The following day, the cousins were immediately swept up in their respective corporate duties. This was also the very first day Cariz would set foot inside the main corporate building of the Monteriel Group.
"Welcome to the Monteriel Executive Tower!" Elena greeted warmly, shaking Cariz's hand the moment they arrived.
Kenzii had headed straight to his designated office floor after receiving his morning schedule from Elena, leaving instructions for his secretary to show Cariz around and explain everything she needed to know.
"Kenzii asked me to give you a tour of the company, so shall we get started?" Elena added with a smile.
"Ah, s-sure… Is this entire building his company?" Cariz asked, her brows furrowing in utter disbelief.
Elena's eyes widened for a split second before she burst into amusement. "Oh, no, of course not! Though he holds a major position here, he doesn't own the entire thing. The Monteriel Group is a massive conglomerate composed of multiple large institutions and businesses. Every single member of their family has a part of the company."
"They are actually this rich?" Cariz whispered in awe, trailing behind Elena as they walked toward the elevator banks.
"They really are, and this building is just a small fraction of the wealth they possess," Elena replied as the elevator doors slid shut.
Cariz was completely starstruck as they stepped out onto various floors. Elena guided her through the different departments, offering practical tips and explaining the essential duties of a personal assistant. Eventually, their tour led them to the floor dedicated entirely to executive boardrooms and high-level meeting halls.
"Since you are Kenzii's personal assistant, you will be accompanying him almost everywhere. It is very important for you to learn his specific preferences, what he likes, and what he absolutely won't tolerate—"
"Watch where you are going," a sharp, arrogant voice cut Elena off.
Elena's eyes widened in sudden panic. She instantly bowed her head, stepping back while quickly pulling Cariz down with her to do the same.
"I am incredibly sorry, sir," Elena apologized quickly.
The man simply looked down at her, rolling his eyes in absolute disgust. "Of course, it's Kenzii's secretary. Who else could it be? Like boss, like secretary," he sneered, dramatically brushing off his shoulder where Elena had accidentally bumped into. His arrogant gaze then drifted over to the unfamiliar girl standing beside her, slowly scanning Cariz's face.
A sweet, innocent face, huh? he thought, a predatory smirk playing on his lips. He stepped closer and reached out, intending to forcefully grab Cariz by the chin to lift her face up toward him.
"And who might you be?" he asked smoothly. But before his fingers could even graze her skin, a powerful hand violently slapped his arm away, shoving both women safely behind him
"Learn your place and know your limits," Kenzii said, his voice entirely devoid of life as he stared coldly at his cousin.
The man let out a bitter scoff, forcing a loud laugh. "Well, look who we have here. The little devil—oh, or should I just say the devil himself?" he mocked, trying to get a reaction.
"Stop your pathetic nonsense, brat. You shouldn't be flaunting your garbage personality in these halls," Kenzii replied evenly, before casting a brief glance back at the two women. "The two of you can head up to my office floor now." Elena nodded instantly, eager to escape.
"Na-ah, don't be so rude, cuz. I just wanted to get acquainted with your new... little friend here," he smirked, eyeing Cariz from head to toe. "Is she your girl? Because if she's not, maybe I can—"
His words died in his throat as Kenzii aggressively grabbed him by the collar, dragging him close until his lips were right against the man's ear.
"Watch your words, Nikko. You really won't like what happens if you make me angry," Kenzii whispered, his voice dangerously low. He pulled back just enough to lock eyes with him.
Nikko instinctively stumbled backward, his face turning pale with sheer terror. For a terrifying split second, Kenzii's eyes had turned entirely black, swallowing his sclera whole until the natural whites of his eyes completely vanished.
"Y-You fucking monster," Nikko choked out in a panicked whisper. Shaking with fear, he took a few more hurried steps back before quickly spinning on his heel and disappearing into one of the meeting halls.
Kenzii closed his eyes, taking a deep, controlled breath to calm his racing dark energy before turning back around to face the women.
"I'm sorry you had to deal with that. Please proceed to my office floor, Elena. You can continue training Cariz up there; I have a board meeting to attend," Kenzii said, a gentle, reassuring smile returning to his face as he turned and walked toward the executive boardroom.
Elena and Cariz arrived on Kenzii's designated floor, which housed the Department of Brand Heritage and Visual Arts. Elena walked Cariz through the floor, introducing her to the creative team and staff members working directly under Kenzii. Afterward, she led Cariz into her new workspace—a private desk setup situated right inside Kenzii's spacious office, positioned conveniently near the main door.
"Miss Elena," Cariz called out softly just as the secretary was about to leave the room.
"Yes? Is something wrong?"
"That man from earlier... Nikko. Is h-he really Kenzii's cousin?"
Elena let out a heavy, exhausted sigh, dropping into one of the guest chairs across the desk. "Sadly, yes. He has an incredibly rotten personality. Literally everyone in this building hates dealing with him because he's unbelievably disrespectful, arrogant, and entitled."
"Do he and Kenzii fight like that often?" Cariz asked, her concern deepening.
"Yes. He always targets Kenzii for some reason, though our boss usually does his best to ignore him." Elena paused, noticing the intense, worried look on Cariz's face, and a playful smirk tugged at her lips. "Hmm, you seem awfully curious about him. Tell me the truth, you have a crush on Kenzii, don't you?"
"N-no, I don't!" Cariz quickly denied, shaking her head vigorously as a deep blush crept up her neck. Elena simply laughed at her reaction.
"Oh, don't even try to deny it! The bright red blush on your face tells the whole story," Elena teased, waving her hand casually. "Besides, can anyone blame you? With how breathtakingly handsome Kenzii is, it's impossible not to notice. Plus, he's incredibly kind, quiet, and deeply caring underneath it all. Any girl would easily fall for him." Elena sighed dramatically, a dreamy smile on her face, causing Cariz to pout playfully.
"So, does that mean you like him too?" Cariz asked, arching an eyebrow.
Elena snapped out of her playful trance, bursting into a loud laugh. "Goodness, no! What are you talking about? Just how old do you think I am?" she giggled, striking a playful model pose.
Cariz narrowed her eyes, examining Elena's youthful features carefully. "Hmm... twenty-five?"
Elena laughed loudly, shaking her head. "Nope, higher!"
"Twenty-seven?" Cariz guessed again. When Elena shook her head a second time, Cariz sighed with a smile. "Alright, I give up. How old are you really?"
"I'm thirty. I actually just turned thirty last week, and I'm already a mother to a beautiful child. So it is absolutely impossible for me to look at Kenzii that way. To me, he honestly just feels like a younger brother."
"Woah, seriously? You look like you're exactly my age! You look so incredibly young," Cariz pointed out in genuine astonishment.
Elena playfully brushed her shoulder, giving an amused smirk. "What can I say? It's the perks of good genes."
Main Executive Board Room I
Inside the grand executive boardroom, the high-stakes meeting was well underway. The members of the Monteriel family sat in focused silence, listening intently to a detailed corporate presentation being delivered by Rojah (Roha), Kenzii's third cousin, Gustavo's oldest grandson and the brilliant, compassionate CEO of the family's Healthcare Institution.
"Therefore, the proposed initial budget for this expansion project is estimated at roughly 8.5 Billion Pesos," Rojah concluded, clicking through his slides as he laid out the comprehensive master plan for the Monteriel Medical Center - Cancer & Innovation Hub. "This capital allocation will fully fund the advanced state-of-the-art construction, the acquisition of cutting-edge oncological equipment, and the recruitment of top international medical specialists."
Don Hidalgo, the Chairman sitting at the head of the long boardroom table, leaned forward, his sharp eyes locking onto his grandson at the center of the room. "And what is your projected timeline for the return on investment? That's a bunch of money, Rojah."
"The facility is structurally expected to break even within approximately 4.5 years, Don Hidalgo," Rojah answered confidently, adjusting his slides. "Following that period, we project a steady 22% annual profit margin growth for the healthcare sector."
"Hmm. You truly possess a deep passion for helping humanity, don't you?" Don Sebastain murmured, a rare, faint softening visible in his weathered expression.
While Don Gustavo was all smiles at the new project passed by his grandchild, just by the reaction of his two siblings, the project was already a sure thing.
Rojah offered a warm, modest smile. "I simply want to give our patients a fighting chance to live longer, healthier lives with the people they love."
"I am incredibly proud of you, grandson. Keep up the magnificent work," Don Hidalgo announced, breaking into a proud applause. "Make sure our family board members receive a full physical copy of this investment proposal. We will review the finer logistics, and if necessary, I might even increase your budget to expand this noble cause further."
Following the elder's lead, the entire room erupted into enthusiastic applause.
Everyone clapped—except Kenzii.
Kenzii kept his head bowed, his hands resting motionless on the table, his eyes locked onto the printed words of his cousin's noble project proposal. A heavy, suffocating weight settled deep within his chest, and though he tried to suppress it, a bitter sense of raw envy bled through his soul.
It wasn't a petty jealousy over the praise his grandfather freely gave, nor was it envy over the admiration of the family board members surrounding him. It was a heartbreaking envy of his cousin's fundamental purpose in life. Unlike him, Rojah possessed a pure, unblemished soul—a man whose daily work extended a hand of hope, breathing life back into desperate people.
Meanwhile, what did Kenzii do? He was forced to ruthlessly snuff lives out.
If compared under the light of reality, Rojah was a saving angel, while Kenzii was a monster lurking in the dark. And that was his tragic truth. He couldn't build centers for life; he was merely a trained assassin tied to the family.
"Hey, you good?" Kenzii snaps back to reality when Sota taps his shoulder. "Don't think about it, I'm proud of you, and if not because of you all of us will be rotten in hell." Sota knows his cousin very well, there's no emotion of Kenzii that will pass his observant eyes. And that made Kenzii smile.