2. Kimberly Aurorae Ryder

"Henry Cavill, damn it!" cursed Kimberly. "If only I didn't watch N*****x series until dawn, maybe I wouldn't be late like this."

For the umpteenth time this morning, Kimberly had to arrive late at the office for such trivial reasons. With great haste, she hurried down the corridor of the Alpha Beta Corporation building to reach her workspace.

However, before she could make it, Kimberly accidentally bumped into a man walking in the opposite direction, causing both of them to end up sitting on the floor.

"Good grief! Is my body too small that you didn't see me?" grumbled the man in front of her.

Wincing, Kimberly tried to get up. "I'm sorry, I was in a hurry, so I didn't see you. I apologize again," Kimberly replied without even looking at her interlocutor. She was too busy adjusting her blazer. Then she walked away, completely ignoring the man she had collided with, who cursed in pain.

"Damn! Why are there rude employees like that at Alpha Beta?"

A sense of relief finally washed over Kimberly's heart. How could it not, as she managed to arrive at her workspace just a few minutes before Andrew, the most demanding supervisor in the office, started his rounds.

Just as she settled in, someone called Kimberly out on her behavior. "This is the second time you've been late, Kimmy. What have you been doing lately that you can't arrive on time?" Keyra, Kimberly's friend, asked.

Taking a deep breath, Kimberly began to answer. "Lately, I've been too busy watching Korean dramas late into the night, so my sleep schedule is a bit messed up."

Keyra shook her head upon hearing Kimberly's response. "Oh my goodness, Kimmy, you might be in the clear now. But if Mr. Andrew catches you being late again tomorrow, I can guarantee you'll face consequences," Keyra remarked.

Kimberly shrugged dramatically. "What can I do? You know my hobby of watching N*****x series. Besides, 'The Witcher' is just too good to miss. You should watch it too. You know what? I feel like I become Yennefer after watching that drama," Kimberly explained.

"So, you're imagining Mr. Andrew as Henri Cavill? A handsome boss who's so difficult to conquer?" Keyra teased.

Kimberly snorted. "As if! Why should Mr. Andrew be Geralt of Rivia? He might as well be Mr. Nicholas. Our CEO is better suited to play the role of the ice-cold leader."

"I think Kimberly needs to be disciplined at least once," Alex, the male friend sitting across from Kimberly, chimed in.

Without hesitation, Kimberly playfully pinched Alex's arm, who had been teasing her. The three of them burst into laughter until a handsome and charismatic man, yet rather stiff in demeanor towards everyone, interrupted their fun. It was Andrew, the supervisor who was both good-looking and feared by other employees. With firm steps, he approached Kimberly's seat.

"Kimmy, starting today, you are officially assigned to the main building to replace Salsa, who is resigning next week," Andrew ordered.

Kimberly and her two friends were instantly shocked by Andrew's sudden announcement. Kimberly stared intently at Andrew.

"B-but, sir. Isn't this too abrupt? And why me to replace Salsa?" Kimberly stammered.

Andrew folded his arms across his chest. "The HR department asked for help in recommending a suitable replacement for Salsa. I intentionally put your name forward because I believe you are competent enough for the position," Andrew replied.

Kimberly looked weakly at Andrew. "Does it have to be today, sir? You do know what position Salsa has held all this time, right?" Kimberly asked to confirm.

Yes, everyone knew. Salsa had been the personal secretary to the CEO of Alpha Beta Corporations, which meant Kimberly would no longer have the freedom to move around as she used to. She would have to be stationed at her desk and follow wherever their CEO went.

Andrew chuckled cynically at Kimberly. "Of course, I know, Kimmy. That's why I recommended you to replace Salsa," Andrew replied, breaking the silence.

"Now, pack up your things. In thirty minutes, we'll head to the main building to meet with the boss," Andrew ordered before leaving the room.

Kimberly grumbled in frustration at Andrew's unilateral decision. While she could perform the new tasks, the decision felt sudden, leaving her with no time to prepare.

Seeing her friend's upset expression, Keyra and Alex approached and helped Kimberly tidy up her belongings one by one on her desk.

"I'm going to be lonely in my new office," Kimberly said, pouting as if she was sad to part with her friends.

"Ouch!" Kimberly suddenly exclaimed.

Instead of sympathizing, Alex deliberately pinched Kimberly's cheek. "You are a total drama queen, Kimmy. Over the top! Your new office is just over there. A five-minute walk, and you can visit us or vice versa," Alex said, followed by laughter from Keyra.

"You two are like cats and dogs when you meet!" Keyra chuckled at her two friends' behavior.

Right after helping Kimberly organize her things, Andrew returned and asked Kimberly to follow him immediately. Clearly, Kimberly had a reluctant look on her face as she followed Andrew, who was enthusiastically heading to the main building of Alpha Beta Corporations. Upon arrival, Salsa was already waiting and invited the two of them to enter the CEO's office.

Entering a room with a white and brown color scheme, Andrew and Kimberly found the room's owner busy with a stack of documents on his desk. The brown-haired man looked so serious that Salsa's call redirected his attention.

"Mr. Nicholas, sorry for the interruption. My replacement secretary has arrived with Andrew from the planning division," Salsa said.

Nicholas nodded briefly, but then his gaze changed as if he had made a discovery.

"You—"

Nicholas fell silent for a moment, observing the woman in front of him from head to toe, then continued speaking.

"You're the one who bumped into me this morning, aren't you?" Nicholas pointed out. Kimberly looked confused upon hearing the man's words, then, a minute later, she seemed to slap her forehead.

"Oh my God, w-were you the one I bumped into this morning?" Kimberly asked nervously.

Meanwhile, Nicholas raised one of his eyebrows, gazing directly into Kimberly's eyes.

"What do you think?"

Oh my God. Are you stupid, Kimberly? How could you bump into the CEO of this company? And to top it off, you just left him there without helping at all. You're really asking for trouble!

Kimberly swallowed hard, cursing herself inwardly while ignoring the annoyed look on the man's face.

"I apologize, Mr. Nicholas. I was reckless and bumped into you this morning," Kimberly admitted.

Nicholas squinted. "And even after bumping into me, you just left without feeling guilty?" His sharp gaze was fixed on Kimberly's face, prompting Andrew, who was present, to take over the conversation.

"First of all, I apologize on behalf of my partner if she made a serious mistake toward you. Regardless of that, I assure you that Kimberly won't cause any more trouble. I can guarantee that," Andrew said, trying to reassure Nicholas.

Nicholas glanced at Andrew briefly, then nodded in agreement with what Andrew had said. "Very well, I hope your partner can be relied upon, Drew. I'm well aware of your performance, and I hope she performs just as well," Nicholas pointed directly at Kimberly.

Salsa then asked Kimberly to follow her to her new workspace.

"Today, I'll teach you a few things you need to do. You can take notes so you don't forget, Kimmy. Also, you must remember that Mr. Nicholas is a perfectionist. So, make sure everything you do is flawless, without any mistakes," Kimberly was once again taken aback by Salsa's explanation.

***

While enjoying lunch at the office cafe, Kimberly enthusiastically shared her morning experience with her two friends. Alex and Keyra were left in awe by what Kimberly was saying. After all, her story was about the incident in the morning when she accidentally bumped into Nicholas, who was clearly the CEO of their company.

"You really are pushing your luck, Kimmy! You're lucky Mr. Nicholas didn't fire you on the spot," Alex said while eating his meal.

Kimberly massaged her forehead, which suddenly felt dizzy. "I think I need to get my eyes checked. How could I not realize that the man I bumped into this morning was Mr. Nicholas? It was so foolish of me to just leave him like that." Kimberly's shoulders slumped, and she continued to berate herself for her foolishness.

Keyra, who had been laughing at her friend all along, chimed in. "By the way, you should be careful with Mr. Nicholas. Everyone knows he dislikes forgetful and careless people. Two qualities that happen to be in you, right?" Alex laughed at Keyra's comment.

"But all the CEOs in our company are known for being perfectionists. Remember Mr. Kenzi? He's even stricter than Mr. Nicholas," Alex added.

Indeed, it wasn't a secret that the top executives at Alpha Beta were perfectionists and workaholics. They devoted much of their lives to work and had no time for leisure, especially with women.

"True, both of them are the definition of perfect men. Look at Mr. Kenzi; in his life, there's only one woman, his wife. You've probably heard the rumor that they were childhood sweethearts. Amazingly, he managed to maintain that relationship all the way to marriage," Alex agreed.

Kimberly raised an eyebrow. "So, what's the point of discussing Mr. Kenzi, who's already married? We're talking about Mr. Nicholas now!" Keyra and Alex laughed again at Kimberly's comment.

Shortly after, Keyra moved her seat closer to Kimberly's. "So, do you want us to discuss Mr. Nicholas? Everyone knows Mr. Nicholas is the coldest man in this entire building. No woman has ever talked to him except for Mrs. Maximilian, Mr. Kenzi's wife."

Kimberly chuckled at Keyra's statement. "So, should I be as beautiful and perfect as Mrs. Maximilian if I want to catch Mr. Nicholas's attention? Is that it?"

Alex, who was enjoying a piece of cake in front of Kimberly, shifted his position slightly closer to his two friends. "Your expectations are too high, Kimmy. Clearly, Mrs. Maximilian is too perfect to emulate."

Alex paused for a moment. "But, just so you know, Kimmy, I've also thought like you multiple times before. What if Mr. Nicholas is actually gay?" he whispered to Kimberly.

Kimberly and Keyra both cursed simultaneously upon hearing Alex's remark. "No way! Why would such a handsome man be gay?" protested Kimberly.

"According to the rumors, Mr. Nicholas has closed his heart to women. Many say he became cold because he was betrayed by his ex-fiancée," Kimberly and Alex nodded in unison as they listened to Keyra's story.

"What if I try to become Mr. Nicholas's girlfriend?" Kimberly suggested casually.

Hearing Kimberly's words, Keyra and Alex burst into laughter. Alex even extended his hand and playfully touched Kimberly's forehead. "You're not sick, are you? Don't daydream, Kimmy. It's still daytime," Alex teased with a mocking look.

A grin appeared on Kimberly's face. "You should be supporting me, you know. Who knows, maybe Mr. Nicholas will actually fall in love with me someday," Kimberly replied confidently.

Alex laughed at his confident friend. "Just so you know, Kimmy, if Mr. Nicholas ever falls in love with you, Alexius swears to obey whatever you ask for," Alex challenged Kimberly, looking confident.

Kimberly smiled and reached out her hand to shake Alex's hand. "So, you're challenging me? I guarantee that in the near future, Mr. Nicholas will kneel before me!" Kimberly's hand met Alex's in a firm handshake.

Meanwhile, Keyra could only shake her head at the antics of her two friends.