CHAPTER ELEVEN- Arson, Betrayal, and the Countdown to Justice

Katherine reached out to Daniel, proposing a date to lift priorities and provide a refreshing break.

"Boss, would you consider going on a date? It's the weekend, and I thought it might be a good way to unwind," she suggested, a bit hesitant.

"Am I hearing things right now?" Daniel responded, surprised by Katherine's proposal.

"If you're not interested, never mind, sir. Forget I mentioned it," Katherine replied, attempting to downplay her suggestion.

"Why retract what you offered?" Daniel teased, still intrigued by the idea.

"Alright, you've got two minutes to get here, or I might change my mind," Katherine playfully added, encouraging him to join. "It's good to see you getting back to your old self after everything you've been through," Katherine remarked to herself.

"Right now, are you commanding your boss?" Daniel asked astonishingly.

"In your realm, you're the boss, but in my realm, I'm the boss," Katherine said, smirking at Daniel.

"Alright, ma! I will be on my way." Daniel said as he hastened to the bathroom to shower.

Daniel met Katherine at McDonald's Restaurant.

"How are you faring now, Daniel?" Katherine inquires, concerned.

"What! Daniel?" Daniel was taken aback when Katherine addressed him casually.

"Lovers aren't allowed to be informal." Katherine inquires cautiously.

"What! ha!ha!ha!ha!ha!ha!ha!ha!ha!ha!ha! Are you approving my confession right now? Daniel inquired cheerfully.

"Don't worry, I'll take it back; we're from a different class." Isn't it true that I'm a servant and you're a deity?"Katherine asked teasingly.

" No! Why will you revoke what you just approved when I, a deity, am honoring you by taking you as my bride?" Daniel responded in an attempt to conceal his principles.

"This is exactly how you are; you never bow down." Katherine laughed at Daniel.

"Yeah! The Deity never bows," Daniel said jokingly. They both laughed.

"How's your mom's health?" Daniel inquires, showing concern.

"She's recuperating well, thanks to you Dan. Katherine said, calling his name lovely.

"My heart just skipped a bit can you call me that again, Kate?" Daniel blushed.

"Kate? I will be really happy if you can keep calling me that." Katherine said, as she also blushed

They both laughed, and Daniel drove her home.

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An unidentified man in a hoodie easily breaks into Daniel's office and unlocks his safe. He was hunting for the maid's diary, and luckily for him, he found it quickly.

He dialed Mrs. Gwen's line, and they both discussed:

"I found the diary; where should we meet?" The hoodie guy said.

"Ok, I'm going to send someone to pick it up; now I can guarantee the safety of your families." Mrs. Gwen replied gaily.

"I have done the job for you, and I hoped we wouldn't get to negotiate like this again." The hoodie guy said it angrily.

"Yeah, in as much as you keep your mouth shut," Mrs. Gwen threatened him.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Gwen was recording the hoodie guy's voice; she saved it on her phone.

"I'm so sorry, I can't let go of you now," she said (chuckles).

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The next day, Daniel opened the save, trying to take the dairy, but unfortunately for him, he found nothing there.

"Lisa! Are you there?" Daniel cried out.

"Yes, sir!" she rushed in.

"Who came to my office without my knowledge?" Daniel asked, looking shocked.

"Nobody, sir; I was the one that closed your office personally yesterday, sir," Lisa replied, looking curiously.

"Call me Katherine and Harry," Daniel said angrily.

Katherine and Harry rushed in.

"Boss, I hope all is well," Harry asked, looking curiously.

"I can't find the diary anymore!" Daniel cried out.

Katherine rushed to recheck it and found nothing. She was shocked.

"Boss, you have a call," Lisa said, passing the telephone to Daniel.

"By chance, are you looking for the diary?" Mrs. Gwen said, guffawing.

"How did you get your hands on it?" Daniel asked astonishingly. "How could you do such a thing?" Daniel cried out.

"Do you think you can escape from me? not when I am still alive." Mrs. Gwen said.

"You will use your hand to exterminate your beloved people around you." Yeah, I killed your mom, so what? Mrs. Gwen said it with a depraved voice.

"What! You murdered my mother, and it's nothing to you?" Daniel asked her angrily.

"Your dad is sick; come and check on him when you're ready, then we can talk more. Bye for now," she laughs profusely.

The telephone fell from Daniel's hand, and he fell onto the chair.

"Boss, are you okay?" Katherine asked as she rushed to hold him.

"My stepmom sent someone to my office to take a diary. Daniel said, looking scared. "She kept stalking me, pestering me, and threatening me. I am scared, Katherine." Daniel said, looking anxious.

"Boss, can you leave it to me?" Katherine said angrily.

"I won't let her get away with all these. "Boss, let me sneak in," Katherine said confidently.

"Don't worry, I'll visit home; my dad is severely sick. I don't know what else she's planning." Daniel said, looking disturbed.

Daniel and Katherine went home together to visit Mr. Johnson.

While en route, Daniel received a call updating him on the arson case.

"The results are in, and it's a 100% match. Joe and Jerry are confirmed as the intruders and instigators of the arson case," Harry reported, expressing satisfaction at the breakthrough.

Daniel pulled over, taking a moment to catch his breath.

"Boss, are you okay?" Katherine inquired.

"It's them again, just as I suspected," Daniel replied, still breathing heavily.

"Has the result been released?" Katherine asked with curiosity.

Harry shared the emailed results with me.

"Oh my God!" Katherine exclaimed. "Your half-brothers," she added, her tone laced with anger.

"Yeah, now that I have concrete evidence, I'll ensure to gather enough proof to put them all behind bars," Daniel asserted, finally regaining his composure.

"You promised the board directors seven days. What's your plan for the remaining four days? This is already the third day," Katherine queried with curiosity.

"To be honest, I currently don't have a solid plan. I'm just trying to buy some time to figure things out. I believe a solution will present itself," Daniel admitted, a hint of confusion in his expression. "There's always a way," he added optimistically.