For the entire weekend I had thought about it. It was even easier to do so since I didn't really have a social life whenever my friends were busy, and conveniently, Jake had gotten some extra hours at work and Julian and Harper were away on that wedding date.

Though don't get things wrong, thinking about it was good. I got the chance to gather my thoughts, see where I made mistakes in my assumptions in the past and then feel horrible for those times in preparation to improve my behaviours towards my boss. And it was almost as if I had accomplished my goals when I returned to work that Monday. I had managed to alter my mind to be only a bit more understanding and sympathetic towards Riddian, but just not full out changed.

The plan (gosh I am really starting to hate those) was to be normal, but open-minded, and everything had been perfectly set towards this 'normal' thing I was trying to achieve, until I reached before Riddian's door and was reminded that he was Riddian, I was Katherine and this was the freaking Remora House we were talking about. That combination didn't do normal.

But I should've known something was up though. It should've been expected! I had been feeling positive all morning and heck, I had even anticipated not having much mood swings today. But how stupid had I been? Apparently stupid enough to knock on that hard, wooden door that morning and think that I would've actually gotten the normal day that I had wanted.   

"Um sir?"

See? Stupid enough.

I rapped the door again and pursed my lips. An exaggerated eye roll escaped me at the thought of having to be polite in such a moment and I was about to knock again when I realised it was probably of no use.

I tried turning the knob. Still, nothing.

The door was actually locked.

Something I had never witnessed in my entire time of working there. Then I almost jumped at the sound of a familiar but not too familiar voice behind me.

"Looking for Mr. Remora?"

I turned to see one of the few employees of this floor, Horace Montgomery, a guy I had only ever met once in the break room a few weeks back.

"Yes?"

"He's not coming in today," he replied and then turned to retreat from my eye sight.

I stared after his retreating back and only blinked as I tried to wrap my head around his words. I was so confused I wondered if I had gone brain-dead. It was not until my co-worker's back disappeared into the next corridor that I could think clearly and react appropriately.

"What on earth do you mean by he's not coming in today?" I snapped.

I slammed the cup onto my desk and grabbed my phone out from my bag. Hurriedly, I dialed the number. Seconds after the phone had begun ringing, a woman's voice answered, and I have to admit that I was shocked.

"Who is this?" I asked, a hand on my hip.

"I'm sorry, I believe you're the one calling so you should tell me who you are first," she replied.

I pursed my lips in restrained anger. In case it wasn't noticeable, I was not in the mood for any sense right now.

"Okay listen here lady, I don't know who you are, but I called to speak to that man. And if you don't put him on right this instance, I can't promise any nice responses from m-"

"Hello?" a different woman's voice suddenly cut over the phone.

"Who the heck is this now?" I asked hitting my hand against my desk. Why on earth were all these women answering Riddian's phone!

"This is Lorena," the person responded.

"Where the heck is Riddian and why are you two answering his phone!" I hissed crazily. The women seemed unaffected by my mental instability at the moment as instead of answering my question, they began speaking amongst themselves.

"Camille, who is this?" the Lorena woman asked the first one.

"I don't know, the caller ID said 'Homicidal and busybody' so I have no clue."

He did not!

"Homici- homicidal and busy- I'm going to kill him!" I screamed into the phone. "Let me speak to Riddian now!"

"She calls him Riddian? Who is this?" one of the women spoke.

"I am going to be your worst nightmare if you don't put Riddian on!"

It was as if my words were falling on deaf ears as the two ladies went on to ignore me for the next few minutes until the line suddenly went dead and I was fuming to an infinite extent.

I would've crushed my phone if I could, but I couldn't so I just angrily called the number back.

"Hello?"

"Where. The hell. Is Riddian?" I asked, mad now, and that was not even because a completely different woman was speaking now, but because I wasn't getting to talk to the person I had been asking for since. The first. Minute!

"Riddian?" the woman asked.

"Yes! Riddian! Mr. Remora! Whatever you know him as! The blasted owner of this phone!"

The person seemed stunned but then she cleared her throat and I heard a seductive tone seep into her voice.

"Oh Riddian," she gave an annoyingly sweet giggle, "We left him in bed."

My mind went blank.

My face went blank.

My ears rang.

"Wait what?" I asked through what was barely a whisper.

"You didn't hear me? I said we left him in bed. Didn't he tell you that he wouldn't be coming in today? I can't even blame him though since last n-"

"Last ni-... you mean... the th-three... I mean-?" I couldn't even be ashamed of the first thought that fluttered into my mind. I stuttered horribly in disbelief.

"Uh yes? Why do you seem so shocked?" The woman asked. "Wait, we are talking about Riddian Remora right?"

"Argh!" I let out a strangled sound as I pulled my hair a little too tightly after  I had been holding on to it for strength. I don't know why but at the thought of all this, my heart sank. I knew he was a bastard... I just never thought of him as this kind, plus just after last week...?

I was about to blubber something else when one of the ladies who had been talking to me first could be heard from somewhere, talking.

"Ms. Remora, did you want-"

The line suddenly went silent as if it had been covered and I suddenly snapped out of my shocked state.

"Wait Ms. Remora?" I repeated confused. And then it all made sense. I had been so shocked I hadn't even recognised her voice.

"Ms. Remora?" I gritted out slowly into the phone just as it was uncovered. "Whitney!"

"Oh ah, hello Katherine," she drawled mischievously and I almost reached through the phone and slapped her.

"Why the heck would you do that?" I asked with rage.

"Oh come on, it was fun," she groaned. "And now I know that you have a thing for my brother!" she sang.

"What?"

"Don't what me? The t-th-three of yo-ou? He was with... three... you...," she mocked me endlessly and I blushed embarrassed.

"I didn't... I didn't mean-" I stopped with a sigh. "Where's Riddian?" I asked defeated.

"Probably still in bed-"

"Wait you were serious-?"

"-in Japan."

"What?"

"He left the country Saturday night and won't be back until probably Thursday."

My eyes grew.

"What!" I shrieked. "He left the country?"

"Well first of all, my ear is right next to the phone Kat," she chastised, "and second, he and Dominic were sent there by dad for some business."

I gave an angry chuckle. "You have got to be joking."

"Nope, but hey, if you are his assistant why don't you already know this? Aren't you like, suppose to be in Japan with him?"

"That's what I would like to know as well," I replied with a fist to the door, but then I shook my head with a sigh. "Well do you at least have the number of the phone he has with him?"

"Sorry, nope. He wouldn't give it to me because he claims he doesn't want someone contacting him." She paused. "Any idea who?" Then without another word she hung up.

"Whitney!"

She might be my friend but it seemed as though Riddian wasn't the only one with manner issues.

I dialled the number one last time. There was one more thing I just needed to know..

"Kat-?"

"Who were the woman from before? Camille and Lorena?"

"Riddian's house staff."

I sighed in relief.

"Why? Feeling a little jealous? Getting jelly in your bel-"

This time I hung up and put my phone on silent. 

:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:

The date was Thursday, three days after finding out that the man had abandoned ship and left me to fight his daily battles on my own... but though I was pissed, even more that the office was still unopened and I couldn't take residence there, I was more bored than angry. I had reached that point where I was tapping my pen against my desk while lolling my head from side to side. The feeling was surprisingly not all that nice.

I had nothing to do... Or maybe I should've rephrased that since I had lots of things to do but I just didn't feel like doing them.

I chuckled crazily. I guess there were still a few perks to Riddian not being in office, but I was still mad at him.

I laid my head back onto the desk and dropped my eyes to the floor. I don't know for how long I stayed like this but it must have been quite a while since I was slowly feeling myself drift off to sleep when I saw a flash of grey go past me in what seemed to be suit pants.

I looked up immediately.

There was nothing... so I looked to my right just in time to see the door to Riddian's office closing softly.

I jumped up instantly.

"No," I breathed in disbelief, "It couldn't be..."

I flung the door open and marched inside. My jaw dropped at the sight before me.

"You sneaky bastard!"

The shoulders of the man before me went rigid as he tensed, and then slowly, he turned around and in the most dispondent voice muttered, "Oh, Ms. Harrington. I was really hoping you hadn't seen me."

Not even a second of silence managed to wedge its way between his words and mine as immediately, I started my speech.

"Have you any idea what I have been through for the past three days?" I snapped.

"And here we go-"

"Four meetings! One analysis! Five supervisions! That's what I've had to deal with in your absence, and no one was pleased with cancelling last minute though what choice did they have when someone couldn't pick up his phone and warn me in advance! I mean I had to hear that you wouldn't be here from your sister and some guy whose name is the only this I know about him!" I rambled pointing a pointy fingernail at him. 

"And you know what made it even worse? I am your assistant! And after I finally thought that we were making progress in our toxic employer-employee relationship, you do this! You just upped and went away! And to where? Of all places, to Japan! Do you know how much I would have loved to be in Japan? Of course not because you didn't tell me that you were going for me to annoy you about how much I would want to go there as well! And hello there mister but you better not be hung over at ten am in the morning or I swear to God- !" I almost screamed, narrowing my eyes at Riddian who was holding his head as he fell into a couch with his eyes closed.

He groaned and then glared at me. "Of course I'm not Ms. Harrington, I don't drink. But maybe I should've since anytime you are in my presence you always seem to bless me with a splitting headache anyway."

I blanched.

"You little-"

Positive energy Kat... Positive energy!

I bit down any further comments that was tempted to push their way into the world and instead stretched a smile onto my face. Just that. Just a smile, because I knew that if I allowed out anything more than a smile, one of us would probably find himself hung over the balcony in the next few seconds.

Riddian looked back at me after a few minutes. He had an eyebrow raised, probably questioning my sudden silence, but I held up a hand requesting two more minutes before I could trust myself again, and he only rolled his eyes as he began making himself comfortable on his couch.

When I finally found myself able to form words acceptable in a boss and employee relationship, I walked over to the couch he was lounging in. 

"Well Riddian, I'm happy to see that you're back, but that is only because you have a conference meeting in a couple of hours that I could not delay any further than today."

The man looked away from me and proceeded to remove his jacket, tie and then his cufflinks so that he could turn and lay down on the couch comfortably. His eyes closed and he sighed exhaustedly and though I was still mad at him I couldn't help feeling a bit... well, not sorry for him! Gosh no! But maybe something a little close to that....

"Tell everyone it is postponed until further notice. I'm not in the mood."

Okay so not sorry for him.

"I can't do that. I already postponed it on your call last week to Tuesday and I postponed on Tuesday because you weren't here. The executives are starting to say... stuff about you thinking that you're higher up than them and it's not looking too good for the company."

He briefly glanced at me.

"And so? Am I not? They are merely stating the facts and unless they want me coming there in a bad mood they will wait until I say the meeting will be held."

I fidgeted.

"Well sir, it's either you go in a bad mood or the meeting starts without you because... the director of Karinite's said that if you wouldn't accommodate them here, they would proceed with the meeting at his building."

That alone had Riddian slowly turning his head towards me.

"Excuse me?" he asked causing me to gulp. "He said what now?"

I didn't need to answer.

Riddian sat up and grabbed his things again. I could see the tiredness on his face but it was being hid progressively by his anger now surfacing. I didn't blame him. As one of the top investors in the group they had created, they had no right to cut him from any meeting he was interesting in joining and now they would see what a mistake they made. We were going to crash their little party and it was going to be cruel...

:*:*:*:*:*:*:

"Yes, I'll be there soon," Riddian spoke on the phone to who knows who. "No that won't be necessary... Just take a note of all that is taking place before I arrive... I'll see you." He hung up the phone and turned back to us.

"Mr. Jones, how long now?"

Mr. Jones glanced through the rearview mirror for a quick second to tell him two minutes. That also gave my boss enough time to fix his jacket and the glare on his face so that it would be in perfect condition when he stormed that building. I have to admit that even I myself was intimidated at the moment but I would never say a word, and as Mr. Jones said, in less that two minutes we were parked before Karinite's place.

Mr. Jones was about to leave the car to come around and open the door for Riddian but he and I were both surprised when our boss stopped him and asked that he give us a minute alone. I was a bit confused by this because what could he want to say to me that couldn't be said before Mr. Jones, but I didn't protest.

He looked at me carefully as soon as Mr. Jones' door had shut.

"Something wrong sir?" I asked, feeling the need to be polite at the moment. The atmosphere seemed serious and since I had no idea what he wanted to speak of, I didn't want to throw him off.

Riddian didn't answer for a moment and only stared at me. When he finally spoke I was left confused.

"You didn't tell anyone, did you?" he asked.

My eyebrows crinkled.

"What? I don't-" I shut up as soon as I realised what he meant. "Ah, no sir. I would never," I replied firmly.

He looked a bit relieved and for a moment I saw a totally different person from the strong, confident though horrible person I knew him as, and I almost smiled.

"Good... Keep it that way." And then he was out the car and heading off into the building.

Author's note:

Y'all must be so mad at me. It has been months since I last updated but I have been busy with school and exams are also up in like a week so I'll be even more busy. I promise to update as quickly as I can in the coming weeks but things might be slow until the holidays😊. Thanks to all those who wait though, encouraging me to continue writing.

And until the next,

💕S4_angel