10 rules of a Secretary chapter 98

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“You filthy bastard!”

A cold splash of water hit my face.

The ice from the iced Americano scratched harshly across my cheek.

Still, I was grateful it wasn’t hot coffee.

Lucky for me, Jungha always ordered iced Americano, or I’d be dealing with scalding liquid.

Even though I’d been through this situation countless times, it never felt any better.

If I were to put it bluntly, it was damn unpleasant.

Slicking back my soaked hair, I bowed my head.

“My apologies, Mr. Jungha.”

A few people in the lounge turned to watch.

I looked down at the brown stain spreading across my shirt, droplets dripping from my chin to my thighs.

“All you know is how to wag your tail, you brainless beta bastard! You dare to say that with just your pretty face as backup…!”

“Mr. Jungha, please watch your language…”

Then an empty cup came flying at me.

A dull pain throbbed on my head, followed by a sharp ringing that pierced my ears.

Suppressing the surge of irritation, I stayed seated.

The chair scraped loudly, and within moments, his hand grabbed a fistful of my hair, yanking painfully as my face contorted from the stinging scalp.

I’d figured he might strike me once, but it hurt worse than expected, and curses rose up to my throat.

“S-Sorry… About the schedule, let me—urgh…!”

Slap!

My head turned slightly from the blow, and I glimpsed the angry red imprint on Jungha’s small, pale hand.

He’d struck me with all his might.

Shifting my gaze a bit, I saw him breathing heavily, his brows drawn high in anger.

I briefly considered what I’d eat as repayment from Ha Eunjoo while, with sincerity, I maintained my composed tone.

“I’m afraid I cannot tell you. Please, Mr. Jungha, I ask for your understanding…”

“The watch, too…! You despicable bastard…!”

“This was an accident—”

Slap! Slap!

If he was going to hit me, shouldn’t he switch sides?

Where’s the sense in striking the same cheek twice?

Lowering my eyes, I bit down on my annoyance.

Just as I opened my mouth to respond, he shoved me, though he ended up off balance himself.

I quickly extended an arm to steady him, grabbing his waist as I knelt at his feet.

Somewhere around us, I could hear the clicking of cameras.

“My apologies, Mr. Jungha.”

Bowing low, I spoke evenly, feeling a cold trickle of water on my head, making me flinch.

“Disgusting beta bastard.”

That seemed to be his go-to insult.

I found myself lost in the fantasy world that must exist in Jungha’s mind before finally grounding myself in reality.

“All you do is wag your tail beside Doha, a worthless mongrel trying to reach beyond his station…! Fine, whatever. What’s the point of getting angrier at a mutt like you? Once I marry Doha, you’ll be out anyway!”

“…”

“A mere secretary.”

Jungha spat out the words like a curse, then kicked my knee before turning and storming out of the lounge.

Only after his footsteps completely faded did I slowly rise.

Noticing the vase water soaking me, I let out a hollow laugh.

“An Americano and a vase of water. Truly, I’m living in luxury.”

Taking off my jacket and draping it over my arm, I roughly pushed back my damp hair and gave a slight nod to the lounge manager nearby.

He handed me a towel, one I was grateful for since I had received prior permission from the hotel.

“Thank you. And please handle the rest as I mentioned.”

“Are you all right, sir? It looked like you took a pretty hard hit earlier…”

“I’m fine.”

At my calm response, the manager’s face softened with pity, as if to ask if this was a regular occurrence.

I gave a slight nod in confirmation while dabbing my face and neck with the towel.

“I’ll be going now.”

I considered washing up before leaving, but a quick glance at the clock told me it was nearly five.

It looked like I’d just barely make it back to the office.

Handing the towel back, I turned to go, but then froze.

“…Ah.”

There, at the entrance, was a familiar man.

Wiping the dampness off my cheek with my sleeve, I glanced around, trying to avoid his gaze.

The man, catching his breath, was none other than Han Doha.

A man who wasn’t supposed to know where I was now stood here, clearly the work of Ha Eunjoo.

As I tried to think of a way out, I felt a firm grip on the back of my neck.

“Ugh! Wait, CEO! Just a moment!”

“…”

“I’m going to fall, fall—gah!”

Unable to keep up with Doha’s long strides, I nearly tripped.

He hefted me over his shoulder like a sack and strode through the hotel lobby.

As the murmuring crowd gathered, I let out a series of gasps, struggling to keep up.

Doha’s grip pressed lightly into my side as he murmured in a low voice.

“Stay still. Before I break your leg and drag you out like a dog.”

The words were harsh, but the grip around my waist wasn’t.

Despite carrying a grown man on his shoulder, his pace remained brisk, if not faster than before.

Realizing any resistance was futile, I stopped struggling as blood rushed to my head, making me feel lightheaded.

Damn, I swear I’ll move to the countryside when I retire.

I’ve made such a public scene in Seoul I can’t even show my face anymore.

With my nose brushing against his broad back, I wiggled my fingers slightly.

This was nothing new, after all.

I’d been through similar situations before.

Though, I suppose today had been a bit more intense.

Still, there was no reason for him to be angry; it was just part of my job.

Once we were inside the cramped elevator, Doha finally set me down.

As I wobbled, he held onto my waist to keep me steady.

Feeling the heat in my head start to subside, I ran a hand over my flushed cheek, trying to catch my breath.

I figured saying his name might ease his anger a bit, so I spoke cautiously.

“So… um… Doha.”

“I’m seriously considering breaking your ankle and locking you up so you won’t keep pulling stunts. So keep quiet.”

Well, so much for that.

Clamping my mouth shut, I shifted my gaze sideways.

Somehow, the jacket I had over my arm had ended up in Doha’s hands.

He took a deep breath, raking a hand through his hair.

Though he was just a step away, the air between us was thick, and it was clear who the predator was in this situation.

Feeling the weight of his presence, I instinctively shrank back.

For once, he was just wearing a shirt and jacket.

My eyes lingered on the unusual sight of him without his usual vest, noticing the way his firm chest seemed to press against the fabric, the tension in his neck veins.

He clenched and unclenched his fists, exhaling slowly as he looked down at me.

“Why did you put yourself in that position?”

“It’s part of my job. Who do you think managed your exes? I’ll admit today was a bit rough, but… it’s nothing I’m not used to—”

“What?”

The look on his face was almost one of disbelief, as if he couldn’t imagine I’d face something like this.

Briefly picturing some of those exes, I nodded, keeping my expression neutral.

“Still, it wasn’t so bad today. At least there was no risk of getting burned, ugh—!”

The elevator doors opened before they were even halfway, but Doha quickly scooped me up again, securing his arms around me and briskly stepping out.

I instinctively struggled, but feeling his solid hold, I gave in, allowing myself to relax.

His grip loosened as soon as I stopped resisting.

Once inside the hotel room, Doha walked straight to the bathroom, setting me down on the edge of the bathtub.

He grabbed every towel he could find, pressing them to my hands, face, and hair.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

Unable to answer immediately, Doha held my cheek firmly in one hand, his gaze sharp as he asked again, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Why did you hide this?”

Of course, it had to be hidden.

I’d gone out of my way to rent out private places like secluded restaurants or cafes so that none of their words would leak out.

After any incidents, I’d collected any CCTV footage.

With those precautions, how could Doha know?

He’d have to be a ghost to figure it out.

Now that he’d caught me, though, I had nothing left to say.

Hiding it from him was my fault, but I couldn’t stop myself from making one last attempt to justify it.

“It was my job, as I said. It’s nothing new to me. That’s what I’m paid for, and my role requires handling issues before they reach you.”

“So you just took it—whether slapped, or having water thrown at you, you just accepted it all.”

It wasn’t always that bad, though Jungha’s behavior had been unexpected.

Even after choosing a more public place to avoid trouble, he’d acted as if no one else existed, with utter disregard for onlookers.

He’d never gone as far as to throw water at me before.

Most of the time, he’d stick to sarcastic comments or mild threats, so today had certainly been surprising.

In a way, I guess it made things simpler, though I hadn’t expected to be drenched in ice water.

Regardless, he had no right to do that to me, even with his status as ex-fiancé.

From his perspective, though, it probably seemed justified.

For him, I might just be some disposable tool.

Not that it made it okay.

Even if I was taking it in stride, it still left a bitter taste.

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