Chapter 24
All through the meal, Derrick kept up his new show–offy manner, constantly piling food onto Katherine’s plate.
Katherine didn’t even need to look at what was on the table. Whatever she wanted. Derrick somehow managed to have it in front of her
first.
Sitting beside them and watching the scene, Gary practically felt his eyes sting. He grabbed a dish and served Lucas in an exaggerated move. “Come on, Lucas. Don’t be jealous. Look, you’ve got someone serving you too.”
Lucas just pulled out a 20–dollar bill and handed it to Gary. Thanks. Take it,”
It took Gary a full beat to process that, then he roared. “The hell? Lucas, you son of a-
Lucas didn’t miss a beat and cut Gary off. “You can be excused.”
The whole table burst out laughing, everyone except Gary, who just glared daggers at Lucas.
By the time they finished dinner, it was getting late.
Katherine had wrapped up her meal early, so Derrick ordered her a slice of cake.
She enjoyed her dessert while listening to the guys swap stories about how they’d met abroad. The sight warmed her heart.
For once, she got a glimpse of Derrick before his success–the version who’d had to fight for every step.
She thought to herself, His parents didn’t care or love him, and they treated him like a pawn in their power games. Lucky for him, he fought his own way out
Eventually, the food coma hit, and Katherine’s eyelids grew heavy.
Noticing her drifting off, Derrick squeezed her hand and whispered, “Don’t sleep yet. We’ll be home soon.”
With a pregnant woman at the table, everyone else knew not to keep them staying for too late.
Gary said, “Go home. Tell the driver to take it slow.”
Derrick nodded. Katherine waved to other people as they headed for the elevator. “It’s great meeting you guys. Hope to see you soon.”
The remaining three men all agreed out loud, but none of them planned to casually invite her out while she was pregnant.
When they got back to Riverbend Manor, the place had been scrubbed spotless, the air carrying a soft rose scent instead of that heavy
perfume from earlier.
Back in the bedroom, Katherine forced herself to shower before flopping onto the bed.
The second her head hit the pillow, she fell asleep. When Derrick came out of the bathroom, Katherine was curled on her side, hugging a life–sized plush toy, looking peaceful.
He stood by the bed for a moment, just watching her, then turned off the lamp and tiptoed out of the room.
Maeve was waiting downstairs, knowing Derrick would ask about Mia. She stood up as soon as she saw him and reported, “Sir, she’s locked in the busement of the back villa.”
Derrick nodded, not even looking like he planned to check on Mia. He instructed, “Add two more people. Guard every exit. She’s not getting anywhere near Katherine.”
Maeve understood that perfectly. She then asked, “How long do you want her locked up, sir? I heard her mother is already looking for
Derrick’s face stayed blank, but his eyes held the kind of storm that promised trouble.
He replied, “Don’t worry about it. I’ll talk to her myself. It’s about time she learned what it’s like to fear for her child”
At Windridge Villa, Miranda had been calling Mia over and over, but every time, the phone either rang unanswered or went straight to
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Chapter 24
voicemail. Eventually, it was shut off entirely.
no sign.
She even called every friend Mia usually hung out with, yet she still got no
At midnight, Miranda was pacing the floor when Richard finally got home from work.
“Richard, something happened to Mia. Miranda clutched Richard’s arm like he was her last hope. “Please, send someone to look for her She’s my only daughter. If something happens to her, how am I supposed to live?”
Miranda was completely panicked, past the point of thinking clearly.
She knew exactly where Mia was most likely to be, but she couldn’t bring herself to call Katherine.
Though Katherine had blocked Miranda’s number, Miranda could still call from another phone–she just didn’t dare.
After all, Mia had gone to Riverbend Manor with one goal–get rid of the baby in Katherine’s belly.
It was Miranda’s idea, and she was almost confident about her plan.
But she knew clearly that Derrick didn’t play by the rules. She could hardly predict if he might suddenly catch on.
Now that Mia was completely out of contact, Miranda guessed she was probably being held by Derrick.
Justi
the thought of Mia in Derrick’s hands made Miranda feel like she was about to break down
“Could she be with her boyfriend?” Richard replied, his v
voice sounding indifferent.
After all, Mia wasn’t his daughter, and he’d never forgotten how she once insisted on taking his last name when she just moved to his house.
Mia was only a teenager back then, yet she already tried to use tricks to win him over. Richard knew she wasn’t a naive girl in the very first place.
On top of that, a few of his business partners had mentioned Mia before, always hinting that she was good company.
Hearing a group of men in their forties say that about a girl barely past twenty was enough to reveal how outsiders saw her.
Richard thought bitterly. If it weren’t for Kate relying on her and the fact that I couldn’t really cut off Miranda and Mia, I never would’ve let them move into my house.
“She doesn’t have a boyfriend, Miranda shot back.
She opened her mouth to say something more, but Richard had already walked past her toward the stairs. “Why don’t you just call the police for help?”
Miranda froze on the spot, thinking, “The police? Absolutely won’t do. What if Katherine calls the police on Mia instead? This whole thing can’t be exposed.
She spent the entire night pacing the house, tried every possible angle, and finally decided she’d see Katherine herself the next morning.
Maybe Derrick had guessed her plan. The next day, he took Katherine with him to the office.
He waited until Katherine naturally woke up at 8:30 AM, had breakfast with her, and then left for his office.
Technically, he was late for work, but he was the boss. No one would dock his f
pay.
Katherine hadn’t been out in ages. Even the cars lining up outside the window felt fresh to her.
“What fresh air in the morning” she said, rolling the window down and taking a deep breath.
Derrick shot her a look, pressing a hand to her shoulder to pull her back in. “Don’t stick your head out. And that’s not fresh air, it’s exhaust fumes.”
Katherine turned to glare at him in mock annoyance. “You won’t get it. This is the si
of freedom
She might have been fine staying at Riverbend Manor, but that didn’t mean she never got bored or lonely
Derrick froze for a second at her words, then returned to his usual calm. He didn’t respond, like he hadn’t heard a thing
Chapter 24
Katherine only said it casually, and she didn’t expect him to suddenly believe her or give her full freedom.
Derrick thought he was subtle, but Katherine knew he checked her phone every night.
One night, she woke up in the middle of the night, half–asleep, and she saw him scrolling through her chats.
She hadn’t messaged anyone in ages, so there was nothing for him to find,
When they arrived at Riverbend Group, Derrick got out at the front doors and told the driver to take the car to the garage.
“How about we take the elevator!” Derrick asked, holding her hand tight, showing a hint of tension in his grip.
His possessiveness was strong, making him want to hide her from anyone. But at the same time, he desperately wanted everyone to know she was his woman, and that they were a loving couple.
“Sure,” Katherine said, shooting him a weird look. “What, you want a pregnant woman to take the stairs? Twenty–plus floors, man.”
Katherine thought helplessly. Seriously? You want me to die halfway?
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