Finding Home {Jack x Katherine}

Chapter 10

"You don't even have your own office." Katherine spun around at the sound of her father's disgusted tone. She certainly wasn't expecting to see him this early in the morning. If she was honest she wasn't expecting to see him at all.

"I thought I told your pet spider to tell you that I didn't want to talk to you." She ignored his comment about her work space. No she didn't have an office but she had her own desk and her cubicle mates weren't all that bad.

Joseph crossed his arms over his chest and gave his daughter a pointed look. "You mean the man you assaulted? He should really have you pay for his medical expenses."

Katherine gasped. "The man I," she then began laughing as she shook her head, "I was the one assaulted. What I did was in self defense. Maybe he shouldn't stalk people and make a grab at them." She then mirrored her father's stance. "Now what are you really here for?"

Seeing his daughter so defensive around him, made him long for the days when she was his little girl, where he could do nothing wrong in her eyes. "That hacker has attacked me. They took $10,000 and gave it to some non-profit about children."

Her father had finally been hit. She had been wondering when this day would come. She couldn't help the smirk that tugged at the corner of her lips. "And you're telling me this, why?"

Joseph sighed. "Because I know you're investigating this."

"Did your spider friend tell you that?" She quirked an eyebrow up before grabbing her notebook and pen.

Her father gave her his look of I'm not going to play games which he emphasized by lowering his voice and saying her full name sharply. "Katherine Ethel."

"Fine, fine. What's the actual name of the non-profit they made a donation to?"

"Graham something or the other. Eliza Hamilton helped start it."

Katherine scribbled down the name. "My trust fund is still in tact?"

He looked at her as if she had three heads. What did that have to do with anything? "Your father has just been robbed and all you care about is your part of my money?"

"Isn't that what you taught me, father? Only care about yourself and your success." She didn't wait for a response to her snide comment. "Now answer the question. Is my trust fund still in tact?"

For a split second the soft side of him, the side that provided scholarships for those at Columbia, the side that helped shine a light on people and creations of art that changed the world, the side that made sure stories to help better the world were published in his paper, hated how cold his now eldest daughter was towards him. His business side, however, couldn't have been prouder. She would make it far if she kept this up. "They didn't touch your trust fund."

"Good." She stood, grabbing her phone and keys. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have some work to do." She slipped past her father without another word and headed back home.

As she rode the elevator up to her floor, she really hoped no one was home. Charlie was at work, she was sure of that. The schools didn't have a day off today. She was pretty sure Jack had a meeting this morning. Hopefully he would come back with news that he would be the set designer for Singing in the Rain. Then there was Romeo. Romeo was a bartender so it was a toss up of if he was home or not.

"Anyone home?" She called out as she entered into the apartment. She set her keys down and made her way to the two rooms, she wasn't sure about. Jack's room was empty and as she passed the shared bathroom, she didn't hear water running or see any feet in the stall.

She let out a sigh of relief when Romeo's room was also empty. Katherine hurried to the other end of the apartment to Charlie's room. She didn't know how much time she would have before either of the boys returned home.