Pond woke up early in the morning to make sure that everything was in place for the guests who were about to arrive at Eden, his animal shelter. He had been preparing for this event for weeks, and he wanted everything to go smoothly. As he was double-checking the decorations, he heard a car pull up to the entrance. It was the major donor, Miss Kate Adam, daughter of the CEO of the biggest company in America.
Pond was surprised when he heard the name. Kate Adam? Could it be the same Kate that he knew from the game? The annoying Shadow Assassin from the Black Phoenix Guild? He couldn't believe it.
"Welcome to Eden, Miss Adam," Pond said as he greeted her with a bow.
"Thank you, Mr. Pond," Kate replied, with a small smile on her face.
As they walked around the shelter, Pond showed her every corner of the facility. They acted as if they had never met before, but Pond couldn't help feeling suspicious. He wondered what Kate's true intentions were.
After the tour, Kate asked her bodyguards to leave, and she pulled Pond aside.
"Mr. Pond, I have a confession to make," she said with a mischievous smile. "I'm actually Kate from the Black Phoenix Guild."
Pond couldn't hide his surprise. "I knew it!" he exclaimed.
Kate chuckled. "You're smarter than I thought. But don't worry, I'm not here to cause any trouble."
"Then why are you here?" Pond asked.
"I'm staying in Bangkok for a while, and I was wondering if I could stay at your mansion," Kate said, batting her eyelashes. "You know, since our fathers were classmates at university."
Pond couldn't help but smile. "How lucky I am," he said sarcastically. "It seems like I should start taking care of you for a while."
Kate giggled. "You wish. But seriously, can I stay at your place?"
Pond thought for a moment before saying, "Sure. But you have to work at Eden while you're here."
Kate raised an eyebrow. "Work? You're kidding, right?"
Pond shook his head. "I'm serious. We could use your help, and it'll give you something to do while you're here."
Kate sighed. "Fine. I guess it beats sitting around doing nothing."
As they walked back to the entrance, Pond called his father and told him about Kate's request. "Father, it seems like Kate is a very kind young lady. She said she wants to work at Eden while she's here, so please tell her father about that."
Kate smirked. "Do you really think I can't do that?"
Pond just smiled and walked away. "Just wait and see."
As Kate got into her car and drove away, Pond couldn't help but feel intrigued by this unexpected guest. He wondered what kind of trouble she would cause while she was staying at his mansion.
-------------
Pond led Kate to his mansion, where he introduced her to his brother Palm. "Palm, this is Kate. She'll be staying with us for a while," Pond said, introducing the two.
Palm squinted his eyes as he studied Kate's face. "I felt like we met before," he said, scratching his head.
Kate smiled coyly, "I doubt it, handsome. I think I would've remembered meeting someone as charming as you."
Pond rolled his eyes and chuckled. "Okay, okay, that's enough flirting for now. Let me show you to your room, Kate."
After Kate's bodyguards finished setting up her room, Kate started teasing Pond, "Bangkok is so damn hot," she said, while removing her clothes. Pond's eyes widened as he saw her sexy lace black bra that almost exploded with her H cup. Pond quickly reminded her to behave in his house, or it would end up like last time in the game.
Kate dared him, "Oh, come on, Pond. You're not brave enough to do anything in real life."
Pond simply shook his head and escorted her out of the room.
As Pond logged in to the game, he decided not to tell his party about the situation with Kate, as Palm still didn't recognize Kate in real life. However, as soon as Kate met Pond again in the game, she couldn't resist teasing him about their real-life encounter.
"Pond, you're so cute when you're flustered," Kate giggled.
Pond sighed and replied, "Save your strength, Kate. You have a lot of things to do tomorrow, right? Now, please stop bothering us. We have quests to complete."
-----------
The next day, Kate's first working day at Eden, as soon as Pond saw her working outfit, Pond took Kate to her room and handed her a uniform. "I'm sorry, Kate, but this is not a fashion show. You will be working here at Eden, and you need to dress appropriately for the job," Pond said as he handed her a staff uniform. Kate looked at the uniform and then at Pond, frowning. "Are you serious? I can't wear this. It's so ugly and boring," she complained. "I am serious, Kate. This is not negotiable," Pond replied sternly. Kate sighed and reluctantly changed into the uniform, feeling frustrated that she couldn't wear her usual sexy and revealing outfit.
Pond then drove her to the shelter, Eden. He gave her a quick tour of the place and introduced her to the staff, who were all surprised to see the daughter of the CEO of the biggest company in America working there. Kate was assigned various tasks to complete throughout the day, including cleaning the animal enclosures, feeding the animals, and administering medication to those that needed it.
As the day went on, Kate found herself struggling with the tasks assigned to her. She was used to a life of luxury and had never had to do any manual labor before. She complained to Pond, "I can't believe I have to do all of this. Don't you have any staff to take care of these things?"
Pond replied, "Yes, we do have staff, but they're already overworked. And besides, this is a good opportunity for you to learn some new skills and understand the hard work that goes into running a shelter like this." Kate grumbled, but reluctantly continued with her tasks.
As the day at the shelter came to a close, Pond noticed that Kate was playing with the seven kittens he had rescued a month ago. He walked over to her and observed her as she gently petted the kittens.
"Have you ever had a pet before?" Pond asked her, curious.
Kate looked up at him, her eyes glimmering with emotion. "Yes, I had a hamster named Bubble when I was younger," she said, her voice cracking slightly.
Pond saw a tear roll down her cheek as she continued, "One day, Bubble fell ill, and I was so scared. I begged my father to take him to the animal hospital, but he was too busy with work. I felt helpless as I watched Bubble slowly die in my arms."
Kate's voice broke as she spoke, and Pond could see the pain and guilt in her eyes. She began to dig a small grave for Bubble with her bare hands, and as she worked, she made a promise to herself that she would never have another pet again.
"I blamed myself for not being able to save him," she said, wiping away her tears. "I don't think I could handle that kind of pain again."
Pond watched her silently, seeing a side of Kate that he had never seen before. He realized that there was more to her than just her sarcastic and tough exterior.
Kate looked up at him, her eyes red from crying. "That's why I'm determined to be strong and control everything in my life. I won't let that feeling of weakness and incompetence happen to me again."
Pond nodded, understanding her pain. He had also experienced the loss of a pet before and knew how it felt. He let the kittens continue to play around her, feeling the warmth and healing that pets could bring to people.
"Sometimes, having a pet can help heal the pain and sadness," he said, gesturing towards the kittens. "They can bring a lot of joy and happiness to your life."
Kate looked at him skeptically, unsure of what he meant. "How can a pet bring happiness to my life?"
Pond chuckled. "Trust me, I'll show you," he said, smiling at her.
As they walked back to the mansion, Pond explained to Kate that she would be helping out at the shelter every day and gave her a to-do list for the week. Kate complained, saying that she had never done anything like that before, but Pond didn't budge.
"If you don't want to do it, I can ask your father to book you a flight back to the States," he said, teasing her.
Kate rolled her eyes, but she knew he was serious. She didn't want to go back home just yet, so she decided to tough it out and complete the tasks on the list.
The next few days were challenging for Kate, as she had never done anything like this before. She had to clean out the animal cages, feed them, and take them for walks. But as the days went by, she began to feel a sense of satisfaction and joy from helping the animals.
One day, as she was feeding the rabbits, she noticed that one of them was limping. She immediately took it to the veterinarian on the premises and was relieved when the rabbit was diagnosed with a minor injury that could be treated.
Pond noticed how happy she was when she returned, and he smiled at her. "See, you're starting to enjoy it, aren't you?"
Kate shrugged, but Pond could see the happiness in her eyes. He knew that she was slowly starting to understand the joys of helping others, including animals.
As the week came to an end, Pond noticed that Kate had become more confident and self-assured. She was no longer the spoiled