Tempting The Heir

Lana hated the rain. Because rain always made Seoul feel colder than usual. That night, the twenty three year old girl stood at a bus stop, hugging her work bag tightly. The tips of her shoes were soaked from the puddles, while the screen of her phone showed a bank balance that instantly made her head ache again. Balance: ₩182,400 Lana let out a long sigh. That amount probably wouldn’t even last until the end of the week. Her tiny apartment rent still wasn’t paid. Her work laptop was starting to break down. And the agency she worked for was famous for being stingy with bonuses for new employees. “Perfect.” She muttered quietly while leaning her head against the bus stop pole. Her life was seriously miserable lately. Ever since graduating from university Lana had been working nonstop as a bookkeeper and manage the archives at Gotop media Entertainment. The salary was barely enough. The working hours were insane. And most of the seniors treated her like a free intern. But Lana endured it. Because she had no other choice. She was an orphan. No family. No one to rely on except herself. If she stopped working, nobody would save her. Her phone suddenly vibrated, cutting through her thoughts. “Director Han” appeared on the screen. Lana immediately straightened up. Director Han rarely contacted her directly. And it usually wasn’t a good sign. “Hello?” “Where are you?” “I just got off work.” “Come to the office right now.” Lana blinked in confusion. “Right now?” “Yes. I have a job for you.” The call ended immediately. Lana stared at her phone screen in disbelief. It was already almost nine at night. What kind of job now? Thirty minutes later, Lana stood in front of the main director’s office, her clothes still slightly wet from the rain. She took a deep breath before knocking. “Come in.” The room was far more luxurious compared to the regular staff area. Warm lights. Dark wooden interiors. The scent of expensive coffee filled the air. Director Han sat behind a large desk while reading something on his tablet. Beside him sat an older man in an expensive suit Lana had never seen before. The man’s eyes immediately scanned her from head to toe. And somehow, it made the back of her neck uncomfortable. “Sit.” Lana quickly bowed politely before sitting down carefully. Director Han looked at her for a few seconds before speaking. “You need money?” The question came too suddenly. Lana blinked slowly. “…Excuse me?” “I saw your work reports and employee records.” Director Han crossed his arms. “You work the most among the junior team. You almost never take leave. You live alone. No family.” Lana tightened her grip on her bag slightly. She hated hearing her life sound like some kind of pity report. “What is this really about, Director?” The older man beside him finally spoke. “We have a special job.” His tone was calm. But strange. “What kind of job?” Director Han placed the tablet on the desk. “We want you to get close to someone.” Lana immediately felt something was wrong. “Get close…?” “A man.” Silence. Lana looked at both of them, hoping this was some terrible joke. But their expressions were too serious. “I don’t understand.” The older man smiled faintly. “You know Kris Lee?” Of course she knew. Everyone knew Kris Lee. Top Korean actor. Luxury brand favorite. Famous playboy with endless scandals throughout his career. And a chaebol. The Lee family owned one of the biggest companies in Korea. He was too famous not to know. “What does that have to do with me?” Director Han leaned back casually. “We want you to make Kris Lee interested in you.” Lana felt like her world stopped for a second. “…What?” “His family wants him to leave the entertainment industry and take over the company as heir.” “And?” “And the only thing that can distract a man like Kris Lee… is a woman.” Lana stared at them in disbelief. This was insane. Completely insane. “You want me to seduce an actor?” “We want you to carry out a mission.” “A ridiculous mission!” Director Han chuckled softly. “You’re pretty.” Lana instantly felt uncomfortable. “And different from the women around Kris.” The older man added, “Kris is bored of glamorous women. Models. Actresses. Socialites. They all feel fake.” Their gazes fell back on Lana. “You look innocent.” For some reason, that sounded insulting. “I can’t do that.” Lana immediately stood up. “I came into this industry to work, not trap rich men.” Director Han didn’t look angry. If anything, he looked too calm. “Fifty million won.” Lana froze. “….” “As the starting payment.” Her heartbeat instantly sped up. Fifty million won? That was more money than she had earned in months. And Director Han still wasn’t done. “If you succeed, you’ll get even more.” The room suddenly felt silent. Lana hated herself for being tempted. Because that amount of money could change her life. It could pay all her debts. It could stop her from barely surviving every month. It could finally give her room to breathe. But still this was wrong. “Why me?” “Kris likes women who don’t try too hard to get his attention.” Director Han looked at her sharply. “And you look very inexperienced.” Lana instantly felt offended. “I’m not...” “You can’t even lie properly.” Okay. That was true. And annoying. The older man laughed quietly. “We’re not asking you to sleep with him.” That sentence only made Lana’s face burn hotter. “We just want you to get close to him. Make him comfortable. Make him think about a life outside entertainment.” “It still sounds manipulative.” “Everything in the entertainment industry is manipulative.” Lana fell silent. Because she knew that was true. Director Han opened his desk drawer and pushed a thin folder toward her. “Read it.” Hesitantly, Lana picked it up. Inside was Kris Lee’s profile. Photos. Articles. Scandals. Schedules. And one close-up photo of Kris made her pause for a few seconds. The man was ridiculously handsome. The kind of mature, expensive-looking handsome that also felt dangerous at the same time. Even in a photo, his eyes looked sharp. Like he could cause trouble just by standing still. “Tomorrow, you’ll join his photoshoot project.” Lana immediately looked up. “Tomorrow?!” “You’ll be introduced as the new assistant stylist.” “And what if I refuse?” Director Han smiled faintly. “You can refuse.” A tiny bit of hope appeared in Lana’s mind. Until he continued. “But opportunities like this don’t come twice.” Lana bit her lip softly. She hated the fact that she was actually considering this. Really hated it. But once again... the image of her empty bank account appeared in her head. And poor people rarely had many choices. A few minutes later, Lana walked out of the office slowly. Kris Lee’s profile folder was still in her hands. Outside, the rain still hadn’t stopped. Lana stood silently in front of the office building while looking at his photo one more time. Kris Lee. A man who looked dangerous even on paper. And starting tomorrow... she had to get close to him.