Several years ago, Chris took Katherine in and Shadow made her abide by the rules and one of which was to keep everything a secret.
She must forget what happened in the past and continue living under aliases that Shadow gave her. If ever she still had living relatives, then she could never contact any of them. One of the reasons for this was to keep her safe because if the enemy of her parents knew that she was still alive, then they might come for her life.
Katherine treasured the second chance that was given to her so she followed Shadow's rules and regulations to the T.
However, she saw hope when Chris came to her that night. Bending a few rules won't hurt, right?
...
It had been a couple of months since Katherine started secretly investigating her family's misfortune. But she had been coming up short because the name that Chris gave her was a bust. But because she had already worked so hard to get to the bottom of it, she did not want to give up. She must find the person who was responsible for her parents' death.
One evening, Katherine was getting ready to attend a social gathering. That night, she expected to find someone whom she thought was a friend of her father. If she finds him, then she might be able to gain more information.
Katherine scoffed at the card in her hands. "Rich people and their parties."
Wearing an off-shoulder burgundy evening dress made of satin with a long slit on her left leg, Katherine looked sexy yet unassuming. The color complimented her silky white skin really well. She brushed up her hair, painted a red color on her lips and she was done. Unlike other women, she didn't take up too much time getting dressed or dolled up. So in less than fifteen minutes, she was ready to go.
…
The party was held at one of the city's famous resorts – Bayside Resort. Apparently, it was the resort's second year anniversary and the owner decided to throw a lavish party inviting a lot of people.
Just as Katherine stepped out of her car in the parking lot, a hand suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled her to the side. She immediately tried to break away but when she saw the person who held her, she stopped. "Chris, what are you doing here?"
"I should ask you the same question. What are you doing here, Katherine?" Chris looked at her from head to toe. Even though she wouldn't answer him, he already knew where she was going. His gaze became fierce though he tried his best to hide it from her.
He looked especially gorgeous that night wearing a formal suit. Katherine thought that if they would go inside together, they would definitely look amazing. But she didn't let herself go far ahead.
Seeing the look on his face, Katherine wasn't sure why but it felt like she had done something wrong. "I… I'm…" She felt nervous with the way he looked at her.
"Are you here… because you are still on a chase?" Chris studied her eyes and knew that he was right. For the past few weeks, he had noticed her activities and he began to worry.
She looked away and retracted her hands from him. "I need to go, Chris."
"I thought you already stopped that day when you told me you would." Chris' voice was stern. He was disappointed that Katherine had been doing things behind his back.
When her first try was not successful, she had told him that she would stop but her stubborn self just wouldn't allow her to stop.
"What you're doing is dangerous. You're on your own with no back up. If you end up messing with the wrong people... you will die, Katherine."
For the first time, Katherine hated him; she didn't like being doubted. She could feel that she was already near... so why the hell would she stop?
Fixing her dress, she looked at the entrance of the hotel and said, "You trained me. I'm your best agent, remember? I can take care of myself." She walked out and headed towards the party.
…
Getting inside was not a problem for Katherine. When she gained access, all she had to do was blend in. With champagne in her hand, she walked around slowly as she scanned the entire room, looking for that one person whom she thought was somehow connected to her chase.
Across the hall, Damien Park was busy entertaining his guests when a woman's figure caught his attention. For the past months, he had people looking for this woman who appeared to be nobody and was nowhere to be found.
His interest was piqued. He had seen her face plenty of times from the video footage that they had acquired from that night's party. So even without her wig, he could recognize her.
With such sharp eyes, no wonder Damien was successful in his career… because even from afar, he was capable of seeing a sparkling treasure amongst the sea of dirt.
"Excuse me, gentlemen," he said before he walked towards the lady in a burgundy dress.
Katherine was busy observing people that she did not even notice a person standing next to her.
"Enjoying the party?" Damien asked.
Katherine slowly turned her head towards the handsome man who seemed familiar but she just couldn't remember where he could have seen him. "Mhmm… it's fine." She said nonchalantly, turning her attention back to the crowd.
His brow slightly knitted. Usually, women would throw themselves at him the moment they laid eyes on him. What was this woman's problem? He started to question her standards.
"Do you know anyone from this party?" he casually asked. His interest had been aroused that he couldn't find out who this woman was and now she suddenly showed up to his party. So exactly how were they connected?
Without any efforts, Katherine threw the most common answer that she would use whenever she was questioned, "Yes, I know the owner," she said, still without looking at Damien.
The corners of his mouth slowly curled up when he heard her answer. This woman dared to lie to him. 'We know each other?'
"Huh… Is that so?" He bent a little to her side until his head was at the same level as hers. "You two must be very close…" His voice was warm and seductive. Even with the background music, it was evidently smooth.
Katherine was surprised at the sudden nearness that she stiffened.
He was so close that she felt his breath on her neck.
He was so close that she could smell his fragrance… Ohh how luxurious… She inhaled.
That smell… that familiar scent… that voice… and before she knew it, her mouth had already betrayed her modesty, "You smell very nice."
The moment that she heard herself, her eyes grew wide. She wanted to smack her lips from how shameless she just said that to a stranger.
She wasn't usually that careless. She was a top agent for god's sake! She was there to observe and not to draw attention to herself but there she was, casually flirting.
Damien, however, was surprised to hear that from her. She looked aloof and uninterested but she suddenly told him that. What was he supposed to do?
He was obviously satisfied. "Really? I'm glad you like it… Miss...?" He waited for her to say her name but all he got was a mysterious smile on her face.
"When I was young, my parents used to tell me that I should not tell strangers what my name is."
Damien chuckled, the sound of his laughter made Katherine feel butterflies in her stomach. "Did they also tell you to tell strangers that they smell very nice?"
Katherine pursed her lips. 'Okay... you got me there.'
He took a sip from his wine and asked, "Why don't you tell me what you think of it?"
"Excuse me?"
"My perfume… I'm curious to know what you think."
Katherine saw the amusement on his face and she was inclined to humor him. "Alright… let's see… I think it's masculine because of the mint… seductive because of the citrus and spicy mixture but it also has its delicate aroma like vanilla."
'Seductive huh?' Damien was quite impressed with her observation. He thought that her senses were on point. "Hmmm… not bad. If you like it, then it must mean that you have great taste."
"Sure… it's like fruitcake with cinnamon on top." A small seductive smile formed on her face without her even knowing that she's doing it.
Damien's cheek twitched at what he just heard. She's comparing him to a fruitcake?
From the side, he saw Marcus calling his attention.
Feeling challenged, Damien moved until he was standing behind her before he leaned slightly to whisper in her ear. With a devilish smile and husky low voice, he said, "Good observation… But I'd prefer you to be on top."
Shameless! Truly Shameless!
Katherine's face flushed crimson red. How could this man say something like that to her? Who the hell was he? She turned her head but he was no longer behind her.
"Enjoy yourself. I will be back real quick." Damien waved his hand as he walked away in an elegant manner.
Thinking that he finally found her again, he was thrilled and was in a hurry to finish what he needed to do so that he can go back to her. 'You better be there when I come back.'