Contract Marriage with My CEO Boss (Kylan and Katrina) novel Chapter 4

Half an hour later, she was back in an SUV with Oscar, waiting for Kylan to make his appearance. Every two weeks, she had dinner with Keith, Kylan’s uncle. He was an angel investor for Ross Corp, and the only thing he asked in return, was to have dinner with Kylan.

Keith was someone that Kylan could tolerate slightly more than others, much like Ryan and herself. Sometimes, he asked her to go to dinner too, and other times he let her go home instead. She wasn’t surprised he would want her involved today, with the extra prevalent shadow hanging over his head.

Kylan finally made his way into the back seat of the car. He sat next to her, with only the middle seat in between them. She gave him a small smile, and he nodded his head at her.

“Did you-“ he began.

She knew what he was going to ask. “Your dry cleaning was picked up and taken home,” she told him calmly.

“And what about-“ he added.

“Your suit for the gala this weekend? Pressed and tailored. It’s at your home, too,” she said with the same calm tone.

Kylan nodded at her slowly, eyeing her carefully. “Right. Good work,” he said curtly.

It was the closest her boss ever came to saying thank you, and she smiled at him again in response.

Twenty minutes later, Oscar was dropping Katrina and Kylan off at the latest upscale restaurant Keith chose. Kylan had the decency to hold the car door open for her, and she nodded at him in thanks as she climbed out.

Keith was already waiting inside when they walked in, and the two of them made their way over to him, Kylan on her heels. She sat down across from Keith, with Kylan on her right.

“Ahh, my dear Kate. You’re still working for this grumpy little shit?” Keith asked her, lifting his glass of a far too expensive Cabernet Sauvignon, and taking a long drink from it.

She laughed and nodded. “I am.”

Kylan scoffed and lifted the glass of whiskey Keith had already ordered for him. “I wanted it neat, old man,” he complained about the ice in his cup.

“I’ll take that one if you don’t want it. I’ll order you a new one,” she offered her boss.

Kylan eyed her curiously before he handed her his whiskey. Katrina drank it easily, wincing as the fiery liquid skirted down her throat.

Dinner went as it always did, with Keith poking and prodding at Kylan relentlessly, and Kylan responding with less and less patience as time wore on.

Katrina entered the conversation where she felt it was relevant, but she spent the majority of the time enjoying her steak and vegetables quietly. It was really the only true draw from these fancy dinners: the expensive food.

She noticed that Kylan was looking at her more so than he usually did. She couldn’t read his expression, as always, but it was making her increasingly more on edge as time went on. She didn’t know what was on his mind, and it was making her nervous.

Finally, she finished dinner, and Keith stood to say farewell. “I still don’t know why you’re working for this one. You could do a lot better, Kate. Does he even pay you well?” Keith asked her, putting on his jacket in the process of speaking.

“He pays me well enough. I’ll forever have a mountain of student debt, but that’s not his fault. It’s just what happens when you have to pay your own way through school.”

Katrina shrugged nonchalantly, avoiding Kylan’s gaze. She didn’t normally discuss her pay with anyone and especially not in front of her boss.

Keith laughed and shook his head. “Give your assistant a raise, you damn brat,” he chastised Kylan.

She felt her face grow warm and looked down at the table in embarrassment. “Really, Keith. I’m fine. Thank you for the dinner, as always,” she told the older gentleman politely.

Kylan glowered at Keith but made no move to say anything at all.

Keith was used to his behavior and simply ruffled his hair, before he turned and walked from the restaurant.

Kylan was looking at her again, and she met his stare this time. “Sir? Shall we go?” she suggested.

He continued to stare at her for a moment longer, and she began to grow self-conscious.

“Do I have something on my face?” she asked him, grabbing a napkin and wiping her mouth swiftly.

“Your face is fine. Let’s go,” Kylan said quietly, standing from his chair and leading the way back to Oscar.

The drive home was silent and Katrina couldn’t quite pinpoint why, but Kylan seemed to be especially tense for the entirety of the ride. When Oscar dropped her off and she offered a goodnight, Kylan didn’t even look at her.

She wasn’t entirely put off by his behavior, but it did make her a little confused.

Finally making her way inside after an especially exhausting day, she kicked off her cursed heels and drew a bubble bath for herself.

Katrina promptly stripped her clothing and soaked in the warm, inviting soapy water for a long time. By the time her skin was properly wrinkled, she had got out and dressed in her usual nightgown. She brushed her teeth and removed her makeup. She finally walked to her bed, yawning the entire way.

She was just about to plug her phone in to charge when she received a text message. By this point, it was nearing midnight, and she was confused about who would be talking to her this late.

It threw her off even more when she saw the message from Kylan. He never communicated with her this way. It was either always through email, an in-person conversation, or via a phone call.

"I have something to discuss with you at our usual meeting, first thing in the morning," his text says.

"Is everything all right, Sir?" she replied.

"Go to sleep."

She stared at her phone in confusion. Why was he acting so strangely? What did he have to talk to her about, and why was he warning her beforehand?

"Yes, Sir. Goodnight."

He didn’t respond after that, and she was left feeling restless for a long while before her body finally allowed her to fall asleep.