Chapter 589: There's Only Moving Forward (2)

Katherine was thankful that Damien brought her home to his penthouse on the 62nd floor of Golden Phoenix Residences.

As much as she wanted to see her grandfather, she wanted to delay their conversation. There was just too much to think of at the moment, and she needed time to organize her thoughts before facing her grandfather. She wished she had been the one to tell him the truth, but she also understood why Damien had to do what he did.

So she was glad that they were spending the evening at the penthouse where she got to be with Damien alone as she preferred a quiet evening.

His mother, Amelia, called earlier to check on them. She wondered if Katherine wanted something to eat so she could cook for her or if they needed help because she wasn't supposed to move around so much. Damien appreciated the thought, but he told her that they were going to turn in early, so there wasn't much to do. Amelia and Styles, who were staying in Katherine's penthouse on the 61st floor, extended their regards over the phone, both of them worried about Katherine but also respected that she and Damien needed some time alone.

The two didn't really sleep right away that night. Damien thought he could cook dinner for her, but Katherine insisted that they order in. They sat on the sofa in the living room, watching The Big Bang Theory on the 100-inch TV, eating Chinese out of the takeout box, and laughing over Sheldon's social awkwardness. It had been so long since the last time they had taken a break like this. Both of their phones were muted, and they were on a clear "Do Not Disturb" mode.

It was hard to face the fact that they've lost people, but Katherine wanted to relish the fact that Damien was alive and well, and he was here with her. She couldn't be more thankful than that. He had some minor cuts on him too—one on the eyebrow and on his left arm, but that was fortunately it. Looking at him as he cleaned up, brought the mess to the kitchen, and then back to the living room, her heart warmed—especially when he smiled as he came to her side.

He wore a thin grey shirt and a pair of grey joggers. A color that really looked good on him whenever he was just lounging in his home.

"What is it?" he asked.

Katherine shook her head, crawling to his side and kissing his cheek. "I'm just glad you're alive here with me."

He brushed his thumb on the side of her face and pressed his lips on her forehead, a gorgeous smile plastered on his face as he responded, "Me too."

She then laid her head on his lap. He covered her legs with a blanket, and they continued to watch a few more episodes of the sitcom until it was time to sleep at midnight.

…

Wednesday — December 19

Katherine woke up to the feel of Damien's hand softly brushing her back. When she came to her senses, she saw him fully dressed in a suit, sitting on the bed next to her.

"What time is it?" She pushed herself up to a sitting position and groggily asked, "You're going somewhere?"

"Eight-fifteen." A look of worry crossed his face, looking regretful. "I didn't want to wake you up because you were sleeping so soundly, but I didn't want you to wake up to find me gone without saying goodbye."

"Is everything okay?"

"Generally, yeah. But there's a matter I need to take care of in L.A. Marcus called two hours ago. I could have asked Caleb to go there, but he's still in Thailand right now. He's been doing a lot for me these weeks…"

Katherine was sad, but she understood the need for him to go. Damien had been delegating a lot of his work to his subordinates—which was good in a sense—but there were responsibilities that only he could do. She couldn't keep him by her side the whole time when he has thousands of employees depending on him.

"It's okay. Of course, you have to go. I wish I could go with you, though…"

She regretted what she said right after seeing his apologetic expression, knowing that he, too, surely would want that, but it was probably not ideal.

Cupping her face with his hand, he said, "I would love for you to go wherever I needed to be, but you're still recuperating, and I'd be out all day working. I would hate to just leave you alone by yourself in the hotel."

"You're right. I don't want you to keep worrying about me while I'm there and you're busy." She smiled. "I'll be fine here."

"I called Amelia. She's on her way up here. She'll be staying in the guestroom while I'm gone. Styles is also nearby. Felix will be around and two rotational shift guards at the entrance."

Katherine chuckled. "It feels like I'm under house arrest."

"Does it? Sorry… I just… I want you to be safe. You can go out for some fresh air whenever you want, but always have someone with you. Of course, I'd prefer for you to just stay put. Doctor's orders."

"Okay. What time are you leaving? When are you coming back?"

Damien glanced at his watch, and his jaw ticked. "I'm supposed to leave in ten minutes. The car's waiting to take me to the airport. I should be back in two days—hopefully." When he saw her face fell, he took her hand and squeezed it. "You'll be three hours ahead, but I will call you every night."

"I'll be waiting."

Letting out a long sigh, he pulled her to his arms, evidently not wanting to leave her. "Text or call me. If you can't sleep. Anytime. I don't care if it's at dawn. I love you." Damien brushed his lips to Katherine's, prying her mouth open with his tongue and deepening the kiss. She clutched his lapel, pulling him closer and returning his kisses until they needed to break for air.

"And I love you."

It was tough to part, but he needed to leave. "Wash up and have breakfast downstairs. Make sure to have your fill and take your medicine," he reminded before leaving through the door.

Slumping back to the bed, Katherine immediately missed Damien and it hadn't even been ten seconds since the door closed. Her body didn't feel as heavy as yesterday, and she thought she didn't need any painkillers. She checked the time on the clock on her bedside table and realized she had a full day of...nothing.

After washing up and changing into a pair of shorts, Damien's t-shirt that he wore last night, and a pair of fluffy house slippers, she ventured towards the Kitchen.

"Good morning. How are you feeling?" Amelia greeted as she emerged from the corner.

"Better than yesterday. I'm starving, though." Katherine walked slowly and wanted to sit on the high stool at the kitchen island, but the bruises on the back of her thighs prevented her from doing so. She winced at her attempt.

Seeing her struggle, Amelia nodded towards the side. "Sit at the table. There's a cushion there and a warm compress."

Amelia told her that Damien prepared all that so she could move around or sit comfortably. He had also prepared breakfast earlier, consisting of sweet and savory dishes. Styles and Felix arrived just as Amelia plated all the food on the table.

They didn't talk about Parker or Shadow. Katherine thought they were being considerate, but she had a feeling Damien told them not to talk about stressful matters.

However, she was reminded of one thing that she had to do as soon as she came back. "I need to go somewhere this afternoon."

"Can it wait? You're still recovering," said Styles.

Katherine looked down and stared at the sugar shaker when she hesitantly told them, "It can't. I need to go to Emma and tell her."

The others exchanged looks, knowing that what she had to do was inevitable.