Chapter 1: The Encounter of Ms. Lee and Mr. Park
"Ma'am, the meeting is over. It went smoothly and the board of directors didn't ask anything about you," Secretary Wan said as she entered Lucy Zenneth Lee's office a.k.a LZL (Liezel).
It was the very first meeting of the directors ever since her company grew big for the past year. And she didn't even bother to show herself due that she just wanted to remain secret. She knew once she showed herself to everyone, they would treat her differently knowing as the heiress of the Lee corporation.
"Well done," she said. She cleaned the papers in her desk and stood up. "I need to go. Stay in my office in case someone wants to see me."
Secretary Wan nodded politely. "Yes, ma'am."
And she went out, dressed like a normal person walking down the hallway of the CEO's office. Except for Secretary Wan, no one knew who she really was. When someone spotted her and asked who she is, she would just stay silent and continue to walk. Answering them would be a hassle.
Lucy ran out from the Lee's household since she didn't want the rules there. That's why she set a nickname when she started her company and walked down the path of her own.
It was freezing cold in Korea and a hot spicy noodles would fill her stomach. Like a normal people, she walked down the street and stopped at at her ultimate favorite noodle restaurant which served the best noodles in the area.
"Good morning," a 60-year old lady with a red apron welcomed her.
She nodded and took a sit at a vacant seat.
"Same order?"
"Yes, please."
While waiting for her food, the side dishes were served first. Since she's a regular, the generous owner gave her more than the normal serve.
"Thank you for this," she said.
The lady smiled at her then, left her to prepare her noodles. She looked at the window and watched the people passed by. A family, a couple, or a single person. Happy, excited, or sad. She just continued to watch them when a tall person wearing a long light brown jacket entered the restaurant. He was formally dressed inside, a necktie judged it all.
The old lady, like what she did to her, greeted him warmly and motioned him to his seat.
The gentleman didn't looked like a son to her. More like a regular customer also.
"Here's your spicy noodles," a part-timer approached her with her order and put it on the table.
She began eating it and as expected, no one can compare to the noodles the old lady make than what she could eat on other restaurants. It might be cheap but it is very yummy.
The bowl was emptied in no time. She then, stood up and made her way out. As she tried to say goodbye to the owner but it was nowhere to be found, so she just continued to exit when someone grabbed her by her arm.
"After eating, you'll just go out without paying?" the man accused. "Do you even know how hard it is to have a living and you just go out, skipping to pay since you're full already?"
She just looked at the man coldly.
"Pay the old lady. I've never seen you paying on what you ordered," he continued to accuse. Its words were like threatening her.
She let out a sigh and put her free hand over to his and pulled it away. She continued walking out. Giving the man an answer would be a waste of time.
"You...Hey!" he shouted and ran towards Lucy. He grabbed her again by her arm but he didn't expect what happened next. Lucy turned around, swimmed her hand above his elbow and pushed his back away, made him dove on a corner.
"Ask the owner if I paid already or not. Don't bother me when I came first than you," she calmly said and made her way out.
The blue bus came to stop and she jumped inside. It was a random bus she rode but she careless. She wanted to make a tour around to kept herself from boredom.
She looked at the falling snow outside the window. After the winter, spring will come next. But she wouldn't be able to see the cherry blossoms in Jinhae. She'd be coming home to the Philippines by then to start a restaurant.
Her phone rang. It was a call from home, from her mother specifically.
"Lucy?" She didn't answer.
"I know this is you. Please come home, dear. Your sisters are waiting for you and so your father."
"Grandfather is the one who's waiting. I just met father on the other day. My sisters are not even there. So besides from you, who gave me a permission to leave, I know grandfather asked you to do this. He might even there beside you, mom."
She left her mom speechless. A moment of silence was on the other line.
"I won't come home, I have my own home," she continued. "Goodbye, mom. I'll be changing my phone next week so don't even try to call me with grandfather's request."
She hung up the call and leaned her side to the window.
Outsmarting her grandfather was never enough to stopped him from chasing her. As stubborn as her, he would find ways just to bring her back home and make as the heiress of the company. But she really didn't want any of it under his sick rules. Sure, she was living abundantly but it made her grew coldly. Being the child who brought intelligence in the household, she held up to the teachings as early as seven and be familiarized with the corporation at thirteen.
It was alright for her at first but when she started to see how her grandfather rules, she didn't want to be like him.
'I hope, for at least, you'll meet father and try to explain yourself,' a text from her mother came.
'I'll do that but not now,' she replied.
Looking back from her past years, she couldn't even tell she was grateful or sad. She never knew emotions too well. She even hired Secretary Wan just to tell her between the emotions of the people inside her company. Yet, she wasn't learning. She must be a robot.
When the bus made its third stop, she went down and glanced around her. She marched towards the inside of a famous and elegant hotel. It wasn't hers, but her grandfather's. But as she walked to the private elevator, someone blocked her way.
It was one of the guards.
"What can I help you, ma'am?" guard said in an authoritative voice.
"Elevator."
"I'm sorry, but the elevator for the guests is there." He pointed the elevators where people are waiting for it to open. "This is solely for the executives of this hotel."
"Of course. But those elevators don't have the highest floor number, am I wrong?"
He scanned her suspiciously. "What is your appointment, miss?"
"Make way, please." A voice of a man cut their conversation and walked in between them. The familiar long trench coat caught Lucy's eyes.
Curioused, Drake looked back at the person whom he passed by and he was shocked to see the normal girl standing with its blank face on. He didn't forget what happened at Mrs. Seo's restaurant.
"Mr. Park," the guard greeted him. He nooded at him.
"Who is she?" he curiously asked.
"I don't know, sir but she's trying to get inside the private elevator."
Drake looked at Lucy. He could not mistaken that she was the person who did not pay for her order at Mrs. Seo's noodle house. She might be up for something suspicious inside their hotel, and even wanting to take the elevator.
He walked closer to her. "You, what are you doing here? From your looks, you can't afford to be here."
Lucy just looked at him with blank stares. It was really the person who she pushed away at the noddle house.
"Do you remember me? Are you here for doing a crime again? You did not pay for your order at the noodle house and now, you're trying to barge in a private elevator on a rich hotel, to do what?"
From Lucy's point of view, the man was stupid. Yes, he was wearing like an executive but his mouth was blabbering nonsense.
"She didn't pay?" the guard muttered.
"Let her out, Michael. She doesn't have any business here."
Like what he was told, Michael held Lucy's arm to drag her out of the hotel and Drake made his way. At that time, a familiar secretary came in and saw her that was about to drag out.
"Hey, hey!"
Michael stopped and greeted Mr. Lee's secretary. "Good morning, Mr. Lou."
"W-What are you doing with her?"
"She was making her way to the private elevator and was saying that she'd go to Mr. Lee's office," Michael explained.
"And you drag her?"
"Yes sir," Michael proudly nodded. "Since she was being suspicious."
"Let her go. If she's here to see Chairman Lee, let her be."
"B-But sir, Mr. Park suggested to get her out since she was acting suspicious. She didn't even pay her order at some restaurant and she's inside the hotel premises to might do something bad."
Mr. Lou couldn't grasp the situation and glanced at Lucy. "What?"
"Mr. Park misunderstood. I didn't know grandfather would hire someone stupid here," Lucy harshly told.
Michael was stunned on what she mentioned. "G-Grandfather?"
Mr. Lou looked at him and gestured for him to disappear. Still confused, he vanished in an instant and returned to his station.
"Miss Lucy, you came unannounced." He looked at her from top to toe. Seemingly ordinary clothes. "And you've been misunderstood because of your clothes."
"Is that really it? I don't care actually. No one know who am I so that guard, Michael was doing his job rightly. But not that Mr. Park."
"Mr. Park?" he nervously asked. "Is he the young Mr. Park?"
Lucy assessed Mr. Lou's tone and expression. "Why? A son of the wealthy Park family?"
Mr. Lou nodded lightly.
"I see. So, he's training here huh?"
"Yes."
"He got stupidity all over his brain," she boldly commented.
Mr. Lou didn't give his opinion instead, he's leading the way to the elevator.
"After you, Miss Lucy."
The elevator opened and the new familiar face once again showed. And the stupid look she saw again third time that day was still the same. Very consistent.
"Aren't you going out after just going up, Mr. Park?" she asked. "Perhaps, you're playing with the elevator?"
"H-H-How? You're supposed to be at the street right now---"
"Mr. Park, she's an important guest. Please hold your horse down," Mr. Lou interrupted.
Drake couldn't believe his ears on what Mr. Lou said. "What?"
He looked at the girl in front of him. An important guest of the hotel? But she didn't pay for that noodles Mrs. Seo diligently cooked for her. How could a normal clothed girl could be someone important? Was she trying to claim an illegal daughter of Lee's household?
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