SS 3

Chapter 3

Seol Tae-geon stormed into the vice-president’s office like a shot.

Bang—

Han Bom, following right behind him, froze in front of the firmly shut door.

The internal secretary, Jung Joo-eun, stared wide-eyed at the closed door before she even had a chance to greet him.

“Did he already go in?”

Wearing her usual polite smile, Han Bom pulled out the chair next to Jung Joo-eun and sat down.

“Nothing happened while I was gone?”

“Oh, nothing on our end.”

As if she’d been waiting for Han Bom to sit, Jung Joo-eun quickly swiveled toward her.

“I heard there was a big scene in the conference room?”

News always traveled fastest through her — Jung Joo-eun’s invisible antennae seemed to reach every corner of the company.

“I wouldn’t know.”

Han Bom deliberately played dumb.

Jung Joo-eun pouted, dragging her wheeled chair closer.

“They say that David Young or whatever his name is and the vice-president went at it — blood everywhere, three teeth broken!”

“His arm wasn’t broken too?”

“Wait, did he really—?”

Han Bom opened her laptop with a relaxed smile.

When Jung Joo-eun realized it was a joke, she immediately looked disappointed.

“Tell your informants to check facts before spreading rumors. If false gossip gets around, it’ll ruin the vice-president’s image.”

Jung Joo-eun saluted playfully. Her cheerfulness eased the tension in Han Bom’s shoulders.

“But seriously, the vice-president seems really upset today. Didn’t things end well?”

“They did.”

David Young had been suspended on the spot. Rugal’s CEO had yelled at him so harshly that the man was too stunned to speak. On top of that, Seol Tae-geon had coldly warned that he’d take full legal action. David Young left the conference room deflated, likely booking the next available flight home.

“Hard to believe people like that still exist.”

After hearing what happened, Jung Joo-eun shuddered.

“Anyway, if it weren’t for the vice-president, you could’ve been in real trouble.”

That was true. It hit Han Bom belatedly just how dangerous the situation had been.

Then Jung Joo-eun tilted her head curiously.

“But the vice-president really surprised me.”

“Huh?”

“You know what I mean. He’s the type who’d walk right past someone who tripped next to him. Don’t you remember the J Department Store incident with Director Yumina?”

It took Han Bom a moment before it clicked.

A year ago, Ato Beauty had held a product event for their beauty devices at J Department Store’s main floor — a place reserved for luxury brands.

But Director Yumina’s real motive had been to see Seol Tae-geon in person, the company’s mysterious and famously unapproachable figure.

Han Bom sighed at the memory of Yumina’s relentless pursuit.

“Yes, that happened.”

Because of his prickly personality, Seol Tae-geon had never been in a proper relationship — and of course, he didn’t catch on to Yumina’s intentions.

“Even when a woman sends a signal, he doesn’t get it.”

Han Bom muttered under her breath, feeling a mix of pity and exasperation.

In an attempt to get his attention, Yoo Mina had staged the classic “I’m going to fall — catch me” move.

But she’d miscalculated. The result was disastrous. Convinced Seol Tae-geon would catch her, she had flung herself backward — only to crash spectacularly to the floor.

“You know, that photo of Director Yumina’s ridiculous fall is still circulating online.”

Both women sighed at once.

After that incident, Ato Beauty’s premium lines were permanently pulled from J Department Store. They’d never be welcomed there again.

“So, what happened with that pervert from Rugal?”

“Oh, that—”

Before Han Bom could answer, the secretary chief, Choi Moo-gil, approached with a deliberate cough.

He’d witnessed everything that had happened in the conference room.

“Our Secretary Han pulled off another brilliant move.”

Jung Joo-eun brightened. “Please, tell us in detail!”

Choi Moo-gil, a sociable man without an ounce of pretension, pretended to clear his throat dramatically.

Soon, staff members from the vice-president’s department gathered around, eager to hear the story.

“It was at that moment,” he began grandly, “that Secretary Han sent me her coded message.”

When David Young started making lewd remarks about flight attendants, Han Bom, anticipating escalation, quickly grabbed her phone and typed with her thumb.

[If Rugal’s board meeting prep is ready, turn on the video call now.]

She then guided the Rugal representatives to join the video conference — which, unbeknownst to David Young, included the Rugal CEO himself.

He never saw it coming.

“So what happened next?” someone asked.

“David Young’s disgusting behavior was broadcast live to all the Rugal executives. Watching him get chewed out by his boss—ah, that was satisfying.”

While Choi Moo-gil animatedly described the scene to the captivated staff, Han Bom’s gaze drifted back to the vice-president’s closed door.

“Lately… I just can’t read him.”

Nine years ago, she’d joined the planning department as a junior. Noticing her talent, Chairman Seol Gu-cheon had taken her under his wing. She’d been his secretary for almost three years before becoming Seol Tae-geon’s aide — now in her fifth year by his side.

Everything had begun with one unexpected offer:

‘I’d like you to look after Vice-President Seol Tae-geon while I’m away. Think of it as filming <My Precious Boss>.’

At first, she refused.

She had only become the chairman’s secretary to gather material for her secret hobby — writing secretary-themed web novels. Eventually, she’d planned to return to the planning team and focus on her writing.

‘How about I double your salary?’

That was when she should have said no.

But with her brother’s tuition and her father’s debts, she had no choice. Her novels weren’t making much money, so she’d been financially strained.

She had told herself there’s no free lunch in this world.

If she’d made a mistake, it was not realizing the workload would be worth ten times that doubled pay.

“I should’ve asked for more.”

Serving Seol Tae-geon was like tending to a wild animal that could turn on her at any moment.

“Still, he’d been getting along better with people lately…”

She frowned slightly.

During the meeting, she had noticed him glancing her way repeatedly.

“That look… it was like he wanted to pick a fight.”

She sighed, certain trouble was brewing again.

At that very moment, Seol Tae-geon was pacing his office restlessly.

“Why does that scene keep popping into my head?”

The problem was those damn red high heels.

The main culprit behind his sleepless nights — the legendary scene from <The President’s Secret Taste>.

Feeling a sudden heat rising in him, Seol Tae-geon yanked off his tie and unbuttoned his collar, trying to steady his breathing.

“Don’t think about it. Don’t. Just erase it.”

Even he knew how ridiculous he sounded, mumbling the national anthem under his breath.

But the harder he tried, the more vividly the image appeared — Han Bom in red heels, perched on a desk, crossing her long legs, the slit of her H-line skirt revealing smooth, pale skin…

“Insane.”

He shook his head violently to chase away the indecent thought.

“Why is it so hot in here?”

His throat was dry. Maybe a glass of cold water would help.

He almost called for his secretary — but stopped.

If he did, Han Bom would walk in.

He’d disciplined several executives for saying vulgar things about him when he first became vice-president, yet now…

“Maybe they were right. Maybe I am frustrated.”

What tormented him most was the collapse of everything he’d prided himself on — his disciplined, moral, law-abiding life.

“I used to be so clean.”

He’d never touched alcohol or cigarettes.
He’d lived by rules, principles, and structure. Those had always been his power, his purpose.

But ever since that day, everything had begun to crumble.

“I should’ve never looked.”

He regretted it bitterly.

All he’d wanted was to one-up Han Bom after yet another argument — so he’d done a background check.

And then he’d found out.

“Who could’ve guessed my secretary was an erotic web-novelist.”

Under the pen name (“Secret Spring”), she’d been writing for ten years — twenty adult novels in total, and she’d only gained real popularity once she started writing “secretary stories.”

The titles were downright obscene.

<My Boss’s Sweet Release>

At first, he’d clicked out of curiosity — wanting to understand what kind of “release” the boss in question was going through.

He realized too late that “release” didn’t mean emotional relief.

“So that’s what kind of ‘situation’ she meant…”

He had been utterly shocked.

“What kind of person even thinks up things like that?”

Han Bom had ripped open the sealed gates of his subconscious. The man who had spent his life suppressing desire with discipline was now unsteady, undone.

“Damn it. Why can’t I stop thinking about it?”

The more he imagined her writing those erotic scenes, the hotter his face grew. He’d even begun subconsciously inserting her into the roles of her heroines.

Knock, knock, knock—

Startled, Seol Tae-geon’s head jerked up.

“Wh-who is it?”

Click—

The door handle turned, and the door opened.

Through the gap, a single red enamel heel stepped gracefully into view.