Lucas POV“What are you doing here?” I asked, awkwardly stroking her glossy black hair.Not only was I worried about her safety, but I was also concerned about her medical condition.She wrapped her little arms around my neck.“I missed you.” She uttered, and I felt like someone punched me hard on the chest.I could not breathe.“I missed you, too,” I told her before pivoting on my heels, with her still in my arms, and going back to the elevator, ignoring the open-mouthed stare of my employees.
Katherine POV“Why do you let Noreen walk all over you? She betrayed you, snatched your man, and now, she is bullying you. Why don’t you fight back and put her in her palace?” Veronica demanded after Noreen left in a huff.There was a hint of frustration in her voice while she issued the reprimand.I winced at the pain that shot from my eyes to my temples.“What good will it do? Catfights were never my thing, Veronica. You, of all people, should know that. So long as she is not doing anything to damage my reputation in the company, it is fine. Let her swim in her own scandals without dragging me along. Besides, she genuinely loves my Erin and anyone w
Katherine POVWithout waiting for Dan to announce my arrival, I barged in to Lucas Sanders' office to find a very cozy scene.Luke Sanders held my daughter in his arms and had this happy look on his face.It was like, how do I explain this? They both fit together.An ache filled me at the sight of them together, and while I yearned to watch them longer and soothe this ache in my heart, I couldn’t.The need to hug my daughter is imperative.I grabbed Erin in my arms, relief coursing through every part of my body when my arms surrounded her, and I was assured of her safe
Lucas POVThey're gone.I sighed when the elevator door closed on them.Why do I feel like a part of me has left, too?I stood from my haunches and slowly walked back to my office, passing the glass walls of department offices on my floor.I could feel the weight of their stares, and it made me realize I had been too hasty and careless.I made Katherine an easy target for gossip.Now, how do I counteract that one?I remembered the me
Lucas POVAfter Greg Combs dropped the bomb that Katherine is my mistress within earshot of my employees, I knew I needed to do something. I did not know what came over Combs to rush out here and demand to see Katherine. The only consolation in this unfortunate situation was that Katherine and Combs did not meet outside the office.If that happens, I don’t know what other lies the latter would spout to make it look like Katherine was the problem in their relationship and not the other way around. Now, I need to apply remedial steps to save Katherine's face at least. I called Oliver, and thankfully, he came right up immediately. “I heard what happened with Combs outside the building.” He said stiffly after Dan ushered him in.I sighed when I saw him. I noticed he was still mad at me, but that is unimportant right now. Helping Katherine maintain her reputation is. “I need you to do something for me.”“What?” He asked, looking disinterested. “Can you do a press release about Erin
Katherine POV"I knew it. Your daughter is just part of Mr. Sanders’ PR campaign - a tool to make his company more trustworthy in the public eye."I clenched my fists as Noreen tried to disparage my daughter. It would have been okay if it was just me. But Erin is here, hearing everything. I don't want her to think Lucas sees her as just part of the business. "Will you quit it, Noreen? You keep harping about things that do not concern you." I hissed in a rare display of standing my ground. Noreen scoffed.“Why? Does it hurt your pride to know that you and your daughter are just part of our boss’ grand scheme to make him look good in the public eye?” Noreen shot back, looking quite smug. “Tsk! Tsk! Poor Katherine.” She said, making me clench my hand into fists.To my horror, I heard Erin’s voice interrupting us. "Are you fighting?" Erin asked when she pulled her headset away from her face. She had this frightened look on her face that alarmed me. That has been the last straw. I
Lucas POV“She had an accident five years ago,” Kurt reported.In my hands, I was looking at hospital reports and winced.“She stayed two months in comatose,” I said dully, unable to perceive Katherine in such a state.Just thinking about it leaves a constriction in my chest. I could not breathe when I thought about what she had gone through.“Now, that explains why she did not know us. She was not faking it.” Oliver pointed out.His comment made me feel worse.And to think that I branded Katherine as a great actress for keeping up the pretense of cluelessness when she, in fact, did not know us.I shook my head. I feel like a j*rk for thinking so poorly of her.Maybe she just did love Combs so much that she chose him over me. It was just unfortunate that she had an accident right after she ran away with him.“The hospit
Katherine POV“Katherine." My body froze when I heard him call out my name. I just got out of the cab with a sleeping Erin in my arms. I pulled Erin close and kissed her head, ignoring the call. "Here, let me." He offered to take Erin from me, but I refused. I avoided him when he made a move."It's not necessary. I can take care of my daughter alone." My voice sounded clipped, too cold even to my ears."I want to talk to you." He told me. I ignored his presence and pretended that I heard nothing. I walked faster, though it was a struggle because of my little girl. Then, I reached our apartment building and had to pause to ring the bell. The building administrator greeted me and opened the door wider to let me pass. "Ms. Fielding, is he your companion?" The administrator stopped me in my tracks. "I am her husband." Greg volunteered before I could respond.I sighed, hating for an argument to ensue and disrupt Erin's rest. “How is she?” He asked.I didn’t bother to reply. He
Lucas POVI watched the shock registering on Greg Combs and Katherine’s faces when I issued the declaration. It gave me immense pleasure letting this b*stard know that he made a mistake.I don’t intend to give Katherine up. Not for anything, now or ever. I took advantage of their surprise to slowly walk toward them.When I reached them, I snaked an arm around Katherine’s waist to show Greg that Katherine belonged to me and me alone. I watched in satisfaction when my action elicited a wince from Greg Combs. I wanted him to know that no amount of regret can change the past. It already happened. All we have to do is accept things as they are. If he had changed his mind and regretted the decision to divorce Katherine, then he could live in misery because I was never going to give her up for anything.“Katherine is mine,” I told the shocked Greg Combs.“She has always been mine to begin with.” I reiterated when he recovered from the initial shock. When he did, I saw a trace of regre
Katherine POVI stared blankly at him while I gripped my phone in my hand. I don’t know what to say. Greg looked so much like how I looked before when I found out that he was having an affair with Noreen Jacobs. I was looking at the face of betrayal. I shook my head in an attempt to discredit the accusation. All the while, I was acutely aware of the people around us. This is a sidewalk. Passersby would notice us and couldn’t help but have an earshot. Even if they did not mean to snoop, Greg’s voice was loud enough to be carried by the wind. Everyone within earshot could not help but hear what he had to say. “I saw you.” He spits out. A frown formed on my head. “Saw me where?” I was clearly confused and wanted to be enlightened. Greg did not disappoint as he began a monologue that depicted an unsavory image of me. “You came out of his car not just once but all the time since I decided to observe.”Then, he brushed his fingers to his oily hair and gave a self-deprecat
Katherine POVIt was funny to watch him stutter as he tried explaining to our daughter what we were doing. “A kiss is an expression of love.” He told Erin. “So you love my mommy?” Erin asked. He nodded.Erin seemed satisfied by his response, and Lucas began to relax.A moment later, Erin turned her head toward him and asked. “If you love mommy, why is that girl kissing you?” Erin looked like she was about to cry,Now, that was something I did not expect to hear. My eyes turned to Lucas sharply. I heard Lucas cough out loud before glancing in my direction. My right brow arched upon hearing the information, leaving Lucas unsure of how to react. I would have remained oblivious to the whole thing if Erin did not mention it. Lucas gulped. He shook his head and began explaining with his eyes trained on me, magnifying his guilt. “You just said it. She was kissing me, not the other way around.” Lucas explained.He was watching my face for any change, but I remained impassive. It
Katherine POVThe way Lucas looked at me tells me a lot about the engagement ring that had gone viral a few months ago.My chest constricted.“The ring was for you.” He said shyly when Duke left, confirming what I already knew in my heart.Then, he sat beside me on the couch. I did not know“I was buying something for Agatha, a token to show her that I was willing to see her more than a friend.” I felt a blockage in my airways when he began to tell me about the ring I saw in Agatha’s post. The one that gave me the impression that he was toying with me.“A solitaire diamond ring caught my eye. At that time, I hated you for lying and choosing Greg over me, but the ring kept tugging at me. I bypassed the ring and left, but there was this restlessness inside, a feeling of regret. I asked Dan to go back to Hugo’s Creations to buy the ring under his name,
Katherine POVI nodded, and this time I allowed him to pull me to his chest. Lucas wrapped his arms around me, lightly dropping a kiss on my forehead.“I love you.” He said, but I remained silent. Right now, I can not define what I felt for Lucas. There was attraction and some feelings, but not enough to consider it love. “I don’t know what to say,” I told him honestly and shook my head. There was a subtle shift in him. I must have hurt him by being honest. I cupped his chin to force him to meet my gaze. “You know you are special, and I am attracted to you. I also like how you are good to me and a great father to Erin.” I told him sincerely while looking into his eyes. “But not enough to love me.” His reply hinted at bitterness, and I pulled him nearer for a quick kiss. He took advantage of our position. He grabbed the back of my head to deepen the kiss. Lucas began exploring my mouth. He was nibbling my lips, sending tingles all over my body, and down to my toes. I pushe
Katherine’s POVI swallowed hard after being confronted by the fury in Agatha’s gaze. The loathing in her eyes shook me to the core. Lucas told me she used to be my best friend, but her facial expression showed nothing except hatred. “You shouldn’t have come back!” She snarled, causing a shiver of fear to run through my spine, creating goosebumps. If looks could kill, I would have been dead by now from Agatha’s piercingly cold glare. I covered Erin’s ears with my hands. I don’t want her to hear anything Agatha says. “Why did you have to come back? Why did you have to mess with our lives? Lucas is mine!” Agatha spat the words out.She looked half-crazed, frothing in the mouth in anger. I was tongue-tied. Even Noreen did not look at me like this; with pure unadulterated hatred.I shook my head as fear spread through me. Not for myself but for Erin. I had been avoiding this kind of scene when Lucas suggested we work on us. Agatha was his unfinished business.Now, everything is sp
Katherine POVWhen we entered Lucas’ office, we found Oliver and Vern still there talking. Vern dropped the sketch pad and pencil to a nearby table when he saw us coming in. He then unrolled his tape measure, asking his assistant to jot down the measurements. I nudged Erin, silently urging her to approach Vern. To my surprise, my little girl ignored me and walked straight to Oliver, who sat on the couch upon our arrival. “Don’t be bad next time, Uncle Olly, okay?” She sure sounded grown-up. She looked too little against Oliver's frame when she looked at him with her head tilted back. I bit my lips while Lucas grinned from ear to ear. Oliver, on the other hand, looked surprised. He grinned and gamely responded. “Yes, ma’am.” Erin nodded. She beckoned for Oliver to lean his head closer. He bent to bring his head closer, arms went around her little body. When they were close, Erin wrapped her small arms around his neck.“Thank you, Uncle Olly. You are my third favorite person
Katherine POVI watched in amusement how Lucas tried to appease Erin.“It’s not like that, Erin.”Erin crossed her arms to her chest, looking like Lucas looked earlier when he tried to block Oliver from me.“No! From now on, she is my mommy only!” Erin declared, brooking no argument.Lucas looked like he was about to cry.He was flustered and red while trying to control himself. While it amused me to see him try so hard to convince his stubborn daughter that it was not the same. It looked like Erin was getting the upper hand in this case.&
Katherine POV“Good morning, Katherine.” Lorrie greeted me when I stepped outside the elevator. She came out of the pantry bearing a mug of steaming coffee. I remembered the coffee Lucas and I shared that morning, and my heart began to beat faster than usual when I thought about the kiss. “Good morning, Lorrie. Any urgent tasks for me today?” I asked, stopping for a while.Lorrie shook her head. We walked alongside each other toward our office, talking about my schedules.I appreciate Lorrie for making my professional life super dandy.“You have a meeting at ten o’clock with the boss.” She informed me. My brows furrowed. I had no recollection of Lucas mentioning the meeting to me. But maybe Lucas did not know either because Dan handles his schedules. I began signing documents, and when I finished, I prepared for my ten o’clock meeting with the boss. Ten minutes before ten, clutching my notebook, pen, and report for our department, I left my office for the meeting. “I am going