Chapter Ten – Whispers in the Office
The morning after the gala, Seo-jin walked into the office feeling like her body was moving but her soul had been left spinning somewhere on that dance floor.
Her inbox was already flooded, her desk piled with documents — but none of that compared to the weight of the stares.
She hadn't even sat down when she heard the whispers.
"Did you see the pictures online? They looked like a couple.""I couldn't believe it — our CEO dancing, and with her?""She's just his secretary. It has to be fake."
Seo-jin gripped her coffee cup tighter. Of course there are photos. Of course the internet noticed.
The images replayed in her head like a cruel slideshow — Jun-ho's hand at her waist, the way his eyes hadn't left hers, the moment she thought she saw something real flicker in them.
"Good morning, Miss Han," came a familiar voice.
Seo-jin nearly spilled her coffee. Jun-ho was standing right there, impossibly composed in his tailored suit, his expression unreadable.
"G-Good morning, sir," she stammered, bowing quickly.
The office fell silent. Everyone pretended to work, but their ears strained toward every word.
Jun-ho's gaze lingered on her for a second longer than necessary before he said, "My office. Now."
Her stomach dropped. Oh no. He's going to fire me for embarrassing him.
Inside his office, the city skyline stretched out behind him, sunlight gleaming off the glass towers. Jun-ho sat at his desk, steepling his fingers.
Seo-jin stood nervously, clutching her notebook. "If this is about last night, I swear I didn't mean to—"
Jun-ho raised a hand, silencing her. His voice was calm, but there was something different in it. "You handled yourself well."
Seo-jin blinked. "W-What?"
"You were insulted. You didn't crumble. That's more strength than half the people in that ballroom have."
Her heart stuttered. Was this… praise? From Seo Jun-ho, the man who'd once called her hopeless for confusing two file folders?
"Thank you," she whispered, unsure what else to say.
For a moment, silence stretched between them. The kind that wasn't empty, but charged.
Then Jun-ho leaned back in his chair, his expression returning to its cool mask. "From now on, there will be more events like last night. You'll accompany me."
Seo-jin's jaw dropped. "What? Why me?!"
"Because," he said simply, "you've already been seen with me. Changing partners now would raise more questions. It's easier this way."
Seo-jin's mind spun. Easier for him maybe — but what about her? She could barely survive one gala without tripping into chaos.
But before she could argue, Jun-ho's phone buzzed. His eyes flicked to the screen, his jaw tightening briefly.
"Dismissed," he said curtly.
Seo-jin bowed and left, but her heart was still racing. She didn't know what was worse — the fact that she was now his official date for future events… or the way her chest fluttered every time he looked at her.
Back at her desk, she tried to breathe. But her coworkers weren't helping.
"Did you hear? She's going to be going to more events with him.""Why her? She's nothing special.""Maybe she has something on him…"
Seo-jin sank lower into her chair.
Then, a voice startled her.
"Rough morning?"
She looked up — and found herself staring into the warm smile of a man she didn't recognize. He was tall, sharply dressed, but his expression carried none of Jun-ho's icy detachment. Instead, his eyes were kind.
"I'm Kang Min-joon," he said, offering his hand. "I just transferred to the marketing division. And… you're Han Seo-jin, right? The secretary everyone's talking about?"
Seo-jin blinked, startled. "Uh… y-yes, that's me."
His smile widened. "Good. Then I guess I found the right person to ask for help around here."
And just like that, a new presence entered her world.