Episode One

Jay stepped out of the tub in his hotel suite, wrapping a white towel around his waist. His broad chest and arms were exposed, and his hairy legs looked well-groomed. He wore slippers that complemented his casual appearance.

With his wet hair dripping water, he took a step back when he spotted a stranger half-naked on his bed. “Who are you?” he asked, startled.

The woman, dressed in a beautiful chiffon gown, replied, “Don’t…” as she walked closer to him. Jay stood stiffly, staring at her.

“I ask again, who are you? And what do you want?” she pressed. He tightened his lips and nodded, saying, “I just liked you, and I decided to…”

She raised her leg to rest it on the couch, bit her lower lip, and lifted her gown slightly. Jay looked away, but she approached him and pulled him into a hug. Flushing with embarrassment, he pushed her away. “If you want this…” he began, feeling butterflies stirring in her stomach. “You came here to get washed up, right?”

“That’s never a problem,” she replied, darting towards the tub. Jay sighed heavily, slowly closed the door, and locked it. He quickly got dressed, grabbed his wallet and suitcase, and rushed out of the room.

Waiting by the elevator, he noticed several women admiring his looks. He smirked, shrugged his shoulders, and walked away, leaving them behind with the lingering scent of his cologne. He stood in the garage, tapping his foot on the floor while checking his wristwatch.

“Where are you?” he spoke into his phone. “I give you ten minutes to get here, or you lose your job. With Jay Black, it’s the best or nothing!”

He hung up and scrolled through his emails, running his fingers through his hair in frustration. "You know what? You're fired!" he proclaimed before hanging up. Then, he picked up the phone again. “I need a new secretary…” he said as he left the garage.

A young man in a tuxedo approached him. “Sir, we offer driving services. Would you like one?” he asked. Jay nodded. “Please follow me to make the payment; it’s not far from here.” They entered a nearby building.

“Sir, please insert your card,” the man instructed. After a few attempts, it was still coming up as invalid.

“Try again… this can't be happening, and I don’t have any other cards with me…” Jay insisted, growing increasingly impatient.

“Sir, you can either pay with a card or cash; no transfers,” the man replied.

Jay’s frustration mounted. "Becky, how could you embarrass me like this?" he thought, exhaling slowly.

“What can I do? I don’t have another card, and I have a meeting in thirty minutes,” he admitted, his cheeks reddening with embarrassment.

“You can wait at the train station; it’s nearby, and the next train leaves soon. I think that could help you,” the man suggested, handing him a short map before bowing and leaving. Jay raked his fingers through his hair, making it even messier.

Meanwhile, Selene was in the kitchen, turning on the gas. She made pancakes and boiled water for her tea, then carried the tray to the dining room. Just as she sat down, her phone rang. She rummaged through her bag, answered the call, and smiled, “Hey, best friend!” After listening, her expression shifted. “What happened?”

“Listen, Selene – there’s a job vacancy at the company, but it’s only for thirty minutes, and people are already arriving,” her friend explained.

“What time is it?” Selene asked.

“It’s 10:30 a.m.”

“What do you mean? It’s already 10:34 a.m., and I haven’t even had breakfast!” The call ended abruptly, causing her eyebrows to furrow. Without wasting time, she stuffed three pastries into her mouth and gulped down a cup of tea. Grabbing her bag, she dashed out, glancing at her watch. “The train leaves in five minutes,” she thought as she took off her shoes to run. Her heart raced, and her breaths quickened.

When the train arrived, she jumped in, quickly put on her shoes, and arranged her hair. There were no available seats, so she walked further in.

At the other end of the train, Jay noticed a woman nearby. He wrinkled his nose at the sight of someone coughing uncontrollably. To avoid her, he moved farther away and locked eyes with the woman. She was attractive, albeit a bit disheveled, and her day seemed just as chaotic as his. He winked as she stood beside him.

Suddenly, a guy moved in closer and inappropriately touched her. Jay adjusted his headphones and closed his eyes, getting lost in his favorite music. The woman glanced around and caught Jay smiling at her, but she quickly dismissed the thought and focused on the man who was bothering her.

Furious, her nostrils flared as she moved closer and punched the guy hard. He retaliated by snatching off Jay’s expensive headphones and tossing them to the ground. The commotion drew the attention of other passengers as she continued to confront him.

“This creep could not approach me like a normal guy. He just kept harassing me!” she exclaimed, her cheeks flushed redder than ever. Jay’s eyes widened at the unexpected turn of events.

"Madam, don’t worry. Do you want me to call the police?" the guy said.

"Yes, quickly! I want to watch them take this baby to Juvenile," Jay shook off his hand from his neck.

"Madam, the allegations you've made against me are invalid. They're based on some silly crush," he replied as some people took pictures.

"How dare you call me that? Are you going crazy? It's your entire family that’s naughty, girly, and crushed!" she pointed at him and then moved to another corner.

The train came to a halt, and Jay quickly rushed out. He stood in the way and sighed, "What a day this is going to be..." he thought, but then an empty soda can landed on his shirt, leaving a dirty mark.

He turned and locked eyes with Selene. She pointed at his face. "Sorry, but that outfit belongs in the trash," she said and started to leave, but he called out to her.

"Trust me, we'll meet again, but I'll have the power over you, and I'll drive you crazy," he said before walking away.

Selene entered the company, adjusted her hair and suit, and held her bag tightly. She approached the receptionist. "I'm here for the vacancy."

"Good morning, madam. Welcome," the receptionist replied as Selene nodded.

"Great morning! I'm here for the job vacancy," she said.

"What is your name?" the receptionist asked.

"Selene Ariel De Gomez."

"That name is taken! Join the queue," she pointed to a long line of people waiting.

Selene blinked and turned back to her. "You mean to stand behind all those people for how long? Ten hours? This is unbelievable!"

"Do you know what position and who you're interviewing for? This is a rare opportunity that isn’t always open to many," the receptionist retorted, and Selene leaned on the desk.

"What do you mean?"

"Madam, this is a busy day for us. Just join the queue. It will definitely get to your turn," she said calmly. Selene took a card from the counter and moved to stand in a corner.

She pulled out her phone and scrolled through TikTok. Her eyelids grew heavy, so she shut her phone and put it in her bag. Resting her hand on the bag, she closed her eyes.

She opened them suddenly when gentle hands landed on her. She glanced at the queue in surprise as she heard, "Next!" a man said as he walked out of the office.

She checked her reflection in her mirror, then tossed it into her bag. She turned to the man beside her, who nodded and smiled. She smiled back and left.

Jay entered his office to find his best friend sitting at his desk. "It's about time you started paying the boss some respect," his friend teased, his face lighting up.

"Even when I help the boss, you were late, and I had to set up an interview for a new secretary for you," Christine said, rising from her seat.

"Oh Christine, how I've missed you since you went on vacation!" he exclaimed.

"Now I'm back—where did we leave off?" she asked. He removed his suit jacket and locked the door before sinking into the couch, his expression suddenly darkening.

His teeth elongated into fangs, his nails sharpened, and his eyes turned red. He grabbed her wrist and sank his fangs into her neck, drinking deeply from her. She moaned and writhed on the floor.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. "Who's there?"

"Sir, it’s me, your secretary, Becky," came the response. He pulled back and transformed, quickly putting on his shirt and suit. Christine, looking composed, picked up a magazine and sat on the floor.

The door swung open. "Why is there such a wait when I have the keys with me, Boss?" Becky said, waving the keys.

"You've fired Becky?" he asked, feigning surprise. "I didn't want to let you go, but you forced my hand... as a matter of fact, the queue downstairs is for your position."

"Well, I heard they couldn’t find someone competent enough, and only two people are left," Becky bragged as she flicked her hair.

He opened his mouth to speak, but the landline rang. He picked it up to his ear. "Sir, we might have found the most competent candidate of all. Do you want to interview her yourself?" the voice asked.

"Yes—I'm coming right away!" he replied, putting the phone down. "Oops! Seems your hopes have been crushed after all. Shoo... shoo... shoo..." he gestured for her to leave his path. He tossed his hair and headed to the meeting hall.

Selene sat and answered questions until the door creaked open. Her interviewers stood up and bowed, "Welcome, Boss!" they chorused.

"Welcome, Boss," their words echoed slowly in her head as she turned to see him walk in, smirking. Memories flooded back in rapid succession, causing her head to spin and goosebumps to spread across her skin.

"I'll drive you crazy because I'm the boss around here," he said, making her heart skip a bit.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***