his knees and she brushed the stray strand of his hair away from his face. "I am so bad at this. You make it so hard for me to say what I want to say."

    "Why do you say that? You clearly killed it out there earlier."

    "Because You''re you You''re Damien friggin'' Park. You make me nervous"

    "I make you nervous?" He smirked.

    "You make my knees buckle"

    He pulled her by the waist and his hand traveled south. "Really? Do I make your knees buckle now?"

    Katherine yfully pped the back of his hand and brought it back to her waist. "Be serious!"

    "Okay, okay. I''ll be a good boy now." The grin on his face was so wide that she couldn''t trust what he just said. This sly man was too charming.

    "I''m not kidding, Damien" She sighed. "You''re everything Everything that I could ever ask for and more. I didn''t even know I was looking for you until I found you" Her chest felt full and her throat got thicker by the second, it was getting harder for her to speak.

    Seeing her eyes getting moist, he squeezed her waist as if to give her courage. He didn''t speak. He only looked at her and allowed her to voice out what she had been wanting to tell him.

    Her lips and chin trembled when she pulled the corners of her mouth into a smile. And despite trying to control herself, a tear escaped out of the corner of her eye. "Ever since the night I first met you when you helped me out of the house to save me And all the years after thateven until now I have kept on making horrible horrible mistakes choosing the wrong decisions I''ve be the worst possible version of me."

    Damien wiped her tear with his finger, his thumb stroking her cheek ever so gently. She was so vulnerable yet so strong at the same time right now and his heart throbbed seeing her like this.

    Katherine cupped his face and he slightly turned his head to kiss the palm of her hand. She smiled at the warmth that he transferred to her, giving her the courage to continue. "But you You, Damien You''re the best decision I have ever made."

    Another tear fell from her eye which was followed by another one right after. She quickly wiped her face with her fingers and then reached inside her purse, taking out a piece of white velvet box. Her hand quivered when she held it, so she clutched it firmly, afraid that she would identally let go of it.

    Damien followed her gaze and itnded on the box in her shaky hand. He straightened his back as he watched her carefully open it in front of him. His heart rapidly pounded... and she took his breath away when his eyes fell on the tinum ring with a ck diamond center.

 Chapter 458: Limitless

    Chapter 458: Limitless

    It didn''t go unnoticed by Damien that Katherine was dressed the same on their engagement night months ago. And just like then, she looked regaltruly fitting for her alias: Queen.

    How coincidental it was that Damien was dubbed as the Resort ''King'' while Katherine was known to be ''Queen''; it was as if their fates were really designed for them to be together. And as cheesy it may sound for others, he believed it and he knew that she did too.

    He had no clue that she would propose like thisshe even prepared a ring. Once again, she surprised him. And once again, he couldn''t help but fall in love with her. He didn''t know how it was even possible. It was as if his feelings were limitless.

    Katherine took a deep breath. Her eyes were watery as she started, "Damien You''ve been patient and undeniably understanding. I have always felt that I was never good enough for youwhether in the past or at present. Even until now, I still feel that I am and maybe no matter what I would do, I''d still probably feel that way. Yet you stayed. You stayed by my side despite my imperfections. My darkness. My demons. My absurdity"

    Pursing her lips, she tried to contain her tears as she could feel her heart on her throat and it was getting extremely hard to talk, so she softly chuckled to relieve the pressure. "Me being stubborn and always being a pain in your beautiful ass."

    Damienughed. He was already getting emotional at what she was saying. And Katherine being Katherine, she just had to be unpredictable.

    He took a handkerchief from his pocket and gently patted it on her face. "Love" He didn''t have anything to say. He was overwhelmed, but he wanted to call her that.

    A small smile brightened her face as she continued, "I don''t know what your mom told you or how much you know about what I bbed that night, but I want to tell you myself."

    When he nodded, she began, "The truth is I''m still hurting. I''m hurting for the things that happened to me, to my parents, to you What I did to you And what happened between us. I''m a sinner, Damien. And when my guilt catches up on me, I push it down. That''s all I learned to do over the years. So when I saw that video about my parents telling mereminding me about my happiness, it hurt even more." She blinked and tears streamed down her cheeks. "Because I''ve been cruel to myself And then I end up being cruel to you."

    Seeing her emotional state, Damien wanted to hug her. But he knew better than to interrupt her now that she was trying to bare herself open for him. It was something that didn''te easy for her, so he patiently waited and listened. And his eyes reddened and stung as he did. Oh, how his heart ached.

    "I may still be hurting for so many things and I don''t know when I''ll truly be okay. But as long as you are with me, I am sure I will be. I need you in my life, Damien. You are my lifeline"

    Katherine nced at the ring inside the box. The top cover had a small LED light that illuminated the 3.0 Carat princess cut ck diamond that centered on the tinum ring, nked by two onyx stones presented in a ssy style. The ring held a sophisticated look and reflected Damie''s true character.

    She held his hand as the two of them looked at the beautiful ring, and she said, "This ring reflects how I see you, at the same time that it represents my love for you. We both know what onyx means to us, so there''s two on each side as if to hold the diamond in ce. A ck diamond symbolizes excellence and magnificencelike who you are and what you are to me. It also signifies charismaand I don''t think I need to exin that." She softly chuckled and squeezed his hand.

    Damien smiled down at her and tucked her hair behind her ear.

    "Lastly A ck diamond means eternal and unchanging love. And it''s the perfect embodiment for what I feel for you"

    Then, Damien felt a warmth that radiated throughout his body. His thoughts were too scattered to think straight, making him unable to know what to do when Katherine slowly lowered herself down onto one knee, the blush pink skirt ballooning around her lower half as she steadied herself. And with two hands, she held the white velvet box towards him.

    "Katherine" was all that he could utter.

    "I don''t want us to only have a happy ending, I want us to not end at all. I want to be your ''infinity and beyond''. Just like this diamond, my love for you is limitless. My love will never run out for you. So, Damien Maverick Park Will you grant me the greatest honor to marry you and be your wife?"

    As Katherine knelt down on one knee to propose while Damien remained standing and speechless, the clouds outside parted, and the sun''s gleam shone through the window, casting a warm glow towards the couple. Her eyes brightened with resolve and her expression was soft as she poured her everything to him.

    Damien bent down to her level and sped her hands with hisrge and warm ones. A gorgeous smile painted his lips as he softly nodded and said, "I want the same things that you want, Katherine. You didn''t need to prove yourself. I was momentarily insecure. Let''s forget about the past aches now. It''s time to build our kingdom together. So, yes It will be my greatest honor to marry you and be your husband." Caressing her cheek with his thumb, he cupped her face and leaned in until his lips met hers. "I love you."

    With smiles on their faces, she took out the ring from the box and wore it on the ring finger of his left hand. Her smile widened when it perfectly fit his finger. No one except her knew how difficult it was to get the size right without him realizing it.

    Damien brought her up with him and they hugged. She squealed when he picked her up and spun her around. Then he rained kisses all over her face once he put her down. "God, I missed you so much."

    "I missed you too, Damien" She tiptoed and kissed him again.

    "Ah!" Katherine yelped when he carried her bridal style and marched towards the corner of his office. She giggled as she hooked her arms around his neck. "Where are you taking me?"

    He yfully bit on her arm and grinned. "You''ve just emascted me by doing that proposal. I need to redeem myself."

 Chapter 459: Her Reason

    Chapter 459: Her Reason

    "Aah Mmm"

    Katherine moaned as Damien trailed kisses from her neck down to the base of her throat. The past hour had been blissful, and she felt all of her worries were extinguished. Letting go of everything made her feel lighter and she regretted that she hadn''t done it sooner. But she needed the time Then, she thought that everything happened for a reason. Damien was her reason.

    He rolled off of her, pulled her against his chest, and ced a kiss on her forehead. He was still slightly panting when he pulled the nket up and asked. "So, you were in Florida all along?"

    "Well, I stayed in Bayside for a couple of days. It was easier to ess other ces from there. Then I went further north to your other properties." Katherine shifted and propped on her elbow, an excited smile growing on her lips as she probed, "What did the team say? Did we really win? How did you decide? You didn''t force them to choose me just because"

    Damien yfully pped her thigh before he pulled her leg to rest around his hip and he furrowed his brows. "Did you really think I''d do that?" When she only stared at him, he continued, "I mean I could" And theyughed together. "But I didn''t have to."

    "So, they really liked it? Did you?"

    Nodding softly, he brushed the stray hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ear. She was flushed from the multiple orgasms she just had a couple of minutes ago, and he thought she looked beautiful with the natural glow.

    A smile cast on his face when he answered, "They did. And I think you were amazing up there earlier. You captured my attention as soon as I saw you on stage"

    "Isn''t that a little biased?" She frowned and it made him chuckle.

    "Maybe. But it wasn''t only me who was mesmerized by your eloquence. The panel already had their favorites after seeing the initial proposal and yourpany was on that list. Your presentation was thest push that we needed to have us all convinced that we''d choose Young Corporation."

    Katherine let out a long sigh upon hearing Damien''s exnation. "Ah! Thank god! I was stressing about the presentation for days while we did all the changes to optimize everything else. I wouldn''t know how to face my aunt and grandfather if we lost over that that dancing musical presentation that the others did"

    He ced a hand over his eyes when he remembered those groups. "Sht. Don''t remind me. You have no idea how much I endured to sit there and wait for them to stop. I mean seriously! Did they think that bringing a pet on stage and acting cutely will make them get the project? Would their dancing skills raise my building from the ground? I can''t believe I saw that." He shook his head.

    She couldn''t contain herself and barked out augh. "Well, Caleb did say to get creative"

    "I''d have to call him out on that... But even so, did those representatives have to be that creative?"

    Katherine caught sight of the new ring on Damien''s hand. She adjusted herself so her neck was resting on his upper arm and she could hold his left hand, raising it above her as she marveled on how it looked on him.

    "I love it," he said when he noticed what she was looking at, her fingers brushed over the 3.0 Carat ck diamond on his ring finger.

    "Me too It suits you very much" She turned to face him again and pressed her lips on his. Their kiss tasted even sweeter than it usually did. Has everything changed now that they''ve changed?

    When they broke the kiss, she was reminded of what happened earlier at the Crown Hotel. "I can''t believe I did that in your hotel lobby. Did I really just let everyone see me kissing you?"

    "Not only that, but you also let the media see you pounce on me. You''d be sure to expect to see yourself in the news again," he answered and chuckled when he saw her gulp. "I can have it stopped if you don''t want"

    "No It''s okay, Damien I already told you. I don''t care anymore. I''d want the whole world to know you''re mine."

    He smiled, loving the words that she just said. "I am Always have been, and always will be."

    Just when she nuzzled into his face, she gasped and looked at him. "Wait You were on a phone call and I interrupted it. Was it important? Did I just ruin something?"

    "Right I almost forgot about that. No, it''s okay. It was actually a call from someone I asked about The tinum Club''s membership applications. It was a bit of a challenge to get someone who was willing to give the information but I found hough I need to see them personally to talk about it."

    "Really? Can I go with you?"

    "Sure. I''ll meet that person in a couple of hours outside the city."

    "Then, I''ll go get changed so we can"

    Damien''s phone rang, interrupting their conversation. When he checked the caller''s I.D. and saw that it was Styles, he nced at Katherine and saw her nod. Then, he answered the call and put it on speaker. "What is it?"

    "Umm Bro" Styles''s voice was a little hushed and it confused the couple, their brows knitted as they sat up and hovered over the phone.

    She held Damien''s wrist, slightly pulling the phone near to her. "Styles, where are you?"

    "Oh Good great you''re there too Well, you see, I don''t know how to say this but um"

    "Just spit it out," Damien said.

    Styles cleared his throat but still kept his voice low as he said, "You see Chris is here."

    "Where?"

    "Katherine''s penthouse."

    Katherine and Damien looked at each other, surprised at the sudden information. They had been trying to lure Chris in for the past few days but they didn''t expect him to just show up like that.

    When they didn''t answer, Styles asked, "Are you still there?"

    "We''re here, Styles." Katherine answered at the same time that they quickly got off the bed and began to change. "We''re on our way."

    Styles softly chuckled, but his chuckle sounded a little off. "Great. Can you hurry up? He''s staring at me I''m scared."

 Chapter 460: Threats

    Chapter 460: Threats

    Golden Phoenix Residences

    Katherine and Damien sped towards the penthouse, ignoring all the traffic lights on the way. She knew that Chris wouldn''t hurt Styles, but it didn''t mean that she wouldn''t be worried about them being together. Plus, Amelia was in the penthouse. They couldn''t tell how much they could trust Chris once he''d know that the first rogue agent was there with them, knowing that Parker would never allow Amelia to be alive.

    As they reached the front of the building, they immediately stepped out of the car, and Markus went to park it in the basement. Once the two reached the elevator, Katherine looked at Damien and took his hand in hers. She could see how he was worried and she knew why. "Don''t worry, I''m sure she''s safe," she told him and gave his hand a squeeze.

    He only nodded, his head churning for any possible scenarios.

    Arriving at the 61st floor''s foyer, Damien''s men had surrounded the living room, their firearms drawn and pointing at Chris who wasn''t the least bit afraid as he stood facing the view of the ocean.

    Damien tightened his hold on Katherine''s hand when he saw the man''s back and his brows were knitted as he scanned the living roomhis mother was nowhere in sight.

    "Queen! King Charming!" Styles hurriedly ran over to where the two stood.

    She examined Styles to check if he was hurt anywhere but he didn''t seem like he was. "You okay?"

    Styles nodded as he hugged Katherine, feeling relieved to finally see the two arrive. Back in Shadow, he had thought of Chris as his big brother but the circumstances now were different, and knowing how capable Chris was, Styles was, of course, afraid for his life. He learned basic self-defense and gun handling, but not against people like Chris.

    Meeting Damien''s stare, Styles knew what the other was worried about, so he whispered in a very low tone as they briefly hugged. "She''s at your ce. I already warned her not toe."

    As soon as Damien heard Styles, he exhaled a sigh of relief and nodded, patting him on the back for a ''job well done''.

    Chris turned around and an arrogant smile formed on his face. His gazended on Katherine immediately and he remarked, "I always thought you looked beautiful in that dress. Just like that night"

    Damien''s jaw ticked and his voice became cold. The only other time he thought Katherine wore the dress was during their engagement night months ago. "What is he talking about?"

    Katherine''s eyes were icy as she shot Chris a re. "He was there that night at the L''Empereur Brlent. I saw him outside while I waited for you. He watched us like a stalker."

    Chris chuckled upon hearing her answer and he clicked his tongue. "Nah-uh. I''m no stalker, Katherine. I was only checking up on you," he lied. He remembered that he was almost convinced to tell her everything that night until he saw how happy she looked during the proposal. How could he take her away when she finally looked ted for the first time in so many years that he had known her?

    Not waiting for anyone else to speak, Chris walked towards the sofa, the guns that were pointed at him followed him as he moved. "So, is anyone going to tell me why am I being summoned?"

    Damien took the files from Markus who was standing nearby and whispered so only they could hear, "Tell Felix to go up." Then, Damien headed towards the coffee tablethe only thing separating them from Chrisand tossed the files on it. "We already know who you''re meeting with at Central Harbor Restaurant."

    Chris''s expression hardened when he saw the papers on the table. There were pictures of him and the woman he was meeting withSandra Hughes, a Director of NIA. He didn''t have to pick up the files to double-check, but he wondered how much they knew. He looked at Styles who flinched when he met his eyes and he scoffed. "I missed you in my team, Styles," he said as though he already knew that it was Styles''s doing. "You were one of our best assetsand Queen of course," he added, ncing at Katherine.

    "Don''t change the subject, Chris," she said.

    "Fine. It took you long enough. So, what are you nning to do with this?" he asked.

    "We know you''re hiding something and you don''t want Parker to know. We just don''t know why"

    Chris let out augh, crossing his arms as he looked at Katherine straight in the eyes. "This is one thing that hasn''t changed about you. You''re inquisitive. But I''m sorry to say, Katherine, this is none of your business."

    Mirroring his arrogance, Katherine crossed her arms in front of her, and with a serious expression, she told him, "Maybe not But we need something from you. So unless you give it, we will expose this And I''ll make sure that Parker gets the message."

    Chris scoffed. "And how will you do that? I doubt you guys know where he is." He scanned the faces of the people in front of him. First, Katherine, next Damien, then Styles. "I''m pretty sure none of you have figured out where the new base is. Am I right?"

    "We don''t have to know that to get the message across to Parker," Damien started. "You know who I am, don''t you? Just one flick of my fingers and an articledisguised as a scandal, or a rumor, whatever you want to call itwill be sent live. She''s the wife of Connora prominent businessman in the country. With you in the picture, it may look like it''s just a case of ''infidelity'' to other people But I''m sure when your boss sees it, and I''m sure he will He would know what''s up. Am I right?" A slow sly and dangerous grin painted his face.

    Chris clenched his jaw and his eyes darkened. He was left with no choice and he hated it. Closing his eyes for a brief second, he sighed and reluctantly responded. "Fine."

    All eyes and ears were on him as they waited for his next words. They watched as his expression changed from his confident self to something that Katherine and Styles had never seen on him before.

    Chris ran a hand across his face and revealed, "I have a sister. And Parker has been holding her against me for years."

 Chapter 461: A Sliver of a Chance

    Chapter 461: A Sliver of a Chance

    Everyone''s gazes were locked at Chris. Katherine and Styles exchanged a look and their brows were furrowed in utter bewilderment. As far as they knew, the agents in Shadow were all orphans and had no other family membersand that included Chris. So it was the first time that they heard about him having a sister. And the first time that they saw him with such an indescribable expression on his face.

    "What do you mean you have a sister? You never talked about her," Katherine started.

    "That''s because I thought she died." Chris''s face softened as he looked away, his eyes staring at the vast ocean outside the tall windows. He had a longing gaze that only he knew why and he ufortably rubbed his nape and squeezed it as if it would relieve his uneasiness.

    For Katherine and Styles, he didn''t look like the Chris they knew back then. So perhaps, there was some truth in what he said? But how? Then again, no one really knew a lot about Chris''s past as he didn''t like to talk about himself. They waited until he continued to speak.

    "I was in an orphanage with my little sister for almost a year. One night, the orphanage was caught in a fire and everyone panicked as they tried to fight for their own survival. Since the boys and the girls'' dormitories were separated, I had to fight my way to get to the other side of the building to look for her. I don''t remember much about what happened as it was chaotic. The next thing I knew, I woke up and I was already in the hospital, then I was told that she didn''t survive the incident."

    He ran a hand through his hair, he was clearly frustrated and perturbed about recalling the painful memory. Digging his hands into his pockets, he raised his head and looked at the stars, questions swimming in his head. He hadn''t talked about the incident like this to anyone before. The only people who really knew about his situation was Parker as he was the one who recruited him into Shadow. But it wasn''t a topic for discussion because he didn''t like talking about his dead sister.

    "I was supposed to protect her like a brother should do. In the end, I wasn''t good enough and I failed to even do this simple thing. She was all that I had. I lost her and it was all my fault." Chris softly chuckled at his own failure. He could not believe he was talking about this right now to a group of people whom he had no ns of mentioning his sister to. Yet here he wasactually talking about the painful memory in his past.

    "So" Katherine started carefully, knowing the topic was quite sensitive for Chris. She hated him for everything he had done to her, but she wasn''t heartless. She knew very well how much it hurt when one loses a family member. "How is it possible that Parker is holding your sister against you?"

    Chris cleared his throat and rolled his neck as if he was trying to brush his thoughts away. Turning around, he answered, "Years ago, Parker sent me to a missiona triple S ranked mission, and I turned him down."

    Katherine and Styles exchanged another look. They knew what a triple S mission meant and it was what all the agents were aiming to get. But the chance rarely came by and when it does, not many agents survived. Even so, agents were still determined to get selected. So, hearing Chris telling them that he turned down that mission confused them.

    "What was the mission?" she asked.

    Chris did not meet her stare and his face hardened. "That''s not important and none of your business."

    "So, you turned it down, and what? He threatened you?" Damien asked.

    Chris nced at Damien and responded, "He told me he found my sister. He gave me a ck and white picture of a woman who looked exactly how I thought my sister would look if she had grown."

    "And you believed him?" Styles wondered.

    "Wouldn''t you?" Chris shot him a re. "He knew exactly what buttons to push, knowing full well what would make me tick. You both know how maniptive and cruel Parker is. And he makes sure he gets what he wants no matter what. So even if I knew that he could be lying, there''s a chance that he was telling the truth. If there''s a sliver of a chance that she''s alive, I wouldn''t risk that on ount of my sister. Even if it meant I had to do his dirty job."

    He was right. If Parker knew that Chris was longing for his sister, he could easily y that card to control him.

    Katherine didn''t know what to do about this new information. She was seeing a different side of Chris for the first time. "How did he even find your sister? What happened then?"

    "Parker knew that I wasn''t totally convinced that my sister was dead because I didn''t see her corpse. There were dozens of kids who died that night up to a point that none of them could be identified anymore. She could have been one of those." Chris sighed and briefly closed his eyes before he added, "He said he had kept tabs about that night since I told him the moment I came to Shadow that if there were any possibilities of my sister being alive, I would find her. Long story short, Parker apparently found traces of her."

    "And he kept using it against you" she muttered and saw Chris slightly nod. "How does the NIA fit in all this?"

    "She found meSandra Hughes. I don''t know how, but she knew everything about Shadow and all its ndestine operations. She wanted me to work under her. At first, I turned her down. What could NIA do for me when I''ve been with Shadow all along?"

    "What changed?"

    "Parker gave me another triple S mission. And I" Chris''s words trailed off when a particr memory crossed his mind. "I couldn''t handle it anymore. That''s when I came to her. In exchange for intel, she''d help me look for my sister."

    Katherine studied his expression, wondering what he was thinking about just now. Trying to gauge his reaction, she asked, "And did they find her?"

    Everyone was drawn to hearing Chris''s answer. The room was still and quiet as he thought about how to answer her question when his phone rang and Parker''s name shed on his phone screen.

 Chapter 462: Shes Not Alone Anymore

    Chapter 462: She''s Not Alone Anymore

    The ringing of Chris''s phone was the only sound in the living room. With his phone in his hand, he looked up to see that everyone''s attention was on him. "I have to take this. It''s Parker."

    Just before he pressed the answer button, Damien cocked a gun with a silencer, and with both hands, he pointed it at Chrisas if Damien''s men who had their guns pointed at him wasn''t enough.

    "Put it on speaker. Don''t say anything reckless," said Damien and he released the safety of the handgun. "You know I won''t hesitate to shoot you the second time Ask your leg."

    The devilish smirk on Damien''s face told Chris that he wasn''t kidding. The former already shot him once, so he most definitely could do it again.

    Without any dy, Chris pressed the answer button on the screen and put the call on speaker. "Parker," he said.

    "Agent Hawk, where are you?"

    Hearing Parker''s tone made him think that something was off. He didn''t know what it was yet, but his gut was telling him that something was about to happen. He carefully answered in the most natural way that he could, "I''m following a lead on that assignment you gave me a few days ago. Do you need anything?"

    "Wherever you are, reroute. I need you back at Castle asap."

    "Is everything okay?"

    "Yes, but I have a mission for you. TS. And it''s urgent. How soon can youe?"

    Chris closed his eyes briefly. It''s another Triple S mission. And it''s the second time this monthand the first one was just a week apart. He suppressed a curse, and his reaction didn''t go unnoticed by the three who were watching his every move. At the moment, Chris didn''t care about them. He had a facade as he spoke to Parker in order not to reveal anything about his whereabouts. "In a couple of hours. I''m on my way," he answered.

    "Mm. I''ll wait," Parker said, and the line went dead.

    Chris stared at his phone screen again, the short call reying in his head over and over. There was just something about that phone call that he couldn''t quite ce his finger on it. What was Parker up to?

    "You''re not going anywhere," Damien spoke with his gun still pointed at Chris.

    Dragging his gaze to Damien, Chris scoffed and pocketed his phone. "Katherine, tell your boyfriend to put his toy down."

    "Fianc," Damien corrected, a glint shing in his eyes as he showed his left hand, proudly showing the engagement ring that Katherine gave him earlier while his right hand still held the gun that he pointed at Chris.

    Chris zeroed in on the ring with a huge ck diamond on Damien''s finger, then he scoffed as he nced at her.

    "Oh my god! Really?" Styles gasped, his ted expression said it all. "You''re officially going to be my brother-inw now? I''m sure your moaw!"

    Katherine elbowed Styles on the side for bbing and almost mentioning Amelia in front of Chris. When she shot him a look, he shut up right away, biting his lip when he realized what he just did.

    Then, she turned to face Chris and told him, "We can''t let you go unless you give us Castle''s coordinates."

    Chris chuckled at what he heard, shaking his head and scratching his temple. "You need to back off, Katherine. I can''t have you spoiling my ns."

    "I''m not spoiling any of your ns. As much as I want to end your life, I don''t care about what your extracurricr activities are. I''m after Parker," she answered. ''And bringing down Shadow, of course.'' It''s one of their main goals.

    "It''s not that easy to take down Parker. You of all people should know that. Remember when you bombed the base five years ago? It only scratched him. You have to do better than that, sweetheart."

    Damien''s jaw clenched, wishing he could shut Chris up using the gun in his hand. His finger was near the trigger and he was itching to squeeze it.

    "That''s no longer any of your concern what I do, Chris. You lost that privilege the moment you betrayed me." Katherine''s eyes were aze and her expression darkened as she looked at the man in front of them. "Besides, I knew my mistake back then. And I''m not doing that again."

    "She''s not alone anymore," Damien punctuated her statement, and she held his hand to show that they were a united front.

    Chris couldn''t help but chuckle. "Cute. You''re still too naive, Katherine."

    She held out her palm and Styles gave her his tablet. Holding it up towards Chris, she pulled the corners of her mouth into a sly grin and said, "Last chance, Hawk. Only one click and this goes live."

    From where Chris was standing, he could see the ready-made article that Damien was talking about earlier. It indeed looked like an article from a gossip column involving him and a married woman whose husband was a public figure. It was something that the citizens could feast on for days, but it was certainly a factor that would lead Parker to order a canction for him. Parker already suspected a mole in Shadow. And this article was enough to throw him into the sharks.

    Letting out a sigh, he gave in and dictated the coordinates to Styles who was able to pull up the location in a few seconds.

    "Seriously? You''ve been there this whole time?" Styles questioned, his brows knitted as he studied the new Castle on his tablet. "A financial firm building? In the middle of a busy city? How bold How truly bold. I have no words."

    "Check it, Styles. Make sure it''s legit," Katherine said.

    When Styles gave them the thumbs up, Chris only smiled and did not say anything else.

    "We''ll be watching you from now on, Chris. Make a mistake and this one goes to Parker."

    "I''d be dead either way, my dear. But not after I''m done with everything." Buttoning his suit coat, he started walking leisurely towards the exit with his hands in his pockets. "I''d like to stay and chat with you fes, but duty calls."

    They watched as Chris left the penthouse and Styles was still in awe as he asked, "We''re really just going to let him walk away like that? Did you believe him?"

    "I don''t think he was lying. Didn''t you see him earlier? For the first time in years, that was the most honest moment that I''ve seen him. He won''t do anything stupid. The important thing is, we already have Castle''s location," she replied.

    Damien received a phone call and he talked on the phone for a few seconds before he held Katherine''s elbow and told her, "We need to go."

    Nodding, she headed to her bedroom. "I''ll quickly change out of this. Give me two minutes."

    "Styles," Damien walked towards Styles and gave him instructions. "Stay at my ce for now while we''re out. We won''t be out long, but for the meantime, go over the specifics with everyone. We''ll be back in a couple of hours and meet you all there."

    "Got it!"

    When Styles was already by the door, Damien caught up and asked, "Oh, and Can you check on her for me?"

    Styles nodded and smiled, "Of course."

 Chapter 463: The Platinum Clubs Standards

    Chapter 463: The tinum Club''s Standards

    As Damien and Katherine headed towards the elevator, she held him by the arm and asked, "Do you want to check on your mom first? We can go up for a few minutes if you like?"

    He softly nodded and smiled, sliding her hand to his as he led her inside the elevator car. "It''s okay, I already called and we''ll see themter. Markus, Felix, Styles, and the rest of the Alpha Team are already there. We don''t have much time if we want to beat the traffic."

    "Where is this man we''re meeting?"

    "He''s on the outskirts of the city. I suggested we meet in my office earlier but he refused. He said he didn''t want to risk any issues being raised if someone sees that I''m meeting a council member privately. For his and my sake."

    "I see They seem very strict."

    "Mm." He looked at her, taking in that she had changed into casual jeans and in white shirt under a leather jacket.

    "You don''t like what I''m wearing?"

    "It''s not that... I''ll always love whatever you wear. But I really liked that dress on you." He kissed the top of her head just as they reached the lobby.

    "I''ll wear it again for you in the future then." Her face brightened as she smiled and looked up at him.

    "I''d like that." He liked the sound of that. "Alright. Let''s go."

    They drove using Damien''s Range Rover towards the meeting ce just outside of Harbor City. Almost an hourter, they arrived in front of a small restaurant that''s facing the coast. There weren''t a lot of people and the area was clean too. Alighting the car after they parked, Damien studied the exterior of the building. He had passed by this road before but it was the first time that he had noticed the restaurant.

    "Is he here?" Katherine wondered.

    "Yes, I think he''s inside. Come," he took her hand and they entered the restaurant.

    As soon as they stepped in, they felt like they were in a different country. The outside looked so unassuming, but the interior had a strong Japanese theme going on. They looked at each other, both bewildered but also intrigued by it.

    From a distance, a man waved his hand at them. Damien nodded and they walked over. "Mr. Gu, thank you for meeting us. This is my fiance, Katherine Young."

    "Of course, it''s a pleasure finally meeting you, Ms. Young," said Mr. Gu.

    "The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Gu." Katherine shook hands with the man. She didn''t expect that they would be meeting someone much older. Mr. Gu looked like he was of the same age as her grandfather.

    When they were seated, Mr. Gu offered them to order anything they''d like but the two only ordered drinksa cup of warm water for Damien and hot chocte for Katherine.

    "Sorry to trouble you for going out all the way here," Mr. Gu started. "The truth is, I didn''t mind for myself as I am already old, but Mr. Park has a ster reputation in the club. I don''t want you to have trouble in the future. So, it is best that we keep this meeting off the books as it is against the rules to meet like this in private unless it is an official club rted businesswhich is always recordedand well, this is unrecorded."

    "Wow I didn''t know the club was this strict" Katherine muttered before taking a sip of her hot choco.

    Mr. Gu softlyughed. "You are definitely a spitting image of your mother, Ms. Katherine. Even the way you speak reminds me of her."

    She was taken aback when she heard the words, her hand paused mid-air and she exchanged looks with Damien. "You knew my mom?" she asked, carefully putting down the cup.

    "Of course. Not only your mom, but I knew your father and especially your grandparents as they have always been part of the club way back its foundation days. However, your grandfather had long stopped attending any social events."

    "I didn''t know that." She subconsciously touched Damien''s hand under the table and he readily held hers. It was always surprising for Katherine to meet people who knew her parents now that she''s back. "Mr. Gu Don''t worry, I may be a new member, but I don''t take this lightly. I can assure you that no one else will know that we''re meeting here today."

    "I trust you. The only reason why I''m doing this is because I knew your parents. I don''t know how much of a secret this file is inside. But, this is why the council rejected Deborah''s application." Mr. Gu took out a medium-sized brown envelope and slid it towards them. "Keep it. Open it when you''re already in the car. I''ll leave you young ones first. Enjoy the rest of your day."

    And with that, Mr. Gu left after they exchanged ''thank yous''. Then, Damien inserted the envelope in his inner coat pocket and turned to Katherine. "Are you okay?"

    "Yeah I just found it a little I don''t know I''m a bit nervous. I don''t know what to expect," she answered. They sat there for a few more minutes before they decided to leave.

    Once they got inside the car, he handed the envelope to her. And without much dy, she tore the seal and emptied the contents. In it were photocopies of the original files that were probably kept in an archive somewhere. Carefully, they studied the papers one by one, seeing several application letters of Deborah Young. However, there were no ''response'' letters. They couldn''t tell if they sent one out to her aunt, but there weren''t any among the files.

    "I don''t get it" she muttered.

    "Katherine" he called, his hand holding a photocopied file of an official registration document.

    "What is it?"

    She received the file from him and her gaze focused on the letterhead of the file and then the name of her aunt written in bold. "Oh, my god Damien Aunt Deborah''s adopted."

    "Yeah Now I get it" He was also surprised to see the information, but everything made sense to him now.

    "What do you mean?"

    He met her stare and he began to exin, "You see, the club upholds strict rules. It is important for the council to maintain the club''s status. Remember I told you that having money to pay for the membership fees wasn''t enough to get an applicant in? The council does a background check on each applicant to make sure that the members really came from the upper ss. And I''m talking about old money families; those with wealth that''s been handed from generation to generation, but they take considerations for political leaders."

    "You''re saying that my aunt got rejected because she was adopted and not rted to my grandfather by blood? Even if she grew up in wealth?"

    Damien nodded. "The council believes that there''s no amount of wealth that would make an individual be a member of the upper ss because one must be born into an upper-ss family apart from having been raised in such a mannerthat of an upper ss."

    "Huh" She slumped into the backrest. "And Aunt Deb wasn''t born as a Young She''s adopted" she muttered.

    "Katherine" he called.

    Recently, they had been talking about Frederick possibly being responsible for Lawrence''s death. She had been to many missions in Shadow in the pastsiblings killing each other or sons that were after their father''s power that they nned horrible things were no longer a shock in the organizationeven the authorities would always consider family members as suspects. Her eyes went wide and she snapped her head to Damien, meeting his gaze that seemed as though he just realized the same thing. "Damien What if She My parents'' deaths What if she had something to do with it?"

    She didn''t want to think like so, but there was a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach that made her ask. Squeezing her hand, he looked at her in the eye and he knew that she was too emotional right now to be thinking straight. "We don''t know anything yet. For now, we''ll go home and figure out what we need to do. I promise you, we''ll get to the bottom of this."

    Nodding her head, she allowed herself to be pulled into his embrace and she was so d he was there with her.

    Golden Phoenix Residences

    Katherine and Damien were headed to the elevator after parking their car in the basement when they noticed a sound of shallow breathing nearby.

    "Damien." She squeezed his hand when she caught sight of a pool of bright red liquid on the floor several feet away.

    They contemted before carefully walking towards it, then they heard a groan. Just then, Chris pushed himself up to lean on a wall. He looked beaten up, pale, and his shirt was soaked in blood, his hand pressing against his side.

    His eyeszily looked up at them as he breathlessly spoke, "I didn''t know where else to go"

 Chapter 464: Get Rid of the Body

    Chapter 464: Get Rid of the Body

    Seeing Chris on the ground all bloody, ck and blue with bruises, and pale as a ghost was very unexpected. Katherine and Damien stared at him, wondering what the hell happened when they just saw him not long ago. Half of Chris''s body leaned against a wall and his lower half sprawled against the ground, his hand pressing the wound on his right side.

    They were shocked and couldn''t decide right away whether they should help him or not. It could be a trap and they surely weren''t ready for any surprises or whatever they were about to face.

    It was Damien who got over the shock first and did the rational thing he could think of. "I''ll call an ambnce," he said as he was already dialing 911 on the phone when he heard Chris speak.

    "No. No hospitals. Parker" He grimaced and groaned, and the couple exchanged looks when they heard him mention Parker''s name.

    "911. What''s your emergency?" An operator came on the speaker from Damien''s phone. Upon hearing Chris''s statement, he quickly went to inform the operator, "Sorry, there''s no emergency. I dialed by mistake." Then, he ended the call.

    "What did you say?" Katherine probed at Chris.

    "Parker has men swarming all over the city I can''tArgggh!" He groaned once again.

    "What do you mean? Parker did this to you?"

    When Chris cried out in pain again, she turned to the man next to her, "Damien"

    "We can''t take him upstairs," he said, and she knew why they couldn''t. It was too risky and they did not know what was going on yet.

    "So, what do we do? We can''t just leave him there" she muttered, ncing over Chris who was getting paler by the second. He must be losing a lot of blood.

    Damien tapped his phone several times and spoke as soon as the receiver picked up, "Meet me at the east entrance of Hillcrest now." Ending the call, he turned to Katherine and told her, "First, let''s get him inside the car."

    She nodded and without any more dy, they went over to Chris and helped him up from the ground. She was thankful that she had changed out of the dress when her own clothes now had his blood on them.

    "Isn''t... Hillcrest hospital?" Chris asked in between breaths as Katherine and Damien assisted him towards the car. Each step he took was agonizing because apart from the wound on his right, he also had one on his left leg. "Ngnnnh No Hospitals" he said under gritted teeth.

    Damien was not having any of Chris. He was already pissed at the fact that he came back and now they were helping him. "Shut up or I''ll leave you on the streets to die. Don''t tempt me."

    Chris wasn''t afraid to die. Not really. However, he didn''t want it to happen yet as he still had some unfinished businessone being able to find his sister and second would be to make things right for Katherine. He already knew he could no longer redeem himself but he wished that before he would truly leave this world, he''d at least make sure that he was able to do something good for her even if she would never forgive him after everything that he had done.

    Katherine and Damien managed to get Chris at the backseat of the Range Rover where he leaned on the backrest. She climbed on the passenger''s seat and Damien drove them to Hillcrest Hospital. He sped through the traffic, maneuvering along the length of the busy road and ignoring the traffic lights. Despite loathing Chris, he couldn''t have him die on the way.

    "Why did Parker send his men to get you?" Katherine asked.

    "Not not just his men, Katherine" Chris answered. "He sent the Vertex."

    Hearing the term, she snapped her head towards Chris, her eyes growing wide as the thought registered in her brain. "Why? Why would he send them to you?"

    "What''s the Vertex?" Damien questioned.

    Katherine was still in shock but she replied, "It''s a team of assassins. The best of the best among the agents in Shadow. They''re an elite team of three members. Everyone aimed to be part of this team as they would get almost all of the highly ranked missions But the only way to be one is if one of them dies or is canceled."

    A small smile spread across Chris''s face when he added, "And Katherine was a candidate to rece any one of them who would be out ofmission. It was only a matter of time until she decided to bomb the base."

    Hearing all this information, Damien nced at Katherine who met his curious stare, thinking about how she was back when she was still in Shadow.

    At one point, she did aim to be one of the Vertex. She didn''t want to remember her days in Shadow at the moment, so she faced Chris again and repeated, "Why did Parker send Vertex to you? Did he find out about what you were doing?"

    "Are you worried about me?" Chris smiled and coughed then his eyes closed as he mumbled, "I knew you don''t really hate me"

    Katherine frowned and Damien nced at him through the rearview mirror. The man still had the audacity to joke at this point while he was in such a condition.

    "Don''t get me wrong. I only want you to live so I can kill you myself," she said.

    Chrisughed in response, but hisugh was forced and he coughed harshly. The next second, he fainted and fell sideways to the cushion.

    "Damien" she called upon seeing the unconscious Chris.

    Then, Damien floored the gas pedal and the vehicle zoomed past the road.

    Katherine unbuckled her seatbelt and climbed to the backseat of the car to check on Chris. "He''s still breathing, but his pulse is very weak." She removed the scarf that was on her neck and pressed it onto his wound, putting pressure on it.

    Damien nced at the rearview mirror again and said,"We''re almost there."

    Soon, the Hillcrest Hospital sign was visible through the windshield, and he headed towards the east entrance where he asked Jeffrey Evans to meet him. Luckily, Jeffrey was still in the hospital and Damien could see him standing by a post, donned in his whiteb gown, waiting for them. The Range Rover screeched to a stop in front of Jeffrey.

    "Why did you want to meet me here? Is everything okay?" Jeffrey asked.

    Damien swiftly got out of the car with his engine still on. He rounded the vehicle and opened the door to the back seat, then he told his friend, "Jeff, I need your help."

    Jeffrey, who still had no idea what was going on, saw the blood on Damien''s clothes. "What happened?" He watched the other step aside after opening the back seat, revealing Katherine with a man next to her who was unconscious and had blood all over. He widened his eyes as his mind ran wild at the possibility of what was happening in front of him.

    Without taking his eyes off the bloody sight, Jeffrey blurted, "Sht. Who is that? Is he dead?! Do you need my help to get rid of his body? Is that why you''re here?"

 Chapter 465: A Taxing Day

    Chapter 465: A Taxing Day

    Without warning, heavy rain poured down from the dark sky followed by a sh of lightning and a growl of thunder.

    Damien and Jeffrey each took an arm and put it around their neck as they tried to carry Chris under the harsh condition. Thetter was bloody and lifeless, his feet being dragged against the already muddy ground and leaving a track of blood. Katherine was muddle-headed as she watched the scene in front of her. Today was supposed to be a really good day for her and Damien. How did it suddenly turn out like this?

    "Fck he''s heavy," Jeffrey muttered under gritted teeth.

    Katherine overtook the men, hurriedly grabbed the wheelchair near the entrance, and brought it over to them. Almost instantly, the men dropped Chris''s body into the wheelchair.

    The east entrance was mainly for VIPsboard of directors or shareholderswhich is almost always empty. Luckily, there were only a few people at the moment, and from the entrance to the elevator, it was a very short trip.

    As they made their way towards the 7th floor, Jeffrey called someone on the phone. Katherine thought that he must be calling another doctor because as far as she knew, he was a neurologist, so he didn''t perform surgeries.

    She didn''t realize she had been clutching her top when she felt Damien touch her hand and held it. When he looked up at him, he softened his gaze and told her, "He''s gonna be okay."

    Was she worried? She couldn''t tell. With so much hatred she felt for Chris, she didn''t know if she was capable of still caring for him. So, seeing that he was in this state, she had mixed emotionswanting to kill him for revenge and wanting for him to not lose his life.

    "I just want all of this to be over, Damien," she said and he squeezed her hand.

    Soon, they arrived in a VIP room and had moved Chris onto a bed. Damien and Katherine stood to the side and watched Jeffrey as he started to cut Chris''s clothes to have better ess to his wounds. Just then, the door opened and a ck-haired woman in dark blue scrubs walked in with her eyes on her smartphone. Katherine recognized her from the auctionst weekthedy whom Jeffrey was with.

    "Jeff, I have a six-hour surgery in a few hours. Can we have sexter instead? I need my legs and arms in top condition. Why did you"

    The woman looked up and saw that they weren''t alone in the room and that there was a pale-looking, bloody human on the bed. Her mouth hung open and she blinked a few times before she managed to blurt out, "Oh my god Please tell me you''re not into this kind of thing. Because if you are, I''m out."

    "Jess, I need your help," said Jeffrey, his hand pressing against Chris''s abdomen.

    Ignoring Katherine and Damien, the woman stared at Jeffrey for a few seconds before she pocketed her phone and tied her ink nk hair up into a tight bun as she strode to his side. As she went closer, Katherine read the nametag on the left of her chest that said: Dr. Jessamine Roberts  Neurosurgeon.

    "What have you gotten yourself into? You owe me a lifetime of fancy dinners." The female doctor sighed after checking Chris''s condition and ran back to the door. "I''ll go grab some supplies. Perform an IV while I''m gone. I''ll be back real quick."

    Katherine and Damien exchanged looks. They didn''t have to say anything to know what the other was thinkingfor the female doctor to not question Jeffrey any more than she did and was ready to help, the two seemed to have a deep rtionship.

    Later, the other doctor came back and started treating Chris''s wounds. "His wounds aren''t deep, but he lost so much blood. We need a transfusion."

    "He''s AB negative," said Jeff as he held a small device in his hand. "How are we going to get that?!"

    Dr. Roberts met Jeff''s stare as they thought of how they would be able to ess the blood storage. Performing the treatment there was already a risk they were taking and stealing blood from the hospital was another thing.

    Just then, Damien stepped forward and spoke with an unreadable expression, "You can take mine. I''m AB negative."

    Katherine''s heart throbbed upon hearing what he said. Damien was willing to give his blood even to Chris. The two have the same blood typeboth simr and also very different. She didn''t understand what she was feeling, so she could only call his name, "Damien"

    He turned to face her and only smiled as he already started taking off his suit coat and rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt. Behind them, Jeffrey began to prepare for the tools they needed. She received his coat and felt his lips press on her forehead before he turned on his heel and allowed Jeffrey to start the transfusion.

    A few hourster, Katherine and Damien had already changed into a new set of clothes. Having been awake for more than thirty hours, she could no longer keep her eyes open, so she slept on the sofa with her head resting on hisp. There was a small bandage on his arm from the blood transfusion earlier.

    Meanwhile, Chris was already stable and was resting on the bed. The Beta Team had also arrived and was guarding the door. And Damien worked with a tablet in his hand while Markus went over some documents with him.

    A soft groan caught their attention and they turned their heads to the bed to see Chris waking up. Thetter tried to get up but his whole body ached and he noticed that he was handcuffed to the bed rails. "Wh" he murmured inaudible sounds.

    Damien put his tablet to the side and observed Chris, waiting for him to realize where he was and who else was in the room. When Chris turned his head to the side and caught Damien''s intense stare, he narrowed his eyes.

    Damien didn''t speak and he watched as Chris attempted to get up again and tried to wiggle his restrained wrist. "I need to leave," Chris said, his voice was weak and hoarse.

    "You''re not going anywhere," Damien responded in a low voice in order not to wake Katherine up.

    "Sht. Uncuff me."

    "Why?"

    "I need to go now."

    "Why?"

    Letting out an exhausted sigh, Chris answered, "I I think Parker''s going to go after my sister. I have to get to her before he does."

 Chapter 466: Mr. Bacon

    Chapter 466: Mr. Bacon

    Hillcrest HospitalVIP Room

    Examining Chris''s expression, Damien could see how desperate he looked. However, it still didn''t change the fact that he detested the man.

    In a low yet cold tone, he asked, "You know where your sister is?"

    Chris did not respond. He sighed and seemed as though he was in deep thought. Damien could only guess that the other didn''t know where his sister was.

    Katherine shifted in her ce and Damien carefully fixed the nket on her, making sure she was covered with it to her neck. Then, he ced his arm over her, his hand gently stroking her arm as if coaxing her to continue sleeping. A momentter, he continued, "I guess not. So how exactly are you going to find herand in that condition?"

    Chris nced at him, his face was hard and his stare was intense, but he remained quiet while Damien added, "Let''s say you do manage to find her. Then what? You show up and tell her about your existence? How do you think that''s going to work out for you two?"

    Katherine was slightly groggy as her sleep got interrupted. And when she noticed the voices around her, she could make out who was talking and what was happening. Realizing that Chris was already awake, she fluttered her eyes open. Her brain was still somewhat fuzzy as she tried to push herself up, the nket fell around her waist as she did.

    Looking at the man on the hospital bed, she met his helpless gaze. Chris wasn''t a fool, however, she knew and understood that because of his unstable emotions at the moment, he couldn''t think straight which could lead to him acting on impulseshe knew this because she was the same.

    "You''ll only be endangering her if you go to her." She sighed. "I don''t know much about what''s really going on with you now. But you''re smart, Chris. And Parker had already used her against you in the past, so I''m sure he already thought about the possibility of you looking for her. My guess is that he''s just waiting for when you appear wherever your sister is."

    Lowering his head, Chris closed his eyes, letting Katherine''s words sink in. Somehow, he already knew that. But because he was running out of chances, that was the only thing he could think of. Everything else didn''t matter anymore. Even going to Golden Phoenix Residences wasn''t his first option but because of his situation, he didn''t have any other choice at that moment. And the next thing he knew, he was already headed there.

    While Chris was lost in his thoughts, the door opened, and in came Styles. The two exchanged looks, thetter offering a hesitant smile to the other as he made way to sit next to Katherine. "Styles" he muttered.

    Not long after, a woman in a white coat came inside, along with Jeffrey Evans. She had a chart in her hands as she walked towards the hospital bed and asked without looking up, "Alright, Mr. Bacon, is it?"

    "What?" Chris''s brows furrowed upon hearing the name and he nced in the sofa''s direction where the others were.

    This time, the female doctor looked up and probed, "That''s your name, isn''t it?" She flipped through the papers on her hand and read the name on the form.

    "Mister... Chris P. Bacon" Her voice trailed off when the realization hit her.

    Then, Styles and Katherine chortledeven Damien, Jeffrey, and Markus couldn''t help but stifle augh.

    "Oh, this is gold" added the female doctor, a smile brightening up her face. "I''m sorry, I don''t mean toI shouldn''t" And she chuckled.

    Chris''s face darkened as he red at the two whom he thought was responsible for this ridiculous nameStyles and Katherine.

    The information on the form wasn''t recorded in the hospital officially as they couldn''t risk having this incident on file, thinking that Shadow could check hospitals to look for Chris. However, Styles got bored earlier and thought he should fill one in while they waited for Chris to wake up.

    Styles held his stomach as heughed. "Hey, she had a say in this too, okay? Not only me." He jerked his thumb to Katherine. She shrugged, looking so nonchnt as she muttered, "Styles filled in the form. If you don''t like your name, you should write the forms yourself."

    "Anyway" the female doctor chimed in. "Mr. ChrisI''ll just call you that. I''m Dr. Jessamine Roberts. I''m a neurosurgeon, but I was the one who stitched you up earlier." She went to check on the bandages and the regtion of the IV, ignoring the handcuffs on the patient. "Your wounds weren''t very deep. I got the bullet out and was able to stop the bleeding on your leg and theceration on your right lumbar region. Luckily, the cut wasn''t deep. But you lost a lot of blood, so we did a transfusion. You should thank Mr. Park He saved your life."

    Chris turned his head towards Damien and his eyes immediately fell on the small bandage on the other''s arm. He didn''t know what to feel about what he just learned.

    "Thanks, Jess." Damien slowly got up and shook hands with her then turned to Jeffrey. "Jeff, we need to discharge."

    Jeffrey slightly creased his brow. "He needs to rest, bro. You can''t move him."

    "We can''t stay here any longer. Besides, the procedure from earlier was unrecorded. So, it''s best if we leave."

    Jessamine nodded without hesitation. "I suggest you do."

    "You''re kicking my friends out?" Jeffrey raised a brow.

    Sighing, Jessamine turned to face Jeffrey and as gently as she could, she reasoned with him. "I''m a brain surgeon, Jeff, and I''m not supposed to perform any unauthorized procedures like this. The longer they stay, the riskier it isnot just for mefor you and for everyone else in this room."

    Getting up from the sofa, Katherine joined Damien and nodded. "It''s okay, Jeff. We''ll be okay."

    "Fine." Jeffrey shook his head and reluctantly said, "I''ll take care of the prescription."

    Jessamine turned to Katherine and extended her hand. "I don''t believe we''ve met yet, but I think I saw you at the auctionst time. I''m Jessamine."

    Katherine curled her mouth into a smile and shook hands with her. "Yes, it''s nice to meet you. I''m Katherine." Then she nced at Jeffrey. I like her already, Jeff. "You definitely owe her more than fancy dinners."

    Several minutes past midnight...

    Chris looked at Katherine and said, "I need to call someone."

    "Who?" she asked.

    "Director Hughes. She needs to know that I''ve beenpromised."

    Katherine and Damien exchanged looks and thetter nodded. Then, Styles handed her a burner cell phone, which she brought towards the hospital bed, and handed it over to Chris. He received the phone but before she let go of it, she questioned, "Is she Your sister Is she the reason why you felt the need to keep protecting me before?"

    Chris held her gazecuriosity was written all over her face as she waited for his answer. He clenched his jaw, refusing to respond to her question. So he looked away and took the phone from her, then immediately dialed a phone number.

    While Chris was on the phone, Markus came inside the room and whispered something to Damien. Thetter signaled his men and walked towards Katherine. Damien held her by the elbow and told her, "There''s a suspicious activity going around the city. We''re suspecting it''s Shadow, looking for him." Damien nodded his head towards Chris.

    Nodding, she became instantly alert and replied, "Then we need to leave now."

 Chapter 467: By All Means, Slice His Throat.

    Chapter 467: By All Means, Slice His Throat.

    Damien ordered his men to assist Chris and get him to their car outside. Chris''s stitches were still fresh and he shouldn''t be moving in order for him to heal, but due to their circumstances, he had to. The anesthesia given to him during the procedure was slowly wearing off and every move he made was painful.

    Chris''s body had gone through physical trauma the past weeks when Damien shot him and earlier today when the Vertex came to hunt him down, so he had more than the usual injuries his body was used to. If he hadn''t taken years of training from Shadow, he had probably already died in a ditch somewhere.

    In the elevator that was going down to the basement parking were Katherine, Damien, and Chris, surrounded by Beta Team. As soon as they stepped out, they headed towards the Range Rover with Markus in the driver''s seat. Chris and one of the men from the team got inside the backseat and Katherine was also about to get in when she noticed some movements behind her.

    Turning around, she saw a tall figure in the shadows a few meters away. At this time, Katherine and Damien stood next to each other and the rest of the Beta Team surrounded them. In an instant, everyone was on guardthe men drew their guns, Damien was in a defensive position while shielding Katherine with his body as she swiftly pulled out the pair of "God of Death" knives that were concealed around her waist; she spun them a couple of times before gripping them with her hands, the sharp des glinting under the light from the ceilingmps.

    The man wore a ck tactical outfit and a ck cap that covered his face while he kept his head down. They cautiously waited as he slowly walked towards them, anticipating his next move.

    "No guns. We can''t alert the police," Damien reminded his men in a low voice. And as if he already knew that the woman beside him was itching to move, he could only warn in a whisper, "Be careful."

    A tiny smirk formed on her lips as she acknowledged his words and responded, "Always am, Love." And she dashed forward towards the mysterious man.

    Noticing the movements, the man quickened his steps, lifted his feet up the air sideways in session, and kicked the wall, then his right leg went straight towards Katherine''s head.

    She ducked just in time that his foot went past above her head, avoiding his kick. If she had bent down a secondter, she could have twisted her neck and gotten injured.

    The man was quick as he sent another kick her way, in which she blocked with her lower leg. The same movements went on a couple more times, making Katherine instantly on the defensive mode. She gritted her teeth when every blow seemed to be heavier than the previous one.

    "Argh!" she grunted, releasing the tension in her own body and became aggressive with her movements. The next second, the tables have turned and she was now on the offense. The des in her hand were swiped up, down, left, rightall while she advanced forward. The opponent ducked and shifted his weight to avoid her harsh attacks. Katherine managed tond a punch on his side, the steel knuckle hitting his ribcage, causing him to stumble to the side.

    Damien, whose entire body was aze, could only watch the scene unfolding before him. He had so badly wanted to give a hand but if he interfered now, it could only endanger her more. All he could do was wait for an opening before he could make any move. He was slightly relieved when he saw hernd a blow, but his heart kept racing every second as he painfully waited.

    However, the man recovered fast and was back on his feet so soon. Just as Katherine was about to sh him with the de, he caught her wrists and gripped them tightly. Then, he lifted his chin up to meet her gaze, and uttered with a smirk, "I knew it. Wee back, Agent Queen."

    Katherine was taken aback when she realized that it was none other than Gus. Caught off-guard, she fell back when he kicked her off him. Holding his nameThe Gazellewith honor, he speedily dove towards her, tackling her to the ground. "It''s been a long time. Missed me?" he goaded.

    She struggled as he held her down until she managed to move one de towards his neck, but his grip flew to her wrist just before she could graze him and had pinned her other hand with his. "I''m no longer an Agent," she bit out under gritted teeth as she tried to push the de towards his throat.

    He scoffed. "You and your knives."

    "Stop!" Chris''s weak but assertive tone rang in the area as he got off the vehicle.

    Gus raised his head immediately upon hearing Chris''s voice, giving Katherine the chance to flip them and switched their positions. She was now looming over his huge frame with the sharp de of her knife almost a centimeter away from the carotid artery in his neck. "What about me and my knives?" she mocked, a wicked grin slowly forming on her face.

    "Katherine," Chris called. "It''s okay, we can trust him."

    "I don''t believe that. He kidnapped me." She glowered. "Friggin'' starved me the whole afternoon."

    Chris turned rigid and his eyes fell at Gus. "You did what?"

    "Parker''s orders," the other answered.

    Sighing, Chris shifted his gaze to Katherine and said, "Queen, disengage."

    She couldn''t let go of Gus, unsure if they could really trust this man, and Damien felt the same way. Thetter could barely be in the same room as Chris and it''s only because they needed him that Damien was willing to take the other in. And now, there was another man? He didn''t like the idea.

    Dragging an angry stare at Chris, Damien questioned, "Are you positive that he''s not a threat?"

    "Yes," Chris answered in an instant.

    Damien studied Chris''s eyes and he could only hope that he was not about to make a mistake. "Katherine," he called as he slowly approached her. "Let him go."

    "But"

    He ced a hand on her shoulder and reassured her, "Let him go for now. But as soon as he bes suspiciousby all means, slice his throat."

    With a huff, she withdrew her knife and got up. Then, without warning, she harshly stomped on his hand that was still on the ground. He groaned in pain and cursed. In an annoyed tone, she spat, "That''s not enough for what you did to me, asshole."

    Gus couldn''tin. He totally deserved it. Clutching his hand with the other, he got to his feet and turned to Chris who gave him a brief brotherly hug.

    "I''m sorry, I couldn''t warn you ahead of time. I only knew when Parker had already dispatched the three," said Gus.

    "I know..."

    "Parker sent more agents to search for you. He knows you''re injured, so they''re checking out hospitals."

    "How did you know where I was?"

    Gus nced at Katherine and Damien behind Chris and muttered, "Lucky guess." Just then, he brought his hand up to his left ear and he froze for a second as he listened to some voices through hisms. He stiffened when he looked up and told Chris, "A couple of agents are already here. We need to leave. Now."

    Taking heed of Gus''s warning, Damien ordered his men and soon, their team was out and away from the hospital.

 Chapter 468: Old and New

    Chapter 468: Old and New

    Damien took his chances in trusting the two men from Shadow who were now sitting in his car. He sat in the middle of the backseat, sandwiched between the two men while letting Katherine take the front seat. He would have never thought this was how their day would gonot especially after she proposed to him earlier in the day.

    The two men ruined it for him and he couldn''t help but count their sins in his head. To his left was Chriswhose very existence just made his blood boil. He was the man who took Katherine away that night many years ago. The same man who put her in Shadow and the same man who wiped out her memories.

    When Damien convinced himself to set aside his hatred towards Chris temporarily, he had already anticipated that he''d have to exercise restraint. However, he hadn''t expected it would be this difficult. Would it have been easier for him if he took advantage of the situation and ended Chris''s life right here, right now? It would have been, but it wouldn''t be the best choice.

    And the same goes for the man to his rightGuswho kidnapped Katherine right under his nose. The nerve of this man. Damien didn''t want to trust him too much so when they boarded the car, he had Gus handcuffed to the handle bar on the roof of the car.

    Damien stopped her from killing Gus earlier, but now, he was carefully considering if he should have just let her. Letting out a small sigh, he slightly turned his head to the right and asked, "What did you do with that video you took that day?"

    Gus didn''t have to probe to know what Damien was talking about, but before he could answer, Chris''s perceptiveness took ce and he questioned, "What video?"

    Having met hundreds of people in his life, Gus had experienced and felt different types of aura. However, it was the first time that he had encountered one like Damien''s. Gus could easily say that Parker was a daunting man, but Damienespecially at this momentwas entirely different. He couldn''t tell what it was, but he was definitely wary of the other.

    Turning his head to Chris, Gus answered, "Parker wanted to see how Queen was, so he asked me to film it when I" He cleared his throat. "When I took her away."

    "Sick, bastard," Chris mumbled to himself when he thought of Parker. "And?"

    "What did he say?" Chris and Damien asked in unison.

    ncing at the two men, Gus shook his head. "Nothing."

    "Nothing?" Damien cocked a brow. "What do you mean ''nothing''?"

    "What do you want me to say?!"

    "Gus," Chris called. "How did he react when he watched it?"

    Gus squeezed his eyes shut for a few seconds and briefly narrated the scene when he came back to Castle to report to Parker. "I told him what happenedhow I captured and then filmed her while she was tied up. He watched the whole video up until it was cut off when they came to rescue her. He was quiet the entire time he watched the whole thing. No emotions. Noments. Nothing. And then he sent me off, concluding the mission. That''s all."

    Damien and Chris''s brows knitted as they listened to Gus''s exnation. Even Katherine, who was silently listening to their conversation, found it odd that Parker didn''t say anything. She expected Parker to either catch her in the lie or believe it and then be vocal about his thoughts. But hearing that he didn''t say anything at all only made it even more worrisome. They couldn''t know what that man was thinking!

    She wanted to stay quiet because she was still pissed at the thought of Gus being there and she hadn''t really gotten back at him for abducting her. But after hearing what he said, she couldn''t help but raise her thoughts, "Is that all? Or are you hiding something? Why should we believe that that''s all that happened? For all I know, you''re still probably doing his bidding. You''re a great liar."

    Gus furrowed his brows. "Oh, yeah? Am I as good as you though?"

    Katherine snapped her head around and red at Gus. She had almost forgotten how he made her skin crawl. What an annoying person.

    "Probably not, but that doesn''t change the fact that I still don''t believe you," she bit out and Gus stifled a chuckle.

    "You still haven''t changed," he remarked.

    Seeing the two interact, a crease formed on Damien''s forehead. He didn''t like the thought of Katherine and Gus having anything in the past even if it was just rivalry. Brushing that aside, he could only hope that Parker believed what they wanted him to believe. Because at the moment, they still needed more time.

    Damien and Katherine had decided to house Chris in her old, empty apartment as they couldn''t let him stay where Amelia was. So while they waited for him to wake up in the hospital, Damien''s men prepared the ce.

    When they arrived, they saw Styles working on his monsterptop with two men from the Beta Team guarding him from behind. Damien and Katherine, along with the rest of the team, stood at the entrance as they watched how quickly he worked on hisputer.

    Styles noticed their arrival but he kept his eyes on his monitor as he wiped out any traces of them as they entered and left the hospital. And just as he finished, he let out a long sigh and muttered, "Man, I could use some Ben & Jerry''s cookie dough ice cream." He stretched his arms up and turned to Noah. "I know you want some too, I''ll give you a scoop if you buy it for me."

    Noah scoffed and mumbled under his breath, "Stingy. At least make it three."

    "Ha! Why, you"

    "What the fck?" Gus cursed. "Styles? You''re alive?! How?"

    Styles snapped his head towards the man''s direction, and he knitted his brows at him. "I don''t die easily, you dckhead."

    Gus felt nostalgic seeing his old team togetherKatherine, Styles, and their mentor, Chris. He hadn''t really thought about it before but being in the same room as them for the first time in many years, he had never felt this normafortable even. It was as if he was ''home''. Softly chuckling, he responded with a sharp yet amused tone, "Nerd."

 Chapter 469: A Willing Party

    Chapter 469: A Willing Party

    "Do you really trust this guy?" Styles scoffed.

    He was already a bit apprehensive about having Chris around them, and now another one added to their worries. At first, their initial n was only to use Chris to find Castle''s new location, and possibly extract more information. But after Chris dropped by at Katherine''s penthouse earlier that day and revealed to them about his situation, their ns had changed.

    There was no telling whether they would all be working together from now onespecially since he couldn''t be so sure about Gus yet, but as far as he could see in the futureif Chris and Gus were to join their small team, he could only hope that they would have a bigger chance in taking down Shadow.

    But were they really enough? Among the five of them who came from Shadowincluding Ameliaonly four of them were highly trained inbat as his skill was focused on technology. Then they had Damien who had resources and could possibly also fight, given his background with the Parks. However, only time could really tell their sess in going against Parker and taking down Shadowan organizationposed of power and highly trained assassins.

    "He''s going to stay restrained," Damien answered and wordlessly nodded at his men who already knew what to do. They brought Gus to the corner of the room and tied him up securely.

    Feeling a sudden bump on his shoulder, he snapped his head to the right and noticed Katherine''s pale face and her shallow breathing. She squinted her eyes and then fluttered them close as she tried to regain her bnce when her legs became weak. Damien immediately held her upright, his arms going around her waist to steady her. "What''s wrong?" he asked in a worried tone.

    "I''m so tired," she managed to utter. She had been awake for more than thirty hours before she had the chance to close her eyes and take a rest. She was able to get some shut-eye in the hospital, but that wasn''t really enough. And then she got worked up in the basement as she fought with Gus. It had been about twenty minutes since then and her adrenaline rush just wore outnow she was suffering from the effects of it.

    Realizing what was happening to her, Damien decided to get her home. Without any hesitation, he picked her up in his arms and she instantly clung onto him, her eyes already closing as she rested her head on his shoulder. Facing his men, he left some orders, telling some of them to stay on guard here while the rest would go back with them to Golden Phoenix Residences.

    Before he could turn to the door, Chris called his attention. Damien looked at the other with an impassive expression on his face and waited for what he had to say.

    "Earlier, the doctor said that you" Chris''s voice trailed off and he sighed. "I just want to say thank you."

    Damien took his time to respond and when he did, he kept his voice cold. "Don''t get me wrong. I still want you dead for everything you did, so don''t think that you have redeemed yourself. I only gave you my blood because of Katherine. If you''re really thankful, you should start thinking about how you''re going to repay meand the only way I''ll ept it is if it keeps her safe. And that means taking down your beloved Shadow."

    With that, he turned and left, leaving Chris standing on the same spot for a long time as he thought about a lot of things.

    Damien still had Katherine in his arms as they got settled inside the Range Rover and headed home. With her eyes still closed, she raised her head and pressed her lips onto his cheek. "Thank you I love you," she whispered. He tightened his hold on her and kissed the side of her forehead. "You can sleep now. We''ll be home soon."

    Golden Phoenix Residences

    Damien went straight to his penthouse, carrying the sleeping Katherine bridal style. As soon as he walked in the foyer, his mother went to greet him, but Amelia hushed when she saw that Katherine was asleep. The mother and son exchanged small smiles, then he brought her up to his room andid her down to sleep.

    Later, he came back down and found his mother, Styles, and Felix in the kitchen. They were discussing the events from earlier that day regarding Chris and Gus. Because Felix was already aware of what was going on, Styles and Amelia filled him in about other stuff that he needed to know about Shadow and the two men who were staying at Katherine''s old apartment.

    "Congrattions on your engagement," Amelia greeted as soon as Damien appeared, gently brushing his upper arm as her way of expressing her good wishes before taking the initiative to pull him in for an embrace.

    He felt genuinely happy with her greeting and he returned her hug as he said, "Thanks."

    "Styles," he called when they pulled away. "So? Do you think it''s possible?"

    "What''s possible?" Amelia probed.

    "I was asking him earlier if he could hack into Shadow''s database."

    "I mean I could," Styles answered. "Of course, I totally could. But, it will be risky. If the one who reced me in the tech team is as good as mewhich I don''t really believe that, I mean Who else could be as good as me?" He rolled his eyes.

    Ignoring the stare that he got from the three pairs of eyes, he continued, "If that''s the case, then they would know right away and that could put us all in danger. However, although I don''t want to risk doing it remotely, we''ll have a better chance of sess if we can get someone from the inside to nt a device for me."

    "Someone from the inside?" Felix questioned. "But they''re all enemies Even if there was a willing party, who in the world would be so brazen to do that?"

    "Well" Styles squinted his eyes as though he was trying to gauge their reaction. "We do know someone who can do that. I''m just not sure if he''s willing or brazen enough to do thator that if you guys would even be up for it. Because I don''t know if you trust him."

    Even while Styles was still exining, Damien already knew who he was talking about. "You''re talking about that Agent."

    "Yup," Styles confirmed, popping the letter P at the end, and nodded his head slowly. "Agent Gus. He''s the only one whom I think could pull it off."

 Chapter 470: How Their Day Was Supposed to End

    Chapter 470: How Their Day Was Supposed to End

    Damien checked the time on his watch as he pushed the door open to his bedroomit was almost two in the morning, and Katherine wasn''t in his bed where he left her earlier. His brows instantly knitted and he scanned the room for traces of her but found nothing. "Katherine?" he called upon entering and closing the door behind him.

    Just as he headed to the bathroom, she stepped out of it with nothing but a towel on, her hair was still damp that small droplets of water wet her shoulders. "Hi" she smiled.

    "What are you doing up? You should be sleeping." He approached her and his gaze lingered on her exposed skinthe fold of the towel sat above her cleavage.

    "I suddenly felt ufortable, so I took a cold shower"

    Sighing, he grabbed a small towel from the bathroom behind her and started to gently dry her hair. "It''s almost winter. You shouldn''t be taking cold showers at this time. You''ll get sick."

    "I needed one. I had to clear my head."

    "Everything okay? Is something bothering you?" he asked.

    Katherine looked down. She was indeed bothered about something and she hesitated whether to tell him or not. "It was a long day And I was expecting and nning to take you out on a date afterward but well things happened."

    Damien''s hand stilled as he stared at her. She formed a small smile, took the towel from his hands, and entered the walk-in closet. She had stayed in his ce several times already, so she knew where to find his t-shirts. Taking one from the top of the pile in his drawer, she was about to grab a pair of undies that she kept there when all of a sudden, his arms went around her waist and his chin rested on her moist shoulder.

    She froze in ce, waiting for him to say something but he was only quiet. "The towel is wet" she told him, turning her head to the side where his head was. However, instead of pulling away, he tightened his embrace, not even caring that he was getting wet. Seeing that he had no ns on pulling away, she rxed and leaned against him.

    "You''re tired" he whispered.

    "I slept for a good hour, I think"

    "No I mean You''re tired from everything that''s going on with you, aren''t you?"

    Katherine did not expect that he would see right through her. And she couldn''t tell if she was happy that he did. Was she so transparent? Or was he really just that good at reading her?

    When she didn''t answer, he added, "I know you are. You don''t have to hide it. I get it And I want all of this to be over just like you do."

    Turning around to face him, she looked at him straight in the eye. "I just want to stop worrying about everything around us. Is it selfish of me that I actually wish not to do anything else but just constantly take care of you? Because that''s what I want to do, Damien. I want to take care of you every day without having to worry that tomorrow, we''d both probably get shot at out of nowherewhat with Shadow still operating and all."

    Damien softlyughed at her statement. It''s definitely something she would saysweet with a hint of fun or thriller. "I know what you''re trying to say. I feel the same way, Love. I want to take care of you and spoil you every day for the rest of our lives. And we will have that. I promise you."

    "It''s just too hard right now" she sighed and sadly smiled. "Every single day feels like a lifetime. It had only been about a month since I came back, yet so many things had happened already. It''s exhausting. I just can''t wait for it to be over."

    "We''ll get there. And when we do, we''ll look back to this day and say that it''s all worth it."

    Katherine nodded, "We''ll be okay, right, Damien?"

    He tipped her chin with his fingers, leaned in and captured her lips, kissing her ever so gently. "Baby, as long as we''re together, we''ll be okay. Don''t ever forget that."

    "Okay"

    "We''re in a silent war at the momentwith possibly not only one enemy. These things take time, so we have to be patient. We can''t risk moving ahead blindly or we''ll lose even before we knew what hit us. We have to be smarter I''m sure you know that already."

    "Mm... It''s more important to out-think your enemy than to outfight him."

    Damien smiled and nodded. "Sun Tzu," he said the name of the Chinese strategist whom she just quoted.

    "I can''t wait, Damien. So I''m really praying that the odds would be in our favor."

    "Don''t worry. After all this, we can go on dates wherever you want to go."

    "Promise?"

    "With all my heart." He kissed her again, his hands sliding up to her breasts. "But for now, we''ll just have to make use of our bed for our dates." And he pulled the towel off herthe fluffy white cotton falling to the floor, around her feet.

    Pressing her naked body against him, she hooked her arms around his neck and deepened their kiss. She allowed him to move her backward until her bottom touched the cold ind counter in the middle of the room. Her fingers fumbled the buttons of his dress shirt and peeled it off him.

    In haste, Damien removed his pants along with his boxer briefs until they both stood bare in front of each other. "On second thought, we could first make use of this counter right here," he said just as he hoisted her up on the counter and spread her legs apart as he settled in between her thighs.

    "You can take me anywhere you want in this room. I''m all yours" She pulled him closer, her legs wrapping around his waist as she pressed her lips to his. She moaned when the roof of his erection poked her already wet entrance.

    Trailing kisses on the side of her neck, he slightly pushed her backward so that she was nted on top of the counter and he was hovering over her.

    "I want to hear you scream my name," he whispered against her skin just before he pushed himself inside her.

    "Ah! Damien!" Katherine clutched his shoulders. He hadn''t even moved yet but she could already feel herself reaching her climax. This was how their day was supposed to endor maybe they had just started?

 Chapter 471: Hottest Billionaire Bachelor Is off the Market

    Chapter 471: Hottest Billionaire Bachelor Is off the Market

    SundayNovember 25

    Katherine came down to the main floor of Damien''s penthouse at eight in the morning after her bath. She didn''t get much sleepst night too after he loved her repeatedlyshe didn''t know how many more ''redemption'' he had to make in order to ''redeem'' himself from being ''emascted'' as he said.

    Entering the kitchen, she found Damien, Amelia, Styles, Markus, and Felix. They were preparing for their breakfastwell, Felix and Amelia wereand the rest sat at the table as they all conversed about random stuff.

    She went to make herself a cup of hot chocte, passing by Damien on the way where she kissed him on the forehead.

    "Katherine," he started as he watched her grab a mug from the cab. "What can you say about this Gus guy." She briefly paused and nced at him, not sure what kind of answer he wanted to hear when he rified, "Can we trust him?"

    Pouring hot water into her cup, she pondered on his question and considered it before she answered. "If you''re talking about asking him to double-cross Shadow I cannot be so sure. It had been almost six years since I hadst seen him, so I can''t only base my assessment from those times. He is a great agent though... very skilled but as for where his loyalty lies I''m positive it''s with Chris because the two were like brothers. However" She softly shrugged. "Anything can happen in thest six years."

    "Chris seemed to trust him a lot though," Styles chimed in.

    "You''re right. So I''m not sure. Do you trust him, Styles?" she wondered.

    Styles was munching on some crackers as he thought about his answer. "Well I always thought he was a bit obnoxious, especially since he has a thing for you"

    The moment he said those words, five pairs of eyes snapped in his directionmost of them were only curious, but not Damien''s and Katherine''s as theirs held a dangerous intent. Styles painfully swallowed a huge chunk of unchewed cracker when he felt the couple''s re pierce through his skinhe swore he might have just scraped his throat. "I only think he has a thing for you I could be wrong I''m speaking nonsense, don''t mind me."

    Katherine shook her head and continued to make her hot chocte as she ignored Styles''s remark. And like the possessive man that he was, Damien went to her side as if to im his stake; kissing her temple, and snaking an arm around her waist.

    Styles grimaced at the sight. Now he didn''t only fear Damien but also Katherine? He couldn''t even joke anymorejeez these people. He sighed. "Anyway As I was saying, I think he''s a bit obnoxious, but if Chris trusts him, then I think we could. I mean We do trust Chris now, right?"

    Everyone in the kitchen exchanged looks and went silent. It was clear that they still had some reservations regarding Chris and were still unsure about how much they could trust him. And until they could be a hundred and one percent sure, they had to keep Amelia hidden from his viewor their situation would only get worse if Parker finds this out.

    While they were setting the table, Stylesughed as he read something on his tablet.

    "What''s gotten you so chirpy today?" Amelia questioned.

    Stillughing, he handed the tablet to Amelia and said, "There''s this online journalist who wrote about Katherine''s public affair yesterday. Hermoine Speaks or Whispers was it? Her article is hrious."

    Curious, Amelia checked the screen and read thest parts of the article:

    ~

    As seen on the image bursts, it''s clear as crystal that our long lost heiresswho looked absolutely stunning in her dress BTWappeared to be so lovestruck!

    I mean look at the way she ran towards our hottest billionaire bachelor and thennded a long, passionate kiss! And I have to say, the two looked cute together.

    Will we hear wedding bells soon? If that''s the case, then we can kiss our dream guy goodbye,dies. He''s off the market!

    Catch you on the flip side.

    Yours truly,

    Hermoine Whispers.

    ~

    After reading that short part, everyone looked at Katherine and Damien whose faces were slightly flushed from all the attention they were getting. Their phones had been going off since morning and they knew that it was because of yesterday''s event. So they decided to put them in silent mode and only allowed important calls to go through.

    "Gosh, do I really look like one?" Katherine asked in almost a hush.

    "Like what?" Damien probed.

    Styles chuckled. "Looking so in love as she ran towards our hottest billionaire bachelor."

    She rolled her eyes at the way Styles said it. "Ugh. But yeah, Do I look like one? How does one even look in love?"

    All eyes were now trained on her. She looked radiant and genuinely happy. Damien gazed at her and he could see the way she looked at himlike a kitten who got all the cream and then some.

    Just then, her smartphone rang. Since the ring wasn''t silenced, it only meant that it was from an important person. Checking her screen, she saw that it was her aunt. Her finger hovered over the green button as her emotions from yesterday came flooding back to her. Finding out that Deborah Young was adopted was definitely shocking for her, however, it wasn''t what made her feel so uneasy. It''s that, even though she didn''t know the truth yet, she had already started to suspect that Deborah might have something to do with her parents'' death.

    She pressed on the screen and slid her finger to the right to answer the call. "Hello?"

    "Katherine dear" Deborah greeted. "I would like to invite you and Damien for lunch todaya pre-celebration victory for winning the bid. It''s only going to be us just likest week. Shall I expect you toe home, so I can tell Father about it?"

    Katherine clenched her jaw. After knowing the information about her aunt''s identity yesterday, she wasn''t sure how to act around her anymore. This could be the reason why she didn''t feelpletely at ease with her aunt. She felt the need to be even more cautious. At the same time, she thought that it was a great idea to be close to her. If Deborah was indeed connected to the incident, then she was an enemyand enemies needed to be kept on a tight leash.

    Pulling the corners of her mouth up into a smile, she responded, "Of course, Aunt Deb. That would be lovely."

    "Wonderful! I''ll see you then."

    Then, Katherine''s eyes turned dark as she uttered her reply, "I can''t wait."

 Chapter 472: Double Celebration

    Chapter 472: Double Celebration

    Katherine and Damien were on their way to the Young Mansion. This time, he had one of his men from the Delta Team drive the car for them. She sat quietly with him in the backseat of his Range Rover as he made some calls on the way. He had been busier than ever and was working even on Sundays. She had asked him about this and he told her that he was working on something important and that he''ll only be busy in the initial phase before he could delegate more tasks to his people.

    Since she had worked for him in the past, she knew how hectic his schedule was, but she hadn''t seen him this busy yet. Sometimes, she thought of offering to be his secretary againat least for the days when he had a lot going on.

    A sudden thought came to her as soon as he finished hisst call, so she faced him and started, "You haven''t told me what you found out about the titles that Amelia found in your uncle''s drawer."

    He was checking on some files on his tablet when she spoke. Then, he shut it off and put it aside, at the same time that he removed his eyesses. "I had them checked. Some of it was my father''s when he was still alive. Most of his properties were transferred to my name and some were donated, but othersespecially those that he hadn''t included in his willwhat with him passing away so suddenly I''m not sure. I was a teen when he passed and I didn''t know a lot about that stuff then. Uncle Fred took care of everything else after the will reading."

    "I see So your uncle transferred those properties to his name?"

    He nodded. "He did... On the day of the burial."

    "That That seems very shady" Katherine muttered. She leaned closer, held his hand, and leaned her head on his shoulder. "Whatever it is, Damien I''ll be with you every step of the way. We all are."

    "Mm." He kissed the top of her head and squeezed her hand in his. "Me too," he said, knowing that they were about to meet her family, and that her suspicion about her aunt was growing.

    Young Mansion

    The Range Rover entered the Young Estate and pulled to a stop in front of the mansion''s entrance. Damien stepped out first and assisted Katherine as she alighted the vehicle.

    Grandfather Theo, Deborah, and Caroline Young stood by the stairs with some servants behind them, waiting for the couple''s arrival. The two had been there a lottely and though Deborah told her that it was a family asion onlyjust like what she said thest time, the mansion and the preparation looked more grand every time.

    "Grandpa" Katherine embraced her grandfather, in which he reciprocated with his own, "Pumpkin, wee home."

    "You look very happy today, Grandpa," shemented. "The smile suits you very well."

    "Is that so? Well, it''s because you''re here." Grandpa Theo''s smile grew wider.

    She chuckled and allowed Damien to greet her grandfather while she greeted her aunt and Caroline. Damien gave Grandpa Theo a bottle of expensive wine, and Katherine handed a box of cake that she bought from the French bakery at the corner of their block. Soon, they entered the mansion and stayed in the sitting room while waiting for lunch to be served.

    As soon as they sat, Deborah excused herself, "I''m going to check on themb roast with the chef in the kitchen." Then she turned to Damien and Katherine, "And I''ll get the servants to make some drinks while we wait. What would you two like?"

    "Just water for me is fine," said Damien.

    Katherine straightened in her seat. "Me too. Let me help you, Aunt"

    "Oh, no dear. It''s okay, you are our guest today. Caroline is going to give me a hand." Deborah called on her daughter who protested at first, and then reluctantly got up.

    Katherine didn''t show it, but she felt bitter as she watched the two leave the room. ''What did she mean by ''guest''? Am I not a family member?'' she thought. Hearing her aunt say that made her think that she didn''t feel so ''at home'' in the Young Mansion.

    Damien must have sensed the change in her mood because she felt his hand brush the small of her back. She briefly smiled at him as though she reassured that she was okay.

    When she collected herself, she got up and stared at the family portrait on the wall that was taken decades agoin it were her grandparents, her parents, and Deborah with small Caroline. She cleared her throat and as naturally as she could, she began her probing, "Grandpa I haven''t really noticed it before, but Dad and Aunt deb doesn''t really look alike I''m not sure if she took after you or Grandma."

    Grandpa Theo joined Katherine in looking at the portrait and a small smile painted his face as he replied, "Hmmm I guess you didn''t know it yet. The truth is, we adopted your aunt when she was still an infant."

    She showed a surprise expression and yed her part as if it was the first time that she was hearing it. Grandpa Theo brushed his fingers on his wife''s face and continued, "Your grandma and I wanted a second child, so we tried for a few years, but we weren''t lucky. Your father was already a miracle, so having a second baby was probably a stretch for us." He chuckled. "Eventually, we decided to adopt a baby, and that''s when Debbie joined our family."

    "Oh, my Does she know?"

    He nodded. "She found out when she was twenty-two years oldafter she graduated."

    "How did she take it?" Her brows knitted in anticipation.

    Grandpa Theo shrugged. "Well, she was mad at first. We somehow expected that already But I still thought that she would be okay with it because we have always loved both of them, you know? She ran away from home for a while"

    Before Katherine could ask further questions, Deborah suddenly entered the room again and asked, "What are we talking about over there?" She had a smile on her face as she instructed the maids to ce drinks and appetizers on the table.

    Katherine quickly masked her face, looking so innocent as she strode back to where Damien was sitting. "Nothing much. Actually I was just about to tell Grandpa that" She cleared her throat and held his hand as she added, "Damien and I are engaged."

    The atmosphere in the sitting room instantly brightened with the news. "Thank heavens! That''s fantastic!" Grandpa Theo looked so ted upon hearing it that he immediately gathered Katherine in his arms for a big hug. Damien got up and received his hug as well.

    "Congrattions!" Deborah went to greet the couple too.

    But while she looked so happy about the great news, she was already thinking about how beneficial it was to have Damien as part of their family now. This new change would surely benefit her, wouldn''t it? Imagine all the possibilities of having this billionaire so close by. Her day just got better and better. With a huge smile on her face, Deborah eximed, "This really calls for a celebration! I guess we''re having a double celebration today?"

 Chapter 473: Taking Over

    Chapter 473: Taking Over

    As usual, lunch at the Young Mansion was superb. Katherine was delighted with every bite she took. Apart from Central Harbor Restaurant''s grilledmb, she thought that the roastedmb that the Young''s chef cooked was also one of her favorites. She could still remember that she used to ask for this whenever there was a special asion in the mansion. She felt nostalgic eating the dish as it reminded her of her childhood so much.

    She wondered if Damien could cook something like this. She decided to ask for the chef''s recipe for the slow-roastmb shoulder dish and request Damien to teach her how to cook so she could eat it whenever she wantedthat is, if she could survive cooking it in the kitchen before she burns it down.

    "Katherine dear How is yourmb?" Deborah asked, swirling a ss of Ribera del Duero in her handit''s a Spanish red wine that went perfectly with themb roast.

    Katherine curved her mouth into a smile as she picked up her own ss of wine and took a sip. "It''s delectable Very vorful. Thank you, Aunt Deb."

    "Oh," Deborah softly chuckled. "It''s the chef who prepared it. I learned thatmb was your favorite so I had them prepare it early this morning. It finished right on time after five hours of roasting!"

    Yikes. Katherine gulped after hearing that she had to wait that long just to eat this beautifully cooked meat. She nced at her te and wondered if she had the guts to cook it by herself. She would surely need Damien''s magic hands for that. "Thank you for thinking of me. I love the food," she said.

    With a wide smile on his face, Grandpa Theo patted Katherine''s arm. "So, when are you two going to have your wedding? Let me know so I can start inviting all of our friends. It must be the wedding of the century!"

    Katherine and Damien looked at each other. They had just gotten engaged yesterday and hadn''t really had the chance to talk about what their ns were. Months ago, they had almost everything nned until things happened. But now that they were engaged again, they had yet to sit and talk about it. Surely, she wanted to marry him, but was it a good time to have a wedding when they''re in the middle of all the chaos?

    Seeing her expression, he could guess what she was thinking and he also thought the same. They already had a simr conversation before and he could tell that she still wanted the same things. Holding her hand under the table, he gave it a gentle squeeze and answered Grandpa Theo for her. "We just got engaged yesterday, so we haven''t had the chance to talk about it yet. However, we already know what we both want A few months ago, we did n some things already. We''ll have to organize everything again and it will take time"

    "Oh, that''s understandable!" Grandpa Theo pped his hands, he was truly excited about this event. "We have nners for that, so you two can just hand it over to me and I will take care of everything for you!"

    "Grandpa I actually want just a small guest size. You know family only?" Katherine carefully said.

    Grandpa Theo tilted his head, curious as to what she was saying. "How small are we talking about?"

    "Um I don''t know fifty maybe?"

    He gasped and tapped the hardwood table. "Nonsense, Katherine! You''re a Young! How could you have such a small guest size? Besides, your husband is from the Park family and is also a public figure. I doubt you can fit everyone with such a small number." He shook his head. "No, this can''t be. We are having a grand wedding, and that''s final!"

    Damien and Katherine exchanged looks again, unsure of how to respond to Grandpa Theo''s insistence. His words sounded so ''final'' that the two of them couldn''t find the guts to disagree with him.

    The rest of the meal was smooth and they enjoyed it as they talked about meeting Damien''s family soon to finalize the details about their uing wedding. The couple had so much respect for their elders that they could only nod and agree to what they nned for them.

    After lunch, they went out to the garden to enjoy the nice weather. Damien and Grandpa Theo were busy talking about investment that Katherine couldn''t rte so much, but she appreciated that Damien was patient in teaching her grandfather about online trading and stuff. Later, the two started talking about the Crown Residences project that they were going to work together on. Meanwhile, Deborah had excused herself earlier and told them that she had to take care of some business in the study.

    "I''m just going to the toilet. I''ll be back soon," she told the two menalthough she didn''t know if they heard her. She just shook her head and chuckled to herself as she went inside the mansion.

    She quickly finished her business in the toilet and was about to head back out to the garden when she heard a voiceing from the tea room. She couldn''t make out what the conversation was about, but she knew that it was her aunt. The door to the tea room was closed and she tried her best to stand closer towards it, so she could hear, carefully not to look suspicious in case someone would suddenly appear. However, the voice was muffled from where she stood and the only words that she could make out were: "engage and wedding".

    Was she talking about her and Damien, then? Who could she be talking to?

    "Ms. Katherine," a young servant greeted as she turned the corner. Katherine smiled briefly and decided to go inside the tea room. She hadn''t nned to, but she had to avoid getting suspected of eavesdropping.

    "Aunt Deb," she greeted when she entered. "I was looking for you."

    Deborah abruptly ended the callwhich didn''t go unnoticed by Katherine, of courseand turned to face her. "Katherine..."

    "Ohsorry, I didn''t realize you were on the phone."

    "It''s okay. I was just ending it before you came. Can I help you?"

    "Actually I just wanted to rify. Mr. Price told me yesterday that you were going on a business trip?"

    Deborah nodded and casually smiled as she got up from the armchair. "Yes, dear. I''ll be leaving tonight. We have a project in New York that needs my presence. Is there anything you need?"

    "Oh, nothing really I just wanted to confirm. I thought you were going to be there tomorrow for the celebration that Director Bai prepared."

    "Unfortunately, the problem in New York needs to be addressed. I was only informed yesterday. I''ll have my assistant arrange another celebration with the executives and your team. You did really well in this project, Katherine, and it''s your first one too. I''m sure you will be great once you take over Price''s ce in the future."

    "I''m just doing the best I can, Aunt Deb." Hearing thement, Katherine couldn''t help but let out a forcedugh. She didn''t know why but she found that her aunt''s remarkstely would easily get to her. So she spoke without much thought, "Damien told me the same thing, except he said that I learned so fast and made great progress. At this rate, I could take over ourpany in the future" She softly chuckled.

    He didn''t say that. ''Sorry, Damien,'' she thought. She just wanted to see what Deborah''s reaction would be after saying that.

    "He did?" Deborah''s expression changed. There was a hint of surprise, which was quickly reced with a smallughone that didn''t reach her eyes.

    "I''m sure he was kidding" Katherine recovered and stered a sweet smile on her face as she hooked her arm with the other. "Grandfather was looking for you. Should we head out in the garden?"

 Chapter 474: Lying Makes Your Nose Grow Longer

    Chapter 474: Lying Makes Your Nose Grow Longer

    While Damien was discussing the Crown Residences project with Grandpa Theo, his phone rang. And when he checked who it was, he let out a small sigh.

    "Go on, you can take that call," said Grandpa Theo.

    He slightly bowed to the old man before he got up and took the phone call a few meters away. Pressing the green button, he ced the receiver to his ear and answered, "Hello, Nana"

    "I thought you were also going to ignore my call! Would you ever have talked to me if I didn''t call you first? This child really... You wait for me to see the news about you and Katherine?"

    "Sorry, Nana I was going to call youter after finishing some errands"

    "What errands? It''s Sunday! Don''t tell me you''re working today too?"

    Damien couldn''t possibly tell her he was currently at the Young Mansion. She would throw a fit if she knew they visited the Youngs first before they went to visit her. "Just some stuff with Katherine" he muttered.

    "Then finish that early and bring my Katherine here for dinner," said Nana in a gentler voice.

    He didn''t have the heart to decline her invitation. Knowing that he would be busy the next few days, today was the only time he had to visit her. "Sure, Nana. I''ll let her know and we''ll see youter."

    "I will be waiting."

    Just as he ended the phone call, Katherine and Deborah came back out to the garden. He met Katherine halfway and whispered to her ear, "Nana just called and wants us toe over for dinner."

    She looked up at him, her expression was unreadable as she bit her bottom lip. She was actually nning to do something else that night, but she also wanted to see Nana. Curling the corners of her mouth into a smile, she nodded and answered, "Of course, I''d love to see her again."

    She checked the time on her watch and saw that it was almost four in the afternoon. "I think we need to get going. Your estate is quite far from here." When Damien nodded, the two went to inform Grandpa Theo and Deborah that they had to get going.

    Then, they bid each other goodbye outside the mansion. Damien turned to the old man and said, "Chairman, thank you for the invitation. I enjoyed lunch today. You shoulde and visit us too, and I will cook dinner for you."

    Grandpa Theo clicked his tongue as he patted the other, "I told you to call me Grandpa. We''re already family. It''s only right." His gaze was stern but his lips had a hint of a smile on them.

    "Ah" Damien rubbed his nape, suddenly getting all shy. "Then, I hope you can visit us one evening so that I can cook dinner for you, Grandpa."

    "Ah! That''s better!" And the two exchanged brief hugs before the couple left and rode the Range Rover.

    ...

    Once they were back on the road, Katherine let out a sigh of relief and leaned on Damien. "I''m sorry about my grandpa and aunt. They''re too excited for us. You must be exhausted"

    A gorgeous smile formed on his lips as he ced an arm around her. "Don''t worry about it. I actually enjoy talking to your grandfather. He''s a wise man. He knows a lot of things that I don''t. It piqued my interest... I want to learn under him."

    Raising a brow in curiosity, she asked, "You want to study under him?" She wondered what he could possibly want to learn from Grandpa Theo when he already has an empire of his own. He was serious when he nodded his head and so she probed, "What do you want to learn about?"

    "Anything." He shrugged. "For the times that I''ve talked to your grandfather, I''ve noticed that he really knows a lot of stuff. It''s hard to exin but let''s just say he''s close to an encyclopedia. You ask him anything and he always has a sensible answer. He''s brilliant."

    "Really?" She didn''t realize it, but now that she heard it from Damien, it did seem like her grandfather really was like a walking encyclopedia. When she was still a child, she used to ask him a lot of things and he''d always have an answer.

    "By the way When I told you about us going to have dinner with Nana earlier, why did you hesitate?" he asked. "Do you not feel like going? Just tell me and I''ll cancel"

    "Oh, no Don''t. It''s not that. I want to see Nana too It''s just Back at the mansion, I thought of taking the opportunity to learn more about my aunt." She then told him about her ns after what she heard in the tea room and what they talked about, including the one she made up about him saying stuffshe had toe clean, she felt awful using him.

    Damien narrowed his eyes at her and poked her nose. "You lie too often. Aren''t you afraid that your nose will grow?"

    "It''s not going to!" Katherine''s eyes grew wide and her hands flew to her nose. "Is it?"

    He threw his head backughing at her reaction. She was so adorable. Such a cute Little Kitten.

    "Anyway, you aren''t wrong though." He pulled her back to him and gently patted her head. "As long as you put your mind to it, I''m sure you will be a great leader. You just need to learn more and work harder."

    "Ugh. Running apany? That seems a LOT of hard work."

    "I''ll take you under my wing. You can be my apprentice."

    They exchanged looks and chuckled at the same time, their knowing gazes said it all that they didn''t have to say what the other was thinking to know that they were on the same page.

    "So Your aunt will be gone for a while, and you want to check out her office?" he probed, and she nodded immediately. "More like breaking in. But yeah," she confirmed.

    Damien thought about it for a while and then he whipped out his phone. "I''ll call Felix and inform him about your n. I don''t know how long we''ll have to stay with Nana but we''ll leave as soon as we can."

    "You''re really okay with it? You''ll let me sneak in and check out her office?"

    Nodding, he looked at her in the eye and told her, "Yes. But I''ming with you."

 Chapter 475: Nanas Sneaky Attack

    Chapter 475: Nana''s Sneaky Attack

    Park Estate

    The Range Rover came to a stop by the fountain in front of the entrance of the mansion. Damien and Katherine then got off the vehicle and went to greet Nana who was waiting for them, a butler and a few servants shadowed behind her.

    With a bouquet of gerbera daisies in hand, Katherine went to hug Nana after Damien did, and gave the fresh flowers to her. "It''s nice seeing you again, Nana," she greeted.

    "Oh, how lovely! How did you know these are my favorite flowers? Thank you, Darling!" Nana received the bouquet and smelled it after admiring the different colors of flowers bunched together. Then she gave it to one of the servants and asked to have it transferred to a vase and ced on the dining table forter.

    Clicking her tongue, she gave Damien a look and chided. "You should learn from Katherine. You stopped giving me flowers."

    He slightly scoffed upon hearing his grandmother scold him. He just couldn''t believe the favoritism. ''Where''s the justice?'' he thought.

    Feeling Katherine''s hand holding his, he turned to her just as she told his grandmother, "Actually, Nana It was Damien''s idea to buy you those flowers. We passed by a flower shop earlier and he said those were your favorites, so he got them for you."

    Nana''s expression softened and she nced at her tall grandson as she cleared her throat. "Is that right?" she wondered. "Hmmm Then, I guess you''re forgiven."

    Turning towards the door, Nana headed inside the mansion and called for them to follow her. "Let''s go inside, I have tons of questions for the two of you. You better give me a satisfying answer. I can''t believe I had to call you over just so I can see you both. Shouldn''t you have told me the news first? Why did I have to hear it from the media?" she continued to scold as they entered the living area.

    Katherine raised a brow in confusion and her gaze darted from Damien and back to Nana. "Pardon, Nana Questions? What questions?"

    Reaching the luxury sofa set, Nana turned to the couple and had an indifferent look on her face as she responded, "Yes. FirstWhen am I going to see my grandchildren?"

    Katherine''s knees buckled upon hearing Nana''s bold question. The attack was too abrupt. Too fast. Too sharp. She didn''t have the time to prepare herself. She was walking next to Damien when Nana asked the question and she swore that if he hadn''t been next to her, she would have already fallen face t on the floor. Good thing he was quick when he caught her by her elbows and held her up.

    "Nana" he called, in almost a warning. However, Nana only clicked her tongue as she watched the two and then sat in an armchair.

    Katherineposed herself and she sat with Damien on the long sofa, his arm resting on her waist as if to calm her down. She gulped and finally found the courage to reply to his grandmother, "Nana We''re not married yet." She ced her hand on his knee and gave it a little squeeze, not knowing if she was giving himfort or herself.

    "Why are you two getting flustered? You can have a child even before marriage. We''re in America. It''s the 21st century. You two should keep up!" Nana bit out with a serious face.

    Katherine and Damien looked at each other, their eyes silently conversing. Was today a ''bully us'' day? Why did it seem like they were getting bullied? Normally they could counter what another person would tell them, however, it was so difficult responding to Grandpa Theo and now Nana regarding these stuff.

    Thankful that sses of water arrived, Damien grabbed one and took a long swig as though he hadn''t drunk the whole day. He was also clearly stressed about his own grandmother.

    When they didn''t reply, Nana asked Katherine, "How old are you?"

    "Twenty-eight"

    Nana dramatically gasped. "Sweetie! You need to get pregnant asap!"

    *Cough* Damien was sent into a coughing fit just as he finished drinking and heard his grandmother''s insistence. Katherine patted and stroked his back, feeling bad for the two of them and wishing that someone wille to rescue them.

    Footsteps sounded from the side and a man''s voice caught their attention. "Yes, you need to get me a bunch of nephews and nieces asap. Hey, Nana." William appeared and gave Nana a hug. "It''s nice to see you again, Katherine." He winked. His sudden appearance suddenly made Katherine feel alert.

    "And you are no different, Will! I need to have grandkids from you two soon Or Alianna''s going to beat you two to it!" said Nana, making the two men look at each other as they grimaced.

    Nana got up from the chair when a servant came to get her and excused herself to check something in the kitchen.

    "Will you go with Nana to the kitchen? I need to talk to William," Damien whispered to her.

    "Since when were you two best friends?" she asked innocently.

    In which William chuckled and replied, "Since you left."

    "We''re not," Damien interjected and kissed her temple. "I''ll tell youter." With that, she reluctantly left the two and headed to the kitchen, looking for Nana.

    The cousins headed out to the patio in the garden where the green bushes and nts that surrounded them blended well with the hue of the setting sun. The flowers and nts looked nice at dusk, but the two men couldn''t even appreciate it.

    "Did you get it?" Damien asked as they stepped onto the tform.

    "Mm." William retrieved a ck thumb drive from the inner pocket of his trench coat and gave it to the other. "I encrypted it, but I''m sure you''ll know how to ess it."

    "Thanks." Damien pocketed the drive and turned towards the view of the garden. "Are you sure about this? You can still back out."

    "And what? Watch you do all the work from the sidelines?"

    "He''s your father."

    William scoffed a chuckle before his face hardened. Reaching into his deep pockets, he took out a cigarette and lit it up. "Is he really? I don''t remember him being one."

    Damien met his cousin''s gaze. Only the two of them knew the truth about how badly Frederick treated William while they were growing up.

    From the kitchen, Katherine and Nana could see the two men through the window. They couldn''t hear what they were talking about, but Nana had a genuine smile forming on her face as she admired what they were looking at.

    "You''re happy, Nana" Katherinemented.

    "Yes I''m so happy that they''re talking again. Did you know, my dear, that they used to be really close when they were young? Damien didn''t have a lot of friends, but William was like his brother. Then one day they just stopped. Neither of them told me what went wrong. They just grew apart. So, seeing them like this makes my heart full. They''re opposites but also quite alike in many ways. I hope their rtionship bes better."

    Katherine dragged her gaze back to where Damien and William were, and although she still didn''t know what''s up with the two, she trusted Damien. She just hoped that he wouldn''t be betrayed again by the same person.

 Chapter 476: Shiny Red Apple

    Chapter 476: Shiny Red Apple

    Entering the living area, Damien and William met with Katherine again. But before she could speak, Frederick came down the stairs.

    "Dad," William greeted, and all he got from his father was a grunt then thetter turned to the couple and said, "You''re here. Wee back, and Congrattions!"

    Damien and Katherine nced at each other, both wondering what Fredrick was congratting them about. If it''s because of the bidding, that would be understandable. But if it''s about their engagement, then, was he a psychic? Damien met his uncle halfway, receiving the side hug as he questioned, "You''ve seen the results regarding the bidding? I didn''t know you were keeping tabs on that."

    "Right. Of course. You''re my nephew, after all." Frederick cleared his throat, then he asked, "May I have a word with you, Damien?"

    Nodding at his uncle, Damien turned to Katherine and squeezed her waist. He was hesitant to leave her with his cousinnot because he couldn''t trust him, but because he knew that she didn''tand being in the same room with him made her ufortable. "I''ll be right back."

    When the two left, Katherine decided to mind her own business. She didn''t want to deal with William as she had yet to talk about him with Damien. She realized that there was something Damien hadn''t told her yet, seeing as the cousins were quite in a deep conversation earlier when they were out on the patio. She strolled towards the sofa, however, before she could even walk further, William caught her attention.

    "It''s nice to see you without the mask on," hemented.

    She paused and turned to face him, not having any idea what the other was thinking at the moment. She had told Damien that William saw them leaving that night, but she wasn''t sure if he recognized themDamien hadn''t told her anything about William either, so she was conflicted. Raising a brow, she waited for him to say something else.

    "Oh, you don''t have to pretend that you don''t know what I''m talking about. I know it was you."

    Unsure of how to respond to his statement, she kept an impassive expression on her face. If the two talked about that night and Damien didn''t tell her, he better square his shoulders. A little heads up would have been nice, Damien!

    Completely masking her face, she crossed her arms in front of her and changed the subject, directing it to William instead. "I don''t know what you are up to, but you better not betray Damien again."

    Clearly amused, he smiled, looking so neat with his clean-cut look. He put his hands in his pockets and retorted, "Says the one who left him just recently?"

    "You don''t know a thing about me."

    "Right back at you, Katherine."

    Unperturbed by hisebacks, she kept her chin up and looked at him straight in the eye. "I''m warning you, William. He''s had enough bullsht in his life. And I won''t let you add to that and hurt him again."

    He looked down, the sly smile still stered on his face. He was clearly unimpressed by her warning and she wondered what made him so cocky. Raising his open hands to the side, he questioned, "Don''t you see the irony? I was here with him when you ran away to god knows where." Then he took a few steps towards her until they stood a foot apart. "And I was with him when you gave him that bullsht you''re talking about. I''m family So, between you and I shouldn''t I give you the warning instead?"

    Tilting her head to the side, she didn''t back down when he stared down at her. "I''m not denying what I did, but I came back to him as fast as I could and owned up to it. What about you? Some family" She scoffed. "If you really cared about him, what took you this long to turn around? It''s questionable what you''re really after because... You ruined what you two hadall for what? A woman who isn''t even worth it?"

    Just then Damien came back inside alone and went to Katherine''s side. He could tell that the two had a heated conversation and he worried that it would get out of hand. cing an arm around her waist, he asked, "Everything okay in here?"

    "Swell," William responded, his face already devoid of emotions as he continued to stare at Katherine. He thought that she was so differentpared to how she was before she left. Still snarky, but there was so much more than that now.

    "Come on, they''re waiting at the table." Damien urged Katherine to move, taking her hand in his and started pulling her with him. He could feel the tension and he was not liking it.

    She didn''t know why, but she felt like going off today. She had never liked William since the beginning and this new thing going on between him and Damien didn''t settle right with her. She trusted Damienbut not William. Which was why she couldn''t help herself but make her warning clear. "Hang on, Damien. It''s not every day that I get to do this, so please let me."

    She felt him rx next to her and then she turned to face William. "Do you know why I don''t like shiny red apples?" Her eyes darkened as she enunciated every word of her warning. "They look magnificent on the outside. But you won''t know until you cut them open only to find it rotten on the inside. And I don''t mind slicing my apples first if I have to eat them."

    William swore his heart skipped a beat after hearing her threat. Wasn''t he supposed to feel threatened? She''s definitely not the same Katherine as before. And because William was William, he replied with a chuckle. "Don''t worry, Sweetheart. I''m no shiny red apple." He winked and left.

    "Your cousin is an ass," she murmured.

    "He is," Damien agreed.

    Turning to him, Katherine narrowed her eyes when she saw him widen his smile. "What are you smiling about?"

    He pulled her closer, his arms encircling her waist as he leaned and kissed the spot just below her ear. She shivered when she felt his hot breath fanning her skin as he whispered in a low voice that sent shots of jolts straight through her core, "You keep reminding me how much this side of yours turns me on."

 Chapter 477: Melnikov

    Chapter 477: Melnikov

    The setting sun in Harbor City cast a beautiful glow through the tall tinted windows of Katherine''s old apartment. Inside, the space was filled with several men with loaded guns.

    On the sofa, Chris had just finished cleaning up the wound on his abdomen, covering it up with a new bandage. Then, he grabbed a grey shirt from the side and wore it on him. The shots given by the doctorst night had already worn off and he could feel the throbbing pain on his wounds. However, he refused to take any pain medication, so he sucked it up and clenched his jaw. This wasn''t his first wound, but it hurt just like all the othersalthough he got better in handling the pain unlike before. He was getting too old for this.

    For the whole day that he was cooped up in this ce, he could only think of ways on how to get to his sister. Katherine was right, Parker was surely waiting for him to make a move and that could only put his sister in danger. Chris had to find a way to meet with Hughes from the NIA. She had to give him something or he was afraid he would be toote to get to his sister.

    The door swung open and in came Styles and Felix, both carrying briefcases in each hand. They headed straight to the right side of the room and set up Styles''s small workstation on the dining table. They hadn''t said a word since they entered, and while Chris was cleaning up the medical kit and putting it away, Guswho was still tied up to a chairobserved Styles.

    "I''m still not used to seeing you here. It feels like I''m seeing a ghost. I can''t believe I''m saying this, but I actually kinda missed you," Gus said, a small smile hinting on his lips when he met Styles''s scowl.

    "Save it," Styles retorted. "I''m not about to reminisce with you. Also, you''re not my type, Gazelle. I prefer human beings with breasts, beauty, and brainswhich obviously, you have none of the above."

    Gus barked out augh. He may not have the breasts that Styles was looking for, but he sure had brains and he wasn''t bad looking either. But that wasn''t the point. He just thought annoying Styles would cure his boredom. "Oh, yeah? Kinda like that screensaver you had on yourputer back at the first Castle?"

    "Hey!" Styles frowned. "Ximena Navarrete is a goddess. Okay?"

    When Gus snorted at his answer, a mischievous smile appeared on Styles''s face and he remarked, "At least, I don''t take a sneaky picture of Katherine while she wasn''t looking."

    The grin on Gus''s face slipped and his eyes turned cold. "Hey! That was one time!"

    "You What?" Chris threw a fiery nce at Gus. He couldn''t believe what he just heard. "You took pictures of Katherine?"

    "I already said that was one time! Okay? I''m not some pervert." Gus gave Styles an eye, whoin returnstuck his tongue out at him.

    "Huh" Crossing his arms, Chris strolled towards his mentee and arched a brow. "If you''re not a pervert, then why did you take a sneaky picture? And when was this?"

    "I swear, it''s not a big deal. Let''s just drop it."

    "When?" Chris insisted.

    Sighing, Gus could only give in and mumbled, "When she just rose up to level 3. We were celebrating at the shooting range. That''s all. Nothing else. Styles just"

    "I just happened to catch him while he sneakily took a picture of our Queen. That''s all," Styles interrupted, earning a re from Gus.

    Chris''s brows knitted. "Level 3 That was many years ago... I was there."

    "Seriously. Drop it." Gus''s voice was stern.

    Giving ast look on his mentee, Chris sauntered towards Styles in the dining area. Felix stopped him froming closer, so he grunted, and then he took a seat a few feet away from them. "How did you survive that st? Where were you all this time?"

    Styles didn''t have to ask Chris what he was talking about. He knew that he was asking about the explosion that Katherine did more than five years ago. He briefly nced at him and continued to work on the task that Damien and Katherine gave him a while ago. Shifting his gaze back to the screen on hisptop, he told the other, "You don''t think I''m just going to tell you anything, do you?"

    "What do you have to lose? I''m no longer with Shadow, that''s for sure. I''ve been stuck here since yesterday and we''ve got nothing to do."

    "Oh, I have better things to do. You, on the other hand" Styles paused as he thought of something, then he studied Chris. "I''m still skeptical about the story you told us regarding your sister. Why don''t you convince me that she''s real and you''re not making this stuff up?"

    "You have a sister?" Gus from the other side of the room questioned but the others only nced at him.

    Chris thought about it as he exchanged looks with Styles. Seeing as he was already in this situation, what else could happen to him at this point? He was on the way to his death faster than he thought. "Fine."

    Hearing his answer, Styles straightened in his seat, slightly leaning forward as he waited for the other to continue.

    Taking a deep breath, Chris''s jaw ticked as he forced himself to divulge information that only very few people knew. He nodded at Styles''sputer and in a low voice so that only they could hear, he told him, "Search up: Karina Melnikov. M-E-L-N-I-K-O-V."

    Styles narrowed his eyes at Chris, wondering what he was up to but did the search anyway. There weren''t many results that popped up. A lot of them were in the Russiannguage, in which Styles couldn''t possibly read easilyhis Russian was rusty. The page refreshed and it auto-tranted the results to English. "What am I looking at?"

    "Check the article about a burned down house in Vysk. An official report by the police."

    Scrolling down the page, Styles saw the word ''fire'' and the name ''Karina Melnikov''. He clicked on the link and the browser opened a new tab of a Russian article. With his quick eyes, he was able to catch one particr word before it was tranted from Russian to English. And his brows furrowed. On the link that he opened, it had the Russian characters that were equivalent to ''Melnikov''. However, when the auto-trantion worked, it changed into "Miller".

    "Wait" Styles froze. "Why am I seeing the surname that you gave Katherine before? Miller?"

    Exhaling an exhausted sigh, Chris replied, "Because that''s what Melnikov means in English. It''s a patronymic surname, and Melnik means miller."

 Chapter 478: Earths Version of Hell

    Chapter 478: Earth''s Version of Hell

    Styles was unsure of what he was feeling when he heard what Chris just said. His mind churned at the so many different possibilities that he thought of. "What? I don''t Wait Katherine isn''t Don''t tell me she''s"

    Chris huffed. "Just read."

    Not knowing what he would find out, Styles''s heart started to race. How disturbing would it be if he would find out that Katherine was Chris''s long-lost sister? A shiver ran down his spine.

    Pulling his gaze away, he looked down at his screen and started to read the write-up. Styles realized that it was actually an online blog of a Russian adventurer and the post was written several years ago. In his post was a list of mysterious town cases on the ces he had visited. In the list, the town of Vysk was included and Styles focused on that item.

    When he visited the ce, he interviewed some locals and ended up learning about a few incidents that happened in the past, so he did some research. The blogger included a photo attachment of a local newspaper that he found from an online newspaper archive.

    Several cases of missing children were reported about twenty years ago. It started with one child missing one afternoon and at first, the police thought that it was a kidnapping case; which was why they did a search party and waited for a ''ransom phone call''. However, there was none, and in the next few weeks, the cases grew until there were already nearly fifty children missingnot only in Vysk but also from the neighboring towns.

    The locals panicked and the parents did not stop looking for their children. They had searched everywhere but did not find them; the kids just disappeared. One couple had two children, a boy and a girl, and both of them were missing. The couple did not stop searching for their kids and visited the police station every day until one day, a fire broke out of their house that killed them. It did not say on the article how the fire broke out, but below the picture of the burned down house were the words that said:

    House of Mr. and Mrs. Melnikovparents of the missing children: Kristof and Karina

    "So" Styles snapped his head towards Chris who kept his gaze locked at the ss of water in front of him. "Are you saying that you''re Kristof, Karina is your sister''s name, and that your realst name is Melnikov?"

    Chris turned his head to look at Styles but did not say anything, so thetter asked further, "Why were you and your sister missing? And those kids? What happened?"

    Looking away again, Chris looked as though he didn''t want to say anything more. It was as if the mention of his past still hurt him to this day that he didn''t want to talk about it. It had been so many years ago, yet until now, the distant memory was still his nightmare.

    Seeing as Chris didn''t want to say anything, Felix leaned towards Styles''s screen and started reading the next part of the article. "Some say the missing children were taken by aliens, some locals believed that they were taken by a vengeful ghost, others thought that it was the Boogeyman. However, the most believable I think that happeneddespite how disgusting it isis that the children were abducted and sold..." Felix''s voice trailed off, unable to read the rest of the write-up.

    "Oh, sht," Styles cursed. "Human trafficking?" He looked at Chris, whose face hardened at the mention of the term. "Is this true, Chris? I thought you came from the orphanage?"

    Without raising his head, he subtly nodded. Styles swore that it was painful looking at him as he tried to find the words to exin further.

    "I don''t know. Maybe. I guess it was trafficking. My sister and I were walking on our way home from school when a ck van stopped next to us. I was holding her hand when it just slipped out of my grasp" He swallowed, a surge of emotions suddenly overwhelmed him as he recalled the terrifying memory. "And she was being hauled inside the vehicle. I went after her but they pushed me away. I pushed my way inside until one of them yelled to take me as well.

    "There were a couple more kids inside the van too. Soon, I fell unconscious after they rubbed a cloth on my face. When I woke up, I was in a very dark ce It smelled so bad like a mixture of piss and vomit" He sighed, not wanting to recall how awful it was. "I could hear nothing but the cries of other children surrounding me. I panicked and I screamed for help but the boy next to me told me to stop or the men wille back to beat us up"

    ~

    <em>"Karina! Where are you?" a young boy cried in Russian.</em>

    ~

    Chris heard his own voice from the memory that shed in his mindhe was calling for his sister in the pitch-ck room. He couldn''t see anything at all. His feet were icy because his shoes were gone and the soles of his feet touched the metal ground.

    ~

    <em>"Kristof? Kristof! Help me, I''m here!" a young girl sobbed in reply.</em>

    ~

    The lump in his throat was hard to swallow and he blinked his reddened eyes fast. Clearing his throat, he continued, "I realized that we were inside a container van. It took me a while to find my sister in the dark because there were many children inside. We were all hungry and cold and we didn''t know how long we were there. It felt like forever"

    "How did you get out?" Styles probed, his voice all gentle andced with worry.

    This was one of the reasons why Chris didn''t want to talk about his past. He hated being pitied. Shifting in his seat, he shrugged. "Honestly I don''t remember much. I just knew that we were in there for a long time. The journey was harsh and food came once or twice a day. And just one day, there were gunshots firing everywhere outside. The door opened and there were several men in tactical suits with guns in their hands. We were so relieved to know that we were rescued. They let us out and moved us to a bigger ce. It was only then when we learned that we were already in ska."

    Styles and Felix exchanged looks, and thetter muttered, "If you reached ska Then the trip must have been so long"

    "Like I said, it felt like we were in there foreverEarth''s version of hell." Chris ran a hand across his face.

    "Those people who rescued you. Who were they?" Styles wondered.

    "I have no idea. I was too young to know and we were ced in a huge room, so we didn''t really know what was going on outside. I only understood very little English then, so there wasn''t much we could do except wait. It was better thereat least we were given thick clothes... had mattresses to sleep on, and were able to eat three meals. Over the next few days, the children who were with us would be collected out of the room in groups and we wouldn''t see them again.

    "When it was me and my sister''s turn, ady who spoke in broken Russian asked us questions about our family and where we came from. We answered them, hoping that they were going to find our parents and would send us home. Then, they made us ride a bus that brought us to the orphanage. It wasn''t until a weekter that the samedy came by and told us" He looked down and let out a long sigh. "...she told us about what happened to our parents."

    The room was quiet. Neither Styles nor Felix knew what to say after listening to his story. Even Gus, who was on the other side of the room, heard everything and he also didn''t know how to react.

    "You still think I''m making this up?" Chris arched a brow.

    Styles swallowed. Who would make up such things?

 Chapter 479: Scar Face

    Chapter 479: Scar Face

    Styles was seeing Chris differently. He used to see the other as a formidable mentor. Chris was like a big brother whom everyone looked up to and wanted to be in the futureGus was one of them. However, who would have thought that after listening to him, you''d feel uneasy and feel sad for him?

    "I''m sorry that happened to you..." was all that Styles could say.

    Chris shot him a nce and scoffed, rolling his eyes when he responded, "Yeah, me too. Look, I did not tell you this so you can pity me. I don''t need anyone''s sympathy. What happened already happened. You asked for the truth and I told you mine. That''s it."

    Seeing as Chris didn''t want to dwell on the matter, Styles proceeded to ask, "So no one knows where your sister is? What about Hughes? You said she''s helping you look for her. How did that go?"

    "It''s not that easy." He shook his head. "For so many years, we''ve been separated and all this time, I thought she died. My sister isn''t American, so she doesn''t have any papers here. No pictures no nothing. She could be anywhere and anyone. That is if she''s even alive. It''s already hard for them to look for a criminal on the run or those who have changed identities. Finding a dead person from two decades ago" He sighed.

    "So how much do you trust this person? Are you sure she''s not part of those backing up Shadow? I mean After all, how did she know about you?"

    Chris gave Styles a look and he contemted his answer. After a moment, he averted his gaze and said, "I just do. I won''t talk about it anymore until Katherine gets here. I need some air." He got up and headed out of the apartment, one of the men following behind him.

    Styles watched as Chris disappeared, then he nced at Gus who gave him a shrugthe two of them couldn''t tell what Chris was thinking most of the time. Sighing, he took out his phone and thought about calling Katherine and Damien.

    Park Mansion

    Just as dinner had finished, Katherine''s phone buzzed. She took a peek at the screen of her phone on herp and when she saw that it was Styles, she worried that it was something important. However, she was still at the dining table with Damien''s familyNana and Uncle Fred''s family, so she couldn''t just stand up and leave.

    Noticing her expression, Damien nced at herp and saw the caller ID. "Take it," he told her.

    Noticing the couple, Nana wondered what was going on. "What is it, dear?"

    Katherine straightened in her seat and hesitantly replied, "Oh, sorry, Nana. My friend is calling"

    "Is everything okay? Go ahead and take it It must be something important that you don''t want to miss. Don''t mind us."

    Damien nodded when Katherine looked at him, so she slightly bowed at Nana and got up from her chair to take the call in the living room.

    "Styles? What''s wrong?" she asked as soon as she answered the call. She stood by the window that was overlooking the fountain in front of the mansion.

    "Where are you? I''ve been trying to reach you since earlier. I thought you''d be back by now. Weren''t you supposed to be out only for lunch?"

    "We''re at the Park Mansion." She scanned the huge living room.

    "I thought you were going to your grandfather''s?"

    "Yeah We went there for lunch. Long story. Anyway, what''s up?"

    "Oh, um I just heard some crazy shit about Chris''s past today. You will not believe what I just learned about him. How soon can you guys get here? I already have the program ready."

    She nced at the time on her watch and bit her lip, wondering if they could leave soon. "We just finished dinner. I''ll tell Damien you called. We should be there in an hour if we leave now. Have you guys eaten already?"

    "Not yet. In fact, my stomach pets are alreadyining. Queeeen I need food," he whined, and his stomach grumbled so loud that she heard it.

    Chuckling, Katherine nodded her head even though he couldn''t see it. "Alright, fine. I''ll bring you guys food. Text me what you want to eat and we''ll get it on the way."

    "You''re the best! Ciao!"

    When the call ended, she headed back to the dining room only to bump into Damien who was worried that something had happened.

    "What did he say?" he asked, his hand already finding hers.

    "He wanted us to go there now. The program is done."

    "Okay." Damien nodded and brought her back to the dining room. "Then let''s go say goodbye to them."

    The couple told Nana that they had to leave already. She was worried at first, thinking that Katherine received bad news after that phone call, but they reassured her that it was nothing to worry about. Soon, they were in front of the mansion and were ready to leave. The two bid farewell and hugged Nana goodbye.

    "Are you sure you don''t want to tell Nana yet?" Katherine asked in almost a whisper as they got in the vehicle.

    "I''ll tell her tomorrow. We had enough dictator for today," said Damien, in which she responded with augh.

    Harbor City

    As they arrived back in the city, they stopped by a restaurant and had Ericfrom the Delta Team who drove them around that dayorder some food. They were waiting inside the car when Katherine received a text message from Styles.

    [Styles: Queen, can you buy more bandages while you''re out? Hawk''s running low. Or we can just leave him to die and rot from an infection.]

    She chuckled upon reading and told Damien about the text. He rolled his eyes and reluctantly nodded. "I''m going with you. There''s a pharmacy over there."

    The two got out of the car and headed towards the pharmacyit was the kind that had a mini-mart inside the establishment.

    "Can you grab a few bottles of water?" she asked.

    "Sure." Damien went to the far end of the room where the refrigerators were. Katherine, on the other hand, searched for some bandages.

    When she found them on the bottom shelf of the rack, she grabbed a whole box so they didn''t have to keep going out to buy. Just as she straightened up and turned around, she bumped into someone and lost her bnce. She was still squatting when it happened, so when she stumbled, her hand immediately held her weight as she pressed it on the ground.

    "Sorry, I didn''t see you there. Are you okay?" asked the man. He bent down to her level, picked up the box of bandage, and handed it to her. "Here," he said, a small smirk forming on his face.

    Katherine looked up to the man''s face, and her heart rammed in her ribcage. He had a long, diagonal scar that started above his left brow and ended on his left cheek. She knew exactly who he wassomeone she did not expect to see ever againone of the people that she never wanted to see again. A surge of memory from years ago shed in her mind And for a second, she wondered if she was fast enough to run away from him.

 Chapter 480: Creepy Scar

    Chapter 480: Creepy Scar

    ''Scar'' Katherine thought. This man''s name was Scar, and he was one of Shadow''s reapers. Not only did he have a distinct scar on his face but he also had a few burnt marks here and there.

    A reaper is a rank in Shadow. Those who held this rank were the ones responsible for ''cleaning up'' traces and loose ends after the agentsplete their missionmay it be disposing of evidence, getting rid of the bodies, or canction of agents themselves.

    Seeing him now made her feel as though her end was near. She had seen this man in action in one of her missions in the past. And although she could kill a person, she''d get nightmares in the evening. However, she thought that Scar didn''t look like he had remorse while he cleaned up after her.

    <em>Roughly eight years ago in Brazil...</em>

    Inside a small hotel room, several people loomed over an unconscious man on the floor. The man wore a brown dress shirt and ck pants and he was overweight.

    "I haven''t even done anything to him yet" Katherine muttered as she looked at the man on the floor. She was in casual clothesa ck t-shirt and tactical pants, and had her shoulder-length hair down.

    "He''s dead," said one of them after checking the man''s pulse.

    The door opened and in came Chris who came over to Katherine. "Queen, what did he tell you?"

    "Nothing yet. He was just telling me where the shipment was supposed to dock, and then he suddenly just fell. I called you soon after." She was supposed to get information from this man that was crucial to her current mission. Now, she just lost their only lead.

    "Check everything," Chris ordered one of the men. He sighed when he looked at Katherine and saw her distressed expression. He knew she always hated it whenever she woulde across a bump during missions and would even beat herself over it. "Hey" he called and ced a hand on her back.

    She turned to face him and he told her, "It''s okay. We''ll find another way." She nodded and looked at the man on the floor again.

    "Wrap up and clean," Chris told the men.

    Katherine watched as they lifted the dead man''s body and ced it in the bathtub. Scar then opened his kit and prepared several items around the tub. He wore ck gloves the entire time he worked and moved around.

    She was intrigued by his movements until she saw him open a gallon of what looked like chemical and he poured it directly into the tub where the corpse was. Her stare shifted to Scar''s face and she swore she could see a faint smile on his face as though he enjoyed what he was doing.

    A strong stench assaulted her nose and she gagged. Hurriedly reaching for the nearby trash can, she hurled and coughed.

    "We should leave." Chris handed her his white handkerchief and held her arm to steady her up while signaling one of the men to dispose of the trash can.

    She received it and wiped off her mouth. Katherine then allowed Chris to hold her wrist and he brought her out of there. "You did well, Queen. Let''s go home now."

    She didn''t usually stay for things like this and it was the first time that she had seen Scar do his work to clean up after her. Ever since then, she never wanted to witness anything like it, so she would immediately leave after her missions.

    She had also heard horrifying rumors about Scar from other agents. Scar not only creeped her out, she''s sort of scared of him due to his whole persona.

    The short sh of memory from years ago made her skin itch. Katherine wanted to get up, grab Damien and run.

    However, she didn''t let her fear get the best of her. Ever so subtly, she snaked her right hand under her loose skirt and traced the handle of her knuckle knife then she received the box with her other hand, all while maintaining an expressionless face that hid her real feelings.

    "Is that for you?" Scar asked in an almost toneless voice, his eyes staring directly at her face.

    Katherine softlyughed ever so naturally. "Ah Yes, thanks. I''m such a klutz. I''m quite new at cooking and wanted to prepare something for my fianc for dinner, but I cut myself with the knife." She raised her other hand to show the fresh wound, blood trickling down her fingersshe cut herself by touching the de of her knife.

    Scar looked at her hand and his face rxed, it was almost as if he was relieved to see her wound. His relief disgusted her.

    "Everything okay?" Damien came to her side with a basket filled with several bottles of water, eyeing the man who was talking to her. He looked suspicious to him.

    She immediately got up, tossed the box in the basket and held his hand, squeezing it tighter than normal as she smiled at him and showed him her bloody fingers. "Yes, Honey. Everything''s okay. I got the bandages for my hand."

    ''Honey?'' She rarely called him that. Damien''s starended on her wound and his heart raced at the same time that he felt how hard she was holding his hand. He realized immediately that something was off. Just as he was about to say something, he looked at her smiling face, and heard her add, "This kind man helped me pick up the box that I dropped."

    Scar looked up to Damien. He was shorter by a few inches but he didn''t look intimidated at all as he said, "You shouldn''t let your fiance do all the work. Knives are very dangerous" He turned to Katherine. "You should put medicine on that, so it won''t get infected."

    "I''ll remember that. Thank you." She smiled, pulled Damien away, and headed towards the counter.

    When she felt him squeeze her hand back, she tiptoed and kissed him near the ear, then whispered so only they could hear, "Don''t look at him. Later." She met his impassive stare and she smiled at him sweetly, knowing full well that Scar was still watching her even from afar.

    Damien felt her slightly trembling hand, and he knew it was serious. Wordlessly, he held her tightly, took out his handkerchief and wrapped it around her fingers. Then, he turned to the pharmacist to ask for a topical antibiotic for her cut.

    Carefully, she checked if Scar was still around but he was no longer in sight. A couple of minutester, she and Damien were out of the pharmacy and heading back to the car.

    As soon as they got settled inside, he cupped her chin and tipped it towards him, concern written all over his face, "Are you okay? Who was that man?"

    Katherine told him about Scar and what he wasincluding that memory of her mission in Brazil she recalled a while ago.

    "You''re okay." Damien wrapped his arms around her frame, stroking her back tofort her. "Eric, drive. Circle around several times before heading to the location." Then, he started to care for her cut.

    "Well, now at least I know how sharp the knives are," she remarked to lighten up the atmosphere, seeing as he looked quite uneasy.

    ncing at her, he finished up by covering her wound with a small bandage. "You need toe up with a better way to give me a signal when you''re in danger."

    "Huh?"

    "A word that only you and I can understand and I''ll know that I should trust you and go with the flow in case you can''t tell me at the moment just like earlier." When she raised a brow in confusion, he added, "You can''t just suddenly call me ''honey''."

    "Ah" She bit her lip. "Then what do you have in mind?"

    Pulling her closer to him, he pressed a kiss on her forehead. "We''ll figure it outter." He sighed.

 Chapter 481: North Pole

    Chapter 481: North Pole

    Soon, Damien and Katherine arrived at the old apartment. Styles was excited that he immediately grabbed his share of the food and started munching on the crunchy, sweet, and spicy chicken. The rest of the men took turns eating while Damien and Katherine stood on the side, his hand resting on her waist as they watched everyone have their fill.

    Chris came out of the bathroom and slowly limped his way to the living room where everyone was. He looked at her and instantly spotted the bandage on her. "What happened to your hand?" He attempted to go near her without thinking much, but Damien stopped him before he could get any closer. The two exchanged looks and he backed away.

    "We dropped by the pharmacy and I ran into Scar" she replied.

    Chris, Gus, and Styles widened their eyes upon hearing the name as if it was taboothe three stared at her. While Chris and Gus were shocked and speechless, Styles dropped his chicken and stopped chewing the food in his mouth before he swallowed it at once. Then, he wiped himself clean, went to Katherine, and embraced her. "Thank god you got away," he said as his heart beat rapidly in his chest.

    Damien wanted to pull him away from her, but Katherine told him ''it''s okay''.

    "Is he that bad?" Felix wondered when he saw their reaction.

    "He was," Gus answered. "Then he got worse."

    Styles shivered at the thought that he had in his mind, remembering how he looked like and the things he did. "Sht. That man still gives me chills and I haven''t even seen him for a long time. Would you guys believe me if I tell you that he keeps pictures of those he had ''disposed''?"

    "I would." Gus grimaced. "I saw them on the wall of his bunk. That guy is sick!"

    "Ew" Katherine felt like gagging.

    Chris clenched his jaw. He had seen Scar''s bunk in Castle and even he found it disturbing. "How did you get away? What did you do?" he asked her.

    She started exining what happened back at the pharmacy and sighed. "He was gone before we left." She tried to brush away the remnant memory in her mind about the way Scar looked at her earlier, clenching her hand when she thought she felt something tiny crawling under her skin.

    "Are you sure you weren''t followed?"

    She nodded. "We made sure no one was following before we came here."

    Chris nced at Gus, then he told her, "Scar isn''t only a reaper now... He''s one of Parker''s guards."

    "Wow. He indeed got worse," Styles muttered as he went back to his food.

    Turning to Damien, she exined to him, "Being Parker''s guard is like an honor. They would do anything for him, no questions askednot that any other agent had a choice, but it''s different His rank got higher. And with Scar being the way he already was before, it''s such a badbination."

    "I''m telling you If Scar wasn''t in Shadow, I''m pretty sure he would be a serial killer," Styles said.

    "What does this man look like?" Felix asked Styles, curious as to who''s this man they were talking about.

    "Like Hannibal. But with a scar on his face and some burnt marks everywhere." Styles squeezed his eyes shut as he tried to erase the image on his mind. "Ugh. Talking about that man is making me queasy. Please let me enjoy my food."

    Taking the cue, Damien strolled to where Styles was and asked, "Where''s the program?"

    Felix took out a low profile sh drive and handed it to Damien. It was smaller than an inch, so it was hard to notice it. Then, Damien nodded at Katherine.

    Turning to Gus, she contemted how to tell him until he noticed her hesitation and he questioned, "What?"

    Breathing out, she sauntered towards him, maintaining a safe distance and started, "We''ll let you go."

    Gus raised a brow. "I thought you wanted me dead?"

    "Maybe. But more than that, I want to bring down Shadow."

    Chris somehow told him the short version of what was going on at the moment. And although he did not know all the details, he could make out the reason why she was after the organization. "What does that have to do with me?"

    "I need you to go back to Castle and nt this program." She gestured to the tiny sh drive in Damien''s open hand as he approached. "You''re the only one who can get inside."

    "What''s in it?"

    "You don''t have to know that. All you need to do is plug this to the mainframe. That''s it."

    He scoffed. "You''re crazy. I don''t know if you remember, but agents just can''t go anywhere near that area."

    "We''lle up with a n. You won''t be alone when you do this. You''ll have external help," she said in confidence.

    "I get that we used to work together, Queen But that was years ago. People change." Gus chuckled and nced at Chris before he looked at her again. "Let''s say that''s possible What makes you think that I will do that for you? What''s in it for me?"

    All of them who came from Shadow knew what it was like to be there, and Katherine wanted to use this to her advantage. She turned to look at Damien and met his gaze. Then, he began, "In exchange, I can send you anywhere you want in the world. The Bahamas Tahiti... The Philippines With housing, new identity, and enough cash for you to livefortably for years."

    Gus considered as he stared back at Damien. A small smile forming on his face as he mused, "Even the North Pole?"

    Damien''s brows knitted. He crossed his arms and shrugged. Whatever this man wants, he''ll give it as long as the task gets done. "Sure. If you don''t mind your house to be constantly floating and shifting around due to the ice tes moving, why not? I''ll have you literally dropped off from a ne via skydive as a freebie. I''m sure you''re skilled enough, right?"

 Chapter 482: I Will Never Quit

    Chapter 482: I Will Never Quit

    Gus thought about Damien''s offer. He had no one outside of Shadow, and money alone could not entice him at all. However, being offered a free ride straight to wherever he wanted,plete with everything he needed, he could have a new life in a ce where no one knows him. He could be anyone he wanted where Shadow couldn''t reach him.

    "The only way to get out is if I die," he said.

    "Then we''ll n your death," Damien responded.

    "This won''t be easy."

    Katherine raised her chin, tilted her head and asked, "Is that a yes?"

    "What if I get caught?"

    "You won''t."

    "How can you be so sure?" He furrowed his brows.

    Damien signaled one of his men to untie Gus and he said, "We''ll be creating a distraction."

    The tie around his arms came off and he rubbed the sore spot. They were careful with how they tied him up, leaving only very minimal marks on him. He stretched his limbs and hissed when he got up, feeling half of his body had gone numb from sitting for too long. He thought that they did that to him to get back for what he had done to Katherine recently, so he didn''tin much.

    "What distraction?" he asked.

    Katherine nced at Chris and said, "We have what Parker wants rather who..." She watched as Chris''s expression changed from being curious to suddenly alert, and she knew that he had caught on. They were going to use him as bait.

    Gus followed the direction of her gaze and understood what she meant too. It was then that he got concerned. "How could you"

    "Gus, it''s okay," said Chris.

    "You''re already injured."

    Chris chuckled. At this point, he had no other choice. It was either stay and work with Katherine and her team, or he works alonewhich he had already tried, and this was how he ended up being targeted by Parker. "I''m touched, but I''ll be fine. Let''s hear what they had nned. You should check-in, make sure they know you''re still reachable."

    Looking at the time on his watch, Gus counted in his head. It had been twenty hours since thest time he checked in with Shadow. He had four more hours until they would start searching for his location.

    All agents of Shadow must report every day. The maximum time would be twenty-four hours since thest time they reported, or else, as soon as the allowed time passed, the organization would consider that he gotpromised. He would need to be put on probationwhere things would getplicated that he would rather choose to be tied up in a chair here than being there. Shadow''s method of investigation wasn''t as simple as ''Q&A''it involved torture.

    Eventually, Gus agreed. Styles gave him a phone number to memorize, which would connect him directly to them just in case. Damien ordered a few of his men to escort and drive him somewhere else.

    Before Gus left the apartment, he turned to Katherine and said, "Just so we''re clear, I''m doing this for him, not for you." Then, he walked away.

    When the room fell quiet, Styles clicked his tongue and turned to Chris. "Damn I gotta hand it to you, man You have such a loyal mentee."

    Giving Styles and Katherine a look, Chris muttered in a low voice as he turned around, "I used to have more than one."

    The two exchanged looks, knowing that he was talking about the two of them. They were indeed loyal to Chris back in the day. That was until Katherine woke up from the truth and took the matter into her own hands.

    cing a hand on her waist, Damien gestured for her to go outside with him, signaling Felix and Styles toe along. The four stayed at the stairwell where Styles retold the story that they learned about Chris a while ago, showing what they found on the inte and the details that Chris had shared.

    Knowing this piece of information about Chris, it didn''t change how Damien saw him. Sure, Chris had a rough past, but what he didter in his life that ended up getting Katherine hurt were his decisions. It was the same with Katherine. She felt bad for Chris too and wished that he could find his sister if she was still alive. However, he wasn''t the only one who had a tragic childhood. She also lost her parents and so did Styles and Gus and even Damien. She empathized with his situation, but it didn''t change the fact that he had hurt herand she still hated him for that.

    When they got back inside the apartment, Felix and Damien discussed the specifics on their uing infiltration in Young Corporation while Styles worked on hisputer.

    Katherine just got out of the toilet when she saw Chris standing by the window. The ss was heavily tinted from the outside, so there was no risk of him getting seen. She couldn''t help but notice how mncholic he looked, so she walked towards him and said, "I heard from Styles about your sister"

    Without turning his head, he scoffed, "So, he told you about my sobbing story?"

    "I''m sorry that it happened to you Why didn''t you tell me?" she wondered. He knew all about her past, but never once did he mention anything about his. She had tried asking him before, but he would always deflect his answers and try to change the subject. She then understood that it must be something he didn''t want anyone to know, but she had always been curious.

    "So that you can pity me? No thanks."

    She didn''t know how to respond to him so she didn''t say anything. Katherine crossed her arms and leaned on the post. Chris was facing the window while she was facing Damien who took a nce at her from the kitchen, probably wondering if she was okayalways worried about her like he always does. She gave him a small smile and it seemed to make him feel better as he subtly nodded and went back to focus on his discussion with Felix.

    It was quiet for a minute until Chris spoke again, "I''ve never told anyone this But this has been eating me up inside."

    Hearing him open up, she turned her head to him and probed, "What do you mean?"

    Letting out a long sigh, he looked down at the view. "What if that fire never happened? What if I actually got out with my sister and we got back home and they would still be alive?"

    Katherine faced forward again and softly scoffed. Somehow, it was a little amusing for her. "I''ve been wondering simr questions myself. What if that night never happened? What if I finished my homework, had dinner with my parents said goodnight to them before I went to sleep, and woke up to my mom''s cooking and my dad''s hugs."

    So many what-if''s.

    "But life isn''t fair. It never was," she added. "There are so many questions that I want to be answered I thought I could learn everything... I thought I could do everything. Turns out I couldn''t. But I''m not giving up. I may stumble and fall a lot of times, but one thing is for sure, I will never quit."

 Chapter 483: Owing Oneself to be Happy

    Chapter 483: Owing Oneself to be Happy

    Chris gazed at Katherine and turned to face her. Seeing her up close like this again and being able to talk to her felt new and familiar at the same time. He didn''t think that there would evere a time when they would be able to talk to each other without having the need to threaten or point guns. He knew that they couldn''t be truly like how they were in the past, however, he was already more than happy that he could stay near her.

    This unexpected turn of events changed a lot of things and he didn''t know to what extent they would be able to work together, judging by the fact that he and Damien could barely be in the same room. At first, he didn''t want to get her involved in his n. But now that this happened, he couldn''t think of any other way.

    Noticing that he was staring at her, Katherine arched a brow in question. "What?"

    "Nothing I I just thought that you were the same, yet it seems like you''ve changed a lot."

    "You haven''t seen me for years, Chris. I''m not who I was back then." She faced forward and kept her stare focused on Damien.

    "I can see that" He nced at the direction of her stare. "Is it because of him?"

    She didn''t have to ask to know who Chris was referring to. She was all about Damien now, so her mind would naturally think about him all the time. "Maybe"

    Releasing a soft, appreciative sigh as though she was relieved as she watched the man she loves, she added, "He makes me want to be the better version of myself. But it''s not just that Not only because of him."

    "What then?"

    Katherine asked herself the same question before. When she first answered Chris, she already knew what she wanted to say. It was indeed the truth She wasn''t who she was now only because of Damien. But it wasn''t until Chris probed further that she realized the other reason behind her change.

    A small smile formed on her face. "Because I believe that I owe myself to finally be happy."

    She turned her head to Chris and she saw that he was a bit confused. Then, she heard him ask, "Were you not happy in the past?" Meeting his stare, she knew exactly that he was asking about her time in Shadowwhen all she could see was him and all she wanted to impress was him.

    She averted her gaze, not wanting to see the mncholy in his eyes. "I don''t know. Maybe I was But I always felt like something was missing, so I guess I wasn''t truly happy. Now I found it. And I want to hold on to it."

    He nodded. He could see how she really wanted this. And if he could help her achieve that, he would be willing to give it his all until hisst breathif it meant that she''d be happy in the end. He owed her that much. "You deserve it," he said.

    Katherine didn''t want to dwell on the topic anymore, so she cleared her throat and began, "This Hughes from NIA. How much do you trust her? I mean, she suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Isn''t that suspicious?"

    Chris didn''t mind that she changed the subject, and he understood her apprehension. "It was. Which is why I didn''t believe her right away."

    "And you didn''t tell Parker about it the first time?" she asked, and he shook his head. "Why?"

    "Parker is very calctive. If he finds out that someone approached me, he''ll start suspectingeven if I reported it to him. And I didn''t want to take that risk. Now that I think about it... I was probably already inclined to ept her proposal somehow."

    "So, what changed your mind? And how did she know about you anyway?"

    "She had been monitoring my activities. She knew where I was and what I was doing She told me that there''s another one from NIA who was one of the executives behind Shadowsomeone from the inside. That''s how she knew about me."

    Confused, Katherine turned to face Chris. She crossed her arms and tilted her head, trying to make out the situation in her head. "You mean... there''s a double agent from NIA who was spying in Shadow?" When Chris nodded, she asked, "Who?"

    "I don''t think you have met him. I''ve only seen him once It''s thest time I saw him." He looked down as though he was trying to remember the past before looking back at Katherine again. "Parker had him canceled. And I was already toote to save him."

    She gasped. "So Parker found out about him being a double agent?"

    Damien came over and stood next to her, trying to catch up on what the two were talking about. She felt his hand touch her back and she leaned slightly towards it as she thought of how all of this started. "Then it was already risky So why did you take the risk and trusted Hughes?"

    Seemingly tired from her questions, Chris let out a long sigh. "Because I had no one else, Katherine. You weren''t there anymore. Styles ''died''," he said, and Styles looked at them when he heard his name being mentioned. Chris ran a tired hand down his face and he added, "Even Falcon died. I had no one. It seemed like that was the only logical choice I had left at that time."

    Hearing Chris mention his mother, Damien suddenly stiffened. His face hardened as he looked at the other and he had the urge to ask questions. For some reason, he didn''t like the thought of Chris mentioning his mother and looking like he was longing for her. Katherine noticed the change in Damien''s expression and she immediately knew why. She turned to face him, slid her hand to his, and gave it a squeeze.

    Just then, a beeping sound was heard and Styles called their attention, "Text message. I think it''s Gus."

    Thankfully saved by the text, Katherine pulled Damien with her and headed to where Styles was. She picked up the phone and read the text.

    [I checked in. Parker isn''t here. I don''t think anyone is suspecting me. When are we doing this?]

    Damien exchanged looks with Felix and Styles, then he nodded at Katherine. "Tell him to stay on standby. The operation will be tomorrow at twenty-three hundred."

 Chapter 484: Kitten Wants to Go Home

    Chapter 484: Kitten Wants to Go Home

    As the group lead by Damien had finalized their n for tomorrow''s operation, they agreed to regroup in the evening the next day, hoping that everything would run smoothly.

    Their n was to create a distraction for Parker. Since Chris had already epted his role to be the bait, he openly agreed with Damien and Katherine''s suggestion on how to execute their mission tomorrow. Being with Shadow for a long time, he could guess what Parker would do when it happens and he thought that their n had a high chance that it would work well. He just hoped that there wouldn''t be any problems along the way.

    "This would work, right?" Styles asked as he leaned against the dining table, biting his fingernail when he started to feel nervous. Obviously, this wouldn''t be his first mission together with Gus, Chris, and Katherine, but it was definitely his first to do one that involved going against Shadow. He was feeling weird inside and he didn''t know if he was excited or nervous or both.

    "It has to," said Katherine. "If this fails Gus could be in danger and us"

    "So we have to be careful. As long as we follow the n, we''ll all be safe," Damien reassured.

    Styles looked at Chris as though he was waiting for what thetter had to say after going over the n. Feeling Styles''s gaze, Chris nodded and said, "It''ll be a piece of cake."

    Strangely enough, Styles found his wordsforting. He was reminded of what Chris used to tell them when they were still in Shadow during their briefing before missions. Sometimes, they would get nervous, but he would always make sure to tell them that it''s an easy mission, so they wouldn''t stress about it too muchin the end, they would be clear-headed and the mission would run smoothly. This was just like that time, and Styles wanted to believe itso did Katherine.

    After their meeting, Damien had to answer a phone call so he stepped aside for a minute. Katherine watched him from a distance and saw how tired he seemed. He was still her handsome King, but the slight dark circles under his eyes were showing. She knew how much he worked that week, and then things happened this weekend. Her heart throbbed seeing her man. Biting her lip, she thought of something and waited for him to finish his phone call before going to him.

    After the call, he looked up from the screen when he noticed someone approaching and saw Katherine. The corners of his mouth naturally curled upward and he received her in his arms as she came close. "What''s wrong?" he asked, noticing the way she was looking at him.

    "You''re tired" she said.

    "I''m fine." He kissed her forehead. When he looked down, her brows knitted, so he probed, "What is it?"

    "Let''s not do it tonight Breaking in, I mean... We can do it on Tuesday."

    "Why?" A soft crease formed between his brows. "Is everything okay?"

    "Just I want to go home," she muttered. She knew that if she told him that he should rest, he would insist that he was okay. Instead, she brought in her charm and convinced him that she just wanted to call it a day and go home.

    Her voice sounded so gentle that his face softened upon hearing her. Brushing her hair away from her face, his thumb caressed her cheek. "You want to go home?"

    Katherine nodded and wrapped her arms around his torso, resting the side of her head on his shoulder. "Let''s just go home tonight I''ve had enough for today."

    His hand naturally found her waist and he stroked her head with the other. Looking down at her, he could guess what she was up towhat with her telling him that he looked tired and all. He didn''tin as he wanted to go home as well. "Alright. Let''s go home."

    After that, Damien called the security that was guarding his penthouse to watch over Katherine''s ce where his mother was staying. He wanted to have as much privacy as possible.

    As they were on their way to Golden Phoenix Residences, Damien rified, "So, you''re sure that your aunt wasn''ting back until Wednesday?"

    Katherine nodded. "Yeah. Positive. So we have enough time to n."

    "What about the mansion? Don''t you want to check that out?"

    "I thought about that too But I just feel like there''s something in her office." She thought for a second and probed, "Do you think we could do both in one night? That would be too much, right?"

    "Well we could drop by for dinner? That''ll be a good excuse for you to be there."

    She looked at Damien and a slow smile formed on her lips. Wordlessly, she nted a big kiss on his cheek. "Then, it''s settled."

    Golden Phoenix Residences

    As soon as their private elevator closed, Damien had Katherine trapped against the wall. They smiled at each other and their lips met effortlessly.

    Clenching her hands on his shirt, she pulled him towards her, pressing her body against him. She deepened their kiss and she moaned when his palm found her ass and squeezed it.

    "Is this why you wanted to go home, Kitten?" he teased.

    "Well, after what you told me before dinner, I wanted to see how turned on I got you." She yfully bit his bottom lip, her hand dangerously sliding to the front of his pants.

    Damien softly chuckled, pressing himself to her hand. "Oh, you have no idea" He ducked his head and nibbled the side of her neck. "But I certainly don''t mind showing you just how much."

    "Looking forward to it, Mr. Park." Her breathing became heavy when his tongue traced a sensitive spot.

    A handsome smirk formed on his lips as he smiled against her skin and he told her, "I won''t disappoint, future Mrs. Park."

    The elevator came to a stop and they stepped out of it hurriedly. Soon, they found themselves in Damien''s penthouse. He whisked her towards him and kissed her lips, his hands swiftly starting to tug her dress off her while she did the same on his shirt.

    However, before they could go any further, they heard several faint voices from a distance. Their heads snapped towards the center of the penthouse as they tried to make out what it was. Damien''s shirt was already unbuttoned halfway while Katherine still had her clothes on when they paused. He brought a finger in front of his lips and ever so carefully, he took out a gun that was hidden under a console table by the entrance.

    Pointing the gun to the ground, he looked at Katherine and signaled her to follow him. Nodding, she lifted her skirt up, pulled out her knuckle knives, and followed hismand. Their senses heightened while they scanned their surroundings and headed towards where the sound wasing from.

    It looked like the voices wereing from the pool area which was located deeper into the massive penthouse, and the closer they got, the more familiar the voices sounded.

    Before reaching the corner where they should turn and reach the pool, Damien raised a hand up and Katherine halted. Hearing the noise again, the two breathed out a sigh of relief when they recognized who the voices belonged to, but they were seemingly annoyed at the same time.

    He holstered the gun in the waistband of his back and covered it with his dress shirt while she kept her knives back in ce. Then, they walked in.

    "What the hell are you all doing in my house?" Damien asked in an exasperated tone.

    Katherine stood next to him and looked at the sight in front of them.

    Heads turned in their direction and the room went stillCaleb, Alianna, Jeffrey, and Jessamine were all surprised at their sudden arrival.

 Chapter 485: Slap My Perky Butt

    Chapter 485: p My Perky Butt

    The pool was the focal point of the penthousea 14-meter indoor swimming pool with a square ind decorated with a sculpture and a tree, and grass. Directly in front of the pool was the terrace facing the coastal view of Harbor City. Katherine and Damien stood at one end of the pool which was near the entrance of the kitchen.

    The four intruders were casually sitting on the sunbeds on the terrace with an opened bottle of expensive wine and some snacks.

    "Oh my god! Finally!" Alianna was the first one to break the silence. She promptly got up from the sunbed by the indoor pool and eximed, "God, it''s so good to see you!"

    "Ali" Katherine greeted as Alianna came over to give her a big bear hug, in which she returned with her own. "How are you?"

    "I''m good, now that I finally know you''re still breathing! I thought Damien had imprisoned you somewhere and wasn''t allowing the whole world to see you anymore!" Alia gave her cousin an eye.

    Damien drifted his gaze past his cousin and looked at Caleb. He cocked a brow as if he was questioning him without really asking anything yet.

    "Hey, don''t look at me," Caleb said, waving his hands in front of him. "She was the one who insisted oning here and wait for you guys. I couldn''t say no"

    Then, Damien''s stare shifted to Jeffrey whose eyes widened before he formed a wide, goofy smile and said, "Bro we were just visiting Caleb to hang out when they were leaving and said they were headed here. We just tagged along." Jessamine awkwardly waved and pursed her lips.

    Sighing, Damien turned to his cousin and chided, "Ali, we talked about this. You can''t juste without letting me know first."

    He didn''t really mind hering into his home. She coulde and stay if she needed a ce to stay. However, there were just too many people around them at the moment who shouldn''t be seen by otherslike Amelia. It was for their own good too. Especially at this time, he thought that it was dangerous to be hanging around him or Katherine, especially with Shadow possibly lurking around.

    Alianna pouted, crossing her arms in front of her. "Well, if you had just answered my calls and texts then I wouldn''t have toe here! Even Katherine was ignoring me too."

    She actually looked sad, which made Katherine feel extremely guilty. "I wasn''t ignoring you, Ali" She bit her bottom lip.

    But Damien wasn''t having it. "So, you decided to invite yourself in and stay while I wasn''t around?"

    Alianna scoffed. She couldn''t believe why Damien was being so strict at the moment. "What''s wrong with you? You weren''t like this before."

    Katherine swiftly held Damien''s arm and smiled. "Give us a moment, Ali"

    Then, she pulled him to the side for a talk. "Hey That was" She paused, unsure of how to word her thoughts.

    His head hung low. He already knew what Katherine was thinking. "I know" Running a hand through his hair, he sighed. He lifted his chin up when he felt her hands on his. She gave it a squeeze before she slid her hands up to his chest, and he heard her say, "Let''s just entertain them for an hour. Then we''ll send them home. I need to make up for not being able to get back to your cousin too. After that, we can have our quiet time."

    Nodding, he rubbed his nape and decided, "I''ll have to talk to Caleb about this too. I can''t have theming here at random times. It''s dangerous for them."

    "How will you tell them?"

    "They''ll understand. I won''t be able to tell them everything, but they''ll always understand." He nced at Jeffrey from a distance and added, "I think we could use Jeffrey''s help for tomorrow too. It''ll be easier if he could lend a hand."

    "Okay I''ll get the girls." Katherine tiptoed and kissed him on the lips. "See youter."

    Then, she walked towards Alianna. "Hey, Ali Jess I''m craving for some ice cream. Let''s go raid Damien''s fridge."

    "Oh, yes please!" Alianna nodded.

    "I would never say no to ice cream." Jessamine smiled.

    Alianna linked arms with Katherine and the three of them walked towards the kitchen.

    Meanwhile, Damien rolled his sleeves up to his elbows and gestured for Caleb and Jeffrey to follow him to the study.

    Each with a spoon in hand, they took turns digging into a pint of peanut butter and chocte ice cream around the kitchen ind. Katherine sat on top of the counter while Ali and Jess leaned over it.

    "I don''t mean to pry," Alianna started as she nced at Jess, "...but I''m just gonna. So Are you and Jeffrey already dating? Like exclusively?" She scooped a spoonful of ice cream and licked her spoon clean, waiting for the other to answer her question.

    Katherine, who was also interested to hear her answer, yed with her spoon in her mouth.

    Jessamine looked so nonchnt about it as she shrugged, took the pint from Ali''s hand, and dug into it. "We''re not really dating or anything. We''re just fcking."

    Katherine and Alianna looked at each other, then they threw their head back chuckling at her bluntness.

    "I love her already," Alimented.

    "I don''t think Jeffrey ever brings girls around though I think he likes you." Katherine couldn''t help but try to see Jessamine''s reaction.

    All of a sudden, Jess was sent into a coughing fit. Alianna hurriedly grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and patted the other''s back. Then, she and Katherine exchanged knowing looks and sly smiles.

    Just then, Alianna gasped. "Oh! I almost forgot. Wait a sec." She walked out of the kitchen and came back a minuteter with a pink, shimmery envelope in one hand and a paper bag in the other. Handing the envelope to Katherine, she had a small smile on her face when she said, "Here. Open it."

    Bewildered, Katherine narrowed her eyes at her. She got off the counter and hesitantly received it. "What''s this?" It didn''t look like her wedding invitation, so she wondered what was inside. "My birthday had already passed" When Ali just nodded for her to check it out herself, she carefully took out a white card and opened it. Her mouth hung open when she read the words written on it in decorative font:

    <em><strong>Katherine Young</strong></em>

    <em><strong>Will you be my Maid of Honor? </strong></em>

    <em><strong>(P.S. You can p my perky butt whenever you think I''m being too much.)</strong></em>

    "Are you serious?" Katherine joyfullyughed. When Alianna nodded with a smile, she squealed. "Of course! Yes, Ali I would love to!"

 Chapter 486: Showing Our Appreciation

    Chapter 486: Showing Our Appreciation

    "I am so happy for you!" Katherine beamed. She hadn''t let go of Alianna yet as she truly felt excited for her.

    "Thank you! I wouldn''t want any other girl! I just knew it has to be you."

    "Oh, but wait" Katherine pulled away looking worried. "When is the wedding? I wish to do a lot for you, but I don''t want to disappoint you I''ll be quite busy with work these days. I really hope I can do my duties as your Maid of Honor."

    Alianna smiled reassuringly. "Don''t worry, Kath. I understand And I''m taking my time, so you don''t have to stress about anything really Also, Caleb and I haven''t decided on a date yet. I have mostly listed down my favorites so we can go over it when we can. And I can set up an appointment with you, so you won''t have to worry about it. Just promise me you won''t avoid my calls again."

    "Really sorry about that. I just had too much on my te this week while I was away And then I just came back yesterday Things happened..."

    "Well, I can clearly see that. The gossip columns are hot! Didn''t know you were so bold like that, Katherine... Letting the whole world see you smooching my cousin?" Alianna teased.

    "Oh, my god! Was that you?" Jessamine chimed in and simultaneously whipped out her smartphone. "I rarely use socialworking sites, but I opened it a couple of hours ago to check on some stuff. There was a post that has beening up my feed and I thought the image looked familiar No wonder! I could have sworn I recognized the dress in the picture since you wore itst night."

    "You saw each otherst night?" Alianna wondered.

    "Ah, just a couple of minutes. Damien had to drop something off for Jeffrey at the hospital." Katherine quickly dismissed it naturally and exchanged nces with Jessamine who realized that she slipped. Then, she continued, "Anyway, that gossip will die down soon. I don''t even want to check it. I feel like I will have a headache if I do."

    "You should enjoy the attention at the moment. You''re the only one worthy of being on the columns with him anyway. This way, all those girls who are still wishing to get a piece of him could finally back off." Alianna rolled her eyes and did a double-take when she realized she was still holding the other item in her hand. "Ah, here This is for you. My invitation eptance gift!"

    Confused, Katherine looked at the paper bag and arched a brow. "Huh? There''s such a thing?"

    "Of course! You epted my invitation to be my Maid of Honor, so you get to have this gift. I suggest you use it tonight." She winked.

    Receiving the paper bag, she lifted it up in front of her and the words "La Folie: House of Lingerie" was written on it.

    It was the brand that Alianna modeled foralso the same brand where Katherine bought her maic pantythe one she wore to the auctionthe one she dropped in the middle of the dance floor, picked up, and made into Damien''s pocket square.

    Katherine hadn''t even seen what was inside the bag yet and she was already smiling and chuckling. She couldn''t help but be reminded of that night. Was Damien going to be in for a surprise or was she?

    cing the bag on the counter, she peered inside and saw two pieces of carefully wrapped lingerieone in ck and one in wine red. She reached in and pulled out the ck one, unwrapped the soft mesh fabric covering the pieces, and held up the lingerie in front of her. "Holythis is"

    "What''s that?" Damien''s voice reverberated in the room as he appeared.

    "Nothing." Katherine all but shoved the delicate piece back in the paper bag. She didn''t mind Damien seeing it, but Caleb and Jeffrey also sauntered into the room.

    However, she kept the grin on her face as Damien came to her side and pulled her to him. "I already saw that," he whispered to her ear, his low, hot voice tickling her skin.

    "Li, ready to go?" Caleb asked Alianna. Thetter pouted and leaned against her manining, "Ah, so soon?"

    "You alreadywe already invaded their privacy," Caleb corrected himself when she knitted her brows at him. "I''m sure they''re tired and need to rest too."

    "Fine" Alianna turned her head to Damien and huffed. "I''m still mad at you." When Damien cocked a brow, she added, "But I''m sorry. Next time, I''ll let you know."

    While the two couples were conversing, Jeffrey went to stand next to Jessamine. "Hey." He smiled at her when he met her eyes, and ever so subtly, he held her handand to his relief, she didn''t pull away.

    Soon, the visitors were leaving and Damien and Katherine said goodbye to them in the foyer.

    "I''m really excited for you, Ali And thanks for the gift," Katherine said as she exchanged hugs with Alianna.

    "No biggie. I''ll see you in a few days?" Alianna bid farewell to Damien afterward and left with the rest. Then, the two pairs disappeared into the elevator.

    As soon as they were alone, Damien activated the security rm and locked the penthouse. He swiftly picked up Katherine bridal style, causing her to yelp in surprise, "Damien! W-What are you doing?" She giggled, her arms already hooking around his neck.

    "We already wasted an hour because of them. We can''t waste any more time," he said as he carried her.

    "Why are we heading towards the kitchen?"

    They reached the ind counter and he nodded at the "La Folie" paper bag. "We can''t let that go to waste. My cousin worked so hard for this brand. We must show our appreciation by using it efficiently."

    Katherine couldn''t help butugh at his words. She snatched the paper bag and hugged it as Damien immediately headed towards the master bedroom. "Do I have to wear this tonight? Kinda time-consuming to change into it and then only to be taken off right after, don''t you think so? Can''t I just strip bare out of this dress?"

    Arriving in the bedroom, he set her down and pressed her against the wall. "Either way, Kitten... As long as I can have my way with you tonight."

    She pressed her lips to him and told him, "You can have your with me every night, Damien."

 Chapter 487: Missing Dessert

    Chapter 487: Missing Dessert

    MondayNovember 26

    "Hold still," Katherine said as she fixed Damien''s tie. He was wearing a four-piece pinstripe ck suit and looking incredibly neat and smart as always.

    "Don''t forget about our appointment in West tomorrow for the g. We''ll swing by before we go to your grandfather," he said, watching her as she focused on his tie.

    "Okay, I''ll put it in my calendar."

    "While you''re in the office, scope out as much as you can. We''ll have Styles, but we can never be toox."

    "Yes, Boss." She nced up at him, smiling because of his reminders.

    His eyes trained on her dress. "You look nice" heplimented. "Too bad the buttons only stop halfway."

    She wore a white knee-length pencil cut dress with elbow sleeves, a notched neckline, and gold buttons and belt. Katherine looked so ssy and put together.

    Sheughed at hisment, her eyes sparkling as she nced at him. Then, she patted the finished tie and answered, "I can''t have you tearing all my nice dresses, Mister. I happen to also like this one."

    He clicked his tongue as his hand wandered south her backside. "We really need to get you more of those easy ess dresses, Kitten."

    She rolled her eyes, yet a sweet smile formed on her face before tiptoeing and giving him a kiss. "Haven''t you heard of the saying: If there''s a will, there''s a way? We''ll just have to be more creative, Damien."

    Gazing down at her, an amused smirk danced on his lips. "Does that mean I can have you anytime I want?"

    Katherine''s hand wrapped around his tie, pulling him down to meet her lips. "Anytime Anywhere In any way"

    Damien gripped her waist and pressed his erection against her front, making her aware of what she had done to him. "Now, now How could you say that? Look what you''re doing to me."

    Unabashedly, she slid a hand on his bulge and it twitched against her palm. "Hmmm I''ll just have to make it up to you. We''re going to bete. We need to leave." And she kissed him on the lips again before pulling him by the hand and bringing him out of the bedroom.

    "You told me just now How could you break a promise within ten seconds?" He sighed, squeezing her bottom as they walked out the door as if to release his frustration, and she justughed.

    Crown Resort Group

    As Damien finished going over some paperwork, he took off his eyesses and squeezed his eyes shut for a bit, leaning against the backrest of his office chair. It was only noon and he was already dreading to finish his day at thepany.

    Just then, there was a knock on the door, and in came Markus with a paper bag in his hand and some folders. Damien''s eyes were still closed when he said, "Boss, Ms. Katherine sent you lunch."

    Damien fluttered his eyes open and his gazended on the paper bag in his hand. It was from the restaurant that they always ordered from. He received a text from her earlier saying that she couldn''te by for lunch so she sent food instead. A small smile brightened his face and his mood was immediately lifted.

    Markus ced the paper bag on the desk and as his boss started unpacking the contents, he began, "I have received a response from the current team owner. He''s asking for a ridiculous amount."

    Damien checked the folder that he received from Markus and he arched his brow, a mocking chuckle escaped from his throat when he saw the numbers. "Such an ambitious bastard."

    "I heard he was also entertaining another buyer, but when he learned that you were interested, he suddenly raised the amount by forty percent."

    He scoffed. "Set up a meeting with him."

    "You''re seeing him personally?" Markus probed.

    "Looks like he''s itching to rob me. I should at least see him once It''s been a while since I taught someone a lesson," Damien said ever so casually as he looked at the delicious meal on his desk. "Oh, and look into changing the team''s name."

    Markus didn''t even have to question Damien, knowing that if his boss wanted something, he would definitely get it. So, acquiring the basketball team even with the problematic current owner was going to be nothing but a child''s y. "Understood. What name do you have in mind?"

    Damien thought about it for a bit and then answered, "Falcons. Esmea Falcons."

    Nodding, Markus typed the note onto his tablet and put it on top of the list. This was for Damien''s mother, so naturally, he''d want to name it after her.

    Damien was never one to take pictures, but this time, he took out his phone and snapped a photo of the meal that he arranged on his desk, then he sent it to Katherine along with the message:

    [Damien: Thanks for the meal. I will enjoy it. Too bad I''m missing dessert.]

    In a matter of seconds, he received a reply.

    [MyKitten: What do you mean? There''s a slice of cake there?]

    [Damien: I meant you.]

    Raising his head, he asked Markus, "How''s the reservation for tonight?"

    "I have already arranged the restaurant and booked the tickets for the event. And I''ve leaked the info regarding the reservation to a few media outlets that showed interest in the recent gossip about your rtionship with Ms. Katherine."

    "And the team? Has Felix contacted them?"

    "Yes, Boss. Everything is in ce for tonight."

    Damien took a deep breath and nodded. "Good."

    A few secondster, his phone buzzed. Tapping his phone screen, he opened the new text message and saw that Katherine responded with a winky emoji together with her selfie. He stared at the picture for a good ten seconds before he wordlessly waved his hand at Markus as if to tell him to get outall without taking his eyes off the screen.

    Markus shook his head and retrieved the folder before heading out and locking the door behind him.

 Chapter 488: Shes Allergic

    Chapter 488: She''s Allergic

    At a quarter to six in the evening, Damien was on his way to pick Katherine up from Young Corporation. With their operation happening tonight, they needed to keep up with appearances. So, he would be taking her out on a date and spend an otherwise busy Monday with her by watching a musical concert after, where there would be a lot of witnesses.

    ncing at the signage of the modern building to the right that said: Young Corporation, he pulled up to the curb and put the car in hazard mode. Quickly texting Katherine that he was outside, he waited for a beat before climbing out of the car with a bouquet of fresh flowers in hand.

    Meanwhile, Katherine was still in one of the function rooms of their office as Director Bai was throwing a small celebration in their department for bagging a huge projectthe Crown Residences. There wasn''t any formal program as it was mostly just eating and mingling with the co-workers. When she received the text message from Damien, she immediately headed out after saying goodbye to her team.

    As soon as she stepped out of the building, her gazended at the dashing man who was leaning against a Range Rover. He had his endless legs crossed, one hand in his pocket while the other was holding a colorful bouquet as he kept his stare at the front of the building where she came out. A huge bright smile appeared on her face immediately. This man was hers.

    She couldn''t tell why she was suddenly feeling giddy as if it was the first time that she had seen him looking so attractive while waiting for her. Maybe it was why they say ''butterflies in the stomach'' because right now, she felt like soft wings of butterflies were tickling her insides and giving her a strange yet wonderful feeling.

    "Hey," she said as she approached him.

    And without reservations, she hooked her arms around his neck and greeted him with a kiss on the lips, ignoring the stares around them. His arms naturally went around her waist and he straightened up to hold her steadily. "Hey," he responded. "I missed you."

    There were murmurs and whispers from the passersby, and they both knew that they were talking about them. Young Corporation''s main office building was in the middle of a business district where a lot of employees and even students would pass by every day. And at this time, everyone just got out of work or school and were on their way home.

    Although they did not look around, they could sense that the onlookers were snapping pictures or videos of them. The couple definitely caught their attentionjust how they wanted.

    Damien gave her the flowers and they were about to get in the car when a teen came over.

    "Umm Excuse me?"

    They turned their heads to the girl and wondered what she wanted. She seemed to be about thirteen to fifteen years old and she had ice cream in one hand and a smartphone in the other. After exchanging looks with Damien, Katherine asked, "Yes?"

    "I... Uh I''m such a huge fan" the girl blurted, her eyes focusing on Katherine.

    Bewildered, Katherine furrowed her brows and softly chuckled. A fan? How strange. "I''m sorry You must have mistaken me with someone else. I''m not an artist or a celebrity I''m just"

    "I know who you are. You''re Katherine Young. Am I right? You are so pretty prettier than the pictures online. And your dresses look nice You look like a princess. I want to be just like you when I grow up!" the girl eximed.

    Katherine was surprised. They did want attention, but this was beyond what she expected as she wasn''t famous. How could she have a fan?

    "I don''t know what to say" Katherine could only smile.

    "Can I have a selfie with you?"

    Taken aback by the girl''s request, Katherine didn''t know how to respond to her. She thought about it for a second and when she was just about to agree, Damien had already answered for her.

    "She''s allergic," he said.

    The little girl''s brows knitted in confusion and she nced at the ice cream in her hand that was already melting. "To ice cream?" she probed.

    "No. To pictures." He smiled. "We have to leave. Go home, kid."

    The crease on the girl''s forehead deepened as she watched the couple get in the car and drive away. "Woah~ She''s allergic to pictures? How cool~" the girl remarked.

    "That was weird" Katherine said as the car stopped at a red light.

    Damien reached out and cupped her chin, leaning in to kiss her while the red light was still on.

    "Did you drink something just now?" he asked.

    "I did. I had a ss of champagne before I came out. How can you even tell? I don''t smell it Do I smell bad?" she wondered and thought he had superpowers.

    He shook his head. "No, but I could taste it. Very faint, but it''s still there."

    She looked at him as she found it amazing that his sense of taste was superb.

    "Do you have any social media ounts?" He put the car back on gear and maneuvered through the traffic.

    "I did before but it''s been several months since Ist opened it," she answered and took out her phone to check on the apps. "Why? Ahlet me try logging in."

    A few momentster, she eximed, "Wow! How did this even happen?" Katherine stared at the thousands of friend requests and follows on her social media ountmore than a hundred thousand followersit was only about a hundred before. She had used it in the past to post random pictures of stuff and very few of her own selfies way before she came to work for Damien at Crown Resort Group. But it had been a long time since she posted anything and her name on it was still Katherine Miller.

    Damien chuckled. "Well, there you go. You have so many fans."

    "I''m not even a celebrity" she muttered as she stared at her phone screen. She may not be a celebrity, but Damien was a public figure.

    A sudden idea came to mind and she bit her bottom lip in excitement. She quickly changed her name to Katherine Young and when the car came to a stop in front of a restaurant, she grabbed the flowers and hooked her arm with his. "Damien, smile!"

    He didn''t smile. But he nced down at her, and when she tapped the camera to take their picture, he was showing his side profile. "Ah You didn''t smile"

    "Still handsome though," he said when he nced at the preview and she chuckled at hisment. He wasn''t wrong. He was indeed handsome no matter what angle. Watching as she posted the photo on her wall, he smiled. The caption read: ''He''s taking me out on a date on a Monday night. ''Coz why not?''

    "Good thinking." He pressed a kiss on her temple. "Are you ready?"

    "Yes."

    Soon, Damien helped her out of the car and headed to a building. Some of Damien''s men from Maverick Security, who were following them from a different car, showed up in the front and were quick to shield them from the media as they entered the premises. A few of the media were arranged by Markus secretly and the others might have gotten the word.

    This was a way to keep up appearances. Surely, Parker wouldn''t think that Katherine had something to do with what would happen tonight.

    The couple was led inside and guided to a private roomthe nearest one from the elevator. They waited for a few minutes and as soon as everything was clear outside, the couple came out of the private room and rode the elevator down to the basement parking where Styles and Amelia were waiting inside a trailer van.

    "Everything ready?" Damien asked as they boarded the van.

    With a lollipop in his mouth, Styles worked on hisputer and answered without lifting his eyes from the screen. "Almost. Just waiting for their signal and we''re good to go."

 Chapter 489: First Mission

    Chapter 489: First Mission

    The trailer van was the same one they used before when Katherine first appeared publicly during her ''Wee Home Party''. It had a spacious interior and was actually liveable, but they had reconstructed it in order to fit all their equipment.

    "Damn it. You two look like a celebrity couple," Stylesmented when he checked Katherine''s social media ount and saw the photo that she posted an hour ago. "And look at these followers I bet most of them came from King Charming''s following and just wanted to see who our Queen is."

    Damien, who already knew that Styles was referring to him, knitted his brows. "I don''t have a social media ount."

    Styles snapped his head at him. "Yes, you do" He knew that Damien did because he had done his research and even followed him using an alias.

    Katherine looked at Damien and saw him deepen the crease on his brows, then she heard him say, "Well, I did have one before. But it''s been years since I have opened it."

    "You do?" she asked while simultaneously checking her app. "How have I never checked before?"

    "You don''t know too?" Styles quirked a brow. "He has a million followers!"

    "I do?" Damien whipped out his phone. He hadn''t touched any social media apps for a very long time already, so he had no clue.

    "You''re right Wow Who are these people?" she wondered upon seeing the number of followers he had. "And why do you only post pictures of your hand while holding a ss of whiskey?"

    Damien chuckled. "They were good whiskeys."

    Checking out one of the photos, she gasped when she read some of thements on it.

    [NixxxiE: I love you, Mr. Damien Park! I wanna have your babies!]

    [filledelisle: Oh, god... that hand... I want to touch it!]

    [Sofia05: That hand would look so much better cupping my boobs]

    [Avalorian_: @Sofia05 No, that hand would look better touching my p****]

    [Swaning: These bunch of thirsties. I''m just gonna pass by. Nice watch btw!]

    Katherine threw a dirty look in Damien''s direction. When he looked up and saw her re, he asked, "What?" Then, he checked what she was seeing on her phone screen. "Oh I don''t readments and I don''t reply"

    Pouting, she furiously typed ament on the same photo.

    [KatherineYoung: That hand is mine!!!]

    Seeing her reaction and reading herment, Damien couldn''t help butugh. "Yours," he whispered before pressing a kiss on her hair.

    Just then, a static noise was heard from the speakers which was followed by a man''s voice. "Guys," Amelia called their attention. She was coordinating with the team who was out in the field, so she had all her focus on theputers. Their heads turned to the front and they heard the voice saying, "Delta Papa Zero, this is Alpha Foxtrot Zero-One, RADIO CHECK, OVER."

    It was Felix on the other line and that was his codename. He was asking about his signal strength and readability. Pressing a button on a device, Damien replied, "Alpha Foxtrot Zero-One, this is Delta Papa Zero, ROGER, OUT," informing Felix that his line was clear.

    Checking the time on his watch, Damien said, "It''s eight o''clock. As soon as everybody is in their ces, we''llmence."

    "Got it." Styles faced his screen and linked all thems who were out with Felix.

    Later

    Two men were hiding in a dark alley not far from Hillcrest Hospital.

    "You ready?" Felix asked as he fixed the wig on his head. He was wearing a disguise of a homeless man and was unrecognizable.

    Chris nodded, feeling icky as he wore a slightly dirty shirt and pants with blood on it.

    Felix heard an order from Damien through hisms and he answered, "WILCO. OUT," acknowledging Damien''s order and saying that he willply.

    Then, he turned away from Chris and had him climb on his back in a saddleback carry position. Felix could carry him like a fireman would, but that would give away too much of his skills, so they opted for this instead. "Fck you''re heavy," he remarked.

    "Argggh. My stitches are gonna rip," Chris groaned under gritted teeth.

    "Then that''s better. Now, y dead," Felix told him just before he left the dark alley with Chris on his back and then hurriedlyas if he was in a real emergencyran towards the entrance of the hospital.

    "Help! This man needs help!" he shouted as he approached.

    Jeffrey, who ''happened'' to be nearby, came to help. There were other medical staff members who came to assist Chris onto a bed and wheeled him towards the ER. Chris looked pale and disheveled as he acted as if he passed out.

    A staff member came to ask Felix some questions and he did his best to say what they had rehearsedthat he found the man lying unconscious several meters away from the hospital, describing the blood that he found on the man''s abdomen and on his leg.

    Several minutester, Felix came out of the hospital and a young reporter, who was also arranged by Markus anonymously, rushed towards him. "Excuse me, Sir, may I ask you a few questions? I saw you earlier carrying a man who had a lot of blood on his clothes. What happened?"

    Felix repeated what he told the nurseall while making his act believable. He was even asked to describe how the man looked like, in which he roughly did, telling the reporter the hair color andplexion as if those were the only things he noticed.

    When he was finally done, Felix scurried away from the hospital and back to the dark alley where he quickly changed clothes and removed his disguise.

    "Alpha Foxtrot Zero-One, head over to the basement," said Damien through thems.

    "ROGER. OUT." Felix left the dark alley and got inside a car, then, he sped off towards the hospital''s basement parking where he anxiously waited on one of the parking spaces near the elevators.

    "Come on. Come on," he muttered, his gaze fixated at the door of the elevator where Chris was supposed toe out.

    It had been almost an hour since he had dropped him off in the hospital and the longer they take, the riskier it would be. Inside the hospital, there were a few men from Alpha, Beta, and Delta teams who were doing their own tasks in order to make sure that Chris would safely get out of there.

    "What''s the hold up?!" he asked the men from his team through thems.

    However, there was no answer.

    Wondering why hisms was silent, he spoke, "Delta Papa Zero, this is Alpha Foxtrot Zero-One, can you hear me? OVER."

    No response.

    "Sht." He clenched his hands.

    Just then, the elevator door opened and his heart raced as he waited for whoever woulde out. A few secondster, Chris limped his way out of the car, along with the rest of their team who were wearing scrubs or white gowns. Felix let out a long sigh of relief before he stepped on the gas and stopped in front of them.

    Chris got inside the heavily tinted car that Felix was driving together with another security detail from the Beta team while the rest went to another car that was behind them. Soon, they sped out of the basement parking and joined the traffic.

 Chapter 490: Agent Gazelle

    Chapter 490: Agent Gazelle

    Katherine released a long sigh of relief upon seeing Chris walk out of the elevator and into Felix''s car. They had lost their connection with Felix when he went down to the basement parking and all they could rely on was the security cameras in the parking area to know that he was there. So when they saw that Chris was with the team again and had already hit the road heading towards a safe house in the outskirts of Harbor City, she released the breath that she didn''t know she was holding in.

    Sliding her hand to Damien''s, he sped it tightly in his and nodded at her. Since the first operation was already done, they were down to one more mission tonight. But for the second mission tomence, they had to wait for that short interview that Felix did earlier to be televised at the 10 o''clock news that night.

    That was thetest time that they expected Parker to learn the news about Chris being in Hillcrest Hospital. Anything could happen in between and their time would get cut down much shorter, especially since they didn''t know how many were lurking in the shadows. So earlier that night, Styles reminded Gus to prepare for any surprises.

    Initially, they anticipated starting the operation in Castle around eleven in the evening, thinking that it was enough time for the agents whom Parker would send to look for Chris to be far away from the base, causing the security to weaken a little. This way, Gus would have a higher chance to finish the task and get out of Castle alive.

    In about an hour, the news would go live. Damien and Katherine had to leave the trailer van as they had to be in the musical concert. But before they left, Damien checked in with Noah who was in another state, along with other Alpha, Beta, and Delta team members. They were on standby, waiting for orders not far from CastleShadow''s base.

    "How''s the situation over there?" Damien asked as soon as Noah picked up.

    "Boss, we''re ready anytime. Just waiting for your orders."

    "Good. Takemands from Lia after this call. She''ll oversee the operation moving forward." Damien gently patted his mother''s shoulder as if a gesture to transfer the role to her. Amelia nodded and put on her headphones, connecting herself to Noah''s team.

    "Copy that."

    When the call ended, Damien and Katherine got up from their seats. "Markus will send some food over for you soon," he said.

    "Thanks. Oh, here!" Styles tossed a small container to Katherine and she caught it. "So that you guys can listen in."

    Nodding, she took out one piece and gave the other to Damien. Now, all of them were connected. "Good luck," she told the two.

    Amelia looked at the other three and muttered under her breath, "Yeah. Good luck to us."

    Damien and Katherine reached the private room of the restaurant that they had booked for dinner, a few of his men guarding the private door outside. The food they ordered was left on the table just like they had instructed. It had already gotten cold since they were gone for a while, but neither of themined as they took a few bites.

    "I don''t feel like eating" said Katherine. He looked up and caught her eyes, wondering if she was okay. "I''m hungry but I don''t think I can eat," she added.

    "You''re nervous. It''s understandable." He reached across the table and held her hand as though he was giving her some reassurance that everything would be okay. "Eat just a little bit more. Then I''ll have all of this packed so we can eat when we go hometer. We need to move the concert will be starting soon."

    "Okay." She nodded. She couldn''t stop her heart from beating erratically. The first phase of the operation with Chris earlier went somewhat smoothly, and setting their differences aside, their mission that night was to get ess to Shadow''s databasethey had decided to use him as a distraction, but they still needed him alive and that alone already made her anxious. However, now that they were in the second phase of their operation, she feared that everything would go south. This was Shadowno, this was Parker. No one had seeded going against him yet.

    Getting up from his seat, Damien brought her to her feet and wrapped his arms around her. "We''re going to make it." He kissed her forehead and felt her embrace him back. They stayed in the same position for a while before leaving the room and heading out to the concert.

    ...

    CastleShadow''s Base

    Gus had been in Castle since seven in the evening to check-in. It was crowded and busy that day as agents went in and out and were sent to missions, and several were sent to look for Chrisincluding him. Parker had almost turned the base upside down, frustrated that none of the agents found the traitor. They had been searching for him since Saturdayit had been two days since and there was still no sight of him.

    A few agents were called to Parker''s office for a while now, reporting to him directly regarding the status of their search. He had expected to be called too, but he wasn''t called in until it was ten minutes to 10 o''clock in the evening when Gus was called to Parker''s office.

    He clenched his jaw as he walked through the hallway that was leading to the director''s office, thinking that if Parker wouldn''t get alerted regarding Chris being in Hillcrest Hospital before the news evenes out, he only had a ten-minute window to get out of his office. He needed to be far from Parker at this time, but the man called for him. He was supposed to be out of Parker''s sight until he sends the agents out because Gus could only do his task when the security in Castle weakens. What would he do if he happened to still be in his office when Parker receives the news and decides to send agents to Esmea including him? What then?

    "Fck this. You''ll owe me for this, Katherine," Gus mumbled to himself before he knocked on the door. As soon as Gus was allowed to enter, he coughed.

    "Agent Gazelle, your report," Parker ordered without looking at the other, his eyes closed as he leaned on the backrest of his chair. His tone and stance showed that he was stressed and tired. He had been hearing countless search reports that were all unsessful and no progress. He was getting a massive headache. A rogue agent was out on the loose and Shadow was at risk. He couldn''t let Christopher get away.

    Gus started his made-up report. From time to time, he would cough and clear his throathe had also changed his posture, looking as though standing up for a long time was hard for him. When he finished, Parker turned to him, causing his heart to race.

    "You look pale, Agent," said Parker.

    "I apologize, Sir. I haven''t slept for two days now." He coughed again and looked down.

    "I can understand that you''re under a lot of stress looking for your traitor of a mentor." Nodding, Parker let out a sigh and massaged his temple. "Very well You should have yourself checked at the infirmary. We can''t have youing down sick at this time."

    "Thank you, Sir."

    Just then, the door suddenly opened and one of Parker''s guards barged in. ''Sht,'' Gus cursed in his thoughts when he guessed that it must be the news and now he was still in the office. He had never wished so badly to run the fck out of Castle.

    "Sir, we found him," said one of the guards. Using a remote control from Parker''s desk, he turned the TV on and turned up the volume, then he continued, "The agents in Harbor have already checked the hospital, but Agent Hawk was no longer there."

    As soon as Parker heard the report, his expression changed. He turned to the guard and ordered, "Send all avable agents to Harbor City. Christopher should still be there somewhere. He couldn''t have gotten far." He mmed his fist on the desk, ttering the things on top of it.

    The guard acknowledged the order and left very soon after receiving instructions from Parker. Gus cursed a hundred times in his head as he stood by the corner helpless and unsure of what to do. Trapped at the moment, he dreaded that he would be sent out as well. He was about to leave the office to inform Katherine and her team to abort the mission when Parker called after him, "Agent?"

    With his heart kicking against his chest, he stared at Parker and saw the violent look in his eyes.

 Chapter 491: Apprehension

    Chapter 491: Apprehension

    Gus had always thought of Parker as someone you can never cross. Parker was already in his mid-fifties and now that he stared right at the other, he noticed that the man had gotten skinnier than before. Parker Green had always been a lean man, looking fit even at his agegood posture, about the same height as him, dark eyes, and almost all of his hair is already grey. Now, he looked older. Was he too stressed about the current happenings?

    "Yes, Sir?" he answered, already expecting that Parker would send him out with the others, so he had already thought of calling Katherine right after he leaves the office. With him being out of Castle, he couldn''t do what he''s supposed to do.

    Just before Parker could speak, the guard came back to the office and said, "Sir, I''ve already contacted the agents and they''re ready for a briefing. The others who are in the base have assembled in the training room next to the armory. We''re waiting for you."

    "I''ll be right out."

    Parker gathered a few of his stuff on the desk and faced Gus again. "You, Agent Gazelle" He sighed. "Rest up tonight and show up in the morning bright and early."

    "Yes, Sir." Gus nodded politely and allowed Parker to leave the room before him as a sign of respect, closing the door behind him when they left. When Parker was far enough, he let out a sigh and headed towards his bunk, relieved that he was let off.

    The room that Gus entered was his bedroom or what they call ''bunk'' in Shadow. All agents had their own bunks in Castle and also had their houses or apartments outside wherever they would be stationed to keep up with their undercover identities. They could choose to stay wherever. Sometimes, Gus would stay in if he finds traveling to his apartment too troublesome after a long mission. He didn''t have a lot of things there anymore as he mainly only used it for resting. It was pretty much empty aside from a bed, drawer, desk, and chair. The only light he kept on was from themp on his nightstand.

    Taking out his phone, he sent a text message to Styles.

    [Gus: I''m clear. Waiting for bedtime.]

    He was texting in code which meant that he was waiting for the lights to be turned off as though it was bedtimeso he could do his task.

    His burner phone rang a few secondster and he picked it up without saying anything.

    "Team is outside Castle waiting for ourmand. As soon as the agents leave, I''ll give you a signal. Then, we''ll wait approximately forty-five minutes to an hour to start. Until then, sit tight."

    "Got it," he answered in a hushed tone. The bunk was pretty solid, but he could never be too careful.

    "How''s it going in there?"

    "Chief''s briefing the agents. The news was quite fast. It looks like everyone is on high alert here."

    "Sht. Okay, use your earpieceter when I call again. Be on the lookout."

    "Roger that. How''s Chris?"

    "He''s fine. Be safe, Gus." Styles kept his tone light and his answers brief. Everyone was already tense at this point and they needed to mentally prepare themselves.

    "You too." The call ended and Gus slumped on his bed, turning off the lights as he waited for when they would have to execute their part of the mission.

    There were a lot of things going on in his head as he thought about what was going to happen soon. He was skilled in bothbat fighting and marksmanship, and he did well in most of his missions. However, apart from the first few operations when he was still a new agent, today was probably the only time he was feeling anxious. He had never thought that there woulde a time when he would find himself going against Shadow.

    What was surprising for him was not that he found himself in this situation, rather, how quickly he chose to turn his back on the only home he had after he left the orphanage. He thought for sure that he was very loyal towards Shadowtowards Parker. But after seeing Chris together with Katherine and Stylesdeep inside him, he already somewhat knew where he actually wanted to be. How strange was it that just a few days ago, he woulde to Castle feeling like it was the ce where he would stay forever. Now He despised itespecially after hearing from Chris and Styles about what was actually going on.

    No wonder Katherine felt apprehensive that one time. He could still remember it as if it happened just yesterday. It was a few weeks before the first Castle blew up.

    More than five years ago near the old base of Shadow

    Katherine stood outside a convenience store staring into space with her arms folded in front of her chest. The clock had just struck eight in the evening and it was already dark.

    Gus saw her as soon as he stepped out of Castle and he thought of checking up on her. She was a little distracted earlier in the mission and he wondered if she was okay. With his hands in his pockets, he walked up to her.

    She had her hair down and the wind blew the strands gently, but she didn''t bother tucking it. Even while in a daze, she looked beautiful.

    "Weather is nice tonight," he said as he stood next to her. She nced at him and smiled before she faced forward again. "Mm" was all that came out from her.

    "Everything okay with you?"

    Katherine didn''t answer right away. There was silence for a minute before she hesitated and asked, "Gus We''ve known each other for a while now I can be honest and ask you anything, right?"

    Unsure of why she said that, he still responded, "Of course."

    This time, she turned her head to him, her eyes looking mncholic. "Will you promise me that this will stay between us?"

    He shifted his weight and started to feel strange as he anticipated what she wanted to say. Then, his heart started racing when she added, "If ever therees a time that what I say or ask you now will be used against me in the future, will you at least give me a heads-up before you cancel me?"

 Chapter 492: Reborn

    Chapter 492: Reborn

    Gus stared at her face, trying to figure out what was going on with Katherine. Briefly ncing from side to side to check their surroundings, he grabbed her hand and pulled her with him towards an alley away from the possibility of getting seen by the guards who were standing outside of Castle. "What''s going on with you?" he asked, his eyes bing vignt as he continued to study her.

    He was still holding her hand when she sighed and leaned against the dirty wall of the alley. He thought of giving her hand a squeeze but she withdrew it casually before he could do so and put her hands inside her jeans pocket. She was wearing her usual outfit when she''s not on a missiona shirt, leather jacket, and jeans.

    "Promise me?" she asked.

    He lightly nodded and listened when she began, "Have you ever hesitated to kill? Or you know finish a mission because you feel like what you''re doing isn''t right?"

    "First times of certain missions have always been hard" he responded, keeping his gaze locked at her.

    "I''m not talking about that. I mean Don''t you ever question at all? Don''t you feel tired of all this?"

    Her question got him. They never talk about stuff like this at all. Aside from the fact that they were never to question orders, they just avoid talking about these things with anyone in Shadow. This was a dangerous topic to talk about and he didn''t know how to respond to her. He feared that if they keep talking about it, everything would changeand it will affect them as an agent. And a change of heart in Shadow was like asking for a bullet in the head.

    Was he willing to take that bullet?

    Gus had to ask himself that question. Recalling their mission earlier, he thought about the time when she was distracted. They were in Syria chasing after a terrorist group and they had to ambush a hideout. Their mission was to do a total wipeout which meant to kill everyone insideno exceptions.

    It wasn''t their first mission like this. They had done a few simr ones in other countries. However, he couldn''t tell what happened to Katherine during the operation. She just stood with her gun pointed at a woman''s headpossibly one of the wives of the men in the hideout. He called her to snap her out of her daze and right after, Chris came to her side, killing off the woman on the ground.

    "Is this about the mission earlier?" he probed.

    She looked hesitant at first, but she seemed to have decided that she would open up just a little. "Honestly not just that one. I''ve been feeling a little offtely. Is there such a thing as too many kills?" She chuckled as if she found her own questionughable. "How can this be our normal?"

    "You can''t talk about this to anyone else," said Gus. "Even Chris."

    "I don''t tell him everything."

    Gus knew that she looked at Chris differently, but knowing that romantic rtionships were forbidden in Shadow, she probably didn''t do anything about it. Wanting to lighten up the mood, he curved his mouth into a smile and leaned against the wall next to her. "Where do you want to be?"

    "What?" She snapped her head to him.

    "If you can choose to go anywhere but here, where do you want to be?"

    "Like a vacation? Or you mean"

    Gus gave her a look. He didn''t want to say it out loudhe didn''t mean for a vacation only, and it seemed as if she understood what his look meant because she nodded and faced forward again.

    Sighing, she answered with a smile on her face, "I want to be somewhere cold but not too cold. Where there are mountains but also a beach nearby. Where it can snow but can also be hot at times. Somewhere... just somece where I can be who I want to be." Then she nced sideways. "You?"

    "It seems like you''re looking for a perfect ce. Does that exist?" They both chuckled. "For me Honestly? I want to be far away. Somece where no one knows who I am or what I do. Maybe that way I can be reborn."

    The two looked at each other in the eyes. They didn''t have to say it out loud, but it appeared as though they were thinking of the same thing. Both of them wanted freedom. To be anywhere but here. To be somece where there was no Shadow.

    The atmosphere was quiet apart from the usual traffic noise on the road until they heard shuffling approaching their direction. It didn''t sound like the normal walkit sounded as if the person was trying to be careful with his steps.

    Katherine and Gus exchanged looks, their expressions turning serious and ready forbat. Lowering to the ground, they waited for the person toe nearer. Raising a hand, Gus counted down with his fingersthree, two, oneand the two lunged towards the shadow and grabbed the man.

    "Ahh!!!" Styles screamed in fright. The bubble tea shook in his hand, the liquid sloshing everywhere.

    "What theStyles?" Katherine frowned and scoffed. They released him right away.

    Gus shook his head. "What the hell were you doing?"

    Styles clicked his tongue and fixed his eyesses that had gotten crooked because of them. Taking out a handkerchief from his pocket, he responded, "What do you mean what am I doing? I should ask you two that! What are you two doing here? You both look so suspicious hiding in the dark Don''t tell me you two had started dating?"

    Katherine and Gus instinctively stepped away from each other and coughed.

    "What are you all doing here?" Chris suddenly appeared out of nowhere. "Why am I not called to this meeting?" He raised his head and arched a brow at them as he pocketed his phone. He was dressed in a suit without a tie like he always does.

    The three looked at each other and Gus caught Katherine stare a little too long at Chris.

    "You hungry?" Chris asked, but he was looking at Katherine more than the two men. Then, he checked his watch and said, "Let''s go eat. We had a long day. I''ll take you all out for drinks after."

    The other three cheered, knowing that if Chris was going to foot the bill, they would surely not hold back ordering the good stuff.

    She flung an arm around Gus''s neck and Styles with the other. "Let''s go, Boys. We have all night to y this new drinking game I just learned."

    Gus and Styles groaned as they allowed her to bring them down the sidewalk with Chris following behind them. Katherine and her drinking games were a pain in the ass. She mostly always wins!

    "Okay, fine" Styles grunted. "But, Chris," he called over his shoulder, "It''s your turn to carry Katherine home when she gets stupid drunk, okay? She''s too heavy for meOw!" He rubbed the spot on his head where she smacked him. "Hey! I''m older than you! Why are you so mean to me?"

    Present

    Gus softly chuckled at the memory of that night many years ago. His burner phone buzzed, catching his attentionit was a text message from Styles. Putting on the earpiece that he prepared for him, Styles''s voice sounded in his ear a minuteter saying, "Let''s roll."

 Chapter 493: Dark Minutes

    Chapter 493: Dark Minutes

    Getting up from his bed, Gus attached a tiny camera in the disguise of a button on his henley shirt. He stretched his limbs and rolled his neck from side to side. Pulling out the tiny sh drive that he had to plug into the mainframe, he recalled what Katherine told him before he left her old apartment: <em>"This is the only thing I ask of you. After this, we''ll stage your death and help you get to wherever you want. You wanted to be reborn, right?"</em>

    He briefly closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. When he opened them again, his whole demeanor changedin his mind, he had nothing but one goal: to get his job done in the least amount of risk possible.

    Opening the door, Gus strolled out of the quarterswhere the bunks were located and headed to the central part of the base. He leaned against a railing that''s overlooking many areas of the base that were all enclosed in ss windows; he was currently on the second floor.

    Castle was designed somewhat in a spiral structure. Directly opposite from his spot was the tech department. Below him was the training area, to his left were the offices, and to his right was an exit that led to a floor down where the main functions of the base operateda few of which were: the infirmary, armory, the secured location where the mainframe, which he needed to gain ess to, was a floor below the tech room.

    "Holy motherthe new Castle is way different than it was years ago," Stylesmented through his earpiece.

    The floor was busting with life and below him, he could see a group of highly trained agents ranging from different levels, waiting for further instructions from Parker before they left. The first batch of agents had already left almost an hour ago; this was the second batch. It was clear as day that Parker was definitely desperate to get his hands on Chris seeing as he sent almost everyone to search for his beloved rogue agent. Gus watched as Parker, who was looking so pissed, walked out of the base with a group of agents following behind him.

    Now was his chance. To get to the mainframe, he had to pass by the infirmary and the armory. On normal days, the infirmary could have several agents to be attended to due to injuries or any other medical assistance. While the armory didn''t have a specific time when it was crowded as missions could start at any time. But judging by the current situation, there shouldn''t be anyone there at the moment. Gus headed to the infirmary.

    As soon as he arrived at the sliding door of the infirmary, a cute nurse noticed his presenceShe. "Ooh She''s pretty," Stylesmented, making Gus stifle augh. He shed her a smile and she gestured for him to sit on a chair and fill out a sheet.

    She was one of the nurses who was popr with the male agents in Shadow. She looked innocent with her ponytail and neat appearance, but she''s actually freaky in bed.

    The male agents knew they weren''t allowed to have any romantic rtionships especially within the organization, and she knew thatbut she didn''t care as she wasn''t looking for anything romantic either. All field agents of Shadow were good lookinga basic requirement to make their missions easier. So, Gus couldn''t really me her if she wanted to get some.

    "I''ll be back to you shortly," she said before winking at him. He softly nodded with a smile. Compared to other agents, Gus kept his distance from her.

    While he sat there waiting, he subtly looked around, his eyes focusing on the armory and the mainframe.

    "How far are you?" Styles asked through thems in his ear. He couldn''t ess Castle''s security, so he could only rely on Gus and the small camera he had on him.

    Carefully, Gus muttered in almost a whisper, "A hundred."

    "Meters?!"

    "Feet."

    "What about your feet?" She asked as she came back with a chart sheet in her hand.

    "They''re tired. I ran a lot during the day," Gus answered naturally.

    "I see It must be why you don''t answer my calls" she subtly said as she nced at him.

    Styles hissed in his ear, "Oh, snap! How could you ignore this babe?"

    Gus wasn''t an idiot. He knew she was trying to get with him, but he never gave her a chance. asional smiles maybe, but he never nned to have anything to do with her. "Sorry, I was busy"

    "Mhmm" She closed the chart and tossed it to the side. "Yourst vitamin shot was a couple of weeks ago. It''s prettyte to have one tonight. But I can give you a different one just to help you a little, ande back here in the morning for the other, okay? Doc signed it already Pull up your sleeve," she ordered.

    Gus followed and received the shot. "At least respond to my texts," she told him. "Will do. Thanks, She." She winked at him again and turned to go inside a private room.

    "Bye, She..." Styles''s voice came through thems.

    Shaking his head, Gus whispered, "Just left the infirmary. Heading to the mainframe." He looked left and right and as much as he could, he avoided the security cameras by walking at blind spots. Just then, he spotted a roving guard walking towards him. He immediately turned to the armory and entered as if he was going to retrieve something from his locker.

    "Clear out, Agent," said the guard behind him. Agents couldn''t stay long in the armory.

    "I''ll be out. Just have to grab some stuff." Gus shuffled some things inside his locker as though he was looking for something. "Got it." He raised an mp3 yer and waved it above his head, then, he heard the guard leaving.

    As soon as he was clear, he came out of the armory and carefully made his way deeper into the restricted area. From where he stood until the door to the mainframe, he knew it was going to be tricky. "I have about fifteen meters and two guards by the door," he told Styles.

    "Who are they? Do I know them?"

    "It''s Stanley. The other one is new."

    Styles let out a sigh and answered, "I''ll work with Stanley. But you have to create a distraction for the other one."

    Almost immediately, Gus thought of an idea. "Let me work on it. Give me a second." He whipped out his phone and typed. He sent two text messagesone for the female staff by the front desk who handles check-ins of agents, and the other was for the guard who happened to be one of his trainees when he mentored new recruits a couple of years ago. Gus caught the two making out a few weeks ago at an alley after workthe couple saw him too, but he minded his own business and turned away. He didn''t know if this was heaven''s way of helping him out, but who knew he could make use of this knowledge?

    Hiding behind a panel, he watched the new guard check his phone and then excused himself to go somewhere. Stanley nodded and the new guard lefthe was headed towards a rendezvous with her girl, courtesy of Gus who sent the text anonymously.

    "You dirty, bastard," Styles remarked at the text that Gus sent to the two.

    "They make my job easier," Gus replied. "Your turn."

    "Got it. Standby." Styles muted the line between him and Gus, then he turned to Falcon and instructed her something. The next minute, Gus saw Stanley receive a phone call and quickly headed out. Then, Styles''s voice came back on, "Alright. You have a maximum of ten minutes to get this done. Be quick. Are you ready?"

    Gus blew out heavy air and closed his eyes as he answered, "Ready."

    Several seconds passed and the anticipation made his heart race, waiting for the next signal that he needed. A few more beatster, and everything went darkCastle just lost its power.

 Chapter 494: Ten Minutes

    Chapter 494: Ten Minutes

    Based on their calction, Gus had around ten seconds to get through the door to the room where the mainframe was without getting detectedwithin this short period of time, security shouldn''t be alerted that someone opened the secured door before the generator kicks in.

    He swiftly put on high-tech night vision sses and without any dy, he dashed towards the restricted door, pushed it open, and shut it close.

    The cold temperature inside the room hit his skin and he immediately examined the whole ce. The room was enclosed with the top half of the wall made of ss while the bottom half was made of cement. Huge system boxes made of metal filled the massive room. Then, the lights had gone back up outside.

    "Nice," Stylesmented. "Now, go deeper into the room, away from the ss walls that''s facing outside because you need to open one box." Gus kept his head down as he crouched and moved towards an area that was less visible from the outside. Styles kept giving him instructions and Gus dutifully followed every step of itall while making sure no one could see him from the outside. The guards were still away and had note back, so he still had time to finish what he was doing.

    "All right. Just give me a couple of minutes," said Styles through thems. Gus waited and he could hear the sound of mechanical keyboard switches cking in his ear. He could never do what Styles was capable of and it simply amazed him that he was so skillful. Five minutes had passed since he got inside and started his task with Styles and every second made him feel nervous as though he could be caught any minute.

    "Booyah! Done. Remove the one you just plugged in. Now get out of there fast."

    At Styles''s signal, Gus did as he was told and slid back to the door. His hand mped on the handle and then he cursed, "Sht."

    "What?"

    Gus tried to nudge the handle again but it won''t budge. He was locked inside the cold room. "Door''s locked. Sht." He squeezed his eyes shut and hissed. What now?!

    At this point, since Styles had already gained ess over Shadow''s mainframe remotely, he could now help Gus. However, they had to be quick. In order to lessen the risk of getting detected that someone was essing Shadow''s system remotely, they could only use it for a couple of minutes at a time.

    "I can open that door for you but it will alert the tech team. Hold on." A few secondster, Styles continued, "Alright, I think I can do something But as soon as I open the door, you need to get yourself to the armory. Juste up with an excuse why you''re there again. That''s the only way I can redirect the alert."

    Just then, Gus''s phone rangit was She. "Not now, She," he murmured when he saw the screen. Then, he got an idea. He quickly typed a text message and sent it. "I think I''ve got one. Okay, Styles, I''m ready."

    The lights on the ceiling outside flickered and the door clicked. Gus immediately escaped from the mainframe room and his heart raced when he heard footsteps around the corner. He needed to get to the armory which was a few meters away before whoever wasing could see him.

    With everything he could, Gus lived up to his alias ''The Gazelle'' and dashed to his destination. And as he disappeared into the armory and hid behind the wall, Stanley passed by and went back to his post.

    Gus panted and he closed his eyes for a bit as he tried topose himself. He chuckled and when Styles asked him ''what''s up?'' he answered, "It''s been a while since I''ve had this kind of thrill."

    "Good to know you''re enjoying yourself. Alright. I''ll clean up your footprints. You can go back by yourself, right? Are you going to be okay from there? What''s your excuse?" Styles asked.

    The sound of heels cking from the side caught Gus''s attention, and when he turned his head, he saw She entering the armory and closing the door behind her. "I knew you were looking at me differently earlier," she said. "I actually just got off work."

    "WaitIs that She? Oooh, baby girl" Styles whistled in Gus''s ear. "Is this your excuse? Not bad Not bad"

    Gus wanted to roll his eyes but he could only look at the nurse approaching him.

    "Oof. Iing guard, Gus," Styles warned.

    Without thinking much, Gus pulled She by the hand and pressed her against the wall. The next second, he kissed her in such a torrid manner. She gasped in surprise but she quickly got over herself and responded to his kisses like she had been wishing for it forever. For thest four years that she had worked there, he had never made a move on her, unlike the other agents. But contrary to what she thought this was, Gus was only using her. ''She''s sleeping around. She''ll live,'' he told himself.

    Just then, the door to the armory swung open and a guard came in to checkthe same guard whom Gus had set up with the female staff from the front desk earlier. Styles had used this room as a diversion so he could open the mainframe room for Gus without alerting the tech team.

    The guard scanned from left to right and saw movements on the side. "Who''s there?"

    He walked further and caught sight of two people making out. Gus snapped his head and met the guard''s stare while She froze on the spot. The two men looked at each other without saying anything. Then the guard pursed his lips as he thought for a second before saying, "You have ten minutes." He winked at Gus and left the armory, closing the door behind him.

    "My heart just dropped for a second, but it''s now back in ce," Styles murmured in his ear. "All right. I''ll leave you alone now. Good work, Gus. Call us when you''re done. Bye."

 Chapter 495: The Company

    Chapter 495: The Company

    A ck Volkswagen sedan parked in front of an abandoned research facility on the outskirts of Harbor City. Dressed in a light grey suit and long trench coat, Parker Green got off from the backseat of it and scanned the other cars that were parked nearby. He let out a small sigh and a fleeting misty cloud formed before him. It was almost December and the weather became colder by the day.

    He headed towards a door to the side of the building and entered, leaving his guards outside. He walked towards the innermost part of the building. It was dark and the only light that illuminated his path was from an emergency light at the end of the hallway. He stopped in front of an elevator, pressed a button, and entered as soon as it opened. Pressing another button, he tapped a card onto a panel and an automated voice sounded from the speaker.

    "Wee back, Mr. Green. I hope you have a pleasant evening."

    Then, the elevator car descended several meters down towards an underground level. The ride didn''t take long and he stepped out after a few seconds of the ride. Walking along the long hallway with walls made of concrete, he passed by several doors on both sides and only stopped when he reached thest door to the right. He faced a small panel and pressed a button on it, and in the next second, a scanner cast green rays of light on his face.

    "Your name, please," a robotic voice sounded from the scanner.

    "Parker Green," he said.

    "Voice recognized." Then, the metal door opened. "Wee, Director Green."

    As Parker entered a dimly lit room and walked towards a round table, all heads turned in his directiona group of men and women dressed in business formal attire. They were talking before he came inside and when he arrived, they all cast him a look and waited until he took his seat before one of the women spoke, "You must already know why you are being summoned."

    Looking unperturbed by the intimidating tone of the woman, Parker satfortably in his chair and crossed his legs. "Senator Jones, you sounded urgent in the phone call."

    "Mr. Green," a man to his left called. "How is the situation regarding Mr. Curtis? I heard that he was sighted at Hillcrest Hospital."

    "It has been two days and you still haven''t contained the situation. We are all in jeopardy here. We cannot afford this rogue to be out there!" another man eximed.

    Parker examined the faces of the people at the table who stared at him with grave concern and fear in their eyes. They called themselves ''The Company''the organization behind Shadow that wasposed of public figures. "I understand your frustration. But I have already sent out all my best agents to Esmea, so if you hadn''t called me in tonight, I would have been on the floor and overseeing the procedure. We have been operating for decades. Have I ever disappointed you?" he asked.

    The members exchanged looks and did not respond to his question.

    Leaning forward, Parker raised his chin and addressed the people sitting at the table. "Instead of worrying about this tiny matter, why don''t you focus on your tasks? The shipment will be arriving this weekend I need all of you to do your part. As for my agents, you need not worry yourselves about it. Let me do my job, and you do yours. Is there anything else?"

    When he saw that the members did not rebut, he got up from his chair and walked out.

    However, before he could reach the door, Senator Jones said, "You have forty-eight hours, Green."

    Parker paused and his jaw clenched when he heard her deadline. The metal door clicked softly as he left the room, leaving the members of The Company behind.

    Harbor City, Esmea

    A round of apuse filled the concert hall at thest note yed and the conductor struck his beautiful ending. Damien and Katherine got up from their seats and pped like the rest of the audience.

    She leaned towards him and whispered to his ear, "You know, I love you and this is indeed a nice experience and the music was phenomenal. But please don''t make me sit like that for a long time again. I prefer my upbeat music."

    Heughed, ced an arm around her waist, and kissed her cheek before whispering back, "You and me both. Let''s go home soon."

    Just as they left the concert hall, Styles spoke through theirms. "Gus just called. He''s on his way to his apartment. I''ve already done my clean up. Mission aplished."

    "Great job," said Damien. "We''ll see you back at home."

    "Copy that. OUT." Then, theirms went silent.

    Walking out of the building, the cold air hit their skin and she rubbed her hands together. Damien wordlessly ced his trench coat over her shoulders and held her hand as they headed to his car.

    Several photographers took pictures of them and other celebrities who attended the concert. Katherine kept a beautiful smile on her facewhen one sees it, they would think she enjoyed a lovely evening with the Resort King, but only the two of them knew that her smile was because of their sessful operation that night and had actually nothing to do with the concert.

    Once they got inside the car, Damien sped off towards Golden Phoenix Residences.

    Letting out a long sigh, Katherine stretched her limbs and smiled at him. "I feel like drinking tonight. And I''m starving too..."

    He cocked a brow as he nced at her. The thought of Katherine and liquor caused his brain to stir and he had to think for a bit before he could answer. And then he nodded. "Okay I guess we can celebrate a little when we get home."

    "Really?" She pped her hands together. Their operation tonightalthough it was only a small step towards their goalwas already a big achievement. She didn''t know why, but she suddenly felt like everything was going to be good after tonight.

    Damien nodded. He reached for her hand and ced a kiss on the back of it. "I think we all deserve a little break."

 Chapter 496: How dirty are we talking about?

    Chapter 496: How dirty are we talking about?

    November 27  Tuesday morning

    "Oh, my god That feels so good!" Katherine panted.

    Sweat dripped down Damien''s bodyfrom his temple down to his bare chest, then past his abs. He locked his intense gaze at her face as he told her, "Spread your legs wider."

    She did as she was told and adjusted her legs until they were spread eagle.

    "Give me your hands," he said, and then held her hands securely when she extended them towards him. Then he began pulling her towards him slowly.

    Damien''s feet were parallel to hersboth of them were forming their legs into a "V" as they did their post-workout stretching on the floor.

    He was bare-chested and was wearing his ck workout shorts while she wore a ck deep V sports bra and activewear pants.

    At half past six in the morning, they were already done with their morning workout routine in the gym of Damien''s penthouse. Katherine had a lot of improvementsboth physically and psychologically.

    Back when she regained her memories and went into hiding, she went back to training every day by herself. It was her way to cope up with all the emotions she had within her. Andter, when she met Amelia, thetter helped her a lot with gaining back her strength. In the past few weeks, she had been training with Damien and because she was stronger than before, the two were able to enjoy a more intense workout.

    "I have an external meeting at three today, then I''ll pick you up at five," he said.

    "You don''t have to pick me up. I can go to you instead." This time, it was her turn to pull him towards her. They kept doing it alternately.

    "It''s more efficient that way. I''ll be near your office around then anyway."

    "Okay."

    He got up from the floor and helped her up. "Oh, and for tonight... You''re sure that your grandpa is at home, right?"

    "Yeah, I already asked him"

    Their conversation was interrupted by the ringing of Damien''s phone. "Hold on," he told her and picked up the call as soon as he saw that it was Markus.

    "Boss, the owner wants to meet with you tonight for dinner. They needed a confirmation ASAP for reservations at The Monument. Yourst meeting ends at five. Should I ept this?" Markus asked.

    Damien ducked his head a little when Katherine started patting a towel on his forehead. He smiled at her and ced a hand on her waist as he thought about what his assistant asked. Markus was referring to the current owner of the basketball team who wanted to book a table at an expensive restaurant. And he already knew that the man was expecting him to pay for the meal.

    "No, schedule him for tomorrow insteadat lunch. Book a table at Jade Oriental under his name and don''t pay for anything."

    She furrowed her brows in curiosity, knowing that Jade Oriental was such an expensive restaurantalmost on par with Central Harbor Restaurant. She met his stare, but he only smiled at her and shook his head subtly.

    "Understood," answered Markus. He already knew what his boss meantDamien wasn''t paying a single cent for this lunch meeting.

    When the call ended, Damien told Katherine what the call was about as he typed a text message to Styles.

    [Damien: I need all the dirt you can get on Edison Conway by tomorrow morning.]

    A few secondster, he received a response.

    [Styles: How dirty are we talking about here?]

    [Damien: Enough to take him down.]

    [Styles: Got it. It will be ready by tonight.]

    Katherine chuckled when she saw him cast a grin on his handsome face. Her man was scheming, and she just found it attractive. What was wrong with her?

    Inching closer, she hooked the face towel around his neck and pulled him down to her for a kiss. "We still have time before we need to leave," she whispered, a knowing smile forming on her lips as she glided her hands on his chest and down his abs.

    He returned her kiss, cradling the back of her head with his hand as he deepened it and pulling her against his body. She moaned when she felt his already hardened member against her abdomen. Damien slipped a tongue past her lips and into her mouth, stroking her tongue ever so gently, then his hands started to wander down her backside and the other up the swell of her breasts.

    "We do. Let''s go shower. I need to get you out of those clothes." They were both sweaty and flushed and energized after that workout. Obviously, they needed to shower. Together. So, he picked her up, and she instantly locked her legs around his waist as he carried her out of the gym and into the bathroom of the master bedroom.

    In another state, a woman in herte fifties was talking on the phone in her office. She had blond hair which was neatlybed and parted to the side. A namete on her table read: Senator Jennifer Jones.

    "I am telling you, George, we cannot let this happen. That man, Curtis, who is on the loose, knows too much and we still have no word from Parker. Wasn''t he Parker''s favorite? Don''t you think this is odd?" she asked, her tone carried a lot of frustration.

    "I understand that. But we already told Green that we''re giving him forty-eight hours," George responded. "You should have only given him twenty-four hours maximum. The clock is ticking slowly, and every minute gets risky."

    She knitted her brows together, her facial expressionced with a mixture of anxiousness and anger. "We need to rece him. He had been very disobedienttely. If he goes out of control, it will be the end of all of us."

    "Okay. We''ll meet with the others tonight and discuss this."

    The phone call ended, and she gripped her phone tightly in her hands. She hadn''t had enough sleep in the past few days, and she was getting stressed by the second. She needed to take control and overthrow Parker Green.

 Chapter 497: Elimination

    Chapter 497: Elimination

    Castle  Director''s Office

    Parker Green was reading a file at his desk when there was a knock on the door. "Come in," he said.

    A male guard came inside his office. After receiving a nod from the boss, he reported, "Sir, we received a report from an ongoing Steward on Senator Jones." He ced a sh drive on the desk and waited for instructions.

    Parker closed the folder that he was working on and nced at his guard first before picking up the sh drive, then he plugged the drive into hisputer. There was only one file inside the folder and when he clicked on it, an audio recording yed through the speakers. He tapped his index finger on the desk as he listened to the conversation between Senator Jennifer Jones and Business Magnate George Wattsboth members of The Company.

    His expression was unreadable but his eyes darkened the moment he realized that they were talking about recing him as Shadow''s director. The organization had been operating for over thirty years and Parker had been its director for fifteen. He did everything that he could to get this much power and there was no way that he would allow anyone to cast him away.

    The audio had stopped ying already, yet he remained silent. With his fingers inteced together, he contemted what he was supposed to do next. It was already the third day since he ordered Vertex to capture Chris, but they still weren''t able to find him. He was beginning to wonder if someone else was helping him.

    "Sir?" the guard spoke up a few minutester when his boss still did not say anything.

    Taking a deep breath, Parker raised his head and told his guard, "Has Agent Gazelle checked in already? Tell him toe."

    After acknowledging Parker''s request, the guard left and a few minutester, Gus came into his office.

    "You called for me, Sir?" Gus asked as soon as he got inside and stood straight in front of Parker''s desk.

    Parker nced at Gus and saw that thetter evidently looked more alert thanst night. "You look better, Agent. I see you have recovered well."

    "Thank you, Sir. I visited the infirmaryst night and this morning to receive treatment."

    "Good." Parker took out a ck folder from the locked bottom drawer of his desk. He got up from his chair and handed it to Gus saying, "I''m giving you an assignment."

    Gus received the folder and flipped it open. There was a picture of a woman clipped to the side of the folder along with papers that contained the person''s detailed profile and important information. "Senator Jones?" he probed.

    "Yes." Parker walked to a console table and poured liquor into two sses. He gave one to Gus who was waiting for further instructions. "Elimination," he said.

    Without showing any change in his expression, Gus nced at the picture again. He was trying to figure out the reason behind Parker''s order to kill the senator. He believed that now was a grave time for everyonewhat with Chris''s situation, so he thought that Parker would focus on the matter at hand. The timing was somewhat suspicious for him.

    Also, Parker would usually send Vertex if the target was a high-profile personality. But the three top agents were currently busy tracking down Chris at the moment. Gus didn''t have a problem killing someone offin fact, his skills were on par with the current Vertex agents. Just like Katherine, he was also a candidate but when a position opened a couple of years ago, he declined the offer.

    "When do you need this done?"

    "Tonight."

    Gus checked his watch and saw that it had just struck one in the afternoon. He didn''t have much time to prepare. These kinds of missions would usually need thorough nning and set up. Normally, a reason behind the order would be given like: the target is a terrorist or a threat to the country, along with a thoroughlyid out n on the execution. So Gus thought that this was strange.

    "Is there a problem, Agent?" Parker asked when Gus didn''t say anything.

    Realizing that he had been quiet, Gus straightened up andposed himself. "Nothing, Sir. I just thought that I would continue my search today."

    "Ah Don''t worry about that. They''ll take care of it." Parker ced a hand on Gus''s shoulder. "The floor is busy and so are the other agents. You are the only one I can trust. Can you handle this on your own?"

    Gus nced at the tall window that was overlooking the tech department and that''s when he realized that this was indeed a confidential solo mission. He turned to face Parker and asked, "How should this be executed?"

    Seeing as Gus was obeying his order, a small satisfied smile appeared on Parker''s face as he answered, "Discreetly. Suicide should be enough. Let her write her own note saying she''s guilty of infidelity."

    Gus flipped the rest of the pages in the folder but there was no information about Senator Jones having an affair outside of marriage. The mission would have been easier if that was true, but now, he didn''t even have that evidence. Hundreds of questions shed in his mind but he could only keep quiet. Even though he was already aware of what was going on in Shadow, he couldn''t question an order out of habit. "Understood," he responded.

    "I can always put my trust in you, Agent." Parker patted the side of Gus''s face. "Finish this mission and when youe back, I will announce your promotion."

    "Promotion?" Gus tilted his head in confusion.

    Parker took a swig of his drink and smiled. "Agent Gazelle You''ve been with Shadow for a very long time. And you are undeniably one of our finest agents. I know you don''t want to be part of Vertex. So, how about being the new Head of Operations?"

    Gus couldn''t help but knit his brows this time. He was just shocked by what was going on since he arrived in the office. First, the missionnow, a promotion?

    "You want me to rece Chris''s position?"

    "You deserve it." Parker clinked their sses together and signaled for Gus to drink his liquor too. "Drink up, Agent. It doesn''t hurt to have an early celebration."

 Chapter 498: Group Call

    Chapter 498: Group Call

    Young Corporation

    At two in the afternoon, Katherine was in her office softly flipping pages on a certain document that she was studying. All over her desk was a stack of folders from over fifteen years agodocuments about thepany''s projects. She was trying to see if there was anything out of the ordinary. The documents were old and dusty that made her sneeze and cough from time to time. She had to frequently sanitize her hands every now and then.

    Her eyes got itchy so she took a break and applied eye drops to relieve the irritation, keeping her eyes closed for a bit as she leaned against the backrest of her armchair. But even with her eyes closed, she was still thinking about a lot of possibilities. She didn''t think that her father knew Frederick Parkor had anything to do with him, and Damien was convinced that it was somewhat sort of a contract killing and not a personal grudge. Which was why she was trying to find a connection between her father and Frederick.

    While she had all of this in mind, her phone rangit was Styles. Thinking that it was something important, she answered it right away. "Everything okay?"

    "We have a situation" Styles proceeded to tell Katherine about the phone call that he just received from Gus, telling him about Parker''s order to assassinate Senator Jones.

    "What?! Why? What''s the ROC?" She straightened in her seatROC stands for Reason of Canction. This was so rming for her. She had killed many in the past but it would still be a big deal for herespecially now that she valued life much more than she did in the past.

    "That''s the thing... Parker didn''t say anything. He ordered this as a solo mission. Gus doesn''t have any backup whatsoever. This is so shady, isn''t it? I mean even the missions we had before all had ROCs but this one didn''t and it came directly from that old man. Not to mentionin the midst of searching for Chris."

    "W-When?"

    "Tonight at nine."

    Checking the clock on the wall, she sighed and ran her fingers through her hair in frustration. They didn''t have that much time. There were only seven hours left until then. "Did you call Damien about this?"

    "No, not yet. I called you first."

    "Where is Senator Jones at the moment?"

    "It''s in the same state where they areFlorida. Parker told Gus to make it look like a suicide. Queen We can''t let this happen." Styles''s voice wasced with concern.

    Katherine thought the same. Now that they knew that someone was a target, she wouldn''t be able to forgive herself if she didn''t do something to stop this. But how? It takes at least a couple of hours to get to the next state and she wouldn''t even know how she could save the senator withoutpromising her identity.

    "Queen?" Styles called when she didn''t say anything for a while.

    "I''m here. I''m still thinking We need to know why the senator is being targeted. Could this be rted to what is happening now?"

    "I pulled up the senator''s records and I don''t see anything extreme, or maybe I just hadn''t searched enough."

    "I have to save her, Styles"

    "Are you going to tell Damien?"

    Katherine thought about it. She should tell Damien but at the same time, she was hesitant because she knew that he was in an important meeting at the moment that had been scheduled for weeks already. Apart from that, they had nned to visit the Young Mansion and check out her Aunt Deborah''s office that nightan opportunity that rarely happens. Clenching her hand into a fist, she closed her eyes, trying to calm herself down. She just didn''t want to be a burden to him anymore.

    Half an hourter

    A Range Rover parked at the basement level parking of Young Corporation. Damien sat at the driver''s seat, watching Katherine as she walked towards his car and settled in the passenger''s seat. She called him earlier and told him everything that was going on with Gus and what she thought they should do. This was a grave situation and just like her, he couldn''t just ignore after knowing the situation. If they had a chance to save someone''s life, they would do it.

    He kissed her temple and gave her a brief hug while trying to check if she was alright. "Are you okay? Your eyes are slightly red."

    She nodded. "I was studying some files that I got from the archives and they were dusty. I''m okay"

    The tablet in her hand made a soft melody, an indication that a call wasing in. They held the tablet together and pressed the answer button, in the next second, Styles''s video appeared on the left and Chris''s on the right. Due to their distance, a group call was the most convenient method for them to discuss the matter at hand.

    Styles had already told Chris about Gus''s situation prior to the group call, so they were waiting for his thoughts.

    "Do you know why she''s being targeted? Were you also in contact with her?" Katherine asked.

    "No." Chris shook his head. "I had never talked to this senator."

    "Can''t you ask Hughes? Don''t you think you should let her know about this? We have to do something. I can''t let an innocent person die and not do anything."

    "I can''t. Hughes told me not to contact her at all. At least for a week. It''s too risky at the moment. She doesn''t think that Parker knows about her yet. Although" Chris paused as he tried to make sense of something in his mind. "I have a feeling that this senator could be one of the executives behind Shadow"

    "How do you know that?" Damien probed.

    "Hughes doesn''t tell me a lot of things. She believed that it was safer that waywhat with me being in Shadow as it mightpromise my decisions. So the least I knew about those people, the safer it was for me when I faced Parker. However, I remember that Hughes told me once that one of the executives was in the Congress. It would make sense if it was Senator Jones I saw Parker talking to her once a long time ago, but I didn''t think much of it at that time."

    "This changes things" Styles muttered. "If Jones is indeed one of the people behind Shadow, why would Parker order an elimination?"

    "Maybe there''s a conflict?" She raised a brow in question.

    "What if" Damien looked to the side and then stared at Chris through the screen. "What if Parker is being pressured by the executives because he still couldn''t find you? In apany, a CEO who runs it would be put in a difficult position if things go south. The board would pressure the CEO and if the situation was seriouslike you on the loose with all thepany''s secretsthe board would want to rece the CEO or have him step down if he couldn''t solve this problem as it would be putting everyone in a bind. This organization isn''t as simple as that of a normalpany. I could only guess that those people pressuring Parker are more brutalwhat with Shadow being a dark organization and all..."

    Katherine sensed where Damien was headed with his exnation and she chimed in, "And with how maniptive and clever Parker is, he should be keeping tabs of everyone in their circle."

    Chris nodded in agreement. "Parker would definitely do something like this if he finds out that someone was out to get him. Take out the root cause of his problems."

    "Guys" Styles called. "This is all just spection, but I think we are on the right track. However, we still don''t have any solution on how to handle the situation about Jones. What do we do?"

    There was silence for a few seconds until Katherine finally spoke up, "Call Gus. We need to save the senator."

    "So, this is a rescue mission? How are you going to do that? You can''t just waltz in there. Parker has eyes everywhere. You''ll blow your cover," said Styles.

    "Styles is right. I also can''t allow you to go there. It''s too dangerous," Damien told her.

    "No, I''m not talking about me I still need to figure out how But we can turn this around. Let''s use this to our advantage." With all eyes on her, she added, "Let''s stage Gus''s death tonight while he carries his mission."

 Chapter 499: Girlfriend

    Chapter 499: Girlfriend

    "You want to fake his death tonight?" Styles probed, his brows knitted together in confusion.

    Katherine nodded and began to exin. "Think about it We won''t know when we''ll have this chance in the future to do it. We can''t keep using Gus to be our eyes and ears in Castle all the time. It is risky and dangerous the longer that he stays therenot just for him, but for all of us. The faster we can get this done for him, the faster we can move forward. We already have what we need to keep an eye on Shadow from the inside without putting our people in danger."

    "Katherine''s right. This could be our only chance. Let''s get him out of there," Chris agreed. "We could use this It''s the perfect way to make it seem as if Gus died during the mission. But how are you going to do it?"

    "We can have someone act as one of the guards" Damien suggested and nced at her. She nodded in agreement and added, "Yeah, that would work. The senator would be too frightened to realize who is who. As long as someonees in to ''save'' her, she''ll buy it."

    Chris ran his hand across his jaw and wondered. "Who are you going to send there? You need someone who''s highly trained to get past security..."

    Just then, the door to Styles''s bedroom opened, and in came Amelia. "Styles, have you seen myOh!" Styles immediately got out of the group call, surprising everyone. Katherine and Damien''s heart raced when they realized what just happened. Amelia wasn''t seen from the camera angle, but her voice was picked up clearly.

    "Who was that?" Chris raised a brow as he stared at the screen.

    "Um" Katherine looked at Damien and met his stare. His expression was unreadable at the moment, but she knew too well that he wasn''tfortable talking about his mother with Chris around. Amelia''s timing was perfectif she wasn''t in hiding, she would have been their best option to help their emergency operationsomeone who was highly trained. But they couldn''t.

    "That was Styles''s girlfriend," she blurted.

    "What? Styles has a girlfriend?" Chris couldn''t believe what he was hearing. He couldn''t imagine Styles being in a rtionshipwhat with how awkward he bes whenever he faces a pretty woman.

    Before they could reply, Styles came back on the group call.

    "You have a girlfriend?" Chris asked.

    "What?"

    Seeing Styles''s surprised look, Katherine immediately spoke naturally, "I was just telling Chris that the woman who just came in was your girlfriend. He doesn''t believe it."

    "M-My girlfriend? Why would you Yes" Styles cleared his throat and admitted after seeing Damien''s expression through the video. Even through their screens, he could evidently feel the weight of King Charming''s intense re. "That was my girlfriend." He swallowed hard, the word was too foreign for him.

    Chris softly chuckled, shaking his head. "Nice."

    Wanting to bring the topic back at handand obviously away from Amelia, Damien asked, "Styles, where exactly does Gus n to execute his mission?"

    "He told me that Parker gave him the senator''s schedule and her usual routine. He says that she always goes home for dinner, so she''ll most likely be at home by then. I mean it makes sense since the old man wants to make it seem like it''s suicide."

    "Alright. Felix can do it. He''ll be perfect for it. I can have him flown there fast in an hour. Coordinate with them regarding theyout." Damien was already tapping his phone while he spoke, trying to get in touch with Felix who was just nearby.

    "Got it."

    "Let''s keep in touch." Katherine turned off their group call and the tablet''s screen turned ck. Then, she turned to Damien, "Sorry I didn''t know what else to say."

    He shook his head as if to say that it was not a big deal and nted a kiss on her lips. "Thank you for telling me about this."

    "I promised you, Damien and I won''t break it. We''re a team now," she replied, leaning against him and receiving his embrace.

    The tablet rang and Styles came in after they answered the call. "I''m so sorry about that I forgot to tell Falcon that I was going to be on a video call."

    "It''s okay. Where is she?" Damien asked, wondering what his mother was doing after what just happened.

    "She''s on the phone with Felix. They started nning for tonight. Waitwhat about your nter? Does this mean you aren''t going to break into your aunt''s office anymore?" Styles asked her.

    Katherine and Damien exchanged looks before she pulled on a small smile. It couldn''t be helped. Even though she badly wanted to, there were more pressing matters at the moment. Her aunt''s secretary was in the office, so she could only go there when no one is around. "It''s okay, I''ll figure it out. We''ll be at the mansion for dinner tonight and we''ll just have to see what happens then. If we still have timeter after all of this, we might go."

    She nced at Damien who readily nodded and reassured her, "Of course. We''ll make it Don''t worry."

    "Okay, I''ll keep you guys updated with everything that''s going on. We have the best team. I''m sure we can pull it off. Laters gators." Styles ended their phone call and it became silent inside the car again.

    Katherine wanted to believe that and think positively. She briefly closed her eyes and told herself, ''This is going to work.''

    "Are you okay?" Damien wondered when she became quiet.

    She opened her eyes again and answered, "You still have a meeting to go to."

    "Yeah. I need to leave soon. But I''ll be back here for you in a couple of hours. Are you going to be okay until then?"

    "Of course." Katherine curved her mouth into a smile.

    Damien swept her hair to the side and tucked it behind her ear. The rims of her eyes were slightly red. "Why don''t you take some medicine? Don''t endure it. You''re clearly suffering."

    "I will." She leaned in and kissed him on the lips before she reassured him, "I''ll be fine. I''ll wait for you."

 Chapter 500: Lucky Charm

    Chapter 500: Lucky Charm

    Young Mansion

    At seven in the evening, a Range Rover pulled to a stop in front of the mansion''s entrance. Damien turned to Katherine and reached out for her hand. "You''ve been quiet since we left West Are you worried about your friend?"

    She squeezed his hand and ced her other hand on top of his, shaking her head as she replied, "He can take care of himself. There''s just too many things going on at the moment that it''s overwhelming We just endedst night on a good note and we''ve been able to avoid getting harmed until now. It makes me nervous thinking that we would run out of luck anytime I hate this feeling."

    "I understand how you feel Don''t think too much. We''re taking this one day at a time. Come here..." He pulled her towards him in an embrace and kissed her forehead. "No matter what happens tonight tomorrow or the day after that... One thing is for sure, we''ll always be together. We''ll be each other''s luck so we wouldn''t run out of it."

    The worry in her heart dissipated and she felt better feeling the warmth of his embrace around her. Inhaling his familiar scent, she smiled and nodded her head in agreement. "You''re right. Thanks for reminding me."

    The two climbed out of the car and walked hand in hand to meet Grandpa Theo who was waiting by the huge door.

    "Grandpa I missed you!" Katherine embraced her grandfather and her heart throbbed at the thought of being with family. When she pulled away and looked at him, she frowned. "Have you been eating properly? You seemed slightly thinner than thest time I saw you."

    Grandpa Theoughed. "Really? I''ve been doing some walking every morning and afternoon out in the garden. The weather is too cold for me to go out and do some golfing." Turning to Damien, he had a huge smile on his face when he ced an arm around the young man and pulled the two inside the house. "Ah, it''s so nice to see you two here. I''m d you thought ofing over."

    The food was delicious as always. Caroline joined them for dinner, so it was only the four of them at the table. They talked about the current Young Corporation and Crown Resort Group''s project and other possible projects that they could do in the futurethe two men were definitely excited about the topic.

    When dinner was over, Caroline went to her bedroom, leaving only the three of them for some after-meal drinks in the sitting room. Later, Katherine looked at Damien and held his stare before she told her grandfather that she was going to the toilet.

    Once she left the room, she looked from side to side to check if anyone was around and went up the stairs. On top of the staircase, there was a hall leading to different areas of the mansionto the right were some bedrooms including Caroline''s and her grandfather''s study and to the left was the library and a few other bedrooms where her grandfather''s and her aunt Deborah''s were.

    With light steps, she turned left and headed straight to the door to her aunt''s room. Katherine carefully closed the door without making a sound and using her smartphone, she turned on the shlight to illuminate the ce. The room had a traditional style with a big bed frame andrge luxury furniture. She started rummaging around for anything that she could findin the nightstand, under the pillows, in the closet, and the dresser.

    Standing in front of the dresser, she let out a sigh when she didn''t find anything. She didn''t know if she was relieved or frustrated that there was nothing. Did she expect that she would? Would she have felt better if there was something?

    Katherine nced at the drawer that she checked earlier. It was still open, so she held the handle and was about to close it when something caught her eye.

    Under a soft pink silk scarf, there was a clear stic sticking out with some pink stuff in it. How could she have missed it earlier? Curious, she pulled the dresser open again and checked. Pulling out the clear stic, she saw round pink tablets inside it. If she were to guess, there were probably around fifty pills. Her brows knitted as she tried to guess what it could be.

    The pills weren''t in a bottle and there was nobel on it or anything at all, so it couldn''t be prescription drugs. Katherine found it so suspiciouswhat with the way her aunt was storing it. Holding the bag of pills in her hand, she quickly took a picture of it. She paused for a second as she stared at the pills and then decided to take one out just in case, wrapping it in a tissue before keeping it in her pocket and cing the bag of pills back inside the drawer just like how she found it.

    There were voices in the hallway outside the room and she became rmedit was Caroline and Damien.

    "Yes?" The young woman turned to Damien when he called her, a hint of a blush creeping up on her cheek when she looked at him. She couldn''t help it The man before her was just too damn attractive. "I''m just going to get something from mom''s room. Can I help you?"

    "I was looking for Katherine. I forgot where the washroom was. Could you show me the way?" he asked, keeping a neutral expression on his face.

    "Ah She might be downstairs. It should be the one near the You know what, I''ll just show you." Caroline tucked her dark hair behind her ear and walked down the stairs with Damien.

    "Thanks. I''ve circled a couple of times but I couldn''t find it. There are too many doors," he said as theynded on the first floor. He subtly nced at the top of the stairs where he thought Katherine must be somewhere near it. Following Caroline, they went towards the direction of the dining area and the sitting room. "So, how''s school?" he casually asked the young woman as they walked.

    Meanwhile

    Katherine exhaled a sigh of relief as she stood behind the door and heard the voices and footsteps growing smaller. When she thought that it was safe to leave the room, she walked out of it slowly and closed the door behind her without making any sounds, descended the stairs, and headed to the sitting room.

    On the way, she bumped into Caroline who was confused as to where she came from and told her that Damien was looking for her. Ever so naturally, Katherine told her that she was out the front for some fresh air. Caroline didn''t think much of it and went back up the stairs.

    Katherine started walking and was about to reach the sitting room when a hand suddenly grabbed her arm and hauled her into a small room. She gasped in surprise but immediately recovered when she realized that it was Damien pulling her into a powder room.

    The two of them stood inside the small room face to face. They looked at each other without speaking until she slumped her head to his chest and sighed loudly. His arms went around her waist and he softly chuckled, shaking his head in resignation. "Did you find anything?" he asked, his voice low and gentle above her head.

    She straightened up and took out the pill wrapped in tissue from her pocket and showed it to him. "I didn''t find anything suspicious except for this" Then she told him how she found it inside the dresser.

    "It could be anything. Is your aunt sick or something?"

    "I don''t think so She doesn''t seem to be But shouldn''t it have abel if it''s a medication of some sort?"

    Damien nodded. "I''ll ask Jeffrey if he recognizes it. If not, maybe we can get ab to check on it."

    "Okay. You keep it. I don''t want to lose it." She carefully put it inside his inner coat pocket. "Thanks for earlier by the way. How did you know she was going there?"

    "Luck. You were gone for a while and I was going to check on you when I bumped into her just as I got at the top of the stairs."

    Katherine gave him a sweet smile as she slid her arms around his neck and kissed his left cheek. "What great timing... You are indeed my lucky charm."

    A small crease formed between his brows and he pinched her waist. "I think this lucky charm needs more than just a kiss on the cheek, don''t you think so?"

    Without protest, she pressed her lips to Damien''s and gave him a long and passionate liplock.

 Chapter 501: The Clock is Ticking

    Chapter 501: The Clock is Ticking

    In the suburbs in another state, a ck van was parked near a tree and several meters away from Senator Jones''s house. Inside the van were Gus, Felix, Noah, and another man from the Alpha team who sat in the driver''s seat. Felix and Noah were both wearing ck suits while the other two wore tactical outfits. The sky was already dark and the night was a bit chilly.

    "Golf Sierra Zero-One, this is Golf Zulu Seven, RADIO CHECK, OVER," Gus spoke through thems in his ear as he contacted Styles.

    "Golf Zulu Seven, this is Golf Sierra Zero-One, WEAK BUT READABLE," was Styles''s response, which meant that Gus''s signal was weak but he could understand.

    After everyone did their radio check, Gus left the van and snuck into the senator''s house stealthily. They couldn''t park the car where it was visible from the house or they would get spotted quickly. There were a few guards around the perimeter, but he got past them and sessfully got into the master bedroom.

    Not all members of the congress were provided security or full protection by the Capitol Police, but Senator Jones was a paranoid womanwhat with her being involved in something so shady like Shadow and The Company, she was determined to stay protected especially when she experienced receiving threats in the past on various asions. So she hired a few guards to stay close to her wherever she was.

    Generally, it was difficult to get through to her because there would be at least one or two guards outside, but not impossible. It was a blessing in disguise that Senator Jennifer Jones''s husband wasn''t at home that daythis made their job easier.

    ording to the file that was given to him, the senator follows the same routine daily:e home from work, have dinner, take a bath around half past eight in the evening, read a book, and go to bed at eleven. People who follow the same routine every single day were easy targets.

    Gus decided to wait for the senator toe to the bathroom. He was wearing a bva full face mask that covered his entire face except for his eyesif it were any other time, he would look like a creep. He opted to ambush the senator in the bathroom since people tend to be more vulnerable when they''re about to take a bath because they would think that they''re alone and did not have to worry about anything else but to clean themselves and rx after a tiresome day.

    Standing inside the bathtub, he kept the curtain closed and listened attentively to the sounds around him while he stared at the floor of the tub. It was quieteerily quiet except for the sound of the leaves rustling from the nearby tree.

    A few minutester, the door to the master bedroom opened.

    "Mom?"

    His head snapped to the left where the voice came from. The senator''s daughter suddenly came inside the bedroom looking for her mother.

    "It seems that the daughter just arrived," said Styles. "Oh, I''m guessing she''s already there. Sorry about that. The feed is a little patchy."

    There were muffled voices outside the bathroom and it looked like the senator and the daughter were talking. A few secondster, the door closed. Gus drew his gun out, held it with both hands, and pointed it downward.

    Not long after, the senator came inside the bathroom in her robe. Things like this made him think about how Parker is such a scary individual for being so urate. He really did have eyes everywhere.

    Once the door to the bathroom had closed, he extended the gun out of the curtain and pointed it at the senator''s head. "Scream and I''ll shoot you," he told her in a cold voice as he stepped out of the bathtub.

    She froze on the spot and her eyes grew wide in horror when she saw Gus fully covered through the reflection in the mirror. Anyone who would see him would definitely be afraid. She could see his deathly stare and she instantly knew that the man would not think twice pulling the trigger, so she could only follow his instruction and keep her voice down. "W-Who are you? What do you want?"

    "Don''t speak unless I tell you to." Gus pressed the barrel of the gun onto the back of her head and she gasped, then her body started to tremble.

    "Good. Now, do as I say and I won''t hurt your daughter," he said. She nodded profusely, her eyes bing misty at the thought of her daughter.

    When he felt that she was going to be cooperative, he asked her to go to her bedroom. Tossing a pen and a nk paper onto the dresser, he told her to write a confession as per his dictation.

    "Why am I doing this?" Her sobbing was followed by a gasp when Gus pressed the gun to her temple this time.

    "Didn''t I tell you not to say anything?" He unlocked the gun''s safety pin and it clicked, making her all the more scaredthe gun wasn''t loaded, but she didn''t know that, of course.

    Senator Jones realized that what she wrote wasn''t merely a made-up confessionit dawned on her that she was actually writing a made-up suicide letter. Her heart raced as she tried to think of who would do this to her but only one person came to her mind who was capable and had the guts to have her go down like this especially at this time. Just as she wrote her name at the bottom, she questioned, "Did Green send you?"

    Gus could not respond. He was too surprised to know that the senator knew about Parker. Styles and Chris told him about their assumption of the senator being part of the group behind Shadow. Could he take her question as their proof?

    When he did not answer, the senator red at him, her eyes reddening and brimming with tears as she added, "He did, didn''t he? I can tell by your demeanor that you''re one of Shadow''s agents." She scoffed. "Is he that afraid? After killing me, is he going to do the same to the rest of The Company?"

    He furrowed his brows slightly but did not say anything. ''Whichpany is she talking about?''

    "I feel bad for you soldiers... You do all of his biddings, yet you know nothing about what he''s actually doing." She wiped her tears. "Is he that powerful now? He''s so out of control that he''s willing to kill the people who have been behind him all this time? Ha! Ungrateful son of a btch. He''s going to turn this world upside down."

    "You need to finish this. The clock is ticking," Styles spoke through thems. "Help is on the way."

    He was dying to ask her questions, but they needed this operation to be wless. At least they got something from her, this would be enough to keep an eye on her for now. "I don''t know what you''re talking about," he muttered.

    Unclipping the rope from his side, he was about to hand it over to her when there was a knock on the door. Their heads snapped towards it and in the next second, Gus hauled the senator in front of him and trapped her with his arm while he pointed the gun to her head.

 Chapter 502: A Secret to Keep

    Chapter 502: A Secret to Keep

    The room went still except for Senator Jones''s ragged breathing. She was truly terrified as Gus held her tightly that she couldn''t move. She dared not give him any reason to pull the trigger of the gun that''s pointed on her head. And with each passing second, she got more and more nervous.

    "Don''t make a sound," Gus said above her head. "If you do, I''ll make sure your daughter suffers the same fate as you. She''s just down the hall, isn''t she?"

    "Please, don''t." She gasped when Gus pressed the silencer''s muzzle of the gun on her head, and then she closed her mouth.

    There was another series of knocks on the doorthree knocks that were: one knock, a pause, and two quick knocksa sign that he and Felix agreed.

    "Sit," he ordered the senator and as soon as she did, he quickly tied her hands to the back of the chair usingrge zip ties and covered her mouth with duct tape so she wouldn''t scream. Gus was so fluid as he worked that it only took less than a minute to do everythingtruly a Gazelle.

    Just as he finished, the door swung open. He got on his feet and pointed the gun to the man who just entered the doorit was Felix, wearing a suit with a dirty blond wig and blue contact lenses. There was a wire attached to his ear, making him look like part of the senator''s guards except his earpiece was connected to Styles and the rest of the team. He immediately drew his gun from his holster and pointed it to Gus, ying his part very well.

    The senator groaned as soon as she saw Felix, thinking that he''s one of her hired security detail.

    "Nah-ah. Drop your weapon," said Gus as he pointed the gun back to the senator''s head.

    Felix darted his look between the senator and Gus as though he was contemting his next move. And when he attempted to bring his hand up to his ear as though he was trying to call for backup, Gus released the safety notch of the gun that was pointed to the senator saying, "Don''t."

    Felix stilled at Gus''s warning. Thetter seemed as though he was a different person that even though Felix knew that it was Gus under the mask and an unloaded gun that was pointed at him, he was still feeling slightly anxious.

    "Drop your gun and close the door slowly. If you call for backup, I will blow her head off," Gus muttered, his voice was muffled from speaking beneath the bva mask.

    Clenching his jaw, Felix did as he was told and put his gun down, raising his hands as he stood up before closing the door.

    As the door clicked to a close, Gus ordered, "Kick the gun towards me."

    Felix kept his eyes leveled with Gus''s and as he kicked the gun, he took the chance and lunged towards Gus. In a matter of seconds, the two started fighting inside the small space.

    Prior toing inside the room, Felix and Noah had already taken care of the other people in the house. The daughter was fast asleep in her bed after having been sprayed with a drug that caused her to go unconscious immediately. The same was done to the two other guards that were guarding outside. So the noise in the senator''s bedroom didn''t rm anyone.

    Their ''fight'' didn''tst long when Felix and Gus fell to the floor behind the bed in a thud where the senator couldn''t see. Felix got ahold of the gun that Gus was using earlier and in an instant, he pped on a magazine that was loaded with nks.

    Then, Felix kicked Gus off him, and when thetter fell on his back to the floor, he pulled the trigger. Gusid unconscious on the floor looking dead just as red liquid oozed out of his chest and onto the tiles.

    The senator''s eyes widened in horror. She paled when she saw the man who was trying to make her kill herself earlier was now dead before her. She made a muffled shriek with the duct tape on her mouth.

    Staring at the lifeless body on the floor, Felix''s chest heaved up and down as he panted from their exchange of blows earlier. His hands that were holding the gun slightly trembled.

    When he came to his senses, he shifted his gaze to the woman on the chair. He walked over to her side and slowly peeled off the tape that was on her mouth and cut the zip ties on her wrist. She was still speechless from everything that happened before her.

    "Madam Senator, are you okay? I''ll call for backup"

    "No, don''t!" she stopped Felix abruptly. She was ghostly pale and she was still shaking from what happened.

    He looked at her weirdly, wondering why she stopped him. He was just about to call Noah over, but this woman didn''t want him to call for help?

    Seeing Felix''s stare, she quickly exined herself. "This can''t be on the news!"

    He nced at Gus on the floor. "But he was here to hurt you"

    "It doesn''t matter! The people behind this are more powerful than the police! Listen, you"

    "Smith, ma''am. I just started tonight," Felix answered.

    Because of what just happened, Senator Jones was too distressed to notice the details too much, so she could only nod. "Right. Smith. Deal with this quietly. I I will give you money! Just don''t tell anyone else!"

    She scrambled towards her closet and he watched as she stuffed a small bag with bundles of cash that she got from her safe. When she came back, she handed the bag to Felix who gingerly received the bag.

    This wasn''t supposed to happen. He was bewildered that he didn''t know what to say at the moment. How did he end up getting paid for the set up they just did?

    Felix snapped out of his trance when the senator''s cold hands covered his. She looked at him in the eye and told him, "No one can know about this."

 Chapter 503: A Lesson to Learn

    Chapter 503: A Lesson to Learn

    More than an hourter, three men entered the ck van that was parked under a tree. Gus, Noah, and Felix exchanged baffled looks at how surprisingly easy it was for them to finish their task. Even Styles and Amelia who were listening the entire time felt like an angel was watching over them, making sure that this whole operation was sessful.

    Their eyesnded on the bag of cash in front of them, feeling odd at the turn of events that night.

    "Alright, nice work team. See you back here," Styles said over thems.

    And soon, the ck van sped off into the night and headed to where they had kept Chris in Esmea. As of tonight, Gus, aka Agent Gazelle, had already been eliminated.

    Back at Senator Jones''s home

    The guard who helped Senator Jones earlier told her that other guards were knocked out, so he hurriedly went to her bedroom to check in on her. He had also told her that her daughter was out cold too, but was safe and sleeping in her bedroom.

    Smith, the guard, agreed to her request, and he told her to stay in the bathroom while he took care of itthat it was best if she didn''t watch. And so she did. She took a bath just like usual and cried while she didall without her knowing what was happening in the bedroom while Smith ''took care'' of it.

    When Smith knocked on the bathroom door and told her that everything was taken care of and that he had to leave to take care of business, she waited until she heard the door closing and a few more minutester before she had the guts to leave the bathroom. Her bedroom was now empty with a few things knocked over, but nothing was brokeneven the blood on the floor was already wiped clean.

    She hurriedly went to check on her daughter who was still asleep in the bedroom down the hall.

    Still shaken up by what happened to her, there were so many things running through her head. She could have died that night and would have probably ended up on the headlines with her suicide note. She shivered at the thought, clenching her hands together as the events from earlier reyed in her mindthe image of her assant who dropped dead in her bedroom made her gag.

    Senator Jones scurried back to her bathroom and puked into the toilet bowl. She slumped on the floor after flushing and closed her eyes as she leaned against the wall.

    Just then, her phone rang. She gargled and wiped her mouth before she went back to her bedroom, then rummaged through her handbag in search of her phone only to find out that it wasn''t her phone that was ringing. Her brows knitted in confusion, wondering where the sound wasing from.

    Scanning the room from side to side, she followed the ringing sound until she found a cell phone on the floor. Her heart raced when she saw the name "Boss" shing on the screen. She had a feeling that it was the assant''s phone. The guard must have missed it earlier when he was cleaning.

    However, now that she was seeing the unfamiliar phone, she became anxious again. Senator Jones picked up the phone just as the call ended. Checking the call registry, she saw a familiar number and her blood boiled. Without thinking much, she pressed the call button and on the first ring, a man answered.

    "Is it done?" he asked.

    "You really think you can kill me, Green?" Senator Jones bit out under gritted teeth. She was so mad. She already knew that it was Parker, but actually finding out the truth, pissed her off.

    The other line was quiet. It was as if Parker didn''t expect that one of his agents failed the mission.

    "The Company will know about this!" she added, her voice was cold and threatening.

    "What did you do to my agent, Jones?" Parker questioned, ignoring what she just told him.

    "Is that important? He''s gone, Green. One of your soldiers died tonight with a bullet through his chest. You already lost Christopher and now you lost another one. Do you n to finish all of your agents like you n to kill all of us?!"

    There was a beat of silence before Parker answered, "You must have forgotten who you''re talking to, Jennifer. My agents are dispensable. I can send more your way as long as I tell them to."

    She quivered at the thought of more mening to finish her.

    Parker did not wait for her to respond, so he added, "You tell The Company and I will release all of your underhanded dealings for the whole world to see. You know very well that I am capable of that, don''t you, Jennifer? You were lucky tonight. It''s best if you treat this as a lesson."

    The line went dead. And so did her heart.

    Senator Jones dropped to the floor sobbing despite no tearsing out of her eyes. She didn''t know what to do. Another ring sounded and this time, it was her phone on the dresser.

    She walked towards it and caught sight of the pen and paper next to her bagthe ''suicide'' letter that she wrote earlier as per the assant''s instruction mocked her.

    She picked up her phone and George Wattsthe one she spoke on the phone in the afternoonwas calling her. They were supposed to meet with the other members of The Company that night to discuss her concerns about Parker. But because of what happened, she surely wouldn''t be able to leave her house as she was still pretty much agitated. Her starended on the letter again and she briefly closed her eyes to brush the ill thoughts away before she picked up the call.

    "Jones, where are you? You were supposed to be here"

    "I''m sorry, George, my migraine is acting up. I can''t get out of bed. I''m afraid I won''t be able to go there tonight."

    "What about the meeting? Everyone is here waiting for you."

    "Let''s just cancel the meeting." She swallowed and took a deep breath before she added, "I''m sure Parker will pull through with it. He still has 24 hours."

    "Are you sure?"

    "Mm. I need to take my medicine. I''ll call you when I can tomorrow." Senator Jones ended the phone call and sunk into her bed, her head swimming with thoughts of how she could outsmart Parker.

 Chapter 504: A Different Kind of Date

    Chapter 504: A Different Kind of Date

    Golden Phoenix Residences

    On the 61st floor, Katherine and Damien were sitting on the sofa in the living room waiting for some news. Amelia had just joined them, bringing cups of warm honey and lemon tea for them. "How''s your grandfather?" Amelia asked.

    "He''s doing fine, thanks for asking," Katherine replied with an appreciative smile on her face. Amelia was always thoughtful and she was already used to having her around. Ever since the night of Amelia''s birthdaywhen they got arrestedtheir rtionship improved and Katherine no longer felt uneasy around her. She wished that it would be the same for Damien and his mother too.

    Just then, Styles came out of his bedroom and he went to see them in the living room. Waving his phone in the air, he informed the others, "Felix just called. They had just crossed the state and are now on their way to the safe house."

    The other three breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing the good news. Obviously, they still needed to be carefulwhat with Harbor City still swarming with Shadow agents. However, they were pretty confident that Parker''s people wouldn''t find Chris and Gus so easily because the safe house was not in the city.

    The men were still en route to the safe house, so they still had a couple of hours until Gus debriefs them about what happened while he was in the senator''s house.

    Katherine and Damien looked at each other and he knew what the other was thinking. "You still want to go, don''t you?"

    She didn''t have to ask to know that he was referring to visiting her Aunt Deborah''s office at Young Corporation. Without thinking twice, she nodded her head.

    "Alright," he said and turned to Styles. "You ready for another round?"

    Styles scoffed and cracked his knuckles, a sly smirk dancing on his lips as he responded, "Are you kidding me? I''ve been waiting for this! It''ll be my first time witnessing my King and Queen together in action. Well, it''s an easy mission, but still I gotta be honest, I''m actually looking forward to seeing you both work together."

    Katherine and Amelia softly chuckled at Styles''s enthusiasm. His excitement was contagious that Katherine actually started anticipating it too because it would be her first mission with Damiengranted, just like what Styles said, that it was an easy missioneven so, she was getting giddy at the thought.

    The two went to change to more convenient and appropriate outfits. Damien had to go to his penthouse real quick while Katherine changed in her room. Not long after, he came back down to her penthouse and met her in the living room. All eyes were on him as he entered and Styles blew a whistle, appreciating the effort that Damien took for his clothes.

    Not able to stop himself, Styles blurted to Katherine, "How is it possible that King Charming looked even cooler with the way he is now?"

    She didn''t answer, but she bit her bottom lip as she watched her man walk towards her. Damien wore an all-ck tactical jacket, fitted cap, pants, and boots, looking so virile and gant. He looked like he came straight out of a magazine.

    "What?" he asked when he noticed her gaping at him. "Is there something wrong with what I''m wearing?"

    Styles snorted as he witnessed Katherine salivating for his King Charming. Wiggling his brows, he couldn''t help but tease, "Looks like someone''s bed will go EER EER tonightAw!" Katherine pped Styles''s upper arm.

    "Dirty," she muttered under her breath, yet a slow smile broke her face as she dragged Damien out of the penthouse.

    The couple headed down to the basement parking where their vehicles were parked. And as if Damien couldn''t get any hotter than he already was earlier, he strode towards Katherine''s motorbike that was parked behind a van, got on it, and turned the engine on.

    "Wait, we''re taking my bike? And you know how to ride?" she probed.

    He didn''t answer her question, but he gave her a look that if she deciphered, he probably had said something along the lines of: "Come on, it''s me we''re talking about here."

    "Hop on." Damien nodded to the space behind him and tossed a helmet towards her, in which she swiftly caught with her hands.

    A bright smile ghosted her face as she strolled towards him. Katherine had no idea that even this simple thing made her fall for him even more. ''Am I weird? Maybe. But I don''t mind at all,'' she thought as she climbed on the bike and settled behind Damien.

    Putting their helmets on, he kicked the stand back to its ce, checked the mirror, and revved up the motorcycle. "You good?" he asked, slightly turning his head to the side.

    Katherine leaned her chest against his back and slid her arms around his middle as she answered, "You look and sound like a bad boy right now and I like it. Yes, Love, I''m all good."

    Damien chuckled as he pped the face shield of his helmet on before squeezing the throttle.

    The night was slightly chilly and the road still had many vehicles at eleven in the evening. He increased their speed, expertly countersteering past many cars and trucks as they headed to Young Corporation.

    In twenty minutes, they arrived at the block of the building and parked the motorcycle at an alley near the basement level parking. Since Young Corporation''s office didn''t upy the whole block, their best option to get inside was through the basement parking.

    All of a sudden, Katherine turned away and sneezed into her elbow.

    "Are you sure you want to do this tonight?" Damien probed, a look of worryced his face as he nced at her.

    She nodded and smiled at him. "That was nothing, just some dust. And we''re already here... I can''t turn back now."

    Handing her his handkerchief, he let out a small sigh. "Okay. Then let''s get this over and done with so we can get back home fast."

    She put her hair up into a bun and tied it securely. Then, they each wore a ck mask that covered their mouths. Slotting an earpiece to their ears, they checked their signal with Styles and when they were ready to go, they crouched towards the downward slope to the parking. The area was already dark and there wasn''t any guard on the post.

    Katherine, who was in front of Damien, turned to look at him and nodded as she signaled for them to advance. Ever so cautiously, they entered the basement parking and stopped at the empty guard booth for a beat before heading towards the elevators as per Styles''s instructions.

    Styles had already taken over the security system, so they didn''t need to worry about the surveince cameras. However, they still needed to be vignt in case there were security guards nearby.

    The two got inside the elevator car smoothly. Soon, they were headed to the top floor where the CEO''s office was located.

    "This is strange" Katherine started.

    "What is?"

    "This You and me" She looked up at him and met his gaze. "But it''s kinda exciting too. Don''t you think so?"

    He swore that he saw her eyes sparkled as she said the words. And he couldn''t deny it... This was indeed quite thrilling. Who would have thought that they would find themselves in this situation? He couldn''t help but smile at her. His lips couldn''t be seen due to the face mask but the brightness in his eyes was evident.

    "What do you know?" Damien slid his hand to hers and gave it a squeeze. "Our first break-in date."

 Chapter 505: Partners in Crime

    Chapter 505: Partners in Crime

    Katherine and Damien''s idea of a crazy date? Breaking and entering. How oddly sweet and exciting! Who would have thought that just less than a month ago, she never wanted to drag him into her world? But here they werepartners in crime.

    She squeezed his hand back and smiled at him. She was already so used to having Damien everywhere she went and whatever she did, that being with him right noweven if it''smitting a crime like thisjust felt so right. She wondered what the future has in store for them. It made her excited just thinking about what they would have when all of this would be over.

    Out of nowhere, something came to her mind, and she knitted her brows. "By the way" She looked up at him and met his waiting stare. "Do you remember that time you found me in thepany''s pantry that first week I worked for you?"

    The sudden reminder caused his brows to furrow. Images of the memory from months ago shed in his mindit was when he caught her in the pantry drinking water in the middle of the night. He was suddenly craving some chips when he couldn''t sleep. He didn''t usually keep junk food in his ce, and he knew that he could find them in thepany''s pantry. So he went there only to find Katherine in the dark. A shocking yet fortunate discovery.

    "Yeah How could I ever forget?" He cocked his brow.

    She gave him a small smile before she continued, "Well I remember you told me it wasn''t the first time I snuck around in your territory. What did you mean by that?"

    "Ahh" Damien faced forward as though he was trying to recall something, ncing at the control panel and seeing the red number indication of which floor they were already at. The elevator was ascending to the top floor, and they were almost there. "That happened a few weeks before west saw each other. I received a report from Markus that an unidentified woman was caught acting strangely in the hallway of my hotelte at night. The surveince footage was brought to me and guess who I found?"

    "Which hotel?"

    "Aurora Hotelnow renamed to Crown. The one in 7th street."

    The memory hit her when she realized what he was talking about. The hotel''s previous name was Aurora, and she guessed that Damien had acquired it sometime around five years ago. "Oh, yeah I think I was following a lead to a personal investigation, and I ended up there. I guess I wasn''t careful enough."

    "Well, you did try to avoid the cameras, but there were a couple of mirror reflections that caught your image."

    "Why didn''t you tell me thatst night we saw each other?" Katherine recalled that the one Damien was talking about happened before theyst met and shared a precious night together.

    "I didn''t know until a monthter when the monthly reports came and that incident was also reported. You were already missing then..." The elevator came to a stop, and the door opened to the top floor. The two stepped out and waited for Styles''s signal, leaning against the wall by the corner.

    Before she could answer, Styles''s voice came through theirms. "Alright, Agapornis, the coast is clear"

    "What is Agapornis?" she questioned.

    There were tapping sounds of the mechanical keyboard as the other answered, "It''s the real name of lovebirds! Pretty cool, huh?"

    "It''s unusual," she responded just as Damien shook his head.

    "I saw that King Charming! Anyway, security is pretty basic hereno offense You shouldn''t have any problems," said Styles.

    "None taken." Katherine looked at Damien and nodded her head towards the CEO''s office. Turning on her shlight, they headed down the hall to the furthest door. Then, he took the shlight from her as she worked on the smart lock using a high-tech device.

    When the door opened, they got inside the office and started checking out the whole ce. She looked through the desk while he searched the shelves, both of them wearing gloves. Katherine, whose mind was still thinking about what they talked about in the elevator earlier, realized something. "Wait, so if you saw me there You also saw that..."

    Damien nced behind his shoulder and nodded even before she finished her sentence. "You knocked on the guest''s room and punched his face as soon as the door opened."

    She softly chuckled upon hearing his response, slightly embarrassed that she was caught acting like a hoodlum in his territory.

    "In my defense," they exchanged looks and she continued to search the desk, "he started it. I came to see him in his house the day before that and I was only going to ask himwell, nicelybut the idiot probably thought I was after his money or something so he pointed a gun at me, fired a shot and then ran."

    "Were you okay?" Damien''s brows instantly knitted, the thought of her being in a dangerous situation worried him even if it happened a long time ago.

    "Yeah He has a bad aim" Katherine''s voice trailed off when she spotted something familiar on the right corner of the desk. She reached for it and saw that it was an invitation for an uing g that weekend. "Damien, check this out."

    He strolled towards her and looked over her shoulder. "That''s an invitation to my family''s event."

    She swallowed. "Do you remember when I first met my aunt was when I met William too? You were on a trip at that time" He nodded in agreement and she began to specte. "Has she always been a friend to your family? I wonder how she and your uncle met"

    "I''m not sure about that. My uncle knows a lot of people and as far as I know, he invites business leaders in all his functions." He held up a shlight to illuminate her hand as she picked the lock of one of the drawers.

    "Oh, my god Look This looks like..." Katherine held up an old photograph and showed it to Damien. His expression was unreadable as he stared at the pictureprobably taken decades agoof what looked like a couple. The woman was definitely Deborah Young, while the man was someone he knew his entire life.

    "That''s something I did not expect at all" he muttered in a cold tone when he met her eyes.

 Chapter 506: Grab My Hand

    Chapter 506: Grab My Hand

    Staring at the old photograph, Katherine and Damien both had a bewildered expression.

    Deborah looked like she was in her early twenties and the man, Frederick Park, was probably a few years older than her. He looked young in the pictureWilliam was a spitting image of his father. The picture was taken on the sidewalkit was colored but not as vivid as the ones in the current times, however, one could clearly see their faces and expression. Deborah and Frederick stood close to each other while holding hands as they smiled for the camera.

    "Damien Did you not know about this?" Katherine wondered.

    Shaking his head, Damien couldn''t take his eyes off the photo. "No. I didn''t know they knew each other from way back."

    "It''s not only me, right? They sure looked like a couple here"

    "Yeah" He was lost in his thoughts that he didn''t know what else to say.

    "Has your uncle always invited my aunt on every social asion?"

    "Well, I''ve seen her a few times at the parties that my family hosted. But now that I think about it, never the ones that were held in the mansion. I don''t really pay much attention to the people who were much older than me. So, I just thought they were acquaintances because ofmon friends in the business or something. Who would have thought"

    "Okay" Katherineposed herself and started picking the lock of another drawer. "Let''s just continue searching for now. We''ll discuss thister. Have you found anything on the shelves?"

    "Nothing. They''re just books and some trinkets."

    Damien continued to hold the shlight for Katherine and when she managed to open the locked drawer, they exchanged smiles. She rummaged through the things inside until she found a picture frame that had its front facing downwards. Her brows knitted as she pulled it out and found that it was actually a family picture of Katherine''s family.

    "Why is this here?" she wondered aloud. Then, a memory from a long time ago shed in her head.

    It was that one afternoon that she visited her father in this office and gave him the picture frame with a photo of their family of three. She could vaguely remember how that afternoon turned out, but she was sure that it was a gift that she gave to her father when he became Young Corporation''s CEO.

    "What is it?" He peered over her shoulder and saw what she was looking at.

    Katherine exined to him what it was and the two thought that it was indeed strange that they found the picture frame like that. It was as though Deborah didn''t want to see it, but she didn''t want to keep it out of the office either.

    cing the things they found on the desk, Katherine took pictures of them using her phone. And as she was putting them back to their ces, she held the picture frame in her hands, wishing that she could keep it instead.

    "Let''s head back," said Damien as he ced a hand on the small of her back. Judging by how sad she looked as she stared at her family picture, he knew that she didn''t want to return it. But she had to... Pressing a kiss on her hair, he told her, "We''ll find a way."

    They didn''t discover anything else in the office after that, so they decided to call it a night.

    As they were locking up the office, Styles advised them to use the elevators again as it was faster. He was monitoring the screens and he thought there wasn''t anything to be worried about.

    So, Damien and Katherine got in the elevator and headed down to the basement parking. But just before they reached the second floor, Styles''s panicked voice came through theirms. "Stop the car!"

    "Styles?" Damien pressed his earpiece, trying to understand what was happening.

    "Stop it now!"

    Damien instinctively followed what he was told and pulled the elevator into a stop.

    Then, Styles added, "You can''t go out through the basement. There''s a guard just a few meters away from the elevator who appeared out of nowhere! I think he noticed the elevator''s panel."

    Katherine and Damien were shocked. They exchanged looks and then stared at the elevator door as if they were waiting for their doom.

    Furious tapping was heard on theirms as Styles tried to work on something. "You have to get out of there," he said.

    "How? We''re in the middle of the elevator shaft!" she blurted, thinking that they were somewhere around the floor above the basement.

    "I''ll distract the guard for a bit. But you need to get out of there."

    She stared at Damien and they both looked up at the ceiling. "There''s no other way" she said.

    "Up," he told her almost instantly, his hands already ready to boost her up so she could pry the ceiling hole open. Katherine didn''t waste timeshe stepped onto his open palms and he hoisted her. She felt around the ceiling until a mechanism was activated, causing a cover to pop open.

    "You go first so you can pull me up," she said. Then, she hopped back down and watched as Damien expertly kicked the handrail and pushed himself up through the opening on the ceiling. When he was out of the elevator, he stuck his hand down for her saying, "Grab my hand."

    Katherine pushed the button to get the elevator running again. In the next second, she swiftly followed how Damien kicked the rail earlier, and then she grabbed his arm. Their hands gripped each other''s arm tightly while he pulled her up.

    The elevator car reached the basement floor just as she managed to escape and close the cover of the ceiling hole. When the doors opened, the guard stood right outside with an extremely pale face as he stared in shock at the empty elevator.

    The guard''s radio had a loud static sound and a woman''s ghostly voice could be heard muttering iprehensible words.

    "Wh-who''s there?" he stuttered, his eyes scanning the entire interior of the elevator car. He swallowed when a gust of wind swept against his back, making him shiver. He stepped inside, not knowing what to expect.

    Meanwhile, Katherine and Damien were crouched on the roof of the car as they tried not to make a sound. They couldn''t see what was happening inside the elevator, but they knew that the guard was in there.

    As if their already tense situation wasn''t enough, Katherine loudly sneezed suddenly and without warning.

 Chapter 507: Get Out!

    Chapter 507: Get Out!

    "AH CHOO!!!"

    Katherine''s hand flew to cover her mouthover the maskbut it was of no help. The shaft was quite dusty, and some particles had somehow irritated her. She was already sneezing before they even started, so now, she was even more sensitive.

    Turning to her left, she met Damien''s shocked expression. They could barely see each other''s eyes because the shaft was dark and the only light they had was the oneing from the elevator car below them, yet they knew how fcked up they were at the moment.

    Her eyes were fearful, and she looked extremely apologetic, so Damien sped her shoulder as if to say, ''it''s okay''.

    Meanwhile

    The guard, who was inside the elevator, gasped and abruptly looked around as soon as he heard the sound. Every hair on his body stood on end, and he got paler by the second.

    When he caught sight of the elevator''s floor indicator moving earlier, he got confused, knowing that there were no employees in the building as he had just done his rounds. Moreover, it was already veryte in the evening. As he walked closer, his radio suddenly made static sounds followed by a female''s ghostly voice. When the door of the elevator opened, it was empty! He had just started working here a week ago, and it was the first time that he encountered something so creepy.

    Another batch of white noises sounded from his radio as he stepped inside the car, and he nervously spoke, "Wh-who''s there?! Sh-show yourself!"

    Then, the voice of what he believed was a female ghost came through his radio that he held near his ear. "This is my elevator! Get out!" The sound was so frightening as it was rough and mixed with the static.

    The guard jumped in fright at the same time that he whimpered and scurried out of the elevator. He speedily sprinted towards the far end of the parking area, the keys attached to his side jingling as he did.

    "Whew. I thought that would end badly" said Styles. He and Amelia created the distraction, and when they saw the guard''s fearful reaction, they knew he was easily scared, so they took advantage of it. "You''re all clear now."

    Katherine and Damien exchanged looks and sighed.

    The two snuck out of the building and managed to get to the dark alley where they left the motorcycle.

    "I''m so sorry," she said as they removed their face masks.

    He looked at her, and his heart quivered a little. Pulling her towards him, he pressed a kiss onto her forehead. "Let''s get you home. You need rest and get some medication before it bes hay fever."

    They rode back to Golden Phoenix Residences and arrived around midnight. Their ride on the way home was faster because the streets were no longer busy.

    Theyid out all the printed pictures that Katherine took from her aunt''s office on the dining table along with the ones she found from Deborah''s bedroom in the mansion. She, Damien, Styles, and Amelia hovered over them and started discussing possibilities of their discovery.

    "What are the pills for?" she wondered.

    They took turns looking at the one tablet that she took from the batch, but there were no symbols engraved on itit was just a in round pink tablet.

    "Maybe it''s just vitamins or something?" Styles guessed.

    "If it was, why would she hide it in that way?" asked Amelia.

    "We don''t normally store medicines or food supplements in reseble bags and hide it in the drawer" said Damien. "But whatever her reasons are, we can''t have a way of knowing that unless we know exactly what this is. I''ll have this dropped off first thing in the morning tomorrow and have it checked."

    Then, they checked the family picture, the invitation, and the old photo of Deborah and Frederick.

    Damien addressed his mother, "When you were working for Dad, have you noticed Uncle Fred dating someone?"

    "Not that I know of." Amelia shook her head. "Your father and his brother weren''t exactly close. I don''t see them talking to each other that much while I''m around. And Lawrence doesn''t talk about his brother too So, I''m not very familiar with Fred."

    Styles gasped. "What if Fred is your cousin Caroline''s father? I mean that would be"

    "No, I don''t think so." Damien immediately shut off the idea. "At one point, I think my uncle considered Caroline to be a potential partner for Williamamong others. Do you know Caroline''s father?" he asked Katherine.

    "No I''ve never met him. They never talk about him either, so I''m not sure I''ll have to ask her or Grandpa about that." Then, she turned to Styles, "Can you try checking anything on your side? I don''t expect any digital footprints as it''s from a long time ago, but just in case you find something"

    "Of course." Styles smiled at her.

    Amelia let out a sigh, and then she looked at Katherine and Damien. "It''s getting moreplicated the more we uncover things. We don''t know what lies ahead of us, so you two should always be careful."

    Damien nodded, ced a hand on Katherine''s back, and told the others, "I''ll also ask someone to have this privately investigated while we do ours. It might take a while, but we don''t have a choice. It''ste, and we have a long day ahead tomorrow. We should turn in."

    62nd Floor

    Once Katherine and Damien got to thetter''s penthouse, they headed straight to the kitchen. Taking out a jar of what looked like jam from the fridge, he scooped out a tablespoon of it and put it into a mug before pouring warm water. He thoroughly mixed it until the gel-like texture dissolved, leaving only small bits of citrus pulp.

    "Here, drink this," he said as he handed it to her.

    "Thank you" She inhaled the aroma first and wrinkled her nose at the smell of sweet citrus vor. She wasn''t much a fan of honey, but she took a sip anyway.

    "Are you okay about all of this? You have been in deep thoughts since we left office."

    Katherine held the mug with both hands, the heat transferred to the palm of her hands and made her feel warm. "It just bothers me, you know? I''ve looked everywhere. I''ve checked previous projects that my father handled, but I don''t see anything that could be a reason for someone to hate him enough to have him" She clenched her jaw when she couldn''t say the word, then she continued, "As far as I know, he was a very good man. I just can''t believe someone would hate him"

    Damien ced a hand on her arm and gently stroked it. "If you don''t want to get involved with the investigation, just tell me, and I''ll take it off your hands. No matter what we will findter, the truth will still hurt. It won''t get any better."

    "I know But I still want toI have to. I can''t give up now."

    "I''ll be with you every step of the way." He moved closer towards Katherine and pulled her into an embrace, brushing her back tofort her as he kissed the top of her head. He felt her arms wrap around his torso while she leaned her head on his shoulder.

    Lifting the mug and giving it to her, he said, "Finish this so we can go to bed."

    Katherine reluctantly received the mug and frowned as she looked at the yellowish liquid. "Only because I love you."

 Chapter 508: Liar

    Chapter 508: Liar

    WednesdayNovember 28

    Damien dropped Katherine off to work that morning. When she alighted the Range Rover, she caught sight of the guard whom they scaredst night. So she stopped by the cafe next to their office and ordered several cups of warm drinks for her, her teammates, and the guard.

    Entering thepany, Katherine carried drink carriers with four cups of warm drinks in each hand. She paused in front of the guard and turned to face him. "Here, take one. It looks like you need one," she said to the guard as she gestured to take a cup of coffee. At first, he declined, but when she insisted, he gave in and took one cup from the carrier.

    "Thank you, Ma''am," he said.

    "Rough night?" she asked, keeping her tone light. She saw the guard gulp audibly as though he was hesitant to say anything.

    "I" he sighed, and then kept his voice low so only they could hear. "I don''t know if I should tell anyone, but Ma''am I think this building is haunted."

    Before Katherine could respond, a man called her from the side.

    "Katherine. You''re early today." Michael Price had just entered and nodded at her. "You heading up?"

    "Ah, yes." She walked with Michael, who helped her with the drinks, and they headed to their office.

    Katherine continued to check on old documents that she syed across her desk. In the past, she had tried to search for her father''s assistant, but she never found him. Until now, even with Styles''s help, they couldn''t find him. She had asked her grandfather one time, and he told her that the assistant just didn''t show up to work shortly after the burial and sent a resignation letter. Grandpa Theo thought that he must have been depressed because of his boss''s passing, so he epted the letter. If only she could get a hold of that assistant so that she could ask him some questions.

    After a few hours of working, she stretched her limbs and got up from the chair. She caught a glimpse of the clock as she drank a ss of water and saw that it was almost eleven in the morning. Katherine had asked the CEO''s secretary when her aunt wasing to work, and she was told that Deborah would arrive around ten o''clock. Eyeing the clock on the wall, she tapped the side of the ss with her finger, contemting whether to give her aunt a visit.

    Setting the ss aside, she grabbed her stuff, walked out of the office, and headed to her aunt''s.

    Young Corporation CEO''s office

    A knock on the door sounded, and Deborah didn''t look up from the document she was reading as she said, "Come in."

    The door opened, and in came Katherine bringing a tray with a cup of tea. "Hello, Aunt Deb. I brought you some tea I heard you were back, so I wanted to say hi." She stered a smile on her face as she met her aunt''s eyes and set the cup on her desk.

    "Oh, hello, dear. Yes, I got back early this morning. Thank you" Deborah got up from her chair and gave Katherine a brief hug.

    "How was your trip?"

    "It was wonderful! You shoulde with me next time. That way, you''ll learn a lot about thepany." Deborah sat back on her chair and took a generous sip of the tea.

    "That would be nice; I would love to"

    Instead of sitting, Katherine pretended to check out the books on the shelves as if they were fascinating. A lot of them were self-help books, some about business, others about bing a leader, etc. "You have so many books, Aunt Deb You must like reading a lot." She ran her fingers through the spines of the books. Her aunt answered and said something about books and soul or whatever. She didn''t really pay much attention to her answer.

    "Hmmm" Katherine hummed in agreement. She had her back facing her aunt when she continued, "I still can''t recall a lot about my childhood, but I can vaguely remember that... I used toe here. Was this father''s office before, Aunt Deb?" Then, she turned and looked at the other in the eye. Her tone was innocentas was her expression.

    Deborah cleared her throat as she ced the teacup down and smiled as she answered, "Yes, dear, it was."

    "Ah I remember giving him something back then. But I''m not sure" Katherine walked over to the desk, her face expressionless as she probed, "Do you happen to find a frame with our family picture here when you started using the office?"

    With some knowledge about bodynguage, she studied her aunt''s facial expressions and body gestures. Deborah''s mouth slightly parted as she began, "Uh A picture? I''m not sure." Then, she withdrew her hand that was just holding the teacup a while ago and ced it under the table.

    Liar, liar, pants on fire.

    Deborah looked more and more suspicious. Katherine could tell that her aunt knew what she was talking aboutthe family picture was found in one of the drawers of her deskst night. But she didn''t call her aunt on it. Why would she lie about it? Or did she simply forget? One can''t just forget something like that, right?

    Katherine nodded and sighed. "Maybe I remembered wrongly."

    "I''ll have someone search for it. Some of your father''s things were brought home to your grandfather''s study. I''ll let you know when we find it."

    Smiling, Katherine walked around the desk and kissed her aunt on the cheek. "I have asked for a half-day today, Aunt Deb. I hope you don''t mind. Damien and I are going to visit some suppliers for the wedding nning."

    "Oh, of course! No problem!" Deborah''s smile brightened at the thought of ''the wedding''. "Take all the time you need."

    When Katherine left the CEO''s office, she called Damien right away. It took a few rings before her call was answered. "Hey I got out early. Can Ie over for lunch?"

    "I''m actually not in the office right now. I''m at a lunch meeting," he replied.

    "Ah, right That basketball team owner. I forgot about that. Okay, then I''ll just eat somewhere nearby and"

    "Wait, hold on."

    Another man was speaking nearby, but she couldn''t hear clearly. Then, Damien came back to the line. "Come to Jade Oriental. Let''s have lunch together."

    She knew what he was doing there, and her gears quickly turned when she heard his invitation. "Really?" Her voice rang a bit high. It was evident that she was a little excited. She didn''t know why, but she liked the thought of witnessing Damien render someone powerless. "Okay, I''m on my way!"

 Chapter 509: Not a Threat

    Chapter 509: Not a Threat

    Jade Oriental Restaurant

    Damien had arrived at the restaurant a few minutes before receiving Katherine''s phone call. He was supposed to meet Mr. Conway fifteen minutes ago but he purposely came inte.

    Entering the private room, he found the other waiting while drinking an expensive bottle of wine. Edison Conway was a man in his forties wearing a business suit that''s a little small for his size. He was known for being an investor, putting his money on things he doesn''t really care about as long as they give him money. He had bought the team a year ago, and now he''s selling it.

    They greeted each other and exchanged pleasantries, but Damien kept his responses to a minimumright off the bat, he could already tell that the man before him reeked of arrogance and greed.

    Mr. Conway looked so nonchnt as he spoke, though it was quite apparent how awestruck he was for having the chance to meet the Resort King. "Mr. Park, it really is such an honor to meet you today I didn''t know that you were a fan of basketball. So, about the team"

    "We can talk about thatter, I''d like to enjoy my steak." Damien took a sip of his wine after thanking the server for cing his te on the table. He kept his expression neutral even though he was already upset. This man was too chatty. Damien could just do his business and be done with him, but he was also starving and the steak here was excellent. Imported directly from Japan, the high-quality meat was extremely priceynot that he minded. It''s Mr. Conway''s treat anyway. He just didn''t know it yet.

    "Right right" said Mr. Conway before proceeding to talk about other insignificant stuff.

    Then, Damien''s phone rang. "Excuse me, I have to take this call. It''s my fiance." He excused himself without leaving the table and answered the call.

    Mr. Conway observed Damien while he drank his wine. He had seen the articles about the billionaire and his fiance recently and he found Katherine beautiful. He assumed that she wanted to meet, judging by Damien''s response, but thetter declined her because of their meeting. Smiling, he suggested, "Why don''t you invite your fiance over for lunch? I don''t mind."

    Damien snapped his eyes at Mr. Conway. He didn''t like the suggestion at all. Covering his phone slightly, he looked at the other and heard him say, "My wife is a fan of the two of you. She would be ecstatic to know that I''m meeting you both today." Damien''s jaw ticked. He didn''t care about the man''s wife at all. But after some contemtion, he decided to let Katherinee over.

    When she arrived, he met her by the door and introduced the two. Mr. Conway extended for a handshake, but Katherine only smiled and sat down next to Damien. The table was round, yet it seemed like it was a 2 vs 1 situation.

    Mr. Conway brushed off being ignored and continued to chattermostly trying to impress Katherine more than he did with Damien. He really had a lot of things to say and Damien''s ears were already suffering. "Ms. Young, why aren''t you ordering anything?" he asked. The two men had started eating earlier before she arrived, and then Damien paused halfway through his steak.

    Having had enough, Damien ced a hand over Katherine''s under the table before he tossed a folder in the middle of the table, drawing the other man''s attention to it.

    "What is this?" Mr. Conway asked before picking up the folder. He opened it and his mouth fell open and his eyes grew so wide when he saw a boatload of information about him.

    "A gift," said Damien.

    "What kind of gift is this!!!" Mr. Conway mmed the folder onto the table. He was clearly nervous and angry. It was as if he just had hisst supper before being sentenced to death.

    Damien absent-mindedly yed with his engagement ring as he leaned forward and stared right at the other''s eyes. "Mr. Conway, you may be older than me, but I y the game of deception far better than you do. Not only are you trying to take advantage of me by selling the team for more than half a billion dors more than you are selling it to others, but you''ve also been bringing your prostitutes to my hotels." He scoffed. "You see, I don''t like it when people take advantage of me Only my fiance has been given that right."

    Katherine nced at Damien. She suppressed the urge toughwhat with Damien and his ''take advantage of me all you want'' spiel. Squeezing his hand, she stroked her thumb against his.

    "So you''re threatening me with this?!" Mr. Conway fumed. No one had ever dared to cross him before.

    "Threatening? Oh, no If I was, you''d be sure to know. I don''t need to do that, Mr. Conway. At first, I actually didn''t mind giving you a little incentive. But after I discovered what you did" Damien picked up the ss of wine and finished his drink. "Anyway, my offer still stands."

    "But I bought the team for almost the same pricest year! What you''re offering"

    "...is generous. Considering how much you''re stealing from your own team, you would already be receiving enough. Don''t be too greedy, Mr. Conway What goes aroundes around"

    Before the other could even respond, Damien got up from the table and brought Katherine to her feet. Then he addressed the man who was still at the table, shocked and bewildered, "In the future, stay away from my hotels and bring your prostitution business elsewhere. And you can keep those..." He nodded at the photos and files in the folder. "I have plenty of copies. My assistant will go over the contract with you in a while. Oh, and by the way Thanks for the meal. It''s a pleasure doing business with you."

    "Tell your wife I said hi," said Katherine.

    The two left the private dining room just as Markus entered, leaving Edison Conway confounded in his own mess. Thetter had thought he was going to seal the deal and be almost a billion-dor richer, only to get smashed.

    With Damien''s arm around Katherine''s waist, he led her up to another private room at the other end of the hallway. "I hope you''re hungry, I ordered all of their best dishes."

    She curved her mouth into a smile, tiptoed and kissed him on the cheek. "I love you."

 Chapter 510: Unresponsive

    Chapter 510: Unresponsive

    After Damien and Katherine had their lunch at the Jade Oriental restaurant, they headed out of Harbor Citytowards the safe house where Chris and Gus were staying.

    The location was an hour''s ride from the city, in a vastnd by the forest. They made sure no one was following them on the route before they turned towards an old gate that opened as soon as it detected their presence. Damien drove down the path that led to a medium-sized mansion.

    They alighted the vehicle and entered the ce as a few guards greeted them. The house was pretty much empty and outdated. It had fundamental pieces of furniture like a couch and dining table, and a few foldable beds on the side.

    Chris and Gus were in the dining room, looking over some sort of map on the table. Noticing the presence of Damien and Katherine entering the room, they looked up and nodded at them.

    "What''s this?" she said.

    "It''s a map we''ve outlined in some ces," Chris answered. "We''re trying to see if we missed something."

    Gus and Katherine exchanged looks, but only nodded at each other as their greeting. Damien walked over to Gus and handed him a small t leather bag. "Your new IDs."

    "That was fast" Gusmented as he received the bag and checked the contents inside.

    He stared at the passport in his hands and scanned the other contents, seeing the same name and his picture on them. "Ryan Andrews. Hmmm"

    "You''ll get used to it," said Damien.

    Katherine sat on the couch near the table and crossed her legs, her blush midi dress slightly hiking up her legs but not revealing anything inappropriate. "Where do you want to go? We''ll arrange transportation and amodation for you just like we promised."

    Gus darted his gaze to each pair of eyes staring at himfirst to Katherine, next to Damien, and then to Chris before he answered, "I haven''t decided yet."

    "Aren''t you in a hurry to leave? I mean... you''re already free to go wherever you want without Shadow tailing you." She pointed at his new IDs with an open palm.

    Clutching the passport and driver''s license bearing his new name, Gus swallowed. He did. He was actually looking forward to it right after they escaped the senator''s house. But now that they were asking him, he couldn''t answer. ''Where do I go now?'' he thought.

    Chris stared at Gus, waiting for his response. He had asked him a simr questionst night when he arrived, but the other couldn''t answer. "Think about it carefully You will most likely spend the rest of your life there."

    Gus nodded and nced at the passport again. He had held several fake passports and so many identities for years as an agent while on missions. However, the one in his hand right now felt the heaviest. He couldn''t tell if it was because of how real it seemed to be at the moment. He could be ''Ryan Andrews'', a simple man who just wanted to do whatever he wanted without someone ordering and monitoring him, and not Agent Gus, aka Gazelle, who killed and deceived people.

    While he was lost in his thoughts, a beep sounded from theptop on the table, and in the next second, Styles came on the screenit was a video call. Katherine walked over to the table and saw that Styles was holding a bowl of stir-fried dish on top of rice and was stuffing his mouth with it. "Hey, team!" He waved as he scanned the people in front of theptop. "Wow this feels like I''m Zordon of Power Rangers, and you''re my rangers. How cool is that?"

    They shook their heads at the same time that Damien told Styles, "You finish eating your food first."

    "Yes, Your Majesty," answered Styles with a salute before continuing to chow down his food. Damien''s brows furrowed. Zero and Styles had probably been spending too much time chatting.

    Katherine diverted her attention to the map and saw that they marked Senator Jones''s house. She turned to face Gus and asked, "Tell us everything that transpiredst night. Don''t leave any details."

    And so, Gus told them what happened from the moment he got in the house until they left. Styles was listening through the earphones, but hearing it directly from Gus''s perspective was different.

    "Wait, so she knew that Parker sent you, and she even mentioned Shadow?" Katherine rified.

    Nodding, Gus added, "She looked as if she was sure too. She was confused at first, but thenter, she had somehow realized and concluded that it made sense that Parker sent someone to kill her."

    Chris balled his hand into a fist and tapped the table as he contemted. "So it could be just what I thought. Jones is one of them. But why would Parker want to kill her?"

    "She mentioned something about Parker being afraid of something... And if he''s going to do the same to the rest of thepany Does Parker own apany we don''t know about? I thought he was a ''private investor''. I don''t think I''ve seen him or heard of him having one" Gus looked at Chris, waiting for what he had to say.

    "As far as I know, he doesn''t. So I''m not sure whichpany this is. Styles, could you check that?" Chris asked. Almost immediately, Styles got to work and set aside his food, then Chris continued, "It''s safe to say that Jones is also behind Shadow. What we need to know is who the other members are. Has she left her house yet?"

    "No report from the surveince team," Damien answered. "They will notify us as soon as there are movements, but so far, it''s been quiet sincest night. She had also called in sick, so she''s just been at home all this time."

    "Was I too hard on herst night?" Gus wondered.

    "Ummm Guys" Styles''s cold tone came back, interrupting their conversation. "I''ve just received a notification from the surveince team. Ambnce and media arrived at the senator''s house. Oh sha live news!" He tapped his keyboard quickly, and a screen opened on theptop, broadcasting a live report from a news channel.

    A female reporter started her spiel as she stood in front of Senator Jones''s house. And at the bottom of the reporter''s screen was a banner that said: "Senator Jones brought to the hospital after her daughter found her unresponsive."

 Chapter 511: If Parker is Desperate

    Chapter 511: If Parker is Desperate

    All eyes were glued at the screen as the reporter detailed what happened to Senator Jones.

    Apparently, the senator''s daughter went into her mother''s room a few hours ago and found her mother sleeping. The daughter was able to talk to her mother for a while and was told that she called in sick, so she was staying home. Thinking that her mother must have been exhausted, she decided to let her sleep in. However, by the time that lunch came and Senator Jones was still not up, the daughter came to check up on her only to find that she wouldn''t wake up no matter what she did.

    The daughter immediately called for help, and the ambnce came a few minutester. The reporter said that the reason was still unknown, but ording to the helpers working for the senator''s family, they found a bottle of pills on the nightstand.

    When the news ended, the group of five was baffled.

    Afterst night, another group from the Delta Team came to keep an eye on the senator, thus the surveince. They were supposed to follow her wherever she went to learn how she was rted to Parker. But just like Damien said earlier, his men reported that the senator didn''t leave the house today.

    "Do you think Parker sent another agent to finish the job?" Katherine wondered. She crossed her arms in front of her chest as she darted her gaze here and there. If Parker sent someone else to kill the senator, she must really be someone important. And if she was, they needed to get to her.

    "He left his office past midnightst night, and no other agents went in," Styles answered. "No reports about suspicious activities in Jones''s home either It could be possible that Parker sent another agent, and they had snuck in without getting seen, but would they really risk that in broad daylight? Not to mention, everyone is still out looking for Chris."

    Damien nodded. The possibility of that was unlikely. "Also, based on the report, the daughter was able to talk to the senator in the morning. Something must have happened between that time until the daughter went to check on her mother again."

    "It''s possible that the senator did that to herself. The bottle of pills could be sleeping pills" said Chris. He shifted his stare back to the screen, the report reying in his mind as he tried to make sense of what''s happening. "But it could also be staged. We''ll never know unless we get the doctor''s diagnosis."

    Katherine thought about the many possibilities. The senator was in another state, so it wasn''t easy for them to move from where they were. Apart from that, they needed toy low and stay away from Parker''s radar. Turning to Damien, she asked him, "Could you send your men to check the hospital? We need to know what''s going on, and we need to continue keeping an eye on the senator. She''s valuable."

    "Of course." Damien nodded, then turned to Styles through theptop. "Styles, call Felix and"

    "Already on it."

    While Styles was busy getting in touch with Felix and endorsing orders, the rest continued to discuss. Their attention was brought to the map on the table, and Gus told them about what happened the other night when Parker sent out all of his best agents to look for Chris in Harbor City. Then, Parker left together with the second batch of agents that he sent for the search.

    The team that was watching outside of Castle could only see carsing out from the basement parking, but couldn''t see the people inside the vehicle. Chris found it odd that Parker would leave Castle during that time instead of overseeing the operation. Parker was already tense, so it didn''t make sense for him to go somewhere elseunless he wanted to look for Chris himself.

    Before Damien and Katherine arrived, they tried to track down the car where Parker could be with Styles''s help. But it wasn''t easy. Shadow owned many vehicles of the same kind, and because Parker was meticulous, he never used the same car twice in a row. So there was no way for them to know which car he used that night. They had to track down all the vehicles to find where Parker could have gone after leaving the base.

    "Have you gotten in contact with Director Hughes since Saturday?" Katherine asked Chris who was absorbed in his own thoughts. She thought that maybe the NIA director would know something.

    "Not yet." He shook his head and sighed. "If I don''t hear from her soon, I may have to go and see her myself."

    "Isn''t that dangerous? You don''t know how Parker knew what you were doing. And you weren''t meeting anyone else. So someone must be watching her"

    Chris turned around and slumped on the sofa. His wounds were still healing but the pain was manageable, yet he clenched his jaw to bear with it. Running his hand down his face, he bit out, "I can''t just sit here and do nothing. My sister is still out there. How would I know how to protect her from Parker? What if they already got to her?!"

    Katherine and Damien looked at each other. They were standing side by side, facing the couch where Chris was. The two had talked about Chris''s sister a couple of days ago. And as much as they still feel cold towards the man, addressing the matter would help them move forward, or they would keep walking on eggshells in fear of Parker harming an innocent just to get his hands on Chris.

    "Chris," she called. "We already talked about this before... Objectively speaking, we can''t tell whether Parker was telling the truth. He could be using that just to manipte you. You''ve been on the run for days now"

    When Chris looked up and met her stare, she added, "Parker is already desperate. It''s highly likely that he would bend his own rules and use his card If he really knows where your sister is, don''t you think that he would have already gotten to her and used her to lure you out?"

    Despite not wanting to believe what Katherine was saying, Chris thought that she had a point. However, he was still determined to look for his sister. Even if it meant he would have to risk his life.

    Contrary to what he was thinking, Katherine was more inclined to believe that Parker doesn''t have Chris''s sister.

 Chapter 512: High Technology

    Chapter 512: High Technology

    cing a hand on Katherine''s back, Damien brushed the area and she leaned into him. He was still feeling edgy about Chris being here, and he didn''t think that he would ever get over the fact that the man had hurt Katherine. Despite all the help that Chris did for her, Damien still believed that messing with her memories was unforgivable.

    Their circumstance right now wasplex. The matter about Chris''s sister would always be a hindrance that would hold them back as long as he''s here. So despite his feelings, he was willing to set it aside in order for them to progress and move forward.

    Facing Chris, Damien asked, "Have you heard of DNA Phenotyping?"

    Hearing the question, Chris tilted his head to the side, his faceced with curiosity as he looked up at Damien. "Isn''t that using DNA to recreate or predict a person''s face?"

    "I have heard of that too" said Katherine. "But science doesn''t back up the idea of using genes to predict a person''s facial features due to several factors."

    Damien nodded. "That''s right. There are tons of things to consider because the environment can affect a person''s physical characteristics. However, genes can easily point out the eyes and hair. Other features are just hard to determine."

    Talking about science made her frown. She had only heard of it a few years ago while she was watching the television.

    Damien turned towards the table and searched for something on theptop''s browser. "There arepanies that provide DNA Phenotyping. It is used to help in some criminal investigations, given that the authorities need to consider that the results aren''t a hundred percent urate."

    He pulled up two samples of phenotype reports and opened the image for the others to see. Chris got up and went over to the table, then the four of them all had their eyes on the screen. On the screen, they could see the constructed faces and a detailed report of what the subject''s possible races were, and the colors of the eyes or hair. However, just like what Damien said, the result showed a generic-looking man of color and another of a generic-looking caucasian man.

    "As you can see in the two samples, these two could be anyone," Damien added. Then, he opened a few more snapshot samples of prediction resultsthis time, with an actual person''s face next to the prediction model forparison. All of the results indeed got the skin, eyes, and hair correct, but the nose, lips, face shape, and other features were not 100% urate. "It is the reason why it is not regted nationally. Thew cannot support this at the moment unless and until science can prove itevenpanies gave an extensive disimer that the results of the test are not yet fully established."

    "I don''t understand. Is this supposed to help me find my sister?" asked Chris.

    Damien kept a neutral expression as he pulled up an article about the service of a particr DNA technologypany. Then he added, "There''s a high technology that does the same It can do familial searching in forensic DNA databases. And thispany can do that and DNA Phenotyping services."

    "Are you saying we canbine the two processes?" asked Chris. It was as if an electric current had turned the lightbulb in his head and charged his heart. The anticipation in him was slowly rising.

    "I have not heard of it being used in this way since familial searching is also not regted in the country. Every state has its ownwsome states allow it and others banned the use of it. I''m saying this could be a chance to find your sister. It''s a long stretch and the results can be off, but other than this, I don''t think you have much of a choice."

    "I don''t care even if I have less than 1% chance of sess. If this will help me find my sister, I will take it." Chris''s muscles tightened, and his lips pressed together at the thought of finally having a chance to find her. This was better than nothing. If Director Hughes couldn''t give him what he wanted, he''d find someone else to help him.

    Damien straightened up and turned to face the rest, scanning their faces to see them waiting for what he would say next. He was a bit concerned as the next information he would give could change the course of things. He nodded and dug one hand into his pocket as he spoke, "There''s good news and bad news..."

    Normally, Chris would want to hear the bad news first. But at this point, he badly needed something to look forward to. "What''s the good news?"

    Taking a deep breath, Damien answered, "The good news is that I''m one of the investors and I know thepany''s current CEO, which gives us the advantage to keep this discreet. I have already contacted them, and I was told that we could drop by anytime as long as I call beforehand. They would only conduct the procedure if they get the DNA sample themselves."

    "That really is a good news." Katherine turned to face Damien and hope was evident in her expression. She couldn''t help but feel hopeful that things would work out just fine. Although the results wouldn''t be conclusive, it was better than nothing at all. And right now, they could only wish for even a sliver of a chance.

    "What''s the bad news?" Chris asked, his jaw tightened as he waited for the other to answer.

    Damien reached for theptop, scrolled and clicked the mouse on a certain portion of thepany''s website, and then turned it so that the other could see the screen. Chris shifted his stare to theptop and saw the address of theb. Almost instantly, he ran a heavy hand down his face and cussed, "Fck."

    Katherine snapped her head to see a small map next to thepany''s address and her brows furrowed. "Isn''t that"

    Damien nodded and met her stare as he responded, "Thepany''sb is right across the street from Shadow''s base."

 Chapter 513: Predicament

    Chapter 513: Predicament

    Katherine narrowed her gaze at theptop''s screen. Simultaneously, Styles had pulled up a 3D view map of the road where Shadow''s base wasacross from it is where theb is located. Even the thought of being a state away from Castle was already stressful enough, and now they would have to consider going extremely near it.

    ncing at Chris, she saw the crease on his forehead, and even though he wasn''t saying anything yet, she could already tell that he was already considering it. She felt a hand on her back, and she leaned into Damien as she asked, "What are your thoughts on this?"

    Damien looked at her and saw the uneasiness in her expression. He didn''t like this more than she did, but they understood that this was needed. "It is risky. But this is the only method I can think of."

    Chris leaned over the table and requested, "Styles, can you pull up the map on the area around Castle?"

    "One second." Styles worked on hisputer, and in the next few seconds, a top view map of the blocks around Shadow''s base appeared on their screen.

    Pointing from section to section, Chris informed the rest of them, "Back then, Castle was located outside of Cona City, and we had a wide and secured perimeter that only we could ess. However, Parker decided to move in the heart of Cona. And then we tightened the security around this area here and here. The streets and blocks surrounding the base are guarded, and surveince is tight, but it''s not impossible to get in to ess theb."

    He looked up and met Damien''s stare just as thetter said, "It''s your call if you want to risk it. The previous operation where we had to create a diversion and messed with the electricity in the block was sessful mostly because my men were unknown to them. But this time, you would have to go there yourself. The only ess we can have to get in theb is through the front doorwhich is directly opposite to the base''s entrance, or through the basement parking on the right of the building where you said the surveince is tight. I have a heavily tinted car we can use, but it''s up to you if you think we can get past that."

    Just then, Damien''s phone rang, and he answered it as soon as he saw that it was Felix. "Where are you?"

    "I''m already on my way to the next state, and I will head straight to the hospital."

    Damien put the call on speaker for everybody to hear, then Katherine immediately spoke, "Once you arrive at the hospital, be careful and keep your head downwe don''t know who is watching nearby. You need to ess the patient''s file to check the doctor''s diagnosis. Styles can hack into the hospital''s database, but doctors sometimes don''t update the records until the end of the day, so it''s better to do it manually."

    "Got it."

    "Also, if you can, give the senator a visit. But don''t push itonly if you see an opening. I''m sure there will be lots of security in the area," she added.

    "Okay. I''ll be in touch in a few hours."

    The phone call ended after a few more instructions from Damien. The senator''s situation had stirred the media, making it much harder to get past the guards. Moreover, they didn''t know whether Senator Jones did this to herself or if Parker didso they wouldn''t know who is lurking around.

    After the phone call, Chris got their attention again and told them his decision. "I''ll take it. You''re right. This is the only way. I can''t just rely on Director Hughes as she has her own agenda. When can we move?"

    Damien checked his calendar, moved some appointments around, and then replied, "Earliest will be tomorrow at noon. We can fly and then drive to theb, then leave as soon as they get the samples."

    Chris nodded. He contemted for a bit and thought of a n. Just like always, he wanted to make sure of the routes they would take the moment they enter the city until they leave. Being meticulous, he nned three ways just in case things go south.

    After asking Styles to send ayout and a blueprint of the building, Chris began to strategize with the team. At first, Katherine wanted to go with them, but Damien refused to bring her. The idea of her being near to Parker didn''t sit well with him. Although she didn''t like that he stopped her, she understood his reasons, so she could only put her trust that he would be safe.

    A few hourster, Felix called bearing some news. "You''re right about the security. Even the staff gets searched before they could go inside the patient''s room." His voice was low, and he was somewhat whispering. He was at the floor''s lobby sitting on a waiting chair with a newspaper in hand while ncing at the Senator''s roomseveral meters awayfrom time to time.

    "So, what happened?" asked Damien. All of them focused their gazes on his phone as they waited for the report.

    "Based on the notes, the patient overdosed in sleeping pills, and traces of alcohol were found in her system. It wasn''t written on the records, but I overheard the nurses talking, and it seems they believe that the senator did this to herself."

    "Were you able to get to her room?" Katherine wondered.

    "I can''t. But I will try itteroh, shit" he cursed.

    They straightened their backs when they heard Felix''s sudden panicked voice. "What''s going on?" Damien asked.

    The line was still and quiet, but they could hear a distant sound of footsteps and the hospital''s paging through the speakers along with Felix''s breathing.

    "Felix?" Katherine called. "What''s happening?"

    A shuffling sound was heard through the receiver before he came back to the line and told them in a careful tone, "I just saw that man Parker pass by and went inside the senator''s room."

    Damien, Katherine, Gus, and Chris exchanged looks, their hearts racing as they imagined Parker in the senator''s room. "Are you sure it was him?" asked Chris.

    "Yes. It''s the same man I saw from the picture you showed me. I''m sure it''s him." Felix swallowed. This was the closest he got to see the notorious man, and he couldn''t help but feel his stomach twist. "What do I do now?"

 Chapter 514: Saving a Life (1)

    Chapter 514: Saving a Life (1)

    The image of Parker from the time that she was still in Shadow shed in Katherine''s mind, making her extra anxious that she shifted in her seat and shook her head. Her hand flew to Damien''sthe one that''s holding the smartphoneand she warned Felix in a clear voice, "Do not engage."

    "Am I just supposed to leave this be? What if he''s here to finish the job?" Felix asked, sounding restrained as he tried to reason while keeping his voice down.

    "He won''t do that," said Chris. "Parker would never use his own hands to do something dirtyno matter how easy it would be for him. He doesn''t want to risk getting himself caught doing that. He''s probably there to taunt her or something"

    Letting out a heavy breath, Felix responded, "You guys said it yourself, he could be desperate. There''s no telling what he''ll actually do at the moment. Do you want to risk having an innocent person killed?"

    The four people in the safe house looked at each other. Felix had a point, but all of them believed how dangerous it would be for him to be there with minimal backup. Seeing Parker in the flesh visiting the senator in the hospital when he had ordered for her to be killed just yesterday was something they had not expected at all.

    Gus began to get anxious too, his knees bounced up and down as he imagined Felix being in the same building with Parker. Taking a deep breath, he started, "Actually, we don''t know if the senator is innocent. Otherwise, she wouldn''t have known who Parker is and Parker wouldn''t have wanted her to get killed."

    "Gus is right," Chris agreed. "As of now, we have a reason to believe that she could be part of the group behind Shadow. Isn''t that all the more reason to keep her alive? We need to get her out of there," he said as he turned to look at Damien as if he was asking him to give Felix the green light.

    "Not at the expense of my men." Damien furrowed his brows, returning Chris''s stare with his cold one. "I''m all for helping Katherine bring down Shadow, but I wouldn''t put my people in danger if I can help it. This is too risky at the moment."

    "Damien is right," Katherine agreed. She stared at the phone on Damien''s hand, a crease formed between her brows as she got nervous by the second. If she was there and without anyone''s help, she would have also probably stormed inside the senator''s room without regard for her own lifehowever, being away and seeing things differently, she couldn''t help but be the voice of reason. "Felix, you''ll be putting your life at risk if you go in there while Parker is around. You need to stand down."

    Meanwhile, at Senator Jones''s Private Room

    "Uncle," the senator''s daughter greeted Parker when he entered the room. He wore a ssic ck suit and a white shirt underneath. The two conversed for a bit before she left, leaving him alone with her mother who was lying in the bed with an oxygen mask while sleeping.

    As soon as the door closed, he scanned the room while unbuttoning his suit jacket, then he sat in an armchair next to the bed and crossed his legs. "I see your daughter, Anna, has grown a lot. It''s been a while since Ist saw her. She surely looks a lot like you when you were younger. It''s kinda cute how she calls me uncle when we''re not really rted She''s going to be a great woman when she grows up. Do you think she''ll be a senator just like you?"

    There was no response from Senator Jonesshe remained immobile. He stared at her, tilting his head to the side as he observed the small movements in her closed eyes. Then, he scoffed, a hint of a wicked smile forming on his face.

    "I didn''t know you were such a coward. How could you take your own life like that?" Parker clicked his tongue and shook his head, sounding as though he was disappointed in her. "I was actually staying true to my words when I said that I''m going to spare you. Was I too harsh? I was sure that you had learned a lesson. How disappointing I guess I would never understand women like you, Jennifer."

    Senator Jones remained unresponsive but Parker was convinced that she could hear him, so he got up from the chair and towered over her, his hands hidden in his pockets as he stared down at her. She looked pale and slightly bloated due to the IV fluid that had been administered through her arm. Feeling unsatisfied, he sat on the bed by her hip and let out a long sigh as he kept his gaze at the armchair in front of him.

    "Ah, have I told you? The shipment will arrive very soon. Now that I think about it, I didn''t need your help this time. Looks like I won''t be needing it anytime soon too So you don''t have to worry. I can manage for now. You can take your time to rest and get back in shape. After all, you still have a role to fill in for the future project." Shifting his stare to her face, he asked, "Are you listening, Jennifer?"

    Still, no reaction.

    Parker chuckled. "Oh, well I guess you''re still upset aboutst night. I understand Okay then, I''ll get out of your hair now so you can continue pretending to be asleep. I still have a few hours till my next appointment. Do you think Anna can apany me for some tea? She won''t mind, right?"

    He got to his feet and buttoned his suit jacket, but just before he could move away, a cold hand reached to grab his wrist, causing him to stop in his tracks. Turning his head towards the bed, he met Senator Jones''s red-rimmed eyes that looked as cold as ice. "Don''t touch my daughter," she said in a breathy tone under the oxygen mask.

    "Ah Always so protective" Parker retracted his hand from her grasp and sat back down on the armchair. "Now, let''s talk."

 Chapter 515: Saving a Life (2)

    Chapter 515: Saving a Life (2)

    "You know I have to be honest," Parker started, steepling his hands as he stared at the woman lying helplessly in the hospital bed. He felt powerful just by looking down at her. "At first, I thought I could never do it without your help. For years, you''ve done a lot of good things for Shadow and I will never forget that."

    Senator Jones''s chest heaved up and down, seemingly having trouble breathing even with the oxygen mask already attached to her. She looked ashen and terror was evident in her eyes when she nced at him sitting next to her bed.

    She didn''t respond, but Parker could tell that she could hear him clearly with the way she gripped the nkether grasp looked weak despite the obvious effort that she was trying to exert. But that didn''t matter to him. Raising his chin, he added, "It turns out, I don''t really need you after all Not anymore. You have paved the way for me so so wellnow I''ll give you that." He pointed at her as heplimented.

    He shifted in his seat and leaned forward, meeting her cold stare and contemting for a beat before he continued, "You have really made a big mistake when you thought you could cross me, Jennifer. How could you bite the hand of the person who helped put you in your seat?" He shook his head in utter disappointment, then a bitter smile appeared on his facea look that only those who really knew him would know that he was expressing contempt.

    "But I''m a forgiving person. Aren''t I? I''ll forget about that, so I hope you''ll behave from now on Which reminds me, where have you disposed of the body of my agent? You don''t want that to be floating around anywhere near you..." He smiled. "If you aren''t careful enough, anyone could find that corpse and the body would be traced back to youit wouldn''t matter if he tried to kill you What everyone would see is that you killed him and got rid of the evidence. I''d be really cautious if I were you."

    "You''re out of control" Senator Jones managed to utter, her voice was weak and rough.

    Parker tilted his head to the side as if he was trying to scrutinize the other, and then he shrugged. "I don''t think you really understand what''s going on here, Jennifer. I am not out of control I have always been in controlof you, of Shadow, of The Company. So you should really be careful who you talk to next time. But there wouldn''t be a next time, right?"

    He got up from his seat andposed himself as he added, "Mr. George Watts sends his regards."

    Her eyes went wide at the mention of George''s nameanother member of The Company whom she had spoken to recently about Parker. The realization had hit her and she struggled to speak, "You had George on your side?"

    "George is a businessman. Everything is about money for him." A deep gutturalugh bellowed from Parker. Scanning the room, he settled his stare at her as he added, "It''s a pity that your husband hasn''te home yet even after learning about your condition. Did he tell you he was on a business trip?" He clicked his tongue and let out a small sigh. "I guess young and beautiful twenty-one-year-olds are business for him now."

    "He wouldn''t!" she bit out, her breathing getting heavier by the second.

    "Believe what you want. I must take my leave. I just thought I would drop by and see you in case I wouldn''t have the chance before you" Parker waved his hand in the air, his expression grim as he shook his head. "Good luck, Jennifer. I''ll keep an eye on your daughter for you while you''re feeling under the weather."

    A few minutes earlier...

    At the lobby several meters away from Senator Jones''s room, Felix''s knees bounced up and down. "It''s been twenty minutes! What the hell is he doing there?" He ground his teeth. Because he had been ordered to stand down, he could only wait, but his patience was wearing out very fast and he was so close to breaking.

    On the other line, Katherine asked Styles to check on the area if Parker brought his men with him. There was a discussion going on in the safehouse, but Felix couldn''t listen to them attentively as his eyes were focused on the door to the senator''s room. There were two guards standing outside her room earlier, but just a couple of minutes ago, one of them left, leaving only one guard.

    "I can''t wait any longer." Felix got up and removed the earpiece from his ear, pocketing it as he walked past the nurse station and headed towards a closed room. He was disobeying orders at the moment, but the urge to save someone''s life overtook him and he couldn''t just sit around and do nothing. He understood that Katherine and Damien were only concerned about his safety, but he just had to do this.

    When he came out, he was already wearing a doctor''s coat and a surgical mask. Then, he walked by the nurse''s station again, grabbing a random patient''s medical chart without anyone noticing. Soon, he was on his way to the senator''s room.

    The guard looked his way and he spoke in a confident tone while keeping his eyes on the chart and only ncing at the guard once. "Are you the patient''s guardian? There''s a form you need to sign at the station."

    The guard knitted his brows and replied, "No. But her daughter is here"

    "Then am I supposed to find her?" Felix darted his eyes at the guard who eventually huffed and walked away after seeing his intimidating stare.

    Just as Felix was about to hold the doorknob, the door suddenly opened and he came face to face with Parker as thetter stood by the door. His heart raced and he clenched the chart in his hands, his jaw ticking at the sight of the man before him. They briefly met each other''s stare before he stepped aside, their shoulders brushing as Parker strolled out of the room.

 Chapter 516: A Heart-stopping Moment

    Chapter 516: A Heart-stopping Moment

    It was as if time stood still in the hallway the moment Felix and Parker were shoulder to shoulder. Felix''s mouth became dry and the sudden urge to flee washed over him. If it wasn''t for the door frame catching his weight, he probably would have already fallen. There was just something eerie about this man that he could not exin. He had been deployed to wars in the past that was scarier than this, but he couldn''t deny the feeling of something evil that emanated from that man.

    Through his periphery, he saw the infamous Parker continue to walk towards the elevators without turning back. Felix had to force himself, willing a foot up to take the first step into the senator''s room, his hand still tightly clutching the medical chart.

    As soon as he got inside the room, he closed the door behind him. He steadied his breathing and turned to the bed only to see the senator with her hand reaching out to him. Felix instinctively rushed to her side and pulled down his mask as he tried to read her facial expression. She looked extremely ufortable and had shortness of breath as she clutched her chest.

    "Senator!" he eximed as he rushed to her side and hurriedly pressed the emergency call button above her bed.

    She grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him towards her while she desperately tried to speak but words barely came out of her mouth.

    "What? I can''t" Felix tried to understand what she was trying to say, but it was so hard toprehend while she was wheezing so heavily.

    The door burst open and a few medical staff came inside the room just as the senator lost her grip from his shirt and then her hand fell. In a blink, the heart monitor made a long beep at the same time that it showed a t line.

    "Code Blue! Code Blue!" said one of the male staff as he immediately dashed forward and started doing chestpressions on the senator and tried to revive her.

    The once quiet room becameplete chaos.

    ...

    Meanwhile at the safe house a couple of minutes ago

    Katherine, Damien, Chris, Gus, and Styles were all stunned by what Felix was doing. He had just disobeyed orders and acted on his own.

    "Felix," Damien tried to call him but all they could hear was a scratching sound from the earpiece brushing against the fabric in Felix''s pocket as the call was still connected.

    "Styles, show us the security feed!" said Katherine.

    "Already on it." Styles quickly pulled up the live surveince of the hospital and sent it to theirptop. They looked for Felix until they spotted him just leaving a room dressed in a white coat and headed towards the senator''s private room.

    "Sht," Damien cursed as they watched the screen. He was nervous for Felix as this was dangerous and thetter had no back up at the moment. With that, Damien ordered Styles to connect them to Noah who went to the hospital with Felix and gave his instructions.

    Katherine gasped when she saw Parker through the monitor. Seeing him with Felix in one frame made her clench her hand so hard that her knuckles turned white.

    None of them spoke and all they could do was watch. The atmosphere was tense and although they were relieved when Parker left without suspecting Felix, their hearts were still racing as thetter entered the senator''s room and closed the door, so they were unable to see anything.

    It had only been ten seconds since Felix entered the private room when they saw a team of medical staff rush towards the senator''s room.

    "What''s going on?" Katherine wondered, her hand subconsciously gripping Damien''s sleeve.

    "Code Blue! Code Blue!" the voice of the staff sounded through the speaker of Damien''s phone and their eyes darted on it. They couldn''t see what was going on but the sounds they heard through the call were rming.

    In the next second, they saw Felix leave the room, heading towards the fire exit.

    Felix sprinted and removed the doctor''s coat on him but he pulled the mask back in ce to cover his face. Soon, he reached the building''s south exit. Not knowing how he managed to flee the scene and reached the ground floor, he panted heavily and leaned against the wall.

    A car horn beeped twice, making him look up to find Noah in a ck chevy waving him over. Noah rolled down the window and shouted, "Get in!"

    Pushing himself off the wall, Felix dashed towards the car and mmed the door shut. Then, the vehicle sped off and joined the traffic.

    Back at the safehouse...

    Damien had received a call from Noah telling him that they were on their way to Esmea. It had been an hour since that call and the team anxiously waited for more news.

    Katherine and Damien sat on the sofa while the others were at the dining table. Her stomach rolled when the scene from the hospital''s camera footage she saw through the screen earlier shed in her mind. She felt helpless and anxious that she couldn''t do anything. They hadn''t heard any news from Styles yet, so they didn''t know what happened in the hospital after Felix left.

    A buzzing sound caught their attention and their heads turned to the phone on the tableit was Katherine''s. Reaching for her phone, she answered the call as soon as she saw who was calling. "It''s Styles," she announced, and then Chris and Gus came over.

    "You''re on speaker," she said.

    It took Styles a few seconds to begin as he didn''t know how to break the news. When he was ready, he took a deep breath and informed them, "I just found out Senator Jones died of cardiac arrest at 5:31 pm today."

    All of them exchanged looks. They had already anticipated this news but it was still shocking to hear. Damien checked his watch and let out a sigh before he muttered in a low voice, "She died after Felix left."

 Chapter 517: Not a Bad Man

    Chapter 517: Not a Bad Man

    "Damien" Katherine called, looking at him with eyes full of concern. "This isn''t looking good for Felix."

    cing a hand over hers, Damien nodded and took a deep breath. They wanted to avoid the media''s attention, but it became too risky for them because of what happened. His jaw ticked when he remembered that they clearly told Felix to stand by, and yet he disobeyed his orders. However, as much as he hated that his words were ignored, he could understand why Felix did what he did. Now, he was all worried about the other.

    It was the same for Katherine. She had already be close to Felix and treated him as her older brother, so the thought of her family being in apromising situationand now the possibility of him beingbeled as a criminalcaused her heart to throb.

    Theptop on the coffee table had been turned on the whole time. A few windows filled the screen, and one small window on the top right corner opened just as theptop beepedit was Styles calling through a video conference. His fingers danced on the keyboard as he spoke and gave them updates regarding what was currently going on in the hospital while simultaneously sending a few things on theptop''s screen.

    "The media had already gotten the news about the senator''s passing, so the hospital entrance is crowded. The reporters and journalists are trying to get a word from any of the medical staff or the family, but no one was willing to say anything. I guess this is a good sign for now" said Styles.

    Damien shifted in his seat and addressed Styles, "Have you done your clean up?"

    "Yes. I have already erased Felix''s traces being in the hospital, so they wouldn''t be able to see anything through the security footage. However, I can only do this much I''ve cleaned digitally, but there''s nothing I can do about the people who actually saw him being there." Tapping his keyboard, a new window popped up on the screen. "There''s a new broadcast just now..."

    The team watched theptop''s screen intently, wishing for the best. The reporter mentioned that they were still trying to get an interview from the bodyguards and even the nurses. In the end, the reporter said that the real reason behind the senator''s death was worth looking into. The family decided to have thete senator undergo an autopsy; therefore, the reporter promised that an official report would be given as soon as possible.

    "This could be good news" said Katherine. "Mixing the two substances is life-threatening and she was initially brought to the hospital because of that, so it was already highly likely that she would end up having a cardiac arrest. Surely, that would show as the cause of her death. That being said, Felix wouldn''t be incriminated, right?"

    Chris took a deep breath, and then he said, "Although it would show the real cause of her deaththe fact that he was there at that time and someone saw him They would wonder who he is and what he was doing there."

    Damien closed his eyes and hung his head low, rubbing his nape as he let out a small sigh. "He has toy low for a while"

    "I''ll keep an eye on the updates," said Styles.

    ...

    Taking their focus out of the worrying situation, they talked about the next day''s operation. In a nutshell, all they had to do was get in and get out of theb without getting detected by any of the undercover guards from Shadow that would be guarding the area around Castle. However, even though the task would be quite simple, anything unexpected could happen, so they had to treat this trip with extreme caution.

    An hourter, the sound of a vehicle arriving outside the house caught their attention. Noah and Felix entered through the front door and strolled towards the living room.

    Damien stared at Felix, their eyes briefly meeting before Felix lowered his head, evidently ashamed of what he did and couldn''t look at the other straight in the eyes.

    Walking towards the men who just arrived, Damien stood in front of Felix, and a restrained sigh escaped his mouth as he ced a hand on the other''s shoulder and squeezed it.

    "I''ve disappointed you," said Felix, his voice low and bleak.

    "We''ll get through this." Damien held a hand out for a manly handshake, which Felix hesitantly took before the two gave each other a brotherly hug. It was apparent to see that no scolding was necessary and pure understanding was present. He considered Felix as one of his brothers, and at this time, family members need to support each otherming wouldn''t help anyone.

    Later, Styles called them over to gather around theptop as another news report came in. There were two women on screen, one was the reporter and she introduced the other woman as a nurse from the hospital who wanted to keep her identity hidden. The nurse''s face was blurred, her voice was distorted, and her name was kept as anonymous.

    "Are you saying that this man did something to the senator?" asked the reporter.

    Waving her hands, the nurse rified, "I''m not saying that. It''s just I found it strange, and it made me wonder what he was doing there pretending to be a doctor to get inside the room. Perhaps he could just be a really curious individual or a journalist who wanted to get a scoop first hand. I don''t really know, but I don''t think he was a bad person..."

    "Why do you say that?"

    The nurse spoke with her hands moving here and there to express her thoughts. "There was no one else in the room at that time apart from the senator and that man. And we received the call in the station because someone pressed the emergency button. If that man were there to harm the senator, he wouldn''t have called for help. Even if the senator was the one who pressed the button, he would have fled right away before our team could arrive, don''t you think so?"

    "Do you think you can identify that man if you see him, or maybe describe him to the police for a sketch?"

    The nurse thought for a few seconds before she shook her head and responded, "I cannot guarantee. I would have to try Everything happened so fast, so I don''t know how urate I can be."

    Listening to the interview, the group of people in the safehouse had mixed feelings. The oue to this whole ordeal was truly worrisome.

 Chapter 518: A Fulfilled Dream

    Chapter 518: A Fulfilled Dream

    Felix felt a few warm and strong hands on his shoulder, squeezing him as though they were telling him that it''s all going to be okay. His jaw clenched at the heavy feeling he had on his chest. As soon as they left the hospital earlier, he immediately regretted that he defied Damien and Katherine''s orders, and he had put the team at risk.

    And although Damien wasn''t mad at him, he knew that he had let him down which made Felix feel worse because the other didn''t berate him for what he did. He wished that Damien scolded him instead. Felix didn''t know what would happen from now on. Would he be a wanted man?

    "What exactly happened when you entered the room? Did Parker do something before you arrived?" asked Katherine, breaking the room''s growing silence after watching the news report.

    Snapping out of his trance, Felix turned around and saw the others waiting for his response, so he began to exin, "I don''t know if he did something to her. I entered the room and saw the senator gasping for air." He averted his gaze to the side as he recalled the scene from earlier. "Her oxygen mask was on, but she had trouble breathing. When I noticed her clutching her chest, I pressed the emergency button right away. Then she grabbed my shirt and tried to say something"

    "What did she say?"

    Felix''s eyes darted quickly, his head tilted and his brows knitted as he struggled to remember what he heard. "It''s"

    "Think carefully," said Chris. "Did you get to read her lips?"

    Closing his eyes, Felix concentrated and forced his mind to bring him back to the scene from earlier. The room was still and quiet as the others gave him the time to recall the events earlier. However, the sound of heavy breathing was all he could hear, making it extremely difficult for him to catch the slightest sound that the senator managed to utter.

    He was ridden in guilt that he couldn''t save her even after taking the risk and bumping into Parker. The feeling of being ipetent washed over himall because he failed to save a life.

    "A" he started, his voice evidently unsure about the word he was trying to form. "Ally?"

    "Ally?" Damien questioned, ncing at the others as he wondered if that word meant anything to them. "What did she mean by that?"

    Katherine shook her head. The word was too vague that even after thinking about it, nothing came up. "Are you sure that''s all?"

    With his eyes still closed, Felix tried again. This time, he fluttered his eyes open just as he formed another word. "Alliance."

    All of them exchanged looks, and confusion was written all over their faces when they heard what he said.

    "That''s thest word she said before she died?" Gus crossed his arms in front of his chest. "What does that even mean?"

    Leaning against the table, Katherine chewed on her bottom lip. She couldn''t tell whether this was a good thing or a bad thing as the word didn''t make sense to them at all. "That must be really important to her Otherwise, how could a dying person think about anything else other than family at the veryst second?"

    "You''re sure it''s ''alliance''?" Chris rified.

    Felix met the other''s stare, nodding as he responded, "Yes. The words after that were gibberish"

    "Does that ring a bell to you?" she asked Chris, but thetter shook his headhe also did not know what the senator meant when she said that.

    Damien checked the time on his watch and saw that it was almost eight in the evening. He had nned to go back home in time for dinner because Amelia told him she was cooking. But because of the recent events, he had lost track of time and forgot to inform her they were going homete. He was sure that she was aware of the current happenings with Styles being there with her, but he didn''t like that he hadmitted, and yet he didn''t deliver.

    Grabbing the suit jacket draped over the backrest of the sofa, Damien brushed his hand on Katherine''s arm as he simultaneously tapped the screen on his phone with the other and said, "Let''s keep it at that for now. We have to go home." Then he nced at Chris and told him, "I''ll send someone to pick you up tomorrow."

    And so, Katherine, Damien, Felix, and Noah left the safe house and headed home to Golden Phoenix Residences.

    Katherine''s Penthouse at the 61st floor

    A few hours after they finished their dinner, Felix went several floors down and stayed at Markus''s ce as per Damien''s instructions. Starting tomorrow, he would be staying at the safe house toy low for the meantime. The meal was delicious, but Felix couldn''t enjoy it thoroughly because of his situation, so he couldn''t eat that much. In the end, Amelia decided to pack him some food for when he gets hungryter.

    Katherine went to change out of her clothes and took a bath in her bathroom while Damien stayed with his mother in the living room. He clutched his hands together as he nced at the brown envelope thatid t next to him as he sat on the sofa. He received it from Markus earlier and he decided to give it to Amelia right away.

    "Damien" Amelia called, her voice gentle and patient as she stared at her son.

    He looked up and met his mother''s curious gazehe couldn''t tell why he was suddenly nervous. It wasn''t as if he did something wrong, but felt hesitant giving it to her. Perhaps he was afraid that she wouldn''t like it.

    "Is everything okay?" she asked. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

    Rubbing his nape, he cleared his throat and gingerly held the envelope in his hands. His grip tightened for a second, causing a dent on the edge of it. Her eyes shifted to his hands, and he knew that she wondered what he was holding. Taking a deep breath, he finally gave it to her and said, "Here. It''s for you."

    "What''s this?" Amelia received the sealed envelope and stared at it. There were no markings on it, so she didn''t have any idea what was in it. Seeing him nod as if he was telling her to open it, she removed the seal and checked the contents. Her eyes grew wide in shock, reading several pages of documents of what seemed like a contract. At a nce, she could already tell what it was, but her mind and heart refused to believe it. "I don''tWhat is this?"

    "One of Dad''s dreams. I have thought a lot after you told me about ASLP. It didn''t feel right for me that you wouldn''t take the money. I know you told me that it was for me, but I couldn''t stop thinking about it. So, I decided to fulfill one of his dreams instead. I purchased Esmea Wolves as a gift for you"

    "But Sweetheart"

    "I already expected that you would want to refuseI don''t know why you and Katherine make it such a big deal if I spend my money how I like it..." He shook his head and heard his mother chuckle at his smallint. "But it''s ours. I used a portion of your investment''s return, so it''s yours and mineyour name is on it. And you can''t refuse because the contract has already been signed."

    Amelia was left speechless. He knew that she would refuse to ept it, seeing as he had spent almost two billion dors to purchase the team and told her it was a gift. So he''s telling her she paid for it too. She looked at the papers again and saw that he had even changed the name from Esmea Wolves to Esmea Falcons. Her heart swelled at the thought of her son being so thoughtful.

    Meeting Damien''s eyes, she smiled and pulled him in for an embrace. "Thank you. I''m sure your father is happy."

 Chapter 519: A Maid of Honors Duty

    Chapter 519: A Maid of Honor''s Duty

    November 29Thursday

    After the stressful situation yesterday, Damien and Katherine had to be more careful from now on. With a lot of things going on around them, that morning on their way to work, they decided to reevaluate what they should tackle first. And like what they had nned yesterday, Damien would go to theb with Chris to settle the matter as soon as possible.

    At eight in the morning, Damien drove Katherine to work in his Range Rover. They talked about moving back to the Pearl Gardens house, thinking if it would be better for them. Pearl Gardens wasn''t very far from the center of the city. Still, Golden Phoenix Residences was just overall better at the moment as it seemed to be more convenient for themespecially since they had been moving around at random times of the daytely.

    "We''ll talk more about it when Ie backter," he said as he pulled the car to the side of the road. Worried that she still had sniffles, he asked, "Are you sure you''ll be okay today? Why don''t you take the day off?"

    "I''m okay, don''t worry about me. I can''t stand not doing anything at home, so I should go to work," she replied. Her brows slightly knitted as she looked at him. She couldn''t help but feel heavy as she thought about where he was heading to that morning. "I''m more worried about you that you''re going near the base. I keep thinking of going with you"

    Cupping her face, Damien brushed his thumb on her cheek and smiled, reassuring her that everything will be okay. "I''ll be in and out faster than you thinkfifteen minutes tops inside theb. We''ll use a different car too, so there''s no need for you to worry. I''ll call you on the way back."

    Nodding, she didn''t have a choice but to trust him. Katherine leaned in and ced a kiss on his lips before she got out of the car and watched him drive away. Wearing a slightly loose-fitting long-sleeved blush top and pencil cut ck midi skirt, she looked sophisticated and elegant. Not far from her, Noah had just parked his car, and he stayed in proximity. Because Felix had toy low for the meantime, Damien assigned Noah to stay near her.

    Just as she headed towards the office entrance, a couple of paparazzi and reporters blocked her way, snapping pictures and asking her questions. She had somewhat expected that this would happen soon since Young Corporation and Crown Resort Group released statements yesterday regarding the official partnership between the twopanies. Also, the groundbreaking ceremony was only a few days away.

    This initiated another bout of buzz in the media, and Katherine was honestly growing tired of it when they asked about her rtionship with Damien. It''s been almost a week since the bidding endedshouldn''t they have gotten enough of it?

    Keeping her face expressionless, she put on sunsses and continued walking, ignoring the questions being thrown at her.

    "Ms. Young won''t be answering any questions. Please give way," said a man from the side. She turned to look just in time that Michael came to shield her from the reporters and brought her inside the building. The crowd eventually halted when the security guards stopped them from following.

    "Thank you," said Katherine as they walked towards the elevators.

    A smile broke his handsome face, but he kept his eyes straight ahead. "It must be tough dating a big shot."

    Not knowing what to say, she softly chuckled and they got in the elevator. In her mind, she said to herself, ''Big shot or not, she''d dly choose Damien over anyone else in a heartbeat.''

    Her thoughts were interrupted when her phone buzzed in her purse. She answered it right away when she saw that it was Alianna. Thetter asked her out for lunch, and she agreed to meet her at a restaurant downtown.

    Jade Oriental Restaurant

    Katherine waited for Ali at a table by the window. She was here for lunch with Damien yesterday and had found a liking to the dishes that they served, which was why she suggested this ce to the other earlier. But since they didn''t call to make a reservation, they could only dine at the open floor area of the restaurant instead of dining in one of the private rooms.

    Alianna arrived a couple of minutes after her, and they were now waiting for their orders to be served.

    "So, you two are engaged again?" Ali excitedly rified after Katherine told the news of her engagement with Damien. The two hugged as Ali congratted her friend. "You''re finally going to get married, right? No more setbacks this time?"

    "Well We haven''t really talked about specifics yet. So, it won''t be anytime soon. You''ll be the bride-to-be for a while, don''t worry!" replied Katherine.

    Her response made Aliannaugh. "You''re right. Let me enjoy it for a bit. I don''t get to be the bride all the time."

    "What do I need to do as your maid of honor?" Katherine asked. "I don''t really have experience in that area, so I did a little research I guess I need to throw you a bachelorette party. Do you have any preferences in mind?"

    "Oh, my god! Let''s go to Vegas! I wanna do the whole shebang!" When Katherine arched a brow in question, she added, "Oh,e on! I wanna do everything. That would be awesome! I only have a couple of friends to invite, so there wouldn''t be a lot of girls, but I''m pretty sure we will have so much fun!"

    Katherine watched the other get all excited, she took a sip of her water and said, "When you say everything You don''t mean including male strippers, right? Would Caleb be alright with that?"

    Alianna was already shopping for clothesfor her and Katherinefor her bachelorette party that Katherine would n, so her eyes were glued to her phone when she responded without thinking much, "He doesn''t have to know. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Besides, I''m certain that Damien and the others would also prepare something wild for him. It''s them after all"

    "What do you mean?" Katherine wondered, crossing her arms in front of her chest as she leaned towards the table.

    A chuckle escaped Alianna''s lips when she nced at Katherine and saw her curiosity. "Oh, Sweetie. Don''t you remember the summer party tradition? Those three threw all kinds of parties... and their bachelor parties were always wild."

    "Huh You don''t say" Katherine muttered under her breath, her index finger tapping against her arm as Damien''s image at a wild party formed in her mind.

 Chapter 520: Dont tell King Charming

    Chapter 520: Don''t tell King Charming

    Looking up from her phone, Alianna noticed Katherine in deep thoughts. She realized that she had been a bit too rash of what she said about Damien''s past, which caused the other to worry. Putting her phone away, she cleared her throat and said, "It''s been years since Damien threw parties like those. He''s over it." She pursed her lips into a thin line.

    Katherine darted her gaze and met Ali''s, and she could only smile at the other''s attempt to diffuse her thoughts. Whatever Damien did in the past shouldn''t matter, but it still left a slightly bitter taste when her mind forced her to think of unattractive scenes. Grabbing a ss of sparkling water, she drank it all at once and brushed her thoughts away.

    Wanting to change the subject, Alianna scanned the room and noticed a man who had been near them since. He was sitting a couple of tables away by himself, and judging by his casual outfit, he didn''t seem like someone who would choose Jade Oriental to dine for lunch. Furthermore, he had been ncing their way now and then.

    "Did Damien get you a new bodyguard?" Alianna nodded at the man''s direction.

    Katherine followed her gaze and saw Noah sitting by himself. She met his eyes, but he quickly averted his stare soon after. "Yeah" was all she could utter.

    "Where''s the other one? Felix, was it? That hottie"

    A guttural chuckle escaped Katherine''s throat. She remembered a time a few months ago when she and Ali went shoppingback then, Felix used to follow her around while keeping a safe distance. However, Ali being Ali thought that he was some kind of a stalker or someone who was just really interested in her''The hot stalker'' was Felix''s title then.

    Alianna confronted Felix, and Katherine waste to rify who he wasin the end, Alianna was embarrassed to know the truth. And to this date, the twodies stillugh when they remember it.

    "He''s on leave," said Katherine. More like ''hiding'', but she couldn''t tell her that, of course.

    "Gosh. Damien''s really protective of you, isn''t he?" Alianna leaned against the backrest of her chair when their food arrived. "It''s understandable, though. I''m surprised he didn''t have ten of his men to look after you."

    "Trust me; they''re around here somewhere You just don''t notice them," Katherine muttered as they began to eat.

    "You mean there''s more?!" Alianna''s eyes went wide as she looked around, trying to figure out who the bodyguards were, but Katherine just smiled and shifted their conversation back to Alianna''s wedding.

    Just as they finished eating, footsteps were heard from the side, and they looked at the direction where the sound wasing from. A man in histe fifties surrounded by three men approached them. The man in the middle was Jun HaraCEO of Hara Construction. Katherine had only seen him once in the news, and she wondered why he wasing. From her periphery, she noticed Noah shift in his seat as if he was ready to dash but he remained seated.

    "Are you Ms. Katherine Young by any chance?" asked the man next to Mr. Hara.

    "Yes," Katherine answered.

    Jun Hara stepped forward and extended a hand towards her. "Good afternoon, Ms. Young. I''m Jun Hara from Hara Construction."

    Feeling weird about the whole situation, Katherine got up from her seat and received the man''s handshake, squeezing it firmly. She could see his resemnce with his daughter, Margaret. "It''s a pleasure to meet you, President Hara. How can I help you?"

    Jun Hara smiled, clearly pleased that she knew him. He shook his head and kept his hands behind his back as he responded, "I just came from a meeting and saw you on my way out. I thought I recognized you from the news. I only stopped by to say congrattions on winning the project. I heard from my people that your presentation was outstanding."

    "Oh" she smiled back out of politeness. "Thank you, President. It was the whole team''s effort and not just my own. I will be sure to ry your greeting to them. Hara Construction was a toughpetitor."

    "Ah" Jun Hara nodded. "Please know that I am genuinely happy, and I ept defeat. After all, it''s your grandfather and father''spany. I have so much respect for them."

    "You know them personally?" she wondered.

    "Yes. Although ourpanies arepetitors, we all belong in the same field. So it''s natural to meet from time to time. Your father and I went to the same university, so we''re a bit familiar with each other. He was a genius."

    Katherine smiled and then tried to make small talk. "I met your daughter. She''s quite a lovelydy."

    "YouYou met Margaret?" Jun Hara''s expression changed. He stood straight and tilted his head, his brows knitting together.

    "Yes," she answered naturally. "I met her during the meeting at the Crown Hotel. We actually bumped into each other outside the function room while she was looking for her husband; she was also there on the day of the bidding."

    While saying this, she noticed an apparent change in the atmosphere. Even Alianna''s brows furrowed as she wondered aloud, "Margaret''s married? To whom? When? Was it a secret wedding?"

    Katherine''s eyes darted from Alianna''s questioning to Jun Hara''s confused expression. The man next to him whispered something to his ear. He seemed to be President Hara''s assistant.

    Turning to Katherine, Jun Hara said, "Ladies, I''m afraid I have to take my leave. It''s nice meeting you, Ms. Young." She didn''t have the chance to respond as they had already headed towards the exit.

    "That''s surprising. I didn''t know Margaret was already married." Alianna got up from her seat and shrugged, then she excused herself to go to thefort room.

    Katherine sat back down on her chair, shaking her head at Noah when he arched a brow at her as though he was asking if something was wrong.

    She stared at the beautiful vase on the center of the table as her mind brought her back to the conversation just a while ago. It didn''t escape her that Ali''s reaction was notable on top of Jun Hara''s baffled expression. Something wasn''t right and her gut was churning at the thought of it.

    Her fingers rapidly tapped the table before she eventually grabbed her phone and called Styles who answered on the first ring.

    "What can I do for you, My Queen?" he asked.

    "I need you to do a thorough background search on Margaret Hara, daughter of Jun Hara. Apparently, she was in Japan for years and came back this year. That''s all I know," she replied.

    "Who is this chick? Why are we looking into her?" Quick tapping sounds of keys were heard from the other line, and she assumed that Styles had already started his research.

    "Damien''s ex."

    "Ohho ho! Getting sneaky, are we? I didn''t know you can be so jealous that you''re digging up King Charming''s exes now. Who else are we searching? Back then, I found several models and actresses that were rumored to be dating him. Who do you want to check?"

    Ignoring Styles''s remark, she responded with a serious face, "Just her. There''s something odd about her I had a weird feeling whenever I met her. Just run it, and keep this between us for now. Got it?"

    "Don''t tell King Charming. Got it," he confirmed before she ended the call.

    Katherine was almost certain that she would find something. And until she knows what it is, this uneasy sensation whenever she thinks about that woman wouldn''t go away.

 Chapter 521: The Stylist

    Chapter 521: The Stylist

    Golden Phoenix Residences

    Katherine had been working out in the corner of her bedroom for the past hour. It was already six in the evening, and she was still focused on working on her core muscles. She had been feeling uneasy these past few days, and this was the only thing she could do to take her mind off the things that were weighing her down.

    Every day, she would wake up and pray that she and her loved ones would get through the day safe and alive. They had been ying it safetely, and although they were careful, slip-ups like Felix''s still happened. If only there was a fast forward until the part where Shadow no longer operates, she would have probably taken that opportunity already. Too bad life doesn''t work that way.

    She promised Damien that she would keep it together and take steps one at a time. But if she was honest with herself, she would have already marched towards Castle and eliminated everyone once and for all. However, she already did that five years ago. And that did nothing as Shadow remained stronger than ever.

    They were still working on getting a more significant proof that''s enough to bring Parker and Shadow down permanently. If only miracles happen, then she''d finally put an end to all her miseries.

    "This won''t do," she muttered to herself as she got up from the yoga mat and went to her closet.

    Katherine quickly changed into her ck hydrasuit swimwear, snatched a fresh towel, and then headed towards the pool out on the balcony. She thought Damien''s pool upstairs would have been better than hers because it was bigger and was indoors, but she didn''t want to go all the way up there in her swimsuit.

    The air was definitely cold outside, so she turned on the heating system of her above-ground pool and got in the water after setting her towel down at the nearby chair. The pool immediately heated up at just the right temperature as she began herps.

    Smoothly gliding through the water, Katherine emptied her mind and concentrated on getting to the end of the pool, flip turning as soon as she got to the wall and then back again. She did this a few times, properly breathing in and out while getting a whole body and cardio work out.

    After her fifth turn, she noticed an open palm hand dipping into the water a couple of meters ahead. The figure was unclear at first, and it wasn''t until she got nearer that she realized that it was Damien''s. She swam towards it, her right hand extending forward and reaching out to grab his.

    As soon as their hands touched, Damien held it securely until she emerged from the water.

    Once Katherine surfaced, she came face to face with him who was standing outside the above ground pool still dressed in an impable suit. A satisfied smile ghosted her lips when she saw his gaze, relieved that he was finally back.

    "Why are you swimming out here? It''s cold," he said, handing her a towel.

    With his help, Katherine got out of the pool and started drying herself. "I adjusted the temperature of the water, so it''s not cold. I just wanted to take my mind off things." She tiptoed and kissed him on the lips. "Wee home."

    Damien did not think twice about taking off his suit jacket and putting it around her. It was warm andfortable that she did not resist and allowed him to take care of her. "Let''s get inside," he said.

    As they stepped in, he wondered where the others were as he hadn''t seen anyone in the kitchen nor the living room. "Where are the others?" he asked.

    "Styles is working in his room, and I think your mom is helping Felix with his hair. They''re in the powder room." She nodded to the open door to their left near the kitchen.

    Earlier that day, they received a hint from one of Damien''s men who stayed near the police stationan important update regarding the investigation of the senator''s death. With the nurse''s description, the authorities were able toe up with a sketch of a man whom the medical staff believed to be thest person they saw when they responded to the emergency call.

    In the sketch, along with the detailed description, one could possibly recognize Felix if they had seen him before. The hair, nose, and the skin tone was on point, and because he had a mask pulled down to his chin, the face shape wasn''t as urate. Also, the eye color didn''t match Felix''s.

    Although the autopsy could rule out a foul y, they didn''t want to take the risk. With this, they still decided to give Felix a makeover, changing the color and style of his hair and the way he dresses and carries himself. It was something that Katherine, Amelia, and others who were part of Shadow had mastered so well.

    A man dressed in a knitted blue sweater and khakis walked out of the powder room. His once long brown hair was now a clean-cut jet ck, a perfect match for the bold ck frames that he wore, looking pretty much like rk Kent when he wasn''t Superman.

    "Wow. Who are you?" Styles appeared from his bedroom and leaned against the doorframe, a huge smile forming on his face as he looked at Felix who was suddenly shy because of his new appearance.

    "You look so different," Katherinemented.

    "I did a pretty good job, didn''t I?" Amelia strolled towards them, holding ab in one hand and a spray bottle in the other.

    Damien scrutinized Felix who stood in front of him, appearing a bit nervous because of his new look. He could still recognize the other, but the significant change in his style and appearance definitely masked what he usually looked like. "Not bad."

    "Now who wants a haircut?" Amelia whipped out a pair of hair scissors and snipped the air as she scanned the rest of them, trying to see who was interested in getting her services. She darted her gaze between Styles and Damien who suddenly looked slightly pale as though they didn''t trust her skills. Her mouth twitched at the thought of being challenged.

    Feeling mischievous, Katherine lightly nudged Damien towards his mother. "Didn''t you say you wanted to get a haircut?"

    He did. He really did.

    Damien''s heart started to race, and he swallowed the growing lump in his throat while his eyes locked at the scissors in his mother''s hand. No one else touched his hair except his personal stylist. And he wasn''t sure if he was ready for this.

 Chapter 522: Danger Clipper

    Chapter 522: Danger Clipper

    A gasp escaped Katherine''s lips when Damien pushed her towards her bedroom, closing the door behind him and locking it. "What?!" she eximed when she faced him.

    "What are you doing?" he asked with an unreadable expression.

    "Getting you a haircut," she answered casually, turning around and heading towards the bathroom. She felt sticky from doing her workout and going for a swim, so she couldn''t wait to get in the tub and take a long nice, warm bath.

    Hearing footsteps following her, she nced sideways and saw him looking at the floor while walking. This big baby was so worried about getting a haircut from his mama. How adorable.

    Katherine wasn''t kidding when she said Damien told her he wanted to get a haircut soon, but he was too busytely; thus, he kept postponing his appointment with his stylist. His hair had gotten longer that whenever he doesn''t style it, the strands would fall past his brows and cover his eyes. Of course, he still looked handsome whatever his hairstyle was, but heined and said it was getting too hot.

    And because Amelia presented it, Katherine just wanted to help. Another perfect opportunity for the two to bond.

    "Ah, by the way Have you heard from Jeffrey about the pills?" Katherine wondered as she stepped inside the bathroom and prepared her bath. Tossing Damien''s suit jacket onto the counter and dropping the wet towel to the floor, she grabbed ab and carefullybed through her hair, making sure there were no tangles.

    Watching her from the side, he dug his hands into his pockets and stared at her as he responded, "No updates from Jeffrey yet, but I''ll try to call himter."

    "What are you staring at?" She chuckled. And when Damien didn''t answer, she shrugged and strolled towards the tub. Knowing that he was standing behind her, she turned to the right so that he could see her side profile when she strips her clothes off.

    He stiffened when Katherine started peeling her wet swimsuit off her body. From where he stood, he could see her skin glisten under the ceiling lights. Her perky breasts bounced once they were released from the confinements of her hydrasuit. And without much thought, he naturally loosened his tie and started unbuttoning his shirt as he sauntered towards her.

    Then, Damien stood right behind her, his front pressed against her back, and his arms circled her waist. Brushing her hair to the side, his lips dove to her neck, giving her open mouth kisses.

    "Mmm" she moaned. He was already rock hard, and that made her smile.

    Roaming his hands on her body, he glided them upwards to cup her breasts, but just as his thumbs brushed the swells, Katherine turned around to face him and caught his hands. Surprise filled his face as he waited for her to speak.

    Smiling so charmingly at him, she said in a raspy voice, "As much as I want you right now You need that haircut. You''re not getting out of this one."

    "But I want to get in the bath with you" His voice was toneless.

    "You''re just saying that because you''re scared to get that haircut from her. Amelia is actually skilled at these thingsshe cut my hair weeks ago. What could go wrong?" she probed.

    The two exchanged gazes for a while before Damien let out a heavy sigh, pressing his forehead against her bare shoulder while his hands settled on her hips. "Fine," he muttered.

    "That''s goodaw!" Katherine pped his arm when he yfully bit her shoulder. It didn''t really hurt at allshe was just surprised.

    "That''s for throwing me under the bus." He raised his head and stared at her right in the eye, saying, "If I end up bald, you''re gonna get it."

    "Oh, Damien, I''m sure you''d still rock it." She kissed him on the lips, a bright smile ghosting her lips as she turned him around and pushed him out of her bathroom. "Now go. I need some ''me'' time."

    He stopped in his tracks and abruptly faced her. "Waitwhen you say ''me'' time. You don''t mean you''re going to"

    "Ugh. You''re so dirty-minded, Mr. Park." Katherine shoved him out until he was past the door frame.

    He straightened his back, his heart racing at the thought of her alone in the tub. Why would she leave him out of it? "But"

    "But wouldn''t you like to know?" A sexy, daring smile painted her beautiful face just before she closed the door on his face. She chuckled as she went back and got in the tub, certain that Damien would be thinking about her all nightpossibly having a good ''me'' time without him.

    At the powder room

    Amelia was cleaning up her stuff and putting them away. When she was about to brush the hair on the floor, a figure appeared on the doorway, and a knock was heard.

    "Damien," she called, seeing her son standing before her.

    "Ium Can you help me with my hair?" Damien mumbled.

    She released the breath that she didn''t know she was holding, and then she nodded. "Of course. Come, sit."

    He hesitated at first, but then he summoned the courage to trust her. And he was relieved when she suggested that she shampoo his head first because he used a pomade to style his hair. It seemed like she really knew what she was doing.

    Damien felt a bit more rxed when she started asking him about his day, a small talk that he doesn''t really like when his stylist does it. But with her, it felt natural, and he ended up telling her more about his day.

    Once they were done with the shampoo, Amelia blow-dried his hair andbed it through. "How do you want your hair to be?" she asked.

    "Just a trim, I guess"

    She prepped him up by putting a cloth around him, just like in the salons. He sat in front of the sink with a huge mirror, and his mother stood behind him, holding scissors and hair clippers as though she was trying to figure out what to do first. He swallowed.

    "Don''t worry. While I was hiding states away, being a hairstylist was one of my jobs" she said as she plugged the hair clippers into the power extension sockets on the floor. "Alright, I''m gonna start now."

    Damien couldn''t deny that his heart was racing. What was he so nervous about? Surely, she knew what she was doing, and she''s his mothershe wouldn''t screw this up, right?

    Amelia turned on the clippers, and it made a soft buzzing sound. He closed his eyes the moment that the steel of the clippers touched the base of his head. Then, he felt gentle strokes in upward motions and he rxed.

    "Oh my!" She gasped.

    His eyes flew open and caught her stepping back, horror written all over her face. Then, his gaze darted to the ball of hair clumped in her hand. She muttered ''I''m sorrys,'' but it was barely audibleDamien swore he felt the blood drain from his face.

    He was still tongue-tied when he reached the back of his head to check where the damage was done. His eyes grew wide and he stared at her through the mirror, unsure of what to say.

    All of a sudden, Amelia threw her head back and burst outughing. "Oh, my god. I was just kidding. This is Felix''s hair. You should have seen the look on your face."

    His shoulders rxed, and he shook his head. He couldn''t believe she got himshe got him good.

    "Now, would you rx and just trust me? You''re so stiff," she said.

    Taking a deep breath, Damien nodded and smiled as he answered, "Okay."

 Chapter 523: Will I Like It?

    Chapter 523: Will I Like It?

    Damien couldn''t deny that he actually found the entire experience pleasant. There was something about what Amelia didalthough it was merely just a haircutthat made him feel as if he wasn''t only getting a simple haircut. They talked about random stuff the whole time. Amelia did most of the talking, and he mostly listened, but it was still fun all the same.

    "Alright, you''re done!" Amelia patted his shoulder. "Do you like it?"

    Damien got up from the chair and tilted his head from side to side, examining himself through the mirror. She only gave him a trim, but her work was clean, just like how his hairstylist would have done it. But truth be told, he liked this more.

    Turning to face her, a small smile formed on his lips as he nodded and said, "Yeah Thank you."

    Usually, by this time, Damien would have already walked out of the room and just left Markus to deal with the hairstylist. Now, what was he supposed to do when the stylist was his mother? He couldn''t possibly give her moneythat would be awkward!

    "You''re wee" she answered with a smile, and her tone sounded like she wanted to say more than that but stopped herself.

    He decided to take the initiative and asked her, "Are you busy tomorrow?"

    Amelia had already started cleaning up when she heard him. Pausing, she thought for a second before responding, "I''m supposed to teach a session tomorrow at ten. Why?"

    "Ah, right" Damien remembered that she had recently started teachingbat sessions in his security agency alongside one of his men who was in charge of training. She volunteered, and he was happy to give her the spot. "We should have lunch together tomorrow. Katherine and I have a reservation at the Central Harbor"

    "Oh, no" Amelia waved her hands in front of her. "I can''t possibly intrude on your date."

    Katherine appeared at the doorway behind him. She leaned on the frame and smiled at Amelia as she reassured, "It''s okay. We would love to have you join us. The food is excellent there; I''m sure you''ll like it."

    Damien was d that Katherine helped. He didn''t know what he would have done if Amelia had said no to him again. Feeling more confident now, he added, "I know we''re currently going through a tough timewhat with Shadow still being out there, but I think one nice meal outside wouldn''t hurt."

    Smiling, Amelia could no longer refuse. "If you insist, then, okay..."

    ...

    62nd Floor

    Katherine and Damien entered the master bedroom, and thetter headed to take a quick shower while she brushed her teeth and did her nightly skincare routine.

    "I''m so relieved to see you at home. You don''t know how worried I got when you went to theb today," she said when he stepped out of the shower. A towel wrapped lowly around his hips, and his hair was still dripping wet.

    "Just as expected, there was indeed security from Shadow in disguise near theb, but we got inside undetected." He received a towel from her, and he started drying his hair with it. "It went smoothly. The process was fast, but we''ll have to wait for several days for the results. We were in and out of theb in twenty minutes."

    She nodded and smiled at him, watching as he moved towards the sink and blow-dried his hair. Katherine was done with her regimen, so she waited for him to finish, leaning her hip against the counter as she stared at him.

    Noticing the attention, Damien nced at her. "How was your day? I couldn''t pick you up at work as I had a meeting as soon as I got back."

    "It''s alright. I had lunch with Ali today at the Jade Oriental" She then told him that she met Hara Construction''s CEOhowever, she did not tell him about her thoughts regarding Margaret yet, so she skipped that part. It''s not that she wanted to keep it a secret, but she thought that there was no need to let him think about that woman if the resultse up clean. Damien already had a lot on his te, and having to think about irrelevant people was a waste of time. But if there''s something, then she promised to herself that she would tell him right away.

    "You''re hosting her bachelorette party?" he asked after she told him their ns. They walked towards the closet, and he changed into his grey lounge pants. "Do you need any help?"

    Katherine subtly headed towards the bed with him following behind her as she thought, ''What? nning male strippers like your cousin wanted?'' She knew Damien wouldn''t like that.

    "No, it''s okay I''ll manage," she answered. "Do you think I can bring your mom with us?"

    A deep crease formed between his brows when he heard her. "You want to bring her to a bachelorette party? WaitWhat does Ali want for this party?"

    She couldn''t help butugh at his question as he had only realized what happens in most bachelorette parties. Shrugging, she slipped under the covers and sat on the bed. "She''s your cousin. You should know."

    His jaw ticked as he stood by the bed and stared at her, looking as if his imagination had already painted him a picture of what could happen during the partydancing men in their underwear on stage while women threw bills at them. He did not like it at all.

    "Do you have to go? Can''t she go with her friends?!" he questioned. "Do you even like those things? Tell me you don''t."

    Katherine barked out anotherugh and pulled him to the bed. He reluctantly sat, his brows still knitted as he looked at her. "I''m her Maid of Honor, Damien. I have to be there. What kind of a friend would I be if I bail on her?"

    "You didn''t answer my other question." His voice was cold, and he looked annoyed.

    Finding him so adorable, she brushed her fingers through his hair. "You look really good with your new haircut. I love it." He seemed to rx a bit after thepliment, and it made her smile.

    Pressing a kiss on his cheek, she told him, "If you''re thinking about male strippers, then no. The only man I want to see stripping in front of me is you. Others can die." She waved a hand in the air and grinned when he scoffed at her words.

    Damien pinned her down on the bed and hovered over her in a swift move. She squealed in surprise and giggled as he started nibbling her shoulder. "You better be telling the truth, Kitten. Or there''ll be a heavy punishment."

    "Oooh~ Will I like it?"

    He chuckled at her response. This woman. His woman. He couldn''t even scare her anymore?

 Chapter 524: All of Them

    Chapter 524: All of Them

    November 30Friday

    Before heading over to the restaurant, Katherine, Damien, and Amelia dropped by a shopping district. The two women were surprised when he parked the car because he didn''t tell them before going there.

    "What are we doing here?" asked Katherine after he opened both of their doors and helped them out.

    "I''ve arranged a private viewing of the boutique''s new stocks. Come on, let''s go inside," he answered and led them towards a high-end store.

    Katherine and Amelia looked at each other and shrugged. Although Damien hadn''t directly said anything, it was quite obvious that he brought them there to shop for them.

    Last night, he wondered what he could do for Ameliaas a way to thank her for the haircut, thinking that inviting her out for lunch wasn''t enough. In the end, he decided to take the two out shopping. Hence, he had arranged this first thing in the morning.

    Knowing that they would be out in public, Amelia wore a disguise, altering her appearance by wearing a wig and contact lenses. But even so, she still remained vignt of her surroundings.

    Entering the boutique, they were greeted by polite salesdies who guided them towards a room with several racks of clothing on them.

    The two women admired the pretty dresses and winter clothes, touching and feeling the materials of those that caught their eyes, but neither grabbed one to try out in the fitting room.

    "Why aren''t you trying anything? Don''t you like any of them?" Damien asked as he watched the two from the side. He was sitting on the sofa, waiting for them to pick whatever they liked.

    "I wouldn''t be able to wear them anywhere," said Amelia. Currently, she was dressed casually like Katherine would. The two had a lot of simrities, and it was possibly because of the habits they picked up while being in Shadow in the past. Jeans, boots, a shirt, and a jacket were their basics. And although Amelia would look bomb in any dress, unlike before, she didn''t have asions where she had to wear them as she was ''in hiding''.

    Katherine understood what Amelia was thinking and she knew that Damien only wanted to do something for his mother. But it couldn''t be helped. "I already have so many clothes... Do I really need more?" asked Katherine.

    He contemted for a bit and realized what Amelia meant. He hadn''t really thought of thatall he wanted was to buy her something nice. Pursing his lips into a thin line, he straightened his back and took out a Crown Resort Group business card and a pen. "Get their sizes and send the clothes to this address," he said, writing their penthouse''s address onto the back of the card.

    The manager nodded as he received the card from Damien and probed, "Which clothes should we send, President Park?"

    "All of them."

    "All All of them?" the manager stuttered, his stare darting from the clothes to the women, and then to the man sitting on the sofa. There were over a hundred new styles on the racks, and each of the clothes cost a lot. Of course, he knew who Damien Park was, but wasn''t this over the top? ''Just who are these women that he''s pampering so much?'' he thought. He had recognized Katherine from the articles, but not the other woman with them.

    "Damien" Katherine and Amelia called in unison.

    "You two can''t decide. At least you''ll have more time to do that at home." He shrugged, a hint of a smile showing on his face.

    Narrowing her eyes, Katherine folded her arms in front of her chest, sensing that he was being mischievous. "You already nned this"

    "I don''t know what you''re talking about, Kitten," he responded, whipping his phone out of his suit jacket and pretending to busy himself.

    "What has he done?" Amelia whispered.

    Without taking her eyes off him, Katherine answered in her normal voice so that Damien could hear her. "Your soDamien," she corrected herself when she remembered where they were. "He already knew we''d refuse but brought us here anyway He knew that I wouldn''t like it if he bought so much stuff for me without telling me. Now he''s saying we can take our time at home, andter, we would just forget that this happened"

    Damien''s stare snapped towards her. He didn''t say anything for several seconds before a chuckle escaped his lips. "Clever."

    Amelia gasped. "Oh, my god. Really?" Sheughed. "You don''t have to do this"

    "But I want to." He got up from the sofa and handed a ck card to the manager, giving him the go signal.

    Katherine let out a sigh and nced at Amelia standing next to her, and said, "He''s unstoppable."

    Ignoring what they said, Damien walked towards the racks and picked two dresses that he thought were nice and gave them each. "I think you both would look pretty in them. You should wear it for lunch."

    Left with no choice, the two women changed in the fitting room. They were assured by the salesdy that the clothes were all dry cleaned and steamed so they could wear them without worry.

    After changing, they walked out of the room wearing the dresses that Damien picked for them. Katherine wore a grey trendy knitted pencil dressit had long sleeves and a smooth and warm texture that was perfect for the weather. Meanwhile, Amelia looked elegant in a ck long-sleeved maxi dress with white stripesit had a velvet smooth material that was veryfortable to wear.

    They looked for Damien and found him taking a phone call at the side. He signaled them to wait for him, so Katherine sat on a bench while Amelia checked out the other clothes on disy. Thetter found herself in the men''s sectionher eyes focused on certain beautiful pieces that she thought would look good on someone.

    After some time, Damien finished his phone call and told Katherine they needed to leave for their reservation.

    "Where is she?" he asked.

    "Oh, Amelia she was just here somewhere"

    They stretched their necks looking for Damien''s mother and found her by the counter making their way towards them. "You''re done?" Amelia asked.

    Nodding, he swept his gaze at the two stunning women, and a smile ghosted his lips. "You both look beautiful"

    "Thank you," said Amelia, her smile reaching her eyes.

    "Yeah You''re so lucky," Katherine muttered as she held his hand, and the three of themughed.

    "Shall we?" He offered both of his arms to them.

    From the counter, the manager and the salesdies bid them goodbye and watched as they walked out of the store. They still didn''t know who the other woman was and their curiosity grew by the second. The Resort King just spent an exorbitant amount on the two beautifuldies who came with him, buying all the clothes that were yet to be disyed in their store. The high-end boutique reached their usual daily sales and could even afford to close for days.

    "This needs to stay confidential, understood?" the manager reminded the staff. Despite wanting to share what just happened, he would never want to get on Damien Park''s bad side.

 Chapter 525: Knock-off Dresses

    Chapter 525: Knock-off Dresses

    Central Harbor Restaurant

    As soon as they got inside the private dining room, their food was served. The management preferred that all guests, especially the club members, had their orders taken upon reservation. This ensured that the preparation and serving would be timely to avoid the long service.

    As the three of them enjoyed their lunch together, Damien opened up topics that were not rted to Shadow or their suspicions. He wanted to have a nice, enjoyable meal with just the three of them not being reminded of their difficulties. He didn''t know why, but he felt the need to have this moment to be peacefs if they were just in the eye of the storm and a heavier storm woulde soon.

    Later, Amelia excused herself to thedies'' room after eating, leaving the couple behind.

    "Thanks for today," said Katherine as she held Damien''s hand.

    "My pleasure." He pressed a kiss on the back of her hand, smiling at her as he leaned to kiss the corner of her lips.

    A buzzing sound caught their attention, and their eyes darted at Damien''s phone on the table.

    Seeing as it was Styles, he picked it up right away. "Styles," he said.

    "Just letting you guys know that there are Shadow agents sent to areas near our building. I checked their mainframe just a moment ago and saw the order; they''re still looking for Chris. I think it''s best if you stay out for the meantime."

    "Okay, keep an eye out. We''ll leave the restaurant soon," Damien replied.

    As soon as he ended the call, he turned to Katherine and brought her to her feet as he got to her seat, and told her about the phone call with Styles. Then, he suggested, "We should go."

    "Okay, I''ll go wash my hands first and tell your mom we''re leaving." She followed Damien out of the room but just as they stepped out, his phone rang again. "I need to take this; it''s an important call from Monaco."

    He received the phone call as he stood by the door to their private dining room while she went straight to thedies'' room.

    Entering, Katherine found Amelia by the sink washing her handsnext to her were two socialites touching up their makeup. They wore skimpy dresses that were almost identical to each otherone was in white, while the other was in red. The women were giving Amelia judgy stares, but thetter had her chin up and her poker face on as though she didn''t have a care in the world.

    "You know what I hate the most?" one of the socialites who wore the red dress asked her friend. "People who wear knock-offs. Such disrespect to the brand."

    "I couldn''t agree more. It''s like trying hard to belong in the upper-ss world where they don''t really belong," added the other socialite, and the twoughed as they faced Amelia.

    Katherine walked over to the sink and washed her hands. She was just about to say something back to the socialites when she heard Amelia chuckle.

    "What''s so funny?" said the one in white, crossing her arms in front of her fake breasts.

    Amelia took the time to dry her hands with a paper towel before smiling at the two women. "What made you think I''m wearing a counterfeit dress?"

    The woman in the red dress pointed at the logo on the left side of Amelia''s dress and haughtily said, "That logo is from a famous brand, and they don''t have that design. I can bet that you''re wearing knock-off clothing!"

    Katherineughed as she faced the two women and stood next to Amelia. "How much do you want to bet?"

    "What?"

    "You''re insistent that she''s wearing fake. Why don''t we bet on it?"

    "Ha! You don''t even know who I am, and you want to bet with me?"

    With a smile on her face, Katherine shrugged, "No, I don''t remember irrelevant people."

    "Irrelevant?! She''s Vicky Lee!" eximed the one in the white dress. "Btch, she''s Mr. Tyer''s woman!"

    "Tyer?" Katherine echoed.

    "Yes! One of Esmea''s famous investors and a board member of Crown Resort Group!"

    Oh, how funny the situation is. These socialites didn''t even know who they were talking toone was the mother of the chairman of CRG, who was also a shareholder of thepany, while the other was the chairman''s fiance and the heiress of Young Corporation.

    Katherine heard about Mr. Tyer from Damien when the ''scandal'' about them broke out, implicating Young Corporation and Crown Resort Group before the project bidding. The board member pissed Damien off when the former was being problematic during the emergency board meeting.

    "I see. But Mr. Tyer is a married man, and I know who his wife is. You sure have the guts to admit you''re his mistress," said Katherine. Has the world always been like this? These women were so bold.

    The woman in the red dress cleared her throat and shrugged off thementary. "So, how much do you want to bet? I am a hundred percent sure that I am right. Do you want to lose money that much?" Her eyes darted to Katherine''s dress and saw the same logo on the left side. "Ha! Even you are wearing a fake one too. You two must be friends."

    "Hmmm" Katherine looked at her clothes and pouted. "Now that you mentioned it I guess I might be. But oh well, you can name your price," she responded with an innocent look on her face.

    "Twenty thousand dors!" she blurted.

    Amelia hissed and questioned, "Are you sure you are willing to lose that much money?" This was a silly child''s game, but since they were already in it, they might as well enjoy the ride. She exchanged looks with Katherine, and they bore knowing smiles that only they understood.

    "It''s not my money I''m losing. It''s yoursafter it will be proven to be fake. I have a friend from the main branch who can confirm it." A proud smile cast on her face, seemingly confident about her stance. She held her phone in her hand as if she was about to call someone.

    What she didn''t know was that it wasn''t only money she would be losing today. Oh, Vicky Lee Don''t you feel the urge to flee?

 Chapter 526: No Backsies

    Chapter 526: No Backsies

    The woman in red raised the phone in her hand, showing that she was about to call someone.

    "Wait," said Katherine, stopping the other from tapping her phone.

    "What? Are you backing out already? If you kneel and apologize, I will let you go."

    Katherine and Amelia exchanged looks, their eyesmunicatingthere was no need to speak to understand what the other was thinking. This woman in red was nuts. She wants them to kneel and apologize? Had she hit her head when she was a child or something?

    "No," Katherine responded. "Actually, I want to make it official. Why don''t we sign an agreement?" She whipped out a tablet from her bag and using a stylus, she quickly wrote a few sentences detailing their ''bet'', writing their names at the bottom, and signing on top of hers. Then she passed it to the woman for her to sign. "I''ll send you a copy."

    "D-Do you have to go this far?" the woman stuttered. Suddenly seeing the written agreement made her feel nervous.

    "Oh, why? Are you backing out already? Well, if you kneel and apologize, we will let you go," Katherine mocked, a charming, sweet smile forming on her face as she looked at the other.

    The woman clenched the phone in her hand and bit her lip. "Give me that!" She grabbed the tablet and the stylus from Katherine and hastily signed over her name. Looking flustered from the unexpected turn of events, she turned red.

    One of the things that Katherine learned from Damien was contracts. Apart from her not reading her work contract in CRG thoroughly where she learned her lesson, he taught her several things about not being taken advantage of on the legal side of the business.

    Once it was signed and sent to her email, she quickly called her friend who worked for Lilizethe expensive brand that Katherine and Amelia were wearing.

    She conversed over the phone unabashedly, a smile shing on her face. Her friend in the white dress had been quiet since thest time she spoke, her eyes focused on Katherine the whole time.

    "He agrees to check the dress through the video. I hope you don''t mind him checking," said the woman.

    Appearing unbothered, Amelia waved her hand forward as though giving the go signal. She had nothing to be afraid of. At this point, she was already bored, but these women needed to be taught a lesson.

    The video call was already connected and both cameras were turned on. When Vicky Lee turned her screen towards Katherine and Amelia, they realized that the ''friend'' she was talking about was none other than the store manager who amodated them earlier.

    "So? What do you think? They''re fakes right?" prompted Vicky. The look on her face showed her contempt. She certainly didn''t like Katherine and Amelia.

    Even through the screen, it was apparent that the face of the store manager had turned pale white. He opened his mouth but there were no words that came outhe looked as if his soul just left his body upon seeing Katherine and Amelia.

    Vicky''s brows knitted together when her friend remained quiet. Keeping the phone extended outward, she glowered, "Well?! Why are you not saying anything? Do you need to check further"

    The store manager made a 90 bow to Katherine through the camera. His voice loud and clear when he said, "Madame Young, my sincerest apologies. I I beg you, please forgive me. This is a misunderstanding. President Park" He broke out in a sweat, unsure of what to say.

    Hearing her friend''s words, Vicky immediately turned her screen back to her and barked, "What are you talking about? Do you know them?"

    "Vicky! Have you lost your damn mind?! Of course, I know them! Don''t you?!" shouted the store manager.

    ncing at Katherine, Vicky Lee stuttered as she probed, "W-Why should I? Who are they?" Her voice got lower with every word she spoke, her confidence slipping.

    "She''s Katherine Young, the heiress of Young CorporationPresident Damien Park''s fiance!"

    Katherine was surprised when she heard that the store manager was aware that she was engaged to Damien as they never told anyone outside of their family. So, perhaps Damien must have told him when he called to request the private viewing.

    The woman in white, Vicky''s friend, widened her eyes when her suspicions were proven. Meanwhile, a gasp escaped Vicky''s mouth, her eyes darting between her screen to the two women in front of her. "Y-You mean Damien Park f-from"

    "That''s right," Katherine proudly said, yet she kept her voice normal. "Chairman of Crown Resort Group." She hoped Damien wouldn''t mind that she was using him like this.

    Feeling the need to exin, the store manager added, "Yes! President Park came by earlier with Madame Young and another woman. Those dresses are 100% original and are from thetest collection that we haven''t put on disy yet. Why did you drag me into this?! You''ve humiliated me! From now on, do note to this store anymore. And do not call me!"

    The phone''s screen turned off after the store manager ended the call. Vicky''s face contorted in inexplicable pain. Her eyes flickered between Katherine and Amelia while tears started to form. "I don''t believe it"

    Without remorse, Katherine straightened her back and stared down the other. She was taller, so she most definitely looked haughtier when she did this. "I take cash. Or you can also wire it to the ount number I sent together with the agreement that you signed"

    "I take it back!!!" Vicky eximed as she dropped to her knees. "Please, I don''t have money to"

    "Hmmm I thought so. Don''t worry, while I sent it to ourwyer, he forwarded it to your sugar daddy, Mr. Tyer. I''m sure he can cover it." Katherine was quick and did not waste time. She was sure that by now, Markus had already notarized it before sending it to Mr. Tyer. "No backsies."

    "Y-You sent it to" Vicky realized what was happening. "You can''t! Please, I take it back, I''m so sorry!" she begged.

    Leaning down, Amelia''s icy tone sent chill down the other''s spine when she drawled, "Too bad. Your apology came a littlete. If I were you, you better do something about that agreement before your sugar daddy spanks you for being naughty. You don''t think he already read it"

    Before Amelia could even finish her words, Vicky had already gotten up from the floor and sprinted out of the washroom, dragging her friend with her.

    Katherine and Amelia looked at each other, their expression unreadable for a second before they burst into a fit ofughter. That was certainly not what they expected to happen here.

    "Oh, my" Amelia wiped a stray tear.

    "Who knew $20,000 was this easy to earn?" Katherine was still chuckling. She had just received a notification from Markus that Mr. Tyer had been informed.

    "I think I''m too old for this But if you hadn''te, it would have ended differently."

    "What would you have done?"

    Amelia shrugged. "I''m not patient enough like you. I probably would have broken their noses and be done with it."

 Chapter 527: Hes Here.

    Chapter 527: He''s Here.

    Katherine remembered that her phone buzzed earlier, indicating a text message had been received, but she hadn''t checked yet. Opening her phone, she read the text.

    [Damien: I''m out in the hallway by the stairs.]

    She had been gone for a while and was supposed to get Amelia only to find those women trying to gang up on her. Katherine knew the other could handle it just fine, but she didn''t like that the two women tried to bully her. Turning to face Amelia, she said, "We have to go, Damien''s waiting."

    The washrooms were designed in a way that thedies'' and the men''s doors were opposite each other. As the two headed out and Katherine opened the door, the men''s door had just opened as well, and a man came out from the men''s room. She did not know the man, but her gaze was pulled towards the man inside the men''s washroom who was washing his hands at the sink. Her hair stood on end, and then she swiftly stepped back, bumping into Amelia while simultaneously closing the door.

    "What''s wrong?" Amelia questioned, her brows knitted in confusion when she saw Katherine had gone pale.

    "Parker," Katherine whispered to the other, her eyes growing wide as she quickly thought of what they should do. She swore the man had turned his head, but she wasn''t sure if he had seen her before she could close the door.

    "What?"

    Without much time to think, Katherine pulled Amelia with her into a cubicle. She mmed the door shut and locked them inside. "Parker is here," she whispered again. "He''s here."

    Amelia, who heard Parker''s name twice, felt like a bucket of ice had been poured down her back. Her hands clenched into fists, and she gasped when she realized something. "Damien!"

    Katherine was also rmed because Damien was just in the hallway waiting for them. Although the restaurant was huge, he could bump into Parker anytime. She could not imagine what would happen if the two met.

    Thinking that they needed to get to where Damien was, her hand wrapped around the doorknob to open it. But before she could even twist it, the door to thedies'' room opened. She exchanged looks with Amelia, her hand letting go of the doorknob when she believed that Parker had entered the room.

    They controlled their breathing, and their sense of hearing was heightened as they focused on the sounds outside the cubicle.

    Katherine fingered the hem of her skirt, lifting it up and slowly pulling out her two knives. She gave one to Amelia and held the other securely in her hand.

    Their eyes shifted to the side when heavy footsteps echoed inside the restroom. They could sense a man''s presence outside the cubicle, and the feeling of needing to survive washed over them. If worsees to worst, this will be a bloody battle.

    Threading her fingers through the holes of her knuckle knife, Katherine gripped the handle tightly. They waited for the man to do something, but it seemed as though he was just standing there.

    Just then, the phone in her hand buzzed. Her heartbeat raced as though it was nearly exploding when she checked and saw that Damien was calling her. She held her breath, knowing that her phone''s buzzing sound could be heard from outside the cubicle.

    Footsteps grew closer until they were sure that the man was right outside their door.

    "Katherine?" he said.

    She gasped in surprise upon hearing the man''s voice calling her name. And almost instantly, Katherine opened the door, jumping out of the cubicle with her hands still slightly shaking.

    "What What''s going on?" Confusion painted Damien''s face when he saw Katherine leaving the cubicle, followed by his motherboth of them with a knife in hand. "Did something happen? Why are your knives out?"

    Katherine and Amelia let out a heavy sigh, relieved that it was Damien who came inside and not Parker.

    "Why did youe here? Did you see anyone outside?" Katherine questioned.

    "Who? I came because I got worried. You''ve been in here for too long. I thought something happened when I received a file from Markus."

    Katherine told him what she saw in the men''s room, but he reassured that he didn''t see the older man outside. It could be possible that Parker went inside one of the private rooms. This was definitely unexpected. Who could the man be meeting here?

    "First thing''s first. We need to leave now," said Amelia.

    The three of them headed straight to the basement parking while being discreet, making sure that Parker was nowhere in sight as they kept their heads down.

    Amelia got in the backseat of the car, and then Damien opened the front passenger''s seat for Katherine. He could sense that she was still agitated from what happened.

    "Hey," he grabbed hold of her hand and pulled her towards him.

    She exhaled the breath that she didn''t know she was holding and embraced him, burying her face into his chest as she muttered, "I I thought you would bump into him. I got scared for a secondI don''t know what I would do if he got to you."

    Damien understood what she was afraid of. Wrapping his arms around her frame, he gently caressed her hair and kissed her forehead. "I''m okay. Nothing happened. I didn''t even see him. I wouldn''t know what I would do if something happened to you. Both of you." He pressed another kiss on her head.

    Damien''s phone rang and he picked it up when he saw that it was Styles.

    "Do note back! I repeat, do note back here!" Styles''s frantic voice sounded from the receiver.

    "What''s going on?" he asked, his eyes turning dark as he listened.

    "The agents are around our block! I don''t know what else Parker had ordered, but I''m getting out of here. I''m already packing some stuff to take with me."

    Katherine and Damien exchanged looks for a brief second. This wasn''t good. They had no idea why Parker was here and why Shadow agents were surrounding Golden Phoenix Residences block.

    "We''ll meet you at the safe house. We''re on our way," Damien ordered before ending the call. As soon as they settled in the car, they sped off into the traffic and headed out of Harbor City.

 Chapter 528: In His Thoughts

    Chapter 528: In His Thoughts

    Safe house

    The current happening just confirmed Damien''s suspicions. Now, he was even more convinced that his senses were right. At first, he thought that maybe he was just feeling nervous because he was trying to impress and make his mother happythat maybe, he was feeling that way because he was trying so hard. He shouldn''t have ignored the feeling. He should have known better than to becent.

    When Styles called to inform them that Golden Phoenix Residences'' block had Shadow agents surrounding it, Damien''s fight or flight response kicked in. Still, his priority was to take Katherine and Amelia to safety.

    Now that they were on the way to the safe house located outside of Mayne City, he couldn''t stop thinking about how Amelia would now need to show her face to Chris. But at the moment, they had no choice. Styles was already on the way there, and they had to continue moving forward.

    ncing at his mother through the rearview mirror, he could see that she was calm and collected as though what was happening didn''t shake her. It was the same for Katherine. Thetter only looked surprised initially, but now, she had this determined look on her faceand seeing it made him feel at ease. These women with him were both tough and level-headed. He was still worried, but knowing that they were strong to handle the crisis, he knew that everything would be fine.

    Turning towards the long and dry path towards the safe house, Damien took a deep breath when the house came into view. Men from Maverick Security guarded their posts and remained vignt. The car came to a full stop, and they alighted the vehicle.

    As the three strode towards the entrance, Katherine walked beside Damien while Amelia hesitated. Noticing his mother''s dy, he ced a hand on her back as though he was trying to reassure her.

    Styles had already started setting up his workstation in the middle of the room while Chris and Gus hovered over the screens on the table, watching the block''s live footage where Shadow agents were. The agents had a photo of Chris in hand, and they showed it to shop owners and passersby, asking whether they saw the man in the picture. So far, there were no other movements yet.

    "You''re here," said Styles as he turned around, seeing Damien, Katherine, and Amelia by the door.

    Gus and Chris looked up, and their eyesnded on Katherine before they drifted to the woman on the other side of Damien. Gus, who hadn''t met or seen Amelia, had no reaction when he saw her. But it was different for Chris.

    The moment that Chris''s gaze met Amelia''s, it was as if time had stopped. His eyes immediately watered, seeing his mentorwhom he had considered as his second mother when he arrived in Shadow. The woman whom he thought had died several years ago was now several meters away from him.

    "You How How is this possible?" Chris''s breathing got heavy. He could not believe what he was seeing.

    "Christopher" Amelia muttered.

    "Falcon Is it really you?" Before he could even hear her answer, Chris had already taken long strides towards her. After confirming that she was really alive, he wrapped his arms around her. "Ma''am" he called, silently sobbinglike a child who had seen his mother after a very long time.

    Amelia hesitated for a bit before she returned Chris''s embrace. She had been his mentor since the beginning. Now, he''s all grown up, looking like a real man. As his mentor, this made her feel both proud and ''old''.

    Damien had frozen on the spot. Watching Chris and his mother made him feel something inexplicable that he had to avert his stare. He didn''t say anything, but he had the urge to get out of there as his heart throbbed and felt heavy.

    "Damien," Katherine called when he turned and walked out of the front door, and she followed behind him.

    Amelia wondered what happened, but her attention was called again when Chris let go of her and bombarded her with a bunch of questions. "What happened? How are you here? Why didn''t you tell me you were alive?" he asked, not noticing the change in atmosphere around him as he was too excited to see her again.

    Taking her time to answer Chris''s questions, Amelia thought that she had to exin what had happened after losing theirmunication. Before staging her death years ago, Chris was her insider until she decided to cut him out entirely in order not to endanger him. Although she knew the truth about Shadow, she believed that it was safer for Chris to stay inside rather than take him with her because Parker had already given the order to ''shoot to kill'' if she was found. Thus, Chris had no idea that she was still alive.

    Meanwhile, Damien found an old concrete bench out in the front yard. He sat and rested his elbows on his knees, and then his hands steepled and supported his head.

    "Hey Are you okay?" Katherine asked as she approached. Instead of sitting beside him on the bench, she kneeled in front of him and touched his arm, her eyes full of worry.

    However, Damien didn''t know what to tell her, because he himself couldn''t exin his thoughts and feelings. "I I don''t know" he mumbled. Actually, a part of him already knew, but maybe he was just too prideful to admit it. All he could do was stare at her eyes, unsure of what to tell her.

    Katherine scanned his face and saw how sullen he looked. He clenched his jaw as if he was trying so hard not to show his expression, but after ncing at Amelia and Chris over Damien''s shoulder, she had a feeling why her man was like this. Framing his face with her hands, she smiled and reassured him, "You''re her son. Nothing is going to change that."

    His heart fluttered upon hearing her words. Even without telling her, she seemed to have read what was bothering him. He thought this was absurd, especially since he had only known Amelia for a short time, but seeing that she had someone like Chrisprobably also because it was Chris, he felt bitter. Was he really jealous because of Chris''s rtionship with Amelia? Or was he like this because it was Chrisfirst Katherine, now his mother?

    "I feel stupid," Damien muttered, a small mocking smile escaped his lips, thinking that his feelings were ridiculous. He was a grown man in his thirties for Pete''s sake!

    "I understand why you''re feeling like that. But you shouldn''t." Katherine squeezed his arm. Damien was always confident in front of her. But whenever it came to his mother, he couldn''t help but feel insecure. It hurt her that he felt like this, and she wished that she could take this feeling away from him.

    So, as much as she could, she consoled him, "He''s only her mentee And she''s like his... teacher. What you two have is bound by blood. Literally. And no one can take that away from you." Meeting his gentle and thoughtful gaze, she added, "You''re not going to lose her."

 Chapter 529: With All My Heart

    Chapter 529: With All My Heart

    Chris couldn''t contain his delight seeing that Amelia was alive. At a young age, he lost his parents and was a victim of human trafficking along with his sister that was why being Amelia''s mentee meant so much to him. She was the only one whom he looked up to in Shadow. On a normal day, she left the organization while the news about her killing their boss was announced. And thenter, they learned about her death, which devastated him.

    Now, his heart was full. Learning that Amelia was alive was the best news he had received in many years. He had so many questions to ask and his eagerness was apparent as he said, "I still can''t believe it. Tell me what happened. How are you"

    "I understand that you have so many questions. But right now, we have more pressing matters to talk about. We''ll catch upter. Okay?" Amelia reassured him.

    "Right. Of course..." Chris gave her a brief hug, sighing as he released her.

    Noticing some footsteps behind her, Amelia turned to see Damien and Katherine enter through the front door. Her gaze zeroed in on her son''s expression. He almost seemed expressionless, but the slightly dismissive look in his eyes worried her. With furrowed brows, she strode towards him and asked, "Is everything okay?"

    The knots in Damien''s heart slowly untangled the moment he felt his mother''s hand clutch his fingers. It was warm, like thest time she held his hand. It was fascinating how he could easily recognize her touch despite having only felt it a few times since they started to mend their rtionship as mother and son.

    He squeezed her hand back and pulled the corners of his mouth into a smile as he nodded. "Yeah. It''s nothing."

    Their gestures didn''t escape Chris, and he was beyond confused as to why they were so close like this. His eyes darted between the pair and Katherine while his mind wandered to so many questions. It was when Styles called their attention that his train of thoughts was interrupted.

    "We''re connected," said Styles, pping his hands once as he took a seat in front of the monitor.

    The others looked in his direction as they walked towards him, their eyes scanning the panoramic monitor''s activity. Several windows were opened all at onceamong them were live footage of the CCTV cameras around the Golden Phoenix Residences.

    The building''s security reported to Styles that one agent had already asked the front desk, but the agent left right away when the staff denied having seen the man they were looking for.

    "I saw Parker at Central Harbor," Katherine muttered, earning shocked stares from the three men who didn''t know yet.

    "What?! What happened?!" Chris eximed, his face full of worry as he waited for her response. "Did he see you? Did he do something?"

    She began to exin what took ce earlier in as many details as she could. "Do you know why he''s here?" she asked Chris. "Who would he be meeting at the restaurant?"

    "I''m not sure" He looked down, his eyes shifting here and there as he tried to recall the times when Parker left the state and possiblying to this state. "He had never brought me with him whenever he came to Esmea. I''ve always thought he was here to meet some clients."

    "Damien" Turning towards him, Katherine asked, "We need to know who was there today."

    "I''ll take care of it." Damien nodded and immediately made a call as he strolled to the corner of the room for some privacy.

    While he was at the side, others discussed their next course of action. Because they had no idea what Parker''s next moves were and why he was even in the state in the first ce, they could only continue to be cautious now more than ever. They had decided that Amelia and Styles were to stay in the safe house with Gus and Chris to limit their movements as it was no longer safe for them to stay anywhere near Golden Phoenix Residences.

    When Damien came back to join them, he informed them that he would receive a response in a couple of hours. Although this was another favor that he asked from Wace White, it was easier this timebut definitely a favor that he had to return.

    Katherine and Damien stayed in the safe house until the agents around their building left. Unlike Amelia, the two of them had a lower risk of raising an rm if they were to go home. So, the couple headed back to the city center once the coast was clear of Shadow agents.

    "We can''t stay here. It''s too risky now," said Damien as they parked the car in the basement parking of Golden Phoenix Residences.

    Katherine nodded in agreement. She had been thinking about it on the way home. Her hands were fidgety, and she could feel the acid in her stomach climb up and burn her throat, causing her to feel nauseous. The whole thing about seeing Parker earlier and Shadow agents still roaming around did not sit well with her. "I was thinking the same. But we have to be closer to the safe house."

    "You''re right. Where do you want to stay?"

    "I was thinking If you''re okay with it. How about we stay in my grandfather''s mansion? It''s about twenty minutes away from the safe house, and it won''t look too odd if we stay there for a few days since he''s family anyway We can just make up an excuse to stay there. I thought about the house in Pearl Gardens, but it''s too out of the way"

    "Sure. I don''t mind. We have to bring Bear with us, though," Damien agreed right away.

    "Grandpa loves dogs. I''m sure he would love Bear." She smiled at him as they rode the elevator up to her penthouse.

    A couple of Damien''s men greeted them as they stepped out of the elevator and into the foyer of her penthouse. As the two walked towards Katherine''s bedroom, they passed by the empty living room, and their eyes caught sight of a lone garment bag hanging on a rack by the coffee table.

    "What''s this?" she asked as they approached and watched while Damien studied the item. He unzipped the bag and found a hand-written note on a small card pinned onto an expensive suit with a logo of the brand, Lilizethe luxury boutique they visited today.

    Damien examined the card, and his heart thumped as he silently read the message.

    [ To my son. You''ve been a blessing from the start. I love you with all my heart. ]

 Chapter 530: Outlast

    Chapter 530: Oust

    Without Damien realizing, a smile flitted across his handsome face, reading the words that his mother wrote on the card over and over. He was feeling bitter earlier when he saw Amelia and Chris together, somewhat wishing that he could be that close to her.

    However, it wasn''t as easy as it looked. For thirty years, he hadn''t known Amelia, so now that she''s a part of his life, he couldn''t help but want to tread safely despite wanting to break his walls already. It was inexplicable, and he couldn''t understand himself. But the recent days had gotten much better, and he would want to keep it that way.

    I love you with all my heart. The words kept ying in his head, imagining Amelia''s voice with it.

    "You should call her," said Katherine, her hand brushing against his arm. It was apparent how happy Damien wasshe could see it in his eyes. And just seeing him happy made her happy as well. "I''ll go pack my stuff." She pressed a kiss on his cheek before heading towards her bedroom to give him some privacy.

    He nced at her back as she was walking away, and his gaze drifted back to the ck suit on the rack. Unzipping the garment bag all the way, he brushed his hands on the velvety fabric of the zer. The texture felt nice under his touchthe style and the color were to his liking, and he thought his mother considered his preferences when she picked this out. It was definitely something he would wear.

    Damien took out his smartphone from his inner suit jacket and scrolled through his contacts, his thumb hovered over his mother''s phone number with the name "Amelia" on it.

    Walking towards the floor-to-ceiling ss windows, he cleared his throat and practiced a couple of "Ahs" as if he was getting ready to make a speech. He felt silly, but that''s also because he was actually nervous.

    Finally, Damien tapped the call button and waited for his mother to pick up his call. On the third ring, Amelia''s familiar voice sounded from the other line.

    "Damien?! Is everything okay?" she asked in a hurried tone, evidently worried about him.

    "Oh, um Yeah, everything''s okay. We just got home," he responded. He realized that he hadn''t called her in the past and that he stuck to sending her text messageswhich was probably why Amelia sounded anxious over the phoneand maybe she thought something happened.

    "Thank God." Amelia exhaled a sigh of relief. "That''s good. That''s good."

    "Mm."

    The line was quiet for a few beats as he was unsure of what he should actually say. While he was trying to formte his words, Amelia probed, "Do you need something?"

    ''You''re an idiot, Damien. Just spit it out,'' he told himself in his head.

    Clearing his throat again, he finally said, "The suit was delivered. It was already here when we arrived And II just called to say thank you You shouldn''t have troubled yourself"

    "Oh, is that so? I''m d you received it! And I didn''t trouble myself. I really wanted to get that for you." Her voice now sounded cheerful, and he could imagine his mother smiling as she spoke. "Is it okay, though? I wasn''t sure you''d like it. I just thought you would look good in it when I saw it in the shop today."

    "I love it. You have excellent taste." Damien smiled.

    The two spoke for a minute more before they bid each other goodbyehis mood greatly improved after the call.

    Young Mansion

    It was already thirty minutes past eight in the evening when Damien and Katherine arrived at the mansion. He brought his men with them, and he ordered them to survey the perimeter and take their posts, taking extra precautions.

    They looked for Grandpa Theo as soon as they stepped inside the huge house. The servants took their luggage and brought them to their room on the second floor while the butler ushered them towards the living room where Katherine''s grandfather was waiting and drinking some tea.

    "Grandpa, we''re here," Katherine announced. She and Damien approached the elderly on the sofa with smiles on their faces.

    "Good evening, Grandfather," said Damien.

    "Ah You have finally arrived!" Grandpa Theo coughed as he ced the cup of tea with clear greenish liquid in it on the traditional marble coffee table in front of him. He wiped his mouth with a handkerchief as he got up, and then he greeted the two with a warm embrace.

    His old, slim body felt fragile when she embraced him back. A slight prick pained her heart, thinking that her grandfather was getting older by the day. "I''m sorry we came at such short notice, Grandpa. The pipes need more time fixing. I hope it''s okay that we stay here for a few days."

    "Nonsense! Of course it''s okay, Pumpkin! You two are wee to stay for as long as you like. This is your home. If only it were up to me, I would love it if youe here every day." The crow''s feet around Grandpa Theo''s eyes were visible as he grinned. It was apparent how ted he was to see the two and that they would stay in the mansion.

    The three of them sat down while Katherine asked her grandfather how he was doingshe noticed that he coughed every now and then which worried her.

    "Are you okay, Grandpa? You''ve been coughing" Her brows furrowed, her face full of worry.

    "Winter is near, so it''s getting a lot colder than usual. Don''t worry about me. I''m okay. I am eating healthily and taking medicines. Debbie''s also brewing my teas to help with the cough, and I''m already feeling better." Grandpa Theo squeezed his granddaughter''s hand to reassure her that everything is okay with him.

    Before she could even respond, he had already added, "It''s you I should be worried about. It seems you have gotten thinner. Do you eat?" Then he turned to Damien who was quietly sitting next to Katherine and questioned, "Damien, are you not feeding her properly?"

    "Uh" Damien exchanged looks with Katherine, surprised at the sudden usation that he instantly felt guilty as though it was really his fault. "Forgive me, Grandfather"

    "Grandpa!" Katherine clicked her tongue and patted the back of Grandpa Theo''s hand. "Why are you ming Damien right away? I''m a grown-uphe doesn''t have to feed me. Besides, he and I have been working out together, so I''ve lost a few pounds, but I also gained muscles. I can assure you that I''m healthy."

    "Hm Is that so?" Grandpa Theo pursed his lips, his eyes shifting between the two as he contemted. "Well, as long as he''s not starving you"

    Subtly shaking her head, Katherine reassured, "Don''t worry about me. Just concentrate on getting back on track for your health."

    He nodded and flexed his upper arm to show that he was strong. "I can still run a marathon. I won''t go down with just a cough so easily. I will live to see my great-grandchildren until they graduate in college!"

    Katherine and Damien chuckled at his cheerfulness. She hooked her arm with his and raised her chin in confidence as she agreed, "Right! You''ll live a longer and healthier life! You''ll outlive us all, Grandpa!"

 Chapter 531: What She Didnt Expect

    Chapter 531: What She Didn''t Expect

    Saturday  December 1 at Crown Resort

    The g that Frederick Park and the rest of the family members were hosting was held at one of Damien''s resorts that opened several months ago. It was the best location to host the event as it was away from the city proper but not too far that everyone could still attend and then go home after if they wished to.

    Katherine and Damien arrived at the resort''s lobby where the staff immediately lined up and greeted them as they entered and walked towards the function hall. Because this was an exclusive event, only hired photographers and videographers were allowed in the premises, so as to control their privacy.

    With her arm hooked with Damien''s, Katherine held her chin up as she strode with confidence. She looked morous in her ck long-sleeved and floor-length evening dressa simple yet elegant look that gave her the right amount of sexy. The dress had a top made of velvet with a deep V neckline that stopped at her midriff, showcasing her ample cleavage while the A-line skirt had her signature high slither leg with the Onyx tattoo was visible whenever she moved, and the skirt swayed with her hips.

    While Katherine had soft smokey eyes and a bold choco plum lip color, she chose to keep her hair down and styled the ends withrge waves. It gave her a perfectly effortless look, making her appear even more attractive.

    "You look irresistible," Damien whispered to her ear so that only she could hear just before they entered the function hall.

    "Thank you, President Park," she responded. She curled her lips upward and faced him, gently brushing the side of his hair with her fingers. "You look... beddable."

    A suppressed smile threatened to form on his face, trying his best not tough at her bold response. Katherine just flirted with him in front of hundreds of guests looking their way as they stood by the double doors, and she didn''t even look bothered. Now, all he could think about was to get this party over and done with so he could ''bed'' her already.

    "Well, then Ms. Young, I''m afraid you''d have to wait until this party ends. Or are you going to start stripping your underwear again?" he asked with his brow slightly cocking.

    The radiant smile on her face went even brighter upon hearing his question. Ever so slowly, she leaned towards him, her lips softly brushing the lobe of his ear as she breathed, "Who says I''m wearing any?"

    Dear heavens. Damien''s sleeping soldier woke up from its slumber and abruptly saluted to hismander.

    Clearing his throat, he rolled his neck from side to side and clenched his jaw. He was a second away from dragging Katherine out of the hall and into an empty closet somewhere.

    But before he could even respond to her, she had already stepped away from him and greeted Nana who had just arrived. If he thought he was way better in teasing Katherine, he should rethink it.

    The couple sat with the rest of the Park Family at a table near the stage while the rest of the guests continued arriving. Katherine''s Aunt Deborah and her daughter Caroline arrived ten minutester and were seated a few tables away. Grandfather Theo was supposed toe too, but he had to stay at home because he was still recuperating from his cough.

    Looking from side to side, Katherine scanned the room, trying to see if she recognized the others who were present. There were many guests whom she didn''t recognizethe rest were either politicians or businessmen.

    Subconsciously, her eyes shifted between her aunt and Frederick. And then she started to observe the two. When her aunt arrived, Frederick casually greeted her before moving on to the next guests. It didn''t seem like they had anything special going on, which was why the picture they found from her aunt''s office didn''t make sense to her. Perhaps the two were old lovers? Perhaps it was just something that happened in the past and they had since moved on? But if that were the case, why did Deborah keep that picture in her locked drawer?

    Just as Katherine was busy calcting things in her head, the emcee of tonight''s g got up on stage and called everyone''s attention. She turned her head and watched as the event was opened with a speech by Frederick Park, weing the guests for the annual g. Then, her eyes darted towards Deborah whose attention was focused on him. Well, everyone''s attention was on Frederick, so there was nothing odd about that. But Katherine still kept her eyes on the two.

    Frederick finished his speech and got off the stage. Then he casually nced at Deborah before leaving the function hall through the side door. Katherine, who was too focused on the two, saw Deborah whisper something to Caroline before getting up and going out of the hall too.

    "Huh Interesting," Katherine muttered under her breath.

    "What''s interesting?" Damien probed.

    She then whispered to him what she saw, and he agreed that it was indeed worth looking into. "Excuse me while I go to thedies'' room," she told him.

    Damien wanted to go with her, knowing that she was most definitely about to check what was going on with Frederick and Deborah. However, just as he stood up, a business partner came and held him up.

    "Be careful," Damien told Katherine. She nodded and left through the side door.

    Casually looking left and right, she caught sight of one of Frederick Park''s bodyguards in the middle of the hallway that led to the restrooms. Katherine headed straight there in the hopes of seeing Frederick and her aunt, unsure of what she would find if she would see them together.

    However, when she got closer, the security stopped her.

    "What do you mean I can''t? I need to go to the restroom," insisted Katherine, her voice toneless and her stare firm.

    The bodyguard kept his hand extended in front of him, halting her from going further. "I''m sorry, Miss. Please go to another restroom. This one is upied."

    "Are you serious? You want me to go to another one when there''s clearly a restroom behind you? There are ten stalls in there. I don''t believe all of them are upied." She folded her arms in front of her chest. It was to keep herself from punching this guy who was stopping her. She could easily take him down if she really wanted to, but she obviously couldn''t do that here. One thing that Katherine hated was anyone that would get in her way. Now, her hand was itching to strike him.

    The man opened his mouth to reply, but the cking of heels made him turn his head back. Deborah walked out of the restroom ever so casually and saw Katherine.

    "Katherine, is everything okay?" asked Deborah.

    "Oh, I was actually looking for you. The event started, and I wasn''t able to greet you earlier when you arrived," Katherine lied smoothly, her eyes quickly examining her aunt but not a hair was out of ce.

    Deborah smiled as Katherine leaned to kiss her on the cheek. "You look lovely, Darling. Where''s Damien?"

    "Thank you, Aunt Deb. You look great," she replied, subtly ncing at the restroom behind her aunt, but no one else came out. "Damien''s inside. Shall we head back together?"

    "Let''s go." Deborah nodded, and they walked back to the function hall.

    Katherine didn''t see anything new with her aunt, so it made her wonder if she was just overthinking things. Could it be possible that it was merely coincidental that Deborah got out of the hall right after Frederick did?

    Soon, the two women entered the hall again, and her Aunt dropped by to say hello to Damien and his family before going back to her seat again.

    "What happened?" Damien wondered.

    Katherine told him that she was stopped before she even had the chance to go near the restroom, so she didn''t see anything.

    Seeing that she was still bothered by it, he held her hand and told her, "Don''t let it bother you anymore. Maybe it was nothing."

    "Maybe" She bit her bottom lip and stared at nothing in particr as if she was still in deep thoughts.

    Letting out a sigh, Damien got up and brought her to her feet. "Come with me. There''s something I want to tell you."

    Katherine''s train of thoughts was interrupted as she began to follow him out of the hall. His grasp was firm as he led her towards a secluded area of the resort. They walked through the garden path until they reached an elevated tform. It was made of solid wood and with colorful flowers and lights surrounding the edges.

    He assisted her as they got on it, and her eyes were immediately drawn towards the soft waves of the water. She could see the beach from where she stood, and the moon cast its light so beautifully, making everything else magical.

    "What are we doing here?" she asked.

    When Damien didn''t respond, Katherine turned around, and a gasp escaped her lips when she saw him bend down on one knee.

 Chapter 532: Practice Makes Perfect

    Chapter 532: Practice Makes Perfect

    "Damien" Katherine stepped back, her hands clenching together, totally taken aback by what was happening.

    Smiling, Damien reached for her left hand and held it securely with his as he began, "I was going to wait untilter But I thought now would be the best time to do this."

    "Do what?" Sheughed. "What are you doing? Get up!"

    He chuckled with her as he took something out from his pocketa ck velvet box that matched their clothes. Damien chose to wear the suit that his mother got him yesterdaya velvet zer, while Katherine''s top was also velvet. They were both in ck, yet in his eyes, she was the most radiant that evening.

    The box opened, and in it sat a beautiful ring with ck and white stones. It was like Damien''s engagement ring but a woman''s version. On the center of the ring was a big ck diamond with two smaller ones on each side, and the tiny white diamonds formed halos around the ck ones as if protecting them.

    "I know we''re in the middle of a war, and a wedding is something we can''t do right nowwhat with us dealing with everything shitty." Theyughed. "But I want you to remember, Katherine Nothing has changed. I''m still falling in love with you every single day. I just want you to know that I can''t wait for all of this to be over."

    A charming smile painted her face as she watched him take out the ring from the box and slip it on her finger. Her stomach fluttered when she felt his warm touch grazing her skin.

    Damien got to his feet and held both of her hands as he inched closer towards her. "I want to marry you here in this resort where we started our first day together after five years of being apart. Actually, I want to marry you in several ces. In a church In that castle in France where we visited. In the mountains HeckI''ll marry you under the sea if you''ll let me. I''ll marry you a hundred times until we grow old. I want you and will want you forever, Katherine Young."

    Katherine gazed at him, nodding as she hooked her arms around his neck and pressed a kiss on his lips. "How could I say no to that? I would love to spend forever with you, Damien Park."

    He kissed her lips, and then the back of her hand where the ring was. Leaning on him, she admired the ring on her finger and muttered, "It''s so beautiful"

    "I wanted us to match. At the same time, I wanted to give the one I gave you the first time. So I had it customized."

    "What do you mean?" she wondered.

    "Well The ck diamond and the onyx stones are new. The white ones and the tinum band, however, were from your old ring."

    Her chin wobbled at the memory of how she gave him back the ring. Thinking about the old engagement ring that he gave her reminded her of many things that her heart felt full and throbbing at the same time.

    But seeing as how the new one turned out, she felt that the ring resembled her a lot. It was as though her past self was meeting her present self. The past, represented by the white diamonds and the band that held the ck diamond and stones together, which represented her present. Although Damien didn''t exin how he designed it, she believed that he somehow had the same idea. After all, they think alike most of the time.

    "It''s perfect. I love it," she told him, wrapping her arms around his torso and squeezing him tightly. His scent was like home to her, and his warmth was like her nketso cozy, so heart-warming.

    "Good." He stepped back a little and held his hand out to her. "May I please have this dance?"

    "But there''s no music?" she chuckled.

    "That''s not a problem." Damien whipped out his phone and tapped it a few times. Then, music started to y from the speakers on his phone. He bnced the phone on the railing behind Katherine and turned to face her again, his hand waiting for her to ept. "You have no excuse now."

    "Tch. I would have danced with you even without music anyway." She ced her hand in his and allowed him to pull her close. An arm wrapped around her waist as sheid her head on his shoulder, and they gently swayed from side to side.

    Katherine grinned when she realized that the song was the same one they danced to thatst night they were together five years agoCounting Stars, a version by Hannah Trigwell. It was a starry night out on the balcony at that time. Now, it''s a cold night in the garden by the beach, yet both nights have one thing inmonthe two of them. Except this time, their feelings for each other were stronger than ever.

    ~Lately, I''ve been losing sleep, dreaming about the things that we could be.

    But baby I''ve been prayin'' hardsaid no more counting dors, we''ll be counting stars~

    "You remembered" she whispered.

    "Remember what?" he chuckled as if he didn''t understand what she was talking about.

    "You''re actually sentimental. I''ve noticed that a while backI love that about you. Please don''t change."

    Damien brushed his lips on her hair before moving them closer to her ear, and he breathed, "I''ll take you anywhere you want to go" He said the same words he said back then.

    "It doesn''t matter where I''ll go wherever you will go," she responded. Her answer was totally different from what she said in the past.

    Hearing her words made him feel that they could conquer the world as long as they are together. They met many years ago, not knowing that their lives were entangled in ways they couldn''t imagine. Falling in love in moments they didn''t expect, only to be separated when their circumstances tested their love.

    When Katherine didn''t hear his response, she asked, "Why did you suddenly want to do this now? Did something happen?"

    Damien slightly pulled back and lowered his gaze to meet hers, "You''ve been working so hardtely, and you''ve done a lot for me. I just wanted you to know that I''m not neglecting you" He swept her hair off her face and tucked it behind her ear as he let out a small sigh. "You''ve been so kind to my mom and me I can see how you''re trying your best to bring us together. And I appreciate that a lot. I just want you to remember that you''re my family and I''m always here for you. Always No matter what happens in the future."

    "Silly, I would never forget that. I know we''re both busy, and I''m not demanding anything from you. I''m fine as long as you and I go home together, sleep on the same bed, and wake up next to each other That''s enough for me." She tiptoed and kissed his lips. "And about your mom... I''m happy that you''re finally closer. She''s been smiling a lot recently, and I''m sure it''s because of you."

    Pulling her closer again, he gently ced her head on his shoulder and rested his chin on top of it. "When all this is over I want us to start a family."

    Katherine didn''t respond right away, but he felt her stiffen in his arms. It made him wonder if she didn''t want to have kids as they hadn''t really talked about seriously.

    Damien waited for her to say something, but after a minute of silence, he finally asked, "Do you not want to?"

    She pulled back and looked up, staring at his curious gaze as she formted her answer. "It''s not that I''m just I"

    "What?"

    "I don''t remember thest time I had my period"

    He stopped moving. His eyes were focused on her face as his mind churned at the possibilities. "You don''t think you''re"

    The air was silent. The breeze swept against their skin, and the crashing of waves to the shore was the only sound they could hear. For a second, it was as if their whole world stopped. Even without them speaking, their minds were already thinking about the same thing.

    "I don''t think so," Katherine blurted. "I don''t feel like it Not that I would know how it would feelI mean I haven''t experienced it before"

    Damien furrowed his brows at her rambling, and she stopped.

    "Sorry." Her shoulders dropped, a sigh escaping her mouth when she realized what she did. "I didn''t mean to shock you. I spoke without thinking much."

    "You have to get yourself checked," he told her.

    She didn''t protest as she agreed that she did in fact need to see a doctor. So she nodded and took a deep breath as she replied with a smile, "Just so you know I''m with you. After all this Let''s start our own family."

    A handsome smile split his face at the promise. Damien dipped his head until his lips brushed her neck, and then he said, "In that case We need lots and lots of practice."

    Katherine shuddered when he kissed her, his hands gliding southward and cupping her bottom. "Indeed. Practice makes perfect."

 Chapter 533: Uncovering (1)

    Chapter 533: Uncovering (1)

    Entering the function hall, Katherine casuallybed her hair with her fingers. "Do I look okay?" she faced Damien and asked. Her hair was slightly disheveled but she easily brushed it back to style.

    "You look well-fucked," he answered, wiping the small smudge of color on the corner of her mouth with his thumb. "Incredibly beautiful." He pulled his mouth into a knowing smileit was handsome and devilish.

    She squeezed her thighs together, trying to ease the sweet feelingremnants of her orgasm from just a few minutes ago. With her racing heartbeat, she was still slightly breathless. If Damien''s phone hadn''t constantly rung, they wouldn''t have had to chase their climax like a horse race. But she didn''tin because they finished the deed. She only wished they could have stayed out a bit longer.

    Katherine''s hand reached for his forehead to fix a stray hair in ce, her fingertips lightly sweeping his skin that was still moist with sweat. She grabbed the handkerchief from his hand and wordlessly patted it on him, ignoring the curious stares that they were getting from the people nearby. At this point, she really didn''t care anymore. People can talk all they want.

    They caught sight of Jeffrey Evans approaching them from across the room, taking his time sauntering towards them. Damien grunted and scoffed when heid eyes on his friend, feeling a bit annoyed because Jeffrey was the one who called him and interrupted his little detour with Katherine a few minutes ago.

    Leaning towards Katherine, Damien whispered to her ear with a voice low and rough, "I''m not done with you yet." His hand possessively held her waist, gently squeezing her as if to show how serious he was.

    She couldn''t help but chuckle at the warning. A bold and charming smile stered on her face as she wrapped her fingers around his arm, and then she stared right at him when she answered in a raspy tone, "And I have yet to quench my thirst, President Park."

    Damien''s cock bobbed in agreementit was painful. Her seduction tempted him to drag her back out of the hall for ''round two'', and his jaw ticked upon realizing that they were trapped at the moment.

    Katherine could feel his stare burning her skin. Her cheeks were still flushed, giving her a natural glow and making her look even more beautiful. Fixing his tie in ce, she added, "Let''s fix your tie It''s crooked. We don''t want them thinking you were doing something strenuous just now."

    Ever so subtly, his palm lowered on her ass, resting it there without a care that someone could see. "Naughty, Kitten. You better be ready once this party ends."

    Sliding her hand over his chest, her cheeky smile brightened her face as she confidently answered, "I can''t wait."

    A few beatster, Jeffrey arrived in front of them and Katherine greeted him with a friendly kiss on the cheek. "Where''s your girlfriend?" she asked while scanning the room and looking for the surgeon.

    "What girlfriend?" he snorted before casually sipping his red wine. He wouldn''t meet Katherine''s eyesprobably afraid of getting caught. But the redness of his ear was evidence that he knew what she was talking about even as he replied, "I don''t have a girlfriend."

    "Right" she drawled, unconvinced with his answer. She exchanged brief knowing looks with Damien who only shrugged when she arched a brow. Then Katherine asked Jeffrey another question, "How''s Jessamine? Why didn''t you bring her with you?"

    He shrugged, scanning the room with disinterested eyes as if he was nonchntly checking the entire room. "She has surgeries today. I didn''t want to trouble her."

    Katherine narrowed her eyes. Jeffrey was pretty obvious and he looked silly with the way he was acting, so she decided to stop fishing for answers because it seemed as though he didn''t want to talk about it.

    Seeing as his woman was done interrogating his friend, Damien nodded to Jeffrey and prompted, "What did you find?"

    "Oh, right." Jeffrey carefully took out a piece of paper from his inner suit pocket with one hand while bncing the ss of wine with the other. Then he handed the paper to Damien as he exined, "The pill you had me checked from theb is a dietary supplement which was used for weight loss. However, it has long been banned by the FDA for over a decade"

    "Banned? Why would they ban it?" Katherine''s brows furrowed as she folded her arms in front of her chest. All her attention was focused on Jeffrey''s exnation when he responded promptly. It wasn''t what she expected at all, and the new finding piqued her interest. Meanwhile, Damien quickly examined the information about the pill on the paper.

    Jeffrey pointed to a portion of the paper and answered, "The supplements had a chief ingredient called Ephedrait''s actually a botanical nt that''s native to Mongolia, Russia, and Northern China. For a long time in China and India, it has been widely used to treat certain ailments. The pill, among many others, were over-the-counter dietary supplements containing Ephedrine Alkaloidsthe stimntpound found in Ephedraand it is promoted for weight loss, enhanced athletic performance, and increased energy.

    "The supplement is somewhat effective. A lot of people swore by the pills'' ''magic'' and relied on them whenever wherever. However, after substantial research has been done on the short-term weight loss experienced by some subjects while on the drug, the FDA found out its harmful effects which pushed them to ban the sale of the supplements. Ever since the ban, dietary supplements containing ephedrine have been illegal in the U.S. and other countries."

    Katherine''s stare darted around the room, looking for her aunt, and she found her at the same table where she sat earlier with her daughter, Caroline. Deborah Young was not overweight at all. Her build was normal and she appeared to be in good health too.

    On the other hand, Caroline was skinny. Katherine learned that her younger cousin was too afraid to gain weight, so thetter ate very little all the time. In fact, she often skipped meals just so she wouldn''t gain any weight. Could it be that the pills were Caroline''s?

 Chapter 534: Uncovering (2)

    Chapter 534: Uncovering (2)

    Damien lifted his keen dark eyes from the paper in his hands and questioned, "And these are the safety risks when taking the supplement?" He pointed at the specific table on the paper.

    "Yeah..." Jeffrey nced at the paper and skimmed as he continued, "It may cause dizziness, dry mouth, headache, irritability, nausea, personality changes, insomnia, anxiety, and other symptoms. The individuals who took high doses of the drug had increased riskswell, I mean, too much of anything can kill you, right? It''s true for most drugs anyway" Jeffrey took another sip of his wine and probed, "Where did you get the stuff? It''s not avable in the U.S. because of the ban. Although I''m sure anyone with money can find it in the ck market."

    Just as Damien was about to answer, Caleb and Alianna arrived, interrupting their conversation. They greeted each other with hugs and kisses and the two women immediately gushed over their dresses.

    "Oh, my god! Is that an engagement ring on your finger?" Ali eximed, her voice was so loud it caused a few heads to turn their direction.

    Katherine swore that either Alianna was just excited, or she actually intended to catch everyone''s attentionwhat with her overly dramatic gasp. Katherine could only chuckle and allowed the other to ''inspect'' the shiny jewelry on her finger.

    "Eee! I''m so excited for us. We''re both brides-to-be!" Alianna pulled Katherine for another hug, giggling like a little girl who''s excited for a tea party.

    When they pulled away, they looked at the three men who had a very simple and fast conversation regarding the engagement of Damien and Katherinea total contrast to the women''s gushing.

    "Back to being engaged? Nice!"

    "Congrats!"

    Katherine and Alianna shook their heads, clearly disappointed at the men''s ck of enthusiasm''. They sighed in unison.

    While Caleb, Jeffrey, and Alianna were debating whose turn it was to grab some food, Katherine turned to Damien and told him what she had been thinking since earlier.

    "I don''t have any idea why the pills were in my aunt''s drawer, and why she needs it in the first ce. She''s obviously in good shape and doesn''t need to lose weight"

    "So you think it''s Caroline''s?"

    "I won''t deny that it crossed my mind. But it makes me wonder how she got her hands on a banned supplementI doubt the kid even knows where to buy a cough syrup if she needs one. She''s very shelteredwhich is why I think it may not be the case The point is, we don''t have a concrete reason why my aunt has it. However, I have an idea of how she gets her hands on it..."

    Damien met her serious gaze, and even if she had stopped talking, he could already tell what was going on in her mind. "Huh a connection," he muttered. His eyes darted to the side and theynded on his uncle who was busy entertaining guests in the g. He cursed in his thoughts, realizing that Deborah could have gotten the pills from Frederick. After all, the Park''s underground business involved trading in the ck market. Damien had a lot of things in his mind that night that he didn''t make the link between the two right away.

    "We''ll look into it further Great job," heplimented, pressing a kiss on Katherine''s forehead.

    Just then, his phone beeped when he received a message from Wace White. It was the list of guests from the restaurant which Damien had been waiting for since yesterday. But due to some personal matters, Wace was only able to give it tonight. The couple excused themselves to the corner of the room where no one could peer through their shoulders or hear their conversation.

    Scrolling through the list on his phone, Damien showed Katherine his screen, checking the names one by one and seeing some familiar names. But it wasn''t until they caught sight of a particr person''s name that they stopped scrolling.

    "Wait" Damien''s finger paused on the screen, and it hovered over the name ''Josiah Connor''.

    "Who?" Katherine probed. She was familiar with the name but for the life of her, she couldn''t remember where she had seen it.

    "It''s the NIA director''s husband," he responded.

    "You mean Hughes? The same NIA whom Chris was meeting in the restaurant?"

    He nodded, his stare shifting to the side as he thought about the possibilities. "In the past, Hughes used her husband''s name to make reservations at the restaurant. During those times, she met with Chris."

    Damien was baffled at the information that he slightly shook his head in an attempt to clear his thoughts, his brows knitted as he did. "This doesn''t make any sense."

    Meanwhile, Katherine chewed on her bottom lip. Her head churned at the thought of Hughes meeting with Parker. "Do you think Hughes met with Parker directly? Have they been allies all along?"

    "I don''t know. It''s possible that she could have been testing Chris the whole time. But didn''t Chris say that he and Hughes had been in contact for years? If Parker was testing Chris, why would it take him this long to make a move?" he wondered.

    "True Also, if Hughes and Parker were allies, she should have already gotten in touch with Chris to make hime out of hiding. But she hadn''t contacted him for a week now."

    Damien agreed with Katherine, their doubts only made them even more confused. He lifted his gaze and looked at her as he muttered, "We need more information. Maybe we''re looking at it too narrowly."

    His attention was called when William strode towards them. Raising a hand, he signaled for his cousin to wait for him, and then he turned back to her, saying, "I''ll forward this to Styles. You call and tell him what we think. I have to talk to William."

    "Okay," she agreed without questions and smiled when Damien kissed her temple before walking away.

    Katherine watched Damien and William heading towards Frederick Park by the stage. A small sigh left her lips as she whipped out her smartphone and dialed Styles''s number. Tonight was definitely a busy night.

 Chapter 535: Inceptive

    Chapter 535: Inceptive

    Damien received a ss of champagne from his cousin, William, and the two headed towards Frederick Park by the stage. They nodded and gave brief greetings to some people they passed by, and then Damien asked in a low tone, "How are things on your side going?"

    William''s eyes were vignt, making sure that no one was around them who could eavesdrop before he answered, "I still need more time. My father has several loyal supporters on the board. His roots are quite thickI would need more time to uproot himpletely."

    "Do you need my help?"

    "Nah I''ll manage. You just do what you have to do."

    Before reaching Frederick Park, Damien slowed down his pace and said, "A word of advice If uprooting isn''t possible, sometimes you just have to cut the rootspletely. Sever ties with an axa chainsaw if you must."

    When William met his gaze, he concluded in a low and cold tone, "You aren''t saving a tree. You are to kill it so it can''t revive."

    Damien didn''t care that he was talking about his uncleWilliam''s father. If his cousin couldn''t handle being ruthless, then he would have to step in. However, much to his surprise, William responded resolutely, "I''ll take care of it."

    "Damien," Frederick called when he spotted the two. "Come. I''d like you to meet some associates."

    He introduced the guests to Damien first, before he did the same to his son. If the guests didn''t notice the difference, that''s because Frederick did it so naturally. But between Damien and William, they knew the vast difference between how they were introduced and how fond Frederick was towards his nephew rather than his son. He talked about Damien with so much pride that William got boredbut this wasn''t new to him anymore. Over the years, he had learned to let the words go through his left ear and out of the right.

    The conversation went on for a few more minutes. They talked about theirtest projectssomething that Damien thought was already routine that it didn''t interest him that much anymore.

    When the conversation had slowly died down, they turned their attention to the activity on stage where a famous singer performed live. To umte more funds where proceeds would go to a few charities that the Parks have pre-selected, they organized events for tonight''s gthe staple: live auction and a raffle draw. The guests bought mandatory tickets as their entry at the registration that cost $200 per person, and once they entered the hall, they could buy as many tickets as they wanted which would then be raffled before the party ends.

    First prize was a trip for two to the Maldives for four days and three nightsall expenses paid inclusive of airfare, while the second and third prizes were a weekend getaway in any Crown Resorts international and national chains respectively, sponsored by Damien Park.

    The guests were engrossed by the performances and getting all giddy for the raffle draw. While everyone was busy buying more tickets with the possibility of winning in their minds, Damien took the chance to bring up the topic about his father casually. Hence, he subtly nodded at William, who was standing to his left, as a signal. The three men were standing next to each other, forming a line with Damien being in the middle.

    "How generous of you to give paid vacations to your lovely resorts. You must have a lot of free time on your hands to be able to organize this," William muttered under his breath, but enough for Damien and his father to hear.

    Damien''s brows knitted at theme opening and gave his cousin an eye. Was that really all he could do? Being an actor once crossed William''s mind when they were younger. He oughtta do better than this if, for some reason, he would change his career. Damien shook his head and let out a small sigh. "Not really. I still have a lot on my te, but Katherine''s been teaching me how to delegate some tasks to my people."

    "Ahh Interesting... the former secretary is now teaching her boss. What a lucky man." William raised his ss and winked at Damien.

    Although he was annoyed by his cousin''s remark, Damien could only clink his ss with the other. His upper lip twitched at the other''s words, but he ignored it as he said, "She''s actually very smart and a fast learner. For a short time that she worked with me, she already knew who among the staff in my team was capable of certain skills. In fact,st week, she helped me reorganize my workload. I trust her judgment, so now I have lesser things to handle in the office."

    "Looks like I need to get to know more about my future cousin-inw," Williammented, earning another re from Damienin which he ignored and brushed off as he asked, "You''ve always preferred a busy schedule. Why did you want to shift it around? Are you working on a new project?"

    Although their conversation seemed very casual just now, Damien could tell that his uncle, Frederick, was paying attention. From Damien''s periphery, he could see his uncle''s nuanceslike shifting of weight towards him, or the tilting of his head to listen more.

    Damien took a sip from his champagne and lowered his voice as he answered, "Not a new project. It''s an investigation."

    William slightly turned his head towards Damien, and he saw that his father did the same. "An investigation?" he asked.

    "I''m opening a case for my father''s death. I want to know what really happened and how he died." Damien kept his eyes on stage, though his senses were clearly focused on his uncle''s reaction.

    "What do you mean you''re opening a case?" Frederick Park turned to face Damien, his face full of surprise.

    "I hired someone excellent in his field. It happened a long time ago, so I wouldn''t be able to do it myself," Damien answered casually, and then took another sip of his drink.

    "Why now? Did something happen? What made you decide to open a case that happened years ago so suddenly?"

    He nced at his uncle''s expression, and he saw the quick change from what he thought could be a panicked expression to just in curiosity. Frederick had always been good at masking himself, but Damien was determined that if his uncle was hiding something, he wouldn''t stop until he would get to the bottom of it. Especially if it has something to do with his father''s death.

    cing the empty flute onto the tray of a passing waiter, Damien dug his hands into his pockets and responded, "I received an anonymous tip, telling me that my father''s death isn''t as simple as a car ident that it deliberate"

    "And you believed it without knowing where it came from? Couldn''t it be just a distraction or a stunt?"

    His uncle''s words pissed him off for some reason. But Damien kept his cool under control, and his voice normal. "It certainly got my attention. After all, as you said, Uncle It''s been so many years. So why would it be brought up now if it was just a stunt? For what purpose?"

    Frederick Park straightened his back and kept his hands behind him in a casual manner. He looked as though he was trying to weigh things in his mind. And then he nodded, "Well You know how it is in business. Competitors like to do unimaginable things just to put others out of their A-game. You know what happened with Chen Enterprise when they did the same to us a few years ago, remember? They sent us on a wild goose chase, only to take advantage of us getting distracted for a short period."

    Damien hated to admit that his uncle was right about that part. An incident happened a few years back involving Park Group''s biggestpetitor, Chen Enterprise. But that didn''t have anything to do with what''s going on at the moment. And he knew that for a fact because there was no "anonymous tipper". He clenched his jaw before he firmly said, "You''re right. That could be possible. But I won''t take any chances. Even if this investigation turns out to be a waste of time, I want to see it through until the end. He''s my father, after all."

    "You really think someone harmed your father?"

    "I don''t want to believe it. But I have to know the truth."

    Frederick nodded in agreement and didn''t say anything else.

    Noticing his uncle''s silence, Damien turned towards the older man and slightly bowed in respect. "Uncle, the investigation has started. You, along with the others, might receive a visit as part of the process. I apologize in advance for the interruption that it may cause you."

    Frederick nted his hand onto Damien''s shoulder, squeezing it as he replied, "I would do anything to help with the investigation. Lawrence is my brother, and you are my nephew. Familyes first."

    "Thank you."

    "Now, if you''ll excuse me, boys" Frederick left with his assistant.

    Damien watched his uncle head towards the backstage and disappeared from his sight. "Can I trust that you keep an eye on him?" he probed in a calm yet icy tone.

    A sly smile split William''s face as he downed the rest of his drink and answered, "With absolute pleasure."

 Chapter 536: Thats Her

    Chapter 536: That''s Her

    At the backstage, Frederick signaled his assistant toe closer. He had an unreadable expression on his face as he nced at Damien''s direction from afar.

    "Yes, Chairman?" the assistant asked when he came to Frederick''s side.

    "You heard the conversation earlier. Find out who the anonymous tipper is, and also who Damien hired to investigate the case." Frederick nodded to his assistant, his way of telling the other to leave.

    He fixed his tie in ce and pulled on a neutral smile on his face before he headed towards a group of business associates, shaking their hands as soon as he met them, and then began the customary small talk.

    Meanwhile, Damien and William turned around and strolled towards their friends. The former took a small device out of his inner pocket and handed it over to his cousin as he said, "I know you said that you can handle it, but I already had this prepared beforehand just in case you need it. You can do whatever you want."

    "What''s this?"

    "Just Something that would ''encourage'' his supporters from the board." The two smiled as they exchanged looks, even without exnation, William already understood what his cousin meant.

    Damien started to look for Katherine as they walked, but she was nowhere to be found. She wasn''t where he left her, and she wasn''t with Alianna and the others as well. So where could she be?

    William received the device and pocketed it right away, grabbing a new ss of champagne from the passing waiter. He asked Damien if he wanted one, but thetter declined with a wave of his hand. "Well, outsourcing is also a skill So I won''t refuse, but I''ll keep this as myst resort."

    "Mm." Damien''s response was brief as he was busy looking for his fiance, but no matter where he looked in the room, he didn''t see her.

    "Heads up," William warned, nodding at a couple that wasing to their direction.

    Damien snapped his head to check what William was referring to, and then his eyesnded on two familiar faces that he seldom saw. A tall ck-haired fellow linked arms with a lovely woman. Curling his mouth into a friendly smile, Damien greeted the two, "I''m d you could make it. Where are the kids?" He then gave them brief hugs.

    "They''re having a sleep-over at my brother''s house," answered Daniel ChoChairman and CEO of Cho Corporation in Mayne City.

    He and Daniel went way back. The two met several times while growing up because of social asions. And when Damien started hispany, Daniel was one of the friends whom he asked advice from as he was a few years older than him.

    The woman next to Daniel was his wife, Samanthaalso the CEO of her own software developmentpany, Trident.She rolled her eyes and shook her head, letting out a sigh as she said, "You have no idea how much I had to convince this man to trust his brother with the two monkeys."

    Damien chuckled, his eyes darting between the two. "I thought I''d never see the day when the almighty Daniel Cho would not only be whipped by his wife, but also his kids."

    Samantha leaned against her husband and a bright smile cast her face as she brushed her hand on his chest. "He''s a great fatherand a loving husband. I''m very lucky."

    Daniel caressed her arm and pulled her closer as he responded, "I''m luckier to have you. You''re a wonder woman."

    "See what I mean?" probed Samantha with a light chuckle. "Hey, what about you?" She turned to Damien and added, "I heard from the grapevine that you''re settling down? Is this true? Who''s the luckydy?"

    "Ha!" Daniel Cho barked out augh. "Looks like I''m not the only one who''s shackled"

    Rubbing his nape, a charming smile ghosted Damien''s lips when their attention was now on him. He looked around to look for Katherine, but he still didn''t see her. "Actually, I was on my way to meet her. She has probably stepped out for a bit." Then, he addressed the couple, "Do you mind if I head out? I''ll go get her and meet you guys againter."

    "Not at all. Go ahead." Daniel nodded, and then they waved each other goodbyes before Damien headed towards a group of people.

    When Damien came to his cousin''s side, he asked if they knew where Katherine was. Alianna told him that she had gone to the washroom. And in the next second, he left through the double doors.

    Outside the function hall earlier

    Katherine exited the washroom. The area was in a slightly secluded location with a five-meter long hallway. She was on her way back to the event when she bumped into an older man in histe thirties who was on his way to the bathroomhe reeked of alcohol and sweat. She casually stepped aside to give way and ignored him, but she stopped in her tracks when he spoke to her.

    "I know you! Saw you inside with that Park boy! You know" he slurred, waving his pointer finger at her. "I also have lots of money That''s what you want right? What d''ya say we spend the night here? I can buy you a house and a car if you want!" He patted his chest proudly.

    Katherine''s brows knitted in disgust. "No, thanks." She turned on her heel and decided not to waste her time with him.

    However, just as she took a step forward, she felt a heavy handnd on her ass and grazed her exposed thigh.

    She halted, turned to look at the man, and found him grinning from ear to ear. Her vision darkened and her hands itched that she had to clench them tightly. "Did you just p me?" she asked under gritted teeth in a voice so sharp it could cut ss.

    The man attempted to move closer, but before he could even do so, Katherine kicked him in the stomach. He stumbled backward and his back hit the wall, bellowing a painful groan and a curse as he slid down to the floor.

    But she wasn''t done with him yet. Using her five-inch red Louboutin, she trapped his neck between her heel and the cold wall. Katherine pushed him upward with her steady footing, not allowing him to fall to the floor. Her body tilted sideways, and the long slit exposed her raised leg as she kept the man begging for his release. The sharp heel dangerously pointed towards his neck. He had turned red from being unable to breathe properlywhat with the controlled pressure that she gave on his neck.

    "P-Please" the man managed to utter, his hands holding her ankle.

    Katherine''s eyes were as deadly as her God of Death knives when she stared at the man in the eye. The man shivered as she opened her mouth to speak. "How dare youy your dirty hand on me? Do you know what I do with men who touch me without my permission?"

    He choked while shaking his head, a tear rolling out of his eye.

    "Let''s just say they go home NOT in one piece," she slithered. "Just so you know, I can afford to provide for myself. I don''t know what''s running through your thick head, but you''re in Damien Park''s territory. And my man doesn''t have the patience for neanderthals like you." Katherine pressed her foot harder and the man tried to desperately push her away as he gasped for air.

    ...

    Meanwhile, Damien just got out of the double doors. He took hurried steps towards the washrooms while constantly hoping that Katherine was okay.

    "Damien," a man''s voice called him from behind.

    He turned around and saw Daniel Cho approach him, saying that he''s looking for the restrooms.

    A noise from the corner caught their attention, so they strode towards the direction of the sound and what they saw was a rather interesting and shocking sight.

    Katherine pinned a man on the wall with her heelone foot down and one foot up, her legs forming a perfect 130 angle while she bnced her stance. Her aura was strong and it was apparent in her expression how pissed she was.

    Damien froze on the spot for a beat as he studied the sight before him. He recognized the man as one of his uncle''s associates whom he had just met earlier.

    "Woah~ Who''s that? What''s going on?" Daniel wondered under his breath.

    At first, Damien was clearly worried. But upon seeing how Katherine was handling herself, a devilish smirk painted his face. His anxious heart immediately calmed down, and he was proud to answer in a firm tone, "That''s her."

    Daniel snapped his head towards the other, and his brows furrowed in confusion. "Huh?"

    "The one who shackled meas you said. The woman I''m spending the rest of my life with. Katherine Young," Damien asserted.

    Taking long strides towards her, his low and cold tone resonated in the hallway as he questioned, "What''s happening here?"

 Chapter 537: A Total Nutcase

    Chapter 537: A Total Nutcase

    Damien''s voice rang in Katherine''s ear, and her head snapped in his direction, seeing him approach her with a rxed demeanor. Although his question sounded like he was concerned about the situation, the way he asked made her feel like he just wanted to know what the man did to her. The trust that he had in her was tremendous that he didn''t question what she was doing; rather, he asked what had been done to her.

    Without thinking twice, she told him right away, "This man touched mepped my butt. I''m just teaching him a little lesson." She pressed her heel once more and the man winced and coughed. Their voices and sounds were louder due to the narrow hallway.

    The dark pools of ink that were Damien''s eyes shot towards the man on the wall. His jaw tightened just as he narrowed his eyes, feeling the urge to snap this man''s neck for touching his woman. How dare he touch her right here in his territory? This was why he never wanted to leave her out of his sight even for just a second because Katherine seemed to invite danger whenever he wasn''t around.

    "Have you no shame?!" he spat.

    The man turned blue from theck of oxygen, but the couple didn''t feel any pity towards him even when he tried to speak in a disgruntled voice and failed to say what he wanted to say.

    "Are you okay?" asked Damien. Reaching for her hand, he gently tugged her towards him, allowing her to release the man. Katherine reluctantly let go with a huff, stepping back to gain her bnce as she let Damien hold her. "I''m okay," she answered.

    Their heads turned towards the man when they heard him mumble iprehensibly as he slid down panting. "...thank Park" were the only words Damien understood. This idiot was thanking him? It made Damien''s blood boil that he clenched his teeth and punched the man on the facethetter''s body dropped to the floor as he got knocked out with just one blow.

    Wanting to remove this man from his sight, Damien called his men to take care of the situation. Then he turned to Katherine and asked her several questions, making sure that she wasn''t hurteven if it was already obvious who needed medical attention.

    Footsteps were heard from the side, and their heads turned to see Daniel Choing towards them, an amused expression dancing on his face as he nced at the man on the floor, and then at them.

    "Impressive. For a second, I thought we were filming a movie here or something" Daniel remarked.

    Katherine examined the man''s face, trying to remember where she saw him before as his face looked familiar. Then Damien drew her closer as he introduced, "Katherine, this is a friend of mineDaniel Cho from Mayne City."

    "A pleasure to meet you," said Daniel as he shook hands with Katherine and exchanged pleasantries. The three engaged in small talk while waiting for Damien''s men to arrive, ignoring the man on the floor next to them.

    A minuteter, Markus came with a few men from Maverick Security. He also informed his boss that he needed to go back for his speech, thus Damien and Katherine headed back inside after promising to meet with Daniel and his wifeter.

    The g was still in full swing at nine in the evening, and the live auction would begin after Damien gives his speech. While Damien got ready with Markus by the stage, Katherine joined the others. Alianna was going to model some of the items for the live auction that would start soon, and because Ali was Ali, she persuaded Caleb to do it with her. So it was only Katherine, Jeffrey, and William left at the cocktail table.

    Although Katherine was still feeling uneasy towards William, thetter didn''t irritate her that night, so she didn''t feel the need to be snarky as the three of them talked about random stuff.

    Her phone buzzed, and she answered as soon as she saw that it was Styles. William and Jeffrey were busy talking about poker, so she only stepped back a little to answer the phone call.

    "Yes? Did you find anything?" she asked as soon as the call connected.

    "Not about Parker. But I received new intel from the digging I did about Margaret Hara from the other day," Styles responded in a clear and casual tone.

    "Oh that was fast. What did you find?"

    "Well, I know someone who knows someonenevermind. Just trust me."

    "I don''t have a choice," Katherine muttered.

    Ignoring herment, Styles began to exin, "Get thisshe was diagnosed with a mental illness when she left Esmea. Apparently, after having a miscarriage, she went into depression. I found old news articles stating that her father sent her to Japan to take care of their family business there. But upon checking theirpany records, there was no datum of her ever working in thepanyeven until recently."

    Katherine''s expression changed from curiosity to confusion; her brows knitted as she tried to make sense of what Styles said. "So they lied? Or was she doing something else? Did she even leave the country?"

    "Oh, she left alright," Styles answered with a sense of mockery. "For her first year in Japan, she showed symptoms of Psychosis, so she had been in and out of the hospital. And then for two years, she was confined in their own house. A doctor and a nurse would visit to check on her three to five times a week."

    "Huh so it was that serious?" she questioned.

    "Yeah. Ms. Hara attempted to escape their home multiple timesI mean, if I would be locked up for two years even in my own home, I would most probably escape too."

    "What happened after that?"

    A sigh left his lips before spilling out the rest of the information that he found, "She harmed herself a few times, and thest one almost ended her life. That prompted Daddy Hara to send her to a private mental facility where she stayed for a few years."

    "Oh, my god" Katherine gasped. No wonder she had always felt a dark, lingering vibe whenever she met the woman. There was just something about Margaret that didn''t sit well with her.

    "I know right? It wasn''t until a year ago that she was discharged from the facility because she showed great progress. Anyway, that happened, and then a few months ago, she came back to Esmea," said Styles.

    "I can''t imagine what she went through after that miscarriage. It really messed her up, huh?" she wondered. The memory of Damien telling her about his past with Margaretthat night felt like it was so long ago, but Katherine could still remember what he told her then.

    <em>~ "I learned to love someone who hasn''t even been brought to this world yet."</em> ~

    Damien loved that baby even when it hadn''t been born at that time. Although what Margaret did to him was nasty, she was still a mother, and losing a child must have hurt a lot.

    Styles''s voice brought Katherine back to earth when he answered, "You said it. ording to her medical history, she had a delusional disorder and showed signs of bipr psychosis with violent tendencies. When she''s attached to something, she bes obsessed with it that she wouldn''t allow anyone to touch it. It says here that there was an instance where a male staff tidied up her room and moved one of her dolls aside, and when she saw it, she used a sharp object to slice his backhe stayed in the hospital for weeks. Jeezshe''s a total nutcase. I find people like her scarier than you guys."

    Just then, Jeffrey''s raised voice called Katherine''s attention, "Uh-oh Trouble in town."

    She followed the direction of his stare and found a woman she did not expect to see that nightMargaret Haraand she was walking towards the foot of the stage where Damien was.

    While she watched the woman from a distance, she could hear Styles still bbing from the other line, saying, "If I were you, I''d be careful and stay away from her. Who knows if she''s still a wacko and might go psycho on you"

    Before Styles could even finish the rest of his sentence, Katherine had already backed away and ended the phone call. She circled the function hall, leaving through the side door and entering through the other that was near the stage to avoid the crowd.

    She quickly scanned the room in search of Margaret. As soon as she caught sight of thetter, Katherine''s eyes darkened. The woman was already a few meters away from Damien.

    Taking long strides, Katherine wrapped her hand tightly around Margaret''s wrist and dragged her out of the room. A few heads turned their way, but she ignored their stares and continued to bring the other away from Damien harshly. She no longer cared about what the people would think.

    Margaret struggled as Katherine held both of her wrists. She grunted and groaned as she tried to retract her hands, but Katherine was stronger.

    A loud bang echoed when the second door from the function hall was burst openit was an empty dressing room. Katherine shoved Margaret inside and locked the door behind her.

    In the next second, Margaret whipped out a pocket knife and pointed it to Katherine. "Let me go!" she yelled.

 Chapter 538: A Stressful Night

    Chapter 538: A Stressful Night

    At the cocktail table, Jeffrey and William watched Margaret.

    "I don''t get why she constantly tries to get back with Damien" Jeffrey continued to chatter non-stop about Margaret.

    While Jeffrey was busy with hisments, William turned to Katherine and caught her staring daggers at Margaret. He saw her back away and left the hall through the side door. The gears in his head churned, and he began to feel nervous as if something was going to happenwhat with the way she looked just now. She looked as though she was afraid. Contemting whether he should go after her, he hissed and followed her out of the room wordlessly.

    Jeffrey chuckled. "She probably saw the recent gossip about Damien and Katherine. Maybe she''s here to see for herself. What do you think?" He turned to his rightonly to find the spot where William was supposed to beempty. He turned around and realized that Katherine was nowhere to be found, too, causing his brows to knit together in confusion.

    Had he been talking to himself all along? "Hey Where did everybody go?" he wondered. Jeffrey let out a heavy sigh, grumbling as he grabbed a stick of cocktail food and ate by himself quietly.

    Meanwhile, Damien got on stage without knowing what was going on. He faced the crowd, and the first thing he looked for was Katherine. Uponying his eyes on the cocktail table where Jeffrey was, he frowned when he didn''t see her. His friend must have understood who he was looking for because Jeffrey shrugged at him.

    Casually scanning the room for Katherine, his heart raced at the thought of her possibly getting into trouble again. He desperately hoped that wasn''t the case.

    The audience waited for him to speak, and they started to wonder what was the hold-up. Markus whispered to his boss to catch his attention and urged him to start.

    Left with no choice, Damien began his speech to open the live auction, weing the guests and wishing them good luck for the bidding and the raffle while keeping a neutral expression. He didn''t say much as he wanted to keep it shortthe longer it went on, the more anxious he felt that he couldn''t see Katherine anywhere in the room.

    Just as he ended his speech, his phone buzzed in his inner suit pocket. He answered the call when he saw that it was his cousin, William.

    Because the live auction had already started, the function hall was loud and noisy, making it difficult for him to understand what his cousin said on the other line.

    Damien hurriedly walked out of the room to get better call reception, and as he stepped out of the hall, he bumped into William, who told him that he had witnessed Katherine drag Margaret out of the function hand now he couldn''t find them.

    Inside the dressing room

    Katherine''s sharp gaze was focused on Margaret and the pocket knife in her hand that confirmed her suspicion. Earlier when she caught sight of the woman approaching Damien, she thought she saw the other holding a metallic object inconspicuously that red under the bright chandeliers in the function hall.

    Her instincts kicked in, and so she got to Margaret as fast as she could. It was only when Katherine got a closer look at Margaret and saw the intent in her eyes that she knew she wasn''t there for a friendly visit.

    Without thinking much, Katherine was inclined to get Margaret out of there first, and so that''s what she did. Now, she was in a 3 x 6.5 meter locked dressing room with a violent woman pointing a knife at her.

    All of her senses were heightened, and she swiftly darted her eyes here and there, trying toe up with a n to subdue Margaret. She was no longer as nervous as soon as she had locked the door behind her, believing that it was better this way. Katherine was not scared facing Margaret like this because she was confident that she could handle her.

    However, fighting a psychopath like Margaret Hara was dangerous. Because when they became violent, they were impulsive and reckless.

    "You really came here to hurt Damien?" Katherine asked as she carefully stalked towards the other.

    Margaret stepped back, holding the knife tightly in her grasp as she spat, "I never want to hurt Damien! He''s the father of my child! I love him!"

    "Are you sure about that? You and I both know he wasn''t the father" Katherine detested her wordseven though she knew that the other was sick, it didn''t stop her from feeling irked when she heard it. This woman was indeed delusional.

    "Who are you to say that?! You don''t know anything!" Margaret waved the knife wildly in front of her, causing Katherine to step back.

    "You lost your baby years ago. I know it''s hard and painful but you need to remember what happened"

    "Shut up! You ruined everything! Damien and I should be togetherthat''s what''s supposed to happen! You You did this to us! You ruined everything!" Margaret''s tears started streaming down her face, her eyes full of rage and pain as she yelled.

    Katherine felt bad for her. Margaret was so sick that she wasn''t making any sense.

    Taking a careful step to the side, Katherine nned to corner the other. "If you really loved him, why were you going to hurt him?"

    "I have no choice If If he can''t be with me, then no one else can have him!"

    Just then, knocks sounded from the door. They initially ignored it, but their heads turned to the sound when they heard Damien''s voice from the other side.

    For a split second, Margaret stopped crying and anticipated for the door to open, but then she saw Katherine turning her head as well. This caused a drastic change in her moodshe became agitated and manic that she dashed towards Katherine, screaming as she raised the knife to stab the other. "AAAAAAAAHHH!!"

    Katherine snapped her head towards Margaret, steering to the side just before thetter could strike her with the de.

    Margaret didn''t stop there. She continued to sh and trash while Katherine avoided the attacks. Margaret didn''t have body coordinationshe was unpredictable as she was driven to strike without thinking while having abnormally elevated emotions. She had be hysterical.

    Katherine was tempted to take out the God of Death knives from the straps on her left leg, but she stopped herself from using themafraid that she might hurt Margaret if she did. As much as she hated the woman, thetter was sick, and she needed help, which was why she chose to fight with her bare hands. It was a bit of a challenge because while she avoided getting sliced by the knife, she also had to be careful not to hurt her.

    Suddenly, the door burst open and Damien found the horrifying scene before himMargaret violently flinging the knife at Katherine.

    "Damien!" Margaret cried out as soon as she saw him, a broad smile ghosting her lips as she stepped back and turned away from Katherine, then she scurried towards the door where Damien stood.

    "What the hell are you doing?!" Damien fumed, his eyes went wide with total bewilderment. He didn''t know what happenedall he knew was that this maniac was attacking Katherine.

    "I I came to see you" Margaret lowered the knife and strode towards him. She was now in between Katherine and Damien. "Our baby misses you," she added.

    The crease on his brows deepened, repulsed by what he just heard. "What the fck are you talking about?! Have you lost your mind?"

    "She''s mentally sick, Damien. She had been for years She was confined in a facility in Japan," Katherine informed him as she stalked forward.

    However, Margaret whipped the knife around again. The rage in her eyes was back when she flung the de towards Katherine. "Why is everybody saying that!!! I am not crazy!!!"

    "Margaret! Put the knife down!" Damienmanded.

    His voice was strong and loud that it startled Margaret, making her gasp and shiver as she cried, "No! You have toe with me. Our baby is waiting for you!"

    Katherine crept up behind Margaret. She met Damien''s stare, and she subtly nodded at him. With just simplemunication, they already knew what they had to do. Thus, he decided to go along with Margaret.

    "Okay I''ll go with you," he said.

    "Really?"

    He nodded. "But first, you have to put the knife down. That''s the only way I would go with you."

    Margaret nced at the knife in her hand. She loosened her grip but didn''t drop the knife yet.

    Katherine charged forward while Margaret was distracted. And with expert hands, she twisted the other''s wrist, causing the knife to fall.

    Kicking the knife away, Katherine simultaneously grabbed hold of Margaret, looping her right arm around the other''s neck and locking it in a chokehold position. Katherine applied pressure until Margaret lost consciousness, only letting go when thetter''s body went limp. She carefullyid her down on the floor and breathed a sigh of relief.

    "She''ll be fine," she said.

    Damien immediately pulled Katherine into his embracerelieved that she was safe. Then he asked William and Markus to call an ambnce and contact Mr. Hara to inform him about the situation.

    What an exhausting night.

 Chapter 539: How A Crazy Night Ends (1)

    Chapter 539: How A Crazy Night Ends (1)

    In order not to attract attention from the media, Damien had Markus arrange an alternative pathway for the ambnce to arrive in the resort without alerting the mediawhich was through the backdoor. Markus, William, Katherine, and Damien, along with a few Maverick Security detail were the only ones present when the ambnce entered the premises.

    The medical staff brought an ambnce stretcher inside, strapped Margaret on it, and wheeled her out of the building. They had already been informed regarding her condition, so they took precautionary measures to ensure that the patient was safe from herself and to others.

    Mr. Hara had been contacted at the same time that they called for the ambnce. He was so shocked to hear about what happened that he initially wanted to head over to Crown Resort, but they advised him to just meet his daughter at the hospital because the resort was quite a distance and it wasn''t convenient.

    Apologizing profusely, Mr. Hara promised to settle this matter promptly and contact Damien soon after. He extended his heartfelt expression of regret towards Katherine whom her daughter had also troubled, his voice was pitiful when he heard about the incident.

    Although Katherine was distressed about what happened, she felt sorry about Margaret''s condition more than she was angry about what she did. Truth be told, dealing with crazy exes of Damien was never something she had ever thought would happen to her. So as much as she wanted Margaret to be punished for her attempt to harm Damien, the former needed help from the professionals. She was a danger to the people around her because of her violent tendencies.

    What Katherine heard from Styles about Margaret was very timely that it was a blessing. If she hadn''t learned about her mental condition, things would have probably gone in a different direction.

    While everyone watched the ambnce sped off into the road, Katherine turned to gaze at Damien, her eyesced with worry and uneasiness as she recalled the scene she saw earlier just before she dragged Margaret out of the function hall. She couldn''t imagine what would have happened then if she hadn''t gotten to her in time.

    Noticing the stare she was giving him, he gazed back at her with a questioning look as he scanned her face and saw the concerned expression. "What''s wrong? Are you okay? Are you hurt somewhere?" he worried.

    Damien quickly examined her from head to toefor the second time. And just as Katherine reassured him that she was okay, he grabbed hold of her arm and saw that her left sleeve had a tear. Narrowing his eyes, he moved the fabric aside and it was just as he suspectedshe had a cut and it was bleeding.

    "You''re wounded," he said. "Why didn''t you tell me?

    "What?" Katherine checked what he was referring to.

    The sleeve of her dress was ripped and there was a two-inch cut. The wound was still slightly fresh, but she wasn''t bleeding as theceration wasn''t that deep. She figured that the pocket knife Margaret was waving about had grazed her without her noticing.

    "I''ll take you to the hospital," said Damien. He was already giving instructions to Markus and William while she tried to convince him that it wasn''t that serious.

    "I swear, I''m fine. Look, it''s not even bleeding" Katherine pulled her sleeves up to show him, but the furrows on his brows refused to rx. "I''ll just wash this clean and put a bandage on it and I''ll be okay. You don''t need to take me to a hospital"

    "But you need to see a doctor. What if you''re hurt somewhere else?"

    "I don''t need stitches for this. It''s just a graze, Damien. If you''re really adamant that I see a doctor, I''ll let Jeffrey check me"

    Damien''s brows furrowed deeper. He was initially concerned but the thought of his friend doing a thorough physical check-up on Katherine didn''t sit well with him. "There''s no way I would allow him to check your body." He clicked his tongue.

    "He''s a doctor" she reasoned, her voice questioning his thoughts.

    "He''s your head doctor. At most, he can only look at your head and that arm," he responded in a firm tone. Unless she was in grave danger, he just couldn''t allow it.

    "You''re being silly." Katherine chuckled, seeing as Damien was being childish at the moment.

    "Are you sure you don''t have any more injuries?"

    Nodding, she revealed a sweet smile at him, her hand sliding inside his suit and resting on his waist as she said, "I''m sure. There''s no need to worry."

    "Fine." Damien exhaled a sigh as he took out a handkerchief and wrapped it around her arm, covering the wounded area and tying it in ce securely.

    Seeing the couple being all cutesy, William made an irked face. Dog food had been thrown at his face when he didn''t even ask for it. "Jeez I feel my blood sugar has spiked up just watching you two."

    He shook his head and walked away, but he stopped in his tracks and turned back when Katherine called him. "Yes?" He cocked his brow.

    She heard that William went after her when she left the hall because he was worried and that he had told Damien what happened, so she was genuinely touched by the concern he showed. Although she was still hesitant in trusting him, she appreciated what he did and was willing to put her difort aside.

    "Thank you," she muttered.

    William had not expected her to thank him at all. He didn''t even think there was anything to be thankful for. His eyes darted between her and Damien who nodded at him as if he was saying:''Just ept her expression of gratitude''.

    And so he nodded at her, acknowledging her thanks before heading back to the function hall. The scene from inside the dressing room earlier yed in his mind. It was the first time he had seen Katherine move like that, albeit briefly, was still impressive. His views on her changedshe didn''t seem like the same Katherine he thought she was a few months ago. She was a strong-willed and capable woman, and she earned his respecta different level kind of respect.

    Damien removed his suit jacket and draped it over her shoulders, closing the buttons in front to cover her exposed chest. Then he held her hand and said, "Let''s get inside."

    "Mm. Can we stay here tonight?" Katherine probed with a smile that brightened her face.

    He kissed her temple and nodded, matching her smile with his own. "Our suite is ready."

 Chapter 540: How A Crazy Night Ends (2)

    Chapter 540: How A Crazy Night Ends (2)

    Once Damien and Katherine returned to the function hall twenty minutester, she had already cleaned her wound and put a bandage on it. There wasn''t much she could do with the tear on her sleeve, so she just used a tiny safety pin to close it from the inside. Thankfully, the long sleeves weren''t tight, so unless someone would examine it, no one would know that it got damaged.

    Damien tried to convince her to change into a new dress, but she declined and told him that she loved the dress too much, and she would want to keep wearing it throughout the event as the damage was small enough to be ignored anyway. Like he always did, he told her that he would ask Mr. West to fix it for her, so she could still keep the dress.

    The g in the hall went on as if nothing happened outside of its walls. The guests pretty much remained in a celebratory mood. The live auction was still ongoing and when Katherine and Damien entered the venue, they looked for Jeffrey and joined him and William as they watched Alianna and Caleb on stage, modeling for pieces of jewelry that were auctioned.

    The raffle draw followed after the auctionthe most awaited portion of the night, and it onlymenced at ten in the evening. It was thest event, and everyone was excited to win the prizes. The guests were all from wealthy families in Esmea, and for sure, they could afford a trip to the Maldives or pay for amodation to any of Damien''s resorts, but who doesn''t want an all-expenses-paid vacation?

    Apart from the prizes, the winners would also be allocated a certain percentage from the total amount that the g had raised that night, which would be given to their choice of charity and donated under their name. And for the guests who were in need of this ''charitable action'', they could use this to boost their reputation.

    The world of the rich in Esmea was fascinating.

    ...

    The g ended, and the guests began to disperse. Some of them drove home while the others chose to stay in the resort for the night. And because Katherine and Damien decided to stay, they headed towards the elevators in the lobby.

    Leaving the hall, they met Daniel and Samantha Cho. Daniel then introduced his wife to Katherine, and the two women shook hands.

    "It''s nice to meet you. No wonder this guy has been quiet in the tabloids these years" said Samantha. "I just met you, and I can already tell that he''s lucky..."

    Katherine smiled, taking what she said as apliment. There was something about her that made Katherine feel as if she didn''t have to put her guard up. This feeling was rare, and it intrigued her. Samantha was beautif total head-turner. She had this air around her that one would notice immediately that she belonged in the upper ss, yet she didn''t look pretentious at all. She heard from Damien that she was already a mother of two, and Katherine wondered if that was the reason why she had a friendly yet mature vibe.

    "I am luckier," Katherine beamed. "And I just met you but I can already tell we''re gonna be good friends."

    She surprised herself when she said that, and even Damien didn''t expect to see the two click so fast. The men exchanged puzzled looks, both of them thinking the same thingthat it was quite interesting and also a bit worrisome that Katherine and Samantha became friends in a snap.

    Only the two of them could understand how the love of their lives were the only ones capable of bringing them to their knees.

    They were whipped. Absolutely whipped.

    "Thanks for the vi. We''ll see you at breakfast tomorrow," Daniel told Damien as they parted.

    "Have fun." Katherine smiled at Samantha and thetter winked in response as she left with her husband.

    Vi nc

    As soon as they entered their room, Damien pulled Katherine into his arms and squeezed her tight, burying his face into the crook of her neck. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, inhaling her scent that he loved the most, and it instantly eased his worries. He had been feeling uneasy since the incident earlier. It wasn''t until the event had finished, and they had entered the suite that he finally felt a total sense of relief.

    She could feel that he was tensed as she slid her arms around his torso and returned his embrace. Then she felt him rx.

    "You have no idea how scared I was earlier." His voice was muffled when he spoke against her skin.

    "Nothing happened. And I won''t allow myself to get hurt. I could have ended it right away but I didn''t want to use force on her," she answered.

    Damien straightened up but kept his arms encircled around her, locking his gaze with hers. "To be honest, I wouldn''t care if you did. She hurt you, and you could retaliate."

    "I could, yeah. But I don''t bully the weak. And she''s at a disadvantage already. It wouldn''t be a fair fight."

    He threw his head backughing, amused at her confident tone. He didn''t doubt her at all. Kissing her forehead, he brushed his hands up and down her side and told her, "I''m just d that you''re safe Well, apart from that wound on your arm."

    "It''s just a tiny onedoesn''t even hurt. It will heal up tomorrow You''ll see!" she reassured.

    "So you''re okay to move?" Damien slid a hand down to her hip, dangerously inching southward.

    A smile slowly formed on Katherine''s face at the apparent invitationwhich she answered with the same desire, gliding her hands up to his chest and loosening his tie. "Oh, I can move and dance and grind" She captured his bottom lip and sucked on it while she began unbuttoning his shirt. "I told you I haven''t quenched my thirst yet."

    "And I told you, I am not done with you yet." Damien responded to her kisses. She took steps backward as he kept advancing towards her, carefully maneuvering her towards the bathroom.

    His shirt was off faster than he unzipped her dress. And his pants fell to the floor just as her dress dropped.

    Oh, yeah. Tonight was definitely going to be one hell of a night.

 Chapter 541: In Which She Loved The Stream

    Chapter 541: In Which She Loved The Stream

    There were eight vis in this resortone of which was exclusive to Damien, Vi nc, while the rest were avable for guests. The resort screamed luxury throughout; the quality and grandeur definitely spoke of Damien''s high standards. From the miniscule details to the focal pointseverything was thoughtfully considered.

    Vi nc opened directly onto an ocean panoramic view. It wasn''t the first time that Katherine saw the ce as she and Damien already had an on-site visit before the official opening. The vi took her breath away the first time she saw it, and that was during the dayit was even more beautiful now.

    Not that she cared about her surroundings at the moment. How could she when the two of them were currently caught up in a heated moment?

    Carefully ushering Katherine towards the ready bathtub, Damien peeled off everyst piece of clothing on her until she was bare naked under his touch without breaking their kiss and their tongues dancing togetherall while she was busy stripping off his underwear.

    The bathroom had mirrored walls, one section had the toilet and shower, while the other area had sinks on the left and right and a massive square bathtub by the huge window with a sea view. Yellow light illuminated the ce, but the moon in the sky was the most beautiful light.

    Warm water and rose petals filled the bathtuban inviting sight that made you want to rx.

    But Damien and Katherine didn''t n on rxing tonight. They had a rewarding marathon to run.

    Breaking their kiss, he held her hand and helped her into the tub, then he followed her inside. He pulled her down with him and positioned her in between his legs with her back facing him and she leaned against his chest. "Tonight was exhausting, huh?"

    "Hmmm it''s one crazy night." Katherine settledfortably in his arms, allowing his hands to caress her stomach.

    "I''m sorry you got hurt. I don''t know how she got in, but I promise you, she can''t go near you again."

    Slightly turning sideways so she could see his face, she answered in a worried tone, "Damien She was here to hurt you. Why are you apologizing for that?" She sighed. "I can''t imagine what would have happened if I hadn''t gotten to her in time."

    He pressed a kiss on her temple and a few more on her cheeks. "Thank you. You''re my heroine."

    Katherineughed, and heughed along with her. She positioned herself so that she was impossibly closer to him as he embraced her tightly. "You would have done the same thing for me.

    "Without a doubt. I''d do it in a heartbeat."

    "Then there''s no need to thank me. I wouldn''t wish for any of that to happen, of course, but you and I would do the same thing for each other without questions. That''s what we do. Let''s stop talking about irrelevant people. I want to enjoy this view with you."

    "Mm. Let me reward you. Would you like a massage?" he probed, yet his hands already slid on her shoulders without waiting for her to answer.

    Katherine moaned and rxed her shoulders, loving the way Damien''s skillful hands eased the knots on her muscles. "Yes that feels so nice."

    "I''ll take care of you tonight, Love," he whispered behind her while he squeezed and glided his hands along her arms and then her back, pressing some pressure points that made her moan again. Her reaction was music to his earsan approval that sent him wanting to please her in ways more than one.

    They were positioned in the tub such that they faced the view of the sea, with the sky, the palm trees, and the water as their audience. It was calm that night, the gentle crashing of the waves and the soft dancing of the greenery outside was pleasing to watch that she kept her eyes open as she enjoyed the massage.

    The tender rubbing motion of his thumb and fingers on her was heavenly. And from time to time, he would teasingly slide his hands closer to her full breasts. He was warm, and the sensation and the brushing of water against her flesh made her nipples erectit was almost painful if she wasn''t enjoying her state.

    Katherine ced her hands on his thigh and gave him a bit of a rub, then she heard him groan in pleasure at the same time that she felt his growing shaft poke the small of her back.

    Leaning more into him, she subtly moved her upper body so that her back rubbed his sensitive spot. He let out a heavy breath against her ear just before his lips found her neck''s sensitive flesh where he sucked and soothed with his tongue.

    Damien cupped her breasts and yed with the nubsslightly pinching them until he earned a wince of delight. He kneaded her globes, asionally squeezing that they nearly spilled out of hisrge hands. Then his tongue flicked against the pulse of her neck, and her breathing got ragged. "Aahhh"

    "You taste so good," he murmured.

    Keeping one hand ying with her breasts alternately, he slid the other downwards, caressing her abdomen. The anticipation of his touch on her center was overwhelming that she pushed her hip towards his hand.

    "Touch me," she demanded. "Please."

    Katherine didn''t have to ask twice. She closed her eyes just as his fingers caressed her clit. "Mmmm So good" she breathed, and he continued rubbing her in circles, sliding up and down the slit of her core.

    Her hand skated up his groin until she found his hard-on. He sucked on her earlobe with a grunt when she wrapped her fingers around his huge girth and stroked him. "Ugh. Yes."

    An erotic gasp escaped her lips when Damien slid two fingers inside her. "Oh, my gah!" The rubbing of his thumb on her sweet knob surprised her that she abruptly gripped his hand that was pleasuring her core. His fingers went rigid, and she all but held it down further into her at the same time that she rode on his hand.

    "More More please, Damien"

    Her breast felt bare when he removed his hand. And she watched him press some buttons on the side of the tub. In the next second, warm bubbles started forming around them and in the middle of the tubDamien had turned on the jet streams.

    Katherine anticipated what he was going to do next as he carefully removed her hand from him, and then moved her towards the center where it was bubbling while his fingers were still inside her, keeping her full and pacified.

    "Spread your legs," he ordered, at the same time that he lifted both her legs over his until the back of her knees touched his thighsshe was now spread-eagled inside the tub.

    Then with a gentle nudge forward, Damien had her opening hovered over a jet stream. She gasped loudly as he removed his fingers out of her, but the gentle stream against her pussy reced the sensation she missed just now, causing her to moan.

    "Is that okay?" he probed, his hand brushing against her groin, making sure that she was positioned just right.

    "Oh, my god, yes so good" she hummed. "So good" The warm and bubbly stream hit her in the right ces.

    He captured her neck with his mouth once again, and she cried in pleasure when he bit her shoulderit was just the right amount of pain she was looking forand then his tongue relieved the same spot. It was a mixture of pain and pleasure that she weed and begged for more.

    "Oh, fck," Damien groaned as he cursed when Katherine grabbed his cock behind her and then rubbed him hard. The harshness of his tone gave her a sense of satisfaction, wanting to provide him with more pleasure like he was giving her at the moment.

    "AAAHHH!!!" She let out a loud cry right after he mmed his hand on one of the buttons at the side of the tubDamien had increased the pressure of the stream just as his fingers found her clit again. The intensity of everything that''s happening to her all at once made her legs shake.

    Katherine''s back was pressed against his chest, but her hand didn''t stop stroking up and down his hard length. Grunting, Damien thrust his swelling shaft into her hand.

    They were both trembling in pleasure, hungry for more friction. Her fingers dug into his arm, and she begged for more as she chased her release.

    "Damien! I''mAhhhh!!!" She cried out as his teeth met the flesh of her shoulder. "Almost there"

    "Not yet." His voice was hard and rough. "Hold it," he ordered.

    She felt empty when his hands left her, but he held her steady as he beckoned her to face him. "Come."

    Without hesitation, she got up and turned to face him. Then Katherine straddled on top of Damien and lowered herself until she felt the roof of his erection against her entrance.

    "Tell me what you want," she asked, kissing his lips and teasing him as she ground on him.

    He gripped her waist and pressed her to him as he said in a sexy, rough voice that sent jolts of shock down her core, "Ride me."

 Chapter 542: In Which She Rode

    Chapter 542: In Which She Rode

    ...

    "Ride me." Damien''smand was Katherine''s fantasy.

    His authoritative tone made her wetter and more ready than she already washis shaft almost slipped inside her when he pushed himself to her opening. Her arms flew around his neck, and she whimpered as he gripped her hips hard.

    "Not yet," she breathed. She slid the palms of her hands down his hard chest, relishing the smoothness of the nes as she glided them down to his abdominal muscles. Katherine admired his physiquehe kept himself fit despite how busy he was everyday.

    "What?" His eyes were hazy when he looked up at her, confused as to why she was refusing him.

    A knowing smile danced on her lips when she found her little revenge on him. "You stopped me froming when I was almost there, now you have to wait."

    "You''re. Vicious." Damien grunted, rubbing himself between her folds with quick motions to ease his urge, the tip of his penis jabbing against her entrance. The sensation wasn''t enough, and it was killing him that he sucked her breast in frustration. "Utterly gorgeous and vicious. And mine," he said in between kisses.

    "Mmmm"

    Katherine''s moan was all he needed to know that she enjoyed this as much as he did. He loved pleasing herhe always did as it gave him satisfaction.

    He tried entering her, but she would pull back with a smile. It only made him want her more. It was human nature to want something you can''t have.

    The torturous wait was intense, building up their carnal desires to a high that they didn''t want toe down. And he was about to lose himself.

    Feeling his impatience as he humped, she too nearly lost her control that she realized she wasn''t torturing him onlyshe was torturing herself too. But it was the kind of torture that she didn''t actually want toin about.

    "Aaahh" She arched her body towards him when he ced her nipple between his teeth, causing her body to fire upshe thought she was burning.

    She threaded her fingers through his hair, massaging his head as she slightly moved her hips to tease him further and offering her other breast for attentionin which he dly took in his mouth, and he sucked like it was his only life source.

    Looking up at her, his hooded eyes begged for mercy. "Baby... I can''t... I need to"

    She nodded. "Take me"

    And Damien all but shoved his hard, thick cock into Katherine, earning a sweet cry from her.

    He groaned in satisfaction when he finally got what he had been aching for. Although he had already made love to her earlier that night, he just couldn''t get enough of her.

    Her breathing hitched, feeling so full inside that her mouth formed into an O. His movement was so abrupt that she almost came as soon as he entered her. She lost count of how many times they had made love, but she would always end up getting shocked every time they do.

    He trailed kisses along her jaw and down her neck. He sucked and licked the base of her throat, her vicle, and her chest, leaving a trail of love bites on her skin.

    As Katherine felt his hands slightly rx on her hips, she nted her hands on the hot tub''s wall behind him for support. Then she began to rock her hips, his length sliding in and out of her as she did.

    Damien looked at her. His eyes were lustful just like hers were when their gazes met. He brushed away the hair on one side of her face and tucked them behind her ear. Her hair was so long that they cascaded like a waterfall on his chest. "Beautiful. You''re so beautiful, Katherine."

    "Mmm" She could only moan as she drowned in ecstasy in his arms.

    "And so good. Sht." He buried his face onto her breasts, his tongue swiftly flicking her flesh. She yelped when he pped her ass, a sensation that she fully weed and craved for.

    Katherine steeled herself and gained bnce as she rode him. And as she moved faster, the water flowed out of the tub. The sound of their skin smacking together and the water crashing onto the floor filled the bathroom, ringing in her ear and turning her on even more.

    His electric touch explored her body, skimming her thighs, sides, arms, breasts, and back. It was intimate and wonderfully familiar that she wished he wouldn''t stop. Every part of her became sensitivewhenever and wherever he caressed her evoked immense pleasure. It was driving her mad.

    ''Dear heavens.'' She was so thankful that he knew her body more than she didthe erogenous zones to touch, the spots to press or kiss.

    She lifted his face from her chest and captured his lips with fervent need, slipping her tongue into his mouth. She kissed him hard and deep, and he returned them with the same intensity.

    Katherine could sing his name over and over, praising him for the man that he wasthe man that she loved. Her heart throbbed at their blissful state.

    "Faster, Kitten Deeper" Damien begged as he rammed inside her repeatedly and unapologetically to the hilt.

    "MmmffDamien!" Katherine''s cry was muffled against his mouth. "I''ming"

    Hearing the extreme urgency in her melodious voice, he hastened his moves, meeting her every thrust. Her core tightened around him like a suction on his rod, and he knew she was so close that it pushed him to drive into her even deeper. "F-Fck."

    She shifted her position when she became frantic as if she didn''t know what to do. She needed more and wanted more. Feeling lost and hazy in their carnal bliss, tears streamed down her faceyet she wasn''t hurt, and nor was she sad. It was so intense, but she didn''t want it to end. At the same time, she yearned to reach the edge of her orgasm. So close she was so close.

    Chasing her orgasm, Katherine rode on him like she had never before, clutching his shoulder tightly that her fingers dug into his skin, making him grunt. And as Damien gripped the globes of her ass, pushing her further down on him, she screamed his name and found her release. "Aaaahhhh"

    She quivered and trembled, and her head fell into the crook of his neck, embracing him tightly as he continued to pound into her. Then he came soon after.

    "Katherine" he murmuredas if her name was his drug. He called her his heroine, and she indeed was.

    His length pulsated inside her contracting walls, and she gently ground on him as she squeezed her eyes shut. Katherine could still feel the remnants of her climaxthe sensual feeling refused to leave her.

    With their thrusting slowing down, they pulled back slightly and met each other''s gaze. A steady, satisfied smile formed on their faces when they kissed.

    "Wow" he sighed. "You are amazing."

    He caressed the small of her back and kissed her again. Their faces were flushed, and their heartbeat gradually returned to normal.

    "I love you," he whispered to her ear.

    Katherine heard him, but she could only manage to nod and hum in response. Her limbs went limp from their strenuous yet passionate act of love. She was spent, all of her energy leaving her body. That night turned out to be something she did not expect at all.

    But it wasn''t totally out of their typical these days. This was their new normalfighting bad guys and teaching ignorant or crazy women during the day, and making love at night.

    As long as they were together, nothing was going to stop them.

    Once they had calmed down, Damien stroked her back and told her in a gentle tone, "Let''s get to bed. We''ve stayed long enough."

    Katherine nodded, but she didn''t budge an inch. She was so exhausted that her body refused to move. "I can''t. Too tired," she said.

    He let out a soft chuckle and pressed his lips to her cheek. Then he effortlessly got up and carried her out of the tub, carefully stepping onto the floor mat to avoid slipping.

    They quickly washed in the shower before leaving the bathroom and drying off with the fluffy white towels.

    Damien snapped his head to face her when she sighed as she crawled on the bed with him. "You okay?" he asked, slipping under the covers with herthey remained naked under the sheets.

    Katherine shook her head and leaned on his chest as he pulled her into his arms. "It was a long night. I''m just d it''s over."

    He cocked a brow as he looked at her, "Who said it''s over?"

    "Huh?" She lifted her gaze and saw the devilish smirk on his face.

    Then she yelped in surprise when he flipped her onto her back and held her hands above her head. "Baby, we''re just getting started," he teased right before he dipped his head to her neck.

    Damien Parksuch an insatiable man.

 Chapter 543: Terrifying

    Chapter 543: Terrifying

    Longshes fluttered with the eyelids revealing a dark pool of eyes that were Damiens. At seven in the morning, the sun''s rays shone through the tall windows with the beach as a backdrop. But December''s climate was friendly, and the sunshine wasn''t harsh at all. The weather was perfect that day.

    He took a deep breath, and his eyes lowered to the woman lying on his bare chest. The white nket covered him quite lowly around the hips, showcasing his naked torso sculpted with the nes of his muscles and Katherine was hugging him tightlyno, possessively. Her hand that was resting on his abs disyed the beautiful engagement ring on her finger, reminding him ofst night.

    The sight and the feeling of her being there with him as soon as he woke up was like the best reward after a good night''s sleep. With an arm around her, he tightened his hold and pressed a kiss on her head. She shifted and turned away from him, curling into a ball with her smooth, bare back facing him. A charming smile formed on his face as he slid his hand across her stomach, caressing her softly as he muttered sweet words above her.

    "I''ll have our breakfast delivered," he whispered, knowing that she didn''t like loud noises in the morning.

    Katherine didn''t nod, nor did she speak, but she let out a gentle hum as her response. He doubted that she actually heard him in her state, making him softly chuckle.

    The shing and buzzing of his smartphone on the nightstand caught his attention. His hand flew to grab it so that it won''t create more noise due to its rattling on the side table''s surface. When he saw that it was Markus, Damien swung his legs off the bed and grabbed a pair of underwear from the closet before sauntering towards the balcony''s gorgeous view.

    "Markus," he answered the call.

    "Good morning, Boss. Mr. Hara called just now. He said he wants to meet with you this morning if it''s possible." Markus''s clear voice was evident that he was still all business even if it was a Sunday morning.

    "I have some personal matters to take care of today. I won''t have time to meet with him. But give him the number to my work phone. He can call me instead."

    "Understood. Shall I ask the kitchen to send you breakfast?" Markus probed.

    "Yes. ck for me as usual, and hot chocte for Katherine," he said, referring to their drinks. "Also, send my apologies to the Chos. We''re supposed to meet them early today for breakfast. Give them the best course before they leave for Mayne today."

    The phone call ended after Markus acknowledged his boss''s orders.

    Standing out in the balcony with nothing but his boxer briefs hugging his privates securely, Damien stood with his hands on his waist, admiring the beautiful scenery of his resort''s beach in front of him.

    He had seen beaches countless times due to owning many hotel and resort chains worldwide, but this has been, by far, the best view that he got. Esmea''s waters and picturesque views were still the best. How he started getting into the resort business years ago shed in his mind and he smiled at the memory.

    Breaking his train of thoughts, his phone rang. When it showed an unlisted number shing on his screen, he deduced that it was Mr. Hara calling him.

    "This is Damien Park," he answered.

    "Good morning, Chairman Park. This is Jun Hara. I hope I didn''t disturb you this early in the morning."

    It had been a while since the two saw each other. Mr. Jun Hara was a man in his sixties, yet the way he addressed Damien so politely was admirable and slightly ufortable. After all, he was half the other''s age.

    But Damien had already gotten used to it after meeting so many businessmen who were much older than him. A lot of them, however, had pride as tall as Mt. Everest who couldn''t ept that he was more sessful than them. But Jun Hara wasn''t like that. Despite what happened in the past, Damien remembered where Margaret''s father''s stance was in their situation. And for that, he respected him.

    "It''s okay, President Hara. I was already awake anyway. What can I do for you?" he asked, even though he already knew why he was calling him directly.

    A long sigh was heard from the other line before he heard the older man say, "I just want to apologize for what my daughter caused youst night personally. It''s a shame that you had to find out this way."

    Snippets of the young and vibrant Margaret Hara shed in Damien''s mindfrom the times they were together in the past and the manic woman fromst night. He could barely recognize her as she initially appeared to be ''normal''who knew she was this sick? "How long has she been like this?"

    Mr. Hara began to tell Damien how his daughter stayed in Japan. It wasn''t that serious in the past, but over time, her condition worsened. She kept demanding to see Damien and their baby, refusing to ept reality. After her outrage in the facility, Margaret had gone through so many therapies. She had shown excellent progress in her recoverywhich was why she was allowed to be discharged, given that she follows a strict routine of taking her medication.

    Beforeing back to the U.S, she lived normally in their house in Japan for some time. Thinking that she was all better, Mr. Hara allowed her toe back to Esmea, not knowing that she would still show violence to this extent. He guessed that she must have had another shock after seeing and hearing many rumors regarding Damien and Katherine.

    "Margaret was a lovely girl" Mr. Hara sighed. "Her mother was also sick before she passed, but it didn''t get to this stage."

    "I''m sorry to hear that." Damien clenched his jaw tightly. Truth be told, he was d that what happened in the past happened. Because he really dodged a bullet on this one. Or who knows where he would be now?

    Subconsciously, he turned his head to the side and saw Katherine in bed still fast asleep. Yep, definitely dodged a bullet. He was d she came to his life even before he knew it.

    When he noticed Katherine stirring and waking up, he smiled at her and turned his attention back to the phone call, saying, "Although it''s upsetting to find out that Margaret could do this to me I''m honestly more unsettled that my fiance got hurt in the process. I wouldn''t do what I would do if it ended horribly."

    "I am deeply sorry. I take full responsibility for my daughter''s actions. I failed as a father I can assure you that she will be put into care and make sure that she will get the treatment she needs." Mr. Hara''s voice faltered while he spoke, and it was heartbreaking.

    The sliding door behind Damien opened, and Katherine came out with a nket wrapped around her body, her hand clutching the sheets to avoid it from fallingshe was still naked under it. Her hair was a bit messy, but she was beautiful, regardless.

    "Morning," she greeted in a faint voice that was almost a whisper. She pressed her lips to his upper arm, and he immediately pulled her to his chest. Leaning against him and smiling as she looked up and met his loving gaze, she waited for him to tell her that everything was okay with his phone call.

    She didn''t verbally ask him, but he somehow understood her concern, so he curled his lips into a smile and nodded to reassure her before kissing her forehead. Then he felt her arm around his torso.

    Damien ended the call a few secondster, bringing his attention to Katherine as he told her what the phone call was about. Both of them feel sorry for the woman, but neither of them thought they would ever want her out again. Margaret was just too dangerous to be let loose.

    "Please tell me you don''t have anymore crazy exes." Katherine frowned, a crease forming between her brows as she looked at Damien with a serious face.

    "Well As long as you don''t be an exnot that I would ever allow that to happenagain. Then there''s nothing for me to worry about."

    It took her a few beats to realize what he just said. Did he just say she would be a crazy one, too?

    And then she pped his hard abs. "Hey!!!"

    Damien''sugh reverberated, his chest and shoulders shaking while he hugged her tighter.

    "Tch." Katherine red her brown eyes at him. And there was not an ounce of hesitation when she told him, "You better think I won''t hesitate to use the knives on you if you ever give me a reason, Damien Park."

    With a devilish smirk on his face, he responded in a yful tone, "Ooh My Kitten''s so terrifying!"

 Chapter 544: Who?

    Chapter 544: Who?

    At nine in the morning, Damien was in the walk-in closet changing when his personal phone rang. Walking across the room with only his pants on, he grabbed a fresh white shirt from the rack and quickly put it on before checking who was calling. When he saw that it was Styles requesting a video conference, he walked over to the window and answered the call.

    "Styles," Damien said after answering the call, extending his phone in front of him to show a better angle on the video.

    The screen showed two videosone was Damien''s and the other was Styles, at his back were Amelia, Gus, Felix, and Chris. They all waved to greet as Styles quickly typed something on his keyboard and muttered, "HeyOh Um..." Styles swallowed.

    Confused at Styles''s reaction, Damien''s brows knitted. He was waiting for the other to continue when he saw Katherine behind him at the corner of the screen. She was caught by the camera as she got out of the bathroom with only her towel wrapped around her chestoblivious that a video conference hadmenced. Even though it was only a small image, he was aware that the others were using aputerthe video was clearer and bigger on their end and they were seeing her barely covered.

    Damien abruptly shifted the position of the phone in his hand and pulled it closer to his face, his brows angrily crossed as he red at the four men from the other line.

    "Uh" Styles coughed while the other three casually looked away from the screen, not wanting to look at Damien in the eye.

    "What do you need?" asked Damien, his voice cold and sharp.

    "Right. The news is about to go live. They have updates regarding the senator''s autopsy report."

    "What channel?"

    Damien swiftly got the remote and turned on the TV, switching to the channel that Styles directed him to. Then they all started watching the news report that had just begun.

    Katherine joined them soon after, already dressed in her casual clothes.

    On TV, a reporter was interviewing a male doctor of the hospital.ording to the reporter, the autopsy results had already been out since a couple of days ago. But because of Health Insurance Portability and ountability or HIPAA, which provides security provisions and data privacy to keep patient''s medical information safe, the result was kept private by the family.

    However, today, they decided to announce the result to the public who had been adamant to know what exactly happened to the senator while she was in the hospital.

    Then the doctor began, "The patient was brought to the emergency room unconscious and in serious condition. Traces of high dosage of alcohol and sedativeponents were found in the system. The medical team did their best to provide health care. However, the patient suffered from the side effects of the intoxication and the presence of sedatives in her system, and passed away due to cardiac arrest."

    The reporter asked a few more questions to the doctor, explicitly asking if there was foul y on the senator''s death. The doctor was careful not to release statements that werepromising and directed the reporter to ask the police that question instead. So the interview ended fast.

    Before the news ended, the reporter added some points regarding the senator''s death, stating that the hospital was saying that they ruled out the possibility of a foul ythen assuring that they would get a police''s statement at the end of the day. "The family requests everyone to respect their privacy at this time of bereavement. They would like to mourn in peace."

    The news ended, and all of them let out a sigh. Although they still had to wait for an official statement from the police, the light got brighter for Felix. And if things would go well as they hoped, that would mean he didn''t have to hide anymore.

    However, even though the news report was somewhat positive that morning, their little sense of relief was crushed when Styles informed the others that he received an alert from Shadow''s baseParker had assigned one of his agents to investigate the matter. This meant that the hospital would be checked in the hopes to find and trace Felix.

    The senator had many enemies because of her position in the CongressParker knew this much. And although he believed that Senator Jones was the one who harmed herself and met her demise, he didn''t want to rule out the possibility that it could be a deliberate attack. And if those enemies were after the senator because of Shadow, then for sure, he wouldn''t let it slide.

    With this, Katherine, Damien, and the team understood that they weren''t in the clear yet especially when the women saw Parker in Harbor City the day before.

    Crown Resort was outside the city proper of Harbor, which was why Damien and Katherine''s trip to the safe house took a while as they had to travel to the opposite side. And by the time that they arrived in the location, it was already noontime.

    The two entered through the front door and were greeted by Amelia. She and Damien exchanged brief hugs while she smiled at Katherine.

    Looking at Styles across the room, Katherine couldn''t help butment, "You look terrible. Did you even sleep?"

    "Nah, I stayed up all night working. This is my gazillionth coffee." He raised a mug in the air with a crooked grin before turning his back on them and faced hisputer again. He had dark circles around his eyes, looking like a zombie. He clearly needed some sleep.

    While the two friends were chatting, Chris watched Amelia and Damien''s interaction from a distance. It caught his attention, and he definitely found it odd. Why was it that Amelia looked closer to Damien than Katherine? First, Damien was Katherine''s partnerif anything, it was more understandable if it was Amelia and Katherine who would appear more bonded due to their simritiesaka both former female Shadow agents and both of them had gone rogue. So seeing Damien and Amelia like this didn''t make sense to him at all. Just who was Damien to her?

    Wanting to voice out the questions in his head Chris stepped forward. "You"

    "HolyGuys! You have got to see this! Come quick!" Styles burst, calling everyone''s attention to his monitor. He was sitting in the middle of the room with a panoramic view of his monitors with several windows opened and programs running.

    The group snapped their heads to his direction, their expressions full of anticipation and concern, wondering what he had discovered in that intelligent device of his.

    They walked towards his work station, their eyes already glued to the screens as he turned around and scanned their faces. Then he dered, "You are not going to believe what I just found!"

    "What is it?" Katherine asked.

    On the screen with many windows opened, one of which was a CCTV footage of Central Harbor Restaurant''s front entrance. Simultaneously tapping the keyboard, Styles exined, "Okay, so you gave me the list of the guests who were in the restaurant, right?"

    Damien and Katherine nodded.

    "So, I ran a program to check on all of their profiles to gather as much information as I could." Styles waved his hands at the monitors as he spoke, pointing out important factors that were found on the screen. "All the details of who they are, what they doyada yada yadayou know the drill. And then, obviously, I looked through the footage to see what time that NIADirector Hughes arrived at the restaurant. But of course, just like the previous times when we were looking through Chris''s ''shenanigans'', I didn''t see the directoring in and out of the building"

    "Hmmm" Chris hummed. "I never saw her enter and leave either. Whenever I arrived at the ce, she would already be there waiting. You think it''s really her? She had been ying all along?"

    Styles raised his pointer finger in the air before tapping a few keys on the keyboard. And in the next second, the CCTV footage jumped into a specific frame where it showed a white luxury car that was parked in front of the restaurant. "I exhausted everything just to find out who this is."

    "Who?!" The rest of the group who was standing behind Styles asked in unison. Not one of them recognized the car and the man who just came out of the backseat.

    "You see" Styles began, "Parker couldn''t be meeting Director Hughes. Because at that time you guys saw him in the restaurant, she was in a conference meeting in washington." He pressed the enter button and a pop-up window appeared showing a recording of a ''live'' footage of when Hughes was interviewed on national TV.

    With his faceced with confusion, Chris crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Then if Parker wasn''t meeting Hughes, who"

    Before Chris could even finish his question, Styles had already shown a facial recognition search result on the screen, saying, "Meet Josiah ConnorDirector Hughes''s wealthy husband. I don''t know about you guys but after filtering the list, he''s the only one that I could think of whom Parker would definitely meet face to face."

    The looks on their faces were unreadable. But despite their silence, it was apparent that they all agreed to Styles''s theory.

 Chapter 545: How is that even possible?

    Chapter 545: How is that even possible?

    With everyone''s thoughts churning possibilities of Parker meeting Josiah ConnorDirector Hughes''s husband, the room was still and quiet for a minute as they watched the man enter the restaurant. A few minutester, Parker Green entered the premises too.

    "What if" Katherine started, turning her head towards Chris who stood to her right. "What if Parker knew about your involvement with Director Hughes because of Mr. Connor?" she wondered as she pictured the face of the NIA director and Chris meeting in the restaurant. Not knowing what kind of person the director and her husband were, she could only have this doubt.

    Chris met her eyes briefly before darting them to the side and shook his head once as he thought. As soon as Styles mentioned Hughes earlier when they saw her husband, he had the same doubts as Katherine. "That would make sense. For some reason, Parker could have found out about it through Connor, but would he really rat out his wife?"

    "Maybe? I meanIn our world, it''s not impossible for spouses to turn against each other. Maybe he''s like them." Katherine shrugged. When she mentioned ''our world'' she was referring to how chaotic reality was. For people who weren''t involved in dark organizations or any shady people, their world would be too innocent, and they wouldn''t know anything about how cruel a person could actually be.

    Betrayals were of the norm. It wouldn''t be a shock if one did something for personal gain. And by the looks of it, this Josiah Connor was that kind of personthat is if he was associated with Parker.

    Damien thought the same, and he backed up her thoughts, "He''s a businessman through and through. Ruthless. He could be in it for the money."

    Chris shifted his gaze to Damien and asked, "You think I should ask Hughes about it?"

    Then Katherine responded instead, "What if she already knows? Have you contacted her already?"

    Shaking his head, Chris ran a hand down his face, evidently exhausted from all of this mess. "I will try to get in touch with her this afternoon if I don''t hear from her today."

    Amelia let out a sigh, shaking her head in disappointment, saying, "These men are awful. It''s like watching them take over the world."

    Damien exchanged gazes with Katherine. They kept stumbling over new discoveries, but they''d be left with more questions instead of getting answers. This was just getting more and moreplicated.

    He ced a hand on Styles''s shoulder and told him, "Styles, see if Connor has new projectstely and who he''s working with. Get everything you can on him that involves money."

    "Got it." Styles gave the other a salute before turning to his monitor and started working.

    The others dispersed while Styles was getting busy, and then Amelia sauntered towards Damien. A few days ago, thetter told her of his n onying a trap for his uncle, Frederick Parkthat he would do so during the g. Wanting to know how things went, she asked him, "How was the g?"

    Damien was tapping on his phone when his mother came to his side. He immediately put away the device and faced her answering, "Like usual"

    "Thrilling," Katherine interrupted, catching their attention. She folded her arms in front of her chest, a charming, mischievous smile dancing on her face. When the two looked at her, she continued, "His ex came to kill him."

    Heads turned in her direction. She suddenly felt conscious that everyone was waiting for her to speak, and the smile on her face slipped.

    Amelia''s eyes grew wide, a look of worry cast her face as her gaze darted to her son, quickly scanning his body up and down as she eximed, "Wha?! What happened? Are you okay?" She didn''t know what to do with her hands when she tried to search his arms or face if he was wounded somewhere.

    "Wait" Styles swiveled his gaming chair until he was facing the three, his brows knitting when he asked Katherine, "You''re not talking about Margaret Hara, are you?"

    "How did you know about her?" Damien questioned in a cold tone, almost sounding usatory.

    Styles snapped his eyes at Katherine, pointing at her without second thoughts, "She made me do it! She told me not to tell you."

    "What the" Katherine scoffed. She couldn''t believe the idiot ratted her out right away. Was he that scared of Damien? Or was he just loyal? Some friend. She red at him.

    Last night, she and Damien talked about Margaret while they waited for the ambnce toe. But she didn''t mention anything about her asking Styles to dig up about the woman, and obviously the do-not-tell-him part. Because a lot had happened, they didn''t dwell on the details about how she knew. And now Damien was looking at her as if she justmitted a crime. How Styles said it sounded like she was doing something shady when she was only trying to be cautious.

    With Damien locking his gaze at her waiting for her exnation, she didn''t have a choice but spill the beans.

    Katherine exhaled a small sigh and came clean, "She had been hanging aroundtely that it was bothersome. I just wanted to know if she was harmless I was going to tell you right away if I found anything. But I was still on the phone with Styles when she suddenly appeared. That''s when I noticed the knife on her hand. I didn''t exactly have the time to tell you beforehand. It just happened"

    "Ohhh" Styles nodded as if he came to a realization. "So that''s why you abruptly ended the call I guess the psycho went psycho on you, huh?"

    Amelia, who had been listening to their conversation, still didn''t know who they were talking about. All she had in mind was that someone had attempted to harm her son. And that''s definitely uneptable. Her voice was both sharp and tense when she demanded, "Who is this person? Where is she? Styles! Find out where she is, and I''ll teach her a lesson! How dare she"

    "It''s okay" An amused smile split Damien''s handsome face when he saw his mother''s reaction. It was the first time that he had seen her looking so protective like this, and he actually found it adorable and heartwarming at the same time. The urge to pat or stroke her back overcame him, and he hesitated for a second before cing his hand on her back to calm her down. Amelia was fuming, looking like she was ready to murder someone.

    "She''s been taken care of," he added. "Katherine got to her before she got to me. She''s already being put in a facility as we speak."

    "So, she''s really sick?" Amelia probed.

    "You have no idea." Styles pulled up his research to show it to Amelia.

    Katherine couldn''t help but click her tongue, a bit annoyed at the situation. "For the record, if she wasn''t mentally ill, I''d dly put her down without thinking twice," she said in a firm tone.

    "Are you sure she''s really ill? I don''t mind paying her a visit to see for myself," Amelia bit out, unconvinced.

    Meanwhile, Chris had been observing them from the side. His brows furrowed as he silently watched the threeDamien, Amelia, and Katherineinteract with each other. There was definitely something there, but he just couldn''t wrap his finger around it.

    Chris strode towards them, cing his hands on his waist when he stopped a few feet away, and muttered, "You" The three turned to look at him. "Why are you What''s going on here?" His gaze jumped from Katherine to Amelia and then to Damien. "I would understand Katherine and Falcon being friendly But you two" He looked at Damien and Amelia.

    Gus came to Chris''s side, looking as if he was considering something until his stupid mouth ran. "Is this some kind of Are you three" His index fingers waving from side to side. "...in some kind of an open rtionship"

    Gus let out a curse when Felix''s palm connected the back of his head in a smack. "What the hell was that for?!" He red at Felix whose scowl was just fiercer than his.

    Simultaneously, Styles almost vomited on his feet, looking like he was about to puke his guts out. "I thinkI''m gonnabesick," he said, gagging in between words as he got up from his chair and jogged out of the house.

    The three in question exchanged looks. Then Amelia decided to tell Chris herself. "Actually Damien is my son."

    "Your what?" Chris was bewildered, yet at the same time, he felt as if his suspicion was right. He hadn''t thought about the possibility, but it was the only one that actually made sensebut also not. It was definitely confusing. "You have a son? How is that even possible?"

    "Oh,e on, man! Don''t you know how babies are made?" Styles rolled his eyes as he marched back inside the house, wiping his mouth with his shirt. "You guys have very weird questions."

 Chapter 546: Feeling Like a Terrible Person

    Chapter 546: Feeling Like a Terrible Person

    Chris didn''t even nce at Styles''s retort. His stare was too focused on Amelia and Damien ever since the former broke the news about Damien being her son. He had an unreadable expression when he observed and saw the resemnce between the two. This new revtion was too weird for him, and he didn''t know how he felt about it.

    While he was still gathering his thoughts, Damien narrowed his eyes at Chris, wondering what the bastard was thinking about while he was looking at them. Was he criticizing them? He didn''t like his stare at all. Damien felt that Chris''s gaze wasced with envy and rejectionas if someone he cared had been taken away from him.

    Sensing the tense atmosphere, Amelia began to exin the truth to Chris briefly. She didn''t go into too much detailjust that she used to be with Lawrence Park and had a son with him beforeing to Shadow. There was no reason to tell him about the other things that didn''t concern him at the moment. Even if she was close to Chris, there was just some stuff that he was better off not knowing.

    "So That''s pretty much it. Damien is my son," Amelia concluded.

    Chris seemed to be in deep thought as if he was trying to recall something. A few secondster, a small smile followed by a nod expressed his current mood. "I see," he said.

    The room was quiet for a few beats. Everyone was anticipating what he had to say.

    Out of everyone in the room, Chris was the closest to Amelia. So he was very attached to her. But finding out the truth made him remember how their rtionship was years ago. And now he began to wonder about what he never thought he would question her about.

    "Christopher?" Amelia called, her expressionced with worry, seeing the change in his expression. Did she say something wrong?

    When he lifted his eyes, his smile widened. "I understand. Congrattions," was all he could say. Then he turned to Styles and asked for his phone, "I''ll try calling Hughes and see what''s up."

    Styles absent-mindedly just gave his phone without any questions asked.

    Everyone watched Chris walk out of the house and head to the empty garden.

    "Tell me I''m not the only one who noticed it," Styles muttered.

    The others were quiet except for Gus who nodded and agreed. "That was weird."

    For those who had known Chris for a long time, they knew how capable he was of masking his true feelings. Unless he would willingly show it, one wouldn''t know when he''s telling the truthrather, he was so good at it that one would always think it was his real emotion.

    However, just a moment ago, Chris couldn''t hide himselfthough he thought he had.It was apparent on his face that he wasn''t fond of the truth that he just found. What''s more, he looked hurt.

    It was understandable that the news was shocking for those who didn''t know it yet. But it seemed as though Chris had other reasons for his reaction.

    "Let me go talk to him," said Amelia, squeezing Damien''s hand before following Chris.

    Taking several deep breaths, Chris rolled his neck from side to side while closing his eyes. He tried to regain hisposure, but he couldn''t find his stance as fast as he usually did. He sat on the side of the non-functioning fountain and held his head.

    Over the years of training in Shadow, he had developed a technique. Whenever he remembered a sad memory or was in an upsetting circumstance, he would be able to induce numbness within in order not to feel it. This was helpful when he needed to focus on certain missions that required him to act different personas.

    Weakness is a state of mind. And one could train his mind not to be weak.

    He couldn''t allow himself to be weak, or it would only bring danger to him and his team. He had trained himself with this and had mastered it over time. However, none of it seemed to be working at the moment. For the first time in long a while, he was disheartened.

    "Chris?"

    A woman''s voice caught his attention. He quickly straightened his back as he nced sideways and saw Amelia sitting down next to him.

    "Everything okay?" she asked.

    "Yeah, I was just trying to call Hughes."

    cing a hand on his arm, her voice was gentle when she told him, "Come on, tell me what''s on your mind, Christopher."

    The wind blew, and the few leaves left in the tree nearby rustled. It was the 2nd of December, and the weather in Harbor City was gradually getting colder. She rubbed her hands together as she waited for him to speak. It took him a minute to finally tell her what was in his head.

    "Is this why you''re so nice to me?" he asked, his voice toneless and unhurried.

    Amelia turned her head towards him, surprised at his question. Her brows furrowed when she tried to understand what he was trying to say. "What do you mean?"

    Chris kept his gaze at the ground, refusing to look at her in the eyefor fear of seeing what he didn''t want to see. "When I first joined Shadow, I just lost my parents and my sister. I was practically homeless and an orphan. I felt so detached to the world. I couldn''t even speak English apart from a few words. I was grateful that Parker brought me to a ce where a few kids around my age also lost their parents. I thoughtat least I wasn''t alone. There were others like me."

    A wry chuckle escaped from his lips as he rubbed his nape and continued, "But no one wanted to talk to me. I was the new boy who everyone didn''t want to be friends with. It was like that for a couple of weeks when I started my training You were out on a long mission then, and when you came back"

    "I scolded you for your wrong posture," Amelia added, recalling the memory from the past when she first saw Chris in the training room all by himselfte at night when everyone else was sleeping. He was very hardworking, and she admired his tenacity.

    "You know why I used to practice at night?" he asked, ncing at her only briefly before looking down again. "Because no one wanted to be my partner. I was better off training alone anyway"

    Chris took a deep breath, and then a genuine smile formed on his face. "Until you decided to teach me. You were the first one who talked to me in mynguage. You have no idea how happy I was to learn that someone could finally understand me."

    Amelia could still remember the memory as if it happened just yesterday. She smiled, feeling nostalgic about it. She couldn''t believe it had been so long ago.

    "You''re the closest to a mother whom I ever had after I lost mine And each time, I I was happy whenever you treated me like your favorite. It felt to me that you really cared..."

    "Chris" she worried, knowing where he was already going with this.

    "Were you only nice to me because I" he gulped. "I reminded you of your son?"

    Amelia exhaled a heavy sigh, but before she could respond to him, Chris had already spoken again, "You hadn''t seen him since he was an infant. You must have missed him a lot. I shouldn''t be feeling like this when we''re not even blood-rted. Yet I couldn''t help but wonder if that was the reason why." He chuckled as if his own words were amusing to him, then he turned to look at her when he asked, "Was I a recement?"

    "Chris, why are you thinking like this?" she asked, yet at the same time, she understood why he was feeling insecure. However, she was hurt that he questioned her motives for taking care of him thenit made her feel like she was a bad person.

    Ignoring her question, he looked at the tree not far from him. "Ah" A realization hit him, and the knot in his heart twisted even more. The feeling he had in his chest didn''t match the dry chuckle he let out.

    "That Operation Scorpion" Chris began, referring to the assassination mission of the Youngs many years ago. "I guess you joined the mission because your son was there."

    Amelia felt a lump in her throat because of that one. She couldn''t deny that because it was the truth; she was indeed there because of Damien. Although she never said or told anyone that she joined the mission for Chris, that''s what they all thought anyway. And to protect her son, she couldn''t correct them.

    Was this her punishment for all her sins? A tear escaped the corner of her eye when she couldn''t help butbel herself as a terrible person. A bad partner for leaving Lawrence. A bad mother for leaving Damien. And a bad mentor for hurting Chris.

 Chapter 547: His Angry Ghost

    Chapter 547: His Angry Ghost

    Without Chris noticing, Amelia wiped the stray tear away. Her mind brought her back when she was still working in Shadow so many years agowhen the organization was her only life. Despite being far away from Damien, her son had always been on her mind whatever she was doing. She kept a picture of him with her all the time, keeping it safe in a ce where only she knewaway from the possibility of Shadow knowing her secret.

    Seeing Chris for the first time when she came back after an overseas mission, her heart throbbed. He was older than her son, but the two were probably about the same heightwhat with Damien being Lawrence''s sonhe was tall. Indeed, Chris reminded her of Damien. She wondered if they would be friends if the two met, or if her son was also interested in learning martial arts like she did.

    When she saw how hardworking Chris was, she just had to help him out. Oh, how she wished she could also teach her son a thing or two. But at that time, she already knew Lawrence had their son learn how to defend himself and had him attend regr training sessions with a master.

    Chris was a fast learner. And Amelia admired how easily he could adapt to situations. Feeling bad for the boy who came from an orphanage, she made sure he felt weed and took care of him. It didn''t take long enough for Chris to feelfortable around her, and the two began to spend more time in Shadow.

    Seeing that Amelia was a good influence on Chris, Bianchi, the first director and one of Shadow''s founders, officially assigned her to be his mentor.

    She saw how happy Chris was upon hearing the news, which motivated him even more, to excel in his training that he surpassed a lot of his batchmates. Whenever he achieved something, he was always happy to share it with Amelia.

    In return, Amelia treasured him and did her best to be a good role model and a mentor.

    Looking back in the past, she questioned whether she was wrong in taking care of Chris like a son. For thirty years, she endured being away from Damiena punishment that she caused to herself. But never once did she think of Chris as a recement. She loved both differently.

    Her heart ached, learning about Christopher''s realization. Because although she didn''t think like so, she now began to question herselfwas that what she really did? Had she unknowingly done that?

    Footsteps from the side caught their attention, and she looked up to see Damiening over.

    "Styles found something," he said as he stood a few feet away from them.

    Wordlessly, Chris got up and headed back inside, slowing down when he passed by Damien on the way and muttered in a low voice, "You''re lucky she''s your mother."

    Damien''s brows knitted upon hearing the other''s statement, baffled as to why he said it. He watched him walk away and disappear inside the house.

    Turning to face Amelia, that''s when he noticed the sad expression she had on her face. He didn''t know what the two talked about, but he could see that his mother was dispirited.

    Damien walked towards her and offered his hand for support, helping her up to her feet. Her hand was cold when she ced it on his, and it suddenly felt too fragile.

    "Are you okay?" he asked.

    She pulled the corners of her mouth into a smile when she nodded and reassured him, "Yes." He kept his stare at her without respondingit looked as though he didn''t believe what she said, and that made her chuckle. She was reminded of his father. Lawrence was very perceptive, and she could see that Damien was also the same. "I''ll be okay," she said.

    "Did he say something to you?" he asked in a cold yet calm tone.

    Instead of answering him directly, Amelia talked about the past. "I knew Chris since Parker brought him to the organization. He never spoke about his past before he joined. No one did actually. It was a rule. But the kids came from orphanagesall without family. I was closer to him than the others, and he grew attached to me since I became his mentor. I guess he saw me as a mother figure."

    She squeezed his hand as though she was giving him strength, but she was actually the one needing it. She looked up and saw the worried look on his eyes, concern written all over his face as he stared at her.

    There was never a day that went by when she regretted that she left her boy. She wished that life had a rewind buttonbut even if it had, by then, she probably would have done the same things as she wouldn''t know how her life would be afterward. She was sorry to him. And she would forever feel this way until herst breath.

    "They must be waiting. And it''s cold out here, so we should head back," said Amelia.

    "We should visit him one day," Damien suggested just as his mother had taken a step. When she turned to face him, he added, "Dad. We should go and say hi."

    Amelia''s heart sunk. She looked to the ground as memories of her past with Lawrence flooded in her mind. From time to time, she thought of him, but she had only visited him once since he died. And it hurt her deeply when she saw his tombstone.

    Noticing the change in her expression, Damien guessed what she was thinking at the moment. Then he spoke on behalf of his father, "Have you gone to visit him? I''m sure he would love to see you. It''s been a while since myst visit He''ll be less mad at me if youe with me."

    Augh reverberated from within her chest when she imagined an angry Lawrence Park ring at them. "We don''t want that to happen. I love your father, but I don''t want to see his angry ghost. Let''s make sure to bring him his favorites."

    Amelia hooked her arm with her son''s as they walked back inside.

 Chapter 548: Lavender

    Chapter 548: Lavender

    Once Damien and Amelia came back inside the safe house, Styles set a few freshly printed files on the dining table where everyone gathered.

    While Amelia joined the rest, Katherine came to Damien''s side and ced a hand on his arm as she asked, "What happened?"

    His dark stare was directed at Chris from across the room. He hadn''t said anything yet, but she could already guess that Damien was pissed at the other. He was already not fond of Chris from the beginning, and now it just felt as if his hostility had grown deeper.

    "I don''t know. She didn''t tell me," he responded.

    Styles waved at the two of them, so they hurried towards the table.

    "I found some things, but I''m not sure if they''re enough." Styles slid the first file on the table towards them. "Josiah Connor runs a foundation and donates to several charities. This is the list of the organizations that he had sent his donations over thest ten years."

    "Generous..." Gusmented upon seeing the amount of money that the man had spent helping other people.

    "He also runs several profitable businesses here and in some neighboring states, including vacation rentals, delivery service, truck, and cargo rentals, etcetera. Our man seems like he''s dipping his toes into several fields. No wonder he''s loaded," Styles added.

    Letting out a sigh, Chris pondered, "This isn''t enough. Parker wouldn''t be interested in someone like him. I mean, it''s possible. But unless Connor''s a client, I don''t see how Parker would use him."

    "Styles," Amelia called his attention. "Can you check how many times the two have met in the past?"

    "I could try but that''s going to take a lot of time going over several footages. I don''t even know at what date to start looking."

    Katherine nted her hands on the table as she probed, "What about Castle? We could check the database to see if he had been a client in the past or if he''s a new one If there''s a new mission, Parker should have already added it to the database."

    "Why didn''t I think of that?" Styles knitted his brows together and abruptly jogged towards his workstation.

    The others followed behind him and watched him do his magic on the keyboard. A series of numbers, letters, and jargon appeared on the screen as his fingers danced along the keys. He seemed so calm and rxed as if what he was doing was a piece of cake when in fact, he was actually bypassing Castle''s security.

    It only took less than a minute for Styles to get inside Shadow''s database. A timer at the bottom of one of his monitors started running as soon as he essed it. He only had about three minutes or less to do what he needed to do before it would send an alert to the IT department, and he could only copy a file at a time as copying the entire database would also send an alert, so he had to work fast.

    Everyone behind him stayed quiet as they witnessed him breezing through the process, conducting a search that had Josiah Connor''s name on it. There were a few results that popped up. And just before the timer hit zero, Styles logged out from the program and opened the files that he had copied.

    There were a total of three missions in which Connor was a client. Two of which had already beenpleted this year while one was a pending mission.

    "Looks like a hit mission," Katherine grabbed the paper as soon as it came out of the printer. She nced over the details of the file and found that there were a few spots that were covered in ck blocks. The file was confidential, requiring a certain level of ess that would take a longer time to crack and their limited time to ess the database wasn''t enough.

    "Who''s the target?" asked Damien. He felt a bitter taste at the back of his throat at the thought of someone getting assassinated.

    "I don''t know" she muttered under her breath as her eyes zeroed in on the target of the mission, and she was unsure of what the word meant.

    "Let me take a look." Chris took the paper from her hands and examined the file. "The target must be someone high profileParker is using a code. Only the team or the agent assigned to this mission would know on the day of it."

    "That would mean this is a sure target No research is needed. Just shoot to kill." Katherine''s voice was low as her past came back to haunt her. She had received assignments like this in the past. When they were briefed a few hours before the mission, everything was already nned out. The ins and outs, the method, and an emergency n in case the mission went haywire.

    Noticing that she was in deep thought, Damien slid his hand around her waist and inched closer. She breathed in deeply as if she was holding her breath just now, nodding at him to let him know that she was okay.

    Katherine hated it when she remembered her nightmaresit was worse than when she was asleep. At least when she''s sleeping and having bad dreams, she would wake up and forget about itter. However, nightmares like this one just now, she''s awake. And it stayed in her head longer than when she dreamt about them.

    "What''s the code?" Amelia asked.

    "Lavender," Chris responded, reading the word from the file in his hand.

    Then he froze for a few seconds, his heart racing when the realization hit him. Although it was just a guess, his gut told him that it made total sense.

    "Chris?" Styles called his attention.

    Chris darted his eyes. He looked bothered, and he hesitated when he spoke, "I think I know who this is." Without waiting for anyone else to speak, he pulled up a photo from Styles''sputer, and he stepped back when the image opened.

    All eyes shifted to the monitor. On the screen was an older woman whom he had known for a few years. She was dressed in a sophisticated manner and had a brooch on the cor of her dresvender, a flowering nt.

    "Director Hughes," Chris uttered in almost a whisper.

 Chapter 549: A Rescue Mission

    Chapter 549: A Rescue Mission

    The nk look on their faces when they realized that the hit mission''s target was none other than Josiah Connor''s wife, Sandra Hughes, onlysted for a couple of seconds before they were all appalled by the discovery.

    "His wife?!" Damien eximed, feeling so disgusted about the situation. How could someone call a hit on their spouse? He knew that these things really did happen, but it still came as aplete shock. He loved Katherine so deeply that he could never imagine losing herand for this person to order a kill? His jaw ticked.

    He never thought Connor was this kind of persona man who had donated millions in charity and was always on the news for helping the less fortunate wanted his wife dead.

    Katherine let out a sigh and took a deep breath. She squeezed his hand tofort him when she noticed how agitated he got. "I''ve seen this several times, but this is still shocking."

    "It''s moremon than you think," Gus added, shrugging as if it wasn''t a shock to him anymore. "If it''s not the wifeit''s the husband, the sibling, the parentsthe list goes on."

    Amelia came forward with her arms crossed, staring at Director Hughes''s photo on the screed as she probed, "How sure are you that it''s her? Lavender is pretty vague It could be anyone else?"

    Chris was still slightly stunned by the realization, but heposed himself and answered, "I''ve seen Hughes several times. And every time we met, she would always wear these two pins on her clothesone is the g, and the other would be thatvender brooch on her cor. This would be too much of a coincidence. It''s gotta be her."

    "You know" Katherine tilted her head. "If Connor is really targeting his wife, then it would make more sense now."

    "Mm." Damien nodded, taking a deep breath and clearing his thoughts despite still being pissed. "I think so too. This isn''t his first ordered service from Shadow. He must have known Parker before already. Later, Parker knew about Connor''s wife and your meeting As to why he would order a kill, Hughes must know the reason."

    Styles quickly tapped his keys, pulling up the files that they were just checking earlier and zooming on the dates stamped on it. "The previous missions werest year and two years before thatall hits," he said, referring to the kind of mission it wasan assassination.

    "Who are these people?" Katherine asked.

    "Umm Huh" Styles paused as he pulled up data from the inte. "Both were once his partner in some investment. Both died in ''natural'' causes as per the news articles, but we all know this is Shadow''s doing."

    "What a sneaky son of a btch," Damien cursed. He couldn''t help but get mad. If he hadn''t known about this news from their search in Shadow, he wouldn''t have known how dirty this person was. "He''s in it for the money."

    "We have to move fast," Amelia reminded everyone who was still absorbed in their thoughts. "Styles, when and were?"

    Snapping out of his trance, Styles quickly searched for the information regarding the mission and erged the image on the screen as he said, "Oh It''s tonight. At Holiday Harbor Hotel."

    "Tonight?"

    "Yeah Hang on." He searched through multiple sites to see what he could find and showed it to the others, "There''s a banquet hosted byof course, none other than Mr. Connor himself. And he wants his wife dead in his own party. Could this get any worse?"

    Not only did Connor want his wife assassinated, but he also wanted it to happen where there would be hundreds of people to witness his presence. It was a perfect scheme to get away with being incriminated if things go south.

    "I''ll try calling her again." Chris walked away, dialing Hughes''s number as he stepped out of the room.

    Not a minuteter, he came back looking dejected and told them that he couldn''t get a hold of her. "We have no choice. We need to intercept this mission."

    "How are we gonna get in?" Katherine wondered with a concerned look on her face.

    "You''re not getting anywhere near that ce," Damien said with simple directness.

    "But Damien, we need to save Hughes"

    "It''s too dangerous. This is Shadow''s missionwhich means an agent or a team of agents would be there. I can''t let you." His voice was firm, and his expression was serious. There was no way that he would allow her to be in a risky situation.

    Katherine understood what he was trying to say, but the urge to save someone was so overpowering. She had been taunted by the ghosts of her past and haunted by the nightmares that were her sins. If she didn''t do anything to try and save this woman, she would forever be regretful.

    She clenched her hands so tight until her knuckles turned white. She could feel her heart twist in agony with the thought of turning a blind eye on this matter. Killing so many in the past didn''t mean that she was okay for someone to get killed while she just watch on the sidelines.

    Damien could see her struggling. He hung his head low and squeezed his eyes shut as he thought things over. He knew what Katherine wanted to do and that she felt the need to save everyone she couldbut at what price? Risking her life? He already knew the answer to that even if she didn''t ask her himself. She was so selfless that even if she knew Shadow would be there, she would still choose to save someone.

    This is one of the reasons why he loved her.

    The hand that she clenched so hard instantly rxed the moment that she felt Damien''s warmth and as he threaded his fingers with hers. She turned to face him and saw the worried look on his face, yet his eyes were sharp when he nodded.

    "Okay," he said, squeezing her hand as if to give her strength. "But you can''t be there alone. I''ll go with you. I received an invitation a few days ago, but I declined it. I''ll just call Markus to arrange it for us."

    Katherine slightly rxed. She never wanted to against his wishes, but she couldn''t live with herself if she just ignored this either.

    Styles stretched his limbs and cracked his knuckles as if he was getting ready for a fight. "Well then, let''s start nning."

    Holiday Harbor Hotel at 6 p.m.

    The hotel was located on the outskirts of the cityabout half an hour away from the center. It wasn''t as grand as Damien''s Crown hotels, but it was still luxurious nheless.

    Ever since Katherine worked for Damien, her tastes in quality materials and style had drastically changed. He always lived in excellence, and it showed with the way he dressed himself and the brand andpany he represented. Wherever he went, people would always turn their heads to look at him.

    This was why although they were five minuteste to the party, the staff andmittee who weed the guests were beyond nervous when they saw Damien Park enter the premises. They had heard of histe RSVP, and his entrance weakened their knees. It wasn''t only the organizers who were conscious about their event; even the hotel staff was on edge. Why wouldn''t they? The Resort King had stepped foot in their territory.

    Hooked with his arm, Katherine stood tall and confident, wearing a ck one-shoulder, long-sleeved evening dress that was gathered at her waist to show off her curves, and had a slit that went up to her mid-thigh. She chose this in dress to not attract too much attention to her as she didn''te here to party.

    However, with her being next to Damien, getting everyone''s attention out of her was not that easy. She was already used to the stares that they would get whenever they were seen together out in public, but tonight, she needed toy low. How was she supposed to do that, though? When this protective man beside her refused to leave her on her own.

    "Honey, you need to breathe," Damien reminded as he slightly leaned towards her to whisper.

    She took a deep breath and ground her teeth in frustration, squeezing his arm as her way of calming down. "I just want to get this over and done with."

    "Rx. We''ll be fine. We have the best team tonight."

    They discreetly scanned the room while sipping their drinks, meeting the eyes of some of Damien''s men from the Alpha and Beta team of Maverick Security.

    "Alright, Lady and Gents, I''m in. You guys ready to roll?" Styles spoke through thems in their ears.

    He was inside a trailer van parked outside the hotel with Gus, Felix, and Amelia as a backuptheirst resort in case things wouldn''t go as nned tonight while Chris remained in the safehouse, listening through theirmunication system.

    The team responded inconspicuously before Damien exchanged looks with Katherine and confirmed, "We''re all set."

    The familiar tapping of the keys sounded through theirms, and they heard Styles''s voice again, "Okayoh! While you''re in there, can any of you grab me some of those tiny sliders and cute little cheesy niblets?"

 Chapter 550: Banquet (1)

    Chapter 550: Banquet (1)

    The banquet hall was decorated in extravagancea definition that Josiah Connor always upheld wherever he went and whatever he did. Just like tonight''s banquet, where the celebration was all about the sess of his achievements for the whole year, he made sure the entire hall was filled with fancy decorations and had an abundant flow of food and drinks.

    It was nothing but a party. However, this wasn''t out of the ordinary because Connor always held banquets like this every December. It became a tradition in hiswork that kept expanding gradually.

    However exorbitant this party was, it wasn''t to Damien''s taste. Just the overall vibe of the party wasn''t his thing. It was the reason why he didn''t n oning to the event the first time.

    Josiah Connor was actually from a neighboring town next to Harbor City. It was only thest fifteen years that he moved here; therefore Damien didn''t know much about the person except that he was a businessman with several small businesses all over Esmea.

    So when he learned the news about Connor being Director Hughes''s husband, he was surprisednot that he knew who Hughes was. But ording to what he had read, Sandra Hughes came from a family of wealthy politicians. Yet, he couldn''t picture out the man being with Hughes due to his high profile lifestyle.

    They couldn''t dig up much regarding the couple''s rtionship. It seemed as though it had been kept under wraps from the public.

    Damien and Katherine noticed the nces that people were giving them from time to time, but thankfully, most of the guests would onlye by to greet him and not stay too long. At least they knew not to hog his attention when he wasn''t the hostand obviously, Damien disyed hisck of interest when they would start talking about business.

    At one point, he politely declined to talk about business and told one young businesswoman that he was there to enjoy the banquet with his fiance, Katherine Young, and he didn''t want to be disturbed. He thought that was enough for the rest of the guests to stop their attempts for a nonsense conversation with him, certain that the word would go around fast, and they would avoid him that night.

    Just what he and Katherine needed.

    Looking around the hall where hundreds of guests started enjoying the party, Sandra Hughes was nowhere to be found. Katherine began to get anxious that she couldn''t see her anywhere, and she feared that she would be toote if something happened to her.

    "What''s wrong?" Damien asked when he noticed her wringing her hands together, looking distraught. He grabbed both of their sses and ced them at a cocktail table, then he held both of her hands and massaged them. "You''re too tense. Why are you so nervous?"

    "I don''t know" She darted her gaze here and there, her heart racing by the second and she couldn''t exin why. There was an ominous feeling within her and she knew it wasn''t only because of the mission tonight. "I can''t exin it. It feels like something is going to happen tonight. I can''t shake the feeling Damien, I should go look for her."

    He shook his head, his eyes locking with hers and stopping her from moving. "Calm down."

    Without caring whoever was looking their way, he pulled her to his chest and whispered to her ear so that she could hear him through the loud music in the background. "You''re going to be fine. We have eyes everywhere. And we have the best team on our sideyou trust them, remember?"

    His confident reminder brought her back to her senses. It was the only thing she needed to hear to calm her nerves downthough there was still this inexplicable murmur that''s bothering her. Katherine smiled at him, her eyes brightening as she looked up at him and nodded. He pressed a kiss on her forehead and stroked the small of her back to soothe her.

    "We have visual," Styles spoke through theirms, catching their attention. "Silver Hammer just entered the building. She''s headed towards the hall, walking in through the door by the stage."

    Damien and Katherine slowly stepped back and casually scanned the room, searching for Hughes until the door near the stage opened, and she stepped in. Everyone else looked in the director''s direction, watching her as she climbed the stage and held the microphone.

    "Everyone on standby. It could be anyone in the room. Stay vignt," Damien ordered, keeping his voice steady and clear for his men to hear.

    The team acknowledged and were on high alert as they carefully panned the room, observing the guests and even the staff while Hughes began to speak through the microphone and gave her wee speech.

    This woman had no idea that someone was out to get her tonight. Her smile that reached her ears as she stood proudly on stage was evidence of her obliviousness. She spoke so highly of Josiah Connor who was grinning at the side of the stagegiving him praises and talking about his achievements as expected from a very supportive wife.

    No one but the team knew how much of a scoundrel the man she spoke so highly of was.

    Katherine was disgusted by the thought of Josiah Connor smiling so broadly as if he deserved all Sandra Hughes''s praises. She felt so bad for Hughes who had no idea that her husband wanted her dead. What would she do if she knew that Connor had ordered a hit on her?

    Granted, the target written on the file they got from shadow was a codename for an unknown subject, but they had already believed that it was Hughes. After all, who else would it be if not her?

    Taking a deep breath, Katherine darted her gaze to the side so she wouldn''t have to stare at that vile man. However, her eyesnded at the familiar face of a person whose very existence caused her to feel sickScar, one of Parker''s people. She gripped Damien''s hand so tightly and met his baffled stare.

    She cautiously told him in a low voice, "They''re here." Her eyes darted towards Scar.

    He followed the direction of her stare, and that''s when he saw the same man from the drugstore whom Katherine told him about.

    She couldn''t believe that Parker actually sent him here. Scar was usually not assigned to groundwork due to his old wound that could easily draw attention. Parker must have gotten so bold and desperate.

    At the same time, Styles came back on thems, telling them that he had seen Scar and one more agent in the hall. The two agents in Shadow stood far from the stage as they watched Sandra Hughes, acting as if they were there for the celebration. pping their hands and smiling at her speech. Katherine didn''t recognize the other one, but Chris, who was also connected to Styles, was able to notice the agent through his monitor from the safehouse.

    Ready to react if something happens, the team slowly moved closer towards the stage while some were heading towards the agents.

    "Approach cautiously. They can easily detect if you are out to get them. They''re both armed and dangerous," reminded Styles.

    Katherine and Damien, who were standing at the back part of the hall where there were fewer guests, remained standing uneasily as they watched Sandra Hughes finish her speech. They were both feeling nervous, but it didn''t show on their expressions, yet the way they sped each other''s hands was apparent of their real emotion.

    Director Hughes left the hall through the side door, and in the next second, the agents of Shadow also moved out.

    Damien and Katherine, along with the alpha and beta team exited the room using the nearest door. Then they started to look for the director.

    "Where is she?" Katherine questioned, and Styles hurriedly worked on his screen to look for the right camera. "Falcon, try calling her number again. We should be able to reach her now somehow."

    "On it," Amelia, who was in the trailer van with Styles, acknowledged as she dialed Hughes''s number that she got from Chris earlier. On the first attempt, she could hear ringsthe call went through this time unlike when Chris tried it in the afternoon. They had tried to call her number nonstop but to no avail. This time, the ringing didn''t stop, but she didn''t answer the call.

    "Sht. I don''t see her anywhere, where the hell did she go?" Styles cursed, frustrated that he couldn''t find the director when he had just been following her out of the room through the CCTV cameras. It was as if she had disappeared into thin air.

    "Damien, I think it''s better if we split. We''ll be able to locate her faster if we do," Katherine suggested as they stepped into therge hallway where several guests loitered around.

    Damien''s brows knitted, and he clenched his jaw upon hearing her. He knew that her suggestion could help them, but he was unwilling to let her go alone. The thought of Katherine on her own in this dangerous situation was just not eptable.

 Chapter 551: Banquet (2)

    Chapter 551: Banquet (2)

    Damien didn''t want to think the worst, but he got more agitated the more he tried not to. Katherine working alone was like attracting trouble. If she didn''t get hurt, she might get kidnapped. He wouldn''t know what to do if she met a problem along the way and he wasn''t around. And the worst part about tonight is the fact that Shadow agents were in the building.

    "I don''t like it," he uttered.

    Seeing how unwilling he was, Katherine nodded. She understood why he was reluctant to let her go and she didn''t want to push it. So the two began to search the rooms near the hall together.

    "Come on,e on Where are you?" Styles hissed through thems, anxious that no matter where he searched for Director Sandra Hughes, he couldn''t find her. It was strange how he still lost her even though he was so careful and watched the monitors with keen eyes since the operation started.

    Amelia, who was still trying to contact the director, started to get worried. "Still no answer," she said. Then she called Damien and Katherine''s attention through thems and spoke, "You have to split. Cover more grounds. Son, you have to trust in Queenshe''ll be fine on her own."

    Damien clenched his hand tight and stared at Katherine. He could see how badly she wanted to make their search work, but his unwillingness to part with her was hindering them from bing productive.

    "Fine." He subtly nodded his head and then kissed Katherine''s temple. "Be careful."

    "Always am." She smiled at him before turning on her heel and heading towards the opposite side of the building.

    Gus and Felix, who were in the same trailer van as Amelia and styles, also had their monitors andms on and guided Damien''s men inside the buildingwhile Amelia took charge of the operation and led Katherine and Damien.

    It felt as though they had been searching for hours when in reality, it had only been a few minutes since Director Hughes stepped out of the room.

    Damien especially found it hard because while he was looking for the director, his focus was divided. He was so worried about Katherine that he was so mindful whenever his mother gave Katherine directions on where to go. He was reluctant to part way with her for this, but he had no choice.

    "Hello, may I know who''s calling, please?" An older woman''s voice came through theirms and everyone who was in search halted in their tracks. The voice sounded far and seemed as if it came from a phone''s speaker.

    "Director!" Amelia called abruptly. She had been redialing the call but it was only then that it connected and someone answered.

    She exchanged surprised looks with Styles who was quick on his feet and started tracing the call that Amelia had just gotten through.

    "Who is this?" asked the woman from the other line, sounding quite concerned.

    Taking a deep breath, Amelia began, "Director Hughes, my name is Lia, I''m a friend of Christopher''s. We had been trying to contact you because"

    "I''m sorry, I don''t know who you''re talking about. Please do not call this number again," she said in a stern voice. The way she spoke was almost tonelessas if she was in a hurry to end the phone call.

    "No, wait! Director, your life is in danger! Shadow is in the same building as you are. They''re looking for you"

    Amelia suddenly stopped when the call got cut off. She didn''t know what happened but the line was no longer connected.

    "We lost her," she mumbled as she turned to look at Styles who was also unsessful in tracing the call as it ended very fast.

    "Try calling her again," Katherine asked through thems.

    Amelia quickly dialed the phone number again but this time, there was no ring.

    ~

    <em>''The subscriber you are calling is currently unavable, please try''</em>

    ~

    She ended the call as soon as she heard the automated voice prompt.

    "Found her!" Styles eximed. "Oh, shit." He stared at the monitor before him as he noticed that one of the Shadow agents had already gotten to her. He stood before the director as they talked just outside a room two floors up from the banquet hall.

    Amelia, Gus, and Felix swiftly informed the rest of the team to gather at the same location.

    The director was outside a guest room by the elevator. The hallway was empty apart from her and the Shadow agent. It wasn''t clear what was happening as they watched her through the monitor, so they could only wait for their team to arrive.

    Noah, who was the nearestpared to the others, got there as fast as he could, skipping the elevator and sprinting up the stairs. As soon as he got out of the stairwell, he saw the Shadow Agent''s back, and then not a secondter, the Shadow agent fell to the floor and lost consciousness after Noah shot him with a tranquilizer in the neck.

    Director Sandra Hughes gasped in shock and was about to escape when Damien''s men appeared from all corners surrounding her. Normally, she had a bodyguard or two with her, but that night, her husband, Josiah Connor, told her to send them home so that they could stay in the hotel without disturbance. She didn''t mind, of course, and she didn''t think much about it.

    "Who are you people?" she questioned, her tone unyielding. She didn''t appear to be scared when she faced the strangers in front of her, watching them as they dragged the lifeless Shadow agent inside the empty hotel room and closed the door.

    Just then, Damien arrived and introduced himself. He didn''t waste time and directly told her why they were there, exining how they got to know about her briefly. "We don''t have much time, but we need to get out of here. Now."

    Unable to refuse Damien''s directness, she agreed to go with the group. She knew Damien''s identity, and she didn''t think that he would just make something up. They were far too unrted to have something inmon.

    While the team was getting her out of the building, Damien called for Katherine, who was on the other side of the building, through thems. "Where are you? We''re heading out."

    "I''m almost there," she responded. "I''m near the lobby." She was slightly panting as she took hurried steps to cross to the other side.

    "Okay, I''ll meet you halfway," he said, taking long strides towards where Katherine was.

 Chapter 552: Banquet (3)

    Chapter 552: Banquet (3)

    Knowing that Director Hughes was safe with their team, Katherine slowed down and checked the messages on her phone. She had been receiving a few from her grandfather''s butler. Her brows furrowed and she let out an exhausted sigh as she thought about her grandfather.

    [Master''s cough has worsened. We already urged him to see a doctor but he''s stubborn. When are youing home, Young Madam? He listens to you.]

    She hissed and clicked her tongue. Worried, Katherine quickly replied to the message.

    [Katherine: I still have something to take care of, but I''ll be there very soon. I won''t be long. Please continue coaxing him. Call the doctor to go there. Tell grandpa I''ll be mad if he doesn''t let himself get checked.]

    As soon as she pressed the send button, she put her phone away and took steps forward.

    The hallway was brightly lit, and there were a few hotel staff around the area. She was at a section of the hotel near the lobby and would have to pass through the lobby to get to the other side of the building where the others were waiting for her.

    "Oh, I''m sorry," she apologized when she bumped into someone just as she turned the corner. Her smartphone fell to the floor and skidded to the side. She was going to grab it when the person she just collided with had already gotten it for her.

    She had kept her stare down the entire time, so she hadn''t seen who the other person was yet. However, when her eyesnded on the man''s hand reaching out towards her with her phone, she swore that her heart felt like it was being squeezed dry.

    She lifted her gaze and met the eyes of the man whom she hadn''t seen for quite a long time. The man whom she thought had been one of the people who could help her years ago. The man she dreaded toe face to face withnot only because she was afraid of him, but because she was afraid that all her demons would show up all at once and she wouldn''t be able to control herself.

    Parker.

    "You dropped this," the older man said, his hand extending outward and clutching her phone lightly.

    Her stomach dropped.

    The urge to run away as fast as she could washed over her. She had thought about this day in the past, wondering what she would do if she ever met Parker again one day. She thought of what she would do and what she could possibly say, but nothing came to mind. Even the other day when she had almost ran into him, she still had not figured out what she was supposed to do.

    It was hard given that she had known this man for years and Shadow had instilled fear in her. There was just something about Parker that was quite eerielike he was a man born of evil.

    Katherine didn''t know how she did it, but despite the fact that she was about to lose her sanity, she managed to pull the corners of her mouth into a smile.

    "Ah, thank you, Sir." She received the smartphone and held it tightly in her hands. Without lingering her gaze at Parker, she slightly bowed and turned away. She wanted to scurry and get out of there fast, but if she did so, she would be found out right away.

    She was only able to take a few steps away from him when he spoke to her again. Her heart raced and was drumming against her ribcage.

    "Pardon me, but you look familiar. Have we met before?" Parker probed, his voice was dreadfully authoritative. It was as if he waspelling her to answer truthfully.

    But Katherine remained calm and collected in her appearance. She skimmed through his face as though she was trying to recall who he was, and then gently shook her head as she answered, "Sorry, no I don''t remember having met you before. I have a really bad memory."

    "Hmmm" Parker nodded, looking both disappointed and considerate at the same time. "I see... Must be my mistake. Are you here alone?"

    For Christ''s sake, why was he asking more questions? She wanted to leave there already!

    "I''m with my fianc. He''s actually looking for me already"

    "There you are"

    Damien''s voice caught the attention of the two. He strode towards Katherine''s side and snaked an arm around her waist. "I''ve been looking all over for you. Are you ready to leave?" he asked as he quickly examined her face.

    He was just around the corner when he saw that she had bumped into someone. But he hadn''t recognized the man until he had gotten closerand his soul almost left his body.

    "Yes, I was just about to head over," she responded with a smile. She was so d that Damien arrivedshe didn''t think that she could stand straight with her heart ramming in her chest.

    Ever so briefly, Damien met Parker''s stare as he gave him a small polite nod. Then he whisked Katherine away and headed out of the hotel. The two never looked back.

    The moment that Katherine and Damien stepped out of the building, a ck limousine stopped before them.

    He opened the door for her without waiting for the driver to serve them. Holding her hand, he gave it a squeeze as he helped her get settled inside, and then followed after her.

    Once the door to the limo closed and the vehicle joined the traffic, Katherine let out a long and tired sigh. She suddenly felt exhausted all of a sudden, unsure if it was all the running that she did or because she had unexpectedly met Parker just now?

    "Are you okay?" Damien swiftly removed his suit jacket and draped it over her shoulders. "What happened?"

    Katherine began to retell what urred, starting with the text message she received and had to reply.

    "You think he caught on?" she wondered.

    "Let''s hope not."

    He exhaled a sigh of relief, finally able to rx when he saw that they were already far from the hotel and that no one was following them.

    "I thought I was gonna die when I saw him," she mumbled.

    "Never."

    Damien pulled her to his chest, stroking her arms that trembled as she was reminded of the incident earlier. "I won''t allow that," he reassured.

    If he hadn''t gotten to her in time, who knows what would have happened?

 Chapter 553: He Who Doesnt Trust Enough Wont Be Trusted

    Chapter 553: He Who Doesn''t Trust Enough Won''t Be Trusted

    Just to be safe, Damien, Katherine, and the rest of the team decided not to bring Director Sandra Hughes to the safe house, so they brought her to one of Damien''s hotels in the city.

    Chris still needed to be in hiding, and they did not want to risk it, given the fact that they still had to talk to Hughes about what was happening at the moment. The two hadn''t spoken to each other for days since the incident with Chris being targeted by Shadow agents, and anything could happen during those days.

    So while they were still a bit wary about Hughes, Katherine believed that the priority was to save her from Shadow first.

    Crown Hotel

    In a presidential suite at Crown Hotel, Katherine, Damien, and Director Hughes sat on a sofa. The room upheld CRG''s brand. From floor to ceiling and wall to wall, everything was luxurious and had ssy decorations. However, none of those mattered at the moment when they had just narrowly escaped from Shadow''s hands.

    Just an hour ago, Katherine hade face to face with Parker. An incident that she didn''t expect to happen this soon. But of course, in every operation, she should expect something unexpected.

    Sandra Hughes was a woman in herte fifties with a short bob hair that was neatlybed to the side. She had some visible crows feet around her eyes, but she was aging beautifully like she had taken care of herself despite her hectic schedule due to her line of work.

    "You Where have I seen you before?" Director Hughes asked Katherine as she ced the warm cup of tea on the table and faced the couple who rescued her earlier.

    Katherine and Damien exchanged looks. They had talked to Chris beforeing here to the hotel earlier, and they discussed how to go about conversing with the director. Still a bit wary, she took a deep breath and cleared her throat as she looked at the older woman in the eye and began, "My name is Katherine Young."

    "Ah I''ve heard about you on the news recently" Director Hughes responded, her expressionced with confusion while she darted her gaze between the two. "How do you know about Shadow?"

    Damien had briefly told the director about the man she saw before they arrived, informing her that Shadow agents were there that night, and she was their target. It didn''t take long for Hughes to believe him and so she willingly went with them.

    "Before I answer that, how much can I trust you? How can I know you''re not corrupt?" Katherine asked without pretenses. She knew people could lie, heckit''s easy for her to lie. But she still had to ask anyway.

    A small smile formed on the director''s lips while her eyes remained stern. She understood what trust meant to people who had been burnt a lot in the past. It was so hard for them to trust again. "I grew up in the next town, and our family is old money. I don''t need more if that''s what you''re worried about. As for power, I worked hard to get to where I am now. I have made enemies along the way, but those people have only be my enemies because they couldn''t stand that I don''t take bribes."

    When Katherine and Damien exchanged looks again, the director added, "You don''t have to trust me. But you already saved me tonight I think that already speaks a lot."

    Thinking that she could put a gamble to it, Katherine decided to fess up, "My name''s Katherine, and my identity code is Q78336. I was once a shadow agent."

    Director Hughes was stunned upon learning the new discovery, and so she listened as Katherine told her some truths about her identity. It was hard for thetter to talk about her past, even if she had alreadye to terms with it. It was like confessing all her sins, and doing that to someone she barely knew was definitely ufortable.

    The entire time, Damien kept quiet while sitting next to her, allowing her to speak what she had to share.

    And when she was done telling what she thought the director needed to know, they began to talk about how they found out about her being the target.

    "That must be a mistake" Director Hughes muttered after hearing Katherine and Damien''s exnation. "Josiah would never do that Why would he"

    Her voice trailed off when she came to a realization. "The bodyguards he asked me to send them home tonight. And then after the speech, he told me to wait in the suite for a surprise." She scoffed in disbelief. "How could he do this? Are you sure?"

    Damien leaned forward slightly and answered, "We have substantial evidence, but we don''t have a motive."

    Steering the topic to a different matter, Katherine questioned, "Director, why would your husband work with Parker? We have a feeling that their partnership isn''t as simple as exchange of services."

    The director rubbed her forehead, still trying to wrap her head around the situation. Not only was she about to be killed that night, but she also found out that her husband had ordered a hit on her. After letting out a heavy sigh, she stammered, "I-I don''t really know. Our marriage isn''t an ideal one. It was like a business agreement between our parents many years ago. We never had a child despite our thirty years of marriage But we didn''t hate each other enough to want to kill the otherat least that''s what I thought. So hearing this about him, it''s hard to believe. I thought I knew him" She shook her head, clearly looking defeated.

    "I''m sorry that you had to find out this way," said Katherine.

    Just then, the tablet in Damien''s hands rangit was a video conference request from Styles''s workstation in the safe house. Setting up the tablet so that Director Hughes was facing the camera, Katherine and Damien stayed to her left.

    Once they pressed the button, the call went through, and then Chris''s face appeared on the screen. He and the director exchanged greetings briefly and immediately talked about the matter at hand.

    "I couldn''t keep in contact with you, Christopher. I had been receiving death threats left and righttely, so I had to keep mymunication lines closed," said Director Hughes.

    "Who are these people after you?" he asked, referring to the death threats she''s been receiving. It''s not how Shadow operated, so he didn''t think it was them.

    "I don''t know yet. I''m working on several cases, not just one And it''s not the first time that I''ve received threats like this, but they are persistent this time. It''s one of the reasons why I couldn''te to you so easily. I know that you need to stay away for now, and if Ie to you, I might just put you in danger."

    Chris nodded. It was understandably difficult for both of themfor all of them actually.

    Seeing that Chris didn''t know what to say, Katherine decided to chime in, "Director, Chris told us that you''re working on closing down Shadow''s operations. How soon can this happen? Even your life is already in danger. We''re doing everything that we can for weeks, but we''re stilling up short."

    Director Hughes shook her hand, along with her head as she firmly told them, "It''s best toy low for now. Do not do any investigations for a while. These things need time, and I''m not talking about days. It could take more months, years even."

    Then she turned to Katherine. "You are lucky you came out aliveyou and Christopher. But you could be in more danger if you go about this head first. You said you met Parker before you came out of the hotel?"

    "You what?!" Chris snapped. He didn''t know about this yet as the teams had split earlier, and Styles and Amelia had just arrived in the safe house.

    "Nothing happened," Katherine quickly reassured. The thought of the incident from earlier slowly crept back inside her head, and she was beginning to feel sick again. She shook her head to brush away her thoughts of it.

    "Still," Director Hughes cautioned. "You know how perceptive he is. Both of you had worked with the man in the past. It''s best to assume that you have been found out and that he could strike anytime. You should be careful."

    The air was quiet for a few seconds until the buzzing noise of Katherine''s phone broke the silence. She quickly fished for her phone out of her purse and answered the call as soon as she saw that it was her grandfather''s phone number shing on the screen.

    "Grandpa?"

    "Young Madam, this is Frank," answered Chairman Young''s assistant. "Your grandfather has been brought to the hospital just now. Where are you? We will send a car to pick you up right away..."

    Katherine gasped in horror as she listened to the voice from the other line, feeling as though her heart had been crushed upon hearing the news. She shot up from her seat, and in a panic, she rushed towards the door without saying anything.

    "Katherine! Where are you going?" Damien worried.

    Hearing his voice, she snapped out of her trance and whipped her head around to face him. Unknowingly, tears trickled down her face as she answered, "It''s Grandpa Damien, I need to go!"

 Chapter 554: A Taxing Night for Katherine

    Chapter 554: A Taxing Night for Katherine

    The look of extreme worry was evident on Katherine''s face. Her eyes were misty and her hands were trembling from feeling so nervous about what she just heard over the phone.

    Without second thoughts, Damien hurried over and left the room with her, leaving behind Director Hughes who was still on a video conference with Christhey were both surprised at the sudden news regarding Katherine''s grandfather. Markus, along with a couple of Maverick Security men, were the only ones left with the director.

    Damien and Katherine made it to the car in the parking lot in no time. He drove her towards the hospital, stepping on the gas and joining traffic on the main road.

    He nced at her to make sure she was wearing her seatbelt onand she was. Then he couldn''t help but notice the way her brows were furrowed together. She had told him about her grandfather''s condition earlier and they were nning to head home to the mansion as soon as they were done. He could tell that she was very worried about Grandpa Theo and seeing that made him worry about her.

    From the passenger''s seat, Katherine sat quietly while gripping the phone in her hand. She had been in deep thought since they left the hotel, concern written all over her face. Her heart was beating frantically in her chest that she felt like vomiting.

    ncing outside the window, she realized that they were still about fifteen minutes away from the hospital. Her eyes closed as she took a deep breath to calm herself down but it was of no helpshe was much too agitated.

    Seeing her state, Damien reached for her hand, gave it a squeeze. And in a gentle yet firm tone, he told her, "He''ll be okay"

    Katherine did not respond and only kept her stare at the dashboard. From time to time, she would nce at the window to check if they were there already, but the traffic in Harbor City that night was unusually heavy.

    The car elerated when he floored it. He expertly maneuvered through the traffic, bypassing the red lights. It was definitely dangerous and he shouldn''t be doing it, but he was more worried about her at this point. "Baby, we''re almost there," he reassured.

    Hillcrest Hospital

    The moment that they arrived at the hospital, Katherine nearly jumped out of the car and sprinted towards the 8th floor where the VIP rooms were located.

    Her eyes reddened and her breathing got heavy with every shaky step that she took while her mind brought her to the time she regained her memories months ago after meeting her grandfather. For five years, she lived thinking that she was alone and had no family. And when she met Damien again, everything slowly started making sense. Now that she was reunited with her grandfather, and of course, with DamienKatherine felt that somehow, she was getting her life back.

    She and Damien were still wearing the fancy clothes they wore to the event earlier as they didn''t have time to change.

    Her heels clicked as she hastened her steps through the long hallway. She almost bumped into a medical staff if Damien hadn''t pulled her to the side. He was probably getting impatient now because of her clumsiness that he took her hand and walked fast with her, making sure that she wouldn''t cause trouble while she was in a hurry.

    She had to get to her grandfather fast.

    "Grandpa!" she called right after opening the door to Chairman Young''s room.

    The VIP room was simr to the room where she stayed in before when she was admitted here months ago. It resembled a hotel suiteonly with some hospital machines near the bed.

    Her grandfather was lying on the bed with his eyes closed while her aunt and cousin were sitting on the sofa, reading magazines. The two women snapped their heads in Katherine''s direction when she burst inside. Meanwhile, Frank, Chairman Young''s assistant, was sitting on a chair by the bed. Thetter immediately got up to greet Katherine when she stepped inside the room with Damien following behind her.

    Walking into the room, she stared at her grandfather as she approached the bed and sat on the armchair next to it, her eyes scanning his physique as she tried to check if he was okay. Someone spoke in the room, but her attention was all focused on the older man in the bed who appeared to be much older than he was this morning when she saw him.

    Katherine didn''t know why but she just started crying, still feeling worried and relieved at the same time when she heard that he was okay. The details about what happened to Grandpa Theo told by the assistant slipped in her mind as she was feeling too vulnerable at the moment.

    She really thought she was going to lose him.

    Her chest was in pain and she was bawling her eyes out,ying her forehead on her folded arms that were resting on the bed. She heard Damien trying to soothe her but she just couldn''t stop crying.

    That night was too stressful for herseeing Shadow agents and even meeting Parker, and then now, her grandfather. It was probably why she broke down.

    Katherine just couldn''t take any more lossesshe had already lost too much.

    Feeling a warm hand on her head, she looked up to see her grandfather looking at her. He had a concerned look on his face when he asked, "Pumpkin, what''s wrong? Why are you crying? Who made you like this?"

    "Grandpa!" She flew up to embrace the old man and sobbed on his chest like a little girl. "I was so worried, I came as soon as I could when Frank called me. What happened to you? Are you okay? Are you hurting anywhere?"

    "Of course I''m okay. Why wouldn''t I be? It''s just a little cough, there''s nothing to worry about," Grandpa Theo answered as he stroked his granddaughter''s back. Then he shot his assistant a re. "What did you tell her that she''s crying so hard like this? It feels like I''m dying!"

    "You''re not dying!" Katherine whimpered.

    "No, I''m not, pumpkin. Don''t worry, I will still live for many years," he reassured her.

    She looked up at him and saw the wrinkles all over his face, and then her heart throbbed. Her grandfather was already old.

    "Frank!" Grandpa Theo scolded his fifty-six-year-old assistant. "I told you I''m fine. Why did you have to make this a big deal and worry everybody?" He sighed.

    Beforeing to the hospital, Frank told him that Katherine insisted to have himself checked. So Chairman Young decided to visit the hospital that evening, but he was told to stay for the night so they can observe him further. Then his assistant informed Katherine while he was resting.

    Frank, who was already feeling like he made a huge mistake for taking care of his boss, opened his mouth to talk, but Deborah spoke before he could.

    "Dad, you can''t be mad at Frank for worrying about you. We all are worried about you."

    Katherine wiped her tear-stained face with Damien''s handkerchief. Thetter was standing behind her the entire time, but he remained quiet, letting the family speak to each other.

    "I was the one who told Frank to call the doctors," Katherine rified. "You can''t wait until your condition gets worse before getting a check up, Grandpa. You need to take better care of yourself."''

    "I know, pumpkin. I promise to be good now. I don''t want you getting mad at me. I also hate that you''re crying." Grandpa Theo clicked his tongue, his brows knitting as he scanned his granddaughter''s face. "Stop crying you''re too pretty tonight to cry like that. How was your party?"

    Katherine let out a long sigh. Maybe she overreacted. Or maybe the way Frank delivered the news really just sounded so bad that she reacted that way. Either way, she was extremely thankful that her grandfather was all right. If something were to happen to him, she wouldn''t know what to do.

    "Honestly? I''m so over parties Unexpected stuff keeps happening. It''s exhausting." She sat on the bed by his hip and held his hand.

    His hand was cold, so she massaged it to warm it up. Still, it felt nice to hold his hand. It felt like home.

    "Chairman, you must take your medicine now. Let me help you," said Frank as he came over to the side of the bed, bringing two small stic cups with pills in them.

    With a scowl and a scoff, Grandpa Theo looked away in contempt. "I refuse to ept your help for making my Katherine cry. You gave her a scare. What would you do if something happened to her because she got so worried?!"

    Frank''s arms rxed and his lips formed into a thin line upon hearing his boss. "But, Chairman"

    "Ah! No buts." Grandpa Theo scorned.

    Feeling bad for Frank, Katherine received the medicine from him and coaxed her grandfather to take them.

    That night, her heart and brain went through a lot. She wondered if getting her own room in the hospital would be a good idea.

 Chapter 555: An Old Record

    Chapter 555: An Old Record

    Katherine insisted on watching over her grandfather that evening, so she and Damien decided to stay for the night. As long as she was happy, he didn''t mind it at all.

    Good thing that the VIP hospital suite had one bedroom, so they and Frank agreed to take turns in staying up beside Grandpa Theo''s bed while Deborah and her daughter, Caroline, went home to the mansion to rest.

    Damien had been quiet the whole time, and she noticed that he was getting tired, so she held his hand and suggested right after her aunt left, "I''m fine staying here. Why don''t you go home so you can rest properly?"

    He shook his head and gave her a small smile as he responded, "I''m okay. I don''t want to go home either. I''d rather stay here with you. I''ll help you watch your grandpa."

    His words touched her, so she could only agree to let him stay, knowing that he would only get worried if she wasn''t around.

    Frank proposed that the couple rest first, guessing that the two had an eventful and tiring night. But before Katherine and Damien turned in for the evening, a female doctor came by to check on Grandpa Theo''s condition.

    "Doctor, how is he?" Katherine asked as soon as the doctor finished. She kept her voice low because her grandfather was already sleeping. Then they walked towards the door to talk so they wouldn''t disturb him.

    The doctor scribbled something on her chart and then pocketed her pen into her white coat''s front pocket. When she lifted her head to face them, she exined, "I can hear a little wheezing on his chest. After checking the results on the tests that we did earlier, I found out that his cough is caused by bacteria. He should be okay as long as he takes the medicines. Also, his blood pressure is elevated, so he needs to make changes in his lifestyle and diet. At his age, he needs to be more careful from now on."

    Nodding, her brows slightly knitted when she nced at her grandfather from where she stood. She was clearly very worried about him. "I''ll let him know. Thank you very much."

    When the doctor left, Damienforted Katherine, stroking her arms as he told her, "I will have Markus ask our dietician in thepany toe by tomorrow so we can work out your grandfather''s needs. We''ll do everything we can to get him back in shape. Okay?"

    "Thank you, Damien"

    "Let''s get some shut-eye," he said as she squeezed herself in his embrace, then he walked her towards the bedroom so they could rest.

    Meanwhile, Hughes decided to leave the Crown Hotel the next day and convinced Chris and the others that she could get herself protected. She still had some responsibilities to take care of in the office and she couldn''t put it off just because her husband wanted her dead.

    And because she couldn''t guarantee their safety, it was best that she would separate herself from them. Now that she knew Chris had back up and even met Katherine and Damien, she was rest assured that although it was dangerous for everyone, she believed they were capable.

    She also told them that she would deal with her husband herself, so they didn''t have to worry about her anymore. Josiah Connor may have fooled director Hughes even after their years of marriage, but she was a capable and strong womanshe would surely not let this matter go.

    Their alliance wasn''t officially agreed upon, but it was pretty obvious now that they could both benefit from each other.

    Shadow failed their mission in killing Hughes, and even though they had erased their traces, the matter about meeting Parker would still alert them. It was too much of a coincidence that Katherine and Damien were there while Shadow weren''t sessful in their mission.

    It was definitely Katherine''s bad luck that she bumped into Parker. And because of that, Damien restricted her from going anywhere without security. Hughes agreed that it was for the best and suggested for everyone to do the same. Sometimes, one has to take a step back in order to safely tread the waters.

    However, they all believed that it was only a matter of time until Parker would make his move.

    ...

    A few dayster...

    Damien decided to work from home in the Young Mansion for the meantime so he could be around Katherine while she took care of her grandfather. They only stayed in the hospital for two days, and her grandfather was allowed to go back home as long as he followed the doctor''s advice.

    Katherine had insisted on taking care of Grandpa Theo herself that the older man couldn''t say no, so she took some time off from work. Her grandfather enjoyed herpany, loving the time that they got to spend together. She also had the chance to explore the mansion, discovering things that she had forgotten from when she was still a child.

    At the same time, she got to keep a closer eye on her aunt.

    Thursday  December 6

    While Damien was working, he received a phone call from theb regarding the DNA Phenotyping and familial searching. He was asked if he was avable to talk, but since it was Chris''s important personal matter, he suggested having the conversation while Chris was present. So they agreed to have a video conference that afternoon.

    Katherine and Damien then went to the safe house and met the rest of their group.

    Once they entered the premises, they found Chris anxiously waiting in the living room; his knees bounced up and down in anticipation. He didn''t know what they were going to find out that day, and he could only hope that it was good news. But when he noticed the couple''s arrival, he suddenly became unsure and his heart started to race.

    For a long time, he wondered if his sister was alive and if she was, where was she? Without any clue, he was rendered hopeless and had almost given up. Consoling himself to think that as long as she was alive and well, that was enough for him. But each day, it remained a mystery, and the longer he didn''t have any news about his sister, the more frustrated he became.

    Amelia made everyone some refreshments, and she brought a tray into the living room with sses filled with drinks. When she gave one to Chris, thetter shook his head and didn''t even look at her.

    Damien saw this exchange, and he had been noticing it happen in the past few days since the other learned that Amelia had a sonand that son was him. He was displeased to see that Chris had been ignoring her. Even though he felt uneasy about his mother''s rtionship with Chris, the fact that thetter was ignoring Amelia so bluntly bothered him.

    Just who was he to get mad at his mother? Chris was already lucky enough to have spent more time with her than he did. Damien subconsciously clenched his hand, but he brushed his thoughts aside to focus on what''s at hand. He would have to deal with this assholeter.

    ..

    "Are you ready?" Katherine asked Chris as they hovered over Styles''s workstation.

    Chris sat in the armchair in front of the monitor so that he could talk in the conference directly while the rest stood at the side and decided to give him the floor.

    When Damien''s friend, the CEO of theb, called him earlier, they agreed to do the conference call at three in the afternoon. There were five minutes until the time, and everyone, not just Chris, grew nervous.

    The clock struck at three, and their gazes were glued to the screen. However, they didn''t receive any call.

    A few minutes after three in the afternoonstill none.

    "Are you sure he is going to call?" Chris questioned Damien when he began to feel impatient that the man hadn''t called them yet.

    "Yes."

    "He''s fifteen minuteste already. Why don''t you call him?"

    Damien''s face hardened. He understood why the other was impatient, but he already disliked him, so Damien only grew irritated.

    "Be patient," he replied under gritted teeth.

    Then he felt Katherine''s hand slipping into his as if to calm him down. She always knew how to.

    Just then, the monitor rang, catching everyone''s attention to the screen. As soon as the call came through, they talked about the results right away.

    "As we speak, I''m sending the soft copy of the files through Park''s email. We will send the hardcopy via express, so you will receive it by tomorrow," said the man from theb. "Everything can be easily understood based on the results as exnations are written thoroughly. But if you have any questions, you can contact me any time."

    Chris had a confused look on his face. He didn''t understand why they had to do the conference call if everything was easy to understand. They could have just informed them via text or email if that was the case.

    "That''s it?" he probed.

    "Actually, there''s one more thing." The man cleared his throat. "We found that you already have a record in our local database dated a few years ago. It was a request made by a man named Parker Green."

 Chapter 556: Ungrateful Bastard

    Chapter 556: Ungrateful Bastard

    "What are you saying?" Chris questioned cautiously in a halting voice, his eyes widened in surprise and he froze. Did he hear that right? He looked at the man in ab coat on the screen, his eyes hardening with each passing second.

    Hearing Parker''s name was enough for everyone in the room to be on alert. The possibility of Parker getting services from theb was understandable, especially when its office was just in front of Shadow''s inconspicuous base. However, this server that the man was talking about wasn''t merely any service from theb. It was a request made years agoand without Chris''s consent or not to his knowledge.

    This only meant two things: Parker could easily keep tabs on everyone without them knowing, and that he may really have spoken the truth about Chris''s sisterthat she was alive and he knew where she was.

    Of course, there was a possibility that he lied about knowing where Chris''s sister was. Maybe he ordered the service but didn''t find Chris''s sister?

    The man from theb straightened up when he saw Chris''s expression. Even through the screen, Chris radiated a dangerous vibe. He cleared his throat and gently rified, "I mean this person listed on file requested for a simr service years ago using your DNA"

    "How long ago?" Chris questioned impatiently.

    "Well We made changes in our system about six years ago and that included the structure of what details or information are included on the filenothing too borate. Upon checking the hard copy, this structure was from the previous system. So that would mean the person must have requested this before the change. It could be longer than six years" His voice trailed off when Chris turned to the side and met everyone''s stare.

    Even without talking yet, Chris knew what everyone was already thinking. This was just proof of Parker''s attempt to look for his sister around the time that he started to ckmail him.

    The conference call ended soon after. Damien forwarded the results from his email to Styles''sputer and they printed multiple copies for everyone to check.

    The images and texts on the paper still seemed to be so foreign due to the process being so high tech. There were details written on every section and disclosures that although theb was able to produce this result, it still wasn''t one hundred percent urate.

    While the others read some of the texts on the file to familiarize themselves with it, Chris had been standing still with the paper in his hands. His eyes were glued to the images that it had. In it were facial images with three anglesthe front and two sides of the face, although the sides were pretty much just identical to each other.

    On the top left of the paper was Chris''s head-shot portrait that was taken from theb when he and Damien visitedst week. And in the middle of the paper were the images that showed a facial structure and features of a woman.

    Chris thought that it was somewhat bizarre as he looked at the image. His heart was still racing and he was anxious too as he tried to make a sense out of the whole thing. The 3D model''s representation on the paper detailed the appearance of the supposed woman they were looking for or Chris''s sister.

    It had the highest possibility of what the color of the eyes and hair were, and the possible structure of the face. He looked at it closely and he began to see the resemnce between him and the model on paper. And Chris desperately imagined that she might look like their mother.

    Clenching the papers in his hand, he took a deep breath. He didn''t want to feel disappointed in case all of this was just for nothing, but seeing a face that he thought was familiar made him feel hopeful. Was it okay for him to feel like so?

    Feeling a handnd on his shoulder, he turned his head to see Gus next to him. "Are you okay?" he asked.

    Chris blinked and cleared his throat, realizing that he had been on a trance while staring at the paper. Then he nodded. "I''m fine." Trying to be objective about the whole thing, he examined the results thoroughly before he looked up again.

    He met Styles''s worried expression, but he ignored it and walked over to the other''s workstation to give some instructions. "You have facial recognition, right?"

    "Uh, yeah of course" Styles hurriedly sat on his chair, cracking his knuckles as he did, and started working on hisputer. "Where do you want me to find her?"

    "Use the model''s face and search everywhere that you can ess. Police, schools, hospitals, centers. Everywhere," Chrismanded.

    "There''s ummm... A thousand results and it''s still going"

    Styles was concerned and it showed in his voice, but he patiently waited for what else the other had to ask.

    "Filter the age from 27-30. She''s 29 at the moment, but if she''s alive and has a new identity, she probably could be hiding around that age." Chris did not know why but he just had a feeling that it was the case. Call it his intuition. And right now, he was just going for it.

    Styles did notin and followed what Chris asked him to do. The search engine ran for several seconds and the screen refreshed with new search results. It was now down to two hundred and forty-three people who had the same characteristics from the model they used.

    A smile ghosted Styles''s face and he looked up at the man next to him. "Well, this is better right? Maybe we can go through"

    "Print it. I will go through all of them one by one," said Chris. His tone was t and his expression was unreadable.

    This was the closest that he got to looking for his sister and he would give it his best shot. Even if it would take him nights without sleep just sorting through the images of who could possibly be his sister.

    Katherine and Damien were standing at the side, quietly observing the room. They watched how Chris''s mood had changed ever since they learned about Parker requesting theb for the same service.

    "What now? We just go over the results and check the pictures one by one?" she probed, her stare shifted from the workstation and then to Damien who stood next to her.

    "Let him work on it," he replied.

    From where they stood, they could watch and hear the entire room since it was pretty much empty as there was no furniture. Damien had his focus on Chris.

    When Chris turned away from the workstation and headed outside of the safe house, he passed by Amelia who called for his attention.

    "Christopher, how can I help? I can go over the pictures with you" she offered, however, Chris only nced at her and continued to walk out of the house.

    Seeing this happen before him again, Damien could no longer take it. And he snapped.

    "Hey, you." He took long strides until he was directly behind Chris and mped his hand on the other''s shoulder. "Who the hell do you think you are?!" Damien raged, his eyes were menacing and anger was evident on his face.

    Chris quickly pulled back from Damien''s deathly grip. But because of his injury on the leg, he stumbled backward and nearly lost his bnce, then his back hit the wall. "What''s your problem?!" he shouted back.

    The others, especially Katherine, were surprised at what was happening but not one of them dared to go over and stop it. Damien and Chris were both tall and well-built men who knew how to fightand although most of the people in the room were capable of fighting, they didn''t move from where they stood.

    Damien''s chest heaved up and down because of being enraged. He pushed Chris to the wall, gathering thetter''s cor into his fists. "I should be asking you that! Why are you ignoring her?!"

    The confusion in Chris''s face slowly disappeared, realizing what Damien meant. He looked at Amelia from the side and saw the hurt in her eyes, but he swiftly looked away and red at the raging man in front of him. "You wouldn''t understand," he spoke under gritted teeth. "She was only nice to me because she was reminded of you. Her son. All this time" He scoffed, looking down at the floor.

    Damien''s emotions have gone haywire. He was too pissed at this man in front of him. It took a lot of control to stop himself from choking the life out of this unappreciative bastard. His heart was racing and throbbing, seeing his mother trying so hard to make amends with this man who was only ignoring her.l

    "You''re pathetic," Damien bit out, a stray tear escaping the corner of his eyes as he fumed. "How could you be so ungrateful? You''re lucky that you have known her for years and grew up knowing her. Don''t you know that I only met her not too long ago? I would pay to be in your ce."

 Chapter 557: Gut Feeling

    Chapter 557: Gut Feeling

    Pulling back his arm, Damien punched Chris in the face, and he didn''t even evade. Everyone in the room tentatively moved towards them, but no one dared to stop Damien. Chris''s lips bled from the hit and the other brought him back up and held him against the wall.

    For the life of him, Damien couldn''t understand why Chris was being an idiot. For all his life, he had been wondering what having a mother felt like because even though he had one until he was eight, she never felt like one.

    And now that he had met Amelia, he never wanted to lose her. He couldn''t deny to himself that he was jealous when he learned that Chris was close to her. Good for Chris that he got to spend more time with her. Good for Chris that he grew up with her by his side.

    But now, the ungrateful ashole was acting like this? He had the nerve to be mad at his mother? Damien just couldn''t take it.

    When Chris heard Damien''s words, he felt like he had been smacked with a baseball bat in the chest. He had been so narrow-minded that he didn''t think about what Damien went through. For him, just the thought of Amelia and Damien being rtedhe couldn''t get used to it. Has the world always been this small?

    Moreover, why didn''t he realize that he was more fortunate to have known about Amelia? About twenty years ago, he lost his biological family, and Amelia had been the closest to a mother that he had after that. So he had been territorial about his rtionship with her.

    Maybe because he hated Damien for who he wasit''s why it was easy for Chris to look past the other''s misfortunes.

    His shoulders rxed when he darted his gaze and met Amelia''s. He could tell that she was hurt because of what was happening, but it was also apparent that she was trying hard not to show it. Her lips were pressed into a thin line, and she held her hands together as though she was keeping her hands busy.

    Seeing the two grown men fight over her, Amelia felt a painful tightness in her throat. She never wanted this to happen. She loved her son, Damien, since the day he was born and even more so now. Chris was also like a son to her, but she never wanted him to feel like she only did so because of what he thought. He was a different person, and she cared about him differently, even if they were not bound by blood.

    Hearing what Damien said broke her heart. Amelia always regretted what she did in the past. Now she was paying for her sins, and she could only ept what wasing because she deserved it.

    She walked up to them and ced her hand on top of Damien''s that were clutching Chris''s cor. Her son didn''t turn his head, but he rxed a little. "That''s enough."

    Reluctantly, Damien released Chris harshly, tossing him away like he was worthless. He should have killed the man when he had the chance. Shooting him on the leg that one time wasn''t enough.

    "Come on." Gus helped Chris up and led him out of the house. Thetter walked away wordlessly as he nced at Amelia who only met his stare for a brief second before turning to her son.

    Amelia swallowed the huge lump in her throat, gazing at her tall son whose rage was still coursing through his body. Damien refused to look at her, and he had kept his head down the whole time, ashamed of how he acted just now. He opened his mouth to speak, but it took him a few seconds to form his words. "I''m sorry, I couldn''t control"

    "Shh You didn''t do anything wrong." Amelia pressed her palms on either side of his face, a tear sliding down her cheek. "I did It''s my fault. It''s my fault."

    Listening to her pained voice, Damien''s shoulders drooped, and there was tightness in his chest. He could never me his mother, so this was painful to hear.

    He allowed her to pull him closer and be wrapped in her embrace. At first, he hesitated but eventually returned his mother''s hug with his own. Only then did he feel better. The tightness in his chest was gone, and his heartbeat gradually went back to normal. Was it normal to feel the change this fast just because his mother was holding him? Whatever it was, it felt nice. It felt like home.

    Sometime after dinner, Chris found the chance to talk to Amelia while she was cleaning up in the kitchen with Katherine. The kitchen and dining room were in the same room. Just like the rest of the house, this area was also pretty much empty except for some basic necessities. The kitchen needed renovation, but ever since Amelia came to stay here with the men, it had been cleaner.

    "Can I talk to you?" he asked.

    The two women turned their heads, and Katherine knew that he was referring to the other, so she left to give the two some privacy.

    Amelia dried her hands with the dishcloth and turned to face Chris, waiting for him to speak.

    "I''m sorry"

    She could only nod her head, indicating that she epted his apology. It looked like he wanted to say more as he opened his mouth several times, but no words came out. Then he pursed his lips and nodded as he turned around.

    Before he could walk away, she called and walked towards him. "Christopher."

    He slowly faced her and kept his face down, ashamed of what he did. It wasn''t only until Amelia spoke again that he lifted his stare at her.

    "I was already a mother when I came to Shadow. But I do care about you I hope you know that."

    Chris nodded and the two hugged it out, forgetting about how silly he acted. She might not be his biological mother, but he certainly cared about her, just like how she cared about him.

    Katherine and Damien decided to go back home to the Young Mansion. On the way home, she noticed how quiet he was as he drove, and she wondered if he was still bothered by what happened earlier at the safe house.

    "You okay?" she asked.

    Nodding, a small smile brightened his face, then he reached for her hand and kissed the back of it. "I''m okay."

    Katherine smiled back at him and squeezed his hand. "For the record, he deserved that punch."

    Damien softly chuckled, exchanging knowing smiles with her. He threaded his fingers through hers and brought his focus back to the road. They were about fifteen minutes away from the mansion, and this part of the suburbs was a bit busy with a lot of cars on the road.

    He felt her hand twitch, and when he looked at her, he found her staring at something outside the window. "What is it?"

    "Damien, slow down Can you make a U-turn? I need to check something."

    Without questions, he turned the car around and parked at a spot where Katherine told him to. "What are we looking for?"

    "You see that building?"

    He read the name that was written on the signage of the building. "Alliance... What about it?" His brows were furrowed when he faced her, wondering what she was up to.

    "Remember what Felix said when hest saw the senator? He heard her say ''Alliance''."

    "Didn''t we think that it''s the group behind Shadow?"

    "But we might be looking at it wrongly? What if it''s not an association or a union of people or a group? I''m not talking about that particr building, but it could be a brand or a name of apany" Her voice trailed off as she thought about the different possibilities.

    Her gut was telling her she was in the right direction. "We have to ask Styles to check on it. I have a strange feeling about this."

 Chapter 558: Stop Hating Your Imperfect Self

    Chapter 558: Stop Hating Your Imperfect Self

    Friday  December 7

    Katherine and Damien continued to be vignt, thus staying at the Young Mansion since Sunday. Maverick Security made sure of their safety.

    At one point, they thought staying in Park Mansion would be the safest but Katherine also wanted to keep an eye on her grandfather, so her best option was to stay here. And she loved that she''s able to spend time with the old man.

    It was four in the afternoon when she and Grandpa Theo were out in the garden, sitting in soft armchairs at the patio overlooking a small pond. The two were ying crossword puzzles and riddles on a book that she picked up one day when they were out. Some riddles were great, and some were so funny that the two got a goodugh out of it.

    "Here''s one, Grandpa," Katherine called his attention. "What can you break even if you never pick it up or touch it?"

    "Ah That''s easy. A promise!" Grandpa Theo smiled, looking so confident in his answer.

    His smile was contagious. She smiled back at him and held her hand up, spreading her fingers apartFivetheir little secret code that meant: "Can you keep a secret?" And then Grandpa pressed his hand to hers like a promise.

    "Next one. What goes up but neveres down?" she asked.

    "Simple! Your age."

    Katherine snorted. Her grandfather was too smart. He had figured out all the answers to her questions since the start. How was he doing this?

    "What can you catch, but not throw?"

    "A cold.

    "What is cut on a table, but is never eaten?"

    "A deck of cards."

    "What building has the most stories?"

    "The library."

    "Where does todaye before yesterday?"

    "The dictionary."

    "Oh, my god, Grandpa! I''m starting to think you wrote this book!" She mmed the book shut and tossed it onto the side table between them. They were sent into a burst ofughter. He was too good. She would have probably answered the riddles after much thought, but Grandpa Theo was on fire, answering everything within ten secondsmostly less.

    "You used to ask me so many questions when you were very young. You''re an inquisitive child. So many good memories You ask the servants and the people in the kitchen about anything. You''re so curious. I guess I got good practice from all that, Pumpkin."

    "What" Katherine''s mouth hung open. "I don''t know if that''s apliment or you''re just calling me out"

    Heughed once again. "Oh, of course, it''s apliment. It''s a good thing to be curious. Just as long as you don''t hurt people, then it''s okay."

    Pulling her knees up on the chair, she turned her body to the left so that she was angled towards her grandfather. "Grandpa Would you hate me if you knew I did some bad things?"

    Grandpa Theo nced at her, a small smile forming on his face when he answered, "You''re my little angel. How could I hate you?"

    "Even if I had hurt people?"

    "Did you know you were hurting them?"

    She shook her head.

    "Then, did you feel good when you hurt them?"

    She shook her head again.

    "Katherine The world is bleak and full of sins. Yet it is the peoplewho had witnessed the sinswho decide what to do with what they had seen. We''re at a crossroads even if we don''t mean to, which doesn''t only lead to one or two paths. It can be a long and lonely road. A high and mighty one. Or it can be both. We don''t always know what we see at the end of the tunnel, even if it shines so brightly while we walk through it. It can be deceiving, or it can be pure and clean.

    "We cannot judge a person just because they stumbled on a rocksame way we don''t judge a rock for causing the person to stumble upon it. Because what if that same rock actually caused another person''s sess? What I''m trying to tell you is that A person is never perfect. We have so many ws, yet we learn to live with it and love it. So you have to stop hating yourself."

    Thest sentence caught her off-guard. She instantly straightened. "Why do you say that? I" She couldn''t even say it. She herself knew that her grandfather was right. She had hated herself for the thing she did.

    "You still haven''t visited your parents'' graves," he stated. His tone was gentle andced with concern that she knew was purely innocent.

    And it gutted her that she didn''t have a good exnation of why she hadn''t gone there. She tried. She really did, but the closest she got was several meters away, even after telling Damien that she finally wanted to do so. Katherine thought that it was because she hadn''t found justice yet. It was why she felt unworthy to see them. She knew her parents wouldn''t me her for what happened, but that didn''t change the fact that she still felt awful.

    Seeing that his granddaughter had gotten quiet, Grandpa Theo pursed his lips into a thin line and reached for her hand, squeezing it as he told her, "Whatever it is, it''s not your fault. Keep that in mind. You should go and visit them when you can. I''m sure they''ll be happy to see you."

    Katherine consoled herself and nodded in agreement. "Soon, Grandpa. I will. And when I do, will youe with me?"

    "Of course, Pumpkin. Anytime Just not during the evening. I''m brave for other things, but ghosts in the graveyard scare the hell out of me."

    The two of them ended upughing once again. Grandpa Theo surely knew how to bring the mood back up.

    The ringing of Katherine''s phone interrupted their fun session, and she excused herself to pick up the call when she saw that it was Styles.

    "Queen, you need toe back to the safehouse. There''s something you need to see," Styles informed her as soon as the line connected.

    "Okay, I will be right there with Damien."

    Aunt Deborah came to the patio, bringing a tray of freshly brewed tea while she was on the phone. When Katherine ended the call, she told her grandfather that she had to leave for an errand.

    "We''ll be back for dinner, Grandpa. You should get inside to take a rest soon," she said after kissing Grandpa Theo on the forehead, leaving him and Deborah to chat while she went to get Damien.

 Chapter 559: Identity Unknown

    Chapter 559: Identity Unknown

    Safe House

    Styles was busy on his workstation while Chris and the rest of the team all had papers in their hands. They had been helping out looking for Chris''s sister. Although they wouldn''t be able to urately decide whether the women they were looking at could be his sister, it was still good to have a different pair of eyes to check on them. So far, they had narrowed it down to twenty, and it still felt like the number was plenty.

    It had been almost an hour since Styles called Katherine toe over, and any time soon, she and Damien would arrive.

    "This has to be a perfect coincidence," Felixmented, his eyes glued to one particr woman on a paper. They had all twenty potential ''sisters''id out on the dining table and they hovered over it. "I don''t really believe in fate, but ever since I met Katherine and Damien, they''ve proven me wrong several times already. This is just"

    "We don''t know that yet," Gus interrupted. "Let''s not get ahead of ourselves." He nced at Chris, who had been quiet the whole time, made him wonder if his mentor already knew the truth. Chris''s eyes would scan the table, his eyes carefully examining the women, but his attention would constantly fall on the same woman that Felix was talking about.

    They had asked him what he thought earlier, but Chris remained quiet. He hadn''t spoken, looking as if he was afraid to speak his mind only to be disappointed.

    The time was ticking, and each passing second, the room got colder. December was really cold in Esmea, and the furnace was brokenit was an old house after all. So everyone couldn''t wait for Katherine and Damien to arrive as they said they brought heaters with them.

    Amelia blew air and rubbed her hands together, a cloud of mist lingered before her mouth. She nced at the door, anticipating for her son to arrive.

    She felt a tap on her arm, and when she looked, a heat pack was handed to her by Felix.

    "Use it."

    "What about you?"

    "I''m good," he reassured, cing the pack in her palm.

    "Thank you." Amelia closed her hand around it, and her hand instantly warmed up. She smiled at him, thankful for his kindness.

    The sound of an approaching car caught everyone''s attention, and they knew that Katherine and Damien arrived. In the next minute, a few men from the Beta Team entered the houseeach of them bringing a sizeable electric heater inside. They ced them in several areas of the house and plugged them in. The entire space instantly felt better right after.

    "What do we have?" Katherine asked as she approached the table with Damien. She saw the papersid on the table, and her eyes skimmed over some of the women''s faces before she looked at Chris.

    Styles joined them at the table and exined what they were up to. "We''ve narrowed down to twenty women who could be Chris''s sister. All of them with a questionable or unclear background. All of them are adopted or grew up in foster care."

    "Okay So why did you sound urgent on the phone?"

    Felix nodded his chin at the table and urged her, "Look at them carefully. See if you can find anything."

    The papers wereid out in fivesfive across, four down. She nodded in agreement as her starended at the first woman on the top left of the rows, carefully assessing each feature as though she was trying to make sensematching them to Chris''s feature. The second woman was a bit simr to the first one, with only their noses different. The third one was also the same, and that one, the shape of her eyes were different.

    Katherine continued to look at each of them until she reached the twelfth woman. Her eyes grew wide upon seeing a familiar face that she didn''t think she would see on the table. "Why"

    "You see it?" Felix probed.

    Damien came up behind her, and she felt his hand resting on her waist. "Isn''t that your friend?" he asked.

    Without answering anyone''s questions, she darted her gaze towards Chris who had been waiting for her to say something. She shifted her stare back to the woman and then back at Chris, and she did this several times over as if she was trying to make sure because it was just mind-blowing. "Oh my god" was the only thing she could mutter.

    Looking at the photograph of the woman for thest time, her brows deeply knitted together. She couldn''t understand why or how it was even possible. But the more that she looked at it, the more that she was slowly convinced that the woman was the only one who matched Chris''s features. But howe she had never seen it before?

    "Your friend" Chris spoke in almost a whisper.

    With her heart racing, Katherine hesitantly responded, "Her name is Emma."

    "Styles and Felix told me about her. You two are friends? Do you think"

    "Chris, you put me in that neighborhood," she spat. "How could you not have known?" This was weird for Katherine. She had known her friend for five years, and all this time, she had never questioned her identity. Why was she all of a suddenpossiblyrted to Chris? That was ridiculous.

    He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. "I couldn''t. I only nned it, but I never went anywhere near that ce, nor have I checked the people around you. It was to lessen the risk, so I had someone else arrange and execute it, and I asked them not to tell me anything unless it was something that couldpromise your situation"

    "How is this even possible? Emma has a family she couldn''t"

    "She has no record from seven years ago," Styles cut her off.

    "What do you mean she has no record?"

    Handing her a paper, Styles pointed at a section of the paper where it showed details of his search. "I mean Emma Chang doesn''t exist anywhere else. There are only superficial records of her and her family in a few databases. But she was nothing before seven years ago. It''s not her real name. And her identity before this is unknown."

 Chapter 560: Classified

    Chapter 560: ssified

    The image of Emma filled Katherine''s mind. Her smiling face and genuine personality were what made them be friends fast. If Emma were happy, she would definitely be all smiles, and if she were mad at you, she wouldn''t be afraid to yell at youno matter who you are or what your status is.

    The thought of Emma with a different identity was quite surprising for Katherine. It wasn''t because she didn''t believe people can have different identitiesheck, she lived a considerable part of her life with different identities. It was just that, Emma was one of the very few people she believed to be innocent or real.

    So if she wasn''t really Emma Chang, then was it really possible for her to be Chris''s sister? This was insane.

    Katherine''s eyes darted back to Chris, and her mind tried to fit the two together in one frame, but Chris''s sudden announcement interrupted her imagination.

    "I''ll have to go and see her," he said as he stared at the floor. And in the next second, he turned around and grabbed a jacket from the sofa.

    Almost everyone moved to stop him, but Styles, who was the closest, was the one who was able to grab him by the arm. "Woah, woah, woah You gotta chill, bro," Styles appealed, his hand gripping the other''s arm tightly.

    "Christopher, you can''t just go out there," Amelia stressed. "It''s dangerous."

    Chris stopped in his tracks, but Katherine still persuaded him. "Amelia is right. You need to calm down. We don''t even know if Emma is really your sister"

    "The only way to know that is if I see her personally. That picture was taken sometime long ago." He pointed at the one on their table. "She could look different now. I can''t tell from the paper. I have to go and see her."

    "It''s too risky!"

    Facing Katherine, Chris''s tone rose an octave higher, and he spat, "Parker might already be onto her. If I don''t get to her first, then Parker will!"

    "I know that. Believe me, I do!" she fired back. "Emma is my friend. And I stayed away from her to protect her. I don''t want her to be part of this dangerous life. What if you go out there thinking that she''s your sisterand there''s a chance that she''s notyou''ll be putting her in grave danger. We all know Parker is still out to get your head. He could be anywhere. Think rationally, Chris. We have to be smarter."

    Turning around so abruptly, Chris punched the hard concrete wall. "Fck!"

    He injured his knuckles right away. Blood trickled down the back of his fingers. He was so frustrated that he couldn''t do anything. For so many years, he had trained with Shadow and achieved the highest rank he could in the organizationonly to be deemed useless when going against Parker.

    Feeling a hand nted on his shoulder, he nced at the side and saw Gus giving him a ck handkerchief. He received it as he let out a deep, exhausted sigh and wrapped it around his hand. His stare shifted to the pictures on the table, and itnded on Emma''s face. She certainly looked like his sister. But it had been over twenty years since he hadst seen her. He felt like his heart was squeezed for not being able to recognize his own family.

    "I have to get to her" Chris muttered.

    "I understand," Katherine answered. "But first, we need to know a little bit more about Emma first before we jump to conclusions. And there''s only one person who is capable of digging up sealed records like hers."

    Everyone''s eyesid on Katherine.

    "Hughes," Damien mumbled, and she nodded her head.

    Without wasting time, Chris called, "Styles"

    "Here!" Styles tossed his phone towards Chris who caught it swiftly in his hands. The two were so in sync that they didn''t need to speak more to know what the other was thinking.

    Chris paced back and forth in the living room as he waited for Director Hughes to pick up his call. It took several rings, but she eventually answered it.

    "Director, I need a favor," he began as soon as the line went through and detailed what he could to her.

    "I understand" Director Huges paused as if she was giving it a thought and then came back. "I will see what I can do. I will call you as soon as I have news."

    When the call ended, Chris still felt anxious. He had always been a patient person, but now, it seemed as though he could hear the ticking of the clock''s hand every time it passed. There wasn''t much that they could do except wait for the call.

    Meanwhile, Katherine was quiet, leaning against a wall and thinking about her friend. She was trying to recall their memories together, and all she could think of were the good times they shared. Emma was a very bright and sunny person. And although she blurted some hurtful things to her in the past, Katherine thought she wasn''t entirely to me.

    Her heart ached when she remembered that particr day, and her eyes got misty. For five years, she had no one. For five years, she didn''t have a family. But Emma was there for her. Her friend was ever so patient despite the fact that she lost her memory and was often in a dark ce. They were like sisters from a different mother.

    Katherine should have gone to her sooner. It was one of the things she regretted, but there was nothing she could do about that now. This thing about Shadow had to end so she could finally live her life freely without constantly worrying about her surroundings.

    This was a shock for her. Even though nothing had been proven yet, part of her already believed for it to be true. If she was this surprised, she could only imagine how Chris was feeling, knowing that there was a possibility of Emma being his sister.

    "Hey," Damien cupped her cheeks and lifted her face. "You okay?"

    Not wanting to worry him, she pulled the corners of her mouth into a smile and nodded. "Just thinking"

    "Everything will be alright." He pressed his lips to her forehead and pulled her to his arms in a tight hug.

    And that was all she needed in order to let go of her worries. Katherine allowed him tofort her as she leaned her head against his chest and inhaled his scent that she loved so much. ''Indeed, everything will be alright.''

    Their anticipation was cut half an hourter when a phone started ringing, and Chris immediately answered it. He appeared to be very stressedhis brows hadn''t rxed since earlier, and he had been pacing up and down.

    Pressing the speaker button, he held the phone in his palm, and everyone listened as Director Hughes spoke.

    "I have checked from my end, and whatever you told me earlier, Christopher, are the same details that I see here. Everything from seven years ago is marked ssifiednot empty like what you see theressified," informed Director Hughes.

    "What does that mean? Have you essed it?" Chris impatiently asked.

    "I tried. But I also don''t have esseven at my level of clearance. So the only way I could ess it is to make a legal request in order for me to view the information, which will take weeks before it will be approved, mind you. And whatever the reason for this ssification, it will be on permanent record that I request an ess for it."

    "What are you saying? That there''s no way to find out?!"

    "I could file a request, but I don''t think you can wait for the approval. However" She took a deep breath. "This I can tell you for now There could be two possibilities why Ms. Chang''s history is sealed. She''s either under a witness protection program or her identity could be unique... like Ms. Young''s or yours."

 Chapter 561: The Meetup

    Chapter 561: The Meetup

    "What do you mean unique?" Chris questioned, his brows deeply furrowed as he digested the words that Director Hughes told him. Then his eyes darted to Katherine whose expression changed from simple curiosity to bewilderment. Everything was just getting absurd with each passing second.

    "I didn''t mean to startle you, Christopher. I''m just saying that it is a possibility. After all, you''re not new to this. As far as I know, you don''t exist anywhere. Neither does Ms. Youngexcept her situation now is a bit different. But you understand what I mean, don''t you?" probed Director Hughes.

    Katherine threaded her fingers through her hair, seemingly baffled because of what was happening. She met Chris''s gaze, and both of them understood how strange the possibility was.

    "Yes," was all that Chris could answer.

    Noticing his dispirited tone, Director Hughes responded, "I apologize that I couldn''t help you much about your sister. I tried but she''s really hard to find. This information you gave me is the closest that we got in years. I will try to call a friend regarding this matter and keep it confidential, but I cannot guarantee that I can give you updates on it very soon."

    "Thanks for your help, Director."

    The phone call ended, and the room fell silent again. Chris''s head was still in turmoil due to the different information he received that day. It was too much to handle, but he was very desperate.

    "Katherine, can I talk to you for a minute?" he asked.

    She exchanged nces with Damien for a beat before nodding her head and walking to the side of the room with Chris.

    "What''s up?"

    He clenched his jaw, looking pained as he contemted. "Is it Is it possible for you to call her? I need to see her."

    Katherine formed her hand into a fist. The thought of dragging Emma into this mess was giving her a hard time. Whether she was his sister or not, suddenly calling her now when they were ''not friends'' at the moment, felt ufortable. Apart from that, if she was his sister, what then? Should they just bring her to hiding too? Katherine''s heart ached.

    "Please, Kath I''m desperate," he pleaded.

    Letting out a heavy sigh, she nodded reluctantly. "Fine But you can''t show yourself. We have to be careful when going out. All of us are basically walking targets now. I''ll try to call and ask to meet upthat is if she even wants to see me."

    Chris heaved a sigh of relief, nodding and smiling at her. "Thank you."

    And so, Katherine went out of the house to get better reception and whipped out her phone and looked for Emma''s phone number. Her slightly trembling thumb hovered over it.

    "Hey Everything okay?" Damien came to her side, his hand resting on her waist.

    She told him what she was about to do, and he understood what was needed. Kissing her temple, he told her, "Take all the time you need. I''m sure she''ll want to meet you. I''ll arrange the ce."

    When he left, she finally had the courage to dial Emma''s phone number. It kept ringing for a long time, and she started to wonder if her friend was busy, or was she intentionally ignoring an unknown phone number. Katherine regretted not texting her first, but if she did, maybe Emma would really ignore her call, knowing that she was the one calling.

    Just when she was about to end the call, the line went through.

    "Hello? Who''s this?" a familiar voice of a woman answered.

    "Emma It''s me, Katherine."

    "..."

    She listened intently, but the other didn''t respond. Had she hung up? Katherine quickly checked her phone screen, but the call was still connected. "Emma I know you can hear me."

    "..."

    "Fine You don''t have to talk. But I hope you listen." She cleared her throat. "I''m sorry for not getting in touch with you. A lot of things had happened. I was going to see you, but you saw me first and" She sighed. This was terrible. She knew that this phone call wasn''t going well. It was so hard when the other didn''t talk. "Emma, I miss you. Can we meet?"

    Katherine''s heart raced, anticipating her friend''s response. She could hear passing cars from the other end of the line, so she was sure that Emma was still there.

    "Em"

    "Yeah, okay."

    The corners of Katherine''s mouth lifted upward into a beautiful smile. "Great. I''ll text you the address. You''re okay to meet me in a couple of hours, right?"

    "Okay."

    "Thank you. Take care, Ems."

    Once the call disconnected, Katherine went back inside the house and told everyone about her phone call with Emma. While she was on the phone, Damien had arranged a private dining room for the two friends. The team nned the whole thing in order to ensure everyone''s safety.

    Jade Oriental Restaurant

    Thest time Katherine came here was when she was with Alianna and they met Margaret''s fatherst week. The restaurant had be one of her favorites, and she hoped that Emma would love the food here like she did.

    Katherine knew that they were meeting for a different purpose, but she was still meeting her friend for five years. It got her excitedat the same time, she worried that Emma was still mad at her.

    She didn''t have time to go home and change, so she came to the restaurant wearing jeans and ck knitted long sleeves. Katherine was definitely underdressed for the high-end restaurant, but that didn''t matter. She was eager to meet her friend.

    Sitting at the table alone inside a private dining room, she touched the earpiece in ce and drank water as she waited. Emma had texted her earlier that she was on her way, so she should arrive any minute now.

    "Rx, Katherine. You got this," Damien reminded her through thems. She smiled and waited patiently.

    She was alone in the room, but Damien, along with the others were in the room next to hers. They were listening through thems and a couple of men from the Alpha team stayed outside her room just in case something goes down.

    Chris, on the other hand, was also with Damien and the others in the next room. And he was growing anxious by the second.

    Five minutester, his voice came back to her ear. "Your friend is not alone."

    "What do you mean?" she worried.

    "That male friend. He''s with her."

    "Adam?" Katherine muttered, confused why he came with her. It wasn''tpletely surprising that they were together because for the past five years that she knew them, they were together most of the time. But Emma didn''t tell her that he wasing with her today. And for some reason, that caused her heart to quicken its beating.

    There was a knock on the door, and in the next second, Katherine got up from her seat. Then Emma and Adam came inside.

    Katherine could feel her heartbeat in her ear. She swallowed before she managed to pull a smile on her face as she looked at her friends. Why did it feel like something bad was going to happen tonight?

 Chapter 562: The Meetup (2)

    Chapter 562: The Meetup (2)

    "Emma Adam" Katherine muttered their names. It suddenly felt awkward that they were standing all in the same room.

    Thest time they saw each other was a month ago when Emma got mad and shouted at her outside of Crown Resort Group. Her heart stung at the memory, but she swallowed the painful image of that day.

    "Katherine" mumbled Emma while Adam nodded at her once.

    Both of their expressions were unreadable, and Katherine couldn''t tell whether the two were still mad at her. Clearing her throat, she gestured towards the seats at the square table. "Please" She smiled.

    Emma was wearing jeans and a white blouse. She awkwardly smoothed out the non-existent wrinkles of her top as she walked over to the chair. "You could have told me beforehand that this was an expensive restaurant. I would have dressed better."

    Adam pulled out the chair for Emma and sat to her right. Just like Emma, he also wore a casual outfit of shirt and jeans. He didn''t say anything and kept silent like he always did.

    "Sorry This was the only ce I could book at thest minute," Katherine responded, then she looked down at her clothes as she sat to Emma''s left. "And there''s nothing wrong with your clothes. I''m wearing jeans too."

    She saw Emma''s expression rxed. The room was quiet for a few beats, and she grew restless by the second. She clutched her hands tightly together, raising her head and meeting Emma''s stare. Katherine had faced so many enemies in her life, but no one prepared her for this. This was how she knew her friendship with Emma was genuine.

    Emma looked tough on the exterior. She was beautiful too. The more that Katherine looked at her, the more she was convinced that her friend resembled Chris. Was she only seeing what her mind wanted to see? Why did she suddenly wish the two to be siblings so badly? Only Chris could tell once he sees herter.

    Feeling the need to take the initiative, Katherine took a deep breath and slid her hand on the table towards her friend. "Ems"

    "I''m sorry!" Emma grabbed Katherine''s hand and clutched it with hers. Her ''I don''t care'' look was now reced with an apologetic expression. "I''m so sorry for what I said to you, Kathy"

    Katherine was surprised to hear her apology that her heart throbbed upon listening. She couldn''t say anything, so she waited for what the other had to say.

    "I''ve been a terrible friend when I said those words to you thest time we met. I was too mad that I didn''t think first." Emma''s chin wobbled, and tears threatened to fall from her eyes.

    "Ems"

    "I was too worried about you, you know? And then I saw that you were okay like nothing happened at all I got pissed. I didn''t even let you talk." The tears finally trickled down Emma''s cheeks as she burst into a breakdown. "I was so stupid! I''m sorry, Katherine!"

    Looking at her friend, Katherine felt like someone had thrown cold water on her back. She couldn''t understand the emotions she was currently feeling. Seeing Emma being remorseful like this caused her heart to throb.

    She gripped Emma''s hands tightly and softly chuckled, pulling her friend into a hug. "I''m sorry too, Emma I didn''t mean to make you worry. I was going toe see you, then you saw me first. I had so many things to tell you, but I just had to find the right things to say. I didn''t forget you, okay? Things just happened so fast. I wish I could have been a better"

    Emma wailed loudly. "No, it''s my fault. Don''t you dare take that away from me! Okay? Let it be my fault. I ept and admit that!"

    Katherine couldn''t help butugh, wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes. Emma was still so silly. And she missed her friend''s silliness.

    She caught sight of Adam from her periphery while she hugged Emma, and she saw the small smile on his face. Katherine knew that he wasn''t mad at her or at least not anymore, so she smiled back and reached for his hand. When he received hers, they both squeezed as if to let each other know that all is forgiven.

    "That''s enough," Damien''s voice came through Katherine''sms.

    "What?" Emma pulled away and wiped her tears. "What did you say?"

    "Nothing" Katherine coughed and shook her head.

    Her right ear, where her earpiece was, was pressed against the side of Emma''s head earlier when they hugged. Her friend must have heard Damien''s voice when he spoke. There wasn''t a CCTV in the private room, but Katherine forgot that she had one pinhole camera hidden on the top button of her blouse. And she realized that Damien saw her ''holding'' Adam''s hand.

    Katherine wanted to roll her eyes at the thought. She didn''t think Damien would get over his jealousy over Adam.

    Wanting to change the subject, Katherine informed the two, "I''m sure you''re hungry I hope you don''t mind that I already ordered? It''ll be my treat."

    Emma wiped her face dry from the tears and checked herself from the small mirror in her makeup palette. "I don''t think I will ever get used to you being an heiress. But I will not say no to free food. You know that." She beamed.

    "It''s nice to see you again, Kath," said Adam in a soothing tone. It was the first words he ever spoke to Katherine since they arrived.

    Katherine returned their smiles with her own. "I have wanted to do this for you both since I came back Do you remember I used to tell you that if I win the lottery one day, I will treat you to good food?"

    "Oh, my god. That felt so long ago!" Emma gasped, a memory suddenly resurfacing in her mind.

    Katherine reckoned that her friend was probably thinking back about the time she was still Katherine Millersomeone who used to live in a shoebox apartment with mostly only fifty dors in her name.

    Adam chuckled. "Ah You were eating yourst instant noodles that night. The same day you got fired from one of your part-time jobs."

    Remembering her past felt so nostalgic that Katherine was slowly getting emotional again. Adam was talking about her st'' instant noodles because it was literally the only thing she could afford. It was sometime after her friend, Steven, betrayed her trust and ran away with her only savings. Emma and Adam ended up giving her some of their food, and they ate in her tiny apartment.

    Katherine couldn''t believe that she was able to live through that. She did suffer a lot in the past because of what Chris did to her, but she met these two friends in the process. And for that, she was thankful.

    The thought of Chris again made her remember why she was here in the first ce. And that was for Chris to see for himselfface to facewhether Emma was really his sister. She swallowed when her heart began to race. He would have toe inside the roomter.

    Pulling the corners of her mouth into a smile, Katherine looked at her friends and told them, "Well, I didn''t win the lottery But I did find my real family. That already feels like winning."

    "I''m so happy for you, Kath" Emma held her hand. "And to top it off, you found your real-life prince charming! I saythat''s a total win in my book. A hot A.F. billionaire? You caught a big one! Does he have a brother or a friend maybe a cousin..."

    Katherine could only chuckle as she grabbed the ss of water and took a sip. If only Emma knew that the hot as fck billionaire was listening.

 Chapter 563: The Meetup (3)

    Chapter 563: The Meetup (3)

    "I''m too full!" Emma remarked after a small burp. Her te was now empty with minimal grease here and there.

    "What do you mean? You didn''t eat that much!" Katherine worried. Her eyes scanned the te and dishes in front of her friend. There was still so much food left, and Emma didn''t seem to have eaten a lot.

    "Actually" Emma bit her bottom lip, looking slightly guilty for what she was about to say. "I ate beforeing here to see you."

    "Why?" Katherine was baffled. She had called more than two hours ago. Her friend knew they were going to meet at a restaurant for dinner. And from what Emma confessed earlier, Katherine thought her friend must have at least already known they would make up and then eat after that.

    Emma covered her lips with her fingers and smiled like she did something silly. "I got nervous an hour ago. I ended up binge eating chips while waiting for the time...and some donuts" Katherine chuckled, thinking that it was such an Emma thing to do. "I really didn''t want to look like I haven''t eaten for days in front of you, Kath so I decided to eat a little more before I came here."

    "What little?" Adam''s brows crossed when he looked at Emma. "You ate a full meal and dessert. Who are you kidding?"

    "Oh, shush! Don''t make it sound like I did something wrong!" Emma snapped at him and scoffed. "Who''s wearing a new shirt because he''s meeting Katherine?!"

    "I''m not"

    "Yeah, right. Keep telling yourself that, Adam." Emma cut him off and stuck her tongue out to him like a child.

    Though he had a lot to say to defend himself, Adam could only seethe and scoff.

    Seeing her two friends, just like how they usually were, made Katherine happy. It was just like how it was in the past with these two, and it felt like home.

    All of a sudden, Chris''s voice sounded in her ear, "I can''t wait any longer. I''ming in."

    As soon as he said that, the door to their private dining room swung open. Katherine snapped her head towards it and saw Chrising inside. He was dressed in an all-ck suit with dark sunsses that covered his eyes, and a visible wire attached to his ear. He looked very much like a security detail.

    Once Chris stepped inside the room, his eyesnded on Emma. And he froze.

    "Harris?" Katherine called Chris''s attention using the name that he would often use whenever they were in a mission in the past  Anthony Harris.

    However, Chris didn''t budge. His gaze was locked at Emma''s face, his heart racing like a horse galloping in a vast field.

    Emma and Adam stared back at Chrisboth of them thinking how odd the man was when he came inside. With the way he was dressed and Katherine calling him by a name, they instantly thought that he was Katherine''s security personnel.

    It was different for Adam, though. Because even though he had deduced that he must be one of Katherine''s security, he could sense a dangerous aura looming around Chris.

    "Anthony," Katherine called his attention againthis time, her tone sounded a bit demanding.

    Then she heard him mutter something in Russian. Katherine learned thenguage when she was in Shadow, but now, she could barely understand what he was mumbling about.

    She got up and walked towards him to try and snap him out of his trance, but before she could even get close, Chris had already taken a few steps towards Emma.

    Grabbing Emma''s wrist, Chris gently tugged her upward until she got to her feet.

    "What" Emma was bewildered at what was happening, unsure why Katherine''s security was doing this. "What are you doing?"

    Katherine clutched at Chris''s arm. "Anthony, what are you doing?" She spoke under gritted teeth.

    At the same time, Adam shot up from his chair, and his demeanor changed. "Let her go, man."

    It was as if Chris couldn''t hear everyone around him. He couldn''t even feel Katherine''s constant tugging as he was too busy looking at Emma in the eyes as though he was making sure that his gut feeling was right.

    "Katherine, tell your security to let Emma go," Adam warned.

    With her heart racing, Katherine could sense the change in the atmosphere. It was the first time that she felt vignt around Adamwhat with the way he sounded so assertive at the moment. She tried to pull Chris by the arm again, but it was of no use.

    Emma, who was confused at first, suddenly became quiet. Her mouth was hung open as she stared back at the stranger who was holding her by the wrist. Unlike the other, she couldn''t see his eyes because his sunsses covered them.

    Chris swiftly took something out from his inner suit jacket pocket. Then the sound of a chair hitting the floor when it fell with a bang caused them to jump. Their heads turned towards Adam, and saw him pull out a gun from his back. In a split second, he pointed it at Chris.

    "Let go of her now," Adam demanded, his eyesced with fury as his hands gripped the handgun tightly.

    Katherine was definitely shocked to see the change in Adam. He was a serious person, but this was the only time she saw him actually angrynot to mention, carry a gun and point it at someone. ''Who the hell is this guy?''

    "Adam, why do you have a gun?" She stalked forward slowly, both of her hands raised forward as if to stop him. "Put that down."

    Chris''s first instinct was to pull Emma behind him, at the same time, he ced an arm before Katherine as if blocking her from Adam. His protective response came into ce, creating a distance between them and Adam.

    "Emma!" Adam called out with the gun in his hand still pointing at Chris.

    Things changed so fast in seconds.

    "What the heck is going on?!" Emma gasped. She was lost in a trance just now until her senses came back to her and saw what was happening.

    As if the situation couldn''t get any worse, more men from Maverick Security came inside the room and pointed their guns at Adam.

    "No, no, no, waitStop!" Katherine faced the men from the Alpha Team.

    Damien had also entered the room, and then he stepped in front of Katherine as if shielding her from everyone else.

    And amidst the tense atmosphere, Styles spoke through thems, "Well, that escted quickly."

 Chapter 564: The Meetup (4)

    Chapter 564: The Meetup (4)

    "You didn''t tell me your friend carries a gun," Damien muttered under gritted teeth as he kept his re at Adam while guarding Katherine behind him.

    "I didn''t know that either" she responded, holding him by the arms. She appreciated that he was shielding her from the gun, but she didn''t like the thought of letting him take a bullet. That just made her stomach feel upset. This was supposed to be an amicable lunch date, but it changed into gun threats in the span of seconds.

    "Adam" was all that Emma could say as she scanned the whole room. She looked as if she wanted to escape from this scene.

    "It''s okay, Karina" Chris said as he kept an arm extended backward as though protecting Emma from Adam. "You''re going to be fine."

    "What did you just call me?" Emma''s eyes widened upon hearing Chris''s words.

    Katherine and the rest heard what he said, and they deduced that Chris must have alreadye to the conclusion that Emma was indeed his sister.

    She was just about to ask him for rification when Adam suddenly spat, "How do you know her name? Who are you?" ncing at Katherine, he asked, "Who is this guy, Kath? He needs to step away from Emma. Or I swear to God, I''ll"

    "Adam, wait!" Katherine stepped away from Damien and held her hands in front of her to stop her friend. Damien tried to pull her back, but she reassured him that it was ''okay'' and told him to trust her.

    "Men, put your guns down," she ordered the men from Maverick Security.

    The men looked at each other, looking unsure if they should follow Katherine''smand. They knew that Damien told them to follow her orders like they were following his, but their big boss was also present in the room, so it confused them for a second. It was only until Damien nodded at them that they lowered their guns.

    Seeing their response, Katherine turned back to her friend and called his attention, "Adam."

    "I''ll secure my weapon only if he releases her," Adam responded, referring to Chris and Emma.

    "Let''s not scare Emma. We''ll talk it over." Katherine ced a hand on Chris''s arm.

    It took Chris a while to give in. He was already sure that she was his sister, so letting her go back to the man who had just pointed a gun at him made him unwilling. He felt Katherine''s reassuring grip when she squeezed his arm. That''s when he rxed and stepped aside to let Emma go.

    Emma hesitated for a while before hurrying back to Adam''s sidethetter holstered his gun behind him.

    "I swear, I forgot to breathe for a second," Styles spoke through thems, pulling everyone back to earth.

    The men from Maverick Security left the room as per Damien''s instructions. Then they sat at the table to discuss what was happening. This wasn''t supposed to go down like this, but they had no choice but to talk about it because of the unexpected situation.

    At the square table, Katherine and Damien sat next to each other. To his right was Chris, across them was Adam, and to her left was Emma. This meant Chris sat across from Emma.

    "Why''d you call me that?" Emma questioned while fixing her stare at Chris with furrowed brows.

    "Because that''s who you are You''re Karina," Chris spoke calmly with conviction. His gaze hadn''t left Emma''s face since earlier.

    "But how do you know that? I don''t know who you are"

    "Did you really forget about me, *<strong><em>Solnyshko</em></strong>*?" Chris said thest words with an ent, a term of endearment that he used to call his sister, which meant "little sun" in Russian.

    Emma froze in her seat, and then her hands flew to her mouth when she gasped. Her eyes instantly became red. "Who Who are you?" she questioned, despite already seeing the truth before her eyes.

    "It''s me Kristof." He let out a small sigh as he contained the tears that were threatening to fall.

    "You''re lying!!!" she bit out, her heart pounding in her chest as if it was about to explode. "It''s not a good joke. My brother''s dead!"

    Then she shot up from her seat and hurriedly left the room without looking back.

    "Emma!" Katherine followed after her, stopping Chris from following them when he started to get up from his chair. "It''s best if you wait. Or you''ll scare her more."

    Adam, who was just about to go after Emma, decided to sit back down.

    Damien wanted to go after them too, but he thought it was best to give them some privacy to talk. But he didn''t fail to order his men to follow them just to be safe. Now, he was left with Chris and Adamtwo men he never wanted to be left in the room with. One who brought Katherine to Shadow and messed with her memories while the other was someone she spent five years withwho looked at her with a loving gaze. Damien felt as though he was being punished for being here with them.

    There was nothing but silence in the room, causing the atmosphere to grow awkwarduntil Styles spoke through Damien''s and Chris''sms, "So It''s a cold day today, am I right?"

    "Shut up," Damien and Chris grunted in unison. They nced at each other with a scowl on their faces.

    On the other hand, Adam knitted his brows in bewilderment when he saw and heard the two. No one had spoken before they snapped. Were they perhapsmunicating telepathically?

    "Jeez. Take a chill pill," responded Styles.

    He muted his line so that the others wouldn''t hear him when he turned to Amelia and tell on them. "I know you love your son and your mentee, but they are very mean."

    Amelia exhaled a sigh, thinking that Styles was pitiful. Patting his head while he pouted at her, she told him, "You''ll understand why they''re like that when you find a woman who will turn your world upside down."

    Styles scoffed. His pout immediately changed into a ''yeah right'' look. "No one can turn my world upside down. I''m Styles."

 Chapter 565: Their Lullaby

    Chapter 565: Their Luby

    Katherine saw that Emma was heading towards thedies'' room. She hurriedly went after her and warned the men from Maverick Security to keep their distanceafter all, they were all men.

    Entering the posh restroom, she scanned from left to right as she searched for her friend. With marble tiles and soft ambiance lighting, thedies'' room felt like a spa. There was a sofa in one corner and huge mirrors everywhere.

    Katherine had to check each cubicle to look for Emma. There were two cubicles upied, and one of them just opened, and an older woman came out. She politely smiled at the other and continued to the end of the stalls where she thought Emma was hiding.

    "Ems?" she called. She could hear sniffles from outside. "I know you''re in there. Can we talk?"

    Silence.

    "Please open" Katherine knocked. "I really need to pee. If you don''t open for me, I''ll pee on the floor."

    The older woman who was washing her hands a few meters away gave her a weird look.

    The door to Emma''s cubicle opened, and she quickly got inside, closing the door behind her.

    "You''re sly. The other stalls are empty." Emma pouted, still crying as she grabbed more tissue.

    She was sitting on the covered toilet bowl, wiping her eyes and nose.

    "Yeah Well I like this stall." Katherine shrugged. It was actually pretty spacious inside the stall.

    Lowering down until she was squatting in front of her friend, Katherine patted Emma''s arm. "Hey talk to me."

    Emma lifted her head and met Katherine''s eyes with her red and misty ones. "Who is he, Kath? Why did he say he knows me? Why does he say he''s Kristof?"

    Katherine took a deep breath. "Are you Karina? Is that really your name?"

    With trembling lips, Emma nodded. "I am That was my name before"

    Katherine decided not to dwell on this part at the moment because she knew that it wasn''t a pressing matter. "So tell me, who is Kristof?"

    "He was my brother Kristof." Emma''s shoulders shook when she cried some more. "But he died in a fire when we were kids I don''t remember much. It was a really long time ago. All I know is that there was a fire and only a few of us were saved. I haven''t seen him since then. So how could he say that he''s Kristof? My brother has been dead for twenty years!"

    Seeing her friend cry, Katherine couldn''t help but also tear up. But she swallowed the massive lump in her throat and stopped her tears from falling by looking up and blinking fast.

    "I''m sorry" She stroked Emma''s back to soothe her. At this point, Katherine already believed that the two were siblings. They couldn''t just make this up. There''s too much going on. "Chris He''s He was my mentor before I met youbefore I lost my memories. But I only heard about what happened to him and his sister not long ago. He''s been looking for you for a long time."

    When Emma looked at her but didn''t say anything, she continued, "He was also told that you died in that fire. He didn''t know you were alive"

    "Is he Is he really Kristof?" Emma sobbed.

    Katherine shrugged with an apologetic look on her face. "Only you can tell, really. Your stories match You both know each other''s names Why don''t you see for yourself?"

    "I''m scared" Emma sniffed.

    "Why would you be scared?"

    Emma''s brows were deeply knitted. "I don''t know, Kath If he''s really my brother, he was supposed to be dead. I''ve always thought he died for a really long time now. So suddenly seeing him out of the blue, that''s scary, okay? He''s like a ghost, but not really."

    Somehow, Katherine could understand her friend. If she were to see her parents in the flesh suddenly, that would scare the hell out of her too.

    Grabbing some tissue from the dispenser on the cubicle''s wall, she wiped her friend''s face with it and smiled at her. "Why don''t we head back first and talk it out? I''m sure he''s very worried now."

    Emma nodded and let Katherine help her up to her feet. Once they finally left the stall, Emma held the other''s hand so tightly as if she was trying to absorb her friend''s strength. "Are you mad that I kept my real name from you?"

    "What? No of course not." Katherine sighed. "I still have a lot of things I haven''t told you yet too, but is it okay if I don''t tell you now? I promise I will tell you one day."

    "We''ll have to catch up one day." Emma smiled. "We''re like spies. With lots of secrets."

    "Right" Katherine awkwardly chuckled.

    Emma washed up her face before they headed back to the private dining room. When they were near the door, she suddenly froze and held Katherine back. "I don''t know what to tell him. What do I say?"

    "Anything Anything that you remember about him or when you were kids. Do you still know how to speak Russian?"

    Emma shook her head. "It''s been a really long time."

    "I''m sure you''ll think of something when you see him." Katherine smiled at her friend. "I''ll be right there next to you."

    One of the men from the Alpha Team opened the door for them. The two women entered the room, and Christopher got up from his seat.

    Emma looked up at him and stared at his eyes. His blue eyes looked so familiaronly they used to belong to a younger boy.

    "Karina" Chris called under his breath. He wanted to take a step towards her, but he stopped himself, afraid that he would scare her again.

    Out of nowhere, Emma started humming an unknown tune. At the same time, she started sniffing again when her tears rolled down her cheeks. She didn''t know how to speak fluent Russian anymore. She could pick up words, but she hadn''t learned it again as she only learned how to speak English when she got separated from her brother.

    However, there was one song that she could never forget. It was an old luby that her mother used to sing to them before sleeping. The words and tune were stuck to her head, and uponying eyes on Chris, she was reminded of this particr memory.

    And then Emma started singing the song in Russian.

    She didn''t have a great voice, and she was sobbing while she sang, but it moved everyone who was in the room, especially Chris who looked pained as he lowered his head and tears escaped his eyes.

    <em>~Emma singing in Russian~</em>

    <em>"...And at night I''ll wonder, I''ll think that you''re in trouble. Far away in a strangend"</em>

    Stepping towards Emma, Chris agonized as he joined her to finish the song also in Russian, <em>"Sleep now, as long as you know no sorrows, <strong>Bayushki bayu</strong>."</em>

    "Kristof" Emma lunged into her brother''s arms and sobbed on his chest.

    Chris tightened his embrace around her frame. It was as though a huge weight had been lifted from his chest when he was finally reunited with his sister.

    Seeing the two, Katherine also felt relieved. There were still so many unanswered questions, but this particr one was enough to make her feel satisfied. When she felt Damien''s arm around her waist, she turned towards him and buried her face on his shoulder. Then he wrapped his arms around her. It felt good to be hugged.

    As always, Styles knew when to butt in whenever the atmosphere got heavy. His voice through thems sounded mncholic, and he was sniffling when he muttered, "I don''t know what they were singing... but that sounded so sad. I feel so lonely. Falcon, hug me too."<ol><li>Bayushki bayu is an expression to lull a baby to sleep in Russian.</li></ol>

 Chapter 566: Emmas Safety

    Chapter 566: Emma''s Safety

    "This feels surreal" Chris muttered under his breath before releasing Emma from his embrace. Then he spoke to her in Russian.

    However, she furrowed her brows when she looked up to meet his gaze. Bewilderment was apparent on her face as she tried to make sense of what he was saying. "What?"

    "You didn''t understand?"

    She shook her head and pursed her lips into a thin line, embarrassed that she forgot how to use her mother tongue. "Sorry I''m only familiar with some words but..."

    "That''s okay. I''ll teach you." He smiled.

    It was weird looking at her this close. She looked exactly like his sister when she was youngonly she was now older and taller. His heart throbbed at the thought of all the time they lost. He remembered their parents, and he hoped that they had forgiven him for not being a good brotherfor losing her and being separated for years.

    Emma thought the same. This man before her felt very familiar, but he was also strange. Maybe because they had been separated for a long time. And maybe because they both had grown into adults. Thest time she saw him was before the fire at that orphanage twenty years ago. She used to look up at him as he was a lot taller than her, and even now that they grew up, she still had to look up at him.

    An inexplicable surge of happiness overwhelmed Emma after meeting Chris. Ever since they were abducted, she had depended a lot on him. The entire journey felt really long, but she didn''t feel as lonely because her brother was there with her. But that changed after the fire when she learned that he died, and she never saw him again after that.

    "Tell me what happened to you after that fire. Tell me everything," Chris probed Emma as he held her shoulders. He had so many questions that his head was about to burst.

    "Hold up," Adam interrupted. "Emma, what''s going on?" He looked at the two, and he could already guess, but he was still confused. After the incident earlier, he trusted that nothing would happen to Emmaall because he trusted that Katherine wouldn''t do anything that would harm her friend, so he allowed them to carry on. But now that things had calmed down, he got frustrated that he wasn''t in the loop.

    Emma forgot about Adam for a while, and when she realized that, she immediately straightened her back and turned to face Adam who was at the table. "Oh Um" Sht. She didn''t know what to say.

    Nodding to the side, Adam asked Emma for a talk. She walked over to him, and they talked quietlylooking like they were arguing a bit, and from time to time, they nced at Chris, Katherine, and the rest of the people in the room.

    Seeing the secrecy between them, Chris whipped out a phone in his pocket and called someone. He only spoke on the phone for a minute before heading towards the two. "For you," he told Adam as he handed his phone where a call was connected.

    Adam was confused as he nced at the phone, hesitating whether to ept it. "Who is this?"

    "Director Hughes of NIA."

    Adam tentatively received the phone and spoke to the other person on the line by going to the corner of the room for some privacy. Their conversationsted for a couple of minutes before he came back with a hard expression on his face.

    Then he looked at Katherine as he said, "I can tell you a little about what''s going on, but I can''t tell everyone."

    Without second thoughts, she asked the men from Maverick Security to leave. "We''re a package deal." She smiled at Adam, referring to her, Damien, and Chris. Though Styles and Amelia were still connected through thems, Adam didn''t need to know that.

    When her friend looked apprehensive in trusting the two men, Katherine stalked towards him and looked at him seriously in the eyes as she told him, "I promise you, whatever it is, we can keep Emma safe. You''re protecting her, right?"

    Adam exhaled a deep sigh and nced at Emma before he started, "She''s under witness protectionher whole family is. I''m watching over them."

    Katherine wasn''t shocked when she heard this because it was one of Director Hughes'' suspicions. Though this wasn''t entirely good news, she thought that it was better than Emma being in a mess like they were. In a way, she was thankful that her friend was on a better side. However, she still felt worried and curious about why the whole family was under protection.

    "So you''re a cop?"

    He nodded.

    Although she hadn''t thought of it before, it made more sense to Katherine now. Adam had always been around Emma and her family, and he always seemed serious all the time. Then she asked, "From who? Who are you protecting them from?"

    "I can''t tell you all the details, but I will tell you some. Her adoptive father was involved with some pretty shady people in Chicago. Their lives were in danger, hence the protection. Esmea is the only safe ce for them where it''s less likely that the danger will follow."

    Hearing this statement, Damien, who had been quiet the entire time, had a neutral expression as he asked, "Why do you say they''re only safe in this state? Who are these people after them?"

    A small smirk briefly showed on Adam''s face when he heard Damien. "You caught on really fast, Mr. Park. I''m sure you have an idea now."

    "What is he talking about?" Katherine turned to Damien with an expressionced with curiosity.

    Chris, who stood next to Emma at the side, also listened carefully as they spoke.

    "Italian-American Mafias" Damien muttered under his breath, his eyes never leaving Adam''s face as he tried to read him.

    Adam didn''t answer, and his face was devoid of any emotions. He didn''t want to reveal too much information as he didn''t really trust Damien Park.

    "The De Lucas?" Katherine whispered to Damien so only they could hear. "The one you met recently?"

    He shook his head and whispered back, "No, they don''t have control over Chicago. It must be the other family."

    "Listen, Katherine I trust that this information doesn''t go out. Lives are at stake. We need to keep Emma and her family safe," Adam appealed.

    "Of course." She nodded in response. "I''m all for protecting Emma. I never want to harm her or her family." She nced at the woman next to Chris, and they smiled at each other. "Actually... There''s something that we need to do"

    "What is it?" Adam probed.

    ncing at Damien briefly, she held his hand as she broke the news to her friends, "We need Emma and her family to move to another house. Somewhere safer somewhere a lot more people can watch over them. And I have already arranged a ce."

    Emma and Adam exchanged looks, confused at what Katherine was talking about.

    Now that it had been confirmed that Emma and Chris were siblings, this was the best move to do to protect Emma from Parker. But how was she going to convince them without telling them the whole dark truth?

 Chapter 567: Alliance

    Chapter 567: Alliance

    "So What do you think?" Katherine probed after she told Emma that there''s a house, and she wanted her to move there with her family.

    Emma was baffled. It was as though what Katherine said was unbelievable. "Why?"

    "Hm?"

    "Why are you giving me a house?" Emma''s brows furrowed deeply. "Katherine We''re friends, yes. But you can''t just give me a house. That''s absurd."

    Katherine exchanged nces with Damien. She really didn''t have much to work on, so she''s trying her best to convince her friend. "Well" A sudden thought came to mind, and without second thoughts, she informed, "It''s actually your brother''s. He bought the ce for you."

    "Really?" Emma looked at her brother.

    Chris, just like Katherine, maintained a straight face. They both knew she was lying, but both of them remained calm. He didn''t want to take all the credit, so he added, "They helped me look for one...for you." He pointed at Katherine and Damien with an open hand. "I''ve been looking for you for a long time. I live far from you, so we should stay in one ceat least for the meantime. We do still have a lot to talk about."

    Emma understood this better. At least this made sense for her. The thought of being close to her brother now after two decades of being apart made her really happy. There was so much to learn about each other, and she was looking forward to it.

    However, before she could agree, Adam spoke first, "I don''t think that''s possible. They''re all under protection, and activities like this need approval from the higher-ups."

    They realized Emma''s situation. To stay protected, the government watched over her family.

    "I''ll talk to Director Hughes about it. I''m sure this can be arranged somehow" Chris responded, then he got up from his seat to make the call.

    Director Hughes of NIA understood what Chris was asking her. And after being saved by them from Shadow a few days ago, she promised to make this happen.

    The evening got darker, and everyone decided to call it a night. Damien extended an invitation to Emma and Adam to stay in one of his hotels that evening. It seemed as though he was only being thoughtful, but it was also a disguise so that they could keep an eye on her. This way, Katherine and Chris would feel reassured about Emma''s safety.

    The two declined at first, but after Katherine''s persuasion, telling her that she would stay over too, Emma eventually agreed.

    It took nearly two days for Director Hughes to get back to them, bearing good news that they were given a go signal for Emma''s family to move to the new house. And on the third day, they finally moved in.

    It didn''t take long for Emma and her family to pack their stuff as Katherine provided personnel to help with the movethey were men from Maverick Security. They treated their movement as an operation, and everyone coordinated with each other to make sure that they weren''t being followedthat Shadow wasn''t tailing them.

    Emma and Chris agreed that they had to keep their rtionship as siblings a secret for now. The two had gotten close real fast since the first day they reunited. Emma had a lot of questions for him, and he took his time to answer them all.

    He spared her the dark secret that he and Katherine had. He just didn''t want his sister to get involved in all this mess. So he skirted around Shadow and told his sister an ordinary life story, saying that he and Katherine were friends before she lost her memory and that he was helping her with security matters. It worked well with their cover, so Chris introduced himself to Emma''s family as one of the security detail who will stay ''live in'' with them for a while.

    Although they were technically not safe yet as Parker was still out there, certain that thetter was scouring the face of the earth to look for them, Chris was at least feeling secure because he could stay close to Emma. This way, he could protect her.

    Monday  December 10

    The days went by so fast, and it was exhausting. However, things just wouldn''t quiet down at the safe house.

    That day Katherine and Damien called Styles when they thought about "Alliance" being the name of apany or a brand or an organization, he was able toe up with a list. But there were too many that even with the help of Amelia, Gus, and Felix, it took a while to check each of them.

    But that afternoon, Styles found something that he missed the first time he was working on it. Just when Katherine and Damien entered the front door, Styles mmed his hands on the table of his work station.

    "Holy shmokes! I think I figured it out!" he spoke out loud as he stared at the screen in front of him.

    "What is it, Styles?" Damien asked as everyone gathered around him.

    "I could not believe I missed this. How could I miss this?!" Styles ran his fingers through his hair in frustration, but he was also feeling excited about what he just discovered.

    Sitting back down on his chair, he pulled up the information of a particr person on the monitor and began, "Ms. Diana Webb. She''s the CEO of a shippingpany."

    "Who is she?" Katherine wondered as the face of the woman didn''t look familiar at all.

    "She''s actually Josiah Connor''s mother."

    "Connor as in Director Hughe''s husband?" Amelia rified.

    Styles''s fingers danced on the keyboard and several windows opened simultaneously, showing more detailed information regarding thepany and Josiah Connor''s family. "Apparently, Mrs. Webb divorced Mr. Connor some years ago. So she''s using her maiden name again, Dianna Webb, it''s why I couldn''t find any connection right away. Anyway, that''s not important." He shook his head to stay focused before he continued.

    "Ms. Webb nned to step down this year... and then her son, Josiah Connor, would be recing her position. The transition is probably still ongoing and it''s not official yet, but get this It''s too much of a coincidence." He pressed a button, and a window popped up in the center monitor with thepany''s name and the logo.

    "Alliance Shipping and Logistics" Katherine read slowly.

    Everyone looked at each other with stunned expressions. This was indeed too much of a coincidence, and they all had a bad feeling about it. Katherine could feel her stomach twist when she saw the name. Her heart raced at the thought of getting closer to the truth.

    Clenching her jaw, she thought, ''This has to be it It has to be.''

 Chapter 568: Damien—like a polished gold.

    Chapter 568: Damien��like a polished gold.

    Katherine turned to Damien, her eyesced with strong determination. She didn''t know how to exin it, but the fluttery feeling in her chest told her that they were on the right track.

    "We need to act fast, Damien."

    He nodded in agreement. "We''ll do everything we can. I''ll support you all the way."

    Amelia stepped up and called everyone''s attention. "This is a solid connection. We aren''t certain yet, but by the looks of it, we aren''t far off. I don''t believe much in coincidences. There must be something in here."

    Katherine agreed, "Yes. First, we need to gather as much information as we can regarding this shippingpany."

    "Why don''t we ask Director Hughes?" Damien suggested.

    Once the two women agreed, Styles contacted her through their established line of connection using hisputer. At the moment, only Katherine, Damien, and Amelia were present. Chris and Gus were with Emma''s family while Felix stood guard in Young Mansion as per Katherine''s request.

    The call connected almost instantly and they did not waste time telling the Director about what they found out. And just like them, she was also convinced that this could be something.

    Director Hughes took a deep breath before she began, "Because my marriage with Josiah was a business deal, we don''t really share personal stuff with each other. He minds his own as I mind mine. Everything you found in your research is correct. My mother-inw will be stepping down soon and she''s passing the baton over to her son. As far as I know, she wasn''t ready to retire yet, but Josiah convinced her to enjoy life while she can. She gave in eventually. It''s been several weeks since. And as far as I know, his seat as the CEO in thispany should be official this week."

    "Director, he had already schemed against you. Are you saying that he''s still out there?" Katherine questioned.

    "I''m taking care of it, Ms. Young. You don''t have to worry about him getting to me now. He can''t touch me anymore. I''m also keeping an eye on him."

    "We need to get to the bottom of this," replied Katherine. Then through the monitor, she stared at the Director''s eyes seriously. "This could end badly, Director. I want to know your stance."

    A smile flitted across the Director''s face. And everyone saw that there was nothing but a strong woman looking at them as she responded, "I stand by justice, Ms. Young. I''m not emotionally attached to that immoral bastard. What he deserves wille. I expect you to do what you think is for the greater good. You can proceed as you wish but proceed with caution. I don''t have to tell you what kind of animals we are facing."

    Their conversation finished after promising to keep in touch, and then the room was quiet again. They exchanged gazes and nodded at each other.

    "This is great progress we have so far," Damien remarked and then turned to Katherine, "What do you want to do?"

    Katherine folded her arms in front of her and then lightly traced her bottom lip with the knuckle of her pointer finger as she contemted deeply. Scanning the room, she saw that everyone''s gazes were drawn to her. She was used to either working alone or only following orders, but now, the feeling of making the decision coursed through her.

    They were quiet as she thought. Her gaze focused on the shippingpany''s name on one of Styles''s monitors in his work station. Then she lifted her chin as she came to a decision.

    "Styles, can you pull up their shipping records?" she asked.

    "Hold on." Styles, who was sitting in his gaming chair, swiveled around to face hisputer and started ying his fingers on the keyboard. "Hmmm I can only see businesses that they partnered with in thest five years, but no shipping records. I''m guessing they''re keeping their records on their local databaseworse, a manual system. The only way to get it is"

    "To get inside," she interrupted. "Looks like we have another mission."

    Katherine faced Damien and examined him from head to toe.

    "What?" he wondered when she gave him the look of scrutiny. He found it a bit interesting.

    She tilted her head. At first, she thought about using his real identity to enter the Alliance Shipping and Logisticspany and then pose as if he was interested in partnering with them for a future project. But that would surely raise some gsfirst, because a subordinate could go instead of him, after all, Damien Park was the chairman and CEO of Crown Resort Group, so his visit would definitely cause a stir. And second, it would alert the people they didn''t want to alert.

    "Something wrong?" His brows knitted together in confusion. Katherine hadn''t said anything for thest minute, and he began to worry.

    "I''m just thinking You look too handsome and rich," she muttered without thinking much.

    "Iwhat?!"

    Amelia snickered behind Katherine. Thetter was talking about her son, but she couldn''t agree more with what she said about him. Damien was very much like Lawrence Park. Both of them always dressed and looked presentablelike polished gold, always stunning.

    Katherine stalked towards him and said, "Sorry, I didn''t mean it negatively But Well I need you to look less appealing." A small smile formed on her lips as she added, "Baby, we need to go shopping."

    Damien cocked a brow. "You want to go shopping? I thought you think we already have too many clothes? I''m sure we have everything we need in the penthouse."

    "You do have lots of clothes, but the problem is None of them will work on you for our mission. Everything you have in your closet is all branded."

    "What are you saying?" he asked, looking slightly worried for what she had nned.

    "There''s nothing to worry, Damien I know just the ce to get your clothes." Grabbing his hand, Katherine started walking towards the door of the safe house as she spoke in a loud voice, "Styles prep for an E.A.P mission tomorrow."

    "You got it!" Styles responded.

    "What''s E.A.P?" Damien questioned when they reached his car.

    "Easy As Pie." Katherine kissed him on the cheek and beamed as she got settled in the passenger''s seat. "Come on, Mr. Park, chop-chop. I''m buying you clothes."

 Chapter 569: Bonnie and Clyde

    Chapter 569: Bonnie and Clyde

    Tuesday  December 11

    Alliance Shipping and Logistics''s main office was in Mayne Citya two-hour car ride from Harbor City. With their small team of fourKatherine, Damien, Amelia, and Stylesthey parked the trailer van in an alley near the office. While they infiltrated in the middle of the day, the men from Maverick Security were also nearby to keep a lookout in case something pops up.

    After nning their strategyst night, they decided to do it during lunchtime when there were fewer foot traffic inside. As much as they would like to do it in the evening, Damien''s prior engagements only allowed them this time. And he didn''t want to let Katherine be by herself or go out on a mission whenever he wasn''t able.

    Thus, their mission was about tomence in a few minutes when the clock would strike at noon.

    Inside the trailer van, Styles and Amelia were busy facing theputers while Katherine and Damien were getting ready. Dressed in a brown knitted sweater and grey id A-line skirt, she fixed his tie, albeit poorly. He wore beige pants, a dark grey cardigan over a grey checkered dress shirt with a slim purple necktie. Both of them looked nerdy with their stic-rimmed eyesses on.

    Stepping back a little, Katherine gave him a once-over, and then she bit her bottom lip, slightly grimacing.

    "What? Something wrong?" Damien wondered as he looked down to check himself out while unknowingly fixing the tie that she purposely did a lousy job on.

    "Yeah" She sighed. "You''re too good-looking."

    Even when he wasn''t trying or when she purposely dressed him in clothes that were so unlike his usual ones, he still looked like a hunk. In fact, he looked like a tall, hot nerd.

    At first, she opted for him to wear just the basic dress shirt, chinos, and eyesses, but then he ended up looking like rk Kent when he''s not Superman.

    Thus, she added the cardigan and purple tie. Now he''s a hot, cute nerd.

    Damien didn''t know whether to be happy or sad that he couldn''t dumb it down. It was weird.

    "Here are your trainee passes." Styles handed them IDs with their fake names on it andnyards with thepany''s name printed on them.

    The two wore the IDs around their neck, and Amelia pressed a button on their eyesses. In the next second, two camera feeds started running on the monitors.

    Amelia turned to them and reminded them, "Just like what we nned, this will be an easy jobget in, get the records, and get out. We''ll be your eyes from the outside." She handed a to-go cup to Katherine, which contained hot coffee. "Good luck."

    Katherine gave Damien onest look and ruffled his hair slightly. He didn''t style his hair and just let them fall, covering his forehead. "You''re adorkable," shemented, and he shook his head, saying, "Let''s get this over with."

    Once they were done, they left the trailer van and headed towards thepany, entering the building using their passes with ease.

    Alliance Shipping and Logistics was a bigpany, but it wasn''t impossible to get into. As per their research, they were supposed to look for a ''Mrs. Bell'' who is part of the administrative office. Thetter was in charge of the shipping, import, and export records.

    The building had four floors, and they headed to the second floor where the records were kept.

    Amelia spoke through theirms, "Bonnie, Clyde, once yound on the second floor, turn left and head straight to the ss door. That''s the office."

    Damien and Katherine took the elevator and followed Falcon''s guidance. They looked at each other before knocking on the door. No one answered, so they pushed the door open and found the ce empty. There were at least ten office cubicles inside, and they anticipated at least one person inside, but they met no one.

    Entering the room, she quickly went over to the nearestputer, but before they could get closer, the door to the office opened wide.

    "Can I help you?" asked a woman in herte thirties. She looked frumpy but friendly, and the I.D. on her chest said: Frankesia Bell.

    Damien, who was the closest to the woman, quickly acted on his feet. "Good afternoon, Mrs. Bell. I''m Clyde, and this is Bonnie. We''re the new trainees from Mrs. Thompson''s office. We''re sent here to retrieve some records? She said she''s going to need it for the meeting tomorrow."

    Mrs. Bell looked at them both. "Oh, I didn''t know we had new trainees Are you talking about thetest shipments? Thompson sure had so many things to do that she needs two trainees. I can only wish" The woman kept talking as she headed over to her cubicle, and Katherine and Damien followed behind.

    "We brought you some coffee, Mrs. Bell. You''ve worked hard today," said Katherine as she gave the other the to-go cup.

    "Why, thank you, dear." Mrs. Bell received it, and then she passed a folder to Katherine. "Here, I think this is what you''re looking for."

    Katherine and Damien checked the files inside, which contained a list of all the iing and outgoing for thest two weeks. They looked at each other, and even though they didn''t say it out loud, they both thought that it wasn''t enough data. They had to get to herputer.

    "Is there a problem?" asked Mrs. Bell.

    "Not at all," answered Katherine in a chirpy tone. "But we were hoping to see records from thest few months at least? We''re very new to this, and we thought it would be good to study and familiarize ourselves with the usuals and routines."

    Mrs. Bell shifted her gaze between the two; then a small smile formed on her face. "You two are very diligent. Very well, let me grab some folders in the back." Then she turned and headed to a door in the corner of the room.

    Katherine gave Damien a look. He immediately went over to theputer and slotted a pen drive in the system.

    Styles, who had been waiting all this time, spoke through their earpiece, "Alright, give me a minute."

    Katherine anxiously tapped her fingers on the folder in her hand as she kept her stare at the door where Mrs. Bell disappeared while Damien was behind her, standing and watching Mrs. Bell''s monitor as Styles remotely essed herputer. Damien couldn''t catch up with how fast Styles was working. All he knew was that theputer genius was installing a hidden software program while simultaneously copying data.

    As they were waiting, Katherine also took the time to scan whatever she found in the office. There was a schedule board on one of the walls where on-going and uing shipments were listed. She adjusted her eyesses and took time ''staring'' at the board, enough for them to get footage to studyter.

    Because of the carpeted floor, they barely heard the sound of footsteps when Mrs. Bell came back with a few folders in hand. The woman waved the folders as she walked and informed them, "These are originals, and only copies are allowed out of this office, so you twohave these copied."

    Mrs. Bell drifted her gaze, looking suspiciously towards herputer where Damien was. She didn''t say anything, but her doubtful stare made him swallow. Katherine also started to get nervous.

    "Done," Styles announced, his voice made the two breathe normally again.

    Katherine coughed and without Mrs. Bell noticing, Damien stealthily removed the pen drive from herputer and ced it in his pocket.

    "Thank you, Mrs. Bell." Katherine received the folders, and they walked over to the machine. There were at least fifty papers in the folder in which they were to pretend to copy. These were already unnecessary as Styles had managed to get ess to the local database.

    "Oh, no" Amelia''s worried tone alerted the two. "We''ve gotpany. I believe we have Shadow agents heading towards the elevator. You have to get out of there now."

    Katherine and Damien swiftly exchanged gazes. They certainly did not expect this. But this only solidified their assumptionsthey were definitely on the right track.

    Then she gritted her teeth when she heard Styles adding, "Queen, you need to get out of there fast. It''s Alicia. I''m sure you don''t want to bump into her."

 Chapter 570: Too Close

    Chapter 570: Too Close

    Hearing that woman''s name made Katherine''s blood boil. She had always hated Alicia when she was still in Shadow, and it would always remain that way. The woman''s grinning image shed in her head, and all she could think about were ways to end her.

    "Who''s Alicia?" Damien asked in a low voice, noticing the change in her mood.

    With a scowl on her beautiful face, she answered under gritted teeth, "Someone I''d very much like to introduce my des with."

    He could sense the seriousness in her voice, and it was evident that she was out to get this woman''s blood. Katherine suddenly felt dangerous.

    Seeing as the two hadn''t moved from where they were yet, Styles reassured, "I know you want your revenge on her, Queen. But now is not the time. You need to leave."

    "Let''s go," Damien lightly held her stiff arm.

    "Wait Did you say you were from Mrs. Thompson''s office?" Mrs. Bell questioned, narrowing her eyes while her hand reached for the phone.

    Very briefly, she turned to Mrs. Bell with a broad smile on her face as she handed the folders back to her and said, "Thank you for your help, Mrs. Bell. It seems we don''t need these for now. Enjoy your coffee!" Then they hurriedly left the office.

    "Take over, Styles. I''ll try to create a distraction just in case. We''re too close to screw this up," Amelia''s voice sounded through thems, followed by Styles''s acknowledgment.

    Katherine and Damien looked left and right, scanning the whole second floor of the bigpany. The office building''s interior had a rectangr atrium with the see-through ss elevators located in the middle section, and the admin office was to the left of it. In order to get out, the two must use either the esctor which was next to the elevators, or the exit stairwell.

    Instinctively, Katherine focused on the elevator and saw a familiar-looking woman insideshe stood next to a slightly burly man whom she thought must also be a Shadow agent. The two wore corporate outfits, so she suspected that they were probably here to do Parker''s profoundly immoral bidding.

    Seeing Alicia from a distance, she couldn''t help but feel tempted to rush towards the woman and get her hands on her. Then Katherine felt Damien''s hand clutch hers, bringing her attention back to focus.

    With Styles''s help, he guided them where to go. "Fifty meters from your location, there''s a stairwell leading out the backdoor. Head east and go straight until you reach the first corner."

    The door a few meters behind them opened in a bang! "Hey, you two! Mrs. Thompson doesn''t have interns! Stop, or I''ll call the security." Mrs. Bell''s voice rang in the hallway.

    Damien and Katherine didn''t have to turn to see that the older woman was talking to them.

    Then Katherine saw Alicia suddenly turning her head in their direction. She immediately pulled Damien''s hand and started running, following Styles''smand through theirms. Not knowing whether Alicia actually saw her, Katherine could only hope they could safely get out of the building.

    "Now take a rightI mean left," Styles seethed and cursed. Amelia left the trailer van a while ago, and he was multitasking.

    "What now?" she asked just as they turned the corner.

    "Head towards the end of the hall and take the door to your left," Styles continued while simultaneously tapping his keyboard hastily.

    Katherine and Damien heard abination of noise and footstepsing their way. They ran faster, and as soon as they spotted the door that Styles told them, they pushed it open and entered.

    Lo and beholdthey were inside a janitor''s closet.

    "What the hell, Styles!?" the two cursed in unison, their voices in a hushed tone.

    "I said left! Why did you"

    "We turned left!"

    "No, I meant my left!" Styles insisted as he kept his focus on the monitor. "Damn it."

    Damien ran a hand down his face in frustration. They could get out of the closet and take the door opposite to this one, but they would risk being caught by whoever wasing their way earlier. Or they could stay quiet in the meantime and hope that no one opens the door.

    Katherine reached for the door handle, but he swiftly stopped her, his hand wrapping around her hand. He shook his head to tell her ''no'', and whispered, "Wait." Then he slowly locked the door, not creating a sound as much as possible.

    Just as the lock clicked, the doorknob twisted several timessomeone was trying to open the door from the outside. The two of them instantly stepped away from the wood door, creating a good one-meter distance. They exchanged a look of horror, their minds quickly trying toe up with a solution on what to do in case the ones on the other side of the door were Shadow agents.

    "Sht. Sorry, the CCTV in that hallway is not working. I can''t see who is on the other side of that door. Though I can assure you, it''s not Alicia and the other one from the elevator as I''m currently watching them enter the opposite area." Styles informed them, his voice serious. "I''ll tell Falcon you''re trapped. Give me a minute."

    Feeling the need to protect Katherine, Damien stepped in front of her as if to shield her.

    "Open up!" said a man with a low voice at the same time that he banged the door and twisted the knob in an attempt to open it. "I know you two are in there."

    Ready to fight, she slipped her hands under her skirt to take out her knives when they heard the man speak again, "Come on, kids! I have a job to do. There''s a spill in the cafeteria, and if I don''t get there quickly, I''ll get fired."

    She halted her movements and snapped her head towards Damien, meeting his gaze. That''s when they realized that it was the janitor outside. The two released a sigh of relief, but it onlysted for a second before hearing the man''s warning.

    "I don''t care what you''re doing in there, but I''ming in. I have keys, you know!"

    The clinking of keys sounded at the door.

    In a panic, Katherine grabbed Damien by the arm and pushed his back against the wall. Then she yanked his tie off his neck in one swift move, snapped the buttons of his dress shirt open, and then hers. He was too shocked to be on the receiving end of her extremely fast movements that he widened his eyes and asked, "What are you"

    Katherine smashed her lips to his, stopping him mid-sentence. She didn''t know what she was doingher body just moved on their own without her thinking much.

    Then Damien caught on with her surprising ploy, and he began to return her kisses, holding her steadily by the waist and deepening their kiss. This was supposed to be only an act, but an involuntary moan escaped her lips.

    "Jesus. You twoout!" said the grumpy old Janitor as soon as the door opened.

    Damien and Katherine broke their kiss, and knowing smiles painted their faces as they met each other''s stare.

    The janitor impatiently tapped his foot as the two stepped out of the closet and passed by him. "Tch. If I see you two in here again, I''ll report you to the H.R!" He shook his head and entered the closet to get his stuff.

    Meanwhile, Katherine and DamienBonnie and Clydeslipped out of the hallway through the opposite door that led to the stairwell where they didn''t meet anyone else as they exited from the back door of the building.

    Once they exited the building, the trailer van headed in their direction. They hopped inside, and Amelia, who was now driving, sped off into the traffic.

    While Damien and Katherine slumped in their seats, Styles snickered mischievously at them, thinking about what happened in the closet just now. She snapped her head at him and gave him a mean look as she warned, "Not. A. Word."

 Chapter 571: Teamwork?

    Chapter 571: Teamwork?

    Safehouseter that day.

    Papers were strewn across the dining table while the team hovered over them. Chris, Gus, and Felix arrived to join the whole crew as they dissected the data gathered from the Alliance Shipping and Logisticspany a few hours ago.

    At first, Katherine''s gut feeling was what urged her to focus on thispany. But after seeing Shadow agents in the building, she couldn''t be more confident that they were indeed on the right path.

    However, now that they were looking at the information in front of them, she didn''t know what to look for exactly. All she and others who came from Shadow could only agree on one thingthat Parker was using Josiah Connor''s shippingpany. Though thetter had many other businesses on the side, this was the only one that made sense to them.

    Parker was the kind of man who nobody could guess what his next moves were. He built principles for himself, which made him look like he''s a man who respects the government''s systembut at the same time, he did very questionable things that were against an innocent person''s morals. He yed mind games, and he was excellent at getting someone to work for him or with him.

    Just like how he got to Josiah Connor. But they couldn''t tell whether Parker came to Connor for his rtionship with Director Hughes or if he initially approached the man because of Alliance and the rest just fell on hisp.

    With everyone trying to figure out how they would use the shippingpany''s data, Katherine couldn''t help but think about the near futurewhen they could finally put an end to Shadow.

    "This is a shippingpany, so it has to have something to do with whatever is being imported here," Damien began.

    "Or exported," Katherine added. "We can''t rule anything out. We don''t exactly know what we''re dealing with So we have to consider everything. Even the smallest details."

    Chris nodded in agreement. There were so many theories in his head, but there was just no time to test all of them. They had to be smarter. "You''re right. But how do we know what to look for? It could be any of these shipments. We don''t have time to go through all of them and we can''t check them ourselves all the time either. That''s just not conducive."

    Contemting on what to do, Katherine scanned the people in the room and assessed each of their skills. Damien and Christopher were both strategists. Gus, Felix, and Amelia were great at fieldwork, and thetter was also good at being in themand center with Styles who was always behind the monitor.

    Noticing Katherine''s silence, Styles furrowed his brows and crossed his arms as he examined her. "I''m not sure if I''m liking how you are in deep thought right now. I''m sometimes afraid of you, Queen. You need to speak your mind, and don''t keep it to yourself."

    She swallowed when everyone lifted their heads, and their eyesnded on her. She was already regretting what she had thought just now. "Okay, listen up."

    The team straightened up and waited for her to speak.

    "We don''t have the luxury to check every single one of these shipments. So we''re going to have to split the work." She turned to face Gus and Felix. "You twosurveince. You tail Connor. I''m 90% sure that Parker would want to make everything smooth, and that means personal involvement. So you follow him wherever he goes, and keep us updated."

    The two nodded, not finding any problem with the task given to them. But Gus turned to Styles and asked, "Can you track where he is now?"

    "I mean I could try It will take me time, though," Styles responded as he started on hisputer.

    Katherine walked up behind him and asked him to contact his secretary instead. And once the call came through, she spoke professionally and gently. "Good afternoon. I have an express delivery for Mr. Connor. May I know if he''s in the office right now?" She paused as she listened to the other''s response. "I understand, but we can''t deliver this without his signature." Another pause. "Alright. Thank you. Have a great day."

    They all waited for her to end the phone call, and when it did, she faced Gus and Felix again, saying, "He''s in the office, but he''s leaving in an hour. I trust that you two can do this?"

    Gus and Felix exchanged brief looks and nodded. Then she told Styles to continue his search regarding thepany''s activities and see if anything was suspicious. Next, she looked at Damien and Chris.

    "I need you two to brainstorm and n on what we can and should do once we find something worth checking into," said Katherine. The moment the words left her mouth, Damien and Chris''s brows immediately drew together, but she ignored and added. "There could be many possibilitiesimports, goods, crates or cargos, strategies on"

    "Woahwait, wait..." The two men interrupted her.

    Damien ced his hands on his hips, looking exasperated. "Katherine, you can''t possibly think..." He chuckled mockingly, yet the irritation was evident on his face as he pointed at Chris. "I can''t work with this guy."

    "He took the words right out of my mouth," Chris agreed. "I refuse to work with him."

    Katherine shrugged, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "You have no choice. Falcon and I need to work on something."

    "He killed people, and he hurt you. There''s no way I would work with him!" Damien seethed.

    "Ha!" Chris scoffed. "Right. Like you haven''t killed. You''re a Park!"

    The two started exchanging insults and were sizing each other like college frat boys. She could only roll her eyes.

    Letting out a sigh, Katherine shook her head and took a deep breath. She already felt the headache creeping up, and she could only clench her hand into a fist to control her temper. Then she spat, "Enough! In this room, we all have killed. We''re not innocent."

    Slowly, Styles raised his hand as he swiveled his chair around. Then he spoke in a low and weak voice, "I I haven''t killed anyone"

    "Shut up!" All of them shouted at him in unison, their annoyed expression directed at him.

    Styles immediately closed his mouth shut and then pouted as he turned to his monitors again. "Seriously You all are getting meaner every day."

    Ignoring Styles, Katherine faced Damien and Chris again. "I still haven''t forgiven you for what you did to me, Chris, and I don''t think I ever will. But I''m going to set that aside for now like what I''ve been doing since we started working together because there are more important things to take care of." Then she looked at Damien. "So you two should grow up and work it out without trying to kill each other. I need you both on this. Two heads are better than one."

    Although Damien didn''t like the thought of working with Chris, he would always do anything for Katherine. So he''d have to put off his ns on choking the other until all of this ends.

    Clenching his jaw, he nodded in agreement, albeit reluctantly. "What about you?"

    She shifted her gaze to Amelia, grabbing thetter''s jacket from the back of a chair and tossing it to her as she said, "We''re going to do some fieldwork at the docks. We work faster together."

    "I can''t let you go anywhere by yourself," Damien worried.

    Walking towards him, Katherine pressed a kiss on the corner of his lips and smiled. "I need you to trust me, Damien. Besides, I''m not alone."

    He watched as Katherine and his mother walked out of the door. Thest time the two women hung out togetherthey ended up in jail.

 Chapter 572: Operation Alliance (1)

    Chapter 572: Operation Alliance (1)

    Amelia and Katherine went to the port where Alliance Shipping and Logistics'' ship docked. Disguising as a Port State Control Inspector, the two investigated the pier to look around the vessel. It was the perfect disguise as PSCIs do random inspections, and they got to snoop around without getting suspected.

    To cover their tracks, they randomly inspected another ship before interviewing a few dockworkers who worked closely around the docks without actually getting involved with the ship''s activities. Among five of those interviewed, two of the men swore that the ASL ship was a bit strange. The dockworkers looked hesitant in spilling what they found, but Katherine and Amelia promised that they would stay anonymous and won''t put it on any record.

    Almost every week for the past few months now, two to three cargos were treated differentlypared to others. When asked for further information about it, they said that an unmarked cargo truck would pick them up in broad daylight. An unmarked cargo truck wasn''t entirely strange, but what the two dockworkers found odd was that at least one of them had a gun on their waistband. Why would one carry a gun if they were only truck drivers or shipping workers?

    The dockworkers didn''t think much of it when they first saw it until one of them thought he saw a machine gun inside the truck while he was passing by. The two dockworkers who were friends contemted reporting what they saw, but after thinking about it, they decided to just stay out of their business. Because if those men were bold enough to do their work in broad daylight like this, they must have some sort of backing.

    Katherine and Amelia understood what the dockworkers were talking about. After rifying some dates with the dockworkers about when they noticed the shady activity going on, the two women left the port. And before going back to the safehouse, they stopped by a gas station to refill their tank.

    Amelia noticed Katherine being quiet in the passenger''s seat since they left. Actually, she had noticed that the other had been quiet whenever she didn''t think someone was looking at her. This didn''t happen when Damien was around, but whenever his son was busy on something, Amelia would catch Katherine staring into space like she was in deep thought.

    While Amelia was filling up the tank, she caught sight of Katherine, letting out a heavy sigh and massaging her temple from the front seat where she probably didn''t think Amelia would see her. What could she be thinking about? What was bothering her?

    Once they were back on the road, Amelia couldn''t help but worry. "Is everything okay?" she asked.

    Katherine turned her head and nodded with an expressionless face. "Yeah."

    "You sure?" Amelia probed as they stopped at a red light. "You seem quite anxious ever since we left the safe housewell other times too when you think Damien isn''t looking."

    Feeling like she was being exposed, Katherine stared at Amelia for a while before letting out an exhausted sigh, her shoulders dropped, and she slumped against the backrest of her seat.

    "I haven''t told Damien and I intend to keep it that way" Katherine began.

    "About what?"

    "I''ve been having nightmares ever since I bumped into Parkerst week. I feel like I''m always on edgeespecially after Margaret''s attempt to harm Damien at that g. You know how Parker can be The man had so many secrets. He had so much up in his sleeveshe would attack when you least expect it. I fear that something would happen and I wouldn''t be able to stop it."

    Amelia could see how worried she was, and so she responded, "Katherine You have to tell him about these things. You can''t carry this burden by yourself. This will break you. I could see how much he loves you and"

    "I understand what you mean," Katherine interrupted. "And yes, I love DamienI love him too much that I don''t want him to carry everything for me. He already has a lot on his te that I don''t want to add more to that. It doesn''t matter if he would be d to do so. It''s just not me. Also, if he knew how scared I am at the moment, he''d double the guards watching over me, or worse, he''ll have me under lockdown."

    "But"

    Taking a deep breath, Katherine met Amelia''s stare as she insisted, "I''m aware that it is a nightmare. And that''s only my subconscious mind telling me to stay vignt. It''s not like I haven''t been vignt before, right? It''s just I feel like it''s my personal battle to deal with. Think about it this way If Lawrence were alive and you were in my shoes, would you want him to worry about it? I know you loved Damien''s father, Amelia You understand what I mean, don''t you?"

    Amelia''s jaw ticked at Katherine''s question. And she hated that the other was right. As someone who was only observing what''s happening from the outside, it would be easy to say to do this or that. But for those who were actually involved, it was certainly not that easy. ''It''s love,'' she thought. No matter how hard it was to keep it to herself, it didn''t matter. She could see herself in Katherine, and it was bittersweet. Maybe it was easy for others, but for them, they''d rather keep it in than make their significant others worry.

    A loud horn pulled Amelia''s attention back to the road, realizing that the light had turned green. She stepped on the gas again, and after making sure that no one was following them, they headed back to the safe house where the others were waiting for them.

    Safe House

    After brainstorming, the team decided to start their covert operation the next day. The shippingpany had a schedule for cargos to be transferred and moved to another destination. With all the clues in hand and their strategies in ce, they wouldmence first thing the next morning.

    Wednesday  December 12

    There were six groups of at least three members sitting inside ck sedans. They strategically parked near the port and around the areas in Harbor City where the trucks could possibly pass. A few of their men were also on the field, pretending to be dockworkers to get a closer look at ASL trucks'' movements. It was a taxing and tedious job to wait, but they were determined to see it through until the end of the dayeven if they were to wait for possibly nothing.

    When noontime came, the team was already exhausted. The groups near the port watched the activities closely with binocrsall of them were connected through amunication line in their earpieces.

    Unlike the groups in sedans, Katherine, Damien, and Styles were in the trailer van a few blocks away from the port. Katherine started to feel her butt getting numb from all the sitting she was doing, so she paced inside the van to stretch her legs.

    When her phone rang, the two men looked in her directionit was the most interesting thing that happened to them since the morning. She saw their reaction and chuckled, "It''s just Frank."

    Then she moved to a corner to answer the phone call from her grandfather''s assistant. The conversation didn''tst long, but she chewed on her bottom lip when she faced Damien again, looking concerned.

    "What''s wrong?" asked Damien.

    "It''s nothing I just forgot that I was supposed to go with Grandpa for his checkup today. It slipped my mind" she responded.

    "Oh" Damien nodded, tapping his fingers on the table of Styles''s workstation. "Why don''t you go?"

    "But what about"

    "We can handle things for now. We''d probably have to do this on Friday for the next shipment''s schedule. And I''m sure you''ll only stay worried if you don''t see your Grandfather."

    "Are you sure?" Katherine probed as she walked towards him.

    "Yeah I''ll stay here with Styles, but take Felix and Noah with you. Call me when you reach the hospital. Okay?"

    "We''ll stay in touch. Update me when something happens." A charming smile shed across her beautiful face before she pressed her lips to his. "Thank you. I love you..." And she kissed him again before leaving the trailer.

    Damien watched her leave, and just like any other day whenever she left without him, he would start to worry. After giving his order to Felix and Noah, a strong whirlpool of emotion gutted him.

    However, his attention was shifted when one of their men from the port reported seeing something suspicious.

    Styles cracked his fingers as he started working on hisputer. "Looks like today is gonna be busy after all."

 Chapter 573: Operation Alliance (2)

    Chapter 573: Operation Alliance (2)

    "I have a visual on firearms in the truck," said one of Damien''s menRob from the Beta Teamat the port near the ASL shipping containers disguising as a dockworker.

    "Copy that. We''re going to need you to go the closest you can get, but do not engage," responded Damien from the trailer van.

    There were several CCTV cameras on the holding area of the containers, but none that covered the part where the truck was, so the team could only rely on the cameras that their men had on themhidden inconspicuously on their bodies. However, to get proper footage, they had to be closer to the scene. But it wasn''t that easy because a few men were surrounding the trucks who were keeping a lookout.

    With his back against one of the parked containers, Rob swiftly removed the pinhole camera hidden as a button on his shirt and carefully positioned it until it faced the truck several meters behind the container he was hiding from. "This is the closest I can get. Can you see anything?"

    "Hold still. I''m running the tes," Styles muttered through thems while his fingers danced on the keyboard. "Got it. The truck belongs to John Smithtch, he might as well have chosen John Doe. Fake records. Nothing on this person."

    Keeping his eyes on the monitors, Damien ordered, "Alright. Proceed as nned, Rob. Keep an eye on the truck and pin the tail on the pony."

    "You got it, Boss," Rob acknowledged.

    Everyone connected to theirmunication line received Damien and Styles''s update, so all of them got ready for when the truck starts to move.

    The whole process took less than thirty minutes since the truck arrivedfrom positioning it near the holding area to transferring the 40-foot high cube container onto the back of the 18-wheeler truck. It was as if there was a silent rule that none of the workers were allowed to get near it as Rob didn''t see any dockworkers he saw or met earlier that day. And just when the container had been put securely in ce, the men surrounding it dispersed.

    A security guard and the foreman came over, meeting the truck driver. Just when Rob thought that the two were going to confront the other for looking suspicious, the driver handed a wad of cash to them, in which they pocketed as if nothing happened before leaving the area.

    "No wonder. The whole system is corrupt," Styles remarked, shaking his head.

    Damien, whose family''s underground business involved smuggling, couldn''tment on it. There were many shady things going on in this state, and it was the reason he left his uncle''s care. After seeing it again like this, his jaw ticked.

    The area was almost clear of people, and the driver headed towards the driver''s seat. Rob rounded the cargos stealthily until he reached the back of the truck. Ever so casually, he stuck a small device under the fender of the back wheels and headed straight to the opposite side, leaving the holding area. "The tail has been pinned. Heading home," Rob informed.

    Styles worked on hisputer and confirmed, "The tracker is live. Everybody in position."

    The team assumed their tasks and watched through the small monitor on their dashboard as Styles projected the tracker''s feed, allowing everyone to see where the truck was heading. Some groups traveled on the same path as the truck, while the others moved through another road that was parallel to the truck''s path.

    Chris and Amelia, who were in the same group, were closer to the truck. But they made sure not to tail them suspiciously. They just needed to make sure that they were still able to see the truck physically from a distance without actually being very close to them. Precautions were what they neededafter all, they were possibly dealing with Shadow here.

    Their brows drew together when they saw the truck entering the freeway and heading out of Harbor City. Just where the hell were they going? Without knowing where the trucks were headed, they could just hope that it wasn''t a very long distance.

    Styles and Damien, who were in a trailer van, also headed in the same direction as the other groups who entered the freeway. Something about this whole thing gave Damien a bad feeling, especially that Katherine was in Harbor City while the rest of the team were already an hour away.

    "I don''t like this" Damien muttered under his breath.

    At this moment, they couldn''t do anything else except follow the truck. Finally, after two hours of driving, the truck exited the freeway and entered a road that''s going towards the north of Esmea.

    "Where are they heading? There''s nothing there," Stylesmented as he searched the area.

    Just as it started raining, Amelia''s voice came through thems, "Everyone park. The truck just turned towards a dirt path. Chris and I will continue moving forward, but everyone else has to wait. Damien, you canmence the next step."

    Damien and Styles nodded at each other and contacted Director Hughes who had been on standby the whole time.

    Chris and Amelia ever so cautiously drove down the path with tall trees on the side, following the tracker on the small screen. They could no longer see the truck in front of them as they decided to stay out of sight. There were very few cars on the road and if they followed them like they had been doing earlier, they would definitely notice. So they had to wait for half a minute before entering the dirt road. After a couple of minutes, they spotted the truck again from a distanceit was now parked on a clearing.

    With binocrs, Amelia and Chris could see the activity from where they were. But because of the rain and the distance, it was harder to see this time. Several meters away from the truck was a parked bus with several men in tactical outfits, carrying firearms surrounding it. Chris and Amelia exchanged a look of bewilderment as they didn''t know what to expect. Pulling their car out of the road, they hid it behind the trees, covering it with branches and leaves until it was no longer visible from the dirt road.

    Then the two hurriedly went closer towards the truck on foot, careful not to attract attention, leaving a trail of footprints on the mud as they trod forward. There was a good fifty-meter distance between them and the truck and bus in the middle of the clearing when they stopped. Amelia and Chris hid behindrge trees and observed.

    Pressing a finger to her earpiece, Amelia reported, "There are fifteen men on the clearing. Ten of them are wearing tactical outfits with no marks except for one that said ''POLICE''. While the rest wore civilian clothing, including the driver of the truck."

    "What are they doing?" Styles''s curious tone sounded from thems just as a camouge drone arrived above Amelia and Chris''s head. The two looked up and then looked away, knowing that it was Styles controlling the drone.

    The men on the clearing were casually talking and smoking cigarettes as if they were on their breaks. The rain continued to fall and began to pour heavily. One of the men in a tactical outfit spoke to someone on the phone, and as soon as it ended, he turned to face hisrades and gave everyone a signal.

    The men moved around the field as if looking for a specific location. The men in tactical outfit remained standing while the restid on the grasssome facing down and some facing away from the truck. Then... the men with the guns fired several shots while pointing the sky and away from the clearing.

    "What the hell!" Styles cursed.

    Amelia and Chris docked and covered their ears as they continued to watch them. At first, they were baffled why the men were so bold enough to fire the shots, but after Styles rechecked the map, he confirmed that within a three-mile radius, there were no houses or any areas that were inhabited. It was also raining; thereby, the sound was masked.

    The firing of shotssted for more than ten seconds. And as soon as it was over, two men went towards the shipping container and began opening it.

    Everyone''s heart raced as they watched closely. Amelia gasped when the container''s door was opened. What they saw inside was not what they expected. Inside the shipping container were children in dirty clothes who were just around eight to ten years old, shivering and cowering in fear.

    Amelia turned her head to look at Christopher next to her who was inplete shock as he watched the scene before them. Even with no one speaking through thems because of shock, those who heard about what happened to Chris and his sister linked it to what was currently happening. Everything made sense now.

 Chapter 574: Operation Alliance (3)

    Chapter 574: Operation Alliance (3)

    [Reader Advisory: Signs of child abuse are written ahead. I won''t go into too many details, but consider this a heads-up if you are sensitive to these things. I''m in no way condoning this act. This story is fictionso let''s take this as just spreading awareness that these things happen in real life. Thank you.]

    Chris felt like he was watching something that happened to him and his sister many years agoonly this time, it was happening before him. Images from that dreadful incident shed in his head, causing a massive lump to form in his throat as he struggled to breathe. The memories that are forcing its way into his head caused him to remember how scary it was during that time.

    His misty eyes instantly reddened at the thought of what these kids must have gone through for days inside that container. He knew very well how awful and frightening it was. Chris''s breathing becamebored. He looked like he was about to have a panic attacksomething that hadn''t happened to him for a very long time now.

    Seeing his state, Amelia crossed his arms into an X position against his body and immediately embraced him tightly, forcing him to look away from the clearing. "It''s okay Breathe" she repeatedly soothed. Doing this came naturally to her because this was what she did for him in the past when he was still new to Shadow and had panic attacks.

    While Chris was trying to calm himself down, Amelia watched the kids from afar. The children inside the container curled inwardly, afraid of what would happen to them. They all looked so skinny as if they hadn''t been fed well for dayssome even had wounds or bruises on their faces and bodies.

    Although they couldn''t hear what the men in uniform told the children, they could guess that they were trying to calm them down and telling them that they were saved. One by one, the men helped the kids out of the container and brought them to the bus a few meters away.

    Chris tensed up and clenched his hands into fists as he turned his head and narrowed his eyes at the clearing. It was clear to him that Parker orchestrated everythingfrom when they were captured in Russia and brought to America. His blood boiled at the thought of the vile man doing his evil deeds.

    Chris was no saint. He had killed different kinds of people. But Parker Parker was the highest form of evil. How could he do this to innocent children?

    "We have to stop them," he suddenly muttered under his breath.

    Amelia nodded and was ready to move. The two, along with Damien and Styles, discussed their course of action. However, with so many children involved, it was very risky. Thus, they decided to create a distraction while Damien and the rest of the team were on their way for backup.

    The rain had stopped, but the clouds still covered the sun''s rays. Chris and Amelia created a noise behind the tall trees, enough to catch the uniformed men''s attention. Their heads snapped towards the direction of the sound, and their team leader signaled two men to check it out.

    Holding the guns securely in their hands, the two men entered the woods. The moment they were no longer in theirrade''s sight, Chris and Amelia lunged towards them and knocked them out swiftly.

    Damien spoke through thems, informing them that he had patched Director Hughes on theirmunication line.

    While Chris and Amelia tied up the two men, Director Hughes''s voice came through thems, "Christopher, I need you to stand down."

    Surprised at the director''smand, Chris immediately spat, "But, Director. What about the children?! They need help!"

    "I understand. My best team is already on their way." Just as she responded, the sound of a chopper resonated in the sky, catching everyone''s attention.

    Apart from that, there were also armored vehicles that caught up with Damien and the rest of the team who were on their way to the clearing.

    The captors, who were "helping" the kids, as well as those who pretended to be dead and lying on the ground, became alert from all themotion. Two armored vehicles and Damien''s team appeared from all sides and pointed their guns at the men.

    Amelia got scared for a second because the children were still on the bus. Seeing so many guns everywhere, they began to wailso afraid of their lives.

    There were thirteen men left in the clearing. They gathered in a small circle with their guns drawn out, waving from side to side as if not knowing where to point it firstwhat with so many enemies crowding them. They were clearly outnumbered.

    "On the ground. Now!" the leader of the unit that Director Hughes sent yelled as he stood next to one of the armored vehicles.

    Realizing that there was nothing they could do at this point, the captors slowly got to the ground. At the same time, the special unit seized their firearms and arrested them.

    Amelia took this chance to run towards the bus and helped the kids out of there. Damien, Styles, and Chris followed behind.

    Thirty-five children were rescued. The youngest was five years old, and the oldest was nine. Damien felt like his heart was crushed, seeing the poor kids crying earlier because they were scared of what happened. He couldn''t imagine what they have gone through but seeing this first hand was enough for him to feel the pain on their behalf.

    While waiting for another van toe and transport the kids to a safer ce, he ordered his men to bring some food to feed them. He watched as they all gobbled the stuffed bread into their mouths. One little girl, who was about six years old, sat quietly by herself, holding the bread in one hand and a juice box in the other. She looked at the ground and sobbed quietly.

    Damien walked over to where she sat and bent down to her level. There were a lot of questions in his headquestions that he couldn''t askall because he thought it was too painful to talk about what happened to them. So instead, he slowly reached his hand towards her and asked, "May I?"

    The little girl looked up and met his smile. She didn''t speak, and he wasn''t sure if she understood him either. She had a tear-stricken face, and she sniffed as she looked at his outstretched hand. After a moment, she gave him the juice box, in which Damien wordlessly inserted the straw into it before he gave it back to her. She sipped the juice and continued to look at him, but she was no longer crying this time.

    "Excuse me, Mr. Park?" the special unit''s leader called his attention and handed him a tablet. "Director Hughes wants to speak with you all."

    Damien got to his feet and received the tablet. He signaled the others to go to the side for some privacy. So Amelia, Styles, and Chris gathered around him.

    Once Director Hughes saw their faces, she began, "Good work today. Thank you very much for your help. My team will take over. You can rest assured that the children will be in safe hands."

    "We didn''t expect today to end up like this." Chris sighed. "I''m d we were able to save the kids but because of this interception, Parker must already be cutting his loose ends."

    Damien agreed, "He''s right. Director, there must be something else we can get out of today''s operation."

    Director Hughes offered a small smile as she replied with reassurance, "Don''t worry. I already have Josiah Connor in custodybrought him in a few minutes ago. I can give you some time to ''talk'' to him once youe back to the city."

    They exchanged smiles of relief from hearing the news. Finally, they were already close.

    Damien''s phone rang, so he excused himself from the group and answered the phone call when he saw that it was Noah. "Speak."

    "Boss" Noah coughed heavily. "I''m" *cough* "...sorry..." *cough* "They took her Shadow took Katherine."

 Chapter 575: Queens Adversity (1)

    Chapter 575: Queen''s Adversity (1)

    Earlier at Hillcrest Hospital

    When Katherine left the team to apany her grandfather for his doctor''s appointment, Felix and Noah came with her. They first went to fetch Grandpa Theo from the mansion before going to the hospital. Frank, Grandpa Theo''s assistant, also came with them along with two more of his bodyguards.

    Grandpa Theo slowly walked with his walking cane in his right hand while Katherine hooked arms with him on the opposite side. They headed towards the doctor''s clinic. "I know you''ve been really busy with Damientely. nning a wedding is a huge task. Isn''t it too tedious? It''s why I offered to handle it for you, but you refused."

    A smile formed on Katherine''s face as she patted his arm. All this time, she and Damien used ''wedding nning'' as their excuse for when they had to work on things. Truth be told, they hadn''t even decided the date for their wedding yet. Was it weird? Maybe so But with everything that''s been going on, they just couldn''t have a wedding at the moment. Even so, she calmly responded, "It''s not tedious challenging, yesa little But working with Damien is quite fun. Besides, I want to do it myself, Grandpa."

    "You''ve always been independent even when you were still a little girl. Wepart from the times you weren''t chasing young Matthew around wherever he went." Grandpa Theoughed. "I thought you were going to marry him Where is he right now?"

    "I thought so too" Sheughed with him, remembering how silly she was when she was still very young. Kids really do say a lot of stuff that besughable when they grow up. "Last I talked to him was a couple of weeks ago. He''s been very busy with a movie in L.A., so we only exchange texts once in a while."

    "Is he still single? If he visits, let me know. I''ll set him up with a nice youngdy," Grandpa informed with a knowing smile on his face.

    Katherine narrowed her eyes at him as they stopped in front of the doctor''s clinic. "I''m now really convinced that you are running a dating agency, Grandpa."

    Grandpa Theo did not respond, but the cunning smile on his face remained as they entered the clinic.

    While Grandpa Theo went through the physical check-up, Katherine spoke with Damien on the phone for a quick minute. The team was currently tailing the truck outside of Harbor City. She was worried about him and the rest, but Damien reassured her that they would take care of things just fine. He wanted her to focus on Grandpa Theo instead of worrying about them.

    Though reluctant, Katherine could only trust that they would be safe and that today would end with everyone going home in one piece.

    When the check-up was over, the two stayed to discuss Grandpa Theo''s health condition with the doctor. The doctor was concerned about Chairman Young''s blood pressure. When they had the check-up a while ago, Grandpa Theo wasn''t hypertensive, but he was in the risk zoneborderline hypertension. And for a man at his age, this was definitely dangerous. He had improvedpared to thest check-up they had a few days ago, but they had to continue taking precautions.

    After receiving the doctor''s advice, they left the clinic. "I should stay with you more I want to make sure you''re properly eating and taking your medicines," Katherine muttered, her voiceced with dismay.

    Sensing his granddaughter''s worry, Grandpa Theo curled the corners of his mouth upward into a smile and patted the back of her hand as they waited in front of the elevator. "You''ve been taking care of me enough. I''m going live up to a hundred, Pumpkin."

    "Still" She clicked her tongue and tightened her hold on his arm.

    Something caught her periphery, and when she turned her head to the left to check, Katherine''s heart raced rapidly. Three Shadow agents were headed in their direction. She maintained her calm demeanor as she turned her head to the right. There were two Shadow agentsand they were smiling at her mockingly as if they thought of something malicious.

    Swallowing, Katherine thought about her odds. At the moment, it was only her, Felix, Noah, Grandpa Theo, and one of his bodyguards. Of all the times that Shadow could havee to her, why now when they were outnumbered?

    The elevator door opened, and an impulse struck her. "Grandpa I forgot that I was supposed to meet a friend today. You go home first. I will see youter."

    "Is that so? Okay Youe back home for dinner."

    Without Grandpa Theo noticing, Katherine grabbed Felix by the armhe was standing next to herand squeezed it tightly. "Will you make sure Grandpa gets home safe?"

    Feeling her deathly grip, Felix checked the surroundings and saw suspicious-looking men. He furrowed his brows and was about to protest, but Katherine''s insistence won over him when she whispered, "I''m taking Noah with me. Grandpa''s safety is my priority. I beg you. Keep him safe."

    She had no choice. Although Grandpa Theo had one bodyguard with him, who knows what would happen if she left him with only one while going back to the car? Felix was skillful, and she trusted himpletelywhich was why she insisted that he took care of Grandpa Theo''s safety. There was no way that she would risk being with her grandfather at the moment when she saw Shadow agents heading towards her.

    It didn''t matter when and whereshe would always put her grandfather''s safety first before hers.

    Seeing the urgency in her eyes, Felix could no longer refuse. "I''ll make sure they leave safely ande back right away," he responded.

    "Okay, Grandpa. Take care," she told Grandpa Theo, kissing his cheek before letting him go.

    Noah, who caught up to their situation quickly, grabbed hold of Katherine''s armready to flee. Grandpa Theo, Felix, and the bodyguard got inside the elevator. As soon as the door closed, Noah and Katherine turned around and entered a hallway that''s headed to the wards. She had to lure them away from her grandfather.

    The five shadow agents at their tail split up and continued to stalk them. Katherine and Noah hastened their steps without looking back. Her heart rammed against her chest, and for a second, her past shed in her mind. When she was still in Shadow, she wasn''t the one on the runshe was the hunter. Now, the world has flipped. She wanted to run for her life because she knew what would happen once they got to her.

    Reaching the end of the hall, the two pushed the door and entered the stairwell. They were currently on the fifth floor, so they hurriedly climbed down the stairs, hoping they were faster. When theynded on the fourth floor, the door above them opened, and they met the eyes of two Shadow agents.

    "Let''s get out on the third," said Noah as they went down the flight of stairs.

    Just as they were about to reach the door to the third floor''s ess, the door opened, and a strong fist immediately greeted them. Fortunately, Katherine and Noah were quick to dodge, but the two agents that followed them also reached thendingin a split second, Katherine and Noah received blows while they defended themselves.

    She managed to knock out one agent and was quick to draw her knife out and helped Noah fight the two other agents in the stairwell. Just when she thought they were getting the upper hand, another agent appeared behind her, kicking her back and causing her body to m against the hard wall.

    The knife fell out of her hands. She coughed harshly, and everything hurt. Ignoring the pain, Katherine turned around and fought with the two agents.

    The door opened, and another one joined, pointing a gun at Noah''s head, saying, "Youing with usor I blow his brains out?"

    "WaitNo! Don''t shoot!" Katherine yelled, halting the agent from pulling the trigger.

    The Shadow agent grinned at her reaction. "Tsk tsk tsk. You''ve gotten soft, Queen. I used to look up to you."

    While she was distracted, two pairs of strong arms held her back while the others beat up Noah. Katherine tried to pull herself away from their vice grips but failed. Then she saw Noah drop to the floor unconscious. Something cold pricked her neck, and in the next second, her vision went dark.

    ...

    A few hourster

    Katherine groaned as she slowly regained consciousness. It felt as though she got hit by a truck. A broken rib, bruised muscles, a pounding headache, and a busted lip. She fluttered her eyes open carefully only to squint as soon as she tried because of the ring light that was directed at her. She looked away and hissedthat''s when she recalled what happened before she fell unconscious.

    Wanting to reach for her head, she whimpered, realizing that her arms and legs were tied to the armchair she was sitting in.

    Heavy footsteps echoed in the roomit seemed like arge empty room. Katherine struggled to face the front where the sound came from. She wasn''t scared at first, but what she heard next sent shivers down her spine.

    "Wee home, Queen," said Parker in a low and cold voice.

 Chapter 576: Queens Adversity (2)

    Chapter 576: Queen''s Adversity (2)

    Hearing Parker''s familiar voice brought back memories of Katherine''s time in Shadow. She was only fifteen when she joined the dark organization. Most of the agents there started at this age too. Though she didn''t know what Shadow was at that time, the trauma she went through was enough for her to shut herself from the rest of the world.

    After several months of indoor training, Parker supervised their kill test. He probably wanted to make sure that the trainees had the guts to pull the trigger. Or maybe He wanted to see with his own eyes what kind of monsters he was creating. Perhaps only then he would be satisfied that he could trust the agents who would do his bidding.

    Katherine didn''t have it easy. She was quite skilled with hand-to-handbat sparring, but she almost failed her kill test if it weren''t for Chris who was always there with her every step of the way. The first was the worst. She had nightmares that went on for days weeks months Even after her second and third, the first kill was always what kept her up at night. It didn''t matter that her target was a bad person. She would scream her lungs out in her sleep and wake up, having Chrisfort her until she falls asleep again.

    It wasn''t only after she got shipped off to her first group mission in a field work where they fought terrorists that her nightmares lessened. She didn''t know whether it was because she got used to it or that she didn''t care about lives as much as she did when she was still innocent. Her life became a routine after she officially became an agenttrain, receive orders, execute orders, trainthe pattern repeated for years.

    And before she knew it, she became one of the top agents in Shadow.

    One of Parker''s dogs.

    The blinding light that was directed to Katherine''s face was partially covered when Parker sat on a desk in front of her. He wore a ssic ck suit and white dress shirt, looking intimidating as ever. Apart from themp shining on her face, the rest of the room was dark so she couldn''t see his face clearly, but his daunting aura was apparent that she was sure she wasn''t hallucinating his presence.

    Keeping her mouth tightly shut, she drifted her eyes to his grinning face and saw the way he was observing her. There was no point hiding nowshe could tell that Parker knew she remembered everything.

    "Can I just say I definitely missed seeing you" said Parker, crossing his arms in front of his chest as if he had all the time in the world. "Five years is a long time, and a lot of things have changed, but you" He chuckled. "Queen one of my favorites... you haven''t changed at all."

    Katherine wanted to tell him a lot of things, but she controlled herself. She knew better than to speak her mind in front of him. So instead, she tried to keep her face expressionless, not wanting to give away what she was actually feeling at the momentanger and fear.

    "You were one of my bests." He sighed. "Such a shame that you aren''t one of my Vertex." Reaching for the decanter not far from him, he poured the amber liquid into a ss as he continued, "Several years ago, I visited Ennd and met a preschool teacher one afternoon. She was tutoring English to a child at the table next to mine." Parker picked up the ss and took a sip, taking his time, tasting the alcohol in his mouth with his eyes closed before he spoke again.

    "The teacher talked about ''Loyalty''. And the child asked, ''What if I did something bad to save my friend and lie about it? Can I still be called a loyal friend or am I a bad person?'' The teacher couldn''t answer the child right away. Perhaps she was taken aback by how inquisitive the child was." Parker smiled as he looked down at the floor. "That child reminded me of you, in all ways, more than one. You know what I''m talking about, don''t you?"

    His question and the sense of his story caused Katherine''s stomach to twist painfully. Of course, she knew what he was talking about. But what''s surprising for her was that Parker knew about it. After all, it was a conversation she had with Chris alone. How frightening to know that Parker had ears everywhereit was either that or Chris reported everything to him.

    It happened a few hours after her kill test. She felt awful and wanted to be by herself, but after trying so hard to fall asleep in her bunk, she gave up and decided to go to the training room where she released her stress by working out. Chris found her there while she was taking a break. He understood what she was going through, and as her mentor, he stayed up with her, cheering her up and praising her for a job well done.

    Katherine remembered exactly what she told him that night: "Parker said that I just saved the country. Did I really? Would you call me a savior for killing a threat? Doesn''t taking out a life make me a bad person? Because I don''t feel like a savior at all."

    Innocent. Back then, she was still so innocentuntil Parker groomed her to be an assassin.

    Parker ced the ss down the desk, bringing Katherine''s attention back to her current stateall tied up and bruised. He rolled his shoulders and dug his hands into his pockets as he questioned, "Shall we start?" He nodded at something or someone behind her.

    She heard some footsteps. In the next second, icy water was sshed onto her face and chest. Katherine immediately shivered. She realized that she was only wearing a tank top and leggingsthe cold water hitting her skin hurt, her lips quivered, and her hands trembled while she suffered from being wet. Heavily breathing in and out, she forced herself to stay sane.

    "Where is Christopher?" Parker asked in a hauntingly, calm voice.

    At the safe house

    "Where the hell is she?!" Damien spat. Fury darkened his eyes as he mmed his fist down the table.

    A hand brushed his back, and even without looking, he recognized that it was Amelia. He walked away and hovered over Styles who had been furiously searching for Katherine ever since they received the news about her captivity.

    They were able to find her tracker''s location, but when they got there, they only found her rings in a puddle of mud on the side of the road. Nothing else. All CCTV footage from the hospital and the city cameras were swiped clean. No traces were leftssic Shadow.

    Felix had been so regretful that he couldn''t look Damien in the eye. Noah was confined in the hospital for getting hurt badly. Everyone else in the room was quiet, waiting for any miracle to arrive. It was as if they were waiting for a ransom call after a kidnaponly that wasn''t a guarantee. Parker didn''t do ransoms.

    Gus, Chris, Amelia, and Styles, who were once part of Shadow, knew what this meant. They feared that Parker had already canceled Katherine.

    "She''s smart," Chris muttered despite his fears. "Katherine''s smart. I''m sure she''s okay."

    Damien''s hands clenched into fists as he held back a scream. He so badly wanted to hurt someone. His chest was in pain, and his stomach burned. Squeezing his bloodshot eyes close, a tear rolled out of one corner.

    Slowly opening his eyes, he opened his right hand, revealing Katherine''s rings. Then he spoke in a cold tone, "I need to find Katherine. Even if I have to scour every inch of the earth and burn everything in my wake, I will do it."

 Chapter 577: Queens Adversity (3)

    Chapter 577: Queen''s Adversity (3)

    Styles and the others tried to observe and check for clues from Castle, but Parker hadn''t been there for almost two days now. He wasn''t in his office, and the mission board was running like usual under one of Parker''s assistants running the floor while he wasn''t there.

    Because Damien and the team were all distracted by their mission with Alliance, they weren''t aware of the message that Parker sent to agents near Harbor City to capture Katherine as she was spotted in the hospital. She had already been careful, but even so, Shadow still got to her.

    The team had the chance to talk to Noah for a few minutes in the hospital before he fell asleep again. He had broken bones all over his body, and he was even lucky that he was still alive after getting beaten up so badly. He confirmed that they were Shadow agents because Katherine recognized a couple of them, and before he lost consciousness, he heard one of them saying that Parker was waiting for them.

    Safe House

    Felix asked if they could just contact Parker right away and trace his call to know where he was holding Katherine, which was what Damien was also thinking. However, Chris and the rest shook their heads right away. If it were that easy to track Parker, they would have already done that in the beginning.

    "Parker''s phone is unlike the ordinary," Chris began. "His phone number is variable."

    "What do you mean?" Damien asked.

    When Chris exchanged looks with Styles, thetter borated, "Let''s simply puthis number changes almost daily."

    "How''s that possible?" Felix frowned. It was the first time that he had heard of it.

    "He has disposable phone numbers. The only way to get in touch with Parker is if he calls you first, or you call him through the current disposable phone number that he''s using. There''s an app that prompts him to send you his current phone number so you can get in touch with him. And only a few people in Shadow have that privilege." Styles looked at Chris, knowing that he was one of those privileged few.

    "I ditched my phone as soon as I became their target," Chris added.

    "So there''s no way to call him" Damien muttered. He was so desperate to find Katherine that he didn''t care who he was facing now.

    Shrugging, Styles let out a sigh of frustration. He was also pissed for feeling useless at the moment. "I say we go and ambush Castle and demand for Katherine. But that''s just highly"

    "Let''s do it," Damien agreed, catching everyone''s attention.

    They had been closely watching for any activities in Castle, but there wasn''t any indication that Katherine was there. And suddenly going in without making sure that she was there might only put her in grave danger if they provoked Parker for invading his territory. They had to be smarter.

    However, at the moment, it seemed like it was their only option. Amelia and Chris exchanged looks. Both of them were convinced and also fearful of what they had to do. But if this was the only way to get Katherine back, thene what may.

    "Wait What about Connor? Has Hughes responded yet?" Amelia asked.

    "They''re still investigating. She said she''ll contact us when she gets more information," answered Chris.

    Connor''s case was too big for them to handle as it was an international organized crime, so there wasn''t much they could do except trust Hughes to do her part. Turning to Styles, Damien probed with a determined look on his face, "I have an idea. How fast can you ess Castle and override their system for a few minutes?"

    Styles straightened in his seat. "Fast," he confidently answered.

    "Ready?" Styles shifted his gaze to Damien, Chris, and Amelia, waiting for them to give their signal. As soon as they nodded, he pressed the enter key on his keyboard.

    In the next nanosecond, they were connected to Castle, taking over their system. There was a window in one of Styles''s monitors that showed Shadow''s central area where the operations were controlled. Several people with headphones attached to their heads and facing aputer were found on the floor, awaiting and following orders from a man in his forties.

    The front wall had so many screens filled with different kinds of information from the missions they were currently handling. They hadn''t noticed what Styles had done yet as they worked like normalnot until Styles interrupted their works. Overriding theirputers, their monitors turned ck before green 0''s and 1''s filled the entire screen. The people on the floor of Castle''smand center were surprised at what was happening; they could only stare at the screen.

    "Greetings. I don''te in peace," Styles muttered, his voice loomed the entire area.

    "Mr. Styles?" the man who was in charge of the floor questioned.

    "How many times do I have to tell you, Oscar. No Mister. Just Styles. Jeez." Styles rolled his eyes in annoyance.

    "But I thought you were dead?"

    While everyone else was speechless, one maleputer expert gasped, "Oh, my god. Is this really him? Styles?! SirI am a huge fan!"

    "Why, thank you. Well, this is my ghost talking," Styles bit out. Chris pped his head with the back of his hand, and he cleared his throat before adding, "I''m not here to catch up with you, Oscar. But I need you to do something for me."

    "What do you want?" asked Oscar, the floor manager, in a toneless voice.

    "I know you have my Queen. So I want you to patch me to Parker."

    The older man mockingly chuckled, finding his statement ridiculous. "And what makes you think I''m going to do what you ask me to?"

    A mischievous smile formed on Styles''s face. Although the people in Castle couldn''t see him and could only hear his voice, he still felt powerful, and therefore, he was cocky. "Oh Oscar, I''m not asking. I''m ordering you what to do."

    With an unimpressed tone, Oscar crossed his arms in front of his chest. "And if I don''t?"

    Styles nced at Damien, who nodded at him, giving him a go-signal. Then he answered, "Easy I''ll just have to crash your system and wipe out everysingledata."

    "You wouldn''t." Oscar gritted his teeth.

    Styles was fast on his keyboard, and a couple of secondster, a timer appeared on Castle''s screens. "Try me. I''ll give you thirty seconds to decide." As soon as he said that, the timer began counting down.

    Everyone on the floor panicked, and Oscar demanded the floor to override whatever Styles was doing. However, despite their efforts, no one could do anything. Just before the timer went below five seconds, Oscar gave up and agreed to contact Parker.

    After a moment, Damien and the rest were now waiting for Parker to pick up the call. It took him eight rings before he managed to answer.

    "Hello?"

    "Parker," Christopher muttered the other''s name.

    "Ah If it isn''t Christopher" Parker let out a soft chuckle that sounded derisive. "That took you long enough."

    "Where''s Katherine?!"

    "Oh, she''s here. I thought I would have to start pulling out her teeth. She''s a feisty oneyou''d know that already."

    Pissed, Damien could no longer hold back, and so he spat, "You son of a btch! Don''t you dare touch her!!!"

    "Who is this?" Parker wondered, but almost instantly realized, "Ah Am I speaking to Mr. Park? Don''t worry I neverid a hand on hernot once. But I can''t say the same for my subordinates."

    Before any of them could respond, Parker''s video was turned on. However, instead of seeing the man''s face, what they saw broke their hearts as the camera was pointed at Katherine''s current state.

    She had both of her wrists restrained together with ck straps above her head and attached to a chain from the ceiling. Her once white tank top was now wet and had bloodstains here and there. Her head hung low, looking lifeless while her feet barely touched the ground.

    "Katherine" Damien''s heart dropped to his stomach.

 Chapter 578: Queens Adversity (4)

    Chapter 578: Queen''s Adversity (4)

    Katherine lost track of time. She no longer knew how long she had been held captive as she had passed out a few times since they started torturing her.

    Every muscle in her body ached, but she would only grit her teeth whenever she was in paineven when they started shocking her with jolts of electricity.

    It was because she didn''t want to give Parker the satisfaction of seeing her in pain. So as much as she could, she would keep it together. No matter how painful it would get, she would endure it.

    *Smack*

    The belt''s leathernded on the back of her thigh for the third time, and she tightened her abdomen in an attempt to hold down the sting on her legs.

    Katherine could barely standif not because her wrists were tied in a chain above her head, she would have probably copsed already. She spat, and viscous red-stained saliva sttered on the floor. The metallic taste in her mouth tasted awful. Her cheek and lips hurt like hellshe only hoped she didn''t lose a tooth.

    "We know how this is gonna end, so why don''t you just give up?" said one of the men behind her.

    A smirk shed on her face before she muttered under her breath, "Bite me."

    A few momentster, she heard the sound of a phone buzzing not far away from her. She didn''t look up, but she could sense that someone was watching her like a pervertmaybe Parker.

    "Hello," Parker answered. "Ah If it isn''t Christopher That took you long enough."

    Katherine''s heart raced upon realizing who was calling Parker at the moment. She couldn''t see his face as she hung her head low due to exhaustion, but he resurfaced from the dark until he stood a few feet away from her.

    "Am I speaking to Mr. Park?" she heard him say, causing all her muscles to go rigid. ''It''s Damien! Damien is on the phone!'' she screamed in her head, wanting to hear him so badly.

    Parker continued to move towards her as he continued to speak. Simultaneously, she struggled to flutter her eyes open to see what''s going on, but her head felt so heavy.

    "Katherine"

    The moment she heard Damien''s voice through the speaker, she raised her head and saw Parker raising his phone in front of him as if he was taking a video of her. She could only guess that he was showing the other end of the line her current state.

    Katherine tried to open her mouth to speak, but even her jaw and cheek hurt so much that she could barely do it. She must look so awful right nowit hurt to know that Damien saw her in this state. He must be so worried about her.

    Then Chris''s voice came through the speaker so loudly, "Parker, you win. You can take me instead. I will surrenderjust release Katherine!"

    Parker clicked his tongue before responding, "You know I don''t trade, Christopher. I''ll take my time with your dear Katherine, don''t worry. And then I''ll get to you."

    "Don''tI won''t tell him where you are," Katherine managed to say with a breathy voice. Then he looked at Parker in the eye. "No matter what you do to me, I will never..."

    "Oh, I know," Parker answered nonchntly with a smile on his face. "I''m not doing this for all that, Queen This" He pointed at her state. "This is your punishment."

    Right after he spoke, he pressed the red button on his screen, ending the phone call between him and Damien and Chris. His response was ruthless. He knew all along that she wouldn''t ever give up Chris''s location. But he still tortured her not because he expected her to give upinstead, he tortured her because he believed that she deserved it as her punishment for her betrayal against Shadowthe dark organization that he believed was what this country needed.

    What a diabolical man. And she couldn''t say she was surprised.

    Safe House

    Seeing the window on the screen turn dark after witnessing Katherine in her pitiful state, Damien felt like his entire world had shattered. That was the most devastating condition he had seen of her that his heart felt like it was being squeezedhe thought he was getting a heart attack.

    He was still in shock that he hadn''t moved a muscle even when the phone call got disconnected.

    "Too fast. I couldn''t track it," said Styles in a bleak tone. As soon as the call went through earlier, he began to search its location, but it bounced from one ce to another before it settled in one state. However, Parker ended the call just before he got the chance to pinpoint the exact coordinates of where they were.

    "This is all I got." Styles then pulled up a couple of windows on his monitors, showing that thest pinged location was in Florida. But the state was too big for them to know where Parker brought her to. All they knew at the moment was that he shouldn''t be in Castle as he hadn''t been there for the past couple of days ording to the logs and the way the operations were running in themand center without him.

    Apart from that information, he was also able to record the short video of Katherine, which was now ying for them to see and dissect.

    Trying to pull himself together, Damien stared at the footage and though it was hard, he ignored the pain in his chest upon seeing her suffer. "Where is that?" he asked.

    "It''s too dark. I have no idea," Styles answered truthfully.

    "It could be anywhere," Chris added as he watched the footage over and over again, trying to get some clues from it.

    "Noah''s awake again," Felix announced behind them. He just got off the phone from one of their men in the hospital. "He said he remembered something else, but he''s not sure if it''s of any help."

    "Call him," Damien ordered.

    Once the call was connected, Damien didn''t waste any more time and asked Noah what he remembered.

    With great difficulty, Noah told them, "I''m not sure but I think I heard one of them say, ''We''ll meet at the perry''. He had an ent didn''t sound American."

    "Perry?" Damien, Chris, Amelia, and Styles questioned in unison. All of them were confused at what that meant.

    "Sorry, Boss my ear was ringing. I should have listened carefully," Noah said apologetically.

    Though he was frustrated, Damien understood what Noah was going through. "Thank you," he told the other.

    "Where is that?" Styles wondered as he tried to check out "Perry" anywhere in Florida on hisputer. "Hmmm Well, there''s a city called PerrySouth East from Tahassee. Do you think this is it?"

    While Styles, Christopher, and Amelia were discussing, the wheels in Damien''s head turned. It took him a full minute to digest what Noah said. The way thetter stated the sentence meant that ''Perry'' was a ceit sounded less likely to be the name of a city like what Styles found. Not to mention, the man had an ent so it mustn''t have sounded so simply like that. Then he began to mumble, "Perry Pe-ri Pre" He darted his gaze at the map on Styles''s monitor and questioned, "What about ''prairie''?"

    Heads turned in his direction, and then they exchanged looks when he said it with a French ent.

    "Boss, that''s it..." Noah''s weak voice sounded through the speakers of the phone. "That''s how he said it."

    "Could it be" Chris muttered, his eyes darting here and there. "The old Castle"

    "The old Castle?" Damien probed.

    "Oh" Styles and Amelia gasped, realizing what Chris had also discovered. Then Styles quickly located the old castle''s location on the map, garnering everyone''s attention to the screen.

    Nodding, Chris rified, "The old Castle is in a prairie Parker hadn''t gone there since it got destroyed. But I''m almost certain that Katherine is there."

 Chapter 579: Queens Adversity (5)

    Chapter 579: Queen''s Adversity (5)

    Everyone hovered over the monitor where Styles reyed Katherine''s video from their phone call with Parker earlier. It was hard to look at because of her state, but they had to check it thoroughly to get more clues. The video yed several times while Chris and Styles wore headphones to listen to it very carefully.

    "Their voices. It sounds echoey like they''re underground," said Chris as he kept his stare at the screen. "Waitstop. Rewind." Styles followed hismand and stopped at the part where the camera pointed at the ground for a couple of seconds.

    "That looks like a red line," Amelia observed. "Is that the training room?"

    "You think so too, huh?" Chris probed.

    Amelia and Styles agreed. Amelia and Chris spent a lot of time in the training room of the old Castle that even the floor became very familiar to them.

    Seeing their confident looks, Styles chimed in, "Then this proves it. They''re outside Cona."

    "We can''t waste anymore time. Let''s gear up," Damien ordered, and then he left through the front door.

    Everyone followed after him, and they headed straight to Maverick Security''s headquarters where they gathered the other teams and prepared for their leave. On the way there, they informed Director Hughes who gave them her support by sending a few mercenaries.

    At the same time, she was also on the move to arrest several members of the organization who were behind Shadowher husband, Josiah Connor, gave up a list with those members'' names. Moreover, a few teams would also be sent to raid Castle. Everything would be done in sync with each other. With things taking ce concurrently, the chances of Parker getting away would be less likely to happen.

    Maverick Security

    While Damien''s team was getting ready, Chris, who had been feeling confident, suddenly felt uneasy. They stood next to a ck SUV in the agency''s underground parking space, waiting for Damien and Styles to arrive.

    "What are you thinking?" Amelia probed when she noticed Chris staring at nothing in particr.

    "Thest time I saw Parker was a debriefing after a quick overseas mission." He looked down and stared at his shoes. "Now that I think about it I''m guessing he already knew that I had betrayed him. I just keep wondering Why did he not end me then?"

    cing a hand on his shoulder, she gave it a squeeze and told him, "None of us can understand what''s really on his mind. If he were that easy he wouldn''t havested this long."

    He scoffed softly. For a while, he actually looked up to Parker and thought of him as a father figurethat''s because he didn''t have anyone else. He didn''t have anything apart from Shadow. However, it was time to end the dark organization. Because now, he had people to protect.

    Footsteps echoed in the parking space when Damien and Styles stepped out of the agency. Dressed in an all ck tactical outfit, Damien looked from left to right, checking the faces of the people who were going with them today. His team consisted of the Alpha team members, Amelia, Gus, Felix, Styles, and Chris. A total of ten elite individuals plus a few mercenaries that Director Hughes sent. Their number may not be that manypared to Shadow''s agents, but he believed in everyone''s skills and trusted themeven Chris.

    He nodded in approval and wordlessly got inside the SUV''s front seat. The rest of the team got to their respective vehicles and sped off.

    Chris traveled with Amelia in a separate SUV and just as they joined the traffic, he requested to drop by the house where Emma and her adoptive family were staying.

    Once they arrived at the residence, he quickly got out of the vehicle, knowing that they were pressed for time. He didn''t n on seeing his sister, but his heart felt heavy, so he thought that seeing her might give him courage. Even though they had only reunited recently, Chris had be quite attached to her already.

    Emma had a huge smile on her face as she came out of the house and went to see her brother at the gate. "Chris! Oh Why are you dressed like that? Are you working today?" she wondered when she saw him in a tactical outfit.

    She wasn''t aware of her brother''s real identity. All she knew and believed was that he was Katherine''s mentor in the past, he was part of her security team and that he secretly worked for the government. Emma understood that there were things they couldn''t tell her, so she didn''t ask more than she thought she could handle.

    He lifted the corners of his mouth, breaking into a handsome smile. Though he was wearing an all ckbat outfit, he removed all the weapons on him in order not to scare his sister. "How do I look?" he asked.

    She gave him a once over, grinned mischievously, and raised a thumb up, saying, "You look cool!"

    "Really?" He chuckled, in which Emma nodded enthusiastically.

    "Ah! By the way, I''ve been calling Katherine since yesterday. Is she busy? Why is she not picking up?" she questioned.

    The smile slipped from his face briefly, and then he reced it with a small one as he nodded. "Mm. I''m going to see her soon. I''ll tell her to return your call when she''s free."

    "Is that so? If she''s working on her wedding She should have told me so I can help her. Tch." She pouted and sighed, looking a little disappointed that she hadn''t heard from her friend.

    "I''ll scold her when I see her."

    "I''ll do the scolding!" She lifted her chin up and smiled when Chris softly chuckled. "Did you need anything? Why don''t youe inside? I''ll cook you some food."

    "No Actually, I just wanted to see you. I''m going out of state, so I''ll being homete. Don''t wait up for me. Just stay home and lock the doors and windows. There are three guards on duty tonight. Karina, call me if you need anything. Okay?"

    Emma beamed at him as she pinched his cheeks yfully. "Kristof, you are so cute when you worry about me! I''ve been living this life for seven years. We''ll be fine! Don''t worry."

    Chris gently lowered her hands and then patted her head. "I''ll always worry. I''ve only gotten you back after so many years. I''m not going to lose you again."

    "Thene home quickly so you can protect 24/7! At this rate, I can''t get married!"

    His brows drew together as he frowned at her. "The hell you''re getting married. Whoever that bastard is, he''ll have to go through me first."

    Her brother was being protective and she enjoyed it. After all, she hadn''t experienced Chris''s brotherly care growing up. Hooking her arm with his, she snickered and said, "Forget about me. You should get married first and make me an aunt!"

    Chris scoffed. He hadn''t even thought about getting marriedmuch less having a child.

    Interrupting their conversation, Amelia called his name from the car, reminding him that they needed to leave now. He nodded to acknowledge and faced his sister once again, removing a ball chain ne from his neck and handing it to her. It had two silver dog tags and an old bullet shell.

    "What''s this?" she probed.

    "It''s my safety charm. I won''t be home tonight so wear it. It''ll protect you," said Chris. He hugged her and kissed her hair before pulling away. "I have to go. Take care, Solnyshko."

    Four ck SUVs were parked one kilometer away from the Old Castle inconspicuously. The team waited for Damien''smand while he, Styles, Amelia and Chris surveyed the area.

    Damien''s heart rammed in his chest as he anxiously looked at a wrecked old building through a pair of binocrs. ording to them, the ruined structure was just a disguise. In reality, Castle was actually underground.

    "Alright. I''ve linked everyone. Are you ready?" Styles probed as he nced at them from his monitor.

    Damien''s jaw ticked and his eyes darkened as he spoke under gritted teeth, "Let''s bring Katherine back safely."

 Chapter 580: Queens Resurgence (1)

    Chapter 580: Queen''s Resurgence (1)

    Katherine''s arms were numb as she had been tied up for hours. The thick nylon cuffs around her wrists were ufortable that her skin was sore from the friction. They would suspend her in the air for what seemed like forever, and her feet would barely touch the ground whenever they lowered her again. She prayed it would end, but at the same time, she did not want Parker to see her weak.

    Everything hurt, and everything felt like an eternity. Although she was being tortured while kept in captivity, what hurt the most weren''t the physical inflictions of pain given to her. It''s that she knew Damien must be so worried about her right now. At one point, she wished that he would give up and move on without her. But she knew that would never happen. Even when she was facing adversity, all she could think about was how Damien must be suffering.

    Katherine tried to get out of her restraints, but it was useless. There was no way Parker would leave even a tiny chance for her to escape.

    After hearing Damien''s voice through the phone call earlier, she felt weaker. Even if it was only brief, she felt a warmth growing in her heartand then the warmth turned into pain. He must be so worried. A tear rolled out of the corner of her eye, frustrated that she was causing this to him.

    "How touching. You''ve been tortured for hours, but you''re only tearing up because you heard his voice?" Parker questioned. "I''ve always known you were this emotional, Queen. What a shame You would have been a perfect agent." He clicked his tongue and shook his head.

    He nodded at someone in the corner, then a couple of minutester, a trolley with a monitor was ced in front of her. The screen was ck, making her wonder what Parker was up to now. He came closer and pressed a button from a small device. Then the screen lit up, and images started to show one by one. They were photos of random dead people in the morgue, lying on a metal table.

    Katherine''s brows drew together in confusion. "Why the hell are you showing these pictures?" she asked, her voice was almost a whisper.

    One by one, the images shed on the screen. Parker faced her and probed, "Don''t you remember these people, Queen?"

    As soon as he asked, she realized that they weren''t random people. All of them were her targets when she was in Shadow. However, while she acknowledged killing some of them, there were some whom she didn''t kill at all. But there they were all in the morguepale and lifeless. She recognized most of themespecially those people she killed who were actually innocent.

    Katherine gritted her teeth, feeling that her heart was being squeezed. She wanted to close her eyes, not wanting to see any more. But for some reason, she couldn''t. It was as if her mind wanted her to remember every single one of their faces, and she allowed herself to be tormented by her past.

    "This is why you couldn''t be a perfect Shadow agent, Queen. My agents don''t show remorse, but you do," said Parker.

    When he left the room, the monitor was still running the pictures in a loop. This was what Parker wanted. A bullet to the head was too easy for her. He wanted her to experience a slow, tormenting death.

    Sometimeter, Parker came back to the dark room and woke her up.

    "Looks like your knights are here Good. Now all of you can die together," he said. "Is everything set?" he asked his men.

    Katherine was too weak now, but hearing what he just said caused her heart to race. This was what he nned all along. He knew that they woulde to rescue her, so he took his time with her, and when they would arrive, Parker would end all of them.

    "You monster!!!" Katherine bit out. She already came to ept that she would die here, but not others. Not Damien.

    "Sir We have a situation in Castle," a man said anxiously from the corner of the room.

    She met Parker''s sharp gaze before he turned around and left the room.

    A couple of minutester, gunshots were heard from the ground above them. Katherine could barely keep her eyes open, but she tried so hard to shake her wrists in an attempt to loosen the thick cuffs on her.

    She heard footsteps here and there, but the blinding light directed at her kept her from seeing what''s in front of her.

    "You stay here and keep an eye on her," one man said, and another acknowledged.

    "What''s happening?" Katherine asked, but whoever was left there with her did not answer.

    While the sound of gunshots continued, she forcibly wriggled her hands off the cuff. It was painful, but she kept going.

    "Katherine!"

    She snapped her head to the front where the voice came from, knowing exactly who called her name. "Damien" she breathlessly muttered. Although she couldn''t see what''s in front, she knew he was there. He had to be!

    "Don''te any closer," warned the Shadow guard, who was now a foot away from Katherine, pointing a gun to the front.

    Immediately grabbing her chance, she swayed forward and threw her legs up. She locked them around the guard''s neck, kicking the gun off his hands and trapping him with her thighs. The guard struggled to get her off him as he was getting choked.

    Using all the energy she had left, she squeezed her legs tightly and twisted her body until she heard his neck crack. The guard instantly went limp and dropped to the floor.

    "Katherine!" Damien dashed towards her, holding her up and trying to give her support.

    More footsteps were heard, and in the next second, she was lowered to the floor. She could barely keep her eyes open, but she saw him through the slits of her heavy lids.

    "You came" she muttered in a weak voice just before her eyes closed.

    Damien cradled her in his arms while he uncuffed her carefully. She was severely hurt, and it broke his heart seeing her like this. "You''re okay now," he reassured her amidst the gunshots that could be heard above them.

    "Lay her on the floor," said Amelia.

    He did as he was told, and he watched his mother check Katherine''s pulse and breathing.

    "We can''t carry her all the way back up the ground in this situation. She needs to be on her feet." Amelia fished something out of her vest.

    "But she''s very weak."

    "She won''t be after this."

    Holding a small syringe in her hand, Amelia removed the cap and pushed the plunger slightly, and then a tiny drop sat at the edge of the needle.

    "What''s that?" Damien worried.

    "Liquid courage." And then she pierced the needle directly into Katherine''s thigh, administering the drug inside.

    In the next second, Katherine rapidly woke up gasping as if she had just resurfaced the water after being submerged under it for a long time.

    "Adrifin," said Amelia as he showed the syringe to Katherine, and then exined to Damien that Shadow created that drug for their agents who are gravely injured on the battlefield. It would give them more time to seek shelter and stay alive longer before proper medical help arrives.

    Every agent had one, and Gus gave his to Amelia a few minutes ago. He knew that Katherine would need it.

    Damien remembered seeing Gus giving something to Amelia earlier. He only realized what it was now.

    "Thanks." Katherine nodded, pushing herself up the ground. "I hate that drug."

    "We need to leave," reminded Amelia.

    Turning to Katherine, he helped her to her feet and probed, "Are you sure you can move?"

    "Yes. I just need a knifemy knife," Katherine answered. Her gaze shifted towards the table where her knife was kept in a tray.

    Seeing that she was able to stand on her own, Damien was relieved. Then he gave her her other knifethe one she left in the hospital. "Make that two."

 Chapter 581: Queens Resurgence (2)

    Chapter 581: Queen''s Resurgence (2)

    It wasn''t the first time that Katherine used Adrifin. She almost died due to hypothermia in a past mission in Germany, and that was her only chance of survival.

    The way it worked, once the drug was administered, the heart rate would increase, and a boost of energy would course throughout the bodypretty much simr to an adrenaline rushonly this drug gave her several folds of energy surge in her body.

    What Katherine hated about it were the side effects. It wasn''t the same for everyone, but she would be sick for days as it wore off. Apart from nausea and anxiety, she''d have internal tremors. It was a helpful drug for survival, but the adverse effect was awful.

    However, despite knowing what she would go throughter, she was thankful for Amelia''s immediate course of action. Even though she didn''t like the drug, she would still choose to use it on her, so she could escape from this ce. The old castle was like a maze, and it would be such a hindrance if she was to be carried out of here.

    Holding the knives in her hands, Katherine stood tall, feeling all the wounds in her body already numbing. It was as if she wasn''t tortured for hours. She, Damien, and Amelia were about to walk out of the training room when footsteps echoed in the hall.

    "Tsk tsk tsk A Did the former Shadow agent need saving?" a woman''s voice rang in the room. Sheughed as she walked towards them.

    "Alicia," Katherine called her name under gritted teeth. She could barely see her face, but she would recognize the voice anywhere. It wasced with arrogance every time she spoke to her. She had her hair tied up into a sleek high ponytailher signature look.

    Damien instinctively stepped in front, raising his gun and pointing it forward, shielding Katherine away from Alicia.

    "I didn''t peg you as someone to be saved. What are you? A damsel in distress?" Aliciaughed again. She stepped into the light, and her fierce-looking expression was on disy. "You''re pointing your toys at an unarmed person. Aren''t you embarrassed?"

    Looking at her closely, she didn''t have any visible weapons. But she stalked towards them confidently as if nothing fazed her.

    Alicia had always been like that ever since they were teens. For some reason, she always despised Katherine. Whenever there was a chance, she would always take away what Katherine had. Everything was apetition for her when it came to Katherine. No matter what or who it was.

    cing a hand over Damien''s arm, Katherine gently pushed it down, asking him to lower his gun. He hesitated at first but eventually withdrew the weapon.

    "And you? Aren''t you embarrassed?" Katherine questioned back, her voice cold and sharp. "You only got your position in Vertex because I left and you killed the other prospect."

    Alicia halted her steps, and the smile on her face slipped at the words that the other spat.

    "Are you surprised that I know?" Katherine probed when she didn''t answer. "Tanya and I aren''t close, but when Chris told me you got the seat, I knew what you did. Honestly I wasn''t certain until now. I guess this is why you failed your test before. Your face says it all."

    That''s one of Alicia''s weaknesses. She would appear to be so tough on the exterior, but with just the right poking, she''d get provoked easily and lose her cool. And Katherine had always been Alicia''s insecurity.

    A gutturalugh escaped Alicia''s throat. "You really think you''re that special, Queen? You only got so far because you were sleeping with your mentor. Tell me Was Chris good in bed? I always wondered..." The corners of her mouth curled upward so widely.

    Damien''s eyes slightly shifted to the side as if to see Katherine''s reaction. But at the same time, he didn''t want to look, afraid to see that whatever this woman in front of them was saying was true. He could understand that Katherine could have been with other men in the pastafter all, he wasn''t innocent. But he just didn''t like the thought of her being with Chris.

    Katherine scoffed. "Look at you acting so tough. Is it fun being Parker''s dog?"

    With her chin up, Alicia ignored the other''s provocation and suggested, "What do you say We settle an old score?" Then she took off her jacket and threw it on the floor, tossing her daggers onto it, indicating that she wanted a bare fight without weapons.

    Amelia and Damien exchanged nces, looking obviously worried about the situation. Although Katherine could stand, walk, and maybe even fight, it didn''t mean that her body wasn''t in pain. Her brain just ignored the signals; therefore, she wasn''t feeling anything at the moment.

    However, even though she knew all this, Katherine was dead set on ending Alicia. "Settle an old score?" she chuckled. "Shouldn''t I be the one to say that After your failed attempt to kill me?"

    She dropped her knives on the dusty ground, her eyes burning in anger when the memory from years ago resurfaced. It happened around the time that Shadow considered opening another spot in Vertex, and Alicia waited for her to pass by an alley near her apartment building where she brought thugs with her. Alicia wanted to outnumber Katherine and end her right there. Katherine fought for her life, and then a police officer happened to see the incident. The thugs dispersed so quickly, and so did Alicia.

    When Katherine went back to Shadow the next day, Alicia was shipped off to a mission. She didn''t tell anyone what happened, thinking that she could get back at her upon her return from the assignment. Who knew that Katherine wouldn''t have the chance after she blew up Castle a few dayster?

    "Let''s see what you got," Alicia grinned and beckoned the other toe forward.

    Without wasting time, Katherine dashed and did the first offense. Damien jolted, wanting to stop her, but Amelia held him back. Thetter knew that Katherine needed this. It had been a few minutes since the drug was administered, and she had at least thirty minutes to an hour before it would wear off. Amelia believed that Katherine could handle thebat.

    Katherine felt revived as she didn''t hesitate to throw punches and kicks towards Alicia. Shended a few hits, but so did the other. Yet this didn''t stop her. Katherine went all out, trying to push Alicia to the corner of the room.

    But Alicia noticed what the other was doing, so when she found her opening, she kicked Katherine''s side, and a crack was hearda broken rib.

    Katherine winced in pain, but it onlysted for a second before she got back up again and charged. Her sudden recovery surprised Alicia, and she took advantage of the unexpected turn of events, rushing to pummel the other to the ground.

    Alicia fell harshly, her back hitting the hard floor. She coughed out and got to her feet again. This time, Katherine was on the defense as the other managed tond several strikes and had her trapped in the corner.

    Damien, who was worriedly spectating on the side, wanted to run and give a hand. But he could only swallow his worries when his mother tightly held his wrist, stopping him from what he was about to do.

    "You have to wait. Trust her," Amelia reminded.

    ''Come on, Katherine,'' he cheered in his head. He believed that she would win, but he still worried anyway.

    The truth was, even without the drug, Katherine was still better in hand-to-handbatpared to Alicia. It was why she became a candidate for the Vertex. However, five years had passed since then, and Alicia had improved.

    "Die," Alicia seethed when her hand found Katherine''s neck and choked her.

    Katherine struggled to breathe for a few seconds, trying to push the other off of her but failing. Despite her current situation, she found an opportunity.

    One thing about Aliciashe hated it when someone touches her hair.

    So that''s exactly what Katherine did. She slipped her left hand towards the back of Alicia, tightly wrapped it around the other''s long luscious hair, and yanked it.

    Alicia instantly let go, crying in irritation, but her cry broke off into a choke when Katherine punched her throat mercilessly.

    Then Katherine repeatedly smashed her fist to Alicia''s face until she spat out blood, and she fell to the floor.

    "We need to leave," Amelia announced as Styles reminded her through the earpiece.

    Alicia let out a weakugh. She was lying on the floor panting while Katherine towered over her, and then she said, "You can''t leave. You''re all trapped in here. This ce is going to blow up."

 Chapter 582: Queens Resurgence (3)

    Chapter 582: Queen''s Resurgence (3)

    "What do you mean?" Katherine questioned, pressing her foot down Alicia''s neck.

    But Alicia kept a wicked smile on her face even when she was at a disadvantage. "Didn''t you hear what Parker said earlier? You''re all going to die together." Sheughed like a maniac.

    Why was this lunaticughing? Katherine wondered if Alicia really was crazy. Did she realize that she was down here too? If Parker blew up the ce, that would mean she would be killed too. Along with other agents who were still down here.

    Katherine looked up and met Damien''s gaze. Then he drew out a handgun from his waistband and tossed it in her direction, which she caught smoothly. Without hesitation, she pointed it to Alicia''s forehead and pulled the trigger. The bullet went straight to the skull, killing her instantly.

    "Let''s go," Amelia urged, and thus the three of them left the training room.

    They reached a section of the underground building with cracks and broken pirs, remnants of Katherine''s impulsive revenge five years ago. A lot of areas were cleaned up and reconstructed, so it looked like an unfinished structure.

    The three of them met several Shadow guards while they were on their way back up. They managed to fight and passed through them seamlessly as if they had been doing this all their lives.

    Uponnding on the floor just below the prairie''s ground, there were voices of what seemed like two men talking. The closer they got, the clearer it was, and they realized that it was Chris and Parker.

    Amelia gestured to keep quiet as they stalked towards the open space where the voices wereing from. She went first, followed by Damien, and then Katherine. The hallway going to the open space was dark and dusty, and as they quietly moved forward, their hearts raced in anticipation.

    "Drop your weapon," a man''s voice resonated in the hallway, followed by the sound of a gun''s safety being released.

    Amelia froze on the spot when she felt the muzzle of a gun on the side of her head. Damien and Katherine also stopped in their tracks as more men came to do the same to them. From where she stood, she could see that the man pointing the gun to Amelia was none other than Scar.

    The Shadow guards disarmed them. They were clearly outnumbered, and with the guns pointed at their heads, they could only oblige.

    "Well well look who decided to join," Parker muttered when the three of them entered the open space. He nced at Amelia for a few seconds, feeling a little familiar, but because Amelia wore a mask that only had her eyes revealed, he didn''t realize who she was. He ordered his guards to spread the three apart.

    Chris watched as they lined up. The closest to him was Katherine, followed by Amelia and then Damien on the other end. He met Katherine''s eyes for a brief second, checking to see if she was okay before shifting his stare back to the front. He looked fierce even when Parker''s guards had their guns pointed at him.

    "Sir, we still can''t reach Castle. Something''s wrong with the line," said one of Parker''s guards.

    "Have you tried Oscar?"

    "He''s not answering, Sir."

    The little exchange between Parker and his guard showed that he still had no idea what was going on in hisir.

    "Help is on the way," Styles informed them through theirms.

    Amelia and Damien exchanged looks. They carefully observed their surroundings and quietly calcted what they could do when they got the chance.

    "When are you going to stop?" Chris questioned, his eyes zing in anger directed towards Parker. Memories of his past resurfaced, and he was disgusted by how the man before him nned everything that happened then.

    Unperturbed by Chris''s anger, Parker responded, "I don''t see a reason to stop, Christopher. This is my job. This is what I have to do."

    "Kidnapping children and exploiting them? That''s your job?" Chris scoffed.

    "I gave you a home. I took care of you trained you groomed you" Parker smiled. "I practically raised you. Just like every agent in Shadow. You owe your life to me. But you decided to bite the hand of the one who fed you? You''ve lost your loyalty, soldier."

    "Shadow is built from a lie," Chris bit out.

    "Is it?" Parker probed mockingly. "Well, that lie was your home for two decades"

    "You told me my sister died! You had us separated for two decades!"

    "You are what you are now because of medon''t forget that. You were my masterpiece. Did you know that? Of course it wasn''t until you brought Katherine. My instincts never failed me. That day you convinced me to take her in I knew she was going to ruin you someday. And look at you now. What a waste of skill."

    One of Parker''s guards whispered to him.

    "Then we should take our leave," said Parker before facing Chris and Katherine. "I''d love to stay and chat some more, but I don''t have time for traitors like you two." Then he addressed Damien, "As for you, Mr. Park It''s sad that you got involved in this. I had ns for you and your uncle. But I guess Frederick will do. It was nice seeing you all again for thest time. Goodbye."

    Parker turned on his heel and left through the hallway. As soon as he moved, Damien, Amelia, Katherine, and Chris fought with the Shadow guards that were left in the open space. It was four against five. They shed over the guns and broke intobat.

    Damien battled with two guards, while Amelia and Katherine engaged with one guard each. Chris, on the other hand, faced Scar. The open space became a battlefield. Each of them tried to one-up the other, trying so hard as they fought, despite knowing that the ce would blow up any minute now.

    Amid Chris''s fight with Scar, thetter got a hold of a handgun. And an evil smile ghosted his face when instead of pointing it at Chris, he pointed the gun at Katherine.

    The seconds seemed to move so slow as Scar pulled the trigger, aiming at Katherine''s back.

    "Noooo!!!" a man''s scream reverberated in the space, followed by a sound of a body dropping to the floor.

    Heads turned in the direction of the body just as Scar announced, "All agents retreat. Leave through the west tunnel." He left with a grin on his face.

    Scar was really aiming for Katherine, knowing that they would all be rmed and distracted if she got shot. But it didn''t turn out like he nned.

    "Chris!!!" Katherine immediately knelt and checked Chris''s body, realizing that he wasn''t wearing any vest. Then her fingers trembled when they touched the side of his abdomen where blood gushed out.

    He pressed a hand over his wound, but it didn''t stop the bleeding.

    Seeing him bleed out shocked her. She quickly pressed both of her hands on top of his in an attempt to help.

    Katherine''s heartbeat raced, nearly exploding because of fear. She was unable to speak as tears began to flow out of her eyes. ''This can''t be happening,'' she thought.

    "We''re going to get some help," she managed to say. "Just hang in there."

    A wistful smile formed on Chris''s pale face as he ced his other hand on top of hers. "It''s okay... I''m not afraid."

 Chapter 583: Frayed (1)

    Chapter 583: Frayed (1)

    "Don''t you dare die on me, Chris!" Katherine pleaded, her heart pounding so fast and loud in her chest as she watched him suck in the pain. He had been through so much thest few weeks, and his body suffered so many wounds. He was just healing, and now he''s bleeding again.

    Damien came with Amelia, and he bent to their level, saying, "Come on, I''ll support you." He began to carefully ce his hand under Chris''s head to assist him up. At the moment, he could only see someone dear to Katherine who was in bad shape. Despite his differences with the man, he wanted to extend help.

    Chris coughed up blood. His breathing shallowed, and then he shook his head. "It''s toote," he uttered in a weak voice.

    "We''re going home, Christopher. We''re getting help," said Amelia as he held his other hand. She sounded calm, but her eyes wereced with worry. "Styles, we have a man down. We need help," she spoke through thems.

    "Help is on the way," Styles immediately responded.

    Chris looked at Amelia. With the little energy he had, he squeezed her hand back. He knew that she was aware of his situation. They couldn''t move him now as he was already losing so much blood. It was impossible to escape this ce with him in tow. "You should go," he muttered.

    Refusing to give in, Katherine squeezed his hand as if giving him courage when he told him, "You can''t die yet! What about your sister?" Her hands were trembling in fear, and she was pissed that Chris already gave up trying.

    "Karina Tell her I''m sorry I can''te home." He held his breath and coughed again, appearing to be in so much pain.

    His words brought her to tears. For a long while, she had thought so many times and so many ways on how she would end his life. But at that very moment, all she could hope for was that he would hold on to his life. An unbearable pain crushed her chest when she realized what was happening. She hadn''t even had the chance to sit down and talk to him properly. There were still so many questions left unanswered.

    "Chris" Katherine sobbed.

    "Don''t cry" Bringing his blood-stained fingers to her face, he gently wiped the tears from her face, only to have some red smudge left on her skin. "I''m happy... I got to see you again. You You did love me back then didn''t you?" he asked in almost a whisper.

    Through her misty eyes, Katherine couldn''t help feeling sorrowful. Their past quickly shed in her mind, remembering all the times they spent together and how she felt during those times she was with him. At this point, she could only cry as she nodded.

    "I''m d," Chris whispered, patting her hand and squeezing it weakly. He smiled, his eyes brimming with tears, and when he closed them, a tear rolled out of the corner.

    "You need to get out of there fast. The team from the north and south section detected explosives everywhere," Styles informed them through thems.

    Two strong hands pulled Katherine up from the ground. "Come on. We have to leave," she heard Damien say.

    "What about Chris?" she asked in a whimper, her hand refusing to let go of Chris''s cold one.

    However, Amelia blocked her view and held her wrist. Looking at her straight in the eyes, she said in a toneless voice, "Katherine. He''s gone."

    Then Chris''s hand slipped out of Katherine''s grip and fell to the floor.

    A loud explosion shook the ground, followed by a couple more. Katherine didn''t know how they managed to get out of the underground building due to her muddled head.

    She could vaguely remember that they were still down there when the explosions started, destroying the structure section by section. If they had stayed any longer, they would have been buried.

    The massive explosion happened just as they reached the exit and climbed out. They jumped onto the ground and covered their heads. Damien shielded Katherine and his mother with his body as they faced down the grass, the earth still shaking from the destruction.

    Wincing in pain, Damien slowly pushed himself off the ground, and Amelia also got up. The sound of an ambnce siren rang, growing louder by the second.

    "Katherine," he worried when she wasn''t moving. Quickly checking her pulse and breathing, he was relieved that she was okay, so he picked her up and carried her towards the ambnce.

    Armored vehicles, a helicopter, and armed men surrounded the whole area. Amelia held Damien''s arm briefly and told him, "Take her to the hospital. I''ll settle things here with Styles and Director Hughes."

    He nodded and was about to walk away when his mother stopped him, pressing a handkerchief on his forehead as she said, "Have yourself checked too. You''re bleeding."

    Damien didn''t even realize that he was hurt until Amelia showed him the blood on the handkerchief.

    "She''ll be okay," Amelia reassured.

    A medical team came to them with a stretcher, in which Damien carefully transferred Katherine onto it. He left with them, and they were brought to a medical facility that was exclusive to NIA agents.

    The day ended when the sun set and the sky darkened. He stayed beside her the entire time, refusing to be ced in a separate room to recuperate. Katherine had been unconscious ever since they left the prairie a couple of hours ago.

    Katherine broke a couple of ribs, and she had wounds and bruises everywhere on her body. It could take weeks until she would fully recover again. She needed rest and possibly therapy. The doctors would only know more once she wakes up.

    Damien was saddened to see her in this state, but he was thankful that she was alive. And hopefully, she would be d to hear the news when she gains consciousness.

    His heart ached, seeing her in bed with some wires attached to her body. He gently stroked her hand and held it, hoping that his warmth would bring her back to health.

    They''ve won a battle, but it still felt like they''ve lost a lot.

 Chapter 584: Frayed (2)

    Chapter 584: Frayed (2)

    Three days.

    Three days and Katherine was still unconscious. Most of the tubes and wires that were attached to her were already removed. She was breathing fine, and her vitals were back to normal, but she just wasn''t waking up.

    In the first twenty-four hours of her being unconscious, Damien was somewhat calm as he patiently waited for her to wake up. She suffered so much and endured the torture that he didn''t even want to imagine. He cleaned her gently with a wet towel and read her a book that she had once told him she wanted to read but just didn''t have the time.

    He received calls from Chairman Young since she hadn''te home to the mansion that day she was supposed to. At first, Damien was able toe up with an excuse not to worry the old man. However, with her condition, she would need weeks to recover and there was just no way they could lie about how she got the wounds and bruises.

    Damien thought about telling Grandpa Theo that she got into an ident, but Katherine staying in the NIA facility just wouldn''t make sense. The longer he would keep dodging the older man''s questions, the more difficult it would be for them. He spent a long time thinking about what he should do.

    In the end, he went to the Young Mansion and spoke to Grandpa Theo in his study. Even though it wasn''t his secret to tell, he decided that it was best to be honest about itat least part of the truth, leaving out the bit where they suspected that Deborah had something to do with her parents'' death.

    Knowing that the news would be a big shock, Damien was hesitant to confess. Just for precaution, he brought Grandpa Theo''s doctor with him to the mansion. He didn''t want anything to happen to him, but he deserved to know what happened to Katherineand what happened to her over sixteen years ago.

    Grandpa Theo was quiet yet emotional the entire time Damien exined to him almost everything. He hadn''t spoken a word since, and even when Damien finished. Thetter was extremely worried as Grandpa Theo only cried and cried. For what seemed like forever, there was only crying in the study. Even Damien shed tears as he listened to the older man. There was nothing else he could do as that was expected.

    Katherine''s grandfather was stronger than he thought. He did not ask Damien any questions as if reserving his questions until his granddaughter would wake up. But he insisted on seeing her.

    Director Hughes already gave permission as long as they followed protocols, so Grandpa Theo visited Katherine on the second day.

    Now, it was the third day. Damien had only left Katherine''s side when he had to go to the Young Mansion. He couldn''t even bring his work here, so he had to take a leave from his CEO duties in Crown Resort Group. It was a good thing that Caleb waspetent and that he could take on more tasks while others had been pushed back.

    Damien had been sitting in the armchair next to her bed. It was two in the afternoon, and in a few more hours, it would be four days since she fell unconscious. With his elbows on his knees, he held his head in his hands as he looked at her. He hated seeing her wounds. She had bruises on her arms, a cut on her hairline, and a busted lip. Her body was covered, but he saw the bruises on it too whenever he changes her.

    It seemed as though Parker and his men had harmed her but didn''t use anything sharp on her. Still, he could only imagine how hard and painful it must be for Katherine. If only he could trade ces with her, he would do so in a heartbeat.

    Reaching for her hand, he pressed his lips to it and whispered, "Baby, please wake up."

    At around ten in the evening, Katherine''s chest heaved as if taking in a long deep breath. Then her eyes slowly fluttered open.

    The first thing she saw was the ceiling. It wasn''t dark, but the lights were dimmed. She blinked a few times, adjusting her vision until she managed to open her eyes fully. Scanning her surroundings, she saw a man sleeping in an armchair next to her. Her gaze traveled from the familiar long legs up to his face.

    Damien.

    Katherine tried to push herself off the bed, realizing an IV was stuck to the back of her hand. She nearly copsed back on the bed as her body was still quite weak, but she grabbed the railing and kept herself up in a sitting position.

    The rustling of sheets and noise of her struggling to stay up woke Damien.

    "You''re awake," his gentle yet enthusiastic tone put a smile on her face. He quickly came to her side, sitting on the bed to support her. "You should take it easy. Don''t move so much. You still need rest."

    "HowHow long was I out?" she asked in a groggy voice. Clearing her throat, she touched her neck and looked up to him.

    Damien handed her a ss of luke-warm water, which she finished in one go. He poured her another one when she asked for some more.

    "A little over four days. You had a fever the other day, but it has subsided already. How are you feeling?"

    "Like I''ve been hit by a sixteen-wheeler. Everything hurts."

    She leaned into his arms. He wanted to hug her, but he was afraid that he would hurt herwhat with all her bruises. So he carefully enveloped his arms around her and stroked her gently. He froze when she winced as his hand touched a bruised spot on her lower back. "Sorry I''m so sorry," he whispered to her ear. The pain in his voice was apparent.

    He still med himself for what Katherine went through. If he hadn''t sent her to the hospital, Shadow wouldn''t have found her. He lowered his hands, not wanting to hurt her anymore, but she stopped him.

    "I''m fine, Damien. Just keep holding me. Please" She looked up at him, pleading.

    Pulling her back to him, he continued to soothe her, making sure he did it very carefully so as not to hurt her. "I''m so d you''re okay."

    They stayed in the same position for a while before Katherine shifted and met his eyes. "What happenedafter the explosion?"

    Damien hesitated to tell her right away as she had only woken up just now. To reassure her, he curled the corners of his mouth and cupped her face as he told her, "You don''t have to worry anymore. I''ll call the doctor and tell him you''re awake so he can check on you. You must eat first too. And then we''ll talk. Is that okay?"

    She checked for any signs that he was lying to her, but apart from the concerned look on his faceprobably because of hershe couldn''t see anything else. His smile was genuine. However, he looked a bit sad too. Trusting his words, she nodded and watched him get to his feet and walk towards the door.

    He twisted the doorknob, but before pulling it open, he turned to face her and stood there just looking at her for half a minute.

    "Katherine Once you''re allowed to leave this facility, why don''t we go somewhere for a while."

    Confused, she wondered, "What do you mean? Like a vacation or something?"

    Damien nodded, walking back to her. "You''ve been through so much. You deserve a break. You need to recuperate anyway It will do you good."

    She didn''t respond, so he gave her some time. "Think about it. I''ll take you anywhere you want to go." Then he kissed her forehead before leaving the room to get the doctor.

 Chapter 585: A Loss or a Win?

    Chapter 585: A Loss or a Win?

    The doctor made his visit and checked on Katherine''s condition. He gave them many orders on how to care for her wounds and bruises to ensure they would heal properly, reminding her to take it easy and take plenty of rest to recover fully.

    Damien fed her soft food. She had been on IV for days, and she was hungry too, but he didn''t force her to eat plenty. Once she was done, he sat on the bed, facing her as she leaned back on a pillow against the headrest. He made sure she was alwaysfortable.

    Katherine looked better now that she was awake. The colors on her face came back. Although she was still a little pale, at least she didn''t look so ashen anymore.

    "I''m so thankful that you woke up. You have no idea how worried I am that you had been asleep for a long time." He reached for her hand, his thumb gently stroking the knuckles.

    His hand felt warm on her skin. She offered him an apologetic smile when she saw the concern in his eyes. It was so good to see Damien. It felt like she hadn''t seen him in forever. "I''m sorry I worried you. I did sleep for a long time, huh? It feels that way too." She sighed. "When can I go home?"

    "The doctor said you can go home tomorrow. They''ll need to monitor you tonight just to make sure."

    Nodding, she looked at his hand and stared at it for a while before meeting his eyes again. "Tell me what happened"

    Damien smiled at her. He had been wanting to tell her the news. "They got Parker. He''s no longer a problem."

    Katherine''s eyes widened. She was surely surprised at what she just heard. Shifting her stare here and there, she tried to recall what happened when they arrived to save her, but her memory only gave her fragments. "I don''t understand How?"

    "With Director Hughes''s help." He then told her about the container they were following that had children inside, how they received news of her captivity, how they tried to search for her everywhere but came up short.

    She was shocked to hear about the children. Her heart ached at the thought of those helpless kidshow that was Chris''s and Emma''s story. Then her heart throbbed some more. The reminder of Chris being gone was painful. She wiped her eyes and tried to brush away those thoughts, so she continued to listen to Damien''s tale about what happened.

    Director Hughes was able to gather enough information from her husband who was in custody. Damien, Styles, Chris, and Amelia worked together, finally putting an end to Shadow once and for all. She learned that the organization behind Shadow was ''The Company'', and they also found their secret meeting ce.

    It was a massive movement, but everything was nned in conjunction with their goal, which was to save Katherine. Teams were deployed to raid Castle in Cona, Florida, the secret meeting ce, and of course, the old Castle that was in ruins where Katherine was kept. Apart from that, the members of the organization were all arrested.

    "What about Parker? Didn''t he escape?" she wondered. She still couldn''t believe that the man was really captured.

    "NIA was able to secure the area where Parker and his men came out of. There was bloodshed, but they were still outnumbered."

    Letting out a long sigh, she ran her fingers through her hair. "I can''t believe it''s...over. Is it really? They got Parker? II don''t know what to say. Just yesterdaya few days ago he was in front of me. He left trying to blow up the ce with us in it and I swore I thought I lost the chance to end him and his sick organization." Katherine''s brows drew together, her expression told him that she was in doubt. "It feels surreal."

    Inching closer, Damien rubbed her arms and then cupped her face. He understood why she felt that way. After all, it seemed like they had done so much, yet it also felt not big enoughbut in the end, Parker was captured. "It''s thanks to Director Hughes. They''ve had this very long project to end Shadow for years. Now it''s finally time to close it. I can''t believe it either. But it really happened."

    Right. Katherine nearly forgot that while she lost her memories for five years, NIA had been working so hard on putting an end to Shadow and The Company. Everything just came together this time.

    "Where is he now? Parker. Where is he?" she wondered.

    "He''s...currently in this buildingin a cell. He''ll be transported to a maximum-security prison tomorrow that''s separate from themoners. He won''t be seeing the sun for a long time."

    Katherine was speechless. She began to clutch the nket tightly, looking like she was in deep thought. He couldn''t read what''s on her mind at the moment, so he asked, "What are you thinking?"

    After a moment of silence, she finally looked up, and amidst the heavy pounding of her heart, she told him, "I want to see him. I need to see that he''s locked up."

    "Are you sure?"

    She hesitated at first but eventually nodded. Seeing Parker being detained would put her mind at ease.

    "Okay. I''ll ask if they can spare us a bit of time tomorrow. But I''ming with you," Damien answered. Suddenly remembering something, he shifted his gaze away. "I''m sorry I did something without your permission."

    "What is it?" Katherine probed in almost a hush.

    "I told your grandfather I had to." He looked down as he borated about the things he confessed to Chairman Young, feeling guilty for what he did. "I''m really sorry, Katherine. I should have waited, but I couldn''t lie anymore about you being here. And with Parker being arrested, I figured it was okay to tell him, thinking that his worries would be lessened."

    She was indeed surprised that her hand flew to her mouth. "How is he? How did he take it?"

    "He cried. He was mostly quiet. He didn''t even ask me anythinghe just listened. I don''t know what he was thinking, and I should have asked, but I was afraid that I would make him fall ill. Your grandfather came by the other day to see you. He promised not to tell anyone and told me he wanted to speak to you when you wake up."

    Katherine sniffed, wiping the tear that fell on her cheek. "I''m not mad at you for telling him. Actually, I was going to. I nned to tell him once this ended. I''m just sorry you had to go through that. I imagined it would be hard to tell him one day You must have been so stressed."

    "How could you worry about me in your condition?" He huffed. It caused his heart to quiver. She was the one in the hospital bed, but she still worried that he was under stress?

    "I can''t help it." She shrugged, still sniffing. "Thank you, Damien. You''re always here for me."

    Instead of responding, he smiled at her as he pushed a strand behind her ear. Pulling her to him, he kissed her forehead and then softly on the lips. It felt so good to have her in his arms again.

    And that''s why it was difficult for him to be the bearer of bad news.

    Reluctantly, he pulled back and looked at her in the eyes. "There''s something else you need to know"

    Perhaps she sensed his nervousness because she didn''t say anything and only waited for him to continue.

    He spoke calmly and hesitantly. "We...never heard back from Gus."

    "What What do you mean?"

    Damien looked up and took a deep breath before he responded, "Styles said that when we requested for helpthat time when Chris was shot, Gus was heading in our direction. But we never saw him on our way out. The explosion was huge. We thought he had escaped and somehow gotten somewhere safe, but we hadn''t heard anything from him. I''m sorry"

    Not only Chris...but Gus too? Katherine broke down. This didn''t feel like a win at all.

 Chapter 586: Nine Square Meter Room

    Chapter 586: Nine Square Meter Room

    Since Katherine woke up over an hour ago, she held herself well despite being reminded of Chris''s death. She didn''t want to dwell on the fact that Chris died four days ago while saving her. It wasn''t because she disregarded what happened, but the thought of it was just too painfulshe didn''t think she deserved to mourn.

    It was like having a crack in a dam within her. A crack that she tried to ignore even though the water was already spraying out of it.

    However, hearing Damien''s news regarding Gus just made that crack grow bigger. Until she could no longer hold it in. How did this keep happening to her? People always died trying to save her. She was then reminded of the time when Parker tortured her, and he let her listen to a recording that happened during the night when their house was invaded, and her parents were killed.

    The sheer memory of that painful night caused an old scar in her heart to bleed once more.

    Damien cradled her in his arms, letting her release everything that''s making her sad. It broke his heart that holding her was the only thing he could do for her. "Let it all out, Katherine. I''m right here."

    An image of Gus from when they were still in Shadow shed in her muddled thoughts. There was a time when she hung out with him and Styles after a mission, and that was the most carefree memory of him that she could remember. Gus was supposed to leave this life and start a new one in a ce where no one knew him. How could he be gone before that could happen?

    And Chris He was supposed to be with his sister now that he found her. He had just been reunited with Emma. And now he was gone? Life was so unfair to him. Katherine could never forget what Chris did to her memories and how betrayed she felt when she knew that Chris lied to her. However, despite the disappointment and hurt, she couldn''t deny that Chris was a huge part of her life. She practically grew up knowing him and having feelings for the man she looked up to.

    Burying her face in Damien''s chest, her shoulders shook as she cried. "How am I going to face Emma? What do I tell her? Because of meChris, her brother, he''s gone."

    Damien''s heart sank, hearing that she was ming herself for what happened. He understood that she would think that way, but that wasn''t fair. He ced a hand on her cheek and gently lifted her face so he could look at her straight in the eyes. "It''s not your fault. We all went there knowing it was dangerous. We all knew the risks that we put in our lives. We knew what we were getting into. You can''t me yourself."

    "He literally threw himself in front of a bullet for me, Damien. He died because of me!" Her lips trembled as tears continued to flow down her face.

    He wiped her cheeks with his thumb and fingers, never taking his gaze off her even for a second. His eyes were also bing misty, feeling saddened that she was feeling this way.

    Pressing his forehead to hers, he kissed the tip of her nose before pulling back slightly to look at her again. "I would never forgive him for what he did to you. And I know that you had a history together that I still can''t wrap my head around. Regardless of what happened in the past, I know he loved you. For some twisted reason, I know thatelse, he wouldn''t have done what he did at the cost of his life."

    Then Damien closed his eyes for a brief second, opened them again, and then he added, "I would do just the same for you, Katherine. I wouldn''t think twice. That''s how much I love you. It''s a choice made without the need to think about it. So please...stop ming yourself."

    The thought of Damien in Chris''s stead hurt so much that she felt like her heart was being squeezed into a pulp. She would never be able to live through the pain if that would ever happen. But what he said gave her a bit offort that she tried not to think it was her fault. It was hard, though. Losses are hard.

    That night, she asked Damien to stay in bed with her. It was meant for a single person, but she didn''t want to deal with it alone. So heid with her, holding her until she fell asleep.

    TuesdayDecember 18

    Although Katherine could walk on her own, albeit slowly, Damien insisted that she use a wheelchair. He wheeled her out of her room, and they followed an NIA security who led them towards where they held Parker. They passed by several closed doors with nobels on them except numbers and letters and turned a few corners until they reached an elevator.

    She felt uneasy. Apart from the bruises on her body, she was silently suffering some internal tremors because of the drug that Amelia injected into her that day. She expected it but still hated that she had to suck it up. It felt like there were vibrations in her bones, most likely happening around the area at the bottom of her spine. There were also some in her hands. They didn''t shake physically, but she could feel that they were vibrating internally.

    The high technology elevator car with a touch panel brought them further underground. The ridested for about fifteen seconds, and she could only guess that they were several levels down the ground.

    They entered a heavily secured area and reached a room where Director Hughes was waiting.

    "I''m d to see you awake, Ms. Young. How are you feeling?" asked Director Hughes, initiating handshakes to them.

    "I''m feeling better, thank you." Katherine smiled. "Damien told me what happened. I really appreciate everything that you did, Director."

    "Just doing what''s best for our country." She smiled back. "I was told you wanted to see Parker?"

    Katherine nodded. "I just want to see for myself that he''s really locked up."

    "I understand the need, and I''d be d to help if that will make you feel at ease." Director Hughes turned around. "Follow me."

    Damien wheeled Katherine around and walked a few steps behind Hughes. They stopped when she did. There was a small window the size of a notebook on a door that showed the inside of a room where Parker was. With Damien''s help, Katherine stood up and took a peek.

    Parker was inside a nine square meter room with white walls that only had a bed and a chair. He was sitting on the chair, reading a book with his legs crossed, dressed in a white shirt and pants. This was the simplest look she had ever seen him in.

    Something flickered on the wall next to where Katherine stood, and when she turned, the wall became see-through.

    Director Hughes pressed something on the panel on the wall and told them, "It''s a one-way mirror just like that door window. He doesn''t know that we''re watching him right now. The room is bullet and sound proofed. No one can open the door without this key that only I and a trusted personnel have ess to." She showed a silver card in her hand. "You can rest assured that the ce he''ll be transferred to will be simr to this. And no visitations."

    Katherine stared at Parker. The older man was casually reading ''The Great Gatsby''. Seeing him trapped in a room with nothing but himself, she finally released a breath that she didn''t know she was holding.

    It wasn''t how she envisioned Parker would end up. She imagined that after Shadow''s downfall, Parker would at least be dead. But she thought that was an easy way out of life. With all of the things he had done, he should spend the rest of his life locked in a cell with no human interaction.

 Chapter 587: In Which the Downfall Wasnt Quite What She Hoped For

    Chapter 587: In Which the Downfall Wasn''t Quite What She Hoped For

    "Where are the others?" Katherine turned to face the director. "The other members of The Company. Where are they?"

    "They''re also here, but they''re on a different levelheld a couple of floors above this area in a simr holding cell like Parker''s," Director Hughes answered.

    "Are they also going to be moved?"

    "Some of them, yes. The others will stay here."

    Katherine lowered her gaze to the floor, seemingly thinking over things about what would happen from here. "Will you be releasing a statement regarding Shadow to the public?"

    Director Hughes nced at Damien and then at Katherine. "I''m afraid we can''t do that."

    Katherine snapped her head to the front, her brows drawing together in confusion. Shadow had been hidden from the public eye, operating undergrounds with covert missions. A lot of Shadow''s operations were uwful and hurt the country. Why wouldn''t they expose what they have done for the people to know? "Don''t the citizens deserve to know?" she probed.

    Letting out a deep breath, Director Hughes took a step forward towards Katherine. "I understand what you''re thinking. Believe me, Ms. Young, I do. There''s nothing more gratifying than to expose the truth of their heinous acts and let the world know that justice won and the people behind them are paying the price. However, it wouldn''t also do good. It''s true when they say that if you do not know something, you do not worry about it. Telling the world about this dark organization will only create fear. You''re aware that some of the members of The Company are officials who should be serving the people. If the truth about Shadowes out, citizens will stop trusting the government and those in uniform. Not everyone is bad. But if they have that fear, thinking that those who are serving them and those they should trust are evil, it will only create chaos."

    Katherine felt every word that the director was telling her. She had a point. There was no need to instill fear in people who aren''t aware of this truth. It would be better for them to stay innocent from this reality rather than constantly live in fear. "Shadow started as a secret organization I guess it dies secretly too."

    A small sympathetic smile shed on Director Hughes''s face as she reached for Katherine''s hand and told her, "You''ve been through a lot, Ms. Young. I know how desperately you wanted to put an end to this. Relieve yourself from Shadow and the terror it brought you. We will take it from here. It''s an international matter that''s too big for your shoulders to carry. I know this is personal to you, but you''ve already done what you could. Leave the rest to us."

    An overwhelming strange feeling coursed through Katherine. She couldn''t quite wrap herself around the idea of finally letting go of Shadow. How was one supposed to move on from here? Parker and the other members are behind bars, yet why did it feel like she wasn''t ready to let go?

    All this time, she had been looking forward to Shadow''s downfall. She turned her head to look at Parker through the one-way see-through wall. He was still sitting in a chair reading the damn book. And now that the end was right in front of her, the only thing she could feel was nk.

    She probably had been too quiet for a long time because Damien ced a hand on the small of her back, and Director Hughes also called for her, "Ms. Young? Are you okay?"

    "It''s just Is it really over? Because I don''t feel anything." Katherine''s voice was low and toneless.

    Director Hughes and Damien exchanged looks. Although they didn''t converse, they could sympathize with why Katherine was feeling like so. After all, she just lost two friends. Perhaps even seeing Parker locked up wasn''t enough to feel like justice was served.

    "I''m sorry about your friends." Director Hughes offered her condolences.

    The three of them talked for a few more minutes regarding how Parker and the other members of the organization would be after they were transported. Director Hughes didn''t go into details, but she told them that over the next few weeks, news about the arrest of those members would be delivered, but they wouldn''t have the same storieseverything was nned and would be dealt with as best as they could.

    When they were about to leave, Damien wheeled Katherine back to the elevator, but she patted his hand and asked him to stop. Then she looked up at Director Hughes and asked, "Where are those kids? The children from that container"

    "Some of them are back to their families. The other kids are staying in an orphanage while we look for their parents. A lot of them turned out to be homeless, so it was hard to track down where they came from."

    Katherine nodded. She was silent for a few seconds before asking another question, "Is it okay if we visit them?"

    Director Hughes drew her brows up but a smile formed on her face. "I don''t see a reason why not. I''m sure they would love to see the familiar faces of the people who saved them. I''ll coordinate with the orphanage and send you the address."

    "Thank you," replied Katherine. This time, the corners of her mouth curled upward.

    Half an hourter, Katherine and Damien were ready to leave the facility. A female nurse handed her a ziplock bag with some of her stuff in it. She figured they were what she had on her when she was brought here that day.

    She looked at the contents, taking out each of them one by one. There was a tank top, leggings, and a key. "Miss. This isn''t mine" she told the Nurse.

    The nurse pursed her lips as she thought for a second. "Are you sure? It was in your hand while we were cleaning you up."

    Katherine stared at the key that was now on the palm of her hand. She did not know what it was for and how she got it. That was weird. "Do you know what this is?" she asked Damien.

    He came to her side and nced at her hand. "I have no idea. I didn''t notice you were holding something. When they brought you in from the ambnce, I wasn''t allowed to go inside the room where they took you."

    Thest memory she had before she lost consciousness was when they were still inside the old Castle that was already trembling just as they left Chris. Could he have given her the key without her realizing it?

 Chapter 588: Theres Only Moving Forward

    Chapter 588: There''s Only Moving Forward

    Katherine and Damien flew back to Harbor City, Esmea in his private jet. Amelia, Styles, and the others were already back a couple of days ago, so it was only the two of them who traveled, plus a few of his security detail. Even with Shadow being gone, he didn''t want to be toocent about things anymore. Katherine got kidnapped twice by them, and he hadn''t forgiven himself for it.

    Although he knew she never med him for what happened, he still couldn''t shake that feeling of regret and guilt away. ''I should have done better,'' he''d always told himself.

    Once theynded on the tarmac at four in the afternoon, there was still so much sun left. Looking around the surroundings and seeing the familiar runway, Katherine took a deep breath of fresh air and released it slowly, a cloud mist forming before her mouth.

    "It''s already cold these days. You need to stay warm." Damien ced a thick coat over her shoulders. She inserted her arms through the holes, and he tied the knot in front securely.

    Then he proceeded to put on a pair of fluffy gloves on her hands. She looked down to see the familiar kitten gloves that he got her that one time. And she shed a smile upon the memory. "I didn''t know you have this with you."

    "God, I missed seeing that beautiful smile on you," he muttered with a sigh.

    Katherine looked up to see that he was staring right at her. The worried gaze he had on him made her heart sink.

    The entire time since they were in the NIA medical facility until now, her mind was somewhere else. She had been so preupied, thinking about what had transpired over the days. She wasn''t the only one who had it tough. Damien also lost one from his Alpha Team, and a few of his men were severely injured. Everything was just too shocking and strange that she felt likeing down from a high only to painfullye back down, leaving trails of blood in her wake. It was a very slowing down too.

    It was only now that she really saw Damien up close and noticed how tired he looked. He had been theretruly been there. He risked his life for her too, just like the rest of the people who came to get her. Her face fell just as fast as her smile appeared a few seconds ago. He must have been confused about why she had a sudden change in expression because his brows knitted, and he scanned her face.

    "Are you okay? Is something hurting?" he asked and then wiped a tear from her cheek that she didn''t realize escaped.

    Katherine shook her head. She took a deep breath and did the first thing that came to her mind. Raising herself on tippy-toes, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his. He was surprised at first, but when it dawned on him that she was kissing him, he immediately returned it. His arms encircled around her waist, careful not to press any of her bruises.

    When she pulled away, she gave him one more quick kiss and sighed. "I''m sorry, Damien."

    They stared at each other''s eyes. His voice was low and gentle when he probed, "What are you sorry for?"

    "I''m really thankful that you saved me but I''ve neglected you. I didn''t even notice how exhausted you were taking care of me the whole time. You''ve been through a lot too, not just me. This wholething just... It''s too hard. And I wish there was an easier way for everything to go back to the way they were before I regained my memories. Where it was just you and me. Damien and Katherine" Her lips trembled.

    The cold wind brushed past them, and her long hair flowed wildly. He tucked them behind her ear. It wasn''t the first time they talked about thishoping that they could go back to the way they were. But this time was on a different circumstance. A lot of things happened this week, and they were both being sentimental.

    "I know you''d do the same for me if the situation were reversed. This is how it''s going to be for us, Love. We protect and take care of each other, remember? I understand what you want. But the truth is, there''s no going back to that time, Katherine." She frowned when the words left his mouth. "There''s only moving forward."

    Katherine pondered upon thest words he said. Damien was right. It was impossible to go back to the past where she was still Katherine Millernot Katherine Young. But there was a life ahead of them that they''re yet about to live. She smiled at him. "That I''m looking forward to."

    He leaned for a quick kiss, and a charming smile lit up his face. "So do I."

    "I promise I''ll heal fast. That way, you won''t have to worry about me so much anymore."

    "I''ll worry about you regardless. I always will." He softly chuckled.

    "Well, then I''ll heal fast so I can take care of you again." Katherine slid her hands down to his torso and slipped them around his back, closing their gap. "I miss those days, you know."

    "Those days?"

    "Yeah I don''t know why, but I actually miss being your secretary."

    "You do?" Damien cocked a brow, amused by her sudden confession. She nodded bashfullya look that he hadn''t seen on her for a long time.

    "I like being around you all the timeworking with you in the office, having lunch breaks together, coffee breaks, fulfilling all the tasks you give me in the morning while stealing nces through the ss window and seeing you on your serious working look, and wearing that eyesses I so love on you."

    He bent his head back,ughing. "Is that what you''re doing while you''re supposedly working? Stealing nces at your boss?"

    Katherine shrugged innocently. "I can''t help it. My boss is too hot."

    Damien grinned. His mood was instantly lifted because of her. Just a while ago, she was feeling too glum. But he was d that she was starting to feel like herself again. And now he was reminded of their days when she was still working with him in the office. He actually missed that too.

    "What are you thinking about?" she asked when he only grinned but didn''t say anything.

    "I''m just reminiscing about those days, like you said. I miss that too. But you wanna know what I actually miss the most?"

    "What''s that?"

    Leaning in to whisper in her ear, he spoke in the sexiest voice ever, "Me inside you. On top of my desk." He pulled back and winked.

    Her cheeks turned pink at the memory of her being ravished by Damien in his officeon his desk. She squeezed her thighs together as she mentally counted thest time they were intimate. She couldn''t remember. Has it been that long? It felt like it''s been years.

    She was sore from all the bruises she had on her body, but she definitely wouldn''t mind being sore in a different way. Katherine swore she read or heard somewhere that endorphins were the body''s natural painkillers. So it would be natural for her to ask Damien to help her with that, wouldn''t it?

    "Let''s go. It''s chilly out here. You''re turning red, Kitten." He ced a hand on her back and guided her towards the waiting car, a wide smirk still dancing on his lips as they entered the backseat and left the airport.

 Chapter 589: Theres Only Moving Forward (2)

    Chapter 589: There''s Only Moving Forward (2)

    Katherine was thankful that Damien brought her home to his penthouse on the 62nd floor of Golden Phoenix Residences.

    As much as she wanted to see her grandfather, she wanted to dy their conversation. There was just too much to think of at the moment, and she needed time to organize her thoughts before facing her grandfather. She wished she had been the one to tell him the truth, but she also understood why Damien had to do what he did.

    So she was d that they were spending the evening at the penthouse where she got to be with Damien alone as she preferred a quiet evening.

    His mother, Amelia, called earlier to check on them. She wondered if Katherine wanted something to eat so she could cook for her or if they needed help because she wasn''t supposed to move around so much. Damien appreciated the thought, but he told her that they were going to turn in early, so there wasn''t much to do. Amelia and Styles, who were staying in Katherine''s penthouse on the 61st floor, extended their regards over the phone, both of them worried about Katherine but also respected that she and Damien needed some time alone.

    The two didn''t really sleep right away that night. Damien thought he could cook dinner for her, but Katherine insisted that they order in. They sat on the sofa in the living room, watching The Big Bang Theory on the 100-inch TV, eating Chinese out of the takeout box, andughing over Sheldon''s social awkwardness. It had been so long since thest time they had taken a break like this. Both of their phones were muted, and they were on a clear "Do Not Disturb" mode.

    It was hard to face the fact that they''ve lost people, but Katherine wanted to relish the fact that Damien was alive and well, and he was here with her. She couldn''t be more thankful than that. He had some minor cuts on him tooone on the eyebrow and on his left arm, but that was fortunately it. Looking at him as he cleaned up, brought the mess to the kitchen, and then back to the living room, her heart warmedespecially when he smiled as he came to her side.

    He wore a thin grey shirt and a pair of grey joggers. A color that really looked good on him whenever he was just lounging in his home.

    "What is it?" he asked.

    Katherine shook her head, crawling to his side and kissing his cheek. "I''m just d you''re alive here with me."

    He brushed his thumb on the side of her face and pressed his lips on her forehead, a gorgeous smile stered on his face as he responded, "Me too."

    She thenid her head on hisp. He covered her legs with a nket, and they continued to watch a few more episodes of the si until it was time to sleep at midnight.

    Wednesday  December 19

    Katherine woke up to the feel of Damien''s hand softly brushing her back. When she came to her senses, she saw him fully dressed in a suit, sitting on the bed next to her.

    "What time is it?" She pushed herself up to a sitting position and groggily asked, "You''re going somewhere?"

    "Eight-fifteen." A look of worry crossed his face, looking regretful. "I didn''t want to wake you up because you were sleeping so soundly, but I didn''t want you to wake up to find me gone without saying goodbye."

    "Is everything okay?"

    "Generally, yeah. But there''s a matter I need to take care of in L.A. Marcus called two hours ago. I could have asked Caleb to go there, but he''s still in Thand right now. He''s been doing a lot for me these weeks"

    Katherine was sad, but she understood the need for him to go. Damien had been delegating a lot of his work to his subordinateswhich was good in a sensebut there were responsibilities that only he could do. She couldn''t keep him by her side the whole time when he has thousands of employees depending on him.

    "It''s okay. Of course, you have to go. I wish I could go with you, though"

    She regretted what she said right after seeing his apologetic expression, knowing that he, too, surely would want that, but it was probably not ideal.

    Cupping her face with his hand, he said, "I would love for you to go wherever I needed to be, but you''re still recuperating, and I''d be out all day working. I would hate to just leave you alone by yourself in the hotel."

    "You''re right. I don''t want you to keep worrying about me while I''m there and you''re busy." She smiled. "I''ll be fine here."

    "I called Amelia. She''s on her way up here. She''ll be staying in the guestroom while I''m gone. Styles is also nearby. Felix will be around and two rotational shift guards at the entrance."

    Katherine chuckled. "It feels like I''m under house arrest."

    "Does it? Sorry I just I want you to be safe. You can go out for some fresh air whenever you want, but always have someone with you. Of course, I''d prefer for you to just stay put. Doctor''s orders."

    "Okay. What time are you leaving? When are youing back?"

    Damien nced at his watch, and his jaw ticked. "I''m supposed to leave in ten minutes. The car''s waiting to take me to the airport. I should be back in two dayshopefully." When he saw her face fell, he took her hand and squeezed it. "You''ll be three hours ahead, but I will call you every night."

    "I''ll be waiting."

    Letting out a long sigh, he pulled her to his arms, evidently not wanting to leave her. "Text or call me. If you can''t sleep. Anytime. I don''t care if it''s at dawn. I love you." Damien brushed his lips to Katherine''s, prying her mouth open with his tongue and deepening the kiss. She clutched hispel, pulling him closer and returning his kisses until they needed to break for air.

    "And I love you."

    It was tough to part, but he needed to leave. "Wash up and have breakfast downstairs. Make sure to have your fill and take your medicine," he reminded before leaving through the door.

    Slumping back to the bed, Katherine immediately missed Damien and it hadn''t even been ten seconds since the door closed. Her body didn''t feel as heavy as yesterday, and she thought she didn''t need any painkillers. She checked the time on the clock on her bedside table and realized she had a full day of...nothing.

    After washing up and changing into a pair of shorts, Damien''s t-shirt that he worest night, and a pair of fluffy house slippers, she ventured towards the Kitchen.

    "Good morning. How are you feeling?" Amelia greeted as she emerged from the corner.

    "Better than yesterday. I''m starving, though." Katherine walked slowly and wanted to sit on the high stool at the kitchen ind, but the bruises on the back of her thighs prevented her from doing so. She winced at her attempt.

    Seeing her struggle, Amelia nodded towards the side. "Sit at the table. There''s a cushion there and a warmpress."

    Amelia told her that Damien prepared all that so she could move around or sitfortably. He had also prepared breakfast earlier, consisting of sweet and savory dishes. Styles and Felix arrived just as Amelia ted all the food on the table.

    They didn''t talk about Parker or Shadow. Katherine thought they were being considerate, but she had a feeling Damien told them not to talk about stressful matters.

    However, she was reminded of one thing that she had to do as soon as she came back. "I need to go somewhere this afternoon."

    "Can it wait? You''re still recovering," said Styles.

    Katherine looked down and stared at the sugar shaker when she hesitantly told them, "It can''t. I need to go to Emma and tell her."

    The others exchanged looks, knowing that what she had to do was inevitable.

 Chapter 590: In Which Home Is Not a Place. Its a Feeling

    Chapter 590: In Which Home Is Not a ce. It''s a Feeling

    Katherine didn''t waste time. With Amelia, Styles, and Felix, the four of them went to see Emma. The closer they were to the house, the more nervous all four of them got. The n was simple: tell Emma the truthat least part of it. She deserved to know what happened to her brother.

    However, they weren''t prepared to see Director Hughes leaving Emma''s house when they pulled up in front of the gate. Katherine''s brows furrowed upon seeing the two. Emma looked sorrowful as she wept, her shoulders shaking while clutching a worn-out leather satchel.

    When Emma caught sight of Katherine entering the gate, she immediately ran up towards her and cried some more. She almost knocked the wind out of her friend, not realizing that Katherine was injured. Emma was a blubbering mess as she retold the news that Director Hughes delivered just a few minutes ago.

    Katherine was in shock too. Her arms immediately wrapped around Emma''s frame while her eyes caught the director''s who offered a sympathetic smile.

    Director Hughes came to tell Emma that Chris died in the line of duty while he was protecting the country. The body could barely be recognized, so there won''t be any viewing on an open casket, and that as per Chris''s preference when he was still alive, he would be buried wherever Emma''s home was.

    There wasn''t much exnation. Due to the nature of his ''line of work'', confidentiality was still in ce, which worked best to keep everything and everyone safer. Although the director didn''t speak to Katherine, the way she looked at her already spoke a lot. Then she was reminded of their conversation yesterday.

    Katherine didn''t know what to say except ''sorry''. "I''m so sorry, Em. I''m really sorry." She couldn''t tell whether this was better than the truth. It certainly didn''t feel any better. The feeling of loss was still there. Chris was still gone. And Emma was still hurt no matter what kind of ''truth'' she was told.

    Even if this wasn''t what Katherine would have wanted, this was probably the best for Emma. Her friend didn''t need to know her brother''s dirty work leading up to his death. All she had to keep in mind was that Chris was a Hero. And that''s how he should be remembered.

    Emma squeezed her friend as she continued to grieve over her brother whom she had just met after decades of separation. How cruel can the world be?

    Despite being crushed by Emma''s tight embrace, Katherine swallowed the pain. She was still bruised, but the pain she was feeling at the moment was nothingpared to Emma''s pain from losing her brotherfor the second time.

    It''s when Katherine realized that telling Emma about Chris''s death wasn''t the most difficult. It''s knowing that he was gone before actually having to experience his freedom now that Shadow had fallen. And this would haunt her forever.

    Over the two days that Damien was away, Katherine pulled herself together, refusing to sulk and wallow in a pitiful state. She didn''t want to dwell on it anymore. It wasn''t doing her any good.

    So she finally decided to meet her grandfather. Katherine called Damien first at lunchtime on the 20th of December. Well, it was three o''clock for her while it had just struck noon for him.

    They talked over the phone for a while. She asked what exactly he told her grandfather so that she''d know what to say when she meets himter that evening.

    What Damien told Grandpa Theo wasn''t the whole truth, but it was, at least, some truth she could work on. Apparently, Damien told her grandfather that Katherine was found wandering in the forest alone by a family of illegal immigrants who were on the move to Florida. Because of trauma, she couldn''t remember what happened to her since and the family couldn''t seek help due to their situation. They brought her up until she found herself settling in Esmea again five years ago, not knowing that this was her hometown. And when Katherine regained her memories after meeting her grandfather, she felt the need to dig up what exactly happened that night.

    Damien told Grandfather Theo that Katherine believed that her house didn''t blow up because of a gas leak only, unlike what was written on the police reports. She took it upon herself to find out the truth where in the end, she got mixed up with a bad group of people who were involved in illegal dealings that got the government''s attention. She happened to be there when NIA raided the ce, but after Damien and his connection from the inside vouched for her being innocent, she was released.

    This was far from the truth of what Katherine actually went through. However, this was a story that her grandfather could handle. Some things were really meant to be kept a secret. There was no need for Grandpa Theo to know she had tainted her hands. Damien didn''t want her grandfather to bear the pain of knowing what his granddaughter went through over the years.

    So that afternoon, when Katherine met Grandpa Theo, there were a lot of things unsaid. But also a lot of weight was lifted off her shoulders.

    With his arms wrapped around his granddaughter, Grandpa Theo stroked her back and told her, "I''m so sorry, Pumpkin. I never knew that you carried such a heavy burden. Now I understand why you couldn''t visit your parents months after you regained your memories. It breaks my heart to see that you hurt yourself while seeking the justice you wanted to see. But I can''t me you. I did try to have it investigated, only to learn that it was indeed an ident. I don''t want you to get hurt anymore. I hope we can move on from this."

    Katherine couldn''t respond. She only sobbed against his chest. It''s all a lie But she could never tell him that. Before, it was hard to understand when people say they had to lie to protect their loved ones. And now she found herself doing just that. But if she were to go back in time where she had to decide what to tell her grandfather, she would still choose the same.

    Ignorance is bliss, they said. This line is somehow corrted with lying. They didn''t say that when you lie by omission, bliss was only for the sake of the other party being lied to. Their ignorance from the truth protects them from being unhappy. There''s no bliss for the liar at all. Because for the one who lied and who knows the truth, there''s only hell.

    However, carrying this for the sake of protecting her friend Emma and her grandfather, Katherine decided to keep Henry Ford''s words and instill it in her heart:

    "When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airne takes off against the wind, not with it."

    That''s right. She wasn''t going to crawl. She was going to soar.

    Friday  December 21st

    Damien arrived at seven in the evening in his penthouse straight from the airport. He took off his tie as he looked around, wondering where everyone was. It was quiet in the living room, and no one was in the kitchen.

    "Katherine?" he called.

    Thinking that she was in the master bedroom, he headed towards the stairs. But before he could even take another step, he halted. He did not expect what wasing and dashing towards him.

    His eyes went wide as they zeroed in on a wet giant brown dog, its ears pping and its tongue sticking out as it lunged onto him. He got knocked on the ground.

    "Bear! Why are you all dirty and wet?" Confusion filled his face, and heughed as the giant fluffy dog licked him with its tail wagging.

    "BEAR!!!" Katherine and Amelia came running towards him, stopping a meter away and panting. The two of them were also wet and had soap suds on their hair, face, and arms.

    Damien got to his feet, wiping his face with his sleeves. His cream-colored coat was now dirty. "What''s going on? Why are you all like that?"

    The two women burst outughing, their voices ovepping each other as they told Damien how they took Bear out the park where it decided to take a swim and roll over the mud. They had to give him a bath, but with a big dog like Bear, it was a wrestling match.

    "Only you two? Where''s Felix and Styles?"

    Just then, Felix and Styles emerged from the corner. They didn''t look any better as they were also covered in mud and soap suds.

    "Woof!" Bear barked loudly, catching everyone''s attention as it ran towards the pool and jumped.

    "I guess it''s a pool party," Styles muttered before jumping into the pool and trying to catch Bear. Felix and Amelia followed.

    Pulling a smile on her face, Katherine greeted Damien with a kiss on the lips. "Wee home."

    He chuckled as he ced an arm around her, and then brushed the suds off her face. He was exhausted just now but seeing as this was what he came home to after what they went through just recently, Damien was content. "Yeah I''m home."

 Chapter 592: Thats My Girl

    Chapter 592: That''s My Girl

    Damien''s back stiffened for a nanosecond before he rxed, a sexy, devilish smirk ghosting on his lips as his gaze dips and scans down Katherine''s body. His hands that were on her waist slowly stroked her sides up and down while keeping her firmly pressed against his front. "What do you have for me in there, Kitten?"

    She brushes her nose against his, her mouth hovering over his lips as she teased, "Oh, you''ll find out soon once you get me out of here and into our bedroom."

    A deep, cocky voice sounded from the side, causing their heads to turn. "I hope I''m invited to the party. I''d be an excellent spectator." William winked at Katherine.

    She rolled her eyes, but she stayed in her ce, sliding her arms down Damien''s chest and then wrapping them around him as she looked at William. Thetter''s yful smile was far from dangerous. Ever since he''s been spending more time with them, she grew a bit morefortable in his presence. They weren''tpletely friends yet, but because he and Damien were already friendly, she could tolerate him.

    Katherinezily answered, "I didn''t know you were into voyeurism, William. Though I can''t say I''m surprised that you are."

    Not bothering to look at his cousin, Damien turned back his stare at Katherine. "He''s actually more of an exhibitionist. William enjoys being watched."

    A gutturalugh came out from William before sipping the amber liquid from his ss. "Trust me. You''d feel honored."

    Damien nced sideways. "Updates?"

    William swept his eyes at Katherine before looking at his cousin again. It is evident that he wanted to speak in private.

    Pressing his lips on her temple, Damien slowly let go of her and opened his mouth to say something but before he could utter a sound, Katherine firmly said, "I want to hear. Whatever it is. You''ve kept me out for a while now. And...honestly? I''m bored." She pouted. "Please?"

    Damien just couldn''t say no. He wasn''t intentionally hiding it from her, but he didn''t want her to stress about anything while she was still recuperating. Nodding, he turned back to William, who shook his head, mouthing, "pussy whipped."

    With a grin, Katherine lifted her chin. "So? What is it?"

    A sly smile stered on William''s face when he spoke, "So...the hooker you hired tomorrow"

    "What hooker?" She arched a brow, and William snorted.

    It was Damien''s turn to roll his eyes, but William didn''t stop there. "Your fianc ordered a bunny toe by his office while you''re not around."

    Katherine knew the man was ying, but she couldn''t help staring at Damien and waiting for him to defend himself. Damien let out a long sigh and faced her, his serious gaze directed at her as he reassured, "You know very well that I wouldn''t do that. Besides, I''m more of a Kitten than a bunny." He smirked.

    "Ugh." William made a disgusted face and took a huge gulp of his scotch, seeing her ''he only has eyes for me so suck it up'' look.

    "What''s that face for? If you''re jealous, have at it with Lexi," she dryly said.

    He paused for a second before shrugging, his faceced with indifference. "I haven''t seen her in a while, actually."

    Her eyes narrowed. She wasn''t really interested in Lexi, but all the while, she thought the two were still together, so his nonchnt attitude made her curious. "When was thest time you saw her?"

    "Summer end party. Septemberst year."

    "You two...broke up?"

    "We were never together, Katherine." William shot her a ''that''s enough'' look before turning to Damien, nudging his head to the side. The three of them headed out in the garden away from earshot.

    Katherine was still staring at William, trying to study his expression. He appeared to be indifferent about the whole Lexi thing, which was a little odd for her considering how the two looked toxically and weirdly ''together''st year. The thought of Lexi brought back unpleasant memories from when the woman was constantly on to herto the point that Katherine almost died one time. She hadn''t seen her for a long time now, but she hadn''t forgotten the dues that she needed to collect. Let her be in the meantime. ''Lexi''s time wille,'' she thought.

    "Pembrooke is being difficult," William started as soon as Katherine closed the door behind her.

    "When did you meet their chairman?" Damien asked.

    "I haven''t. They''re being elusive. I''ve been waiting for a month now, but his assistant always says he''s busysays the next avable appointment will be in three months. Can you believe that?"

    "Have you tried calling the office secretary?"

    "Of course I have." William sighed. His brows drew together in curiosity. "Do you think he knows? It''s strange that I can''t get a hold of him."

    Damien stared at the bushes in front of him. He dug his hands in his pockets, seemingly in deep thought. He contemted for a minute before facing his cousin. "Would you like me to try?"

    "No," William refused right away. "You can''t be obviously involved yet, or Father might notice what''s up."

    Katherine, who was quietly listening to the conversation of the two men, caught up to what they were talking about. She knew that the two of them were trying to take over Park Group and taking it away from Frederick. For that to happen, they need to gain support from the board. It seemed as though William was trying to meet Pembrooke Enterprises''s chairman but couldn''t get a schedule. Lucky for them, she thought of something. "Just to rify, you''re talking about Chairman Welsh from Pembrooke Enterprises?"

    William nodded. The two men faced her, noticing the glint in her eyes.

    "All you need is a window of opportunity. You don''t have to set up a scheduleyou just need to catch him wherever he goes." She smiled, folding her arms across her chest.

    The crease between William''s brows deepened. "I don''t even know his schedule. How am I supposed to do that?"

    "I''ll take care of that. Give me a minute." Katherine whipped out her phone and scrolled until she found the name that she was looking for. Tapping her screen, she ced the receiver on her ear and waited.

    She now had the two men''s full attention. Their bodies angled facing her, wondering what she had up her sleeves.

    "Hi, Sherry. This is Katherine Miller...Young. Sorry to call you thiste. How are you?" <em>Pause.</em> "Good. It''s been a while. I was thinking about you the other day when I passed by Walmart." <em>Pause. She chuckled.</em>

    The men exchanged looks before facing her again. "What is she doing?" William questioned.

    "Beats me," answered Damien.

    Katherine nced at them and spoke on the phone again. "Right. Actually I need to ask a favor. You''re still working for Mr. Welsh, right?" Pause. "I was wondering if you can send me his schedule for next week? I''m getting married, and we''ll be having an engagement party. I wish to send some invitations personally, so I was hoping to catch Mr. Welsh when he''s out of the office. I''ll be busy all week too, so I need to n my whereabouts to save time." Pause. "Thank you. You know me... I always like a personal touch." Pause. "Ugh. You''re amazing! I''ll call you again soon. We should catch up."

    The phone call ended, and her phone buzzed, indicating a message was received. With a smile on her face, she showed the file that contained the chairman''s detailed schedule for the week to the two men who were still staring at her. "Problem solved."

    William nced at the phone screen, a smile slowly forming on his face as he checked it out. "Well, I''ll be damned."

    "Sherry and I used to work in Walmart together a few years back. I met her again while I worked at Crownst year. We still keep in touch from time to time," she said.

    Damien looked at Katherine so proudly, pulling her close and kissing her forehead. "That''s my girl."<ol><li>- the practice of gaining sexual pleasure from watching others when they are naked or engaged in sexual activity.</li></ol>

 Chapter 593: Right on This Wall

    Chapter 593: Right on This Wall

    ...

    The party of the two families ended before eleven in the evening. This was the first of the many more dinners toe in the future where they all had to sit together at a long table. It was hard for Katherine and Damien that the two members of their families could be people with whom they could sh in the future due to their possible vendettas or discord. However, at the moment, they were families who needed to be together. So they had to set their personal agendas aside.

    Everyone parted ways, driving towards their homes. Katherine and Damien were thest ones to leave. They, along with Grandpa Theo, stood outside the Young Mansion, taking time to bid their goodbyes.

    "You could stay the night. You always have a ce here," the older man told the two.

    Katherine and Damien looked at each other. They had wanted to get out of here since thest hour. They badly needed privacy or the walls of the mansion would have to be cleaned by holy water if they stayed the night.

    "Thank you, Grandpa, but I have an early meeting first thing in the morning. It will be more convenient to stay in the city than have to drive out from here," said Damien in a serious expression.

    Nodding, Grandpa Theo patted Damien''s shoulder. "Hmmm. You''re right. I don''t want you to tire yourself driving so early in the morning like you didst year when you stayed here. Well, you two take care on the road."

    Once Katherine and Damien were in the car, they waved at the older man from the window and drove away. She waited until they were at the gates before probing, "You didn''t tell me you have an early meeting tomorrow morning. What time will it be?"

    "Depends," he answered casually, a hint of a smile taunting his lips as he kept his focus on the road.

    Her brows drew together. "Depends on what?"

    He shed her a sly grin when he nced at her. He halted at a ''Stop'' sign. The road was dark at the intersection, and there were no visible cars from left to right. They were practically alone in a 500-meter radius.

    Turning to face her, he cupped her face and leaned in until his lips were an inch away from hers. "Depends on what time we wake up and have our early morning sesh. My first appointment will be this." He kissed her lips. "And then this." Her neck. She let out a gasp when he palmed her right breast while still kissing her neck. "And this." Then his hand dragged south until it hovered her apex. Pulling away, he smiled upon seeing the anticipation in her eyes. "Hopefully, this too."

    "President Park, I''d have to remind you that appointments cannot be canceled. I''m looking forward to seeing you in the morning." She smiled back.

    "Good. Tonight, I''ll have you for the pre-meeting." Damien sat back on his seat and stepped on the gas.

    Katherine chuckled at their conversation. Damien was indeed a smart businessman. One of the things she learned while working with him was the importance of the pre-meeting before the ''big meeting''. ''It''s the secret to a good meeting,'' he''d told her.

    And she was definitely looking forward to that tonight.

    ...

    When Damien returned from his business trip to Californiast December, he decided that it would be best for him and Katherine to stay in Crown Resort Group''s office penthouse. The office was always busy during the holidays, so with him going back to work and needing to be constantly in the office, he would''ve had to travel back and forth from Golden Phoenix Residences and the main office.

    It would have been okay to drive the short distance by car if not for the fact that he needed to be near Katherine all the time while she recuperated. Instead of traveling to and fro, it only made sense that they stayed in his penthouse in CRG''s main office.

    That night as they ascended to the top floor of the building, they couldn''t get inside fast enough. They were still in the elevator when they began passionately kissing and then stumbling on the way to his office while feeling each other up.

    Fumbling to open the lock to his office, Damien shut the door as soon as they got inside, pushing Katherine against the wall next to his door. He kissed her fervently as if she was the air he needed to breathe, his hands roaming the curves of her body as he remembered the surprise that she''d told him earlier. He couldn''t wait to strip her out of her clothes, yet he took his time stroking her while she still had them on.

    She frantically removed his suit jacket, and it fell on the floor. Then she unbuttoned his shirt, moaning when he dove for her neck and sucked on it. That was going to leave a mark, she was sure of it, but she didn''t care. His shirt joined the pile, and her hands brushed the muscles on his shoulders, chest, and abs. She''d seen his body every day, but she''d always loved it just like the first time.

    Damien slowly unzipped her ck dress from the back and impatiently removed it from her. The fabric pooled around her Louboutins. He took a step back, admiring the ckcey lingerie. The office was dark with only the light from the moon in the skying through the slits of the curtain behind his desk. It was dim, but the moonlight was enough to cast a glow on her beautiful body.

    The sexy lingerie clung to her like a second skin. It was like an extremely short dress that stopped around her hipsmade of sheer andce with flower and vines pattern all over. Her breasts nearly spilled out of their confines, and her silk ck thong just topped the whole thing. He wanted to rip it off her at the same time that he wanted to keep them on.

    "You like what you see, President Park?" she teased.

    "Fck. ''Like'' doesn''t even begin to describe it. You''re phenomenal." He groaned as he pressed himself to her once again and imed her lips, his rigid erection poking her hip.

    Katherine slowly slid thece off one shoulder, but Damien stopped her, saying, "Keep it on."

    Unbuckling his belt, he hastily shoved his pants and boxer briefs down. His cock sprang out, his pre-cum coating the head. "I can''t wait any longer. I need to take you now." He lifted her off the ground and she instantly wrapped her legs around his waist. Within seconds, he slid her thong to the side and entered her in one primal thrust.

    "Damien!"

    "Fck. Katherine. I...missed you. I can''t...believe Isted this long."

    Their thrusts were wild and fierce. For the past weeks that they hadn''t been intimate like this, Damien held himself back so painfully. He ended up taking cold showers a few times a day just to take off the heat. He had to control himself even when Katherine told him she wanted to help him at one point. But if they started, he knew it would be impossible to stop. Now that he finally took what he had been craving for, he was lost into oblivion.

    It had been a while for the two, which was why they didn''tst long. So after a couple more minutes of frantic thrusting, bucking, and moaning, they sumbed to their high and he released before she didthough she followed right after. He buried his face into the crook of her neck, biting her shoulder.

    Damien continued to slowly rock in and out of her, letting her ride out her orgasm for a little while longer. They panted, and once they calmed down, the two of themughed.

    He kissed her as he carefully pulled out and set her feet back down on the floor. Her knees buckled, so he held her up, the two of them stillughing at their intense workout. She wrapped her arms around him, their chests pressed against each other. She could feel the fast beating of his heart, and she loved that she was the cause of it.

    "We didn''t even get to the bed," Katherine chuckled against his chest.

    Grinning, Damien yfully bit her lobe as he whispered in her ear, "Kitten, I never nned to make it to the bed. I wanted to take you right on this wall."

 Chapter 594: Some Things We Couldnt Take Back

    Chapter 594: Some Things We Couldn''t Take Back

    Sunday  January 20

    Blessed.

    That''s how Katherine felt at seven in the morning as she watched Damiene out from the bathroom fully naked in his majestic form. The muscles in his abdomen flexed when he bent down to pick up his boxer briefs on the floor and tossed it into the hamper. He crossed the distance from the bathroom to the bed in confidence, a smirk forming on his lips when he noticed her ogling at him.

    He was still semi-hard from their early morning ''big meeting'', but he sauntered towards the bed back to her like he was hungry for another round. She bit her bottom lip, betting she could make him hard in no time. Her thoughts were filled with nothing but Damien.

    "Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked as he crawled and slid under the covers next to her.

    "Like what?" Katherine smiled, trying to act nonchnt, but she couldn''t help herself, a blush creeping up her cheek.

    He leaned to kiss the corner of her lips. "Like you want to devour me. You''re blushing."

    "Always. I''ll always want to." She chuckled against his lips, hooking her arms around his neck as she pulled him down to her. Heid his head on her bare chest, and she caressed his tousled hair. It grew longer again. He needed a haircut, but she liked his hair longer like this. Maybe just a trim on the side would do. She decided to ask Amelia to teach her how to cut hairthough she thought about him having his mother cut his hair like before would be better for the two of them.

    He shifted his weight so he wouldn''t crush her, pulling her impossibly closer and burying his nose on her skin. Katherine liked it when he nuzzles on her. It felt so intimate, and she surely loved that he couldn''t get enough smelling her scent, too, just like she loved his.

    Her thought brought her back from their conversationst night with William. And she recalled something. "Damien"

    "Hm?" His eyes were closed as his head remained pressed on her chest.

    "How''s the investigation about your dad''s ident going?"

    Damien''s eyes fluttered open. The brushing of his eyshes against her skin tickled. He looked up at her and leaned on his elbow. "It''s still ongoing. Why are you asking?"

    She shrugged. "I thought about it all of a sudden. You haven''t told me if there were any updates. I was just curious."

    He seemed to ponder for a moment as if he''s trying to remember something. "It''s been seventeen years. It won''t be easy. It''s understandable that the investigation takes several weeks...maybe even months."

    There was sadness in his eyes. It was always there whenever they talked about his fatherthough it wasn''t often. She understood it very well because she also felt the same whenever she thought about her parents. However, there was something else in his expression that she couldn''t quite grasp. Regret? Guilt?

    Bringing her hand to his face, Katherine stroked his cheek. This beautiful man Even though he grew up without his parents, he was very loving and caring. She felt a prick in her heart upon seeing the longing in his eyes. "Sorry. I didn''t mean to make you sad."

    Damien curled his mouth into a smile, turning his head to her hand and kissing her palm. "I''m okay. It''s just It''s been a long time. And I thought it would get easier. Turns out I was wrong."

    "I understand that very well." She nodded.

    "Come here." He opened his arms, and she melted in his embrace. She scooted closer until their legs intertwined, and she was resting on his chest. His arm was around her while she had hers across his abdomen. He kissed her forehead and closed his eyes.

    They were quiet for a whilejust holding each other and letting their thoughts wander. A few momentster, Damien began to share.

    "I med myself for his death." His low and deted tone made her look up. He was now staring at nothing in particr as if he was recalling an event that happened in the past. Then he continued, "Even though I knew that he died of the car crash He wouldn''t have left if it wasn''t because of me. I gave him a hard time that night."

    "What do you mean?"

    Damien''s gaze shifted to his left ankle. There was a scar that was less than three inches long on the back of his feet. It was from a surgery that he went through when he was fourteen years old. He tore his Achilles tendon while ying ser in freshman year.

    She followed the direction of his stare, and she wondered, "Does that have anything to do with your injury?"

    "Sort of." He sighed. His other handthe one that wasn''t holding herwent under his head. He was silent for a minute before he began to exin, "It was the week after my surgery, and we just came home from a therapy session. We fought I said some...mean things that I couldn''t take back. I don''t even remember why I was so mad at him that time. I was fourteen, you know? I got injured and was told it was possible that I couldn''t y anymore. It was devastating. I hadn''t even yed ser for a long time, but it was one of the things I enjoyed doing that didn''t involve being in the family business."

    Katherine could sense the remorse in his tone. His family had a lot of expectations from him, but he didn''t want to be part of it. And when he found something he wanted to do, it was taken away from him. However, she felt even sadder that he mes himself for what happened to his father.

    He continued, "Anyway He left that evening after I ignored him when he visited me in my room. He probably thought I hated him. Then...the ident happened."

    "Damien" she finally spoke. "You couldn''t have known. It''s why it''s called an ident. It''s not your fault." She swallowed. There were so many things she wanted to say to make him feel better, but no matter what she''d say, it wouldn''t bring his father back. Tightening her embrace around him, she thought that it was the only thing she could do for him at the moment. Just be there when he''s feeling down.

    "It doesn''t take away the fact that I still think I pushed him away...and it led there."

    He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Sorry. I spoiled the mood. Do you want to eat? I''ll go take a quick shower, and we''ll go downstairs."

    "Okay"

    When he left for the bathroom, Katherine sat up and gathered the nket to cover her breasts as she leaned against the headboard. She looked at the doorway of the bathroom. Damien was already in the shower. The shower door was closed, but the bathroom door was still open so she could see his silhouette and hear the water running from where she was. She wished that whatever the truth was about his father''s death, she hoped it would bring closure.

    Her stare shifted to the buzzing of her phone on the nightstand. She reached for it and checked the message.

    [ I''ve got an assignment for you. Last location spotted is just outside of Harbor City going to Mayne. Do you want it? Let me know in an hour so I can dy posting it on the board. ]

    Contemting, Katherine''s thumb hovered on the reply button. She nced at the bathroom and then at her phone before tapping away.

    [ Katherine: I''ll take it. ]

 Chapter 595: Silent Sorry

    Chapter 595: Silent Sorry

    Water from the shower on the ceiling cascaded down on Damien, cooling his head from the painful reminder of that night that he hadst seen his father. His hands pressed against the wall in front of him while his head hung low, letting the water fall down on his toned body.

    Whenever the past caught up to him, he''d feel an ache in his chest, and it would linger for far longer than he''d want it to be. It had been many years, and yet the guilt still wed at him. Caleb was the only one who truly knew about how he felt over the years. And every year, his friend would just sit with him and share a drink, no questionsjustpany.

    Damien had heard from his friend several times that it wasn''t his faultjust like what Katherine told him just now, but even so, he couldn''t help but me himself for it. No matter how many times he heard the same words, there was always that regret and guilt. It got better over time, but the numbing pain is still there.

    His eyes skated over his left foot, and he slightly twisted it inwardly until he could see the scar from his surgery. It looked ugly when it was newback when he was still a teenager, but the scar faded a bitter. Now, it''s still visible, but negligible enough that you''d have to really stare to see it.

    The first time Katherine asked him about it wasst year when they started bing intimate. He gave her the short version of how he got it from ying sports, but not the ugly parts that happened after that. It was only today that he told her about how the injury led up to that fight with his father.

    Being reminded of the past again, he closed his eyes as if to torment himself even more. It was one of the memories he had of his father where he could see his expression as they argued. And to this day, it haunted him.

    ***

    17 years ago

    It was four o''clock in the afternoon, and Damien and his father, Lawrence, just came home to the mansion,ing back from a therapy session. Damien had crutches on and a cast on his foot up two-thirds of his leg. He wore a sullen expression on his face, and he had been quiet on the ride home.

    "Damien Maverick!" His father called for him when he tried to quickly enter through the doors, trying to avoid a lecture. "Turn around, Young Man."

    Damien halted at the foyer, his brooding stare directed to the side and away from his father.

    "We''ll start your shooting practice next week after school. I want you straight home after yourst period," said Lawrence.

    "I don''t want to." Damien gritted his teeth.

    "You have no choice."

    "I said, I don''t want to."

    "Why not? Your foot is injured, but your hands are perfectly fine. You can even practice shooting while you''re sitting. You''re already behind your training"

    "You''re happy that I got injured, aren''t you?!" Damien spat in a raised voice, scowling at the taller man in front of him.

    "What?" Lawrence''s brows drew together, confusionced on his face by his son''s sudden usation. "Why would you say that?"

    "You didn''t want me to y! Now I can''t y anymore. You must be happy things are going your way!" Damien''s reddened eyes became misty. His chest hurt.

    Lawrence''s hands curled into fists on his sides. His mouth opened, and Damien swore he thought he could see vulnerability in his father''s eyes. He looked hurt, probably surprised at what Damien just angrily spouted. "Is that what you think?"

    Damien softened his voice a tad, his voice croaking when he held back the tears. "You never evene to my practices anymore."

    Shoulders slumping, Lawrence walked the distance between them. He was a little more than a foot taller than his son who was still growing so fast. Rubbing his hand across his jaw, he sighed, "I''m just overwhelmed with work recently. There are many things needed to be done in thepany in preparation for the next week. But I promised you that I would be there for your game night, didn''t I?"

    A tear streaked down Damien''s cheek. His face hardened. "And now I can''t even go because of my injury. I will never be able to y again"

    "You don''t know that. The doctor said"

    "So are you happy now, Dad? You don''t have to go to my stupid game anymore!"

    Lawrence''s eyes became fierce. His chest heaving, clearly unhappy with their argument. "You think I''m happy that you''re in pain? You''re my son, Damien. I would never wish for anything bad to happen to you."

    He ignored his father''s words and jabbed at something else. "You''re always working! It''s why mom left!"

    "What does this have to do with your mother?"

    "Isn''t this why she left us? You rarely join us for dinner ande homete. You''re selfish. You always tell me what to do even if I don''t like doing it. I hate the family business, and yet you force me to walk in your path. But you''re always not around. Always busy. You used to have time for me before, but now, you''re missing a lot. You''re just working all the time!"

    Damien was pissed, and his mouth ran, letting out all his frustrations. He knew his father worked so hard and tried his best, but he didn''t understand why he was so mad that he couldn''t stop himself from saying all those things to him. He regretted it instantlyespecially when he saw the hurt written on his father''s face. ''I''m sorry, Dad I didn''t mean what I said,'' he thought but couldn''t say out loud.

    Lawrence''s phone rang, interrupting their war of words. He nced at the caller and let out a sigh. "I need to take this. Go to your room."

    Damien skipped dinner, not feeling like eating after the sh he had with his father. At seven in the evening, he just stayed in bed, his leg with the cast elevated on top of a pillow. He thought about what happened at the foyer earlier, and he was pissed at himself.

    A knock on the door pulled him out from his trance. It opened and his father came in. He wanted to turn away, but he could only lie on his back because of his leg so he threw an arm over his eyes.

    The bed sank next to him, and he swallowed, knowing that his father was there to speak to him about their fight.

    Lawrence cleared his throat. "If you recall what the doctor said earlier, he said that it would be nice to have a distraction so you won''t feel negatively about your injury. I just thought that practice shooting would be good for you since you''re skilled at it. You know...take your mind off that foot."

    Damien rxed a little. He misunderstood his father earlier, thinking that he did that because he was forcing him for the family business again. Now he felt like sht. But he didn''t respond.

    "Do you miss your mom?" Lawrence sighed. "I can''t bring her back I...tried to look for her. She hasn''t been here for long...lesser than the time that you know. But she loved you. I know for sure she dideven though she left. I can still remember how happy she was before you were born. She was so excited." His breath was shaky, and for a second, Damien thought he must have cried.

    "I''m sorry I''m trying to be a better father, son. I really am. I''m working hard, and this is all for you. I love you. Always remember that..."

    His father moved closer. Then he felt a kiss on his cheek. His heart thundered in his chest, aching and throbbing. He wanted to apologize too, but his mouth was tight. The next thing he knew, the door opened and closed.

 Chapter 596: The Last Phone Call

    Chapter 596: The Last Phone Call

    It took Damien a few minutester to lift his arm off his face. Then his gaze darted to the closed door where his father disappeared earlier. His father wasn''t always vocal about his feelings, but when he did, it felt like a kick in his gut. He felt bad, and he didn''t know what to do.

    Trying to take his mind off it, he turned on his Sony yStation 2 and began ying Grand Theft Auto 3one of the most popr games that year. He yed for about half an hour before someone knocked on his door. He pressed pause, thinking that it was his father again, but one of the servants came inside to serve him his dinner.

    "I''m not hungry," he said before going back to his game.

    "Young Master, your father said you need to eat even just a little. Your stomach needs to be filled for the medicine you need to take," replied the servant who was already setting up the tray of food on a folding table by his bed. Her name was Rose, and she was in her early thirties. "Please? I was told to force-feed you if I have to." She smiled.

    Damien gave the servant a look and clicked his tongue. "You''re a yer, Rose." Then he shut off his game and started to eat spoonfuls of porridge and chicken while the servant stayed at the side to watch him finish his food.

    "Where''s...my dad?" he wondered when he was halfway through eating.

    "After cooking the chicken, I saw hime up to the second floor. I thought he came to your room. He left in his car about ten minutes ago."

    Damien stopped eating, his fist curling as he became uneasy. His father must have been hurt by what he said to him earlier when they fought. He ced a hand over his chest as if that would make the uneasiness go away. "I''m full," he muttered, setting the spoon down the tray and turning away.

    "Okay. I guess you ate enough. You should take your medicine. Good night, Young Master," greeted Rose as she put away the folding table and carried the tray out, closing the door behind her.

    He took his medicines and sat up on the bed with his back against the tufted headboard. He thought about his father again and all the things he said. Even though he was rude to him, he still caredeven cooking dinner for him. His father didn''t cook for him a lot; after all, they had chefs in the mansion. But his father knew how to work in the kitchen, and the food was always delicious. Even the simple chicken at dinner was good.

    Looking at the time on the clock on his nightstand, Damien bit his bottom lip. It was five minutes to nine in the evening. He grabbed his flip phone and dialed his father''s number. It rang several times and with every ring, he got more nervous. What if his father was ignoring his call because of what happened? ''No, that can''t be He said he loves me,'' said the voice in his head.

    Just when he was about to end the call, the line connected.

    "Hello, Son?"

    He took a deep breath and released a sigh of relief. "Dad"

    "What''s up? Are you okay? Does it hurt?"

    "N-No I just took my meds. It''s ufortable, but I''ll manage."

    "Good. That''s good. Are you going to bed?"

    <em>''Spit it out, you idiot. Apologize!''</em> He swallowed. "I''m not sleepy yet. Where are you?"

    "I''m in the city. I...I just needed to step out for a bit. Clear my head. Do you need anything?"

    Damien felt like his chest was being squeezed, thinking that his father must have wanted to get out of this house because of their sh earlier. If only he wasn''t in crutches and in a cast, he would also have probably run away to get out of this house for a bit. And yet his father was still concerned about him, asking if he needed anything.

    "Dad I''m sorry about what I said to you. You''re not...selfish. I was just mad because of my foot. I didn''t mean my outburst."

    His father sighed. "I know, Son. If only I can carry that injury for you, I will. Just...hang in there, alright? Everything will be okay."

    This time, Damien could no longer hold it in. He sniffed and wiped the tears from his eyes, nodding even though his father couldn''t see him. "Okay. What time will you be back?"

    "While I''m already out here, I''ll need to take care of something. I need to go meet someone. I''ll be home after that."

    "Will you wake me up when youe home? Just in case I fall asleep," he asked.

    "You want that? Sure, Son, okay." There was shuffling in the background and some footsteps. He thought his father was already on the move. But before Lawrence ended the call, he added, "Listen...why don''t we go somewhere or do something tomorrow? We can do whatever you want as long as you can keep your foot off the ground."

    "But you have work tomorrow?"

    "I''ll take the day off. I''ve mostly done what I need to do anyway. And there''s nothing more important than you. Okay? So is there anything you want to do?"

    Damien blinked and shifted his gaze here and there. "Um I don''t know Movies, I guess?"

    "Great. Then we''ll go watch a movie or two. I''ll see youter, okay? I gotta go."

    "Dad!" he called quickly, afraid that his father would end the call so fast.

    "Yes?"

    "I''m sorry again. And I...love you. See youter."

    He heard a soft sigh, hearing his father''sst words before the call ended, "Love you too, Son."

    ***

    Present  January 20

    Damien''s eyes fluttered open when he felt two arms wrapping around his torso, pulling him out of the memory from many years ago. He didn''t even hear the shower door open. Katherine pressed her naked front against his back and squeezed him.

    "Are you upset that I brought up your father?" she asked.

    He turned to face her. She was getting wet from the water, too, as they stood under the shower. He shook his head. "Just remembered something. I''m not upset with you. I''m okay."

    "You sure? I called you twice when I entered, and you didn''t hear me."

    "Sorry. I got lost for a bit." He forced a smile and kissed her forehead.

    Katherine released a sigh and nodded. "Tell me what would make you feel better"

    Pushing a lock of hair behind her ear, Damien kissed her lipsslow and passionate. "You." Then he gently pushed her on the wall behind her and wrapped her leg around his hip.

 Chapter 597: Turning the Page Isnt Easy

    Chapter 597: Turning the Page Isn''t Easy

    After a round in the shower, Katherine and Damien washed up and stepped out. He changed into a fresh pair of loungewear while she grabbed new underwear from the closet and the ck dress shirt he worest night and threw it on her.

    When she turned around, he was staring at her with a grin on his face. "What?"

    He walked the distance between them and pulled her into his arms, kissing her neck and speaking against her skin. "I like seeing you in my shirt. I can''t keep my hands off you. Are you doing this on purpose?"

    "Maybe." She smiled, sliding her hands around his neck. "I love your scent on me."

    "Good." He kissed her lips. "I love my scent all over you, too. Don''t wear anything else."

    Katherine giggled when he yfully bit her ear. "I''m starving. Feed me."

    "How can I say no? I''d feed you anything you want, baby." Damien took her hand and they went to the kitchen downstairs.

    While he was fixing them breakfast, she sat at the nook and watched him. Though they didn''t get to go away for a short vacation outside of the city, she was able to rest and came back to health while staying close to Damien all the time. Since they were living in his old penthouse in CRG''s main building, she also helped him with work stuff from time to time.

    At first, he didn''t want her to do anything, but she insisted on working some secretarial jobs for him because she was bored just sitting around all day. After a few convincing, he finally let her do what she wanted as long as it didn''t strain her. Most of them were just her helping him with his schedule and organizing his papers. Very menial tasks that she enjoyed doing, which also helped to keep her mind off some things she didn''t want to think aboutlike the people they lostst December.

    Apart from office work, Katherine also asked if Damien could set up some cooking sses for her. Sometimes, she''d finish office tasks before lunchtime, and there were just a lot of idle times in the afternoon. She was happy when he allowed her to. Since she wasn''t a total beginner in the kitchen, it wasn''t hard for her to learn new recipes. He kindly asked a favor from the chef he used to learn from who was happy to teach her. Since the first week of January, Katherine had been having an hour of cooking ss two times a week which was held in the hotel''s enormous kitchen.

    A smile grew on her face when she saw Damien ting the leftoversagna she bakedst Friday with Chef Thomas along with some garlic bread that he made just now fresh from the oven. Well, he didn''t make the bread from scratch, but he sliced up some baguette and thered it with butter, garlic, and parsley.

    "What are you smiling about?" he probed when he set the tes on the table.

    "Nothing. I just enjoy watching you." She smiled andced their hands when he sat next to her.

    "God, thissagna is amazing. You''re amazing," Damien told her after chewing and swallowing a bite. Then he shoveled another one into his mouth.

    Katherine chuckled. She reached for a table napkin and wiped the sauce from his mouth. "Thank you. It was fun making that."

    "We should add it to the hotel and restaurant''s specialties. You think you cane up with your own version...maybe add some things here and there to make it your own? Don''t get me wrong, this is already fantastic. But we can''t steal Chef''s recipe and call it yours. So let''s borrow it and tweak it."

    Her shoulders shook as she threw her head back,ughing. "You''re crazy. I don''t think I''ve reached that far yet."

    "I''m serious!"

    "Okay, then how about we do it together? Let''s make it our own version."

    "Deal!" He smiled and tapped a finger on her nose. "What do you want to do today?"

    Katherine thought about it for a minute, but she couldn''t think of anything she wanted to do. She shrugged. "What do you want?"

    Damien drank water and then wiped his mouth before facing her. "Let''s go to the movies I want to take you out."

    "Movies, huh? President Park Are you being romantic?" She squinted at him, then she nodded. "I''d love that."

    Just then, he received a phone call from Markus. He excused himself to take it, and then after, he told her that he had to work on something in his office first for just half an hour. In the meantime, she could prepare, and they''d leave when shees out.

    Katherine went upstairs to the bedroom. She tried looking for a dress to wear but wasn''t liking any. Looking down at herself, she thought that the dress shirt was long enough to be a mini dress to her. Instead of changing out of it, she wore a strapless bra underneath and a pair of warm white leggings since it was still a bit cold outside. When she got to the entrance of the penthouse, she put on her boots and strolled out. Damien was on his desk.

    He looked up and his eyes raked her body from head to toe and then back up. "You kept my shirt. You look great. Let''s go." He got up and left the office with her.

    At the movie house, Katherine and Damien decided to watch an older movie that was showing as a throwback for that week. Dangerous Minds starring Michelle Pfeifferthe Catwoman in the 90s.

    While Damien went to get some snacks for them, Katherine stood by a pir near the entrance of the theater. She watched the moviegoers falling in line and getting excited to watch the film with their partners or family. A figure on her periphery caught her attention, and she froze for a second when she caught a glimpse of the back of the man who was passing by the theater and was on his way to the corner. She craned her neck to look, but she could no longer see him.

    Her heartbeat raced, and ever so quickly, she whipped out her phone and texted Styles.

    [ Katherine: Styles, can you check? ],

    A couple of minutester, her phone buzzed.

    [ Styles: Queen, you need to rx. I''ve asked Hughes just now. Parker is still very much in prison. ]

    She exhaled a sigh and her heartbeat gradually went back to normal. It wasn''t the first time that she panicked a little like this. Several weeks ago and also a few days ago, she had asked Styles the same question. The first time was after she woke up from a nightmare and the second time was when she thought she saw Parker at a supermarket somewhere just like what she saw now.

    It was indeed insane if what she thought she saw was true. There would be no reason for Parker to stay in Harbor City wandering around like a local. Katherine thought she was going crazy.

    "You okay? Shall we head inside?" Damien ced his hand over her shoulder, oblivious to her little scare.

    "Yeah" Katherine nodded with a smile, pushing away her thoughts at the back of her head. ''Shadow''s over. Move on,'' she reminded herself.

 Chapter 598: Deep Abyss

    Chapter 598: Deep Abyss

    The week ended sweetly. After Damien took Katherine out to the movies, he brought her to one of their favorite restaurants in the city where they had an early dinner and a casual stroll in the park. She loved that he still made time for her despite how busy he was, making sure she was livingfortably.

    And honestly, she thought that if they were ordinary people, she wouldn''t have any problems. Not that she had issues with Damiennever. He''d been the best thing that happened to her. However, there were some things that Katherine couldn''t shake away. And that was something that couldn''t be easily brushed off.

    "How are you?" he asked once they settled in bed, ready to go to sleep. He pulled her to his chest, his arms cradling her frame protectively.

    He was warm, and she wanted to melt into him, wishing that her worries would disappear. Damien was checking in on her like he always did ever since that day they left the NIA facility when her wounds were still fresh, and the thought of Parker being arrested was still new. But it had been over a month now. Katherine couldn''t tell if he was asking because he continuously worried about her and also out of habit, or if he noticed something.

    Part of her wanted to tell him the whole truth, but he''d been ming himself enough regarding her kidnapping. It hurt her to see that he couldn''t let go of that when it wasn''t his fault. If that wasn''t enough, she had to open his wounds about his father''s ident. Katherine saw how tormented he was earlier after that reminder. Obviously, it wasn''t his fault as well. But that was Damien He cared so much that he always felt responsible for the things happening to other people.

    She didn''t want to keep burdening him about whatever''s happening to her. He had already done a lot of things for her. Damien deserved to stop worrying and feeling bad because it also broke her heart whenever he felt like so.

    Slightly curling the corners of her mouth upward, she ced her hand on his chest and gave him most of the truth. "I''m getting there. It''s been over a month already, but Shadow has been part of me for...so many years. And just suddenly, it''s no longer operating. We lost people too It will take a little bit more time for me toe to terms. But I''m okay, Damien. I''m happier."

    "Are you sure?" he asked, worrycing his eyes that pierced through her. He pushed a lock of hair behind her ear, waiting for her response as he wanted confirmation.

    Katherine widened her smile to reassure him. She loved this man. As much as she could, she''d protect his heart. "I''m with you. Of course I''m happy." Then she buried her face on his neck, inhaling the scent that she loved so much it always brought her home.

    "Good. Me too. We''ll get through this, my love. One at a time," he whispered above her, stroking her hair and cing a kiss on her forehead.

    "Mm"

    "You have a session with Doctor Howell tomorrow?" he asked. She darted her gaze to the side, thankful that he couldn''t see her face at the moment. Then he continued, "I know you don''t like it. But you need this. You can do it."

    Without saying anything, she nodded and tightened her arms around him.

    He probably felt that their conversation was now over as he told her, "Come on, let''s go to sleep. Goodnight, Love." He pulled the nket over her shoulder and stroked her arm.

    She pressed her lips on his jaw and muttered, "Goodnight, Damien."

    Running.

    More running.

    It''s the same dream all over again, and she was aware of it. It was dark and foggy, surrounded by tall trees and god awful smell that made her want to puke. But she didn''t have time to stop. She had to escape. Not actually knowing what she was running from, the surroundings became even darker until she could barely see.

    Katherine didn''t know where she was heading. All she knew was that she had to get out of this forest. But no matter how much she ran, she''d never find the end of it. Scanning from left to right, she noticed a huge boulder on the right, and she took a turn towards it, passing by and hoping that changing her path would help. However, after several steps, the exact same boulder was right before her.

    She came to a stop, looking back to where she came from, but all she saw were trees and leaves, swaying with the wind, and then she heard footsteps approaching. Wanting to escape, she turned on her heel and ran towards the huge boulderjust the same, she breezed past it. It was cold. Very cold. And all she had on her was a tank top and leggingsher feet were bare, and every time they touched the ground, she''d feel pain. She looked down on herself and realized that she was wearing the same clothes back when she was tortured in the old castle. Her heartbeat raced, and she pushed her body forward as she kept on running. However, when she focused her gaze on the front, the boulder was there again.

    Katherine was running in circles. There was no escape. She was trapped in this forest, and she couldn''t get out.

    Her mouth opened in an attempt to scream, but it was as though she lost control over her own self. She could barely part her lips, and there was no voiceing out. It couldn''t have been because she was already tired because, at the moment, she was running at full speed. This is insane. She couldn''t even shout for help.

    A guttural groan escaped from her. When she briefly closed her eyes and opened them again, Chris''s figure stood several feet away. His face was pale and ghostly as he stared at her with an empty gaze, blood gushing out from his body. Katherine tried to catch him, but it seemed as though no matter how much she sprinted forward, the figure just kept getting away until it dissipated in the air.

    The boulder appeared again, and this time, after going past it, she was brought to the prairie. Her legs came to a halt before she fell into a massive hole on the ground where the old castle was supposed to be. Katherine''s breathingbored, knowing full well what was going to happen next in this dream.

    "Queen," a familiar voice called from her back, just above her ear. Already knowing who was standing behind her, she swallowed before turning around to face her death.

    "Parker," she muttered.

    Wordlessly, a corner of Parker''s lips curled into a lopsided grin. It was bone-chilling. He raised his hand and pushed her shoulder with his finger. Her body tilted backward until she fell into the holetowards a terrifying, dark abyss.

    Katherine gasped in a startle as she woke up from her dream. Beads of sweat covered her forehead, and her hand trembled as she ced it over her heart. It''s the fourth time that she had the same dream, and every time, it ended the same.

    She looked over to her right. Damien was still fast asleep. Somehow, she ended up on the other end of the bed, away from him. Her gazended on the clock on the nightstand. 3:12 am, it said.

    Rolling out of bed, Katherine dragged herself towards the bathroom and sshed her face some cold water from the sink. She stared at her reflection for a minute before patting her face dry with a clean towel. She didn''t know why she kept dreaming about the same thing. Having guilt regarding Chris''s death had always been there, but why did she continuously fear Parker even after being reassured that he was still locked up?

    "Baby, where are you? Come back to bed" Damien''szy voice called for her.

    Katherine strolled out of the bathroom and crawled back into bed, curling her body against his as she tried to go back to sleep.

    Monday  January 21

    Every Monday at two in the afternoon, Katherine would head over to her therapista Psychologist whom Director Hughes arranged for her after getting out of the NIA facility. Doctor Howell was affiliated with the NIA, so he knew what''s going on. Therefore, it was easier for Katherine to mention some things that she couldn''t ever tell if it were any other shrink.

    Felix would drive her to the clinic and pick her up after her session that usuallysted about an hour. Sometimes, she bargained to pick her up a few hourster whenever she had to meet with Emma or Alianna.

    "I''ll see youter," he said as he watched her enter the clinic.

    When she knew that he was out of sight, Katherine strode towards the back exit and jogged a couple of blocks away until she reached an alley where she parked her motorcycle. She swung her leg over it and cranked the engine. Checking her phone for the location sent by her informant, she pocketed her phone and wore her helmet.

    "Just one more. This will be thest," she muttered to herself before revving the bike and speeding off into the traffic.

 Chapter 599: One Less

    Chapter 599: One Less

    Months ago, Katherine did it for the money. Okay, maybe also because of the thrill or that she needed to get away, to forget Damien even if she didn''t really want to. But mostly, because of the money. She earned hundreds of thousands doing what she did and because she was good at it. Back then, she was lost and confused.

    However, she wasn''t lost nownot really. And while she had to get away before, now, she wanted to stay. The strong pull that she had been feeling towards Esmea was there. She didn''t want to leave this ce. This was her home. Damien was home.

    And while she used to do it for money, now, she didn''t even care about it anymore. Katherine had millions in her nameso much more than she thought she''d ever had. So, no, this wasn''t about money.

    Justice, then? Maybe. She scoffed as she removed the helmet off her head after parking her motorcycle near the dumpster in an alley next to an old bar. Was it really that simple? She didn''t think she''d ever do bounty hunting again. Because, again, this wasn''t about money. She''d decline the money if she hadn''t thought of better ways to use it, but in the end, she epted it and put it where it belonged.

    Katherine''s therapy sessions did help a little at first. But it wasn''t until she began to have the nightmares that she thought she was going crazy. She told her therapist about it, but she was assured that Parker was still and will be locked up for as long as he lived. She''d stay calm for a while, brush off the nagging feeling and tryreally try to move on.

    But damn. It wasn''t easy. For years, she had known Shadow''s existence, she had seen how bleak the world was, she had killed people with her own two hands, she knew what''s lurking in the shadowspun intendedwhere ordinary people couldn''t see. Everyone had seemed to move on. Chris and Gus were gone, Parker was still locked up, and Shadow was goneand yet here she was: stuck.

    She couldn''t unsee what she saw. Couldn''t unfeel what she felt. And couldn''t unhear her demons. It''s always there. Badevil people were always there.

    Katherine wasn''t trying to be a hero. It would probably take thousands, if not millions, of good deeds to ever feel like she would qualify that title. She just needed this. She badly needed to do something to rid the world of one more criminal. It wouldn''t magically remove the unknown shard that''s pricking her insides, but it made her feel better.

    Her phone buzzed, and she read the message.

    [ Skip''s drinking at the bar. I''m heading out. Til next. ]

    [ Katherine: I''ll wire it in an hour. ]

    She threw a ck ball cap on her head, zipped her jacket up to her neck, and crossed the road. The ce was nearly empty when she entered. Why do Skips almost always end up in bars or clubs?

    "There you are," she muttered under her breath when she saw her target, alone, drinking his guilt away. "You don''t get toment, Donald."

    Name: Donald Web

    Age: 39 years old.

    Crime: Aggravated Assault  He beat his wife until she suffered a concussion that put her in aa for a few days.

    Walking towards the bar, Katherine kept her head low as she sat a few seats away from the Skip. She ordered a bottle of Guinness, though she only took a sip just for show. Pretending to y with her phone, she kept her periphery on him. He didn''t seem to be in a hurry to go anywhere, but he would asionally nce here and there as if watching out for cops.

    Unlike before, Katherine didn''t personally do the tracking. She hired someone to do it for her, and fortunately, her contact was fast. She had only given the information yesterday, and he already found the criminal earlier today. Her Skips were also limited to the areas within or near Harbor City. She didn''t take anything that would require her to go far away.

    She made a quick once over of the man. She was probably taller than him, or they could be about the same height and he wasn''t heavily built too. But this criminal almost killed his wife, beating her up while he was drunk. Katherine gritted her teeth, her jaw popping. She could take him down right now, but she didn''t want to risk losing him.

    Just then, Donald got up from his seat, slightly swaying as he strode towards the restrooms. She cracked her fingers and rotated her neck from side to side. Tossing a twenty on the bar, she nodded at the bartender and walked down the hall, stopping right outside the door to the men''s room. She put on her leather gloves and waited.

    Five minutester when Donald came out, Katherine kicked him hard in the stomach, and he fell backward onto the first stall. The door broke. His face was red, and his eyes livid at the sudden attack. He tried to get up, but he winced, clutching his back. She stepped on his ankle, making him cry out. Curses flew out of his mouth, but he was probably too drunk to have control of his body.

    "Doesn''t feel too good when you''re the one being beaten up, huh Donald?" She bit out while taking out a heavy-duty zip tie and bound his ankles.

    He grabbed the sleeve of her leather jacket, but she managed to twist his arm, causing him another painful cry. In a matter of seconds, she rolled him on his stomach and tied his hands behind his back.

    "You, bi"

    *Thud* The rest of his curse was huffed when she punched his face and knocked him out.

    The bartender came with a shocked look on his face. She panted as she reached for her pocket and handed him a hundred dor bill. "For the door."

    Half an hourter, she got a confirmation text from the agent regarding thepletion of her assignment.

    One less bad person.

    She touched her chest and patted it. The shard is still there, but she felt better.

    Katherine drove for twenty minutes, stopping in front of a small, shabby house. She strode towards the door, released a deep breath, and knocked. Her heart raced.

    The door opened and a frail young girl, probably in her pre-teen years, looked up at her. "Who are you?"

    "Um Hi. I''m Katherine. What''s your name?"

    "Daisy."

    "You''re pretty." She smiled. "Is your mom here?"

    "She''s resting."

    Daisy''s brows furrowed, her neck straining as she looked up to Katherine''s height. Thetter bent down, took out a sealed brown envelope, and gave it to the girl.

    ''Money,'' she thought but didn''t say out loud.

    When Daisy hesitated, Katherine gently ced it in her hand, pressed the hand towards her chest, and then ced Daisy''s other hand over it so that she was hugging the envelope. "When your mom wakes upter, give this to her. Okay?"

    Daisy nodded.

    "I''ll go now. Make sure to lock the door when I leave." Katherine waved her hand and turned around, leaving the little girl by the door.

    Daisy clutched the envelope and then read the message that was handwritten on it.

    [ Mrs. Web,

    I know it''s tough and painful. But you have to let go of the past. You need to move on. This isn''t much, but it will help you start a new chapter of your life. If you want to move, do it.

    But you need to get over this hurdle for yourself and for the people you love.

    -K ]

    Katherine sped off, the message she wrote on the envelope lingering in her mind. The message that wasn''t only intended for the wife of that criminalbut also for herself.

 Chapter 600: Not a Promise but Better Than Nothing

    Chapter 600: Not a Promise but Better Than Nothing

    Crown Resort Group

    Damien returned to his office after a meeting. He cracked his neck as he walked to his desk, unbuttoning his coat and then hanging it on a rack. There were several papers and envelopes neatly filed in the middle of his desk, all addressed to him. The first six envelopes were event invitations, the seventh was a high school reunion invitation, and the papers below them were documents he needed to review and sign.

    He picked up the blue and gold envelopethe colors of his high school and read the content, loosening his tie and rolling his sleeves up to his elbow before sitting on his chair. He didn''t attend all the reunions in the past. Thest one he went to was three years ago. He didn''t really have any interest in seeing old faces from high school as he could easily call his friends for a drink in the city. But he thought it would be nice for Katherine to attend a party with him that wasn''t business-rted and maybe even introduce her to some high school friends. Mulling over the idea, he put the invitation on the right corner of his table where he could easily remember. He could decide on itter.

    The buzzing on his phone caught his attention, and he looked at the coat on the rack, realizing it was still in his inner pocket. Taking it out, his jaw ticked before he answered the call when he saw that it was Felix. "How did it go?"

    "It was quick. About twenty minutes at the bar. She left as soon as she handed him over to the police," answered Felix.

    Damien let out a sigh of relief. He sat on his chair again and leaned back, letting his head rest. "Is she okay?"

    "Yeah. She''s physically fine. Went and left some money at the family''s house just like the previous ones."

    "Where is she now?"

    "She''s with Alianna at a cafe a few blocks from your office."

    "Okay." Damien was just about to end their call when Felix spoke again.

    "Are you going to keep letting her do this without telling youand hide it from her that you know? I normally don''t mind doing my job, but...Katherine''s already like a sister to me. I just keep thinking about how she''d feel if she''ll find out she''s being watched."

    "I''ll think about it. Thanks, Felix. As you were." Damien swiped his phone off and tossed it on his desk. His gazended on a frame he put on the left side of his workspaceit was him and Katherine in Onyx Mountain Resortst yearone of the best nights they shared after she remembered a piece of her forgotten memory.

    He knew about her secret activities in the past few weeks. He found out after her therapist called and informed him that she didn''t visit for a session. He was initially upset when he learned about her whereabouts after some digging and nned to confront her about it. But after giving it a thought and recalling a couple of nights when she had nightmares, he opted to visit her therapist.

    Patient-Doctor confidentiality prevented him from knowing specific details of Katherine''s sessions, but he was given suggestions on how he could help her. There wasn''t much he could do except just be with her. Everyone has different ways of dealing with grief and moving on. It wasn''t just about the guilt for Chris''s death or Gus''s disappearance. It was about Shadow and Parker. Two things that were bound together and were part of her for so many years. It''s only been a month and she was honestly doing well.

    Damien could see why she couldn''t let go of it just like that, even after being reassured that Parker was already arrested and paying for his sins in a windowless room. Katherine wanted Parker''s bloodthat he knew. It sounded dark, but he knew that''s what she wanted to truly feel safe, that Parker would truly be gone from this world.

    He then decided to let her find her footing her own way. This was her way of moving onof making herself feel that she was still in control of something, even if it''s just as little as putting some criminal behind bars.

    Katherine was dangerous. Reckless? Maybe at first he thought she was. But after seeing how she calcted her actions and even avoided spending too much time tracking down the criminal, Damien believed she moved with strategic thinking.

    And no matter what, she''s a badass who liked to kick ass. She would always be like that. Katherine had always been that way ever since, and that''s part of her that he couldn''t change. In fact, he didn''t want her to change. She''s a strong woman with a golden heart. So even though he worried for her, he learned to trust her.

    But...of course, he''d still keep Felix around just in case she needed back up.

    The phone in his hand buzzed again, interrupting his train of thought. His brows raised when he saw the caller''s I.D.

    "Detective," he answered.

    Detective Donovan exchanged a few pleasantries with him before he got down to business. "I''ve been swamped with work, and old cases just aren''t that easy. However, I may have a lead. I heard from one of the retired officers that one of his colleagues used to work in the same precinct where your father''s ident was recorded. The one I talked to didn''t know much about the ident because he was working in the homicide department. But he could vaguely remember the police officer who responded to that ident had a huge argument with their chief in the office. Two days after that, the officer resigned and was not heard of since."

    Damien straightened his back. "What happened to that officer?"

    "No one knows, really. I just heard about this when I met the retired officer at the city hall an hour ago. He was a friend of my mentor back in the day. I''ll ask around, but he told me that as far as he knew, that officer quit, and they didn''t hear if he moved to another precinct or something."

    "What''s the officer''s name?"

    "Joseph Be."

    "Will you forward me his information once you get it?"

    "Of course. I''ll send over what I can get. I know you have people who can probably make my job easier. My work isn''t like what we see on the TV, you know. I don''t have just one case at a time. Right now, I''m up to 19 cases, 20 including yours, which I kept off the book for now as we discussed. I wish I could havemercial breaks just like in the series." The detective sighed.

    "I understand, Detective. Thanks a lot for your hard work. I appreciate it."

    After ending the call, Damien called Styles and asked him if he could help track down the officer. This was good progress in their investigation. It wasn''t a promise, but it was better than nothing.

    Right after his call with Styles ended, he received a message from Katherine.

    [ My Queen: Are you done with your meetings? Busy? ]

    Damien began to type his reply but decided to just call her instead. "Hey," he greeted when she picked up.

    "Hey, you" There was a happy tone in her voice, and it made him smile. She seemed to be in a chipper mood than this morning. Maybe her little detour helped.

    "What''s up?" he probed. "Where are you?"

    "I''m with Ali at a cafe near you. Nothing, really. We were just wondering if you wanted to join us for coffeeif you''re not busy, of course."

    He looked at the work on his desk and saw all the papers he needed to go through. There''s at least an inch thick on a pile. He would probably have to do overtime. But nothing''s more important than Katherine right now.

    Before he could respond, he heard his cousin Ali shout at the phone, "Don''t think about it, you workaholic. Juste and bring your wallet. I saw some really exciting pieces in the women''s luxury boudoir across the street. Not for me, of course, Caleb can buy for meyou know what I mean."

    He heard Katherineugh. Shaking his head, Damien got up from his seat, grabbed his coat, and strolled towards the door with a smile on his face. "Work can wait. Coffee sounds good right now, actually. I''ll see you soon."

 Chapter 601: Planning Parties Seemed Like a Lot of Fun

    Chapter 601: nning Parties Seemed Like a Lot of Fun

    At half past five in the afternoon, Damien, Katherine, and Alianna were at a cafe. They were at a low round table and sat infy armchairs facing it. He had been busy with worktely that going out and meeting the two important women in his life was a breather. Mondays were always busy at Crown Resort Group, and while Katherine helped him with some work, she was mostly out on the first day of the week.

    They went over Alianna''s ns for her wedding which would be in three months. Most of the things had been taken care of by her and Caleb except for a few other stuff that could be put off untilter. Alianna turned to Katherine, the mirth of excitement brightening her expression as she said, "So...how''s the bachelorette party n going? I know I shouldn''t ask because it''s meant to be a surprise, but God, I can''t wait! I''m so excited!"

    "I had been going over a few stuff with Emmast week. I still have things I need to look for, but everything''s good so far." Katherine smiled. Over the holidays, she had introduced Emma and Alianna, and the two became really close so fast, it felt like they had been friends for years. Emma had been helping Katherine n the party, and thetter surprisingly found it fun.

    "I''m not pressuring you or anything, maybe just a little, but it has to be the best night. You can''t let Damien outdo your task with his. We should have more fun than the boys!" Alianna held up her drink and smirked as she squinted her eyes at her cousin.

    "What task? What''s your task?" Katherine threw Damien a nce who unnaturally avoided meeting her stare. She narrowed her eyes.

    "If you must know, Caleb put him in charge for that nighthis bachelor party, I mean. They''re going to celebrate it the weekend we are." Alianna beamed, looking like she enjoyed making her cousin ufortable under Katherine''s scrutiny. "So he''ll be yourpetitor. He''s a master nner, Katherine. Don''t let it get to you, but you need to make sure we win."

    Was this apetition? Katherine didn''t quite understand the rivalry, but whatever it was, it sounded like fun. She got topete with Damien? Heck yeah, she was down for it!

    "So, you''re in charge, huh?" She gently brushed imaginary lint off Damien''s shoulder while he kept his gaze cool, casually looking around the cafeanywhere but her. "And where are you going to take the boys, Damien? Hm?"

    He swallowed, took a sip of his ck coffee, put it back down on the table, and then he shifted his gaze to her, a small smile dancing on his lips. It seemed as though he was taking his time to gather his thoughts. She wasn''t being slyor at least, she wasn''t trying to, but she could sense when Damien gets a little nervous about something.

    Alianna spoke before he could, "You wouldn''t bring him to your own strip clubThe Gentlemen''s Clubare you?"

    Folding her arms across her chest, Katherine tilted her head as she stared at him without giving away her thoughts. "So you''re going to a strip club?"

    "Oh, I bet he''ll fly their friends to Las Vegas...I told Caleb that''s where I wanted to go on that weekend, and he seemed to be considering the thought too. What is it, Damien? Where do you n to take your troop? I promise I won''t tell Caleb you bbered."

    Katherine arched a brow at the information. "Really If you''re going to Vegas on your ne, then we could probably ride with you. I''m sure there''s a lot of room for all of us...unless you''re nning to bring other people on the ne to party with you guys on the way to Vegas?"

    Alianna gasped exaggeratedly, not giving Damien a chance to answer. "You''re bringing strippers on your ne?"

    A crease formed between his brows as he looked at the two women trying to work on him. Then he shook his head and took another sip of his coffee, appealing calm and carefree as he responded, "We''re probably just going to Caleb''s family''s cabin for a quiet boy''s night."

    "That''s a five-hour drive from here," said Alianna.

    "So? A road trip is fun."

    Katherine and Alianna exchanged looks. They didn''t speak, but they seemed like they didn''t buy what Damien was telling them.

    "So" he started. "You girls are also going to have a quiet night? I''ll sponsor your suites, send some bottles of champagne and a grazing table."

    "A You''re very sweet," Katherine cooed, brushing his arm ever so lovingly.

    "Of course, I want you girls to have fun, too."

    "Thank you, Damien. That would be a nice prelude before the main event."

    He snapped his eyes at Katherine, cocking a brow when he heard ''main event''. Angling his body so he was facing Katherine. He mimicked her stance and folded his arms in front of him too. "What main event?"

    "Didn''t I tell you? Ali wants the whole thing. Hot men strippers and all." Katherine smiled teasingly.

    Damien''s left brow twitched at whatever image he had in his head. He hesitantly opened his mouth and nced at his cousin whose face was shining so brightly with excitement. "You don''t want that"

    "Of course, I do, silly. I''ve been looking forward to it!" eximed Alianna so proudly. "And Katherine''s going to take care of everything for me, right, love?"

    Katherine smiled at Alianna and chuckled.

    A loud crash on the other side of the room caused their heads to turn. There appeared to be a racket going on by some patrons in the cafe. They looked over, craning their necks while they remained seated, and saw a couple arguing. A shattered mug and a saucer were on the floor, colored liquid spilling from the broken mug, and a slice of smashed cake dirtied the floor.

    Katherine narrowed her eyes at the two, only noticing that she knew who the female was.

    Damien ced his hand over hers as he questioned, "Isn''t that Caroline?"

    It was indeed her cousin, Aunt Deborah''s daughter. What was she doing here, and why was she in a fight with that guy? Before Katherine knew it, she was already on her feet and walking towards themotion. She wasn''t close to her cousin, but nevertheless, she was still her family.

 Chapter 602: Dont Have to Be Blood to Be Family

    Chapter 602: Don''t Have to Be Blood to Be Family

    Katherine strode towards where Caroline was standing with tears brimming her eyes. Her hands clenched on her sides as she watched the young man who was just with her walk out of the door, leaving her all on her own. From their table, she heard Damien tell the other patrons that there was nothing to look at and to mind their own business. The cafe staff had already started to clean the mess on the floor when Katherine reached her cousin.

    "Caroline" she called.

    The young woman flitted her gaze towards her, and only then did she realize that she was crying and people were looking her way. She quickly wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand and turned to grab her stuff from the table, not wanting to look at Katherine.

    "Hey. Are you okay?" Katherine touched Caroline''s shoulder, and then she scanned her body, trying to see if she was hurt anywhere. It didn''t seem like she was.

    The younger woman kept her lips in a thin line, looking embarrassed at what just happened. She quickly nced at the surroundings and probably saw Damien and Alianna across the room. "God, this is so embarrassing."

    Katherine could imagine. Who would ever want to be the center of attention like that? Whatever happened between the two, the guy walked out and left herit made her look like she had done something terrible. Taking a deep breath, Katherine inched closer and hooked her arm with the other, tugging her away from the table. "Come on, join us. You can''t be alone right now."

    Caroline''s shoulders sunk, and she nodded, keeping her eyes on the floor as she let Katherine walk her towards their table on the other side of the room. Katherine introduced her to Alianna, and she sat in the empty armchair. Katherine was to her right, Alianna to her left, and Damien across her. She kept her quiet for a couple of minutes, and they let her just rest for a bit. Katherine asked for a ss of water from the staff and then ced it in front of her.

    "Caroline" Katherine called. The younger woman hesitated at first before she lifted her gaze to her. "You want to tell me what happened?" Caroline bit her bottom lip, seemingly contemting whether to tell her or not. And then she added, "I know we''re not really close, and we probably don''t like each other that much. But I''ll listen to you."

    Damien leaned back leisurely against the rest and crossed his arms, looking confident and protective as he said, "Did that punk hurt you? You want me to kick his ass?"

    Caroline lowered her head for a bit, a blush creeping from her neck up to her forehead. Katherine had noticed since the start that her cousin had a little crush on Damien, and right now, she looked adorable, that it made her softly chuckle. Katherine nced at Damien and found him very attractive, even just sitting there, and with what he said just now, that definitely gave the hotness bar a raise.

    "No...IIt''s my fault he left," Caroline finally said, her voice soft and deste.

    "Would you like to talk about it?" asked Katherine. When the other did not say anything after a few beats, she added, "I made a lot of mistakes growing up. Even now, I still make them. It''s okay, Caroline."

    Taking a deep breath, Caroline began to tell her story. Apparently, she dated that guy for a month now. They started out as just flings, and she didn''t intend to lie at first, but she created this life that she didn''t havelike having a father even though she didn''t have one. It was just that one lie initially, but one lie became two until it was out of control. Her boyfriend, who started out as a fling, was British, and he didn''t know about the Youngs. And somehow, he learned the truth and confronted her about it today.

    "I don''t even know why I lied about having a father. I''m a grown woman, for Pete''s sake. I met him, and he had this perfect life and somehow I wanted that perfect life too." Caroline huffed, sadnessced all over her face. "I''ve never done anything like this before. I''m such an idiot. His ex-girlfriend was also a liar, and I hurt him again for being one."

    Katherine ced a hand on Caroline''s arm. "It got pretty heated back there. I hope he didn''t hurt you. Even if he was angry, he shouldn''t."

    "No, no He got up so fast and somehow nudged the table when he did and knocked over the stuff by ident."

    Alianna got a pack of tissue from her bag and handed it over to Caroline. Thetter started dabbing on her cheek, her tears seemingly out of control.

    It was quiet for a few beats before she began to speak again, "I love my mom" The sudden divulgence surprised Katherine but let Caroline continue. "I grew up only having her...and Grandpa. But I don''t know. I still feel like...something is missing, you know? All my friends have fathers. Mom never told me anything about him. I used to ask, but she''d always dismiss me. You''re lucky" Thest words were a mutter.

    Katherine''s brows knitted upon hearing what Caroline said, and she couldn''t help but scoff. "Lucky?" A little part of her felt pissed and also confused at what Caroline was talking about. "I lost my parents...in a fireboth of them. I can''t ever see them again. But your mom is still alive."

    Caroline''s eyes widened, realization dawning on her. "Oh, my god. I''m sorry. That came out wrong I''m sorry that you lost your parents. I just meant You knew both of them. You knew your dad and was able to at least spend time with him II would never know how that feels. I''m saying nonsense. I didn''t mean to make you feel bad. I''ll shut up now." She bit her lip and averted her gaze.

    Letting out a sigh, Katherine nodded. She didn''t want to dwell on that. She also didn''t know what to tell the other for lying. God knows lying was part of her too. Thankfully, Alianna told Caroline some generic advice about moving on, so she didn''t have to. This thing between Katherine and Caroline would probably always be weird, and she didn''t have to press on it. She just felt like she had to be there for her cousin even if they weren''t rted by blood.

    Damien got to his feet. "I''m getting another cup. You want a refill?" Katherine and Alianna shook their heads. He tilted his head to Caroline, "You want anything to drink? My treat."

    Caroline thought about it for a second before she opened her mouth and gave Damien her specific order. "I want iced coffee with almond milk, two shots, two pumps of vani, four pumps of cinnamon dolce, and whipped cream."

    He stood there as if trying to process what the hell her drink would taste like and why she wanted almond milk but also wanted whipped cream. His chest rose when he took a deep breath, running his tongue across his inner cheek. "How about a soda?"

    The younger woman furrowed her brows together and stared back at him.

    Damien chuckled as he walked away, shaking his head. "I''ll be right back."

 Chapter 603: When Angry, Be Silent.

    Chapter 603: When Angry, Be Silent.

    While Damien was on the counter of the cafe, Katherine, Alianna, and Caroline yed with their phones. Katherine was texting with Emma, nning about when they''d see each other next. As she held her phone with her right hand, it suddenly shook uncontrobly. The more she tightly held her phone, the more her hand trembled.

    This wasn''t the first time that she''d experience this, so although she was surprised, she hid her panic well by transferring the phone to her left hand. The trembling stopped. There was a tiny current buzzing within her, mostly at the base of her spine and then her right hand. It started while she was recovering after the whole Shadow fiasco. But she associated the tremors as side effects from Adrifin, the drug that was administered to her when she was rescuedst month.

    However, it had already been a month since, and she was still experiencing random episodes of tremors. Katherine couldn''t tell if it was still the drug that was causing this. Even while she was sitting now, she could feel the buzzing somewhere at the bottom of her spine.

    "You okay, Kath?" Alianna asked.

    Katherine realized that she was staring at her empty right hand, and she must have looked odd. She curled her lips into a smile and nodded. "I was just thinking about something."

    Just then, her phone rang. It was her childhood friend, Matthew Jeong, attempting a video call.

    "Oh?" Katherine leaned towards Alianna to show her screen. She hadn''t heard from him in a while, but she''d heard about him from news everywhere online.

    "Answer it!" Alianna eximed, but she didn''t wait for Katherine and swiped the answer button herself anyway.

    "Matty!!!" Katherine greeted at the same time that Alianna said, "MJ!!!" Katherine extended her hand a little further away so the frame could fit both of their faces. They waved to the camera as Matthew''s handsome face appeared. He was wearing a thick white shirt and looked like he was in a set of one of his shoots.

    "Hey, prettydies!" he greeted, shing his killer smile at them.

    Thest time they saw each other was around Christmas when Katherine and Damien hosted a small gathering for their friendsand Matthew was invited. Damien was no longer as ''jealous'' as he was beforewhich was progress.

    The two women had grins on their faces as they heard him and Alianna shrieked, "Congrattions, MJ! Oh, my god! You totally deserved it!"

    "I''m proud of you, Matty!" Katherine chimed in.

    Matthew Jeong was nominated in the Oscars as Best Actor in his recent film. The nominations were just announced recently, and a lot of his fans freaked out from the news.

    "Thank you! The ceremony will be in a few weeks from now. Wish me luck!" heughed, looking so carefree as he walked around the set. He casually introduced a couple of actors he was currently working with.

    Caroline realized who the two women were talking to, and she immediately got up from her seat and ran towards their back so she could see the screen. Katherine slightly tilted the screen up when she noticed her cousin so her face was included. Caroline began to bber, "OMG. OMG! That''s Matthew Jeong! I saw him at your wee party, but I didn''t get the chance to say hi. You two are really friends?"

    Katherine nodded, a small smile forming on her lips. "Matty, this is my cousin, Caroline."

    He raised a hand as if to wave and once again shed his killer smile. "Hi."

    "Oh, my friggin'' god! Matthew just talked to me!" Caroline fanned her flushed face. "Prissy''s gonna faint that you''re talking to me. Can I get your autograph? Your phone number? Can youe to my birthday bash?"

    Katherine and Aliannaughed at Caroline panicking. It was such a funny sight, especially that Matthew began to blush at the attention given to him by this grown woman who was fangirling over him. A few patrons looked their way.

    "Who''s this?" Damien returned to the table and peered over Katherine''s shoulder to check the man on her phone.

    "It''s Matthew. Come say, hi. He got an Oscar nomination," said Katherine as she hooked her arm with Damien''s and pulled him closer.

    "Hey, man." Matthew nodded at the other.

    Damien nodded back and simply said, "Hey. Good luck."

    "Thanks!" Matthew briefly turned his head to the side as if someone was talking to him, and when he turned back to face the screen, he told them, "I gotta go. Ali told me earlier that you two were out, so I just thought I''d say hi. I''ll be back in Esmea after the ceremony. I''ll see you all then."

    Everyone said their goodbyes as the phone call ended. They got back to their seats, and Damien told them that he had booked a restaurant for dinner. Caleb, Jeffrey, and William would be joining them too.

    While they talked about their dinner ns, a male''s voice called across the room, "Hey, Park!"

    Damien looked up and saw a familiar face approaching their table. He wore a blue custom-tailored suit, and his blonde hair was neatly brushed backward. An arrogant smile painted his face as he reached his side.

    "Didn''t think I''d see you here," said the man, casually cing his hands in his pockets.

    Damien only nodded, his face devoid of any emotion.

    "Wanna introduce me to these beautiful women? I''m sure you don''t mind. There''s three of them." The man chuckled. "Ah, this is Alianna, right? Damn, girl, I see your posters everywhere."

    Alianna just rolled her eyes before turning her attention back to her phone.

    "Hi, I''m Caroline," said Katherine''s cousin, offering her hand to the stranger who just came. They shook hands, and he kissed the back of her hand before letting go. She blushed.

    "Nice," he said. Then he looked at Katherine, tilting his head to the side. "And you are?"

    Damien''s deep and cold voice responded, "My fiance." He purposely didn''t introduce Katherine''s name.

    Katherine had been observing Damien the entire time, and she noticed the change in his demeanor, telling her that he didn''t like whoever this man was. It seemed like Alianna was also aware of who he was that she openly gave him an eye-roll and ignored him. So she wore her icy persona and unabashedly gave the man a once over, her expression impassive.

    The man whistled. "Lovely. I''m Harvey Larson. Damien and I go way back in high school." He offered his hand but Katherine didn''t receive it. He cooly retracted his hand like nothing and faced Damien again. "You gonna bring her to the party? I''m sure the team would love to meet her."

    "What party?" she calmly asked Damien.

    "Oh, Park didn''t tell you?" Harvey dly responded before Damien could. "We have a ss reunion. You shoulde. It''ll be lots of fun."

    "Baby!" a female in an extremely short red dress called Harvey from the counter.

    He waved and smiled at her before turning back to the table. "I have to go. I''ll see you soon. Yeah? Bye,dies."

    Once he was out of earshot, Katherine reached for Damien''s hand and probed, "What was that all about?"

    "Some sleazebag from high school. We were in the ser team together but he made a pass at Ali at one of the house parties where we brought her with us a long time ago. Caleb and I came at him. We almost got expelled."

    Katherine''s brows instantly drew together. She exchanged looks with Ali who just shrugged. "Were you going to attend that ss reunion?" she asked Damien.

    "I was going to ask you if you wanted to go with me. Now, I changed my mind about going." He shook his head and took a sip of his coffee. As much as possible, Damien wanted to avoid drama.

    Although he said that, she made a mental note about this man who approached their table. She had a feeling that it wouldn''t be thest time she was going to see him.

 Chapter 604: To A Brighter Future

    Chapter 604: To A Brighter Future

    As they left the cafe and headed towards their cars, Katherine whipped her head around, suddenly feeling like someone was watching her. She looked at the alleys and nearby storesnone. Then she looked up at the buildings. It was crazy but she thought snipers could be there though the chance of that was low in Esmeait was possiblebut still none. Was she just being paranoid?

    Damien noticed her. He ced a hand on her back, a worried look ghosting his face. "What''s wrong?"

    She shook her head and focused on Damien instead. "I may just be paranoid and feel like someone is watching me or us."

    He looked around but didn''t spot anyone suspicious either. "It''s probably just Team Beta. They''re around here somewhere."

    "Oh. Okay"

    She dismissed the feeling, though it wasn''t the first time that Katherine felt like someone was watching her. But just like Damien said, they''re probably from Maverick Security. Either that or she really had gone paranoidafter all, she did still think Parker was out running Shadow and not in prison like they told her several times. Her brain seemed to refuse to believe what was real.

    Brushing off the negative thoughts, Katherine and the rest went to dinner that evening, thankful that she was surrounded by people she wanted in her lifeDamien and their friends. Caroline didn''t go with them as she said she already had ns with her friends. Though the cousins weren''t totally chummy with each other yet, they were at least civil.

    ...

    Over the next few days, Katherine spent most of her time studying. Like her original n before she regained her memories, she wanted to brush up with her academic knowledge. However, instead of attending a physical school, she opted to take up the sses online. It was possible for her to finish a bachelor''s degree online while in Shadow, so going over it again like a review wasn''t that bad. Because of the amnesia, she had to relearn a lot of things.

    A couple of weeks ago, she registered for an online course and took it as a refresher for the degree she had when she was in Shadowa bachelor''s degree in Business Management. She was serious, knowing that she had to do better if she wanted to be part of Young Corporation. Because the more that she spent time with her grandfather, the more that she had the urge to take what''s supposed to be her father''s.

    She still couldn''t see anything that she could use against Aunt Deborah. The picture that they found in her officea picture of her and Frederick a long time agodidn''t give them a lot of information, only that they could have been lovers at one point. The connection between the two was there, but it''s hard to just blindly use someone without concrete evidence.

    The banned pillsalthough she had gotten that illegallyalso didn''t prove anything. Deborah didn''t exhibit any signs of drug addiction either or anything that''s health-rted, so that was also a dead-end for them.

    Recently, Damien had been doing his part by slowly being involved in a couple of the Parks'' underground activities. He didn''t like it, but aside from helping Katherine get more information about the client who ordered her parents'' death, he also had to keep track of his uncle''s shenanigans. Getting involved in the family business was needed for him to get stuff done. It made him closer to his uncle.

    Both Katherine and Damien had busy days, trying to make things right in their family. But they made sure to always have time with each other no matter how crazy their schedules got. When Friday came, they decided to go back to Golden Phoenix Residences and have some friends over for dinner. While they liked the convenience of living in Crown Resort Group''s penthouse, they missed seeing Bear all the time, and be around Styles and Amelia who were still staying in Katherine''s suite.

    ...

    Golden Phoenix Residences

    "After a month of being away, wee back, Agapornis." Styles raised his ss and made a toast, even using the scientific name for lovebird again. "I''m sure you miss this ce but rest assured, I and Bear took care of it. Just...ignore the third guestroom for now. I promise I''ll take care of it as soon as possible."

    Katherin and Damien looked at each other, wanting to question what he was talking about, but decided to interrogate himter.

    "We''re d you''re back here," said Amelia. She looked very lovely in her purple cocktail dress, the smile on her face was evident that she was doing well with moving on, considering Christhe man she treated like a sonpassed. Since the start of this year, Damien made her a permanent trainer in Maverick Security and it helped keep her busy. He just had to make sure none of his guards were making moves on her.

    Felix and Marcus raised their drinks as well. All of them clinked their sses with each other and took a sip. The inte chimed, indicating that someone wasing up through the elevator. It wasn''t a doorbell, so they were expecting to see someone whom Damien had in his list of "Trusted Guests".

    Sure enough, when the elevator opened, in came William with a bottle of champagne in hand. He sauntered towards the dining area where everyone was with a proud smile on his face, "I heard this was a homing party. But how about we turn this into a double celebration?"

    "What''s your good news?" Damien met his cousin halfway and they briefly hugged, taking the bottle from him and pouring him a ss of his own.

    William went around to kiss the women on their cheekKatherine and Amelia. He already knew who thetter was and when he found out the first time, he was shocked. Amelia always gave that impression to anyone she''d meet because of how young-looking she was. "Well... I just closed a multi-million dor deal with one of the most difficultpain in the aspany. And I''m head of the project."

    "Damn. You got the Simmons ount?" When the other nodded in confirmation, Damien eximed, "Finally! This indeed calls for a celebration!"

    "Oh, I didn''t just ''get'' it. I fcking grabbed it by the neck, locked it up in a metal cage, and sealed it with cement after burying it ten feet underground. Probably too much of a visual, but damn straight, I got it!"

    Everyone in the roomughed at William''s enthusiasm. He and Damien had been working hard on this for the past month and finally, they seeded. This was an important step for them to convince the board that William was worthy to take the CEO''s spot in Park Group when they call the meeting in the future. Over the years of working under his father''s light, William did what he could. He did y hard, but when it came to work, he also did his best. However, the board also witnessed the ck of warmth'' that Frederick had towards his own son and this gave them the impression that Frederick didn''t have high regard for him.

    The Simmons ount had been quite difficult to chase that even Frederick gave up working on it a few months ago. William picked it up a month ago and took his chance, hoping to prove to everyone his worth.

    William raised his ss filled with champagne, a wicked smile casting his face as he said, "To dethroning my beloved father, Frederick Park."

    "I''ll drink to that," muttered Damien and the others followed suit. It looked like the future was finally shining brightly.

 Chapter 605: A Very Little Key Can Open a Very Heavy Door

    Chapter 605: A Very Little Key Can Open a Very Heavy Door

    An unearthly and strangled scream echoed the massive master bedroom of Damien''s penthouse in Golden Phoenix residences. Damien woke up in a start, his heart pounding in his chest as he witnessed Katherine thrashing in bed next to him. He immediately gathered her in his arms, stroking her back and trying to wake her up gently. "Baby, wake up It''s just a dream."

    She gasped as she came to, her cheeks streaked with tears from her nightmare. Sweat formed on her forehead, and her back was drenched in sweat. She panted as if she just ran a hundred miles, sniffing as she buried her face into his chest.

    "It''s just a dream" he mumbled, despite not knowing what she was dreaming about. Katherine had told him she had nightmares from time to time, but she didn''t tell him what it was about. Frequently, he''d ask her, but she''d say she didn''t remember what it was. It pained him that there was nothing he could do except just being there for her.

    This was the first timein a whilethat she woke up screaming in her sleep. Damien could still remember the nightmares she had back when she lost her memories, and it was horrible for her. This time was just as terrible if not more, and all the times that she did have nightmares, it was all because of Shadow.

    He thought that she was getting better, especially because she had an outlet for diverting her attention to tossing criminals into prisons. But it seemed as though she was still having some post-traumatic stress.

    Katherine''s whole body trembled as she leaned into his embrace. She wasn''t crying anymore, but she refused to let go of Damien as though she was afraid that he''d disappear.

    "What was that about?" Sliding his hand to the side of her face, he tilted it so she was looking up at him as he asked, "What''s hurting you?"

    Her mouth quivered, but she stopped it until she pursed her lips into a thin line, shaking her head, and then nuzzled into his neck. "I don''t want to talk about it."

    "It might help if you do. I hate seeing you like this"

    "It would feel real if I talk. I just don''t want to think about it. I want to forget it, Damien. Please make me forget it," she pleaded.

    He sighed. Damien didn''t want to push it, so he decided to ask her about itter. The nightmare was still fresh, and she''s clearly still bothered by it. "Okay." Heid her down in bed and held her until her breathing slowed down. "Do you want water?"

    Katherine shook her head, her arms tightening around his waist. "Don''t go anywhere."

    "I won''t. I''m right here. I''m not going anywhere." He kissed her forehead and continued stroking her back until she fell asleep.

    It was four in the morning of the 28th of January. Damien had a busy day ahead, but he made a mental note to call Evangeline Reed, his former therapist, first thingter. Eve might not be an NIA therapist, but she certainly was an effective one. He just hoped that he could convince Katherine to see her.

    Later that morning, Katherine went about her usual Monday, where she''d give Damien a hand in Crown Resort Group, making some calls in her old office desk and setting up his weekly meetings. She nned to go back to work in Young Corporation soon, so this week might be herst week in CRG.

    She entered his office just as he finished a phone call and handed him a card. "I already confirmed your attendance at the high school reunion."

    "Thank you." He smiled as he pulled her to hisp and circled his arms around her. "Are you feeling better?"

    Katherine smiled, though it didn''t reach her eyes, and nodded. His question just reminded her of the nightmare that caused her a gut-wrenching scream. She hated that she had no control over it. The other nights when she had a nightmare, at least she didn''t wake up screaming.

    However,st night was different. It was as if her nightmare had gone worse. It was pretty much the same with all the running, but the ending was different. This time, Parker didn''t push her into oblivion. This time, Parker let her watch as he killed her loved ones one by one while she was shackled and couldn''t moveher grandfather, her friends, Damienand that''s when she woke up. Thest thing she saw was the evil Parker slicing the throat of the man she loved more than her life.

    She leaned in to kiss him on the lips, wanting to erase the horrifying image that shed in her mind just now. Katherine couldn''t imagine if something happened to Damien. It was still bearable when she only saw herself getting harmed in her nightmare. She could still take it. But the moment she saw the lifeless bodies of the people she loved, it broke her.

    Getting up from hisp, she turned away from him. "I have to go."

    "Now? Your session isn''t until a couple of hourster," Damien wondered.

    "I need to take a walk. My headache is killing me because of my sleep." Katherine picked up her purse from the sofa and walked back to kiss his cheek.

    "I can go with you."

    "You have a meeting in twenty minutes, Damien. It''s okay. Don''t worry about me."

    She started to walk away, but he caught her wrist and tugged her to him, worrycing his eyes as he swept her hair away from her face. "Call me. Okay? And there''s something we need to talk about when youe back." When she nodded, he kissed her on the lips and added, "Be safe, Kitten."

    Initially, Katherine nned to hunt a Skip that day. She had epted the information handed to her by one of her contacts. However, because of her nightmare, she decided to work on something she''d been searching for thest month.

    Whipping out a key from her jeans pocket, she looked at it as it sat on her palm. It was about two inches in length and it looked old with three circles on the head and a few prongs on the other end. She clutched it tightly in her hand. She believed that Chris gave it to her before he passed. Styles helped her search what the key was for, but to her dismay, even he couldn''t figure it out.

    Putting the key back into her pocket, she took her motorbike and drove it towards an old locksmith''s address. Katherine was just doing this blindly, but after doing the more ''advanced'' method of searching, a.k.a Styles, and still failing, she thought it would be best to start with the basics. Who else would know about keys but a locksmith, right?

    As she reached the residence of the locksmith, she grew nervous, not knowing what she''d find. And like expected already the older man took a closer look at the key and told her it was for an old lock. He couldn''t be any more obvious than thatshe wanted to roll her eyes, but she stopped herself because that would be disrespectful to the older man.

    "I wish I could be of help. But this could be the key to any old locks," he said.

    "I understand. It''s just I''ve been trying to find out what this lock is for that my friend left me with. It''s frustrating not knowing the answer." Katherine sighed as she stared at the key on her palm. "Just what is it that he''s keeping inside?"

    "Maybe you''re looking in the wrong ces. Have you gone to your friend''s ce? Or perhaps...he''s not keeping something inside with this key. Maybe your friend gave it to you to free what he''s locked for safekeeping?"

    She blinked. Maybe this older man was reading too much into this key.

    Katherine left the locksmith''s ce feeling defeated. That was a bust but she wouldn''t give up. She''d definitely find the lock to this key wherever it may be. She did think of going to Chris''s apartment, but it was in another state. Perhaps she could ask Damienif only he''d allow her, knowing that Chris himself hadn''t been to his house ever since he was on the run because of Shadow agents who were looking for him.

    But Shadow was over. It should be safe, right?

    She rode back towards CRG. It was cold, and she realized it would have been better to drive a car than her bike. A few minutes into the ride, her right hand suddenly lost power.

    ''Oh, no. The tremors.''

    Katherine tried so hard to grip the gas bar securely, but the wheel still waggled. On top of that, the road was slightly wet. Instinctively, she clutched the brakes and pulled the motorcycle to the side of the road. Thankfully, she managed to park without getting into an ident.

    She checked her right hand which was still trembling. It had never happened before while she was driving. "Damn it."

    Her phone rang, and she sighed when she saw it was him. After contemting for a few seconds, she mustered the courage to answer the call and surrendered, "Damien Would you pick me up? Please..."

 Chapter 606: Damiens Words Are Final

    Chapter 606: Damien''s Words Are Final

    Crown Resort Group

    As always, it was a busy Monday for everyone at the office. Damien was in the meeting room with several directors for their weekly reports when his phone vibrated in the inner pocket of his coat. If it weren''t because he knew Katherine was outside doing what she needed to do, he''d ignore the notification and check it after the meeting. But his instincts nagged at him.

    Whipping out his phone, he opened the text from his mother, Amelia.

    [ RS ]

    The two-letter code meant "Roadside". His heart raced upon seeing the message because if it was nothing but roadside assistance,Amelia wouldn''t send it in bold like it sounded urgent, or Katherine could have probably done what she could to call for a tow or something. Instead of calling his mother, he opted to call Katherine instead. The ringing went on several times until she picked it up and what he heard made him even more anxious.

    "Damien Would you pick me up? Please"

    Without second thoughts, he sprang up from his chair so fast that the members of the meeting snapped their heads towards him. He quickly covered his phone and told the room, "Postpone the meeting. I have an emergency." Then he gestured for Marcus toe with him as he left the room in a hurry.

    "Where are you?" he spoke on the phone again.

    "I''m just outside east of the city on Ida road."

    "Are you okay?" He hastened his steps as they headed towards his private elevator that opened as soon as he pushed the button. "Do you need medical assistance? What the hell happened?"

    Katherine was a little hesitant as she responded, her voice lowered and detached. "I''m...fine. Physically. I''m not hurt. But I stopped on the side of the road... I...can''t drive my bike."

    "Why not?" His brows furrowed, trying to imagine what was happening to her at the moment.

    "I" She sighed with a shaky breath. "Juste over?"

    "I''ll be right there, baby. Just stay somewhere safe and wait for me."

    Damien ended the phone call so he could call someone else. Marcus asked him what was going on, but he wasn''t sure what was happening either.

    As soon as his call was picked up, he immediately asked, "What happened?"

    His mother''s voice was steady, which gave him a sense of relief somehow. It only meant that Katherine wasn''t in grave danger. "Everything was fine at first. She was driving at an average speed until the wheels suddenly wobbled. She nearly went off bnce but managed to pull over."

    He hissed at the image that shed in his head of Katherine skidding on a slippery road, making his heart race again before he reminded himself that she was fine and that she wasn''t hurt. "She asked me to pick her up. I''m on my way. How far are you?"

    "Not far. I''m in an alley a couple of blocks away. Do you want me to go over to check on her?"

    "No... I haven''t told her yet. I was going towhen she came back today. I''m leaving now."

    "Okay, take care, son."

    Knowing that Katherine was physically okay, only did a little to calm himself. He knew that she wouldn''t ask for his help unless she really was in a pinch, so it didn''t stop him from worrying. As soon as they got off the elevator and left the building, he jumped into his car.

    ***

    While waiting for Damien toe get her, Katherine stared at both of her trembling hands. It''s been quivering for minutes that she could barely hold her phone steady. She sped her hands together, and it stopped just a little, but she could still feel it shaking.

    Almost certain that the tremors were not because of the Adrifin drug withdrawal, she worried that something serious was going on with her. Some medical conditions floated in her mind, scaring her even more. She shook her head from side to side as if that would brush her ill thoughts away. ''No, I''m okay. I''m probably just tired,'' she thought to convince herself.

    While she was on her way to the city earlier, she decided to tell Damien about her little excursions and how she had stopped seeing that therapist from the NIA. She never intended to keep it from him as she thought doing it once wouldn''t matter so much. But Katherine didn''t want to keep lying to him anymore. However, timing really was a btch. Now she''d be forced to tell him why she was out of the city in the first ce, plus the tremors she was having. It would sound worse than it really was.

    Soon, Damien arrived, and the tires of his Range Rover screeched as he made a harsh U-turn and stopped in front of her. Good thing the road wasn''t busy at that time of the day. He swiftly got out of the driver''s side and jogged towards where she was waiting. Her heart fluttered as his eyes quickly scanned her body as if to search for any injuries.

    Katherine wanted to pound into his arms, but she stopped herself. He looked both worried and angry. "Damien..."

    "What happened?"

    "I could''ve just taken a taxi, but I can''t leave my bike here. Then you called..." Her voice trailed off. She realized that his call was so timely that it almost seemed as if he knew she needed help. With furrowed brows, she probed, "Weren''t you in a meeting?"

    Damien''s brows lowered as he shook his head. "I postponed it." He looked at her hands that she clutched so tightly against her chest. "What''s wrong with your hands?"

    Katherine took a deep breath, and as she released it with a sigh, she held out her hands towards him. At this time of the year, Esmea''s temperature averaged at 14C. Her hands trembled like she was cold, but then she said, "It''s not the weather. I''ve been having tremors for a while now, but it usually stops within a couple of minutes. It''s been like this since...before you called. I had to pull over."

    His brows deepened. He was almost scowling when he took her hands in his, carefully rotating to check. "Why haven''t you told me about this?"

    He was angry.

    "At first, I thought it was just the withdrawal of that drug Falcon injected me back thenAdrifin. I''ve used that before when I was still in Shadow, and I''ve experienced simr effects happening dayseven a couple of weeks after. But it''s been more than a month now...and it has never happened while I''m driving."

    "What were you thinking driving in this condition? Katherine, you could have been in an ident!" He gritted his teeth, his jaw popping.

    She looked away and retracted her hands from him, feeling hurt that he yelled but also understanding that she deserved the yelling.

    Perhaps realizing his reaction, Damien softened his voice and gently pulled her towards the car. "Let''s go."

    "What about my bike?"

    "Marcus will drive it back to the city."

    That''s only when Katherine realized that Marcus was there. Thetter could really conceal himself that you won''t recognize his presence.

    Damien opened the door for her, but before she entered, he leaned in and captured her lips. His kiss was a little harsh yet also soft at the same timelike a punishment but not painful enough to hurt her because he couldn''t. When he broke the kiss, he pressed his forehead to hers. "I''m just d you''re safe."

    ***

    As they drove away, she noticed that they weren''t headed towards their penthouse or CRG. "Where are we going?"

    "Hillcrest Hospital. You need to get thoroughly checked."

    "But"

    "No buts, Katherine. You''re clearly not okay. Tremor isn''t life-threatening, but it alters your performancelike driving. You need a full check-up and that''s final."

    His voice was stern and authoritative. Damien''s words were indeed final, and she couldn''t argue with it. So all she could do was sit in silence for the rest of the ride.

 Chapter 607: Notice Me, Damien!

    Chapter 607: Notice Me, Damien!

    Hillcrest Hospital

    Damien wasn''t kidding when he said Katherine had to get a thorough physical examination. They had been in the hospital for over an hour after going through several necessary checks. After that, she stayed in a VIP room while waiting for her MRI schedule, which Jeffrey Evans had ordered. She didn''t like the thought of being in an enclosed space. A previous experience with MRI was already haunting her and she couldn''t feel at ease.

    Jeffrey suggested that she took a shower or at least wash off her makeupa protocol she needed to follow before doing MRI because apparently, there could be traces of metal in makeup. So after taking off all of her jewelry, she took a quick shower and slumped on the sofa instead of the bed.

    She sat on one end of the sofa while Damien sat in the middle. They hadn''t talked much since they arrived in the hospital, and she could tell that he was still mad about the whole ''not telling him about the tremors'' thing. And because she knew his anger was understandable, she didn''t try to make up excuses on that one.

    Katherine fidgeted with the hem of her top, thankful that she was wearing a hospital patient pajama instead of a gown with an open back that would sh her ass to people. She never understood why that was even a thing when it left patients vulnerable.

    The T.V. on the wall was on, but neither of them was really paying attention even though they were looking at it. She nced at Damien, whose arms were stiffly crossed across his chest, his muscles straining against the pale blue striped shirt with rolled-up sleeves. She wanted to curl on hisp and demand attention like a kittenshe''d purr if she needed toeven meow if that''s what he wanted. She''d do anything, just stop being mad already!

    Clicking her tongue, she brought her knees up and turned her body until she was facing him. He still didn''t look at her, but she noticed his fingers slightly curled inward as if he was stopping himself from something.

    She slowly slid her feet down, stopping just an inch away from his thigh. ''Come on, Damien, notice me,'' she said in her head with a pout.

    When he didn''t, she bit her bottom lip, feeling the childish urge to kick him instead for not looking her way.

    The frustration caused her toes to curl, and the movement probably did something to him because he let out a sigh, uncrossed his arms, and ced both of her feet on hisp. She suppressed a smile to form on her face when he began massaging the balls of her feet; his magical hands did it again.

    Katherine swallowed the moan lodging in her throat. He could be mad, but he didn''t have to stop touching her. This wasfortingandforting was sexual. She couldn''t control what her body wanted. But she pushed the thoughts away and rxed instead.

    "How are you feeling?" he asked, finally turning to look at her.

    "I''m okay." She wasn''t lying. She was indeed feeling okay for now. Just a few minutes ago, she dreaded the MRI examination, but worrying about it was stupid as it would only scare her even more.

    Damien extended his hand towards her, and she ced her right hand on it. He gently held it in his as if he was trying to feel if it was still trembling. The tremors had actually stopped a few minutes after they arrived at the hospits if her hands knew what was about to happen and they shied away.

    However, in the car beforeing inside the hospital earlier, he asked to see her hands again. So she held them out, and he watched them, his jaw clenching. Katherine didn''t know why but she thought about showing him how it was when she held something in her hand, so she grabbed the stainless steel tumbler in the beverage holder between their seats and held it towards him. Sure enough, the tumbler shook in her hands, and the crease in his brows deepened, his eyes filled with worry and pain seeing her like that. He immediately took the tumbler from her and sped her hands between hisrge ones. "You''re going to be okay," he told her.

    Now, the worries in his eyes lessened as he held it, giving it a gentle squeeze.

    "I don''t like doing the MRI," she confessed.

    "But you need it."

    "I know, but" She swallowed. She was sedated during the times that she had MRIs before. But now, knowing that she could be sedated still caused her anxiousness. The doctors could control the amount of sedative given to her, but even so, it made her feel uneasy especially when Jeffrey told her she''d have to stay awake for some questions during the exam. Just the thought of being inside that capsule with no way out caused her chest to feel heavy.

    Trying to divert her attention from the impending torture chamber in the form of a medical check-up, she curled her lips into a smile and changed the subject. "I have nned something for us three weeks from now."

    "Really?" Damien''s brows raised, seemingly curious about what she was nning. "What is it?"

    "It will be a surprise." She grinned broadly, a blush creeping up her cheeks for the n she had in mind. "This morning, I cleared your schedule on that day and moved your other appointments, so you and I can go somewhere without you worrying about work."

    He chuckled at her mischievous expression. "I knew letting you organize my schedule was the best decision at the start of my yearwell, that and having to spend more time with you, of course."

    "Ha! Don''t be toocent. I might purposely screw up your appointments if you''re mean to me!" She raised her chin haughtily.

    "When have I ever been mean to you, Kitten? Hm?" He tossed her feet off hisp and tugged her towards him, the worry in his eyes reced with yfulness, and she was d he forgot all about her tremors.

    Just as he was about to nt a kiss on her lips, a knock on the door interrupted their moment. The door opened, and Jeffrey Evans strolled inside with a chart in hand, already throwing his first question as he strode towards them, "You''re not pregnant, are you, Katherine?"

    She and Damien were both taken aback by the question, and thetter looked at her, waiting for her to answer. She couldn''t tell whether he anticipated her to say yes or expected her to say no. But then she shook her head and replied, "No. I''m on the pill."

    Katherine swore Damien''s shoulders dropped ever so slightly. Was he disappointed?

    Jeffrey lifted a paper from his chart and nodded once. "I see. Right Your hCG levels are low here. MRI scans aren''t rmended for pregnant women. I just wanted to make sure, you knowin case you feel that you are. Blood tests aren''t 100% urate." He looked up. "Are you ready?"

    She shook her head. "Can I back out? I hate MRIs." There was no need to sugarcoat it. She''d rather take needles than being trapped in a machine.

 Chapter 608: Facing Your Fears

    Chapter 608: Facing Your Fears

    ...

    There was no backing out on this. Katherine was wheeled towards the room where the MRI scan would be taken. She had already taken a sedative almost thirty minutes ago, but the moment she saw the huge machine, it was as if the sedative wasn''t working. She wanted to get out of there fast. The ceiling of the machine where she would go into was too near for her. The thought of just having the walls around her closing in made her want to run out of the room.

    Funny how she could sleep in a closet room in CRG''s office, but she couldn''t do it for an MRI. Well, obviously, the two weren''t the same. At least that closet, she could still stand, she could sit up without hitting the ceiling. This massive machine...was not like that at all. She''d rather sleep in that tiny closet than be confined in the MRI machine for about an hour while staying still.

    Arge hand squeezed her shoulder, and she looked at Damien. She could see the worry in his eyes, and she hated that she was making it difficult for him. So she swallowed the huge lump in her throat and nodded, allowing the technician to guide her towards the patient table. She followed instructions despite the thundering in her chest.

    Katherine was given headphones where a ylist of her choice was ying. It was to keep her rxed and also mask the banging sound that the machine would make during the procedure.

    Then came the worst part.

    A bulky head coil was ced over her head, caging her in. She was trapped.

    "Just rx. You''re safe," said the Technician, in an attempt to calm her down. He gave her a special ball, which she was supposed to squeeze when she''d feel anxious.

    She stopped herself from snapping and telling the man, ''How about I cuff your head in here for days, let you scream until you lose your voiceuntil you pass out and wake up still trapped?''

    It was very specific. Yes. Just like what happened to her in the past during one of Shadow''s torturous training.

    Katherine didn''t think she''d ever recover from that because even yearster, when she had to take an MRI exam, she was still traumatized and couldn''t go through it. Although she could not rememberrather, she refused to remember every single detail of that training; she could still feel the same fear.

    Soon, the table beneath her moved her backward. She nearly squeezed the ball right away, but she stopped herself. Despite her fear, she really wanted to get through this.

    Jeffrey''s familiar voice sounded in her ear, "Katherine, we''re going to start, okay? Can you stay still?"

    After taking a deep breath, Katherine answered, "Yes."

    However, right after she said that, the ceiling above her began to morph into something she dreaded to see. What''s more, the cage around her head already made her feel like it was closing in on her. It was so hard to breathe.

    Katherine''s chest heaved up and down, her breathing became heavy, and her hands began to tremble.

    Suddenly, she was back inside that coffin.

    One of Shadow''s sick training was that they would be trapped inside a coffin for hours. The very first time that happened, she wasn''t even aware that there was a test like that. She went to bed the night before, and when she woke up, she was already trapped inside. She screamed, wed, and tried to punch what was in front of her, but she only ended up breaking her hand. Parker''s voice came through the speakers somewhere inside the box, telling her that it was an exam. He was a monster.

    Katherine begged for it to be over, but her cries were useless. She''d fallen asleep, and when she woke up, it was the same nightmare againtrapped inside with nowhere to go. How cruel was that man? She couldn''t even find the best word to describe. Parker said that this was importantthat facing your fears makes you stronger. That wasn''t "facing your fears" at all. That was him "forcing the fear" on her and traumatizing her.

    When she thought that it would only happen once, it happened once again a couple of weekster. And then again. And then again. You''d think she''d get better at it, but no, she didn''t. She had the same reaction every time. A few times were even worsewhen she woke up but couldn''t move at all. It was as if she was paralyzed.

    "Katherine? I need you to stay still" Jeffrey''s voice came to her head again, and she snapped out of her memory.

    However, she was still feeling agitated, shes of images from that terrible memory still haunting her.

    "Damien" she muttered, her voice loud enough for everyone in the room to hear. "Damien" she breathed.

    In the next second, a warm hand covered her. His hand. She thought he was saying something, but she couldn''t hear because of the headphones, so she looked down and saw him. "I''m right here, baby. What''s wrong?" said his lips.

    "I can''t I... can''t do this," Katherine managed to say, gripping both his hand and the special ball so tightly.

    Damien turned his head towards the ss window where Jeffrey was. He signaled him to stop, and just like that, the technician pressed something on the panel, and she was moved out of the machine.

    As soon as the head coil and the headphones were removed from her head, she climbed out of the table and into Damien''s arms.

    "Why are you crying? Are you that scared?" He cupped her cheeks and tilted her head up so he could see her face and he was shocked. "Shit. You''re so pale." He wiped the tears from her cheeksshe didn''t even know she cried. "You''re trembling."

    Clutching his shirt tightly, Katherine sniffed. "They put me in a coffin, Damien. Many times. They put me there, and I couldn''t get out. They wouldn''t let me out."

    Something shifted in Damien''s expressionworry, fear, anger, rage.

    "Who?" he asked in a cold tone; the air around them seemed to crackle.

    "Parker Shadow," she muttered in almost a whisper so that only he could hear. Then her forehead fell on his chest. How could that monster who was already in prison still scare her like this? It was too much. Too tiring.

    His hands slid down to her shoulders, holding her up. "Let''s go back to your room first. I''m sorry I didn''t know you went through something like that. I shouldn''t have forced you to take the MRI."

    Katherine shook her head. "It''s not your fault. I wanted to go through with the exam. It''s been years, and I thought"

    Damien stroked her head, trying to calm her down. "It''s okay. We''ll figure something out."

    Once they were back in the room, she curled onto Damien''sp, refusing toy down on the bed by herself.

    Jeffrey came into the room a few minutester with a chart in hand. "You still felt anxious even after taking the sedative. Are you ustrophobic?" She only looked at him without saying anything, and then he nodded. "There''s another machineOpen Upright MRI where you can sit during the procedure. There will still be a head coil, but the front will be open, unlike the traditional machine." He showed her a picture of itit was like a room with sides and back but with an open front and a chair in the center. "Do you think you''ll be morefortable with this?"

    Katherine let out a sigh. "You should have told me about that first."

    Jeffrey smiled. "I''ll schedule you for an appointment." He stayed for a few more minutes discussing what their next course of action was before he left the room.

    Damien stroked her head as sheid on hisp. "Tell me about your nightmares."

    She bit her bottom lip, not wanting to recall what made her have trouble sleeping. But after a full minute of silence, she began to tell him all about those dark dreams.

 Chapter 609: What are you saying?

    Chapter 609: What are you saying?

    Katherine told him all about her nightmares. The running, seeing Chris, more running, Parker pushing her into a ck hole, and the recent one this morning where her family and friends were killed before her, Damien getting killed in front of her.

    It was painful to recall what she saw in her dream, but it felt suffocating not talking about it. The whole time, Damien was quiet as he let her speak, though she knew he felt sorry for her because she was suffering.

    "You know they''re just dreams, Katherine. Sometimes, they''re figures of your fears haunting you in your sleep. Your friends are safe. Your family is safe, and I''m right here with you. Parker''s locked away. Shadow is over," he told her.

    "I know that. But I can''t help it. I just sleep, and suddenly I see it. It''s happening all over again."

    "I know, baby You should have told me about it. Why would you keep that from me?"

    Katherine shook her head. "You''re already busy enough. I can''t always bother you, Damien. You have a life too. You have apany to runa battle to win with your uncle. I just" She sighed.

    Damien brushed his hand on her cheek. He had indeed been swampedtely. Despite wanting to finish on time in the office, there were just a lot of things that he needed to attend to. "Nothing''s more important than you."

    She bit her lip, hugging his arm. He could sense that she was still worried about something, so he asked, "What are you thinking about?"

    "Director Hughes wouldn''t give out information regarding how many people they arrested that day. They got several assassins. But what about the others who weren''t in Castle? They''re still out there"

    He had thought about what she meant too, but he wasn''t worried about that when the one in chargeParkerwas already caught. "You said your life in Shadow You were all about following orders, right?" She nodded, and he squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. "What can they do if the man giving them orders isn''t there? They''re probably in hiding now."

    A sigh came out of her. "You''re probably right"

    Damien grabbed the nket next to him and ced them over her, covering her arms so she wouldn''t get cold. Katherine tried to close her eyes, but a few secondster, she asked, "Aren''t you going to ask me what I was doing out there?"

    "What were you doing?"

    "I was looking for answers...to the key."

    Damien knew which key she was talking about, and although he didn''t like that she was on a search for what the man whom she used to have feelings for left for her, he couldn''t ask her to stop looking. "Did you find what you were looking for?"

    She opened her eyes and shook her head, a small crease forming between her brows. "You don''t seem surprised."

    He adjusted the nket on her and began stroking her arm as if he was trying to make her morefortable. "Take a nap. I''ll wake you up when Jeffreyes back for your appointment."

    ***

    The Open Upright MRI was definitely much better than the traditional one. Katherine sat on the chair, and they made her watch something on the screen while they did the procedure. There was still a head coil on her head like Jeffrey told her, but she no longer felt suffocated because nothing was in front of her. It probably took about half an hour or so for the exam to finish, and once she was done, she and Damien waited in Jeffrey''s office while he consulted with the radiologist.

    Katherine and Damien didn''t wait that long. A few minutester, Jeffrey entered his office and offered the two of them coffees, but both of them declined.

    "How is it?" she asked. "Is there something wrong that you had to consult with another doctor?"

    Jeffrey took off his whiteb gown, hung it on a rack, pulled his sleeves to his elbows, and then opened Katherine''s exam results on the screen. Damien and Katherine exchanged looks, and she clenched her hands together. No matter how much she thought she was strong, there was always something that would remind her that she wasn''t invincible.

    "Jeff," Damien called.

    "Sorry, just wanted to have a final look at the scans." Jeffrey faced them and pulled the corners of his lips. "Your test result shows you''re clear. I saw it at first nce, but I just wanted to be sure that''s why I asked the radiologist in case I missed something. Dr. Hill said it''s clear."

    The couple looked at each other again, a small hint of a smile forming on Damien''s face but slowly disappeared and was reced with a confused expression. "Then, she''s fine...right? The exam result, like you said, is clear. So, she''s not"

    "What are you not saying, Jeff?" Katherine stared at him, trying to assess what he was hesitant to say.

    "Katherine" Jeffrey started. "Can you tell me when you experience your tremors?"

    "I already told you. It usually justes and goes."

    "Try to think of the days when you''ve had them. Did you do something unusual before it happened?"

    She swallowed, her heartbeat starting to race when she thought about the times she did have the tremors. Her eyes flickered from side to side as she recalled that they happened mostly when she wasn''t doing anything active. She was fine during the times she went bounty hunting, exercising, sparring, practice shootinganytime when she had to use her "skills", she was fine. But whenever she was idle, her tremors woulde.

    Damien ced a hand over hers, squeezing it as if he was urging her to stay something.

    Katherine took a deep breath and said, "It usually happens when I''m not doing anything. Today was the first time it happened while I was...riding my motorcycle."

    Jeffrey nodded. "Your vitals are fine. Blood is good. MRI is clear"

    "What are you saying, Jeffrey?"

    "I''m saying that This may be psychological."

    She slightly leaned back, and a mocking soft chuckle escaped her lips. "Are you saying I''m going crazy?"

    Jeffrey nced at Damien and fiddled with the pen in his hand. "Damien told me you went through something traumaticst month."

    "You think it has something to do with this?"

    "Have you thought about seeing a psychologist?"

    Katherine opened her mouth and then closed it again. She didn''t want to be having this conversation here because she''d already nned to tell Damien when they got home. The sudden shift in the atmosphere was making her ufortable. "I am... I did."

    Then she cast a nce at Damien. His expression remained unchanging, causing her brows to knit as she wondered why he didn''t look surprised.

    And as though he understood the look she was giving him, he admitted, "I already know you stopped going to the sessions."

    "What?" She slightly leaned back, unsure of what to make out of this. She shouldn''t be surprised, and yet she was. "Since when?"

    "The therapist called me to check in on you the next day when you didn''t show up for the appointment. I...also knew about you going hunting again."

    A small gasp left her lips, her hands retracting from his hold. "H-How?" She was going to tell him but hearing all this...him knowing about her secret activity. There was only one exnation, and she didn''t like the feeling that''s wing in her stomach. It was like being in Shadow. "You had me followed? What the hell, Damien?"

 Chapter 610: Staying Mad Would Be Difficult

    Chapter 610: Staying Mad Would Be Difficult

    Katherine looked away, not wanting to see Damien in the eye. Her arms went around her stomach, finding itforting as if she was holding herself together.

    Of course, he had her followed. Of course, he already knew what she was doing without her knowing that he already did. He was Damien Park, for Christ''s sake!

    She disappeared several times in the past, and he admitted to having searched for her everywhere, had her investigated and all that. And when she appeared in front of him after five years of not seeing each other, he had her investigated too. He was always looking for her. Damien was protective, and she understood that. During the times when Shadow was onto her, he''d used his security to keep an eye on her. And she allowed thatonly because they agreed to it.

    But now that he kept reminding her that Shadow was over, that Parker was already caught, why was he still being like this? The thought of someone spying on her all the time just felt wrong to her. No wonder she felt ufortable the whole time she was out.

    "I''m going to stop you two for a second," Jeffrey interrupted, seeing as they were about to argue, and then he faced Katherine. "Kath, please calm down. I''m just trying to help. As per the results I see in your exams, they''re all clear. It means that you don''t have any physical illnesses that need to be treated. And your MRI came back good as well. Apart from the fact that you are ustrophobiclike you said, you had a pretty bad experience many years agoyou''re healthy. So, the only reason that could cause your tremors would have something to do with your psychological well-being.

    "I would rmend seeing a therapist. Talking about it and knowing what you can do to stop the tremors would definitely do you good. I can help you set up an appointment with a doctor I personally know. But if you know someone whom you think you''d befortable with, then"

    "Thanks for your time, Jeff." Katherine got to her feet. "If you have anything else to discuss regarding my results, you can call me." Then she headed towards the door.

    Damien let out a sigh as he got up as well. He gave his friend a quick nod and heard him utter a ''sorry'', then he followed her out. His chest felt heavy, and so did his steps. They didn''t talk all the way back to her room. The elevator was full when they got in, but he was thankful that she allowed him to ce his hand on the small of her back even though she didn''t talk to him at all. He hated her silent treatment.

    As soon as they reached the room, he called her, "Katherine, let''s talk."

    She reached the foot of the bed before whirling around to face him. She was slightly dizzy, causing her to clutch the bed''s frame next to her. "How could you do this, Damien?"

    "Do what? Protect you?"

    "Protect me?" She pointed to herself, and a small scoff came out. "Is that really what you''re doing? Or you just can''t help...monitoring me?"

    He ran his tongue on his inner cheek, folding his arms across his chest. His brows were drawn together, looking as though he was trying to figure her out. "What is this really about? Why are you so upset?"

    "Damien, you had me followed. You were tailing me. I don''t like being monitored. Why would you do that? Didn''t we talk about this already?"

    "Katherine... You''ve been kidnapped. Twice! And there wasn''t anything I could do during then. If having my security on you all the time would help keep you safe, I''d definitely do it."

    She leaned her hip against the bed frame, feeling a headacheing. She hated having an argument with Damien, but this She just didn''t like it.

    "Do I need to remind you that those times, I willingly went with them. I let Gus take me because I had to hide my identity. And then I let Shadow''s guards take me because they were going to kill Noah. Both times, I let them. I could have escaped. Why can''t you trust that I can take care of myself? I don''t need someone constantly watching me."

    His jaw ticked as he walked towards her, not able to bear the distance between them. "It''s not that I don''t trust you. But I can''t be with you all the timeit worries me What if something happens to you and you actually need help? It keeps me sane, knowing that you''re safe."

    Katherine didn''t budge, but she closed herself off by crossing her arms under her chest. He ced a hand on her shoulder, his warmth radiating through her hospital clothes. She wanted to lean into his touch, but she was too angry to do that. She could only look away. "You can''t keep a watch on me 24/7, Damien."

    "I''m just doing this for you. For your own safety."

    "Are you really?" She looked up at him, her eyes bing misty. "Because it feels an awful lot like you''re doing this for yourself."

    "Katherine" He sighed, unable to refute her words.

    Her heart drummed in her chest as if it wanted to leap out of its cage. She ced a hand over it and clenched. "Damien. It feels like I''m in Shadow all over again. We were constantly being watchedall the time. Even when I was out and became an agent, I still had to keep checking in so that they could monitor us. It''s insane. It''s so hard to breathe... And now you"

    "Fck." Damien hung his head low, and he closed his eyes for a minute before he looked at her again, his expression trying to plead for her understanding. This wasn''t the same. She was probably right, he was doing this for himself, but this wasn''t the same. "Baby, you know that''s not what I''m trying to do."

    A stray tear escaped her eye, and he wiped it with his thumb. Katherine avoided his gaze. "I would have told you what I was doing. I nned to tell you today."

    "I didn''t intend to stop you. I realized If that''s what you needed, then I''d let you. I just had to know you were safe."

    "But I told you!" She lightly pped his chest in frustration. "I told you that dast weekthat I felt like I was being watched. And then you acted like it was nothing that it was probably just your men looking out for us. Whenever I''m out, I felt paranoid, like eyes were constantly on me. I sleep, and I see Parker haunting me. I see my family; I see you getting killed in front of me in my dreams. I think I''m going insane, Damien. And you...doing this suffocates me." There was tightness in her chest, and she rubbed her hand over it in an attempt to ease it.

    Damien could see the hurt in her eyes, but no matter how much he saw it, he still wanted to stand by his reasoning. He just couldn''t lose her again. So she could be mad all she wanted, but he''d always keep an eye out for her.

    Taking a deep breath, Katherine swallowed and faced him. "Who? Who''s in on this, huh? I''m sure Felix is, but I don''t think he''s the only one reporting to you. So who did you ask to watch over me?"

    His jaw popped, not wanting to tell her like this as she''d probably feel even more betrayed when she''d know. But the cat''s already out of the bag. He might as well just tell her everything. "Falcon...and Styles."

    She blinked her tears away and scoffed mockingly. "Of course. Your mother. You even got Styles on your team. I shouldn''t be surprised anymore." This was exhausting. She wanted the conversation to be over already.

    "Katherine."

    Her phone beeped, and when she checked the message, her heart sank to her stomach. Her grandfather''s assistant told her that Grandpa Theo was feeling unwell again. His health and his age made her worry. "I need to go to Grandpa."

    Damien, who had read the text, didn''t have to ask. He nodded, squeezing her shoulder as he said, "I''ll drive you."

    She didn''t fight him. After all, she wasn''t allowed to drive. She got changed, and then she let him hold her close as they got to his car. Katherine refused to be watched all the time, even if he only meant to keep her safe. Staying mad at Damien was going to be difficultwhen all she wanted was for him to always hold her.

 Chapter 611: Tonight Would Be Cold

    Chapter 611: Tonight Would Be Cold

    Katherine and Damien arrived at the Young Mansion around eight in the evening. The ride going there was quiet, neither of them speaking. At one point, he thought about continuing the conversation, but with how things were between them currently, he decided against it, thinking that it would be best to give her some time to think.

    Her words about telling him that she felt suffocated from being watched caused his chest to feel heavy. He never wanted for her to feel like that, but he just couldn''t see any way for him to let go of his orders to have his security to keep an eye on hermostly when he wasn''t around her. It wasn''t as though his men were within the vicinity of her vision. Sometimes, he''d even forget that his men were always watching when they''re outside. So she shouldn''t feel like she''s restricted to do anything.

    But her words just got to him. And now he didn''t know what to do. Damien didn''t think he would ever stop from doing it. Why couldn''t she see it his way?

    His grip on the steering wheel tightened until his knuckles turned white, and he nced at Katherine, who had been quiet at the passenger''s seat. The vehicle had stopped in front of the mansion''s entrance a minute ago, but she was too out of it that she didn''t even notice.

    A sigh came out of him. His Kitten was too stubborn.

    Opening his door, Damien rounded the vehicle and opened hers. She blinked as if only to realize that they were there. "You okay? Are you feeling dizzy?" He held out his hand for her to take.

    She shook her head, cing her hand on his as she descended the car. "I''m fine. Just tired."

    He nodded. Still holding her hand, they walked towards the door, refusing to let go of her. Despite having their argument, he still wanted her by his side. She was a stapleas if he couldn''t function if he didn''t get to hold her. She could be mad all she wanted, but he wouldn''t stop holding her, and he was just thankful she let him.

    As they stepped inside the mansion andnded in the receiving area, Deborah Young came to greet them. She gave Katherine and Damien each a hug, looking put-together like always.

    Deborah told the servants to prepare dinner for them. "Would you like something to drink?"

    "No, thank you. I''d like to go see Grandpa," said Katherine.

    "Of course. He''s asleep at the moment, but you can visit him in his room."

    Katherine and Damien then went to Grandpa Theo''s room upstairs while Deborah stayed in the living room.

    "How is he?" Katherine quietly asked her grandfather''s assistant who was sitting next to the bed with a book in hand.

    Frank told her about his master''s activities during the day. Chairman Theo had a meeting in the morning at the office, and during the afternoon, he was invited to y golf with his friends and some business associates. He couldn''t finish the game as he was already too tired and wanted to go home. The older man stayed in bed and woke up about an hour ago to read a book. Then a doctor came by to check on him, saying Grandpa Theo just needed to rest as it might be fatigue, advising him to take it easy.

    Grandpa Theo was sound asleep in the middle of the king-sized bed with a fluffy pillow under his head. His hands were on top of a thick nket. On the nightstand was a humidifier, and the room''s lights were a warm yellow. The room temperature was nice and cozy, just the right temperature to keep himfortable.

    She slumped on the floor next to her grandfather''s bed. The hardwood floor was slightly cold, but she didn''t care as sheid her head by his hand. She made a mental note to have the floor checked and maybe have it renovated one of these days to add extra heat with underfloor radiant heating. She learned about it when she studied some materials in Young Corporation.

    Even though they told her he was just tired, she couldn''t shake that sad feeling, seeing him lying down there. It hurt to see him looking weak. She wished he''d get up and talk with her.

    Damien sat in an armchair on the side, watching Katherine from time to time while checking some documents on his phone. Because he left the meeting this afternoon, Marcus postponed and rescheduled it for tomorrow. He looked back at her and wondered if he could cut back work so that he could be with her more often. With everything that she told him in the afternoon and their disagreement regarding her security, he thought he''d be there for her more than he had been these past few weeks. He honestly thought she was doing okay even though the progress was slow. So he decided to talk to Markus and Caleb the next day to see if this was possible. He had to be there for Katherine.

    After spending twenty minutes in Grandfather Theo''s room, the two came back downstairs as one of the servants informed them that dinner was served. Everyone else had already eaten, so they were the only ones in the dining room.

    "I''m not really hungry," Katherine said as she picked the food on her te. She had barely eaten three bites.

    "Eat some more. You need to take your medicine after," Damien reminded.

    She shot him a look, her brows furrowed together. "I''m not taking antidepressants, Damien." Katherine had read up about the medication, and she didn''t want to ever touch it.

    His headache throbbed, and he''d had enough arguing with her, so he didn''t push it. They were told earlier that she had moderate anxiety and was advised to take psychotherapythe medication wasn''t mandatory, though it was advised to be taken while having therapy sessions. And because she wasn''t sleeping too well, he thought it would help her. However, right now, Katherine was just against nearly everything.

    After dinner, Deborah came back downstairs, and the three of them chatted for a while regarding Grandpa Theo. She disappeared into the kitchen for a bit, saying that she prepared a few things for them to bring home.

    While she was away, Katherine told Damien, "I want to stay here tonight."

    He took a deep breath, not surprised that she wanted to, but the timing just sucked as he thought they''d be able to go home and maybe talk it out. "And you want me to go home."

    She looked guilty, biting her bottom lip. "It''s not that I don''t want you here. I still love you, Damien. But I need to think, and you want to talkI can''t do that yet. We want different things."

    "I get it." He did, really. But it still sucked.

    Deborah came back to the living room, a couple of servants following behind her, carrying several food containers.

    "I''m staying, Aunt Deb," Katherine said.

    "Oh, you are"

    "But I''m heading home," Damien informed when he saw Katherine being hesitant.

    Deborah looked at the two as if she was trying to understand what was happening, and then she reassured, "If you''re worried about Father, Katherine, you don''t need to. I''ll be working from home for a while so that I can look out for him. The doctor is on call, and there''ll be someone next to him the whole time. You can go home with Damien without worries."

    "Thank you, Aunt Deb, but I want to stay," Katherine answered resolutely.

    Then she turned to Damien and told him she''d walk him out. She held his hand until they reached the car and waited until the servants had loaded the containers inside.

    Turning to face her, he cupped her cheeks, his thumb brushing her skin gently. "Are you going to be okay here?"

    She nodded, already feeling the absence in her chest. Katherine wasn''t enjoying this, but seeing him all the time while they disagreed on things was just too difficult. She thought the time apart would help her think things through, and that it would help them both.

    "I''ll be okay. I''m sorry we argued."

    "Me too." Damien leaned down and pressed their lips together. It was apparent that they didn''t want to part, but he wanted to respect her wishes.

    When they broke the kiss, she ced her hand over his and squeezed. "Take care on the road."

    "I''ll let you know when I arrive." He ced another kiss on her forehead. "Call me if you can''t sleep, or if you''re having a nightmare, okay?" She nodded, but he had to reiterate, "I mean it, Katherine. Call me. It doesn''t matter if it''s three or four o''clock in the morning."

    "I will." Katherine nodded, and Damien just had to kiss her again before finally driving home.

    Tonight would be cold when she''dy in bed alone, but as she watched him drive away, she couldn''t help but think about her wanting to stay in the mansion while her aunt decided to keep close.

 Chapter 612: Confidant

    Chapter 612: Confidant

    "Did you two fight?" Deborah asked as soon as Katherine walked back inside the mansion; the concern was apparent on her face.

    "No, Aunt Deb. We''re okay." Katherine smiled.

    "Are you sure?"

    "We''ve just been swampedtely. Damien has to work overtime tonight, and I wanted to stay with Grandpa. Driving from here to his office is quite far. You don''t mind me staying, Aunt Deb, do you?"

    "Of course, you can, dear." Deborah curled her lips into a smile, the apples of her cheeks quite plumper than before. Katherine realized that her aunt might have had her face done. She didn''t have anything against those who wanted fillers or botoxto each his ownbut she didn''t think her aunt needed one, and now Deborah''s cheeks looked shiny, making it appear evident that she had gotten it done. "You''re always wee to stay here anytime you like. I''ll let the servants know you''re staying the night so they can prepare your bedroom."

    "Thank you, Aunt Deb."

    Katherine watched her aunt disappear into the hallway, and then she slumped into the sofa, the exhausting day taking a toll on her. The sedative she took before the MRI earlier had been working its charm, causing her eyes to sting. She''d wanted to sleep since two hours ago, but her mind was just too active for her to calm down. Massaging her temples, she decided she''d make a cup of tea to help her sleep.

    "You''re sleeping here tonight?" Caroline came down the stairs and joined her in the living room. She was wearing loungewear, had a fluffy headband on her head with no makeup, and looked less bitchy. Her younger cousin actually looked adorable like this.

    "Yeah. I want to be here when Grandpa wakes up."

    "Where''s Damien?" She looked around the room but didn''t see anyone. "Not here?"

    Katherine shook her head. "He went back to the city. It''s just me tonight."

    Nodding, Caroline sat in the armchair next to the sofa, put her feet up on the coffee table, and yed with her phone. After ten minutes of silence, she looked at Katherine. "Hey Um. Can I tell you something?" she asked.

    Slightly confused, Katherine nodded. "Sure. What is it?"

    Caroline sat up straight and moved to sit next to Katherine on the sofa, checking their surroundings and making sure no one else was around. "I''m looking for my father. And I didn''t tell Mom."

    "Oh Okay?" Katherine turned to face the other, her brows knitted together. "Why aren''t you telling Aunt Debbie?"

    "She doesn''t tell me anything. I used to ask her about him when I was younger, and she''d always shut me off. I''m older now, you know. I justthink I deserve to know who my sperm donor is." Her eyes rolled as she said thest words. "You''re not gonna tell her, are you?"

    Katherine wondered why Caroline was even telling her about this. They were never close, and the only time they really sort of hung out was that one time in the cafe. Did Caroline perhaps begin to feel that she could trust her after what happened? Katherine didn''t really mind the other being closer. It''s just that Caroline gave off odd vibes when Katherine came back to the Young mansion and had been just distant ever since. So this talking and being friendly was new to Katherine that she wasn''t sure how to deal with it.

    Despite what she thought, Katherine remained civil. "Of course. It''s not my ce to tell her. But how are you going to look for your father? What have you done so far?"

    "I have actually just started today. I''ve been thinking about it a lot these days and it''s just this morning that I actually came to a decision to look for him. I haven''t done anything yet, but I think I''d probably look for some clues somewherein her room...or in her office, maybe? What do you think?"

    Katherine nodded. "That''s a good start. What do you know about your father?"

    "Nothing. Mom has never told me anything at all. She said there was no need to look for him That he''s noting back, so there''s no point." Caroline looked down, sadnesscing her face. "It sucks."

    "I''m sorry. It must be tough"

    "I don''t me her, though. Maybe that man must have hurt her badly. Grandpa had always been there for me, but still It''s different. I always wonder how it felt like to have a dad around."

    "Did you try asking Grandpa?"

    Caroline nodded. "I did once. But he told me he didn''t know anything about the man. My mother refused to tell him who knocked her up."

    Taking a deep breath, Katherine averted her gaze and stared at the floor. She couldn''t imagine not knowing a parent. She knew the pain of losing both, but not knowing the person at all? That must be really frustrating. Also, how could Aunt Debbie shut the man out of Caroline''s lifepletely? How much damage had he done for her to do this?

    Facing her cousin, Katherine patted her arm. "I honestly don''t know what to say I''ve been away from this family for so long, I don''t know anything. Butif you need help, I''ll do what I can."

    Caroline looked at her, hope glimmering in her eyes. "Thank you. I don''t know why I''m telling you this either. We''re not that close. I haven''t been speaking much to my friends, and I guess I just needed to tell someone. Keep this between us?"

    "I won''t tell anyone."

    They both smiled, and Katherine got to her feet. "I''m going to make myself some chamomile tea. Would you like some?"

    "Can''t sleep?"

    "Feels like there''s a debatepetition in my head. I just want to crash and wake up in the morning."

    "I have some mtonin pills if you want." Caroline got up from the sofa.

    "Thanks, but I don''t want any more pills. I already took a sedative earlier. I''m tired, but my brain just can''t rest."

    "Okay. I''ll have the tea with you."

    The two ventured towards the kitchen, where they made themselves the tea. Some servants were still there, and they were surprised to see the two together. Instead of taking the tea in the tea room, they chose to drink it in the kitchen and sat at a table. It was rare for Caroline to even stay in the kitchen for a long time, so this boggled the servants. However, it was a change that they liked as it made the mansion feel livelier than usull because of Katherine''s presence.

 Chapter 613: Lullaby

    Chapter 613: Luby

    The cousins ventured towards the kitchen where servants were still busy taking care of things before they turned in for the evening. When Katherine and Caroline entered the area, they stopped their work and waited at the side for whatever the two young mistresses wanted. Caroline opened her mouth and was just about to ask one of them to make them some tea when Katherine waved them off and said, "It''s okay. As you were. We can make our own tea."

    Caroline cleared her throat, her shoulders rxing as she watched the other move about the kitchen. She''d never done anything by herself around the house. Whenever she needed something, the servants would always be at her beck and call and she never bothered to do things herself. She watched Katherine look for some things to use for brewing tea. A female servant showed the things Katherine asked for and offered to do it, but thetter insisted on brewing the tea on her own.

    Not used to seeing the kitchen for a long time like this, Caroline couldn''t help but look around curiously.

    While waiting for the water to boil, Katherine asked where the tea cab was, and the servant led her to the corner closet. They opened a cab that was full of ss canisters, ceramic jars, and tins that stored all the different kinds of tea leaves. "Which one is Grandpa''s tea?" The servant pointed to a ceramic jar to the right. Katherine nodded and took note of it. "I''ll make tea for him tomorrow. What time does he usually have it?"

    "Madam is the one who always makes the tea for your grandpa. He drinks it at around eight in the morning, just about the time the Madam leaves for work," responded the servant.

    "Okay." Katherine thought that she should be awake before then.

    She made their tea and they drank it in the kitchen. The servants went about their chores, asionally ncing their way. They liked Katherine and thought that the mansion was livelier whenever she and Damien were around. Seeing the two spend time in the kitchen was like a breath of fresh air. Although it wasn''t like the usual, they enjoyed the chatter in this otherwise quiet mansion.

    After sharing a cup of tea, the two decided to call it a day and they headed up the stairs and into their bedroom. Katherine changed into a pair of pajamas which she thankfully left there, along with a few more clothes that she could change into in the morning. She brushed her teeth and then decided to check on her grandpa once again before sleeping.

    Grandpa Theo was still asleep and she didn''t want to disturb him, so after making sure that the humidifier had enough water, she went on to check the windows. There were several guards outsidethe usual guards of her grandfather. But there was also a man whom she recognized as one of Damien''s security. She ignored it, thinking that him leaving her here probably worried him a lot. However, that didn''t change where she stood with him being overprotective.

    When she came back to her room, her phone beeped. She slipped into bed and checked the message.

    [ My King: I''m home. I was supposed to be in the study, but I couldn''t concentrate. I think I''m just gonna turn in. How are you? ]

    Katherine was with Damien thest time she stayed in this room. The thought of him in this bed with her only made her miss him. She curled into a fetal position andid on her side, rereading the text that he sent beforeposing her response.

    [ Katherine: I''m okay. Just got in bed. You must be tired. ]

    Not a minuteter, her phone rang, and Damien''s caller I.D. shed on her screen. She took a deep breath before answering it. "Hi"

    "Hey You settling down okay?"

    "Yeah. I feel bad for sending you home because now I miss you. My head is a mess...and I don''t like us fighting, but I feel like this is what I need to do even if it might not be the best thing to do. Do you hate me?" she asked, her lips slightly trembling.

    "I''m not gonna lie, I''m upset that we''re not together tonight, yet I understand. I''ll never hate you, love. And you''re right. It might not be the best thing, but maybe we do need this. Are you still mad at me?"

    "I don''t know I am but I''m also not. Are you still mad at me?"

    "Yes. You''re very stubborn." He sighed. "I wanna see you, Kitten. Turn your camera on."

    Katherine shifted to make herselffortable and then turned on her camera. "Is that Bear?" She smiled, seeing Damien with their fluffy furbaby. Heid on the sofa while Bear was on the floor.

    "Yeah. He was looking for you. He whined for five minutes at the door after I came home."

    "I''m sorry."

    "Me too."

    "Damien" She studied his face, seeing the crease between his brows. He was clearly worried. "I still mean what I said in the hospital. And I don''t think I''ll change my mind soon. Will you give me more time?"

    "It''s okay, Katherine. Let''s not talk about it tonight. Are you tired?" Damien changed the subject. It was hard to talk about their problem when they weren''t together at the moment. He thought it was exhausting to talk about a matter that they both disagreed on.

    "My eyes sting...I want to close my eyes and sleep but my mind can''t rest. It''s like I''m running on an endless treadmill in my head. I''m sure I''ll have a headache tomorrow."

    He reached to caress her face through the screen. His poor Kitten was suffering and he was too far to hug her to sleep. "You should take some medicine."

    "I already drank some tea earlier. Hopefully, I can sleep soon."

    Damien nodded. "Can I do something for you?"

    Katherine''s brows drew together, feeling a prick in her heart. She didn''t deserve this man. "How can you have so much patience for me? You''re mad and you''re still asking if you can do something for me? I wish you''d just yell at me..."

    A handsome smile flitted across his lips. This woman "Believe me, I ask myself that too. I never have the patience for other stuff or people. I guess I just love you that much."

    Her bottom lip curled into her mouth and she chewed on it. She loved him too. Sighing, she asked, "Can you y the piano for me? My eyes are getting heavy."

    He smiled. Her voice was so soft, it felt like feathers touched his chest. "Of course, baby. Anything for you." Damien got up from the sofa and strolled towards the grand piano. He leaned the phone against the rightmost frame so that the camera captured him and the keys.

    ncing at the screen, Katherine smiled at him and he smiled back. She set her phone against something and grabbed another pillow that she hugged while watching him through their video call. He took a deep breath and carefullyid his fingers on top of the keys, and then they began to dance on their own, ying a soft version of the song ''Faded''. It didn''t take long for her to fall asleep, being lulled by him that night.

 Chapter 614: King Arctic

    Chapter 614: King Arctic

    Tuesday  January 29th

    Katherine woke up not knowing what time she fell asleep. Thest thing she remembered was Damien ying the piano for her. She was positive it was a modern song but didn''t know what the title of it was. That didn''t matter, though, because whatever he yed always sounded rxing to her. Unlike him who could y a few other instruments, she didn''t know how to y any except a guitarand thest time she even held one was many years ago. She probably already forgot how to y it.

    Stretching her limbs, her bones cracked and she winced when she felt some soreness on her back. A massage sounded so good right now. Patting the space next to her, Katherine checked the notifications on her phone. It was half past seven in the morningshe thought she felt a bit sore because she slept for more than eight hours. The first thing she read was Damien''s texts.

    [ My King: Good night, love. I hope you feel better in the morning. Sweet dreams. ]  sent at 12:01 a.m.

    [ My King: Morning, Kitten. I''m taking Bear out to the park and run for a bit before I head to work. Don''t just stay indoors all day. Get some sun when you can. I''ll call youter. I love you. ]  sent at 6:30 a.m.

    Still feeling a little groggy, Katherine tapped her response.

    [ Katherine: Thanks for ying for mest night. I almost overslept. My back is a little sore. Will make some tea for grandpa. Drive safely, please. I love you. Have a great day at work! ]

    As soon as her text was sent, she rolled out of bed, washed up, and headed down to the kitchen where she nned to prepare Grandpa Theo''s morning tea that she''d bring to him in his roomter.

    "Oh, you''re awake." Deborah Young smiled as Katherine entered the kitchen.

    "Morning, Aunt Debbie," she replied, scanning the kitchen ind and watching her aunt prepare the tea for her grandfather. Katherine nced at the servant fromst night to whom she told she would make tea this morning. The servants'' heads were lowered as they waited for orders.

    "Good morning, dear. Did you sleep okay?"

    "Yes, I did. Thank you Is that for Grandpa?"

    "It is. Would you like some?"

    Katherine shook her head. "My stomach would hurt if I drink tea without eating something first." She grabbed a bottle of water from the double door fridge and stood across from her aunt. "I was nning to make Grandpa''s tea this morning. I wanted to bring it to him."

    "It''s okay, dear. I''ve been doing this every morning like clockwork, it''s be a habit." Deborah smiled sweetly as she threw the hot water from the teacup into the sink and then poured the tea into it. She then carefully ced the pot and teacup in a tray and addressed the servants, "Prepare breakfast for the young mistress and then bring Father''s food in his room in ten minutes."

    "I''ll join Grandpa for breakfast in his room." Katherine set the bottled water down and began to help the servants in preparing the food.

    Deborah paused for a while, watching Katherine go about the kitchen before carrying the tray out of the room.

    ***

    Grandpa Theo clicked his tongue and shook his head as he looked at his granddaughter while they ate breakfast on the balcony of his room. "I''m d you''re staying here to check on me, but you didn''t have to worry, pumpkin. I''m fine!"

    Katherine drew her brows together and pouted, "That feels like you don''t really want me here. I''m hurt, Grandpa."

    "Don''t be so dramatic! Of course, I want you here. Why don''t you move back in? You''d get to check on me every day." The older man slyly grinned.

    She stared at him, narrowing her eyes because she knew what he was up to. Her grandfather wanted her and Damien to permanently move into the mansion. He had been actually offering her that whenever he got the chance. While she didn''t hate the idea, it wasn''t convenient for Damien to be traveling the long distance to and from work.

    A tap on the table pulled her out of her trance. She realized she was staring into space and her grandfather was calling her attention. "Sorry, gramps. What was that?"

    "I''m asking why you''re the only one here. Where''s Damien? Or has he left for work already?"

    "Ah No, he didn''t stayst night. Early meeting." Obviously, that was a lie. But there was no need to tell him the truth.

    Katherine spent the rest of the morning with her grandfather. He seemed to be in a good mood today and they ended up watching Ratatouille in the TV room.

    Later, she received a text message from Damien, asking if they could have lunch or dinner together. Knowing that he only had an hour for his lunch break today, she decided to meet him for dinner instead.

    At five in the afternoon, Katherine finished getting ready to meet him about an hourter. A servant knocked on her door, informing her that she had a guest waiting for her in the sitting room. Confusionced her face as she wasn''t expecting any visitor today. Surely it wasn''t Damien as he was still in a meeting. "Who is it?"

    "The gentleman said his surname is Mr. Price," replied the servant.

    "Price?" Her brows knitted. The only Price she knew was Michael from Young Corporation, her immediate boss.

    Grabbing her purse, she headed downstairs and went to the sitting room, still wondering why he was here. The Liam Hemsworth lookalike got up from his chair when she appeared, a smile forming on his face. "It''s been a while. How are you?" he started.

    "I''m doing okay. I''m d to see you, but I wasn''t expecting you today. Did we have a meeting that I forgot about?"

    "My apologies. I should have called you beforeing here. I thought your aunt had informed you, so I just showed up."

    "My aunt?"

    Michael nodded, handing her a thick binder. "These are files that you''ll be needing for the Crown Residencies project. Madam Young wanted you to work with the current project head so that you''d be more knowledgeable in that area of the business too instead of only focusing on procurement. She told me you were staying here, so I figured I''d give this tonight."

    "She didn''t mention anything about that...but I guess it makes sense," she muttered as she casually flipped through some of the pages. Apart from learning the ropes in all areas of thepany, she was marrying Damien, and working closely with Young Corporation''s team and his team would probably be beneficial for both parties. She didn''t mind this, however, that would mean she''d have to be on-site more often.

    Katherine instructed the servant to bring the binder up to her room and then she faced Michael again. "You didn''t have to drive all the way here. I could have picked up the files tomorrow."

    "I didn''t want to trouble you while you''re recovering. It''s okay, I didn''t mind the drive at all. It actually cleared my head. Are you going somewhere?"

    She nced at her dress and smoothed it down. "Yes, I''m heading to the city to meet Damien for dinner."

    "I see. Well, I could give you a ride. I''m driving back there anyway," he offered.

    The ride that would bring her to the city hadn''te back yet as Caroline was using it. There were other cars in the garage but no other drivers at the moment, and she promised Damien she wouldn''t drive while she was still having tremors. If she waited for the car, she might bete getting to the restaurant where they were supposed to meet. After contemting, she took Michael''s offer.

    ***

    The traffic wasn''t bad when they reached the city. Katherine had already informed Damien that she was on her way and that Michael was giving her a ride, but she hadn''t received a response from him.

    As the car pulled up in front of Central Harbor Restaurant, she noticed a striking man standing outside the entrance. Damien wore a tailored charcoal grey pinstripe suit. He had his hands in his pockets as he watched the care to a full stop.

    She quickly thanked Michael before alighting the car and then faced Damien whose eyes looked between her and the man who got out from the driver''s side. He didn''t seem surprised to see Michael so he must have already read her text, but when he dragged his gaze back at her, she shivered at the coldness of it.

    The air suddenly felt arctic.

 Chapter 615: Too Good to Ignore

    Chapter 615: Too Good to Ignore

    "Hey" Katherine kissed Damien''s cheek. His hand went to her back and held her in ce as he kept his stare at Michael.

    "Good evening, President Park." Michael smiled lightly, and Damien nodded while keeping his expression neutral. "Bye, Katherine," he said, waving his hand before getting back inside his car.

    Damien didn''t worry about Katherine being with Michael, but that didn''t mean he liked that they were together. He just didn''t like men around her in general. Selfish, yes. ''But so what?'' he thought, thinking he hadn''t had enough of her for himself, and he probably won''t ever be.

    They turned and entered the restaurant, passing through the security that led to the upstairs exclusive dining floors. She looked at him, wondering why he hadn''t said a word since, but she waited until they reached the second floor before she asked, "What''s wrong?"

    The male host stopped in front of their usual dining room and opened the door for them. "Mr. and Mrs. Park, your room is ready."

    "Thank you." Damien stealthily handed a bill through a brief handshake, a gesture so subtle, yet Katherine knew it was a huge tip just for showing them their room. Whenever they were out to eat or go somewhere, he always kept a few bills in his pocket, ready within reach for when he needed to tip someone for a service. He then waved his hand, signaling to be left alone after they entered the private room.

    She curled her hand around his arm and walked with him to the center of the room. "Are you mad?"

    He took a deep breath, trying topose himself as he pulled out a chair for her.

    "Damien..." she called again when he still didn''t answer.

    Turning to face her, he exhaled a tired sigh of resignation. "I just don''t like seeing you two together when you''re not working. Forget it. I had a busy day. I haven''t seen you sincest night... I just want to have a nice dinner."

    Katherine felt a prick in her heart. This jealous man who was obviously bothered was still trying to downy it. She slid her arms around his waist, thankful that she was tall, so she didn''t have to bend her neck backward so much just to look up at himbut also liking that he was much taller than her, making him even more attractive to her eyes. He looked a bit tired but still dashing as always.

    "Your feelings are valid, Damien. I''m not going to ignore it. But there''s nothing to worry about between Michael and me. And we had already argued enough yesterday. Let''s not do that today too. Hm?"

    "You''re right. I''m sorry. I''m d to see you." He stroked her arms and lightly massaged them.

    Katherine smiled, gently scratching the stubble on the side of his jaw before leaning up to kiss him. "It''s okay. I''m hungry. What did you get for me tonight?"

    "Grilledmb." He winked and helped her to her seat.

    She revealed a wide, sparkling smile. "My favorite."

    ***

    The two enjoyed their dinner as Damien told her about his day at work and the new investors they acquired this afternoon. Katherine also told him why Michael went to the mansion. And Damien''s jealousy aside, he thought it was great for her to be assigned to different areasspecifically that she would be focusing on the Crown Residences project. Things were finally looking up for them, and working on the project together would be both a challenge and also a privilege.

    Katherine also told Damien about her conversation with her cousin, Caroline,st night. She did promise Caroline she wouldn''t tell anyonebut Damien wasn''t just anyone. He didn''t count in the ''keep out'' category.

    "Is there anything that I can do to help?" he offered.

    She shrugged, slicing through a piece of meat and then putting it into her mouth. "I''m not sure. She said she''d try to dig up what she can about her mother''s past, but I don''t know if she''d get anything when Aunt Debbie''s very secretive."

    "Maybe it will be easier for her since she''s closer. Perhaps you can teach her a thing or two about snooping around," he joked, and sheughed.

    "Speaking of snooping, I have to call Styles to get updates about that picture we found of Aunt Debbie and your uncleah, nevermind. I won''t call him. You ask him," she said dismissively, causing Damien to cock his brow.

    "Are you ignoring Styles too?"

    "All of you spied on me." Her voice was lowlike almost a whisperlooking annoyed and temperamental. Either that or maybe her period was about toe. "So yes."

    He set the fork and knife down and leaned forward, tilting his head as he studied her face, trying to gauge her reaction. Then he carefully probed, "Am I special then since you''re not ignoring me even though you''re mad at me?"

    Katherine frowned as she met his stare. This grown man was trying to be cute; she could barely handle it.

    She clicked her tongue, stabbing a piece of meat a little harsher than normal and then shoving it into her mouth, angrily chewing as she contemted. "I can''t ignore you. You''re too good to be ignored."

    Damien threw his head back,ughing. "Cute."

    She rolled her eyes but gave away a small smile anyway.

    "I''ll ask him for you," he said. "Are you ready for the party this Saturday?"

    "What party?"

    He drew his brows together. "Engagement party."

    Katherine gasped. She didn''t even remember her own engagement party was already this Saturdaythen again, neither of them did anything to prepare for it. Their grandparents were the ones who took care of everything. "Oh, my god! Is that this Saturday already? Where did the time go? I''m so sorry. It slipped my mind," she worried.

    "Don''t worry about it. I only remembered because Marcus sent me a reminder this afternoon. It''s also only the first onebusiness partners. Honestly, I''m looking forward to the one at the end of this month more than the others. But, what can we do?"

    "The 23rdme too." She nodded. It was the date of the engagement party where they were in control of the guestsonly close friends and family. "We already tried to stop them, but they''re too stubborn. Grandpa''s the most excited, and I''m pretty sure Nana''s already wearing her dancing shoes as early as now."

    Reaching across the table, Damien squeezed her hand and smiled. "Let''s just get through whatever they want. All we have to do is show up anyway."

    "I guess." Katherine straightened her back, determination glinting in her eyes as she asserted, "But I''m going to take charge of the wedding. I''ve decided I won''t let anyone else decide for me. I meanyou can do your thing too if you want, but decisions pertaining to our wedding will remain in our hands."

    Liking this new resolution she had going on, he chuckled and could only agree with her. "We can get married however you want, Kitten."

    She beamed, unsure where this surge of grit wasing from. All she knew was that she was looking forward to a future with Damienwhether they had disagreements or storms to battle. "Let''s finish our food. I want to go for a walk afterward."

 Chapter 616: A Walk to Remember

    Chapter 616: A Walk to Remember

    ''Cause here I am I''m giving all I can. But all you ever do is mess it up.

    Katherine and Damien passed by a street performer while walking along the sidewalk. Her face glowed, and she beamed as she recalled something fromst year. Squeezing his hand, she looked up at him and asked, "You remember that song?"

    "That?"

    When they stopped in their tracks, he turned his head and observed the male artist doing a cover of the popr song.

    "It''s the song we danced to at the charity g that your family held in June ofst year," she recalled.

    "Ah" He softly smiled, reminiscing the eventful night of her in a glowing gown during the bidding which led her to remember a memory they had together. She shifted his position so he was now standing behind her. His arms enveloped her waist, and he pressed a gentle kiss on her hair. "You''re right. It feels like it had been a really long time since that night. How''d you even remember this?"

    Katherine turned around until they were face to face. Pedestrians passed by them, but she didn''t care whoever saw them intimate like this. Sliding her hands up and hooking her arms around his neck, she told him, "I won''t forget that night. Ever." His brows slightly raised, waiting for her to continue, so she did. "After all, it was the first time you told me you love me." Tiptoeing to his level, she kissed him and then whispered against his lips, "I love you."

    Damienthe man that he wasfelt like he was floating. ''Is this how girls feel when their crush looks at them like this?'' Because he might be feeling just that at the moment. This woman The love of his life just professed to him in the middle of a busy sidewalk as if it were just the two of them.

    He smiled and kissed her back. "I love you too, Kitten."

    "I''m a handful, aren''t I? All I ever do is mess it up?"

    "You''re a pain in my ass."

    She cackled, pping his shoulder yfully before leaning against him for a hug. Even she knew he was telling the truth. "What are you gonna do? You''re marrying this pain in your ass."

    Damien shrugged but a huge smile cast on his face. "You''re a beautiful pain in my ass. Don''t you know yet? It''s a kink."

    Katherine burst out into moreughter. She rolled her eyes at him. He pressed a kiss on her forehead and then pulled her to his side, saying, "Come on. We have to buy some dog treats, or Bear will sulk if he doesn''t get any after a walk."

    They took their time strolling in the long stretch of the avenue until they spotted a pet store on the other side of the road. She felt something strange behind them, so she naturally turned her head to check, scanning from side to side. There were too many people but everyone else minded their own business. She didn''t spot anyone or anything.

    "What''s wrong?" he asked.

    "I don''t know I just feel like someone''s watching." She sighed.

    This was what she was telling Damien before, and he brushed her off, telling her that it was just his security. That was obviously the case since he had his men follow her without her knowing. But if this was indeed his security watching them, she didn''t like it at all, and he insisted on having them watch her. You see, it wasn''t like this before. But after Shadow went down, Damien increased his security. He and his mother kept devising a better system. Was this what Katherine''s going to live with, suppose she agreed to his terms?

    He looked around, his keen eyes scanning the crowd. Damien whipped out his phone and called Felix, ordering him to have the team sweep the area to look for anything or anyone suspicious. "I''m sure it''s nothing, honey." He stroked her arm to soothe her.

    Katherine nodded, taking a deep breath, and rolled her shoulders to shake off the ill-feeling. It was probably nothing. These days had been stressful, so it might be just that. She really needed that massage.

    They continued to move, and just as they were about to reach the crosswalk, something bumped into Damien''s leg.

    The two of them looked down, and a little boy who appeared to be around five years old fell on his butt. His face was stained with tears, and more were spilling out of his eyes. He didn''t look homeless, though. In fact, his clothes were clean and neat.

    Damien and Katherine bent down to help the boy to his feet. Damien''s hands were like a giant''s for the boy''s frame, but he held the little one so delicately. "Are you hurt?" he asked.

    The boy didn''t answer and only kept crying.

    "Oh, don''t cry" She reached and wiped the boy''s cheeks, and only then did he slowly stop crying.

    "Where are your parents?" Damien probed as he began looking around, trying to see if someone was searching for a child.

    The little boy lifted his shoulders, sniffling and biting his finger. Katherine got some wet tissues from her purse and started wiping the kid''s face clean. "Do you know where you live?" she asked, and the boy shook his head.

    "Come on. Let''s find your guardian." Damien took the boy''s hand in his, and he and Katherine stood up. Damien was too tall, so he had to bend to hold the boy''s hand. Because there were too many people, someone in a hurry nearly knocked the little boy over. Without thinking twice, Damien picked him up and carried him instead, then little arms curled around his neck.

    Seeing the sight before her, Katherine''s heart fluttered giddily in her chest. She couldn''t help but smile, witnessing Damien in another shade.

    They waited at the side for a few minutes in case a parent showed up, but no one did. While waiting, they tried asking the boy about his parents'' names, or if he knew their number. But the only thing they got from him was his nameJack, and he was four years old. Katherine and Damien thought that he was a timid child. He seemed really sweet despite barely talking. She could only imagine how Jack''s parents must be so worried sick.

    "We have to bring him to the police station," Damien suggested. It was a good thing that there was a station not far from where they were. They had to walk two blocks, but Damien had no problems carrying the child all the way there.

    The little boy must have been exhausted from crying too much because he dozed off. By the time they reached the station, he''d drooled on Damien''s suit.

    Katherine exined what happened to a female police officer, and they were led to a small room to wait while the report was escted. The station was small, and the room they were in only had a table and two chairs.

    "If you''re tired, we can switch," she offered.

    "I''m okay. Though, remind me to have this suit dry cleaned." He smiled and contained hisughter. This was not how he imagined his evening with Katherine would be. It was strange to be holding a child he didn''t even know, yet at the same time, he liked it.

    "Why are you smiling?" Damien furrowed his brows.

    Katherine didn''t even realize that she was. Perhaps she liked the view too much. "Nothing. I just thought how you''d be a great father someday."

    And as if little Jack heard what they were talking about, he mumbled in his sleep. "Dada"

 Chapter 617: Playing House

    Chapter 617: ying House

    It had been thirty minutes since Damien and Katherine arrived at the police station, and there had been no updates regarding the parents or guardians of baby Jack.

    Damien started to feel numb being in the same position for a long time. He was afraid to move even just a little for fear of waking the little boy up. Katherine couldn''t do anything except wait too. She looked at them and instinctively reached out to touch Jack''s bum area as it looked bulky. It squished under her fingers.

    "Damien, I think he needs a diaper change," she said in a low voice.

    Carefully moving his hand over the little one''s bum, he patted it, and sure enough, it did seem like it was full. No wonder it felt a bit strange holding the boy up with his arms. "What do we do?"

    "I could ask the officer, but I doubt they have a diaper lying around the station. Why don''t I just go to the nearest store and get one? I''m sure he''s ufortable wearing something wet."

    Damien nced at the baby Jack and then back at Katherine, saying, "No. I''ll go. I''ll feel more at ease if you stay here instead."

    He got up, and they ced Jack onto the armchair, using Katherine''s coat as his pillow. Then Damien gently moved another chair in front of it with its backrest serving as a stopper, just in case the little one rolled over. Removing his coat, heid it over baby Jack''s body to keep him warm.

    "You''d get tired if you carry him. He''s pretty heavy," he told her, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Just wait here. I''ll be right back."

    The door closed behind Damien, and Katherine was left with the sleeping child. She sat on the front chair and angled her body to look at the boy sideways. Baby Jack had dark brown hair, fair skin, flushed cheeks, and the longestshes. She couldn''t resist but brush the strands of hair off his face and sweep it backward. He stirred a little and opened his lids, his dark blue eyes staring up at her before closing them again.

    Her hand froze mid-air, unsure of what to do when she thought he''d cry. But the little guy went back to sleep. She let out a sigh of relief. Damien wasn''t around, and she didn''t think she was capable of calming down a crying child who threw a tantrum because she woke him up.

    Baby Jack was so cute, though. It was so adorable to see his little arms that hugged Damien''s neck earlier. The cuteness made her want to have one.

    She bit her lip.

    Have one? A baby?

    Katherine softly chuckled to herself. She didn''t want to liethe thought of having a baby with Damien warmed her heartespecially after seeing him carry baby Jack. But as much as she wanted it, it just wasn''t ideal right now.

    "Where are your parents, little one?" She brushed her fingers on the coat.

    An idea to call Styles to ask him if he could check the city''s cameras popped in her head. But just as she was about to make the call, her phone buzzed, and Damien''s caller I.D. shed on her screen.

    Katherine went over to the other side of the room and kept her voice down when she answered, "Hello?"

    "Honey, I''m at the grocery, and there''s like...hundreds of diapers in here. How could there be so many?" Damien''s baffled tone was evident over the phone. "Which one do I choose?"

    "I don''t know" She softlyughed. "Isn''t there one that has a garter in it or something?"

    "I don''t know. They all look the same to me. There are in ones, with designs, different sizes. Do diapers have belts?"

    Blinking, Katherine thought about it for a second and answered, "Okay I''m not an expert, but I''m pretty sure they don''t Do they?" She was also confused now.

    She heard a long and deep sigh, and she could only imagine Damien running his fingers through his hair in resignation. Who would have thought that a diaper would render him helpless?

    "There''s a staffMa''am! Excuse me? Do you mind helping me pick a diaper? I''m not sure which one to choose," said Damien from the other line.

    "Of course. How old is your baby?" an older woman''s voice sounded through the receiver.

    "Um He''s four years old."

    A smile formed on her face as she listened to the conversation over Damien''s side. He didn''t bother to correct the staff.

    "Do you know his size?"

    "..."

    "That''s okay. Follow me. We have several sizes that would fit a four-year-old."

    Damien''s voice was back on the phone. "Baby, I''ll end the call. Be there soon."

    "Oh, get some baby wipes too. I have my wet tissues, but it might be too harsh for him," added Katherine.

    "Got it. I''ll grab what I can."

    The line went dead, and she had to take a deep breath. That was one interesting conversation she didn''t think she''d have with him tonight.

    Fifteen minutester, the door opened, and Damien came back, carrying two paper bags in his arms. Katherine''s eyes went wide, surprised to see him with so much stuff. He was supposed to get a diaper and baby wipes only. What else did he buy?

    "What is all that?" she wondered as he ced the bags on the table.

    The two emptied the bags andid out a pack of diapers, baby wipes, some baby food, a pack of ready-to-feed baby milk form, a new set of clothes, and a soft dinosaur stuffed toy.

    Looking at all the stuff he got on the table, he cleared his throat. "I got carried away."

    Katherine tiptoed to kiss his cheek. "You are so sweet."

    "All right. I guess it''s time to change him."

    Damien went over to Jack and lifted his coat off of him. He picked the little boy up carefully, and as soon as he did, his nose scrunched up. Holding Jack as far away as possible, he turned to Katherine, and she saw the horror on his face as he urgently said, "Honey. We have a problem."

    She did not have to hear it from him. She could smell it. Pinching her nose, she startedughing. It was so hrious.

    "What do I do?" he demanded, his voice waking up the little boy and baby Jack started crying. "Oh,e on!"

    Meanwhile, Katherine had burst outughing at the situation. She wiped the tears from her eyes. "Justy him on the table. You have to change him!"

    "Me? What do you mean me? Pee, I can handle but poop? Oh, hell" He swallowed the rest of his curse when baby Jack cried even louder. "I''m sorry I''m not mad at you. But, little man, you just made an explosion, and I don''t think I can handle the damage you brought."

    "Shhh. Calm down. We''re going to change you. Okay?" she cooed, nudging Damien to put the little boy on the table.

    Baby Jack continued to cry as heid on the table. "God. We suck at this," Damien huffed.

    Then he reached for the dinosaur and gave it to the boy. Almost instantly, baby Jack stopped crying. Seeing the scene in front of her, Katherine curled the corner of her lips into a smile. "Nah I think we''re okay."

 Chapter 618: Milk and Bread

    Chapter 618: Milk and Bread

    Damien couldn''t believe he and Katherine were actually able to change little Jack''s diapers. It was a feat and a whole buttload of strong stomach, but after bracing through the explosive, they finally did it.

    They changed his clothes and also let him drink the milk and snacks that Damien got from the grocery store. Jack quietly sat on the chair, eating his food in peace. asionally, he''d stare at Damien or Katherine, but he never attempted to speak again, even after one of them tried to ask him some questions.

    At one point, though, he patted the front of his pants, and it took a few seconds for them to realize that he wanted to pee. So Damien had to bring him to the men''s room in the police station, thankful that it was clean enough. He was a little unsure how to help the boy, but Jack unzipped his own pants and attempted to pull them down to his surprise. However, he was too short for the urinal and the toilet, so Damien hoisted him up and let him stand on the seat while he did his business.

    Needless to say, it was a weird yet interesting experience for Damien to be around a little boy and having to take care of him because no one else would.

    Back in the waiting room, Katherine watched as Damien and Jack yed with the toys on the floor. He''did his coat on it as it was already dirty anyway and used it as a mat.

    "Why doesn''t he talk?" Styles'' voice sounded from the loudspeaker on Damien''s phone that was propped up on a chair with the camera on.

    "If he did, then we''d know why," Katherine answered, rolling her eyes.

    "Come on, Queen. You can''t be mad at me forever. I already said I was sorry"

    "Mhmm"

    "So not fair. Why are you friends with King Charming now but still mad at me? What favoritism is this? I can''t ept this. We know each other longer than heno offense, bro, just stating facts," Styles immediately added when Damien gave him an eye.

    "Not true. Technically, I met him first before I met you. And also because I love him," Katherine said proudly, smiling at her man.

    "And you don''t love me?" protested the clingyputer genius on the other line, frowning and sniffing as if he was about to cry.

    "Hmmm" She pretended to think. "Not like I love him."

    Styles pped his chest and clenched his hand on his shirt. "That hurt. Thanks a lot."

    Letting out a sigh, she tried to speak in a gentle manner, "I spoke to you nearly everyday, Styles. The least you could do was tell me. And you''re right. We''ve known each other for a long time, so you should have already known how I would react."

    "I was torn. Your lover boy was only concerned about you He''s worriedwe all are."

    Little Jack looked up, and she met his innocent gaze. It wasn''t the right time to talk about this, so she decided to change the subject. "Let''s talk about it next time. What''s the update? How long?"

    The soft clicky sound of a keyboard was heard from the speaker before Styles responded, "The boy''s father is being transported here. He should arrive any minute now."

    Just as he said that, the door to the waiting room creaked as it opened and the first thing they saw was a man in a sweatshirt and pants. His eyes were red from being exhausted and possibly crying. He scanned the room, and his stare immediatelynded on Jack. The man all but dashed towards the boy, picking him up and hugging him tightly.

    "I''m sorry. I''m so sorry, baby. I didn''t mean to leave you. Daddy''s here now," he sniffed, tears streaming down his cheeks.

    Everything happened so fast that all Damien and Katherine could do was give them some space, watching the pair as little Jack started crying into his father''s shoulders. His little arms clung so tightly as if he was afraid his father would disappear again.

    Still sniffing, the man slightly pulled back and kissed Jack on the forehead, wiping his son''s face with his fingers and then kissing him again. "Are you okay? Are you hurt? Are you hungry?"

    Jack''s lips trembled as he shook his head in response.

    "We gave him milk and some biscuits. I hope that''s okay," Katherine said gently, hesitant to interrupt their moment.

    The man realized that they weren''t alone in the room, and he turned to greet them. "I''m sorry. I was so scared that something happened to him, I forgot My name is Tim. I''m Jack''s father." He quickly wiped his hand on his pants before extending it outward.

    Damien and Katherine received his handshake and introduced themselves.

    "Thank you for taking care of my son. I''m gratefulyou even fed him," Tim said in a shaky voice.

    "It''s nothing. We couldn''t just leave him out there alone. The police wanted to call social services, but we asked to wait a little more" Damien replied.

    Smiling, Katherine told Tim, "I hope you don''t mind that we got him some stuff. He cried and...we just didn''t know what to do. He soiled his diapers We both don''t have experience in taking care of a child, so we apologize if we didn''t do well. We tried to clean him up and changed his clothes."

    Tim examined his son again, noticing that Jack was wearing a new set of clothes and appeared to be cleaner. A small smile formed on his face, looking grateful for what they did. "Thank you again. I don''t know how to repay you..."

    "It''s okay. May we ask What happened?" she wondered. "They only told us that you were brought in a precinct."

    Tim swallowed, averting his gaze and seemingly reluctant to exin. His face slightly reddened, indicating that he was embarrassed by what happened. Taking a seat, he ced his son on hisp and cradled him, his hand constantly stroking the boy''s arm like a habit.

    "I I gotid off from the supermarket that I worked for two weeks ago. I''ve been trying to find a job, but I didn''t have any luck. It''s only my son and me ever since his mother died three years ago. He usually stays with our next-door neighbor while I''m out during the day, but they couldn''t watch him today, so I brought him with me." He swallowed. Still keeping his gaze lowered, he added, "I went to the minimart and asked him to wait for me outside while I got some milk and bread. I didn''t have money, and I couldn''t let him see me...I couldn''t let him see me take it without paying."

    Katherine''s heart ached just hearing the story. She knew exactly how it felt having no money. Those times before she met Damien, she was fortunate to have enough to eat ramen, and she was only feeding herself. This man had to take care of his son, and he had to steal to do that. She squeezed Damien''s hand, and he squeezed back. They had no words to say.

    Clearing his throat, Tim held his son''s hands and gently stroked them. "I got caught by the owner, and he called the cops. When they came, they took me to the precinct. Jack wasn''t outside when they cuffed me out of the store. I begged them to look for him, but they drove away and only told me their colleagues would search. I really thought I would never see my boy again. I''m so sorry, Jackie Daddy''s so sorry. I promise you I''ll never leave you again."

    "Dada" Jack''s lips trembled. His eyes were misty as his little fingers reached to wipe his father''s cheek.

    Damn it. This was so heartbreaking to watch. Katherine''s eyes started to get misty too. Damien nced at her and brushed his thumb against the back of her hand.

    "Oh, god. I''m not crying, you are," Styles, who was still on the phone,mented with a nasal voice.

    "Jack seems to be very shy He doesn''t talk much," she changed the subject.

    Tim nodded. "His development is slow I don''t have money to bring him to a specialist."

    Taking a deep breath, Katherine pulled Damien to the side and proposed that she could bring them into the Young mansion. "I could hire him as a gardener...or maintenance. They can stay at the servants'' quarters?"

    However, he shook his head. "As much as I agree, I can''t let you take in a stranger. We don''t know him. We can''t trust anyone...even if it''s Jack''s father." He nced at the boy.

    Her brows furrowed, and her eyesced with worry. "But Damien, I can''t not do anything after hearing all that. If we leave without doing anything, what happened tonight will just repeat. What if Jack will meet someone not like us?"

    "Baby, I didn''t mean we won''t do anything. We willjust not in your grandfather''s mansion. I''ll take care of it."

    Katherine''s expression rxed instantaneously. "What are you going to do?"

    Studying Tim''s figure from a distance, Damien muttered, "I''ll hire him and let them stay in the hotel. It''s much safer that way."

 Chapter 619: A Privilege to Be Kind

    Chapter 619: A Privilege to Be Kind

    While Damien talked to Marcus over the phone, Katherine had a conversation with Jack''s father, Tim. Thetter used to work in a corporate office, but after his wife''s death, it was hard for him to be out all day while also taking care of his son. He had no parents or rtives who could take care of his toddler, so the only job that worked for him that allowed him to have time for his son was the supermarket until he gotid off two weeks ago.

    "He''s small for a four-year-old," Tim started as he cradled his son in his arms, whose eyes were slowly closing. "I know it''s my fault he''s not getting enough nutrition. If only I could do more, he wouldn''t have to suffer like this."

    The father and son looked very much alikesame hair, same eyes. Jack was indeed a small child. If the boy didn''t say he was four years old, they would have thought he was only two or nearly three. Katherine felt bad. Tim only wanted the best for his son. "You''re already doing the best that you can. I''m sure Jack knows that."

    He looked up, his eyes filled with embarrassment with the slightest hint of hope in them. "Thank you. I''m d you were the ones who found him. I don''t know what I would do if he ended up with someone with ill intentions. Please, Madame Let me repay you. I don''t have money, but I will work for you for free. It''s the least I can do for taking care of my son."

    Just the thought of someone taking Jack for malicious intent made Katherine''s blood boil. This reminded her of the children whom Parker and the other people from The Company took from their parents or possibly those they found in the streets. Jack could have been one of those kids and Tim could have been one of those kids'' parents. She couldn''t imagine the pain a parent would feel. This was indeed a fortunate event.

    She shook her head. "You don''t have to do that, Mr. Connolly. We''re just doing the bare minimum We can''t possibly let you work for free."

    Tim looked at the things on the table and the clothing on his son. Everything was expensive and high qualitythings he could never afford even if he had to work nonstop for years just to get his son a piece of the clothing he was wearing now.

    "She''s right. We can''t let you work for free. That''s very," Damien''s deep and crisp voice chimed in as he walked towards them. "Katherine and I agreed that we can''t let you and Jack go tonight without doing something. I have just gotten off the phone with my assistant to arrange everything. I own a hotel, and there''s a spare bedroom where you can stayfor free of courseand you can start your new job tomorrow morning."

    Tim''s eyes widened in surprise as if he couldn''t believe what he was hearing. He looked at the two in front of him, unsure of what to say. It took him a moment to gather his thoughts before he managed to respond. "Thank you, Sir. I But I don''t think I can ept that much generosity. It''s too much to stay for free. And I don''t understand why you would do that for a stranger." His voice sounded brittle as though he was feeling emotional.

    Katherine and Damien exchanged looks, and then he slid his hands into his pockets as he answered, "Honestly, we''re doing this for Jack. We''ve only gotten to know him for a very short time, but I don''t think we''d be able to sleep soundly tonight, knowing what we learned about you and just going on with our lives. We''re fortunate enough to be privileged, but this privilege doesn''t only mean we can afford things in life It also means we can afford to help people like youlike Jack."

    She nodded. "You must feel strange because of the sudden offer. We''re not forcing you if you really don''t want our help. But we hope you won''t decline. Besides, although the amodation will be free, you also have a job now. Wouldn''t that be the best for both of you? So consider it as one of your benefits." She nced at Damien, a small smile hinting on her face as she added, "I used to work for this man. And when I didn''t have a home, he also gave me one."

    Granted, staying at his penthouse for a few days and then moving to the Royal Penthouse suite was a different case, but she couldn''t help but mention that. Taking a deep breath, Katherine addressed Tim, who was still unsure about epting the offer. "Look, Mr. Connolly We understand your apprehension. You don''t have to decide right now. Your home is nearly an hour away from here, so it will bete if you go home tonight. Why don''t you take a rest at the hotel and sleep it off? You can check the job offer tomorrow morning and then decide whether you want to ept it or not."

    Finally, Tim nodded in agreement. "I guess that''s fair. Thank you again for your kindness."

    After settling matters in the police station, Katherine and Damien drove towards Crown Hotel while Tim and Jack rode in one of Damien''s security''s cars. Marcus was already there when they arrived, and they led the father and son towards the spare bedroom, which was a fully-functional hotel room with a double bed used by the staff for training purposes. There was another simr room with the same purpose, so the two rooms had always been empty and weren''t used for profits.

    ***

    Katherine and Damien said their goodbyes to Jack and Tim before leaving their room. As the two walked out of the hotel, Damien threaded his fingers with hers, giving her hand a light squeeze as he told her, "I''m sorry tonight didn''t go as nned. We were supposed to drop by the dessert shop aftersht. I didn''t even get to buy some treats for Bear." He ran an exhausted hand down his face then rubbed his jaw. He checked the time on his watch and let out a heavy sigh. It was already eleven in the evening. "Everything''s closed now."

    Smiling, she shifted her stance so she was now facing him. She slid her hand up his chest andplimented him, "Don''t be silly. You did great tonight. Thanks for letting them stay here."

    "It''s nothing." He tucked her hair behind her ear. Damien had removed his tie and was wearing a in white shirt with sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He looked more casual now than earlier this evening.

    "As for Bear" Her lips twisted as she thought for a second. Then she pointed to a lit-up store in front of her. "There''s a 7-Eleven across the street. I''m sure we can find some sugar-free or unsalted cookies there."

    Katherine pulled him with her as they crossed the street and entered the store. "There''s also soft-serve ice cream. See? Tonight isn''t so bad. You still get to bring me to a dessert station. You''re buying, by the way; I left my wallet in your car."

    His hand flew to his chest, and he clutched it dramatically. "Ah. I''m being robbed."

    Narrowing her eyes, she looked at him so seriously. "Yes. And I have knives. So don''t even think about screaming."

    A slow grin grew on his face. Damien threw his arm around her shoulder, pulled her close, and pressed his lips to the top of her ear as he spoke in a voice so low and rough, "Love, screaming only happens in the bedroom. And we both know that''s not gonna be me."

 Chapter 620: We Can Disagree

    Chapter 620: We Can Disagree

    The couple went home to their penthouse in Golden Phoenix Residences after their short visit to the convenience store. They ended up grabbing a pack of dog treats and a few sugar-free biscuits as those were the only ones they could find that were safe for Bear. The fluffy giant ball of fur nearly knocked Katherine over as soon as they entered the ce. He had grown so big and was still continuing to grow.

    "Hey, baby. I miss you too!" She scratched the spots behind his ears while he slobbered her. "Oh, we''ve talked about this. No licking!"

    Damien smiled watching the two together and he jokinglyined, "You followed me everywherest night and now you don''t even say hello to me because mommy''s here?"

    Bear barked as if to respond and jumped into Damien''sp, about to give sloppy kisses. This was a disadvantage of havingrge dogs. It could get messy. Damien and Katherine were still working on getting him to stop licking faces but he was such a hyper, stubborn giant baby.

    "Knock it off, Bear," he gently said as he pulled away. They got to their feet and gave Bear a treat, which they knew would be finished in just a couple of minutes.

    After washing their faces clean, they went into the walk-in closet where Katherine had to pack more clothes to bring with her to the mansion. Although they were already ''okay'', she still wanted to stay with her grandfather for at least a few more days.

    She carefully chose a few sets of clothing and packed them away in her suitcase while Damien leaned against a shelf, watching the massive aquarium that''s installed on one side of the wall with his hands buried deep in his pockets. He''d already changed into a morefortable set of clothesa pair of blue chinos and white sweater.

    He felt a pair of delicate hands slide up around his torso and he instantly opened his arm to let her cozy up with him. "You don''t have to drive me up there. You''ll be tired," she said.

    He lightly squeezed her arm, pressing a kiss on the top of her head. She smelled of nectarine and blossomshe thought. She''d also already changed into a casual short-sleeved dress. "I''ll never be too tired for you, you know that."

    Katherine bit her lip, looking up at him with eyes looking hopeful and downcast like she''s conflicted of her own decisions. "Why don''t youe stay with me at Grandfather''s house?"

    Damien cocked a brow, slightly surprised at her offer. He knew she still needed some convincing regarding their disagreement on her security arrangement but they''ve been doing okay tonight too. Perhaps she was opening up to the idea of letting him handle it? He could only hope so. But then again, his woman was strong and could take care of herselfmost of the timebut it didn''t change the fact that he''d always be worried, so the added protection was the only thing keeping him sane whenever she was away and he couldn''t be with her. So for her to ask him to go with her, they were definitely going in the right direction.

    Still, he couldn''t help but tease. "Are you sure you want me there? I thought you didn''t want me with you anymore." He was being petty. ''Can''t a man just ask a little loving?''

    Katherine''s face scrunched up in a frown. "Who said that? That''s not true!" She clicked her tongue and buried her face under his arm, inhaling his scent as she hugged him tighter. "Let''s fight, but let''s not separate. I mean, let''s not fight and let''s not separate, but we can disagree."

    He let out a bark ofughter, shifting his weight and angling his body so that he was now facing her fully. She looked up at him as she added, "I never not want you with me. That''s stupid. I missed youst night."

    "Yeah?" Damien''s lips quirked into a grin.

    She nodded.

    "If you missed me, prove it." He narrowed his eyes.

    Biting her bottom lip, Katherine checked the time on her watch. It was almost midnight and she thought it waste. Gently pulling away, she walked back to her suitcase. "I will. But not here. Let''s pack your stuff and go."

    He scoffed, lightly pping her ass as he headed to his side of the closet. "I''m not letting you get away with that. I''ll im it when we get there." He heard herugh behind him.

    She helped him pack his things and as she chose several shirts from the rack, something that''s stuck on the side caught her eye. It was the envelope that Amelia gave him, wedged between a stack of white shirts and the divider. "What''s this doing here?" she probed, wondering why he kept it in his closet instead of his study. He''d hidden it in his closet too at the penthouse of his office back then. She found it strange but didn''t question him about it. "Have you read the letter already?"

    "No," Damien answered with a light tone. He didn''t even turn around and just continued packing.

    Katherine''s brows furrowed deeply, picking up the old envelope that was slightly rough between her fingers. "Why not? I thought you were going to open this like you said."

    "I changed my mind. I don''t think it''s necessary."

    She nced at it, her fingers itching to open it and read. "Aren''t you curious?"

    He let out a sigh, finally turning around to face her, his eyes zeroing in at the envelope in her hands. "I was. But I just don''t see how reading something from thirty years ago would help me now. I''ve grown up without reading what''s in it and I think I''m fine not knowing. The fact is She left and now she''s back. What''s in that envelope was from a long time ago. A lot has already happened, but we can''t change the past. However, we can still do something now and for the future."

    She swallowed. Katherine thought that he was probably just a little fearful of what''s in it. He took the envelope and put it inside a drawer that''s rarely opened as it only held random stuff he didn''t use daily.

    He grabbed her hand and then their suitcase and walked out of the closet. "Come on, let''s go. We still have to drive."

 Chapter 621: Intuition (1)

    Chapter 621: Intuition (1)

    The rest of the week came by quite fast, and it was already February 1st, Friday. Damien stayed with Katherine at the Young Mansion despite him having to travel farther than usual every day. Grandpa Theo''s health slowly improved when she took over everything there was to take care of him. Although his health wasn''t in a critical condition, she hired a nurse to help them to make sure there was always someone who had medical training around him.

    Katherine and Damien had also been working together on the Crown Residences project. It was great to have her grandfather and aunt around; they gave her many insights regarding her new responsibilities in thepany. She found it gratifying that she''s doing work that benefited the legacy that her father left while also having to work alongside her fianc.

    Sometimes, she was itching to do something that involved anything physical like the missions she used to do. She''d established that it was already innate to be constantly having to move around and do something. It was like a drug that''s getting her addicted. She told Damien about this, and despite his hesitation in letting her do something exhausting and believing she still needed more rest, he thought it would be better to train with her daily just to take the edge off.

    They made a simple daily routine, and that is: wake up, jog with Bear, do sparring usingbinations of several martial artsprimarily for training and also to keep fit, and when Damien had to go to work, Katherine would stay in the mansion with her grandfather where she''d spend time with him after taking her online sses, and then go to Crown Hotel''s headquarters or Young Corporation in the afternoon. She would then go home with him in the evenings. It''s always a busy day for her, but she enjoyed doing this as opposed to not doing anything at all.

    Her tremors came and went, but it didn''t hinder her from moving. If anything, it lessened as long as she was busy. Damien still didn''t allow Katherine to drive, though, and she agreed. It was pretty dangerous to do so if she had an episode while she was on the wheels.

    Katherine had her grandfather''s driver take her to the city at noontime. She brought along with her some packed lunch that she prepared with their house chef and told Damien they''d eat together. She would meet Alianna in the afternoon but decided to go to the city earlier to visit him at work.

    At the same time, she also wanted to visit little Jack. It had been a few days since she had seen him. His father, Tim, epted the offer and was currently working temporarily as a housekeeper while preparing his papers to qualify him for a back-office position. They gave him a room to board and had Jack enrolled in a daycare facility which was conveniently two doors from the hotel so that Tim didn''t have to worry about who would look after his son while he was working.

    She purposely stopped in front of the daycare center to see if Jack wanted to eat with them. However, the little boy wasn''t there when she arrived. The staff told her that Marcus Lee checked him out not too long ago. Wondering why that was the case, she headed to the main office, carrying arge paper bag. The only usible reason she could think of was that Damien was the one who ordered to have Jack checked out.

    Katherine entered the lobby and headed straight to the private elevator, the employees greeting her with respect as she passed. She''d gotten used to the treatment that it no longer bothered her that she once worked with these people; she smiled at the nice ones and simply ignored those who talked behind her back once upon a time.

    "I knew it." She beamed as she entered Damien''s office and found Jack on the couch in front of his desk.

    "You''re here," Damien got up from the desk and met her halfway, kissing her lips and taking the paper bag from her hand.

    Katherine told him she dropped by the daycare center, and he said he figured she''d like it if Jack was there, so he asked Markus to take him. Damien did so after asking Jack''s father, Tim, of course. The little boy looked up at her and gave her a timid smile before looking down at his book again. She got curious as to what was keeping him so busy, so she walked closer and found him so focused on a book that she left the other day. It was an advanced-level French textbook. There were a few educational wooden toys on the tablewhich they got him a couple of days agobut Jack was more interested in a foreignnguage book.

    Her brows furrowed, and she faced Damien with a questioning gaze. Thetter only shrugged, also unsure why the boy was ''reading'' something iprehensible for him.

    Thinking that the boy was probably just curious and looking at pictures in the book, they snickered and began to prepare their lunch. It was quite enjoyable eating with Jack as he didn''tin at all. He quietly ate whatever food they put on his te and finished everything. He even washed his hands before and after, and then wiped his face clean before looking at Damien''s collection of books in his office. Katherine thought he was special.

    Damien''s phone rang, and he answered it when he saw that it was William. He spoke on the phone for a few minutes, and when he was done, he told Katherine, "I''ll be meeting William this afternoon. There''s someone we think we could coborate with for our n. I''m not sure what time we''ll end, though. Are you okay going home before me? I''ll ask Felix to drive you."

    She nodded. "It''s not a problem. I need to meet Aliannater anyways. She''lle with me to Mr. West''s shop to have my fitting. Is everything okay?"

    "Yeah, everything''s fine. We''re almost there. We just need to convince a few more people before we''re ready."

    "Let me know if you need help?" she offered. Damien tried not to involve her too much with what''s going on with the Parks. She knew about their n, but he''d rather not have her participate unless he didn''t have a choice.

    "Of course." He kissed her on the cheek and whispered, "I kinda regret having Jack here right now. You think he''d notice we slip into the penthouse for a quick break?"

    Katherineughed, pping his arm yfully and shaking her head. "He''s not a baby. Of course, he''d notice. I don''t think he''d understand, though, but let''s not risk that." Sliding her hand on hisp, she lowered her voice even more, "Keep it in your pants, Mr. Park. I promise I''ll take care of you tonight."

    His jaw ticked, finding her voice only excited him more. "You can''t make me promise by saying it like that. You''re ying dirty, Kitten."

    "Then I better get out of here fast." She grinned, kissed him on the lips, and then got to her feet. "Let''s go, Jack. I''ll drop you off at the yroom."

    The little boy skipped towards her, his hair pping as he did. He paused in front of Damien and did a little bow, his way of thanking him. Damien smiled and ruffled the boy''s head; then, he watched the pair leave his room.

    The hotel had a huge children''s yroom where Jack sometimes stayed. Katherine spoke to Tim, and they figured it was easier to have Jack wait there for now as Tim would be off work in an hour anyway. After leaving the little boy there, she headed off to the district to meet Alianna.

    As soon as she alighted the car, she felt eyes on her.

 Chapter 622: Intuition (2)

    Chapter 622: Intuition (2)

    Katherine''s fight-or-flight response kicked in involuntarily, feeling like someone was keenly watching her. She scanned the crowd but did not see anyone threatening at all. This was what she hatedbeing observed. It brought back familiar feelings from when she was still in Shadow. Thinking that it was Maverick Security, she whipped out her phone, tempted to call Damien. However, he was probably in a meeting at the moment, so she decided to send him a text.

    <strong>[ Katherine: Can you tell your men to go away? At least don''t let theme within twenty feet from me. I feel anxious with them around. ]</strong>

    She furrowed her brows and headed towards the shopping district''s entrance where she was supposed to meet Alianna.

    "Kath!" Ali excitedly pulled her in for an embrace as soon as she saw her. "You look glowing. Are you pregnant?"

    "Is that how you greet people?" Katherine rolled her eyes butughed as she returned the other''s embrace. "No, I''m not pregnant, Ali. I''ve just been taking care of my skintely."

    "Ugh. I need you to tell me the products you''re using because I''ve been breaking out recently. I think my skin missed Italy''s weather. I''ve been staying in Esmea for a long time; the humidity is being weird on me. Isn''t it supposed to give me glowing skin? I can''t be like this until my wedding!"

    Hooking their arms together, they headed towards Mr. West''s Bespoke shop. "There''s a few I''ve been loving recently. Damien got them all in a PR package from a Korean brand."

    "He even receives skincare products?" Alianna''s brows shot up in surprise. "I mean, I do too...but him?"

    Katherine understood what the other was referring to. Although Damien was techy, he didn''t post very often on his social media page. But that didn''t stop any brand owners from sending him free stuff and offering sponsorships. One time, he was sent a box of expensive distilled water from an up-anding brand. He''d brought one with him, and he was candidly photographed while in a site, and the photo went viral. Naturally, thepany''s stocks rose, and they attracted thousands of customers. It was crazy.

    "Girl, have you seen his skin? I think he has better skin than me. He''s more versed than me in that area. Though I believe his genes have more to do with it than just the products he''s using" She remembered Amelia whose appearance was that of ate twenties or early thirties.

    Alianna frowned. "We share the same genes Why did I not receive the good ones?"

    Katherine gave her a once-over. This supermodel had insecurities? The ''breakouts'' she mentioned weren''t even visible. She had wless skin with very minimal bumps and barely noticeable hyperpigmentation that you''d only see when you''re inches away from her face. "What are you talking about? You have beautiful skin."

    "I do, don''t I?" Alianna perked up right away. Her fast mood change was giving Katherine a whish. "Let''s hurry up! I''m excited to see your dress for this weekend." She pulled Katherine with her, and they hastened inside the shop where an attendant asked them to wait while Mr. West was still with a client.

    The two women browsed the disyed dresses while they waited. Alianna was excited to try out a few of them, and so she disappeared into the dressing room. Katherine sat on the couch, and her phone beeped. It was a reply from Damien.

    <strong>[ My King: I already informed them. Sorry, love. ]</strong>

    She let out a sigh. They hadn''t exactly set up a rule yet, but they mostly adjusted when one said something to the other.

    <strong>[ Katherine: It''s okay. I''ll let you know once we move from here. Xoxo Take care. ]</strong>

    <strong>[ My King: You too. ]</strong>

    Keeping her phone away, she casually looked outside the window and noticed the sky was darkening. She''d better finish her appointment here before it poured, or they''d be stranded. A short-haired woman, leaning against a pir not far from the shop caught her attention. The woman wore skin-tight jeans and a ck hoodie over a white shirt. They met each other''s gazes, but the other looked away almost instantly as she finished off her cigarette.

    "Ms. Young? Mr. West is ready for you," informed the assistant.

    Katherine followed the staff towards a private room and met with the famous designer, Samuel West, where she spent about half an hour fitting into the gown she would wear for her engagement party. They chatted for a while, and she was happy with the state of her dress, so she left the room and was promised to have the dress delivered tomorrow morning.

    Once she came out, Alianna was at the cashier, paying for a couple of dresses she liked. Katherine waited for her by the door and peeked outside. It started drizzling, and she was about to text the driver when she noticed the same woman from earlier. This time, the short-haired woman had her hoodie pulled over her head, and she subtly nced in the shop''s direction just as Katherine was looking at her too. The woman averted her gaze again. How weird. Katherine wasn''t sure if she had seen this woman before; her facial features lookedmon, so she could be mistaken.

    "Ready to go?" Alianna asked as she sauntered towards Katherine.

    "Yeah."

    They left the shop and decided to wait in the cafe next door. While Alianna chatted about her ns with Caleb tonight, Katherine couldn''t shake off the feeling she had been having since arriving at the shopping district. She''d stealthily nce sideways, trying to see if anyone was following or watching hergrowing annoyed that it still might be the guys from Maverick Security, and she''s just growing sensitive about it.

    Not feeling like drinking some coffee, Katherine stayed on the side while Ali lined up to get a drink. She fished her phone out of her purse and shot Damien another text.

    <strong>[ Katherine: Just left West''s. I thought you said you already told your men? Why do I still feel like I''m being followed? This is what I mean, Damien. It''s making me paranoid. I can''t keep watching my back. ]</strong>

    Huffing, she looked up and met Alianna''s concerned stare. Thetter raised a brow in question, and Katherine yed it off with a smile, not wanting to worry her friend. Wanting to clear her head, she told Ali that she''d wait outside. As soon as she stepped out of the cafe, she noticed that the woman from earlier was leaning against the wall a few feet from her.

    Katherine was mostly right about her intuition. But due to her current circumstances, she couldn''t fully trust herself, and it was driving her mad. This woman, however, was giving her strange vibes. And she didn''t want to take chances.

    Taking her phone out of her purse, she brought it up to her ear and made a fake call. "Hey, I''m gonna find a restroom. I''ll meet you back in a minute." Then she proceeded to walk away from the cafe, heading towards an area where she knew would lead her to an alley. She had been here several times to know where the areas led to.

    Sure enough, her senses were correct. She could feel someone following her as she headed straight towards a dimly lit hallway. She didn''t want to turn around and ruin her n to catch the stalker, so she kept going.

    When she reached the door at the end of the hall, she pushed it open and disappeared into the alley, the door closing behind her. The drizzle turned into rain, and the sky above her crackled. But Katherine was unperturbed. She was now Queen.

    Leaning against the wall next to the door, her face turned cold, and her eyes spelled murder. Katherine swiftly pulled out a God of Death knife from her hip and twirled it in her hand. As soon as the door opened, she hauled whoever it was that followed her, mmed the person''s back against the concrete wall, and forced the knife up their throat, leaving only a paper-thin gap between the de and their skin.

    "Who are you?" Katherine gritted her teeth.

    The stalker gasped and froze on the spot, not daring to move an inch or the de would slice her neck. It''s when Katherine was sure that it was the short-haired woman from earlier. "Why the hell are you following me?" she bit out, her brows furrowing in anger.

    "Y-You''re Queen," muttered the woman breathlessly.

    Katherine was flooded with confusion, realizing that this woman was someone from Shadow. Her phone rang with a familiar tone, and it was Damien calling her, but she was muddle-headed to answer at the moment.

    She had to deciderun or kill. Thetter seemed the most obvious.

 Chapter 623: Dubiety

    Chapter 623: Dubiety

    The back alley was empty, and the sky darkened as Katherine confronted her stalker. It was about to rain. She could hear an ambnce siren from a distance, and her ears pulsed while her heart drummed in her chest.

    "I''m not here to fight!" The stalker blurted upon sensing that Katherine was about to slice her. Her breathing hitched, and she pushed herself against the cold brick wall, not wanting to get cut.

    Katherine''s eyes wereced with fury. She''d been feeling so uneasy for days, weeks even. And then this happened. Her paranoia was slowly drowning her, and she was so close to snapping.

    "Then why are you following me!"

    "I"

    A loud noise from a moving truck at the end of the alley distracted Katherine a little. The woman took advantage of it and tried to shove her off, but Katherine pushed her back, refusing to let her go. "Don''t move, or I swear I''ll slit your throat faster than you can blink." Katherine gritted her teeth, the crease between her brows deepening as she red at the stalker.

    "Okay, okay. I won''t move," responded the woman breathlessly.

    "Tell me who you are."

    "Remove the de from my neck and"

    "Oh, you''re not in the position to negotiate here, missy." Katherine smirked wickedly. "I make the rules. Tell me who you are, and then I''ll decide if I''ll remove this de from your neck."

    The woman swallowed. "I''m Chloe. I amwas an agent of Shadow."

    "I figured that out already, but why are you following me? Whose orders are you taking?" Katherine questioned.

    "No one. I''m on my own. I''m not taking anyone''s orders. I came on my own."

    "I don''t believe you."

    "I swear. I''m telling the truth." She muttered under her breath. "I-I escaped the day the base got raided. I''ve been on the run ever since."

    Katherine huffed and pressed her arm against the other''s chest, pushing her harshly against the wall. "You still haven''t answered my question. Stop stalling. If you dodge my questions and go around in circles one more time"

    "I saw your profile on the main screen in Castle a couple of days before the raid. It was before I left for a mission. I overheard Parker ordering a soldier to capture a rogue agent. It was the first time I''ve heard or seen a picture of you. I''ve never heard Parker mention any rogue agents in the past, so it stuck to me. And then I saw your engagement announcement in a magazine a few weeks ago Then I came to Esmea."

    Not knowing what to feel about what she just told her, Katherine stared into the woman''s eyes to see if she was telling the truth. The stalker stared right back at her confidently like she wasn''t hiding anything. Katherine reminded herself that the woman was a Shadow agent. She had training. If she was lying right now, she was definitely really good at it. So instead of letting her go, she kept her on the wall. "What do you want from me?"

    "I have nowhere else to go," cried the stalker. "The agents at the base were all taken. Those who managed to get away were on the run. I believe some of them were caught. I don''t know where the rest are."

    "Then run! I don''t want anything to do with any of you." Katherine didn''t believe her. She couldn''t trust anyone outside of her circle.

    Chloe gripped Katherine''s arm and squeezed as she pleaded, "Please. You have to help me. I''ve been sleeping on the streets"

    "That''s not my problem. You''re an agent. I don''t believe you don''t have money."

    "I have only been an agent for a month when Shadow fell. You can check my pockets. I only have fifty bucks left. That wouldn''tst for long. And before you tell me to get a job, believe me, with the crime rate going up, no one wants to hire anyone who can''t produce a clearance. I can steal, but I don''t want to keep doing that. I already have enough eyes on me to add pickpocketing on the list of my crimes."

    For a second, Katherine understood. She, of all people, knew how hard it was not to have enough money to eat and survive. However, this woman before her was a stranger. The one thing she needed was someone who could stab her in the back or smother her with a pillow while she was asleep if she took her in. There was just no way.

    She shook her head. "Like I said, not my problem. You either stay the hell away from me, or I''ll keep you locked up in a hole somewhere if I don''t hand you over to the government."

    A glint shed across Chloe''s eyes at the same time that a man''s voice yelled out Katherine''s name from behind the door. The voice was far and a little faint. "I''m here, Felix," Katherine yelled back. "Any moment now, and a few men will arrive. What''s it gonna be?"

    The sound of hurried footsteps echoed through the hallway. Chloe pushed Katherine as hard as she could and fled. Katherine groaned when her back mmed against the side of a dumpster. The door swung open, then Felix and the men from Maverick Security came rushing out.

    "Are you okay?" Felix immediately came to her side, scanning her up and down for any injuries.

    "I''m fine." Katherine winced. Her back probably hit the edge of the dumpster because it felt like it would bruiseter. "She''s gone," she said and informed Felix about what happened.

    "Boss called me when he said you weren''t picking up." He looked down at her hand where she was still gripping the knife. His eyebrows drew together. "There''s blood."

    She followed the direction of his stare, and sure enough, there was indeed blood on the sharp de. The knife must have cut the stalker when she got away. "It''s not mine," Katherine told him while she carefully handed the knife to him. "Have this checked and see if there''s anything."

    Felix took out a handkerchief from his pocket and wrapped it around the knife. With his other hand, he led Katherine back into the building after instructing the security to secure the area. "You should call Damien."

    "What did he say?" she wondered as they nearly reached the coffee shop where she left Alianna earlier.

    "He said he''s on his way. But you should still call him. He sounded worried over the phone."

    Katherine exhaled a sigh, her chest feeling heavy with worry too. Damien must have been so worked up after herst text and then her not answering his call.

    Adrenaline was still coursing through her veins, and her hands began to tremble. She couldn''t tell whether it was because of what happened just now or if it was the tremors.

 Chapter 624: Evasive

    Chapter 624: Evasive

    After themotion at the back alley, Katherine and the team went to the coffee shop where Alianna waited. The men weren''t able to catch the stalker. She was just about to call Damien when he arrived in his Range Rover and hurriedly raced towards her to check if she was okay. Alianna, who didn''t know what happened, teased her cousin for being overprotective.

    "I''ll see you again soon, Kath." Alianna embraced Katherine tightly and then waved at her and Damien as she left with Felix who would be driving her back to Caleb''s ce.

    Watching them leave, Damien slipped his hand into Katherine''s and held it tightly. She looked at him and their hands, sensing the sinking feeling that he had. "Damien" she called.

    However, he did not answer. Instead, he walked her towards his car and helped her get in before getting to the driver''s seat himself. As he sat, his chest rose and fell just as fast as his heart drummed in his chest. It was as if he had been running a hundred kilometers per hour with how breathless he was. Katherine stared at him as he loosened his tie. He squeezed his eyes shut and gripped the steering wheel for a brief moment, and then he released a long breath.

    When he opened his eyes again, he turned to look at her, his gaze softening. She opened her mouth to speak, but Damien pulled her to him and imed her lips. He thrust his tongue inside her mouth as though he couldn''t get enough. She whimpered under his hold and sagged in his arms. He kissed her so fiercely as if it was a punishment. Her lips swelled when he released her. His brows drew together as he looked her in the eyes and said, "You''re infuriating."

    Catching her breath, she blinked and cleared her throat, unsure how she was supposed to answer him. Katherine felt guilty and excited simultaneously, her hands curling around his neck, aching for more kisses. After her encounter in the alley, she was still feeling the rush. "Are you mad at me?"

    "Yes."

    "Why?"

    "Because you''re stubborn."

    "But you love me anyway"

    Damien pressed their foreheads together and let out a long sigh in resignation. He''d heard what happened from Felix and his head was a mess as he thought about what could have happened had his men not been near her. "That''s why you are so infuriating." He squeezed her waist.

    Katherine kissed him on the lips. "I don''t know how to change that."

    Leaning back, they exchanged a few seconds of stares as if making that they were both okay. Then he nodded to her side. "Seatbelt."

    He started the engine while she got settled, and then they headed towards Maverick Security. "Tell me everything that happened since you left."

    Nodding, she began recalling how it all started, including how she felt and thought someone had been watching her.

    "After your text, I called Felix to check on them, and he reassured me that they were in the area but had stepped back as per my order. Theyid low," he told her.

    "I didn''t know what it was that felt sodifferent. I couldn''t describe the feeling. I guess it''s because I didn''t know who was watching me. It turns out it was a former Shadow agent."

    "Did she look suspicious? Threatening?"

    Katherine looked to the side as she imagined what the woman looked like and shook her head. "I''m not sure. It was hard to read her. The agents had been trained to withstand being read and could purposely give off a certain vibe in order not to get caught when going undercover."

    Her gaze shifted to Damien''s hand reaching out for hers. That''s only when she noticed that her hands were slightly trembling. He squeezed them tightly and brought one to his lips, kissing it. "We''ll look into it."

    ***

    It had been a couple of hours since Katherine and Damien arrived at the Maverick Security''s office where Styles had spent most of his time revamping Damien''s technology security with Zero. Amelia was also there, giving daily training to Damien''s men anding up with effective strategies with Felix. Everyone seemed to have themselves sorted under Damien''s care.

    "Anything?" Katherine asked Styles as she approached him from behind. He had been looking into Shadow''s databasewhich he managed to steal on the day of the raid. He and Zero had been checking the city cameras in case they would spot something that could give them clues about her stalker.

    Styles leaned back and ced his hands behind his head in a casual manner. Several programs ran on his widescreen, and he studied them. "So far, her story checks out. Her name on file is Chloe, an orphan. She passed the field test about a couple of months before Shadow ended. Nothing extraordinary except that she likes tons of maple syrup on her pancakes. Maybe she''s telling the truth."

    "How were her eyes?" Amelia wondered as she chimed in their conversation.

    "Clean. She wasn''t on drugs, I think. Justlooking homeless is all. What about the cameras?"

    Zero shook his head. He was able to pull up some footage from the past few days where Katherine had been. "Nothing on my end. She''s quite elusive. She didn''t stand out in the crowd, and oftentimes, she kept her distance from you and the guards. She also avoided the cameras most of the time."

    "Just like a skilled agent," Stylesmented. "But why didn''t she approach you right away if she needed help?"

    "It probably wasn''t easy given how we tightened up Katherine''s security the past few weeks," said Amelia. "If we had found out that she was Shadow, we may have gone after herwhich she probably wanted to avoid."

    Damien ced his hand on Katherine''s back as he joined their discussion. "Perhaps she''s also afraid we''d hand her over to the NIA. You think she''s going to stop now that Katherine refused to help?"

    All of them stared at Chloe''s picture on the screen as if looking at it would help them figure her out. Then Katherine responded, "Let''s wait and see."

 Chapter 625: Invisible Scars

    Chapter 625: Invisible Scars

    That night, Katherine and Damien went home to the Young Mansion. As they were getting ready to go to bed, she stared at the full-length mirror in a red satin bathrobe. She had just gotten out of the shower and was looking for a nightgown when her reflection caught her attention. Staring right through the mirror, she gazed at herself and thought about what happened in the afternoon.

    Was she right in refusing to help that woman? No matter how much she looked at the situation from a different perspective, she still came to a decision that told her she was only trying to protect herself and the people she loved.

    A pair of strong hands slid around her waist from behind, and she was enveloped with a warm body, her back flush against a hard chest.

    "Let''s go to bed," Damien spoke against her neck, his breathing tickling her skin.

    "Mm."

    He ced small kisses on the length of her neck, his hands gently caressing her in ces that made her tingle. Her robe opened from the middle when he pulled the tie off, revealing her smooth, creamy skin. He loved that she was bare underneath the robe.

    Katherine watched his hands roam her stomach through the mirror. He stroked her side and looked at their reflection. "I love everything about you, Katherine. Even your scars that are barely visible to the naked eye," he told her.

    Her eyes zeroed in on the spot to the side of her waist where Damien''s fingers were. She had told him the areas on her body that had gotten scar revision surgeriesthe scars from the wounds she got while on a mission. But she hadn''t told him how she got them.

    "You wanna hear how I got this?" she wondered, referring to where his fingers were.

    "I''d love to know, but only if you''refortable talking about it."

    A small smile briefly ghosted her lips before she looked a bit saddened. "Actually This doesn''t remind me about what happened to me or how I got injured. It''s what happened shortly after that I would never forget."

    Damien was patient as he waited for her to start opening up about her past. As much as they could, they didn''t talk about how horrible it was. But times like this one made him feel both thoughtful and appreciative that whatever happened or whatever she did, it was all in the past. No matter how terrible or great it was, it was part of what shaped her to the woman she epted and loved.

    Hugging her from behind, he kissed her head and listened as she told her tale.

    "It happened several months after I was promoted as a field officer. The mission took ce in Pnd. We were a small team of three, me, Gus, and Chris as our team leader. Our target was a Ukrainian terrorist associate, and we received intel that he crossed the border and was hiding in Lublin City.

    "The mission was simple: find the target and neutralize. What we didn''t know was that he was hiding in a neighborhood full of Ukrainians from his hometown, and they were waiting for anyone who was going after him."

    "It was an ambush?"

    She nodded. "It was apse of judgment on our part, and we underestimated the situation. We thought he was merely running away from his nation Anyway, things got bad, and our team ended up separating. I managed totake care of some of them as I got away. But then I got shot right here."

    She traced the nearly invisible scar. There were no visible stitches or scarring. There was almost nothing there unless one would closely look and notice the slight color difference. The skin looked smooth and close to wless. "It was just a graze, but it was my first gunshot wound. I got away from the area before I passed out on the street."

    Damien felt her tense up when he asked, "What happened then?"

    Katherine took a deep breath and continued, "A nice couple found me on their way home and brought me to their small apartment on the second floor of a building. They didn''t realize I had a wound until theyid me on a bed in their spare bedroom. I was still unconscious so I didn''t know what happened until the next day when I woke up with a bandage on my side."

    "They took care of you They didn''t call the police?"

    She shook her head. "I don''t think so. I asked, and they said they didn''t like the police. I learned basic Polish amongst othernguages in Shadow, so I got to talk to them when I woke up. But I couldn''t really tell them who I was, so I pretended I could only speak theirnguage a little. They were a nice couple. I wanted to get out of there fast as I had to be back to the hotel where I''m supposed to meet Chris and Gus. But the wife She insisted I eat first before leaving.

    Closing her eyes briefly, Katherine recalled the past. "As I was eating, the couple was telling me about how they had just gotten married and that they were trying to have their own family when there was a knock on the door. The husband went to get it, and I heard a familiar voice. It was Chris, and Gus was with him. He asked about me and said that they were my colleagues. The husband led them to the dining area. Once they saw me, Chris asked them who else was in the house.

    "I told him it was only the couple. We thanked them on our way out. We got out of the house, and as we were by the door, Chris and Gus shot them to the head" She blinked rapidly and cleared her throat. Then she took a deep breath. "Their lifeless bodies dropped to the floor." She clenched her jaw.

    Damien drew his brows together as he tried to imagine what went through. "Why did he kill them?"

    Katherine couldn''t forget that day. Her thoughts brought her back to that specific time when she saw the couple lying on the floor with a hole in their heads.

    <em>~~~</em>

    <em>"Why did you do that?" Katherine questioned, her expression still in shock at what she just saw. "You didn''t have to kill them. They were nice."</em>

    <em>Gus closed the door of the apartment, and they walked behind Chris. It was still quite early in the morning, and the ce was quiet. The silencers on their guns didn''t wake the neighbors. Gus ced his coat over her and led her out of the building.</em>

    <em>"We don''t leave any witnesses, Queen," Chris answered as they descended the stairs. He spoke without looking back. "No one can know what we''re doing here. As much as possible, leave no footprints. No witnesses. That''s the rule."</em>

    <em>~~~</em>

    In a way, Damien could understand what was needed to be done. But it didn''t mean he liked that it happened. He felt bad for the innocent couple, and clearly, Katherine did too. The wound of the gunshot that grazed her skin had healed. It first left a scar before she got the surgery to remove it, but the reminder was still there. It may be invisible, but one''s memories would still remain.

    "I''m sorry" he whispered to her ear.

    Katherine didn''t say anything as she stared at herself in the mirror.

    Damien shifted until he faced her. Then he bent down and ced a soft kiss on the spot that reminded her of a bad memory. Looking up at her, he promised, "It''s true what they say The scars you can''t see are the hardest to heal. But I''ll stay with you, my love. I''ll rece every bad memory and make great ones with you as long as I live."

 Chapter 626: Hush

    Chapter 626: Hush

    Katherine closed her eyes and let Damien''s words sink in. His words were so intimate and full of emotions. The touch of his lips on her skin activated the pending current that she missed from him that day. She was reminded of how he kissed her in the car when he got so worried for her in the afternoon and that alone ignited her fervent desire.

    It was as if he''d sensed what she was thinking because when she opened her eyes, his were hooded and hungry. He sank onto his knees before her, his face just a few inches before her intimate area. As his gaze raked down her naked body, she wordlessly slipped the sleeves off her shoulder and let the satin robe fall to the carpet.

    "Kitten," he whispered, admiring her body with a burning stare.

    "Yes" She was breathless, her chest rising and falling while the anticipation grew stronger. He stroked her thighs and the warmth of his hands set her body on fire.

    Goosebumps peppered her skin as she shivered when his fingers found their way towards the triangle below her abdomen. Damien parted her thighs and brushed his fingers between her wet folds. "Stay still," hemanded.

    Katherine nearly came when his tongue went straight to her clit. She wasn''t ready, but she begged for more. His hand held her by the ass while the other was busy fondling her folds and teasing her entrance.

    There was a reason why he''d asked her to stay still. Because any second now and her knees would give up. She could barely hold it in when his tongue continued to assault her most sensitive spot. Damien sucked and licked, and he pushed two fingers inside her, causing her to cry out.

    Her hand flew to his head and she pushed his face against her needy core, wanting to reach that tempting euphoria. She was so close Oh so close. "Damien!"

    And just like that, his fingers, his tongue, his lips, his face disappeared and left her hanging. "Not yet," he warned as he got to his feet and kissed her lips.

    "You are so mean!"

    A chuckle rumbled in his chest when he picked her up in a bridal style and carried her to the bed. "I want to be inside you when youe."

    "You better make up for it."

    Damien tossed her on the bed and peeled his clothes off until he was fully naked. The head of his thick cock glistened under the warm glow ceiling light, and then he hovered over her in an instant. "Is that a challenge?" He dove into her neck and gave her open-mouth kisses from her jaw to her chest.

    "Yes"

    He took one erect bud into his mouth, circled his tongue, and tugged it yfully with his teeth. She moaned in response, hooking her legs around his torso. "You have to be quiet. They''re gonna hear us."

    "Butahhh" She moaned again when he settled between her legs and teased the tip of his cock along her slit. "Butyou''re making itso hardfor me. Mmm" Her back arched up the bed as she pushed her apex towards him, asking for more. "Pleasebaby"

    Gently pushing her hair away from her face, he asked, "Please what, Kitten?" Her cheeks turned pink and she bit her bottom lip when he pushed just the head of his erection into her opening. "Tell me.."

    "Please make love to me."

    As soon as thest word left her mouth, Damien drove into her to the hilt in one fluid motion, causing her to shout.

    His hand flew up and covered her mouth, a wide grin splitting his face. "Shhh Baby, you''re too loud."

    Katherine breathed in and out as she nodded, pursing her lips into a thin line to stop herself from making any more noises. It had only been a couple of days since theyst had sex and it was as though she''d forgotten how big he was. It surprised her every single time which only made it even more blissful.

    He removed his hand from her face and they chuckled. Then he took her lips and kissed her deeply as he began to move in and out of her.

    Taking all of him bare and hot, Katherine knew she wasn''t far from reaching the stars again. She became dizzy, livid, and desperate to chase that sweet, heart-pounding high. Embracing his hard body, she locked her legs around him and met his every thrust. Her moans gotbored and heavy as he whispered sexy things to her.

    "Fck you''re so good," Damien groaned against the crook of her neck.

    When her moans got louder, he kissed her lips to contain her voice. "God, I love your screams, Kitten. But everyone in this mansion is gonna know what''s up."

    "I can''thelp it Too good."

    Damien changed his pace. He pulled almost all the way out and then pushed slowly back inside her in measured strokes. It was torture when all he wanted was to fck her senseless, let the others'' ears be damned.

    Katherine''s fingers dug into his back, her mouth forming into an "O", and he knew she was close. He kept his movements steady, making sure the base of his shaft rubbed her clit. Their eyes locked and in the next second, Katherine released a muffled cry as the inner walls of her pussy clenched around his cock, milking him good.

    He rocked into her furiously until he came to the edge of the cliff, grunting her name as he unloaded inside her in a raging beat.

    Panting, he kept his weight on his elbows, not wanting to crush her. Damien kissed her lips once more before he rolled to the side and pulled her against him. Katherine moved the nket over them and settled into his arms.

    "Don''t get me wrong, I love this house" he started.

    "But you want to go home," she punctuated his thoughts.

    "Yes. I''d like to do that to you every night without worrying if someone''s going to hear us from outside. I don''t think I can face your grandfather if he''d heard me defiling his granddaughter."

    Sheughed. "Okay. How about after the engagement party? Let''s go back on Sunday?"

    "Is after the party tomorrow not possible?"

    "I''d like to have lunch with Grandpa first on Sunday before we leave."

    Damien let out a sigh. "Fine."

    Katherine giggled and climbed on top to straddle him, her knees on either side of his waist.

    "Already?" He cocked a brow in question and she nodded, saying, "I haven''t had my fill yet. You still owe me."

 Chapter 627: Taking Steps (1)

    Chapter 627: Taking Steps (1)

    Saturday  February 2

    Damien arrived at the Maverick Security''s headquarters to check in on Zero and Styles who had been monitoring the activities in Park Group since they installed the system in thepany''s security. So far, there had been no findings, and thepany looked as wless as it ought to be.

    This was good news for Damien, of course. He didn''t want to sully this legitimate business as this was the only thing that''s real in the Park family''s line of businesses. Ever since he found out about his uncle getting involved in the drug business, he''d been feeling uneasy, wishing that Frederick hadn''tpromised Park Group.

    "Maybe Frederick cares about thepany and does not want to involve it in his ndestine activities," Styles remarked.

    "I''m pretty sure he does." Damien stared at the huge monitors on the wall with his hands in his pockets. He was looking at them, but his focus wasn''t entirely there. Something had been at the back of his head recently, and he wanted to look further into it, so he brought a file with him. Tossing it onto the table, he told them, "These are the properties under his name. Look into them and have some of our men check the site. Do not trespass, just observe."

    "You think he''s using one of these to hide his drugs?" Styles wondered in a low voice that only the three of them could hear. "Don''t you have a secret warehouse? Maybe he has them there."

    Ever since Damien found out about the drug shipment that his uncle had received, he''d been trying to investigate it. But after that one instance, it hadn''t happened again. The worst mistake he made was letting go of it that day, thinking he''d be able to catch his uncle red-handed. Damien nced at Zero as if to remind the man that this was confidential and said, "Frederick''s smart. He knows William and I are against it, so he wouldn''t put it where it can be found easily. If it''s there, William would have already known about it."

    Styles nodded and split the addresses between him and Zero. "We''ll keep you updated."

    "Call me if there''s anything," said Damien before he left the tech room.

    He bumped into his mother in the lobby on his way out. Amelia had just finished a training session with some of the Maverick men. They thanked her, the smiles on their faces never leaving until they disappeared into a corner. She wasn''t wearing anything indecent. In fact, her body was fully covered. But Damien noticed that his men were very fond of her and threw nces at her whenever she was around.

    When he decided to put her in his agency, he''d establish a rule to all of the men working for him that she was off-limits. There were sighs, but none of them protested. Though someone sneakily asked a question: "Why the strict rule, Boss? You''re already engaged"

    The question, although iplete, was enough to understand that the person had insinuated something Damien couldn''t stomach. With gritted teeth, he answered, "This is a professional environment. There will be no hitting on the trainers, superiors, juniors, or anyone for that matter. This is a safe ce. We don''t want Miss AmMiss Lia to feel like she''s been thrown into a den of cavemen. So leave your fantasies out of this agency. Anyone who dares to attempt will pay a hefty amount that''s higher than your annual pay on top of being relieved from your duties. Understood?"

    Damien thought it was a good deterrent. So he wasfortable having his mother work there.

    "I thought you''d be busy preparing for your party tonight," said Amelia when everyone else was out of earshot.

    "I had to drop something off in the tech room."

    Nodding, she gently patted the sweat off her head with the face towel that''s hanging around her neck. "Well, I hope you''ll have a great time. I''m sure Katherine will look pretty in her dress."

    "She''s beautiful in anything."

    "She is." Amelia''s smile widened. "I''m d you found each other."

    Damien''s heart began to race, and he scratched an invisible itch on his forehead as he thought about how his mother wouldn''t be there tonight. It had been about three months since they''d reunited, and things were slow between them. They talked from time to time and hadn''t fought even once, but they were more like friends rather than mother and son. It was a bit difficult for him to tread forward when he''d missed out on having her with him as he grew.

    As he contemted, he thought that there was nothing else that Amelia should be hiding from, given that Parker was already in custody. Her life was no longer in danger.

    "You shoulde tonight," he told her.

    The sudden invitation surprised Amelia that her eyes widened, and her mouth slightly hung open. But she quickly snapped out of it and declined with a small smile on her face, "I don''t think it''s a good idea."

    "Why not? You don''t have to hide anymore."

    She swallowed and averted her gaze, looking as though she was giving it a thought, but she immediately shook her head. "I haven''t shown up in front of your grandmother and the rest of your family in a very long time. I don''t think it''s best to do that on such an important asion. It''s your engagement party. You should enjoy the evening with Katherine."

    Damien felt a tiny prick in his chest when his mother declined his invitation. But he understood where she wasing from. "I understand But if you change your mind, just let Markus know that you''reing, and he''ll let you in."

    "Thank you, Damien" Amelia squeezed his arm before walking away and entering the women''s locker room.

    He exhaled a sigh, rubbing his nape as he watched her leave. Well, he tried. Maybe it just wasn''t the time.

    As he left the doors of Maverick Security and headed towards his car, he paused and looked back to the lobby with his mother in mind. Maybe a little push was all he had to do to convince Amelia to show up. He could try one more time, and it''s up to her to take the step.

    Fishing his phone out of his jacket pocket, he called someone from West Bespoke shop and arranged an appointment. After the appointment was confirmed, Damien sent Felix a text, telling him to drive Amelia to an address he attached to the message. Then he sent another one.

    [ Damien: Registration table opens at 6:30. Tell Markus you''reing so he can meet you outside. ]

 Chapter 628: Taking Steps (2)

    Chapter 628: Taking Steps (2)

    It was already five o''clock in the afternoon when Felix drove Amelia towards the address that Damien had sent him. He didn''t have to ask him what was there as it wasn''t the first time he had been to that ce. He had dropped off and picked up both Damien and Katherine in the area, but he''d never once gotten inside the shop.

    "Are you sure this is where he said we go?" Amelia asked as they stepped out of the car and walked towards West Bespoke Tailor.

    "Yup."

    She zipped up her leather jacket and looked around. "What are we doing here?"

    However, he also had no idea as Damien''s instructions were just to bring his mother here and that they go to Crown Hotel afterward. So he could only shrug.

    Felix pushed the door open and they were greeted by a woman in a sophisticated suit dress with the name "Ava" pinned on the left of her chest. "Good afternoon. How may I help you?"

    "I believe Mr. Park called earlier" he answered.

    "Ms. Silva?" asked Ava with a smile on her face.

    Confused, Amelia stepped forward. "That''s me."

    "Very well. Please follow me to the fitting room."

    Amelia exchanged looks with Felix and he lifted a shoulder before he held a hand out, gesturing her to follow the woman. "I''ll just wait outside," he told her before turning on his heel.

    "Um, excuse me, sir?" Ava called and checked the folder in her hand as if she was reading something. "Are you MisterJagger?"

    Felix stopped in his tracks and turned around. "It''s actually Jger," he corrected, emphasizing the proper pronunciation of his surname which sounded like ''yeah-guh''. And then he nodded. "But yeah, that''s me." He was puzzled that his name was recorded in the folder she''s holding.

    "My apologies Mr. Jger." Ava bowed lightly and when she looked up again, a polite smile stered on her face. "Please also follow me. Mr. George will be with you in the men''s section. This way, please." She turned around and went deeper into the shop that''s headed towards what looked like a private area.

    As they followed Ava, Amelia leaned into Felix and whispered, "Jger, huh? You didn''t tell me you were German. It''s the first time I''ve heard yourst name."

    "You never asked." He met her inquisitive eyes and looked away. "Only a few people know my real name here."

    "Then I''m honored to know, Mr. Jger." She smiled as she walked ahead of him.

    Amelia was still unsure what they were doing. Perhaps they were here to pick up dresses and suits for Katherine and Damien? If so, then they didn''t have much time. As far as she knew, Katherine should already be getting ready now, and rushing her dress through Harbor City''s traffic on a Saturday evening didn''t seem appealing.

    She was just about to ask Ava when they entered a huge area that had dresses hung on the racks to the sides near the walls and the words never left her mouth. The center had a tform where she imagined the customers would stand and their friends or family would sit on the luxe sofa in front of it. She got distracted that she didn''t notice Ava had gone off somewhere and came back with a dress. Two women stood behind her.

    "Miss Silva, here''s the dress."

    Amelia looked at the beautiful ck dress and probed, "Thanks. Shouldn''t this be in a garment bag? I don''t want to ruin it during transport."

    Ava blinked and looked between Amelia and the dress, looking slightly perplexed. "Oh, I was informed that you were going to get ready here. The makeup artists have already set up their station."

    "You must be mistaken" Amelia chuckled. "I''m not Mr. Park''s fiance."

    "Yes, we are aware that Miss Young is Mr. Park''s fiance and Mr. West is with them at the hotel getting ready for the event. We''re here to assist you, Miss Silva. Please take a seat so we can get started. We don''t have much time."

    Amelia''s heart pounded in her chest. She hadn''t expected this. Did Damien really do this for her? Before she knew it, the staff was already guiding her to the prep station and seated her to do her hair and makeup. It was as though everything happened in the blink of an eye as her mind wandered somewhere else while the artists worked on her.

    By the time she came to and was starting to get a grip on herself, she was already standing in a full-length mirror and looking at her own reflection wearing one of Mr. West''s creations. She wore a ckced formal gown with an iridescent nude lining underneath itthe lovely dress was form-fitting and ssy. Soft ck feathers were delicately hand-sewn on the outer banks of the cap sleeves and were fused with diamante stones all over. Her hair in a loose bun and diamond earringspleted her look.

    Amelia had worn countless of beautiful dresses during her missions in Shadow, but this was by far, her most favorite. After all, her son picked it for her. Ava told her that they had sent the designs to Damien when he called to make thest-minute appointment and he had chosen this dress himself. A charming smile brightened her face and she looked even more stunning.

    She sensed a familiar presence from the side and when she turned, Felix walked towards her in a ck tuxedo, looking spruce and dapper. He halted and took her appearance in. He seemed as though he''d forgotten how to speak.

    "Do I look like someone''s mom?" she joked. "This dress makes me feel younger. Is it too much?"

    Felix wordlessly shook his head, his eyes still scanning Amelia. "It''s perf" He coughed and cleared his throat. "You look nice."

    "Thank you. You don''t look too bad yourself. I didn''t peg you as a tuxedo man."

    Heughed. "You should see me in my uniform."

    "I don''t know I''m not sure if I''m a fan of men in uniform." She looked amused as she picked up a paper bag from the table that contained her clothes. "But I''ll give you points for cleaning up nicely."

    "Ah So your type are rich men with a CEO position and ndestine operations?" he questioned with a straight face and Amelia narrowed her eyes at him. He smiled. "Sorry. Too much?"

    "A little bit." She chuckled.

    Felix rolled his eyes yet a grin danced on his face. "Come on, Amelia. We don''t want to get stuck in traffic." He offered his arm out for her.

    Amelia took his arm and they walked out of the shop, thanking the staff on their way out. She began to feel nervous, knowing that she was about to show up at her son''s engagement party in front of the Park family whom she hadn''t talked to in so many years. It felt surreal as she was getting ready a while ago, and now that they were on their way, her chest was like a massive drum in a festival. She had been hiding for so long that suddenly appearing in a crowd where she didn''t have to pretend made her anxious.

 Chapter 629: Engagement Night (1)

    Chapter 629: Engagement Night (1)

    Royal Penthouse

    Katherine and Damien had a quick photoshoot done by a professional after they got all dressed and dolled up. Mr. Samuel West and his team had been with the couple for the past three hours to make sure they would look grand when facing the massive audience that''s waiting for them downstairs.

    Damien''s bespoke tuxedo was a ck textured zer with a square pocket and a bow tie that matched Katherine''s red A-line tulle off-shoulder dress with a sweetheart neckline. Her dress had shimmery beads in strategic ces that looked like frozen raindrops had fallen on it. The two of them looked absolutely morous.

    Their first engagement party was for both the Parks and the Youngs'' business associates. This included the high-ranking officials from Park Group, Crown Resort Group, and Young Corporation. They expected the event hall to be packed that evening, and ording to Markus, 95% of the invited guests were present.

    The couple waited in the living room of the penthouse until the organizers would fetch them. The photographers left the suite after taking the couple''s photos, and so did Mr. West and his team. Only the two of them remained in the room. Noticing that Katherine was feeling nervous, Damien poured a ss of wine and handed it to her. "Here."

    She received it and took a generous sip. It was dry and just what she needed. "I hate crowded ces."

    A handsome smile cast on his face as he approached her, pulled her to his side, and pressed a kiss to her temple. "Can you endure it for a couple of hours?"

    "Just how many guests are there exactly?"

    "Roughly five hundred."

    Her eyes grew wide. "That many? Jeez! I get anxious with just a hundred people."

    "That''s like half of our wedding guest list actually" he rified, causing her to stare at him like he had grown an extra head.

    "I still really think we should just elope. Just you and me. Vegas, baby!" Katherine grinned widely, and Damien threw his head backughing.

    "I''m not opposed to that. We can do that if you want. Let''s go after this and not tell anyone?" He winked.

    She contemted. "That''s very tempting I''m ny percent on board."

    "Where''s the ten percent?"

    "I''m afraid Nana will blow my ear off if she finds out."

    "That''s actually possible." Damien took the ss from her hand and set it on the cart near them. Taking her hand, he brought it up to his lips and kissed it. "Let''s do whatever you want, Katherine. Though tonight" He scanned her from head to toe and there was adoration in his eyes. "You look too beautiful to be hidden away. I''d love to show the whole world how lucky I am. So give me tonight? Let''s show up and give everyone something to be jealous about."

    Katherine was immediately hooked with the tilt of his head to the side and a gorgeous smile hinting at his lips. "Fine." She chuckled. "How can I say no to that? And I do look nice tonight, don''t I?" She smoothed her dress.

    His gaze settled on her red lips as he leaned in and cupped her chin. Careful not to smudge her makeup, he ced a soft kiss. "You''re fire," he told her.

    ***

    Katherine and Damien stood before the double doors that led to the event hall with their arms linked together. Romantic music that''s yed live apanied their entrance, and the guests stood and pped as they walked towards the stage. Despite her nerves, Katherine smiled with her chin up, looking regal as ever in her bold red dress, the soft skirt swaying as she walked.

    They gave a speech on stage, weing and thanking the guests. And then Damien closed their presence on stage by saying, "Now I''d like to formally ask my beautiful fiance to dance with me." The crowd cheered for them. He turned to Katherine and in such a gentlemanly fashion, he held out his hand and asked, "May I?"

    In which she responded with, "Always," as she ced her hand in his.

    Damien led the waltz on the wide dance floor in the middle of the enormous hall. The dance floor was made of ss, and it lit up splendidly, making the couple shine even more. Everyone''s eyes were on them. Katherine moved with so much confidence with every step they tookno one would have guessed that they hadn''t practiced even once. Their movements were liquid and smooth, as if they had done it together so many times.

    They had smiles on their faces as though they were thinking the same thing: "How the hell are we this good?"

    It wasn''t hard for Katherine to follow Damien''s lead wherever he glided her to. She moved ording to his direction and adjusted her weight with ease. "You''re a good dancer, Mr. Park," she said. "You lead well."

    He arched a brow. "What do you mean? I thought you were leading this whole time?"

    Sheughed and squeezed his hand. "I knew you were my forever dancing partner."

    "How''d you figure that out?"

    "I think I knew the moment we sexy danced to Promiscuous at Onyx Mountain Hotel."

    Damien couldn''t contain hisughter as he continued to waltz her through the dance floor. That night they met was the first time they "danced"if rubbing bodies could be considered dancingand the first time they kissed. It seemed like a distant memory, but a memory so incredible, he was forever thankful.

    As the music faded, he dipped her backward, and her body bent with grace. "Katherine It would be my honor to dance with you forever." They ended the dance with a kiss.

    The audience gave a thunderous p and rejoiced for them as they found their way to the center table where their family was. As they waited for the food to be served, Damien looked from left to right. He hadn''t heard from Felix nor Amelia if they wereingthough Markus told him that ording to the staff from West Bespoke shop, the two had already left. His knees bounced up and down without him realizing it as he stared at the entrance of the door. He couldn''t tell why his mother''s presence tonight was a big deal for him. Damien felt that she should be here.

    Noticing his anxiousness, Katherine ced a hand on top of his knee and whispered, "They''ll be here."

    "Yeah" was all he could say before he smiled at her and held her hand under the table.

    Dinner had started, yet Amelia and Felix were still nowhere to be seen. Damien signaled Markus to try and reach them, but just as he asked, the door to the side opened, and in came Amelia and Felix. The sudden opening of doors caused several heads to turn in the direction of the pair who was fashionablyte.

 Chapter 630: Engagement Night (2)

    Chapter 630: Engagement Night (2)

    Katherine squeezed Damien''s hand and told him, "See? I told you she''sing."

    His shoulders rxed upon seeing his mother by the door. He couldn''t understand why he was so relieved that she came. She hadn''t been with him for many years and so this sudden anticipation of her being in important moments in his life was new to him.

    He nced at Katherine and kissed her cheek. "You''re right. Give me a minute. I''ll be right back." Damien got up from his seat and headed to the door.

    The eyes of the guests followed him as he walked away from the main table and headed towards the doors that just opened. When he was near, Felix let go of Amelia''s arm and stepped to the side. Then he joined Markus and Styles''s table.

    Amelia looked up and smiled at Damien, feeling a bit nervous, knowing that people were watching them at the moment. "I''m sorry we''rete. We got stuck in traffic," she said.

    "We just started. You didn''t miss a lot," he replied. Then Damien shook hands with Felix, thanking him for the help before turning back to Amelia.

    "Everyone''s staring," she muttered, enough for her son to hear.

    "They should be. I''ve got a beautiful mother." He cleared his throat and stood next to her to avoid her surprised look. Then, like the gentleman that he was, he lifted his elbow towards her, offering his arm. "I''ve reserved a seat for you at the main table. I''m sure Nana will be happy to see you."

    Amelia''s expression turned from surprise to being genuinely touched. For the past months that she had been around Damien and getting to know the kind of person he was, today had been the most progressive. She''d learned about his favorite food, how he liked his drinks, and even some of the things he wanted to do in life. But he''d never called her mom or mother. And because of what she did in the pastleaving himshe didn''t think she had the right to ask him that.

    Tonight, however, he called her "mother" and was even fearless in bringing her to the family table. She was sure that the guests had a huge question mark on their heads, wondering who she might be and why it was the first time they had ever seen her. But tonight wasn''t about her; it was her son''s engagement party. And as much as she felt uneasy being stared at by so many people, Amelia hooked her arm with her son''s and allowed him to bring her to the family table.

    Damien hadn''t directly called her "mom". But what he said was already more than enough for Amelia to feel grateful that her son acknowledged her in a room full of people even though she''s the only one who heard it.

    Ignoring the curious stares, Damien brought his mother to the main table, and as they approached, Nana gasped, clutching her hands together as she got up from her seat. William, who sat next to her, instantly got up to assist her, afraid that she would fall from excitement.

    Nana rushed towards Amelia and took her in a huge embrace without hesitation. "Oh, my Amelia! It''s been too long! Oh, what a pleasant surprise!" she eximed, her eyes tearing up.

    Damien gave the two women some space, and an amused look painted his face when he nced at his mother who was taken aback by the very warm greeting she received from Nana. He recalled his mother saying that she was afraid Nana would be mad at her when they meet again one day. So their reunion must have been such a relief for his mother.

    Katherine felt emotional seeing Amelia and Nana together. She was so happy for Damien and proud of him that he took this step. She believed that he needed his mother in his life and that he was blessed to have one despite what happened in the past.

    Grandfather Theo, who had been sitting next to Katherine, leaned towards her and asked in a low voice, "Who is she?"

    Realizing she hadn''t told him about this part of Damien''s life yet, she looked at the rest of the people at the table like her aunt who was also curiously watching Amelia. She wanted Damien to be the one to tell everyone, but she figured she could tell her grandfather in secret, so she whispered into his ear, "Her name''s Amelia. She''s Damien''s biological mother."

    Grandfather Theo''s eyes widened as he studied Amelia like he was trying to figure out how the woman was Damien''s mother. They hadn''t talked much about Damien''s parents because they weren''t in the picture, so Amelia''s presence made him curious about who she was and why she only appeared today. With all these questions in his head, he kept quiet and reserved all of themter.

    As they were back to the main table, Nana let Amelia sit next to Damien, and she took the chair next to her. William had to move to a few chairs downnext to Alianna, but he didn''tin.

    "You didn''t have to let me sit here I''m fine at a different table" Amelia told Damien in a whisper.

    "It was Katherine''s idea," he responded.

    Katherine and Amelia exchanged gazes, and they smiled at each other. Even without saying anything, they both knew what the other wanted to say.

    When Amelia shifted her gaze, itnded on the man sitting in front of her. Frederick. The wide smile slipped off her face and was reced with a small one as she made a light bow to greet him. "Frederick."

    Frederick Park had been speechless since he saw Amelia. It looked as though he was surprised to see her and couldn''t believe that she was there in front of him. "Ms. Silva Y-You''re"

    "Excuse me, Chairman," Frederick Park''s assistant came to Frederick''s side and whispered something to his ear. Almost immediately, Frederick excused himself from the main table and followed his assistant out.

    ***

    Meanwhile, a security guard at the basement parking of Crown Hotel made his rounds and was drawn to a corner where he heard some groaning. He carefully moved as he looked up at the CCTV camera and gave a signal, making sure that whoever was in the security room would watch his back.

    Slowly, he peeked behind a car and saw a woman sitting on the floor with a bloody arm. She scrambled away from him in a panic and then groaned the moment she did, clutching her arm tightly.

    "Stop," cautioned the guard. "What happened to you?"

    The woman looked suspicious of him and didn''t say anything.

    Pressing the earpiece in his ear, he told his colleagues to call for an ambnce. However, the woman frantically stopped him.

    "Please! No hospitals!"

    Confused, the guard paused and looked at her closely. "Miss, you''re hurt. You need a doctor."

    "No! I can''t Katherine Please call Katherine Young," she pleaded.

 Chapter 631: Engagement Night (3)

    Chapter 631: Engagement Night (3)

    At the main dining table, Damien thought it was time to introduce Amelia to the rest of the people at their table. While he didn''t n to introduce his mother to the guests, he knew it was important that she got acquainted with Katherine''s family.

    Their guests that evening were curious about who Amelia was, especially after joining the main table. There were a few murmurs, but Katherine and Damien chose to ignore them and decided to focus on getting through dinner.

    He leaned towards Amelia and whispered, "You should meet Katherine''s family."

    "Of course. I would love that," she replied.

    Damien was about to stand when one of his security came to report an incident from the basement parking. "Then call an ambnce," he told the man while sounding like it should have been a pretty obvious thing to do.

    Still whispering, the security said, "That''s what we were about to do. But she begged not to." Then he nced at Katherine briefly before lowering his head again and added, "The woman asked for Miss Young."

    Damien''s brows furrowed in confusion. "Who is this woman?"

    The man opened his mouth to speak but stopped and pressed thems in his ear. "Copy that." He then addressed Damien again. "Boss, I was told that the woman appeared to be the same person whom Miss Young had encountered in the alley yesterday."

    Damien''s jaw clenched. "Where is she now?"

    "They''re still at the basement parking, Sir."

    Thinking that he should deal with it himself and not tell Katherine, he got up from his seat and excused himself. But, of course, Katherine noticed that something was wrong right away, so she held his arm and stopped him. "What''s wrong?"

    It would be odd that he''d disappear during their engagement party, but it would be stranger if the two of them did. He tried to y it off with a smile and kissed her forehead to not worry her. "Everything''s okay. I just need to check on something. I''ll be right back."

    Damien and the security left through the door to the side of the event hall and hurried their way towards the private elevator. The elevator door opened, and they stepped into the car, pressing the basement parking button. A hand stuck between the doors before it closed, stopping it from closing entirely. He was half surprised to see Katherine outside the car, slightly panting. She must have run after him.

    "Tell me what''s happening," she demanded.

    He stepped aside to let her join them in the car and then filled her in on what''s going on in the basement as they descended. If he initially thought he could put things off, he changed his mind, knowing full well that she wouldn''t let go of it. The ride was fast, and they reached the basement car park in less than a minute.

    "Are you sure it''s her?" Katherine probed as they stepped out.

    Damien didn''t have to answer when they saw two of his mening their way, one of them carrying a woman who looked like she''d passed out, and her arm had a cloth wrapped around it to stop the bleeding. Red blotches stained the white fabric.

    Katherine immediately knew that it was the same woman from yesterday because she wore the same clothes, only this time they were bloody. Her heartbeat raced, unsure what she was supposed to feel upon seeing the woman in a vulnerable state.

    "Bring her to an empty room on the third floorthe farthest room away from any rooms that are upied by guests. I''ll call Jeffrey to check on her," Damien ordered his security, and they followed.

    When his men left, Katherine and Damien headed back to the party. She felt extremely ufortable and was quiet during the elevator ride. "What could she be doing here? Why would she look for me?" she asked when they stepped out.

    "I don''t know"

    "I need to ask her questions." Her head was muddled, and all she could think about now was that woman.

    "We''ll do thatter. This is why I didn''t want you toe with me when they reported. You''ll be distracted all night."

    Katherine stopped in her tracks and faced him. "How could I not be distracted? She came here! I specifically told her I didn''t want anything to do with her, and yet she came here. Tonight of all nights when my family is here. She''s a dangerous person, Damien, and whoever is after her might drag us all into her mess. My grandfather is hereNana is here! I can''t let them be in danger"

    She was evidently worried. Her hands clenched so tightly that her knuckles turned white. She wouldn''t have been like this had he insisted that she waited at the party instead ofing with him. He could deal with the knowledge of what happened and put off telling her about it until after the party. But lying to her again would just add another dent in their rtionship.

    "You know I would never put them in danger." Reaching out to her, Damien took her hands and uncurled them, kissing the back of one and then the other until they rxed. Her face softened when he told her, "We''re going back inside, and I need you to put on your best smile. You don''t want your grandfather to worry, do you?"

    She shook her head, a sigh escaping from her lips.

    Damien smiled and then kissed her forehead. "Let''s get this over with and then deal with whatever that woman is here for after. She''s guarded. There''s nothing to worry about. Can you do that?"

    Katherine took a few cleansing breaths and pushed her worries aside. "Okay."

    The two went back to the party, and they introduced Amelia to the rest of the family at the main table. Katherine''s aunt was surprised, but she dly shook hands with Amelia. William''s mother didn''t say much as per usual, but she weed Amelia with a smile. Alianna was so shocked to learn about Damien''s birth mother, given that she didn''t even know Miriam wasn''t his birth mom, but she was definitely ecstatic to meet Amelia and pulled her into a hug. Katherine had to pipe her down so as to not cause too muchmotion.

    The couple went from table to table, shook hands with guests after guests, took pictures, and chatted about future partnerships after the guests gave their best wishes to the couple''s uing marriage.

    Katherine felt much better throughout the rest of the party. She''d told Amelia about the situation, and thetter handled the news better than Katherine did. Katherine was a worrywart, unlike Amelia, who quickly tamped her worries and smiled like everything was normal.

    Katherine used to be like thatable to flip the switch right away while she was still in Shadow. Ever since she got reunited with her real family and surrounded by Damien and his family, pretending was harder for herafraid that she''d bring destruction to the people she loved because of her past.

    She justified not trusting Chloethe woman who got injured at the basement parkingbecause of her fear of bringing danger to her family. Justst night, she was reminded of how Shadow agents were trained when she told Damien the story about her mission in Pnd. Most were cold-blooded soldiers who wouldn''t bat an eye when they kill. So why would she risk bringing that woman near her family?

 Chapter 632: Salt Looking Like Sugar

    Chapter 632: Salt Looking Like Sugar

    "Are you listening?" Markus questioned Felix, yet the man still didn''t respond to what he''d told him just now. Markus followed Felix''s stare and his eyesnded on Amelia who was currently chatting with Damien''s grandmother. This wasn''t the first time that he''d notice Felix ogling Amelia from a distance, and he debated whether he should tell Damien about it.

    Markus snapped his fingers in front of Felix, and thetter finally turned to face him. "Did you say something?"

    It wasn''t Markus''s ce to call him out, so he decided to repeat what he''d said. He told Felix about the incident in the basement parking and that Damien asked him to go up to the room where they kept the woman while Damien and Katherine were still busy entertaining guests. Felix acknowledged without questions. He nced at Amelia for a few beats before he turned around and headed to Styles who was by the dessert table.

    Styles stood stiffly. He seemed unable to focus on the woman next to himEmma. She casually talked and asked him if he enjoyed chocte-covered fruits, but Styles could barely utter a word. He was sweating and looking constipated with the way he struggled to formte a response to Emma who was trying to make friends with him.

    "Are you okay? You look unwell." Emma raised her hand to Styles''s forehead as if wanting to check his temperature.

    Felix chuckled and stepped in before she could touch Styles. He was afraid Styles might have a seizure if she so as much as poke him.

    "Sorry, Emma. Styles is a little shy," said Felix. Emma nced at him and then back at Styles as she lowered her hand. "What he''s trying to say is if he could ask for your number."

    Styles red at Felix but kept his mouth shut, slowly shifting his cautious stare back at Emma as though he was waiting for her reaction.

    "Oh" Emma''s cheeks blushed. She softly chuckled before looking around and spotted a table nearby that had arge photo of Katherine and Damien. Underneath the frame were stationery, cards, envelopes, and pens for the guests to use if they wanted to write or send something to the couple. She walked towards it, and when she came back, she handed a folded paper to Styles. "Here."

    Styles darted his eyes at the paper and then at Emma a couple of times before hesitantly receiving it.

    Something caught Emma''s attention from the main table, and she smiled at the two men, saying, "Kath''s calling me. I''ll see you two around. Bye Styles."

    Felix and Styles watched as Emma walked away. When she was finally out of earshot, Styles grumbled under his breath, "I could''ve handled that just fine."

    Felix scoffed, shaking his head. "Sure you did. You looked like you were about to shit your pants."

    "Fck you."

    "No thanks. I''m only interested in women."

    Styles continued to grumble as he tucked the paper into the inner pocket of his suit. Felix flung an arm around the other''s shoulders and walked him out of the event hall while filling him in about the matter at hand.

    ***

    The party ran for two more hours. By this time, Katherine had shaken hands of many business partners and associates from both the Parks and the Youngs'' side. Her facial muscles were aching from smiling to keep up appearances. The party slowed down, and guests started leaving. Katherine was beat that she had to lean against Damien constantly to stay up. He''d told her she could take a rest in the penthouse, but she didn''t want to leave him to entertain the guests by himself.

    Apart from being tired, she would be reminded about the woman from Shadow every now and then, which added to her exhaustion.

    Once they thought they could leave, Katherine and Damien bid farewell to everyone. The couple, along with Amelia, headed to where they kept the Shadow agent, finding Styles and Felix ying cards at the coffee table.

    Felix informed them that after searching, he concluded that the woman didn''t have any weapons on her and only had some change in her pocket.

    Jeffrey had patched up the wound on her arm. At first, he insisted on bringing her to the hospital because she needed stitches. Damien had to ask him a favor to do it in the room instead and provided Jeffrey all the tools he needed. Damien didn''t like involving his friends in his personal affairs like these. His friend already helped them with Chris and now this one. He didn''t like it, so he made sure they were favors that he would return one day.

    The Shadow agent woke up a few minutes after Damien and Katherine arrived in the room. Chloe was groggy, and she forced herself to sit up and faced them, her eyes cautiously scanning the people around her. Five pairs of eyes focused on her, and she was looking pale.

    Katherine walked closer yet kept several feet between them. She was serious and direct. "What do you want?"

    Chloe matched Katherine''s stare. "I''ll only speak to you alone."

    "Not gonna happen," said Damien.

    "Whatever you want to say, you can say it in front of them," Katherine added, and Chloe swallowed, her shoulders sagging like she didn''t have a choice. "What happened?"

    "They found me."

    "Who?"

    "Some men who had been chasing me since the raid. They were probably the same people who arrested Parker and the other agents."

    "How did you end up in the basement parking?" Damien questioned.

    "Istole a car while I ran and drove here. I didn''t realize I was bleeding until I parked."

    Damien and Katherine exchanged nces. Then she folded her arms under her chest. "You expect me to believe that you were being chased and you got your arm cut? Why would youe here? I was clear yesterday. I don''t trust you."

    Chloe''s lips were pressed into a thin line, and she looked down for a few beats, seemingly thinking through her response. "I need asylum. I don''t have anywhere else to go." She patted her jeans pocket and took out twenty dors and a few quarters, then she held them out to Katherine. "This is all I have. Please take it."

    Katherine looked at Chloe''s hand. It had dried blood on the palm that looked like it had been wiped off but wasn''t cleaned enough. A slight prick grazed her chest, seeing the money and remembering that she, too, was desperate at one point during her five years of being in a limbo. She so badly wanted to believe this stranger, but a considerable part of her didn''t want to risk it.

    Looking up and meeting the other''s eyes, Katherine told her, "I will give you money. I believe $10,000 is enough to go out of state and start a new life. Leave this ce and don''t look back."

    Chloe clenched her fist tightly, and her eyes turned watery when she spoke under gritted teeth, "You don''t get it. I''m an orphanat least that''s what I was told. I have no recollection of my past before Shadow took me in. They did something to my head, and I can''t remember anything before I became one of them. I always felt I didn''t belong there. I just need a ce to live. You''re the only person who knows what it''s like to be in there once and then finally be free." She choked up. "I just want to live. But I don''t want to be alone. Please."

 Chapter 633: Shelter

    Chapter 633: Shelter

    "I wish Chris and Gus were around" Styles started as the five of them huddled in the hallway outside of Chloe''s hotel room. "They know her, and we''d know what to do by now."

    The rest of them exchanged looks, unsure of how to respond to what he just said. They kept their voices down so their guest inside the room wouldn''t hear their discussion. When they reached a pit stop while considering their options, Styles decided to recall their old team.

    Katherine silently agreed to Styles. If Chris and Gus were alive, they would have already filled them in about the woman in the room. And based on that, they''d be able toe up with a decision. But, unfortunately, the information they got from Shadow''s database about Chloe was only superficial. It barely scratched the surface of who she really was. They wouldn''t know what kind of agent she was or who she was close with.

    Damien would know how to handle the situation, but he''d been respectful, knowing that dealing with an agent of Shadow wasn''t an ordinary task. Three out of five of them in the hallway all came from Shadow, and even they were having a hard time. He understood how risky it would be for them to take her in. He''d agreed to Katherine''s offer of giving the woman money and asking her to leave. If it were him, he would have done the same thing. Well, not exactly. He''d tranquilize the subject, bring them far away, preferably out of statea state or two awayand consider leaving some money just enough for them to survive for a few days.

    Obviously, Katherine''s idea was more than generous. And he understood why she had offered that. Katherine, the strong woman that she was, was soft-hearted. She saw the struggle that the woman was experiencing, and it reminded her of her past. He couldn''t me her, of course. And so, despite wanting to protect her family by driving the dangerous stranger away, she offered a huge sum which would have been more than enough for the woman to start a new life somewhere far from Esmea.

    Damien wondered why the woman was so adamant about staying and seeking asylum from the other side of the campthe ones who cut Shadow''s lifelineeven with therge sum of money in front of her. And then she began telling them how she felt so lost and just wanted to be with people who understood her. It looked a lot like the woman was looking for a family to depend on.

    Chloe was pitiful. Apparently, she was only twenty years old. Her records, apart from the ones they got from the database, were wiped clean. She was a nobodydefinitely a lot like how Katherine''s old records looked like when Damien once had her checked.

    He remembered how bizarre it was for him to see Katherine being a "nobody" at that time, and he wouldn''t believe it. The memory from nearly seven years ago of the night he met her felt nostalgic for him. That night felt so long ago. And the two of them had gone through so much in the past year. It was crazy just thinking about it.

    "It looks like we have no choice," Felix said after a moment of silence. "We could keep an eye on her for a few days and see what she''s really up to."

    Damien and Katherine exchanged looks, seemingly reading each other''s silent conversation through their gazes. And he gave her the support that she needed from him. Putting his arm around her, he squeezed her shoulder. "It''s your call."

    She took a deep breath and scanned the four pairs of eyes looking at her and waiting for her decision. She was torn, but in the end, she nodded. "Fine. We''ll do that."

    The others nodded in agreement. Everyone was on board with her.

    Damien faced Felix and told him, "Put a few men to watch her. She can keep the room for now while her wound heals. Send the meals to her room. Make sure she''s always visible under our watch." He pointed at the cameras on the ceiling of the hallway. "If she needs to go somewhere, someone has to go with her."

    "Understood," Felix acknowledged. "I''ll assign a few men from Delta to keep watch. I''ll also inform hotel security."

    Felix was just about to turn when Amelia grabbed his arm and told them, "I''ll go with him to the office so I can brief them about her and the possibilities of surprise attacks. Chris and Gus filled me in with their most recent strategies back at the safe house. Shadow may not be around anymore, but it won''t hurt to be ready in case she tries something."

    Damien looked at his mother and then to Felix, whose eyes zeroed in on his arm where Amelia''s hand was, and then back to his mother. He nodded. "Good thinking."

    "You two drive home safe," said Amelia, brushing Damien''s and Katherine''s arms in a motherly fashion. "Styles? Youing?" Amelia asked, and Styles agreed to go with them.

    ***

    Katherine and Damien came back inside the hotel room to inform Chloe about their decision. The woman''s expression turned from worried to relief instantly. Her shoulders sagged, and a long sigh came out of her. Then she smiled, saying, "Thank you."

    Katherine cleared her throat and raised her chin, refusing to show that she''d lowered a tiny bit of her guard down. "Don''t celebrate just yet. One wrong move, and you''re not only out of here I''ll make sure you go down and won''t get back up. You got it?"

    Chloe''s expression turned serious, looking as though she realized that Katherine''s warning was heavy and that she didn''t have any problems carrying it out. She gave the couple a reassuring nod and told them, "I won''t let you down."

    ***

    Katherine and Damien left the hotel after ensuring that their engagement night in the event hall was properly turned over to the closing team. Both of them had a long day, and they couldn''t wait to go home to their bed at the Young Mansion.

    Most days recently, one of the men from their security detail would drive for them. They''ve been too busy, and letting someone else drive for them was just convenient as they didn''t have to bother looking for parking spaces and having the car ready as soon as they needed it.

    This time, they rode a limousine. Katherine and Damien sat in the backseat with their arms pressed against each other as they sat side by side. The two of them were definitely tired. She stretched her arms forward andid her head on his shoulder, yawning as she did.

    "Come here." He lifted an arm around her and pulled her into the crook of his shoulder.

    She snuggled into his side, feeling way morefortable than a second ago. Then, sensing a pair of eyes looking at her, she looked up at him and caught him smiling. "What are you smiling about?"

    Damien kissed her forehead. "I was just thinking I like watching you in charge. You look confident and powerful. You amaze me."

    Katherine drew her brows together, but mirth was evident on her face. He was still smiling at her, and she found his observation amusing that it made herugh. "Does that turn you on, Mr. Park?"

    "Definitely."

    "You''re unbelievable." She shook her head as though she found it ridiculous, but she wrapped her arms around his torso anyway. He was so warm and smelled so good; it was such afortable ce to settle in.

    Damien leaned in and whispered to her ear in a low and sexy voice. "And you''re irresistible."

    She didn''t respond, but the smile on her face proved how much she liked it.

    cing his hand on her thigh, hezily stroked it up and down. "You''re not that tired yet, are you?"

    Katherine couldn''t deny that it wouldn''t take so much effort for Damien to have her submit to him whenever he so desired. He didn''t even have to say anything. Just one look at him, and she''d know he wanted herjust like how he''s looking down at her right now with dark, hungry eyes. Those eyes that she would do anything for.

    "I am tired tonight" she answered, and his brow raised like he wasn''t ready for her rejection. But then a slow smile cast on her face as she leaned towards his lips and whispered against it, "But never for you."

 Chapter 634: U-Turn

    Chapter 634: U-Turn

    Sunday  February 3

    It was the day that Katherine and Damien were supposed to leave the Mansion and go back to the city in the afternoon. They hadn''t told Grandfather Theo yet, and they nned to tell him over lunch. Katherine was a little sad to leave, but she knew it was best for both her and Damien to go back to their penthouse. And since her grandfather''s health was back to normal, she didn''t think she had to constantly watch over him. Actually, the older man kept telling her she didn''t need to babysit him all the time. But she knew he loved that she and Damien were there.

    The two of them had just finished packing their stuff when her phone buzzed. It was Emma, telling her that Styles hadn''t called or texted her yet when she gave him her numberst night. Katherine chuckled, recalling that she indeed saw the two together, chatting by the buffet tablewell, it was more like Emma did all the talking while Styles choked up and stood like aplete idiot who was too afraid to talk to a girl.

    At first, Katherine thought that the two were an odd pair. It wasn''t until she caught Styles staring at Emma frequently and for a long time that she realized the man was crushing on her. She hadn''t asked him about it, in case he''d avoid anything that had to do with Emma. So she kept silent and watched Styles on the sidelines. There were a few times that Emma would attempt to make small talk with Styles and the grown baby could only respond with a nod or a shake of the headwhen he''s not stuttering.

    She hadn''t told Emma about her findings too. Katherine thought that whatever would happen between the two of them would happen naturally. Emma deserved to be happy; especially after losing her brother, Chris, for the second time. They didn''t always talk about Chris and they probably should''ve, but it was hard to hold the conversation, knowing that it hurt Emmaand Katherine, too, even though she wouldn''t admit it out loud. The man had wronged her gravely, but it still hurt her when he died. It was like losing a family member.

    Emma was sweet and Katherine thought that Styles would probably need someone who had a strong personality like Emma. That would be hrious and also heartwarming when she thought about it.

    Katherine chatted with Emma for a while. She''d told her friend that if she couldn''t wait, she should text him first. Text was the best option. She couldn''t imagine how Styles would be on the phone if Emma called him.

    Her phone beeped and the red bar of the battery shed on her screen. "Crap." She looked for her phone charger and quickly plugged it into the wall. After saying goodbye to Emma, she left her phone on the bedside table.

    "Kitten," Damien called from the door. She looked up and he nodded his head towards the hallway, and he said, "Lunch is ready. Everyone''s downstairs."

    "Okay." She smiled and the two of them headed towards the dining room.

    ***

    Grandfather Theo sat at the head of the dining table. To his right was Deborah, followed by Caroline, and to his left was Katherine and then Damien next to her. Lunch was exquisite, as usual. There was never a mealtime where the food didn''t taste good in this mansion. And the conversation at the table was quite enjoyable. The five of them talked aboutst night''s engagement party and nned to have the next one a few weekster. The flow of their discussion was easy and lighteven Katherine and Caroline had fun talking about the best ces to eat in Harbor City.

    For dessert, they had chocte pudding, one of Grandpa Theo''s favorites. Halfway through, Katherine decided it was time to tell him they would be going back to the city in the afternoon.

    Her grandfather, who had a smile on his face, smiled sadly as he nodded. Then he pulled the corners of his mouth upward again and beamed at Katherine and Damien. "Well, it can''t be helped. You two have stayed to babysit this old geezer for a while now. Don''t let me hold you back. I know you are both busy with work and your wedding. I''m thankful you spent time with me."

    Katherine smiled back and reached across the table to hold her grandfather''s hand. The homey feel of his wrinkly hand in hers was warm andfortable. She squeezed it and promised, "I''ll visit all the time."

    He waved his free hand as if to dismiss the idea. "If you visit me all the time, when will you have time to start making my great-grandchildren?"

    "Grandpa" She didn''t know what else to say.

    "We can do PhoneTime with the cellphone so you don''t have to keeping here. Caroline will set it up for me so I can see your face and you can see mine while we talk on the phone."

    Katherine drew her brows together and then nced at Caroline whoughed and rified it for her, "He means FaceTime."

    "Yeah, that. FaceTime." Grandpa Theo nodded.

    Everyone shared augh over how adorable Grandfather Theo was in his attempt to learn the modern ways ofmunication. With a huge smile on her face, Katherine reassured him, "We can FaceTime or video chat any time, Grandpa. But I still want toe over to see you in person when I want and you can''t stop me."

    Feeling touched, Grandfather Theo kissed Katherine''s hand. "Alright, Pumpkin. I''ll look forward to your visits."

    ***

    It was already three in the afternoon when Katherine and Damien loaded all their stuff in the car out in the driveway. Grandfather Theo, Deborah, and Caroline bid them goodbye and watched as they drove out of the estate. It felt like traveling towards home after a long vacation. But for Katherine, it was like leaving home for another home, which was a bit sad but also gave her relief at the same time.

    Damien drove the Range Rover. Two vehicles for their security convoyed with themone in front and one at the back. They were ten minutes into their trip when he noticed Katherine was quiet in the passenger''s seat. She was staring out the window and from the brief nce that he made to check on her, there was a small frown on her face.

    He reached for her hand, brought it to his lips, and kissed it. "You''ll see him again soon, Love."

    "I know." She smiled.

    "Tell you what" Damien threaded their fingers together and kept her hand on hisp, his thumb brushing hers as he contemted for a second. He wanted to cheer her up. "Why don''t we invite our friends over for movie night tonight? We''ll order in from that Indian restaurant that just opened a few blocks away. How does that sound?"

    Katherine''s eyes sparkled in delight as she nodded. "I''d love that. I''ll call Emma and the others. I''m sure Styles would be excited to see his crush."

    "Crush?" He cocked a brow.

    She chuckled. "He has a little crush on Emma. Don''t tell him I know. I don''t wanna make him ufortable or he''ll sweat like a pig in front of her." She began to rummage for her phone in her bag.

    Damien shook his head andughed.

    "Oh crap"

    "What?" He nced her way.

    "I left my phone on the nightstand. It was charging."

    "Then let''s drive back and get it." He slowed down and made a U-Turn, pressing a button on the rear-view mirror to call one of the guards to inform them.

    ***

    Just as Damien parked in front of the entrance, his phone rang. He answered the call while Katherine signaled him that she wouldn''t take long before she got out of the car and entered the mansion.

    A servant greeted her by the door, confused why she was back, and then Katherine exined that she was only there to retrieve the phone she left behind in her room.

    After fetching her phone, she was on her way out when she noticed that Aunt Deborah''s bedroom door was ajar. She thought she''d inform her aunt that she was there and was on her way out again, so she walked closer and slowly knocked on the door.

    "Aunt Deb? I was just" Katherine''s voice trailed off, her eyes darkening as she watched her Aunt refilling Grandfather Theo''s pillbox with familiar pink pills.

    The older woman got startled that the pink pills fell and they bounced and scattered all over the floor. Deborah was white as a ghost, too shell-shocked to speak.

    Without dy, Katherine stormed inside the room, her blood boiling in rage. "What the hell are you doing?"

 Chapter 635: Serving Justice

    Chapter 635: Serving Justice

    Deborah''s eyes were like that of a deer in the headlights when Katherine stalked towards her. "I-Ithought you left. You weren''t supposed to be here."

    The older woman dropped to the floor in a frantic manner, trying to pick up the tablets that scattered around everywhere and then putting them back in the bag, her hands trembling about. Katherine was still perplexed but all signs were now ring in her head while her aunt was panicking and looking very much like she was trying to hide evidence.

    Katherine reached down and grabbed hold of Deborah''s shoulder, gripping it hard as she questioned, "What are you doing with those pills?" Despite already feeling a knot in her gut at what this was all about, she demanded answers from her aunt, wanting to hear it from her own mouth.

    However, Deborah''s hands continued to shake as she refused to meet Katherine''s stare. She kept her head down and resumed picking up the pills on the floor. "I-It''s nothing, dear. They''re vitamins!"

    Pissed by her aunt''s deflection, Katherine grabbed the older woman''s wrist to stop her. "Aunt Deb!"

    Deborah swallowed and then slowly looked up, meeting Katherine''s deadly stare.

    "I know those pills. They''re banned by the DFA. Why are you putting them in Grandpa''s pill box?" Katherine demanded.

    Deborah opened her mouth to respond, but then she abruptly closed her mouth and kept it shut. A mixture of panic and anger contorted her face, seemingly caught red-handed and didn''t know what to do or say.

    Feeling enraged, Katherine tightened her grip around Deborah''s wrist that the other began to whimper and retract her hand. "Answer me, Deborah! Are you poisoning my grandfather, is that it?" Katherine questioned under gritted teeth. She''d clenched her teeth so hard, they looked like they might crack.

    Deborah still didn''t speak, though her face already said it all. She was growing flustered by the second and she could barely look Katherine in the eyes. The change of expression on her face answered Katherine''s question.

    Grabbing Deborah''s shoulders, Katherine gripped it hard and screamed at the other''s face. "How could you! He''s your father!" She was shaking in rage, her fingernails digging into Deborah''s flesh.

    "Father?" Deborah snapped. "He''s not my father!!!"

    "I know about you being adopted. You''re still his daughter even if not by blood. How could you be so ungrateful!"

    "That man never treated me as his own! He and Mother always saw me as an outsider! Do you know how I felt when I heard that I was adopted and that Mason would receive more inheritance? It''s because I''m not their real daughter! Father knew I always wanted thepany and yet he still gave it to his son! All because I''m not their blood!!!"

    The wheels in Katherine''s head turned as she listened and Deborah took the distraction as a momentary weakness that allowed her room to push Katherine off her and tried to get away. "Get off me, you wench!"

    It was only for a split second that Katherine lost bnce as she was on one knee just now when Deborah tried to escape, but she regained bnce just in the nick of time. She then grabbed Deborah''s thick hair from the back of her head and then mmed her against the dresser. "You''re not going anywhere!!!"

    Deborah screamed in pain and started cursing, her arms iling about while trying to scratch Katherine on the face. Katherine was evidently stronger than the older woman but thetter was desperate as Katherine subdued Deborah and tried to pin her on the floor.

    Katherine didn''t see iting when Deborahshed out at her.

    "That old man should have died that first time! And you! You should''ve been long gone with your pathetic mother and father that night! I should''ve made sure of it!"

    Katherine couldn''t believe what she was hearing. Her eyes widened and all she could see was the twisted face of the woman who just cursed her own family. It was as if her aunt was a whole different person. Who was this woman?

    But then everything became clearer in a second and Katherine knew deep inside that the truth was staring right at her. "You You''re the one who killed my parents."

    Deborah didn''t speak, but Katherine swore she saw a tiny smirk on the other''s face. And that pushed her over the edgethat was enough of a reason for her to kill Deborah right there with her own hands.

    A shrilling scream tore out of Katherine as her hands went around Deborah''s neck. Her eyes were misty and menacing. All she could see was red. It was like a switch in her head had flipped and turned her into something else, ck fire burning in the depths of her core. "I''m going to kill you!!!"

    There was no stopping Katherine. She became the killing machine, "Queen", that she was back in Shadow. She wasn''t aware of it, but there were certain times in the past that she was uncontroble. She attacked anyone who was in her wayit didn''t matter who it was. It was hard to stop her; even Chris and Gus couldn''t. Queen became someone unrecognizable. They had to inject a sedative into her to stop her, and when it was all over, she''d wake up not remembering what happened before she lost consciousness.

    Right now while she had her hands on Deborah, the person who killed her parents, she wasn''t the same as the one she became in the past, but she was dangerously close. All her focus was squeezing the life out of Deborah that she didn''t even hear someone yelling behind her. Her only goal was death. Death to the person whose life was literally in her hands.

    Images of that tragic night when she lost her parents shed in her head, clouding her brain. Gunshots, screams, darkness, fearall of them bombarding her entire being and she was stuck there, unable to escape. But instead of hiding away and crying like she used to whenever she was reminded of the death of her parents, Katherine used all of her anger and gathered them all in her hands. She consumed all of the darkness and allowed it to swallow her whole. Her parents were goneno, they were killed, murdered. And nothing could ever bring them back.

    This This was justice.

    Deborah was desperate for air, her face was nearly purplegasping and choking, her legs frantically kicking about.

    Someone tried to pull Katherine off of Deborah, but in just a fraction of a beat, Katherine pushed away whoever it was who interrupted her and immediately went back to Deborah''s neck. "Die! Die you"

    A shattering ss echoed in the room, and Katherine''s hands loosened around Deborah''s neck. Her vision became blurry before she fell limply on the floor, groaning in pain. Katherine tried to move but she was gradually bing weak. She wasn''t sure what happened. It was as though things were happening in slow motion while the ringing in her ear continued to re in her head.

    She reached for her head where she thought was bing numb, pressed her fingers on the tender spot, and felt wetness. Her breathing became shallow as she looked at her trembling hand, seeing blood on it just before her vision went dark and she lost consciousness.

    A loud shriek erupted in the bedroom as the lifeless Katherineid on the floor.

 Chapter 636: The Gates of Hell Are Opening

    Chapter 636: The Gates of Hell Are Opening

    Damien was on the phone inside the car when out of the corner of his eye, he saw Deborah scrambling out of the front door and hastily getting in the backseat of a parked car that was a few meters away from where he was. He arched a brow in confusion and heard a piercing screaming from the mansion.

    In a panic, he dropped the call while getting out of the car, his head whipping into the direction of the scream at the same time that a car passed by him. Deborah looked disheveled and red, and the wide-eyed driver looked frightened as he caught Damien''s baffled expression when their eyes met while racing the car out of the estate.

    He didn''t have time to think. His instinct was to find Katherine and ignore what just happened with Deborah, so he jolted towards the mansion and raced up the stairs. A servant caught sight of him from atop the stairs, and she cried out, "Young Master! The Young Madam! Quick!"

    Damien''s heart pounded in his chest in every heavy step he took on the way up. He waspletely scared of what had happened to Katherine, and dark thoughts crowded his head as he reached the second floor. He sprinted towards the crowd that formed outside Deborah''s room, afraid that Katherine was in there.

    The servants gave way to him as he pushed his way inside the moment that he saw Katherine''s feet on the floor. The rest of her body was hidden by the bed from where he stood the first time he saw her, and his heartbeat picked up a dangerous pace as he strolled in and saw her lifeless body. "Katherine!" His eyes went wide, and he dashed to her side.

    Unsure where to touch her, Damien yelled to the onlookers to call an ambnce without taking his eyes off the unresponsive Katherine.

    "We''ve already called. Help is on the way," said the man that''s lightly pressing a cloth onto Katherine''s head. That''s only when Damien noticed that the man was Grandfather Theo''s private nurse. "She''s unconscious but still breathing. It doesn''t look serious. There''s a cut on her head, but it doesn''t look like she has a fracture."

    Damien felt helpless, his heart kicking his ribcage as he carefully grabbed Katherine''s hand and sped it between his. "Baby, hang in there."

    He''d seen Katherine hurt many times, and yet he wasn''t prepared to see her like this. He felt like a truck had run over him and killed him several times as he watched the woman he loved with shallow breathing.

    "What happened?" Damien managed to ask.

    When no one answered his question, he looked up at the nurse whose eyes were scanning around the room. The nurse didn''t seem to know what had happened either, so Damien followed and turned his head, seeing the servants by the door whose stares were directed to a particr corner of the room.

    Following the direction of their stares, Damien''s brows knitted when his gazended at a young woman who was crying at the corner. Caroline.

    Caroline sat with her knees up and her back against the wall as she wrung her hands together, her face pale and wet with tears as she continued to sob while looking at Katherine. As if feeling eyes on her, she shifted her stare and met Damien''s furious one. Before he could even demand, she stuttered, "I''m sorry I didn''t mean to"

    "What the hell happened?" Damien questioned with gritted teeth.

    "I swear, I didn''t mean to hurt her."

    "What. Did. You. Do?"

    Gasping and whimpering, Caroline tried to exin, "They were fighting Katherine wasand then my mother I didn''t know what to do"

    "So you fucking hit her in the head?" He was furious.

    "I wasn''t going to, but Katherine was squeezing my mother''s neck. She pushed me when I tried to pull her off my mom, I fell, hitting my arm on the dresser. My mom was turning purple, and I panicked. I had to stop her from killing my mom" She sniffed. "I hit her with the first thing I grabbed."

    Listening to Caroline''s exnation, Damien looked at Caroline''s arm and saw the long red scratch on it. Next, he saw the tall drinking ss that''s shattered on the floor, possibly what was used to hit Katherine. Then, that''s when he noticed the pink pills that were scattered all over the floor. Judging by the mess, he had an inkling of what caused the incident.

    "Is she Is she going to die?" Caroline''s tears hadn''t stopped streaming down her face.

    Damien was livid when he heard the question. His jaw ticked, and he bit out under gritted teeth, "You better pray she won''t. Or I swear I''ll kill you myself."

    ***

    Katherine had been in and out of consciousness since she was brought to the nearest hospital. The doctor said she had a concussionit was mild and not life-threatening. The wound on her head wasn''t serious eitherno fracture, just a cut that didn''t need stitches. She was lucky. Again. But Damien didn''t want to ever test her luck again. She''d been hurt too many times; he felt like a total failure for not being able to prevent it from happening.

    Six hourster since he asked to move her to a private room, Katherine''s eyes slowly fluttered open, and she groaned in pain. Damien, who was sitting in the armchair next to the bed, immediately went to her side and took her hand in his. "Hey I''m here."

    "Damien" She whimpered.

    "How are you feeling?"

    She reached up to her head, but he stopped her. "Don''t touch it. It''s still healing."

    "I''m okay I think."

    He helped her sit up on the bed, and while her surroundings slowly registered in her conscious state, she began to panic. "Deborah! Where is she? I have to"

    "Shh Calm down, baby. You''re in the hospital. You were hit in the head, and your head hit the floor when you fell. We''ve been here for more than six hours."

    Katherine''s eyes were wide, realizing that a while had passed since her encounter with Deborah. "She did it. She killed my parents. And she was trying to poison Grandpa too. Grandpa!" She shoved the nket off her and scrambled out of bed. "I have to see Grandpa. I have to know he''s okay!"

    Damien gently stopped her from getting out of the bed. "Katherine, he''s okay. He''s fine. He''s resting at home. Doctors have already checked up on him."

    "She was feeding him the pills, Damien! Her own father! She tried to kill her own father!"

    His jaw clenched, seeing the fury in Katherine''s eyes. cing his hands on her shoulder, he held her tightly as he spoke to her eyes. "I figured that''s what happened, but no one could tell me exactly. Caroline didn''t want to say anything about what you two were fighting about. She''d kept her mouth shut."

    "Caroline?" she asked, looking confused.

    "She''s the one who hit you on the head. I had security keep her in her room in case she runs away. My men are on watch at the estate."

    "What about Deborah? We have to catch her, Damien. We have to!"

    He nodded. "And we will. We''re already looking for her." Lowering his head, he sounded regretful when he told her, "I ran inside as fast as I could. Ishould''ve stopped her from getting away. She just drove past me. I wasn''t thinking straight, knowing you were inside when I heard the scream. I''m sorry."

    Seeing him looking so apologetic, Katherine''s shoulders dropped. She couldn''t me him at all. Letting out a long sigh, she thought back about her actions and recalled the series of events. "It''s not your fault. I let my anger get the best of me. I couldn''t control myself, Damien. I wanted to kill her." Then she started telling him about what Deborah admitted to her during their fight.

    Wordlessly, he leaned closer and gathered her in his arms. "I''m sorry this happened." Damien was enraged that his body grew rigid, but at the moment, Katherine needed him to absorb her shock. So he set his rage aside and lend himself to her.

    "What about Grandpa? Does he Does he know?"

    "He knows."

    Katherine''s breathing hitched, her emotions spiraled downwards, and she began to cry uncontrobly. All she could think about was how she almost lost her grandfather if she hadn''t caught Deborah in her scheme. To top it off, her grandfather found about his daughter''s evil deeds. He must be so heartbroken. Just the thought of it caused her chest to tighten. It was difficult to breathe.

    "Everything''s going to be okay," Damien whispered to her repeatedly as he tightened his embrace around her. "She''ll get what she deserves. We''ll make sure of it."

 Chapter 637: We Move as One

    Chapter 637: We Move as One

    Katherine cried because she was frustrated and truly angered by what she found out, rather than being disappointed about learning what Deborah did. She couldn''t say she waspletely surprised, after all, she already suspected her aunt. However, without evidence or solid proof, there was nothing she could do then.

    Thinking about the times when her grandfather fell ill, it seemed as though they all lined up to when she wasn''t around to take care of himalmost as if whatever Deborah did, thetter did when Katherine wasn''t there to catch her. That theory she formed in her head left a bitter taste in her mouth, especially when she recalled how she wouldn''t have caught her aunt if she hadn''t gone back to retrieve her phone.

    Anyone could have seen what Deborah did, given her door wasn''t thoroughly closedwhich was quite stupid on her part. Her carelessness caused her evil ns'' demiseand for that, Katherine was lucky.

    Damien called Jeffrey Evans earlier and asked him about the effects of the pills if they were given to Chairman Young. Jeffrey learned about the older man''s health condition and he informed them that ephedrhe chemicalponent in ephedra, the botanical herbshouldn''t be given to people with heart conditions as studies had shown that it was linked to high blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes, seizures, and other risks if used in high doses or long-term.

    They forwarded theb results of Chairman Young to Jeffrey who said that ording to it, amphetamine was present in the urine test. However, people taking ephedra may show a false positive for amphetamine or methamphetamine.

    This could have been rming if not for the fact that they had listed that Chairman Young was taking an over-the-counter decongestant medication that contained pseudoephedrine which exined the presence of amphetamine in the test. There weren''t any tests that could prove it was exactly ephedrine, but it was understood that if a drug had ephedrine or pseudoephedrine, the results would show that amphetamine was present.

    So while they took into ount that it could actually be ephedrine from the banned pills, it wasn''t nearly enough to show toxic levels of it in the bodyeven inrge amounts.

    Katherine and Damien believed that Deborah nned this properly to cover her tracks. They wondered how long she had been doing this and why she suddenly got sloppy now.

    Katherine wanted to call her grandfather to check up on him, but she was told by his assistant that he wasn''t taking any calls and he was already asleep. Misery gripped her chest at the thought of how he was handling all of this. She promised to go back to the mansion in the morning.

    ***

    Katherine fell asleep at half past ten in the evening, and Damien asked his mother, who arrived a few minutes ago, to keep an eye on her while he went somewhere. Amelia willingly stayed behind and didn''t stop him from doing whatever he nned to do.

    Damien drove furiously as he headed towards the Park Estate. In less than an hour, he vited several traffic rules, but he couldn''t care less. Those were the least of his concerns. He was livid, knowing that his uncle knew it was Deborah who ordered the mission on Katherine''s parents'' assassination. For weeks, he had been silently pulling strings to throw Frederick out. Everything would being to fruition very soon, but now, he wouldn''t let this passeven if he had to face his uncle head-on.

    William was outside the mansion, holding a cigarette in one hand and scrolling the screen on his phone with the other when Damien arrived. Thetter haphazardly parked his car and got out with a scowl on his face.

    "Didn''t expect you here tonight," William muttered and took a drag of his cigarette. "What''s up?" He cocked a brow, sensing his cousin''s dangerous aura.

    Damien barely gave him a nce and was about to walk past him when William stopped him by the arm. He wasn''t going to stop but he couldn''t ignore his cousin either, so he asked in a clipped tone, "Where''s your father?"

    "In the study. What''s wrong?"

    "Katherine is in the hospital."

    "Shit." William dropped the cigarette on the ground and stepped on it. "What happened?"

    "Deborah. She''s the one who ordered Katherine''s parents to be killed. She was also poisoning Chairman Young."

    The two entered the mansion, ignoring the servants greeting them as they passed, and they ascended the stairs to go to the study. Damien exined to William what happened in the afternoon and that they were still looking for Deborah.

    "What the She did that to her own father? Well, adoptive father, but still. I''ve long hated my own, but I don''t think I''m that far down." William''s brows knitted. Sure, he and Damien were nning to bring Frederick down, but he wouldn''t kill him. He internally shook his head.

    William offered to help with the search and when they were near the study, he stopped Damien by grabbing his arm. He didn''t say anything but the other seemed to have read his mind.

    "Don''t worry. I won''t kill him," Damien told his cousin before retracting his arm and turning on his heel.

    ***

    A few minutes ago

    Frederick had been in his study since after dinner. It was Sunday, but he always had many things to dowhether it''s for Park Group or his ndestine businesses. However, that night, his mind was preupied with thoughts aboutst night''s partyspecifically the woman who appeared out of nowhere. Amelia.

    He couldn''t believe she was in front of him. All this time, he thought she was deadat least, that''s what his friend''s right-hand man had told him. When Frederick hadn''t heard from his friend in a while many years ago, he decided to call him. That''s when he found out that his friend had been murderedby Amelia. Then a long whileter, he heard Amelia had been found dead.

    So seeing the womanst night definitely shocked him. After all, he saw a ghost.

    Frederick picked up his phone and called his assistant, speaking as soon as it was answered. "I need you to find someone for me." He took out a small ck notebook from a locked drawer of his desk and opened it to a certain page. "Parker Green."

    "Any useful information, Sir?"

    "Nothing else. I only know his name." Frederick had tried to call the same number several years ago but it was no longer reachable. After ending the call, he put the notebook back in his drawer and locked it.

    The door swung wide open and Damien burst inside, his expression hard as his eyes turned dark. "You piece of shit."

    Frederick straightened, his brows furrowing in return. "I beg your pardon? Have you lost your mind, barging in here and insulting me? Give me some resp"

    "Oh, we''re way past that now." Damien grabbed Frederick by the cor and got in his space. "I''ve held it in for so long even after knowing you had a hand in Katherine''s parents'' deaths."

    "We''ve already talked about that. I thought you let that go since you decided to marry the woman whose parents you killed," Frederick responded, ignoring the way his nephew manhandled him.

    Damien''s muscles tightened as he fumed. He yanked his uncle up and mmed him against the bookshelf, his eyes turning deadly by the second. "You really think I''d just let it go? I''ve practiced patience my whole life, but I''ve had enough. And I didn''t kill her parents!"

    "You might as well have. Have you forgotten we are family? We move as one."

    "Fuck you! Families don''t force their kids to kill."

    "You sure have a lot of nerveing here with all that anger. Is that all you came here for, to talk about something that happened more than a decade ago?"

    Damien clenched his jaw and under gritted teeth, he bit out, "I know the truth now. So why don''t you tell me. Where. The. Fuck. Is. Deborah?"

    Realization dawned on Frederick. His expression rxed as if he wasn''t surprised that the truth was found out. "You know."

    "Just answer the damn question or I swear to God if Nana hears all your"

    Something rattled on top of the desk beside them. Their heads turned in the direction of the buzzing and saw the shing of Frederick''s phone screen.

    Damien narrowed his eyes as he focused on reading the name on his uncle''s phone.

    [ D.Y. ]

 Chapter 638: "Rightful Heir"

    Chapter 638: "Rightful Heir"

    In a secluded area outside of Harbor City, a small cottage sat in the middle of the woods. A dim light lit up its interior, the only light amidst the quiet darkness of the forest. Surrounded by tall trees, the cottage''s solepanion is the howling of the wolves coupled by the rustling of leaves caused by the strong wind.

    "Madam, would you care for some tea?" asked the young man.

    Without looking up, Deborah shook her head. "You can rest for the night. Take the small bedroom next to mine." Her voice was hoarse from getting strangled and she could barely talk without gritting her teeth.

    "Good night, Madam." The young man retreated, bowing his head as he left the living room.

    "Wait." The young man paused when she called. "Leave your phone here. You are still not to contact anyone."

    He nodded once and ced his phone on the coffee table. It had been turned off since they left the Young Mansion this afternoon, and even after countless reminders by Deborah not to turn it on, she still did not trust him. The young driver was still new, but she was the one who hired him, so his loyalty should be with her. However, she wouldn''t take any chances.

    Once she was alone in the living room, she sagged in the armchair and unconsciously bit her thumbnail. Her brows were drawn together as she recalled what happened in the afternoon.

    Deborah thought that it would have been over for her if that manher aplicehadn''t helped her out of the mansion. She barely made it out of there, if not for the adrenaline rush caused by her desperation to survive and of course with the help of that man. She raised her hand to her cor bone, not wanting to touch the sensitive skin. Her neck was still bruised and her throat still felt sore because of that bitch Katherine.

    Why did Katherine evene back? She had already left! It was Deborah''s only window to rece the pills. Deborah wasn''t even supposed to be the one doing it, but her aplice in the mansion wasn''t avable. If she were sessful with the pills, her ns would havee to fruition. But her nerves got the best of her and she was awfully sloppy.

    Deborah hissed at the reminder of how everything today was fucked up. She should have made sure that the door was locked. Now all her ns crumbled before her.

    No. She should have made sure Katherine died with her parents that night then none of this would''ve happened.

    After years of hard work, Deborah was already so close to getting what she wantedto getting what was supposed to be hers. Now everything was ruined.

    But She still had onest resort. He could help. After all, he still owed her.

    Her hands were shaking and they hadn''t stopped since she left the mansion. Deborah reached for a burner phone that she kept in a safe ce for situations like this. It was untraceable and only very few people knew. After contemting her actions, she dialed Frederick Park''s number.

    She had been friends with Frederick for as long as she could remember. That man knew so much about hermore than she liked. But with their history together, he was the only capable man who could help her right now.

    The ringing went on for a long time. She checked the time on her watch, noticing that it waste already. However, she knew that Frederick should still be awake. Even if he was asleep, he would wake up to answer her call, especially if it came from this number.

    "Pick up, damn it," she muttered under gritted teeth.

    Frustrated, she was just about to end the call when the line suddenly connected. Deborah straightened her spine and spoke, "Fred. I need your help."

    There was some shuffling in the background but she couldn''t make out what it was. She assumed he was getting out of bed or something.

    "What''s wrong?" Frederick asked.

    "I''m in trouble." Deborah got to her feet and started pacing in the living room, running her fingers through her hair and then biting her thumbnail as she spoke on the phone. She sounded agitated. "I escaped but I only have limited cash on me. I don''t know how long this willst. I don''t know what to do. I''m in hiding so I can''t get money from the bank."

    "What happened, Deb? Where are you?"

    Frederick''s voice was detached. It wasn''t surprising, considering what kind of man he was. He always talked like this. But it gave her a sense of doubt. She was about to tell him her exact location but decided against it. The small cottage was her only escape in Esmea, if something goes wrong, it would be all over for her. She swallowed.

    "I''m Uh I I can''t tell you on the phone. I have to meet you," she said, her voice low and restrained.

    "Okay. When? Where?"

    "Tomorrow morning. I''ll text you where."

    "Are you alone?"

    "Yesno. I have a driver. Caroline is still in the mansion. I have to get her out of there too. You have to help me get her out of there, Fred."

    "Okay. I will wait for your text."

    Deborah let out a sigh of relief, but before she ended the call, she made sure to remind Frederick. Her eyes were fierce when she told him, "I''m trusting you, Fred. You owe me, and you already failed me years ago by letting that girl live when she should have died with them. So you bettere through or I will bring you down with me."

    He grunted. "Don''t be rash, Deborah. Be patient. I will meet you tomorrow."

    The call ended and she slumped back down on the couch. Frederick was her only hope at the moment. She couldn''t survive out here. She belonged in the mansion, not in this tiny, filthy cottage!

    There was one more person to call but he was in the mansion. If she called him now, it mightplicate things. Deborah stared at the burner phone as she bit her thumbnail. Scenarios ran in her head and all of them were not pretty. She had to be more careful, so she decided to wait until the next day before making the call.

    Her brows drew together as she steepled her hands. She had been found out, but once Frederick would be on her side, she could still finish Katherineand then she could take Young Corporation that was rightfully hers.

 Chapter 639: Bad Day for Science (1)

    Chapter 639: Bad Day for Science (1)

    Damien didn''t leave Frederick''s side the whole night. He briefed Amelia about the discovery, and William joined them in the office some time at dawn. Damien didn''t want to take any chances. If he let Frederick out of his sight, Deborah could slip away again, and it might be impossible to catch her if that happened.

    They tried to ask Frederick questions about the mission of the assassination of Katherine''s parents, but Frederick seemed very stingy with his answers. Damien could tell that the older man was holding back information even though they had already found out about Deborah. Frederick insisted that the details weren''t important; it was nothing but a business transaction. She paid, he executed. It was as simple as that.

    But it wasn''t that simple, really, because the Parks weren''t mercenaries or hired killers despite the nature of their underground business. So getting hired to kill an innocent family was out of their scope. Sure, they had attacked groups or enemies before, but never an innocent family like Katherine''s. Damien had a feeling that it was an exchange of favors between Frederick and Deborah, or it should be in their family''s books where only the head of the family had ess to.

    Sometime at dawn, Frederick fell asleep on the leather couch while Damien and William stayed up on the other side of the room, brainstorming about how they could trap Deborah.

    When they were still young, and Damien''s father was still alive, Damien remembered that his father, grandfather, Frederick, and other important members of their n used to stay up in this office strategizing and nning meticulous transactions and future businesses. Damien and William would sometimes peek through the door, utterly curious what the grown-ups were talking about. It wasn''t until they were teenagers that they learned more about their family''s businesses and the danger they all lived with.

    Damien believed that if his father were still alive, the assassination of Katherine''s parents wouldn''t have happened. He knew his fatherdespite the illegal businesses they hadwasn''t unnecessarily violent. At least, he didn''t harm the innocent.

    Damien also thought that if he were stronger back then, if he weren''t just a teen and were more capable, he would have probably prevented that from happening. So until now, he couldn''t help but me himself too, along with his family''s transgressions. It''s why he needed to do something for Katherine.

    He may not be able to bring her parents back, but he could at least help her get justice for their deaths.

    At five in the morning, Frederick''s phone got a text message. It was Deborah Young.

    <strong>[ D.Y. : 9am at Fairside Pier. I need at least 50K. ]</strong>

    Damien and William observed Frederick who had just read the text. Thetter scoffed and said, "Does she think I''m a bank?"

    "You''re not going to give her anything." Damien replied to the text, saying: "I''ll be there."

    The door to the office opened, and in came Nana who looked very cheerful as she said, "The servants said you were here. Did you all stay upte?" She sighed, shaking her head at them. "You boys are too hardworking."

    Damien greeted his grandmother, swiftly turning his scowling expression to a genuine smile instead. Bless his grandmother, who didn''t know a lot of things going on under her roof. He knew she wasn''t totally oblivious about the businesses, but she kept herself away from all that mess and didn''t want to participate in it. He gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "You''re up early."

    "I don''t sleep too long these days. Aren''t you all hungry? Let''s have breakfast together."

    They couldn''t say no to Nana, so the three of them had to sit in the dining room and eat with her like one big happy family.

    The hours ticked by so fast, and before they knew it, they only had a couple of hours left before they had to meet Deborah at the pier. Damien called Felix to pick them up at the mansion using a borrowed ck SUV with dark tints. He didn''t want to tip off Deborah in case she would recognize their cars that would make her change her mind or something.

    Frederick''s right-hand man saw them waiting at the front door. The man went closer to them, but he didn''t speak and only wondered where they were all going. Frederick just nodded as if to say "It''s okay", trusting that his nephew wouldn''t really harm him as Damien was only after Deborah. Felix drove the vehicle, and the other three sat at the backseat with Frederick in the middle, nked by Damien and William on either side. When they arrived at the pier, they parked near a diner and kept their eyes trained at the open gates of the pier where Deborah should enter.

    They were thirty minutes early, and when nine o''clock struck, all of them heightened their senses, their eyes mainly focusing on one area and then scanning their surroundings from time to time.

    The surrounding area of the pier was crowded with so many people going aboutporters, workers, students from the nearby school, but none of them was the woman they were waiting for.

    "Are we at the right location?" William wondered when ten o''clock came, and there were no signs of Deborah anywhere.

    Damien also started to doubt and it was Felix who confirmed that there were no other Fairside Pier in Esmea. He looked at his uncle, wondering if something had happened to Deborah or if Fredrick had somehow warned her. But that couldn''t be the case because Frederick hadn''t been alonenot even to change clothes. Neither Damien nor William had taken their eyes off him.

    Feeling eyes on him, Frederick faced Damien, and he knew that his nephew suspected him. He said, "I swear on my father''s grave, I didn''t do anything. She''s in desperate need of help, so I expected her to be here. I''m just as surprised as you are."

    Damien could see that his uncle was telling the truth. He felt tense just sitting in the car, but there was nothing else they could really do at this point except to wait. "Let''s wait for a bit more. Felix, scout the area."

    Felix put on a baseball cap and got out of the car to survey the pier in case they missed something.

    Meanwhile, Damien''s phone buzzed in his jacket. It was his mother.

    <strong>[ Amelia: Katherine''s discharged. She wanted to be with her grandfather, so I drove her to the mansion. We just arrived. She asked about you. How is it over there?]</strong>

    He started typing his reply, but before he could form a response, another text came in.

    <strong>[ Amelia: We''re heading to the hospital. Chairman had a heart attack. ] </strong>

 Chapter 640: Bad Day for Science (2)

    Chapter 640: Bad Day for Science (2)

    Damien was nervous. Chairman Young was old, and he might not survive this. Katherine had already been so stressed about what she discovered from Deborah, and now she might lose the only family she got apart from Damien.

    "What is it?" William asked when he noticed that his cousin was looking pale.

    Damien told him about Chairman Young. Since Frederick sat between them, he heard it as well. His uncle showed a look of surprise, but he didn''t say anything. It was William who replied.

    "What do we do?"

    Checking the time on his watch, Damien narrowed his eyes. It had been more than two hours since the supposed meet-up, and yet there were no signs of Deborah. "Call the number," he said.

    William grabbed the phone from the centerpartment and dialed the number that Deborah used to text Frederick. "Can''t be reached."

    "You have any idea where she might be?" Damien turned to his uncle.

    Frederick appeared exhausted from not having a proper sleep. He was out of shape and getting older with bags under his eyes and dry skin. "For thest time, I don''t know. That''s the point of hiding To not be found. It had been a long time since she gave me that number, and it''s the first time she had used it. It''s untraceable."

    The older man seemed to be telling the truth. At least that part about Deborah''s number being untraceable was. Damien had Styles look into it, and he was inclined to believe that Deborah might be using a military-grade encrypted device. She must have spent a fortune to get that phone.

    They were sitting ducks at the moment. Damien needed to get to Katherine and be there for her. This situation grated on his nerves. He called Felix toe back so they could leave.

    A momentter, Felix returned to the car, shaking his head. "Nothing. Where do you want to go?"

    Damien was in a dilemma. He couldn''t leave Frederick unsupervised because he didn''t trust that his uncle wouldn''t contact Deborah and help her get out of Harbor or wherever she wanted to go. The only reason he left his uncle alone back when he learned the truth about Katherine''s identity was because they needed to find out several facts first and then carefully map out their ns. Now, the lines were forcibly drawn, and the ns would need to be realized sooner than they intended.

    They were supposed to dethrone his uncle in a few weeks. He didn''t know if they were ready. But they had no choice. They must hasten their process or lose their chance, and Frederick mighte out of this unscathed. That was one thing they couldn''t allow to happen. Frederick must be stripped off of his power, or he might strike Damien and everyone he cared about.

    "Take us to the safe house," Damien instructed Felix.

    The safe house where they kept Christopher back then was currently empty. It would be perfect to house Frederick there at the momentaway from the city where none of his boys would find him.

    Damien gave William a subtle nod.

    "Sorry, Dad," William muttered as he pressed a cloth on Frederick''s nose and mouth.

    "What" Frederick wrestled for a few seconds before he slowly lost strength, his body went limp, and then he fell unconscious.

    William sighed. "Not really sorry."

    "You might be enjoying this too much." Damien gave his cousin a side-eyed nce, finding a mixture of mirth and hatred dancing in William''s eyes as he shrugged and began to tie his father''s wrists behind his back.

    "This is nothingpared to what he did to me," said William. He didn''t have anypassion towards his father.

    Damien knew that William was abused when he was a child, but it wasn''t only the physical kind. Frederick was careful not to show any signs in the form of bruises or wounds on his body. They were a very sociable family, and people would notice it. That didn''t stop Frederick from inflicting harm towards William.

    Damien didn''t know all of the ways as William never talked about it. However, there was one time when they were younger than ten years old, Damien saw William climbing down from the attic, looking pale and soulless with dirty nails.

    He''d ask him what was wrong, but William didn''t speak and ignored him for a few days after that. Curious, Damien checked out the attic and found an old solid wood cab that was not more than four feet high with scratch marks at the back of the cab door as if someone tried to w their way out while it was locked from the outside.

    That freaked him out. He wasn''t sure what happened, and William wouldn''t talk about it. He thought William didn''t go into the attic again. Damien only realized what happened several yearster. He didn''t know when the abuse stopped, but thest time he saw Frederick hurting William was before Damien left the mansion to be on his own. He passed by the study just in time when Frederick pped William hard across the face that he stumbled down, and his lip bled.

    Damien and William were already estranged then after that whole Lexi thing. So they had stopped talking. But for all the years they had been close and had lived together, he knew for certain that William''s devil-may-care attitude was just a facade.

    ***

    As soon as Damien had made sure that Frederick was looked after at the safe house, he headed to the hospital. His uncle was still unconscious when they arrived, and theyid him on the bed. Damien was sure Frederick would be more than pissed once he gained consciousness and discovered that his own son and nephew put him on house arrest.

    He didn''t n to harm his unclejust subdue him for the time being while they pushed forward to take him out of the board in Park Group and take over the other family business.

    Damien still had to decide what to do with that side of the matter. He had no ns in taking over the ndestine business. He honestly didn''t need more money than what he already had from the empire he built with his own blood, sweat, and tears. Perhaps William might want it. He had to ask him when he got the chance.

    The smell of antiseptic hit Damien''s nostrils as soon as he stepped foot in the hospital. He took long and fast strides towards the Coronary Care Unit where Chairman Young stayed. He found Katherine and Amelia in the waiting room, both looking worried. His mother had an arm around Katherine''s back,forting her as they quietly sat.

    "I''ll go get us some coffee." Amelia got up, briefly touching his arm as she walked past him.

    "Hey" Damien sat next to Katherine, who looked dazed like she just realized that he was there. Her eyes were red as she had been crying, though she wasn''t crying now. Katherine appeared drained and pale, a bandage still covering the side of her head. "Come here." He wrapped his arms around her, careful not to press on her wound. "Everything''s going to be alright."

    "I can''t lose him too, Damien" She clutched onto his shirt and buried her face against his neck. "He''s the only parent I have left."

    "You''re not going to lose him." He kissed her forehead. "I''ll have the best doctors to take care of him."

    Somehow, even though Damien said that so she wouldn''t lose hope, he couldn''t stop the fear that scratched in his chest. Because this time, he was not confident. He couldn''t guarantee that her grandfather would make iteven if Damien spent all of his money.

 Chapter 641: In Which Lack of Experience Doesn’t Stop Her

    Chapter 641: In Which Lack of Experience Doesn��t Stop Her

    Monday  February 18

    It had been two weeks since Chairman Young was brought to the hospital, and he still hadn''te out of hisa. The doctors set Katherine''s expectation that patients who remain in aa after a cardiac arrest had very slim chances to almost none of gaining full recovery if they didn''t wake up within a week. They were a team of five doctors working on her grandfather''s case, and at least two of them believed that it was worth taking a chance to wait and keep the Chairman''s life support for as long as they could.

    She did her own research, and most of the families, who had undergone a simr situation, had onemon problem: limited financial capacity. This would be the only reason that they''d give up the wait and pull the plug on their loved one. Otherwise, they would keep going. Katherine, fortunately, didn''t have to worry about that. She would wait even if it would take weeks, months, and hundreds and thousands of dors just to keep her grandfather alive. She couldn''t give him up now, but the longer he stayed unconscious, the lesser his chance of full recovery wasand that scared her.

    Chairman Young was currently in a vegetative state. They intended to keep the news away from the press and the board. Thankfully, they were able to keep the news down, and the press hadn''t found out about it yetthanks to Damien''s expertise in containing itbut the board was bing restless. They heard rumors about the Chairman falling ill, but none of them knew what was really going on. To top it off, Deborah had been missing.

    Katherine decided to report her disappearance to the police on Monday, telling them that Deborah had left the mansion and nevere home. This was what everyone in thepany believed, which somewhat coincided with how the Chairman fell illprobably from all the worry. Young Corporation was in a state of chaos for a few daysst week while Katherine tried to calm things down a little.

    Her grandfather''swyer came and announced a memo signed by the Chairman the night before he fell ill. In the event that both Chairman Young and Deborah Young were absent, Katherine would be in charge as acting CEO and Chairman of the board, which meant that she would have all the final decisions. The sudden announcement made the board nervoussome even angry. They had met Katherine before and even weed her to thepany, but putting her in charge of everything all of a sudden didn''t sit well with a lot of the members.

    "What does she know about running apany?"

    "This is ridiculous! She hasn''t been here all her life. It wasn''t too long ago when it was said she had no recollection of her life as an heiress. How would she lead?"

    "She doesn''t evene to the office as much as she should. How can we expect her to do what needs to be done? This makes me anxious. I''m sure many of you feel the same."

    These were just some of the things she heard from those who opposed the memo. And it stung. Katherine understood their sentiments. Deep inside, she agreed with them. ''They''re right. What do I know?'' she thought.

    Some members who were loyal to the Young family showed their support and managed to pacify the other side. But Katherine didn''t know until when they would be patient about it. She couldn''t afford to lose her family''s empire if they decided they''d take over thepany and take it from her.

    So she had to say something. "I understand that this makes you feel uneasy. This is a surprise to me as much as you, having only heard of this now. But my grandfather is currently recuperating, and he needs your support now more than ever. I will also need your guidance. I don''t like making promises, but this, I can assure you, the Youngs never forget those who stay by our side in times of need." And then she looked into the eyes of those who opposed earlier. "And those who choose to challenge."

    The guilty cleared their throat and looked the other way.

    That meeting was two weeks ago, the day after Chairman Young''s cardiac arrest. The sudden responsibilities overwhelmed Katherine. She didn''t know thepany well enough to lead. She had amitment for thepany and the seat, but just not enough experience.

    For more than a decade while she was still with Shadow, Katherine spent day and night learning different kinds of weapons, methods of acquiring intel, seduction, and infiltration. Sure, she got her degree after flourishing in the online course and even brushing up on them recently, but experience was the best teacher. Unfortunately, her mentor was currently in the hospital fighting for his life.

    She wasn''t too proud to admit to herself and to her support group that it would take her a long time to call herself worthy of the title. She was d that thepany''s COO and the executives had her back. Most importantly, Damien. They promised that they would assist her for as long as she needed them.

    Damien Park offered his help, and he didn''t take no for an answernot that Katherine ever tried to refuse his help for this. Damien was the one person she trusted, who knew how to handle a hugepany, and whom she trusted her life with. He provided a team to help manage her responsibilities better. Having him next to her helped her tremendously because the board members'' impression of Katherine improved. She didn''t see this as unfairness; rather, she treated this as her strength.

    While Katherine and Damien were busy with work, they entrusted Amelia and Styles to continue looking for Deborah. They hadn''t found her yet. It was as though the older woman had disappeared into thin air. They still kept Caroline in the mansion under surveince with no outside contact, but Damien kept one of his boys, Noah, to keep an eye on her in case her mother would try something.

    After work that evening, Katherine decided to visit Damien in his office. He had been so busy these days because he and William were going to call for a board meeting in a couple of days in Park Group. She couldn''t believe that Frederick Park had been in captivity for thest two weeksthe man must have been out of his mind being detained in the middle of nowhere. ording to Damien, a few of Frederick''s loyal men searched for their boss with no luck for the first few days until William took care of them.

    No one was actively searching for Frederick anymore. His wife and Nana believed he was away for a business trip. Pacifying the board was a different thing, but ultimately, Damien and William handled them well enough to put a little doubt in their heads that would be helpful when the time came.

    "Katherine!" a female voice called her when she stepped into the lobby of Crown Resort Group.

    She turned and saw Chloe, wearing her maintenance uniform while pushing a cart of cleaning supplies across the floor. Last week, they decided to give her a job after she didn''t try to pull anything suspicious. It wasn''t the nicest job, but it kept her limited. Katherine could tell Chloe didn''t really like cleaning, but Chloe didn''tin. After all, she was living in the quarters for free. Either that or they''d throw her on the streets.

    "You''re still working?" Katherine probed, checking the time on her watch and seeing that it was half past six in the evening.

    "I''m just about to log off. You rarely visit here these days"

    "I''m busy with work."

    "I''ve heard." Chloe nodded, hesitating as she bit her lip. "Listen I appreciate you guys giving me work and a ce to stay here. Really, I could be running for my life out there."

    "What do you want?" Katherine asked, already knowing that Chloe must want something from her.

    "I was just thinking I could be your assistant or your bodyguard even..."

    "I don''t need a bodyguard. What, you don''t like your job?"

    Chloe nced in the direction of the far corner of the lobby where the maintenance room was. "The head of maintenance, Mrs. Gardner, is a little bitchy. I missed a spot on the floor the other day, and she made me clean the men''s room for hours. You don''t wanna know how many grown men miss targets and don''t clean after themselves."

    Katherine grimaced at the thought of it.

    "Besides You''re a CEO now. I know you can take care of yourself, but no CEO walks without a bodyguard. You need me," Chloe added.

    That wasn''t entirely true; Felix drove her wherever she needed to go. However, she didn''t like a constant tail behind her, so she was on her own once she got out of the car.

    Honestly, Katherine was still notfortable having Chloe around. So she told her, "I don''t like guards on me. I''ll think about it, but don''t hold your breath." And then, she turned on her heel and headed towards the elevator.

 Chapter 642: February 18

    Chapter 642: February 18

    Katherine smiled as she sauntered towards Damien''s office. The door was wide open, a few directors and department heads working at the conference table on the other side of the room with many papers strewn about. Damien was on his desk, his head buried in a thick pile.

    She hesitated to enter until she heard him speak without looking up, "Marcus. Where arest week''s"

    "Sorry. Not Marcus. I didn''t know you were still busy," Katherine said in a soft voice as she walked towards his desk.

    The staff turned their heads her way at the same time that Damien snapped his head up, watching as she approached him. She quickly waved at them, and they smiled and nodded at her before turning back to their papers. Damien then checked the clock on the wall and cursed under his breath before letting out a sigh as he pushed his sses up with his middle finger.

    He reached for her hand with an open palm, and she ced her hand on it, squeezing him gently. "Where''s Cortez?" he asked the others.

    "She clocked out at five today, Sir. She asked your permission two hours ago if she could leave early for her daughter''s birthday," one of them answered.

    Realization dawned on him. He forgot about it already. Cortez was his new secretarya 40-year-old woman Damien hiredst week because he needed all the hands he could get. Cortez reminded Katherine of Edna from The Incrediblesshort straight hair and round sses. She was pretty efficient, fast on her feet, and she adjusted quickly working under Damieneven during his stressful times. He''d been pleased to hire her in his team.

    As they were all busy, Katherine decided to be helpful, so she told him, "I can help. What do you need me to do?"

    He thought about it for a second, not wanting to ask Katherine to do something for him, but when he saw the gentle look on her face, he knew she really wanted to help. So he nodded and asked her to look for a particr file from the secretary''s desk. She smiled before turning around and disappearing into Cortez''s space. It was as if Katherine knew everything by heart because she found it in just a minute and came back with a thick folder in hand.

    Damien hadn''t taken his eyes off her since she arrived. Now, a smile ghosted his face as she handed it to him. "That was fast."

    "The system didn''t change. It was where I thought I would put it." She shrugged.

    "Right. Cortez said to thank you. She said, and I quote: Ms. Young''s filing system is so organized. It''s a breeze to learn where everything is. I''m not changing anything."

    They both chuckled.

    And then, as if he thought about something, he asked, "Were we supposed to go out for dinner, and I forgot?"

    She pursed her lips as she contemted and then shook her head as she smiled. "No. Not really."

    Damien drew his brows together as he checked the calendar on his desk. Most of the dates this month were full except for today; however, nothing was written on it. The page was nk. And then it hit him. "Shit."

    Seeing as he realized what day it was, Katherine stroked the back of his hand and reassured him, "It''s okay. I''ll help you get your work done. We can just order in with the team and"

    He shook his head at once and got to his feet, rounding the table so he could stand next to her. Then he addressed his staff at the conference table, "That''s all for today. It''ste. You should go home. We''ll continue this tomorrow."

    All of them let out a small sighof relief, she thought. Some of them nced at her and mouthed "thank you" as they gathered their stuff and headed out, closing the door behind them with a click.

    Once they were alone, he pulled her to his arms and kissed her on the lips, inhaling her addicting scent. "I''ll take you out tonight. I can call L''Empereur Brulent to hook us up for a table."

    Katherine looped her arms around his neck and smiled, remembering that the restaurant was where they had their engagement dinnerst year. Tonight was a special night for themFebruary 18th. Six years ago today, they met each other again by chance at one of the hotels he was acquiring. They spent the loveliest time in each other''spany, nearly ending the night together if not for what happened then.

    Still, it was an unforgettable night as that was thest time they saw each other before Katherine lost her memories. A night where she considered being with him. Runaway with him, even though he was somewhat a stranger.

    Right now, as she reminisced, she thought that perhaps she feltfortable around him because he saved her on that tragic night. She didn''t recognize him then, but maybe her heart did.

    She had nned to take him to the same hotel and spend a couple of nights there, but they couldn''t stay away for a long time because of the recent events. So they settled on having dinner tonight instead. She wasn''t mad that he had forgotten. If it weren''t for the reminder on her phone, she would have also forgotten it herself. They were both so busy.

    Katherine shook her head. "Maybe next time. How about we go home, make dinner together, and watch a movie? I prefer to stay in. What do you say?"

    For the past two weeks that they had been living in the Penthouse again, both of them workedte most of the nights, and sometimes they''d miss staying awake for each other by the time the other came home. So she wanted to just have a quiet night with him.

    Damien loved that idea. "Alright. It''s a date."

    ***

    The couple cooked steak and mashed potatoes with veggies on the sidea ssic meal they both enjoyed over a bottle of French wine from one of Damien''s top-shelf quality stock.

    They made a mess in the kitchen, but they worked in tandem with ease and familiarity that they appeared to be in sync with each other''s movementsall while they chatted about some funny things that happened at work today or something that Bear did the other night.

    After dinner, they loaded the dishwasher and settled in front of the TV, and cuddled on the sofa. They were browsing the list of movies they would watch when Damien thought about something.

    "You know" he started, "Your grandfather and I talked about merging in passing."

    "Really? He hadn''t told me that."

    "Actually, Deborah sort of hinted at it first during our engagement party. She wasn''t there when I asked your grandfather about it the next day, and he gave it a thought."

    "Wow" Katherine weighed the thought of the twopanies merging, and she could barely fathom what that would mean in the future. "That''sa huge thing. What do you think about it?" She turned to face him, wanting to see his face up close.

    "Well It would make sense since we''re getting married. It will open a huge door for us. The scale would be bigger. We could expand construction internationally by acquiring local constructionpanies from the city. Then we could restructure them ording to YC''s standards. We''ll build more properties, smaller hotels or inns, and other establishments with Crown standards." He smiled. "We can build our empire, you and I, Kitten."

    She beamed as she studied his face and saw the eagerness in his expression.

    The way she looked right now made him smile too, and he let out a sigh because she hadn''t smiled in a while. Then, she surprised him when the words tumbled out of her mouth so naturally.

    "I want your babies."

    Damienughed. "You do?" That was so random, and yet, he was ted at the thought of impregnating her. Actually, the thought of Katherine carrying his baby excited him.

    Katherine nodded. "Yes. I want a family with you, Damien. Maybe not now, but in the future. I want it."

    He leaned in and captured her lips, stroking his tongue ever so gently and slipping it into her mouth as he cradled her face in his hands, kissing her deeply for what seemed like forever. When he pulled away, he kissed her nose and her forehead. "We''ll make that happen. We''ll have as many mini Kittens as you want."

    "Or mini Damiens." She chuckled and kissed him once more.

    Damien grinned. "Then let''s get to practice."

 Chapter 643: The Key to Finding Deborah

    Chapter 643: The Key to Finding Deborah

    Tuesday  February 19

    Katherine arrived at the Young Mansion at one in the afternoon to pick up some clothes for Grandpa Theo. She''ll be dropping by the hospitalter today and wanted to choose the clothes herself. There was still no progress on his side, but she''s hoping that he''lle to any day now. She could just feel it. Grandpa Theo will wake up soon. ''He just can''t leave me yet.''

    "I won''t be long," she told Felix as she alighted the car and walked up the stairs to the front of the house. Mr. Higgins, the butler, greeted her at the door and escorted her up the stairs and to her grandfather''s room. "I''ll visit grandpater, so I''m going to bring him some clothes."

    "Young Madam, you may take a rest at the saloon and I''ll prepare his clothes in a suitcase," he offered.

    "It''s okay, Mr. Higgins. I want to do it." She smiled at him as she entered the walk-in closet and started picking out somefortable lounge wear clothes. Even though her grandfather was unconscious, he received regr care and got bed baths a few times a week to keep his skin healthy and prevent infections. ording to the doctor, the patient could change out of a hospital gown and into his personal clothes as long as they werefortable and the clothes were not tight.

    While she browsed through her grandfather''s hundreds of clothes, the butler stood at the threshold, his arms at his sides and his hands folded away gently. Sometimes, one would forget that he was around because he was too quietlike he''s part of the backgroundand when needed, he''d always be ready.

    A thought came to her. "Mr. Higgins. How long have you been in the family?" she wondered, having known the butler had been in the mansion for as long as she could remember. He must have heard things in the mansion.

    "I''ve been in the estate for roughly five decades."

    "Wow that''s a really long time. You must''ve known my father growing up then?"

    "That''s correct. I''ve known thete Young Master since he was a little boy."

    "And my aunt"

    He didn''t answer, his face void of expression just like always.

    Desperate to dig more information, Katherine turned to face the butler, "What do you know about my aunt, Mr. Higgins?"

    "I''m afraid it''s not my ce"

    "You know what happened here, Mr. Higgins." She walked closer, stopping a couple of feet away from the older man. "I need to find Deborah. She needs to pay for what she did."

    "What do you want to know, Young Madam?"

    "You''ve been working for my family for a very long time. Surely, you must have an idea where she could be hiding."

    "The Madam is a very private person. I wouldn''t know where she would likely stay." Mr. Higgins looked to the side as if he thought of something. "Although"

    Katherine moved closer, her eyes looking expectant as she waited for the older man to continue.

    "If I may speak freely, Young Madam" he hesitated and she nodded. "The Madam goes to a yearly retreat by herself. She said it''s her only time to unwind without distractions as she goes off the grid for a few days. I''m afraid I don''t know exactly where she goes when she does, but to my knowledge, she has a few properties in the countryside."

    "Hmm" Katherine paused to think for a moment. They had already looked at the properties under Deborah''s name but they came up short. Perhaps they needed to look further. They assumed that Deborah might''ve been using a different identity, making it much harder for them to track her down.

    Footsteps came from the hallway and then Caroline walked inside the bedroom. "I knew I heard someone arrive."

    Mr. Higgins retreated to the side and blended with the wallpaper once again.

    "Caroline," Katherine greeted, taking in the young woman who lost some weight and had bags under her eyes. Compared to her usual trendy clothes, these days, Caroline wore a t-shirt and jeans and was makeup-free. Noah also appeared at the doorway and leaned against the jamb, folding his arms across his chest while giving Katherine a subtle nod greeting. Katherine returned the simple gesture before turning back to Caroline. "How are you?"

    "Like a prisoner," Caroline bit out.

    Katherine walked back into the closet again and began picking out light clothes for Grandpa Theo. "You have somewhere to be?"

    "Anywhere but here. You can''t keep me here forever!"

    "And where will you go? Are you going to meet your mother?" Katherine casually spoke as she started carefullyying the clothes into an overnight bag.

    "I don''t even know where she is. How the hell am I supposed to meet with her? You took my phone so I can''t even call her."

    "It''s useless. She''s hiding, so she turned off her phone."

    Caroline groaned in frustration. "She''s hiding because you''re using her of crimes she didn''tmit!"

    Having had enough of this conversation, Katherine closed the bag and faced Caroline with her full height towering over the younger woman. "Why would I lie to you? How would that benefit me?"

    "I don''t know" Caroline swallowed, feeling intimidated. "You''re making me turn against my mother."

    "I don''t need to turn you against her. It''s up to you to see for yourself the kind of person you''re calling ''mother''."

    "You''re cruel." Caroline teared up and she wiped her cheek angrily as she stared back at Katherine.

    "Oh yeah? As cruel as your mother who killed my parents and tried to kill our grandfather?" Katherine scoffed and Caroline''s face scrunched up, her lips trembling as she sniffs. Honestly, she pitied the younger woman, but seeing her reminded Katherine of Deborah. That didn''t sit well with her. "You can call me whatever you want, Caroline. I don''t care what you think of me."

    "So what do you n to do with me?" Caroline gritted her teeth. "You want to kill me?"

    Sighing, Katherine hooked the bag on her arm. "My dear, I don''t have any interest in taking your life. This isn''t your battle, little one." But Caroline just might be their key to finding DeborahKatherine didn''t say this, of course.

    Caroline blinked, unable to respond. She watched as Katherine walked past her and stopped next to Noah.

    Katherine nced over her shoulder and said, "You may go out of the estate if you want. But you aren''t going anywhere without Noah or Maverick Security. Your mother is dangerous, Caroline. I''ll be careful if I were you."

 Chapter 645: Unresponsive Wakefulness

    Chapter 645: Unresponsive Wakefulness

    Friday came fast in Harbor City. It was half past eight when Katherine and Damien arrived at the penthouse and they were just about to turn in early after a long day at work when Chairman Young''s assistant, Frank, called from the hospital. They were told that Grandpa Theo opened his eyes and was undergoing some tests while the call was made.

    Katherine had been visiting her grandfather every other day for the past weeks and she was supposed to drop by earlier today too, but there were some matters at Young Corporation that needed her to stayter than usual. Damien even finished work before her, so he brought her dinner when he went to pick her up and they ate before heading home. Barely finishing the phone call from Frank, they rushed to the hospital without dy.

    As they reached the hospital, Grandpa Theo was already back in his room. Frank beamed as Katherine and Damien entered the room. "The Chairman woke up."

    "How is he?" Katherine strode to the bed, only to be disappointed when she saw Grandpa Theo''s eyes were closed. "I don''t understand. What happened? I thought he woke up?"

    "Oh Well, he did. He opened his eyes but he didn''t seem to hear me. I called the doctor and they did some tests on him. They said the Chairman is in unresponsive wakefulness. The tests showed some activities on his brain, so he could be partially conscious of his surroundings even though he doesn''t respond when you talk to him. He''s sleeping again now."

    A warm hand touched her arm and her shoulders sagged. She was too excited when they came over, hoping to see and talk to her grandfather. It was such a pity that she didn''t see him open his eyes, but ording to Frank, the doctor reassured him that Grandpa Theo could wake up again. That made Katherine very hopeful.

    "I want to stay tonight," she told Damien.

    Without hesitation, he agreed and then went to Call Felix and asked him to stay at their penthouse for the evening so Bear wouldn''t be alone. Katherine then told Frank to go home tonight. She appreciated that he always cared for her grandfather.

    The couple settled on argefortable sofa near the tall windows. Damien brought a fleece nket from the closet and covered theirps. There was also a bedroom if they wanted to sleep. Katherine just wanted to stay near her grandfather where she could nce in his direction from time to time.

    Damien ced an arm around her shoulder and pulled her against him as they rested, quietly staring at the city lights outside the window. He kissed the top of her head and she released a small sigh. He knew she was exhausted, but she also wanted to be here; it was a no-brainer for him to stay with her.

    "Who confirmed tomorrow?" she asked, referring to their intimate engagement party with their close friends. It was a scheduled gathering with their friends that they didn''t want to cancel. And the party would be held at the Young Mansionapparently, Grandpa Theo had it prepared a month ago ording to Frank. With all the issues they were facing, Damien believed that some normalcy was what Katherine needed. Therefore tomorrow''s dinner would push through.

    "Caleb and Ali areing and so are Jeffrey and Jasmine. You said Emma confirmed too. Plus Styles, Amelia, and Felix. So that''s eight. And William" Damien grinned. "He asked if he could bring someone."

    Katherine snapped her head to him, curiosity written all over her face. William was known to date around, but he had been singletely. He wouldn''t bring just anyone to a family gathering. "Is he dating?"

    "I don''t know. He hasn''t said anything yet."

    "Well, ask him!"

    "We''ll ask him tomorrow."

    "You think it''s serious?"

    "Maybe If he''s asking if he could bring a plus one, then it could be. Otherwise, he knows not to bring any outsiders." Damien mused for a moment, making Katherine lean closer as she waited for him to continue. "Although She isn''t really an outsider. Her family is somewhat involved in theunderworld too."

    Katherine drew her brows together. "You know this woman?"

    "Maybe you do too, actually. She''s Ang Su''s best friend. Her name''s Nina Lopez."

    She paused, her eyes moving to the side as she tried to connect the dots. Katherine met Ang a couple of weeks ago at William''s cabin. Although she couldn''t remember it, Katherine was certain they met each other when they were younger, considering their families belong in the upper-ss circle and would be present at some big events.

    Ang was with the De Lucas at William''s cabin. Katherine, Damien, and the others went there for business. While the men had a meeting, Katherine and Amelia got to know Ang and her tragic story.

    There was something about Ang that Katherine couldn''t ignore, and she waspelled to be friends with her. She felt it in her gut that Ang was someone she wanted to keep around. The woman was genuine, her eyes clear and untainted despite the kind of men she hung around with. And that was a rare find. It made Katherine want to bundle Ang up in a nket and keep her safe like that.

    So Damien telling her that this Nina Lopez was Ang''s best friend made Katherine want to trust that the woman was one of the good oneshopefully, considering William''s track record of women.

    "Wait," Katherine slid her stare back to Damien. "I thought you didn''t know he was dating someone. How did you know about her?"

    "I don''t," he shrugged. "Not really. I just happened to bump into themst week while I went to see William and they wereing out of his apartment. I shook hands with her and when she left, I asked William if he was seeing her but he told me it was not a big deal and to drop it. Then yesterday, I caught him texting, her name was on the screen."

    She narrowed her eyes at him, a small mischievous smirk ghosting her lips. "That''s some scoop Mr. Park. If you sold that to TMZ, you could earn some cash."

    Damien chuckled and pressed a kiss on her temple. "By the way, did you read the email I forwarded this afternoon?"

    "The Wedding Magazine?"

    "Yes. Do you want to do it?"

    Katherine paused, her mind going back to the email that he sent her. It was a proposal email from a big wedding magazine in the country that wanted to cover their engagement and wedding nning exclusively. This wasn''t the first proposal they received actually. A few ones had jumped in as soon as they had theirvish engagement party weeks ago. They ignored them, mostly because they were busy, and Damien wasn''t too keen on those magazines. However, this Wedding Magazine was the leading magazine in their field, and he wondered if that would entice Katherine.

    "Can we even afford more eyes on us right now?" she wondered.

    "If you want to do it, Kitten, I''ll make it happen. We''ll have control over what they can and can''t capture. My legal team can handle the paperwork to ensure they won''t dare overstep."

    "Hmm" She mused. "You know I''m not really fond of being the center of attention. But This might make the board feel less wary and concerned about me being temporarily in the seat. I can see they trust you, so that might put them at ease. I don''t know if I''m making sense"

    "You are making sense. I don''t care about others, but if you think it will help you, then it would be a good idea."

    "I''ll think about it." Katherine nodded and then her eyes widened. "Oh, have I told you? Ang and Gael got engagedst week on Valentine''s day."

    "That''s nice We should send something."

    She beamed with a twinkle in her eye as she said, "They''re in New York at the moment. I already arranged to send flowers tomorrow." Katherine and Ang didn''t always text each other, but when they did, it was as if they had been long-time friends. Ang was easy to talk to.

    "Good." Damien lightly stroked Katherine''s cheek. He casually nced at the bed and he stiffened when he saw Grandpa Theo''s eyes open. "Kitten"

    Katherine whipped her head to the bed and without second thoughts, she rushed to her grandfather. "Grandpa" She clutched Grandpa Theo''s hand; they were papery and wrinkled, but warm underneath her palms. "Can you hear me? It''s me KPumpkin."

    Theodore Young just kept his eyes straight at the ceiling and remained unresponsive. He blinked slowly, but other than that, he didn''t do or say anything.

    The sight made Katherine tear up. Her grandfather was in a pitiful state and it broke her heart. Damien ced his hands on her shoulder, squeezing them. She rxed a little, but she didn''t let go of her grandfather''s hand, pressing the back of it against her cheek. After weeks of not seeing Grandpa Theo''s eyes, it was the best news she received so far. It gave her so much hope.

 Chapter 646: Finding Breakthrough

    Chapter 646: Finding Breakthrough

    It''s the day of Katherine and Damien''s engagement dinner with close friends. Their party was at seven in the evening and they had the whole day to wait until then.

    Damien and William were at a golf course with some business partners. Meanwhile, Katherine and Amelia went to a rural neighborhood to look for the housekeeper who resigned. She wasn''t exactly easy to find. It was almost as if she was in hiding. They followed a trail and it led them there.

    They reached the supposed area where the housekeeper rented an apartment. Her name was Mabel Suarez, twenty-two years old, single, and had been certified from the training institute that the Young Family always got their services from.

    Instead of knocking on Mabel''s doorstep, Katherine and Amelia surveyed the building first and observed for half an hour. They stood in an alley across the street from the apartment building. It was only the two of them so they needed to be careful in case something happens. Both of them wore casual clothes in dark jeans, a t-shirt, and a jacket.

    "You talked to Mrs. Nieves?" Katherine probed, referring to the senior housekeeper.

    Amelia nodded. "Yes. Only for a bit. I don''t know how much it will help."

    "What did she say?"

    "Mrs. Nieves took care of Deborah and your father growing up, so she was pretty much close to them. Something changed after Deborah found out that she was adopted. Deborah left home and your grandparents and father looked for her for a long time. She was gone for a few years and when she came back, she was already pregnant with Caroline. ording to Mrs. Nieves, Deborah wasn''t the same when she came back. They were no longer as close as before. It was like Deborah became closed off and cold.

    "Mrs. Nieves thought Deborah was extremely hurt. Though she doesn''t know why Deborah felt that way when your grandparents treated her like their own. So she guessed everyone just has different ways of dealing with issues. Anyway, that was all she noticed though. Deborah gave birth, and the mansion was peaceful until the tragedy of your parents happened. Your aunt became more involved at Young Corporation.

    "I don''t think Mrs. Nieves knows anything. She seems to be in disbelief that Deborah would hurt her own father. She also didn''t notice anything unusual on the day of the incidentso did the gardener as he was always outside and didn''t really interact much with your aunt. I haven''t had the chance to speak with the butler. He''s been busy with the preparations for your dinner party tonight."

    "Okay. Thanks, Falcon." Katherine huffed out a sigh. She wanted this to be over. Hunting down Deborah had been exhausting on top of the work she had to do at Young Corporation.

    When she was a Shadow agent, living a double life was doable as it was all pretend and didn''tst long for the regr missions. This, however, involved people very close to Katherine and so much was at stake.

    Amelia tapped Katherine''s arm and nodded at the building apartment across the street. Katherine followed the direction of Amelia''s stare, and she saw Mabel Suarez walk out of the building.

    Mabel walked on the sidewalk while Katherine and Amelia followed her in parallel on the other side of the road. They walked for a few minutes until Mabel entered a convenience store.

    Katherine and Amelia waited across the street outside of a small coffee shop. It was ten in the morning and there were many pedestrians around them. Only five minutester, Mabel came out of the store, hugging a bag against her chest as she walked back to her apartment.

    Before Mabel reached the entrance of her building, Katherine and Amelia crossed the street. Mabel must''ve noticed their presence because she nced over her shoulder just as they stepped on the sidewalk. Mabel''s eyes widened upon seeing Katherine. "Y-Young Madam" She froze, the color draining from her face.

    Katherine thought Mabel was going to bolt so she approached her carefully. "Ms. Suarez. Do you have a minute?"

    Mabel looked between them, her hand gripping the bag tightly as she shrunk back to the wall of the apartment building. "II don''t know anything."

    Katherine exchanged questioning nces with Amelia because Mabel looked suspicious with her response. Seeing as there were a lot of people around them, Katherine told Mabel, "We''re not here for trouble. We just want to talk. Can we go to your ce for some privacy?"

    Mabel swallowed before slowly nodding. Katherine saw the fear in the younger woman''s eyes and she had a feeling that they would get some answers from her.

    A few minutester, the three of them were inside Mabel''s studio apartment. There wasn''t much furniture insidea single bed, a small round table, two chairs, and a coffee table near the bed. Mabel offered them to sit at the table and make them some coffee, but they politely declined and chose to stand instead, making sure they were near the door and the window just in case.

    "How did you find me?" Mabel wondered.

    "That''s not important right now, Ms. Suarez," Katherine replied. "I want to know what happened that day. Why did you really leave?"

    Mabel clenched her hands together as she bit her lip, looking extremely stressed.

    "We''re just asking questions. You don''t need to be afraid," Amelia reassured.

    "I don''t want to be in trouble. I''m already having a hard time right now."

    "Mabel," Katherine called. "Can I call you that?" Mabel nodded with hesitation and then Katherine continued, "Please answer the question. I assure you that anything you tell us won''t get you into trouble."

    The younger woman looked between them for a moment as if trying to assess her situation. Eventually, Mabel slumped her shoulders and started, "There was amotion upstairs. I heard it from the kitchen and I was on my way there to check what''s going on when I saw Mr. Higgins entering through the west door."

    "Mr. Higgins? The butler?"

    Mabel nodded. "He was on leave that day. The senior housekeeper Mrs. Nieves said he had some personal matters to attend to. So I thought he''d be gone the whole day. I was going to ask him what was happening but"

    Katherine waited for her to continue, but Mabel bit her bottom lip so hard it looked like it was going to bleed. "But? What happened?"

    "Madam Deborah came down the stairs in a hurry, looking disheveled and nearly stumbling down the steps until Mr. Higgins rushed to her. I was too shocked to see her in that state that I could only stand there. I think I heard the Madam ask for help and Mr. Higgins looked confusedor rmed" She shook her head and breathed harshly. "He helped her to the front door"

    "Did he see you?" Katherine''s eyes were fierce while images formed in her head as Mabel detailed what happened. She could understand Mr. Higgins helping Deborah if he thought she was in danger, but he never told anyone about this. Mr. Higgins said that he wasn''t there when it happened.

    "No. I was still in the hallway just outside of the dining room, so it was quite a distance from where I stood and where they were. I didn''t know what happened to you yet or themotion upstairs, and I was afraid to goI''m so sorry. I should''ve been brave enough to check on you, Young Madam. Please forgive me."

    Katherine lightly shook her head to dismiss the issue. That didn''t matter anymore. She pressed for more information, "Is that the only reason why you resigned?"

    Mabel exined, "The house staff talked about what happenedter after you were brought to the hospital. It was only then that I found out what the Madam had done. I didn''t know what to believe then because it was so very shocking. I hadn''t told anyone what I saw downstairs when I went to Mr. Higgins about it. In my mind, maybe he wasn''t aware. But then he He made me resign and told me not to tell anyone what I saw."

    "He what?" Katherine muttered under her breath.

    Mabel clutched her hands tightly and pleaded. "I''m so sorry, Young Madam. I really am. I didn''t want to leave, but I was scared of Mr. Higgins. He''s very well known in the institute. I think it''s why I can find a job until now. He must''ve said something to them. No estate is hiring. It''s too hard to find work these days even with my certification."

    This was a huge breakthrough in their investigation. Katherine and Amelia looked at each other in silence, their minds already working on all the different theories they came up with.

    After a moment, Katherine reached for Mabel''s hand and told her, "I think you need toy low for a while. Don''t worry about your job for now. I''ll work something out for you and make sure you''ll bepensated properly. Here"

    She took out a small folded wallet from her leather jacket and handed Mabel a few hundred bucks and a business card. "Take this and get yourself whatever you need for this week. I''ll send someone to fetch you after we''ve taken care of things. But if anything happens before then, call that number."

 Chapter 647: Dinner Party at the Young Mansion (1)

    Chapter 647: Dinner Party at the Young Mansion (1)

    After her productive day, Katherine met up with Damien and the others at the Maverick Security base in the afternoon to discuss their findings from what the housekeeper said.

    They nned to keep an eye on the butler at the dinner party in the evening. While they could confront him and hope he''ll actually tell them something useful, at the moment, their only hope was him and they didn''t want to risk it, so they had to tread carefully. Confronting him might only ruin their only chance.

    Damien assigned Team Beta on the grounds in case there were any activities outside the mansion that night. Since the Young Estate was quite massive, they were ced in specific areas, and they had to do it covertly. They weren''t even going to inform the estate''s security in case any of them were corrupted.

    Meanwhile, Damien''s securitythe A-Teamwould be in the main house during the party. Given that Damien and the others were skilled, they didn''t worry about any attacks inside the housenot that they expected anything would go wrong, but they couldn''t be any more prepared. After everything that happened in the past, they had learned their lesson.

    Katherine and Damien dropped by the hospital to say "hello" to Grandpa Theo. Fortunately, she caught her grandfather awake again. Grandpa Theo still didn''t respond to them, but Katherine talked to him for a while, telling him that she was waiting for him toe back and not to worry about everything. That even though Young Corporation was a challenge, she was able to handle it just fine with support from others.

    After their visit, the two drove to the Young Mansion, bringing with them a small suitcase as they would be spending the night there after the party. They arrived an hour early, enough time for them to dress up and get ready before their friends arrived.

    Although Caroline was allowed outside her bedroom, she didn''t want to join the party, so she stayed cooped up inside her bedroom with Noah guarding her at all times.

    As the head of the household servants, Mr. Gerard Higgins, the butler, supervised the preparation of the dining and living area. There were only nine gueststen if William brought a datebut the servants went all out with the decorations, food, and drinks. It was Grandpa Theo''s specific order to make sure the night went smoothly and that the preparation wasvish. "Damien and Katherine''s dear friends deserve it," he had said.

    Fifteen minutes before seven, their guests started arriving. Since this was a formal dinner party with a six-course meal, they wore formal clothes in suits and evening gowns. Invitations were even checked at the front door by the mansion''s security before they were allowed inside. Katherine and Damien stood in the foyer to receive them.

    Jeffrey and Jasmine were the first to arrive, followed by Styles, Amelia, and Felix.

    It was the first time for most of the guests to visit the mansion and their eyes scanned the inside appreciatively. Katherine quite liked theirpliments. This was where her father grew up and even though he was long gone, she could feel a sense of connection with the house as if his presence was still there.

    "Kath!" Emma squealed as she pulled Katherine into a tight hug. "Oh. My. God." Her eyes were wide as they surveyed the interior of the mansionas far as she could see. "I know you told me your family was rich, but I didn''t expect you to be likerich-rich. Like this is friggin'' Downton Abbey wealth!" she whisper-yelled.

    "You''re exaggerating, Ems." Katherineughed at how silly her friend is. "You''re wee toe here anytime. There''s a pool out back if you want to visit one day with your family. I''m sure your brother would enjoy that."

    Water gathered in Emma''s eyes and she whimpered. "You''re the bestest friend I ever have. I will never say no to offers like that, so I''ll take you up on it. You better be ready!"

    Katherine squeezed her friend''s shoulder and smiled at her. Damien briefly hugged Emma before the butler ushered her toward the dining room.

    Caleb and Ali came next and just like Emma, Ali was also excited to see Katherine. Thetter had been very busy since everything went down a few weeks ago so she barely had time to talk to Ali. Their chat was short and the couple went inside where the others were.

    Thest one to arrive was William. Katherine craned her neck to see if he brought a date, but he came up the front door by himself. He hugged Katherine and kissed her cheek, and then gave Damien a man-hug and pped his shoulder.

    "I thought you were bringing a date?" Katherine probed.

    William exchanged looks with Damien, who only cocked a brow in challenge. William shook his head, chuckling. "Nah," was all he said and did not offer anything more than that.

    She narrowed her eyes at him, but he only winked at her and smirked as he walked deeper into the house, following the butler. With that, the door was closed and Katherine and Damien joined their guests in the dining room.

    The twelve-seater long table was adorned with pink and white flowers and eucalyptus leaves, crystals, and white candles that made the setting dreamy. The engaged couple sat side by side at the head of the table.

    The servers came and ced the first course on their tes. It was goat cheese crostini with fig-olive tapenade. Pumpkin sage bisque soup was served next, followed by the entree, and then the sd.

    Despite the formal setting, everyone had fun. The food was delicious and the wine was phenomenal. At one point, Katherine nced at the butler, but Mr. Higgins was busy supervising the staff. The older man had a stoic face and neutral expression all the time, one wouldn''t think badly of him. He was very formal and had perfected his etiquetteas he should for having been a butler for a long time. Mr. Higgins was respected in his field. Katherine wondered if they had a butlers association or something because she swore, he would probably be on top, if ever.

    While the main course was being prepared in the kitchen and would be served soon, someone clinked silverware to ss, bringing Katherine''s train of thoughts to a halt. She looked over and saw Caleb rising to his seat and raising his ss of wine as he gave a toast. "To Damien and Katherine. May you both find strength from each other in all the things you will face in the future. And may you have the patience during the wedding nning. Cheers."

    They chuckled at hisstment. Everyone knew how anal Ali was with their fast-approaching wedding. sses clinked and smiles were exchanged.

    "Thank you, Caleb," Katherine said at the same time that Damien said to his friend, "I appreciate it, man." And then they took a sip of their wine.

    "Do you guys have a date for the wedding?" Jasmine wondered.

    A genuine smile cast on Katherine''s lips as she turned to Damien. He leaned in and kissed her forehead. Then he revealed, "We have so much on our te at the moment. For sure Caleb and Ali''s April wedding wille first. If I were to decide, I''d marry her right now."

    "A" the guests reacted in unison.

    "As you all know, Chairman Young is still at the hospital. We''re hoping he''lle to very soon, so we''re waiting for him to recover first. Also, Katherine wants a winter wedding."

    "Oh my gosh! That will be so cute in pictures!" Emmamented and the others agreed.

    "How''s your grandfather, Kath?" Ali asked, her toneced with sympathy.

    Katherine told Grandpa Theo''s assistant not to tell anyone yet, so the only ones who knew Grandpa Theo''s condition were Damien, Amelia, Styles, and Felix. Tonight with the household staff being around, she wanted to use the chance to see if anyone acted suspiciously.

    Smiling, Katherine announced, "Actually Grandpa opened his eyes."

    Their friends gasped and so did the staff who were obviously eavesdropping, a series of reactionsing out of all of them. But her attention was on Mr. Higgins, who looked at her with wide eyes. She couldn''t tell if he was surprised to hear the good news, or if he was shocked and took it as bad news.

    Amelia subtly kept her eyes on the butler while Katherine acted casually, only letting her eyes stray for a couple of seconds before sliding her attention back to the table. She added, "He''s still unresponsive, but I have no doubt that he wille back and pull through this."

    "I know how you can draw out a response from him," Jeffrey started, a mischievous smile forming on his face, "All you have to tell him is that you''re pregnant and he''s going to be a great-grandfather."

    Theyughed. Katherine shook her head, but deep inside, she wondered if that would really work. At this point, she was willing to do anything.

 Chapter 648: Dinner Party at the Young Mansion (2)

    Chapter 648: Dinner Party at the Young Mansion (2)

    The main course was a grilled tiron steak with rosemary potatoes, and it was heavenly! One of the things that Katherine and Damien loved about staying at the Young Mansion was the delicious food made by the house chef. And he has never disappointed them so far.

    And for dessert, they had a rich flourless chocte cake with a ss of sweet port wine.

    "Oh, my god This is to die for" Katherine moaned around her fork as the luxurious feel of the cake melted in her mouth.

    "Kath, I think I just had an orgasm in my mouth," Emma whispered to her best friend before taking another bite very quickly.

    Katherine and Damien shared a chaste kiss and smiled at each other. Although they didn''t verbally say it, the way they looked at each other spoke a lot about how they felt tonight with all their close friends and family at the table, sharing an exquisite meal that no doubt they all deserved after a stressful week.

    Once everyone was done with dessert, they moved to the living room and continued the party. By this time, everyone had their wines and had loosened up. There were some more snacks and drinks on a buffet table for their enjoyment.

    Mr. Higgins was at the music station selecting an album from Grandpa Theo''s vinyl collection. He picked one and was about to y it on the yer when Styles stopped him from behind.

    "Thank you for your service, Kind Sir, but I''ll take it from here. This is my jam," said Styles as he waved his phone in his hand. The butler briefly looked at Styles''s phone before he politely bowed and retreated to the side.

    In the next minute, Styles had hooked up his ylist through the living room''s Bluetooth speaker, and then he yed the song "Stressed Out by Twenty One Pilots".

    "Ooooh! That''s what I''m talking about, my boy!" Jeffrey started dancing his shoulders with the music, gesturing to Jasmine with his index finger in ae-hither motion.

    Jasmine rolled her eyes at him but she joined him in dancing. Ali pulled Caleb to them to dance too. Then Emma strolled to Styles and asked, "Wanna dance?"

    Styles''s mouth hung open. But Emma didn''t wait for him to respond, instead she grabbed his hands and ced them on her waist and she started swaying her hips from side to side, oblivious to Styles''s face going so red.

    From the sofa, Katherine, Amelia, and Felixughed. "Poor Styles. He''s gonna have a nosebleed by the end of the night," Amelia said around her snickers.

    "I think he''s slowly getting used to her. Emma can be quite persistent," Katherinemented.

    "He needs that. Styles needs someone loud, wild, andknows how to dance like Emma."

    This time, Emma turned around, her back facing Styles''s front, and shook her booty to him. His eyes nearly bulged out of his sockets. They allughed again.

    "Do you like dancing?" Felix probed, ncing at Amelia.

    But this beautiful, ageless woman, who gave birth to Katherine''s love of her life, didn''t get the hint and kept her attention on the funny couple while she answered, "I know how to, but not really my thing."

    Katherine met Felix''s gaze and she gave him a sympathetic smile. He ever so subtly shook his head, huffed, and took a big gulp of orange juice from a champagne flute. They were all on duty despite the party, so they couldn''t have too many drinks.

    Meanwhile, Damien and William were in the armchairs by the window. They each had a shot of whiskey on the table between them, and they quietly observed the butler and the housekeeper from time to time.

    "I heard from Detective Donovan today," Damien started and William snapped his head to his cousin, his expression full of anticipation.

    "And? What did he get?"

    "He said he''s close to finding that officer. I might be hearing from him any time soon." For many weeks now, Damien, Styles, Zero, and Detective Donovan had been looking for the officer who responded to his father''s ident.

    "That''s good. Right?"

    Damien nodded. "That officer might be living with a different name and identity, and he might not be in the city or the state anymore."

    "Wherever he is, we''ll find him."

    "You want to go with me when I get his address?"

    "Hell yeah, I will. Dudedespite what happened in the past, your father Uncle Lawrence was very good to me."

    "Mm. He did treat you like his own."

    A small smile formed on William''s face as he looked at the far corner of the living room, his thoughts somewhere in the past. And then he suddenlyughed. "Bro, remember that time we went fishing on theke near Gramp''s cabin in the woods? We were, what, ten?"

    William didn''t have to borate on what particr asion he was talking about, Damien promptly burst outughing, clutching his stomach. "Shit. How could I forget? You dropped the oar in the water and did not tell Dad ''cause you were afraid he''d get mad."

    "It floated away so fast like it was a fucking motorboat! And then your dumb ass thought it was a great idea to use the other oar to fetch it back to us, only you let go of that too!"

    "Hey! It was slippery, okay? What the hell was I supposed to do?"

    The two of them cackled at the memory, tears gathering in their eyes as they proceeded to recall everything they did as they panicked about losing both oars in the water. Of course, Lawrence Park noticed themotion and he looked up from his book, his eyes widened as both the oars floated away from their boat. The three of them used their armsone adult arms and two pairs of child armsto row the boat towards the paddles.

    It didn''t stop there. Just as they were nearing one of the oars, one of the fishing rods caught a fish! Quick on his feet, Damien stopped rowing and started reeling in the catch instead. Needless to say, their afternoon went from quiet and boring to a chaotic mess because of William and Damien.

    In the end, they got the oars back, and Damien caught a twelve-inch white crappie that Lawrence cooked for dinner in batter, deep-fried, and lemon juice. It was one of their best childhood memories.

    The cousins clinked their sses, their faces full of smiles as they took a small sip of the spicy liquor.

    ***

    After all their friends had gone home, Amelia, Styles, and Felix, retired to their respective guest rooms, while Katherine and Damien went to their own room and changed out of their clothes.

    The two worefortable casual clothes and they stayed in bed with their phones and aptop between them.

    While the party was happening inside the mansion earlier, one of Damien''s men from Team Beta slipped into the servants'' house that''s about a hundred feet away from the mansion. The security went into the quarters of the senior housekeeper, and the butler''s to nt a hidden camera and a few bugs. All the staff were busy that night and it was the perfect chance to do it.

    Even though Katherine and the others were in their own rooms, all of them were watching the live footage. Two hours after the party ended, the housekeeper finally entered her private room. There was nothing odd on her end and within 30 minutes, she went to bed. While the housekeeper was preparing for bed, the butler entered his own room. The older man went about his routine and also went to bed afterward.

    "It could take days for us to get anything," Damienmented when he checked the time and it said 1:58 a.m.

    "I don''t know about you guys, but my eyes are getting heavy," Styles yawned.

    Amelia''s voice came through the speaker, "We can take shifts. I''ll stay up for a few hours. You guys go ahead and take a rest. I''ll let you know if anything happens."

    "I''ll stay up with you," Felix said.

    And thus, the others head to bed while Amelia and Felix stayed up watching the feed.

    Katherine and Damien fell asleep quickly, however, not even an hourter and there was some movement in the butler''s quarters.

    "What''s he doing?" Amelia wondered as Mr. Higgins rolled out of bed, grabbed a coat, and headed for the door.

    "Kitchen?" Felix answered. "No, he has a kitchte in his ce."

    "He couldn''t be going to the bathroom, he also has one."

    "Shit." Amelia got to her feet and quickly got out of her room, nearly bumping into Felix who was also leaving his.

    They didn''t have cameras outside of the butler''s and the housekeeper''s rooms, so they wouldn''t know what was happening to Mr. Higgins after he left his room. Felix called the beta team who were stationed near the servants'' house to report and one of them immediately responded:

    "I don''t see anything. Maybe he''s onlyoh, wait. Someone''sing out of the back door."

    "Is it the butler?" Felix cocked a brow.

    "Yes. It''s the butler. He''s taking out something from his coat A shlight. He''s walking."

    "To where? Here? The main house?"

    "No, he''s walking away. To the woods."

 Chapter 649: In the Woods

    Chapter 649: In the Woods

    After yesterday''s events, Katherine was exhausted and had to close her eyes. It was no use staying awake and depleting her energy while watching the live feed of the cameras they set up at the servants'' quarters. So when Amelia and Felix offered to stay up, she couldn''t refuse it.

    She and Damien were only asleep for an hour when someone banged on their door. The two immediately went into defensive modeKatherine grabbed her knives from under her pillow while Damien slowly crept towards the door to check. He opened it just a crack and Amelia stood there with a stern expression.

    "Butler''s on the move. He''s heading to the woods," she said.

    Katherine was instantly awake after hearing that. They also hauled Styles out of bed, ignoring his protest andint about disturbing his beauty sleep.

    Fifteen minutes after Katherine, Damien, and Styles were woken up, the group of five stealthily walked into the woods on a path that was parallel to the one Mr. Higgins took. Team Beta had been following the old man and so Katherine and the others followed their directions.

    "What''s in there?" Damien wondered as he jumped over a fallen tree, the others just right behind him.

    Katherine narrowed her eyes straight ahead, her brows drawn together as she thought about it. It was nearly three o''clock in the morning, the moon was full and the woods behind the mansion was dark, an owl cooing in the distance. She was slightly freaked out, wondering if there were wild animals out there. "I don''t know I haven''t been here for" she gasped, "the graveyard."

    "Graveyard?" Damien caught in step with her.

    She hadn''t thought about this ce in a while. Her moves slowed down as she tried to dig into her memory. How could she have forgotten? Her parents were buried there, along with their ancestors who lived in the Young Mansion a long time ago. Grandpa Theo had been telling her to go, but she still didn''t have the guts to, feeling like she had let her parents down for all the bad decisions she made. She couldn''t face them yet.

    Taking a deep breath, Katherine continued her steps. "There''s an old church right next to it. It''s been abandoned for many years. You don''t think Deborah''s been there all along, do you?" she wondered, ncing at them.

    Leaves crunched underneath their shoes as they moved forward. It took a minute before someone answered her.

    "Right under our noses? I think it''s the best ce to hide," said Damien.

    Katherine hated to admit that he could be right. They were too preupied looking for Deborah anywhere but in the estate. If Deborah really was in that church, how bold was she? And to think that Mr. Higgins was helping her too? The thought of that made her blood boil. She needed to catch her. That vile woman needed to pay!

    "The hell is this old man doing in a cemetery?" one of the men from Team Beta hissed through the radio in Felix''s hand. The team was a couple of minutes ahead of them.

    They exchanged nces and then hastened their steps.

    "What''s going on?" Felix spoke into the radio.

    "He''s walking past the gravestones. I think he''s headed to the old church."

    The graveyard and the church were still technically on the estate, but people from the mansion rarely visited the ce. No services were held there anymore unless it was for a funeral.

    Katherine broke into a sprint and the others followed. She was breathing heavily as she stopped next to one of the Team Beta men. He pointed at Mr. Higgins who had just arrived at the front of the dpidated church, but there was no need as Katherine''s stare was already fixed at the back of Mr. Higgins'' head.

    The church had old limestone brick walls, vines crawling on its sides. The weeds and grass were tall around the building, a sign that it hadn''t been maintained for a very long time. No one would guess that someone would want to visit there at this time of dawn, let alone sleep there.

    The butler looked from side to side as if he was checking his surroundings and possible eyes, but the team was carefully hidden behind shrubs and trees several feet away. It was impossible to see them in the dark.

    Someone stepped on a twig, the sound of a stick snapping crunched in the air, causing Mr. Higgins to snap his head in the direction of it. The old man shed his lights to the shrubs where they were hiding.

    All of them crouched so low onto the dirt, nearly lying on their front. They dug their elbows and knees into the earth and moss as they red at Styles. Of course, it was Styles who had stepped on the twig. Damien dropped to the ground, swiftly pulling Styles along with him. He covered Styles''s mouth, his strong arms caging the other from behind to stop him from moving. Styles''s eyes bulged out of their sockets in fright.

    None of them breathed as they waited for Mr. Higgins to do something. The butler looked creepy at this moment, wearing a dark robe over his long Johns, his hair gray and thinning, his skin wrinkly, and he wore a scowl as he held the shlight in one hand, staring into the woods. Fortunately, the old man seemed to ignore the noise. He faced the church door once again. Then he inserted a key into the lock, pushed the door open, stepped inside, and closed the door behind him.

    Damien slowly released Styles and Styles gasped a lungful of air as if he''d been deprived of it for a long time. The rest of them released their breaths when Mr. Higgins was no longer in sight. However, they remained hidden.

    Styles army-crawled between Damien and Felix, and asked, "What do you think he''s doing in there?"

    "He can''t be praying at this time. That''s insane," Felix muttered under his breath.

    The other men from Team Beta surrounded the church, but they stayed at a safe distance, just in case Mr. Higgins was looking out the window. The area was totally quiet, except for the asional cooing of the owl and the brushing of the wind on the leaves. Everyone stared at the church where the butler disappeared. Well, everyone except Katherine.

    She looked over the cemetery, her heart hammering in her chest. Her parents were there somewhere. A sudden urge to move overwhelmed her, wanting to go there and search for their gravestones. If Deborah really was in the church, Katherine had no words for that woman for staying very close to the people she had killed.

    "Should we go inside?" Amelia wondered, interrupting Katherine''s thoughts.

    "No. Let''s wait," Damien answered. He didn''t want to make a move in case the butler was baiting them, or that they were wrong about what he was doing inside that creepy church. They had to be patient.

    The door to the church swung open, and Mr. Higgins came out. He was inside for about twenty minutes.

    The team waited for Mr. Higgins to walk far away before they made any move. Damien signaled to Felix, and Felix informed Team Beta to follow the butler.

    When they were sure that Mr. Higgins was far enough, Katherine and Amelia covertly walked toward the church. Katherine drew out her knives, twirling them in her fingers as they crept closer. The men stayed hidden while the dangerous women arrived at the door. Katherine pressed herself on the wall to the left of the door and Amelia to the right of it.

    The two women looked over to where the men were hidden, waiting for their sign, to make sure they were watching for themin case there were booby traps. When Damien raised his hand and gave them the "ok" sign, Amelia knocked on the door.

    They waited.

    For a second, there was no sound. No movement from the inside.

    They weren''t sure what or who was there, but they had high hopes that it was Deborahor else, they no longer knew what to do.

    After a moment of nothing, Amelia raised her hand once again to knock. But before her knuckles could touch the wood, the door swung open.

    Lo and behold, Deborah Young in pajamas answered the door, sighing in a tired voice, "Did you forget something?"

    Katherine moved at lightning speed, swinging her knife up and pressing it to Deborah''s throat a hair''s breadth away from the skin. "Gotcha."

 Chapter 650: In the Dark

    Chapter 650: In the Dark

    "K-K-Katherine" Deborah croaked, her throat bobbing against the sharp de and she gasped. "P-Please d-don''t."

    "Funny," Katherine gritted her teeth. "I never thought I''d hear you say that. It''s a shame I don''t care about your plea."

    Footsteps sounded behind her. She didn''t have to look to know it was Damien, followed by Styles and Felix. Deborah''s eyes widened at the growing number of people surrounding her, a tear sliding down her cheek. "I''m going to scream!" she said. "Higgins just left. He''ll hear me!"

    "Go ahead. Even if he does, there''s nothing he can do. There''s more of us out there."

    More tears fell down Deborah''s pale face. She didn''t dare to move, too afraid of what Katherine might do to her.

    Amelia moved behind Deborah and started binding her wrists with a heavy-duty zip tie. Only when Amelia gave Katherine a signal that it was secured did Katherine withdraw her knife from her aunt''s throat. Deborah gulped in a lungful of air as if she hadn''t breathed for a very long time, but her momentary relief ended abruptly when Amelia held her by the neck and dragged her deeper into the church.

    One couldn''t see the inside of the church while looking from the outside because all the windows were bolted shut. The only light illuminating the ce came from a single oilmp on top of an old wood square table with two mismatched chairs stowed under it. The pews were stacked and moved to the sides, giving the area a bigger space. The altar was used as a makeshift kitchen counter where there was a kettle and a few stic containers which must''ve contained food.

    Katherine scoffed. She really made herself at home in this ce. It smelled of dust and wet earth there. It was so dark, save for the onlymp on the table. And to top it off, there was a graveyard right outside. How long had Deborah been hiding in the church? Katherine refused to believe that she had been there since the beginning and none of the security found out. She figured Deborah hadn''t been here that long.

    "See if you can get the lights to turn on," Damien asked Felix, who immediately went to work.

    Styles pulled out one of the chairs from under the table and set it in the middle of the room. Amelia then pushed Deborah down on it and the two started tying her to the chair, uncaring if the knots were too tight that it made Deborah whimper. She hadn''t stopped crying since, and she never took her eyes off Katherine either. Her stare was full of malicious intent, a far cry from how she looked just a minute ago with a de pressed on her throat.

    Damien slid his hands into his pockets as he leaned against the wall, watching from several feet away. This wasn''t his revenge. It was Katherine''s. He wanted to give her the satisfaction, allowing her to quench her thirst for the long-awaited face-off between her and the woman who had her parents killed.

    The sight before him made him think about that tragic night. The undeniable fact was that he was with the group his uncle sent for the assassination. A deep sense of guilt gripped his heart at the reminder. What would''ve happened if he wasn''t there that night? If he was braver to refuse being thrown into that incident?

    So many scenarios ran in his head, but the only thing that really stuck to him was that: Katherine wouldn''t be here right now. She could''ve died along with her parents. They wouldn''t have met. He wouldn''t have gotten to know her. He wouldn''t have loved her. It wasn''t the first time that he had thought about these things, but he needed the reminder.

    It was indeed a tragic night, but it was also the night he met the only woman he truly loved. That gray area had him balling his hands into fists inside his pockets. He had to take deep breaths to calm himself down.

    For a moment, the church went quiet. Katherine stood a few feet in front of Deborah. She didn''t do anything. She only stared at the older woman.

    A lot of things were going on in her head. The things she could do with her knivesor with her bare hands. Staring at Deborah, she felt the hatred and pain that the woman caused her all the years since the night her parents died.

    But there was one thing she wanted at that moment as she red at the vile woman. "Why did you do it?"

    Deborah sniffed as she pressed her lips tight in a line. She panted as if she had just run a marathon.

    The room brightened all of a sudden when Felix found a fix on the electrical wiring. They seemed to breathe easier once they were out of the darkness, but Katherine barely noticed the difference. She hadn''t looked away from Deborah, her vicious stare burning into the woman''s face.

    Deborah winced at the light assaulting her eyes. She instinctively looked at the ceiling for a while before meeting Katherine''s stare again.

    "Why did you kill my parents? What did they ever do to you?" Katherine pressed.

    "Why not? They were the bane of my existence!" Deborah spat.

    Katherine''s hands tightened around the handles of her knives until they shook, and Deborah shrunk in the chair as if that would help her state at the moment.

    "How were they a problem for you? They were good people. They were good to you. My father treated you like you were his sister by blood."

    "Ha!" Deborah scoffed. "Mason was too full of himself. He''s just like Father."

    "Are you hearing yourself?" Katherine''s voice raised an octave. "Grandpa loved you like his own!"

    "You know nothing!!!" Deborah roared. She looked around the church, making sure to see the eyes of all the people around her. "All of you! You don''t know anything! You don''t know the truth!"

    "Truth?" Katherine strode forward until she was a foot away, her teeth baring as she gritted out the words: "The only truth in this family is that they made a mistake taking you in and raising you like you were familywhen really, you''re nothing but an ingrate!"

    Her nostrils red and she was so close to slicing Deborah''s throat with her de.

    The door to the church opened, causing their heads to turn in that direction. They watched as three men from Team Beta brought in Mr. Higgins. The old man looked gray. He now only had one shoe while his other foot was soiled and had cuts on them. Actually, there was mud all over his clothes and face as if he had fallen on the ground. His hands were tied behind his back. The robe had slipped off one of his shoulders, and red soaked through the sleeve of his shirt, indicating that he was wounded.

    Mr. Higgins slowly looked up. He took in the room, his eyes growing wide when he sensed the violence that radiated off of Katherine and the others.

    Deborah gasped so loud upon seeing the old man. And what came out of her mouth next was something none of them ever expected. She cried out, "Uncle!!! What have they done to you?"

 Chapter 651: In the Past

    Chapter 651: In the Past

    Silence filled the church as everyone was too shocked to speak. It was Styles who first broke the quiet when an awkward unamusedugh came out of him. He went there with the group still half asleep that his heart nearly jumped out of his chest when Mr. Higgins almost caught them earlier the moment he identally stepped on a stick outside. And now this. "Things can''t get any worse than this, right?" he muttered mostly to himself.

    "Uncle?" Katherine questioned. She looked between the two while many theories ran through her head. "Why are you calling him uncle?"

    Deborah pressed her lips together and looked away, unwilling to give anything to them. Their situation already looked bad, but she couldn''t help holding on to hope that she and Higgins would get out of this alive. She nned to keep her mouth shut and not tell them anything.

    Something passed between Katherine and Damien when they caught each other''s eyes. No words were exchanged and yet they were able to read each other''s minds. Damien cast his men a look and gave a silent order, and in the next second, Team Beta shoved Mr. Higgins down.

    The old man grunted when his knees hit the floor. He tried to get back up but one of the men kept him down by putting a hand on his shoulder. Higgin''s cry caught Deborah''s attention, her head snapping forward. She hissed, "What are you doing! Don''t hurt him!"

    "Then start talking!" Katherine bit out.

    "Do not say anything, Debbie," Mr. Higgins gritted out in between pants. "I am not hurt. Do not worry about me."

    "Let him go!" Deborah pleaded, and for a second, Katherine believed that the woman actually had a heart. "You want me, so let my uncle go!"

    Katherine''s momentary sympathy didn''tst long. She studied the two and then made a split-second decision. Taking her time, she strolled behind Deborah and drew her knife closer, letting the tip glide up Deborah''s arm and making her whimper, and then Katherine pointed the de to Deborah''s throat.

    With her teeth clenched tight, Katherine forced the words out of her mouth. "Very well. If Dear Aunt Debbie doesn''t speak, then why don''t we let Ol'' Higgins do the honors. You''ll tell me, won''t you?" She tilted her head to the side, waiting for the butler to decide whether his silence weighed heavier than Deborah''s life.

    "Who are you?" Mr. Higgins stared at Katherine with wild eyes. It was the first time that he had seen her like this and he actually felt scared of her. "You are ying with a dangerous weapon, child. Take that away from my niece this instant!"

    "Who am I?" Katherine scoffedalthough at this point, she was acting more like Queen. "I''m Katherine Young, daughter of Mason and Natalie Young. They were good people whom this woman killed for selfish reasons. And this?" She used the t of the knife to tilt Deborah''s chin up. "This knife is an extension of my hand. So be careful, Old Man, my hands have been a little shakytely when I''m stressed. You don''t want to provoke me, or I might just slip..."

    "You would not dare hurt a fly. Young Madam, you are not a killer!"

    "Oh, but I am," she hissed. At that moment, she was embracing her alter ego. There was no escaping the truth that she was groomed into an assassin. That even though she knew it was wrong, she still did it anyway. That she was blinded by faith and vengeance that she would one day find her parents'' killer. She went through so much with only that one goal in mind. And now she was there. "So if you don''t start talking, I''m going to start slicing."

    "I do not believe you will do it!"

    A glint shed in Katherine''s eyes after being challenged. She moved her knife to Deborah''s arm and in the next second, Deborah screamed in pain. Katherine only ever so lightly pressed the de to the other''s skin, so the cut was shallow. But since the knife was so sharp, as soon as it made contact with the skin, blood oozed out of it. It dripped down the arm and soaked the sleeve. "I told you not to test me, Higgins. The next one will be on her neck," she said.

    "Okay! I understand! Stop!" Higgins swallowed, his eyes widening in horror. The way he looked at Katherine was as if he had seen a monster. "I will tell you."

    "Everything. The truth."

    "Yes. I will tell you the truth. But please, stop hurting her." Higgins croaked. Then his shoulders slumped. He was ready to confess.

    Higgins sat on the heels of his feet, his head lowered and his hands clenched tightly they were so white. For a moment, the church fell silent again. But this time, there was more tension in the atmosphere as they waited for him to speak.

    "I suppose you have not heard of the name George Wyatt before," Higgins started. He nced up only to see Katherine shake her head. A small huff left his lips and then he shook his head. "I figured you would not. All of you in this room were either too young or you have not been born yet. But George Wyatt was my half-brother. He was a great man. When my parents left me, my brother George was the one who took care of me and raised me. He was my hero," he said thest word with so much grit; it appeared that he was very emotional at that moment.

    "He didn''t have much, my brother George, you see. While he was a student at the university, he worked a few jobs on the side to put food on our table. It was only the two of us. It always had been just the two of us because his parents were also not around. He was my best friend, my older brother, my confidant." Higgins took a deep breath and his eyes became misty. "George was ambitious. He wanted to get out of the rat race, so he worked night and day after he graduated.

    "One day, George came home. And he was so excited, his face lit up our tiny apartment. I can still remember the way he bounced as he paced in the small space we had while he told me that his dreams areing true. You see, he was an architect. And that day, he found a partner who was willing to work with him. That was your grandfather. Theodore Young. They had been friends since university. And they became even closer, best friends, like brothers when they started apany."

    "I didn''t know Grandpa had a partner," Katherine mulled over the new information.

    "Of course, you wouldn''t. Theodore made it a point to bury the truth, just like he buried my brother!"

    Katherine straightened her spine, feeling the anger in Higgins'' words. "What are you talking about?"

    "Theodore was the reason George died! And he buried the truth to save himself. So do you see the picture now, little one? You cannot me Deborah for your parents'' deaths because your grandfather had iting. Retribution will always find you no matter how much you try to hide the truth!"

    "No That''s a lie" Katherine muttered in almost a whisper and shook her head in denial.

    Mr. Higgins scrunched his face, looking pained. "Why would I lie? You can ask Theodore yourself. He''s awake now, isn''t he?"

 Chapter 652: In the Past (2)

    Chapter 652: In the Past (2)

    No matter how much she looked at it, Katherine couldn''t imagine Grandpa Theo being the bad guy. He was warm and loving, andhe just couldn''t be that person. She refused to believe it.

    She sometimes stayed at the Young Mansion whenever her parents had to travel out of the country. Katherine loved spending time with her grandfather, so she always looked forward to staying there. It was Grandpa Theo who took care of her. He fed her, helped her with homework, and took her to ces where they created memories together.

    Of course, she might just be biased. But that''s not the kind of person who kills someone and hides the truth from the world. Granted, she knew she did bad things, but Grandpa Theo was not that kind of person. There''s so much kindness in his eyes to even think that he could do something like that.

    It''s why she didn''t ept the butler''s words.

    "My grandfather woke up, yes. But he doesn''t respond, so there''s no way to ask him and expect an answer now." Katherine''s jaw was tight as she stared at Mr. Higgins. "Tell me why you think he''s the reason."

    "I don''t THINK. I KNOW. I heard him myself," he said so surely.

    "You heard him"

    "That is correct. I had been in the mansion for nearly a year when I overheard him talking to hiswyer."

    "And what exactly did you hear? Tell me word for word." Katherine pauses. "No, actually, tell me what happened to your brother, and everything you heard."

    Mr. Higgins considered it. And then after a beat when everyone thought he''d hold back, he nodded. "Very well."

    Anticipation thrashed with the tension in the air, but before he could utter a word, someone else did.

    "No. It''s better if you hear it from me."

    Everyone snapped their heads to the door where the voice came from, and they saw someone they didn''t expect to stand there. Mrs. Nieves.

    She stood there gripping her robe with one hand while the other clenched around a shlight. She''s wearing a farmer''s boots that went up to her knees, and it''s mudded from the damp soil outside. The older woman looked distressed. How long had she been out there?

    "Mrs. Nieves. What are you doing here?" Katherine''s voice was almost a whisper. She didn''t have a choice showing her violent side to Deborah and Higgins. But this housekeeper shouldn''t see her like this. It wouldplicate things.

    "I felt restless the whole night. When I saw Gerard leave the cottage at such an odd hour earlier. He acted strange the whole night. My gut twisted and I didn''t think twice about following him. I noticed someone from Mr. Park''s security followed after him too, so I stayed very far away. I knew Gerard wasing here because there was nothing else past the trees except the graveyard and this church, so I took the long route. As expected, he came here. What I didn''t expect was that he was hiding Deborah."

    No one said a word. Damien swept his gaze among his men, cocking his brow as if saying: ''Seriously? You didn''t detect an old woman?''

    Team Beta lowered their heads.

    "You shouldn''t be here," mumbled Amelia from the side. Now, what should they do to her? She''d seen everything.

    As if sensing everyone''s apprehension, the senior housekeeper lifted her chin as she said, "Don''t worry. I''m not going to stop you from whatever you n to do to him. I just don''t trust this old man."

    "Teresa," Mr. Higgins called out as if he couldn''t believe the other.

    "Don''t call me that name, Gerard. I knew you were stricteven borderline vicious, but I didn''t think you would do anything to that extent. If the Young Madam wants to know the truth about the Master, she should hear it from me and not from you who might taint it with lies."

    Speechless, Mr. Higgins''s mouth fell agape. Then Mrs. Nieves slid her stare to Katherine and said, "Young Madam. You will hear nothing but the truth from me. My parents worked for the Youngs their whole lives. I grew up in this estate with nothing but gratitude to your family for being so good to mine. And I will serve you until my dying breath if only that will be enough to return everything your family did for us."

    Katherine blinked. Mrs. Nieves had indeed been in the household her whole life. She would''ve known more than Mr. Higgins did. Desperate to learn about what happened in the past, she nodded. "Go ahead."

    "Many decades ago, Master Theodore wanted to start a constructionpany that would rival the ones at the topincluding his own family''s. He had no interest in taking over his parents'' constructionpany that didn''t align with his vision. He spent long hours in the library studying.

    "There were times when he shared to me that he wanted to build beautiful buildings that wouldter be iconic structures in the state. I was still in my teens back then and wasn''t officially employed by the estate. But because both my parents worked there, I was allowed inside, and I helped out too. Theodore talked to me as if I were an important person he was pitching his ideas to.

    "He persevered and finally had the guts to start his dreams where he decided to partner with one of his close friends back in the university. Mr. Wyatt came by many times since then and the two would spend hours upon hours in the library, talking about their ns every night. I would serve them tea and snacks untilte in the evening. Sometimes Mr. Wyatt would sleep over in one of the guest rooms, but most of the time, he''d go home, saying that his brother was waiting for him."

    Mrs. Nieves shed her eyes to Higgins whose head was now hung low as he listened. She continued, "A yearter Young Wyatt Constructions started to grow. Master Theodore''s parents disapproved of it initially. They thought it was unnecessary for him to build a differentpany when he was their heir. But they saw how much effort and passion their son gave that they could only support him.

    "For three years, Master Theodore and Mr. Wyatt worked so hard that they were offered several big projects from knownpanies. The household knew all about it of course because we often had dinner celebrations for their milestones.

    "Then there was this one night that the two of them were in the library. I was bringing them tea and as usual, they talked about business. Only that time, they weren''t simply talking. They were at the desk with papers strewn everywhere while they argued about a project. I didn''t finish college, but I understood what I heard."

    "And what did you hear?" Katherine probed.

    "Mr. Wyatt insisted on his design, saying it''s his best work yet, and he was pretty adamant on pursuing it. But the Master refused, insisting that it was impossible to do it exactly as he wanted it to be because it posed dangernot only at the finished construction but also during construction. It was a risk he didn''t want to take." She sighed. "I have never seen them fight like that."

 Chapter 653: In the Past (3)

    Chapter 653: In the Past (3)

    Katherine was so engrossed in Mrs. Nieves''s'' story. It wasn''t lost on her that the older woman only spoke of the truth, judging by the way she told the past events. Mrs. Nieves didn''t falter; she didn''t waver, and her expression only disyed honesty.

    What made Katherine nervous was how the story was going. If Grandpa Theo and his then business partner fought, was that the reason for their fallout? Did something else happen?" Her heart pounded against her chest so hard that she could hear it in her ears. She had to take a seat to steady herself because this was too much information to process.

    She didn''t like the doubts that slowly crept into her head. She refused to acknowledge their possibilities.

    "What happened then?" Katherine asked.

    One of the men near Mrs. Nieves walked over to the old woman and assisted her towards the pews on the side. She was already old and had been standing for a while. When Mrs. Nieves got seated, she became quiet for a moment. A sigh left her lips before she continued.

    "I didn''t see Mr. Wyatte by for a while. And for days, your grandfather spent more hours at work that he came home veryte. And whenever he was home, he always looked stressedhis brows were drawn together, seemingly always worried about something. One afternoon, I was in the library dusting the shelves when he came.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    "Young Master," Teresa greeted, bowing her head slightly when she addressed Theodore. "I''ll leave you to rest ande backter. Would you like some tea?"

    Theodore waved her off. "No, thank you, Teresa. I just want some quiet."

    "Understood." Teresa bowed once more before heading out the door, only to stop when Theodore spoke.

    "Do you think I''m selfish?"

    Taken aback by the sudden question, Teresa faltered, unsure how to answer the young master. "Youhave always been kind to me and my parents. And you always look out for everyone. No, Young Master. I don''t think you''re selfish."

    A long and heavy sigh came out of the man. He stood by the window, overlooking the long entrance to the estate. He looked troubled, causing Teresa to hesitate in leaving him alone. Servants weren''t supposed to engage in a conversation with their masters and mistresses unless they were asked. She was nervous, but she gathered up her courage and for the first time, she probed, "Would you like to talk about it, Young Master?"

    Theodore nced at her, and when he didn''t answer, she shuffled and bowed her head, "Forgive me, Young Master. It''s not my ce. Ionly thought you would like an ear for your troubles. I would never dare gossip with the other housekeepers." Her face turned red from the nerves.

    "It''s fine, Teresa. You didn''t do anything wrong." Theodore rubbed his forehead. It appeared as if he was having a headache. "George and I got into a fight today. We didn''t agree on something and I said some words that angered him. I told him an engineer knows better than an architect. I shouldn''t have said it that way."

    Teresa chewed her lower lip as she nced from side to side. When she looked up again, she wondered, "Is it true?"

    "Pardon?"

    "Is it true that engineers know better than architects? Because if it is, then he shouldn''t have gotten mad over the fact." She swallowed.

    Theodore threw his head backughing, the tension on his shoulders lessening by the second. And then he shook his head. "That''s not something you should say. Both engineers and architects are important. Neither is better than the other. What I said to him was a mistake. I was angry because he didn''t listen and wanted things his way."

    "I see." Teresa nodded. "If I may, Young Master"

    "Please."

    "You and Mr. Wyatt are good friends. I''m sure you''ll reach an agreement without angering each other. Frankly, you''re too old to have fights." She pped her hands over her mouth and Theodoreughed again.

    "You are right. I should talk to him when Ie back to the city."

    "Are you leaving, Young Master?"

    He nodded, a smile crossing his face. "I''m taking my family to France for a few days."

    Delight shed on Teresa''s face. "It''s Mason''s birthday very soon. I''m sure he''s excited to fly for the first time."

    Just then, a little boy came running through the doors, squealing. "Papa!"

    Little Mason jumped into his father''s arms and giggles filled the big room.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Katherine sniffed at the mention of her father. She couldn''t stop the tears that welled up in her eyes. Warm hands covered her shoulder and in the next second, she was pulled to Damien''s chest, his arms wrapped around her.

    "A few dayster, there was a big ident on the construction site," Teresa added, shing Higgins a look. "And it took George Wyatt''s life. He was already dead when Theodore came back from his trip. So you see? It''s not the Master''s fault. That was an ident."

    "What is she talking about?" Deborah questioned, her voice hoarse and toneless.

    Old Higgins''s breaths grew harsh that his nostrils red. But he didn''t speak and just kept his stare on the ground.

    "Uncle!!! You told me Father killed my real father! What is she talking about?"

    Deborah''s cry pulled Katherine out of her thoughts. Looking over Damien''s shoulder, Katherine narrowed her eyes on Deborah. It only made sense to her just now. Her questioning stare jumped between Deborah and Mrs. Nieves. "Uncle Are you George Wyatt''s daughter?"

    Mrs. Nieves''s brows were also knitted. "I didn''t know Mr. Wyatt had a woman. I''ve never heard him mention anyone."

    "Uncle!" Deborah yelled, her eyes looking vicious.

    Higgins squeezed his eyes for a second and when he looked up, his face grew hard. "Deborah is indeed George''s daughter. I stand by my words. Theodore is the reason why my brother is dead and he swept it all under the rug, forgotten like he was nothing! All his riches should''ve been ourshis daughter''s! Deborah is the real heiress!"

 Chapter 654: Gerards Past (1)

    Chapter 654: Gerard''s Past (1)

    Many decades ago

    To say that George Wyatt was ted with his booming career was an understatement. He was thrilled, excited, brimming with happiness that finally, his dreams wereing true. He and his brother were now renting a two-bedroom apartment in a luxury residential tower at twenty-eight stories. For $470 a month, that was a steal in the center of Harbor City. It was definitely a great improvement from their previous small dpidated apartment.

    "Is this really our home now, George?" Gerard asked as he examined the new ce, his eyesced with obvious merriment. He couldn''t contain the huge smile on his face. "I get to have my own room?"

    "Why yes, of course! This building is owned and built by Theodore''s parents. Others would pay much more for this apartment, but I bargained a deal with them. Isn''t it beautiful? Wall-to-wall carpeting, a firece, draperies, and new wallpaper. It also has sound conditioning material so our neighbors would notin about us talking so loud anymore."

    Gerardughed. "If Mrs. Smith were next door, I am sure she would be pleased and would not have to report us to thendlord! I can''t say I would miss that old woman!"

    "Come, Gerard!" George waved his brother over to the window. Draping an arm around the other, he pointed at the whole of Harbor City from their apartment on the twenty-sixth floor. "We will own this city one day. State-of-the-art buildings by Young Wyatt Constructions will rise from here to there. Our names will be known. Today is just the beginning, brother."

    "I want to work for you, George. I will help you build your dreams."

    George shook his head. "You have your own dreams. Do what you want to do." He sighed with a smile on his face. "Yesterday, Theodore asked me why I am renting when I can build a house. But it is not yet time. I will let you finish your schooling first, and then I will build us a house that is much nicer than this."

    Pressing his lips into a thin line, Gerard took a deep breath and told his brother, "Then I will finish my course so I can help you. It is time you meet a woman, too. You are getting old."

    George did a double-take but heughed at his brother''s statement. "You rascal! I am not that old! And if you must know, I am seeing ady."

    "Can I meet her?"

    Just then, there was a knock on the door, interrupting their conversation. George went to get it and found Theodore standing there with a bottle of wine, saying, "Am Ite for the celebration? I got us the best wine from France."

    The three men celebrated the day that was bookmarked in Gerard''s memories. It was one of his fondest moments in life with his brother.

    However, only several weekster, the news about his brother''s death at the construction site shattered his whole world. He lost the only family he got. Gerard had never felt so alone in his life after that tragedy. What would he do now that his brother was dead? What about their dreams? What about him? How could he live his life now?

    A week after George''s death, Theodore went to see Gerard. Thetter felt like he was a living corpse, uncertain about what he would do after losing his brother. He hadn''t slept more than two hours a day since the ident, and he barely ate because of depression. When he saw Theodore at the door, he broke down.

    "How can I pay for this apartment? I do not have any money besides what he left me. It will cover the rest of the year''s rent, but I do not know where I will get money after that. I do not have a job. I cannot keep this ce on my own. Shall I start packing our things now?" he said between sobs.

    "I am not here to drive you away, Gerard. You are like a brother to me now," Theodore reassured while squeezing the younger man''s arms. He too was devastated at the tragedy of his friend''s death.

    "What am I going to do now, Theodore? I do not know how to live anymore."

    With a somber expression, Theodore told Gerard, "George told me to take care of you if in any case something happened to him. I gave him my word. You can live with me in the big house. We have plenty of room"

    Gerard leaned away and stared at the other with furrowed brows. "I cannot do that, Theodore. I appreciate your offer, but I cannot live with your family for free. We are not blood. I know George would have not liked it if I did that."

    "We may not share blood, but you are George''s brother. He iswas my brother too. And I am most certain he would want me to take care of you. I know he set you up with a trust fund, but you would not be able to ess that until you are twenty-one. That is nearly three years from now, Gerard. Let me help you."

    Gerard was quiet for a moment, looking down at the floor as he considered this. When he looked up and met Theodore''s eyes again, he said, "Let me work for you then."

    "Work for me?"

    "I want to return your help by working for you. Besides, I need the money to support my schooling and other expenses. Before George died, I was looking for a job but I found no one who wanted to hire a part-time worker. I do not want to burden you and your family. If you want to help me, Theodore, let me work for you."

    Theodore paused and gave it a thought. After a few moments, he nodded. "All right. If that is what you want."

    The next week, Gerard ended up working at the Youngs'' Estate. Part of him wanted to work for the constructionpany but because his days were spent in school and nights were for studying, he didn''t have time tomit. Working at the estate gave him flexible hours. The Youngs offered him a room in the mansion, but Gerard refused to stay with Theodore''s family, so he slept in the cottage where the other workers stayed. He didn''t mind this at all. In fact, he was grateful to the Youngs for taking him in.

 Chapter 655: Gerards Past (2)

    Chapter 655: Gerard''s Past (2)

    Between school and work, Gerard''s days were busy. But the distraction helped him move on with his life at the same time also grieve his brother''s death.

    The loss was painful. The only family who took care of him since he was a child was now gone. All the hopes and dreams that he made with his brother were shattered. Gone were the promises that George made with and for Gerard, along with that was the hope that Gerard wanted to travel and see the world with his brother. He looked up to George so much that his dreams were built around his brother''s dreams. And now that George was gone, it felt as if his own life had no more purpose.

    When Theodore paid for his schooling that year, Gerard felt both appreciative and also pitiful for himself. He didn''t want to be treated like he was a charity, so when he had the chance, he told Theodore not to do that anymore. Gerard wanted to save up for his studies. He knew his brother would want him to support himself and not depend on others.

    Several monthster, Gerard was leaving the school and was about to walk to the library when a pregnant woman approached him. He hadn''t seen her before, but she looked at him so longingly that he waspelled to listen when she asked for a chance to speak to him. Gerard sat down with her at a nearby coffee shop, and that''s when he learned that the woman was George''s lover.

    Apparently, George had gotten her pregnant before he met his demise. The woman found out about George''s death through the local newspaper, and she mourned the loss. But it wasn''t until a few monthster that she discovered her pregnancy. At that time, Gerard was no longer in the apartment where she thought George and his brother lived. It took her a while to find out where Gerard was staying and when she did, she hesitated to go to him.

    Having left no choice now that she was full term and needed his help, the woman had to meet Gerard. He had heard about her through his brother, but it was the first time that they met. Learning that she was with childnot just anyone''s child, but George''sGerard felt responsible. It was heartbreaking that George didn''t even know he was going to be a father.

    Gerard became resolute. His brother left him a new family, so Gerard vowed to help the woman and George''s child. With his small savings, he helped her with the medical expenses. He didn''t feel the need to tell Theodore about this because it wasn''t Theodore''s problem. Moreover, George''s lover hadn''t met Theodore. Maybe after the woman gave birth, Gerard could tell Theodore about it, but at that moment, it was Gerard''s responsibility.

    Unfortunately, the woman had aplicated pregnancy that led to her death weeks after giving birth. Just like George and Gerard, she did not have parents and was only living with a friend. Even though Gerard wanted to take care of the baby, he couldn''t raise the child by himself. Not knowing what to do, Gerard thought it was finally time to tell Theodore about the child and the woman.

    Gerard sought Theodore at the mansion. Knowing that he spent most of his time in the library when he wasn''t working, Gerard went there after dinneronly to hear what he was not supposed to hear. He stood frozen when he heard Theodore''s father, Theodore Senior, on the other side of the door.

    "George is gone and his death is causing more problems than it is bringing money to thepany. You are losing thousands every week with projects pulling out after that ident. The ident that could have been avoided if you had only listened to me."

    "That can''t be right" Gerard whispered to himself, his heart racing so fast he could feel the pulse in his ears. He took a step back, his hands shaking as he waited for Theodore to deny what his father just said, but to Gerard''s shock, Theodore remained quiet for a few moments, and the next words he heard only proved his doubt.

    "And you think the acquisition will solve all this?" Theodore asked.

    "It''s time to turn the page and bury all of this behind us. People will forget about the ident eventually. Sign the acquisition, son. We can find another architect that you can work with. And in a few years, you will take my ce and continue our family''s legacy. This tragedy will be long forgotten."

    Gerard got out of the mansion fast, not wanting to hear any of it anymore. Theodore let him believe that he was helping him because he promised George he would. Not only did Gerard learn that the ident was avoidable had Theodore listened to his father, but that Theodore agreed to an acquisition?

    Gerard might have not graduated yet, but he understood what that meant. Young Corporation was going to acquire Young Wyatt Construction. When that happens, people will forget about his brother and his death. Everything George worked hard for would be for nothing.

    Filled with so much anger, Gerard left the mansion. And after wandering for a while that night, he found himself in the apartment where his niece was staying. As he stared at George''s baby in his arms, there was only one thing in his mind: revenge. He had never harbored so much hatred against one person before. No wonder Theodore wanted to help him. Theodore only took him in because he was guilty of George''s death.

    Later that night, Gerard held his niece in his arms and made a promise. "My sweet Deborah, I promise you. We will get justice. It doesn''t matter how long it will take, those vultures will get what they deserve. Theodore will know how painful it is to lose a loved one when he least expects it. And you, my child You will get what belongs to you."

    ***

    "So you killed my parents?" Katherine''s tone was hard, darkness filling her eyes the more she listened to Higgins'' story. It didn''t take a genius to understand that he nted his niece in the house of his enemy. He put Deborah in the mansion to destroy the Youngs from the inside.

    Even after listening to Higgins, she still refused to believe that her grandfather was a bad person. He might''ve made mistakes or made decisions that lead to the tragedyfor which she wouldn''t know until she heard it from her grandfather personallybut she believed in her heart that he didn''t intend for people to die.

    Higgins nced at Deborah and said, "Deborah learned the truth about her birth. It took a while to find her after she left the mansion, but when I told her the truth about George, she did not think twice to join me."

    He slid his vicious stare to Katherine. "Aren''t you the same now? You want revenge for your parents'' deaths." He scoffed. "Mason was in the way. We simply took care of hurdles to pave Deborah''s right to her wealth." His voice was so cold, that it made the church feel even more haunting.

    From across the room, Katherine red at Higgins. Her chest heaved as she took harsh breaths. It felt like the room didn''t have enough air. From where she was, she could see the tiny smirk slipping on Gerard''s face. This was the man who groomed Deborah. He was like Parker to Katherine.

    Right now, all Katherine wanted was revenge for her parents'' deaths. She wanted to kill Higgins.

    "Let go of me, Damien," she said in a voice so low it was barely a whisper.

    Damien could feel the anger vibrating off her frame. Instead of letting her go, he tightened his arms around her. From the way he saw it, he believed that Grandpa Theo didn''t have a choice.

    Katherine was not thinking clearly at the moment, and he didn''t want her to regret anythingter. He wasn''t stopping her from ending Higgins'' life because he pitied the man. Damien heard everything, and he wanted to kill Higgins himself too. But if Katherine did it out of pure rage, she would lose herself. So if she calmed down and still decided to do it, he wouldn''t stop her. "Katherine," he called out, hoping he wasn''t toote.

    The moment Katherine shifted her eyes to meet Damien''s, he knew he lost her. Those weren''t the eyes of an innocent woman.

    They were pure destruction. Chaos. Lethal.

    "Let. Me. Go."

 Chapter 656: Death Is Too Easy

    Chapter 656: Death Is Too Easy

    "No." Damien''s voice was stern yet calm. Katherine drew her brows together, opening her mouth to protest, but before she could utter another sound, he shook his head. Framing her face with his hands, he looked intently into her eyes so that she could see the sincerity in them. And in a low voice so that only the two of them could hear, he added, "I''m not stopping you because I pity him. I am with you on this. But I''m stopping you before you can''te back from this."

    "I have to do this."

    "Just breathe for me." He swiped his thumb on her cheek, catching a stray tear that rolled out of her eyes. She sucked in a breath once, twice. His eyes darkened when he told her, "After everything you''ve been through, if you kill them now Death will be mercy for them."

    Katherine''s stare bounced between Damien''s eyes as she absorbed his words. Then she nced at Higgins and then Deborah, her rage-filled re making her eyes ache.

    She felt like she was going tobust. Madness consumed every fiber of her being, and revenge flowed through her veins. This was what she had been waiting for all her life. To find the person responsible. For a long time, she thought it was one of Young Corporation''s rivals. And when she regained her memories and got to know Deborah, she started questioning her too.

    Deborah''s involvement in the incident couldn''t be denied now. She and Higgins had a motive. And whether or not she was brainwashed by this sick butler, she had a hand in killing Katherine''s parents. She still couldn''t look at Deborah without thinking about her parents. No wonder she couldn''t find the one who ordered the killing. They were right under her nose.

    She couldn''t believe that she was blind all this time. Being one of Shadow''s assassins, she knew that there were enemies within the family members. People whom you think were the closest to you could betray you in a heartbeatespecially when ites to money. Katherine just didn''t want to believe that it could happen to her too. Because how cruel could life be to her?

    But Damien was right. If she killed them now, it would all be over. Deborah and Gerard would just stop living. They won''t suffer. And they should suffer for all the things they did.

    When Damien saw that Katherine was slowly calming down, he took a deep breath and spoke out loud while still keeping his eyes on his woman. "If there''s nothing else, Mrs. Nieves, I''ll have my men escort you back to your room." He needed the senior housekeeper to leave for what they would have to do next.

    The church was quiet for a few beats and when Damien thought Mrs. Nieves was done, he opened his mouth to give his men an order. But Mrs. Nieves spoke first.

    "Actually, if I could just add one more thing." Mrs. Nieves got on her feet and everyone''s heads turned to her. "It''s been so many years that I forgot about plenty of things, but I''m remembering some things now after listening to Gerard. And I''m quite certain I recall the same night that he was talking about. If I''m not mistaken, I was in the library that night"

    "Oh, stop it, Teresa," Gerard cut her off. "Why would you be in the library that night? Servants shouldn''t be lingering around. And there''s nothing else that you could say that would change what happened. I know what I heard that night."

    Mrs. Nieves knitted her brows so tight that it looked painful. Her scowl was directed at Higgins. "I was there because I was watching over thete Young Master Mason. We were reading his favorite book when Theodore''s fatherthe Seniorcame inside. I was going to excuse myself but the Senior stopped me. He didn''t want Mason to stop reading. So I remained quiet."

    She huffed in annoyance before continuing, "We servants are taught how to keep confidentiality. Whatever we hear is to remain within ourselves. I respect the Youngs and I take pride in my work." She took a deep breath. "I am not going to say that what you heard was not true. But that''s not everything that was said that nightand the other days I heard the father and son talking."

    "Tell us," Katherine said in almost a whisper.

    Mrs. Nieves nodded. "Theodore''s father had said that while George was skilled, he was too stubborn. The Senior told his son to cut George off as his partner in Young Wyatt Constructions, telling him that one day, George will be a problem. There couldn''t be two bosses in onepany, and George was too hungry to listen to Theodore. The Senior believed George would one day put theirpany at risk.

    "Theodore didn''t listen to his father. Instead, he thought that George''s eagerness was a good thing; that it would only bring theirpany to greater heights because he was ambitious. George was his friend, and he believed in his friend. However, that construction ident happened because George didn''t heed Theodore''s warning about the risks. Against Theodore''s wishes, George did what he wasn''t supposed to do while Theodore was away.

    "It was not the first time that the Senior offered to acquire Young Wyatt Constructions after the ident. Theodore didn''t want to give up on theirpany even if he faced many problems after that. But he had no choice. The acquisition was the only way to save it from crumbling." She shifted her stare to Katherine and her eyes softened. "Your grandfather did what he could to save thepany and its hundreds of employees."

    Deborah had long been quiet in her chair, her head lowered to the ground. Higgins''s eyes were wide as he took in all of that. There was a mixture of disbelief and something that was hard to read in them. His mouth hung open and his skin was even paler.

    Katherine lifted her chin as she rose to a stand with Damien next to her. She was right. Her grandfather would never do anything to intentionally hurt innocent people. And Gerard Higgins refused to see the truth. His grief drove him to the idea that he needed retaliation.

    Her fisted hands shook and that''s only when she realized that Damien had taken her knives and had given them to Amelia. If Katherine still had them in her hands, she would''ve already rushed forward and slit Higgins'' throat. The desire to see him suffer and see him die warred inside her head.

    She took a step forward. And another. And then another. Damien didn''t stop her until she reached Higgins who seemed to be lost in his own head. Clenching her jaw tight, she grabbed Higgins''s hair with her left hand, pulled back her other fist, and socked him in the face. Once, twice, thrice. Higgins broke out a shriek and tried to scramble away from her, but Felix held him in ce. Katherine might not kill Higgins now, but she sure would give him every blow he deserved.

    No one stopped her.

    From a distance, a police siren red. It barely registered to Katherine as she delivered more hits to Higgins'' body. Only when the door to the church opened was she pulled out of her violent trance.

    They whipped their heads in the direction of their newpany. A breathless Caroline stood there surveying the big room with a shocked expression. Noah arrived a few seconds after her, panting as he said, "I tried to stop her. She called the cops."

 Chapter 657: Testing Nobility

    Chapter 657: Testing Nobility

    Caroline''s eyesnded on her mother who was strapped to a chair in the middle of the room. Her lips parted in a horrified expression, and she dashed forward, falling to her knees in front of Deborah. "Mom! You''re bleeding!" And without looking around, she yelled, "How could you tie her up like this? Let her go!!!"

    Deborah, on the other hand, was so deep in thought, that she didn''t even look at her daughteror more like, she was ashamed to look at her, judging by how she had averted her stare. Despite Caroline trying to call for her mother, Deborah remained unresponsive, her lips tight and her expression grim.

    While the young woman was hysterical, trying to untie her mother from the chair helplessly, Katherine let go of Mr. Higgins and the old man fell to the floor, his face bloody and banged up.

    Exchanging nces with Damien and Amelia, Katherine moved to a huddle with them. "I can move them out of here through the woods," Amelia offered.

    "Where will you take them?" Damien asked while giving his men to untie Deborah from the chair. The police sirens got closer and closer, its wail a haunting sound around them.

    "There''s a clearing about a mile ahead," said Katherine. "We''ll handle the police while you get them away from here."

    Amelia nodded and led the group out of the church. The men moved Deborah and Higgins, and Caroline protested, cursing at Maverick Security men for manhandling her mother, but they all ignored her. Damien and Katherine followed behind.

    "Woah! What the hell!" Styles gasped and everyone turned their attention to him. They found Caroline pointing a swiss knife to his neck while tears streamed down her blotchy face. "Leave my mom alone!" she cried.

    "Caroline, put the knife down," Katherine hissed.

    For the first time since Caroline arrived, Deborah looked up to see her daughter taking Styles hostage. "Carol" she whispered, her eyes widening in horror.

    "No! You let go of my mother first!" Caroline stomped her foot and pressed the tip of the knife to Styles''s throat, making him grunt.

    "You know I''m stronger than you, right?" Styles held her hand that was holding the knife, stopping it from poking his neck. "I can easily throw you down. Don''t make me do it."

    "Sh-shut up, n-nerd! I''m the one with the knife!"

    "That''s not a toy, little girl."

    "I know, dumbass!" Caroline darted her stare back to Katherine, her eyes shining with tears. "Please let my mom go, please! I don''t want to do this."

    Despite her annoyance, Katherine''s eyes stung and it felt like somethingrge squeezed her chest as she watched her cousin. It didn''t matter that she was Deborah''s daughter. She felt sorry that Caroline had that kind of mother. "Put it down, Caroline. It''s over."

    "Katherine, please"

    "Caroline," Deborah called, and Caroline jerked her head to her mother. "Put it down, baby. It''s okay. Don''t worry about me."

    "But mom! They''re going to hurt you! They''re using you of something absurd. I can''t just let them take you away!"

    "It''s not" Deborah''s voice trailed off. "It''s true, Caroline."

    "What? W-What are you saying?" Caroline asked. Deborah lowered her stare, her shoulders drooping in shame. "Mom! What are you saying?"

    "I killed them."

    Caroline''s hand trembled and Styles took the opportunity to disarm her gently and move away from her, and she didn''t fight him on it. "You''re lying" she muttered under her breath. Deborah didn''t answer. "Tell me it''s not true!" She sobbed. "Mom It can''t be"

    "I''m sorry, baby. I didn''t want you to find out what I did. You" Deborah sniffed. "Don''t do this, Caroline. This isn''t you. Don''t be like me."

    Caroline''s knees buckled, and if it weren''t for Noah grabbing her by the shoulders, she would''ve fallen. Her entire form shook as she cried and all she could do was slump against Noah who, for a second, hesitated, but eventually held her to his chest.

    Damien''s phone rang and when he picked it up, one of his men told him, "Boss, two policemen are here. They said someone called for help."

    "Let them in the mansion. We''re on our way," he responded, and then to Katherine, he said, "We need to go."

    "I''ll escort them through the woods," Felix offered.

    "I''ll send a car over to get you out of there," said Damien before he guided Katherine back to the mansion.

    While Amelia and Felix took Deborah and Higgins away, the others went back to the mansion. Damien took care of the police and sent them back on the road after letting them check the mansion and reassured them that it was all a misunderstanding. Though the cops were a bit suspicious, he was very persuasive and even expressed his appreciation for the prompt response and told them he''d personallymend them to their supervisor for taking their job seriously. Only after then did the cops get in their car and drive out of the estate.

    Katherine stood by the window in the living room, her arms folded under her breasts while she was looking out in the dark where she imagined Amelia and the others had gone earlier.

    "Please don''t kill her."

    She slid her stare to the side where Caroline appeared, Noah standing a few feet behind. The younger woman''s eyes were swollen, and she looked pale as if she was sick. Katherine clenched her jaw tight, unwilling to talk to Caroline at the moment. Her presence was too much for her right now.

    Caroline strode the distance between them and, to Katherine''s surprise, Caroline knelt on the floor, her head bowed as she pleaded, "I can''t bring back your parents. And I have no right to ask you, but please Katherine. She''s all I have. Please don''t kill my mom." Teardrops fell on the floor as her shoulders shook.

    ''How dare she ask me that?'' Katherine''s chin wobbled as her lips tightened into a thin line. Her eyes became misty; so she blinked the tears away, not wanting to shed a tear for Caroline. Her stare was hard as she looked down at Caroline''s head. ''Did they think about me then when they murdered my family?'' Her chest heaved up and down, wanting tosh out at the younger womanat the same time that she wanted to hug her for being so pitiful. It''s not Caroline''s fault she''s Deborah''s daughter. But the hatred in Katherine''s heart was a scar that would never heal.

    "Go to your room, Caroline," Damien said as he walked over to Katherine''s side. When Caroline looked up at him, he added in a much gentler tone, "Take a rest. We''ll all talk in the morning." He shot Noah a nce and thetter immediately followed the silentmand, pulling Caroline up and leading her back to her room.

    Once they were alone, he circled his arms around Katherine''s frame and kissed the side of her head. This wasn''t how they expected things would go, but they got Deborah and Higgins. That was enough for today. Stroking her back, he told her, "They arrived in a safe house not far from here. Amelia and Felix will watch over them. You can rest assured they won''t be getting away anymore."

    Upon hearing that, she instantly melted in his arms, shaking her head in resignation. "I''m so tired, Damien. Soso tired."

    Without thinking twice, he bent to pick her up and carried her bridal style and brought her to their room. He, too, was exhausted after the long night they had. But Katherine needed him, and taking care of her was his priority. "I got you, Kitten. Go to sleep. We''ll deal with the rest tomorrow."

    That was all Damien had to say for Katherine to let go and fall into a deep sleep. And she slept a dreamless one.

 Chapter 658: A Tale

    Chapter 658: A Tale

    After everything that Katherine and Damien had been through, he believed she would make the right choice. Whatever that may be. For him, it didn''t matter what it was as long as it would make her happy and at peace.

    For someone who spent her whole life seeking revenge for her parents'' murder, Katherine was the same girl he met that tragic night. She could be vulnerable despite being capable of violence. She could kill, but she could also healjust like what she did to him. So whatever her decision may be, Damien would support her all the way.

    Katherine wanted to visit her grandfather in the hospital after lunch. Caroline joined the two of them, her eyes all puffy from crying all night. Senior housekeeper Teresa led the staff today, stepping up in her role as they did their duties and served the family in the dining room. If the rest of the staff had found out about what happenedst night, they didn''t show it. Everyone looked professional as always.

    "Have youdecided?" Caroline probed in almost a whisper, slicing the silence that hung in the air.

    Katherine met the other''s eyes and paused. A beatter, she responded, "Not yet."

    "When?"

    "I don''t know."

    "But"

    "Caroline," Damien interrupted, his voice calm yet the sternness of his eyes was palpable. Aware that there were other people in the room, he merely nced at the senior housekeeper and Teresa led the staff out to give them privacy, closing the door behind her. Once they were alone, he slid his stare back to Caroline. "This is a matter not to be taken lightly."

    "You don''t think I know that? It''s my mother''s life!"

    "It''s not just hers. It''s also Katherine''s." Even though he did not say it, the underlying words were obvious: And Katherine''s parents.

    Caroline''s face scrunched upshe''s on the verge of tears again. "What kind of monsters are you, talking about someone''s life as if it''s a candle you can blow out when you don''t want its light anymore? You''re not gods! You don''t have the right to take someone''s life! And what did Mr. Higgins even do? I can''t believe I''m rted to you"

    "We''re not rted," Katherine said. When the younger woman narrowed her eyes, she added, "We''re not rted by blood. Deborah was adopted when she was a baby. Higgins is the brother of Deborah''s father who died in an identin which Higgins believed was Grandpa Theo''s fault even though it isn''t. This is all a scheme he concocted out of his delusions in avenging his brother''s death.

    "Your mother was about your age when Higgins told her the story about her birth. And she chose to destroy my family, the family who raised her. What does that say about her? You can call me a monster all you want. But since we''re not rted, you don''t need to worry." Katherine got to her feet and looked down on Caroline, the stinging behind her eyes making her clench her hands into fists. She didn''t want to hurt her, but it''s taking everything in her to forget that she''s Deborah''s daughter.

    Without another word, she walked out of the dining room, leaving Damien alone with Caroline whose face had turned green. He pushed his chair back as he stood with grace like that of royalty. "Never speak of it again when the staff is around. They might look like they don''t care, but they have ears, and they will talk. It''s for your own good." He left the room to go after Katherine.

    :kitchen_knife::kitchen_knife::kitchen_knife:

    Katherine sat in an armchair next to Grandpa Theo''s bed. She was quiet since they arrived an hour ago, holding her grandfather''s hand while hoping he''d open his eyes for her.

    Meanwhile, Damien was at the round table near the tall window, working on hisptop and asionally ncing at Katherine to check on her. He had some work to do, but he didn''t want to leave her side, so he busied himself while they were there. The soft clicking of his keyboard halted when she finally spoke.

    "It was a normal nightat least I thought it was. I remember doing my homework with my headphones on, listening to music while waiting for mom to call me out for dinner. She made roastedmb that night because she knew it was my favorite. Dad was in his office a few doors down the hall, also waiting for mom." A small smile lifted on her lips before it disappeared, her chin trembling. "And then the lights went out."

    Damien leaned against the backrest, closing his eyes as his own memories yed in sync with Katherine''s recollection of the war that broke out in her home so many years ago. She was telling her grandfather the story.

    Whenever Damien remembered this incident, he always felt guilty, thinking he failed to save Katherine that night. For many years, he thought Katherine died in that explosion.

    Now, whenever those memories invaded his thoughts, it''s like the story had been rewritten. Same characters, different story. It was no longer a child he met back then, it was a younger Katherine. It was still a tragic night, but he was no longer alone in that experience. It didn''t take away the darkness in his chest, but Katherine surely made it better.

    Damien thought that Katherine would merely talk about that night alone. But as she went on, she was actually telling Grandpa Theo everything else that happened after. The orphanage, Shadow, being trained as an assassin, tracking down people whom she thought were her parents'' murderers, and how she lost her memories six years ago. She came clean, telling her grandfather everything about her, and only hesitating at thest bit about discoveringst night''s truths.

    Instead of feeling overwhelmed by her admission of everything that happened to her, Damien understood. Everyone had their own ways of dealing with things, choosing decisions they thought were the best at that moment, and then dealing with the aftermath. It might not be pretty, but it was her life. It was what made her who she was.

    He didn''t know if she intended for Grandpa Theo to hear all that or if she was doing it because he was unconscious anyway.

    "I don''t know what to do, Gramps. I''m so tired. I''m still hurting, but I''m so very tired" Katherine''s shoulders shook as she sped the older man''s hand in her hands and pressed it against her cheek.

    Damien walked over to her and ced his hands on her shoulder, giving them a gentle squeeze. He didn''t say anything. He only wanted her to know he was there. Sitting on the arm of the chair, he pulled Katherine to his side and softly stroked her arm. "Everything is going to be okay, Kitten." He lowered his lips on her head, nting a kiss.

    She leaned against him, taking shelter in his arms without letting go of her grandfather''s hand. For a moment, it was silent, the hospital''s private room''s white noise was the only sound surrounding them.

    After a few minutes, he was about to usher her to the sofa to rest for a while. She must still be exhaustedwhat with everything that happenedst night. However, just when he shifted, Katherine gasped.

    "Did you see that?"

    "See what?" Damien scanned the area where her eyes were locked in.

    "He moved!"

    "Grandpa?"

    "Yes! He moved! His fingers! Did you see?"

    He stared at Grandpa Theo''s hand but it was just there, frail and limp on the bed where Katherine had ced it down a minute ago. Damien shook his head, "Sorry, baby, I didn''t."

    She looked up at me, her eyes full of hope. "But they did! I swear!"

    Stroking her hair, he smiled as he nodded and reassured her. "I believe you." ncing at Grandpa Theo briefly, he told Katherine, "Maybe he''s awake. I''ll go get the doctors."

    With renewed energy, Katherine moved closer to the bed and held her grandfather''s hand again, speaking in a hushed voice as Damien left the room. There was a phone inside to contact the nurse''s station, but he needed to stretch his legs so he chose to go out instead. The guard stationed outside Grandpa Theo''s room gave him a polite nod as he passed.

    Damien was only a few steps away when his phone buzzed in his pocket. Upon seeing Detective Donovan''s name on his screen, he answered it right away. "Detective?"

    "Mr. Park. I hope I didn''t interrupt you. I just called to let you know that I found Be."

    He stopped in his tracks, his heart racing in his chest. Bethe police officer who responded to his father''s ident.

 Chapter 659: Small Town Garage

    Chapter 659: Small Town Garage

    Damien was only a teenager when his father died in a car crash. He grieved and mourned for him, but he didn''t question the incident because he didn''t have any reason to. It wasn''t until Amelia told him her doubts that he started questioning what he knew.

    The fact that the police officer disappeared soon after was very suspicious. It was long overdue that he got to the bottom of the truth. Whether it really was an ident or not.

    Detective Donovan gave him an address that was quite a distance from Harbor City. Damien wanted to handle it personally and it wasn''t the detective''s job to do his bidding, so he thanked him and kept their conversation brief, making a mental note to send him a giftter.

    The doctors checked on Grandpa Theo and did some tests for an hour. Then they told Katherine that his condition had minor improvements and there was some brain activity but his eyes remained closed. This gave her hope that her grandfather would wake up soon. She just had to keep talking to him.

    When Damien and Katherine arrived at the hospital earlier, he called William and told him about what happenedst night. His cousin arrived just as the doctors left. Now he and Damien were by the floor-to-ceiling window, sipping coffee and watching the city below them.

    "Detective Donovan called me an hour ago. I have Be''s address," said Damien.

    William cocked a brow. "Who''s Be?"

    "The police officer who responded to Dad''s ident that night."

    "No. Shit?" William straightened his spine, his eyes widening at the information. "Then what are you waiting for?"

    "It''s in a small town three hours by car."

    "So? Take your helicopter."

    Damien sighed. He knew that. It was his first choice the moment he found out about the location. It didn''t matter if Be was in Asia or Europe, he''d go there by ne. "Still. I can''t leave Katherine. She''s been through a lotst night. She needs me here."

    William''s shoulders slumped. He only stared at Damien and didn''t say anything. Damien always put Katherine first.

    "You should go."

    The men turned as Katherine approached, her brows drawn together in worry but her lips were curled into a small smile. She''d heard their conversation from where she sat beside her grandfather.

    "Katherine." Damien studied her face. She looked exhausted and slightly worried, but there was something different in her expression. She seemed less tense. "I''m not going."

    "There''s nothing to do here, Damien. Grandpa''s not awake yetor he may be," she nces over her shoulder for a brief second, "even so, you don''t have to stay here with me. I''ll be fine."

    He shook his head. "It can wait."

    She shrugged. "Why would you wait? You''ve waited long enough. It''s time you get some answers."

    Damien clenched his jaw and then sighed as he reached for her and she stepped into his space. Her warmth prated against his side. It felt good to have her there. He cupped her cheek and told her, "I don''t want to leave you here by yourself."

    Katherine drew her brows together, but a tiny smile formed on her face. "I''ll be fine. I don''t have anywhere to go today, so I''ll just stay here while you go out and deal with it." When he didn''t respond, she added, "You''ve been here for me while I''m dealing with mine. And I''m here for you too. If you want, I''ll even go with you"

    "No. You''re staying here."

    "Butyou''re going today, right?"

    "Yes. I guess so." He let out a sigh. "I''ll text Ali and Emma to stay here with you while I''m out."

    "Okay." She smiled, the cloud in her eyes disappearing when she kissed his cheek and went back to the armchair. Ever since she saw her grandfather move his finger earlier, she had been in high spirits. His worries lessened.

    "Youing with me?" Damien asked William.

    "Of course. I would have offered anyway even if you hadn''t asked."

    "Then let''s go."

    Damien and William left the hospital and drove to Crown Resort Group''s office where the helicopter was waiting at the rooftop. They took off just as Damien received a text from Katherine.

    [ My Queen: Ali is here and Emma''s on her way. Be safe, Damien. Good luck. Xo]

    [ Damien: I''ll be back soon. ]

    Where it would have taken them three hours on the road, the flight onlysted for less than an hour. Theynded on a vast green grass near an old warehouse that looked like it hadn''t been in use for years in the countryside. A car arranged by Markus was parked near the building.

    They were far up North in Esmea where thendscape was greener and the air was cleaner.

    ording to Detective Donovan, Joseph Be had changed his name to Joseph Hill and he''d been residing in Redwick Falls for more than a decade now.

    Damien drove to the center of the town and pulled to a curb outside a bar. There were a couple of hours of sun left and the townsfolk were still enjoying the remainder of their Sunday. Heads turn in their direction, most of them curious to see who they were and what they were doing in their hometown. That was the thing about small towns. Everyone knew everyone and visitors would get curious stares.

    "I hate small towns," William remarked as he scanned their surroundings. They were still inside the car, trying to make sense of where they should go from there. Although they got the address, it didn''t show up on the GPS. The man they looked for worked in a garage as per the detective''s address. It was the only one in town, so it shouldn''t be too hard to find.

    "I''m not too happy to be here either." Damien tried to search the map on his phone, hoping something woulde up, but even the signal there was crappy. He sighed. "We should ask someone."

    "The bar?" William tipped his chin at the bar across the street.

    "Nah. They tend to be protective of their own people there. Let''s try the mart." He pointed at the small store outside William''s window.

    The two got out of the car and headed to the store. A few women passing by turned their heads in the Parks'' direction. Two tall and handsome men visiting their town surely made their afternoon exciting. However, Damien and William paid them no mind.

    The chime above the door rang as Damien pushed the door open. A teenage boy ying on his mobile phone sat behind the counter, blowing bubble gum in his mouth as his thumbs flew on the screen. They stood at the counter but the teenager didn''t look up.

    Damien exchanged looks with his cousin before he knocked on the counter. "Excuse me."

    The teenage boy slid his stare up, looking bored as hell. "Yes?"

    "I have some questions."

    "Are you a cop?"

    "No."

    "Buy first and then I''ll answer." He popped the bubble gum.

    Damien scoffed, fighting the urge to smack the boy upside the head. He reached for the nearest candya bar of Snickers that was $1.50and slid it towards the boy and gave him a twenty. "Now can I ask?"

    The teenager grumbled but otherwise stood and rang the candy bar. "What do you want?"

    "I''m looking for a garage. Need someone to check my car. Can you point me to it?"

    The teenager peeked at the car through the window, contemting for a moment before saying, "There''s one a few blocks away with a sign that says Jerry''s Garage. You can''t miss it. It''s the one with a pirate g."

    "Got it. Do you happen to know a Joseph Hill?"

    Suspicion grazed the young one''s face. "He works there. Why are you looking for Jo?"

    "He''s an old friend. Thanks, kid." Damien grabbed the Snickers and pped it on William''s chest as he turned and walked out of the mart, his cousin following behind.

    "Hey! You forgot your change!" shouted the teenager behind them.

    "Keep it."

    They were already out of the door when they heard the teenager mutter a "sweet".

    Sure enough, once they got back on the road and drove a few blocks, they found Jerry''s Garage with a pirate g fluttering in the wind. Damien pulled over and parked it on an empty spot inside the shop, a faint rock musicing out of the speakers from the top of the wall to their right.

    It looked like a typical garage. There were tool boxes near a truck with its hood up, grease on the floor, two cars with protective covers and a motorcycle in the corner. Damien climbed out of the car and William followed. "Hello?"

    The music volume lowered and a few secondster, a man from the back of the garage came out, wiping his hands with a rug. "Can I help you?"

    Damien stepped forward, assessing the man as he got closer. The man could be in his early forties. His hair was dark at the top and the sides were peppered with gray and white. Average built and had a kind face. He wore gray coveralls with grease stains all over them. Detective Donovan gave Damien Joseph Be''s information from when he worked at the force, but it was an old picture. So he couldn''t be too sure this was him. "Are you Joseph?"

    "Yeah. What can I do for you?"

    Finally. "My name is Damien. This is my cousin William. I was wondering if you can answer some questions."

    "About what?" The man furrowed his brows, his hands on his waist.

    "Seventeen years ago, there was an ident. You responded to it when you were still a cop. Do you remember that?"

    Joseph faltered. He neither denied nor confirmed about the cop thing, but the look on his face was suspicious. He swallowed. "What ident?"

    "A car ident. The victim''s name is Lawrence Park."

    Joseph''s eyes widened. He took a step back. And another. And then he ran out of the shop through the back door.

 Chapter 661: Puzzle Pieces

    Chapter 661: Puzzle Pieces

    "Do you know who it was? The person who threatened you?" William asked while Damien was trying to wrap his head around the fact that it happened when he was a teenager and had no idea about it.

    Joseph''s brows were deeply furrowed. He stared at the floor as the memory from that time yed in his head. "I could''ve handled it even if my job was at risk. My boss could''ve fired me all he wanted and I would''ve risked it just to uncover the truth. But putting my pregnant wife at the hands of the devil?" He shook his head. "Whoever they were, I didn''t want to find out. It killed me to leave the job I worked so hard for, but my family''s safetyes first.

    "After I resigned, I brought my family back to my hometown in Tori Ville. I applied for the local precinct but someone must''ve gotten to them because they rejected me. I haven''t worked in a force since. I took up some training forbor jobs where I eventually ended up in an auto shop before we moved here. This is my wife''s hometown. Her home. This is home for me now, too. I can''t put them in danger again."

    After a moment, Damien got to his feet. "Is there anything else that might help us? Anything at all."

    "Like I told you. I don''t know much. I stopped before I got in too deep and I wished I hadn''t. Those people, whoever they were, weren''t afraid of God."

    Damien and William exchanged resigned nces. The former thought that althoughing here today brought painful memories and discoveries, it was a good decision. He learned valuable information in just an hourwhich was a lot more than he had in years. "Don''t worry, Mr. Be. We''re not here to hurt your family."

    Taking out a calling card from his wallet, Damien handed it over to Joseph. "This is my personal line. If you ever remember something after today, or if you need anything at all. Anything. Call me."

    Joseph stared at the card between them and for a second, Damien thought he wouldn''t ept it, but in the end, Joseph took the card. "Okay."

    "I''m sorry for the trouble. Have a good night." Damien nodded to William and the two of them walked out of the garage with Joseph following behind them.

    Just before they could get in the car, Damien stopped in his tracks and faced Joseph. "Did he My father" He swallowed. "Did he suffer?"

    Joseph Be looked like he hadn''t expected that question. He blinked, took a deep breath, and said, "No. He died on impact."

    Damien''s eyes closed, a long breath leaving his lips as if he was expelling the gripping feeling in his chest. It still hurt. Even now that he was grown, his father''s death knocked him down the pedestal. He wished his father was here to see his aplishments, to meet Katherine, or even to meet Amelia, the woman Lawrence once loved.

    He cleared his throat as his eyes opened. The gnawing feeling still lingered, but he would just have to go through with it. Damien reached into the inner pocket of his coat where he kept a pen and his checkbook and wrote an amount that should be more than enough to cover a few months'' wages for a town like this, but less than what Damien actually wanted to give him.

    "For today''s trouble," said Damien as he handed it over to Joseph.

    "No, I can''t take that."

    "Please. It''s the least I can do." He nned to give moreter, but he''d have to assess Joseph and his family''s living and financial situation first. So this would have to do for now. "Dad would''ve wanted me to do this."

    After much hesitation, Joseph epted the check and his eyes widened at the amount written on it. His jaw dropped. "This is"

    "Not enough, I know. But anything more than that and my bank would''ve to clear it with me, which would only dy you. Thanks for talking to us. Goodnight, Mr. Be."

    "No, son, this is too much" Joseph tried to hand it back but Damien already turned around, got in the car, and sped off. He would monitor his ount if Joseph cashed in the check, and then he would go from there. Damien didn''t lie when he said his father would''ve wanted him to do it.

    An hourter and theynded on the rooftop of Crown Resort Group. The sun was setting, creating an orange hue that glowed on the horizon, and the wind was cool in Harbor City that time of year.

    The first thing Damien did was to text Katherine to tell her he was back in the city, and that he''d see her again soon after his talk with William.

    [ My Queen: That was fast. Do you want me toe over? ]

    He was about to type his reply when his cousin ced a hand on his shoulder. "What are you going to do now?" William questioned as they stepped into the elevator that would bring them to Damien''s floor. "Because if you ask me, I''m sure my father would have answers." There''s a noticeable bite in his tone and the furrowing of his brows showed how bothered he was about their findings.

    "Sure. But first, I want to check something." The elevator door opened but Damien did not step out. Instead, he faced William, his eyes narrowing in concentration while the gears in his head turned. He had been thinking about it ever since they left the garage.

    "What is it?"

    "Remember what Be said? Dad came from Highway 38."

    "So?"

    "He''d never go that far during the night unless it was really important. So what could be so important for him to leave the city and then got himselfkilled afterward?"

    William blinked as he put the pieces together. "That would be odd indeed. Uncle Lawrence never liked driving at night. So where did he go?"

    The moment the words left William''s lips, their eyes widened. They were struck with the same thought.

    "Gramp''s Cabin!" said William at the same time that Damien muttered, "Grandpa''s Cabin."

    It had to be their grandfather''s cabin. That was the only ce they knew which route went through Highway 38. Furthermore, if Frederick had something to do with the ident, then it would surely be because of a family matter. Damien and William might be on a wild goose chase with their spection, but they were willing to go on the chase.

    "You have somewhere to be tonight? Because I''m going there with or without you." Damien pushed the basement parking''s button on the elevator''s panel.

    "No. I''m going with you."

    [ Damien: Sorry love. I''ll being backte. Need to go out of the city with William. Call Markus to drive you if you want to go home. Don''t leave the hospital alone ]

    Katherine responded right away.

    [ My Queen: Should I be worried? Emma went home, but Ali is still here. Caleb arrived too just now ]

    That made him feel better, knowing that she wasn''t alone.

    [ Damien: We just need to check something at my grandfather''s cabin. Nothing to worry. Love you Katherine ]

 Chapter 662 The Cabin

    Chapter662 The Cabin

    Their grandfather''s cabin was one of their favorite ces to visit when they were kids. It was far enough from Harbor City, but not too far to go back on the same day. It was also close to William''s Cabin which was only fifteen minutes away. The cabin looked cozy and warm, built with walnut wood and oak wooden decorations with a wrap-around porch. It had five bedrooms, four bathrooms, arge living room, a modest dining area, and an office. There''s a smaller building to its left that was used as storage.

    Not far from the cabin was theke where they went fishing when they were kids.

    The cabin had been in the Park family for many years. Some of their grandfather''s properties were either sold or handed over to his children, and this cabin was first passed on to Lawrence, and then to Damien. Damien couldn''t remember thest time he went to this ce. It felt like it had been such a long time. Ever since his father died, he didn''t want to go there anymore. There were just too many memories that were painful to him, knowing that his father was no longer around. Eventually, he just decided he wouldn''t go there again.

    Apart from the regr monthly cleaning by the caretaker, no one really went there anymore.

    "God, this ce is so nostalgic," William muttered as they entered the cabin using Damien''s keys. "It smells the same," Damien said. There were scents that you would associate with a ce or a memory and this cabin had that warm, woodsy scent, and the pine trees that surrounded the cabin. He had loveding to this cabin.

    William looked around the living room with his hands on his waist. "So, what are we looking for?"

    "I''m not sure."

    "Maybe we can start with the bedrooms? Office?"

    "Let''s start with the office," suggested Damien.

    For half an hour, they searched the office, not knowing what they would find. They rummaged through books, drawers, paintings, and cabs. The search could even be useless. There might not be anything in there that would be helpful to them.

    But for some reason, Damien had this feeling that he couldn''t shake off. It was as if he was in the right ce��or maybe he was merely feeling at home after not being here for a long time.

    "Bedrooms?" William probed.

    Nodding, Damien decided there wasn''t anything unusual in the office. So he followed his cousin to the second floor where the master suite and the guest bedrooms were located. Despite having many rooms to search, they didn''t have to look for a long time. All the rooms were empty. There were pieces of furniture but the drawers and closets were all empty.

    "Maybe I had it all wrong." Damien dropped to the bed of thest guest room and held his face in his hands. "It had been so many years. Whatever Dad was here for, it couldn''t have been still here all these years, could it? Assuming he was even here in the first ce."

    "I don''t know, man." William let out an exhausted sigh. He peered out of the window and saw the smaller building where they store logs for the firece, the boat, and just a whole bunch of other random stuff for the cabin. "We still have one ce we haven''t searched." He nodded toward it.

    Defeated, Damien agreed to check out the ce. If they still wouldn''t find anything there, he would call it a night.

    There were a lot more areas to search in the small building where it housed all the tools and knickknacks for all the seasons. And just like their search in the cabin, they came up empty-handed.

    The two came out of the building, Damien locking the door behind him, and then they walked back to the car.

    "Well, we tried," William said in an attempt to console the other.

    "Yeah."

    "Maybe Uncle Lawrence went somewhere else��or met someone." William shook his head. "I guess it''s time to face my father, huh?"

    Damien nodded, his mind still gued with the thoughts of the cabin and why he waspelled toe here. The night of his father''s ident, he remembered his father saying he needed to take care of something. What could that be? And where could he have gone? Keeping his stare at the cabin as he walked, he pressed the button to unlock his car. It beeped, and William opened the door to the passenger''s side.

    However, before William could get in, Damien suddenly called out, "Wait!"

    "What?"

    Instead of answering, Damien strode back to the cabin with William hot on his heels. He opened the door in a sh and went straight to the office.

    "Damien, what is it?"

    "Remember when we were five and we were ying hide and seek?" Damien opened the door to the office and looked around the floorboards.

    "I��honestly don''t remember anymore. That was a long time ago."

    "I came in here and saw Dad storing something on the floor. If I can just remember which one it is." He began tapping the wooden floors with his foot. The memory in his head didn''t give him the exact location, but he could sense it was somewhere around here. Wordlessly, William started doing the same.

    Tap. Tap. Tap.

    They keep doing so until Damien reached the right corner of the office near a tall bookshelf. The floor sounded different than the rest��like hollow or something."Do you hear that?"

    "Open it." William was there in a second and the two of them knelt before the floorboard.

    They tried pressing here and there, but it didn''t do anything. Reaching into his side, William produced a pocket knife and handed it to Damien. Thetter would worry about destroying the floorter. At the moment, he was desperate to open it��whether they would find something in there or not.

    Damien pried the board through the cavity until the wood snapped and he was able to push the board upward, revealing a metal safe box hidden underneath it. They removed the rest of the floorboards that covered the safe. Damien''s heart thrummed inside his chest as he found what he was hoping to see despite not knowing what to actually find inside��supposing they would be able to open the damn thing. They needed a code to unlock the dialbination safe.

    "Now what?" William chuckled, thoroughly amused that they found a box that potentially held information, only it was locked. "Unless you know how to pick a safe like this, we need to figure out the code. Did your father tell you?"

    Damien looked up to meet William''s stare and shook his head. "Maybe Amelia or Felix can open this," he muttered under his breath, already knowing that would take time considering the two were guarding Deborah and Higgins. They didn''t want to entrust the two to others.

    "Or we can try to guess. How about birthdays?" William suggested.

    Damien tried his father''s birthdate, but it didn''t open. He then tried his, their grandfather''s, and Nana''s. And thest attempt was Amelia''s. None of them worked.

    Frustrated, he slumped and sat on the floor with his back against the desk. William did the same on the other side, the open floor between them.

    "I''m out of ideas." Damien ran his hands down his face, his eyes straying back to the safe. "Try Frederick''s."

    William whistled. "If Gramps chose the code and your father didn''t change it, that would be possible. But it''s a stretch." Even so, he reached out and entered his father''s birthday. Still, it didn''t open.

    Damien rested his head against the desk, blinking, suddenly feeling very exhausted now. He rolled his head to the side and spokezily. "Might as well try your birthday while you''re at it."

    William threw his head backughing. "That would be fucking hrious."

    "Just try it." He sighed.

    "I''m telling you. It''s not��"

    Click.

    "Holy shit." Damien sat up straight at the same time that William reacted: "No fucking way."

    They stared at each other, their eyes widening as the seconds passed by. They had a thousand questions in their heads, mainly wondering why the code was William''s birthday. Was that the original code chosen by their grandfather, or did Lawrence change it to that?

    The two audibly swallowed. Damien pulled the door open and they rummaged through some papers: deeds and other properties they hadn''t heard of that were owned by Lawrence. One of the files caught their eyes because it had a name of aboratory on the heading.

    "What''s this?" Damien picked it up and carefully ttened the paper that was now yellowish from being old. Over his shoulder, William read the document with him.

    "What the fuck?!" they cursed in unison.

    William snatched the paper from Damien''s hand and read the whole thing again as if the first time he did wasn''t already enough. His eyes were so wide, and his face turned pale.

    Meanwhile, Damien sat frozen, his haunted stare never leaving the other, his mouth on the floor. "William��" He didn''t know what to say. The paper was a DNA paternity test result.

    William turned his head, meeting Damien''s gaze. And in a ghastly tone he had never used before, the words left his mouth, "I''m�� I''m our grandfather''s son?! Holy fucking shit!"

 Chapter 663: A Sad Winning Ticket

    Chapter 663: A Sad Winning Ticket

    The drive back to Harbor City felt long for the Parks. Damien and William left the cabin an hour ago and rode in silence. Unlike going to the cabin earlier, Damien didn''t drive fast. It was dangerous that he was both distracted and also relieved for some reason he couldn''t exin while he was behind the wheel, so he didn''t take the risk of driving fast.

    William was in the passenger''s seat and Damien thought his cousin waswait, he wasn''t his cousin anymore. A small scoff left his lips, realizing the shocking truth they both had learned not too long ago. William was Damien''s uncle. How crazy was that? How did that happen?

    The two had so many questions and Damien wanted to suggest going to Frederick for some answers, but seeing as William was still in shock at the moment, he put it off for now. Damien was also shocked by the discovery, but he knew William needed to process it in his head first more than he did. William hadn''t spoken since they left the cabin.

    ncing over the passenger''s seat, William was staring at the dashboard without actually seeing the thing. He was lost in his thoughts. There were only a few things that could cause William to go speechless. The secret about his birth probably topped them all.

    Pulling up at the hospital, Damien put the car in park mode next to William''s car and then turned off the engine. He ran a hand across his jaw as his mind went back to how they found the paper in the safe. It weirded him out that he found a secret so big that changed everything. Had he not recalled about the safe that night, they wouldn''t have found out about that DNA result.

    "That''s why he hates me," William said in almost a whisper that pulled Damien out of his thoughts. William didn''t have to say who he was talking about. Damien already knew it was Frederick. "All this time, I wondered what was missing in me; why he couldn''t be happy with anything that I did. He should know about this right? It''s the only exnation why he''s always resented me in some way."

    Damien didn''t know what to say. "I''m sorry" didn''t seem to be enough to make him feel better.

    "I took his hits, thinking I deserved it, thinking I would never be as good as youthat I would never be good enough. I knew it wasn''t right that he hit me because I never saw Uncle I never saw Lawrence hit you even when you did something wrong when we were kids." A sardonicughes out of him. "Remember when we stole the car when we were fourteen? We didn''t get to leave the gates because we crashed into the guard house."

    "I thought Dad was going to be so mad at me." Damien huffed.

    "He wasn''t though. I will never forget that day because he brought us back into the house and made sure we weren''t hurt. Hehugged you."

    "He hugged you too."

    William''s head fell against the backrest. "Meanwhile, when my father Frederick found out about it, he went to town on the back of my thighs with his belt I couldn''t fucking sit for two weeks."

    "Jesus." Damien closed his eyes; his throat burned at the information. "You never told me."

    William smiled but there was no humor in his eyes when he rolled his head to look at Damien. "What could you have done? Besides, I never wanted anyone to know. And it was my fault we crashed. If I hadn''t encouraged you toe with me, it wouldn''t have happened. I could''ve hurt us both seriously."

    Damien wanted to correct the other. Although William was the one who suggested it and drove the car only to crash it a minuteter, Damien was just as guilty for not stopping him, wanting to rebel against the rules. It seemed as though William ming himself for what happened was the excuse he had to believe to "receive" Frederick''s abuse as a sort of punishment.

    William stepped out of the car, stretching his arms and rolling his shoulders. Damien got out too and locked the car behind him. "Tell Katherine I wish her grandfather a speedy recovery." He thenzily walked over to the driver''s side of his car, clicking his keyfob to unlock the doors.

    But before he could open it, Damien said, "You do know what this means, right?"

    William turned sideways, cocking a brow in question and waiting for Damien to continue.

    "We don''t have to fight for more shares for the takeover. By birthright, you''re entitled to have equal shares with your fathwith Frederick. Throw mine in and it''s guaranteed."

    Something passed in William''s eyes as if he''d realized that just now. He scoffed, shaking his head as he looked up at the night sky like he was praying to his maker.

    It was silent for a moment and something came over Damien''s head that made his chest cave, he had to grab hold of the car. It seemed as though William had thought about it the same time he did because the two exchanged dark stares.

    "Damien. This could be the reason why Uncle Lawrence died that night."

    Damien squeezed his eyes shut. He didn''t want to think his father died because of this, but no matter how he thought about it, that was a usible reason. "We need to talk to Frederick soon."

    William nodded as he turned back to his car. "We''ll talk in the morning. I have to get out of here."

    Shaking off the heaviness that settled on his stomach to collect his bearings, Damien asked, "Where are you going?"

    "I need to think. Preferably outside of town before I regret doing what I want to do if I see anyone in my way tonight. I''ll just probably drive." He got inside his car and started the engine.

    It was all fucked up at the moment. Damien couldn''t me the other. He understood that William needed some time for himself. "Call me in the morning. Hey, Will?"

    "Yeah?"

    "You''ll be okay."

    William swallowed. "You too."

    He watched as William drove off into the night, not knowing where he was headed, but hoping that he''d cool off enough to think straight tomorrow.

    :crown::crown::crown:

    Katherine was curled up in the armchair next to her grandfather''s bed with a nket over herp. The light was warm and dim inside the room. It was calm, a nice reprieve from what Damien just went through tonight. He walked over to her and kissed her forehead. She stirred for a second and went back to sleep right away.

    He then slid his stare to the lounge where Alianna and Caleb were. Thetter nodded in greeting as he strode to them. Ali was sleeping on the sofa, her head on Caleb''sp while he was on his tabletprobably doing some work.

    Damien felt bad for delegating more workload to his friend these days. Caleb was supposed to be busy preparing for his wedding in April, instead, he was doing more work than usual. As Damien took the armchair next to Caleb, he told him, "Give me two weeksthree tops. And you won''t have to work overtime so much. Then you can focus on you and Ali."

    "You and Will finally found your winning ticket?" Caleb smirked.

    Damien leaned back against the chair. He didn''t know if it was considered a win when what they discovered turned their world upside down. "Something like that."

    "Good luck." Caleb stroked Ali''s arm absentmindedly. "Your wedding gift better be worth it. And I''m reminding you that I''m taking a month off after the wedding. No work calls whatsoever. I''m blocking you if you do that."

    For the first time since he left the hospital that day, Damienughed. He''d give his best friend and Ali a generous gift. He''d pay for their month-long honeymoon without a second thought. They both deserved it. "Don''t worry. I got you."

 Chapter 664: Pulse

    Chapter 664: Pulse

    "How are you holding up?" Katherine came up behind Damien, who is fixing his cuff links to his shirt, and wrapped her arms around his midsection. She had just gotten out of the shower and was in her robe.

    He told her everything that happened yesterday during breakfast. It wasn''t the most pleasant time to talk about decades-long secrets over pancakes and eggs benedict, but was there ever really a good time? Truth didn''t choose a time. It was always there, sitting, waiting to be unraveled. And when it did, it would either create chaos or save a life.

    Damien would like to think neither. He didn''t want chaos, but he also didn''t want to save the life of the person responsible for his father''s death.

    Taking a deep breath, he nced over his shoulder and said the first thing that came to mind. "The truth? I want there to be a portal to the afterlife so my father can answer all the questions I have, then I wouldn''t have to face Frederick to force the answer out of him." He closed his eyes when she pressed her face against his shoulder and inhaled deeply. "When did life get soplicated?"

    "Has it ever really been easy for us?" she quipped, amusementced in her tone.

    "I guess not." He pulled her by the waist and drew her in for a sweet kiss. Coconut and vani scents wafted in his nose, two things that he always associated with Katherine, and something he looked for subconsciously whenever they weren''t together. "At least I have you with me."

    "I want to go with you. But I have a meeting at eight, and it''s" She trailed off, checking the clock on the wall, and her eyes went wide. "Shit. It''s almost seven. I''m going to bete!" Katherine reluctantly stepped away from him and dashed to her side of the closet. Good thing she didn''t take too long changing clothes. But the drive from the Young Estate to the city took at least forty minutes. She''d be cutting it short.

    Damien leaned against the dresser, his eyes trailing her every move. She dropped the robe to the floor, leaving her in her birthday suit. He had to suppress a groan rising up his throat at the sight of his woman naked before him. He would choose this over what he had to do this morning any day.

    However, he had to face the music. That morning, he and William had to talk to Frederick. And he had been dreading it.

    "If there''s anything I can do to help, I would love it if you tell me."

    Katherine''s voice snapped him out of his thoughts, realizing that she was in front of him now, buttoning the pink shirt that she paired with a gray pencil skirt. He couldn''t help the smile that grew on his face as he ran his eyes down her form. Sexy librarian. Some things didn''t change.

    cing a gentle kiss on her lips, he told her, "I appreciate it, Kitten. I will. Right now, I can handle it. I''ll call youter?"

    He was headed out the door when she called behind him, "Can I drive now?"

    "No."

    She grumbled under her breath but didn''t fight him on it.

    :crown::crown::crown:

    In front of the safe house where they kept Frederick, Damien scrolled his phone as he leaned against the side of his car while waiting for William to arrive. Thetter was fifteen minuteste. He swore his cousin wasdamn it, he was still not used to calling William his uncle. He didn''t think he would ever get used to that. It freaked him out.

    The sound of a sports car engine came near and then a ck Ferrari parked next to him. Damien had just finished reading an article about Gael De Luca''s newpany in New York when he closed his phone and shoved it into his pocket. "You''rete."

    "I have an excuse." William strolled toward him, adjusting his Rayban with his middle finger.

    "And what is your excuse?" Damien cocked a brow.

    "I just found out that my father is my brother and my grandfather is actually my father." William shrugged.

    Damien shook his head and strode toward the front door, the men nodding in respect as they passed by. The other fell in step next to him. "You have a hickey on your neck."

    William rubbed the said hickey on the right of his neck but kept his mouth shut.

    They walked deeper into the house, strode down the basement where two guards made way for them, and came face to face with Frederick who sat at the edge of a double bed, reading a book about Shakespeare. They supplied him with a few ssics. It smelled musky and earthy down there. He wasn''t restrained, but they removed all potential threats that he could use against them and on himself. Other than his bed and an armchair in the corner, it was pretty much empty.

    "If it isn''t my lucky day." Frederick dog-eared the page of his book and stood to his full height. He wore a white Henley shirt and ck sweatpants. "A visit from my nephew and my son in one day." His voice was dripped with sarcasm.

    "How about brother?" William challenged without a second thought.

    ''Alright. I guess we''re getting straight to the point,'' Damien thought. "How about he''s not your son and he''s actually my uncle?"

    The color drained from Frederick''s face. His eyes widened and his jaw ticked as he took a step back. "How?"

    Without any pretenses, William unfolded the paper with DNA results and held it up for him to see.

    Damien nced to his right where William stood with a detached look on his face. William''s eyes were dull as if he didn''t have an ounce of sympathy.

    "Where did you get that?" Frederick asked in almost a whisper.

    "Does it matter?" William said in a toneless voice. "The only thing that matters is the truth."

    "Where?! Just answer the damn question!"

    "In a safe, at grandfather''s cabin," Damien said.

    Augh that wasced with scorn came out of Frederick''s mouth. "Do you know what that cabin is? Aside from the times he took you boys up there?"

    Damien remained silent, but his uncle''s strange tone kept him on edge.

    When neither of them answered, Frederick said, "That was his love nest. It''s where he brought his women. Sometimes, my wifefor a weekend fuck."

    Bile rose up Damien''s throat. He wanted to throw up at the image that shot to the forefront of his mind. What the fuck?

    Frederick sat on the armchair, resting his elbows on his knees as he stared at the cemented floor.

    "Does mother know?" William wondered and then he hissed. "Fuck. Does Nana?"

    "Your mother knows. I confronted her. But your grandma." Frederick shook his head. "She doesn''t know. It would devastate her. For all she knows, her husband had been faithful until hisst breath. What she doesn''t know is that every time he goes on a business trip, he''s out frolicking with some hussy. My wife included. Do you know how humiliating that is? My own father cuckolding his son." A humorlessugh rumbles out of him.

    Poor Nana. She didn''t deserve this.

    "How long have you known?"

    "Late. You were already in school when I found out that having a child is not possible for me. That I" Frederick turns red, his nose ring.

    It was Damien who supplied thest bit. "You''re infertile."

    Instead of confirming Damien''s words, Frederick looked up at William and continued in a harsh tone, "I didn''t question it. We look so much alike. Of course, you would. You''re my fucking brother."

    "When?!" William snapped. "When the hell did you find out?"

    Frederick swallowed. "When you were seven."

    William''s breathing became harsh, his chest heavingboriously. "That''s the first time you ever hit me. It all makes fucking sense now."

    "Every single time I looked at you, you reminded me of being emascted, my wife''s adultery, and my father''s sins against me"

    Frederick didn''t get to finish his sentence when William''s fist connected to his face. He fell back on the bed, his hand cupping his bleeding nose. William grabbed him by the cor of his shirt, raising his fist tond another punch.

    But before he could do so, Damien ced a hand on his shoulder and spoke in a tone so cold that matched his piercing gaze. "I''m going to ask you once and you better tell me the truth." Frederick shifted his gaze to Damien, his nose ring. "Is this why you killed my father?"

    Frederick''s left eye twitched. Then he averted his stare and squeezed his eyes shut.

    That was all the answer Damien needed. "He found out the truth and you killed him! Because you didn''t want to bebeled as fucking infertile?" William let go of Frederick''s shirt only for Damien to grab it again as he snarled in his uncle''s face. "Answer me you fucking asshole!!!"

    "I didn''t mean for him to die!!! Lawrence was going to announce it and it would''ve fucked up everything! Father already took away my dignity. Then he gave his favorite son thepany, while I''m just an afterthought. Always the second option! My father owed me!!!"

    Pulse speeding, heartbeat pounding, Damien couldn''t think straight. His hand closed around Frederick''s neck and he squeezed.

 Chapter 665: Time to Set Things Straight

    Chapter 665: Time to Set Things Straight

    There''s something cathartic about staring at the man, whom you thought was family but also killed your father, in the eye while squeezing the life out of them. The same man who ironically stood as a father figure.

    Those who had encountered a near-death experience had said that their life shed before them. Damien found it strange that he saw his life sh before him, but he was the one choking his uncle. But the images that shed in his mind were a mixture of painful, sad, and happy memories from being born as a Park.

    His strong arm shook, and therge hand that was around Frederick''s neck was palepared to his uncle''s skin that was turning dark red to bluish from the oxygen being cut off. Damien wasn''t giving all his strength yet, though he could easily crush the other''s throat if he exerted a little bit more force. Frederick began thrashing.

    He was so tempted to end everything right then, but the thought of Nana made him loosen his grip. Damien shoved Frederick away at the same time that William ced his hands on Damien''s shoulders to pull him off the other.

    Frederick fell to the floor with a loud thud. He sputtered and gasped, desperate to breathe in air as the color on his face slowly returned to normal.

    Damien harshly jabbed a finger toward Frederick. "You keep telling yourself you didn''t mean it. Keep living in that denial because that''s what''s going to keep you up at night. Mark my words, Frederick. You will pay for this until the day you die. And I hope to fuck you will live a long life of suffering."

    Reluctantly, Damien turned around and got out of the basement. He rushed out of the house in long strides, his breathing heavy and seemingly not enough no matter how much he inhaled. His vision spun as he leaned against the side of the house, and in the next second, he bent over and hurled. One could only take so much pressure before they lostposure.

    "Boss. Are you okay?" One of the guards came up to him and handed him a paper towel and a bottle of water.

    Loosening the tie around his neck, he took the towel and water and waved the guard away. He needed some time for himself tonot think; but just a time alone.

    All this time he thought that once he''d found out the truth about his father''s death, he''d be happier. He''d finally feel free. He''d finally put an end to that frustrating chase. But what the fuck was that? He didn''t feel anywhere near happy or free. There was still that emptiness in his chest that had been there since his father''s death, and now he thought that would never go away no matter what.

    ''Wasn''t this supposed to end things, Dad? Howe it doesn''t feel like it? Why do I feel as though I''m still missing something?'' Damien thought. The hollow in his chest still felt caved in.

    The truth had been known. What now?

    Footsteps came from the side and when Damien turned his head, he saw William striding toward him while taking out a stick of cigarette from a pack and then lighting it up. William''s knuckles are busted and bloodied, a clear indication that he''d gone to town on Frederick during the time he was down there.

    Damien tossed the half-full water bottle toward William, thetter catching it effortlessly with one hand. They exchanged knowing nces but neither of them spoke, reveling in the wretched stillness that they shared.

    It was William who broke the silence first. "You''re right. He can''t die yet. He has to pay for it."

    Damien nodded, his jaw clenching at what he was about to say next. "We need to tell Nana."

    Taking a long drag of his cigarette, William puffed the smoke into the air. Then he let out an exhausted sigh as he stepped on the butt of the cigarette on the ground, nodding in agreement.

    Initially, Damien thought that he could hide it from his grandmother. She didn''t deserve the pain that her husband and her son caused, but she had to know the truth. The lies would just hurt more if kept hidden, and with the things that they needed to deal with in theing days, informing Nana would be essential.

    :crown::crown::crown:

    Telling Nana was such an ufortableno, a painful thing to do. William and Damien went to the Park mansion and talked to her for a long time. She sat there and they got to witness the different emotions crossing her face as they told her about Lawrence''s death and William being her husband''s son. It was hard to watch the older woman suffer and mourn while listening to the dark tale she never asked for but needed to hear.

    Maybe they could''ve spared her the truth. Maybe they should''ve let her live the rest of her life without getting hurt by it. The only thing they didn''t tell her was about her husband''s constant womanizing behavior and bringing his mistresses to that cabin. Maybe it was wrong to keep that from her, but Damien and William agreed that she didn''t have to know that. That her husband having a child with another woman was already a hard-enough pill to swallow.

    They could feel what Nana felt as she cried and grieved for the people she lost as if she had to bury them again. Damien was afraid that she''d pass out, so they brought her up to her bedroom to rest and made sure someone was watching her after they left.

    After what seemed like a long day, they decided to call a board meeting the following morning. It was time to set things straight.

    That night, Damien came home to find Katherine sitting by herself at the dining table with only warm lights above her while the rest of the lights around were dimmed. She wore a red silk night dress underneath a matching robe, her hair damp and hung in loose curls down her shoulders.

    Katherine held a steaming mug in her hands as she stared at nothing in particr as if she was in deep thoughts.

    However, as soon as Damien stepped through the threshold, she looked up and a soft smile graced her lips. She looked very much like a goddess with divine beauty, even while dressed down. "You''re home."

    Heid a kiss on the top of her head, catching the hint ofvender on her and jasmine from the tea in the mug. He took the seat beside her. "You okay?"

    "Yeah. How was your day?" Katherine caressed his cheek and then slid her fingers to the back of his head,zily massaging him there.

    "Long." Damien studied her face, looking for traces of anything that could exin why she was looking so pensive. He''d called her earlier that day and told her about what happened in the morning with Frederick and in the afternoon with Nana. She was busy at work the whole day and so was he, so they couldn''t meet for dinner. But he missed her the whole time, so he tried really hard to go home as soon as he could. "What are you doing here in the dark?"

    It takes her a moment to answer, but when she did, she sounded conclusive. "I''ve already decided what to do with Deborah."

 Chapter 666: Nowhere But Up

    Chapter 666: Nowhere But Up

    Damien nodded to her to let her keep talking. Katherine inhaled deeply and said, "I''ve thought long and hard and my thoughts always ended up with me killing off that woman and her uncle. For years, I''ve been imagining what I would do to those people when I finally catch them. I''ve probably killed them more times than I can count in my head in ways that would embarrass the most terrifying serial killers.

    "But it''s such an easy way for them to escape what they did to me and my family if I just put a bullet in their heads. I can''t ever forgive them, Damien. I want them to suffer. So I decided to expose Deborah and Higgins. And I''ll ask Director Hughes''s help to settle this. I can''t afford to let them escape. It''s time to give them what they deserve."

    He gave her an encouraging smile, lightly squeezing her arm in approval. "That''s a great idea. In fact, I also thought about calling Hughes. Frederick needs to be handled the same. William and I agreed that he''s much better locked behind bars." Earlier that day, Damien told William that he knew someone from the NIA who could better take care of the matter seamlessly, and William agreed.

    She nodded. And they were silent for a moment until he noticed her wringing her hands together, looking evidently distressed. Damien moved closer to her, taking her hands in his and kissing them. He narrowed his eyes on her in concern. "Talk to me, Kitten."

    She briefly closed her eyes and shook her head, blowing a long sigh as if she was trying to expel the bad energy inside her. "I''m just feeling anxious about what it means for Young Corporation. Grandpa still hasn''t woken up, Damien. And when this newses out, it''ll affect thepany. I''m not sure how to handle the bacsh."

    He totally understood her worries. Even though Deborah''s crimes didn''t represent Young Corporation, she was still the CEO of thepany for years and the news could affect thepany whether they liked it or not. The good thing was that Deborah hadn''t been the face of thepany for a while now since she ran, so that would soften the blow. But Damien still predicted that stocks would go down. He could only hope that it wouldn''t be too much of a blow and that thepany would bounce back fast.

    "It''s the same for Park Group, but William and I already anticipate that, so we''re ready. So don''t worry about it. I''ll be with you every step of the way. You won''t be alone in dealing with it. And I''ll take care of the mediamake sure the news thates out is only those we approve of. All that matters, Katherine, is that this is what we''ve been waiting for. Justice. We won''t let this ruin us. Have faith in me, alright?"

    This time, the smile that grew on Katherine lit up her whole face. She released a long sigh of relief. Her shoulders were less strained as if a heavy weight had been lifted off of them.

    Leaning into him, she pressed a long, lingering kiss on his lips and snuggled against his chest. "You''re right. My parents deserve their justice." She looked up and met his gaze. "And so does your father."

    Damien pulled her closer to him, nuzzling against her hair as he let that day''s events go to the back burner. They both had a rough day, and he decided to allow tonight to rx in herpany. They also deserved to have some peace, even for just the night before tackling the next day''s tumultuous events.

    Before they went to bed, though, they called Director Hughes from NIA and arranged their n with her.

    :crown::crown::crown:

    The next morning, Katherine and Damien walked a long way toward the cemetery beside the church where they were just a few nights ago. She woke up that day and decided it was time to visit her parents'' graves.

    Katherine wore a ck shift dress with a princess coat over it while Damien donned a ck double-breasted suit. They brought with them some flowers they got from the garden, wrapped in a simple brown craft paper that the senior housekeeper Teresa arranged for them.

    It was slightly chilly at seven in the morning, but Katherine wanted to start her day right because in just a couple of hours, they would need to face the inevitable.

    Being that it was Katherine''s first time going there, Teresa kindly showed them where her parentsid to rest. The older woman left soon after.

    Katherine''s hands were shaking. She stared at the two simple gravestones beside each other with the names Mason Young and Natalie Young. There was something next to their gravestones that looked like remnants of another gravestone but was removed. The soil on it also looked differentpared to the ones around it.

    She then remembered her grandfather telling her that because they thought she died along with her parents, they had buried three corpses six feet under. She figured it was a gravestone with her name on it that used to be there. And whoever''s corpse was buried in it was then moved into the city''s cemetery after she got reunited with Grandpa Theo.

    Arge, warm hand slid into hers and threaded their fingers together. She blew out a breath after realizing she was holding it. Damien kissed the side of her head, his warmth very much wee in the cold morning. She was d he came with her because she needed him there. He then lightly urged her to go closer to the stones.

    Gathering some courage, she brushed off her nerves and took the remaining steps until she stood before her parents. Almost instantly, Katherine''s eyelids burned hot. She bent down andid the bouquet of fresh flowers between their graves, touching both the stones so longingly. Their graves were maintained well even during the winter. When she stood back up again, the first tear spilled free.

    "Hi, mommy. Hi, daddy. I''mhome." Her voice cracked as she was ovee with heart-wrenching grief that seemed to crush her chest. Regret consumed her too and for some reason, guilt.

    Damien wrapped an arm around her and she leaned against him for support. It was strange how she felt like she was twelve years old again. It was the age she hadst been with her parents. Being there at their graves brought back that feeling.

    Swallowing the massive lump in her throat, her voice was scratchy when she said, "I''m sorry it took me so long toe back. I swore I''d catch the person responsible for your deathsand I did. No, actually, we did." She nced up at Damien, a small smile curling on her lips. "This is Damien, my fiancand the boy who saved me that night."

    He wiped the tears from her face and nted a kiss on her forehead. And then he formally did a deep bow to their graves, both in respect and in apology for everything that happened. He knew a simple apology wouldn''t bring them back, but he vowed to them that he would do everything in his power to take care of Katherine and be the best husband he could ever be to her until the day he dies.

    That day, Katherine would finally bring justice to her parents'' deathsand so would Damien. But just like Damien, Katherine also realized that learning the truth didn''t exactly make her feel better. It still won''t bring her parents back and she most definitely still grieved their deaths.

    What they said about "the truth shall set you free" didn''t apply to her. She didn''t think it applied to those who are affected by the truth. She didn''t feel free. Katherine thought that whoever made that quote might have been the one at fault and that it was to indicate relief after keeping the rotten truth to themselves.

    But what about the ones who were wronged? What about them? No quotes for them?

    When Katherine and Damien were done at the cemetery, the couple held hands as they walked back to the mansion. They headed toward the driveway where their cars had been waiting to take them to the city. That day marked a new day. From there on out, Katherine and Damien only had one way to gonowhere else but up.

 Chapter 667: The Board

    Chapter 667: The Board

    That morning, Damien attended the Park Group board meeting to inform the members of the changes in the major shareholders, given the discovery of William''s birth. They didn''t give Frederick a chance to defend his honornot that he could since he wasn''t present in the meetingbut with legal documentation that proved William had the right to equal shares with Frederick, the takeover was done as they expected.

    Saying that the members of the board were shocked by the discovery would be an understatement, but Damien didn''t allow them to linger on that subject. He settled the room and proceeded to start the motion to remove Frederick as the chairman and then, a surprise to some of them, nominated himself as the new chairman.

    Back when he was still nning to remove his uncle from the seat, Damien secretly bought shares from thepany, and over time, his umtion plus his original sharesbined made a good enough percentage to sway the board had he nned to overthrow his uncle then.

    Because Frederick was forcibly resigned, all his shares were then sold back to thepany and Damien didn''t waste any time taking most of it. He allowed several millions of dors for William and a few more for the rest of the board. Damien could buy all of it if he really wanted to, but he extended the courtesy to William for however much William could afford. While a small portion of the shares that were sold at a discounted price to the rest of the board was made to appease them of what was happening.

    Damien and William half-expected for the members to protest and voice out their concerns, but surprisingly, they all settled without much of a disagreement. If they did, however, the two would''ve had to manipte their decision by letting them know that as soon as the meeting was done for the day, an article about Frederick''s resignation will be released. If they didn''t remove Frederick, that would have affected thepany a lot more. And in the following days, his arrest would be made public. Damien and William were willing to take the risk since Park Group had always been their family''spany, but the two didn''t have the same faith as the rest of the board.

    Fortunately, everyone expressed their approval to put Damien as Park Group''s chairman. It was mostly for technicality and Damien didn''t have to be in thepany all the time, but he would still oversee the board.

    What came next, though, was a tough one because Damien''s first motion was to appoint William as the new CEO, and there were a few objections to thatand those came from the members who weren''t a fan of William and the ones they weren''t able to convince during the times they tried before today.

    Unfortunately for those who objected, the majority of the votes went to assigning William as the new CEO.

    So far, their ns were in ce. And things were going well. After a long morning, Damien called for a lunch break before the next matter at hand would be discussed.

    The board members scattered around the room after taking food from the catering service and chatted in groups.

    Damien leaned against the wall with a ck tumbler in hand and scrolled through his phone with the other. He had just finished his lunch when he decided to check in on Katherine.

    [ Me: How''s it going over there, Kitten? ]

    [ My Queen: Stressful. The board isn''t happy, but they don''t have a choice. Grandpa''swyers and Frank have been helpful though, so hopefully, this will be over fast. ]

    [ My Queen: What about your end? ]

    [ Me: So far so good. Nothing to worry over here. And please eat your food. One bite isn''t enough. ]

    [ My Queen: Stop spying on me! ]

    [ My Queen: :heart_suit: ]

    The corner of Damien''s mouth curled into a smirk, justifying the act that he had eyes watching her only because he cared about her.

    [ Me: I''ll pick you up as soon as we''re done here to destress. See youter, love. ]

    "I''ll buy you out." William took the ck tumbler from Damien''s hand and sniffed it. "Dude. Really? You''re hiding whiskey in coffee tumblers now?" Then he took a sip.

    Damien cocked a brow and took the tumbler back. "Situation calls for it. And no. You can''t buy me out, idiot. It''s in the papers."

    "Fuck the papers. I''ll pay you generously."

    Taking a sip of his drink, the amber liquid slid smoothly down his throat. There was a lot to deal with that day. He needed the drink. "You can offer me billions plus a million mas and I won''t sell you my shares."

    "You''re not that special. Only special people get mas."

    "Considering you''re convincing me to sell you my shares by paying generously, I know I am that special."

    William narrowed his eyes on Damien and ran his tongue along his teeth. "You''re not my boss. And I''m your uncle."

    Damien rolled his eyes. "Don''t remind me. I''m not calling you uncle. And technically, I am your boss because as a CEO, you are an employee of thepany. And as the chairman, I have the final word. Case in point, you answer to me."

    "ONLY in certain situations do you have the final word. More often, you don''t even get involved because you don''t have to be here all the time. And I''ll make sure you won''t have any reason toe here so I can run thispany on my own terms."

    "Sure. Whatever helps you sleep at night." He patted William''s cheek as if he was a little boy and stifled a chuckle as he walked away.

    Although Damien didn''t really n to lord over Park Group because he already decided to give William free reign, it was nice to mess with him. And he didn''t have any ns on giving up his seat or his shares in the near future.

    :crown::crown::crown:

    While Damien dealt with Park Group, Katherine was also in a conference room with Young Corporation''s board members. She wished her grandfather was there, but sadly, Grandpa Theo was still in the hospital. A few days ago, she thought about waiting for him to wake up so he could give his orders, but it had been weeks already, and she couldn''t hold on to Deborah and Higgins indefinitely.

    The longer they kept them in captivity, the higher the risk of unfortunate circumstances like them breaking out, or worse, they''d try to kill themselves.

    For the most part of their meeting, Katherine told them a careful summary of the truth about Deborah''s identity and involvement in Mason and Natalie''s deaths, leaving out details that they didn''t need to know, like Shadow and other unnecessary things. There was no other way than to inform them about it because when the news breakster, they all had to deal with it. It was a courtesy call.

    "I''m telling you all this because you deserve the truth from me and because we''re going to face probably the biggest impact Young Corporation will ever have since my parents'' deaths." With the room silent and the members'' heads all loweredpossibly still taking in the shocking newsKatherine took a deep breath and added, "I understand if the situation discourages you because it truly is discouraging. And if you believe that what''s best for you would be to withdraw and not be part of this corporation anymore, now would be the best time because this afternoon, the articles will be released along with Deborah''s arrest, and the next few weeks will be hard for us.

    "I wish I can give you more time to decide, but we don''t have that much. We''ll have a one-hour break. Please use this time wisely." Katherine slightly bowed before them and got to her feet. The board members took time to stand and got off their chairs before dispersing. Food arrived soon after.

    She regrouped with her grandfather''swyers and Frank at a dining table on one side of the room, discussing a course of action. She didn''t think any of the members would want to get out of this and sell their shares, but if that ever happened, she was ready to save her family''spany even if she had to use her personal money. And if that wasn''t enough, Damien had alreadyand adamantlytaken up the responsibility to buy it for her. He had even sent his ountant there just in case.

    Before the meeting rmenced, Katherine received a text message from Caroline using Noah''s phone.

    [ Noah: Please let me talk to my mom. I need to ask her about my father. This is my only chance. Please. -Caroline ]

    Katherine didn''t have to think it through because she already nned to give Caroline a chance to talk to her mother anyway. So before going back to the table, Katherine called Noah and Amelia to give them the go signal.

    A couple of hours and three less members of the boardter, the meeting finally ended. Katherine leaned back on her desk chair and closed her eyes. Her head was pounding, the soles of her feet were aching, and she wanted to beat someone up to release her stress. That was the longest day she ever had in the office and the trouble had only just begun. The chaos was yet about to start.

    The incessant ringing and rattling of her phone on the desk caused the vein in her temple to throb. Groaning, she swiped it and answered with ackluster spirit. "Katherine."

    "You''re not going to believe what I just heard from Caroline and Deborah''s conversation," Amelia announced in a toneless voice.

    Katherine narrowed her eyes. "What?"

    "Caroline''s father is Frankie Bianchi."

    Her mouth hung open. "No way" It was like the missing piece of the puzzle. Caroline''s father was Shadow''s former boss, and the man Amelia killed when she went rogue.

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