Chapter Fifty-Seven – Still sick.
Secretary Ken looked at his watch clock for the ninth time.
“Sir Damien is late. Connor reported to school an hour ago. If he had dropped his wife at school, that should’ve taken only ten more minutes. Where else did he go off to?”
The door to his office opened and a smiling Damien walked in. “Good morning, Ken. Have you been waiting?”
He looked away from him, “No, I haven’t. The meeting has been concluded. Harris group agreed to engaging in the prospect you suggested to Governor Darwin.”
Damien’s eyes lit up. “Aww really? That group is really a good ally. Remind me to thank them personally.”
He plopped down on his chair and took of his suit.
Ken watched his movements before shutting his eyes. “The Harris group has your back all the time. I bet they must be expecting you to marry their youngest daughter.”
Damien froze, giving him a side glance.
“If they learn that you’re married, it will really choke them.” Ken added, running his hands through his hair.
Damien glanced at Ken displeased. “You mean to tell me that you hid the fact I’m married to them?”
“Many of your partners don’t know.” Ken replied.
“What?” Damien faced the young man.
His secretary rephrased. “I mean, even the world doesn’t know. In your status, you are still single. Your wife wants to keep it a secret, right? That’s also what I’m doing…”
“This is different!” Damien yelled. “Harris group should know, at least. One of the reasons I needed to get married was so their youngest daughter would take me off her radar!”
Ken looked surprised. Not because of his raised voice but the confession. He never knew Damien’s marriage was actually a way to protect himself from the Harris’s daughter.
“So your marriage wasn’t a convenience but a means to an end? No wonder. I always worried on what came over you.” He gave a big smile.
Damien sighed, rubbing his face. Why was everyone around him trying to get under his skin? “There are many reasons for that marriage. I can’t even begin telling you.”
“Yes, that Harris’s daughter is too much of a spoilt brat. And not very smart too. I understand.” Ken nodded at his words.
Damien fell back to his chair. Ken could be extremely dumb at times, despite being one of the smartest persons he knew. Most times he wondered if he was only acting oblivious.
“Whatever. Please, let the Harris group know that I’m married. Explain to them that I’m yet to make it public.” Damien reminded again to which Ken nodded.
“Any other report or should I just head home?”
Ken paused, frowning. “Anything happening at ‘home’?”
His emphasis on ‘home’ confused Damien. Damien wasn’t sure if he meant the hotel, which wasn’t exactly home. Or if he meant Arya, who was his home.
“Oh, I don’t mean I’m going back to the Wade’s mansion. I meant to the hotel. Arya is at the University now.” He answered all the possible questions.
Ken’s frown released. “I know she’s at the University. I only wondered why’d you be going back to the mansion. It’s still under repair.”
A relieved smile came to Damien’s lips. So that was the home he meant. And the monotonous way he spoke sometimes left Damien with lots of questions.
“I may be having lunch with Arya and her best friend later today. Wanna come?” he tried his luck.
He knew the possible response was a flat ‘no’. Or if he’d be polite, he’d say he has other engagements.
However since Ken took a while to answer, it raised Damien’s hopes high. “You might enjoy it. And her friend is pretty too.”
“Another low life commoner, isn’t she?” Ken said, harshly. “I don’t know what I stand to gain from eating with her.”
“Another?” Damien frowned. The first must be Arya. “Don’t be like that, Ken. Not all fingers are equal…’
“I don’t remember it being my fault.” Ken said flatly then smiled. “And to add that the phrase, ‘low life commoner’ was coined by you.”
Damien turned to him. “Me? I’m sure it was a thing already.”
“Well, I heard it from you first. Back then at middle school, you used it on lots of kids back then. Without them knowing though.” Ken smirked.
Damien could vividly imagine himself saying so. He had been a brat during his middle school days. “I doubt there’s anything I’m proud of during my middle school days.”
His head hung low and he reminisced the terrible things he had done. Things he hoped Arya never find out about.
A cold hand was placed in his shoulder. “Be proud you got over your sickness. Even if not a complete recovery.”
Shivers ran down Damien’s spine as Ken said those words. His heartbeat became faster and he couldn’t move. “I’m okay now, Ken. Are you cursing me or being worried about me?”
“I’m just worried.” Ken responded.
“Arya is a sudden person in your life yet you’re devoted to her. If it’s just to get Harris’s daughter off your back then fine but don’t be too involved…”
“I married her, didn’t I?” Damien asked. “I’m supposed to be involved! I didn’t have much ulterior motives when marrying her so I can as well enjoy my marriage!”
“You are either not understanding me or your mind is made up.” Ken sighed in conclusion seeing how he got angry quickly.
“My mind is made up. My marriage would work out. And I’d need your help. You helped me overcome during middle school. Now, help me conquer.” Damien took down his voice.
Was asking his friend for relationship advice always going to be this hard? It was exactly like in middle school.
Ken just hated him doing anything romantic and deemed it a waste of time or not worthy for a person of his caliber.
“Those were two different scenarios. In middle school, you were sick. Here, you aren’t. You should be able to pull it off by yourself.” Ken replied.
The last thing he’d be seen doing was encouraging to hang out with a strange woman.
“I wish I can pull it off myself. Arya is very unpredictable and despite whatever I may be, she doesn’t show me the signs I need.” Damien confessed.
Ken shot him a glare. His wife doesn’t show him the signs he needed. She doesn’t love him? “Then, is she a gold digger?”
“What? Where did that come from? How could you ask me that to my face?” Damien was bewildered.
A poker face came on Ken’s usually expressionless face. “But you just said she’s not romantically interested in you. Then why else did she marry you? Isn’t it for your money?”