NOVEL NEXT 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 planned 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 number last night. Katherine chuckled, recalling that she indeed saw the two together, chatting by the buffet table—well, it was more like Emma did all the talking while Styles choked up and stood like a complete 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 head—when 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 Emma—and 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 hilarious 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 flashed 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 about last night's engagement party and planned to have the next one a few weeks later. The flow of their discussion was easy and light—even Katherine and Caroline had fun talking about the best places to eat in Harbor City.
For dessert, they had chocolate 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 and comfortable. 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 keep coming 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 glanced at Caroline who laughed and clarified it for her, "He means FaceTime."
"Yeah, that. FaceTime." Grandpa Theo nodded.
Everyone shared a laugh over how adorable Grandfather Theo was in his attempt to learn the modern ways of communication. With a huge smile on her face, Katherine reassured him, "We can FaceTime or video chat any time, Grandpa. But I still want to come 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 them—one 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 glance 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 his lap, his thumb brushing hers as he contemplated 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 uncomfortable 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 and laughed.
"Oh crap…"
"What?" He glanced 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 explained 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 delay, Katherine stormed inside the room, her blood boiling in rage. "What the hell are you doing?"