Chapter 1.2

KyungHyun was walking into his office when he suddenly stopped. His secretary was on maternity leave, and the woman sitting at her desk was looking up at him with wide, shocked eyes.

“…Who are you?”

KyungHyun stiffly asked the woman. General Manager Cha spoke up from his side.

“She is the new secretary that will be assisting you. She was recommended to us by Secretary Yoon and has just finished her training.”

Under his breath, the general manager murmured, ‘She doesn’t look bad at all.’ Then he addressed the new secretary.

“This man is Director Shin KyungHyun. You will be assisting him, Secretary Lee.”

“I’ll do my best. I’ll be in your care, sir.”

EunHa lowered her head politely. KyungHyun’s eyes narrowed as he watched her. She was dressed completely differently than when they had met at the squash courts three days ago. Instead of her light athletic clothes that made her seem like a bubbly college student, she was now wearing a tight skirt that stopped at her knees with a cobalt blouse.

Her clothing accentuated her delicate waist and the curves of her bosom so well that they seemed to be made for her body. Her ankles above her high heels looked dangerously slender. After he thoroughly looked her up and down, KyungHyun began to speak.

“Why don’t we talk in my office, Lee HaEun-ssi?”

KyungHyun said this so naturally that General Manager Cha didn’t realize that KyungHyun already knew her name. KyungHyun disappeared into his office and EunHa followed after him. The door closed firmly shut behind them.

“Since when?”

KyungHyun rested his elbows on the armrest of his chair and began to massage his temple. The air in the office suddenly became heavy.

“What do you mean?”

EunHa stared at him with a bit of embarrassment evident on her face, but KyungHyun didn’t give her the chance to refute.

“You approached me at the squash courts. Since when did you know who I was?”

“No one would approach their future boss like that on purpose, sir. If I knew back then, I wouldn’t have acted like that towards you.”

“So it was all just a coincidence?”

One time could be a coincidence, but not twice. From KyungHyun’s experience, rarely did a person approach him without knowing who he was. At his mocking glare, EunHa smiled awkwardly.

“I’m pretty unlucky.”

“Do you think you’re making sense right now?”

His low voice asked her slowly. His slow speech made her feel even more tense. EunHa bowed so low that her silky hair almost touched the floor. She did her best to keep her voice calm as she spoke.

“Please forgive me for being so rude back then, Director. Please forgive me just this once. I’ll do my best when it comes to this job, sir. It’s difficult to find a job in this climate, so I barely managed to get this position through a recommendation, sir.”

“Raise your head.”

KyungHyun’s voice was still sharp. EunHa kept her head bowed in silence. He spoke to her again with a cold voice.

“When you tell someone the truth, you should at least look the person in the eyes when you speak. The same goes for when you’re lying. If you avoid eye contact, one can’t help but think that you’re hiding a guilty conscience.”

Damn it. EunHa bit her lips before straightening up. As he watched her cat-like eyes slowly lift up and blink, he spoke in a businesslike tone.

“Do you know what kind of company we are?”

“I heard about it plenty of times when I was in training.”

KyungHyun opened the file that the general manager had sent him and clicked it open. He blankly stared at the computer monitor and his eyes narrowed as he focused on what he saw. After finishing high school in the United States, she went to a college in the same state and graduated. Her parents passed away 10 years ago in an accident. Nothing unusual was on her resume. She graduated at the top of her class.

KyungHyun’s eyes were glued to one part of the monitor.

10 year ago.

Death by accident.

Something popped into his head. KyungHyun frowned.

“…Your specs are very impressive.”

His monotonous voice murmured. EunHa wasn’t sure whether he was complimenting her or not. His long fingers went up to his chin as if by habit. His black eyes darkened as they roamed over her. There was nothing wrong with her resume and her posture showed her confidence.

‘What is it?’

EunHa blinked quickly. She felt as if the temperature in the room had cooled. Was she just imagining it? She slightly nodded her head.

“Thank you.”

“Why did you apply to our company? With this resume, you could have gotten into any company you wanted.”

“There’s something I want to accomplish here.”

“And what is that?”

At his curt question, EunHa looked into his narrow eyes and answered.

“…I’ll only tell you if you promise not to fire me.”

“I can find out on my own by going through your interview notes.”

“You won’t be able to tell whether I answered truthfully or whether I only said what the interviewer wanted to hear.”

He stared at her for a while before standing up and walking towards her. The only thought in her head was about how handsome he looked even when he frowned. His shirt emphasized his broad shoulders, and his vest and suit jacket made him look like he’d just come out of a men’s fashion magazine.

His amazing physique was hidden under the suit, but she felt that this was the most handsome she’d seen him. She didn’t feel this much pressure back when she met him at the squash courts. But having met him now on his turf, the company known as YongSung, she felt that he could kill somebody with one look. EunHa kept her head up with much difficulty and spoke in a clear voice.

“I can do the job well. Please give me any task you wish.”

“…Only time will tell whether you can do the job well or not.”

KyungHyun’s voice lowered again. He cocked his head. EunHa was taller than the average woman, and she was even wearing high heels. Still, KyungHyun was taller than her, so he looked down at her while he spoke. At almost 190 cm, he was taller than any of the men she had seen at Serim. EunHa swallowed, her mouth dry. She looked straight at him. She mustn’t avoid his gaze. She mustn’t lose.

“I think there is one crucial problem with having you enter this company, Lee HaEun-ssi.”

He gazed at EunHa as she pretended to stay calm, and his lips stretched in to a smile. Her heart was beating so fast. Even though there was no way he knew her true identity, if she were caught, it would be the end for her. Her mouth went dry. She managed to keep her composure and asked him languidly.

“And what would that be?”

10 years ago, YongSung and Serim made a ruckus on national TV. After this scandal, these two organizations became enemies. If Shin KyungHyun realized that she was actually someone sent by Serim, he might strangle her with his large hands right here right now.

During the scandal, the media reported that there were 30 cases of missing or dead employees. In actuality, there were more than 100 unreported cases. Trying to hide her anxiety, EunHa smiled. KyungHyun’s eyes narrowed.

“Your figure is a bit too glamorous for a secretary, Lee HaEun-ssi.”

Gulp. EunHa unconsciously swallowed. She controlled her expression and awkwardly opened her mouth. It was still too early to relax.

“It wasn’t that long ago when you told me that you preferred glamorous women.”

“That’s only when it comes to sex.”

He was now extremely close. She could feel his breaths against her forehead.

“I don’t mix business with pleasure. When a woman is in my bed, she never comes to work with me. I find it hard to focus.”

“…That’s not my fault, is it?

“You’ll find that life is quite unfair when you live long enough.”

Unlike the impression he gave off, his breaths were warm. He must normally have a high body temperature. This thought popped into EunHa’s head as she drawled her response.

“You’re a picky boss, aren’t you, Director Shin KyungHyun-nim?”

“Yes. So quit now while you can.”

He spoke as if he was giving her a last chance. EunHa blinked her eyes charmingly.

“It doesn’t look like that’s the only reason you want me to quit. Am I wrong?”

“No. Good catch.”

EunHa lowered her full eyelashes and softly whispered.

“I will be good, sir.”

“Your eyes.”

She had deliberately lowered her eyes, but when she heard his words, she flinched and looked up. KyungHyun’s expression was cold, and his eyes were blazing. He looked at her as if he’d pierce her soul. She felt as if she was being tied down by an invisible rope. As expected, he wasn’t a man who would surrender to mere temptation.

“I noticed this the last time we met as well, but you have a bad habit of leaving important details out, Lee HaEun-ssi. Just what are you going to be good about? If you aren’t specific, aren’t you worried that I may misunderstand?”

From past experience, EunHa knew how men felt when they wanted her. Therefore it wasn’t difficult for EunHa to guess that Shin KyungHyun was worked up as he stood in front of her. She just couldn’t tell whether it was due to sexual arousal or due to a thirst for violence. Was he thirsty for sex or for the hunt? For Shin KyungHyun, the two were extremely alike.

“If you’re saying those things intentionally, then you are clearly doing this on purpose.”

EunHa felt that she couldn’t win him over by seducing him. Back at the squash court, he hadn’t shown his true self to her. He had deliberately only shown her a fraction of who he really was. EunHa now remembered that Shin KyungHyun was a level-headed buisnessman who held a high position in the powerful organization of YongSung. They committed crimes just as terrible as the ones committed by Serim. Maybe even worse. Either way, he was just like the rest of them.

“Do you remember my answer when you asked me why I had such an intense workout?”

He took out a Zippo lighter and lit a cigarette. He slowly took a drag. His cheeks sucked in, and the cigarette glowed. His eyes narrowed behind the gray smoke. He looked at her in the same way a predator looked at its prey. EunHa swallowed, her throat dry, before speaking again.

“I remember.”

“What did I say?”

“That you had a lot… piled up.”

“And why was that?”

EunHa licked her dry lower lip. She stared directly at him as she replied.

“You told me that you had a lot piled up because you haven’t had sex.”

“Right. With my body in this state right now, having sex with you constantly for 2 nights and 3 days won’t be enough. I don’t want to see a woman like you running around me. I feel like shoving my dick inside you until you beg for your life with tears in your eyes.”

As expected… a leopard can’t change its spots. Those vulgar words spilled out of KyungHyun’s perfectly symmetrical lips. EunHa didn’t blink an eye when she heard those words. Even though they pierced through her ears like nails, her sweaty palms were a result of the tension in the air.

“There’s no need to drag this out any longer. Even if you lift up your skirts and take off your panties right here, right now, it doesn’t matter. I can make it so that you won’t even be thinking about where we are when I’m finished with you.”

His long fingers approached her face. Then he used two of his fingers to brush off some dust from her hair. The smell of cigarette smoke and musk entered her nose. Even though he didn’t directly touch her, EunHa’s pale face flushed. Her mouth went dry.

“Basically, you’d be dumping this role play as my secretary and just become my woman. However, if that happens, you won’t be able to go outside without my permission. I’m a very paranoid person. I might just confine you in a place no one else knows and watch you 24 hours a day.”

His voice was terribly low. He barely opened his lips as the cigarette smoke flowed out. Then in one whoosh, the smoke disappeared into his mouth.

Normally, men didn’t smoke cigarettes like this. His cruel eyes were gazing at her. He was definitely a gangster. He was probably someone who would get rid of anyone who displeased him, even if they were women or the elderly.

“If your objective is to have sex with me once, I’m warning you now. It won’t end there. Unless I find someone else, it’ll be for eternity. If something happens to me outside and I end up dead, no one will be able to find you, and you will die with me in your room. There are many people that wish me dead. But I’m sure you know that. Because you’re quite clever, aren’t you, Lee HaEun-ssi?”

EunHa quickly calmed her heart and bit her cheek.

“If you don’t have the confidence to take your clothes off right now, get out.”

EunHa’s face was expressionless, but a silent chaos was brewing inside her eyes. KyungHyun had caught all the signals she sent his way to seduce him and was now giving her a warning. He was telling her not to cross the line. She had a hunch that many women threw themselves at him. And whenever that happened, he would set up a trap just like this.

“I want to work.”

EunHa parted her dry lips. KyungHyun glared at her with sharp eyes. She pulled herself together and repeated herself.

“I came to this company because I wanted to work here.”

“……”

She took advantage of the silence and spoke more clearly.

“I will work hard not to offend you anymore, Director. I don’t want to quit on my first day of work. I also have my pride, sir.”

His lips slanted as he gazed at her. A haze of desire brushed past his eyes. Even though the silence was brief, EunHa felt as if she was suffocating.

“You’re pretty stubborn.”

KyungHyun pressed the finished cigarette in the ashtray and murmured. Even though he knew she approached him to seduce him, he was still incredibly attracted to her. How ironic. No, maybe that was why he was even more interested in her.

“I’ll do my best not to disappoint you.”

“Save me…”

For a moment, an old memory rose up in his mind. Someone’s eyes overlapped with EunHa’s eyes, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. Why did this woman approach him? What was her purpose? KyungHyun’s languid voice broke the silence.

“Lee HaEun-ssi.”

“Yes.”

He leaned back onto his desk and loosened his tie. His Adam’s apple was now visible and began to move as he spoke.

“This Friday, I am planning on meeting with Mayor Kim MinSuk.”

EunHa widened her eyes as relief spread throughout her body. For now, he wouldn’t be asking for her employee badge and kicking her out of the building.

“Yes, sir. It scheduled it in this morning. It will be taking place somewhere around Samsung-dong.”

He slowly watched EunHa’s face as he listened to her report his schedule.

“Compared to the amount of money he received from KeumOh, his results haven’t been up to par. These men just take our money and don’t even care about our requests.”

EunHa gazed at KyungHyun as he crossed his arms. She began to calculate inside her head. Today was Wednesday. And he was going to meet Kim MinSuk on Friday. That meant that there were only two days. She had two days to win him over so that he’d trust her.

“I will write a report on the private lives of Kim MinSuk and his family and present it to you as soon as possible.”

“He’s a rat bastard, so it won’t be difficult to find some dirt on him.”

“If he’s going around receiving bribes, I’m sure he’s made more than a few mistakes here and there. I will do my best.”

At EunHa’s calm response, KyungHyun nodded. He raised his eyebrows.

“This will be your first assignment as a secretary, Lee HaEun-ssi.”

“I guess I’ll have to get as much dirt on him as possible if I don’t want this to be my last.”

Hearing her declaration, the ends of KyungHyun’s lips went up slightly.

“…I’ll look forward to it.”

Exiting KyungHyun’s office, EunHa let out a breath. She hadn’t noticed the cold sweat on the back of her neck until now.

Shin KyungHyun.

The right-hand man of Noh HyungChul, the boss of YongSung. With Noh HyungChul lying in his sickbed, KyungHyun now represented the company. Inside the KeumOh building located in the heart of Gangnam, he was the brains behind all the illegal activities committed by the company.

Three days ago, when she had met him for the first time accidentally on purpose, he had an easygoing laugh and a more friendly attitude. However, it all ended up being a joke. In the world of KeumOh, which carried YongSung on its back, KyungHyun stood at the very top, and he didn’t get there by sheer luck. Even though she knew this, she had felt nervous about seeing all this with her own eyes. However, reality turned out to be more intense than expected.

During the time she spent in his office, which only lasted around 30 minutes, she felt that she was being scanned every second, every moment. Behind his eyes, which were hazy with lust, she could see a spark of suspicion. And Shin KyungHyun didn’t even try to hide it.

He let her know that he was sexually attracted to her and didn’t let it become a weakness. Instead, he was using it to overwhelm her. He didn’t hide that he would be able to pluck her head from her shoulders if she got on his nerves. EunHa unconsciously pressed the back of her hand to her cheek. They felt a bit warm. If she didn’t want to be ripped apart by the beast, she would have to stay alert at all times.

She quickly returned to her seat and turned on the computer monitor.

“That son of a bitch is a man who has already killed a bunch of people and buried them. I don’t know why Boss is sending a rookie like you, Princess. It would have been better if I was sent instead. Fuck.”

She recalled YongJoon’s words as he winced when the stitched wound on his forehead tugged when he frowned. He was telling the truth. She knew for a fact that if Shin KyungHyun found out who she really was, she would disappear from the face of the earth.

Click.

KyungHyun opened the glass door separating his office from the secretarial office. He went through the doorway with long steps.

“The president has almost arrived.”

An employee urgently spoke up in a small voice. When all the employees in the secretarial office heard that the president might arrive at headquarters at any moment, they quickly began to clean up their desks. The president of KeumOh. The boss of YongSung. When she recalled Noh HyungChul, EunHa’s heart began to race inside her chest.

She could still recall the screams of her father. Her mother’s blood dripping down as she fell. The tears spilling from her eyes. EunHa couldn’t forget them.

EunHa closed her eyes as if out of habit. Even though the boss of YongSung was currently staying at his palatial residence, lying down like a corpse due to his chronic illness, he was surrounded by militant bodyguards at all times. And now she was currently in the middle of this impregnable man’s main headquarters. Her eyelashes trembled as she opened her eyes.

Ding.

When the elevator doors opened, KyungHyun walked into the elevator with General Manager Cha at his side. While everyone else was busily looking at their monitors underneath the partitions of the cubicles, EunHa raised her head and met KyungHyun’s eyes. As they stared at each other, EunHa faintly smiled and lowered her head.

I will use you in order to have my revenge.

She was told that this man had been active in YongSung for 8 years now. 10 years had passed since she had lost her name and became an orphan. Even though he hadn’t actively participated in her parents’ deaths, Shin KyungHyun was still a member of YongSung. Even though she had never killed anyone before, KyungHyun was supposed to be the first man she was to kill. She would just think of it as practice for when she killed YongSung’s boss later.

In order to do this, she needed to gain his trust. Not just with her body. She needed something to catch Shin KyungHun’s interest. She didn’t take her eyes off him until his blank face disappeared with the closing of the elevator doors.

TN: KyungHyun’s little speech to EunHa is HR’s ultimate nightmare.\n