Page 9 of The Breeding Cave

CHAPTER NINE

YEOSIN

With a hot cinnamon tea in my hand, I stepped into Midnight Security Headquarters. Nerves zipped through me, and I replayed my conversation with the Dragon Clan last night. After work, one member had shown up at my apartment and demanded money by next week.

I shouldn’t even need to be here.

I had ten million sitting in some bank account that I hadn’t bribed the beast to give me in cash yet. Apparently, he had enemies that would take advantage of the fact that I had cash. But he didn’t know that I had enemies too.

And those enemies were becoming less forgiving by the day.

Maybe tonight, I would show up at his cave and plead for him to give me at least five hundred in cash. After work, I had tried going to the bank to withdraw more money, but the teller had asked for information that I didn’t know.

Account number. Account name. PIN.

All I had was a damn credit card that didn’t even have a name etched on it!

Security guards eyed me from their stand near the front. “Looking for something?”

“The elevators?” I asked. “It’s my first day.”

“Name?” one asked, glancing down at a paper with names.

“It’s either under Yeosin Cho or Alana Cho.”

“Okay, Alana, you’re all set to head upstairs.” He flashed me a smile and nodded toward the hallway beside him. “Swing around the hallway to your right, and the elevators will be right there. Head all the way to the top floor.”

Once I thanked them, I scurried down the hallway to the elevators. My phone read 9:28 a.m. on the screen, and I picked up my pace because if I didn’t make it up the elevator in two minutes flat, then I’d officially be late on my first day.

When I made it to the elevators, I noticed one closing.

“Hold the elevator!” I shouted, running as quickly as I could in heels that I really couldn’t even walk in. I had never been a heel girlie, but I’d thought these would be nice for my first corporate job—if I could even call it that.

Someone placed a large hand between the elevator doors right before they closed, and I stopped in front of them as they slowly reopened, trying to catch my breath. When the doors opened all the way, my eyes widened at Mr. Grumpy from Pink Ivory standing inside.

He stared emptily at me like he wasn’t surprised to see me here.

“Oh, um, hi,” I said, still trying to catch my breath.

I stepped into the elevator and moved beside him.

As the doors closed, I slid my eyes to the side and looked over at him. What was he doing here? Did he work here? I glanced at the button to see the top one lit up. And on the same floor that I did?

“I didn’t know you worked for Midnight,” I said in an attempt to converse with him.

“I don’t work for Midnight. I own Midnight, Yeosin.”

A rush of heat coursed through my body at the sound of my name on his lips, and I pressed my legs together. I hadn’t known my name on a man’s lips could give me this much pleasure, but … the way he had said it did something to me.

I hadn’t even thought he knew my real name. At the café, I had gone by Alana.

Alana was even the name I had on my name tag.

“You own this company,” I whispered, my nipples hardening against my thin bra—why?! I had no idea! I crossed my arms over my chest and stared at the elevator doors. “I didn’t know you owned a company.”

When he didn’t respond, I peeked over at him. His jaw was clenched hard, and he was now glaring at the same elevator doors.

Fuck, I’m working for him now, and I already pissed him off . I shuffled beside him.

“S-sorry for asking,” I said, gulping in an attempt to control myself. “I just …”

The scent of his woodsy cologne became stronger, or maybe it was just the cinnamon tea trembling in my hand. But it was all I could smell, all I could inhale, and it was driving me mad with pleasure.

“Control yourself,” he hissed. “Now.”

My cheeks warmed, and I gripped my left wrist with my right hand to stop it from trembling. God, I haven’t even started my first day of work yet, and it already looks like I’m going to be fired.

As soon as the elevator doors opened on the top floor, Mr. Grumpy stormed off the lift and down the short hallway past the front desk. Then a moment later, a door slammed, the sound echoing through the top floor. My stomach tightened, and I suppressed the urge to hurl.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

“Can I help you?” a pretty girl said with a smile at the front desk with a nameplate that said Iris .

“Hi. It’s my first day.”

“Are you Yeosin Cho?” she asked, pronouncing my name wrong.

“Yes, but you can call me Alana.” I tucked some hair behind my ear. “It’s easier.”

After clicking away on her computer for a couple more moments, she smiled. “So, what’d you say to make the big bad boss mad?”

I furrowed my brows and stared at the long hallway that led from the front desk to—what I guessed was—the main office area, where Luciano had disappeared moments ago. After tugging on my sleeve with my thumb, I peered back at Iris. “I’m not sure.”

“Well, don’t piss him off too badly.” She shot me a small smile. “The only person he hates who he’s kept around is Ella.”

“Ella?” I repeated, already not liking her.

She stood, handed me a folder, and guided me down the hallway to the main office area, where about twenty people were working at desks and another several were gossiping by the coffee maker. After leaning closer to me, Iris nodded to two girls who were giggling to themselves.

“The girl in red is Ella,” Iris said.

“Cool,” I said in an attempt to sound interested.

Iris let out another low laugh. “You don’t have to pretend to like her. Not many people do, but Luciano keeps her around for whatever reason. Rumor has it—at least the rumors that Ella has spread herself—that they’re sleeping together.”

My chest twisted, and I gritted my teeth. “Oh?”

While Mr. Grumpy hated me—I thought he always had—that one little good moment that I’d had with him the other day at Pink Ivory made me feel some kind of way about him. It’d made me … possessive, jealous.

But I had to be professional. It wasn’t my business who he slept with.

He didn’t even like me.

“Alana, over here!” Brent called from the opposite side of the room.

“Well, have a good day,” Iris said, offering me a smile. “You’ll do great.”

I glanced toward the closed office door that I assumed was Luciano’s since Ella was eyeing it and sucked in a breath. “I sure hope so.”