Killer's Killer

On Her Own

She was sitting alone in her room, lost in a maze of thoughts. As soon as her working hours ended, she returned home. She didn’t want to face him—she didn’t want to become dependent on him again. He hadn’t been there for her when she needed him the most, and now he was pretending as if nothing had happened five years ago. She refused to allow herself to forget everything and rely on him once more.

Five years had passed. Everything had changed. People can change within a week—how could she possibly remain that same sweet, innocent girl after five long years? She had learned to live her life without anyone’s support. He had neither believed her nor helped her, and now she was entirely on her own. A faint smile curved on the right side of her face as she recalled one of Taylor Swift’s unforgettable quotes:

“The scary news is: you are on your own. And the cool news is you are on your own.”

Yes, she was on her own—and she had learned to be independent. This was a new chapter of her life, and she didn’t want to keep dwelling on the past. Her focus was on her new job and on making her company one of the best in the country.

“But food comes first,” she said aloud, snapping herself out of her stream of thoughts. She stepped into her kitchen to make something to eat.

She found one of her favorite vegetables—potatoes. Deciding she wasn’t in the mood for healthy food, she chose to make potato noodles instead. While cooking, her thoughts wandered again, but this time toward the positive.

She began planning a strategy that could capture the attention of both companies. Suddenly, an idea struck her. Her eyes lit up, and a mysterious smile played on her lips. Passion and determination surged within her—she was eagerly looking forward to tomorrow.

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That night, she stayed awake, preparing for the meeting. It was her first project, and she was determined to make it a success. She wanted to prove that nothing was impossible. Through her work, she would show the world—and herself—that she could build her company into one of the best.

The next morning, she arrived at her cabin. She placed her bag neatly on the chair, set her laptop on the desk, and slipped her keys under it. A small smile tugged at her lips. She had always loved cars—ever since childhood.

After watching Fast and Furious as a young girl, she had developed a fascination with cars and technology. That fascination soon shifted toward computers. The movies had amazed her—the hacking techniques, the ability to control cars through laptops, scan fingerprints, crack open safes, even wield electronic weapons.

In many ways, those films had inspired her to choose her field. But as she now knew, practical life was very different from the movies.

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the loud burst of her office door swinging open.

“What happened?” she asked, already sensing a hunch.

But the words her secretary spoke next were not ones that would bring her any joy.

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As usual, she knocked at his door and, without waiting for approval, entered her boss's office. He was sitting on the sofa to the left side of the room, dressed in a black coat, clearly expecting her arrival. Even with his head lowered over his laptop, he already knew who was at the door. There was something in his eyes, though she couldn’t see it—his gaze was fixed downward, his attention on the screen.

She knocked again, this time while standing inside, trying to catch his attention. He finally looked up, his lips parting into a comforting smile. She didn’t return it, but he didn’t let his expression change.

“Just wait five minutes, I’m about to finish,” he said, pointing toward one of the chairs in front of his desk.

She walked over silently and sat down. Last night, she had resolved to draw a clear line: personal life would never interfere with work. Everything from now on would be strictly professional. While waiting, she busied herself with her phone. Exactly five minutes later, he closed his laptop, rose from the sofa, and moved to the chair behind his desk, facing her directly.

“I emailed him, and he rejected my offer,” he said plainly.

“What did you write in it?” she asked immediately. She had stayed up all night waiting for this answer, and disappointment weighed heavily on her.

“Nothing much,” he replied. “I just asked if I could present my ideas so we might collaborate on our next project. His secretary responded that her boss said he could do anything without me. That’s all.” He looked at her as he spoke.

“You stayed up all night, didn’t you? Your eyes are red and swollen,” he added, his tone softening with concern.

“How can you be so sure he told his secretary to reject your offer without even reading it?” she deflected, ignoring his worry and steering the conversation back to business.

The smile that had lingered on his face since she entered was gone now. Even a child could have sensed her coldness—how could he not?

“Because I know him,” he answered gently. “Those words were his, I’m certain of it.”

Her expression shifted into irritation. This was her first project. She had poured herself into it, sacrificing sleep, yet fate seemed determined to oppose her.

“Don’t you have his number? You told me you were friends once,” she pressed.

“Yeah, I still have it,” he admitted with frustration. “But I don’t want to contact him personally, nor do I think he’d want to talk to me. We’ve both moved past that.”

“So you don’t want him to work with us, right?” she asked, suspicion flickering across her face as she raised an eyebrow.

His expression softened again, and his voice carried its familiar calm. “I reached out only for your sake, but he rejected it. That’s not on me. Still, it’s true—I don’t want to involve him in my work again. And honestly, I know he has stronger ideas. He’ll never agree to our terms.”

“But I know I can persuade him to work with us,” she said, her voice brimming with confidence.

He already understood. This was her first project, and she had chosen the hardest possible path. He didn’t want to discourage her, but he couldn’t ignore the reality either. After a moment’s thought, his expression shifted.

“You can try. I won’t stop you. If you manage to persuade him within three days, I’ll agree to work with him. But if you fail, you’ll have to let this idea go. Do we have a deal?” He raised an eyebrow as he asked.

She considered his words carefully. Then her eyes lit with determination, and her lips curved into a mysterious smile.