Se connecterADRIAN POV.
“Wait Ms. Turner,” I ordered. Kat paused, turning back to face me, surprise etched on her face. “Babe, what are you doing?” Vera clenched her teeth, her grip tightening on my arm. “It is work, and I need to attend to her,” I replied calmly. “Katherine, come in.” Kat hesitated but then stepped forward, giving me the file. “This is the report you asked for.” “Thank you,” I said, grazing my hand on her, she shot me a surprise stare. “We will review it later, you may leave.” I said feigning innocence. Kat left, passing Vera and Lilian who gave her death stares. As soon as the door clicked shut, Vera’s eyes blared with anger. “This is unbelievable, Adrian! You're choosing that low-life employee over me, your fiance?” Vera lashed out, her voice rising. I clenched my teeth at how she described Katherine. “Vera, calm down,” I said. “This is about work.” “Sure,” she said sarcastically. “It is clear where your priorities lie,” she scoffed, pulling away from me. “You should be ashamed, Adrian. Supporting an employee instead of your fiance? Pathetic.” Lilian added with a frown on her face. I sighed, massaging my temples. “You are both exaggerating. It was a work matter.” “Overreacting? Really? You embarrassed me in front of her,” Vera snarled, crossing her arms. “Exactly. You made us look like fools,” Lilian agreed, her eyes narrowing. I met their glares, “I’m the CEO. I have to maintain professionalism.” “Professionalism?” Vera echoed, her voice filled with bitterness. “Is that what you call it?” “Yes,” I replied firmly. “And I expect you to respect that.” Vera shook her head, “You’re impossible, Adrian.” She turned on her heel and stormed out, with Lilian following closely behind. As the door slammed shut, I exhaled deeply, those two were devil-sent and the fact that I might have to pull up with Vera all the rest of my life made me pity myself. KATHERINE POV. The two ladies from earlier passed by my desk giving me a death stare. What did I do? I thought I heard an invite to enter. The lady with the long blonde hair and striking blue eyes who had called Adrain, ‘babe’ was said to be Adrian’s fiance. My heart sank a bit. If he had a fiance, why was he reminding me of our past encounter? Zoe had told me he was engaged to be married to a ‘Vera’ whose father is a key partner of the company. I tried to focus on my work, but the image of Adrian's hand grazing mine lingered in my mind. The way he scrutinized me, the way he talked to me. it felt different. But maybe I was just imagining things. The lady was stunning, with her perfect hair and elegant style. She looked every bit the part of Adrian’s girlfriend. The two ladies seemed to belong in Adrian’s world, and I felt out of place. I don't have such expensive or stylish clothing, nor am I young. I shook my head, trying to dismiss the feeling that threatened to creep into my heart. Adrian was my boss. Nothing more. Yet, the memory of our night together kept resurfacing, making it harder to keep my emotions in check. I buried myself in work, hoping to distract myself. Later that afternoon, I met with Adrian to discuss the report, and he unexpectedly suggested we continue our discussions over a ‘business date’. Later that evening, I found myself at a modern restaurant, nervously smoothing out my dress. This was supposed to be a business date, but It made me look like it was a romantic date for just the two of us. Don't blame me, the setting didn't say ‘business date’. The cool secluded area with little lighting screamed ‘Romantic dinner.’ I mentally chided myself from those thoughts, he is younger, he has a girlfriend. I am not in his league. I chanted internally. When Adrian walked in, looking effortlessly handsome in his tailored suit, my heart did a little flip. I tried to push that feeling away as he joined me at the table. “Good. This is the report,” I began immediately, pulling out the file from my bag. Adrian leaned back, his gaze fixed on me. “Relax, Kat. I just got here. But first, what would you take?” I looked up, surprised. “Nothing sir, I have to get home soon.” “I won't take much of your time.” he said with a smile. “Our night together in the UK,” he began, his eyes not leaving mine. I felt a flush rise to my cheeks. “Sir, that was…it was a mistake. We should maintain our employer-employee relationship and not exceed it.” He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a low murmur. “I want to exceed it. I can't lie about the attraction I feel towards you.” “It's just lust,” I said quickly, feeling angry and something more. His voice. He gave me a long, intense stare. “You might be wrong, I feel it’s more.” I swallowed hard, trying to compose myself. “I remember the lady in your office earlier calling you ‘babe.’ I heard she is your fiance.” He went quiet. I should have known he was a playboy. “I'm not blind, Sir. And moreover I can never date someone younger.” His eyes flashed with something I couldn’t quite place. “Age doesn’t matter, Katherine. What I feel is real.” I kept my voice steady. “Twelve years difference doesn't matter? I've witnessed a lot of hungry, horny boys in my time, sir, and you're one of them.” His expression darkened with anger. “You’re calling me a hungry, horny boy?” “Yes,” I said, standing up, my anger boiling over. Before I could take three steps, Adrian's voice halted me. “Is that all you think of me? Just some boy who can’t control his desires?” I turned back, my own anger rising. “Yes, because that’s exactly how you’re acting. What kind of man goes after another woman when he’s engaged to someone else?” His eyes blazed with a mix of rage and hurt. “It’s not like that with Vera. You don’t understand.” “And I don’t want to,” I snapped. “Keep your private life out of our professional one.” “You can’t reject the fact that there’s something between us,” he argued, standing up and closing the distance between us. “You felt it that night. I saw it and I can see it now.” “I can, and I will,” I said, my voice shaking with the effort to stay composed. “You’re denying this,” he accused, “Why? Because you’re scared of what you feel?” I glared at him. “I’m not scared. I'm revolted. And I don't feel anything.” With that, I turned and walked out. My heart was thumping, and I couldn’t tell if it was from fury or what he said.Adrian’s POV. I leaned back in my chair, staring at the document on my screen, but my mind wasn’t on work. I couldn’t focus. My father’s words from last night still echoed in my head, gnawing at me. “Why the hell did you take her daughter to the event?” he had snapped when I arrived that evening. His voice was as cold as ever, dripping with disapproval. I’d lied, said Mr. Sterling gave permission, but we both knew that was a weak excuse. My father didn’t care about reasons, he cared about control. “You’re done with the project, Adrian,” he had said, his tone sharp. “Get rid of her. Sack her immediately.” I’d tried to reason. “We haven’t found a replacement yet—” “I don’t care,” he cut me off. “After the party tomorrow, I expect her to be gone. If you don’t handle it, I will.” The knot in my stomach tightened. I hated these conversations with my father. Everything was a dem
Katherine’s POV.I was trying to blend in, standing by the wall, fiddling with the strap of my purse. The ballroom was buzzing with chatter, laughter, and clinking glasses. But it felt like I was the only one not having a good time.And then, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted her. Vera.I stiffened instantly. The last person I wanted to see today.I tried to look away, but she’d already seen me. Of course, she had. Vera always had a way of finding people when they didn’t want to be found.Before I could even think about slipping away, she was walking straight toward me, her heels clicking against the marble floor. She had that smug look on her face, the one that made me feel like she already knew what she was going to say—and how it was going to hurt.“Well, look at you,” Vera said, her eyes scanning me from head to toe. “Trying to look fancy, I see.”I stayed quiet, not trusting myself to speak. I didn’t want to give her any
Katherine’s POV. It was a new day. Charlotte had already left for college early in the morning. I stood by the window, sipping my tea, watching the empty driveway where her car had been parked just an hour ago. She was growing up so fast. I smiled. I had my daughter back. It had never felt so good before. I needed to get ready myself. Adrian wasn’t coming to pick me up today; because– you know why. I’d asked Zoe to swing by since she had a car. She’d agreed, thank goodness. I wasn’t in the mood for the long commute alone. I headed to the bathroom to start my morning routine, deciding to apply a quick face mask before the rush. I felt sluggish, maybe a bit overwhelmed by the day ahead. The party later loomed over me like a cloud, but I pushed the thought aside, focusing on the moment. When I returned to the bedroom, wiping my hands dry, my phone was buzzing on the dresser.
Katherine’s POV. Later that evening, as we all gathered around the dinner table, I could feel a strange tension lingering between Ashley and Owen. She sat next to me, absentmindedly pushing her food around her plate while Owen and Adrian engaged in a lively conversation about business. Across the table, Charlotte and the kids were giggling, recounting the highlights of the day’s events—how it was the ‘best birthday ever.’ My attention drifted back to Ashley. Did she tell him? I could see her mind was clearly elsewhere. I leaned in closer, my voice barely above a whisper. “How did it go?” I asked, my hand brushing hers in a gentle, reassuring gesture. She sighed, her lips pressing together for a moment before she shook her head. “I didn’t get the chance to tell him,” she murmured. Her voice was soft and filled with frustration. “The kids ran in befo
KATHERINE POV. Saturday afternoon. Ashley looked nervous as she reached out and gently took my hand. “Come with me,” she whispered, glancing around. Without waiting for a reply, she led me toward the terrace, where the warm afternoon air greeted us. The noise from the party faded behind us, replaced by the soft rustle of leaves and distant laughter. I looked at her, puzzled. “Ashley, what’s going on?” I asked, trying to keep my voice calm despite the knot forming in my stomach. She took a deep breath, turning to face me. “I’ve been waiting for you to come,” she admitted softly. “I’m the one who asked Owen to convince you all to come over.” My brows knitted together in surprise. “You did? Why? Is everything okay?” Ashley shook her head, her gaze dropping to the ground. “No, it’s not,” she confessed, placing a hand on her stomach. “You were right
Katherine’s POV. SATURDAY. The next morning, I woke up early. Sunlight streamed through the large window, casting a warm glow over the room. For a moment, I just lay there, staring at the ceiling, trying to gather my thoughts. Today was the big day—the event, Mr. Sterling's twins' birthday, and Charlotte's birthday, all wrapped into one. It felt like there was so much happening at once, and I wasn't sure how it would all unfold. After a quick shower, I dressed in one of the outfits Adrian had sent us. It was a lovely dress, simple yet elegant, and it made me feel a little more confident about the day ahead. I heard a knock on my door just as I finished getting ready. “Mom, are you up?” It was Charlotte's voice. “Come in,” I called, and she opened the door, already dressed and looking more excited than ever. “You look beautiful,” I said, smiling at her. “Than
KATHERINE POVI struggled to focus on my work as I sat at my desk, my colleagues discussed him, and I tried to keep my composure and appear unaffected.My heart skipped whenever the phone rang, but fortunately, he didn't call me, and as soon as it was closing, I hurriedly left to go home.Charlotte
KATHERINE POVOn my first day at Sterling Corps, I felt small compared to the magnanimous bustling going on around me.The building was elegant and modern, it was a place I never imagined I’d work. I stepped into the elevator, my palms sweaty and took a deep breath. You've got it, Kat.I met my sup
ADRIAN POV.I swirled the whiskey in my glass, watching the amber liquid catch the light before raising it to my lips. The burn was sharp, grounding, a perfect counterpoint to the whirlwind in my head. At 27, I had closed the biggest deal of my life—a merger that would push Sterling Enterprises in
KATHERINE POV.I stared at the wineglass in my hand, the deep red liquid swirling lazily as I tipped it back and forth. The TV hummed softly in the background, a rerun of some sitcom I wasn’t paying attention to. The apartment felt cavernous, even though it was barely big enough to hold my couch,







