Femme Fatale: The King's Deadly Temptress

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 her—mostly 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 glanced 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, placing 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 staple—as 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 and landed 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 play 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 blanket. 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 him comfortable.

She slumped on the floor next to her grandfather's bed. The hardwood floor was slightly cold, but she didn't care as she laid 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 plate. 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 psychotherapy—the 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 talk—I 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 placed her hand over his and squeezed. "Take care on the road."

"I'll let you know when I arrive." He placed 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'd lay 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.