“You’re right,” Dasan said, straightening his back. “Let her play around with her new secretary. Let’s see how long Noira can hold out before crawling back to me.”
Behind her sweet smile, Aina’s eyes gleamed with triumph. Her plan had worked perfectly. As long as Dasan believed Noira was only playing hard to get, he would remain under Aina’s control—and most importantly, Aina could keep clinging to Dasan while slowly destroying Noira’s reputation from within.
Meanwhile, upstairs in Noira’s luxurious condominium, the atmosphere that night was anything but stiff.
“Ow, easy, Boss! This is human skin, not a scrap of fabric!” Noah cried, wincing softly as he sat on the spacious folding sofa.
Noira, now wearing nothing but beige silk pajamas and no makeup, pressed an alcohol pad against the small scrape on Noah’s finger. Her face was scrunched up as she tried to look fierce, even though her movements were incredibly careful.
“That’s what you get for cutting report paper with nail scissors instead of a paper cutter!” Noira scolded, even as her hands busily applied the cartoon bandage Noah had bought that morning.
“Well, your former secretary didn’t leave behind a complete set of stationery,” Noah grumbled, gazing at Noira from up close.
Noira’s natural scent—a blend of herbal bath soap and a soft fragrance—filled Noah’s senses. In the dim condominium lighting, the cold CEO’s face looked far more human, warmer, and... incredibly beautiful.
“Thank you,” Noah murmured suddenly, his voice turning soft.
Noira stopped adjusting the bandage. She looked up and met Noah’s eyes. “For what?”
“For calling me a ‘top graduate’ and defending me in front of that former navy-shirt guy this morning,” Noah said, a slight, sincere smile curving across his lips, without a hint of teasing. “You managed to save some of my dignity.”
Noira froze for a moment. She turned her face away, trying to hide the awkwardness that had suddenly tightened in her chest.
“I just don’t like outsiders belittling my staff,” Noira said quietly. “Especially... Dasan and Aina. They both think they can control my life.”
Noah noticed the change in Noira’s expression. A faint flash of pain crossed the woman’s eyes when she mentioned her former fiancé and her own cousin.
“Are they always like that?” Noah asked gently.
“Dasan has always believed he’s the center of the universe,” Noira replied coldly, leaning back against the sofa. “And Aina... she always pretends to be an angel in front of everyone, even though she was the one who leaked my family’s business secrets to Dasan last year, which led to the cancellation of our engagement.”
Noah nodded in understanding. “No wonder Aina kept clinging to you earlier like a stamp that wouldn’t stick. Turns out she’s a two-faced snake.”
Noira let out a soft chuckle—a genuine laugh rarely heard from her lips. “Your way of communicating is always strange, Noah.”
“But I made you laugh, didn’t I?” Noah teased, slipping back into his mischievous mode. He scooted closer to Noira and looked at the CEO with that familiar sensual gaze. “For these three months... it looks like my job isn’t just being your ‘private relaxation partner’ and makeshift secretary. I’m also your shield against the snakes surrounding you.”
Noira swallowed as the distance between their faces suddenly shrank to just a few inches. Noah’s warm breath brushed against the skin of her cheek.
“Your workload keeps growing, Noah,” Noira whispered, her voice trembling softly. “I may have to increase your pay.”
“I don’t need extra money, Noira,” Noah replied softly, his fingers creeping up to gently stroke a strand of Noira’s hair that had fallen over her shoulder. “My bonus is simply getting to look at you like this every night.”
Noira went still. Her heart pounded wildly beyond her control. Behind this closed door, amid the contract’s falsehoods and the threats of outside intrigue, the cold CEO’s defenses were slowly beginning to crack beneath the warmth of the man who was supposed to be nothing more than her kept man.