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Even the unruly Lee Chaerin had someone she feared.
Her trembling eyes mirrored the shaking of her hands as she clasped them together in a pleading gesture.
“Dad… It’s all a misunderstanding. Just give me a little more time. I’ll fix everything. Things were going so well…”
She knew begging wouldn’t change her father’s mind once he’d made a decision, but she was prepared to kneel if it meant swaying him.
“Don’t worry.”
Chairman Lee’s chillingly calm voice left both Chaerin and Heesu wide-eyed.
The man who single-handedly built GB Group into the financial backbone of South Korea’s business world—Chairman Lee Chang-hoon, a legend of Yeouido.
Just the rumor of his investment could send stock prices soaring, and every company he invested in succeeded without fail.
To reach that pinnacle, Chairman Lee had lived a life harsher and more ruthless than anyone else. Yet here he was, showing mercy.
Heesu looked shocked, as if realizing she’d misunderstood her husband all these years.
Chaerin, too, blinked rapidly, her mascara-streaked eyes brimming with disbelief.
“Dad…”
“Honey. What are you saying?”
“The marriage talks won’t be canceled.”
At his firm reassurance, Chaerin’s tear-streaked face lit up with joy.
But Heesu jumped in protest.
“Honey! What nonsense is this? Didn’t you hear what I went through today?”
“Thanks to the rumors of our investment, DK Electronics’ stock price is at its peak. Until we’ve cashed out completely, the two companies must remain engaged in marriage talks.”
What he meant was clear: once they sold their shares, the engagement would officially end, and DK Electronics would learn the truth.
Still, Chaerin clenched her fists tightly.
For now, she was just grateful the engagement hadn’t been called off immediately.
In the meantime, she could find a way to eliminate that woman and win back Min-hyuk’s heart.
As her daughter’s excitement bubbled over, Chairman Lee added one final, quiet remark:
“Revenge can wait until after we’ve cashed out. There’s no rush.”
“…!”
His icy tone silenced Chaerin instantly.
Even Heesu swallowed hard, intimidated by the steely expression on her husband’s face.
The mansion, which had been filled with noise just moments ago, was now wrapped in an oppressive silence.
Traffic delays stretched the drive home to nearly an hour.
She must be hungry since she hadn’t eaten…
Min-hyuk felt guilty for insisting Joo-eun ride with him instead of taking the subway. He turned to apologize, but—
Instead of complaining about the lateness, she had given up and fallen asleep.
Leaning against the window, her sleeping figure was pitiful to behold.
Come to think of it, what a long and exhausting day it must have been for her.
As he imagined her day, a pang of pain shot through his chest.
She must have been shocked when the document suddenly landed in her lap.
Carrying the weight of unanswered questions and stress on her shoulders, she’d likely spent the entire day preparing diligently.
True to her determined nature, she probably memorized everything and arrived at the meeting with confidence.
And then, just as she thought she’d done her best, she was met with a barrage of cruel words.
To top it off, the unexpected appearance of her boss, who kissed her in front of everyone to stop her tears.
It was unintentional, but he’d truly put the finishing touch on her humiliation.
“Ha…”
Min-hyuk regretted his actions.
He could have simply held her instead.
Knowing how awkward she’d feel, he still couldn’t restrain himself.
Perhaps he’d wanted to show everyone—anyone—just how precious she was to him.
“To protect you, I need to become stronger.”
Min-hyuk murmured softly as he gazed at Joo-eun, still leaning against the window in peaceful slumber.
After parking in front of her house, he rested his arms on the steering wheel and watched her with a deep sigh.
She was intelligent when working, sexy when kissing, adorable when flustered—and now, sleeping like an innocent baby.
Mesmerized by her enchanting presence, he couldn’t tear his eyes away.
Suddenly, her head tilted forward sharply, and instinctively, his long arm shot out to catch her.
His large palm cradled her cheek gently.
Slowly opening her eyes, Joo-eun jolted upright in alarm at the unexpected posture.
“W-what are you doing…? If we’ve arrived, why didn’t you wake me sooner…?”
Her cheeks flushed as she touched the spot where his palm had been. He, too, felt a bit embarrassed.
“We’ve just arrived. Hmm.”
Unable to admit he’d spent 30 minutes staring at her while she slept, Min-hyuk pretended they’d only just pulled up.
“A-anyway, I’m sorry and grateful for everything today.”
Joo-eun tidied her hair and bowed politely.
“Did anything happen today? I don’t remember a thing.”
Though he knew she remembered perfectly, his act of pretending to forget made her heart swell with gratitude.
“That’s right. Nothing happened.”
“I’ll just remember how tightly you held me during the kiss.”
Why was he bringing that up again…!
Her cheeks burned red.
“I-I don’t remember clearly, but I must’ve panicked. Please don’t read too much into it.”
Despite her flushed face, Joo-eun maintained her composure, acting as if it were no big deal.
“Do you turn that aggressively affectionate whenever you panic?”
“Well, sometimes, depending on the situation.”
“You seem pretty flustered right now. Should I test if you’re being aggressive again?”
“F-flustered? That’s not me. I’m not someone who panics all the time.”
“If you say so, maybe we should try again to confirm.”
“…!”
Startled, Joo-eun leaned back instinctively, squeezing her eyes shut.
“Why are you closing your eyes?”
Her large eyes snapped open.
“It’s an instinctive reaction when something approaches quickly. You know, to avoid getting poked. Hmm.”
His lips curved into a mischievous smile.
“What can I do? If we start now, I’m not sure I can stop at just a kiss.”
At his low, husky voice, she unconsciously swallowed hard.
“Are you okay with that?”
His seductive tone struck her heart like a hammer.
His gaze, dancing precariously between warmth and heat, was more intoxicating than any other form of temptation.
Clutching her belt nervously, Joo-eun tried to steady her trembling heart.
His intense gaze slowly lowered to her hand resting on the belt.
The large hand that overlapped hers felt scorching hot.
Ah… please…
Her grip tightened reflexively, knowing she lacked the strength to push him away.
Click.
The belt loosened, releasing the tension around her waist.
“Relax. If you tell me to stop, I won’t do anything.”
“…”
“When you fully want me, I’ll wait until then. So…”
His gaze rose slowly, locking onto her eyes once more.
“Don’t make me wait too long.”
His whisper was sweet enough to make her heart race.
Confident smiles suited him well, but when he gazed at her intently with just the slightest curl of his lips, it was almost suffocating.
Overwhelmed by the weight of the silence, Joo-eun averted her gaze.
“Get some rest. Forget everything. The GB Group issue isn’t your fault, so don’t dwell on it.”
Hearing him mention GB Group so casually made her freeze momentarily.
Even though he acted as if nothing had happened, she knew he must be struggling inside.
Thinking about it made her guilt swell once more.
“Are you really… okay?”
“If the investment comes with conditions, I don’t need a single penny of it.”
“But I heard we need GB Group’s funds to enter the American market next year.”
“You still doubt me, huh?”
His voice, once sugary-sweet, had turned dry.
“I’m more capable than you think. I’ll build a company so solid that GB Group’s help won’t matter at all.”
If someone else had said this, she might have dismissed it as arrogance.
But with this man, she believed he could achieve it—and more.
Not just a solid company, but one that would rank among the world’s best.
“You’ll do it, Director. I believe in you.”
She cheered him on sincerely, expecting a simple thank-you in return.
Instead, he suddenly furrowed his brow as if in pain.
“Ha… I’m losing my mind.”
“Huh?”
“This is your chance. Get out quickly, or I might not let you go.”
She wanted to ask when exactly he decided he didn’t want to let her go, but the thought of exiting the car first crossed her mind.
Hurriedly stepping out, she bowed deeply.
“Then, please take care on your way home.”
Min-hyuk rolled down the window to bid her goodnight, but she turned abruptly and walked away in quick, small steps.
Watching her retreating figure with a sigh, he murmured softly:
“What am I going to do? Letting you go home is getting harder every day.”
It had been such a lonely life.
So exhausting.
But ever since meeting her, it felt like everything was being repaid all at once.
“Looks like I won’t be leaving tonight either.”
Just like last time, he couldn’t bring himself to leave until her room light went out.
Happy anticipation—it was a feeling he was savoring for the very first time.
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