Han Sheng smirked, crossing his arms. "Oh, heart attack, huh? You must be wondering how a man who supposedly had a heart attack made it here, right?"
I was mortified. My brain scrambled for a response. Oh my god, I'm done for. I quickly substituted my panic with an awkward laugh. "It's just... you know, I said it like that... Just... um... a slip of the tongue!"
Han Sheng slowly approached me, his expression sharp. "Heart attack, huh? So…. you want me to die?" he asked, his voice laced with mockery.
"N-no!" I stammered, stepping back. "It's just that I... I didn't know what reason to give, so I just said that... randomly! You know?" I babbled, waving my hands around in a weak attempt to explain.
Han Sheng's gaze didn't soften, he smirked, leaning slightly forward. "You've not only become more interesting, but it seems you've grown some nerve too," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
I crossed my arms, trying to keep my composure. "What are you even doing here? This company doesn't belong to you! How did you end up here?" I demanded, glaring at him.
Han Sheng chuckled softly, his confidence unshaken. "Ah, it's because of you," he said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "You wanted my attention so badly, didn't you? Well, congratulations. You got it. So, here I am."
I blinked in disbelief, my frustration boiling over. "Who wants your attention?!" I snapped.
Before Han Sheng could respond, his assistant, who had been standing quietly nearby, suddenly burst into laughter. He quickly slapped a hand over his mouth when Han Sheng shot him a deadly glare. The assistant's muffled chuckles were unmistakable, though.
"Do you find this funny?" he asked, his tone dangerously low. The assistant shook his head furiously, his hand still pressed against his mouth. The tension was intense, but I couldn't help but smirk a little at the sight.
I looked Han Sheng straight in the eyes and said, "Mr. Han, you don't have to worry. I'm not interested in you, and I definitely won't make the same mistake of falling in love with you again. So, relax. You can be normal. I'm not after your property either. Just go ahead and divorce me already. That way, you can make your white moonlight happy."
Before he could say anything, I turned on my heel and walked out of the office, my head held high.
As I was leaving the CEO's office, I suddenly stopped in my tracks, turned to Han Sheng, and said firmly, "I don't want anybody to know that we are husband and wife".
Han Sheng smirked as he replied, " Oh? That depends entirely on your performance."
His smug tone made my blood boil. I turned on my heel, my face burning with frustration, and stomped out of his office, muttering under my breath, "Smug jerk".
As I departed, I heard the hushed chatter of employees nearby. "Did you hear? We have a new CEO now," one said, the excitement in their voice unmistakable.
"Yeah, I saw him earlier. He's so handsome!" another chimed in.
"Wait, did someone say he's the heir of the Han Group?" a third voice asked, clearly in awe.
"Han Group? Isn't that China's richest conglomerate?"
"Exactly! But what's he doing in a small company like ours?"
"I heard," one whispered conspiratorially, "that he bought this company because of someone he's in love with. Apparently, he's chasing her."
There was a collective gasp followed by murmurs of "Wow" and "So romantic."
I sat back at my desk, shaking my head at the ridiculous rumours. "Falling in love? Absolute nonsense". I scoffed silently, pretending to focus on my screen.
But before I could fully collect my thoughts, my colleagues surrounded me, their eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"You went to the CEO's office, right? What did he say?" one of them asked, leaning in eagerly.
Their excitement was contagious, but I had no idea how to explain what just happened. "Wait, watch how I ruin your reputation", I thought, a small smirk creeping across my face. So, I pressed my hands dramatically to my chest and gasped. "He... he... he wants to take advantage of me, I don't agree, so he threatened me—" I stuttered, letting fake emotion crack my voice.
Their eyes widened. "What? Really?"
"Don't worry," another said firmly, "we'll get justice for you! We'll protect you, no matter what."
The rest of the group nodded in solidarity, some even patting my shoulder as though I were a brave warrior. Internally, I was laughing my head off. Ho, ho, ho... They really bought it.
As I basked in their over-the-top support, a low, deliberate throat-clearing sound interrupted us.
Everyone froze and turned as one. Standing there, looking unimpressed, was none other than Han Sheng himself.
Everyone scrambled to their feet, bowing and stammering, "Mr. Han! Hello, Mr. Han!"
I, on the other hand, silently cursed my luck. Why now?
I froze on the spot, my blood turning cold as I realized it was Han Sheng. Slowly, I stood up from my chair, my movements stiff, and turned to face him, forcing out a nervous, "M-Mr. Han."
Han Sheng's sharp gaze landed on me for a brief second, and in that moment, I thought, "Oh no, I'm done for. If he heard anything, I'm doomed."
But to my immense relief, he simply said, "Everyone, get back to work," before turning on his heel and walking back to his office.
The moment he disappeared, the room exhaled collectively, and everyone scurried back to their desks. I sat down, patting my chest, muttering to myself, "Oh my god, he didn't hear anything. Thank goodness."
Still shaken, I took a deep breath, shook off the nerves, and turned my attention back to my work. No more drama today, please.