The day begins before sunrise. Isaac is already awake at five, reviewing a report on his tablet as he takes his coffee black. His mornings are regimented, routine, disciplined. A short workout, shower, perfectly tailored suit, forest-y cologne, a car waiting outside. By the time most of the city is stirring, he's halfway through his schedule.
The driver briefs him on the morning traffic, Emily, his secretary, briefs him on the morning chaos, while nagging at him to not skip dinners. One of the overseas branches has run into logistics trouble, and a European client is threatening to pull a contract unless it's fixed immediately. Isaac listens in silence, his gaze fixed on the passing cityscape.
At headquarters, the first half of the morning is swallowed by back to back meetings. Presentations, charts, negotiations. His voice cuts through the conference room like steel, it is precise, commanding, always moving toward solutions. No wasted words, no hesitation. "If the CEO falters, the company falters", that was the weight his father, the chairman, drilled into him years ago.
No time to breathe, no breaks, all his mornings were that way. He paces his office while on a call, gesturing sharply at the numbers on his screen. Emily places a bottle of water and a sandwich quietly by his desk. He doesn't notice her leave.
Around noon though, a small interruption pokes him, a faint flutter of paper landing on his desk. He looks up, it's her again, Mina Kang, the new hire, clutching the rest of the stack, wide-eyed from nearly dropping them. He masks his fatigue with dry humor, "Miss Kang, are you trying to intimidate me with the dramatic flair?" She stammers an excuse, cheeks flushed. He lets himself quip again, "The circus would appreciate your method." He didn't think, it came naturally.
A smirk tugs at his lips before he can stop it. He watches her exit, papers in hand, humming with nervous energy. The faintest ripple of amusement lingers long after she leaves. He shakes it off, refocusing on his next task. A small breather, in an otherwise suffocating day.
The afternoon is a blur. He leaves the building twice, first for a quick lunch with a potential investor at a downtown hotel, then for an urgent inspection at one of Lunette's logistics centers. Everywhere he goes, people are waiting for him. Asking, demanding, needing decisions. He carries it like armor. He has to, he chose this when he agreed to become the CEO, contrary to his brother's opinions.
By the time he returns to headquarters in the evening, the offices are mostly empty. Only a few lights are still on. As he strides down the hall, he catches sight of her again, Mina, bent over her desk, hair tied back, still typing furiously at her screen. A faint irritation prickles at him. "Why is a junior here this late?" He didn't want Lunette to be the kind of employee that forces youngsters to overwork to death, within the first days of joining.
He asks Emily, who shrugs, "No clue, sir." He sighs, glances at his watch, and leaves her be.
Dinner is late and joyless, another business engagement at a private club. Expensive wine, heavy steak, men in suits making jokes he barely hears. Isaac keeps his face polite, his words crisp. The moment he leaves, his expression drops.
When he finally returns home, the city lights are glowing, the apartment is silent. He slips off his jacket and sinks into his chair. His phone buzzes, a reminder of tomorrow's schedule. He scrolls absentmindedly through messages. Directors warning him about the company warfare schemes from the opposing party- work, executives at subsidiaries complaining about their issue- work, his mother wanting him to have lunch with the chairman, his father- work, his ex-girlfriend, Chloe, wanting to talk- probably work...he sighs.
For some reason, his mind flashes back, not to the investors, not to the logistics issues, not even to his father's voice, but to a paper fluttering dramatically onto his desk, and a young woman's embarrassed laugh as she tried to style it as "a new delivery method."
He exhales sharply, annoyed with himself. It's irrelevant, don't waste energy thinking of it.
Still, for the first time that day, the corner of his mouth curves, ever so slightly, before the weight of tomorrow pulls it away again. He will forget, he has to.
A few days pass, and on Friday morning, Mina comes early to finish up the final report of the proposal project she was working on with one of the senior employees. Today was the presentation, and he had insisted Mina to join, since she did a lot of work as well.
Today she wears a pink blouse, with butterfly necklace, her hair in space buns. She was feeling whimsy. She enters the room, but the atmosphere is cold. "My fashion today will definitely not be appreciated here..." she thinks. Department heads, executives, team leaders, and at the end of the table, Isaac himself. Isaac notices her enter, but his eyes quickly turn towards the report at hand, that Mina helped with. The senior employee gives his presentation, and Mina listens intently. A few questions, answers, and back and forth, nodding, pen scratching. Isaac stands up, and the room goes silent. "The project proposal is meticulous, I think we should do it." He looks at the others for opinions, the finance head adds, "yes, it seems viable. However. I'd adjust..." familiar negotiations, the senior employee takes in the advice, nods.
Mina quietly sits through it. At the end, the proposal is passed. His team will take on the project. Everyone, including Mina, leaves the room, satisfied. Once out, the senior calls out to Mina, "Hey, rookie! Thank you, you helped us out a lot! We'll take it over from now. It must have been difficult juggling your own assignments with my requests!" He pats Mina's back. She politely bows, "It was nothing sir, I learned a lot!" He smiles, and walks away. Just as she's about to return to her cubicle, Isaac walks out the room.
"Miss Kang."
She looks up at him, and frantically bows, almost too deep, nearly dropping her folders.
His brow twitches, but he maintains his deadpan face, "Still dramatic, I see."
He takes a step closer, "I heard you took on this project yourself. I appreciate your enthusiasm, but do take care not to overwork yourself. Image is very important to Lunette, and I do not want it to be a company where new hires pull multiple all-nighters when it hasn't been a month since they're here."
She makes a weird expression, is he scolding her or worrying about her.
Isaac notices her frown, and his tone shift. "Still, details were solid. Precise. You did more than most juniors bother to." He says firmly.
"Oh, heh heh" a goofy laugh of pride escapes her, something that immediately embarrasses her. She covers her mouth, blushing.
Her butterfly necklace is dangling from her chest as she bows, glistening, her space buns has come loose from the dramatic bowing, and her pink lip gloss has almost been worn off. Isaac's gaze scans her from head to toe, but immediately turns away.
"Don't let it get to your head." He says, and walks away.