He Finally Did It

. . .

Zeirenne reached her unit. Before she could step inside, she glanced at the door parallel to hers. As if on cue, her phone vibrated inside her pockets.

"Tsk. Did he install cameras around here?"

She answered the phone and Jin's worried voice greeted her. "Where are you?" He asked.

"I'm surprised you don't know."

"What?"

"Nothing." She started pressing for her code. "Where are you?"

"I uhm... I'm in Korea for a business meeting."

"Korea?" Zeirenne raised her eyebrows before a smirk formed on her lips. "At last... he's finally doing it..." she whispered to herself before going back to the call.

"Oh, you are? That's news to me. Aren't you supposed to be the ever mysterious Hans Young who never attends meetings?"

"I-I just decided to attend this one, somehow."

"I'm impressed..."

"By the way," There was a pause on the other line. "I've seen the news. Do you... need my help?"

Zeirenne shook her head as if he was watching her, "No, it's alright. I got things covered. Just focus on your meeting."

"Okay. I still have a few minutes before the meeting. What are you doing?" He said. Obviously trying to keep the conversation.

Zeirenne turned the lights on inside her unit, hanged her coat, and headed to the kitchen. "About to grab a drink," she answered.

"You're at home?"

"Hm-mm." She nodded while drinking a glass of cold water to freshen up her senses.

"That's great—"

There was a clicking sound on Jin's side, followed by Colton's voice.

"Mister Yang, Miss Yukamura has arrived."

"I-I have to go now. Bye." Was the last thing she heard before the line went dead.

Zeirenne took her time in slowly sipping the cold water. This time, not for refreshment, but to extinguish the anger budding inside her.

"Miss Yukamura... the Young Miss of YM Corporation." Her grip went hard on the glass as she pressed it on countertop. "Interesting."

She was just about to step out of the kitchen to take a shower when her phone buzzed once again.

"Hello, Dorothy," she greeted her secretary upon answering, "It's past midnight and you're still awake? What happened?"

"Miss Lin..." Dorothy hesitated.

Zeirenne's forehead creased with fine lines. "Why? What's wrong? Are you alright?"

"..."

"Dorothy, what's wrong?"

"Miss Lin... I just received the memo. There will be a general stockholder's meeting tomorrow. The agenda's about... c-choosing a new CEO."

Zeirenne sighed before marching her way towards the bedroom.

"I thought something terrible happened to you. Tsk."

"But Miss Lin! This is terrible news!"

She inched the phone away from her ears. Dorothy's squeal almost broke her eardrums.

"Alright. Alright. Thank you for telling me. I'll handle everything tomorrow. Now sleep."

She ended the call, turned her phone off, and tossed it on the bed—along with her entire weight. The mattress felt so soft as she paraded her hands on the sheets.

"Everyone's so eager to have me replaced..." she sighed while staring at the ceiling, "Jin Yang... You jerk."

* * *

The next morning, inside ZA International's Headquarters, Dorothy was fidgeting on her table.

For hours, she'd been going back and forth. Worried about everything that was happening. On the other hand, Miss Jones, whom she'd now called casually by her first name, Gretta, was watching her from a corner.

"This is bad... this is bad..." she kept on muttering over and over again. For the last time, Gretta decided to make her stop.

"What is IT? What is BAD?"

Dorothy bit her lips before sitting beside Gretta. She held her hands and inched her face closer. Gretta had to pull her head away.

"Look... I know this might be hard to believe."

"What is?"

Gretta flinched as Dorothy gripped her hand tightly. "What is it?!" she exploded. You've been whispering to yourself for so long. I've been getting dizzy seeing you walk in circles. Tsk!"

"Listen. Huhu," Dorothy whimpered, "I-I just found out who's been trying to gain the favor of all our board members. It's the last person I'd ever nominate on that list."

"Who is it? I probably don't know that person. But go ahead and tell me so you can finally stop circling around."

"I-It's..."

"It's? You got this... take a deep breath."

Dorothy inhaled all the air she could stuff in her lungs.

"It's Assistant Wang."

"Hmm. I don't know who that is but-- What?!"

Dorothy nodded her head.

"No way?!"

Dorothy nodded her head once again with her lips zigzagged from stopping a sob. She watched Gretta's face twitch from the combination of surprise and frustration.

"That can't be true! Assistant Wang is an nice person! He's so handsome, and kind, and soft-hearted, and cute, and--! He'd never do that!"

"..."

Dorothy furrowed her brows for a few seconds. She was devastated at that moment, but a silly smile managed to replace her frown. "And? Is that everything?"

"And... he has the most adorable smile I've ever seen before," Gretta said while cupping her cheeks.

"..."

"..."

"Yieeeeeeeeeeee!" Dorothy squealed, "You like Assistant Wang??? Yieeeeeeeeeee!"

"Shhh! Shush it before someone hears you!"

She covered Dorothy's mouth before clearing her throat to speak. "As I was saying... I'm sure that's not true. There's no way such an angelic person like him would do that."

"Hays... I hope that really is the case."

As they contemplated on things in silence, the company intercom rang. Dorothy took the call. It was from the lobby, informing her of CEO Lin's arrival.

"Hurry!" she told Gretta before dragging both of them inside the elevator. Although it felt like eternity for Dorothy, the lift reached the lobby in a couple of minutes.

When the elevator doors opened, she saw Miss Lin walking from a distance, but before she could step out, her legs froze in place. She heard two ladies talking about her CEO.

"Bold of her to show her face here."

"You're right. I wanna puke."

Dorothy clenched her jaw. About to charge her way towards the two, Gretta grabbed her by the hand to stop her. She looked at Gretta with aversion.

"Let me go—"

"I got this."

Bewildered, she watched Gretta walking towards the two CF&H employees.

"This is her own company. Of course she'd be here."

The first employee froze in place, while the other one who had her back facing Gretta, rolled her eyes. "Hmp. Not for long. I heard an emergency meeting was called yesterday. She's bound to lose her position today."

She turned her body to face Gretta and her eyes widened in shock. "S-secretary Jones! I-I—"

"CF&H's not paying you to gossip around. Now scram."

The two ladies pulled each other while rushing out of the lobby.

Gretta turned her head to face Dorothy once again, but CEO Lin's amused face greeted her instead.

"Your CEO's on a BUSINESS MEETING abroad. What are you doing here, Miss Jones?"

. . .