"Oh no! It's 8 o'clock!" I looked at the clock and felt my senses fly away. I had to get ready for the New Year's party, and I also had to go pick him up from his house.
I quickly took out my outfit. This time, I chose a Red Long Top—full sleeves, but the neckline was a bit large, giving it a very elegant and bold look. I left my hair open and did light makeup.
I went straight to his penthouse. His tantrums were truly no less than Duke Alaric from a novel. The only difference was that in the novel, the maid 'Elara' gets the punishment of death, whereas here, I would get the punishment of 'Overtime'.
I knew the password to his house (I had been handling everything of his for the past 5 years). As soon as I opened the door, his old maid, who was middle-aged, smiled.
"You're here, Mrs. Kang? The master is getting ready in his room," she said.
"Grandma! How many times have I told you, don't call me Mrs. Kang. I'm Miss Kim So-hee!" I said teasingly, but she just laughed.
I quickly ran toward his room. "Sir! We're running late, hurry—"
I opened the door without knocking and froze in place. Not a single word came out of my mouth.
Kang Joon-woo was standing there, wearing only Black Dress Pants. His upper body was completely bare. Seeing his muscles and that broad chest, any girl would faint. He looked absolutely perfect, like a statue.
He turned and looked at me, with the same old 'Duke' grandeur in his eyes.
"Kim So-hee," his voice was a bit deep. "Haven't you been taught to knock before entering someone's room? Or were you so eager to meet me?"
My face turned redder than my red top. "I-I… sorry, sir! I'll wait outside!"
Honestly, seeing him shirtless shouldn't have been anything new for me—this had happened many times over the past 5 years. But every time I saw him, my heart raced just like the first time. I'm a well-behaved girl, but his body was so fit and perfect that any girl would lose her senses seeing him.
Everyone calls me 'lucky' for being so close to him, and for this one moment, watching him from a distance, I also felt a little lucky. His back, his shoulders… everything was exactly like a Greek God.
I stood frozen at the doorway, forgetting I was supposed to go outside. Then, he looked at me through the mirror. There was a mischievous glint in his eyes that rarely appeared on his 'Sadu Boss' face.
He gave a slight smile—that killer smile which probably closed thousands of business deals.
"Kim So-hee," he said softly, still looking at me in the mirror. "How long will you stand there? Come here… help me."
My throat went dry. "S-Sir? What help can I give?"
"My cuff-links aren't going on," he said, turning fully toward me. He was now extremely close. From his body came an expensive cologne and masculine scent that was driving my mind crazy.
My hand was shaking as I reached for the sleeves of his shirt. I thought, 'Duke Alaric must have troubled his maids in the same way.'
My throat had completely dried. With trembling hands, I tried to fasten the diamond cuff-links on his sleeves. He was standing so close that I could feel his warm breath on my forehead. His body heat and that expensive cologne… everything together was making my mind go crazy.
"Slow… I'm not running away," he said in a very low and deep voice.
I lifted my head, not looking at him, just at his chest. I tried to fix the cuff-links, but my hands were shaking so much that they kept slipping.
Suddenly, he placed one of his hands over mine. His hand was big and warm, holding my trembling hands. My heart stopped for a moment.
"Why are you so nervous, So-hee?" he asked. His tone was no longer strict, but had a strange softness to it.
"Sir… we're… running late," I stammered.
He held my chin with his fingers and lifted my face. My eyes met his deep black eyes. At that moment, he didn't look like a 'Boss', but exactly like that 'Duke Alaric' for whom the heroine of the novel longed.
The distance between us was so little that if I moved even slightly forward, our breaths would have collided. His gaze went to my lips and then back to my eyes.
"Today… you look very different," he said softly. "In this red color… you look dangerous."
My heart was pounding so hard that I felt he could hear it. I quickly fastened the I stepped back after fastening the cuff-links, my heart still racing. "D-Don… done, sir! I'll wait in the car!" I stammered.
For a moment, Joon-woo looked at me, and then suddenly a faint smile appeared on his face — only to vanish instantly as seriousness returned, as if something had just crossed his mind.
"Alright, let's head to the party," he said, but in his voice, the old strict tone lingered alongside that teasing softness.
I felt a flicker of confusion. One moment he seemed like my boss, the next like Duke Alaric… now he was somehow both at once. My heart pounded faster, and an inexplicable curiosity stirred in my mind: "What exactly is Joon-woo's true mood today?"
And as I got into the car, it hit me… this was just the beginning.
ears.Yw chapter kesa laga kitne rank doge