ERIC

Likes of him? Eric watched the girl's dark locks whip through the air as she walked away, her graceful movements at odds with the sharpness in her stride. It had been nine years since he'd been on a date. Nine years. He couldn't believe it himself now that he thought about it. So busy climbing the ladder in a world where others had a higher starting point, he never really felt the need for romantic company before.

But, although tonight wasn't technically a date, he'd still enjoyed it. For the first time in a long time, he found himself wishing time would slow down, savoring each second of her presence—each second of their exchange. The way her eyes sparkled with defiance, the way she'd sat down with that sharp, confident look, every word she spoke leaving a mark.

When he found out the girl had a case of mistaken identity, it hadn't crossed his mind for a second that he should correct her. Watching her sashay into Garcia Lorren in jeans, then sass a complete stranger without a hint of hesitation, had been oddly refreshing.

Unlike the other billionaires who had everything handed to them—Eric had worked his way up from the very bottom. His success had required single-minded focus, leaving little room for anything else. Two years ago, when he could finally breathe after bringing the company to its peak, he realized how far he'd come.

But despite all his achievements, Eric still preferred normal women. The ones who weren't obsessed with their own reflection in the mirror. The ones who didn't care about status or who could get them the next best deal. The women who weren't surrounded by sycophants trying to manipulate their every word. And that was probably why he had been so attracted to her—this girl in jeans, who didn't try to impress anyone.

But as he thought about it more, he was beginning to think she wasn't much different after all. Another girl with no real personality, so dependent on daddy that she'd be willing to marry a complete stranger.

She seemed forced to do it though! A voice in him, still pulsing with the raw attraction he had felt for her, tried to argue otherwise.

But he ignored that voice. The one waking up between his legs. He usually ignored that one.

Sighing, he walked back to his seat, his thoughts still lingering on the girl with the long, dark hair and piercing gaze.

He adjusted his golden tie before checking his watch. Noah was never on time, not once in his life. Eric had even had an impromptu date with a stranger, and Noah was still 'on the way.' It made Eric chuckle despite himself.

Eric considered Noah the most lax CEO he had ever had the displeasure of working with. Not that he'd worked with any other CEO.

They were in college when Eric had the idea for the company. Noah had just inherited a small shipping business, and together with their friends Seok and Tyler, they had founded what was today C-Scale Corporation—a luxurious cruise company that started from a dingy workroom they called their office.

Eric knew the strengths of his friends. He knew where they could get funding, knew what strategies they needed to compete with established cruise lines that had been thriving for generations. He was the brain behind the company, the Chief Strategy Officer. Noah was the charmer, the one who could smooth-talk anyone. He was the only person who had ever made Eric work harder for his business scholarship back in college, losing to him twice.

So, it was no surprise when Eric had asked Noah to be the CEO. Together, they'd created the most successful partnership in the corporate world. It was a partnership Eric would be tempted to break if Noah was late by even a second more.

To distract himself, Eric peered out the large windows at the view below. The city sprawled all the way to the Peren hills, with its mix of high-rise buildings and wealth. It wasn't just populous—it had some of the wealthiest people in the world. People who would pay the exorbitant prices for his cruise lines just to be associated with the prestige of them.

He glanced at the attendant from earlier, who was biting his lip as if carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. Not just him, but all the employees seemed stressed. Eric knew his presence was the one causing it. After all, he owned the entire chain of Garcia Lorren hotels.

"You didn't tell me you were coming," his friend Seok said with a smile as he sat across from him. His black hair fell over his forehead in what should've been a ridiculous look for a man, but somehow, Seok made it work. Baek Min Seok, David Baek—his real name, but to his friends, he was Seok. He'd come to the U.S. on a student visa ten years ago. Eric was the first to notice his business acumen despite his average grades in college.

As one of the founders of C-Scale, Seok had worked his ass off until the company went public four years ago. After that, he'd opened his own hotel management firm, using the fortune he'd saved up. Eric had signed him as his first client, locking him into a decade-long contract.

"Do I need to inform you before coming to my own hotel?" Eric smirked, "...which, by the way, you should be busy managing. Why aren't you at the office?"

"It's 8 p.m.! Besides, your hotels aren't doing so bad that I need to pull all-nighters," Seok exclaimed, unbuttoning his suit and reclining in his seat.

"Not so bad? I hired your company so they would do great," Eric jabbed with a grin.

"Bullying him again?" he heard the voice of the most annoying person in his life.

"Be thankful it's not you. My jabs might not remain verbal if you were the subject," Eric replied curtly.

Noah gave him his signature dimpled smile as he sat beside him. "I know I'm late. I'm sorry. But it's hard to focus on work when you have a cute girlfriend."

"Are you sure you should be telling me that? I'm going to be appointed Chairman by the Board soon. I might fire you for being incompetent."

"Are you seriously considering it?" Noah asked.

"Firing you? Yes."

Seok chuckled while Noah gave him a deadpanned look. "You know what I mean."

"I've done what I could as an executive," Eric shrugged. "I've created strategies that'll sustain the growth of the corporation for at least a decade more. Besides, I find a chairman's job very fulfilling—protecting the interests of the shareholders."

Noah scoffed. "Do you think we don't know that you bought back most of the shares? You're the largest shareholder of C-Scale Corp."

"So basically, he means protecting his own interests," Seok laughed.

"And mine, 'cause they're linked," his friend, Tyler, said from behind him.

Eric turned around in surprise. "I thought you wouldn't leave your home even if it caught fire. Who managed to pull you out?"

"Noah asked me to come. It had been a while since we all met together," Tyler said, not meeting Eric's eye as he took a seat beside Seok.

It was obvious Tyler hadn't shaved in a week. He wore casual clothes much like another anomaly Eric had met before. His unruly brown hair was cut uneven as if he had done it himself. Anyone who saw Tyler would think he was a homeless man, an unemployed waste of space.

Eric liked to be by himself too, but Tyler was painfully shy. During college, he used to hide away in the dorms when he wasn't lurking around in a corner of the class. If Eric wasn't his roommate, he might have never recognized the gleam that he covered with his baggy outfits.

For Tyler was a genius with great insight. He knew a company would fall even if it seemed to be making huge profits. He knew a small company with barely ten employees would rise to become a conglomerate. He was one of a kind in the financial world. And Eric was so glad Tyler decided to put his trust in him all those years ago to be the final founding member. Although he withdrew from management in only a year's time, he had contributed to their growth in his own way.

Eric knew that Tyler didn't like to deal with people, even more than him. While Eric could put up with social situations if they demanded it, Tyler would tear up if he was forced to be somewhere he didn't want to be. But he had great skills in managing finances. Even as a student he had made substantial money by trading stocks alone. So, Eric as well as Noah and Seok had trusted him with all their assets which he managed with great finesse. They owed most of the money they made to him. It was a full-time job and since he didn't like working for firms, his eyes were practically glued to the computer screen all day as he watched the stocks and their assets alone.

"I'm starving," Noah said, gesturing for the waitress. She appeared, her blonde hair pinned tightly behind her head, eyes shining with professionalism. "What may I get you, sir?"

Noah gave his order, with Seok chiming in occasionally. Eric wasn't hungry. His only interest lay in the wine, so he ordered the most expensive bottle on the menu. Though he told himself that the girl wasn't anything special, that he wasn't the type of guy who regretted being open, his heart still felt heavy after being rejected earlier in the night.

His straightforward personality and unshakable conviction had brought him this far in life. He wasn't about to change himself after one rejection, especially by someone he had only met that day. But that didn't mean it hurt any less. He hadn't asked a woman out in so long. To get such a scathing response... it stung. He shuddered.

"And sir, would you like me to arrange an extra seat for the lady from before?" the waitress asked, eager to please.