The boardroom was filled with voices, numbers, and endless presentations, but Qin Yue sat quietly at the side, taking notes as instructed. Her pen moved across the page with neat strokes, but her mind wasn't on the meeting.
It was still on the words Han Jin had spoken earlier.
"Stay by my side. No matter what happens, don't let go."
Her hand trembled slightly as she wrote. What did he mean by that? Was it just another command from her arrogant boss—or was it something more?
She dared not look up at him now, not when he sat at the head of the table, exuding an aura of authority that silenced even the boldest executives. His expression was calm, but she knew beneath that mask was the same intensity he had shown last night when he pulled her into his arms.
Her chest tightened. No. I can't think about that. I can't.
The meeting dragged on for another hour, and when it finally ended, Qin Yue gathered the files quickly, ready to escape before the whispers began again. But before she could leave, Han Jin's voice stopped her.
"Qin Yue. Stay."
Her breath caught. Everyone else filtered out of the room, their curious eyes lingering a moment too long before the heavy doors closed.
Han Jin rose from his seat, walking slowly toward her. Each step echoed in the vast, silent room, and her heart beat faster with every sound.
When he stopped in front of her, he didn't speak immediately. His gaze lingered on her face, unreadable, as if searching for something she refused to show.
Finally, he said, "You think I don't see it? The way you shrink back, the way you hide every time someone looks at you differently?"
Qin Yue lowered her eyes. "It's easier that way."
His jaw tightened. "Easier? Or cowardly?"
Her head snapped up, hurt flashing across her face. "You don't understand! I'm not like you. I don't have power to silence people. Every word, every whisper—it sticks to me. It follows me. It makes me wonder if I even belong here at all."
Her voice cracked at the end, but she bit it back, refusing to cry.
Han Jin's eyes softened for a moment, but then he leaned closer, his tone low and steady. "Then let me make it clear. You belong here because I chose you. And I don't regret it."
Her heart thudded painfully. She took a step back, but he followed, closing the distance.
"Han Jin…" she whispered, her voice trembling. "Don't say things like that. You'll only make it harder for me."
"Harder?" His eyes darkened, his hand rising to brush her cheek. "Or harder to resist me?"
Her breath hitched. His touch was warm, burning against her skin. Every fiber of her being screamed to pull away, but her body betrayed her, leaning into that warmth.
For a moment, she let herself imagine it—the possibility of being by his side, not as his assistant, but as something more. The thought terrified her as much as it thrilled her.
She pulled away abruptly, shaking her head. "This isn't right. You're my boss. People already think—"
"Let them think what they want," he cut in, his voice sharp. "I don't live for their opinions, and neither should you."
"But I'm not you!" she cried, her voice breaking. "I don't have your strength, your power, your shield. I'm just Qin Yue. Ordinary, replaceable Qin Yue."
The silence that followed was suffocating. Her chest rose and fell with ragged breaths, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.
Han Jin stared at her for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then, without warning, he reached into the folder on the table and pulled out a document. He placed it in front of her, the paper sliding across the polished surface.
She blinked, confused. "What is this?"
"A contract," he said simply.
Her hands trembled as she picked it up. Her eyes scanned the words, and her breath caught.
It wasn't a business contract.
It was personal.
A contract binding her to stay by his side—not as an employee, but as his personal companion. To live in his world, to share his burdens, to accept his protection… and perhaps something more.
Her lips parted in shock. "You can't be serious…"
"I've never been more serious," Han Jin replied, his gaze steady. "If you need a reason to stay, let this be it. A contract, as binding as any other."
Her hands shook violently. "This… this is crazy. I can't sign this."
"You can," he said firmly. "And you will. Because deep down, you're just as tired of running as I am of chasing."
Her eyes filled with tears. "You don't understand. If I sign this, I lose everything—my independence, my pride, my chance to prove myself."
He stepped closer, his voice low but intense. "No. You'll gain me. And I'll never let you regret it."
Qin Yue's heart ached. The sincerity in his eyes threatened to break down every wall she had built around herself. But fear still clung to her, whispering doubts.
Before she could respond, the doors of the boardroom burst open.
Lin Jia.
She froze in the doorway, her eyes falling on the contract in Qin Yue's trembling hands. A slow, cruel smile spread across her lips.
"Well, well. What do we have here?"
Qin Yue's blood ran cold.
Han Jin's expression turned to ice. "Get out."
But Lin Jia stepped inside, her heels clicking against the floor. "So it's true. The rumors weren't just rumors. You really are giving her… special treatment."
Qin Yue shook her head desperately. "It's not what it looks like—"
"Oh, but it is," Lin Jia purred, her eyes gleaming with triumph. "Do you think the board will accept this? Do you think investors will trust a president who lets his emotions cloud his judgment?"
Han Jin's voice was sharp enough to cut glass. "You dare threaten me?"
Lin Jia smirked. "Not you, President Han. Her." She turned her venomous gaze to Qin Yue. "You've made yourself a target, Qin Yue. And when this little secret spreads, you'll wish you had never stepped into this company."
Qin Yue's hands trembled, the contract slipping from her fingers.
Han Jin moved instantly, placing himself between her and Lin Jia. His voice was deadly calm. "Try it, and you'll regret it."
For a moment, the tension crackled like lightning in the air. Lin Jia's smirk faltered, but she quickly masked it with a scoff.
"Very well. Protect her if you want. But remember, not even you can shield her forever."
With that, she turned and left, her heels echoing like a countdown to disaster.
The silence she left behind was suffocating. Qin Yue stood frozen, the contract still lying on the table between them.
Han Jin turned to her, his expression unreadable. "Sign it."
Her eyes widened. "After what she said? How can you ask me to—"
"Because if you don't," he said, his voice fierce, "she wins. The rumors, the whispers, the threats—they'll consume you. But if you stand with me, if you make it clear to the world that you are mine, no one will dare touch you again."
Her heart pounded wildly. His words were both a promise and a trap. To sign would mean surrendering to him, stepping into a world she wasn't sure she could survive. To refuse would mean facing Lin Jia's wrath alone.
Tears welled in her eyes as she whispered, "Why me? You could have anyone. Why me?"
For the first time, Han Jin's expression softened completely. He reached out, gently lifting her chin so she had no choice but to meet his eyes.
"Because you're the only one who makes me feel human."
Her breath caught, her defenses crumbling.
The contract lay between them, the ink waiting for her decision.
And as her trembling hand reached for the pen, Qin Yue realized that this choice would change everything—not just her future, but her heart.
---