81
Their Kingdom Panorama
So Rae glared at her as she turned around.
“Who do you think you are? Are you not ashamed of yourself? How could you say that in front of father?!”
Victoria turned around, “I can say that, because I am father’s daughter.” Victoria browsed her eyes about the hallway, “You and Lee Donghae enjoy yourselves. The heat of the moment is just beginning, but don’t worry, I’ve never been as low as to allow myself to sleep with a person who is on a status lower than me. So Rae, why don’t you be the first? Let me know how it is, will you?”
Pressing her lips together, Victoria started toward her own bedroom.
Victoria found herself laying awake in her bed. She was unable to sleep. The dark ceiling greeted her from above. Turning onto her side Victoria blinked calmly allowing her eyes to get used to the dark. Her desk was visible and getting up she sat down on the chair. A bleak moment of coldness shivered through her.
“Don’t be a fool anymore,” she told herself. “I’ll be happy before anybody else is.”
So Rae refused to look at her the next morning. Once she left the house, Victoria made her way up the stairs. Cautiously opening the door to So Rae’s bedroom, she started for the drawer. Pulling it open she recognized the jewelry box containing that beautiful piece of necklace she’d first seen in the courtyard. As her lips formed a line she took it out of the drawer and closed it before walking out of the room.
Instead of heading for her desk that morning, she treaded down the hall toward Mung Soo’s department.
“Can I help you?” his secretary looked up from her desk.
“Tell Park Mung Soo that Victoria Song has something to talk to him about. It’s urgent.”
After quite a few minutes of waiting Victoria was finally led into the office.
“Would you like anything to drink?” the secretary questioned.
“No, can you please make sure that no one enters the room until I leave?” Victoria asked.
The secretary glanced at her boss who nodded. Once she backed out of the room Victoria turned to look at the bald man she’d seen a few times before.
“It’s quite some change to see Dae Jung’s daughter enter my office,” he greeted. “What can I do for you?”
Victoria walked toward him silently, paused in front of the desk, and reached into her bag. She dropped the jewelry box onto his desk. He looked at it before a smirk climbed his lips and he laughed a menacing one.
“I know you want it,” Victoria said, “now that I’m giving it to you, give me a position in your department.”
“You think it’s quite easy to bribe me, huh?”
Victoria stared seriously at his joking face. She wasn’t about to let him make fun of her.
“I’m not bribing you,” she told, “but making a deal with you. About So Rae.”
His smile disappeared and he shifted in his chair.
Leaning forward with hands clasped he said, “What can I do for you?”
“I know you want to push So Rae out of the company,” Victoria started, “I’ll help you, but because you’re my father’s right hand man it’ll make you look selfish and bad. Your reputation could get worse if news gets out that you don’t want her here. It might as well lead to a fiery war between you and father, if that were the case. Because we all know that So Rae is only Hee Young’s daughter.”
Mung Soo stared at her before laughing, “You’re bad, a real bad one, but I like it. So, you’re saying, if I transfer you over, you’ll help me push So Rae out of the company.”
“Give me a position, a nice strong one.” Victoria finished.
/\_____/\
“Arrange an immediate office for our new VP,” Mung Soo ordered through his telecom. He turned to smile at Victoria, “My secretary will lead you to your new office.”
He watched as Dae Jung’s daughter left the room naively. A small chuckle escaped him when the door closed.
“So she knows So Rae isn’t her real sister,” Mung Soo self talked, “that gives me Dae Jung to get rid of, but it’ll be easy because Dae Jung is just as naïve. I’ll save you for last Victoria Song, you delinquent.”
/\_____/\
Donghae looked around worried. Victoria hadn’t come in. Or was she ignoring him? He paced back and forth throughout the entire room and came to a stop when a shadow loomed across the floor. Turning he saw Victoria standing by the end of the hallway.
“Victoria…” he smiled.
She offered no reaction, but started toward her desk. He watched as she opened a few drawers and took a few things that belonged to her tucking them into her bag.
“Where’ve you been?” he asked.
Victoria didn’t reply. She turned around without a word and Donghae glanced around her desktop. Making a grab for a binder and some folders he dashed after her.
“Where are you going?! You still have a lot of things to do,” he chased after her.
Victoria stopped in her steps and Donghae rushed around to face her. He shoved the binder and folders into her hands.
“Why are you upset?” he asked. “You had an argument with Cho Kyuhyun?”
She remained quiet, expressionless for a few seconds. Donghae was curious about what was running through her mind. Victoria finally looked at him brightly and held out the binder and folders. He glanced at them. She gestured them toward him again. He reached a hand for them, but Victoria purposely let them fall to the ground. The only signal he got from her sudden action was that she was pissed off. He turned to look at her taken aback.
“From now on, you no longer hold the right to talk to me,” Victoria stated, “don’t call my name either or try to get me to work because from now on I don’t work here anymore. Not under So Rae, nor with you.”
Victoria glanced at him coldly before starting to walk off. Confused and distraught with her words he chased after her. Grabbing her wrist he stopped her.
“What are you talking about? What do you mean you no longer work here?” he asked. “You should explain it better…should we go for some coffee?”
“Get your hand off me,” Victoria muttered, “I don’t want any homeless germs climbing on my skin.”
Donghae’s mouth dropped open. Victoria pried his hand off her roughly.
“I don’t associate with anyone out of my class,” Victoria clarified. “I’ve changed my views. If you’re disappointed, don’t worry. This isn’t because of you, but the fact that I’m about to became Cho Kyuhyun’s wife. I need to look out for my husband, don’t you think?”
He stared at her because that was all he could do.
“Vice President,” someone called.
Donghae turned to see a man walk toward Victoria.
“The President is looking for you.”
“I’ll be there.” Victoria replied.
“Vice President?” Donghae repeated as the man walked off.
Victoria turned to look at him before walking away quietly. All of a sudden, she was so full of power. What was going on?
/\_____/\
“What’s going on?” her father questioned. “How can you become Vice President of the management group?”
“I requested the position from Park Mung Soo, father,” Victoria explained calmly from where she sat, “I want to try something new. I don’t want to just be So Rae’s secretary sitting down all day doing the same thing all day, all year. What kind of experience will I gain from that? I want to explore too, father.”
President Bang heaved a large sigh as he rubbed his forehead.
“I don’t think you’re ready…”
“But I know I’m ready,” Victoria insisted, “I can try. I have Park Mung Soo to help me, and I can ask Cho Kyuhyun for help as well. If I’m to marry him, shouldn’t I do something more befitting to my image in order to help him in the future?”
“I don’t know…this all too sudden. We should have prepared for this at a much slower pace.”
“Father, I’ll be fine. Or is it that you don’t trust me?” she asked.
“No, that’s not it…”
Victoria got up, “I’m meeting up with Cho Kyuhyun in a few minutes. I’ll take my leave first.”
Victoria exited the office and started for the elevator. Kyuhyun was waiting for her downstairs.
“Why’d you call?” he asked when she reached him.
“To tell you some good news,” she told linking her arm through his, “and because I simply want to spend time with my fiancé.”
They walked through the doors together.
“What’s this good news about?” he asked as they walked pass the security guards.
“I’m Vice President of the management team,” Victoria explained.
“What?!” he questioned surprised. “Do you know how important that position is? You’re going to have to be working overtime a lot and going in and out of the city…”
“You’ll help me when I ask for it, won’t you?” Victoria asked.
He looked at her.
“Why so sudden? Did you father make the decision?”
Victoria shook her head, “I did.”
He frowned at her.
“Why?”
“Because, I need something new,” Victoria replied.
She stopped walking and turned to face him.
“Cho Kyuhyun, I’ve lost trust in everybody else,” she told, “but I can trust you, right?”
He stared at her. The solemn sadness behind her eyes had died. They weren’t present, but what had replaced them? It was hard to read the spirit in her eyes.
“Did something happen over the weekend? Did you fight with your father?” he worried.
“None of that,” Victoria answered. “Are you busy? If you’re free today, lets go eat something right now. I didn’t have a good breakfast this morning.”
/\_____/\
Donghae stared at the empty desk that was no longer Victoria’s. How could she have just left like that? Victoria’s actions were always backed up by some reason. Could it be that she was upset because of Saturday morning? But Victoria wouldn’t have gone as far as to change her position in the company. Victoria didn’t exaggerate. Then what was it? What was the driven reason behind her actions?
He couldn’t figure it out. Even after lunch hour he still didn’t come up with anything. Loosely pacing back and forth through the room he spun around when So Rae’s door opened loudly. She glared at him before walking pass him in an angry manner.
/\_____/\
“How could you do this?!” So Rae screamed at her father. “How can you allow Victoria whose had less experience than me be Vice President?! You don’t know whether she’s up to any good or not!”
Bang Dae Jung looked at her.
“If Victoria wants that position, let her have it,” Dae Jung went on, “she says being your secretary will get her nowhere, so she wants to try something new.”
“What is this? Some sort of experiment lab? How can you trust her? What if she goes around messing up everything you’ve worked so hard for?” So Rae bellowed.
“Bang So Rae!” her father raised his voice. “You are in no position to be insulting your sister.”
“Sister?” So Rae repeated, her voice full of sarcastic mock. “This much is insulting her?”
“Victoria’s always giving way for you, leave her be this time,” her father told roughly, “as an older sister you should learn to be more considerate. Do you know how embarrassed I am that Victoria can be more mature than you? Victoria can think for the family, but what about you?”
“What?” So Rae snorted angrily that she was being compared. “Since when have I been embarrassing? Since when has Victoria been better than I? What has she done for me?! Because everything I do is for the family!”
“I have work to do, please leave,” her father told turning his attention toward his papers.
So Rae bit her bottom lip furious. Spinning around she stomped out of the room. Victoria…what was she up to?
When she reached her office she found Donghae still pacing back and forth. He paused and turned to look at her then turned away and continued pacing back and forth.
“What do you think you’re doing?” she questioned angrily. “Where is Victoria?”
He paused then turned to her, “Why? Do you plan to make out with me again?”
Annoyed anger aroused onto her face.
“You told me not to talk about her to you,” he reminded, “so I won’t.”
So Rae bit her bottom lip, “Your Victoria has crossed over into a boundary she shouldn’t have. Tell her to stop playing around before she gets into an even bigger mess.”
She brushed pass him and slammed her office door shut.
/\_____/\
Spinning in her chair like it was a roller coaster she set her foot down stopping herself when she came across the magnificent window. The large sun billowed upon the building glamorously. Staring out upon the city expressionlessly with a hint of coldness in her eyes, she crossed her arms.
With nothing to do she stared at the clock and once it ticked 4, she grabbed her bag. She would pay a trip to the Three Musketeers and perhaps buy them new clothes or something. She owed it to them for always being there for her.
/\_____/\
Feeling nostalgic, bored, and depressed Donghae went walking around the streets of Seoul. There was no one to talk to, no one to share his sadness with. He had forgotten the feelings of being alone. Who, now, would be his friend after Victoria had left him? Tilting his head up he paused by a window. He stared at the utterly old photograph on display. Three young people who were now old were the center of the photo.
Turning away, slight memories crawled into the core of his mind. He finally recalled the shelter, his old home.
The road was dirty, filled up with trash, and ragged people sat against the graffiti painted wall smoking or sleeping. Donghae eyed the area wondering how he could have forgotten something that used to be a part of him.
As he approached the shelter, he heard loud laughter and talk. Were the guys playing games again? Or were they looking through the newspaper in hopes of sighting any beautiful ladies?
Pausing by the gate he glanced in. Maybe he’d find some friends still sitting around if they haven’t yet gone off yet.
“Donghae!”
He turned to find kid Ryeowook rushing toward him.
“Hyung! Where’ve you been?” he asked excitedly as he reached him.
The sight of him brought an old habitual smile to Donghae’s face.
“You’ve gotten fat,” Donghae commented.
“It’s cause we keep eating,” Ryeowook explained.
“Where’s the food?” Donghae asked looking around.
“Ah…usually our friend brings it for us.” Ryeowook replied walking pass him and into the shelter.
“Friend?” Donghae suddenly felt curious. “What friend? I didn’t know you had an outside friend.”
“Ah…she appeared after you left,” Ryeowook recalled then turned around excited, “she was looking for you at first.” Ryeowook then immediately changed the subject leaving him hanging, “Hyung, where’ve you been?! You…don’t look the same...look at what you’re wearing! Wah…so cool!”
Donghae looked around searching for his thoughts. Who would have come by looking for him? Just when he was about to ask for that person’s identity Eunhyuk and Yesung appeared at the door.
“Eunhyuk, Yesung, look! Donghae’s back!”
Yesung rushed forward, “Whoa! Look at your suit! It looks as expensive as what Victoria wears!”
Donghae’s face became contorted with a frown, “Who?”
Yesung looked at him bewildered by the sight of his suit, “But where’d you get it? And where’d you go?”
“You’re back?” Eunhyuk plainly asked.
It wasn’t a greeting from him, Donghae sensed, but Eunhyuk seemed to have guessed something.
“So you left to make money and never returned?” Eunhyuk asked. “Why are you back now?”
Donghae grabbed Eunhyuk’s arm as he started walking pass, “Victoria…comes here?”
Eunhyuk turned to look at Donghae and for a long time they held their gaze on each other.
“She does…doesn’t she?” Donghae asked.
“I don’t know,” Eunhyuk quietly replied.
***Victoria is pissed off! And she's gotten herself a top position wiht a bribe. She doesn't know that the necklace is her mother's, which will bring about trouble later
***So Rae is jealous that Vic's climbed up the ladder :DD
***Donghae finally returns to the shelter! Woohoo! About time, right? And Vic's about on her way there too.
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