Published: July 17, 2019----Sept. 30, 2020

Jared knew that he was smiling like a teen on his first love, and Mark saw it as evidence on his occasional brief look darted in his direction, but he doesn't give a dumb.

He can't believe that with all his planning, he got caught off guard. He blamed it first in waking up with her in the morning, seeing her face if not buried deep on his chest; it was on his arms.

When a person is hungry, and someone offered a morsel, who would want to refuse?

So he became vulnerable, especially that he had been celibate for a few months since the first time that they had met. All those reasons had contributed to the rapid progression of their relationship. Though it had ruined his plans, regrets were the last things on his mind.

Seduced by Tori to the extent that he had forgotten reasons and emotions prevail. He became jealous of any man trying to gain her attention, and the last straw was last Saturday.

When they met the singer who, upon seeing his wife, was taken by her beauty, and she too was overwhelmed by him.

Her action triggered the possessive side of him that made him went inside the elevator and punch the buttons, so his wife has no reason to stay. If he did not do it, they would already be exchanging their contact numbers.

Jared knew that he looked as if he has no manners, but it was better than telling off that young artist that it's his wife he was trying to hit on. Besides, it's not the time yet to let anyone know about their being married. He wanted to make it into public knowledge once Tori has already adjusted well with him and accepted him as her husband. Not because she was obliged to do so but because she loves him.

Contrary to what others believed about him being a cold person, he is a man that longed to be loved and wanted to share his life with someone without reservations. But in this lifetime, it's so rare to find one until Tori came in his life.

Though their beginning was not what he wanted, he was thankful that his grandmother was stubborn and insisted on their union.

His monotonous life had become colorful as he had found joy in every day of his life through her presence.

But to admit it to his Meme was not on his agenda yet. He loves and respects his grandma, but if he succumbs to her after just a few months of being married, it will be a victory for her and a failure to him.

She already mandated his marriage, and if she knows that he is already under the clasp of his wife in a short time, she will surely push them to have a child immediately.

It is not that he doesn't want one, but now, if possible, he only wanted Tori for himself.

"Mr. Steele, here are the copies of the proposals that you had asked me to print out. " the voice of Mark stirred him from his thoughts and made him looked at the folder handed to him.

"Did you already contact the HR department?" he asked Mark first before taking the papers.

"Yes, Mr. Steele, by now, Mrs. Rogers had contacted Mrs. Johnson."

Jared just nodded his head as an acknowledgment that he heard and then took the papers on Mark's hand so he could read it.

Meanwhile, Katelyn just returned from the procurement manager's office to give the papers signed by their head and was sitting down when she heard her name called. She looked up to see Annie, one of their seniors, and the person that Mrs. Johnson considers her messenger of matters inside their office.

"Mrs. Johnson told me to tell you that the HR department called while you were out, and Mrs. Rogers wanted to talk to you.

Surprised by what she heard, Katelyn asked. "What will I do there?"

"Well, I am not sure. Why do you ask me? It is better to think if you had done something that will cause the head of HR to call for you." After she told Katelyn, she turned around and went back to her table while Tess walks in front of her and give her opinion.

"What is wrong with her? She sounds like a person that had eaten something rotten so early in the morning."

Katelyn quietly laughed at what Tess had said. They had known each other for a while now, but this is the first time she heard Tess became opinionated. Before, she was always calm and just enjoyed working without verbalizing her opinion, just like her.

"Hey, just ignore her behavior," she advised Tess.

"I hate those people who have a superiority complex," Tess added while sitting down on her table's edge.

"If she sees you, she will come back and address how you sat down in the table."

Tess immediately stands up and then softly told her," I thought she was lovely, good thing it was Nicole who befriended us. But speaking of her, I have not seen her today."

"Why do you ask me? It was you whom she had talked to last."

"Yeah, you are right," Tess then put her hand on her table before making an excuse to her behavior, "My head got jarred because of Anne that I forgot that Nicole would not be here today."

"Why?"

"She will be reporting in the management office of the hotel."

To hear that Nicole was in the hotel made Katelyn's mind go wayward because someone may talk about her there.

"Anyway, you have to go now to the HR so you will know what does Mrs. Rogers wanted from you so you can be at ease." She looked at Katelyn's face critically before continuing," You look a bit pale put on some makeup."

She immediately opened her drawer to get her bag, opened it, and then took her compact powder. She then checks on her face, "Tess was right; it was because she could not sleep so much last night.

It was not because of Jared. Meme came back from her cruising yesterday morning, and instead of staying in the hotel for another night, they left after lunch to go back home as she called them.

Being away for a month, Meme had a lot to tell her and ask that it lasted until the morning's wee hours. Without Jared's interference, she will not be able to have a wink before working.

"Katelyn, are you sleepy? What had you been doing this weekend?"

She looked at Tess's inquisitive face and nodded, "Just talking to grandma."

"Oh, poor you... better put on something even just a lipstick to add color to your face. I have to go now before Anne calls our attention, and then you can also leave." Tess then turned around and walked back to her table.

Katelyn was then left to grab her lipstick and do as suggested by Tess. Once done, she returned her cosmetics in her bag. Just with her wallet and phone, she stood up, closes her drawers, and then walked out of their office.

The HR department occupied half of the second floor and the other half that of the Procurement department.

Once she went out of the elevator, she turned to her right, walked to the first door, and entered the room.

Its designed looks to be welcoming to anyone that came inside, however, there are many tables inside; arrange to look neat and tidy. Some personnel were busy with their computers and others talking to some of the employees.

There were many cubicles and even doors she passed before reaching the office of the head of the department.

She directly walked to the table near the door of Mrs. Rogers's office to inquire.

"Hello good morning, I have an appointment with Mrs. Rogers." She greeted with a smile, and in return, the secretary asked her. "Your good name please?"

"I am Katelyn Darcy from the Finance department."

A surprise looked was given to her by the secretary, "Yes, Mrs. Rogers was waiting for you inside." The other girl stands up while informing Katelyn and then walked to a room while simultaneously signals Katelyn to follow.

After knocking on the door twice, she opened it and ushered Katelyn inside.

It was Katelyn's first time to enter the manager's office and was surprised to see the welcoming ambiance inside. There was even a fruit basket atop a cabinet in the corner beside a white mid-century style sofa.

She was startled to see a woman in her early thirties sitting on a gray swivel chair and holding a pen while writing. She expected that the head of the department well at least be that of her Mother's age.

"Good morning Mrs. Rogers, Miss Darcy, is here already." The one sitting on her swivel chair stopped what she was doing and looked at her direction, with a warm smile; she stands up on her chair. She turned to her secretary to give her instructions. "Just leave us alone, I will call you if we need something and prepare some refreshment please."

Once her secretary left the room, she left her table and walked in Katelyn's direction, smiling. Mrs. Rogers embraced her, with tight clasp and cheek touching, as soon she is in front of her.

"I am the daughter of Mrs. Smith." She told her after their greetings.

"Oh, she never told me about you being the head of the department." With surprise in her voice as well in expression, she told Mrs. Rogers.

"Mom is always like that as if she is not proud of her daughter's achievement," she told her with a laugh and made Katelyn feel as if they are not new to each other but like an old friend.

"Oh, I'm sorry to be so informal. Even if you are new in this company, but you are still our CEO's wife." She apologized as she interpreted her silence as snobbery.

"It's okay with me. I feel that we know for a long time instead of just now." She smiled to appease Mrs. Rogers's, and that was then she was lead to the sofa.

Once they were seated, Mrs. Rogers then told her the reason why she is here. "Mr. Steele wanted me to transfer you to his office. One of the assistant secretaries will give birth a few weeks from now, so he wanted you to be trained by the outgoing secretary before her maternity leave."

The unexpected information made Katelyn answered. "I am still new to the company, and still adjusting to my work and my colleagues."

"I understand what you mean, and as per protocol, every employee will follow the company's policy. But you are part of the Steele family, not just an ordinary employee. Besides, Mr. Steele ordered this transfer. You know that his will is not easily bent."

"Yeah, I know. So when will I start."

"Mr. Steele wanted you to go up effective today."

Upon hearing what Mrs. Rogers told her, Katelyn was in a panic. She is not ready to go up yet and be in a new environment, even though Jared was there.

She still loves the small amount of freedom that she has away from him. So she decided to request for time. "I will talk to Mr. Steele first, so please don't give Mrs. Johnson my transfer letter yet."

"Okay, I will wait then for Mr. Steele's further instruction."

Katelyn then gets up from the sofa, asked for permission to leave. Mrs. Rogers asked her to stay and only leave once she had taken some refreshment.

Because she has another agenda to do, Katelyn insisted on leaving and only thank her for everything and, at the same time, asked her to have dinner with them soon.

Once she was out of the HR department's door, she took a deep breath and then walked to the elevator, punching on the fifth floor instead of going back to her office.

She took a detour to the mall to go to the clinic and get a prescription of the most needed contraceptives.

It's not that she doesn't want to have a child, but now it is not the right time. She doesn't want to have a child and then leave it to another woman's care once she got a divorce. She must take precautions to avoid an unplanned pregnancy.

She was just lucky that she was in a safe period when it had happened without using any contraception.

She is not a hypocrite here that it will never happen again. With just one kiss from her husband and her knees wobbled so she must be prepared at all times, better safe than sorry as they said.

Going out of the elevator, she was confronted by Blake's smiling face that almost made her turned around and went back inside. But thoughts of not buying the things that she needed stopped her.

"Good morning Mr. Blake," she greeted him as there was nowhere she can hide so better face him.

"Oh, isn't this the beautiful Tori?" He then looked at her back as if searching for someone that made her also turned back.

A chuckled was heard from him before saying, "I was looking for that guy who became your shadow." Confusion marred Katelyn faced at what he said as she turned back to look at him.

"That is how I teased that husband of yours," he explained, and then he knit his eyebrows before asking, "Aren't you supposed to be still at work?"

"Yes, I just badly need to buy something," she answered in guilt while tucking her hair on her ear. It was also when Blake looked at her closely. It made her uncomfortable as she recalled the reason she tried to avoid that their path will cross.

As if he reads her mind, his eyes bulged in recognition. And with his hands pointing at her while laughing, he said, "So it was you."

She was going to say yes, but then a realization hit her that there is a possibility that he will mention it to Jared, so she keeps quiet and looked at him confused. "What do you mean?"

"Well, Tori, a bit of advice from a person who had been with your husband since we were babies, be true to him in everything. He has eyes everywhere and its keener when it comes to you." In a voice full of seriousness, he told her.

He then entered the elevator, but he added with a crook smile," Dark hair suits you more." before it closes.

Katelyn was left speechless with what Blake had said. "What will happen now that he recognizes her as the person who bumped him in the restaurant?

She grimaced and muttered, " Another problem again!"

She then turns around and walks to the door that separates their company building to the mall.

It had only taken her more than twenty minutes to have the much-needed pills. Carrying a small paper bag, she went out of the pharmacy adjacent to the company's clinic. She was nearing the connecting door going to her office floor when her telephone rings.

Upon seeing her caller, Katelyn paled as she remembered what had Blake told her about Jared knowing what was going on around him.

A bit scared, she picks up the call, and immediately she heard Jared's voice.

"Where are you now?" Thankful that Blake did not mention anything to him, she answered. "I went to the pharmacy."

"Are you sick? Where are you now?" The frantic voice of Jared made her felt his concern at the same time guilty of misleading him.

"No, I am not sick, I just need to buy something." she heard him breathe deeply and then told her in a soft voice. "Tori, the next time, if you have an emergency, just call me."

"I told you I am not sick, and by the way, Jared, I was called by the HR about being transferred on your floor."

"Yeah, I told Mrs. Rogers and why are you still not here?"

"I told Mrs. Rogers that I will talk to you first before she gave the memo to Mrs. Johnson."

"What is your reason for delaying your transfer?"

"Surely, no new employees in probation will be promoted that easily even only as a substitute."

"You will be the first one, get all your things and come to my office." in a taught voice, he told her but thought of leaving her newfound friends whom she is at ease with already give her courage to contradict his order.

"Can you please find someone to transfer there instead of me, Jared?" more pleading than asking, to let him know of her disapproval.

"Tori, you already know that you will not stay long in that position of yours in the end. I only let you work in the Finance Department because you insisted that it fits your degree. "

"He is right, Meme at first suggested it to him," Anne recalled her reason. It was because she doesn't want anyone to pay special attention to her; else, it will trigger her colleagues' curiosity."

She wanted to be stubborn and persist on what she wanted, but then she knows once Jared decided on something, he will not change it quickly. That is also why after they consummated their marriage, she still took precautions on everything.

But as they said, no harm on trying, so she again asked." can I go start working with you next week?"

End of Part 14

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