✨📱🌙
The morning felt deceptively calm. Mira had locked herself in her office after the finance meeting, but her cold posture cracked once she pulled out her phone. Her thumb hovered over Leo's name longer than she'd admit, then finally, she sent a simple:
Mira:Did you have lunch?
She almost laughed at herself. Why was she acting like some lovestruck teenager when she was supposed to be the untouchable CEO? But when his reply came seconds later, her lips betrayed her composure.
Leo:Not yet. Jiwon made Kimchi Rice. Why? You're checking in now?Mira:Someone has to make sure you're eating properly.Leo:And that someone's you?Mira:Obviously.
Her heart thumped harder than she wanted it to. Their banter carried on, light at first, then dipping into deeper waters. He teased her about her cold front at work, she scolded him about always keeping people at arm's length. Between the teasing and blunt honesty, the line between playful texting and raw confession blurred.
But just as she was about to type something that might've tipped the balance, her office door cracked open.
"Mira-unnie?" Jiwon's voice, careful, hesitant.
Mira looked up sharply, sliding her phone face down on the desk. "Jiwon—come in."
Jiwon stepped inside, holding a file too big for her arms, her eyes carrying both nervousness and excitement. She had no idea her brother's name had just been glowing on Mira's phone seconds ago.
Mira smiled softly. "Perfect timing. I was about to call you anyway."
She quickly picked up her phone and typed:
Mira → Leo:I'll talk to you later. Something came up.
On the other side of the city, Leo frowned at the screen, staring at the message longer than he should've. He didn't know that the very reason Mira cut their conversation short was standing in her office right now, unknowingly deepening the threads of fate that tied the three of them together.
And for now, Mira kept Jiwon's employment under her roof a secret. She wasn't ready for Leo to find out—because when he did, everything between them could shatter.
☕ Jiwon's Arrival
"Mira-unnie?" Jiwon's soft voice drifted in as she stepped inside, holding two cups of coffee.
Mira blinked, quickly locking her phone before Jiwon could notice the screen. She straightened in her seat, the tension melting into a practiced calm. "You didn't have to bring that. It's late."
Jiwon shrugged with a small grin, placing one cup in front of her. "I figured you'd forget dinner again."
Mira's gaze softened. "You're starting to sound like your brother."
At that exact second, her phone vibrated again on the desk. Jiwon tilted her head curiously, but Mira grabbed it swiftly, fingers flying across the screen.
Mira: I'll talk later. Someone's here.
She hit send and placed the phone face down, her pulse quickening at the thought of Leo reading those words. He wouldn't know who interrupted. He wouldn't know it was Jiwon.
"Everything okay?" Jiwon asked, sipping her coffee.
"Yes." Mira smiled faintly, though her eyes betrayed the storm within. "Just work."
Meeting
Jiwon sat across the polished oak table, her notepad open but her pen frozen in her hand. She had thought coming to Mira's company would mean small tasks—fetching files, editing designs, shadowing seniors. But Mira was leaning forward now, her expression sharp yet strangely gentle, outlining expectations with the precision of a queen handing out decrees.
"I want you to prepare a concept board for the new clothing line," Mira said, tapping her manicured finger against a moodboard pinned on the screen. "Not just sketches—style directions, fabric samples, even potential accessories."
Jiwon's eyes widened. "Two weeks? That's way too early for something like this… I mean—usually, don't projects like these take at least a month?"
Mira tilted her head, lips curling into that small, knowing smile that always carried both warmth and authority. She leaned closer, lowering her voice as if this was a secret meant only for the two of them.
"My love," Mira said softly, the words rolling off her tongue with that mix of affection and command that made Jiwon's cheeks heat. "I don't even give one week for this kind of work to my employees. I'm still giving you more than enough time."
Jiwon blinked at her, both flustered and speechless. Mira wasn't joking—there was no trace of exaggeration in her tone. She meant every word.
"M-my love?" Jiwon stammered, clutching her pen tighter, her ears burning. "Y-you can't just—call me that in the middle of a serious meeting!"
"Why not?" Mira asked simply, arching a brow. "It suits you."
Jiwon buried her face into her notebook, muttering something incoherent about "unfair bosses" and "impossible deadlines," but deep down, her heart skipped at the weight of those words. Mira's presence wasn't just overwhelming—it was magnetic.
Mira leaned back, satisfied. "Good. Then it's settled. Two weeks. You'll surprise me."
Jiwon bow and left the room.
Mira start working on some proposals.
The building was quiet, a hollow silence stretching through every corridor of Han Enterprises. Most departments had gone dark hours ago, but two floors still held a stubborn glow.
On the design floor, Jiwon sat hunched over her tablet, the rest of her team long gone. Her desk was littered with discarded drafts and fabric swatches. Her stylus moved with urgency, but every so often, she'd stop, stare at her screen, and sigh in frustration. Her hair had slipped free from its bun, falling across her face, but she didn't bother fixing it.
"This deadline is insane," she muttered under her breath, sketching, erasing, then sketching again. "Why does she push me like this?"
Upstairs, in the corner office that loomed over Seoul's skyline, Mira was still at her desk. Her blazer hung on the back of her chair, sleeves rolled up, her pen gliding across financial reports and contracts. Spreadsheets glowed from her monitor, but her eyes didn't show the fatigue her body should have felt. She carried on with an unshakable rhythm, reviewing, correcting, commanding in silence.
For a moment, she leaned back, resting her head against the chair. The city lights reflected off the glass wall behind her, painting her silhouette in silver. She thought about the designs downstairs, about Jiwon, about deadlines, about Leo. Her phone buzzed, and without hesitation, she reached for it.
A message from him.
Leo: Are you still awake, Ice Queen? Or did you finally let yourself rest?
Her lips twitched as she typed back.
Mira: Still awake. Unlike you, I don't need lullabies to function.Leo: Harsh. I'll remember that the next time you're yawning over coffee with me.
Her smirk lingered, but she didn't let it distract her too long. She set the phone aside, pulling another file toward her.
Meanwhile, Jiwon finally pushed her chair back, groaning, stretching her arms overhead. She glanced around the dark floor. Everyone had left—only her lamp glowed now. A part of her wanted to quit for the night, but Mira's voice replayed in her head, steady and unyielding: Don't hesitate. I don't want safe designs. I want something bold.
Grinding her teeth, Jiwon pulled her chair back in and kept drawing.
Two women, two different rooms, one building. Both refusing to surrender to exhaustion. Both locked in battles of their own—Mira against the empire she carried, Jiwon against the weight of expectations.
And neither realizing how soon their separate worlds would collide.
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed in the hall. Heavy, determined, and fast. Mira looked up, confused, and Jiwon froze mid-sentence.
The glass door swung open.
"Ji…won?"
The deep, familiar voice carried anger and disbelief.
Jiwon's eyes went wide as she slowly turned. Her brother — Leo — stood at the entrance, his tall frame tense, his jaw clenched, his gaze locked first on her, then on Mira. His entire expression shifted between shock, betrayal, and fury.
"Oppa…" Jiwon whispered, her voice trembling. She hadn't expected him here, not like this.
To Be Continued....