NOVEL NEXT 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 accidents 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 his command.
"I want you to find a car accident 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 place 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 placed 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 how come 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 flashed 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 minutes later, 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 plans later?" 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 clammy 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 playing 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 playing 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 play 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 minutes later, Katherine walked down the stairs wearing a black sleeveless dress with a pencil skirt that hugged her in the right places. It looked like a simple black 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 play 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?"