Chapter 11

‘When did I fall asleep…?’

Seol Taegun stirred. He must have dozed off while listening to his audiobook. The headset still covered his ears, the voice actors’ lines streaming faintly.

It seemed to be the scene where the two protagonists finally realized their feelings for each other.

His eyelids were unbearably heavy. He forced them open, only to glimpse a blurry silhouette hovering nearby.

‘Chief Choi?’

Few people had access to his home, so naturally, he assumed it was Choi Mugil.

But something felt… off.

The figure standing by his bed was slender, delicate, framed in sunlight.

Taegun blinked rapidly, struggling to focus. His heart lurched.

The person brushing loose strands of hair behind one ear was unmistakably Han Bom.

‘Secretary Han? Why…? Am I dreaming?’

Of all things, now she was invading his dreams.

He snapped his eyes fully open—just as Han Bom bent over, reaching for the phone at his bedside.

‘W-wait!’

And of all things, the audiobook still playing was My Boss Is Too Much.

Taegun bolted upright, one hand braced on the bed, the other seizing her wrist.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

Her startled gaze met his.

And at that exact moment, the audiobook narration flowed from the headset:

[He seized Secretary Jung’s delicate wrist as though binding it in chains.]

The timing was too perfect. His grip slackened in surprise, and in that instant Han Bom lost her balance and toppled onto him.

They froze in an unintended, indecent pose.

Han Bom’s mind went blank white. Taegun’s heart thundered as if it would burst.

Before either could process the situation, the narration continued—eerily aligned with reality.

[In the secretary’s deep, dark eyes reflected the man’s face. With her on top of him, he felt as though he were tumbling from a cliff’s edge.]

The lines, the background music, everything echoed the moment itself.

Taegun stared at the clear eyes hovering above him, panic tightening his chest.

‘Can’t… breathe.’

The audiobook’s thudding heartbeat overlapped with his own, pounding against his ribs.

Had he ever seen her this close before?

Her fragrance filled his senses, heightening the pressure in his chest.

Then—

[Meeting the man’s earnest gaze, the secretary parted her soft lips and whispered, “I’ve liked you for a long time, Vice President.”]

The female narrator’s shy voice tingled in his ear. And then—Han Bom’s lips parted, almost perfectly matching the timing.

Heat surged across Taegun’s face. His ears beneath the noise-canceling headset burned as though they’d explode.

Han Bom, cheeks red, gazed back at him. Shocked, yes—but more overwhelmed by the strength of his grip, too stunned to even think of pulling away.

‘Why is my heart racing like this?’

Pressed so close, she feared he could feel her heartbeat pounding through her chest.

Their eyes locked.

For a suspended moment, neither moved. Then, like a switch abruptly flipped back on, Taegun snapped to his senses.

“Ah!”

He released her wrist at once.

Han Bom scrambled up, standing beside the bed, both their faces flushed hot.

Just as Taegun ripped off the headset, another line drifted out—

[But the man still felt a lingering regret.]

His breath caught. It felt as though the narration had voiced the very thing he was desperate to deny.

Frightened by his own treacherous thoughts, he tossed the headset aside as though exorcising a demon.

“Why are you here, Secretary Han?”

Han Bom quickly straightened her hair, steadying her nerves.

“Chief Choi had urgent business. But more importantly, Vice President—you’ll be late for your morning meeting at this rate.”

Her voice trembled only slightly.

Taegun leapt out of bed, fumbling.

“Yes. Let’s get ready.”

Was it panic over oversleeping—or the incident just now? Either way, he fumbled about like a broken machine before dashing into the bathroom.

At last, Han Bom let out a long sigh.

“Whew.”

Her heart had nearly burst.

“Is it summer already?”

Fanning her burning cheeks, she threw open the window. The scene replayed in her mind—his sleeping form, his sudden grip, their accidental closeness.

She had approached to check on him. His well-built torso, sculpted from relentless training, had been… breathtaking.

For someone prone to daydreaming, watching him sleep had sparked a storm of dangerous ideas.

That warm-toned skin, those broad shoulders, the muscles shifting with each breath—her mind and heart had both taken a direct hit.

And then he had grabbed her. The pull was so strong she tumbled against him.

The heat of his bare chest lingered against her cheek, searing her down to her core.

“Too hot… way too hot.”

She shook her head, trying to erase his vivid image. What kind of thunderbolt was this, first thing in the morning?

“Stay calm. You’re a professional.”

Muttering resolve, she began straightening the rumpled sheets.

Just then—ping!

His phone lit up on the table.

“An alert… from a web novel platform?”

She checked again to be sure it was his.

“The Vice President… reads web novels?”

It shocked her. He was notoriously picky, even with so-called serious literature, refusing anything that didn’t fit his narrow tastes.

And yet… he had subscribed to a web novel app?

“Unbelievable.”

Perhaps fantasy, or martial arts. As a web novelist herself, she couldn’t help but wonder what keywords appealed to him.

She set the phone and headset neatly on the small table, then went downstairs to wait.

Soon after, Taegun appeared—thankfully on time.

“L-let’s go.”

He avoided her eyes, his manner awkward.

They hurried into the waiting car, heading for their appointment at J Hotel.

Even a cold shower hadn’t cooled him. One glance at her reignited the fever. His chest recalled the pounding from earlier. Just looking at her made his heart stumble.

From the back seat, he asked stiffly, “Why exactly did Chief Choi send you?”

She explained calmly, though part of her worried that Choi Mugil might suffer for it. To her relief, Taegun only coughed a few times and let it drop.

They arrived just in time.

Walking into the hotel, Han Bom froze.

‘That man…’

At the end of the lobby hallway, she caught sight of a familiar silhouette. Though brief, her sharp eyes recognized him immediately.

“Reporter Yeom Jangji?”

Taegun noticed she had fallen behind.

“Secretary Han?”

She snapped out of it and hurried to his side.

“Sorry.”

Normally, he would have scolded her for dawdling. But after what had happened upstairs, he said nothing.

“You should wait here with a coffee. I’ll attend the meeting.”

He couldn’t risk being near her any longer, not while his control wavered.

Inside the café, a group of Korea’s most renowned young entrepreneurs had gathered. Some had been born into immense wealth; others had become celebrated CEOs through sharp business ventures.

Seeing Taegun enter, they greeted him with casual familiarity.

“Why so late? You’re usually the first one here. Don’t tell me you overslept?”

“Seol Taegun, oversleep? What were you doing last night?”

From the innermost seat, Do Gumin smirked.

“Were you with a woman? Rolling around all night, perhaps?”

His words, laced with envy, were edged with vulgarity.

Do Gumin had always nursed an inferiority complex toward Taegun. Every time he saw Ato Beauty thrive under Taegun’s genius—blessed with family wealth, brains, and looks—it burned him alive.

Taegun’s eyes turned to him, slow and cold.

“Do Gumin. Maybe you should focus on sorting out your company shares first.”

The room chilled instantly.

Do Gumin’s face hardened. His once-proud company, once rivaling Ato Beauty, had faltered due to outdated management.

Taegun’s icy smile silenced him in an instant.

Conversation dried up, a suffocating stillness falling over the group.

And then—

“Seol Taegun. You came with Secretary Bom, didn’t you?”

A cutting voice sliced through the air.

Everyone tensed as Seol Gihyeok strode closer. They bowed politely, wary.

Taegun turned lazily, locking eyes with his cousin across the table. Gihyeok’s glare burned with open hostility.

“You weren’t with her all night… were you?”

Taegun’s brow creased. His silence only thickened the chill.