The weekend flew by in a flash.
If the weekend were to be described in two words, then it would be 'speed train'.
Isabelle just couldn't feel the weekend she spent. It was just yesterday when Elias Yoon made that proposal about being a puppet manager and now boom, it's Monday.
Back to her corporate life, acting poised, composed, and the one everyone can rely on with a smile at all times.
Just thinking about it already made her exhausted. Especially when she had a full desk she had abandoned the night she fled from the beast.
With her bag hanging on the pit of her elbow, she held a take-out coffee, and her other hand was tucked into the pocket of her body-sized coat. She stood in front of their company building and sighed before anyone from their department could recognize her.
Isabelle worked for the Ouyang group.
They were a big conglomerate in the country, with a lot of influence, so it wasn't easy to get in. And getting out was just one's own loss because the salary in a big group like this was incomparable to that of other groups.
That's why, even if she's dissatisfied, she can't leave.
Her future depended on her success in this company.
The Chairman was said to be ill. So, the competition between his children who held key positions in the higher-ups was quite fierce.
But that didn't have anything to do with her, who was an assistant manager of a lower department.
But maybe it did.
Maybe the current struggle up there was what brought a man who had never worked inside this company, to suddenly appear and take a key position in one of the departments.
'Can the rich just fight and keep us, who are barely making a living, out of it?' she thought.
But it isn't like she has a choice.
Just as she walked in through the lobby, her normal daily routine began.
There were a lot of men and women in suits, dressed neatly and poised, living up to the image of the company they worked for.
Some were coming out from the elevators at the side, which is connected to the underground garage, and others were walking in through the front, just like her.
She walked towards the security check, ready to swipe her employee ID card when she noticed someone next to her.
He was checking his gold Rolex for the time, not relenting on flaunting how he had the latest model.
And that man just happened to be her boss.
As soon as she noticed, she looked away, swiped her card while praying she could get into the elevator before he noticed her.
But Isabelle had no idea that from the moment Elias stepped close enough, he could smell her perfume and knew she was there. He just didn't say anything.
Instead, he stood next to her, pretending to check his watch for the time, and waited to see what she would do once she realized he was standing next to her.
She would probably flee.
He thought.
And he was right.
The moment she noticed him, she quickly made to swipe her card over the checking terminal and then as soon as the holding bars gave way, she walked away briskly.
He watched her from behind as she hastened her step while keeping her composure.
It was clear that she was trying to avoid him but...
"Miss Han," he called and she flinched.
She couldn't even pretend she hadn't heard her name since she flinched so noticeably.
Inwardly, she cussed out her bad luck that morning but kept her face straight and neutral.
Elias walked up to her and spoke first,
"Good morning."
'There's nothing good about the morning.' Isabelle thought but bowed her head, regardless of her true feelings, returning the greeting softly. "Good morning."
"Shall we head up?"
She gripped her coffee a little too tightly but was careful so it wouldn't suddenly spill and embarrass her.
She turned to him and gave a slight nod.
Though she was upset with this setting, there was no point in telling him off. They were going to the same office anyway and there were so many people around. She couldn't afford to lose her composed image because she didn't like him.
And so, they walked together.
Isabelle had never walked with Elias Yoon before, so she didn't know until now that there were a lot of people who were curious about him and wondered which department he belonged to.
Well, he was handsome. And the way he carried himself had a sharpness that made him seem fit for the business world.
It was such a shame that he was fed with a golden spoon.
"Miss Han," Elias called and she raised her head. "The elevator."
She noticed he had already entered the elevator while she was stuck in her thoughts, and in no time, it would close, so she walked in.
She nearly missed it, thanks to such useless thought, but she didn't show it.
The elevator doors closed and silence followed, along with the gentle hum of the elevator.
It was just the two of them in there, and they stood about two feet apart.
Funny how it was just the two of them in the elevator during such a busy Morning rush hour.
And then she noticed the elevator was actually the one used by Executives.
Ah, how did she not realize it?
But more than that, why did Elias enter the executive-only elevator? Wouldn't they get in trouble for this?
No, it was just an elevator, and it's not like anyone was using it, so maybe it wasn't that big of a deal?
She secretly glanced at him.
What could he be thinking of with that unreadable expression of his?
He was wearing that rose brooch again and a long thick coat over his initial suit.
It was probably because of the weather. It was quite chilly these days.
But do beasts get cold? She wondered.
Why these useless thoughts were permeating through her mind, she did not know.
But she found the quiet space alone with Elias to be quite suffocating.
Isabelle wondered if Elias would bring up the agreement there but he did not say a word, as if they had never spoken about anything to begin with.
'It's okay.' she thought, clutching her bag. 'Let's see how the day goes.'
But for the rest of the day, Elias Yoon did not say a word to her concerning their agreement.
Nothing had changed in their daily lives. Except... He did not reject any of her reports today.
Her other colleagues were quite cautious, wondering if this was the calm before the storm.
Even without rejected work, Isabelle still had a lot to do thanks to being absent on Friday. So, overtime was unavoidable.