Chapter 115
Kylan sat in his office, tapping his pen idly on the desk. Work held little appeal today, and when Kylan was bored, his thoughts often wandered. He glanced at the framed pictures on his desk, his eyes landing on one of him and Katrina. She was radiant, her smile lighting up the image. His mind instantly filled with her-how she'd been with him that morning, her laughter, her warmth, the way she'd melted against him. A hunger stirred in him, both for her presence and the serenity she brought.
Instinctively, he reached for his phone to call her, only to realize with a groan that he'd left it at home. Frustrated, he leaned back, letting his gaze linger on her picture. Kylan sighed, forcing himself to focus as he opened his laptop, determined to get through the mountain of work ahead. Yet, no matter how much he tried, thoughts of Katrina crept back in.
After an hour, Kylan frowned. Isabella, his current assistant, hadn't been in yet. Normally, she would have arrived by now, albeit with her usual loud energy and a perfume that could announce her presence before she entered the room. It wasn't like her to be late. Deciding to investigate, Kylan stood and walked to his door, pausing when he heard tiny footsteps and a familiar giggle.
He turned the corner and smiled. Sitting at Isabella's desk was his daughter, Clarence, her tiny hands patting the desk with serious determination.
"Well, hello there," Kylan said, leaning against the doorframe. "Are you my assistant today, Miss Clarence?"
Clarence beamed up at him. "Dada!"
Kylan chuckled and knelt down beside her. "You look very professional. Did your mummy dress you for the job?" "Yes!" Clarence exclaimed proudly.
Kylan reached out, gently tugging at her tiny blazer. "Well, you look amazing. The best assistant I've ever had."
"Kylan," Katrina's voice came from behind him, soft and melodic. He turned, his smile widening as he took her in. She was dressed impeccably in a fitted outfit that hugged her in all the right places, a professional elegance radiating from her. "I hope Clarence hasn't disrupted your morning." "Not at all," Kylan replied, his gaze lingering. "Though I think she's after Isabella's job."
"Well, she might be more efficient," Katrina teased, walking over to the desk and gently typing on the keyboard. "Isabella called in sick this morning. I dropped by her place to check on her, made sure she had everything she needed. Clarence even gave her a book and blew her a kiss-it was adorable."
Kylan smiled at the thought, but his focus remained on Katrina. "You always think of everything, don't you?"
She handed him his phone, which she'd retrieved from home. "Speaking of thinking ahead, you left this on the counter."
Kylan reached out, taking her wrist and gently pulling her closer. "What would I do without you?" he murmured before leaning in to kiss her. The kiss deepened, filled with the affection and passion that lingered between them. When Clarence giggled from her seat, they broke apart, laughing.
"Dada, kiss too!"
Kylan scooped his daughter into his arms, smothering her cheeks with kisses until she squealed with delight. "There, satisfied?"
Katrina smiled at the pair, then turned back to the desk. "All right, back to business. Isabella may be out, but that doesn't mean the office stops running." She glanced at Kylan. "You have a meeting in half an hour, and there's an urgent email from one of your top clients. Isabella didn't manage to resolve it yesterday."
Kylan raised an eyebrow. "What kind of issue?"
"One of the supply chains misfiled the shipment details, and they've been delayed for two weeks," Katrina explained as she pulled out her tablet. "Isabella tried to get through to the logistics team, but she didn't escalate it to the right department." Kylan sighed. "Of course."Content provided by NôvelDrama.Org.
"I'll take care of it," Katrina said confidently, already typing out an email as she walked to the office kitchen. "Go prep for your meeting. I'll have everything smoothed out by the time you're done."
After settling Clarence with her toys, she sat down on Isabella's seat, seamlessly balancing work and keeping an eye on your son. Kylan watched her from his office, remembering the days when she used to work here. She was always quick, efficient, and full of sass. "Bossy as ever," Kylan muttered, a grin tugging at his lips.
When Kylan returned to his office an hour later, Katrina was seated at Isabella's desk, Clarence happily drawing beside her.
"The logistics team has confirmed the shipment will arrive within 48 hours," Katrina announced without looking up. "I also negotiated a 5% discount for the inconvenience and sent a detailed report to the client."
Kylan shook his head in disbelief. "You're incredible, you know that?"
Katrina looked up, a playful glint in her eyes. "I was your assistant for a reason."
As the day went on, Katrina continued to impress. She reorganized Kylan's schedule to create more breathing room, followed up on overlooked tasks, and even found time to prepare lunch for both him and Clarence. Each time he saw her effortlessly handle challenges, he was reminded of why she had always been his favorite-efficient, proactive, and always one step ahead.
Katrina on the other hand couldn't believe it as she saw how Isabella cramped all schedules for Kylan, even going as far as giving him overtime schedules. No wonder her husband always went home late and was too exhausted to create a bonding time with them. Clarence wandered into Levi's office a little later, dragging a doll, both male and female. Levi picked her up and placed her on his lap, pretending to explain business deals. "This is important, Clarence. One day, you might take over." Clarence tilted her head. "Work?"
"That's right. But let's keep it fun for now."
When Katrina walked in with a tray of tea, Kylan lit up. She frowned playfully. "Something wrong?"
"No, just happy to see you," he admitted.
Katrina raised an eyebrow. "You don't usually look up when I bring tea."
"I've been dying to see you all day."
She set the tray down and handed him a cup. "You've been thinking about this morning, haven't you?" Kylan smirked. "Nonstop."
She laughed, crouching beside him. "Well, as much as I'd love to indulge, we have work to do. Also, I've caught up on Isabella's paperwork and filed her leave request. She'll be back in no time."
Kylan sighed. "You've always been amazing. Isabella's good, but she's not you."
She touched his knee. "She doesn't need to be me, Kylan. Everyone works differently. Isabella has her own strengths; she just needs time to grow into her role. Don't hold her to my standards. Besides," you added with a wink, "I only worked hard back then because
ted to
pay my school debts."
Kylan chuckled, pulling you closer. "A reason why you agreed to the contract, huh."
"Uh-huh. But look at us now. With an adorable Clarence on our side." Katrina stood, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Now, get to work. Clarence and I will be back with lunch."
When she returned with sandwiches and snacks, Clarence ran ahead, chanting, "Da-da-da!"
Kylan laughed, scooping his daughter up. "You brought the CEO, I see."
"Of course," she said, setting the tray on the coffee table. "Time for a family meeting."
The three of them sat together, sharing bites and laughter. Kylan leaned back, watching Katrina feed Clarence a piece of fruit.
"Priddy mommy," Clarence declared, clapping.
Kylan grinned. "That's right! Pretty mommy."
Katrina blushed. "Flattery will get you everywhere, my loves."
Kylan reached over, pulling her close. "I'm the luckiest guy alive."
"Dada!" Clarence cheered, clapping again.
Levi kissed his daughter's cheek, then leaned toward Katrina. "You both make my world."
She smiled, kissing him softly. "And you make ours."
Later that evening, as Katrina prepared to leave with Clarence, Kylan stopped her.
"You know," he said, leaning against the doorway, "having you back in the office today... it's hard not to miss what we had. You made everything run so smoothly, and not justat work."
Katrina smiled. "It's only for a few days, Kylan. Isabella will be fine. You just need to guide her a little differently."
He nodded, pulling her into a hug. "Still, there's no replacing you."
Clarence tugged at Katrina's sleeve. "Home, Mama?"
"Yes, sweetie," Katrina said, lifting her daughter into her arms. She glanced back at Kylan. "We'll see you at dinner, Mr. CEO. Try not to work too late."
As they left, Kylan couldn't help but smile, already looking forward to the moment he could join them at home.