Auren leaned back in her chair with a heavy sigh.
After three days of intense work, sleepless nights, and constant pressure, she had finally received praise from Kael. It felt like a small victory. Her lips curved into a faint smile on their own. It hadn't been for nothing.
But as the euphoria faded, realization struck: a new task awaited her. An important project had suddenly landed on her shoulders. She knew there would be little time—and a lot of responsibility.
Auren ran a hand through her hair and took a deep breath. Before diving into the work, she needed to freshen up. A bit of cold water, a few minutes alone—and she'd be able to focus.
Deciding to get herself together first, Auren headed to the restroom. The room was empty, and she used the moment to glance at her reflection in the mirror. The fatigue was hard to hide—shadows clung under her eyes—but otherwise, she looked composed.
Just as Auren was about to splash her face with cold water, the door swung open abruptly and two female employees entered. She instinctively glanced their way, but they didn't notice her and kept talking.
To avoid unwanted conversation, Auren quickly ducked into a stall—but their voices still reached her.
"Have you heard what they're saying about her?" one of the women said in a muffled voice.
"About who?"
"The director's new secretary."
Auren froze.
"Oh, her? Of course I have. The whole company is whispering about it. They say she's dating him."
"No way. Seriously?"
"What else could it be? For years, no one even got close to him. And now she's suddenly sitting beside him, having lunch."
"Yeah, I saw them in the cafeteria too. Everyone was staring, and she didn't care. Just sat next to him, flirting."
"You think that's a coincidence? Did you see the way he looked at her? Like he already got what he wanted."
"And right after that, she suddenly gets handed an important project? Please."
"By the way, did you know our marketing department nominated her?"
"Seriously?"
"Yep. They wanted to see what she's capable of. If she fails—well, then it's clear. Just a pretty doll on someone's dime."
"God, that's brutal."
"Come on, let her prove herself if she doesn't want to be seen as a kept woman."
Auren clenched her fists. Now it all made sense. They didn't give her the project because of her skills—they expected her to fail.
The women chatted a little more, touched up their makeup, and left.
Auren took a deep breath, trying to calm the rush of emotions. She wouldn't let those rumors ruin her career. If everyone expected her to fail—then she would do everything to prove them wrong.
***
Kael strode toward the marketing department.
His face was unreadable, but inside, he was boiling. He knew gossip was normal in big companies—but the fact that someone decided to test Auren because of it infuriated him.
As he entered the spacious marketing office, the chatter died instantly. The tension in the air thickened—no one had expected a sudden visit from the CEO.
"Where's the department head?" His voice was even, which somehow made it even more intimidating.
A middle-aged man quickly emerged from a corner office—Wollen Erik. He adjusted his glasses, trying to appear calm, but Kael noticed the nervous gulp.
"Mr. Dantes..."
"What are these rumors going around the office?" Kael crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes.
Erik hesitated, but under the director's stare, he realized there was no point hiding.
"It's... just empty talk. You know how people love to discuss new faces, especially when they..."
"When they what?" Kael's voice grew colder.
"Well... she's very attractive. And you don't usually keep secretaries for long," Erik answered cautiously.
Kael clenched his jaw.
"So you're saying I keep her around for her looks?"
"No, no!" Erik quickly waved his hands. "The employees are just speculating—"
Kael ran his tongue across the inside of his cheek, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. People would always find something to gossip about.
"If rumors are interfering with work, I'll deal with them personally," he said firmly. "Or maybe your department is too busy gossiping to do its actual job?"
Erik swallowed hard.
"Of course not, Mr. Kael."
Kael gave a dry huff and turned toward the exit. He needed to handle this—but first... first, he had to make sure Auren was holding up.
He was just about to leave when Erik added:
"By the way, since you're here... I heard your secretary is handling a marketing project now. You approved that, right?"
Kael stopped dead.
"What project?"
Erik blinked, realizing he'd said too much.
"Well... she was tasked with developing a strategy for the new marketing campaign. The presentation's in a few days."
Kael's jaw tightened.
"Who assigned her that?"
"It was a collective decision," Erik said cautiously. "Many had... doubts about her qualifications. We thought it'd be a great chance for her to prove herself."
Kael took a slow breath, forcing down his growing irritation.
"You thought?" He stared into Erik's eyes, and Erik quickly looked away.
"She did want to work in marketing," Erik added quickly. "We just gave her the chance."
Kael understood what had happened. Someone in marketing had seized the moment to dump a complex project on Auren. Or more likely—they just wanted her to fail to validate the rumors.
He slowly nodded, pretending to consider Erik's words.
"So without my approval, you gave the CEO's secretary a project that could affect the company's image in front of investors?"
Erik stiffened.
"Well... in a way—"
Kael stepped closer, tilting his head slightly.
"If Auren fails, whose responsibility is that?"
Erik hesitated.
"Well... we thought—"
"Exactly. You thought—but you didn't ask," Kael straightened, his face now ice cold. "I don't recall giving you the authority to decide what tasks my secretary takes on."
Erik paled.
"Mr. Kael, we didn't mean—"
"It doesn't matter what you meant," Kael cut in sharply. "Since you're so confident she'll fail, I hope you've prepared a backup strategy—so we don't embarrass ourselves in front of the investors."
Erik gulped and looked down.
Kael curled his lip in a smirk.
"Auren will succeed. And when she does, I hope you'll be smart enough to admit your mistake."
With that, he turned and walked out, leaving Erik completely shaken.
***
Kael stepped out of his office, his eyes instinctively drawn to Auren's side.
The light was still on, and he slowed his pace. As he passed by, he noticed her poring over documents, whispering quietly to herself.
Files, markers, and annotated sheets were scattered across her desk, and a cup of coffee—clearly long cold—sat nearby. Kael stopped in the doorway, arms crossed, silently watching her for a few seconds. Then, casually, he said:
"Why are you still here?"
Auren startled and looked up.
"Oh, it's you..." she blinked quickly, as if just realizing he was there. "I'm working."
Kael squinted slightly, his gaze drifting over the materials on her desk. He immediately recognized the project. The memory of how she'd been assigned it made irritation flare inside him again.
"Have you finished the task I gave you?" His voice was even but tense.
"Yes, of course," Auren straightened, setting her pen aside.
"Then why are you working on this?" He tapped one of the documents.
Auren hesitated slightly before replying:
"I was asked to prepare a strategy for the marketing campaign and present it to the investors."
Kael studied her closely, as if trying to catch the slightest trace of emotion.
"And you didn't even ask why they suddenly dumped this on you?"
She shrugged slightly.
"They said I was a good fit."
For a moment, Kael's eyes flashed with irritation.
"They didn't say—they used the rumors," he muttered through clenched teeth.
Auren frowned.
"Rumors?"
"Doesn't matter." Kael pulled away from the desk, his voice growing firmer.
"Who exactly gave you this project?"
"The head of marketing."
"Perfect." He gave a short, bitter chuckle and shook his head.
Auren looked at him in confusion.
"What's the problem?"
"The problem is, no one cleared this with me!" His voice was low but firm. "They just dumped that kind of responsibility on you?!"
Auren furrowed her brow slightly.
"But it's still part of my job..."
"No. Your job is to be my secretary," Kael said, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "And if you're going to take on something else—it goes through me."
Auren narrowed her eyes, still unsure why he was so upset.
"Are you saying I won't manage it?"
Kael gave her a sharp look—but instead of answering, he turned on his heel and headed for the door.
"Goddamn initiative..." he muttered under his breath.
Auren watched him go, trying to understand—was he angry because they gave her the project, or because he didn't believe in her skills?
Kael stormed out, already knowing exactly where he needed to go.
As the door closed behind him, Auren exhaled loudly, feeling some of the tension in her shoulders ease. She unconsciously placed her palm against her chest, trying to—