Never Judge

After a while Katerina calmed her doubts, she trusted Eric, but she couldn't help but feel inadequate. She wasn't as elegant and soft as Calathea or any of the other girls, her career didn't leave her room to act as one of the finely groomed ladies in the Capital, she had to be tough and even ruthless at times.

She was finishing up some documents when her phone began to ring, even before she picked it up she knew who it was.

"Hey darling." Katerina said sweetly.

"Mmmm, you've calmed down." Eric said over the phone. "I'm outside. Let's go."

"Five minutes and I'll be down. I need to put away some files." Katerina said as she dropped the call. 

She quickly put everything away and picked up her bag.

At the lobby one of her bodyguards was already waiting for her.

"Miss Katerina, there might be paparazzi waiting for you outside. News about Mr. Eric and Miss Calathea are all over the internet, your name has been implicated several times already." The bodyguard informed her as she walked towards the door.

Katerina stopped and let out a sigh.

"They will always be there, hungry for news. I can't live my life worried about what they will say or do." Katerina explained. "I'm sure they are camping out there, but should I put my life on pause for them?" Katerina asked with a smile as she marched out the door. 

Katerina spotted Eric's simple black SUV parked by the curb, it was heavily tinted so members of the media wouldn't be able to see who was inside. Eric often used this car to go to personal gatherings especially when visiting his family. 

At first it was only Katerina and her bodyguard walking from the building to Eric's car. Katerina almost thought that the paparazzi had decided to leave her alone, but she was quickly proven wrong. A minute after she stepped out of the building several people carrying cameras and voice recorders came rushing up to her.

"Miss Katerina, Miss Katerina!" They called out as they tried to catch her attention.

"How do you feel about Mr. Eric Chan and Miss Calathea Carpio rekindling their romance?" One reporter asked.

"Did anything happen between you and Mr. Eric?" Another called out.

"Is it true he dumped you for Miss Calathea?" Someone called out almost making Katerina laugh.

"This matter is between Calathea and Eric. It has nothing to do with me." Katerina said with a calm smile as she held the door to the back seat of the car. She knew that if she opened the front door the paparazzi would catch a glimpse of Eric in the driver's seat.

"So there is no relationship between you and Mr. Eric?" A reporter asked.

Katerina was sure that Eric was listening through the slightly open window of the front seat, and she really did not want to deny her relationship with Eric in front of the press.

"Aren't you here because of Eric's visit to Regis Inc.? Shouldn't that give you an answer to your own question?" Katerina asksed the reporter. "I have an appointment, please avoid blocking the building, this is a workplace and people need to get to work." Katerina said with a smile as she quickly opened the door and got into the back seat. She was hoping that she moved fast enough that the reporters didn't notice who was driving the car. 

"Smart answer." Eric said as soon as the door closed.

"I will never deny you in public, Eric." Katerina confidently told him as she wrapped her arms around his neck and planted a kiss on his cheek.

"I want that kiss on my lips, Katerina." Eric said as he looked at her through the rear view mirror.

"After you explain." Katerina told him.

"Move to the front. I want to hold your hand." Eric told her.

"I will be very ungraceful." Katerina said with an embarrassed laugh.

"I don't love you because you're graceful." Eric said sweetly.

Katerina gave in and moved to the front seat. Before her butt could land Eric pulled her onto his lap and kissed her passionately. Katerina wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back.

When their lips finally parted Katerina gave him a playful peck on the lips before finally moving to her seat.

"I can already see the next headline, President's Daughter hops into an unknown man's car in front of the paparazzi." Eric teased.

"Let's go, they're probably wondering why we hadn't left." Katerina said as she pointed at the reporters outside her window who continued to take photos of the unknown car.

"They will never figure this one out." Eric said with a grin. "I asked your dad for help to keep these plates hidden." Eric proudly told Katerina as he drove off leaving the crowd in the distance.

"So will you explain things to me?" Katerina asked, shifting the topic back to the issue at hand.

"You checked, didn't you?" Eric asked her.

"I did, but I trust you." Katerina told Eric as she squeezed his hand. 

"It was all part of Cedric and Ram's plan." Eric began to explain. "You know that there is talk about me being in love because I seem different during work, so Cedric and Ram decided to resurrect the old rumors about me and Calathea."

He glanced at Katerina who had remained silent and was simply listening to him. When he noticed she wasn't going to say anything he continued his story. 

"I parked my car outside Regis Inc.and waited to build up a crowd. I went over in a suit and brought flowers. I pretended that Calathea and I had a fight, so people felt like we were a couple and it wasn't odd for me to show up at the building. Other than that I have nothing to say." Eric said with a shrug.

"So it's all an act?" Katerina asked, making sure about what he had said.

"Yes Katerina. I love you and only you, no other woman will occupy my heart." Eric said with a smile as he lifted her hand to his lips and planted an innocent kiss. 

"Where are we going now?" Katerina asked as they stopped due to traffic.

"Cedric wants to tell us if we were successful and what we found. I decided to bring you along because I was disgusted by what I did in Regis Inc." Eric explained.

"I love you." Katerina said as she looked up at Eric who simply smiled and continued to drive.

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