Blood & Vows

CHAPTER 2 – What Boss Doesn’t Know

The sun was already high above the city when Yue returned to the office as though nothing bloody had happened the night before.

The towering headquarters of the Monton Corporation stood proudly at the center of the business district, its glass walls reflecting the morning light like polished mirrors. Employees moved busily across the lobby, dressed in expensive suits and perfectly ironed uniforms, each one careful with their steps whenever they entered the building owned by the infamous Caleb Monton.

Fear lived inside those walls.

Even if the company appeared legitimate on the surface, everyone knew better than to believe the image completely. Rumors about Caleb Monton spread endlessly throughout the city—stories of disappearances, executions, underground dealings, and ruthless punishments that no one dared confirm aloud.

And yet somehow, Yue walked through the lobby carrying coffee and documents as if she were entering an ordinary office job.

She wore a pastel pink blouse paired with a fitted black skirt, her long hair neatly tied behind her back. A clipboard rested against her arm while a tray holding freshly brewed coffee balanced perfectly in her other hand. Her expression remained bright and relaxed, earning awkward greetings from employees she passed by.

“Good morning, Miss Yue!”

“Morning!”

“Did you bake again today?”

Yue laughed softly. “Maybe later if everyone behaves.”

Several workers smiled nervously at her before immediately returning to their tasks. It was always strange seeing someone like Yue inside the Monton building. She was too soft. Too cheerful. Too alive. Like a small ray of sunlight trapped inside a den full of wolves.

The elevator doors opened with a quiet ding, and Yue stepped inside calmly. The moment the doors closed, however, the smile on her lips faded slightly.

Her shoulders relaxed. Her eyes darkened for only a brief second. Last night’s events replayed quietly in her mind. The warehouse. The blood. The sound of cracking bones. The terrified look in the informant’s eyes moments before death.

Yue exhaled softly.

Then, just as quickly, the cheerful expression returned to her face before the elevator reached the top floor. The doors opened. And once again, she became Caleb Monton’s harmless assistant.

“Boss, you have a meeting with the elders later,” Yue said casually as she entered the office without knocking. “Also, the new shipment fro—”

Her words stopped abruptly. Caleb Monton was staring directly at her. The atmosphere inside the office immediately felt colder.

Caleb sat behind his desk dressed in an immaculate black suit, one hand holding a pen while several open documents lay scattered before him. The city skyline stretched behind him through the massive windows, yet somehow the darkness surrounding him remained heavier than the storm clouds outside.

His sharp gray eyes narrowed slightly. Watching her. Studying her.

“Where were you?” he asked quietly.

The low tone of his voice made Yue’s stomach tighten almost instantly.

Shit.

Something was wrong. Her instincts screamed at her immediately.

“Huh?” Yue blinked innocently. “I just came from downstairs, Boss.”

Caleb remained silent. The pressure in the room intensified.

Yue forced herself to smile naturally. “I grabbed breakfast outside before coming here.”

Slowly, Caleb placed the pen down onto his desk. The soft clicking sound echoed louder than it should have. Then he stood. Every movement was calm. Controlled. Dangerous.

Yue resisted the urge to step backward as Caleb walked toward her. His footsteps were slow against the polished floor, yet each one felt suffocatingly heavy. When he finally stopped in front of her, he said nothing at all. He simply looked at her. Carefully. Thoroughly. Like a predator observing prey.

Yue swallowed hard.

Damn it.

He noticed something. Caleb lifted one hand toward her shoulder, his fingers brushing lightly against a strand of her hair. Then he pulled away slowly. A dark reddish stain marked the tip of his finger. Blood. Dried. Tiny enough for most people not to notice. But Caleb noticed everything.

“Breakfast, huh?” he said coldly.

For the first time that morning, Yue fell silent. The room became painfully quiet. For several long seconds, neither of them moved. Caleb’s expression remained unreadable, his sharp gaze fixed entirely on her face, while Yue maintained the strained smile threatening to crack at any second. Her mind raced rapidly.

Did he know? No. Impossible.

She had cleaned everything carefully before leaving the warehouse. Changed clothes. Washed the blood from her skin. Covered every trace. But somehow… Something still slipped through.

Yue suddenly laughed softly, waving her hand dismissively. “Oh, this?” she said lightly. “It’s probably ketchup. The hotdog exploded earlier while I was eating breakfast.”

Silence. Caleb did not react. If anything, his gaze only became sharper. It felt as though he could see straight through her.

Yue continued smiling despite the growing tension clawing beneath her skin. Inside, however, her thoughts had already become dangerous.

If he discovers me now…

No. She couldn’t allow that. Not yet. Not when things were only beginning to move.

Finally, after what felt like forever, Caleb looked away from her shoulder. Then he turned and walked back toward his desk.

“Next time,” he said coldly, “learn how to eat properly.”

Yue nearly sagged in relief.

“That’s so mean, Boss,” she complained playfully, placing the coffee down onto his desk. “You’re bullying me first thing in the morning.”

Caleb ignored her completely and resumed reading the documents in front of him. But Yue still felt uneasy. Because even though he appeared to return to work normally, she could still feel his attention lingering on her.

Watching.

Thinking.

Suspicious.

Yue quietly moved around the office organizing papers while forcing herself to act naturally. Every step felt heavier beneath Caleb’s silent presence. She hated this feeling. Among all the dangerous people in the city, Caleb was the only one she found difficult to deceive completely. Because unlike others, he did not trust easily. And once suspicion entered his mind, it never disappeared quietly.

“You’re distracted today.”

Yue nearly flinched at Caleb’s sudden voice.

“Hm?” She looked up quickly.

Caleb signed another document before speaking again without looking at her. “Did something happen?”

The question sounded casual. But Yue knew better. Everything Caleb asked carried meaning.

“Nothing happened,” she answered smoothly.

“Really?”

“Mhm.” She smiled brightly. “Maybe I’m just sleepy.”

Caleb finally looked at her again. His expression remained calm, but Yue noticed the subtle narrowing of his eyes. He still didn’t believe her. The realization made her pulse quicken slightly. Dangerous. This was becoming dangerous.

Yue quickly turned away before he could study her expression further. “Ah! Right, Boss!” she said energetically. “The elders requested the financial reports for the southern branch. I already prepared everything for your meeting later.”

She handed him the folder immediately, skillfully changing the subject. Caleb accepted it silently.But before Yue could step away completely—

“Yue.”

Her body paused.

“Yes?”

“Come here.”

Her heartbeat quickened once more. Slowly, she walked closer to his desk again.

Caleb leaned back slightly in his chair, his gaze never leaving her face. “Look at me.”

Yue forced herself to obey casually. For several seconds, Caleb simply stared at her in silence. Then suddenly—

“You didn’t sleep last night.”

It wasn’t a question.

Yue blinked. “Eh?”

“There are dark circles under your eyes.”

She laughed awkwardly. “You noticed that?”

“You’re usually more energetic.”

“Well…” Yue rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. “I watched movies until late at night.”

Caleb continued staring at her.

Lie.

The word practically echoed between them. But once again, Caleb said nothing. Instead, he simply closed the folder in his hands and spoke calmly.

“You should rest more.”

Yue froze slightly. That response was unexpected. For a brief moment, genuine surprise flickered across her face before she quickly smiled again.

“Aww, Boss,” she teased lightly, placing a hand dramatically over her chest. “Are you worried about me?”

“No.”

“Liar.”

Caleb ignored her once more. Yet despite his cold attitude, Yue noticed something strange. He had stopped questioning her. At least outwardly. But somehow, that felt even worse. Because the quieter Caleb became, the more dangerous his thoughts usually were.

Hours later, while Yue organized files near the shelves, Caleb finally looked up from his paperwork again. His eyes landed briefly on the faint stain still hidden near the edge of her sleeve.

Blood.

Tiny.

Almost invisible.

His gaze darkened subtly.

Last night, the informant in District Nine had died before Caleb arrived. Killed professionally, quickly, without hesitation. And now, the cheerful assistant standing inside his office carried traces of blood she could not explain properly.

Coincidence? Maybe.

But Caleb Monton had never believed in coincidences.

Quietly, he leaned back in his chair while watching Yue laugh softly at something on her clipboard.

Sweet.

Harmless.

Careless.

That was how everyone saw her. But Caleb was beginning to wonder if the woman constantly smiling beside him was hiding claws sharp enough to tear someone apart. And for the first time in a very long while…

Caleb Monton found himself genuinely curious about someone.