Chloe was only five years older than Yohan, making her twenty-five. So even though Yohan was officially the manager of the massage parlor, she still viewed him as a clueless kid who didn't know anything about life. Maybe that had been true once—but not anymore.
Yohan grabbed her jaw firmly, catching her completely off guard.
"Don't ever speak to me like that again," he said, his voice cold and steady.
Chloe's eyes widened in shock. She stared at him, speechless.
It was the first time a man had ever confronted her like this—and it had to be Yohan of all people.
But his eyes weren't the ones she was used to. These carried a weight, a confidence that said he didn't care what she thought—or what she might do. There was no fear in his gaze, just quiet control.
She didn't respond until he let go and pushed her face away.
Her heart was racing. Was this really Yohan?
Gone was the awkward boy who used to come around every day hoping for a glimpse under her skirt, always smiling, always eager to please. Now, he looked at her like she didn't matter.
She clenched her jaw, rubbing it in disbelief. What the hell happened to the naive kid I saw just yesterday?
Maybe I should say something, she considered, but he technically owned the place. If he wanted to fire her, he could.
'Still… who gave him the right to talk to me like that?'
"Aren't you going to apologize?" Yohan asked, his tone sharp. "Or do you not like your job?"
"I—I'm sorry," she muttered after a pause, unable to meet his eyes.
"Where are the others?" he asked.
"I think they went out to get food," she answered.
"So, you all just left the place unattended?"
"I already told you—" she began, but his emotionless stare froze her words mid-sentence.
Just then, the other two workers walked in. A guy and a girl—Dave and Mia. They were chatting and laughing until they spotted Yohan.
"You two—where are you coming from?" he asked.
"Chill out, dude. We just went on break," Dave said as he brushed past Yohan with complete disregard.
Yohan smiled slightly. Maybe he deserved that. After all, he'd acted more like a kid than a boss until now. No one would take him seriously until he acted the part.
"Workers meeting. Now," he commanded.
It caught them off guard, but they followed him into one of the rooms.
These were the current staff—Dave, Chloe, and Mia. Unlike Dave and Chloe, who clearly felt like they were wasting their time here, Mia was more cooperative—maybe because she was the youngest.
They all had at least a year of training and experience, but based on the wellness book Yohan had been studying, their skills barely scraped the surface. Amateurs at best.
"First off, we're going to be making some changes. If we don't, this place won't survive until the end of the year."
"It's not like we can do anything about that," Dave scoffed. "We can't compete with the big names. We hardly get any customers anymore."
"That's why we're switching things up. From now on, this isn't just a massage parlor—it's a wellness center. We'll start offering herbal products, acupuncture, even fitness consultations," Yohan explained, a confident smile on his face.
He'd come up with the idea after going through the wellness book. It was packed with potential—and he planned to use it to save his parents' legacy.
"And how exactly do you plan to do all that?" Chloe asked. "If we start making claims like that, we'll go under even faster."
"Not if the claims are true," Yohan smirked. "Just leave the details to me. All I need is for each of you to start acting like professionals. That means showing up in uniform, every day."
That last part was directed at Dave, who was still in casual clothes.
'Since when did this kid start talking to me like that?'
"Listen, kid, I'm not doing something just because you said so," Dave said, glaring at him.
Despite Yohan being the manager, Dave had always acted like the one in charge. He did what he pleased because Yohan never stood up to him.
"Then maybe you should start looking for a new job. I'm not tolerating disrespect anymore," Yohan said, holding firm.
"You talking to me?" Dave stood up, clearly ready for a confrontation. But as he got close, he noticed Yohan was a little taller now—and slightly more built.
More than that, Yohan wasn't backing down.
Yohan was scared of being hit—but he didn't show it. He met Dave's glare head-on.
After a tense stare-down, Dave backed off and walked away mumbling something.
Yohan exhaled quietly. Thinking about it, there was no reason to be afraid. He was the boss. It was within his rights to demand respect. Anyone who didn't get that could leave.
'Come to think of it, I've never actually fired anyone… no matter how badly they treated me'
Chloe watched in stunned silence. Yohan didn't just act differently—he even looked different. Taller, stronger… more confident. Almost hot.
She wasn't sure if it was the change in his attitude, or if he'd actually matured—but for the first time, she felt like she was looking at a man.
She didn't like him, but if he was going to be in charge from now on, it would be easier if he was her tool.
'How hard could it be to make a virgin fall for me? I wouldn't even have to touch him'
"And from now on," Yohan added as he turned to leave, "one of you stays behind every day to clean the place."
He'd been doing it alone for all his life, he wasn't ready to start doing it again.
"But I've got things to do," Chloe whined, following after him. She had no intention of playing janitor.
"And I pay you to do things, don't I?"