Chapter 68 It's My Duty
Douglas looked indifferent.
It had been ages since Douglas last smoked, but he suddenly grabbed the dusty pack of cigarettes from his desk.
He ripped open the pack, pulled out a cigarette, bit it, and lit it with a flick of his lighter.
He blew out a smoke ring, taking his time with each step.
Philip stared at him, the seconds dragging on.
Suddenly, Douglas chuckled. "How's your investigation going?"
Philip couldn't read his expression.
"Aren't you going to be straight with me?"
"So, you're threatening me?"
Given Douglas' position, who could really control him?
Philip sneered, his fists clenched, veins bulging. "There's been progress. Whether you talk or not, I'll get to the bottom of it. Regina wants to know who entered room 1601 that day more than anyone."
Douglas blew out another smoke ring and stubbed out his cigarette.
"Then I hope you find out soon."
Philip's anger felt like hitting a pillow.
He looked at Douglas' composed face and scoffed. "I hope when the truth comes out, you can still keep that gentlemanly act."
Jason, guarding the CEO's office door, saw Philip storm out.
He knocked gently and entered, noticing Douglas' icy expression.
"Mr. Semona, what should we do about Philip?" Jason asked immediately.
That night, Regina had been drinking heavily. Stumbling out of Peace Club, she inadvertently ended up in Douglas’s arms.
Douglas did take her away.
In fact, after leaving Room 1601 that evening, Douglas had already instructed Jason to destroy the hotel security footage. Just to be safe, Jason had also cleared all nearby surveillance cameras along the route.
Philip wouldn't find any physical evidence.
As for witnesses, did anyone see anything that day?
Places like the Peace Club and the Seasons Hotel were always packed.
In Jason's mind, if Douglas didn't want to admit it, even if there were witnesses, who would dare force him? But denying it did seem a bit underhanded.
This thought made Jason break out in a cold sweat.
He thought, 'I must be crazy for thinking Douglas is despicable.'
"Get out."
Seeing Jason lost in thought, Douglas got even more annoyed.
Already in a bad mood, Douglas didn't want more questions, and Jason quickly left.
Douglas loosened his tie, leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes, his lips pressed tight.
Time flowed silently. The view outside the floor-to-ceiling window shifted from hazy evening to deep night, with neon lights sparkling.
Douglas's phone buzzed on the desk. It was a message from Regina.
Regina: [Mr. Semona, are you still at work?]
The formal "Mr. Semona" made Douglas chuckle, lightening his mood a bit.
He typed back with one hand.
Douglas: [Not yet, what's up?]
Regina: [I just finished work. If you're done, can you give me a ride?]
Douglas closed his laptop, stood up, and grabbed his suit jacket.
As he walked to the door, he sent Regina a message: [I'm done.]
She quickly replied with an "OK" and said she'd wait at their usual spot.
Seeing the "usual spot", Douglas felt a bit helpless.
Regina, worried about being seen by colleagues, always made sure to get in or out of his car a bit away from the Century Group building.
Douglas drove out of the underground parking lot and, after a few miles, saw Regina in a white coat and scarf waiting by the roadside.
He parked beside her, and as soon as Regina got in, she smelled the warm scent of cheesecake.
Regina looked at him in surprise. "Did you get this from the nearby cake shop?"
"Yeah."
Regina couldn't figure out how Douglas knew about this new treat she had just discovered.
Holding the cake, she didn't eat it right away. Instead, she took a picture of it with her phone.
Douglas glanced at her. "Why aren't you eating?"
Regina instinctively said, "I'm afraid of messing up your car."
Cake crumbs were a pain to clean up.
Douglas laughed. "Just eat. Who cares about the car? It's not like there's no one to clean it." Seeing her still hesitant, he joked, "Do I need to stop the car and feed you?"
It was already eight or nine o'clock. She probably hadn't had dinner.
"Have you been busy lately? You're always working late."
Whenever they talked about work, Regina always showed a sense of responsibility.
"It's the end of the year, so there's a lot to do. I can't sleep well until I finish my tasks."
As she spoke, she carefully opened the cake box and took a bite with a spoon.
Her empty stomach immediately felt better.
"Is it sweet?"
"A bit sweet, but not too much."
Regina thought for a moment, then offered Douglas a spoonful. "Want to try?"
Douglas looked at the cake and, without hesitation, took a bite.
"Is it good?"
Douglas, who rarely ate sweets, nodded.
So, along the way, Regina fed herself and occasionally gave Douglas a bite.
After finishing, she carefully cleaned up the trash.
"I'm so full. Thanks for the cake."
Douglas half-jokingly replied, "Feeding Mrs. Semona is my duty."
Regina was momentarily thrown by his words, an odd, tangled thought weaving its way through her mind. After a long pause, she managed to reply, "Well, you're really quite nice."
She wasn't being insincere.
In these past few days, despite her previous cold demeanor, Douglas had managed to warm her heart.
Douglas’s gaze shifted to the traffic crawling slowly ahead. In a low voice, he asked almost as if it were a quiet musing, "What if one day you find out I'm not so great after all?"
