10 rules of a Secretary chapter 82

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“I…”

How long had I been hiding this?

And he didn’t even know.

I didn’t want to cry, but my shoulders shook.

I didn’t want to show weakness, yet the tears kept coming, pouring out of me.

My vision blurred, and I gasped for air, my mouth hanging open.

The hand gently stroking my back made me feel even more miserable.

“CEO… sniff… CEO… Doha… Doha…”

I sobbed out his name again and again, and Han Doha held me tightly, patting my back and softly running his hand through my hair.

I surrendered to his embrace and let my tears flow.

After what felt like an eternity, reality settled in where my tears had dried.

As my emotions calmed, a deep embarrassment washed over me.

Sensing that my ragged breathing was easing, Han Doha adjusted his position slightly.

Every time he moved, my wet cheek brushed against his damp clothes.

Now, only our shallow breaths filled the space between us.

A heavy silence weighed down on us, neither of us daring to speak.

Feeling that I should say something, I parted my lips, then wrinkled my nose at the lingering scent of the ocean.

“CEO…”

“Yes?”

“Why do you always wear that cologne? Sometimes it’s so strong… It’s not unbearable, but… it’s just a bit overwhelming…”

I grumbled on purpose to shift the focus away from my crying.

Han Doha grabbed my waist and made me face him, studying my eyes as if trying to gauge my feelings.

Then, he broke into a small smile.

“I like the scent. Nothing else will do.”

“It’s too strong…”

“The stronger, the better.”

“…”

“It’s a really nice scent. And besides, I can’t smell anything else.”

He must have used it for so long that his taste in cologne was now set.

I thought of the small bottle of cologne he always carried with him and looked down.

Well, if he liked it, I had no reason to stop him. It’s just something I’d have to tolerate a little longer.

After a moment of silence, he kissed my cheek and the corners of my eyes, then smiled again, this time more brightly.

His boyish grin was so clear it seemed to etch itself into my memory.

“If you want to keep hiding the fact that you’re an Omega, I’ll help you. You can accept that kind of help, right? Just stop taking the suppressants, okay?”

“Then… can I still… work?”

“After working with me for eight years, why even ask? Do you really think I could find another secretary?”

No one else could handle his temper.

Though his attitude toward me had softened over the years, he was still someone who could lash out violently if provoked.

Who else would want to deal with him?

I shook my head in response.

“No. As I said before, it’s not possible for the next ten years.”

“Then you have to stay.”

“…”

“We have so much to do together. We need to take over the art gallery, secure the department store shares, and keep my father and brother in check. It would be a problem if you weren’t here to help.”

He wiped away my tears with his thumb, flashing a mischievous smile.

It was the first time I’d seen such a pure, genuine smile from him, and I stared at him, dazed.

“I can only do it because you’re here.”

“…”

“That’s what makes taking over worthwhile.”

“Then, CEO, about sex…”

I cut myself off before I finished the thought.

Just because he knew now didn’t mean anything had changed.

It didn’t mean I was no longer an Omega.

Or maybe, just as I’d hoped, he really didn’t know.

If that were the case, bringing it up might ruin everything between us.

If I did, there’d be no turning back.

Whether he knew or was pretending not to know was something I’d figure out in time.

For now, I swallowed my words with a sigh.

“How do you release pheromones?”

“Reduce the amount of suppressants. Then, when your pheromones start to leak, I’ll be there to help regulate it.”

His choice of words was always the worst.

When I glared at him, he smiled softly and kissed my cheek.

The short sound of the kiss seemed to echo in my heart.

“When it gets too much… well, in simple terms, you’ll be covered in pheromones. If that keeps happening, you’ll go into heat again because of the suppressed pheromones, but when that happens…”

He shrugged, then stood up, pulling me into his arms, and closed the door that had been left wide open.

The sound of the waves was suddenly cut off, leaving only the cold night air swirling around us.

The chilly wind would calm down soon enough.

“Then we’ll have to have sex.”

“What will you tell your partner?”

I couldn’t hold back the question any longer, spilling it out before I could stop myself.

Realizing what I’d said, I hurriedly tried to explain.

“I mean, if I’m around… it might make things awkward for you and them, so…”

He stopped rocking me in his arms and stared at me.

His gaze was searching, as if he were trying to figure out what I was thinking.

I couldn’t meet his eyes.

“I might end up being a problem for you…”

He let out a low chuckle, his expression amused.

“Are you jealous?”

“…”

“Now that I think about it, this isn’t the first time. You’ve asked about my partners before, wanting to know more.”

“That’s not…”

He sat down near the fireplace, pulling me onto his lap and resting his face against my shoulder as he looked up at me.

His boyish behavior, as if he were waiting for me to say something specific, made my heart pound. That expression on his face was unfair.

“If that’s not it, we could just deal with your pheromones together, whenever necessary.”

“It wouldn’t be respectful to the other person.”

“They won’t know.”

But that was the problem.

Both of them were me, but I couldn’t explain that to him.

One thing became clear: he didn’t know.

I should’ve been relieved, but all I felt was a tightness in my chest.

I kept opening my mouth to say something, but no words came out.

“Yul-ah, Seonyul.”

“Yes.”

“Are you jealous? Do you hate the thought of me having sex with someone else?”

“…”

“Or should I call my partner right after I return home and just give it my best shot?”

His soft-spoken question was filled with sincerity.

Both versions of me were real, yet not entirely.

If I had to pinpoint a difference… it was between the version of myself that Han Doha fully knew and the version he didn’t.

The former was more honest, while the latter felt downright awful.

Memories of his past actions, where he’d shower me with gifts, flashed through my mind.

That wasn’t right.

As soon as I thought of that, a knot of irritation tightened in my stomach.

At least I was better than the twenty-two ex-lovers who had never seen him standing at full attention.

I mean, I wasn’t just a sex partner; I was Seonyul.

“No.”

“Why? You told me to give it my all if I wanted to win someone over. I’ve been doing quite well, but if you’re telling me to stop now, that would be a huge loss on my part.”

“…Do you really want to?”

“Yes.”

“But if the other person finds out, they’d be furious.”

It wasn’t because it was me, but this was simply a matter of trust between two people.

A boss having sex with his secretary while still maintaining a partner?

That’s the epitome of a garbage person.

“Then should I just use her as a model, and only have sex with you?”

“…”

“Why do you keep double-checking, Yul-ah? If it’s not jealousy, just stay quiet. If I push just a bit further, I feel like I could win her over.”

“…CEO.”

After a moment’s hesitation, I called out to him.

Ignoring my heart pounding in my chest, I looked at Han Doha’s composed face.

Taking a light breath, I slowly spoke.

“I’m hungry. Let’s go eat.”

“You’re really going to say that in this situation?”

“I’m really hungry though. Can’t we go eat?”

Right on cue, my stomach growled loudly.

Han Doha hesitated at my insistence before reluctantly getting up.

Was I jealous?

Why would I be?

He was talking nonsense, not realizing we were the same person.

Just thinking about it twisted my insides even more.

If he was giving it his best, shouldn’t I be noticed too?

Han Doha, this man had watched me for so long… and yet, in these crucial moments, he acted like this.

How was I supposed to interpret this?

Honestly, even though he laid everything bare, I felt at ease.

If I continued this relationship with a man who could adjust his pheromones so easily, what would come next?

Would there be anything more just because I was jealous?

My face went pale as I remembered who this man truly was.

Not just an ordinary dominant Alpha, but the second son of Daewon Group and the legitimate eldest of the Han family.

“Is there anything you want to eat?”

The warmth in his words and expression, as if he were asking a lover, left me with a sinking feeling.

In the end, there’d be nothing left.

He was trapped by the pressure of marriage.

How could he possibly find the partner he wanted?

Besides, he preferred Betas.

And if he did end up with a Beta, it wouldn’t be just anyone.

It would be someone from a wealthy family like Ha Eunjoo or a person from a prestigious background.

How is this any different from a sex partner?

Jealousy only shows itself in the right situation. I calmed my breath and spoke to him once more.

“Anything… I guess…”

“Hmm… What would be good? Something that boosts stamina…”

He carefully laid me down on the nearby plush sofa and kissed my cheek before walking away to the fridge.

“There’s asparagus, oysters… I’ve heard they’re good… avocado salad… hmm…”

He muttered to himself as he rummaged through the fridge.

In a soft voice, almost too quiet for him to hear, I asked.

“You like Betas, right? You’ve said Omegas smell awful to you…”

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