Born to Be a Secretary

“We have to manage this somehow before the fallout gets worse.”
“Especially since it’s a direct family member…”

“Even if he’s direct family, responsibility must be taken. The company’s image is on the verge of shattering! The stock price has already dropped by 7%!”
The directors all raised their voices. Most of those who had been in Kwon Youngho’s faction cut ties with him the moment they saw yesterday’s broadcast. The few remaining were struggling to defend him.
Not a shred of loyalty among them.

Kwon Youngho ground his teeth, memorizing the faces of the betrayers one by one. His gaze finally settled on Kwon Youngjae, who sat calmly on the opposite side, exuding composure amid the chaos.
Seeing him alone so relaxed, maintaining his dominance, sent a surge ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) of fury boiling through Kwon Youngho’s insides. His rage bubbled like a blood clot simmering deep within his gut.
Kwon Youngjae had always been like that. Never once had his arrogant nose been bent, effortlessly snatching up what others earned through sweat and tears.

His arrogance was natural, his success was natural, and failure in life was simply impossible for him. What was so great about the title of dominant Alpha anyway? Despite being an Alpha himself, Heewon had always been overshadowed and left struggling in Kwon Youngjae’s shadow.
After glaring with bloodshot eyes for a while, the dark irises slowly lifted, meeting Kwon Youngho’s gaze. Kwon Youngjae raised his polished face. His deeply shadowed eyes looked down on his opponent from afar.
On the surface, his expression was indifferent and businesslike, but in Kwon Youngho’s eyes, the hidden sneer was clear. It was the face of someone satisfied at having finally dragged him into the mud.

“That bastard…”
Kwon Youngho could no longer hold back and spat out curses. Just then, Chairman Kwon, who had been silently observing, raised his right hand slightly, and the noisy room instantly quieted.
“There’s no need for pointless chatter. Those who commit wrongdoings must pay the corresponding price.”

The chairman had already made up his mind. Kwon Youngho was a cherished grandson and an impeccable heir, but he was also the cause of a fatal stain on the company. To appease shareholders, they had to get rid of Kwon Youngho.
“I’ll put this on the agenda. Suspension for one month and a three-month pay cut for Executive Director Kwon Youngho. And—”
Up to here, the punishment was fairly standard. The chairman’s thick fingers tapped on the wooden table. The man, nearing seventy, fixed a fierce gaze.

“I propose an indefinite transfer to the Shanghai branch. We’ll proceed with a show of hands.”
“Chairman!”
Kwon Youngho shouted, pushing the desk in shock. But Chairman Kwon didn’t glance at him once. The presiding officer tapped the microphone to refresh the atmosphere.

“Executive Director Kwon Youngho, please restrain yourself. The agenda has been set; we will proceed with the show of hands. Those in favor of disciplining Executive Director Kwon Youngho, please raise your hands.”
One by one, the directors cautiously raised their hands. Soon the room was filled with raised hands. Kwon Youngho couldn’t bear to look directly and covered his face with both hands.
Being sent to the Shanghai branch meant completely stepping away from headquarters. It also meant the chairman no longer regarded Kwon Youngho as a successor.
Reading the situation, the directors unanimously agreed to the chairman’s proposal without hesitation. The only one who didn’t raise his hand was Executive Director Kwon Youngjae.

“This agenda is hereby officially passed. That concludes the emergency board meeting.”
Chairman Kwon was the first to leave the room, followed quickly by the other directors. Without anyone watching, people left faster than a receding tide.
Kwon Youngjae stayed until the end, only rising after confirming everyone had left. The chair scraped harshly against the floor as he pushed it back. While straightening his suit, he briefly lowered his gaze to look at Kwon Youngho.

Cornered on the edge of the cliff, Kwon Youngho had nothing left but to fall. He had no one to blame but himself. Not a shred of pity surfaced.
Kwon Youngjae withdrew his gaze and turned away. His purposeful footsteps echoed loudly through the conference room.
“…….”

Kwon Youngho pressed his clasped hands to his forehead, holding his breath. His only biological responses were the faint trembling of his jaw muscles and the throbbing vein on his temple. When he finally lowered his hands, molten anger slowly poured out.
Outside, Heewon, waiting, saw Kwon Youngjae emerge and immediately rushed over. His expression was calm and composed. Though Heewon had eavesdropped lightly outside, he needed confirmation directly from Kwon Youngjae.
“What was the result?”

“Not bad.”
Kwon Youngjae strode forward as he spoke. Heewon fell into step beside him, matching his pace quickly.
“Since he’s been sent to China, it should be quiet for a while.”

“The chairman seemed very angry.”
“Probably.”
Even Kwon Youngjae was surprised by the chairman’s decision. He expected maybe a suspension or demotion, but the Shanghai branch transfer was a punishment he hadn’t anticipated.

“How’s the afternoon schedule?”
“There was a licensing team meeting scheduled for four o’clock, but it was postponed to Friday because of the board meeting. No other appointments are set.”
“That’s good. Let’s leave on time today.”

Unusually generous of Executive Director Kwon. Heewon thought, feeling it must be a good mood day, and replied briefly, “Yes.”
As they walked in step, footsteps echoed sharply from the far end of the long corridor. Turning around, Heewon saw Kwon Youngho standing there, his eyes bloodshot.
“You damn son of a bitch, Kwon Youngjae!”

He grabbed Kwon Youngjae’s collar and shoved him hard backward. The neat shirt and tie crumpled in his rough grip. Before Heewon could gasp, Kwon Youngjae grabbed the hand on his collar and snapped it immediately.
“Even if you have no shame, do you really use violence in the office?”
“Do you think I don’t know all the shit you’ve done? Fuck, do you think I’ll just take it like an idiot?”

“What can you even do?”
“Argh!” Unable to hold back, Kwon Youngho shouted fiercely. His violence escalated as his anger blinded him. He grabbed Kwon Youngjae’s collar again and threw a full-strength punch.
“Executive Director!”

Kwon Youngjae narrowly dodged the blow. Startled, Heewon let out a nearly terrified cry.
Even though there was no one around, this was still the company. Heewon stepped forward to stop Kwon Youngho but froze, covering his mouth. Kwon Youngho was spewing fierce Alpha pheromones, full of rage.
Seeing this, Kwon Youngjae clenched his teeth tightly. He looked down at Kwon Youngho with an even more rigid face. Grabbing Kwon Youngho’s shoulder, he opened the conference room door. Forcing the struggling, enraged man inside, he warned Heewon firmly.

“Do not come in under any circumstances.”
Then the door slammed shut. Heewon stood there half in a daze. Don’t come in—he already knew something terrible was happening inside.
It was Kwon Youngjae’s consideration. He probably thought Heewon, who hadn’t yet fully manifested, couldn’t endure the raging pheromones of Kwon Youngho right now. But could he really just stand idly by? He was Kwon Youngjae’s personal secretary. It was his duty to protect his safety and always stay ahead of him.

Several security staff came up, probably alerted by the shouting. Approaching Heewon, they asked.
“What’s going on? We heard there was some kind of fight here.”
“No, nothing at all. The emergency board meeting just ended and everyone left. There’s no one else here.”

“Oh, I see.”
Just then, a thudding vibration came from the conference room. The sound came from the room where the two Kwons had gone.
As the security team tried to approach, Heewon quickly blocked the door. Wearing a helpless expression, he bowed politely.

“Sorry. There’s a disturbance inside right now… It can’t be allowed to spread outside. Please understand, just this once.”
“If there’s a problem, we’ll come in—”
“No! I’ll take responsibility and handle it. I promise nothing serious will happen.”

After repeated requests, the security team looked helpless and reluctant. Their gaze briefly swept over Heewon’s ID badge. Only then did they recognize who was inside. If it was Executive Director Kwon Youngjae, there was nothing they could do.
“You have our contact info. Call us if you need help.”
The security staff tipped their caps deeply and left. Only after they disappeared from sight did Heewon finally exhale.

“This is driving me crazy—what is with the hitting and fighting?”
Sticking close to the door, he could faintly hear shouting and cursing. Since this was normally a conference room, the soundproofing was excellent. Still, the noise was loud enough to pierce through. He worried seriously about what kind of chaos was happening inside.
Bang! A louder noise suddenly rang out, making Heewon flinch. The situation had escalated so far that he could no longer just stand by and listen.

Get a grip, Kim Heewon. What are you waiting for? If you leave Executive Director Kwon like this, what kind of secretary are you?
He clenched his trembling hands. No matter what, his first priority was Kwon Youngjae’s safety. That was the secretary’s duty.
He wasn’t confident jumping into an Alpha fight, but if he was going to get beaten, it was better to be the one taking the hits. Getting scolded by Kwon Youngjae afterward was a problem for later.

“…He can’t possibly die.”
Heewon gripped the door handle tightly. Ignoring Kwon Youngjae’s warning, he decided to go inside. The latch clicked, and the firmly closed door began to slowly open.