As soon as Prince's car stopped in front of the Kingsley Group of Industries head office, the guards bowed and saluted. Prince adjusted his suit jacket and stepped out of the car. The familiar "CEO mask" returned to his face—stern, professional, and emotionless.
As he stepped into the lobby, whispers spread across the office like wildfire.
A girl (to another): "OMG, he looks so hot today! Looks like he worked all night—he's even more sexy now."
The second girl: "And those gray eyes… if only he glanced at me once!"
Ignoring all the comments, Prince walked straight to his private lift.
Inside the office, everyone returned to their desks. Prince's cabin was on the 50th floor, made entirely of glass.
Prince stood before the glass walls of his cabin, sunlight striking directly on his face. Anyone who saw him at that moment would be stunned. Though only 5 feet 7 inches tall, his confidence and posture made him stand out in any crowd.
His face was as sharp and beautiful as the lead actor in a Korean drama.
Fair-skinned and flawless, like marble. His gray eyes held a strange depth—sometimes icy cold, sometimes harboring a silent storm. His beautiful brown hair was neatly styled, falling slightly over his forehead.
Prince Kingsley
He unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt and rolled up his sleeves. Despite his charming and cute look, his body was in perfect shape. Hours in the gym had sculpted him into a lean, toned athletic figure. Under his shirt, six-pack abs were clearly defined, giving him a flawless, commanding presence.
People often underestimated him—innocent and beautiful face, yet intentions and discipline as iron-strong. A luxury watch on his wrist matched his clean-shaven, sharp-featured face perfectly. He truly looked like a prince, one weighed down by the burdens of his own crown.
Prince was buried in his files
when a panicked voice interrupted him.
Semi: "Ma'am, please! Sir is really stressed, you can't come in…"
Then Katrina entered. With a playful flick, she hooked Semi's tie and pulled him toward her. Semi's face turned tomato-red, and his limbs trembled.
Katrina (locking eyes with Semi, teasingly): "Oh Semi! The more you try to stop me, the more my heart is magnetically drawn to you.
And with that scratchless shirt, you look just like a South Indian movie hero… only missing a mustache!"
Semi (stammering): "M-m-ma'am… please… sir will see… I'll lose my job!"
Katrina (laughing): "Then come into my life already! Anyway, Prince sir only loves his balance sheet. Semi, if you don't have coffee with me tonight, I'll tell the board you hide behind the office printer writing poems for me!"
Prince lifted his head and took a deep breath.
Prince (in a firm tone): "Katrina! Stop bothering Semi. And Semi, go back to your desk."
Katrina (turning to Prince, winking): "Sir, you're just jealous because I complimented Semi and not you! And sir, your gray eyes are dangerously intense today… feels like I'm a heroine in an action movie, and you're arresting me with your gaze."
She waved at Semi (goodbye gesture) and twirled a paperweight on Prince's desk.
Katrina: "Anyway sir, if you want, I can be available for you instead of Semi. Only condition—you have to smile at least ten times a day. Deal?"
This was Katrina, the company's brilliant marketing head.
Katrina (swaying): "Oh! Our hot-and-cold CEO is serious again? If those wrinkles deepen… your Korean-actor-level beauty will be ruined!"
Prince paused, pen in hand, and gave her a cold stare.
Prince: "Katrina, how many times have I told you to knock before entering? And what are these absurdities you're saying?"
Katrina (laughing): "Sir, knocking is for hearts, what's the point on doors? Anyway, your poor assistant Semi… I already flirted with him outside. Told him if he tried stopping me, I'd tell the board he's my crush. Poor guy turned red with embarrassment!"
Prince exhaled deeply. He couldn't dismiss Katrina—last year's maximum profit had come from her marketing strategy.
And if he told the board, "This girl flirts with me and my assistant," they'd laugh at him instead.
Katrina (leaning her elbow on Prince's files): "Sir, forget these files. Tonight isn't my birthday, but let's go out for drinks. You just focus your magical gray eyes on me—I'll pay the bill!"
Prince (holding back anger): "Katrina! Get out. Immediately."
Katrina (smiling, turning away): "Going, sir! But remember, sitting alone with all this hotness isn't good for your health. Semi! Oh Semi! Check your shirt button—it's open, isn't it?"
From outside came Semi's panicked voice. Prince rested his head on the desk.
He covered his face with his hands. Work was minimal; romantic comedy ruled the office. Katrina's teasing briefly lightened his heavy heart, but he realized no one here understood his soul.
Professional respect? Yes. Peace? Nowhere. Everyone either wanted his money or drooled over his looks.
The Pressure Cooker
Situation
His secretary entered, stacking files.
Secretary: "Sir, Japanese clients are waiting for a meeting. Last quarter's profit margin dropped 2%, angering the board. Also, the labor union is threatening a strike."
Prince grabbed his head. Thousands of emails and notifications flashed across his laptop. He felt trapped on all sides.
Then his phone buzzed. Perhaps a casual message from home?
It was from his brother:
"Bro, should I get the car in red or black? Reply fast, the showroom is asking."
Prince slammed the phone on the desk, a bitter smile forming on his face. Across the glass walls, thousands of employees worked, but in this huge cabin, he was utterly alone.
Prince (muttering): "They all want my money, my profit… but what do I want? Does anyone care if Prince Kingsley wants to live or just remain a balance sheet?"
He crushed a pen on the desk so hard his fingers hurt.
Suffocation still pressed against his chest.
He leaned back in his chair, eyes closed. The cabin door opened slowly—this time, neither Semi nor Katrina. It was his elder brother calling his private number. Prince reluctantly answered.
Elder Brother Nathan (voice slightly anxious, sly): "Prince? The vacation budget I
mentioned… it's a bit higher now. Mary says, let's book a private jet for the kids—commercial flights are too crowded. Just tell accounts to release the funds."
Prince's face twisted into a cold, lifeless smile. His grip on the phone tightened.
Prince (slow, heavy voice): "Brother… did you even ask how my day went? Or if I even slept last night?"
Silence on the other side. Nathan hadn't expected the "payment machine" to question him.
Nathan: "Bro… you're being emotional again. You're strong—the pillar of Kingsley Group! Forget the small stuff, just get the payment done, or Mary's mood will sour."
Prince disconnected the call without a word, placing the phone down like a venomous snake.
Then Katrina returned, files in hand, but her mischievous smile gone. She must have overheard
Prince's voice.
Katrina (slightly serious): "Sir… Japanese delegates are waiting outside the conference room. Board members are already there.
They will question you harshly on last year's losses."
Prince straightened his cufflinks, looked at his reflection. Same beautiful face, same gray eyes—but inside, everything was ash.
Prince (to Katrina, without looking at her): "Let's see what else this world wants to take from me today."
As he walked to the conference hall, he saw Semi in the hallway, still fixing his tie nervously. Prince ignored him, feeling like he was stepping into a battle where even victory wouldn't feel like his own.
Continue....