Troublesome Love with My Wicked President

Part 1: The New President The sound of keyboard typing echoed continuously in the quiet night on the 21st floor of the high-rise office building in the heart of the city center. Maria, a senior accountant, was so engrossed in working on the company's budget summary report that she almost lost track of time. Despite checking the clock repeatedly, intending to shut down her computer and head home by 7:30 PM, she found herself working until nearly 10 PM. She had stretched her arms a bit before finally conceding defeat to the massive workload in front of her. "Ugh, I can't handle this anymore. I need a break," Maria said as she picked up her mobile phone, realizing she had accidentally muted it and missed several calls and unread messages from her boyfriend, Aaron. She had forgotten to turn on the sound, completely unaware of his attempts to reach her. Maria's face fell with distress. She sighed softly, not knowing how many times she had forgotten his important days due to work. She felt a pang of guilt settle in her chest. "Oh no, I completely forgot today is our anniversary," she thought. Many times, Aaron tried to get Maria to visit him at his condo and spend time together like most couples do, but Maria always found a way to avoid him. Her thoughts often wandered to the idea of spending time with him but feeling torn between her work and personal life. She couldn't quite explain why, knowing it was normal for couples, but she still felt unready. Maria slowly opened and read each message filled with Aaron's complaints. "Maria, did you forget what today is? It's our one-year anniversary." "Can you come over to see me, my dear?" "I can't wait for you any longer..." She read the messages thoughtfully, hesitating whether she should visit him on such a special day. But in the end, she decided to type a reply: "I haven't finished work yet. I'm really sorry." ..... There was only silence, with no response from him. She thought to herself that he must be sulking or upset with her again. Maria sighed wearily before deciding to pack up and shut down her computer. But before she could step out into the hallway... At the far end of the hallway... Maria stopped abruptly when she saw the light still on in the distance, right in front of the president's office. ~Did someone forget to turn off the lights?~ Maria wondered. She adjusted her glasses, trying to peer and see if anyone was still working late like her, just to be sure, before deciding to walk over to check. The flickering light intrigued her, but she dismissed it, thinking it was just an isolated case of forgetfulness. In the quiet of the office, Maria's footsteps echoed softly as she walked steadily to the end of the hallway. When she reached the end, she heard a faint rustling sound coming in the dark corner of the coffee-making area next to the lounge. ~Could it be a ghost?~ Maria grimaced, clutching her bag tightly, and slowly mustered the courage to follow the sound. As she walked closer, she found nothing but emptiness. ~Huh, there's no one here~ Realizing no one was there as she had imagined, Maria shook her head at her own overactive imagination before stepping back to leave. She couldn’t shake the unease lingering in the back of her mind. Thud! “Oof! Ahh!” Maria gasped and jumped in shock when, as soon as she turned around, her face collided with the firm chest of a young, tall man she didn't recognize, making her cry out in surprise. “What are you doing here? Why haven't you gone home?” A deep, gentle voice with an undertone of seriousness made Maria sigh in relief when she realized the man in front of her was none other than the company’s new boss. “Oh, I'm sorry, President Lucas. I thought someone had forgotten to turn off the lights in front of your office, so I came to check,” she explained. “It's the security's job to check things, not the job of an administrative accountant like you, isn't it?” he said in a flat tone, giving her a look that suggested she should step aside for him. “Aren't you leaving yet, sir?” Maria gave a dry smile, quickly stepping aside to let him pass. “Do I have to report that to you?” He glanced at her briefly, showing little interest. Maria couldn't help but pout at the new president's arrogance, who had taken over the business from his grandfather, who had retired. ~Especially since she had only asked nicely.~ He was ‘Lucas Kazzeri’, a 25-year-old half American-Italian mix. His father was a famous businessman from Italy, and his mother was American.  Being multilingual, he was fluent in Italian and American.  Since the company originally belonged to his grandfather, who was now very old, he had retired from the business and wanted his descendants to manage it. Lucas's parents had sent him from Italy to take over the company in his grandfather's place. Lucas was a young, dynamic businessman known for his sharp skills, especially in business strategy. His good looks were undeniable, standing at 190 centimeters tall. As someone who enjoyed exercising, his handsome and smart appearance was almost indistinguishable from that of a famous model. On the other hand, Maria, an unassuming girl, was only 168 centimeters tall and liked to wear thick glasses. Although she was actually considered good-looking, she didn't like to dress up. Claiming she was always busy with work, she spent most of her time with numbers and computers, rarely meeting people. Maria tended to let herself be ordinary, with her hair usually tied back simply, and wore loose, oversized clothes that hid her beautiful figure and complexion. Even though Maria was already engaged to Aaron, she knew deep down that he didn't really love her that much. Their engagement had been arranged mainly because their parents were friends. When Maria's parents had an accident, leaving their old assets to her, their only daughter, his family proposed the engagement to Maria. At least by marrying her, he could take control of Maria's family's old assets. Maria appeared naive and easy to deceive. If he married her, he could have affairs with other women without the worry of being monitored by a clever partner who would make him feel uneasy. Maria looked at the back of President Lucas, who had just walked back into the room. Deep down, she had to acknowledge his skill in reviving his grandfather's business, restoring it to its former glory in just half a year. Previously, the person who temporarily managed the business in his grandfather's stead lacked the necessary capability, causing it to almost fail several times. Ultimately, President Lucas's parents had to intervene multiple times to support the business. Nevertheless, in Maria's eyes, Lucas still had his flaws. Despite his perfect appearance, his overly serious and work-obsessed nature made him seem cold and distant. Maria turned around to leave her office and head to the elevator, but her gaze lingered back at her new president. ~He’s handsome, I’ll admit... but a bit too pretentious~ —————-