NOVEL NEXT 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 accomplished 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 contemplated. 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 from laughing 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 her laugh 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 the common 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 access 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, a large 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 related 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 the common 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 splashed 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 explain to the employees that it was a misunderstanding. "No! This isn't-" However, Damien's large 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 bonus later in their bank accounts.
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 placed her phone in her purse and promptly smoothen her clothes and hair.
Damien silently cursed that they were using the common 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 glare. 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 placed his hand over his mouth as he recalled what had just happened before glancing 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 glass 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 his lair. 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.