Kian’s POV

The next morning, I woke up early, put on my sharpest formal attire, and headed straight to KM Limited for my interview.

When I arrived at the grand corporate headquarters, I learned that the primary open position available immediately was for an Executive Assistant to the new CEO. While my degree and true passion were in engineering, I decided to interview for the assistant role anyway.

I can start as the CEO's assistant for now to get my foot in the door, I reasoned with myself as I sat in the waiting area. Once I prove my worth inside the company, I can always transfer into the engineering department later. Yes, that's a solid plan.

The interview went smoothly, and by the end, the hiring panel politely informed me that they would contact me regarding their final decision. I bowed, thanked them, and headed back home.

That very evening, a chime echoed from my phone. I opened my inbox—and my jaw dropped.

An official email from KM Limited sat at the top of my inbox: I had been selected!

"Oh my god... is this real?!" I gasped aloud.

A wave of pure joy rushed through my chest. I immediately ran down to the local bakery, bought a whole celebration cake, and brought it home to my mom. When I broke the news, she pulled me into a tight embrace, tears of pride brimming in her eyes. I could barely believe it myself—securing a position at a world-renowned corporation straight out of college felt like a dream coming true. My official start date was set for next week, right at the beginning of the month.

Overjoyed, I immediately called Sun to tell him the fantastic news. He screamed so loudly over the receiver that I had to pull the phone away from my ear.

After hanging up with Sun, my thumb hovered over Kai's contact name. I desperately wanted to share this achievement with him, too... but I forced myself to put the phone down.

Why should I tell him? I thought bitterly, staring at the blank screen. Did he tell me anything when he left or returned? No. To someone as wealthy and powerful as him, landing a job is just a tiny, insignificant detail. He probably wouldn't even care. But for me, this is a massive milestone.

A whole week went by. I spent most of my time resting in my room, mentally preparing for my new career. Even though Kai was back in the city, my phone remained completely silent—not a single text, not a single call.

I'm not going to care anymore, I resolved, pressing my face into my pillow.

Yet, no matter how hard I tried to push him out of my head, he remained stubbornly rooted in my thoughts. I had no idea why I couldn't just forget about him.

Bright and early on my first day of work, I stood at the base of the towering corporate building, looking up at the glass skyscraper. My palms were cold and sweaty.

I'm actually terrified... What is the CEO going to be like? Is he going to be kind and reasonable, or an angry, cold tyrant?

I took a deep breath, adjusted my tie, and squared my shoulders. Whatever happens, just do your best, Kian. You can handle this.

Inside, the department manager greeted me warmly and gave me an overview of my daily responsibilities:

"As the Executive Assistant, your job is to handle the CEO's daily routine, manage incoming phone calls, organize confidential files, and oversee his schedule," the manager explained, handing me a digital tablet. "You'll also be responsible for coordinating his meals and ensuring every single request he has throughout the workday is taken care of promptly."

I nodded nervously, swallowing down the sudden knot in my throat. Hearing the long list of daily duties was already starting to scare me, but I forced a confident smile onto my face. Whatever it is, I can do it. I've survived Kai's brutal training—I can survive this!

The manager led me down the quiet, carpeted executive hallway and knocked twice on the door of the corner office.

"yes," a deep, familiar voice called out from inside.

We stepped inside. I kept my head bowed politely, holding my tablet tightly against my chest.

"Sir, this is your new executive assistant," the manager announced warmly.

"Good morning, sir—" I began, raising my gaze.

The words caught in my throat. My breath stopped completely.

Sitting behind the massive dark-wood executive desk, impeccably dressed in a tailored suit, was Kai.

Oh my god...

My mind went completely blank. He was the son of a massive IT conglomerate empire, and now he had officially taken over as CEO!

A sudden memory flashed through my mind—back during our college days, when Kai had looked me dead in the eye and told me, "You're going to stick with me for a long, long time."

Was this his plan all along?! Or am I just overthinking everything?!

"I'll leave him in your capable hands, sir," the manager said smoothly, unaware of the storm raging inside my head. "If you need anything else, just let me know." He turned to me with a reassuring nod before stepping out and closing the heavy door behind him.

The office fell into a dead silence. Kai leaned back in his leather chair, steepling his fingers as his dark eyes locked onto mine.

"I thought you were going to apply for an engineering role," Kai said, his voice completely calm. "How did you end up as my assistant?"

I stared at him, trying to read his face. Is he pretending, or did he genuinely not know I applied here?

"There... there was only one open position listed for immediate hiring," I stammered out, forcing myself to sound professional. "So I took it."

"Well," Kai murmured, tilting his head slightly. "I had no idea it was you. Regardless... can you handle all the pressure of being my personal assistant?"

I straightened my spine. "I can do it. It's not that tough."

A faint, unreadable glint passed through his eyes. He reached into a drawer, pulled out a thick stack of blue folders, and slid them across the desk toward me.

"Check these," Kai commanded tone. "And go get the master diary from the manager—he has my entire routine written down in detail. If you need any guidance today, ask him for help."

"Yes, sir," I replied, taking the files.

I retrieved the master diary from the manager's desk and spent the next hour meticulously reviewing every detail of Kai's schedule, cross-referencing his appointments, and memorizing his preferences. Once I had everything organized, I walked back into his office to brief him.

"Sir, you have a board presentation at 12:00 PM," I informed him, holding the folder ready.

Kai stood up, adjusting his suit jacket, and gave a brief nod. "Let's go."

I followed half a step behind him down the executive floor. The moment we entered the glass conference room, Kai's demeanor shifted completely. That same cold, intimidating authority he had in college enveloped the entire room. He discussed the upcoming project with sharp, uncompromising precision, commanding total respect from every board member present.

Once the project terms were settled and the executives filtered out, Kai turned to me. "What's next?"

I consulted the diary immediately. "You have your next client meeting in an hour, sir."

He nodded and walked back to his main office, while I settled at my assistant desk right outside his door.

For the next forty minutes, my desk phone rang endlessly. I answered call after call, logging appointments and organizing requests from high-profile clients who all wanted a piece of the new CEO's time. Becoming a CEO really means having this much crazy workload...

With the next meeting approaching fast, I stood up from my desk to inform Kai about the incoming client confirmations. I knocked softly on his office door, but there was no response.

I pushed the door open slightly and peeked inside—his cabin was completely empty!

Puzzled, I walked down the executive corridor, checking the break room and the conference halls, but Kai was nowhere to be found.

I stood in the hallway, looking down at my personal phone in my hands. The meeting starts in twenty minutes... Should I actually call his personal mobile number?

I took a deep breath, pulled up his contact, and tapped the call button.

The ring back tone echoed twice before the line picked up with a quiet click.

"So..." Kai's deep voice vibrated smoothly through the speaker. "It looks like you didn't forget my number after all. You still remember it."

"Your meeting will start very soon," I said, ignoring his comment entirely and keeping my tone as strictly professional as possible.

"Come up to the top floor," Kai replied softly over the receiver.

Before I could ask why, the line went dead. I let out a breath, put my phone away, and took the private elevator straight to the rooftop terrace.