Chapter 73 A Clean Getaway
Jason tensed up, sensing a trap.
He stayed silent, the car's atmosphere turning eerily quiet.
Jason had been at Douglas' side for years and was accustomed to Douglas' decisiveness. But he had never seen him hesitate so profoundly over a single issue.
Of course, he understood that the more Douglas hesitated, the heavier the matter weighed on him.
After a moment of careful thought, Jason finally spoke up, weighing his words, "Mr. Semona, I'm not sure if this is the right time to say this, but rather than letting Philip use this matter as leverage against you, wouldn't it be better to tell Mrs. Semona about it yourself?"
Douglas chuckled, but his eyes darkened.
That night, Douglas made a huge mistake. Regina was still with Philip and didn't know him. But he forced himself on her when she wasn't fully conscious.
Yes, eventually Douglas would have to come clean about this.
But now was not the right moment.
He was strategizing, taking a gamble.
Douglas aimed to minimize the damage this would do to Regina.
He was also betting on his own escape from the situation unscathed.
Even if it seemed selfish to hope for a clean getaway after something like this, he knew he had to be selfish this once.
Deep down, Douglas had already made up his mind.
When Douglas got home, he saw Regina sitting on the carpet by the sofa, lost in thought, with headphones on.
He walked over and lifted her into his arms.
Regina trembled, snapping back to reality when she saw his tired face.
"Why are you back? Jason said you'd return to Oriant City tomorrow morning."
Douglas placed her on the sofa, ignoring her question. "Why are you sitting on the floor wearing so little?"
Regina felt embarrassed. "I couldn't sleep, so..."
Douglas knew she'd be overthinking and came back.
He turned on all the lights, brightening the house.
"If you can't sleep, join me for a meal later?"
"A meal?" she thought.
"Are you hungry?"
Douglas nodded and went to the kitchen to find ingredients.
Regina got up to help. "I can't sleep; let me help you."
"Sure."
With limited ingredients, they made do and started cooking.
Regina's mind was quickly distracted from her earlier thoughts.
They soon finished cooking.
The food looked appetizing, and Regina, who hadn't eaten dinner, was hungry.
At around three in the morning, they sat in the dining room eating. It felt strange but harmonious.
"Turns out you're quite good at cooking," Regina praised after tasting the food.
"If you like it, I'll cook dinner for you every day after work."
"That's not necessary," Regina quickly replied. "You're busy and tired from work. If you can cook occasionally, that'd be great."
"I only know a few dishes. Tell me what you like, and I'll learn. I'll cook on my days off."
Regina was stunned that Douglas wanted to learn to cook for her. "Alright, thank you," she said, surprised.
After eating, Regina offered to wash the dishes. "You rest and take a shower."
Douglas, seeing she was distracted from overthinking, didn't stop her.
By the time Douglas emerged from his shower, Regina had already tidied up the dining area and had retreated to her room for the night.
As he glanced at the closed bedroom door, his usually calm demeanor was now turbulent, like waves crashing against the shore.
The annual company event was already in full swing with preparations.
Secretary Dorothy Jackson handed Douglas the event plan.
Douglas skimmed it and had no objections.
But Dorothy hesitated.
Douglas glanced at her. "What is it?"
"Did you check the work group chat, Mr. Semona?"
"Which one?"
"The senior management one, with hundreds of people."
Douglas had most group chats muted and hadn't seen it. He wasn't interested in checking now.
"What about it?"
Dorothy cautiously conveyed everyone's intentions. "With the annual meeting coming up, everyone wonders if we could have some special programs this year."
"That's for the planning department."
"But it still needs your approval."
Douglas, eyes on his screen, didn't look up. "Let them adjust the budget as needed."
"That's not what I meant, Mr. Semona!"
Douglas looked up, expressionless. "If you have something to say, say it all at once."
Dorothy, sensing his impatience, quickly said, "Everyone wants to know if you and your wife will appear together this year. The planning department is considering a special program for you two. Everyone's really looking forward to it."
Not only senior managers but employees in various departments were discussing it.
Douglas paused, which frightened Dorothy. She feared she had said something wrong.
Just as she was trembling, she saw Douglas inexplicably smiled. "I don't get to decide that."
"What?"
Douglas said matter-of-factly, "I have to ask my wife's opinion first. I'll let you know after I ask her."
