"I'm just trying to soften the hate around your heart towards me," Elias said in a direct tone that made it nearly look like he was at war.
Isabelle massaged her nose bridge and sighed once again.
"Look, we're at work." She said. "And I don't know about you but my mornings are so busy that I barely have time to breathe." She starts stacking the documents. "I don't have time to play with you, Elias Yoon. And also... Doing this will only make me hate you so do something else."
Elias Yoon went silent. Something else, she said.
But what exactly was it that he could do to help relieve the hate in her heart?
He didn't know much about her, but he was certain that giving her flowers and gifts would only annoy her.
Besides, his actions would spark a rumor and — while he might not mind it and even welcome it — she would be furious at the outcome.
So, he had to strike that out of the picture.
"Ms. Han, what do you like?" He asked and she paused.
"What? You want to bribe me to like you?" She asked, scoffing in disbelief but then he answered,
"Perhaps."
She flinched.
He was serious?
"If it's possible then I'm willing to try." He said and she looked into his eyes.
He asked, being sincere, but so what?
This was her boss they were talking about.
She had already gotten so involved with him that it was starting to feel like there was no longer any distance between them. Like they were more than just a manager and an assistant manager.
Isabelle twisted her lips.
"You're not acting like your usual self," she suddenly mumbled, he eyes falling on his brooch
He was wearing it, so why wasn't he emotionally numb like every other day? Or did he lie to her?
"That's because I no longer have anything to hide in front of you." He said. "I'm mostly emotionally numb because of the brooch, but it doesn't mean I'm completely numb to human emotions. I have no reason to act completely numb when you're someone who knows my secret."
He reached his hand towards her face and punched her chin softly.
She gulped, her breath suddenly feeling itchy.
"It's almost like I've been freed from a restraint, Ms Han. That's why I seem somewhat different but I'm still the same person."
She suddenly slapped his hand away.
"The same person or not, that has nothing to do with him." She said and then, carrying the documents in her hand. "Stop trying to act like we're close and friendly after I signed that contract. It's just a contract, remember? And nothing in there said we had to be 'close'." With that, she headed for the door and walked out.
After she left, Elias stood there, rubbing the tip of his fingers together, as if reminiscing on the texture of her chin, and then that expressionless face of his warmed up, the corner of his lips tugging just a little.
"Should I have added it to the contract, then?" He wondered.
But then that would make their relationship seem forced.
He didn't want that.
He wanted her to like him at her own pace.
'It's alright, it's just the beginning anyway.' he said to himself and exited the meeting room.
Later, as Isabelle and Elias were planning how to divide the work they both had in hand, a sudden chatter erupted outside his office.
It grew louder and louder, and as the words reached their ears, Isabelle's expression suddenly seemed tired.
It didn't change much but there was an evident shift, and then she said,
"She's here," she murmured.
"She?" Elias asked, his brows lifting slightly.
But before he could get an answer, his glass door opened and exposed the overly cheerful Clara Choi, who stepped in looking confident, and beautifully poised.
She had a bright practiced smile and a sugary tone slipping out of her lips.
"Good morning, Manager Yoon." She bowed slightly.
But then she raised her head and her eyes fell on Elias Yoon, causing her eyes to gradually widen and her face to suddenly blush.
'That's... Elias Yoon? The new manager? He... He's so handsome.'
Clara Choi was a team leader for one of the divisions in their department, and a beautiful blonde woman who always saw Isabelle as her rival and had been competing to take the assistant manager position from her, as well as a rival in beauty.
Clara had a character that made her direct, voiced and she just charges forward when she sees something she wants. That's the kind of woman she was.
So, when she heard there was a new manager and that Isabelle had been promoted, she was delighted and wanted to suck up to the new manager so she could make things difficult for Isabelle.
At least, that was the obvious route for someone who's always schemed to become greater.
But Isabelle didn't have to worry about anything because, although scheming, Clara was not so immature that she resorted to sabotaging projects for her own gain.
She simply used wordplay and her efforts to try to prove that she was better, but somehow, Isabelle was always a step ahead of her.
As she walked into the manager's office, her eyes fell on the handsome manager sitting behind the desk with a straight face and a thin-rimmed pair of glasses sitting on that handsome face.
She was marveled, in fact, she fell at first sight.
He was more handsome than she had been told.
'His picture doesn't do him justice,' she thought, biting her bottom pink glossy lip seductively.
Clara wanted this man. Not only was Elias accomplished but he was also super handsome. If she could get him, then not only would it be a win for Isabelle, but she would have a handsome partner for life.
Her thoughts were quite delirious when Isabelle cleared her throat.
"Ahem,"
This swiftly interrupted her fantasy.
Clara glared at her but immediately straightened her face and said,
"Assistant manager Han, you were here too? Sorry, I didn't see you."