17 : The Secretary

"Tasty!"

Secretary Yoo's brows furrowed as he concentrated on the game he was playing. Because he was already playing his last heart, he had to focus. There were certainly no room for mistakes! The last one... he had to make the last one count!

"Sweet!"

Yoo Joong's eyes glowed as he continuously collected one color bomb after the other. When it was finally time for him to unleash his last move, he swapped the two candies.

"Divine!"

The scoreboard appeared. Three stars were given to him and the numbers that tallied his score flew to hundreds, then thousands, then hundreds of thousands until it finally came to a stop. Yoo Joong did not just complete the level, but he also surmounted his previous high score! This was his greatest win yet!

However, Secretary Yoo didn't even had the chance to celebrate his victory because his phone suddenly rang. His boss was calling! And since he was still excited after his huge feat, Yoo Joong abruptly collected himself before answering.

"Prepare the car, we'll leave right away." Min Jae commanded monotonously.

"Yes boss!" Secretary Yoo responded and not long after, they were already on the road.

It was almost midnight but work is not over yet for the President of Summit Group International. Min Jae elegantly sat at the back of the car while Secretary Yoo drove through the heavy rain.

Apparently, there was a major change in the plans for one of their projects. It required Min Jae's presence so he had to catch the soonest flight to Los Angeles.

If the soonest one is not yet cancelled at least...

Min Jae gazed outside the tinted window. Rain water continuously poured down the glass, making the other side blurred and almost invisible. The weather was terrible that even though they had to get to the airport as soon as possible, Secretary Yoo still had to drive carefully. The wet road was slippery and he couldn't possibly risk the boss' safety!

The car was silent throughout the duration of the trip. When Secretary Yoo glanced at his rearview mirror, he saw that Min Jae was impassively staring outside. Perhaps there was something that bothered him. But then, he seemed to be deep in thought. What could it be?

"Mr. Lee, would you like me to inform Mrs. Lee of your unexpected trip tonight? Mrs. Hong said that the madame will return late from work today. I'm afraid she won't get a hold of us during our flight if we don't inform her soon." Secretary Yoo offered.

The man was deeply thinking so Secretary Yoo thought that he might be worried about his family. After all, he won't be able to see them after a few days. They might not even be able to reach him if things turned out to be worse than they expected.

The man's expression remained unchanged. After a while, Min Jae still did not reply. Secretary Yoo suddenly felt uncomfortable with his silence so he gave the man his own privacy.

They were soon approaching the city hospital when Yoo Joong caught a glimpse of someone familiar. After a decade of working for the young boss, he was already familiar with most of the people Min Jae is associated with--from influencial socialites to the most powerful politicians and businessmen. Of course, Mr. Lee is very popular himself within the business circle despite him keeping a mysterious profile.

As a matter of fact, only a few details are known about Mr. Lee's private life. One of these is his marriage to Ms. Eun Young. It could've made the headlines for weeks but as part of the agreement, both parties agreed to the confidentiality of the matrimony.

Secretary Yoo rarely witness the couple together. But even if he only saw her a few times, he knew very well that the woman underneath the hospital's waiting shed is Mr. Lee's wife.

Secretary Yoo, slowed down the car's pace. "Mr. Lee, isn't that Ms. Eun Young?" He asked as they neared the area. "There seem to be no taxis around and Mrs. Lee looks stranded. Shall we go and fetch her?" He politely asked the man at the back.

This time, Min Jae responded abruptly. "No, continue driving." He said, his voice was deep and sharp. Yoo Joong suddenly felt the temperature inside the car intensely decrease. It was as if the vehicle's interior was now colder than the environment outside.

Secretary Yoo swallowed. He felt gulity for leaving Eun Young in a state like that. However, he cannot disobey Min Jae's orders. Especially since his once emotionless face now carried an authoritative look.

Yoo Joong's grip on the stirring wheel tightened. And before he can even begin convince himself to defy his boss and get himself fired, he increased the speed of the car. The reflection of the hospital from the side mirror slowly disappear from view.

A few minutes later, the heavy rain had now become a drizzle. They should be at the airport now if it weren't for the red light halting them.

Secretary Yoo took the chance to compose himself. He mentally swore that as soon as they get to the airport, he'll get someone to fetch Mrs. Lee. He felt bad already for leaving her like that. The least he could do is send someone over.

At last, the light turned green and the car accelerated smoothly through the streets. Just around the corner, the airport will soon come into view. All was going accordingly well until Min Jae suddenly spoke, resulting to the screeching of tires on the asphalt floor.

His voice rang loud and clear.

"Turn around."