The next morning, Andrea trudged beside the CEO like a reluctant employee being dragged to her own execution.
They entered AURELIAN LUXE PRIVATE LIMITED, and instantly—
every head turned.
Every keyboard stopped.
Every gossiping intern choked on her coffee.
And the moment Andrea stepped into the hallway…
The whispers began.
"Is that the girl?"
"The one he brought yesterday?"
"She's pretty—like, too pretty."
"Do you think she's the reason he smiled yesterday?"
"THE CEO… SMILED?"
Andrea wanted to evaporate into the AC vent.
She clutched her tote. "Why do they all look like they're watching a tiger loose in the hallway?"
He shrugged, completely unfazed.
"Because they've never seen a distraction walking next to me."
She froze.
"I AM NOT A DISTRACTION."
"Oh? Really?"
He glanced at her outfit slowly, eyes trailing with that dangerous calm.
"Try walking two steps ahead. Let's test it."
"Absolutely not."
"Thought so."
"Good morning, sir. And good morning… ma'am."
Andrea smiled politely.
The intern glowed.
He looked like he just got blessed by a goddess.
And that's when the CEO's hand—
clamped around Andrea's wrist.
Gentle.
But firm.
Andrea blinked.
"W–what are you doing?"
"Stabilizing you."
"I'm not falling."
"You might. If someone stares at you again like that kid just did."
The intern turned white.
They reached the executive floor.
The secretary bowed.
"Sir, all departments have been informed. Miss Andrea, welcome."
He opened his office door, ignoring her fully.
"Go inside."
"Oh, so now you're ordering me—"
"Yes."
She marched in stomping.
He followed, smirking because he found her tantrums adorable and infuriating at the same time.
He sat in his chair, grabbed a file, and said:
"Next time, don't smile at every guy you see. They clearly can't handle it."
"I smiled normally!"
"There's no 'normal' when you smile like that."
"What is THAT supposed to mean—?!"
He didn't answer.
Just opened his laptop, expression cold…
…but his ears were slightly pink.
Andrea sat on the couch in his office, legs swinging like a child plotting mischief.
The CEO typed away—cold, focused, pretending not to notice her staring at him every three seconds.
Finally, she took a deep breath.
"Hey… I need to go somewhere."
"No."
He didn't even look up.
She blinked. "You didn't even hear where I want to go!"
He turned a page in the file.
"I don't need to. If you're asking permission, the answer is usually no."
Her mouth dropped.
Her soul left her body.
Her rage reached the heavens.
"LISTEN HERE— I want to go meet my friends! It's been days!"
He paused.
Looked up.
Slowly.
"…Friends?"
"Yes." She folded her arms. "Five of them. A whole squad. My people."
He stared at her like she'd confessed she was leading a secret underground mafia.
"How many?"
"I literally said five."
"Name. Them."
She rolled her eyes.
"Why? You're going to run a background check?"
He raised a single eyebrow.
Oh.
OH.
He absolutely was thinking about running a background check.
Andrea groaned. "You're ridiculous."
"Security matters."
"They're my FRIENDS, not bank robbers!"
"That's debatable."
She threw a cushion at him.
He caught it one-handed without even looking up.
"Stop being dramatic," she snapped. "I just want to meet them. I miss them."
He shut his laptop.
Oh.
That was never a good sign.
He leaned back in his chair, fingers tapping the armrest.
"Where?"
"A café near campus."
"When?"
"Today. Like… in one hour."
"With who around?"
"Humans. Baristas. Chairs. Coffee. Normal people!"
His eyes narrowed.
Finally, he stood.
Walked toward her.
Stopped right in front of her knees.
And said in a chillingly calm voice:
"You want to go meet them."
"Yes."
"You want to leave my sight."
"Yes."
"You want to walk around outside… without protection."
"…It's a café, not a battlefield."
He sighed like she was giving him a headache straight from the pits of hell.
"Fine."
She lit up.
"But—" he lifted a finger,
her happiness died.
"I'm coming."
Her jaw dropped to the floor.
"WH— NO. NO. ABSOLUTELY NOT."
"I'm coming."
"You'll ruin the whole vibe!"
"I don't care about your vibe."
"My friends will think I'm dating a mafia boss!"
"Good. Let them."
"NO—"
"It's final."
She stomped her foot.
"WHY are you like this?!"
He smirked.
"Because you're trouble, idiot."
Then he grabbed his coat.
"Let's go."
The café looked normal.
Calm.
Peaceful.
Harmless.
Then they walked in.
Andrea's 5-member friend squad—who had been sitting quietly—turned as one.
They saw the CEO behind her.
And the world exploded.
Friend 1 (spits her drink):
"HOLY— IS THAT WHO I THINK IT IS?!"
Friend 2 clutches chest dramatically:
"Andrea… you kidnapped a CEO."
Friend 3 whispers to the others:
"Is he the mafia or the model? I can't tell."
Friend 4:
"I feel poor just looking at him."
Friend 5 already opening her camera:
"I swear I've seen this man's face on a magazine cover… or a wanted poster."
Andrea facepalms.
"Guys… please… behave…"
The CEO stands behind her like a dark, intimidating skyscraper, expression unreadable.
Friend 1 whispers loudly:
"Bro, he's huge."
Friend 3:
"He's glaring at us like we owe him money."
Friend 5:
"We probably do."
The CEO's left eye twitched. Only once—but Andrea saw it.
They immediately pull out a chair.
"Sir. Sit."
The CEO actually looks offended.
No one orders him.
But Andrea gives him that "don't cause drama" look, so he reluctantly sits.
Five friends surround him like police detectives.
Friend 2:
"So. What are your intentions with our Andrea?"
CEO:
"…Excuse me?"
Friend 4 slams a notebook:
"Answer the question."
Friend 5:
"Do you plan on feeding her properly? She likes pizza —write that down, Hana."
Friend 1 leans in, voice dangerous:
"Do you make her cry? If yes, blink twice so we can fight."
The CEO looks at Andrea.
Andrea—control your people.
Andrea looks away.
I can't help you.
He sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"I don't need to justify myself to—"
Friend 3 cuts in:
"He has ATTITUDE. Yep. He's her type."
Andrea chokes on her coffee.
"WHAT TYPE?! I DON'T HAVE A TYPE!"
All five friends:
"You do."
The CEO smirks.
Then Friend 5 leans forward, resting her chin on her palm.
"Well well… Andrea didn't tell us you were this handsome."
Silence.
Andrea freezes.
CEO freezes.
The table freezes.
Friend 5 continues:
"I mean… that jawline? Those eyes? Sir, you look expensive."
Andrea kicks her under the table—HARD.
"Ow! Andrea! What is wrong with you?!"
The CEO raises one eyebrow, amused.
Friend 5 throws a wink at him.
"So… do you have a girlfriend?"
The air turns ICE COLD.
CEO:
"…No."
Friend 5's smile grows.
Andrea's patience dies.
Friend 5:
"Great. Then if Andrea doesn't want you, I—"
And that's when it happens.
The CEO wraps an arm around Andrea's chair casually, lazily, like it's the most natural thing ever.
His voice drops—smooth and lethal:
"She wants me."
Andrea's soul leaves her body.
Friends SCREAM.
Friend 1 falls off her chair.
Friend 3 hits record.
Friend 4 covers her mouth with both hands.
Friend 5 freezes like a statue.
Andrea bangs the table.
"I DO NOT WANT YOU! STOP LYING!"
CEO (ignoring her, to the friends):
"She does."
Andrea:
"I'M GOING TO JUMP INTO A WELL—"
Friend 3 whispers to others:
"She totally does."
Friend 5 pouts:
"Damn. I wanted to flirt more."
The CEO smirks at Andrea, victorious.
Andrea wants to throw the table at him.
He called the driver, voice low and calm, "Take Andrea home. Don't stop anywhere."
Then he slid his phone into his pocket and walked toward the long, black six-foot car that had stopped in front of him just as he ended the call.
The engine roared like a beast as it carried him to the lonely mansion.
Inside the basement, two men flanked him on each side—his signature mafia walk. He casually adjusted the brooch clipped to the pocket of his shirt, a tiny gesture that somehow made him look even more dangerous.
The basement echoed with painful moans. Two women in leather jackets were "interrogating" the man tied to a pole—if you could even call it interrogation. It looked more like they were rearranging his organs.
One woman punched him across the face, blood splattering on the floor. The other grabbed him by the collar and snarled,
"Tell us who else was involved. Who's the head? Last chance."
She shoved him into a tank of cold water, pulled him out, dragged him to a chair, and chained him down.
And then he entered.
The underworld's king.
The ruthless CEO.
The Golden Mafia.
The man tied to the chair started begging for his life, and that sound—pathetic, trembling—made the mafia king's lips curl in satisfaction.
The two women bowed.
"We got some information," one reported. "There were six people involved, all working separately. None of them knew each other. No communication between them."
The other added, "According to him, one mastermind used them all like pawns."
The mafia king grinned.
"Pretty talented fellow… but he picked the wrong side. Where are the other five pawns?"
"They confessed the same thing. No clues leading to the mastermind."
He sat down in front of the trembling man. Picked up a finger-cutting tool like it was a pen.
And without hesitation, without even drawing a breath—
snip.
The man's pinky hit the floor. His scream tore through the room.
The king leaned in.
"Who's the main guy? Give me a name, description—anything."
The man didn't even blink. He blurted the name instantly.
"Lucian Voss"
A slow, satisfied smirk spread across the mafia king's lips.
"Good. Prepare the assassination."
The women nodded and left to follow the orders.
He walked out of the mansion, pulling out his phone. Just to check if Andrea reached home safely. He remembered overhearing her friends gush about her… and he couldn't stop the quiet laugh in his chest.
After that, he went to the company to handle some matters.
—
Meanwhile, Andrea was glowing after meeting her friends. She told everything to his mother—who has eventually turn into her mother ,every joke, every story, every silly detail. His mother listened with pure joy.
Then she suddenly asked,
"So… what do you think about my son?"
Andrea's face immediately twisted.
"Oh your son? He's controlling, shameless, power-obsessed, and very, VERY narcissistic."
She went on a full rant, waving her hands dramatically.
But his mother just watched her with a knowing smile. Behind every insult, she could sense Andrea's hidden affection—clear as daylight.
—
Late that night, the CEO finally came home.
As he walked toward the living room, he heard loud voices… about him.
Someone was ranting,
"He was like this since childhood!"
Another voice added,
"How did you raise such a stubborn boy?"
"He scolded an intern again today!"
"So ruthless!"
"So shameless!"
"He only knows how to kidnap girls and flirt with them—shameless, SHAMELESS!"
He silently stood at the doorway, listening to them roast him alive.
And then he stepped inside the room.