Akinetopsia

4 : Insensitive jerk

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"You! You are my problem!"

They walked already too far from the cafe where his mother was in. They are now near the company's building.

"What are you talking about? I just-"

"I know what she offered you! Why did you accepted it? Do you really thought i am that weak or you just want more money? You are going overboard already just for money!"

Ethan's sharp gazes were locked on her eyes. He can't see her clearly because she keep moving but he kept his vision still.

"Did you really assumed that I took that offer?"

Athena's eyebrows curved with annoyance.

"Why not? So how much did she offered you? I'll triple it just for you to leave. Tell me. tell me your price and leave my sight at once. Gold diggers like you only want money right?"

He firmly mocked her while looking down, holding her wrist tightly. She looked on her wrist, forcefully swinging it so that Ethan will take his hands off her.

"Oh c'mon Athena don't play too hard to get-"

*slap!!*

he was cut by a heavy slap on his face. everyone who passed by gasped as their eyes widen.

"You are so fvcking insensitive Chairman. You are an asshole. Do you really thought i only need money from you? What a jerk. You only care about yourself and your own feelings."

She said in a whispering tone but with grit. Every words she said has emphasis as if she want to sink everything on Sunghoon's mind.

Ethan looked at her with annoyance and confusion. It's the first time you can see other emotion on his face. It's the first time he got so confused over something.

Athena glared at him.

"Now if you think i will resign after this, I won't. In order to gain the experience I needed and the money you keep pushing unto me, I won't. I'll work hard to gain everything. So that i can have the recognition i needed."

Athena wiped the tears on her eyes and walked pass Sunghoon, straightly moving towards the office building.

Ethan was caught off guards there. unable to say anything, he just let Athena to leave. 

*ring ring!*

he heard his phone ringing, He took it out from his pocket seeing his mother's number calling.

"Hello?"

"You got a good assistant. Cherish her. She's one of a kind."

"What do you mean?"

"Huh? Didn't she told you?"

Ethan went silent, and silence means yes.

"Oh well, I offered her millions just to babysit you. Guess what? She didn't accept the offer saying it's too much for her!! I love her.."

Ethan's eyes went wide. His breathing hitched as he realized he misunderstood Athena completely.

He can't understand what he is feeling.

guilt? 

'I was... wrong?'

********

"Athenaaaaa!!!!!!!"

Althea rushed towards her as soon as she walked toward's the executive's floor.

"Are you okay?? What happened??!! We saw everything that happened earlier! Can you tell us the stories and how the hell did you gain the courage to slap chairman!!?? Please tell me everything. Everything. I need to know everything."

Athena sighed, walking towards her desk and sitting on her swivel chair. She rested her arms on his table and tucked in. She cleared her mind and release the existing anger on her and sighed.

"That's just...misunderstanding."

Athena cannot even look at Althea. she tried to look away.

"Misunderstanding what? Misunderstanding who? I need the specific information! Tell me everything please."

Althea poked her nose on the topic.

"Is it about the business?"

"yes."

"Another proposal from you he dumped? What kind of business?"

Athena looked at her

"None of your business."

The loud office suddenly turned silent after a split second. The hallway went empty, Ethan walked without saying anything, a rather uneasy expression on his face was plastered.

"Good Afternoon. Chairman Mircovich"

They heard everyone from the office next to them greeted Sunghoon as he walked inside, Althea doesn't have any choice but to stop annoying Athena about what happened. They saw Ethan walking towards their position, glancing at them especially on Athena with a serious expression on his face.

Without even stopping on his track, Sunghoon spoke.

"Athena Saavedra. Inside my office. Now."

Athena stood up on her seats and took some files from her table then walked towards the door where Ethan went.

There, she saw Ethan on the veranda of the office, she walked slowly, trying to compose herself and sighed, knocking on the glass door of the veranda before coming in.

"The schedules for the whole week is now final chairman. I listed every proposal that will be present on tomorrow's meeting with the Production Department for the Skylark Museum, Library and shopping malls. The Marketing department is requesting for the extension for their deadline about the upcoming product-"

"Stop that."

Ethan cut her with two words. She closed her lips and sighed.

Ethan looked at her. She stood firmly, but not looking on his eyes.

"Look at me, Jiyoung."

He said, causing her to immediately look at his mesmerizing eyes.

"Do you need anything more Chairman?"

she tried to suppress any emotion and kept a straight face.

"I...."

he looked away, earning a sigh from Jiyoung.

"I..."

No matter how hard he try, he cannot find the word "sorry" on his vocabulary. It was well erased from his memory.

"Chairman, With all due respect, I still have so many works to do so if we are just wasting time here, please dismiss me."

She turned around and walked towards the glass door. before she can even step outside the veranda, Ethan held her wrist suddenly and turned her around.

"I'm sorry."

He blurted out, without even looking at her.

"you what?"

She said trying to make Ethan repeat his words. Ethan rolled his eyes exaggeratedly with a sigh escaping from his lips.

"I'm sorry. okay? I... misunderstood you... I know i offended you earlier. I apologize for that."

he said, unable to keep his straight face in front of her.

Athena can't help it but to smile.

They said he's cruel.

They said he's intimidating.

Where is that cruel and intimidating Ethan Mircovich again?

"Okay sir. apology accepted."

she nodded her head, looking at Ethan's hand that was holding her wrist. Ethan looked at it too, then immediately taking his hand away from her's

"Do you still have anything to say Mr. Mircovich?"

She asked him. Ethan turned around and admired the landscape of Seoul once again.

"I guess mom told you that thing right?"

"What is it?"

"You'll be living on my house starting today. She told you that right?"

Athena's eyes went wide, unable to process anything that he said just now, Her mouth went wide agape.

She and Ethan?

On a single house?

He has maids right?

"Just for so you know, There's no maids there. There are only maintenance employees and cleaners whenever I am away but they never stayed inside my house so it's basically only the two of us there."

he smirked mischievously as he turned around, Catching her bewildered face.

"There's no turning back now Assistant Saavedra. you are dismissed."

********