CH 2

"Yes sir how can I help you?" The receptionist asks politely to the new face, an unruly mop of hair askew and thick glasses slipping down his nose.

With an air of clumsiness and foolishness, the male smiles nervously~

"Um mhm, K-kim Ta-Taehyung."

The receptionist glanced up, her eyes widening momentarily at the unfamiliar face. However, her attention quickly shifted to the files in his hands, which bore the name and details of the original secretary-details meticulously altered by Taehyung's hackers to match his own identity.

Assuming everything was in order, the receptionist greeted him with a polite nod, unaware of the subtle switch that had occurred.

As she forwarded Taehyung to the lift ,a sheepish smile appears on his face as he looks up at the tall furnished building.

Jeon Enterprises,a company he's working on to dismantle welcomed him so graciously with respect ~ and that's the exact thrill of dark life..... everyone believes what eyes show thinking eyes never lie while deception always occurs in front of your vision. You are just too late to recognise it.

"Here Mr Kim-" The lady points him to the lift pressing the 16th button.

"Th-thank you." The male bows nervously.

Before the door closed, she spoke again~

"You can use the same lift to depart Mr."

The male blinks.

"Oh, I mean after you get fired you can use the same lift to leave. And don't take it seriously if sir fires you for being late. There's always a chance to improve. So.... "

The door closes, leaving an astonished Taehyung inside.

So....punctuality is the name of the game here, huh? " He mused with a grin, eyes twinkling in mischief.

As soon as the door opens, the almond orbs masks itself properly with the pair of glasses. The erect firm chest shrinks low,lips forms a small pout.

Clumsily made his way through the maze-like corridor of the 16th floor, he knocked over a potted plant, sending soil spilling across the floor. Flustered, he attempted to clean up the mess with exaggerated movements, only managing to scatter more dirt in the process.

The other employees exchanged puzzled glances, eyebrows perked up to see their ceo's favourite rose plant shattered all over ~ a reason enough for the man to get fired but he has another reason too ~ fifteen minutes late!

A small tug on the sleeves alarmed Taehyung's senses. Averting his sharp gaze, he discovered a little guy in school dress eyeing him top to bottom.

The younger crosses his arms subtly, rosy lips formed a faint pout visibly revealing his distaste on the man.

"Who are you?"

"W-what ?" The elder mumbles, conscious of his identity here~a polite employee.

The boy doesn't move his glance rather squeezed his eyes to observe the details of the new face.

"Well, you don't like your job right? Broke my hyung's vase?"

The other smiles and replies~

"I'm n-new here actually. K-kim Taehyung. Nice to meet you boy." He approaches his palms for a handshake but the younger rolls his eyes backing away.

Well,for the first time in life, Kim Taehyung faces a face who rejected his hand. Out of fear or money or whatever you say, a handshake with the Mafia secures a deal of profit. But here he is in Jungkook's Empire, mocked by a kid.

"Boy? I have a name. Minho."

'A sassy one' Taehyung tells himself, trying not to smile at the younger's attitude.

"See Kim uncle,I know you are running for money. I can save your job if you do onething for me."

"Money? Uncle? Oh yea..." The elder scratches his hairs in a fake sign of innocence.

Minho shoves his hand to the elder, signalling him to bend at his length which the elder did in no time.

"Manage a way for me to skip school this week." He whispers.

Taehyung's eyes widen at the demand.

Forgetting the role he ought to play, the Mafia's professional instinct takes over his mind as he flawlessly states, voice raw and unfiltered~

"One, hack their website and announce a week's vacation. Two, infiltration of the school premises forcing the team to declare vacation. Three, murder of the Principal. Which one do you agree?"

The younger frowns at the ruthless proclamation, pupils widened in horror.

"Can you show me your hyung's room. I wanna meet him." Taehyung states gently, sensing the fear in boy's eyes.

"Him? Minho, who is this man referring to me as HIM and not sir?"

A sharp voice voice pulls both the males back and Taehyung looks up, the almond eyes met the doe ones ,a black suit covering a lean young boy shooting glares at him and Taehyung could swear it was the most arrogant voice he has ever heard.

The CEO approaches closer, lips pressed in a line ,eyes searching for a reply to his question.

"Aam.. k-kim Taehyung. Secretary." Taehyung bows professionally.

Jungkook raises his wrist to check the time.

It's fifty minutes past nine.

"Mr Taehyung,do you have any concept of time?" The CEO states with a raised eyebrow, clearly unimpressed by the tardiness of his new secretary.

Taehyung blinks owlishly,his expression one of innocent confusion.

"T-time? Oh the thing with numbers right?" He scratched his nape thoughtfully.

Jungkook raises an eyebrow, a mixture of irritation and disgust.

"Yes time. It's what keeps the business running on schedule." He states, surveying the secretary at front,tie displaced,messy hair locks stretching across the forehead, oversized glasses covering majority of the dumb face.

Taehyung nodds enthusiastically as if he just learned a profound truth.

"I-I see,time. Is it snack time yet?" The employee asks, completely missing the point making Minho laugh.

"You are late!" Jungkook states flatly,his tone tinged with displeasure.

"Oh late. Is that what it means?"the secretary asks tilting his head and forwards his files.

Jungkook sighs, running his hand through his hairs in exasperation.

" Yes,it means you didn't arrive on time. You can leave with your files. I don't keep impunctuals." The CEO turns back, unbothered as he motioned Minho to follow,both heading towards the desk.

"S-sorry sir,pl.. please listen."

With furrowed brows, Taehyung clumsily strides behind them with stack of documents, only to knock over a cup of pens in the process. The clatter echoed through the office, drawing curious glances from nearby colleagues who observed his antics with a mixture of bemusement and sympathy.

Undeterred by the mishap, Taehyung attempted to salvage the situation by hastily gathering the fallen pens, his fingers fumbling awkwardly as he struggled to contain the mess.

In his haste, he inadvertently sent a stray pen rolling across the polished floor, eliciting a soft chuckle from a passing coworker.

Jungkook still didn't turn back!

The boxy smile owner rests himself on the floor,tired of cleaning the mess he himself created,mentally preparing a litany of apologies for his clumsy ineptitude.

The air in Jungkook's office seemed to grow heavier as Mr. Chang, a distinguished figure with a commanding presence, entered the room. His footsteps echoed with purpose against the polished floor, each stride resonating with a sense of urgency that permeated the atmosphere.

Jungkook, engrossed in a stack of papers, looked up with a furrowed brow as Mr. Chang approached, his expression betraying a hint of apprehension at the unexpected interruption. Sensing the gravity of the situation, Jungkook motioned for Mr. Chang to take a seat, his eyes narrowing with curiosity.

The elder was the one who trained Jungkook in lifting up the company when Mr Jeon passed. The duo had successfully eliminated all the conspiracies and unrest formed in the company.

The elder too,sees Jungkook as his son,quite proud of the ambition the younger holds at this age.

"Yes Mr Chang?"

"Good morning Jungkook. Did you check the news today?"

The younger,alarmed at the question immediately answers back,face screaming in curiosity.

"No why?"

"There's been an accident on Seoul road, causing a significant delay in traffic this hour.But what's pertinent is that your new secretary was involved. He was swift in calling the ambulance and transferring the injured to the hospital."

Jungkook's fingers,which were busy signing a couple of papers froze mid-motion, his heart leaping into his throat at the mention of the name.

He tilts his head at the glass window at the right of the room displaying a confused Taehyung sitting on the floor leaning the wall,a bunch of papers scattered around him.

"This graceless one?" He points at the figure on the floor and the elder nods.

"How do you know Mr Chang?"

The elder quickly picks out his phone, opening a video.

"It's all over the media Jungkook. What I have to say is,if this guy gets fired on the basis that he was late for helping the wounded citizens, it's not good for the reputation of the company. Specially,for an accident media is hyping about."

The doe eyed male huffs in annoyance.

"He clearly looks worthless."

An outrageous silence follows before Mr Chang opens his mouth but Jungkook raises up from the chair, panicking.

"Where's my Minho?"

Mr Chang gets up as well,eyes scanning the area for the innocent little one while Jungkook rushes out of the room.

As Taehyung waits outside the room, he notices Minho, wandering nearby. Suddenly, Minho's curious exploration takes a dangerous turn as he reaches out to grab a loose railing, causing it to give way. With a gasp, Minho begins to lose his balance, teetering dangerously close to the edge of the balcony.

Taehyung's trained eyes catch the subtle shift in weight, the faint creak of metal signaling imminent danger. Time seems to slow as Taehyung's instincts kick in and he springs into action.

Without a moment's hesitation, he lunges forward, his hand shooting out to grasp Minho's wrist just before he falls. In that split second, Taehyung's grip tightens, his muscles straining as he fights against the force of gravity.

The world holds its breath as Taehyung's reflexes are put to the ultimate test. With a surge of strength, he manages to halt Minho's descent, his body trembling with the effort. Every muscle in his body screams with exertion as he slowly pulls Minho back to safety, his own heartbeat thundering in his ears.

A collective gasp echoes through the office, drawing the attention of other employees nearby. They quickly gather around the scene, their eyes wide with shock and awe at Taehyung's actions.

Some exchange impressed murmurs, while others offer words of gratitude and praise.

Amidst the chaos, Taehyung remains calm and composed, his gaze locked on Minho's bewildered face.

"M-minho!!"

Sensing the familiar arrogant voice from the back Taehyung immediately let's loose on the tight grip on the boy who continues to admire him with widened orbs.

The CEO closes the distance with long strides and picks up the boy securely, caressing the soft hair locks while the innocent boy wraps his arms around his brother.

" You really think yourself a gangster huh? Just wait for home. I'll tell everything to Eomma today." Jungkook yelps, recalling what could have happened since it's the 16th floor of the building.

Taehyung's eyes meet Jungkook's briefly, a silent reading of the boy's features. Despite being twenty two, the CEO looks young and femininely cute.

'The softer he is,the easier for me. Probably...two days and I'll be done!'

"T-thank you." Jungkook exclaims straightening up his posture, still not meeting the almond orbs intently eyeing him.

And though Taehyung's true intentions remain shrouded in secrecy, for now, Jungkook can't help but feel a sense of gratitude towards the man who saved his brother's life.

The other bows before speaking ~

"F-feed him water and let him relax. A baby's brain isn't suited to activate alertness."

Jungkook, caught off guard by Taehyung's cryptic remark, furrows his brows in confusion.

He continues to wrap the boy in his arms and clears his throat to address the secretary.

"Follow me."

The tension in the air shifts into a moment of awkwardness as Jungkook guides him to his room.

As the CEO places himself on the chair Minho rushed to Taehyung's arms, pouting at the man to lift him up.

"Have a seat Taehyung."

"Y-yes Sir."

Taehyung places himself opposite to Jungkook ,a thick broad table placed in between. Minho continues to sit on the secretary's lap, playing with his fingers.

"So, how old are you?"

"Twenty six, sir."

"With no job experience?"

The elder shakes his head and the CEO rolls his eyes.

"Alright,I... I've reconsidered my decision." The younger announces, his tone serious yet soft.

"I witnessed your quick thinking and bravery in saving Minho. That's the kind of initiative and resourcefulness I value in this company. However...."

Jungkook's expression grows stern, "Let me make one thing clear: I expect punctuality and efficiency. As your boss, respect is something I deserve and I'll not tolerate a second if someone can't give me that. Also I expect honesty and loyalty from Employees. You are not allowed to make a single phone call or walk a step without my permission. Do I make myself clear?" Jungkook demands raising his eyebrows.

"Y-yes Mr Jeon." Taehyung replies, giving him a polite smile.

"Alright. You can learn your duties from Mr Chang. I don't have time to explain." The younger ends the conversation turning his head back to the laptop.

Minho follows the secretary who gives him a questioning gaze.

"I will take you to uncle Chang. Please Kim uncle?"

Jungkook was about to intervene but his secretary took the boy in his arms and shut the door.

"Let's go boy."

"I have a name.Minho."

"Oh yes, Mr Minho."

"You know what, I think you are an angel." The younger cutely wails, tone filled in gratitude and admiration.

Taehyung's smile falters for a moment, a flicker of irony crossing his features as he hears Minho's words. Here he is, being hailed as an angel for his heroic act, when in reality, he is far from it.

As a member of the dark world, Taehyung operates in the shadows, carrying out tasks that are anything but angelic,rather he's the one who worships devil. Angels are highly overrated.

"Wh-why ? Why you think so?"

"Your eyes are so angelic and you are so sweet uncle." The innocent one praises while the elder smirks patting the hair of the child.

'Well, demons are angels too,just the dark one, with no wings but fangs and claws.'

...In eyes that gleam with cunning light,...

...Deception lurks, concealed from sight....

...Their lips smiles, yet harbor lies,...

...In veiled vision, truth defies....

...Beware the charm, the gleam, the glint,...

...For behind those eyes, deception's hint....

...In every glance, a story told,...

...But beneath the surface, secrets hold....

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