Anny Winter stood outside Vale Group Headquarters, clutching the appointment letter in trembling hands.

Five years had passed since graduation.

Five years since she had last seen Kiaan Vale, the quite boy who always sat by the classroom window.

The boy who secretly smiled whenever she laughed. The boy he loved...... but never confessed to.

She had no idea that the shy classmate was now the youngest CEO in the country.

As the elevator opened, her heart nearly stopped.

There he was.

Tall, handsome, dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit, surrounded by the assistants and security. His cold grey eyes met hers for only a second before he walked away as if she were a complete stranger.

Anny forced a smile.

"Of course... Why would he remember me?"

Inside his office.....

Kiaan dismissed everyone.

He loosened his tie and stared at the security camera showing Anny waiting in the lobby.

His emotionless face slowly softened.

"So... you finally came back."

He opened the top drawer of his desk.

Inside lay an old blue ribbon.... the one Anny had unknowingly dropped during their final school festival.

He had kept it for five years.

"I never forgot you."

That evening, Anny received shocking news.

She had been promoted directly to become the CEO's personal assistant....

despite having no experience.

Everyone in the company whispered.

"How is that possible?"

"Did she bribe someone?"

"Does she know the CEO?"

Anny herself was confused.

But someone else wasn't happy.

A woman watched Anny from the shadows.

Her nails dug into her palm.

"So... She the girl kiaan has been waiting for."

A cold smile spread across her lips.

"Then she has to disappear."

As Anny left the office that night, she felt someone followed her.

The footsteps behind her grew louder.

She turned around. No one.

Just as she sighed in relief...

 A black-gloved hand suddenly covered mouth from behind.

She tried to scream.

Everything went dark.

After 2 hours,

 Anny slowly opened her eyes, her hands were tied . She was trapped inside an abandoned warehouse.

Three masked men stood nearby. "So she's the CEO's favourite girl?" One of them laughed.

"Let's see if he's willing to pay for her."

Tears filled Anny's eyes. "I don't even know the ceo..." Suddenly--

BANG! The warehouse door exploded open.

Dozens of security guards rushed inside. At the center stood Kiaan.

His cold eyes were filled with rage."Touch her..."  His voice was frighteningly calm

"... and none of you will leave alive ." The kidnappers panicked. One grabbed Anny and held knife to her neck.

"Stay back!" Kiaan slowly walked closer. "I'll give you ten seconds."

"nine.."

"eight.."

the man laughed.

"seven..."

"six.."

Anny was crying badly and was begging kiaan to save her, Kiaan was getting more angry after seeing her condition and was ready to kill anyone who had troubled her into this all .

"five..."

"four..."

Before kiaan reached to one ... suddenly a shadow dropped from the ceiling. And it was Ethan.

Within seconds the kidnappers were taken down.

 Kiaan rushed  to Anny. Without saying a word, he untied her hands. She looked at with tears in her eyes.

She asked him why did you come here to save me.

HELLO READER HOPE YOUR ENJOYING PLEASE WAIT FOR NEXT EPISODE 🥰🥰

For a moment, the cold CEO smiled.

"Because..."

"You've always been the most important person in my life."

Anny froze.

Before she could ask what he meant, Kiaan walked away.

Standing outside the warehouse... Liana watched everything from her car. "So..."

"He still loves her." She clenched her fists.

"Then I'll make sure Anny disappears forever."

The bright morning sunlight streamed through the hospital window, casting a warm glow across the spotless white room. Anny slowly opened her eyes, her head throbbing from the previous night's ordeal. For a few moments, she simply stared at the ceiling, wondering if everything that had happened had been nothing more than a nightmare.

Then she noticed the faint bruises on her wrists.It was real the kidnapping... the abandoned warehouse... and Kiaan's furious expression as he stormed in to save her. A soft knock interrupted her thoughts.

The door opened, and Kiaan stepped inside. He wore a charcoal-grey suit, but unlike his usual perfectly composed appearance, his tie was slightly loose, and there were dark circles beneath his eyes. It was obvious he hadn't slept.

Neither of them spoke. The silence between them felt strangely familiar, just like it had during their high school days.

Finally, Kiaan placed a small paper bag on the bedside table.

"You haven't eaten since yesterday," he said calmly. "The doctor said you should have breakfast."

Anny blinked in surprise. Inside the bag were her favorite strawberry sandwiches and vanilla milk.

She looked up at him. "How... did you know these are my favorites?" For a brief second, Kiaan's expression softened."I remembered."

The single word made Anny's heart skip a beat.

Before she could ask another question, he turned toward the window as though he regretted saying too much.

"I'm just good at remembering details," he added quickly.

Anny wasn't convinced. There was something hidden behind his calm voice—something he refused to tell her.

Just then, the door burst open without warning.A cheerful young man carrying a huge bouquet of colorful flowers walked in dramatically."So this is the famous girl who made our ice-cold CEO lose his mind!"

Anny stared at him in confusion.Kiaan closed his eyes and sighed.

"Ethan."

Ethan Carter flashed a playful grin. "I'm Ethan, Kiaan's best friend. Nice to meet you, Miss Anny."

He leaned closer and whispered loudly enough for everyone to hear.

"Last night, our great CEO threatened to buy the entire warehouse just to find you." Kiaan shot him a deadly glare.

"Ethan." "I'm just telling the truth."

"Ethan." "Okay, okay! I'll stop."

Anny couldn't help laughing.For the first time since the kidnapping, genuine laughter filled the room.

Kiaan silently watched her.The sound of her laughter was exactly the same as it had been five years ago.

It made the cold walls around his heart crack just a little. Later that afternoon, Anny was discharged from the hospital. When she returned to Vale Group, every employee stopped working to look at her.

Some smiled.

Others whispered. "That's her." "The CEO personally stayed with her all night." "They must be dating."

Anny lowered her head, embarrassed.Before the gossip could grow louder, Kiaan stepped out of the elevator.

His sharp gaze swept across the office. "I don't pay people to spread rumors." The entire floor fell silent.

"Get back to work."  Within seconds, everyone rushed back to their desks.

Anny looked at him with gratitude. "You didn't have to do that."

Without looking at her, Kiaan replied, "No one in my company is allowed to disrespect my employees."

His answer sounded professional. Yet somehow... it felt deeply personal.

Meanwhile, in a luxurious apartment across the city, Liana Brooks smashed a crystal glass against the wall.

The television displayed the morning news. "CEO Kiaan Vale rescues female employee from kidnapping attempt."

Her breathing became uneven. "So everyone knows about her now." A man sitting in the shadows slowly applauded.

"You seem... jealous."  Liana looked toward him.

"Victor."  The mysterious man smiled. "You want Kiaan."  "And I want something Anny has."

He slid an old photograph across the table. Liana picked it up. Her eyes widened.

The picture showed Kiaan and Anny together in their high school uniforms... smiling at each other.

But standing in the background was another student.

Someone whose face had been scratched out completely. Victor's smile grew colder.

"That person is the key to everything."

"And very soon..."

"...they're coming back."

The next morning, Anny reached Vale Group earlier than usual. After everything that had happened, she wanted to prove that she deserved her new position. Taking a deep breath, she stepped into the grand lobby, trying to ignore the curious glances from the employees.

To her surprise, the receptionist greeted her with a bright smile.

"Good morning, Miss Winter. Mr. Vale asked us to send you directly to his office."

Anny blinked in confusion. "His office?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Trying not to overthink it, she took the private elevator to the top floor. The doors opened into a quiet hallway that led to the CEO's office. She knocked gently.

"Come in."

Kiaan was standing near the floor-to-ceiling window, holding a cup of black coffee. The morning sunlight outlined his sharp features, making him look even more distant than usual.

"You wanted to see me?" Anny asked.

Without turning around, he nodded.

"From today onward, you'll work as my personal assistant."

Anny's eyes widened.

"But... I don't know anything about being a CEO's assistant."

"You'll learn."

His calm confidence somehow eased her worries.

"Besides," he added, finally looking at her, "I trust you."

Those three words echoed in Anny's mind.

I trust you.

She wondered why someone she hadn't spoken to in five years could trust her so completely.

Just then, Ethan barged into the office carrying two cups of coffee and a paper bag filled with pastries.

"I brought breakfast!" he announced dramatically.

Seeing Anny, he grinned.

"Perfect timing. If Kiaan keeps skipping meals, he'll turn into an actual robot."

Kiaan sighed.

"Ethan..."

"What? I'm saving your life."

Anny couldn't help laughing again.

For a brief moment, even Kiaan's lips curved into the faintest smile.

"You two laugh too much," he muttered.

Ethan gasped dramatically.

"Did everyone hear that? The Ice King made a joke!"

Kiaan picked up a file and threw it toward him.

"Get out."

Ethan dodged it with exaggerated skill before disappearing from the office, still laughing.

The cheerful atmosphere lingered long after he left.

Later that afternoon, Anny was arranging old company documents in the archives. Dust covered almost every shelf, and the room smelled of old paper.

While organizing one of the cabinets, a worn envelope slipped onto the floor.

Curious, she picked it up.

Inside was an old photograph.

It showed four teenagers wearing their high school uniforms.

Anny immediately recognized herself.

Next to her stood Kiaan, looking slightly awkward but smiling.

Beside them was Ethan, making a funny face.

And standing at the edge of the picture was another boy.

His face...

...had been scratched out with something sharp.

Anny frowned.

"Who was he?"

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't remember.

A sudden voice behind her made her jump.

"Where did you find that?"

Kiaan stood in the doorway.

For the first time since they had reunited, genuine fear flashed across his face.

"I... I found it in this envelope," Anny replied softly.

He walked over quickly and took the photograph from her hands.

For several long seconds, he stared silently at the scratched-out face.

Then, without a word, he slipped the photograph into his pocket.

"You shouldn't look into the past."

His voice was unusually cold.

Anny looked at him in disbelief.

"Why?"

Kiaan hesitated.

Before he could answer, his phone rang.

He answered immediately.

"What?"

The color drained from his face.

"When?"

He ended the call and grabbed his car keys.

"Ethan just found a body."

Anny's heart skipped a beat.

"What does that have to do with us?"

Kiaan looked directly into her eyes.

"The victim was carrying your brother Daniel's wallet."

The room fell silent.

Anny felt the ground disappear beneath her feet.

"My... brother?"

She hadn't seen Daniel in seven years.

He had vanished without leaving a single clue.

Tears welled in her eyes as Kiaan gently held her trembling shoulders.

"We don't know if it's really him," he said quietly. "But we need to go. Now."

As they hurried toward the elevator, neither of them noticed a hidden camera in the archive room.

On a nearby monitor, Victor watched with a satisfied smile.

"They've found the first piece of the puzzle."

He leaned back in his chair.

"And now... the real game begins."