Chen Luna sat among the other applicants, hands resting lightly on the folder in her lap. The atmosphere in the waiting room was thick with anticipation, a mixture of nervous excitement and quiet determination. Each person here had fought hard to make it to this second round, and Luna knew she was one step closer to securing a future she had dreamed of.
The company was new, but its parent group had long been a dominant force in the industry. Its sudden rise had turned heads, garnering attention for its remarkable success within a single year. This wasn’t just a job, it was an opportunity to be part of something monumental.
And today, he was here.
She had heard the whispers, the heir to the corporate giant, the man behind this new venture, was sitting in on the second interview. Some called him a genius. Others called him ruthless. The only certainty was that no one wanted to fail under his gaze.
A group of security guards entered, surrounding a man as they escorted him inside. The panel of executives had already been seated, but this moment, the arrival of the one person who held their futures in his hands, sent a ripple of anticipation through the applicants.
He didn’t even glance in their direction.
He took his seat, flipping open a folder without a second thought. Focused. Calculated. Unreadable. He wasted no time on introductions, nor did he bother acknowledging the silent admiration lingering in the room. The heir of the Lee Group wasn’t here for pleasantries, he was here to ensure his business remained untouchable.
Applicants entered in groups of five.
Luna adjusted the cuffs of her blazer, a steady breath escaping her lips as she straightened her posture. She had worked for this moment and had earned her place among the final twenty applicants, yet the weight of the second interview pressed against her confidence like an unspoken challenge.
She stepped forward with her group, she was in the third group, handing her neatly prepared file to the assistant before taking her seat. The tension in the air thickened as the panel observed them, their expressions unreadable, scrutinizing without a single wasted movement.
And then there was him. Lee Heeseung.
The man at the centre. The visionary. The enigma.
One by one, each applicant introduced themselves; name, age, degree, experience, and reason for wanting this position.
Then, her turn.
She stood.
"Hello, my name is Chen Luna, and I am 23 years old." Her voice was steady, her posture poised. "I hold a degree in Marketing from SK National University. Over the years, I have refined my skills in digital strategy, branding, and consumer engagement, and I am excited about the opportunity to contribute my expertise to this company."
She spoke with clarity, making sure every word carried weight. But as she finished, the man in the center remained unmoved. He skimmed through applications, his expression carefully composed, betraying nothing.
Then, a pause.
A fleeting halt in movement.
His fingers hovered for half a second longer than usual, his sharp eyes flicking to the top of the document.
"Chen Luna."
Familiar.
His brows furrowed slightly, not in recognition, but in annoyance at the feeling itself.
He didn't dwell on it. He didn’t have time for distractions.
His eyes moved to her.
And that was when the disconnect hit him, a contradiction he couldn’t immediately place.
She was confident. Poised. Her features sharp under the subtle elegance of makeup, a detail that should have meant nothing to him, except that something in his subconscious insisted it wasn’t right.
He wasn’t the kind of man to think twice about an applicant’s appearance. Their qualifications mattered. Their ability to carry value mattered. But for some inexplicable reason, he hesitated, only for a fraction of a second, before brushing past the moment entirely.
He didn’t recognize her. Not truly.
He shut the folder.
"Not fit."
There was no emotion in his voice, no hesitation as he dismissed her file with the same ruthless precision he applied to the rest.
Luna stiffened, not in shock, but in quiet acknowledgement. She hadn’t expected to fail, but she knew rejection was always a possibility. A professional nod, a brief expression of understanding, and then, she sat back down.
The interview continued.
He didn’t look at her again.
She wasn’t memorable enough to linger in his thoughts.
Not yet.
YOU ARE READING
Heartbeat Contract LHS
Fanfiction"You'll come to me when everything else becomes too much to bear." She never wanted to hear those words. Least of all from Lee Heeseung, the man who had dismissed her as insignificant, only to later offer her a marriage contract like it was nothing...
