Once my dad found success in his career, he got full of himself and tried to set me up on a blind date with a guy six years older than me.

I refused.

Then I ran away from home.

My dad declared that he would freeze all my credit cards and that I would come crawling back within three days.

A week had passed since then.

I still hadn't returned, so my father lost the bet.

I had taken all my luxury bags and watches with me when I left.

To prove I could survive on my own, I even got a job at a publicly listed company, earning 3,000 dollars monthly.

After a week went by, my dad was the first to panic.

He added me as a friend again, using the nickname "Camellia".

After a day of not responding to him, I chose to offer him an escape.

When I checked his Facebook, I found that he had just been to Zurich.

Fine. His only daughter had been here, making 3,000 dollars a month, while he had been in Switzerland enjoying the blue sky, white clouds, and the Alps.

I had to set aside my pride and texted him, "Daddy, can you bring me along on your next business trip?"

No reply.

I bombarded him with crying kitten stickers.

"Your poor kitten has no money to eat."

Camellia replied with a question mark.

I sighed, assuming my father was still upset.

However, I refused to back down. "Transfer me 100K to show your capability, or I‘ll stop calling you Daddy."

The bags and watches I listed on the website were seen as overpriced by others, so barely anyone bought them.

Despite offering them significant offers, people still doubted the authenticity of the products I was offering.

The hotel I was staying at started charging me by the day. Daddy, you surely didn't intend for your daughter to end up homeless, did you?

Throughout the morning, Camellia didn't respond to my texts.

Once I had finished my lunch at noon, I sent him a message, "Daddy, you're so heartless. Can you really watch your poor kitten starve?"

Right before the end of the workday—bam—100K in my account.

I quickly responded, "Daddy! I love you most!"

I nearly leaped from my desk in excitement. Grabbed my bag and got ready to treat myself to a fancy steak dinner!

Just as I was about to leave, the team leader stopped me.

"Emily Harrington, everyone else is still working."

I glanced around and said, "All right, I'm heading out."

He shot me a disappointed look, and quietly murmured in my ear, "Mr. Kiettan is still at work. If you leave now, don‘t bother showing up tomorrow."

I spoke up loudly, "I earn 3,000 dollars a month. Do you seriously expect me to work extra hours?"

My voice echoed through the dead-silent office.

I craved steak—a premium steak!

Just then, with a "click", the CEO's office door swung open.

Chapter 2

Rumor had it that the CEO, Caleb Kiettan, had recently come back from Europe.

I looked up and accidentally locked eyes with him.

I wasn't overstating it—after socializing in different Los Angeles circles, I had never encountered someone so remarkably attractive.

He was dressed in a dark, extremely luxurious suit, and had a tall, slender build.

My eyes gradually traveled upward. He possessed a pronounced brow ridge and a straight, notable nose, exuding an intimidating presence similar to what one might encounter during a negotiation.

His wide shoulder blades and slim, narrow waist indicated that he was in great physical shape.

He was quite handsome, yet his stern expression gave the impression that he wasn't very approachable.

The team leader approached with a broad grin and welcomed him, saying, "Is there anything you need, Mr. Kiettan?"

Caleb looked at me, and I sensed that he was about to announce that all the employees would be working late.

As I was getting ready to face him directly, he cleared his throat.

Caleb slightly parted his thin mouth, glanced at me, and said, "It's time to leave work."

As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd erupted in cheers and began gathering their belongings.

Since I was already packed, I moved ahead swiftly.

Caleb trailed behind.

Nobody wanted to overtake us, preferring to hold back until the big boss had departed.

However, I was running late for my reservation at the upscale steakhouse.

I had just stepped into the elevator in my high heels.

Caleb followed right after me with a long stride.

I stepped aside, offering him a courteous smile.

"Ms. Harrington."

"Hmm?"

The CEO could recall the name of each and every employee?

For someone making only 3,000 dollars a month, this was quite a disaster!

"There's an AI chip launch event happening in Nice next Wednesday."

Why was he telling me this?

Who discusses work after hours? Sure, he was attractive, but that wasn't going to make him double my salary.

I just gave a soft "oh" in response.

"You'll come with me.

"Also, I'll arrange for the finance department to provide you with a monthly salary of 50,000 dollars."

Before I could react, Caleb had slipped out of the elevator, leaving me in a state of shock.

Was I really being promoted just for clocking out on time?

Who knew earning money could be so effortless!

I quickly messaged my dad, saying, "Hey, Dad, I'm heading to Nice. I'm thrilled!"

I sent a series of playful kitten emojis.

Camellia responded with a simple, "Hmm."

Chapter 3

Upon reaching the steakhouse, I snapped a photo.

"Daddy! The steak here is amazing. We should come and eat here together next time!"

In the picture, I was poking a piece of steak with a fork and giving a wink to the camera.

Camellia took a while before responding, "When is 'next time'?"

I pondered.

Lately, I hadn't felt like seeing my dad. Whenever we met, he would begin setting up all sorts of blind dates for me.

This time, it was a man who was six years my senior, and I figured that next, it would likely be one of those famous womanizers in Los Angeles.

That's simply how things had worked in our social circle.

I told him, "The next time is simply the next time, Daddy."

I added an emoji of an annoyed kitten.

Camellia replied with a "?"

It appeared he was somewhat upset.

I attempted to appease him once more by saying, "Daddy, please don't be upset! Getting angry can make you age faster, and you won't look as good when you're older."

Camellia asked, "Do you think I'm old?"

Why was my dad so chatty today? Typically, he'd wrap up our conversations with just a few words.

It appeared that this time, my decision to run away had truly wounded him—a solitary old man.

I praised him, saying, "Daddy, you're the most handsome and accomplished man. Your career success and good looks are remarkable, especially at your age. It's something most people can't achieve!

"Could you send some more money to your beloved little one?"

Camellia responded, "I've transferred 200 thousand dollars."

What was that saying again? No matter who you were talking to, even grown men, you needed some understanding of child psychology.

Particularly when it came to my unpredictable dad.

Right after I completed my meal, I received a notification from the HR department informing me that I had been promoted to the CEO's assistant.

I had a monthly salary of 50,000 dollars and even had my own independent office!

Dad, I wasn't going back.

It dawned on me that once I stepped out of my family's safety net, things weren't as difficult as I had imagined. It wasn't like facing a metaphorical storm, after all.

If I continue working this hard, I might actually have the chance to take over our family's business.

I've been contemplating this for the past two days. It's strange that I've never noticed Caleb in our social circle before.

I asked others, and they didn't know any gossip or stories about him either.

Given that he owns such a prominent company, you would think he wouldn't be so hung up on avoiding scandals, right?

Hold on a second. He had promoted me and increased my salary. Was it possible that he had developed an interest in me?

I placed my hand on my small face while looking in the hotel mirror. If that were the situation, it would be only natural.

If my blind date was that kind of man, who wouldn't want to stay?

I was already fantasizing about him, but as soon as I checked the messages in the workgroup, my excitement vanished.

Normally, I avoided looking at group messages once I finished work, but someone in the chat group was spreading rumors about why Caleb had come back to the country.

I clicked to see what was going on. Wonderful, just wonderful. This remarkable man was set to marry his fiancée right after coming back to the country.

This office fling that never truly began left me feeling quite let down!

Chapter 4

It was irrelevant. I was set on working at this company until it went under.

I woke up at the crack of dawn and put on a stunning makeup look.

Once I got to the company, the HR staff guided me to my private office.

It was situated right beside the CEO's office.

The door to the CEO's office was ajar, making me wonder if anyone was inside.

Feeling incredibly drowsy, I let out a yawn and noticed someone with a coffee.

I couldn't see the person's face well and nonchalantly said, "Could you make me one as well? I'm so sleepy."

The moment the words left my mouth, I regretted them. This wasn't my place, and I was behaving like a spoiled young lady!

The HR person seemed surprised as well, awkwardly responding, "Good morning, Mr. Kiettan."

It was only then that I glanced up and noticed Caleb's stern expression.

The HR representative greeted him and then quickly departed.

Caleb gave me a questioning look.

He offered, "I just made this. Would you like to try it?"

I couldn't tell if it was just my imagination, but Caleb appeared less intimidating than he had before.

Lost in thought, I didn't notice when Caleb passed me the coffee he was holding before returning to his office.

I sat at my desk, staring at the coffee absentmindedly, and took a sip.

It was tastier than the ones my household staff brewed at home.

I snapped a picture and sent a message, "Daddy, this coffee is really delicious."

Camellia mimicked me by sending a dancing kitten emoji.

He was just an old man attempting to blend in with the younger crowd.

My relationship with my dad has gotten much better now. I've planned to visit home next week after returning from Nice.

The breakfast at the five-star hotel was surprisingly terrible.

Lately, Caleb had been behaving oddly. He drove me to and from work daily, almost like he was my personal assistant.

I was tempted to ask if he had romantic feelings for me, but I could never be involved as the "other woman" in a relationship.

Caleb was swamped with work, so I took charge of planning the trip to Nice.

When he noticed that the two seats were quite separated, his expression darkened slightly.

I said confidently, "Mr. Kiettan, the thing is, I snore while sleeping."

Caleb pressed his mouth together.

And leaned in to whisper, "Do you refer to me as Mr. Kiettan in private too?"

The space between us felt a little too close, so I shifted to the side.

What kind of question was that, anyway?

Did he somehow know I had secretly nicknamed him "Dreamy Kiettan"?

The plane touched down in the early morning, and I was groggy from jet lag. I simply trailed behind Caleb, got into the car, and headed to the hotel.

When I woke up the following day, it was already afternoon.

I noticed an email from Caleb regarding work. He mentioned that he had gone to a meeting and asked me to manage the remainder of my schedule independently.

I rubbed my hands together.

My dear friend, Eric Everett, who is gay, found out a few days ago that I was heading to Nice.

He suggested a few interesting bars for me to check out

and insisted that once I arrived, he would introduce me to some of the charming models.

I put on a sultry makeup look and slipped into a tiny camisole before heading out to the bar.

The moment Eric spotted me, he rose from his seat next to a striking male model and hurried over to say hello.

We had been classmates in high school. Since he was quite a party enthusiast back then, his father had promptly sent him off to France.

Eric's father believed that being in a new country where he was unfamiliar with many people would make him more reserved. Contrary to expectations, however, Eric ended up having an even more adventurous time.

The five male models Eric had selected were all robust and exuded a raw allure. Their shirts hung loosely, revealing their body as they poured me a drink.

Three of the models were gathered around Eric, while the other two sat beside me.

I was engulfed in their continuous compliments of "Exquisite Beauty".

Just as I was about to lean in for a kiss, drunk and dizzy, a sharp pain shot through my wrist as if I'd been bitten by a venomous snake.

I blinked and tried to focus my eyes, noticing someone even more attractive than the male models standing before me.

His gaze was deep and piercing behind a pair of gold-rimmed glasses. One hand gripped me firmly as he surveyed the scene with an authoritative air.

With a slight frown, I whispered to Eric, "This guy is definitely my type, but his grip is incredibly firm."

Eric gave me a wary look and gestured subtly, suggesting, "He might be your boss."

Before I could grasp the meaning of what Eric said, the "venomous snake" pulled me away.

I was thrown into the car, and he continued to hold onto me.

I fought to escape, but I couldn't break free.

I chose to behave like a brat and whispered teasingly into his ear, "Hey, handsome, let me go."

The fury in his eyes was still evident. He let go of my hand and instead seized my waist.

I noticed the vein on his forehead pulsing intensely.

"You enjoy having fun, don't you?

"Daddy will join in the game."