Kayla stood abruptly, her eyes blazing with anger as she glared at Katherine.
Christian adjusted his zipper, quickly straightening his clothes before speaking. "What do you want, Katherine?" he asked, his eyes narrowing.
Katherine's face flushed as she struggled to meet his gaze. She had never imagined she'd find her boss and his fiancée in such an intimate position.
"Were you not taught to knock before entering your boss's office?" Kayla snapped, irritated that Christian wasn't reprimanding the uncultured bitch.
But Christian silenced her with a sharp look, his eyes flashing a warning. Kayla clenched her jaw, seething. She would deal with Katherine later—when Christian wouldn't be around to save her.
Katherine hurriedly apologized before stammering out the reason for her interruption. "I... I just wanted to inform you about the client you're meeting at 2 PM, sir."
Christian checked his watch. 1:30 PM.
"Okay," he replied, his tone indifferent.
Katherine hastily excused herself, leaving him alone with Kayla once more. She still looked annoyed—but perhaps even more turned on. She suggested picking up where they had left off, but Christian had already lost interest.
His thoughts had shifted to the woman who had just walked out the door.
He couldn't explain why Katherine's innocent, embarrassed expression lingered in his mind. Her killer curves, which had caught his attention more than once, now had him wondering what it would be like to explore every inch of her—to corrupt that innocence.
Office romances had never been his style, but the thought of trying something new was exhilarating—and undeniably tempting. Besides, it wasn't like he could get her pregnant now, considering his new illness. And Katherine would be easy—her lingering gazes had long since given him a subtle yet unmistakable invitation. She was just waiting for him to take the lead.
He stood up, tossing his suit jacket over his shoulder. "After the meeting, I'll come straight home, and we'll do whatever we want. Just get yourself ready for me," he told Kayla, his tone soft.
Her eyes narrowed, irritation flashing across her face. "After you already put me in the mood? This is exactly what you said this morning," she snapped, frustration lacing her voice. "Do you not enjoy fucking me anymore?" she asked, giving him a worried stare.
Christian trailed his fingers slowly, almost lazily, along her jawline, his touch sensual. "Of course I do, baby," he murmured, amused by her concern. It surprised him, considering she was the one who had first suggested taking a break. And now she was acting like he was cruelly starving her.
"Tonight," he promised, his lips brushing against hers, "I'll take you to the nine heavens, mm?"
Kayla remained unconvinced, but before she could argue further, he whispered, "Now go get ready for me."
With a huff of frustration, she spun around and stormed out.
That was easier than he expected. A slow smirk crept onto Christian's lips. Over the past two years, he had carefully kept his affairs hidden from Kayla. She was a jealous woman, and he knew better than to push her too far—at least, not until he had Ashley back where she belonged.
Picking up his phone, he dialed Katherine.
"Come and take my laptop to the car," he ordered.
"Okay, sir," she answered quickly.
Christian smiled.
Meanwhile, as Kayla drove out of Harrington Corp, she veered off course, texting Dr. Bradley to let him know she was on her way to the address.
Back in Christian's office, Katherine entered hesitantly, still feeling shy and unable to meet his gaze. It wasn't every day that an employee got an up-close view of her boss's naked body—especially not in broad daylight. Her face burned at the memory, and despite that, she couldn't stop thinking about how huge he was. Not that it mattered. She knew better than to entertain any fantasies about Christian. He would never look her way, and besides, his fiancée had looked ready to tear her apart just minutes ago.
She also understood the danger of a loose tongue. One wrong word could cost her job, so she wouldn't risk telling anyone—not even her best friend who worked in the same office—what she'd witnessed.
Her plan had been simple: grab the laptop from Christian's desk and get out. But just as she reached for it, Christian caught her hand.
Katherine froze, her head instinctively bowing.
"Never knew you were such a shy little thing, Kat," christian drawled, lifting her chin with a finger, forcing her to meet his gaze. Katherine's cheeks flushed a deep shade of red at the new nickname.
"Tell me how you felt about what you saw earlier," christian murmured, studying her intently.
"I... I'm sorry, sir. I didn't mean to..."
"Shh…" His thumb traced over her parted lips, silencing her. Katherine's breath hitched. She hadn't even realized she'd opened her mouth slightly in response to his touch.
Christian's eyes darkened with desire. The thought of her lips wrapped around him sent heat to his core, but he knew he had to take things slow.
"I just want to know…" he continued in a husky tone, "if you liked what you saw."
Katherine's face burned hotter. She never imagined that Christian Harrington—the man most of her colleagues fantasized about—would one day look at her like she was a meal he was starving to devour.
She couldn't explain where the courage had come from, but before Katherine could stop herself, her body moved instinctively. She pecked Christian briefly on the lips, so quickly that she might have convinced herself it was just an illusion—if not for the shock clearly reflected on his face, his eyes widening in surprise.
Katherine was about to drop to her knees in apology for doing something so foolish when Christian snapped out of his daze. Tilting her neck, he reclaimed her lips, kissing her with an animalistic hunger. The shock she had felt melted away, replaced by a surge of desire that made her instinctively clamp her legs together.
*****
In Bronze city, Charlotte stood in a brightly lit room, inspecting the new girls who had arrived at her brothel a few hours earlier. Fifteen young girls were lined up, fear evident on some of their faces, as Charlotte sauntered around them with her hands behind her back, her gaze sharp and scrutinizing.
"I don't think I need to explain why you're here," she began, her voice cool and controlled.
The girls nodded hesitantly in response.
"I need words, not nods. Or, am I talking to lizards?" She spoke sharply.
"Yes, ma'am," the girls chorused shakily, except one who remained silent.
Charlotte's sharp eyes noticed immediately. She walked toward the silent girl, a dark-haired beauty who, for some reason, reminded her of a young Ashley at sixteen.
"And you," Charlotte said, stopping in front of the girl. "What's your name?"
The girl's eyes were wet with unshed tears, her hands trembling. It was clear she was struggling to come to terms with her new reality—just like the others, she was about to sell her body to repay her parents' debt.
"Me-melinda," the girl stammered.
"Mehmeh..." Charlotte mimicked, irritation obvious in her tone. "Get a grip. Or I'll send you back to your lazy parents. I'm sure you know what that means."
Melinda shook her head vigorously, refusing to be the cause of her parents' death. The remaining girls exchanged wary glances, each of them understanding that the same fate awaited their loved ones if they did not comply with Charlotte's demands.
Charlotte's phone rang, cutting through the heavy silence. She quickly answered, speaking to Rosie, one of the older girls who had risen to her favor. "Show the new girls to their lounge," she instructed curtly, before heading back to her office.
"Katelyn," she said into the phone as she walked.
"I trust your shipment arrived in good condition?" Katelyn Harrington's voice was smooth and with a friendly edge.
"Yes, they did," Charlotte replied, but she knew Katelyn was not calling to check on shipments. "But I suspect that's not why you're calling."
There was a brief pause before Katelyn spoke again, her tone turning serious. "You're right. I know where your niece is. And I know you still want her... to get back your favorite customer. But she has something else now that could also benefit you."
"What could that be?" Charlotte asked, entering her office and locking the door behind her.
"A multi-billion dollar company," Katelyn answered, the words hanging in the air.
Charlotte froze, her hand gripping the door handle tightly. How had her little niece managed to achieve that?
"Why are you telling me this?" she asked, her voice sharp. She knew Katelyn never did anything without a hidden motive that would ultimately benefit her.
Katelyn laughed. "Consider this my way of strengthening our partnership, Chaz. Let me know when you're ready to make your move." She hung up before Charlotte could respond.
Staring at the phone in her hand, Charlotte's lips curled into a malicious smirk. She knew better than to believe Katelyn was acting out of kindness. But whatever Katelyn's real reason for sharing the information, it didn't matter. What mattered was that she was about to regain George's full support—a priceless opportunity. But before making any moves, Charlotte needed to learn more about the company Katelyn had mentioned. She quickly scrolled through her call log and dialed a number.