Don't Flatter Yourself

. . .

"Move."

"N-no! I'm not movin--"

"MOVE." Jin repeated—this time, in a dangerous tone. A very dangerous one.

The way he looked at Amelace made her tremble on her knees. His eyes during those seconds were the darkest she'd ever seen. His cold demeanor turned fiery hot as if she was looking at someone who could kill her right at that moment. She gripped the helms of her dress.

How many sides of him had she seen before? Only two.

The first impression she had of him, from his handsome face and fit physique, was how he seemed like a debonair. The moment she first laid her eyes on him, she felt deeply attracted. He looked like a lady's man. Seeing him sit in his office with all those stacks of work painted a different fantasy in her mind.

But when she approached him, all the playboy vibe disappeared. She realized he was someone aloof. And the quick change of personality made her wonder for days. After their first meeting, she couldn't shake the first image she had of him.

"There's no way I could be wrong," she said in the middle of a script reading session.

"Yes, Miss Ame?"

"No, it's nothing."

She recalled the look on his face inside her mind over and over again. Wondering what factors contributed to her first impression of him. Until she came to a conclusion.

"Ahh... no wonder he looked like playboy to me," she muttered to herself during a movie premiere, "He looked so fickle... so in love."

"Huh? Are you saying something, Miss Amelace?" her co-star asked.

She gave a sweet smile while shaking her head. "Oh, it's nothing."

That day, she was beaming with vibrance while signing movie posters for the fans. The cameras captured her toothpaste-commercial smile, but not the thought behind it. Inside her mind, there was a tickling fantasy that brought excitement all over her body.

She'd always been infatuated to only one kind of men—the aloof and 'hard-to-get' ones. Most guys are fickle, she told herself. They all bow down to her will. So in the long run, she developed an infatuation for hard-to-get men.

The longer they resist, the best trophy they become.

With the handsomest face she'd ever seen, and the cold aura he exuded, Hans Young was the perfect fit. To make things more fun for her... he was taken.

Competitions always ruled the entertainment industry—and like a workplace-acquired disease, her competitive spirit peaks when it comes to men... and their girlfriends.

Zhi Lin, as she'd hate to admit, was one heck of a gorgeous woman. Her beauty could easily rot in the shade of Zhi Lin's presence if they were both actresses. She hated her looks but on the 'brighter' side, she'd been looking for the perfect rival her entire life. She just never expected to meet her most-awaited nemesis in a different industry.

"If you can't beat them with beauty, that's when seduction comes into picture," was her second motto in life (her beauty used to suffice all the time before Zhi Lin came). As a matter of fact, if seduction was a college course, she'd be considered a doctor with PHD. There's never been a couple she'd failed to separate.

"He likes that Zhi Lin for real? Sounds like a competition to me," she smirked, "I'm sure he's someone I can handle. I'll take him away from that woman no matter what happens."

She wore her sunglasses before trotting out of the cinema. The sound her heels made as it clicked on the floor screamed confidence.

She WAS confident.

But now, looking into his eyes, her knees felt weak on their own. Even her joints were contemplating their chances. Her hands trembled just the same, and as if having a mind on their own, her fingers slowly let the knob go—until an inner voice made her grip tighter than before.

Damn the consequences… SHE WANTS HIM.

"I-I can get her out of that situation." She looked away—too afraid to meet his frightening gaze. Or else, she'd cower in fear. "I'm a famous actress. I can divert the attention she's getting to myself for a while."

As if her words were nothing of value to him, he started moving once again, causing her to panic.

"Wait! Alright! I'll clean her name altogether!"

That's when he stood still. Hint of intrigue visible in his eyes.

"How are you supposed to do that, Miss Johnson? Unless you have the original recording... that won't be possible."

"O-of course I don't have the original recording!" she stuttered, "I... I have another plan."

Her eyes glanced at Mr. Young before going back to the floor.

"I'll tell the media I was the one talking to her. That we were just reading a script. I'll even record myself as if we were in a conversation. Like we're close friends reading random lines together. We could say it was all an act but someone decided to leak it incompletely."

"And you expect people to believe that?"

"I spent my entire career trying to maintain a good reputation. Making people believe my words is an easy thing. I'm an actress after all."

"You mean a hypocrite?"

Her mouth went agape. Ruthless. This Hans Young was ruthless. Still, she was determined to tame him.

"F-fine. Call it what you want."

"And what if the original clip gets leaked?"

"I don't think people would believe that unknown source more than me."

Jin scoffed. "And what do you want in return?"

"Date me."

"Date you?"

She nodded.

"Ahahahahahahahaha." Jin's laughter echoed around the room.

Amelace stiffened. She'd never expected this reaction. In her entire life, this was the first time she'd heard someone laughing so mockingly—even her co-stars from the past never sounded this degrading.

She was pissed but before she could even react, Jin stopped laughing. His face turned serious. Dead serious.

"You must be out of your mind."

Amelace almost fell face first as Jin shoved her to the side. He held the knob and the door swung open.

"What the—" Secretary Min exclaimed in shock. She locked the door for sure, "How did he get ou—"

She watched in astonishment as CEO Young marched out with the doorknob in his hand. The floor clanged as he tossed it to the side.

"I know you like me!" Her gaze flew towards Miss Amelace who was red in anger. "There's no way you came here just to congratulate me!"

Jin continued walking unfazed. He smirked. "Who told you I came here to congratulate you?"

Walking towards him, Colton had his forehead creased.

"CEO Yang—"

"Do the usual."

"But..." He sighed. "Right away, Sir."

He watched CEO Yang fade into the distance before pulling a perfect impersonation.

"What about the, 'someone told me business is about emotional bonds. If we're ending one, we should end it properly?"

He shook his head before taking his phone out.

"Good Day. This is CF&H Holdings' Executive Assistant speaking. We would like to terminate the contract we have with Nippon Air. We'll be sending the termination fee to your account. If you consider filing for a lawsuit, then we'll see you in court. It was a pleasure working with you."

. . .