-𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗲𝗼𝗹-
Third person's POV.
∞♡∞∞♡∞∞♡∞∞♡∞∞♡∞∞♡∞∞♡∞∞♡∞
The next time Rosé sees Chanyeol, she tries to find out if his manager has made things difficult for him in the office. Chanyeol tells her no and ask about the reason for her concern.
Rosé nearly tells him about what Namjoon said to his manager, but held back in the end. What she has overheard is part of a management discussion and her professional ethics does not allow her to diverge what she knows. “It is nothing major. You have just offended Krystal and it so happens that her dad’s company is going to become one of our business partners soon, which is why I am concerned.”
This is a safe thing to say because Jung Krystal has been coming to their office very often lately and the office grapevine is already speculating on the possibility of a partnership between both companies.It is also noted that her visit is often over something minor like delivering a document, or passing a message to Boss Kim, so many are speculating on her true intentions for visiting their company.
Or soomeone in the CEO’s room.
Everyone on the CEO’s floor can tell that Krystal likes Namjoon. There is little need to involve Namjoon in the details of the partnership, so why is Krystal always popping by to update Namjoon? Although she has a tendency to linger, Namjoon has never tried to chase her away to give her father face.
Women are creatures with sharp instincts. In their hearts, both Rosé and Krystal consider each other as a potential love rival but in view of her status, Rosé does not dare to openly provoke her; at most, she will only make fun of her inwardly. But Krystal does not have the same restrictions – she does not report to Her Dad nor is she mild-tempered, so she has no compunction making sarcastic remarks at Rosé. When Namjoon does not seem to pay Rosé any special attention, Krystal becomes bolder and starts making her sarcastic remarks of Rosé in front of Namjoon.
Rosé is very angry.
Today, Krystal is once again at Namjoon’s office. Rosé purposely enters the room without knocking just to see what the 2 are up to and sees Krystal reading a magazine on the sofa while Namjoon is working at his desk. Krystal frowns at her sudden entrance and is the first to speak. “Why didn’t you knock before entering?”
Namjoon just looks at her. “Is anything the matter?”
Rosé says that she has something urgent to report and ask if Krystal would like to use the washroom? When Namjoon did not say anything, Krystal can only take the hint and leave the room. But she make sure to leave her bag on the sofa so that she will be back – Namjoon has promised to have dinner with her and she is not going to pass over this opportunity!
The moment she leaves, Namjoon asks Rosé on the urgent matter, and she places a document in front of him. “It is an important document for your signature. Please read and sign. I will come back for it later.”
Looking at her retreating back, Namjoon does not know what to make of her. As if she has eyes on her back, she turns back and he quickly pretends to be studying the document. From the corner of his eye, he sees her walking to the sofa, picking up a cup on the coffee table, splashing its contents on the sofa, before placing the cup back to the table and exiting the room.
Namjoon shakes his head but did not say anything.
(*_*)⟵Namjoon
When Krystal comes back, she is pleasantly surprised to see Namjoon looking at her. Heart fluttering, she drifts back to the sofa and sits down. Namjoon does not quite know why he keep silent, but he watches as she sits down – before jumping up with a yelp.
*\0/*
Rosé has been sticking her ear to the door and when she hears the commotion, she dashes in. The Coffee has soaked a big patch of Krystal's pastel-coloured skirt, and is such a big patch, it is impossible to miss despite Krystal holding her bottom with both her hands in an effort to try hide the stain.
Rosé: “My goodness! How can you pee anywhere?”
Krystal can probably die of embarrassment right now but at her words, she is suddenly enlightened. “It is you!” she points her finger at Rosé, but realizing that this exposes her stain, she shoves her hand back to her bum.
Rosé's face is all innocence.“What about me?”
“You split tea on the sofa on purpose! You, you, scheming woman!”
Rosé is quite pleased that there is actually a day when she is deserving of the title ‘scheming’ and she beams. “Please do not malign me. Do you have proof? Did you see me spilling the coffee?”
Krystal is heaving from anger and turns to Namjoon. “Oppa, what do you think I should do now….”
Namjoon rubs his temple and calls for his assistant. Actually, his assistant is right outside the door and is only waiting for his summon to enter. “Boss Kim, is there anything I can do for you?”
“Can you help to send Krystal back and buy 2 dresses for her on my tab?”
Assistant Yang takes off his jacket for Krystal to wrap around her waist, and Wu Wen also tries to placate her before she finally calms down and leaves. Rosé has finally seen enough and turns to go, but Namjoon closes the door and studies her.
“Boss Kim, if there is nothing else, I would like to get back to work.”
Namjoon is expressionless but his eyes are piercing sharp. Rosé is already feeling guilty to start with and at his stare, she can feel her legs turning wobbly. Finally, he speaks. “Why did you do that?”
“Do what?” She decides to feign innocence to the last breath.
“You need not try to act dumb because you already are dumb. Now tell me honestly – why did you do that to Krystal. Did you do it because you are jealous?”
She pauses.“Yes.”
Namjoon brightens and presses on. “Why are you jealous?” In his heart, there is a vague answer waiting for her to echo a confirmation but there is no way she is going to admit it. “I have plenty to be jealous. Right now, the primary reason is because she can afford to eat without having to work.”
“Oh.”
Rosé would love to say something bad about Krystal, but she worries that the situation may backfire on her, so she switches track. “Boss Kim, do you think you will marry Krystal?”
Namjoon is thoroughly confused by her question. “Why should I marry her? Have your brain took a dip in the ocean?”
“I thought you businessman loves connections and ties?”
“My business and personal life are 2 different matters. There is no way I will sell myself for money or to close a deal. Do you take me for a gigolo?”
At his searching look, she bats her eyes. “What kind of woman will you marry?”
He suddenly feels awkward. “Naturally, it has to be someone I like.”
“What kind of woman do you like?”
Someone like you.
Namjoon nearly says it out loud, but he swallows his words. Looking at her curious face, Namjoon can tell that she is really just asking and he is at a loss of how to answer. Luckily, his phone rings and breaks the awkwardness.
He takes the call and his face darkens.
Although Rosé is curious to know the reason for his displeasure, she is more worried that she will get caught in innocent cross-fire and tries to slip out of the room. But when he shouts “He is fired!” she pause in her tracks and turns to look at him.
Even though he is on the phone, his gaze is fixed on her and the 2 stared at each other for several seconds. When he ends his call, she tries to excuse herself, but he calls her back, “Come over.”
She walks back to stand respectfully in front of him and he suddenly asks from out of the blue. “Have you mentioned our company stuff to Park Chanyeol?”
Rosé scratches her head wonders if he has overheard her occasional grouses about work? Namjoon guesses where her thoughts have veered off and adds. “I am referring to confidential company matters.Have you mentioned anything of that nature to Chanyeol?”
Rosé shakes her head emphatically. “Definitely not. I still have that much of professionalism in me.”
Wu Wen nods in relief. “I am just worried that you may have been used, being so dumb and all.”
“Boss Kim, what has happened?”
“Park Chanyeol is actually on our competitor’s payroll and is here to spy on us.”
“Huh?” her jaw drops at the news and he snorts coldly. “If you do not believe me, you can go ask the Head of Business Development. Please do not think that I planted this on him because I am not so low!”
“It is not that. I am just too shocked.” Corporate espionage? She has only seen it in movies, and Chanyeol? Of all people? Distracted, she mutters. “Chanyeol does not look like the least bit like a commercial spy.”
“So you think bad people have their intentions carved on their foreheads? If even you can detect his true intentions, he might as well quit.”
Rosé cannot help but feel down that Her Man God has such a low impression of her. Namjoon assumes that her moodiness is due to another reason and bristles as if she is going to start defending Chanyeol any minute. With their recent closeness, he has every right to question her but deep down, he is aware that he is a little gloating. Ha, this woman has actually choosen a commercial spy as her potential love interest, ha-ha-ha….
She thinks about the situation. “Boss Kim, did he cause any damage to the company?”
Namjoon is relieved by her question. Apparently, the woman is not too deeply embroiled with Chanyeol yet and his tone gentled. “No, he is outed before he managed to do us any harm.”
This is an unexpected outcome for Namjoon.Who would have guessed that his head of business development would be so through in his “look out” and ends up eavesdropping on Chanyeol’s call, leading to the discovery?
Rosé is relieved by his answer although her disappointment in Chanyeol did not subsided. He has been really nice to her and she has tried to match his goodness to her. But with this development and with her sensitive position as the assistant office manager of the CEO office, they need to minimize contact with each other. It is also hard not to suspect that Chanyeol may have gotten close to her for other reasons and the thought made her doubly depressed.
Namjoon adds fuel to the fire. “I think Chanyeol must have tried to get close to you intentionally. You must not be misled into thinking that your charms are too good for man to resist.”
“You can keep your reminder, thank you very much.”
“You are angry? What a nerve! Given the case, I must advise you to be more alert in future. There are plenty of handsome and capable men out there so you really should not bother hanging out with commercial spies.”
Rosé reply is a little depreciating. “What makes you think that handsome and capable men would be interested in me?”
“That is hard to say. Perhaps one of them is blind?”
When she leaves in a huff, Namjoon sits down and admires his ceiling. “And here I am, a sterling example of a blind, handsome and capable man.”
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