Trapped in the boss's embrace (by Katrina A) novel Chapter 44

Chapter 44 He Doesn’t Even Like

Women

Beatrice froze.

He had said he was always worried about her, but now, it sounded like he was saying he’d always miss her.

Her face instantly flushed.

“Uh… Mr. Crowley, thank you for your concern.”

“I care about all my subordinates,” Damian replied calmly.

Killian blinked. All of them? Really?

The vibe suddenly got awkward in a weirdly delicate

way.

Finally, Killian broke the silence, laughing as he picked up the conversation about the factory incident.

“Ms. Lawson, you’re really sharp! You nailed about eighty percent of it. Impressive!”

“What about the other twenty percent?” Beatrice asked, eager to shift away from the awkward vibe.

“The two ‘ghost workers‘–they were actual ghosts. They’re dead. Daniel killed them.”

Chapter 44 He Doesn’t Even Like Women “They’re dead?!”

2/8

Beatrice was shocked. She thought they were Daniel’s family or close friends, never victims.

Killian nodded. “Crazy, right? We never thought this would turn into a murder case.

Beatrice connected the dots. “I get it now… That’s the leverage Scott had over Daniel. No wonder he was confident Daniel wouldn’t betray him and was even willing to take the fall.”

Embezzlement and kidnapping were bad enough, but murder was a whole different ball game.

Killian continued, “Those two were factory workers, part of the first batch hired. They were a married couple. But within two weeks of arriving, Daniel killed them one night. He said it was an accident, that an argument got out of hand.

“Scott found out and came up with a plan. He faked evidence. that the two were still alive, even making up a story about a workplace injury.

“To keep the others quiet, he had them split the stolen wages. That’s how he gained total control over them, forcing them to do his bidding.

“But Scott wasn’t just after some extra cash. He had bigger ambitions. He set up a renewable energy company under his brother–in–law’s name and got Daniel to steal research data.

Chapter 44 He Doesn’t Even Like Women

3/8

“They smuggled raw materials, cooked the books, and even had the workshop director covering for them.

“It’s horrifying. We thought we were dealing with a small leak, but the whole place was rotting from the inside.”

Just hearing it sent chills down Beatrice’s spine. She expected complications but never imagined it would run this deep.

She glanced at Damian. “Are you planning a complete purge?”

If the factory was this corrupt, there were probably people within the company involved, too.

Otherwise, they couldn’t have pulled this off right under Harper’s nose.

“Of course,” Damian nodded. “This factory’s been

underperforming for a while. I was already thinking about a full restructuring. Now I have every reason to do it–it’s a good thing.”

The way he put it made Beatrice feel like she was Damian’s bloodhound, sniffing out corruption and taking people down.

At that moment, Desmond walked in.

His face was already sour, and when he saw Damian there again, it turned completely black.

“Mr. Crowley, what’s your deal? Visiting another man’s wife

Chapter 44 e Damin) Even Lika Womens

every single day, what exactly are you trying to do?”

Beatrice took a sharp breath and shouted, “Desmond, are you out of your mind?!”

Damian, on the other hand, remained composed. “I’m just checking on my subordinate’s recovery. After all, she got injured because of me.”

There was nothing wrong with what he said, yet somehow, it sounded… off.

Desmond’s forehead veins bulged. “Listen carefully. She’s my woman. Only mine. If anyone dares make a move on her, I’ll kill them.”

Damian just smiled at what he said.

He didn’t say anything, but his silence had this unmistakable hint of mockery, like Desmond had just told a joke that he found funny.

Desmond picked up on that meaning, and his rage only deepened.

Killian, sweating bullets, quickly tried to smooth things over.

“Mr. Belmont, you’ve got it all wrong. We’re just here to visit, nothing else. Besides, Mr. Crowley isn’t some playboy. He’s a gentleman, I swear! He would never have any designs on Ms. Lawson.”

Damian shot Killian a cool glance.

Beatrice felt a headache coming on.

She didn’t care to explain anything to Desmond, but she also couldn’t let Damian take the blame for no reason.

“Desmond, can you stop being ridiculous? Mr. Crowley has no interest in me, he doesn’t even like women!”

Then, Damian, Desmond, and Killian were all frozen.

Her last sentence had silenced the entire room.

After a long pause, Damian gave her a look that was half amused, half exasperated. “Ms. Lawson, thanks for the… publicity. I should reward you for this.”

With that, he stood up and walked out.

Beatrice finally realized what she had just said. In a panic, she tried to correct herself. “I didn’t mean you like men! I meant…”

The door shut behind him.

Beatrice closed her mouth.

Desmond squinted suspiciously. “Damian is gay? He doesn’t look like

it.”

Beatrice felt the veins in her temple throbbing. “Desmond, we’re over. Even if you keep dragging out the divorce, we’re done!

Chap

14 He Doesn’t Even Like Women

Stop calling me your wife, stop saying I’m yours! I belong to no one but myself!

“Unless I’m dead, you and I will never be over,” Desmond said. darkly.

His tone was so firm, it was as if he was carving the words into her very bones–forcing her to understand that his resolve was even stronger than hers.

She was determined to leave him.

And he was just as determined to never let her go.

*****

The next morning, Killian arrived at the hospital to settle the medical bill, complete the discharge procedures, and escort Beatrice to the airport.

He felt immense pressure, but he braced himself and went inside.

When Desmond heard they were taking Beatrice to the airport, he immediately rejected the idea.

“Why take his plane? We have our own. You don’t need their help.”

Beatrice ignored him and got up from the bed, signaling Killian to bring the wheelchair over.

Chapter 44 He Doesn’t Even Like Women

7/8

Desmond stepped forward and pressed down on the wheelchair.

Beatrice snapped, “You wanna argue or fight? My wound just healed. Are you trying to make me walk and rip it open just to feel better?”

Desmond stiffened. He hadn’t meant to argue, let alone hurt her.

His tone softened. “Taking our plane back is just the same. No need to trouble them.”

Beatrice’s expression was cold. “There’s nothing between us anymore. You’re the outsider here.”

Her words cut like a knife into Desmond’s chest, leaving him speechless for a moment.

In the end, he didn’t dare force her, afraid of worsening her injury.

But he insisted on pushing her wheelchair and got in the car with her, following her to the airport.

Truthfully, he didn’t want to return to Cloudia so soon.

He wanted to take her somewhere no one could find them, somewhere they could rekindle what they once had.

In the VIP lounge at the airport, Damian glanced at Desmond and asked, “Mr. Belmont, are you trying to hitch a ride?”

Desmond replied with a smile, “Yep, Mr. Crowley. If you’re that

Chapter 44 He Doesn’t Even Lila lomen

stingy, I can pay for my scat on your plane.”