The next day, Shan Wolf worked as usual, blending into the rhythm of the office.
Eva Kin came in carrying a small gift box, her smile bright.
"Happy Birthday, boo! Sorry I couldn't wish you yesterday. I had so much work on my hands!"
Three pairs of ears perked up instantly.
It was his birthday yesterday?! thought Mei Yoo Jun, Rae Yoorin, and Ingrid Mikage in unison.
Shan carefully unwrapped the hand-sized package. Inside the box was...a receipt.
"Um? Eva, what's this?" he asked, puzzled.
Eva giggled, covering her mouth. "It's the receipt for your new laptop—the MSI Titan 19 HX AI. They'll deliver it to your penthouse, boo."
A chorus of shocked reactions rippled through the office. Some employees spit out their water mid-sip, a few nearly tripped over themselves.
A brand-new laptop.
"You didn't have to, you know." Shan sighed, but his voice carried warmth. To him, Eva was family. Though they weren't related by blood, they'd always been like siblings.
Eva leaned down and pressed a kiss to his cheek. She waved as she skipped back to her desk.
"Must be nice getting a gift from a girl," drawled a voice behind him.
Shan turned to see Ingrid, arms folded across her chest, her smile smug but edged with something that looked suspiciously like jealousy.
"True, true...must be very nice," Rae Yoorin chimed in, mirroring Ingrid's stance on his other side.
"Really nice...hmm," Mei Yoo Jun added from the left, her tone teasing but her eyes sharp.
By Ma Kali...help me, Shan thought. You win some, you lose some.
As the day went by, Shan finished his shift earlier than usual. His mind lingered on yesterday—on the way Rachel So Mi had tasted when he kissed her.
Heh. She tasted like chocolate, he thought with a private smile.
He was about to head out when Sae Jin Mei emerged from the Finance department. Shan noticed her and walked over.
"How's your day?" he asked.
"It's okay," she said, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm waiting on the final audition results to become the face of Won Group."
Just then, the elevator opened. Distracted, Sae Jin Mei stepped in without looking—straight into a man's solid chest.
Gin Chu Won.
Jen Heo Won's cousin. Early thirties. A handsome brute with a wrestler's build, dark brown hair tied loosely behind his head, and a goatee that gave him a permanently smug expression. His tailored suit fit him like a second skin.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Sae Jin Mei murmured.
As the doors began to close, Shan caught the look on Gin Chu Won's face. A predatory glint in his eyes made Shan's spine prickle.
Something's not right about him. But where have I seen that guy before? Shan wondered, watching helplessly as the elevator shut.
Inside, Gin Chu Won eyed Sae Jin Mei up and down with brazen interest.
"Excuse me, little girl," he began in a casually oily tone. "Do you work at the reception desk?"
Sae Jin Mei nodded, uneasy.
Gin Chu Won extended a business card.
"Name's Gin Chu Won. Executive Director of Won Group."
She took the card silently.
"I read your file," he said, pressing a hand to his chest as if to reassure her. "My cousin Jenny keeps tabs on promising talent."
He asked if she'd heard of Fin Bei Mei, the gravure model from China. He claimed he was the one who launched her career with his influence.
"Anyway," he added with a smile that didn't reach his eyes, "call me if you're interested."
He stepped out, leaving Sae Jin Mei alone with her thoughts.
That night in her apartment, she sat staring at the card for hours.
She owed Shan Wolf so much. He had bailed her out of jail, defended her when Rae Yoorin tried to pin blame on her last year, and persuaded her to pursue her own path in entertainment. Even her retirement plan—she'd thought it was revoked, but Shan had quietly saved it for her.
I can't keep depending on him, she told herself. I have to stop being the quivering blade...and become steel.
Taking a steadying breath, she tapped her phone screen and dialed Gin Chu Won's number.
The next Monday dawned bright and ordinary, a school day for children, a slog for working adults.
Mei Yoo Jun was on her way to the company when someone grabbed her arm.
"Ugh—! I have to get to work, damn it!" she snapped, jerking her hand back.
Her ex-boyfriend stood there, desperation in his eyes.
"Please, Yoo Jun. Just listen—it was all a misunderstanding," he pleaded.
She crossed her arms, glaring at him. "Why aren't you in class? I'm not doing this here."
"Because you keep ignoring my calls and texts!" he shot back, voice rising.
Typical excuses. Mei Yoo Jun rolled her eyes, feeling her patience evaporate as passersby began to stare.
"Let's take this somewhere private," he insisted, grabbing for her arm again.
Instead, she used his momentum to slip free and put distance between them.
"Yoo Jun!" he shouted after her. "I'll be waiting—I'll wait until you get off work!"
By afternoon, she was relieved to see the front of the building empty. Still, her phone buzzed constantly with calls and messages.
"Yoo Jun, about the new—"
She turned too quickly, collided with someone, and fell to the floor with a thump.
"Oww..."
She looked up. Shan Wolf was standing over her, laughing softly.
"You really are something," he teased, offering his hand.
She took it and stood, brushing off her skirt.
"Yoo Jun?" Shan asked gently, noting the anxiety in her eyes as her phone rang again.
She swallowed.
"Shan...could you walk me home tonight?"
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Chapter 46 — End.