456 No Hesitations

Katherine's heart was frantic before she started her presentation, and when she was up on stage, she was even more nervous but it didn't show on her expression. She looked calm, prim, and proper. She was elegant with the way she carried herself. And now that they were waiting for the result, she was both excited and anxious.

The room where all the bidders waited had round tables in the middle while food and drinks were on the sides. When everyone went back to their seats after greeting her, Katherine also headed to where her team was seated but just then, a woman's voice called her name. 

Turning around, she saw Margaret Hara. "Congratulations," she said with a charming smile on her face.

Katherine looked at her waiting hand and then returned a sweet smile of her own, ignoring Margaret's extended hand. "Thank you."

Knowing who Margaret was after Damien told her, she became cautious around the woman. It was impossible for the other not to know who Katherine was in Damien's life. Margaret was from Hara Construction, so she should have known about the scandal that happened recently. It made her think that Margaret was doing this—meeting and chatting her up—on purpose. 

Margaret retracted her hand and Katherine asked, "Where's your husband? I want to congratulate him too. I've watched everyone work hard today... We all deserve the spot." Katherine gauged Margaret's reaction when she added, "Oh, and aren't you also from Hara Construction? I should congratulate you as well."

Margaret's brow twitched but the smile on her face didn't falter. "Ah, yes… Thank you. My husband…" She glanced at the side as if she was looking for someone. "He was there during the presentations earlier, but he had to step out for a bit. You'll probably see him later. He's the one in a blue suit."

Katherine contained herself when she remembered that Damien was also wearing a blue suit. She didn't show any changes in her expression as she glanced at the people around them. There were others who were also wearing a blue suit. Maybe it's just a coincidence. "I see… Well, I think it's good that you're here to support your husband. I'm sure he's happy that you're here."

"He hadn't seen me yet as he was too busy." Margaret softly chuckled. "But you're right, I love supporting him. I'm quite protective too..."

Katherine just couldn't shake the ominous feeling that she had towards the woman before her. It couldn't be only because Margaret and Damien had a past. Nevertheless, she put her guards up well around her. "I understand. I'm also protective of mine."

"Oh, you are?"

"Mhmm…" Katherine nodded, and then very slightly, she leaned closer towards Margaret so that only the latter could hear. Her gaze darkened without even trying as she spoke in almost a hush, "Because if I catch even just a whiff that someone touches my bottom line... I don't hesitate to go for the kill."

Margaret let out a small chuckle as if she was amused by Katherine's obvious threat. "You are not only smart, Ms. Young, but you are also funny. We should grab a cup of coffee sometime."

"Thanks for the invite, but I'm not really much of a coffee drinker..."

Margaret subtly raised a brow and was about to respond when Michael Price came and held Katherine by the elbow.

"Katherine? It's starting," he said.

Flashing her haughty yet sweet smile, Katherine said, "Have a good day."

As soon as Katherine left with Michael, the smile that Margaret kept on her face the entire time slipped—replaced by a dark, menacing stare before she walked out of the room.

…

Caleb arrived in front of everyone and stood on the platform. Although they said that they would announce the awarding in a couple of hours, their deliberation only lasted for half an hour. 

Katherine looked from left to right in search of Damien but he was nowhere in sight and it made her uneasy not seeing him. The awarding would be announced and she wanted him to be there.

Just as Caleb started his introduction, the door to the left opened and Damien entered, joining the other on stage. He stood tall and confident, looking equanimous as he could ever be. He briefly glanced at Katherine with a gentle expression before looking at the rest impassively.

Looking at the crowd, Caleb started, "After deliberating, Crown Resort Group decided to grant the Crown Residences project to our new partner... Young Corporation!" Everyone in the room clapped their hands and the result of the bidding was shown on the screen, along with the details of each bidder's proposals.

The bidders were impressed to see that Young Corporation's bidding amount wasn't that low. Out of the ten, Young Corporation's amount was ranked ninth—with ten being the highest. They already admired Katherine's presentation earlier and now that they saw the amount that they had put on the bid, the bidders could only accept the fact that it was a fair judgment.

Katherine could not explain her joy at that very second. It was a different kind of accomplishment for her that she had never experienced before. 

Michael Price's team was invited up on the stage as Crown Resort Group gave them the award as a winning bidder. Damien and Michael stood next to each other, shaking hands as they posed for a photo op. The two companies congratulated each other on stage and while most of them were busy, the photographer called Damien and Katherine to pose together for a picture, asking them to shake hands. She glanced at Damien but he didn't say anything as he readily obliged the photographer's request.

She didn't know why but she felt butterflies getting crazy in her stomach as she received his hand and posed in front of the camera. It was the first time that their photograph together was taken and would potentially be posted publicly with their consent. She was standing next to the Resort King and was fangirling at the moment—she tried so hard to hide her giddiness. It was such an odd yet a welcomed feeling. Katherine finally stood next to Damien, and unlike before, she was proud of herself this time.

Just as the photo was taken, he whispered to her so that only she could hear, "My phone's ringing, I've been expecting this. I'll see you later." And then he disappeared out of the room.

Katherine didn't get the chance to respond but with everyone's attention on their team, she could only be patient until the end of the announcement.

The moment that Caleb closed the program, she rushed out of the room to look for Damien. She was like a little girl who couldn't wait to be praised by a teacher for doing a job well done with homework. 'Where are you, Damien?'

Reaching the hallway, she didn't see him at all. Wondering if he had gone to his office, she hastened her pace and went down towards the ground floor of the hotel so she could get to CRG's building. Her shoes were killing her but she didn't mind it one bit with her determination growing every time she took a step forward.

When she reached the ground floor, she did a double-take as she caught sight of his figure in the middle of the lobby. And without caring whoever was around, she called his name, "Damien Maverick Park!!!"

Heads of the hotel guests and hotel employees turned in her direction—including Damien who was still on the phone. A radiant and dazzling smile cast her beautiful face as she took steps towards him. It was light at first… and then she began to run.

Damien ended the phone call abruptly just as she pounced into his arms. He caught her by her waist and steadied her, and before he could say anything else, Katherine hooked her arms around his neck and smashed her lips to his.