The Man in the Shadows

Five years had passed since Eun-ah left the U.S. and started a new life in Korea. She had grown up, learned to stand on her own, and worked hard to build a future for herself. With her father’s business failing, she had no choice but to take control of her own path.

Now, at 20, she lived alone in a small apartment far from her parents and worked as a marketing associate at Kang Daehan Enterprise—the most powerful corporation in Korea. But she wasn’t satisfied with just that. She wanted more.

And today, she was going to ask for it.

Eun-ah: “Hi, yeah… I wanted to ask if I could get a better position in the company?”

Her manager barely glanced up from his computer before shaking his head.

Manager: “Sorry, but that’s not something you can discuss with me. If you want a promotion, you’ll need to talk to the boss directly.”

Eun-ah frowned. “The boss? I thought you were in charge of promotions?”

Manager: “Not at this level. Major promotions are handled directly by the CEO.”

She blinked. “The CEO? You mean… Kang Daehan himself?”

The manager let out a chuckle. “No one’s seen Kang Daehan in years. His son runs the company now.”

Her stomach twisted slightly. His son?

Eun-ah had never bothered to research the company’s history in detail. She had heard rumors that the CEO was young, ambitious, and ruthless—but she had no idea who he actually was.

Eun-ah: “Okay… but how am I supposed to talk to him? He’s probably too busy to meet with me.”

Manager: “I can request an appointment through his secretary, but you’ll have to wait.”

Eun-ah: “Alright, that sounds great.”

But one week passed.

And there was no response.

Frustrated, Eun-ah decided to take matters into her own hands. If the secretary wouldn’t get back to her, she’d find her herself.

She wandered through the company hallways, searching for the secretary’s office, but had no luck finding her. Annoyed, she stopped by the nearest bathroom to check her makeup before heading back.

But as soon as she stepped inside, she heard someone crying.

She turned her head and saw a woman standing by the sink, shoulders shaking, tears streaming down her face.

Eun-ah: “Hey… are you okay? What’s wrong?”

The woman sniffled and shook her head. “I’m done… I’m done with this job. I don’t want to leave, but… they pay me so well. But at the same time, what can I do?”

Her voice trembled.

“They fired me. And the boss—he told me I’d never find another job because of what I did.”

Eun-ah’s brows furrowed. “What did you do?”

The woman hesitated, looking around as if someone could be listening. Then, she whispered:

“I found something I wasn’t supposed to.”

A chill ran down Eun-ah’s spine. “Found what?”

Before the woman could answer, the bathroom door swung open.

A woman in a sleek black dress stepped in, her gaze sharp and cold.

The secretary.

Her heels clicked against the tiled floor as she approached them, her expression unreadable.

Secretary: “Miss Lee, you need to leave the building immediately. The boss has already made his decision.”

The crying woman—Miss Lee—froze, then wiped her tears quickly. She didn’t argue. She didn’t fight back. She simply nodded and walked out, her footsteps echoing in the silence.

Eun-ah stood there, stunned.

Then, she turned to the secretary, anger bubbling in her chest.

Eun-ah: “Is this how you treat employees here? Just throw them out like garbage?”

The secretary adjusted her glasses. “Miss Eun-ah, is there something you need?”

She inhaled sharply, trying to control her frustration.

Eun-ah: “Yes. I need to talk to the boss.”

The secretary gave her a long, assessing look before sighing.

Secretary: “Follow me.”

The office was nothing like she expected.

It was massive—floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city, dim lighting casting long shadows across sleek, modern furniture. The air smelled of leather, cologne, and power.

And behind a grand black desk, reviewing documents with an air of complete indifference—

Was him.

Kang Seong-min.

Her breath hitched.

For a moment, her brain refused to process what she was seeing.

The boy from her childhood.

The one she used to like.

The one who had always been distant, unreadable—untouchable.

Her neighbor.

No.

Not anymore.

Now, he was CEO Kang Seong-min.

Her childhood memories shattered under the weight of reality.

His sharp, dark eyes lifted from the papers, locking onto her.

A slow smirk curled at his lips.

Seong-min: “Well… if it isn’t my little neighbor.”

Her stomach flipped.

Eun-ah: “You—”

Seong-min: “You should’ve made an appointment, Eun-ah.”

She scoffed, crossing her arms. “I did. A week ago. No response.”

He leaned back in his chair, amusement flickering in his eyes. “I was curious to see if you’d come knocking on your own.”

Her jaw tightened. “So, what? You were testing me?”

He tilted his head slightly, as if considering. “Something like that.”

Silence stretched between them.

Finally, she exhaled sharply. “I want a promotion.”

His brow lifted slightly. “Do you, now?”

Eun-ah: “I’ve worked my ass off. I deserve it.”

He studied her for a long moment. Then, slowly, he stood.

And **fuck—**he was taller than she remembered.

He moved around the desk, closing the distance between them. She held her ground, refusing to step back, even as his presence sent an unexpected shiver down her spine.

Then, in a low, amused voice, he murmured—

Seong-min: “Let’s see if you’re ready, then.”

And just like that—

The game had begun.

[TO BE CONTINUED…]

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