"Hello Patricia." Jason greeted as she sat down across him.

"Jason. I have to admit I was surprised when I received your call." She smiled at him.

​​

"I hope I'm not keeping you from anything." He said.

"No that's not what I meant, it's just if I had known helping you with your work would result in your attention, I would have done so sooner." She pushed her bone straight hair away from her shoulder in an attempt to expose her delicate neck line.

Jason brows furrowed at her statement, 'she would have done it sooner?' What the hell is going on?

Patricia bit her lip, 'too much?' She asked herself. "Work more suitable to me, perhaps you should throw more parties." She said, diluting her earlier statement.

"I'm not much of a fan, I tend to do the bare minimum." He gave her a tight smile.

"Well I hope we can find a balance then." She said smoothly.

"Ah... yes do you want anything?" He asked.

"Hmmm... some wine? Non alcoholic ofcourse you must still have work to do." She said.

Jason nodded, motioning to the waiter.

"How are the preparations coming along?" He asked after he made the order. "I hope it's not too tasking for you."

"Of course, such things are my strong suit. It like a breeze." She laughed.

"Great then, I was hoping we could make some changes." He stated bluntly.

Patricia brow rose in suspicion but she let him continue. Ugh! She hated how she had to walk on eggshells around him.

"I would like some... something extra like a theme." He suggested.

"There's already a theme, a ball isn't a ball without a theme." She said. "I was thinking something more elegant, like a black and white ball." She stated.

"That's boring, everyone already wears black and white and other monochromatic colours at the office, how about a masquerade ball." He suggested. The waiter came back and served their wine, stepping backwards.

"That's highly inconvenient, I mean how will you identify your board members easily? Besides it such a bother for the ladies and their expensive makeup." She frowned, nursing her drink.

"Then they shouldn't use expensive makeup if they'll be bothered by it." He simply shrugged. "Besides, if don't already know the profile of each board member then I wouldn't be Chairman."

"So basically you're not asking you're telling." She surmised.

"Exactly. Oh and the venue let's change it. We'll have the party at my manor. I'll get you in touch with my head servant and you can discuss the proceedings." He said curtly.

Patricia fought the urge to flip the table over, why ask her to plan the party if he was just going to change everything? But still she couldn't just agree quietly.

"Don't you think you're being too much, I mean changing the venue that's a bit rash." She complained.

"Well I didn't expect you to take this lying down. What do you want in return?" He asked.

Patricia eyes widened slightly, did he just give her a loop hole? "Well I did want the press in attendance."

Jason laughed inwardly, ofcourse. "I'll allow one person. The security details will be sent along, if that would be all." He said standing.

"Wait a minute, I don't even know where your manor is, when can I see it?" She asked.

Jason paused, he hadn't actually thought of that. Patricia would definitely insist on going to his manor at least twice and with good reason. How does he explain this to Jessie?

"Jason?" Patricia called out to him.

"-but if Jessie is jealous of Patricia I hope you know what that means?"

"I'll arrange for it, but a heads up you cannot know the location. So you'll have to be blindfolded." Je said.

And Patricia fought the urge to scoff. "Fine I won't fuss, if you let me bring a tag along?"

"... we'll see." Where his curt words. "I have to go, I have a lot of work to do." He said walking out.

**************************************************

"Katherine? I'm pleasantly surprised."

"Hello uncle, I was wondering if you have some free time. Perhaps we can have that tea?" She said.

"Of course I'll always have time for you, come to the Yong tea parlour." He said. "Are you free this afternoon?"

"Of course sir. I will be there." She agreed.

"What the hell are you doing Katherine?" She scolded herself as she hung up, this was playing with fire right here. But she has to know, was Paul really engaged? Was that woman really his Fiancee? She ofcourse couldn't ask him directly, and his mother was a no go. His brothers didn't know anything about it, well she couldn't blame them they barely knew anything about each other. Born years apart from each other each brother grew up separately. So the only option was to ask the head of the family. Bishop Song.

She grabbed her purse and shed off her lab coat and walked out of the hospital. It took a little while to get to the parlour he requested so she ran into the place as soon as she reached.

After giving her reservations the waiter lead her to a separate room, somehow this brought back unpleasant memories. Did the old couple like this kind of restaurants? The last time she was in a place like this, pictures were tossed in her face and she was heavily threatened.

"Good afternoon uncle." Katherine bowed and she walked into the room. He nodded at her and gestured to the empty space before him. She bowed again before taking off her shoes and moving to sit on the cushion before him.

"Katherine Park. It's wonderful to catch up with you. How is your father doing this days?" He asked jumping right into the conversation. One of the reasons Katherine really liked him, he didn't beat around the bush.

"I'm not sure I haven't spoken to him in a while." Katherine shrugged. "But the last I had contact with him, he was doing well."

"You mustn't do that, he is your father I expect you to be a filial daughter." He scolded her softly.

Katherine tucked a stray strand of hair behind her head nervously. "I guess it would be easier of I didn't have step mother acting as a barrier." She pouted.

"Ah... Carol is still acting up."

"When she isn't she? Well I have you here so I will fulfill my daughterly duties to you, since you're also a father figure to me." She said in a serious tone, laughing lightly. Not realising how seriously the old man had taken it.

"You must. You've already said it I won't let you take it back." He said.

Katherine looked up in slight shock but she nodded anyway.

"How is the hospital these days?" He asked.

"Well there have been a lot of improvements under Paul's supervision. We cost down the massive cost on new equipment every year. And we're buying it every five years. Also the obstetric and gynecology department was reopened with part of the money." She stated.

Bishop realised one thing as she spoke about the hospital, Katherine was the reason that hospital thrived, not Paul, Katherine. And not once did she claim the glory. His heart went out to her. He prayed that in his next life he would be blessed you her as a child.

"Uncle, have you been to visit Paul? You know since you're in town?" She asked cautiously. Noticing his distracted expression.

"Unfortunately, I'm having a much better time with you." He smiled at her.

Katherine wanted to groan, don't change the topic so quickly. She wanted to talk about Paul.

"You must be so proud of how well his doing right?" She said again, bringing him back into the conversation.

"That punk? I have to admit I didn't think he had it in him, and I was right." Bishop Song said.

Katherine was nodding to his words at first but his last statement surprised her. "What?"

"You gave him all those ideas didn't you?" He asked plainly and Katherine almost choked on her tea.

"No.. that's...that's not it." She coughed.

"Really? Shall I call him then?"

"No!" She yelled and he smiled smugly. "Look honestly Paul is a wonderful leader. Only a few leaders in this world would be humble enough to ask the opinions of the staff, listen and actually take them into consideration." She explained. "I admit most of his ideas aren't original but they are at least necessary." She added.

Bishop Song narrowed his eyes at her and sighed. What was her deal? Was it possible for someone so intelligent and brilliant not to be ambitious? The more she spoke the more in love with her strong character and morals he fell.

"Well, it is a virtue to have humility, something most doctors lack." He sighed.

"Exactly the reason why he is respected. He doesn't have that sense of elevation or pride that doctors possess" she said again.

'What is wrong with me?! Why the hell I'm I praising him? I should tell his father he skips out on work and uses the hospital wheel chairs for racing!' She scolded herself.

"Well neither do you Katherine."

"Oh.. I'm just being modest because it's you uncle." She laughed.

His phone buzzed in his pocket. "Oh my sorry my dear but I have to go." He said.

Katherine nodded vigorously and walked him to the door. "What a pointless meeting, I didn't even get the information I wanted." She groaned.

Not realising that Bishop Bishop Song was already cursing himself for picking out a bride for Paul when the perfect candidate was right under their noses. 'She would have been perfect!'

Preview chapter 130: Background check.

Patricia features suddenly became serious. "Is that a joke? Do you really expect me to believe you just pieced that together just now?" She asked leaning towards the table and placing her jaw on her palm.

Lenora smiled at her, refusing to be intimidated. "Alright you caught me." She said leaning backwards and crossing her arms. "So I did a little background check on you, are you going to be a baby about it?" She shrugged.

Patricia gave her a wicked smile. "Not a lot of people would dare call me a baby." She said emphasising the last word.

"Hmm well I'm not a lot of people." Lenora returned the smile.