Chapter Eleven – A New Distraction
The rest of the day dragged like an eternity. Seo-jin tried to bury herself in paperwork, but her coworkers' whispers and glances made it impossible. And then, there was Kang Min-joon.
He wasn't like anyone else in the office. While most employees stiffened in Jun-ho's presence, Min-joon seemed… effortless. He greeted everyone with a smile, joked lightly with the interns, and carried himself with a charm that felt natural, not forced.
At lunchtime, Seo-jin stepped out to grab a sandwich — and nearly jumped when Min-joon appeared beside her.
"Going alone?" he asked, tilting his head.
"Uh… yes?" she replied cautiously.
"Not anymore," he said cheerfully. "Come on, my treat."
Seo-jin opened her mouth to protest, but Min-joon was already holding the door open. Against her better judgment, she followed.
Over lunch, she discovered he was easy to talk to. Too easy. He laughed at her clumsy stories, asked about her hobbies, and didn't once mention Jun-ho.
For the first time in weeks, Seo-jin felt… normal. Not like the subject of gossip, not like a pawn in some CEO's cold strategy — just a woman talking to a man who actually listened.
"You're not what I expected," Min-joon said with a grin.
Seo-jin blinked. "What does that mean?"
"I thought the CEO's secretary would be uptight. But you're… different. Real."
Seo-jin flushed, unsure how to respond.
Back at the office, though, reality returned — in the form of Jun-ho.
He was standing outside her desk when she returned, his expression unreadable. His gaze flicked from her to Min-joon, who trailed behind, and then back to her again.
"You're late," Jun-ho said flatly.
"I-It was just lunch," Seo-jin stammered. "Sorry, I—"
"I don't recall giving you permission to extend your break," he cut in, his tone sharp enough to silence the nearby whispers.
Seo-jin froze. Something in his voice wasn't just professional reprimand — it was edged with something else. Something almost… personal.
Min-joon stepped forward, his easy smile now firm. "It was my fault, Mr. Seo. I kept her a little longer than I should have."
Jun-ho's eyes narrowed. The air between them tightened, like a storm about to break.
Seo-jin looked from one man to the other, her heart pounding.
Why did it feel like she'd just stepped into the center of something far bigger than herself?
Seo-jin smiled faintly, thinking the day was finally over. But just as she reached her apartment door, her phone buzzed with a message that made her blood run cold."Don't trust him."