The elevator doors opened with a soft chime.
Mira Jeong stepped out, her steps steady on the polished floors of Han Group's marketing division. Already, the hum of keyboards, low chatter, and clicking heels filled the air. Glass-walled offices flanked both sides of the hallway—sleek, modern, pristine. Like the people who worked here.
She held her expression calm.
She was used to attention.
But today, she wasn't prepared for the moment the air shifted—when something unseen made the entire room pause.
"Is that her?"
The voice was low. Cold. And close.
Mira turned—and her breath caught.
A tall figure in a black tailored suit stood near the centre of the office. No tie, black shirt, sharp features like they were carved from stone. His gaze was darker than night and didn't blink once. Ares Han.
The CEO. The elder Han son. The one tied closest to her family's ruin.
She had memorized that face long before this moment.
"Mr. Han," a secretary stammered, standing. "This is the new hire—Miss Mira Jeong."
His eyes didn't leave hers. "I know who she is."
The weight of his stare threatened to shatter her composure, but she didn't flinch.
He took a step closer, and then another—stopping just inches away and leaned.
"You're the doctor who turned assistant."
"Not anymore," she said evenly.
"Interesting choice," he said, voice soft but sharp. "Are you running from something?"
She held his gaze. "I could ask you the same."
There was a pause. And then—a flicker. A brief, unreadable smile curved on his lips.
"I don't like distractions in my company," he said, eyes never leaving hers.
"Then I won't be one," she replied.
The tension between them was like a wire pulled tight.
And then a familiar voice broke through it.
"Mira!"
She turned. Jae Min Han approached with that soft warmth that felt out of place in this cold, sharp office. His expression was open, easy. His presence grounded her for a moment.
"I'll show you your desk," Jae Min said, and grabbed her hand, casting a sidelong look at Ares. "You don't need to scare off the new employees on their first day."
"Just doing quality control," Ares muttered, turning on his heel and walking away.
Mira exhaled. Slowly.
"Don't mind him," Jae Min said as they walked toward the far side of the room. "He's intense, but once he warms up to someone, he's… still intense. Just slightly less terrifying."
Mira gave a small, polite laugh.
She didn't mention the flutter in her chest. Or the look Ares gave her. Like he could see right through her—and past the version of herself she'd crafted for this mission.
They reached her desk. Jae Min leaned slightly against the partition, watching her.
"I'm glad you joined," he said. "You handled yourself well in there."
"Thank you," she said. Her voice was quiet.
He hesitated. Then added, "You're different."
Mira met his gaze. And for a second, the sharp edges of her mission blurred.
But then—her phone buzzed.
She slipped it from her blazer pocket as Jae Min walked off. One glance at the message pulled her back to reality.
"You're in. Keep eyes on both of them. Their father's meeting someone soon."— Uncle Rei
She stared at the screen for a heartbeat longer before locking it and sliding it back into her pocket.
But what she didn't expect—what she couldn't ignore—was the way both Ares Han's eyes stayed with her long after he left.
Cold. Calculating.
And somehow… burning.