Kian’s POV

The next morning, I walked into the office as usual, carrying the daily briefing files. The very first thing that greeted me when I stepped into Kai's cabin was a mocking tone in his voice.

"So... you seemed pretty happy with that girl last night," Kai sneered, leaning back in his leather chair with his arms crossed. "Talking and smiling so freely like that."

"Hmm," I replied evenly, keeping my eyes on my tablet. "She was really nice to talk to."

"Nice to talk to..." Kai repeated, his voice laced with heavy sarcasm. "You've really forgotten how to stay mute, haven't you? Even in front of me."

"If I want to do my job properly, I need to communicate," I countered, looking him dead in the eye. "Staying mute doesn't solve anything. That's exactly what you taught me, so I'm just following your advice."

Kai let out a short, cold breath. "Good. So when is the good news coming? I mean... when are the two of you planning to get married?"

I stared at him for a second. Without even thinking, whatever came to my mind spilled out of my mouth. "Pretty soon. It's not like I'm going to stay single for the rest of my life. Now that I have a solid career, my mom keeps telling me I should look toward the future and bring home a daughter-in-law for her."

Kai's jaw tightened. "Now stop talking nonsense and get to work."

I blinked, thoroughly irritated. He was the one who brought up marriage in the first place, and now he's telling me to shut up?!

"And from now on," Kai added, his voice dropping an octave into a razor-sharp, icy register, "don't talk about personal matters in front of me. Only speak when it concerns work."

"But you were the one who asked—"

"I said only work and nothing else," he growled, glaring at me with dark, furious eyes.

I clamped my mouth shut, swallowed my anger, and did exactly what he ordered. Only work.

From that day on, Kai made my life an absolute living hell.

He dumped a monstrous workload on my desk every single morning. I had to answer a thousand phone calls at once, organize mountain-high stacks of files, meticulously cross-check every detail before passing them to his desk, and handle his overwhelming daily schedule.

On top of all that, I was forced to manage his personal life.

I had to book private candlelit dinner tables for him and Emma, make high-end hotel room reservations for them, and even hand-select designer dresses so Kai could present them as gifts to her.

Every single time I clicked 'confirm' on those reservations or picked out those romantic gifts, I felt like I was bleeding internally. The pain was excruciating.

What can I even do? I told myself repeatedly, staring at the glowing computer screen through blurred eyes. It's just my job to look after his needs... Whatever he does with his girlfriend or fiancée is his personal choice.

I didn't know when or how I had fallen so deeply in love with him, but watching this unfold every single day felt like slow, unbearable torture. Every minute was a punishment.

Part of me wanted to resign on the spot and find another job far away from him. But another part of me refused to break. No way... why should I run away like a coward?

So, I endured everything. I pushed through the exhaustion and the heartbreak, driving my body to its absolute limit—until my limit finally gave out.

A few weeks later, I woke up with a burning fever. My body was aching, my throat was dry, and my head felt heavy as lead. But I still dragged myself into the office, forcing myself to process files and answer calls through a hazy fog of exhaustion.

By late afternoon, the fever spiked. Feeling dizzy and unable to keep my eyes open, I gathered the strength to step into Kai's cabin to ask if I could leave an hour early.

"Sir... Can I please go home early?" I mumbled softly, clutching the edge of his desk to steady myself.

Kai didn't even glance up from his laptop. "I pay you money to do your job, not to take days off whenever you feel like it," he shouted coldly, his words slashing through the quiet room. "If you're so desperate to go spend time with your girlfriend, do it after you finish your work!"

I simply nodded, unable to summon the strength to argue.

During my short afternoon break, I locked myself in the restroom for a few minutes, pressing a cold, wet paper towel against my burning forehead to keep the fever at bay.

When I walked back into Kai's cabin to brief him on his evening schedule, the sight inside froze me in my tracks.

He was standing near his desk, wrapped in a close embrace with that same girl—Emma.

I knocked softly on the open glass door. Kai didn't even bother pulling away from her. He just glanced over his shoulder and said flatly, "Yes?"

I lowered my eyes to the floor, staring at his shoes to avoid looking at them together. "Sir, your next meeting—"

"Cancel it," he cut me off coldly. "We're going to a party tonight. Let's go."

Without another word, he took her hand and walked right past me. As he brushed by, his arm brushed hard against mine—a fleeting, icy contact before he disappeared into the elevator with her.

I stood there in the quiet hallway, feeling completely paralyzed.

Why is he doing this to me?

It was fine if he wanted to be with someone else. It was his choice! But why was he treating me like complete garbage?

Back in our college days, he used to push me to my limits, making me run laps until my legs gave out and forcing me to repeat drills over and over. But even then... he always looked at me in the end. He was the one who personally brought me medicine, bandaged my scraped knees, leaned in close, and stared into my eyes until my breath caught in my throat. Back then, there was a strange, undeniable warmth under his strictness.

And now? He didn't care about a single thing.

In the past, when I stayed completely silent, he knew exactly what I was feeling without me having to say a word. Now, even when I explicitly spoke to him, he ignored me completely.

Whatever... just let it go, I thought, pressing my palm against my throbbing temples.

A agonizing headache throbbed behind my eyes, making it almost impossible to think clearly. I called the client, canceled the evening meeting as instructed, packed my bag, and slowly walked out of the corporate building.

The cold evening air hit my face as I stumbled toward the bus stop. My head pounded with every step, and the streetlights began to blur into streaks of yellow and white. My knees buckled, and my vision suddenly spun out of control.

I'm falling...

I closed my eyes, waiting for the painful impact of the hard concrete pavement.

It never came.

Instead, a pair of strong, familiar arms caught me firmly before I hit the ground. Through my hazy, half-lidded eyes, I caught a blurred glimpse of a familiar face looking down at me in panic.

Kai...? Is it really him? Or am I just hallucinating... dreaming again?

Before I could figure it out, my mind went completely black.

When my senses slowly returned, everything around me was still blurry.

My throat felt bone-dry and burning. I blinked several times, trying to focus on my surroundings. Was I lying on the roadside? I needed to get home to my mom...

I forced my eyes wide open and looked around. I was lying in a large, luxurious bed inside an unfamiliar, softly lit bedroom.

Desperate for a drink, I noticed a glass of water sitting on the bedside nightstand. I reached out a trembling hand, but my fingers were so weak that I accidentally knocked the glass, sending it sloshing across the wood.

Am I really this weak now? I can't even grab a glass of water...

"Lie down," a deep, familiar voice suddenly commanded from the doorway.

It was Kai. Of course it was him.

"If you're this sick, who told you to come to work?" he scolded softly, walking into the room carrying a fresh tray of food and medication. "You could have just called the manager and taken a sick day off."

My eyes immediately welled up with hot tears as I stared up at him. Didn't he leave with that girl? Why did he bring me here?

Kai stepped closer to the bed, sat down on the mattress, and gently placed the back of his hand against my forehead to check my temperature. "You still have a fever... Here, eat something first, then take your medicine."

The tender touch of his hand felt so agonizingly warm.

Is he really taking care of me like he used to? Am I dreaming? I must still be passed out on the sidewalk, having a stupid dream...

Tears spilled over my cheeks and streamed down my face. If this was just a fleeting dream before I woke up to cold reality, then at least in this dream, I could hold onto him .

Without thinking, I surged up from the bed, wrapped my arms tightly around his neck, and buried my face in his shoulder, sobbing my heart out.

I didn't need a reason anymore. There were a hundred reasons breaking me inside, but right now, I just wanted to be close to him—even if it was only a fantasy.

Kai stiffened slightly in my embrace before letting out a low, heavy sigh. "Stop crying like a baby... You have a girlfriend now, yet here you are crying your heart out over a little fever like it's the end of the world."

The harsh comment made me sob even harder. I squeezed my eyes shut, tightening my grip on his shirt.

Even in my own dream, he's still scolding me! What a heartless monster!