Forbidden Desire of the CEO

Jane was still euphoric despite the thirty-hour journey from Brazil to South Korea. Everything was new to her, and she hadn't been able to sleep for a minute. She had never been on a plane or even traveled anywhere, and the first time was on a long trip that would change her whole life. She looked at her sketchbook once again, admiring the portfolio that got her a scholarship at one of Korea's most renowned colleges, still not believing that she was there. She grew up with her grandmother who had recently passed away because she lost her parents when she was a child. When she lost her grandmother, she was totally alone in Brazil and saw no point in staying there. Her aunt had lived and worked in Korea for over twenty years and always wanted her to come there, but it would be very difficult to get a work visa for someone without qualifications, so when she saw the Global Korean Scholarship, she knew it was her chance to get a visa and be able to study and work in Korea.   

Her aunt, Amelia, had been working for the Park family for fifteen years and was now working for the eldest son of the family. So, when she recommended her to his wife, there was no hesitation about hiring her. Everything was perfect because this job required her to live there and that would guarantee that, as well as a salary, she would also have a home and food. Her aunt was very discreet and didn't tell her much about the couple she would be working for. She had just made her promise that she wouldn't fall in love with the owner of the house because, according to her, he was very handsome. She always had principles and would never be interested in a married man, so she was sure that wouldn't be a problem.   

She got off the plane and was finally on Korean soil. She was excited to see her aunt after all this time. After all, she was now the only family she had. She picked up her bags and after passing through immigration, she went out the main gate trying to find the exit. Everything was so modern and clean that she was sure she was a long way from Brazil. She had been studying Korean for over a year on her own, and she was still struggling to read Hangul. She was trying to locate herself until she heard a voice that, until then, she only heard over the phone.  

"Jane, you look huge, darling! So beautiful! Come here!" said her aunt, enveloping her in a warm hug. Jane couldn't help but shed tears, feeling like she had a family again.

"Aunt Amelia! I thought you wouldn't be able to pick me up," Jane said, staring at her, still surprised by her presence.

"I thought I wouldn't be able to either, but Mistress Park was so excited about your arrival that she gave me the rest of the day off and had the driver bring me here to pick you up," Aunt Amelia explained.

"What a wonderful boss! I haven't even met her and I already love her!" Jane exclaimed.

"Yeah," Aunt Amelia's smile seemed to fade a little, surprising Jane.

"What's the matter, auntie? Isn't she wonderful?" Jane asked, trying to understand her reaction.

"No, it's not that. I don't have any complaints about her. On the contrary, she's very nice to all the staff, but she's not so nice to Mister Park," Aunt Amelia revealed.

"Her own husband? Why?" Jane's curiosity was piqued as they walked through the airport.

"She was forced into marriage by her parents, and she never liked Mister Park. She's very cold towards him even though he was affectionate towards her," Aunt Amelia explained.

"Well, that's between them, isn't it? If she's nice to the staff, that's all that matters," Jane remarked.

"Yes, I'm glad you think so. I'm just worried about all this attention she's giving you, you know. She asked some strange questions," Aunt Amelia expressed her concern.

"What kind of questions?" Jane inquired.

"If you were pretty, if you were single. She seemed a bit too interested," Aunt Amelia elaborated.

"She might have asked because she was jealous of her husband," Jane suggested.

"I don't know, as I said, she doesn't like him. Anyway, it's probably just my head. Yeah, let's not worry about it. The important thing now is that I'm going to be close to you, you're going to study art, which is what you love, and soon you'll be a famous artist! Never give up on your dreams!" Aunt Amelia encouraged.

"Never, auntie!" Jane affirmed.

"Now let's go! You must be tired and hungry. I've prepared some Brazilian food from Minas Gerais that was your grandmother's recipe!" Aunt Amelia exclaimed.

"How delicious! It's all I need!" Jane exclaimed gratefully.

She helped Jane with her bags, and they headed towards the car that would take them to the Park mansion.

"Jane, this is JinWoo. He's the mansion's driver, and he's also the baby of the house," Aunt Amelia introduced.

"Don't talk like that or the girl will think I'm spoiled," JinWoo interjected playfully.

"Aren't you?" Aunt Amelia teased.

"It's nice to meet you, Jane, and welcome to Korea! You can call me Jin!" JinWoo greeted warmly.

"Thank you, Jin, it's my pleasure!" Jane responded with a smile.

She soon realized that her aunt seemed to love him like a son, and she liked him right away. She stared out of the window as the beautiful Seoul scenery took her attention away from what her aunt was saying. She couldn't believe she was there, after working so hard in Brazil to save money for her ticket. She has always worked in a family home from a very young age, so this was nothing new for her. When they got a little further away from the busiest areas, they passed a large golden automatic gate, which opened as soon as Jin pressed a button while still in the car. When they entered the property, and she caught a glimpse of the mansion, she almost fell backwards. The place was huge, and the landscape was beautiful.  

"What a beautiful house! How can it be so big?" Jane exclaimed in awe.

"You haven't seen anything. There are two swimming pools, one outside and one inside which is heated, a sauna, a hot tub, six bedrooms, a party area, a movie theater, and that's not counting the servants' bedrooms, which are in a less busy area of the house," her aunt replied, painting a picture of the mansion's grandeur.

"My God, how do you manage all this?" Jane wondered aloud.

"Of course, I don't do everything myself. There's a gardener, a pool attendant, a cook, and some maids who come during the day and leave at night," her aunt explained.

"So, of all the employees, only the two of us will be living in the mansion?" Jane clarified.

"Yes! It used to be just me, but when I explained the situation to Mistress Park, she was more than happy to welcome you here," her aunt revealed.

"She seems nice!" Jane remarked.

"Nice? The woman is the devil!" Jin's young voice interjected from the vehicle, causing her aunt to scold him through the rearview mirror.

"Watch your mouth, boy!" her aunt reprimanded Jin.

"I'm sorry, Mistress Amelia, but I can't like her because of what she does to Mister Park," Jin persisted.

"Keep quiet, boy, it's none of your business!" her aunt shut him down.

"But everyone sees that," Jin attempted to continue, only to be interrupted by her aunt.

"You didn't see anything! First lesson for working in other people's homes. You must pretend you don't see anything wrong that your bosses do," her aunt warned Jane, who immediately defended herself.

"Me? If they pay my salary, she can do what she likes with her life," Jane declared.

"That's right, my child! We stay out of the boss's business. Now let's get inside! Jin, help with the bags," her aunt directed.

He takes one of her suitcases and she takes the other. They soon entered the mansion through the back door, and she could already smell the wonderful aroma coming from the kitchen.

"My God, auntie, is that the smell of chicken with okra?" Jane asked excitedly.

"Could it be anything else?" her aunt's humorous reply elicited a smile from Jane.

Her mouth filled with water as she remembered her grandmother's favorite food.

"My God, I'd thought about taking a bath before eating, but I don't think I can wait," Jane exclaimed.

"Then sit down to eat, my child! Jin, take her bags to the room next to mine and come back for some food too!" her aunt instructed.

"With pleasure," Jin responded enthusiastically.

He left almost running, taking her bags with him, and she sat down at the round wooden table in the kitchen, while her aunt filled her plate with food that she quickly savored.

"Yumi, just like grandma used to make!" Jane complimented the food.

"And who do you think I learned it from?" her aunt teased.

Jin came back, and his aunt soon served him a plate too, and they all dug into their meal without much conversation, too preoccupied with eating.

"Are you starting college tomorrow?" her aunt inquired.

"Yes! Tomorrow is my first day at the Korean College of Arts," Jane answered excitedly, and Jin seemed to be more excited than she was.

"I can't believe it! My brother Eunji is studying there too! I'll introduce you tomorrow and ask him to help you there, so you won’t feel so lost anymore!" Jin offered, and she smiled gratefully.

"Really? If it's not too much trouble, I'd love to, because I was already imagining myself lost and alone there tomorrow!" Jane admitted.

"It's no trouble at all! I'm sure my brother will love meeting such a beautiful girl," Jin said, causing Jane to blush.

"All right then, tomorrow before class I'll ask him to come and pick you up!" Jin promised.

"Thank you so much!" Jane expressed her gratitude.

They continued eating and laughing until a beautiful woman who looked like she'd just stepped off the cover of a magazine walked into the kitchen, and everyone stood up when they saw her coming, so Jane just imitated them by standing up too.

"Good evening, Mistress Park!" her aunt and Jin's voices sounded like a well-rehearsed chorus.

"Good evening!" Mistress Park greeted her with a smile.

She fixed her gaze on Jane and gave her a mischievous smile as she looked her up and down, while, without realizing it, Jane ended up doing the same. Her ensemble of a plaid blazer and skirt in shades of pastel pink seemed to scream how much money she had, and the delicate jewelry that adorned her slender wrists and neck only confirmed it. The woman was much younger than Jane had imagined, perhaps her age. Her porcelain skin was without a blemish, her naturally snub nose and arched eyebrows gave her a bold tone. But her pink lips and seemingly innocent gaze made her the perfect mix of sweet and sensual. She was quite thin, perhaps too much so if Jane thought of Brazilian standards, but when it came to Korea, she could say that she met all the standards they desired.

"Mistress Park, this is my niece, Jane!" her aunt introduced, looking anxious, analyzing every reaction of the woman who kept looking at her.

"What a beautiful girl! You were modest when you told me about her beauty! Welcome, Jane! I hope you'll be very happy in this house!" Mistress Park exclaimed with excitement in her eyes.

"Thank you, Mistress Park!" Jane replied gratefully.

"That will make me feel old. We're almost the same age. Call me Misun!" The woman suggested with a smile on her face, prompting her aunt to protest.

"No, Mistress Park, this treatment is fundamental in respect to our bosses. You are our boss and, regardless of your age, you should be treated with respect!" her aunt insisted.

"I appreciate that, and I know you're all respectful, but as well as being your boss, I also want Jane to see me as a friend! Jane, feel free to use the house as if it were your own! You can use the pools, the sauna, the movies! You can feel free to do whatever you want," Mistress Park offered generously.

"How generous of you, Mistress Park! Thank you so much for this opportunity! I promise to work hard to repay your generosity!" Jane expressed her gratitude sincerely.

"Oh, I'm sure you will! I've left the uniform separate for you on your bed. It should fit you a bit because you're a bit more voluptuous than I'd imagined from the photos I'd seen of you," Mistress Park commented, making Jane feel a bit self-conscious.

"If it's too small, she can wear one of mine," her aunt offered, but then Mistress Park's reaction didn't look good.

"NO!" Mistress Park exclaimed loudly, startling everyone. When she realized she was shouting, she smiled to cover it up.

"I mean, no, I don't want her to wear an old uniform. I had a beautiful dress made especially for her and I want her to wear it tomorrow!" Mistress Park clarified.

"Of course, Mistress Park, as you wish," her aunt agreed, even though her lips were frowning in a thin line.

"Mistress Amelia, I almost forgot, I made a list of things I want you to do tomorrow, so you'd better get some rest," Mistress Park said, smiling, but there was no warmth in her gaze, and Jane couldn't hide her discomfort.

"Yes, Mistress Park, I will do it first thing in the morning!" her aunt replied obediently.

"Very well, Jane, enjoy your meal, and I hope you feel at home here!" Mistress Park bid her farewell before leaving the kitchen.

"Thank you, Mistress Park!" Jane replied politely.

And then, just as she appeared, she left the kitchen, leaving everyone perplexed by the sudden appearance and departure of the owner of the house.

"What a beautiful woman! And so friendly!" Jane tried to break the tension and end the conversation, but Jin rolled his eyes, not hiding his disdain.

"You will change your mind, Jane, believe me!" Jin warned as he left the kitchen, leaving her alone with her aunt, who looked at her with a worried look.

"Pay no attention to what the boy said. He is just too attached to Mister Park and doesn't like seeing him suffer," her aunt reassured her.

"Well, I'm not going to pay attention to what he said. I just arrived here, and I want to focus on my studies and my work, not on people's private lives!" Jane declared firmly.

"That's right, my child! Now eat your dinner and rest, because tomorrow we have a lot to do!" her aunt reminded her.

Jane smiled and nodded as she picked up her fork and resumed eating, but she couldn't stop thinking about the strange reaction of her boss and Jin's strange words.

They finished dinner, and then she was able to take a long bath in the bathroom that faced their rooms. She'd been awake for many hours, and the journey had been very tiring. Although it wasn't very big, her room was comfortable with a comfy single bed, a wardrobe, and a television on the wall, as well as a small study table where she knew she would spend many of her free hours drawing. She picked up the uniform that was still in a plastic bag on the bed. She was too tired to look at it, so she just put it on the table and lay down on the bed, falling asleep almost immediately.  

Her cell phone woke her up the next day at half-past seven. She had thirty minutes to get ready and start work. She went into the bathroom with her uniform with her and when she had finished her toiletries, she tied her long, wavy black hair up in a bun and put on the clothes that Mistress Park had left on her bed. When she looked in the mirror, she almost couldn't believe it. The black dress with a f