Chapter 1 New CEO

The morning sun is shining brightly today. A sturdy and handsome young man enters the office area, one of the buildings belonging to him. His name is King Elwood, commonly known as King, a 27-year-old biracial American-Indonesian man.

Today marks his inauguration as the new CEO of his father's company, where his father is currently the owner. He heads to a spacious hall filled with several company executives who are witnessing his appointment as the CEO of Quality Corporation.

The welcoming speech begins with Mr. Roland Elwood, the owner and King's father. Applauses echo in the room, and congratulatory flower bouquets start appearing, sent by colleagues from Quality Corporation.

However, this feels tedious to King; he wants to escape this place quickly. He never desired this position; he wants freedom and doesn't want to be burdened with corporate affairs. But due to his father's unquestionable command, he reluctantly accepts it.

After the CEO's inauguration event, he enters his office. King is seen lounging on the sofa, playing games on his phone. Standing beside him is a young man named Juyan, his bodyguard.

"Man, let me know if Roland comes in here," he says to Juyan.

"Sure, young master," Juyan responds promptly. Unbeknownst to them, Mr. Roland suddenly enters the CEO's room.

"King, what are you doing?" King is startled and sits up on the sofa. He glares at Juyan, who instantly becomes nervous.

"Your father appointed you as CEO to enhance our company, not to make it chaotic. When will you grow up?" Mr. Roland scolds angrily. But King smirks, scratching his non-itchy head.

"Do you know how hard your late grandfather worked to build this company? Please focus enough on your games. Remember, you're almost thirty," he adds.

"Oh, come on, Dad, your son is only twenty-seven. There are still three more years until thirty; you should get your facts right," King retorts nonchalantly.

"Be quiet!" Mr. Roland snaps in frustration. Suddenly, King's phone rings; it's his mother calling. He answers the call.

"Hello, my dear mom, yes, Mom, Dad is making a fuss again. I'll handle it, okay, Mom? Love you so much." King ends the call. Despite his rebellious nature, he deeply loves his mother and obeys her every word, Mrs. Yesi.

Once Mr. Roland leaves his office, King starts inspecting the room. Then he says, "Juyan, redesign this room; it's so outdated. I want an interior that suits my style; you know, we're still young."

Juyan immediately presents several luxurious interior designs to King, but none capture his interest.

"Why does everything look so outdated? It's not my style at all!" he grumbles.

"Young master, what do you want, then?" Juan asks, confused.

"I want the interior of my office to be one of a kind in the world. Advertise it extensively online, and find an interior designer who can transform this room's atmosphere."

"Instruct them to submit their designs and offer the highest price to the winner," King elaborates.

"Understood, young master," Juyan replies and promptly carries out King's instructions.

Juyan creates an online ad and spreads it. Within five minutes, the ad had been viewed by almost a million people, and several designers started submitting their designs.

Currently, King is resting in a room resembling a mini apartment within the office premises, directly connected to the CEO's office. The room is quite spacious, containing a bedroom, a bathroom, a dining area, a living room, and a small pantry to serve meals.

His voice echoes from inside the mini apartment, "Juyan!" Upon hearing his boss's shout, Juyan quickly enters the room.

"Ready, sir!" he says.

"Is this a home or a chicken coop? It's so messy. Redesign this room too, offer an exorbitant price for the redesign," King commands.

"Sir. I'll get it done," Juyan says. King opens the curtains of transparent glass windows, revealing a bustling view of Jakarta city. The CEO's office is located on the top floor.

"I want to take a nap. If someone is looking for me, find a good excuse. I'm feeling lazy. If it's urgent, ask Wina to handle it first," King instructs.

"Understood, sir. I'll handle it!" Juyan replies confidently.

Juyan exits the mini apartment and heads to the CEO's office. He adds the modifications requested by King and then posts the details online. Afterwards, he contacts Wina to enter the CEO's office. The room is spacious, with two working desks, one for King and another for himself.

King doesn't like anyone else sharing his office except for Juyan, his best friend and personal bodyguard. It's a strict requirement set by his father before appointing him as CEO. Wina acts as Juyan's secretary; anything related to the King must go through Juyan, not directly to the King.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Juyan," Wina's voice is heard.

"Come in," he says. Wina enters the CEO's room, looking around to find King. She's secretly captivated by King's handsomeness. Juyan notices her behaviour and immediately warns her.

"Mrs. Wina, please focus on your work here and don't expect more. If you want to have a long career in this office," he says sharply, staring at Wina.

Wina is instantly captivated by Juyan. She thinks,

"I shouldn't disturb the boss, but maybe I can tease his bodyguard," then she smiles at Juyan and says, "Yes, Juyan's bodyguard."

Juyan shivers; apparently, Wina's smile is deadly.

"Oh, you shameless flirt," he mutters under his breath. He quickly orders her to leave the room.

Wina leaves the room, her heart pounding. She's not usually bold enough to flirt with men, but she feels compelled to protect herself as a widow. If she's known as flirtatious, nobody would want her; that's what Wina, the single mother, thinks after her husband leaves her.

King is still awake, but suddenly, he murmurs a woman's name. He appears to be in intense pain, his body covered in cold sweat.

"Gladis ... don't leave me ... I beg you ... Gladis ... give me a chance to change everything ... Gladis ... no ... don't go ..." Juyan, busy on his laptop, rushes into the mini apartment upon hearing King's heart-wrenching screams.

Juyan entered the room and saw King drenched in sweat all over his body. He gently woke him up. "Young master, are you okay?" King instantly woke up from his dream and sat up on the bed.