One Night Stand With A CEO

Chapter 03

ARISA

The city lights blurred through the rain-streaked windows of my penthouse. Tokyo never truly slept, but tonight, the hum of traffic and the glow of distant neon signs felt muted — like the world outside was holding its breath, waiting for something to happen. I poured a glass of whiskey, though I wasn’t sure why. My father used to drink it when the weight of the company became too heavy to carry. Maybe I wanted to feel closer to him tonight. Maybe I just wanted the burn to distract me from the memory of Jaeon’s voice.

"Because I can."

The words had followed me all the way home, replaying in my mind like a broken record. He wasn’t wrong — Jaeon Kael could destroy Yukimura Group with nothing more than a signature and a smirk. But it wasn’t his power that unsettled me. It was the flicker in his eyes before he spoke, like there was something more beneath the surface. Something he wasn’t saying.

I hated that I wanted to know what it was.

My phone buzzed on the counter, cutting through the silence. I almost ignored it — until I saw the name on the screen.

Unknown Number.

I didn’t need to guess. I already knew who it was.

I stared at the screen for a beat too long before answering.

“Couldn’t wait until morning, Kael?” I said, voice sharper than I felt.

His laugh was low, amused. "Didn’t think you’d pick up. Guess you’re more curious about me than you let on."

I gripped the glass tighter. "What do you want, Jaeon?"

A pause. Then, his voice shifted — quieter, smoother, like he was trying to read between the lines of my breath.

“I want to know why you’re fighting so hard,” he said, and for once, it didn’t sound like a game. “Your company’s numbers are bleeding. Your board is scared. Any other CEO would have taken the offer by now. But you... you’re different. Why?”

I froze, caught between the truth and the armor I’d worn for years. My throat tightened.

“This company is my father’s legacy,” I said finally, voice steady. “I won’t let you dismantle it just because you’re bored, Jaeon.”

He didn’t answer right away. When he spoke again, his voice was softer. Almost too soft.

“Who said I’m bored?”

The line went dead.

I stared at the phone, heart pounding in my ears. For a moment, I forgot how to breathe.

The next morning, Kenji was already waiting for me in my office when I arrived. His expression was tense, and my stomach sank before he even opened his mouth.

“We have a problem,” he said, placing a folder on my desk.

I flipped it open and felt my chest tighten. Inside were leaked documents — confidential Yukimura Group reports showing financial weaknesses, project delays, and internal disputes. The kind of information that could ruin us if it reached the wrong hands.

It already had.

“The press got a hold of these an hour ago,” Kenji said, voice low. “They’re running the story now. The stock’s already down seven percent. If this keeps up…”

He didn’t finish the sentence. He didn’t need to.

I swallowed the rising panic and shut the folder with more force than necessary. “Who leaked it?”

Kenji hesitated.

“We’re still investigating. But… Arisa, I think it came from someone inside.”

My stomach twisted. A traitor. Someone close enough to have access to our most sensitive information — and sell it to the highest bidder.

I didn’t have to ask who that bidder was. I already knew.

Jaeon Kael.

I stood abruptly, my chair scraping against the floor. “Get me a meeting with him.”

Kenji blinked. “Arisa, that’s not a good idea—”

“I don’t care,” I cut him off, voice cold and sharp. “He wants a fight? He’s got one.”

I didn’t care what it took anymore. I didn’t care how far I had to go.

I was going to look Jaeon Kael in the eye and make him regret ever coming for me.

Kenji’s eyes narrowed, his usual calm replaced with the kind of frustration I rarely saw from him. But he didn’t argue further, simply nodding.

“I’ll arrange it,” he said quietly. “But I need you to be careful. This... this could escalate in ways we’re not prepared for.”

I didn’t reply immediately. I stood by the window, gazing out at the sprawling city, trying to gather my thoughts. The information in the folder weighed on me — every single piece of it felt like a betrayal. But there was something more pressing than that gnawing feeling in my chest.

I had to face Jaeon. Not just to fight him off. Not just for my company. But for me.

After a long pause, I turned to face Kenji. “Get the meeting set up. Now.”

The following day, I found myself sitting across from Jaeon Kael once again. Only this time, it wasn’t in the sterile confines of a boardroom. We were in an upscale Tokyo hotel suite, the city sprawling below us. His choice of location only added to the air of superiority he wore so effortlessly.

The door closed softly behind me as I walked in. Jaeon was standing by the large windows, his hands in his pockets, eyes staring out at the skyline as if he were waiting for something — or someone.

“Arisa,” he said, his voice low, almost welcoming, as if he had been expecting me all along.

I didn’t answer immediately. Instead, I surveyed the room, noting the subtle luxury of everything — from the polished wood floors to the modern artwork hanging on the walls.

"You’ve been busy," I said, my tone flat. "What, no dramatic speeches today?"

He turned, that ever-present smirk playing on his lips. "I don’t need speeches. You and I both know what’s at stake here. So let’s get down to business."

I took a seat, my gaze never leaving his. The tension in the room was palpable, as thick as the storm clouds gathering outside.

"You’re playing dirty, Jaeon," I said, leaning forward. "Leaking confidential information to the press — that’s not just business. That’s personal."

He raised an eyebrow, as if the idea amused him. "Personal? You think this is about you?" He chuckled softly, though there was no humor in it. "You’re a means to an end, Arisa. This is about power. About taking control of what’s mine."

My breath caught, the words hitting harder than I expected. "What’s yours?"

He took a step closer, his eyes never leaving mine. "Everything you have. And everything I want."

I stood up suddenly, the chair scraping against the floor. "You’ll never have Yukimura Group. You’ll never control it."

His smirk grew, and I could see the flicker of something dangerous in his eyes. "We’ll see about that."

The words were laced with challenge, but underneath them, there was something else — something I couldn’t quite place. Was it admiration? Respect? Or was it something darker?

Before I could respond, the door behind me opened, and Kenji stepped in, his expression tense.

"Arisa," he said urgently, his voice low. "There’s been another leak."

My heart sank. The meeting wasn’t even over, and already we were losing more ground.

I turned to Jaeon, whose eyes flickered with amusement as he leaned back in his chair. He had the look of a predator who knew he had the upper hand.

"Get him out of here," I snapped at Kenji, too frustrated to even look at Jaeon for a moment longer.

Kenji nodded and led the intruder out.

When I turned back, Jaeon was watching me intently, the smirk still present, but now tinged with something more elusive — something that made me question how much of this game I was truly in control of.

"We’re not done yet," I said, as firmly as I could manage.

His eyes darkened slightly, his lips parting just enough to reveal a sharp smile. "Oh, we’re far from done, Arisa."

I clenched my fists at my sides. "I won’t let you win."

Jaeon stood, walking slowly toward me. The air between us thickened with the weight of his presence, and for a moment, I forgot everything but him.

"You’re going to have to try harder than that," he said softly, voice a low growl.

He reached out, brushing a finger lightly against my cheek.

It was the smallest touch, yet it felt like an explosion in my chest.

I jerked back instinctively, shaking my head to clear the fog his proximity had caused.

"Stay away from me," I warned him, the words more brittle than I meant.

Jaeon didn’t back away. His eyes darkened with something unreadable, and for the first time, I saw the cracks in his composed exterior. "I don’t play by the rules, Arisa."

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. "Neither do I."

We stood there for a beat, the unspoken challenge hanging heavy in the air between us. Then, without another word, I turned and walked out of the suite, my mind racing faster than my heart ever could keep up with.

One thing was clear: the battle for Yukimura Group wasn’t just about business anymore. It was about survival.

And I wasn’t ready to lose.

As I stepped into the elevator, my chest tight with emotion I couldn’t quite name, I forced myself to breathe deeply. Each floor passed by too quickly, as if the weight of what just happened had made time accelerate, and I needed more time to process the collision of thoughts and feelings swirling in my head. Jaeon’s touch — no matter how casual — still burned like an imprint on my skin, and the echo of his low voice clung to my thoughts.

I needed to clear my head.

The elevator doors slid open, and I stepped out into the parking garage, the noise from the city outside muffled by the concrete walls. The quiet was almost eerie, a stark contrast to the storm of tension that had clouded the hotel suite. I made my way to my car, barely noticing the soft click of my heels on the polished floor.

The moment I reached the driver’s side door, I felt my phone buzz in my purse. I didn’t even need to check the name; I already knew who it was. My heart dropped, and I stopped for a moment, gathering the strength to answer.

"Arisa."

It was Kenji. His voice was tight, urgency in his tone.

“What happened?” I asked, my pulse quickening.

“I’ve got more news,” he said, barely able to conceal the edge in his voice. "The leaks weren’t the only problem. We’ve got someone moving inside the company, working against you, actively trying to undermine everything you’ve built."

I froze for a second, my mind racing. "How do you know this?"

“We caught a mole in the marketing department,” Kenji continued. "They’ve been feeding information directly to Jaeon’s team. We also found traces of communication between him and one of your executives."

I felt my blood run cold, the world suddenly feeling much smaller, more suffocating. A traitor, someone close to me, someone I had trusted.

“Who?” I barely managed to whisper, a chill creeping over me.

Kenji paused before responding, the tension crackling between us. “Kaito. The head of your PR team.”

A gasp escaped my lips before I could stop it. Kaito had been my right hand for years, a steady, loyal figure in my life since my father’s passing. I’d trusted him like a brother. To think he had betrayed me — that he had been working with Jaeon all this time — made everything feel like it was slipping through my fingers.

“Get him out of the company now,” I said, my voice dangerously calm, the cold fury coiling in my chest. “And make sure no one knows about this. We can’t afford another leak.”

“I’ll handle it,” Kenji responded, but I could hear the strain in his voice. "But, Arisa... I think we need to rethink the way we’re handling this. Jaeon’s not just playing a business game. This is personal for him, too. And with Kaito... this might be bigger than we think."

The weight of his words hung heavily in the air. Jaeon wasn’t just interested in my company; he was taking this fight to places I couldn’t have imagined. He wasn’t here to win; he was here to break me.

“I know,” I said, barely above a whisper. "I’m not backing down."

I ended the call and stood there, staring at the sleek black car that awaited me. The familiar sense of control was slipping away, but I couldn’t afford to let it show. Jaeon Kael had crossed a line. Now, it was my turn.

By the time I arrived at my office the next morning, the entire team was already in a frenzy. News of the leaks had spread like wildfire, and every corner of the building was buzzing with whispers. The walls felt like they were closing in, the weight of uncertainty pressing down on me. Kaito’s betrayal had gutted me, but I couldn’t afford to show weakness now.

“Arisa,” Kenji said when I walked into my office. His expression was grim as he handed me a fresh stack of reports, but his eyes were filled with concern. “The media’s got a hold of the story about Kaito now. They’re trying to spin it as a personal vendetta against you, and they’re trying to tie it to your father’s health issues. It’s not just about Jaeon anymore. They’re going after your family’s name.”

I clenched my fists, fighting the fury threatening to spill out. “Get me a meeting with Kaito.”

Kenji looked hesitant but nodded. “I’ll set it up, but you have to be careful. He might be dangerous now that we know where his loyalties lie.”

“I know what I’m doing,” I snapped, but I knew he was right. I had no idea what kind of man Kaito had become. The man who had once been my trusted ally had now become an enemy, and I had to face him, not as a friend, but as a threat.

When Kaito arrived, it was clear he wasn’t the man I once knew. The confident smile was gone, replaced by a coldness that mirrored Jaeon’s. He stepped into my office with a guarded expression, his eyes flickering with something I couldn’t place.

“Arisa,” he said, his voice careful. “I know this looks bad—”

“Bad?” I interrupted, my voice icy. “You’ve been working with Jaeon. You’ve been selling out the company, my father’s legacy, for what? Money? Power? Or just to destroy me?”

Kaito shifted, his jaw tight. “It’s not like that, Arisa. You have to understand—”

“No,” I cut him off again, standing and walking toward him. “I trusted you. We trusted you. And you chose to betray everything we built for your own selfish ambitions.” I paused, staring him down. “I don’t want to hear your excuses, Kaito. You’re done.”

His eyes flickered with a trace of guilt, but he didn’t back down. “I’m sorry it came to this, Arisa. But there’s more you don’t understand.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “This isn’t just about Jaeon. There are people much higher up than him. People who will tear us both apart if we don’t play along.”

I stared at him, my heart racing. For the first time, doubt crept in — but only for a moment. I couldn’t afford to second-guess myself now. There was too much at stake. Too much on the line.

With a sharp breath, I took a step back. “Get out of my office. And don’t come back.”

Kaito’s face twisted, but he didn’t argue. As he walked out, I couldn’t shake the feeling that he had just revealed something much darker.

And the fight for Yukimura Group was about to get even more dangerous.