“Still she haunts me, phantomwise, 
Alice moving under skies, never seen by waking eyes.”
-Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There

Yoona stepped out of the elevator, her heels clicking against the white marble floor. Monday had arrived and it was time for her to begin her duty as Peace Minus One’s campaign manager. Seunghyun had left for Africa in the early hours of the morning after a lengthy phone call reminding her to always be careful. Yoona passed the pretty receptionist and the curious employees who were staring at her from their cubicles, giving them a courteous smile before heading straight to the CEO office. Youngbae stood when he saw Yoona approaching, his crescent eyes crinkling, “He’s been expecting you.”

With a curt knock, they entered Jiyong’s office. Jiyong halted them with his fingers from where he sat behind the imposing oak desk, having being in the midst of an important phone call. Yoona took in the tastefully decorated office in awe, appreciating the neutral tones used. Youngbae steered Yoona to the sitting area quietly as Jiyong continued speaking fluent Japanese into the phone.

“Is he always this busy?” asked Yoona in a whisper as she sunk into the comfortable white couch. She felt incredibly small in this spacious room.

Youngbae nodded, “It’s usually worse when it’s closer to fashion weeks.”

Yoona stared at Youngbae curiously, there had be something she’s been curious for a while now, “You’re not the secretary that I had in mind for someone like Kwon Jiyong.”

Youngbae gave a quiet chuckle at the other girl’s candidness, “Were you expecting one of those busty, sultry ladies that you usually see on TV?”

Yoona nodded honestly and Youngbae laughed, briefly attracting Jiyong’s attention. “As much as the media likes to reminds us of Ji’s preference for beautiful women, the man’s dead serious about his work, he doesn’t allow for anyone to mess with it. He had another secretary a couple of years back, Mrs Ryu, but she got involved in a traffic accident and had retired since.”

Youngbae reclined into the white couch, making himself comfortable, “It was hectic for Ji for awhile since he couldn’t find an efficient candidate that wasn’t out to seduce him and so I decided to step up or rather, step down, depending on how you see it and became his secretary-slash-right hand man-slash-silent working partner since.” Youngbae winked as he carried on his tale, “Besides, not only do I have some sort of P.A assigned to me as well, this job is totally less stressful than having the title of a ‘partner’ and the added bonus to first hand information to office gossip is to die for.”

Yoona laughed, enjoying the man’s easy going attitude and Youngbae’s eyes crinkled in response. A part of him cautioned to be wary in front of Yoona’s doppelganger but a greater part of him had missed his old friend’s presence that he couldn’t help to be nice to the girl, Bella or not.

“How are you feeling about your first day here, Miss Choi?” asked Youngbae.

Yoona wrinkled her nose at the title, “Call me Bella please.”

Ending the call, Jiyong strode over to the chatting duo before taking a seat before them, his brow cocking at the sense of familiarity the duo were sharing. “Am I interrupting?” he asked.

Youngbae stifled a laugh, Jiyong could be such a jealous brat at time, especially if he feels left out.

“Nah.” jovelled Youngbae, “Just asking Bella how she’s feeling about her first day at Peace Minus One.”

Yoona gave a little shrug at the attention she was receiving from Jiyong, “A little apprehensive for sure, but I am excited for it.”

His face passive, Jiyong nodded and Youngbae took it as his cue to leave. Handing the files over, Youngbae gave the girl a small salute before leaving, “See you around Bella.”

Smiling, Yoona gave a little wave at the other man before sobering up before Jiyong. And Jiyong frowned, feeling a little envious towards Youngbae.

Clearing his throat, Jiyong got down to business. “Here are the files on our past campaigns done and our clothing collections to date. Over here we have the statistic figures on the corporate level as well as demographic trend data that we’ve accumulated. For today, you can just go through these and familiarize yourself with it.”

Yoona nodded, feeling the weight of the files on her lap. “What about my team?” she asked, “Who would I be working alongside with?”

Jiyong crossed his legs, “A personal assistant has been assigned to you and you’ll be in charge of the small team of individuals that I’ve handpicked from the marketing team. For most parts, we’ll be working closely together and you’ll report to no one else but me.”

Yoona nodded in understanding, “But what about if I want to bring in someone else or if I need additional manpower?”

Jiyong frowned, not liking the idea of bringing a complete stranger into his company, “If there really is no choice, we’ll address the situation then. But for now, I’m not comfortable with expanding the circle that we have.”

“Trust issues or budget constraints, Mr Kwon?” asked Yoona.

Jiyong got up from where he sat, forcing Yoona to do the same as he strode over to the door, ignoring the girl’s surprised gasp as he carried the hefty files for her. “Call it speaking from experience.”

Yoona nodded to herself, muttering a quiet, “Trust issues then.”

At that, Jiyong merely shrugged, halting by the door as he waited for Yoona to exit his office first, “And call me Jiyong. Mr Kwon just reminds me of my father.”

Yoona frowned a little to herself, “Seems like there wasn’t any love lost between Kwon senior and Jiyong despite the years passed.” she thought. Back when she was still with Jiyong, she was no stranger to the fact that Jiyong shared a rocky, bitter relationship with his biological father.

Youngbae, as did many of the other employees of Peace Minus One, watched curiously as their boss personally walked the newly hired campaign manager to her office, while carrying her files no less. Their boss, the same stoic man who have had a parade of women crying as they left Jiyong’s office after failing to secure the Ice Prince’s interest in them.

“Your office.” stated Jiyong simply as he opened the frosted glass door.

Yoona’s jaw dropped, “You’re joking.” The room was huge, second only to Jiyong’s personal office, furnished elegantly with pastel tones. It was large enough to hold a meeting with a small team; no doubt that that might have just been Jiyong’s intention. But most of all, the fact that it was located right beside Jiyong’s office hadn’t escaped her notice.

Jiyong quirked a small smirk at the girl’s hushed exclamation as he deposited the files onto the white office. “Let me know if you need anything else.” and with that Jiyong cooly left, leaving Yoona to stare unblinking at the now closed door.

Yoona walked to her desk shakily, her fingers brushing against the office desk before taking a seat, her round eyes taking in the entire expanse of her private office She couldn’t believe that she had really done it; inserting herself into Jiyong’s life. One hurdle down, many more to go.

A knock interrupted Yoona’s musings and the door swung open to reveal a rather tall, smiling man with tiny Asian eyes holding onto a pot of bonsai plant.

“Hello Miss Bella Choi! I’m Kang Daesung, the P.A assigned to you.” He greeted eagerly.

Yoona smiled kindly at him, “Come in.”

Daesung beamed, depositing the pot of flower onto the top of the drawers by the side. “I got a gift to welcome you to Peace Minus One.”

Yoona smiled as she stood, giving the man a customary polite bow, “It’s beautiful! Thank you, and please take care of me well.”

Daesung flapped his palm, “Omo omo, please don’t say that, it should be the other way around Miss Choi.”

“Call me Bella please.”

Daesung stared at his boss in shock, Omo, I can’t do that.” before beaming once more, “If there’s nothing else, I’ll just be working right outside. Please let me know if you need anything else!”

And as swift as Daesung made his entrance, he left. Yoona stared at the pot of bonsai Daesung gave and hoped she would be able to accomplish what she had set out to do before she grew attached to the people and things here. It was a complication she didn’t need.

Jiyong stared at the setting sun from where he stood in his office. Another day had been over just like that. A knock sounded from his door.

“Come in.” said Jiyong.

Youngbae entered the office, taking care to close the doors behind him.

“Has she left?” asked Jiyong, his eyes never leaving the orange sun.

Youngbae nodded the affirmative, “Yoona--”, Youngbae frowned, “--Bella--” before giving up on deciding on the name with an exasperated huff, “She left the office twenty minutes ago.”

Jiyong nodded before turning to face his friend, “Any news?”

Youngbae shook his head, “Nothing yet but I’ll get my contact to keep digging.”

Jiyong nodded, “Good.”

“Also, one more thing boss.” said Youngbae as he handed over a piece of paper.

Jiyong cocked his brow at the paper, “Her personnel file?”

Youngbae nodded, “Take a look at the address she gave to HR.”

If possible, Jiyong’s brows rose higher, “Interesting.” he simply said, “Interesting.” Turns out his new employee was also his new neighbor. What were the odds.

Setting the paper down onto the desk, Jiyong spun to face the setting sun once more.

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer, they say. And Kwon Jiyong planned to do just that.

The man had no intention of letting the girl out of his sight until he got to the bottom of things. He had to know. He had to know if this was God’s way of giving him a second chance or his shot at penance, and Jiyong could only hope that he has enough strength left in him to survive the truth of this matter when it’s all said and done.

The week flew by as Yoona busied herself in acclimating to Peace Minus One’s working environment. The staff there has been rather nice and inc