finishing her piled-up work and placing it neatly on Nuchara’s table. She slowly dragged herself out of the office, half-asleep and disoriented. Her own home was many kilometers away, and if she drove back now, she’d arrive just before it was time to leave for work again. So, she decided to stop at Ton-Aor’s house, which was closer to the company, to crash for a few hours.

The moment Gunny arrived, Ton-Aor rushed to the door, her face aghast at the sight of her friend's battered condition.

“Did your workplace really run you this ragged?” Ton-Aor, clad in princess-style pajamas, cried out, taking in Gunny’s messy hair and wrinkled office attire.

“I need to sleep first. We can talk tomorrow,” Gunny yawned, overwhelmed by exhaustion. Ton-Aor immediately opened the door, ushering her friend in without delay.

Eight o’clock sharp. Time flew by like a lie. Without having a chance to explain the full story to Ton-Aor as promised, Gunny had to teleport her weak, exhausted body back to the accounting department. Luckily, she kept a change of clothes in her car, allowing her to switch outfits unnoticed—a necessity, given she hadn't been home.

The fatigued accountant, dressed in a creamy coat over a white knitted dress and brown boots, dragged herself into the department, clinging to a single cup of coffee that was her sole hope for survival.

Nuchara, holding her own paper coffee cup, walked straight toward her, scrutinizing her junior’s dull complexion and dark circles with a look of undisguised glee.

“I assume you finished your work yesterday?”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s on your desk,” Gunny replied, largely indifferent to her interrogator.

“Good. That saves us both some trouble then.” Nuchara shrugged and hummed a cheerful tune as she walked to her own desk—a stark contrast to Gunny, who had to stifle her rising resentment. If only she could get ahead someday, she would finally be free from this hell.

“They were gossiping yesterday that CEO Kawin took some college girl back to his private condominium!” The bustling conversation between the accounting staff and the purchasing team, gathered nearby, drifted over.

“Really? Tell me everything!” Nuchara appeared instantly, as if she were the company’s official gossip reporter.

“They say she’s beautiful, fair, and absolutely perfect. They whisked her off to his condo for a romantic night, and apparently, there are photos of him taking her up to his room late at night!” The finance girl pulled out her phone to show the pictures to everyone, prompting the women in the department to swarm around with curiosity. A collective gasp of excitement echoed in unison.

“So spicy! And it’s not just one photo—there’s an album of different faces! CEO Kawin isn't messing around, is he?”

“A man that handsome, rich, and built—it would be weird if no one was interested.” One woman covered her mouth and gave a playful wink.

“My goodness! Thinking about it makes me jealous! I wish I could volunteer to be one of those women; it would be a blessing just once!” A woman in the group laughed loudly.

Nuchara put her hands on her hips, looking possessive, and tapped her chest. “You’ll have to get past me first, dear. I called dibs on this one a long time ago.”

Gunny rolled her eyes at the sordid tales of the man she tried to avoid but whom fate consistently threw in her path. The combined voices swirled around her like an unintelligible wind. Her eyes began to droop slightly. She struggled hard not to yawn, raising a delicate hand to cover her mouth. Her gaze wasn't focused on anyone specific, but instead drifted toward the door in a daze.

Suddenly, a vision appeared: Kawin walking into the department, looking especially impeccable. His face was sculpted like a statue, his dark eyes sharp and mysterious. A subtle, charming smile graced his thin lips. He stopped right in front of her, so close that she could smell the faint hint of cologne on him.

Her eyes drifted from his broad chest up to his perfect face. His gaze was fixed solely on her, as if everyone else in the department didn’t exist.

“He looks just like the real thing,” Gunny muttered without realizing what she was saying, her eyes slowly drifting shut as if she were sinking into a deep slumber.

Kawin paused slightly, then tilted his head to get a clear look at her. “The real thing? What do you mean?” His handsome face registered confusion.

Gunny blinked slowly, hearing the hushed whispers of her colleagues around her: “Why is CEO Kawin here?” All eyes simultaneously focused on her. The accountant startled, looking up at Kawin standing right in front of her. Suddenly, the fatigue and mental fog she had been battling completely vanished.