Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"You're awake?" The man approached to bandage my wound, his face gentle and kind.

Facing such a strikingly handsome man, I felt a surge of fear and quickly recoiled.

Seeing my fear, the man smiled and released his hold, opening a bag of dried anchovies and munching on them. He even asked if I wanted some.

I shook my head. It was quite a contrast to see such a tall man, easily over six feet, enjoying tiny dried fish.

The television was broadcasting the news on CNN, and the man's image appeared on the screen as he was being interviewed by a reporter.

It turned out the man's name was Christopher. He was the overseas illegitimate son of the head of a top financial conglomerate and the sole heir.

He had returned from abroad this time to inherit the vast family business.

I couldn't believe I had encountered such a significant figure.

Christopher explained that he had found me outside a bar and brought me back.

Seeing that he meant no harm, I let my guard down.

Christopher asked what I wanted to eat and told me to help myself.

I opened the refrigerator and saw rows of different kinds of canned goods.

I had always been averse to processed foods, so I immediately closed the fridge.

Christopher, however, seemed to love them. He opened a can of chicken and ate it with great relish.

Chewing noisily, he smiled contentedly.

The room was filled with many music discs. He turned on the gramophone and inserted a disc.

Music started playing; it was Eric Clapton's "Wonderful Tonight":

"How did I fall for you? I keep asking myself..."

The music, combined with Christopher's smiling face, had a mesmerizing effect.

I gradually fell asleep to the sound of the music, and in my dreams, I saw Gabriela's eyes again.

When I woke up, Christopher was lying beside my pillow, his nose almost touching mine.

I was startled.

Christopher playfully tapped my nose and asked what my plans were for the future.

I told him that I had been kept by my boyfriend for the past three years and had no job.

Having been out of the workforce for so long, I didn't know what I could do if I went out.

Christopher said it was fine; he needed a secretary and if I was willing, I could help him with some tasks.

Thinking about my unpaid debts and my desire to find a proper job, I agreed.

Christopher was delighted and started changing into a suit and tie.

He told me to get ready as well, as we would be going to work together.

I glanced around the room, which Christopher never seemed to open the curtains in, and asked what time it was.

Christopher said it was seven in the evening; he usually worked night shifts.

His company was located on the thirteenth floor of the tallest building in the city, with extremely luxurious decor.

The employees were all attractive and slender, wearing perfume.

When they saw me, they all smiled warmly, and some even leaned in as if to catch my scent.

I wondered if I should wear some perfume next time to fit in with the company's trend.

Christopher set up my workspace and then sat at his desk to take a nap.

Seeing the boss so lazy, I felt relieved; the job would surely be easy.

I flipped through the company's business manual and discovered it was a high-end import food company, producing various processed canned goods from around the world.

Before long, a girl came in, knocked on Christopher's desk, and excitedly asked:

"Are you my brother, Christopher?"

Christopher groggily opened his eyes, nodded at the girl.

The girl, seeing Christopher's anime-like face, was overjoyed and bombarded him with questions.

It turned out the girl was Christopher's cousin. She had always heard from the family about a cousin overseas but had never met him in person.

Later, there were rumors that Christopher was rumored to have died in a car accident abroad.

But now, it seemed all those rumors were false.