"No, I was wrong, I won't say that again. " Catherine's voice came from under the covers, muffled but still clear enough to catch her sincere apology.
I didn't intend to tease her more as I had a flight to catch, and we had plenty of days and nights ahead to sort things out.
"Words are insufficient. Show me your sincerity when you come back, okay?" I said.
"Got it," Catherine nodded lightly.
I stepped away from the bed, checked myself out in the full-length mirror, and saw that I still looked as handsome as ever, but with a healthier glow. I looked pretty energetic, clearly showing the signs of being fully satisfied.
"Why don't you eat before you leave? The driver won't be here for a while," Catherine said, still curled up in the covers.
"Sure, do you want to order food?" I asked, looking at Catherine and the room service phone on the bedside table.
"Okay," Catherine replied, turning over and lying on the bed, still wrapped in the covers but stretching out her arm to reach the phone cord.
She pressed a speed dial button, and the call went through.
"Hello, the VIP Presidential Suite needs food delivery. Please be quick. Thank you," she said efficiently.
The hotel staff was super quick, and the food was already delivered within three minutes of hanging up.
I opened the door, grabbed the lunch, placed it on the table in the living room, and then went to lift Catherine out of bed, carrying her to the sofa.
"Join me for a meal, consider it a little make-up for the days we can't meet," I said, looking at her affectionately.
"Coming," Catherine replied, giving me an indulgent look.
She enjoyed being liked and relied upon by me.
Catherine was wearing a loose robe, with just a simple knot tied around her waist; the collar was a V-neck, exposing some skin on her chest, making me aroused again.
But she didn't seem to notice. She was focused on finding the TV show she wanted to watch on the iPad, her feet stretched out and swaying between my legs.
I laid out the lunch one by one. Then I curled some spaghetti with a fork and fed it to Catherine, planning to feed her first and then enjoy it myself.
At that moment, there was a knock on the hotel door, breaking the tranquility between us.
Hearing the noise, Catherine immediately retracted her feet, jumped barefoot on the floor, and ran towards the door, saying, "I'll get it."
Before I could say anything, Catherine had already opened the door.
"What brings you guys here?" Catherine's puzzled voice came from the doorway.
From her tone, it seemed like they were acquaintances.
I followed the voice and saw Victor and Calista.
I immediately put down the fork and walked to Catherine's side, casually putting my arm around her waist. "Good afternoon, come in."
I led Catherine to the side to make way for Victor and Calista.
Victor followed my lead, holding Calista's waist as they walked into the room.
He glanced around the layout of the room, his gaze falling on the lunch in the living room.
"Looks like Calista and I picked the wrong time to drop by, interrupting your private moment," Victor teased with a smirk.
"Then why are you here?" I shot back, not letting him off the hook easily.
After hanging out with him at the banquet last night, I thought Victor was a solid guy.
Not just because of his privileged background, but also the vibe he gave off. He seemed reliable, someone worth trusting.
Victor didn't get upset by my retort. He just kept the conversation going.
"Well, you're my new partner. As good partners, we thought we'd give you a ride."
"Thanks, and actually, you came at the perfect time. I need a favor," I said, pouring wine for Victor.
I handed him the glass, and he nodded, signaling for me to go on. "Go ahead," he said. "I'll help however I can."
"You know that loser I had to deal with last night?" I began. "He's trying to cause trouble for Catherine. If he knows I'm back in the country, I'm worried he might try to hurt her."
I glanced at Catherine, then back at Victor. "She's my only girlfriend, Victor. I love her so much, and I can't bear the thought of anything happening to her."
"So, I'm hoping you can keep an eye on her, protect her. It would give me peace of mind while I'm dealing with things back home." As I spoke, I held Catherine's hand, pulled her into my arms, and held her tightly.
I used to live a carefree life, but now that I had someone I cared deeply about, I started to feel uneasy, constantly worrying that Catherine might be harmed when I wasn't around.
Despite having many bodyguards around her, there were times when they became complacent. Only I could always be with her.
Victor's eyes softened with understanding. "Don't worry, your business is my business. That's why I'm here today."
"As men, we both know how important our loved ones are," he said, his voice steady and reassuring.
"You know I'm a bodyguard. I've arranged for ten of the best female bodyguards to be stationed around the hotel. They're already in place, ready to ensure her safety. I've got you covered. Now, I'll need you to focus on handling things back home."
With that, he extended his hand to me. I took it, feeling a wave of relief wash over me. "Thank you, Victor," I said, gripping his hand firmly. "I can't tell you how much this means to me. You can rest assured that with me joining the company, it will only get better."
Since discussing cooperation with Victor, I had already planned to visit my foster father after returning to the country.
I definitely couldn't come up with two million dollars all at once, but my foster father also owned a company with some small assets.
I couldn't let him directly negotiate cooperation with our project as an investor.
But I could have my foster father invest in me as an investor, and if we made a profit, I would give him a portion of my own assets as a return.
If I lost money, I would work as a male model and return his money.
As for asking Ryan and the others for sponsorship, even though they had money, it was hard-earned. It wouldn't be fair to ask them to spend it all on me at once.
"With your words, I can be assured now," Victor said with a smile, then he waved at Calista. "Calista, come on, we gotta go now."