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Manager Choi’s trembling voice read aloud the news that had come out just a minute ago.
“GB Group, DK Media stock disposal of 500,000 shares…? What does this mean?”
Joo-eun whipped her head left and right in confusion, but everyone wore the same expression of shock—they had no idea either.
Joo-eun was no exception.
While she had anticipated a break from GB Group after her breakup with Chaerin, things had been surprisingly quiet until now.
How could this happen so suddenly…?
“Song Joo-eun… Did you hear anything about this?”
Manager Choi lowered his voice to ask.
Joo-eun, clearly flustered, responded with a stiff expression.
“What? No… Not at all.”
“Ha. Could it be that they called Song Joo-eun back then to create an excuse beforehand, planning to wash their hands clean later...?”
“Enough nonsense! Get back to work!”
Team Leader Gam slammed a folder on the desk.
The lively morning atmosphere froze instantly.
“Does it make sense to pick on one team leader over such a huge amount of money? Instead of supporting each other like family, how can you even ask such a question and weigh her down?”
“I’m sorry… I didn’t mean it like that, Song Joo-eun. Please don’t misunderstand…”
“It’s fine…”
No matter what Manager Choi said, she truly didn’t care.
Her overwhelming concern for Minhyuk overshadowed any thoughtless remarks she might have taken to heart.
She had noticed Secretary Byun bustling around since morning—so he must have known beforehand…
And during the car ride, he seemed to be having urgent phone calls too.
Yet, despite all that, he still waited to commute with her and cracked amusing jokes every now and then. She wondered what kind of mental fortitude allowed him to do that.
Joo-eun bit her trembling lips lightly.
“What should we do? The market has opened. It’s the first time I’ve seen our company start at minus 10%.”
Even though someone had spoken quietly, the employees were visibly shaken.
Joo-eun’s hand resting on the keyboard trembled as if forced to shake.
“Te-Ten percent?”
“Wow. Is the company going under?”
Strange characters filled her monitor, pressed by her trembling fingertips.
At that moment, the director’s office door burst open.
Without realizing it, Joo-eun shot up from her seat.
Minhyuk’s gaze lingered briefly on her.
‘It’s okay. Don’t worry.’
His warm, comforting eyes conveyed reassurance.
Grateful yet guilty, Joo-eun clenched her fists tightly.
After a fleeting glance, he turned his attention back to the documents and walked away, talking to Jang-wook.
‘Are you really okay…? Please, please be okay…’
Joo-eun watched until he completely disappeared from view before slowly sitting back down minutes later.
For a while, she sat there dazed, unable to do anything. Her unusual behavior drew curious glances and whispers from her colleagues.
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“Oh my, long time no see!”
The restaurant buzzed with third-generation chaebol heirs decked out in flashy outfits.
Hugs were exchanged, handshakes followed.
Amidst the chaotic exchange of greetings, a woman who appeared to be the host waved enthusiastically toward the entrance.
“Chaerin! You said you couldn’t make it, you sneaky girl!”
The noisy chatter died down as if someone had hit the mute button.
Wearing a voluminous fur vest and leather miniskirt, Chaerin stood out dramatically among the already flashy third-generation heirs.
Aside from the person who invited her, everyone else exchanged awkward glances and nudged each other.
No one understood her piercing gaze better than Chaerin herself.
Used to such reactions, Chaerin deliberately swaggered her way toward the group, shoulders swaying exaggeratedly.
“You made such a fuss about me coming.”
“Ugh. At least we get to see your face. Everyone knows her, right? My high school friend, Chaerin.”
“Hurry up and give it to me. I’m busy.”
Chaerin waved her hand dismissively, palm facing upward as if rejecting any formalities.
“In a hurry, huh? Here.”
The woman pulled out an invitation card from her bag and handed it over.
Chaerin’s heavily shadowed eyes twitched slightly.
“A limited edition? Looks like you managed to get one.”
“Oh my… Of course, you’d know. Our significant other worked so hard to get this.”
The man beside her smiled warmly, and the two embraced affectionately.
The sight was nauseatingly sweet.
Chaerin felt a surge of jealousy.
“I gave mine away after using it a few times.”
“Huh?”
“It was too common.”
Snide scoffs echoed around the room, mocking Chaerin’s attitude.
Not wanting to ruin the mood, the woman nodded along.
“Ah… Well, that’s understandable.”
“Anyway, congratulations. If I’m free, I’ll come.”
“Why don’t you bring Minhyuk oppa along?”
DK Group’s Jung Minhyuk?
Curiosity reignited, and all eyes turned back to Chaerin.
Even among these prominent heirs, Minhyuk remained an object of admiration.
Specs, looks—there wasn’t a single flaw. To think Chaerin had dated him—it was no wonder people were surprised.
Chaerin basked in their stares.
“He’s busier than me. We’ll see.”
“How busy can he be that he keeps postponing marriage? It’s been talked about forever. Just push it through already.”
Who wouldn’t want to push it forward?
Though she knew the situation well, it felt deliberate.
Knowing that reacting would only make her look pitiful, Chaerin forced a crooked smile and endured it.
“We’re getting married. Next year.”
“Really? Have you set a date?”
“Of course.”
“When?”
God, stop bugging me today.
Chaerin muttered as she examined her nails.
“Nothing concrete yet. When the time comes, it’ll all be in the news. Just wait.”
“Wow. I’m already excited!”
What a lie.
Then someone asked,
“So if you’re getting married, why are you selling off your stocks?”
Murmurs erupted, and the person who asked showed everyone the article on their phone.
“Look at this. It’s been all over the news since this morning. Didn’t you know?”
Everyone whispered amongst themselves, shocked.
Even the friend who invited Chaerin seemed genuinely surprised.
“Chaerin… Did you know about this?”
She knew the deal was proceeding but hadn’t expected the news to break so soon.
Feeling humiliated, Chaerin masked her emotions.
“Of course I did.”
“What did Chairman say about this?”
“Instead of holding stocks, the two companies are establishing a joint venture or something. That’s the new direction. I don’t know the details, but when big companies are involved, it makes sense.”
It was a prepared lie to answer when this inevitably came up.
Joint venture, my foot. They were lucky if things didn’t turn bloody.
“Is that so? If that’s the case, it’s good.”
The friend’s face betrayed no trust in her words.
This wasn’t why she came for the invitation.
“I have lunch plans with Dad. See you at the wedding.”
As if.
Chaerin turned sharply, swaggering as she left the venue.
Voices criticizing her for coming openly reached her ears, and fake concern laced with laughter trailed behind her.
Pressing the elevator button, Chaerin’s eyes burned red with anger.
“Jung Minhyuk… How dare you humiliate me like this. Who do you think you are?”
Even as she cursed him, one name surfaced in her mind.
Song Joo-eun—the woman she wanted to rip apart with her bare hands.
“Song Joo-eun. If it weren’t for you, things wouldn’t have ended up like this… I’ll never forgive you.”
Her crimson lips twisted as she gritted her teeth.
Ping. The elevator doors opened.
Stepping in with a haughty expression, Chaerin let out a blood-curdling scream, tearing at her hair once she was alone.
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“Haa…”
Joo-eun exhaled a heavy sigh.
But she couldn’t afford to stay dazed forever.
She wanted to do something—anything—to help Director Minhyuk, who was surely working tirelessly.
Anything within her power.
“Song Joo-eun. Thank you so much. The materials you provided earlier were incredibly useful.”
Car Dealer Hong from the PR team rushed in, expressing his gratitude.
“If you need anything else, please let me know anytime.”
“Phew, our company is super hot today. Everyone’s scrambling for materials to write articles.”
“What else do you need?”
“You’re busy too… I feel bad asking since this is urgent.”
“It’s fine. Tell me.”
Joo-eun replied with bright eyes.
“Could you organize the marketing initiatives we pursued this year by quarter, along with specific performance metrics?”
“Of course.”
“Within 30 minutes…”
Ah, 30 minutes…
After a brief pause, Joo-eun instinctively replied, “I can do it.”
“You saved me… I’ll leave it to you. An article focusing on Director Minhyuk will be published, highlighting the dramatic changes in the company’s marketing results since he joined. If we use this well, the impact will be huge.”
Finally, she had a chance to directly assist him.
With enthusiasm brimming in her eyes, Joo-eun responded, “I’ll send it over as soon as I’m done.”
“As expected from the ace of the marketing team. Thank you!”
Car Dealer Hong hurriedly waved and dashed off to another team.
This was an opportunity to showcase Director Minhyuk’s capabilities to the world.
Crack crack. Joo-eun stretched her fingers and began typing out Minhyuk’s accomplishments.
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