Ceo's Secret Romance

"Stalker in the Shadows: Seol-ah's Mysterious Protector"

"Umm... I mean, it's nothing," said Manager Kim, clearly embarrassed. "Let's get to work."

"Huh? Yes," I replied, still a bit confused by his sudden shift in tone.

Both Manager Kim and Seol-ah were awkward that day. Later in the evening, I couldn't help but feel the tension between us.

"Gosh, I am so tired," I muttered, trying to shake off the unease.

"Seol-ah, you must have been exhausted from yesterday," said Min-ji, concerned.

"Yeah, maybe," I said, feeling the fatigue in my bones.

"Then I'll get going now," I said, wanting to head home and rest.

"Ok, see ya," said Min-ji, waving as she left.

I was on my way home, walking down the street while listening to music. Suddenly, I felt a gaze upon me. When I turned around, I saw nothing. I thought it was just my imagination because I was so tired. When I got home, I was greeted by the sound of my parents fighting.

"I've had enough! I can't take responsibility for you two, mother and daughter. I'm going to give you a divorce," my dad shouted.

"Okay, fine! Seol-ah and I can manage by ourselves," my mom retorted.

I was shocked. They were actually deciding to get a divorce. I was so heartbroken that I couldn't stop my tears. I went to my room, locked myself in, and tried to calm down. To distract myself, I started reading some comics. Suddenly, I heard a knock on my door.

"Seol-ah, are you already home, honey? Have you eaten anything?" my mom asked.

"Yeah, Mom, I have," I replied, trying to sound normal.

"Seol-ah, I'm so sorry for all this happening," she said, her voice filled with guilt.

"Mom, you don't need to be sorry. It's not your fault," I reassured her.

"Seol-ah, can I enter your room?" she asked gently.

"Sure, Mom," I said, sitting up on my bed.

"Honey, I'm going to divorce your dad," she said as she entered.

"Yeah, I know. I heard you two arguing," I admitted, trying to stay calm.

"Don't worry, honey. Your mom is always here for you. By the way, Seol-ah, I haven't heard you mention Hyun lately," she said, trying to change the subject.

"He broke up with me a few days ago," I said, my voice breaking a little.

"What? How could he break up with you after all you did for him?" she exclaimed, anger flashing in her eyes.

"It's fine, Mom. Thank God I am saved from that jerk. He didn't deserve me anyway," I said, trying to sound brave.

"Seol-ah, you are so strong, my daughter. I hope you can find a man who is head over heels for you," she said, hugging me tightly.

"Sure, Mom. Maybe when I become a 10 out of 10," I joked, trying to lighten the mood.

"You already are a 10 out of 10," she insisted, smiling.

"Yeah, yeah, Mom. I'm getting sleepy. Let me sleep now," I said, feeling exhaustion wash over me.

"Okay, honey. Sleep well. Goodnight," she said, kissing my forehead.

My mom left, and my thoughts started roaming in my head again. Suddenly, a notification popped up on my phone. It was an image sent by an unknown number. I downloaded the image, and when I saw the picture, my heart stopped for a moment

my heart sank into my stomach. It was a picture of me, taken just now. Terrified, I looked around to check outside the window and doors, but I found no one. I texted the mysterious sender, "Who are you? Why did you take my picture? Is this some kind of prank or joke??" Despite my growing anxiety, I received no reply. I blocked the number, hoping to forget the whole ordeal, but I couldn't shake off the feeling that someone was stalking me. But why would anyone stalk me? Ahh, I was so tense. I decided to wait for an opportunity to catch this person.

The next day, my head was burning with fever, but I couldn't rest because of work. It felt safer to be at my workplace than alone in my house, so I left for work.

At the workplace, Manager Kim noticed my condition immediately. "Seol-ah, are you alright? Your cheeks and head seem red. Do you have a fever?"

"Yeah, but it's not too bad. I can handle it," I said, trying to sound convincing.

"Are you sure? You can rest and take a leave if you want," Manager Kim suggested.

"No, I'm really fine. I don't want to take a leave," I insisted.

"Okay, if you insist," Manager Kim said, though he still looked concerned.

My colleague Min-ji approached me, bubbling with excitement. "Seol-ah, tomorrow a special guest is arriving at our hotel. He's the CEO's son. Everyone says he's strict and cold but also adorably hot and handsome."

"Oh, I guess so," I replied, not really in the mood to care.

"You know you can't make any mistakes in front of the CEO's son," Min-ji continued.

"Yeah, okay, I won't. So, what's the CEO's son's name?"

"His name is Ji-hoon park He lives in the Philippines and doesn't usually visit Korea. Tomorrow is our CEO's 70th birthday, so Min-jun is coming to celebrate with him and will stay in this hotel."

"Oh, I understand. I'll make sure everything is perfect tomorrow."

"Yeah, I hope so," Min-ji said, clearly nervous about the visit.

Later that evening, as I was about to leave, Manager Kim offered to drop me home because I wasn't feeling well. "Miss Seol-ah, I can drop you home."

"No, I'm fine. I can go by myself," I insisted.

"Okay, take care of yourself," Manager Kim said with a concerned look.

"Yeah, I will. See you tomorrow," I replied and left for home. I took the metro, feeling dizzy, and was walking home when a car suddenly appeared and slightly hit me.

"Miss, are you okay?" a deep voice asked, but I was too dizzy and tired to stand. I fell unconscious.

When I woke up, I found myself in a hospital bed. "What? Where am I?" I wondered aloud. A nurse approached me.

"Ma'am, you were brought in unconscious. You have injuries on your legs and hands and a high fever," the nurse explained.

"But who brought me here?" I asked, confused.

"A young man brought you here. He paid the bill already and left you this." She handed me a check. When I saw the amount, I was shocked. It was 500 million won. A note was attached to it saying, "Miss, it looks like it's dangerous for you to walk alone every night. Please make sure to buy a car for your convenience."

"What? Who the hell is he? What does he think of himself?" I screamed, feeling a mix of anger and confusion. I decided to find the owner of the check and return it, but I had no idea where to start. Feeling uncomfortable, I left the hospital and hurried home, collapsing into bed and forcing myself to sleep.

I woke up the next morning, still reeling from the events of the previous night. My body ached, and my mind was filled with questions about the mysterious benefactor who had not only saved me but also left an extravagant check.