Chapter 0002

—Klein.

After my supposed boss said that, I stood there, speechless, unsure how to process his words. The silence that followed was so awkward I could hear the distant hum of the air conditioning.

Without a word, he got up from his desk and started walking toward me. His beautiful silver eyes—unlike any I’d ever seen—were locked onto mine, and for reasons I couldn’t explain, my brain decided now was the perfect time to panic. I instinctively stepped back, only to collide with the doorframe behind me.

Why did it feel like he was closing in on me like I owed him money? Was this the same guy people said barely spoke to anyone? Because right now, he was giving off the vibe of a mob boss about to "handle business."

He stopped so close to me that my brain short-circuited. For the most absurd, fleeting second, I thought, 'Is he about to kiss me.?'

No way, Klein. Stop it. He’s your boss, not the romantic lead in some bad office drama. Still, my traitorous heart did a little jump, and I had to mentally slap myself back to reality.

Thankfully, he didn’t kiss me. Instead, he handed me my resume like it was some sort of sacred scroll, then walked past me to open the door. He said nothing, absolutely nothing, just gestured for me to follow.

I hesitated for a moment. Did he want me to leave? Or was I supposed to follow him? He wasn’t exactly giving me instructions here. But before I could overthink it, I decided to shadow him like some awkward intern with no other options.

As we walked through the building, the reactions from the employees hit me like a tsunami. Heads turned, conversations paused, and the sound of whispers rose like background music in a suspense movie.

"Is that Mr. Alvarez walking with someone?"

"Wait, he actually lets people near him now?"

"I thought he hated having a secretary."

Great. So, not only was I working for the world's iciest boss, but I was also apparently walking gossip material. Fantastic.

I tried to act professional, straightening my posture and walking with what I hoped was confidence. If I was going to get stared at, I might as well own it. But just as I was getting into my "cool and composed secretary" act, he stopped dead in his tracks.

I, of course, didn’t notice in time and promptly bumped into his back.

"Sorry!" I blurted out, quickly stepping back and waving my hands as if that would somehow erase what just happened. "I didn’t mean to—uh—run into you like that."

He didn’t even turn around. No reaction. No glare. Just... nothing. It was almost worse than if he’d snapped at me.

Finally, he glanced over his shoulder, his expression so cold it could’ve frozen a tropical beach.

"One thing you need to know about working here," he said, his voice calm but sharp. "Starting tomorrow, if you arrive after 7 a.m., don’t bother coming to my office."

I blinked. Was that a warning or a threat? Either way, I nodded like my life depended on it. "Understood," I said, even though deep down, I wasn’t entirely sure I could make it by 7 a.m. Why? Because I’m a deep sleeper.

He turned back around and continued walking, and I followed, trying not to let the awkwardness swallow me whole. The whispers from the employees were louder now, like a live commentary of my life.

"Do you think he’ll last a week?"

"I’m giving him three days, max."

"Should we start a betting pool?"

Wow, thanks for the vote of confidence, guys. I rolled my eyes but kept my mouth shut. Instead, I focused on keeping pace with Mr. Alvarez, who didn’t even seem to notice or care that we were basically the office’s new reality show.

Then, just as I was finally starting to feel like I had this under control, he stopped abruptly again. This time, I caught myself just in time to avoid another collision.

But because the universe apparently loves embarrassing me, I tripped over my own feet and had to grab the nearest wall to steady myself.

He glanced back at me, one eyebrow raised slightly. "Are you always this clumsy?"

"Only when I’m under pressure," I blurted out before I could stop myself.

To my surprise, the corner of his mouth twitched, as if he was fighting back a smile. Was that... amusement? From him? Just as quickly as it appeared, it vanished.

"Then you’re going to have a hard time working here," he said, turning back around.

"Thanks for the pep talk, boss," I muttered under my breath, though I made sure he couldn’t hear it.

As we continued walking, I couldn’t help but wonder what I’d just gotten myself into. One thing was certain this job was going to be anything but boring.

*****

I left the office at 4 PM, still trying to figure out how the company works and what exactly I’m supposed to be doing there. It wasn’t boring or anything...I just had to review some game features and give my opinion. Simple enough.

With my résumé clutched like a treasure map—or should I say, a lifeline—I wandered around until 6 PM. Let’s face it, going home while the sun’s still out just doesn’t feel right to me. Call it a personality quirk.

My only regret? Leaving my skateboard at home. Yeah, I know it’s weird. My parents are loaded, but I’d rather cruise around on a skateboard than sit in some overpriced car. Judge me all you want.

So there I was, walking down the street, minding my own business, when I saw them. The same guys I’d fought with last week. My eyes widened, and I tried to cover my face, but...

"That’s Klein!" one of them yelled.

Fuck!

I didn’t stick around to hear the rest. I was off. Forget walking—I was running for my life like I’d just entered Temple Run: Real Life Edition.

These guys had way too much energy, and somehow, I found myself sprinting straight toward a forest. Not a deep one, but still… a forest.

I glanced back to see if they were catching up, and when I looked forward... bam! Someone was standing right in front of me. Before I could stop myself, I practically jumped on them. My legs wrapped around their waist, my hands braced against their neck, and their hands instinctively grabbed my legs.

Bruh.

Did I just Spider-Monkey myself onto somebody?!

"What are you doing?" a voice asked. A familiar voice. I looked up, and there he was...Mr. Alvarez. My boss.

I froze. What was he doing in the middle of the forest? Before I could fully process the humiliation of using him as a human jungle gym, I scrambled off his body, nearly tripping in the process.

I turned around to check for the guys chasing me, but strangely, I didn’t see anyone. Yet, their voices sounded like they were right next to me. Weird, right? That’s exactly how I felt.

What was happening? Because honestly, I was clueless as hell.

When I glanced back at Mr. Alvarez, he was staring at me like I owed him an explanation. "Care to tell me what’s going on?" he asked, his tone sharp. But damn, I was the one who needed answers—like why I couldn’t see my chasers anymore.

"I just asked a question," he said again, his voice tinged with impatience.

Honestly, at this point, I wasn’t even sure. What was I supposed to say? "Sorry, I mistook you for a tree?"