Oh yes. She'd definitely kill Amelia.

Grey stepped out of the car, frantically smoothing down the bottom of her black leather pencil skirt. It did more than hug the right places. It clung to them for dear life. For the first time in a while, her hips switched as she walked. 

Obviously, her distressed texts for something to wear sent out the wrong message. Amelia mistook a concise business professional request for femme fatale. If onlookers couldn't tell by the tight, charcoal shirt with leather sleeves, the skirt and devilish black stilettos that wrapped around her ankles and boosted her a few inches helped them guess.

Amelia: It's an interview in the evening? That's different....

Grey: Yep. Weird, huh?

Amelia: I say you dress different too

Why did she listen?

Grey checked the watch she wore only for special occasions--a white gold beauty. Thirty minutes remained. She'd already eaten, rehearsed her pageant-worthy answers, pep-talked herself to death. The only thing left to do was arrive. 

She switched her purse from one elbow to the other and huffed, trying to adjust to the unusually heavy weight. She'd piled in notebooks and pens the night before in case she had to write again, prove to the people in this skyscraper that she had a purpose here.

Her black sunglasses flicked over her long lashes, swallowing the last of the afternoon sunlight as she left the parking lot. Modestly dressed men and women gawked or stared as she passed, and while it would have made her self conscious on any other day, today was different.

If she wanted this job, she was going to play the part. Act like as much of a leading lady as she aspired to be. After all, the executive assistant position didn't consist of huddling in cubicles or around water coolers. Didn't even consist of joining in office gossip.

It was being the right hand of the CEO. 

SKJ Industries loomed above her head, towering and mysterious. She drank in her surroundings. Floor to ceiling glass windows glistened over the first floor, and where there wasn't glass, water flowed down rock walls into a small koi pond, preventing outsiders from looking in and scenting the outside with fresh mist. A black and silver awning stretched from the sidewalk to the door, KSJ's logo printed up top.

She tilted her head upwards. From this angle, the building curved in the middle like a happy face. Accents of silver infused between floors sent glares of light to the ground, and at the very top, the architectural style changed completely. Her brows furrowed as the walls shifted to something more like cement, the glass becoming rounded like the ceiling of a greenhouse.

"Welcome to Kim Seokjin Industries."

A man in a dark gray suit and navy blue tie extended a hand her way. If she weren't in a business plaza, she would mistake him for a celebrity of sorts. Young, yet polished. Chic and sexy. The part in his black hair left half of it covering his brow, and something about his jawline and obsidian eyes were mesmerizing. "Are you Miss Grey?"

"Yes, that's me."

She took her glasses off and threw them in her purse. Placing her palm into his, she resisted the urge to flinch. His touch was similar to snow, cold and soft. He lifted her hand to his red lips and grazed her knuckles with a kiss. Though the sensation was foreign, it weakened her defenses all the same. She kindly placed her hand back at her side before he could see her waver.

"My name is Jeon Jungkook. I'll be your security escort while you're on KSJ grounds."

Security? That word established new context. She noticed then the way his wide shoulders filled his suit, the way his arms filled the sleeves. For the sake of all things professional she did her best not to stare at his chest, which she swore stared back at her. Then again, realization dawned on the implications. There was danger somewhere around here.

"Don't be afraid. It's a precaution Mr. Kim places on all his clients. Not once have we ever had an incident." Amber sunlight fell on half of his face, highlighting the black studs in his ears and making his lips turn scarlet. "Nothing will happen to you under my care."

Now, she kind of wanted something to happen. If only to see this piece of eye candy in action.

"Thank you." She tucked a stray curl behind her ear, ignoring his obvious glance at her outfit. She ignored the way his jaw clenched too, heat rising in her cheeks. "So, have you always worked security?"

"Not exactly. I spent a few years training in martial arts and competing internationally. Those days ended when Mr. Kim offered to make me his personal bodyguard." He stood at her side so that they both faced the entrance. Subtly, he gestured for her to take his arm. "Would you like a quick tour inside?"

He was so handsome that it was hard to picture him standing over an unconscious opponent with a fist raised, screaming victory to a crowd. But, as her small arm snaked around his muscular one she immediately felt the difference. She couldn't help it. Her knees wobbled. He raised an eyebrow.

"Are you alright?"

Get your shit together, Grey.

"Perfectly fine. Let's continue."

Two doormen in black and white suits with earpieces bowed to them and opened the entrance. Pink rays from the sunset bathed the lobby in a pleasant blush color, turning the light wood walls even lighter. More waterfalls bordered colossal walls, gentle pattering of fresh water relaxing Grey even though her destiny seemed to shift with each step.

People bustled from one side of the wide space to another, taking escalators to the right or piling into chrome elevators on the left. In the center of it all, a long chandelier hung over a receptionist desk, crystal orbs spiraling until interrupted by the station. Alcoves filled with couches and coffee tables decorated with wild bouquets pressed into distant walls. She wondered what it would be like to nap on one of those... if it was even allowed. And just how tall were these ceilings?

"Woah," she said.

A woman in a black dress and pearls sauntered towards the pair, not much older than either Jungkook or Grey. Her light brown hair resembled strands of silk as she flipped it over a shoulder. "Welcome to Kim Seokjin Industries. I'm Rin, part of the Welcome Committee. Would you like any cold water with fruit or refreshments?"

"No, thank you so much." Grey giggled, bowing her head politely. The sweet girl left them alone and returned to the receptionist desk.

"Jungkook?"

He looked down at her.

"Is everyone in this company beautiful?"

He seemed taken aback, but regrouped faster than she could excuse herself. "No. Not everyone."

"Does everyone at least get the fruit water?"

At this, he chuckled and escorted her to the elevators. "Only if they want it. There's a whole cafeteria further in the back, and on some nights we serve dinner in the company ballroom."

"Talk about perks!" Grey threw her mannerisms to the wind. If she was going to work here, she'd see Jungkook every day. It was best that he understood just what she was about from the beginning. "What else is there?"

"Oh, uhh, there's a relaxation room where employees can sleep or schedule massages. Work hours can be flexible as long as you're productive, and if you work hard enough you can win a week off in the Caribbean. A lot of employees get personal offices, and many times they have to travel to meet with potential buyers or clients."

Jackpot. Jungkook pressed the call button for the elevators. Occasionally, he'd wave or smile at another staff member waiting for a lift. She drummed her fingertips on her hips, barely containing excitement.

"You're so lucky to work here," she beamed.

Part of the joy slipped from his expression. "Don't underestimate it, Grey. There's more to it than you think."

He was right. Hold that excitement for later. There was an entire interrogation to finish. One that she not only needed to nail, but needed to survive.

One of the four pairs chrome doors slid open. She gasped at the chill as Jungkook grabbed her hand and pushed to the front. When they settled in a corner and he let her go, she breathed. No wonder he rushed. People poured into the chamber like fish in a net, crowding until every inch of the confining room had a limb. When she was successfully squished, the doors closed.

Relaxing, she laid her head back on the elevator wall and closed her eyes. You can do this, Grey. Practice what you preach. Take no prisoners.

Ding. After slowing to a stop, a few people trampled off the elevator. It was enough to get a room temperature breeze blowing past her face. The cornering stopped and employees embraced the new space by moving over. She didn't move though. She liked her corner. In fact, she pushed up harder against the wall, grateful for the isolation.

Then, the wall moved.

Jungkook cleared his throat. "Grey, if I'm going to press the button for the right floor, I'll need you to get off of me."

Her eyes shot open. She craned her neck up, heart failing to beat as his fine lips were inches away from hers. She didn't need a mirror to know her cheeks were burgundy. She shoved herself over, not caring to apologize to the people she bumped. "My apologies, I--"

Thought you were a wall. I thought that body of yours was a...

Unlike her, he did not blush but remained neutral. Bored, even. He pressed the button for the 40th floor. "Don't worry about it."

Strike one.

She feigned interest in the elevator buttons to keep from facing him. Heart racing, she studied the numbers. Kim Seokjin stayed on the 40th floor even though there were 42 floors in total. Another perk. There would be a view of the city wherever she looked. Seconds passed by slower than minutes. They passed floor 23.

"So, that doesn't count against me, right?"

Grey, why are you like this?

He flipped his hair with a jerk of his neck. "It was an accident. You didn't know."

Floor 34 passed in a blur.

Hurry up, hurry up. It was hot in here. She pulled at her collar and shifted her purse to the opposite elbow. How much did her damn notebooks weigh?

When the doors opened on 40, Grey practically fell out on white marble floors and more modern decor. Elaborate oil paintings hung on white walls, ceiling lights illuminating the corridor as though it was still morning when the sky was now a deep purple. Jungkook's dress shoes made just as much noise as her heels as he led her down a path to her right.

An invisible stopper propped open two enormous, metallic doors. Inside the next room, bookshelves filled with encyclopedias and forgotten titles rested near a clean sitting area and an abstract statue. Her fingertips brushed the glowing desk in the middle as she passed it.

"This," he gestured to the tall receptionist room, "is the executive assistant office." They stopped at a final set of doors that were not as large, but had just as much of an impact. "You can wait for Mr. Kim in there."

He opened one, letting her slip through the crack. When she turned to thank him, he was gone.

Grey drank in Mr. Kim's office. Through one grand window, the entirety of Seoul was in her palms. Alive, breathing, bustling. She wished to see more, but the moon rose faster than anticipated. Perhaps she'd sneak a peek tomorrow if all went well. This was her first business interview at sundown, anyway.

She fell into one of the two chairs before Seokjin's desk, sighing. Her purse dropped to the floor. The sounds of paper slapping against paper echoed up to the ceiling, but that wasn't it. An eerie jingle made her blood turn to ice.

Grey had to be hearing things. It was impossible to hear that noise here. She'd only just gotten used to hearing it at home. Then, it tinkled again.

Dread clawed at her chest.

No, please no. 

Her purse shimmied in response. Luca's head popped out of the zipper, pink bell around her neck singing.

Fury, confusion, panic crashed into Grey all at once. This had to be a joke. She was just so stressed that she was seeing things. Yeah, that's right. She would have known if her cat decided to travel with her today, right? She would have detected the movement in her bag. That's severely difficult to miss.

And yet... here was Luca. Curious, playful, and bright.

Strike two.

Footsteps sounded from behind. Grey pat Luca's head and gingerly pushed her back into the bag. Leaning close, she whispered. "If you stay quiet, I'll give you extra star flakes after dinner tonight." Luca grinned, sliding back into place.

"What should I call you?" A booming voice made her jump. Over her shoulder, a tall man in a black coat, suit and red tie strolled into the office. His plump lips curved into a smirk, dark eyes dancing with intrigue. His choppy hair looked wavy from a distance, but rather than make him seem messy it added a dangerous amount of sex appeal. One thin earring dangled from his left ear.

Kim Seokjin was the epitome of handsome. Striking in a classic way, one that was foolproof and effortless. When he removed his coat, his lean yet strong frame covered the crescent moon. It draped on the back of his big swivel chair while he pressed his hands on his desk and leaned so that she'd need to look up to see him. A well positioned power move.

"My name is Grey, Mr. Kim. It's nice to meet you."

"To the people here, I am Jin." Sweat dripped down her back as he continued. "Do you know what we do at Kim Seokjin Industries?"

She crossed one leg over the other, clearing her throat when his attention drifted from her eyes to the motion. "You're one of the best tech companies on Earth. You make the world a better place, and you inspire hundreds of thousands of young people to pursue careers in engineering. You're a worldwide empire."

"Worldwide." His head fell as he chuckled to himself. Was the word really that funny? "That's correct. There are many things that I do worldwide. Do you understand what it takes to work here?"

She rehearsed this so much it oozed from her tongue. "I understand that it takes knowledge, decision-making skills, and critical thinking skills. But past that, I think it takes a lot of passion. The best way to give to others, to make it genuine, is from the heart. That's why we ought to love what we do to help better love one another."

"Love. You mentioned it a lot just now. Do you have some type of feeling about it?" He pulled back his chair and sat down, propping his enchanting head onto his hands. Skepticism radiated from his sarcastic smirk in waves.

"I think that without it, we are all lost. Everyone needs love."

He sat back, his chin haughtily tilted higher than hers. A shark encircling a goldfish. "Love is an astounding concept, but it didn't bring KSJ Industries to this level of success. Hard work, exhaustive burdens, and a levelheaded understanding of the world did."

Fine. The sudden challenge forced her to sit straighter in her seat. If she was good at anything, it was figuring out the way to a person's heart. That's how you want this interview to be?

"Those things are all necessary to creating an empire, however, none of those could be maintained without the correct amount of care. The system would crumble if you allowed negligent or apathetic men and women through these doors. Even you, Jin, know that."

His glare was calculating, assessing. She didn't back down. "I believe I can handle anything you throw in my direction because I always want the best. Nothing that goes through me is done halfheartedly."

She crossed her arms. "I risk it all."

Jin blinked slowly, swiveling left and right in silence. "Very poetic."

"Thank you."

He licked his bottom lip. "Do you have any experience being an assistant? Do you know what this position requires?"

"Well, I've never been an assistant, but I'm a pro at organization. I keep a schedule for everything. From the time that I'm brushing my teeth to when I'm grabbing a cup of bubble tea for lunch."

Lie.

"You have interesting time management skills..." Jin swiveled again. "I need someone that could always be at my side. Someone that can organize meetings, phone calls, guest reception. Someone that can speak on my behalf at a luncheon or a conference. Are you capable of that?"

"Of course." A conference? By myself? What the hell would I even say?

"I just have one more question for you since your file is already in my desk and I can go over that whenever. What is your purpose for applying? What do you wish to gain?"

Grey took a minute to think. She wanted a better life. A career that could set her up for years to come. Even so, there was more.

She would never find peace staying at The Parlour forever. She wouldn't be happy in a service job or a catering company. She needed a challenge. Something that kept her emotionally alive and striding towards a finish line.

"An adventure," she said. "That's all."

Strike three.

It probably wasn't the best answer, but it was real. Perfect to match the way she exposed the heart on her sleeve with her rant about the importance of affection. It mirrored who she was. And that's all she could ever be. Her honest self.

"Thank you for your time." Jin stood from his seat and clasped his hands behind his back. Some part of her expected him to smile, for red to blossom on his cheeks. It never came. He stared at her like she was a child as she tugged her purse over her elbow. 

On her way out she stole lingering glances on the beautiful interior of the office, satisfied with her performance.

:::

Amelia gasped through the phone. "What happened next?"

Grey paced back and forth before The Parlour, holding her phone to her ear with one hand and a to-go cup of green tea in the other. Luca trotted where she did, halting and adjusting to Grey's speed when she needed to. 

Grey took a long sip of her drink, reveling in the warm liquid sliding down her throat. It was getting windier, and the black clouds hanging in the sky suggested rain. Again. 

"I must have hot-man repellant on. That bodyguard didn't even stay after the elevator accident. He dropped me off like I was a foreign contaminant."

"Some people don't like being touched. And your backside probably suffocated him."

Grey snatched the ear off her phone and glared at her friend's caller ID. "My backside is nice for your information. That's beside the point. The interview was... I don't know how to explain it."

"Were you nervous?"

She pulled down the front of her shirt. "No. As soon as I met Jin I just kind of relaxed? If anything, he and I went to war."

"I heard he's a strict boss."

"Strict? More like dead inside."

"Mew." Luca's tail straightened as she turned in a circle and searched the block. Grey raised an eyebrow at her kitten, who'd gone as still as a compass needle. The silky black hair on her back bristled, a low growl escaping her throat. One boom of thunder made Grey check the sky.

Up the street, a white dog sniffed on a fire hydrant, a few night shoppers promenaded through storefronts. Overhang lights glistened over the few cars that slugged by. On the other side of the road, a lone man crossed the street. Her back arched as he hit their sidewalk.

"Luca, what's gotten into you?" Luca glared at Grey over a feline shoulder. "Is it time to go home?"

Amelia chimed in. "Luca's with you? Did you bring her to the interview?"

"No! You won't believe it. She snuck into my purse!" The cat whirled on Grey, scratching at her legs with tiny claws. "Ouch!"

"Meow." It sounded like an order. Like she said walk. 

"Grey? You alright?"

Irritated, Grey followed Luca's quick double take on the man that'd just crossed the street. His baggy hoodie jolted as he walked, head concealed by shadows. He also wore baggy jeans and dirty tennis shoes. He picked up his speed, aligning his path with Grey's and pushing at the people that prevented him from reaching her.

His aura screamed something otherworldly, something haunted. The wrongness of it sent a shudder down her spine. But why? What made him so different?

Luca pranced around Grey's feet, alert blaring in her eyes like a green siren.

Under one of the streetlights, a glint of silver caught her eye. The hooded man was holding knives. Several of them. She squinted to get a better view while Luca looked ready to bite at her heels.

No, those weren't knives.

Those long, pointed things crafted of iron were his fingernails. 

"Amelia, I have to go."

Grey dropped the phone into her purse and hiked the opposite way, blood curdling in her veins.

He was coming. And he was coming fast. 

:::

(A/N-- important) Striking reader,

You're being followed. Can you escape?

This chapter is dedicated to @brilliant-ish because two heads are better than one. They've been so funny to talk to and I can read their obsessive rants all day. First and Second (hamburger), I look forward to talking to you always

(You can stop reading the A/N here if you want! See you next time!)

Special introductions of Jungkook and Jin in this chapter! Jungkook looks great in his current haircut, so I had to add it here. We all know Jungkook is glorious, but I must say something. 

JIN, HONEY. SWEETHEART. His FIRST appearance in that video, the FIRST TIME that camera hit him, I was wrecked. Attacked, set up for slaughter, demolished. Whatever you want to call it. JIN CAME FOR BLOOD AND ALL OF US BETTER RECOGNIZE. And him in the center of choreography? Not only did he snatch my edges, he snatched my soul. His Fake Love look is EXACTLY what I envisioned for this story because he is secretly a dark prince and it was his look that inspired me to write this in the first place. #FunFact

Buckle up, fam. Story starts now.

With love,

M