Lisa was running late, and Jennie wasn't there when she reached their office the next morning.

Her room was dark and empty. Lisa even used her key to open Jennie's office, but she wasn't anywhere to be found. She pulled off her coat and stared around, completely lost.

Okay, no need to panic. There's five more minutes. She knows about the meeting. She'll be here.

She grabbed her laptop and raced to the board room, an ominous feeling growing in the pit of her stomach.

"Ms. Manoban!" Mr. Han stood, spreading his arms. He took in her disheveled appearance. "I see you got a little... wrapped up in something!" He winked.

"What?" she said, thrown off balance. She adjusted her laptop in her arms and her tablet slipped and fell to the ground. One of Han's assistants, behind his back, mimed putting a scarf on.

She looked down. "Oh!" she said, dumping the electronics on the table. She pulled her scarf off, blushing. She just had to wear the one with little ducks printed on it today, didn't she?

"Ah, I quack myself up!" Han said. She gave a weak smile in return.

There was hearty laughter from the door way. She turned.

"Hanbin! What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I'm on the board," he said with a grin. "Representative for my family interests. So how did it go?" he asked with a meaningful eyebrow raise.

She flushed. "Oh... ummm... great. Would you like some coffee Mr. Han? What are you doing here, anyway? I – oh I didn't mean that to be rude or anything, but you're not on the board, are you?"

She was babbling yet again, completely off on the wrong foot. Not that she had a right foot, not without Jennie. Jennie wasn't here yet. Why wasn't she here yet?

"With the merger pretty much a done deal, they figured I should be in on whatever important business they're doing today. Where's Ms. Kim? I wanted to talk to her about some things while I was here..."

"Oh, she'll be along any minute, I'm sure," Lisa said in a high-pitched voice. Her hands were shaking as she tried pouring the coffee, leaving droplets all over the table.

"Here," Hanbin said softly, taking the pot from her. "Tell me about it later?"

She nodded and went to sit down, pulling out her cell phone. It was 8:59. She could hear more board members out in the lobby, probably all of them, chatting. And Jennie wasn't here.

She punched in Jennie's number and tried to keep a calm face as the phone rang. Once. Twice.

Then cut out. It didn't even go to voice mail.

"Is everyone here?"

Lisa dropped her phone. It was her old boss, Mr. Yang, followed by twenty people. He was as ugly and gross as ever and he spared a brief moment for a sneer in her general direction.

This is a nightmare, she thought. This has to be a nightmare. She quickly looked down to make sure she was still dressed and that her tablet had not turned into a history exam.

"Ms. Kim hasn't arrive yet," Hanbin said, calmly. The board muttered.

"She'll be here!" Lisa said quickly and a little too loudly. Now the entire room was looking at her. She flushed. "She's just running a bit late this morning. Would anyone like coffee or tea?"

She leapt to her feet. A few people nodded yes and she hurried off to the counter as they took their seats around the long table.

She just needed to buy Jennie more time. She'd be here. She'd be here. Lisa checked her watch quickly as she poured the coffee. 9:03.

Jennie had never, ever been late to a meeting.

"Are you sure you remembered to put it in her schedule?" Mr. Yang muttered as she passed him to hand out the mugs.

She barely resisted the urge to dump coffee on him.

"I don't think we can wait any longer, Director," a woman said once Lisa had handed everyone their coffee.

"You're right," Yang grunted before turning to Lisa. "You can take notes for Ms. Kim," he barked. "You do know how right?"

She glared and pulled out her tablet, sitting down beside Hanbin.

. I knew I should've sent him to Greenland.

Mr. Yang cleared his throat and stood.

"In light of the recent change in the make-up of our shareholders due to the proposed merger with Mnet Inc. a number of our members have expressed concern over the proposed hierarchy of our merged companies."

Proposed hierarchy? Lisa stopped marking the date on her notes to look up at him.

"Ms. Kim has been head of Kim Royale Corporation for two years, following the passing of the late President Kim. It was President Kim's wish at that time for Ms. Jennie to take over in his stead and the board voted to follow his wishes.

"However, in recent months there has been some discussion of whether Ms. Kim is of an age where she is capable of managing such a large company. She does not, as yet, have the experience in this industry that might be provided by other parties."

"What?" Lisa cried out. She pushed her chair back to stand up, but Hanbin restrained her. How dare he sit there and suggest-

"Ms. Manoban, at least pretend to have a sense of decorum. If you cannot contain yourself..."

Mr. Yang left the threat hanging there, up to her imagination. Hanbin shook his head and she pulled her chair back in.

This isn't happening. This is a nightmare. I'm dreaming.

She pinched her arm, hard. Ouch.

Mr. Yang went on with his speech as if there hadn't been an interruption.

"Mr. Han has been managing Mnet Inc. for thirty years, growing the company from a small chain to an international standard company. Though it is smaller than Kim Royale Corp., many of our shareholders have expressed interest in the possibility of him being named head of the newly merged company.

"This matter would be, of course, carefully considered from all angles and the opinions of all heard before it was to be put to an official vote-"

Lisa stopped listening. She pulled out her phone under the table and brought up her text conversation with Jennie.

Her stomach flip-flopped. The last message Jennie had sent her was telling her what kind of pastry she wanted for breakfast three days ago. She rapidly keyed in a text.

Jennie, why aren't you here? This is a really important meeting.

A woman was talking now, nattering on about decline in public image. She looked around the room. A few people were nodding their heads, agreeing with this outrageous idea. She glanced at Hanbin. His face was closed and serious as he listened closely. She looked back down at her phone.

They're talking about voting you out as CEO. Answer me. NOW.

"It had been originally hoped that Ms. Kim might have provided a younger, fresher image for the company..." Lisa drummed her fingers on her knee, keeping an eye on the clock as the board members droned on and on. 9:30. 9:45. 10:00.

JENNIE ANSWER ME.

"I, of course, am flattered that the board thinks that I am a good candidate..." Mr. Han gave a laugh that echoed in Lisa's ears. Lisa resisted the urge to throw her phone at him. He continued in a long winded speech about the integrity of the two companies and how, though he was very fond of Ms. Kim, would accept the board's decision, whatever it may be.

10:30. 10:45 11:00.

She must have sent out about 30 texts to Jennie by now, keying in her messages harder and harder as time went on. Her notes were a mess, and she had basically had to lock her limbs into place to stop herself from vaulting over the table and tackling Mr. Yang to the ground.

"The board will be reconvening in two weeks' time. I would like to thank you all for a very successful meeting and-"

Lisa stood up. Her legs were stiff and sore from holding so much tension for so long. A few people stared but she ignored them, running back to her office to grab her coat and purse.

"Lisa?" Hanbin had followed her. He watched her try and put her coat on inside out for a moment before going to help her. "What's wrong?"

"You know how I told you it went great?"

"Yes," he said, righting her coat and holding her purse for her as she got the arms on.

"I lied. It went awful. I need to go." She looped the duck scarf around her neck. "Right now."

She jammed at the button on the elevator in the hotel lobby so hard she hurt her hand. It was 11:17 now and she had until the end of her lunch break to... what? How was she going to make this better?

Start by getting Jennie to talk to you. Fix the rest later. She on her fingers, dancing on the spot as the elevator went up all twelve floors to the top.

"Jennie!" she yelled, the moment she got off the elevator. She raced down the hall to Jennie's door and banged on it as hard as she could. "Jennie!"

She froze, waiting to see if she'd get an answer. She could hear noise inside, but nothing that sounded like Jennie coming to open the door. She pressed her ear to it. She almost laughed when she realized what the sound was. Call of Duty. Jennie was alright.

"Jennie, I know you're in there. Please, talk to me."

The sound shut off suddenly. She waited, but she heard nothing else.

"Fine," Lisa said. "I'll talk to you."

She sat down in front of the door, facing it. She pulled off her coat. "I don't care if you don't like me, okay? You're a pretty good friend, and I am a grown-up so if that's what's bothering you let's just shove it off the table right now because it shouldn't become an issue. I just asked Hoseok in case, because you are fabulous after all, really and it would be impossible for me not to like you – okay, that's probably not helping so I'm going to shut up about that now – but the point is you weren't even supposed to find out. I told him to forget it, but then it's Hoseok so he took me really literally –"

This wasn't coming out right, at all, she thought. She leaned forward, pressing her face to the door. Come on, Lisa. Say the right thing, for once.

"This isn't even the issue any more. The meeting – Jennie, they're talking about voting you out. That's what the meeting was for. I wasn't really listening for most of it, but it's not final yet or anything."

She waited for a moment, seeing if this got any reaction.

"I know you don't think you're the best at your job, but you are good at it Jennie. I know you like your job. Whenever something goes right you get this look on your face... and the detail you put into reading all those stupid reports. You care so much, Jennie, and I know you can do this. But you need to open the door."

Her gut was twisting. Jennie made no sound on the other side of the door. This was awful, terrible. And all Lisa's fault. She clutched at her stomach, taking a few deep breaths.

"I can quit. You can have someone else as your PA," she said, her voice choking up. "If it bothers you this much."

A tear traced a line down her cheek. She brushed it away, angrily. "But I won't quit until you talk to me and tell me to my face that's what you want. Until you promise me that it is