The Beginning of Trouble

Tae Hyun

I was walking toward the elevator, the file for today’s meeting clutched tightly in my hand. This deal wasn’t just another business opportunity — it was the deal. The one I had been waiting for. The one that would silence the board members who had been circling me like vultures, waiting for me to fail.

They still believed that appointing someone my age as CEO had been a mistake. That youth meant recklessness. That I would bring chaos to the company. What they didn’t see — what they refused to see — was what I was capable of.

I flipped through the documents one last time, making sure everything was in order. No room for mistakes today.

And then — bam!

Something hard collided with me, sending a flurry of papers scattering across the marble floor. I froze for a second, staring at the chaos that had been my perfectly organized file just moments ago.

Min Seo

Okay, first of all, that was not a wall.

The man standing in front of me was at least six foot something — maybe more — and he looked like he’d just stepped out of some glossy magazine cover. But it wasn’t his height or his sharp suit that caught me. It was his eyes.

Those eyes. Cold, piercing, and yet... hypnotic. For a second, I forgot to breathe, caught in that stare that felt like it could see straight through me.

But before I could gather my thoughts, my smartwatch beeped sharply, reminding me I was about to be late for my appointment. Reality snapped back in. I bowed quickly, muttering an apology before rushing past him toward the HR department.

Tae Hyun

I watched her hurry down the corridor, heading toward HR. “A new rookie,” I muttered under my breath. “She’s going to be trouble.”

“Tae Hyun! What on earth happened here?”

I turned at the familiar voice. My secretary — and best friend — Woo Jin was staring at the mess of papers on the floor.

“Someone just crashed into me,” I said, trying to calm my nerves.

He crouched down to help gather the scattered pages. “Let’s go. We’ll have to make do with what’s left.”

I sighed and pressed the elevator button.

“Do you even have another copy?” Woo Jin asked as we stepped inside. “Because that was the only set we had prepared. You’re not seriously going to walk into that meeting empty-handed, are you?”

I glanced at him. “You want to ask for more time? Woo Jin, listen to yourself.”

He went quiet, biting his lip — his usual sign of panic. I placed a hand on his shoulder, steadying him.

“Relax. I’ll handle it.”

As the elevator doors opened, I stepped out, straightened my tie, and walked toward the conference room with all the confidence I could gather.

Min Seo

“You’ll need to wait for a few minutes, Miss Min,” said Ms. Kim from HR, offering a polite smile. “Your final interview will be with our CEO. He’s currently in a meeting.”

I nodded, my stomach churning. This was it — the final round. I couldn’t afford to mess this up. Minji’s father had pulled every string he could to get me here, trusting I’d prove myself.

As I sat in the waiting area, my mind drifted back to the man I’d bumped into earlier. Who was he? A manager, maybe? Or a department head? He’d looked too young to be someone higher up. Minji had said the CEO was a friend of Mr. Park’s — an older man. There’s no way that guy was him... right?

Before I could overthink it any further, an employee appeared at the door.

“Miss Min Seo? The CEO will see you now.”

I took a deep breath, smoothed my skirt, and whispered to myself, You’ve got this, Min Seo.

Then I followed the employee down the hall — straight toward the man I had just crashed

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