Six months later, Lee Soyeon hurried through Shin Industries' marble lobby, her heels clicking urgently against the polished floor as she balanced coffee cups and files in her arms. The morning rush had made her late again, and CEO Shin Jaeho absolutely despised tardiness from his employees.The elevator couldn't move fast enough as she watched the numbers climb steadily toward the forty-second floor, her pulse racing with each passing second. The executive floor fell into uncomfortable silence when she emerged, other assistants glancing up from their desks with expressions ranging from sympathetic pity to barely concealed envy. Everyone in the company knew about her hopeless, three-year crush on their devastatingly handsome CEO."You're exactly seven minutes and thirty-two seconds late." His voice drifted from the inner office before she could even announce her presence or offer an excuse.Soyeon pushed through the heavy glass doors to find Jaeho standing motionlessly by the floor-to-ceiling windows, his perfectly sculpted silhouette outlined against Seoul's sprawling cityscape. Even completely still, he radiated an overwhelming energy that made her pulse quicken and her breath catch. Had his presence always been this magnetically intense?"I'm terribly sorry, sir. The morning traffic was absolutely—""Traffic." He turned slowly, deliberately, and her breath caught painfully in her throat. His eyes seemed to burn with some inner fire she'd never noticed before. "Tell me, Soyeon, what's more important in the business world—punctuality or creative excuses?"The question felt loaded with dangerous undercurrents. "Punctuality, sir. Always.""Excellent answer." He moved toward his mahogany desk with fluid, predatory grace that reminded her of a hunting panther. "Then you certainly won't mind staying late tonight to make up for the lost time."Heat flooded her cheeks at the suggestion. "Of course not, sir. Whatever you need.""Perfect." His smile was sharp enough to cut through glass and twice as dangerous. "Because we'll be attending the annual charity gala together this Saturday night."Her coffee cup slipped, nearly crashing to the expensive carpet. "Together? As in—""As in my date for the evening." He leaned back casually in his leather chair, watching her reaction with obvious amusement dancing in his eyes. "Unless you have other, more pressing social obligations?"Date. The single word sent powerful shockwaves rippling through her entire nervous system. After three long years of maintaining strict professional distance, he was actually asking her to be his date?"I don't understand, sir. You've never shown any interest—""Never what, Soyeon?" He stood smoothly and moved around the desk, deliberately closing the distance between them with each calculated step. "Never acknowledged the way you look at me when you think I'm not watching your every move?"She instinctively backed against the bookshelf, feeling trapped between leather-bound volumes and his overwhelming presence. "Sir, I think you're seriously misunderstanding—""Am I really?" His hand braced against the shelf beside her head, effectively caging her in. "Then tell me honestly that you haven't spent three years fantasizing about having my complete, undivided attention focused entirely on you."The accusation stuck in her throat because every word was absolutely true.Before she could form any coherent response, his lips were on hers, and her carefully ordered world exploded into pure sensation.

The kiss lasted exactly forty-three seconds—Soyeon knew because her heart hammered against her ribs like a trapped bird counting each desperate beat. When Jaeho finally pulled away, his golden eyes held depths she'd never seen before, swirling with something that looked almost inhuman."That was..." she whispered breathlessly, her fingers unconsciously rising to touch her swollen lips."A preview." His voice had dropped to a husky murmur that sent liquid fire racing through her veins. "Saturday night, I want you to wear something that shows the entire city exactly who you belong to now."Belong to. The possessive phrasing should have raised red flags, should have reminded her that workplace relationships were strictly forbidden, should have made her remember that grief could make people act irrationally. Instead, it sent a thrill of dark excitement spiraling through her core."Jaeho, I—""Sir," he corrected with a predatory smile that made her knees weak. "We're still in the office, after all. Professional boundaries must be maintained... for now."The next three days passed in a blur of stolen glances and deliberately casual touches that left Soyeon's skin burning. Jaeho would brush her hand when taking documents, let his fingers linger on her shoulder when reviewing reports, stand just close enough that she could smell his intoxicating cologne—cedar and something darker, more dangerous.Saturday evening arrived with unseasonable warmth. The black silk dress hanging in Soyeon's closet had appeared mysteriously Thursday morning with a note written in Jaeho's distinctive handwriting: For my beautiful companion. Don't disappoint me.The dress fit like it had been crafted specifically for her body—which, knowing Jaeho's resources and attention to detail, it probably had been. The neckline plunged daringly low, the fabric clung to every curve, and the thigh-high slit would make walking an exercise in controlled seduction.Diamond earrings sparkled like captured starlight, and the matching bracelet felt heavy with promise around her delicate wrist. Looking in her bedroom mirror, Soyeon barely recognized the sophisticated woman staring back. She looked dangerous, powerful, like someone who could handle whatever games Jaeho wanted to play.Her phone buzzed with a text: Car's waiting downstairs. Don't keep me in suspense.The elevator ride to the lobby felt like descending into a dream. When the polished doors slid open, her breath caught painfully. Jaeho stood near the building's entrance wearing a midnight-black tuxedo that emphasized every perfect line of his athletic frame. His dark hair was swept back elegantly, revealing the sharp angles of his face.But it was his eyes that stopped her heart completely—they seemed to glow with their own inner light."Absolutely devastating," he murmured, moving toward her with that fluid grace she'd come to associate with predators. "Though I think 'breathtaking' might be more accurate."His heated gaze traveled slowly down her body and back up, taking inventory of every exposed inch of skin. She'd never been looked at like that before—like she was something precious and dangerous and completely irresistible all at once."The dress is perfect," she managed to say through suddenly dry lips."The dress is merely fabric and thread." His hand settled possessively on the small of her back, sending electric shocks up her spine. "It's the extraordinary woman wearing it who takes my breath away completely."The limousine ride to the hotel passed in comfortable silence charged with sexual tension so thick she could practically taste it. Jaeho's hand rested casually on her silk-covered thigh, his thumb tracing small, maddening circles that made coherent thought nearly impossible."Having second thoughts?" he asked, voice like aged whiskey."Should I be?"His smile promised wicked things. "Definitely."