Chapter Two – The Interview From Hell
The conference room was silent. Too silent.
Han Seo-jin sat stiffly in the leather chair, clutching her résumé as though it were a lifeline. Across from her, Seo Jun-ho flipped through the papers with deliberate slowness, his expression unreadable. The ticking of the clock on the wall felt louder with every second.
Stay calm, Seo-jin. Smile. Be professional. Don't think about how handsome he is. Don't—
"Your résumé says you graduated top of your class," Jun-ho said at last, his deep voice slicing through the silence. "Yet you were… late."
Seo-jin's smile faltered. "I—I overslept. Well, no, not overslept exactly, but there was traffic and then my coffee spilled and—"
"Stop." His eyes flicked up, sharp as a blade. "Excuses aren't necessary."
Her face burned. Great. I sound like a high school student caught without homework.
Jun-ho leaned back in his chair, studying her as though she were a puzzle he wasn't sure he wanted to solve. His suit fit him perfectly, his posture was flawless, and his expression was the dictionary definition of intimidating.
"Why should I hire someone so… unprepared?" he asked flatly.
Seo-jin's jaw tightened. For a moment, she imagined standing up and walking out. But then she remembered the stack of bills waiting at home, her mother's hopeful voice telling her she'd do great, and the fact that this was the opportunity of a lifetime.
So instead, she lifted her chin.
"Because I don't give up easily," she said. Her voice wavered at first, but then steadied. "I may have stumbled today, but once I set my mind on something, I'll work harder than anyone else in this company. Even harder than you, Mr. Seo."
The room went still.
Seo-jin's heart stopped. Did I just… challenge the CEO?!
For a long moment, Jun-ho only stared at her. Then, to her complete shock, the corner of his mouth twitched upward. A smile — no, more like the ghost of a smile — but it was there.
"Interesting," he murmured. "Most applicants grovel. You… argue."
"I'm not arguing!" Seo-jin blurted. Then immediately regretted it. "…Okay, maybe a little."
And then it happened. The cold, untouchable CEO let out a low chuckle. Just once. Just enough to make every nerve in Seo-jin's body light up like fireworks.
When he looked at her again, his eyes weren't quite as cold.
"Very well, Miss Han," he said smoothly, closing her résumé. "You're hired."
Seo-jin blinked. "Wait—what?"
"You'll start as my personal assistant. Report at seven a.m. tomorrow."
Her jaw dropped. "Seven?!"
"Do you have a problem with that?"
She scrambled to her feet, bowing so quickly she nearly hit her forehead on the table. "N-no! I'll be here at six!"
Jun-ho's smirk deepened as he rose gracefully from his chair. "Good. I look forward to seeing if your words match your actions."
As he strode toward the door, Seo-jin collapsed back into her chair, her heart pounding.
What just happened?
She had landed the job of her dreams… working directly under the cold, impossibly handsome CEO who had already turned her world upside down.
And for some reason, she had the sinking feeling that her life was about to get a whole lot more complicated.