"Mr. Yurin."
A soft, clear voice called from behind. I flinched, whipping around.
Zen. Hadn't he left? He leaned against the edge of the conference table, casually waiting until the room was completely emptied.
"Mr. Zen, please leave. Ren will get suspicious," I whispered, glancing at the door in panic.
Zen didn't answer. He closed the distance between us swiftly and silently. His crisp scent washed over me again. Reaching into his inner suit pocket, he retrieved a small box.
"Take this." He caught my hand, pressing the object into my palm.
"What is this?" I whispered, my voice trembling.
"A new phone," he whispered. His warm breath ghosted against my neck. "Hide it well. It has grade encryption. He cannot wiretap it or trace the GPS."
"Use it to contact me when you reach your limit."
I stared down at the black box, hesitating. This was treason. If Ren caught me, I couldn't fathom the punishment that would follow.
"Keep it, Yurin." Zen wrapped his hand over mine, squeezing gently to offer reassurance.
"Do not allow him to sever you from the outside world. If he succeeds, you will never escape this cage."
The prospect of escape struck a chord deep within my chest. It was the freedom I had hungered for.
"Th-Thank you." I shoved the box deep into the pocket of my slacks.
"Please go. Before anyone sees."
Zen offered a faint smile before doing the unthinkable. He raised his hand, his thumb lightly wiping away a smudge of ink from my cheek. The touch was so gentle I forgot to breathe.
"Make sure you eat. You are wasting away, you know."
He pulled back and silently exited the room. Leaving nothing but his crisp scent and a lingering flutter in my chest.
I stood frozen in the middle of the boardroom. My heart hammered wildly against my ribs. I clutched the pocket concealing the phone.
My very first secret. Pressing it against my body sparked a bizarre, intoxicating thrill. Like a captive bird hiding the key to its cage beneath its wing. Just biding its time until its wings grew strong enough to fly to the edge of the world.
But right now, I had to play my part. I had to deceive the executioner.
I walked back to the office on trembling legs. Not from exhaustion, but from the tiny, rectangular object resting in my pocket. It seared against my thigh like a burning coal, threatening to ignite me at any second.
Zen's phone.
I slipped into the private restroom attached to the office—thankfully, Ren hadn't returned from the reception hall yet. I locked the door, meticulously checking the latch. My heart pounded against my ribs. With trembling fingers, I pulled the box out and frantically tore the plastic seal.
Inside lay a sleek, matte black smartphone. Compact and incredibly thin.
I powered it on. The screen illuminated, displaying a vibrant yellow sunflower wallpaper. A flower that always faces the sun—a symbol of hope and unwavering patience.
A single number was saved in the contacts. The caller ID read: 'My Savior'.
My heart skipped a beat. It was an incredibly bold alias for Zen to use. But this was no time to dwell on romance. I had to hide it.
Somewhere, Ren would never look.
In my pocket? No. Ren frequently grabbed me and invaded my pockets whenever he picked a fight.
In my desk drawer? No, he routinely rifled through my belongings.
My briefcase? Out of the question. The risk was far too high.
I scanned the room in a panic. Cold sweat beaded along my hairline. Then, my eyes darted to my black dress socks.
An idea struck.
I sat on the toilet lid and kicked off my polished leather shoes. I pulled down my left sock, sliding the razor-thin device flush against my inner ankle. I pulled the sock back up, securing it, and smoothed down my slacks.
The cold metal pressed uncomfortably against my flesh. It would chafe when I walked. But it was entirely imperceptible beneath the straight cut of my trousers.
"Stay here... Do not make a sound. Please," I silently prayed.
I hastily straightened my clothes and checked my reflection. Drawing in a deep, steadying breath, I stepped out of the restroom and sat at my desk. I buried my head in the mountain of paperwork, pretending absolutely nothing had happened.
Bang!
The office door was yanked open so hard the doorknob crashed against the wall.
I jumped, the documents in my hands scattering across the floor.
Ren stormed into the room. The atmosphere around him was dark, like a brewing hurricane.
He didn't head to his desk. He marched straight toward me in the corner!
"Stand up!" he roared, rattling the glass walls.
I scrambled to my feet, trembling, my legs weak.
"Y-Yes? Mr. President..."
Ren stood inches away. He leaned in, crudely sniffing my shoulder and the crook of my neck.
"What did you do?" he asked, his voice a chilling void.
"N-Nothing. I was just organizing files."
"Liar!"
His heavy hand clamped down on my shoulder. The crushing force made my bones ache.
"Why do you smell like him?! Like Zen! Why is his scent on you?!"
All the blood drained from my face, turning my veins to ice.
Right. When Zen leaned in. When he wiped my cheek. Or when he pressed the phone into my hand.
His cologne must have rubbed off.
"I... I don't know..." I tried to steady my voice, but it was nearly impossible.
"He might have walked past me during the meeting. Or the room was just crowded..."
"Stop your bullshit!"
Ren shoved my chest, sending me crashing against the filing cabinet.
His eyes swept over me, analyzing me like a high-powered explosive scanner.
"Did he give you something?" The question made my heart stop.
"Did you bring something back? Did he sneak something onto you?"
"No! Nothing!" I denied it vehemently, sweat breaking out across my skin. "He just said hello and walked away. I swear!"
"Then let me search you."
Ren sneered. His eyes glinted with the thrill of cornering his prey.
He closed the distance, trapping me against the cabinet. "Arms out."
I gritted my teeth and spread my arms in submission. The phone hidden in my left sock suddenly felt heavy like a thousand-pound lead weight.
Ren's large hands mapped my body. It wasn't a caress. It was a search. Stripping away my dignity like a common prisoner.
He patted my suit pockets... empty. He shoved his hands into my slacks, feeling around, only finding crumpled tissues.
His hands trailed down my thighs. My calves. And then, his hands stopped at my ankles.
My breath caught. The entire world seemed to go dark.
"Why does this pant leg look weird?" he asked, frowning.
His hand slid down toward my left ankle. Right where the phone was hidden!
"A-Ah!"
I took a desperate gamble. I cried out and collapsed onto the floor. I grabbed my ankle, contorting my face in agony.
"It hurts. It hurts..."
Ren paused, his hand inches from the phone. "What is wrong with you?"
"I-I sprained my ankle," I forced actual tears to well up in my eyes.
"When you shoved me earlier. I think I twisted it."
I looked up at him, mustering the most pitiful, pleading gaze I could manage.
"It hurts so much... Ren... It hurts."
Ren stared at me, his eyes clouded with hesitation and distrust. He looked down at the ankle I was tightly gripping, then back to my tear-stained face.
Silence descended. A life-or-death moment that stretched on for an eternity. If he pulled my hands away, the game was over. I was dead.
But finally, he let out a frustrated sigh.
"You are pathetic."
He stood up, dusting off his hands in disgust. "It's just a sprained ankle. Don't make a scene."
He backed down! He stopped searching! I let out a silent sigh of relief, practically worshiping my newly discovered survival instinct.
"Get up and get back to work," Ren ordered. He walked back and dropped heavily into his executive chair.
"And tonight, scrub yourself clean. Scrub until that bastard's scent is completely gone. If I smell him on you again, I will personally scrub it off you myself, even if it leaves you bleeding."
"...Yes, sir," I replied softly.
I slowly pulled myself up, feigning a limp as I made my way back to my desk.
I brushed my hand lightly against my left ankle. The hard outline of the phone was still there. It was safe. And my secret was safe.
I glanced over at Ren, who was glaring at his computer screen. The corner of my lip twitched upward in a faint smile.
This was the first time I felt like I had beaten him. Even if it was just a small victory in a game of lies. It proved that Ren wasn't omniscient. And this cage... possessed a flaw I could absolutely exploit to escape.