Chapter 27: Awkward punishment
The drive to the office was quiet, not due to tension, but because the atmosphere was filled with awkwardness. Even Thompson himself felt uncomfortable.
"Haha." Kathe couldn’t control the mocking chuckle.
"What are you laughing about?" Jark asked.
"I never knew that you were quite popular," Kathe teased.
"Of course I’m popular. Even dogs and cats know about me," Jark said proudly.
"Oh, I see," Kathe said with a naughty smile.
"What do you see?" Jark asked.
"I see why I never heard of you. That’s because you are only popular among dogs and cats," Kathe mocked him.
All the proud look vanished from Jark’s face. Thompson couldn’t help but chuckle too.
"Why are you laughing?" Jark asked Thompson.
Thompson quickly faked a cough as he tried to maintain his composure.
"Stop the car," Jark ordered the driver. Within seconds, the car was parked. "Get down."
"Boss, I wasn’t laughing. It... came..." Thompson tried to defend himself.
"I know. That’s why I’m asking you to get down from the car," Jark smirked at him.
"He didn’t mean to laugh," Kathe tried to defend Thompson.
"Do you want to join him?" Jark asked as he raised his thick eyebrows at her.
His question shut Kathe up.
Thompson got down from the car.
"You can use your feet to get to the office."
"Isn’t that too..." Kathe was about to defend him again, but Jark gave her another look, and she quickly stopped talking. She didn’t want to join in the punishment. She could only give Thompson a pitying look.
"And also, I want you to get to the office before I do."
Thompson could only open his mouth and close it again. This wasn’t the first time he was getting such punishment.
Kathe couldn’t imagine that such a punishment existed as she stared at Jark in shock while the car drove away, leaving Thompson on the road.
"He doesn’t need your sympathy. Here, focus on understanding the company more." He took out another book and gave it to Kathe to read. She could only collect the book in silence.
The more she read, the more she discovered that the book he gave her wasn’t about the company, but it seemed like it was his punishment for her. She raised her head to look at him, but his eyes were shut.
She raised the book in a gesture as though she was about to hit him.
"Dare you."
Kathe’s hand paused midway when she heard his voice.
"I thought you were asleep."
"You wish I was," he replied, his eyes still closed.
Kathe could only sit in the car quietly.
.........................................
The car pulled up in front of a massive building. Kathe didn’t even know how to describe it. Before she knew it, the words came out of her mouth.
"Is this the company?"
"No, it’s my family empire. Let’s go," Jark said.
They both came down from the car. Kathe was able to compose herself as she walked beside Jark with her head held high.
On getting to the door, they found Thompson waiting there. Kathe was surprised. She had been so carried away by how amazing the empire was that she had forgotten about Thompson.
"How did you get here?!" she couldn’t help but exclaim.
Thompson could only smile at her without a reply as he pushed the door open and they walked in.
All the receptionists’ eyes were on Kathe, especially because of how close she was to Jark.
"Who is she?"
"No female has ever walked that close to Boss in the office before."
"I wonder who she could be."
"She is looking so sexy. She’s indeed a beauty."
Kathe could hear the whispers, and she was sure that Jark heard them too. They kept staring at them even when they were in the glass elevator.
Kathe kept feeding her eyes with the surroundings in amazement.
"You will be staying in my office today. Thompson will arrange a perfect office for you tomorrow."
"Hmmm, I forgot to ask. You never told me the position I applied for," Kathe asked. Due to her excitement, she had forgotten to ask about her role in the company.
"My personal assistant."
"Oh," Kathe said with a smile on her face.
.........................................
During the afternoon break, Rhea walked to the coffee stand. Just as she was close to the coffee bar, she heard the workers whispering. She didn’t care to eavesdrop on the gossip, but when she heard that it was about Jark, she stood by the side and listened.
"The boss hasn’t been out since he came to the office with the lady."
"I think she used her charm on the boss."
"Even Miss Rhea can’t stay in the boss’s office for close to an hour, but the lady has been in the office for hours."
"Who do you think she is to the boss?"
Rhea knew who they were talking about. She left the coffee stand silently in anger. She walked to the restroom to lash out her anger, but on getting there, she also heard the female workers gossiping about Kathe.
"She really looked sexy in her suit."
"She seemed to match Boss’s energy."
"Do you think they are a pair?"
Rhea turned and returned to her office. On getting there, she shut the door and threw all the files on the ground.
"First at home, now at the office." Rhea couldn’t control her anger as she kept pacing around the office. "Jark..." She dashed out of her office.
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"Thompson, is Jark in the office?" Rhea asked when she sighted Thompson walking out of Jark’s office.
"Yes, he is," Thompson replied as he looked at her keenly.
She was about to go in, but Thompson stopped her halfway.
"You can’t go in now. He’s busy."
"I have important files to ask him about," Rhea insisted.
"You can ask me."
"Will it be important if I have to tell you about them?"
"Then you have to wait for him to be less busy." Thompson stood firm.
Rhea had to return to her office in anger.
All through the day, Kathe spent it in Jark’s office as everyone kept wondering about her identity.
Rhea had to drive back with Thompson again. She was already fuming with anger.
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