Chapter 7 Are You Still into David?
1426 Words
David finally got it. No wonder Kate looked at him that way earlier.
He had even thought she was stalking him, and now, he felt completely embarrassed.
Fiona, standing next to him, couldn't believe it either. This was a top-tier restaurant, one that even she and David had trouble getting into. How the hell did Kate get into the VIP room effortlessly?
"David, looks like Kate's not as simple as we thought. She must know some pretty important people," Fiona grumbled, her voice tinged with jealousy.
David's stomach churned at her words. He immediately caught on, his face twisting with disgust. "I can't believe Kate would do something so shameless! Fiona, you gotta stay away from her."
"I see, David. Trust me, I only have eyes for you," Fiona reassured him.
Meanwhile, inside the VIP room, Kate was eating elegantly.
Ryan couldn't help but stare at her and said, "You know, people keep saying you're a country bumpkin who doesn't know manners. But I'm not seeing that at all. You're not just beautiful, Kate, you've got a natural flair for the camera too."
Kate flashed a slight smile and said, "Thank you, Mr. Jones."
Ryan was still watching her with interest, but suddenly, he felt a cold, sharp stare. He looked up and saw Maximilian, who seemed to be lost in his own world while eating.
Ryan thought to himself, 'Was it just my imagination?'
Ryan leaned in and asked, "Bro, have you found the Touch of God yet?"
"Not yet," Maximilian answered, his eyes never leaving his plate.
"The Touch of God?" Kate couldn't help but ask. "Why are you looking for her?"
"Mr. Lockwood Sr. isn't doing well. We've been trying to track down the Touch of God. She's the best doctor around. They say she can snatch people from the jaws of death," Ryan explained, a little wistful. "But she's elusive, and we've got no leads."
Ryan waved it off and continued, "Forget that. Enjoy the food, Kate. Let me know if you need anything else."
Once they finished their meal, Ryan said, "Dude, let's separate here. I'll give Kate a ride home."
Kate shook her head and said, "No need. I can grab a taxi."
Ryan grinned and put a hand on her shoulder. "Oh, it's my pleasure to give you a ride."
The next second, Maximilian grabbed Ryan's wrist and put it down. Ryan turned around and met Maximilian's piercing gaze.
Maximilian said flatly, "I'm just going in the same direction. You can go back to the office."
"Uh... You..." Ryan still wanted to say something, but Maximilian's sharp gaze made him freeze.
Ryan thought in confusion, 'What the hell? Are they really going in the same direction?'
As Ryan was on his way to the office, he couldn't resist checking the locations of Lockwood Group and Kate's place. They were in totally opposite directions!
He shot a message to Maximilian.
Ryan: Dude, why don't you want me to give Kate a ride? You don't have a thing for her, do you?
Maximilian: Kate is the granddaughter of the Bennett family. Our grandfathers are close friends. Don't get any funny ideas.
Ryan: What the hell? You think I'm just some guy looking to hook up?
Maximilian: Yep, you are.
Ryan: My heart broke!
But deep down, Ryan couldn't deny that Kate's face was indeed alluring.
Meanwhile, after finishing their meal, David and Fiona headed off to do some luxury shopping.
Fiona returned to the car with her designer bags and cooed, "David, haven't you heard from Divine Silk yet? Their promotional images are going out the day after tomorrow. They've got to be anxious right now, right?"
David shrugged and replied, "Not yet. I bet they're just trying to figure out how to explain this to Christopher. It's all Kate's fault. That damn woman insisted on being the spokesperson, and now we're all screwed. The folks at Divine Silk must hate her to the core too!"
"Yeah, Kate's so full of herself," Fiona sighed.
However, her mind was already racing with malicious thoughts. 'Kate, you've pissed off so many people. Let's see how long you can keep that act up in this industry.'
Just then, David's phone rang. It was his agent.
"What? No way! There's no way Divine Silk would ditch me! They really blacklisted me?" David's voice was full of disbelief and rage.
Fiona's face turned serious as she listened. Once the call ended, she quickly asked, "David, what's going on?"
"Divine Silk picked someone else for the male spokesperson. How the hell is that possible? Is there anyone better than me? And don't they worry about crossing the Lockwood family? I swear, whoever took my spot is gonna regret it!"
This was a top-tier brand.
David was already an A-list star, but it was still his first time working with this brand. And now they were just handing it to someone else.
Fiona was just as shocked. She couldn't believe anyone would dare steal David's spot.
"Do you think this has something to do with Kate? Grandpa did this for her?" Fiona mused, her mind turning. That was the only possibility she could think of. Her jealousy burned, and she didn't expect that old man to really go this far for Kate!
"David, it's alright. Only the excellent ones can hold onto it for long. Not everyone is as good as you," Fiona said, a cold glint flashing in her eyes.
She thought bitterly, 'The higher you climb, the harder you fall. Don't you know that, Kate?"
*****
In the luxury car, Kate received a call from her grandfather.
He wanted her to stay in his house. Kate agreed—after all, returning to the Hastings family meant dealing with parents who didn't really care for her. It was the better option to stay with someone who adored her.
"Mr. Lockwood, can you take me to Bennett Manor?" Kate asked.
Maximilian nodded and told the driver, "Bennett Manor then."
Once that was sorted, he returned to his work. It seemed like he was always busy.
Kate couldn't help but think that a man looked incredibly attractive when he was working.
But she was confused that despite all these years, there seemed to be no woman by his side.
Kate guessed maybe he had someone special in his heart.
Her thoughts wandered wild.
"Ah!"
A sudden sharp turn threw Kate toward Maximilian. Luckily, Maximilian was quick enough to catch her by the waist, and she ended up falling right into his embrace.
The driver apologized to them, "Sorry, sir, ma'am! Someone cut in front of us."
Maximilian gazed down at Kate in his arms. Her skin was flawless, and she was as delicate as a doll.
"You okay?" he asked, his voice low.
"I'm good. Thank you, Mr. Lockwood." Kate pulled herself back, her ears burning.
Maximilian's voice turned sharper as his piercing eyes locked on her. "Are you still into David?"
Kate blinked and replied, "No, not at all. He's all flash and no substance."
"You've got an eye for it," Maximilian said and showed the faintest trace of admiration in his eyes.
Kate thought, 'Seems like Max isn't fond of his nephew.'
She grinned, trying to sweet-talk him. "I'm just glad you're in charge of Lockwood Group. If it were David, who knows how bad things would get!"
Flattering the big shots was always a good move, especially since the old Kate had no connections at all.
She knew clearly how important connections and resources were in an industry, so she needed to build some for her future career.
"You're a smooth talker," Maximilian remarked, a playful smile tugging at his lips.
"I'm not, Mr. Lockwood. I'm just speaking the truth. You're not only handsome and talented, but you've got the whole package. It's no wonder you're the dream guy for all the socialites in Portswood. You don't look a day over 30!" Kate laughed, trying to lighten the mood.
But to her surprise, Max's expression grew cold. Kate's smile faltered, and she wondered, 'What just happened? Why does he suddenly look so grim? Well, the big shots are always changeable!'
Seeing Maximilian go silent, Kate shrugged it off, letting her thoughts wander to something else—Divine Silk's promo photos were almost done!
Ryan had shown her the raw shots during their meal, and they looked pretty great.
Once the final edits were in, they'd be even more stunning.
By then, it was time to give Fiona and her uncles a little slap in the face!
- Writer
