Ma'am gave me her car key for the commute. Since it was not a rush hour I reached my designation quite easily and fast.
This is the first time I have ever seen The Crimson building this close! I have always watched it from far away. Never thought that one day I would be going inside it! My heart was pounding fast and I am sure my excitement level was on the top!
As I approached the entrance, a uniformed valet materialized at my window, his smile warm and professional. He offered to take the car, his demeanor echoing the same impeccable service I was used to at Zior's luxury hotel clientele.
Stepping out of the car, I took a moment to breathe. The sheer scale of the Crimson headquarters hit me – it was even more impressive up close than I'd imagined. Taking a deep breath, I straightened my clothes and approached the grand entrance.
As I entered the huge building in front of me, I silently prayed that I would be okay... I went directly toward the front desk.
A woman with a welcoming smile greeted me at the front desk.
"Hello," I said with a warm smile.
"Good morning, and welcome to Crimson Corporations," the receptionist replied smoothly. "How may I assist you today?"
"I'm here to see Miss Rin," I explained. "Miss Ryo sent me."
Recognition flickered across the receptionist's face. "Ah, Miss Ryo. Please follow me, ma'am."
"Thank you"
I am so damn nervous...I never thought that our boss was a big shot here. Seeing how they are treating me so respectfully.
"Here we are, Vice President's Cabin," the receptionist announced, gesturing towards a door. "Enjoy your stay."
"Thank you",
With a deep breath, I knocked on the door. "Miss Rin? It's Cia. May I come in?"
"Come in," a voice called out.
"Good morning Miss Rin"
"Can you wait for a minute? I am almost done here", said Miss Rin
"Please take your time", I said taking the seat on the sofa.
Miss Rin, looking every bit the professional in a sharp business suit, was in the midst of a discussion with a group of subordinates. Their attentive expressions and focused postures spoke volumes about her authority.
I had never seen this side of Miss Rin. Gone was the easygoing demeanor she displayed at Zior. Here, Rin was a leader, radiating an aura of power and command.
The discussion soon concluded, "That's it. You guys can go back to your work", said Miss Rin to her subordinates.
"Thank you, ma'am", the subordinates bowed and filed out.
"No worries"
After they left the scene, Miss Rin rose from her seat, her demeanor softening as she approached me. The familiar warmth returned to her smile.
"Thanks for waiting, sweetie," Miss Rin said, sitting across from me.
"Not a problem, instead the pleasure was all mine to see you like this", I said
"Me?", asked Miss Rin
"Yes, you were already so cool but now it's like super cool, seeing you working like this", I replied, genuinely intrigued.
Miss Rin chuckled, "Hahaha…"Honey, you know how to flatter someone."
"Hehe…Just stating facts," I countered, handing over the bag, "Here, Boss has instructed me to deliver it to you."
Miss Rin's eyes lit up. "Oh ho! Finally! I've been waiting for this."
I couldn't help but smile, "You must love wine."
"Yes..it's one of my loves", Miss Rin said with a wink.
"Hahah…then I'll take my leave now"
"Aww….going so soon?", Miss Rin interjected, a hint of disappointment in her voice.
"Yes?"
"Spent some time with me..."
"But then.."
Miss Rin waved a dismissive hand. "Don't worry about that idiot,"
"If you say so.."
"Yeyyy…let's have some tea at the cafeteria"
I couldn't help but smile back. "Tea sounds lovely," I agreed.
Over steaming cups of tea in the Crimson Corporation cafeteria, I couldn't resist my curiosity.
"Miss Rin," I began hesitantly, "may I ask you something?"
"Of course, Cia," Miss Rin replied, taking a sip of her tea. "As long as it's something I can answer."
"Umm…how is the Crimson Corporation president?"
"Huh, what do you mean?"
"I mean…I just heard about her in the news and never saw her in real. And never heard anyone say that they know how she looks because she always wears a mask."
"Hahaha…"
"Is it funny?", I was so embarrassed to ask such a question and was also unsure of how Miss Rin would react. But thankfully it didn't seem that I offended her. (Phew)
"Oh, no, not at all," Miss Rin assured me, wiping a tear from her eye. "It's just...you took me by surprise. I never thought you'd be curious about the president." A playful glint entered her eyes. "Is our little Cia interested in the mysterious leader?"
My face flushed slightly because of her sudden playfulness, "P-please, don't tease me! I'm just…curious."
Miss Rin chuckled. "Well, let's see. Our president is… hmm, how to put it? A bit like Ryo, actually."
I raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
"Yes," Miss Rin continued. "Very competitive, strict on the job, and always knows what she wants. When I first started working for her, she already had a clear vision and knew exactly what needed to be done. And even with all that power, she's kind to everyone… except me, of course."
"Haha... is that so"
"Oh, you have no idea," Miss Rin groaned theatrically. "She never lets me off the hook. Sometimes I feel like she was born just to torment me. But then again," she added with a sigh, "she always helps me and has my back."
"Isn't that great?", I teased.
Miss Rin rolled her eyes. "Only if she wasn't satan in disguise."
"hahah..."
"And the next question is, how she looks?", Miss Rin continued
"Have you seen her?"
"Why, of course"
"Wow..I never thought that anyone would have seen her face", I was now much more intrigued to know about the president.
"Hahaha…It's true that she wears it when she is out but when she is in her office, or when it's just the two of us, the mask comes off", Miss Rin said with a wink.
"Nothing less than, Miss Rin"
"Hahaha..no no…well how she looks? She's beautiful, of course, and anyone would be smitten at first sight."
"Really? Did you fall for her too?"
"Yea…for her stupidity you can say"
"Hahah... what's that supposed to mean…"
"I am telling you the truth...", Miss Rin said while shrugging her shoulders.
After that, we just chit-chatted about the small stuff. Time flew by, filled with laughter and shared stories.
Finally, I got up from my chair, a touch reluctantly. "Well, I should head back. Thank you for the tea, Miss Rin, and the delightful conversation."
"The pleasure was all mine, dear," Miss Rin replied with a warm smile.
Back at the office, I reported to Ma'am with a triumphant grin.
"Ma'am, I am back. I handed the wine bottle to Miss Rin"
Ma'am leaned back in her chair, a satisfied smile playing on her lips. "I bet she had a big smile on her face"
"Yes, she was delighted..."
"Good work Cia"
The rest of the day went peacefully.
------
The next day, When I knocked on the Ma'am's cabin door, there were no answers. So I decided to enter.
"Huh, She is still not here? Is she still sleeping?"
Picking up my phone, I dialed Ma'am's number. It went straight to voicemail.
I frowned, "That's weird. No matter what, she would always pick up my call. Should I check the suite room?!"
But before I could turn back, there was a knock on the door and a familiar voice on the other end.
"Ryo, you're there?"
"Miss Rin?"
The door swung open and Miss Rin entered.
"Cia, good morning. Where's Ryo?", Miss Rin asked, her voice laced with a hint of concern.
"Good morning, Miss Rin," I replied. "Actually, I don't know where ma'am is. I've been trying to call her, but she's not picking up."
Miss Rin's brow furrowed. "What? That's unusual. She always answers my calls."
"Exactly! It's never happened before," I stressed. "I was just about to check her suite room."
"Not answering you and me, huh?" Miss Rin murmured to herself, a flicker of worry crossing her face. "Wait a minute... Cia, what date is it today?"
I tilted my head. "It's the fifth of June. Why?"
Miss Rin let out a sigh, a hint of understanding settling in her eyes. "Ah, that explains it then. Don't worry, Cia, she's fine. No need to keep calling. She'll be back by tomorrow...hopefully."
I couldn't help but be curious. "Do you know where she is, Miss Rin?"
Miss Rin hesitated for a beat, then offered a vague answer. "Yeah, well... there are no important meetings for her today, right?"
"No," I confirmed.
"Good," Miss Rin said, a hint of relief in her voice. "Then I'll take my leave. Have a good day, Cia."
"You too, Miss Rin," I said, watching her leave.
As the door closed behind Miss Rin, I couldn't shake off a strange feeling. Was it just my imagination, or did Miss Rin seem a little...sad?
Shaking off my confusion, I returned to my duties,