"My life was a schedule… and the owner of that schedule was Kang Joon-woo," CEO of Valerius Global.
The entire cabin was minimalist and futuristic. The walls were made of expensive white marble and dark mahogany wood. On the floor lay an Italian velvet carpet that completely absorbed the sound of footsteps.
I was sitting at my desk, my fingers moving rapidly across the keyboard. My long hair was tied in a tight high ponytail, and my dark grey pantsuit was so perfect that there wasn't even a single crease. I was the personal assistant of CEO Kang Joon-woo—a job where you don't get to be human; you have to become a machine.
"Kim So-hee-ssi! Come to my office. Now!"
That roaring voice came through the intercom. I took a deep breath and adjusted my glasses. Kang Joon-woo—more than six feet tall, a billionaire with a terrifying aura, whose jawline was so sharp it could probably cut paper. As rich as he was, he was even more heartless.
I went into his cabin. A huge black obsidian stone table stood there, on which only an ultra-thin laptop and a crystal pen-stand were placed. No unnecessary papers, no mess—clean and dangerous, just like Joon-woo's personality.
He was standing beside his massive glass window, looking at the lights of Seoul outside.
"Sir, you called me?" I asked, lowering my head.
"Check these reports again. I don't want even a 0.1% mistake in them. And listen… tonight is New Year, but until the work is finished, you are not going home," he said without turning around. His tone, as always, was that of giving an order.
"But sir, today my mother called me home…"
"Did I ask?" he turned and looked at me. His face was like stone. "Do you want to keep your job, or sit at home?"
I dug my nails into my palm. "No sir. I will do the work."
Without saying anything else, he walked out with a royal elegance. As soon as the sound of his footsteps faded away, I dropped into my chair and let out a long breath.
"Rude… Monster… If there were a villain in this world… it would definitely be Kang Joon-woo," I muttered angrily.
It was 5 in the evening. Outside the glass walls of the office, the sky of Seoul was slowly turning orange. Around me, people were rushing here and there with files, but for me, time had stopped. I had finished my work—there wasn't even a 0.1% mistake left in it now.
Quietly, I opened my drawer and took out My Love from the Duke. I had read many such novels—Billionaire CEO, Historical Contract Marriage, Duke's Hidden Lover… I loved them all. But this novel, My Love from the Duke, was different. In the exhausting atmosphere of this office, it was the only book that could take me into another world.
That was why, seizing the opportunity, I opened the same third chapter of the novel that I had already read three times.
The female lead of this novel, Saintess Seraphina, was so innocent and lovable. And Duke Alaric? By God, every single word of his reminded me of my rude boss Kang Joon-woo. But the one who annoyed me the most was that maid—Elara.
"Crazy girl," I muttered angrily. "Such a handsome Duke is standing in front of you, and you're spying for Isabella (the minister's daughter)? At least use your brain! If I were in her place, I would never become that evil Isabella's pawn."
In the novel, Elara dies in a very terrible way. Duke Alaric kills her with his own hands under the accusation of betrayal. Elara's character was 'under-confident' just like me, but her stupidity was something I could never digest.
Secretly, I placed the novel behind my laptop and became so lost in reading that…
Suddenly, I felt someone standing behind me. A chill ran through my body.
Slowly, I turned around and looked behind me and—
"AHHHH!"
A scream escaped my mouth! I jumped up from my chair. Standing in front of me was none other than my boss, Kang Joon-woo. He adjusted his glasses and looked at the novel lying on my desk with his deep, cold eyes.
"So… Kim So-hee-ssi," his voice was extremely low and dangerous. "So every time this happens, you're just reading these useless novels?"
My heart was pounding violently. "S-Sir! I was… I was just taking a break!"
Then I noticed that the rest of the office staff were slowly whispering and looking toward us. Some of them were even laughing quietly.
"Look, Mrs. Kang is getting scolded again," one colleague whispered.
These people had started calling me "Mrs. Kang" because I stayed with the boss twenty-four hours a day, but for me this name was not a compliment—it was a burden.
Joon-woo picked up my novel and looked at the cover. A strange smile appeared on his face, one I had never seen before.
"Duke Alaric, huh?" he said, leaning down near my ear. Suddenly he straightened up and said, "If you have time to read these useless books, that means your work must be finished?" Joon-woo's voice fell on my head like lightning.
"Sir, I… I was just…"
He slammed a heavy file on my desk. "Finish this report right now. And remember, tonight is the New Year party. You have to stay beside me the whole time. Do you understand?"
I swallowed my anger and lowered my head. "Yes sir, I understand."
As soon as he went back to his cabin, whispering started in the office.
"Look, look, poor 'Mrs. Kang'. She'll celebrate New Year with her husband again today!" one girl laughed mockingly.
In my mind, I cursed them. Husband? My foot! Because of this rude man, I have wasted five years of my life. In these five years I didn't even get a boyfriend. Whenever I fixed a date, this 'Monster' would suddenly find some work for me. He was single himself, and he had stamped 'Single' on my fate as well.
Five years… for five years I have been tolerating his tantrums, making his coffee, and getting scolded by him. Sometimes it feels like I am not his PA, but his shadow.
Angrily, I started hitting the keyboard with my fingers.
"If he doesn't let me go home early today, I swear I will actually kill him!"