Chapter 15

 

 

 

Soo Bin went out from a car and stood in front of a tall building.

“WTC. Wu’s Transport and Communication.” She read out loud as she saw letters that was embossed on the top of the building. She walks to the main lobby and went to the front desk.

“Hi miss. How can I help you?” The lady at the information table asks her.

“Hi. I came to see Wu Yi Fan. May I know what floor his office is located?” She inquires.

“Do you have an appointment with the CEO ma’am?”

“I’m sorry, but I just came to visit him.” Soo Bin explained and the lady dialed a number and speaks on the phone.

“Ma’am may I have your ID?” She looks for it, but definitely Soo Bin had none.

“Oh, I haven’t brought one. But I can give you my name. Lee Soo Bin.” The lady repeated her name on the phone then hangs up.

“I’m sorry ma’am but you don’t have any schedule with the CEO and your name is not listed on his expected guess.” The lady apologizes then Soo Bin remembers that she had Kris’ number.

“Wait for a second, I’ll contact him.” She presses the speed dial but the call just directed her to his voice mail. “Do you know what he’s doing right now? Because his unable to reach.” She explained but the lady just looks at her like she’s wondering what her connection with her boss is and if she can be trusted.

“Currently, the CEO is on a meeting with some foreign investors.” She informs Soo Bin.

“Oh, so maybe that’s the reason why he can’t be reached. Ok, I’ll just wait for him here.” She said and walks to the couches on the lobby willing to wait for Kris while the lady from the front desk eyed her.

“Have you seen her before?” The lady a while ago whisper to her co-worker. The other one eyed her also.

“I haven’t. I think it’s her first time to visit here since he doesn’t know what the office number of Mr. Wu is.” She responded.

While the two is busy chatting, Kris and the foreign investors had went to the main lobby. Kris will actually send them off and he stops his tracks when he had caught a glance of a familiar figure that was sitting on the couch and roaming her eyes around.

“Just a second.” Kris bowed as he excuses himself with the investor and walk to Soo Bin. “What are you doing here?” Kris appeared in front of her standing firmly with his hands on his pockets and a wide grin imprinted on his face.

“Oh, you’re here.” Soo Bin bowed and Kris laughs because she became formal with him. “I brought you lunch.” She raises the paper bag which contains the lunch boxes.

“Wow, my wifey never fails to amaze me.” He praises her but Soo Bin slaps him on his chest because of the way he calls her even in public. But Kris took it as something funny and just pinches her cheeks. From afar, the two ladies at the front desk who was gossiping a while ago were kind of jealous and envious at how they saw their boss who was their long-time crush treated Soo Bin.

“I’ll just bid a good bye with the investors then we’ll eat at my office huh?” He informs her but instead of leaving her on the couch; he drags her along with him.

“So I’ll see you on our launching?” Kris bid as he faces the investors.

“Yes, we will. Your girlfriend?” One of the investor speaks in a foreign language and Kris just responded with a smile since he doesn’t know how to explain his relationship with Soo Bin.

“So we will be expecting your lovely girlfriend as your date at the launching huh?” Another investor said and looks at Soo Bin so she just bowed since she doesn’t understand what they are talking about.

“Sure, you will.” Kris responded as he thought that they seem to like Soo Bin that’s why it looks like they are demanding her on the launching.

“I have a great deal with you Mr. Wu.” Then Kris offered a hand shake to them and soon they leave.

“What are they talking about?” Soo Bin asks as she was curious why the investors keep on looking at her.

“Nothing, they thought you are my wife and they wanted me to come on the launching with you.” He lied about the wife thing.

“Wife? Do I look that old?” She looks at herself then Kris notice that she’s now wearing the clothes they bought yesterday.

“The dress looks good on you.” He commended her. “Come on, let’s go to my office.”

Kris made her follow him while Soo Bin was busy roaming her eyes around, since the building architecture was really high-tech and it seems like everyone knows Kris given that they are all bowing when he pass by, well obviously that’s not something to be surprise of since he’s the CEO.

“This is my office.” Kris opened the door and let her come in. “How do you find it?” He asks and Soo Bin walks around glancing at every detail of his office. It seems so big like there is a table for him and his files, while there is still another one that is long with the couches all around it.

“Boring?” She asks as she notices that there are not many decorations.

“Well, it is. Since it’s not really my office so it’s not my style. When I became a CEO, I just found it like as how it is right now and I don’t want to change it anymore with respect to my father. It’s he’s style.” He explains as he also just notices that it’s really quite boring. “How did you get here?” He questioned and Soo Bin walks to the table on the middle and sets up the lunch boxes.

“I was actually going with eomonim, but she told me she still have to assist something in the house so she just asks one of the driver to send me here.” She explains while taking out the covers of the lunch boxes.

“But why haven’t you gone directly to my office?” He wonders as he recalls that he found her waiting on the lobby.

“I forgot to ask eomonim about the floor and number for your office. I actually inquire at the front desk, but they said I don’t have any appointment with you and I’m not expected to visit you. It looks like they don’t trust me.” She laughs. “Is that how much they protected you that they can’t even trust an innocent girl like me?” She questioned him.

“It was for security purposes. Well you don’t need to worry from now on; I’ll notify everyone here about your existence.” He laughs and Soo Bin smiled.

“Come on, let’s eat.” Soo Bin offers and makes Kris seat on the couch besides her and gives him a chopstick.

“So you really want to play the role of being my wife?” Kris asks knowing that Soo Bin seems to take care of him a lot now while tasting what she cooked for him.

“Stop that wife thing.” She hissed as she’s tired of hearing it already.

“Why? You don’t want to be called wifey? Hmmmm.” He thought. “What about yeobo?” And think again. “Or jagiya?” He inquires but none of them caught Soo Bin’s attention since she knows that this is just for fun.

“Eat, if you don’t want me to finish it all.” She warned him and Kris just smiled again as how fool she looks and acts whenever she’s being teased.

 

“Oh, it’s so delicious.” Kris bid as he brushes his stomach. “You know what, you came right in time.” He stood up and went to his seat on his table while Soo Bin fixes the lunch boxes to the paper bag.

“Why?” She asks.

“Because, we’re going to fix everything for you.” Then he winks and dialed a number. “Secretary Kim, please come to my office.” He hangs up.

After a minute, someone knocks on the door and opened it. A slim girl who was wearing heels and a tight sleeveless dress appears. She bows and from the way he flicks her eyebrows, it was obvious that he likes Kris.

‘Does anyone here in this building who doesn’t like him?’ Soo Bin thought at herself, and then the so called Secretary Kim rolled her eyes on her.

“What can I do for you Mr. Wu?” She asks with a voice obviously trying to temp him.

“Do I have any afternoon schedule?” He asks.

“No meetings sir, you just have to wait for papers from our foreign investors awhile ago to be fax so you can sign them and you have scheduled a surprise visit at the head offices to check how they function.” Secretary Kim informed him without a copy. For sure it was his task as secretary to memorize his schedules.

“Nothing much today, call a bank teller and ask them if they can be here as soon as possible, remind them to bring forms for a new account. Then reschedule the visit because we will be leaving already after I have signed the papers.” He instructed and Sec. Kim takes down notes.

“Is there anything else Mr. Wu?” She asks.

“Oh, and this is Lee Soo Bin.” He introduces her to his secretary and they both bowed to each other. “Please notify the front desk about her. She will be more often here and asks for some assistance for her. Arraseo?” He commanded and the secretary fakes a smile to Soo Bin. The secretary nodded and was about to exit when she remember something.

“Excuse me Mr. Wu. What do you want me to order for your lunch?” She inquires.

“I already had taken a lunch. Soo Bin brought me something. Just order for yourself.” He bids and the secretary exited annoyed because she doesn’t have the chance to eat with her boss.

“You eat with her?” Soo Bin wonders.

“Neh, I don’t have a fix time for my lunch. Since she’s my secretary, she can just eat also whenever I can because that’s the only time we have vacant time. So I asked her to order fo us and we used to do it that way.” Kris explained.

“I’m just asking if you eat with her, I’m not looking for an explanation.” She commented coldly.

“woh? Is my wifey jealous?” He teases and stood up from his chair and sits beside her but Soo Bin didn’t respond because she’s not in the mood to play with his game. “Are you jealous?” He asks again because he really notices the swing of moods of her. No respond again, so he tickles her and Soo Bin burst out in laughing.

“Yah! S-stop i-i-it.” She mutters and Kris followed. “The others might think I’m disturbing you on your work hours.” She excuses.

“Fine, just answer my question.” He conditioned still smiling insanely.

“Your question is stupid.” She commented and Kris just laughs again because of her choice of words.

“So you do? You’re jealous?” He continued to tease and positioned his fingers to tickles her.

“Yah! Why would I be jealous?!” She yelled at him.

“Maybe because you don’t want me to eat other cooking than yours?” He uses this excuse to escape the topic since he knew that he’s making her feel embarrass.

‘Oh that’s what he meant, how can I think of something else.’ She thought.

“How do you find your phone?” Kris questioned her while he rested his back.

“It’s not user-friendly.” She commented as she remembers how long it takes for her to find out how to go back to the home page.

“Not user-friendly? But it’s one of its features.” He exclaimed.

“Hmmm, maybe my phone before this was just so out-dated that’s why I don’t know how to use it.” She scrunches her head and smiled shyly, then Kris crumples her hair.

“Ok, I’ll teach you how to use all its features.” He offered.

The two spent the time with their new phones. Kris taught her everything like how to connect it on a wifi, how to download applications, how to change the settings and the likes. He even connected it to his laptop to put songs and they ended up playing a game with their own phones connected thru wi-lan. After an hour a knock is heard and Secretary Kim walks in to found the two enjoying themselves with the game which make her feel more envy to Soo Bin.

“The bank teller is already here Mr. Wu.” She informed.

“Let him in.” He bids still playing the game. Then a lady walks-in with a uniform which was popular to Soo Bin’s before. She also works there before.

“Good afternoon Mr. Wu and Ms. Lee right?” She questioned since she’s not that sure about her name.

“Ms. Lee. Lee Soo Bin.” Kris informs as he stood ups and bows to the guess, the same as Soo Bin. “It’s nice to see you again Mrs. Choi.”

She bows also and Kris motioned her to sit. “I have heard you called to have a new account on us, I personally came and presented myself to meet you so that I can assist you much better.” The manager tries to impress him.

“Actually, I didn’t call for a company account, but for a personal account only that’s why I only ask for one of your staffs, but I’m glad you’re here so that I can personally thank you for the favor you did to me 2 years ago.” He referred on the favor that he asks from this manager which is to hire Soo Bin before that’s why Mrs. Choi recalls her name, but he’s careful of his words so that Soo Bin won’t notice what it is.

“Oh, no problem about that. Anything for our loyal client.”

“So I just wanted her to have a personal account which includes an ATM card, credit card and a pass book.” He explained his intentions and Soo Bin got shocked by what she heard.

“Hers?” Then Kris nodded.

“Kris, I don’t need it.” Soo Bin murmurs but Mrs. Choi heard it.

“Leave it to me.” Kris pointed to himself and mouthed.

“This is all the requirements and we just need her to sign this form for her informations.” Mrs. Choi puts a paper and a pen on the table. Soo Bin looks at Kris and he just motioned her to sign it. Kris stood up and gets an envelope on his drawer and shoved it to Mrs. Choi.

“That’s all the requirements.” He said.

When Soo Bin was done, Mrs. Choi reviews the forms and fixes it to her envelope.

“So I’ll see you again next time? I’ll just ask one of our staffs to deliver everything tomorrow. I will rush it for you Mr. Wu.” Mrs. Choi stood up and so as Kris and Soo Bin.

“Thank you again Mrs. Choi.” Kris offers a handshake then Soo Bin bowed at her then she leaves.

 

“What are you trying to do?!” Soo Bin exclaimed at Kris.

“Doing as I promised.” He reminded her of what he said to her on her first day at his house so that she will leave everything that she left before he enters Kris’ mansion and will trust him.

“But I already had enough.” She refers to the things Kris had bought her and even the house and the food he provided for her.

“It’s me who want to give you this Soo Bin-ah. Just accept it, be grateful, thank me and we’re good.” He walks back to his table to fix his things so that they can leave.

“No I can’t. It’s really too much.” She protested.

“As if you have a choice.” He smirks, his signature smirk that she never seen he does to her this past few days.

“Then let me just work for you.” She conditioned and Kris stops from what he is doing as he thought of her offer.

“Work for me?” He thinks. “What work can you do?” He asks, willing to give her a good deal if it will be inline with what he wants to happen.

“Anything.” She said without exception.

Then he thinks of some position that might give him more chances to be with her, that was what he really wants. He wants her to be close to him, to be whenever he is and to be just around the corner of his eyes, by that he will feel at ease because he’s sure to himself that she will be safe in his hands and will get rid of those who tried to drag her for whatever unknown reason. “What about my secretary?” He had a good idea.

“I said anything, but what about Secretary Kim?” She thought as he might fire her just because of her.

Kris dialed a number again and in a second Secretary Kim was in his office already. “Clean your desk today.” Kris commanded.

“S-sir, wh-what is it about? Am I fired? What have I done wrong?” She stutters.

“Don’t want a promotion?” He asks, expressionless.

‘He’s not interested in her’ that was the thing that came to Soo Bin mind as she encounter how Kris treated her.

“I’ll be transferring you the Human and Resources dept. So kindly clean your desk and you will be part of that team starting from tomorrow.” He instructed and Sec. Kim hurriedly went out, obviously excited about her promotion, thanks to Soo Bin.

“Can’t I just be the one in the HR dept.?” Soo Bin objected.

“No, I want you somewhere around me.” He responded firmly.

“Fine.” She agreed with a low tone of voice, disappointed by the position she can at least have though she had said to him she can accept any work, but she really wants to work on something related to what she took up in college.

“Why? Are you sick of me already?” He questioned with a serious tone of voice, a flat face and a brow rose.

“Anniyo! I just want to work on something where I can practice what I have studied.” She defended herself.

Then a smile slowly crept into his face. “Not for now, I need you to stay beside me first.” Soo Bin got baffles by what he’s word is, it’s like he’s an obsessive boyfriend.

‘Don’t think of something like that Soo Bin.’ Scratch that Soo Bin.

 “Don’t I still get any reward from that?” Kris said referring for everything he had done for her, he’s not really expecting something in return but he just wanted something that will makes him feel that everything he does was worth it. Kris spread his arms widely and Soo Bin questionably looks at him.

‘What does this brat wants now?’ She furrowed her brows thinking of something as a little revenge. She also started to refer to him as a brat because it’s obvious that he can buy everything he wants and gets what he desires for, but not at this time. Soo Bin walks slowly towards him. Kris was standing on the side of his office table and Soo Bin was almost closed to the door since she open it for Sec. Kim a while ago. She was hesitant, but continues her tracks moving forward, passing the conference table and the chairs until she reaches neared him, Kris still spreading his arms widely and smiling like an enthusiast but Soo Bin turns to her side, leans as she pick ups the paper bag of lunch boxes and sling her bag on her shoulders then a playful smile tug on her lips, knowing that Kris won’t be able to see it. ‘That’s what you thought.’ Soo Bin might appear very weak these past few days, but that was just a result of the unexpected happening she had encountered. Soo Bin was a strong woman, not to mention all she had been thru to earn a living and live a life. Strong woman refers to how she’d been cold around boys; not wanting a distraction and how she’d try to turn every situation on her favor; with much advantage. She has two types of personality, one is the matured type of her which only focuses on earning money for her and twin to survive and the second is her playful or clumsy side which only occurs often because she chooses to appropriate it on the situation. What happen just now was the second type of her personality, which means only and a sign that she’s already comfortable around Kris since she’s starting to show-off her personality. She slowly takes a glance of him and right in front of her was a disappointed Kris who was slowly putting down his hands and obviously embarrass.

“Thank you.” She smiled widely and whole heartedly thinking of what he said a while ago. “…Just accept it, be grateful, thank me and we’re good.” That’s what he said a while ago, he didn’t state that a part of being a grateful one is to give him a hug. Soo Bin had a point there.

Up to now Kris was still naïve about Soo Bin. Yes, he knows every single detail about her life since he had watched over her for years but that doesn’t mean that he will be aware of her personality and character. He just know information that can be memorized and scripted, but being able to know Lee Soo Bin requires experience, encounters and sharing with her, or what we call the tactile learning. Kris was really disappointed by how he felt he was being fooled around of what she did a while ago and he hate being embarrass, he has a high-esteem for himself but what he didn’t know that his aim to her was already on his hands. She was finally comfortable around him who means to her by that is she can trust him, she will start to open up, she will be closed to him; she will feel like she doesn’t need to limit her acts including being playful and some things that will bring laughter to that someone. He doesn’t actually have feelings for her but he always wanted to be around her and to be closed to her. It’s not that he was playing with her since he had left his side of being a play boy starting when he take over of the company, but he’s starting to get to used of how warm he’s feeling whenever Soo Bin is around and that means that he might also get sensitive because when he started to warm up to someone, he wanted a full attention because that’s how he had grown up, having many eyes laid on his every acts and deeds since they are looking after him who will be a successor of a multi-billionaire company which roles all over the world. He’s someone who will blame, trouble and even hurt himself whenever he had committed something wrong, a failure and especially when he’s upset. He’s a perfectionist and he is hard to be please, he can never trust people even his relatives so easily, because he believes that in his lifestyle every one will get into him because of the power, the fame and the money his family have. But there is an exception for him, and that is Lee Soo Bin. The cold, arrogant and perfectionist Wu Yi Fan gave an exception and that is to someone who he just knew by research, stalking and papers. But that someone had put him out of the danger, the one who escaped him from the cruelty of his lifestyle which includes even shedding bloods just to get into his place. A place before wherein he was just an heir and was only about to acquire everything his father had built that time, and if it wasn’t to this woman who tries to save him on a very simple way that she might not even think that she had already rescue a life and a future, he wouldn’t be to where he is right now. Everything he had now wouldn’t be his’ and wouldn’t be possible if Lee Soo Bin didn’t come on his way.