Chapter 290 - Fortune 3

Surprisingly, Damien Park behaved well during the whole meeting and his eyes were mostly on his cell phone if he wasn't sneaking glances at Katherine who was diligently taking down notes, her hand scribbling phrases and technical terms across the pad with her beautiful handwriting.

He would sometimes add some details here and there but his words were brief and concise. However, Katherine was fast in noting everything he said to the T — this was mostly due to her training while she was working for him. Not wanting to miss any important details, she would often find herself passionately lost in scribbling down whatever he said that could be important.

Canceling his nine o'clock meeting was worth it if it meant he could sit next to Katherine, even if the two of them weren't talking. Breathing the same air as her and just watching her try her best in learning what she needed to for her new job made him glad. 

If he had known that she was coming here with Mitchell—the reason for his call last night—he wouldn't have been salty. He wondered when she knew about this meeting and if she intended not to tell him because she was keeping her distance from him — just like how she didn't respond to his goodnight text last night and the good morning text a few hours ago.

Pathetic? He couldn't care less if people thought of him that way. He had never been like this to anyone. Only Katherine. If they were going to call him irresponsible for canceling a meeting he wasn't even interested in the first place, he still didn't care. They could tempt him with a billion-dollar offer and he would still choose to be here without second thoughts. There was no point in being filthy rich if it meant there was no Katherine.

Damien glanced at her again and it was probably longer this time because Katherine noticed it and she looked at him as well. Their eyes met and locked, he wasn't the least bit embarrassed that he was caught staring at her because he flashed her a smile and a wink before shifting his eyes back to his phone screen.

She raised a brow and got curious as to what kept him so busy that he was on his phone for an hour now. Slightly leaning back so she could peer at his screen, she subtly did a sideway glance and suppressed herself from laughing upon seeing what kept him so occupied.

She should have known. Damien was playing online poker.

This was one of his pastimes. However, this wasn't just any online poker game because compared to others, the players in the game use real money to bet and the bets were far higher than the average, ranging from a few thousand to a few hundred thousand to a few million dollars. The app could be played through his phone, his tablet, or his computer. Though he didn't play as much as he did years ago, he plays on it when he finds time to spare. He didn't like going to casinos anymore, so the occasional games on the app were enough. 

She questioned him before on how he could spend so much in just a game. Katherine didn't understand the logic of wasting money on online poker until he taught her one time. Eventually, she learned that playing poker wasn't just a game. Playing it to win required skills that not everyone possessed. Because in order to win, one would need an analytical mind, formulate strategies, and understand psychology among other things.

Damien Park was great at those things. Just his billion-dollar empire proved it.

Her eyes shifted a little towards his chest and it was only then that she noticed the tie on his dress shirt. He was wearing one of the kitten ties that she gifted him a few months ago. It was one of two playful ties with large kitten prints. The one he was wearing at the moment was black with several full kitten faces printed in white outline. 

If one would face him, they would be drawn towards the tie. But perhaps Katherine was too busy staring at his handsome face that she only noticed it now. The corners of her mouth curled up as she tried to bring her focus back to the meeting and away from the distraction whose name was Damien.

He definitely noticed her checking him out and it brought a smile on his face too. He just lost a few hundred thousand on the round of poker on his phone but he wasn't the least bit bothered. He made her look at him and he made her smile. Her smile alone was already worth a billion bucks. If he was to say anything, he would definitely proudly admit that he just won.

…

Later...

It was almost eleven in the morning when Damien came back inside the meeting room after taking a phone call.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Mr. Price. We'll be waiting for your entry," Caleb shook hands with Michael and the rest of the team who showed their appreciation to him as well.

"Thank you for your time, President Park. We're looking forward to having business with you." Michael shook hands with Damien once again.

"Good luck with your application. We'll see you again after the qualifying round." Damien didn't bother hiding his favor towards them. It wasn't only because of Katherine but he was actually impressed by their technical qualifications.

The smile on Michael's face widened, feeling more confident that they had a big chance of winning the contract.

Before Michael could say anything, Damien had already faced Katherine and told her, "I've booked Central Harbor Restaurant. Ali's going to meet us there for lunch."

She looked at Caleb who only shrugged his shoulders. She remembered agreeing to have lunch with Ali and Caleb but not with King Charming over here. His nickname stuck to her after hearing it from Styles repeatedly. 

Ignoring Damien because she was slightly annoyed, she turned to Michael and said, "Thanks for allowing me to have lunch with my friends. I will see you back at the office later."

"Don't worry about it. See you later." Michael patted her upper arm and smiled at her, nodding to the two gentlemen before he and his team walked out of the meeting room.

When they were gone, Katherine faced Damien, "I don't remember agreeing to have lunch with you, President Park. I was looking forward to eating with Ali, however."

"Tough luck, Ms. Young. I'm paying for lunch whether you like it or not so I will have to be there of course," Damien said dismissively as he grabbed for her coat that was hanging at the back of the chair and placed it over his arm.

Caleb finished packing his things and looked at Damien whose smug smile was only annoying Katherine by the minute. He shook his head and questioned his friend with a knowing smile, "Oh? You changed your necktie?"

The smile on Damien's face slipped and he cleared his throat as he tore his gaze away from Katherine's surprised reaction. "Shut up," he muttered to Caleb as he walked past his friend and strolled out of the meeting room. "Let's go. I'm hungry."

Caleb and Katherine exchanged looks and laughs. It was a rare sight to see Damien getting embarrassed — his reddened ears were adorable.