Femme Fatale: The King's Deadly Temptress

Chapter 520: Don't tell King Charming

Looking up from her phone, Alianna noticed Katherine in deep thoughts. She realized that she had been a bit too rash of what she said about Damien's past, which caused the other to worry. Putting her phone away, she cleared her throat and said, "It's been years since Damien threw parties like those. He's over it." She pursed her lips into a thin line.

Katherine darted her gaze and met Ali's, and she could only smile at the other's attempt to diffuse her thoughts. Whatever Damien did in the past shouldn't matter, but it still left a slightly bitter taste when her mind forced her to think of unattractive scenes. Grabbing a glass of sparkling water, she drank it all at once and brushed her thoughts away.

Wanting to change the subject, Alianna scanned the room and noticed a man who had been near them since. He was sitting a couple of tables away by himself, and judging by his casual outfit, he didn't seem like someone who would choose Jade Oriental to dine for lunch. Furthermore, he had been glancing their way now and then.

"Did Damien get you a new bodyguard?" Alianna nodded at the man's direction.

Katherine followed her gaze and saw Noah sitting by himself. She met his eyes, but he quickly averted his stare soon after. "Yeah" was all she could utter.

"Where's the other one? Felix, was it? That hottie"

A guttural chuckle escaped Katherine's throat. She remembered a time a few months ago when she and Ali went shoppingback then, Felix used to follow her around while keeping a safe distance. However, Ali being Ali thought that he was some kind of a stalker or someone who was just really interested in her'The hot stalker' was Felix's title then.

Alianna confronted Felix, and Katherine was late to clarify who he wasin the end, Alianna was embarrassed to know the truth. And to this date, the two ladies still laugh when they remember it.

"He's on leave," said Katherine. More like 'hiding', but she couldn't tell her that, of course.

"Gosh. Damien's really protective of you, isn't he?" Alianna leaned against the backrest of her chair when their food arrived. "It's understandable, though. I'm surprised he didn't have ten of his men to look after you."

"Trust me; they're around here somewhere You just don't notice them," Katherine muttered as they began to eat.

"You mean there's more?!" Alianna's eyes went wide as she looked around, trying to figure out who the bodyguards were, but Katherine just smiled and shifted their conversation back to Alianna's wedding.

Just as they finished eating, footsteps were heard from the side, and they looked at the direction where the sound was coming from. A man in his late fifties surrounded by three men approached them. The man in the middle was Jun HaraCEO of Hara Construction. Katherine had only seen him once in the news, and she wondered why he was coming. From her periphery, she noticed Noah shift in his seat as if he was ready to dash but he remained seated.

"Are you Ms. Katherine Young by any chance?" asked the man next to Mr. Hara.

"Yes," Katherine answered.

Jun Hara stepped forward and extended a hand towards her. "Good afternoon, Ms. Young. I'm Jun Hara from Hara Construction."

Feeling weird about the whole situation, Katherine got up from her seat and received the man's handshake, squeezing it firmly. She could see his resemblance with his daughter, Margaret. "It's a pleasure to meet you, President Hara. How can I help you?"

Jun Hara smiled, clearly pleased that she knew him. He shook his head and kept his hands behind his back as he responded, "I just came from a meeting and saw you on my way out. I thought I recognized you from the news. I only stopped by to say congratulations on winning the project. I heard from my people that your presentation was outstanding."

"Oh" she smiled back out of politeness. "Thank you, President. It was the whole team's effort and not just my own. I will be sure to relay your greeting to them. Hara Construction was a tough competitor."

"Ah" Jun Hara nodded. "Please know that I am genuinely happy, and I accept defeat. After all, it's your grandfather and father's company. I have so much respect for them."

"You know them personally?" she wondered.

"Yes. Although our companies are competitors, we all belong in the same field. So it's natural to meet from time to time. Your father and I went to the same university, so we're a bit familiar with each other. He was a genius."

Katherine smiled and then tried to make small talk. "I met your daughter. She's quite a lovely lady."

"YouYou met Margaret?" Jun Hara's expression changed. He stood straight and tilted his head, his brows knitting together.

"Yes," she answered naturally. "I met her during the meeting at the Crown Hotel. We actually bumped into each other outside the function room while she was looking for her husband; she was also there on the day of the bidding."

While saying this, she noticed an apparent change in the atmosphere. Even Alianna's brows furrowed as she wondered aloud, "Margaret's married? To whom? When? Was it a secret wedding?"

Katherine's eyes darted from Alianna's questioning to Jun Hara's confused expression. The man next to him whispered something to his ear. He seemed to be President Hara's assistant.

Turning to Katherine, Jun Hara said, "Ladies, I'm afraid I have to take my leave. It's nice meeting you, Ms. Young." She didn't have the chance to respond as they had already headed towards the exit.

"That's surprising. I didn't know Margaret was already married." Alianna got up from her seat and shrugged, then she excused herself to go to the comfort room.

Katherine sat back down on her chair, shaking her head at Noah when he arched a brow at her as though he was asking if something was wrong. 

She stared at the beautiful vase on the center of the table as her mind brought her back to the conversation just a while ago. It didn't escape her that Ali's reaction was notable on top of Jun Hara's baffled expression. Something wasn't right and her gut was churning at the thought of it.

Her fingers rapidly tapped the table before she eventually grabbed her phone and called Styles who answered on the first ring.

"What can I do for you, My Queen?" he asked.

"I need you to do a thorough background search on Margaret Hara, daughter of Jun Hara. Apparently, she was in Japan for years and came back this year. That's all I know," she replied.

"Who is this chick? Why are we looking into her?" Quick tapping sounds of keys were heard from the other line, and she assumed that Styles had already started his research.

"Damien's ex."

"Ohho ho! Getting sneaky, are we? I didn't know you can be so jealous that you're digging up King Charming's exes now. Who else are we searching? Back then, I found several models and actresses that were rumored to be dating him. Who do you want to check?"

Ignoring Styles's remark, she responded with a serious face, "Just her. There's something odd about her I had a weird feeling whenever I met her. Just run it, and keep this between us for now. Got it?"

"Don't tell King Charming. Got it," he confirmed before she ended the call.

Katherine was almost certain that she would find something. And until she knows what it is, this uneasy sensation whenever she thinks about that woman wouldn't go away.