II - 66

I-jun let out a short chuckle at the excited reactions of his team members. It pleased him to hear that he appeared loving in others’ eyes.

Thanks to their enthusiasm, his expression softened further.

“I-ryeong carefully memorized everyone’s preferences.”

He had already committed the team members’ coffee preferences to memory after seeing them on her phone earlier.

If she ever needed to buy coffee again, he planned to take over the task himself.

“Let’s see… This one is Manager Hwang’s Americano. Warm, correct?”

He started with the manager who, despite not being in a higher position than him, was effectively leading the marketing team.

“Oh my, I-ryeong! How did you remember my preference? Thank you so much. I’ll enjoy it, Vice President.”

Manager Hwang thanked I-ryeong for remembering her preference and then expressed gratitude to I-jun as well.

I-jun appreciated her acknowledgment—it felt like a gesture only possible because they were a couple.

“This one is for Hyun-jung. A cold café latte with soy milk.”

I-jun continued calling out names like an attendance roll, handing out coffees one by one.

Meanwhile, I-ryeong, who had cooled down her flushed face, retrieved a separate coffee carrier and pulled out a cup.

“Senior! Here’s yours. And Baek Daeri prefers iced Americano even when it’s cold, right?”

She took care of Baek Hyun-wook, the person she spent the most time with at work.

That day, he had been the closest to comfort her, and she felt grateful. Today seemed like the perfect opportunity to thank him properly.

“Thank you, I-ryeong. I’ll enjoy it.”

“I’m the one who should be thanking you.”

Even without explicitly stating the subject, Baek understood perfectly.

In truth, everyone in the marketing department knew about the post on the company bulletin board. They had found out when the cafeteria grew noisy after I-ryeong abruptly left during lunch.

The team didn’t believe the rumors. Instead, they worried about how hurt she might have been and even brainstormed ways to make her feel comfortable when they entered the office.

“Did you know? I-ryeong’s expressions have become more vibrant since she got married. It suits her.”

“Thank you for noticing. I appreciate it too.”

The conversation flowed naturally, without any discomfort.

I-ryeong was grateful to all her teammates, though Baek Daeri, who always looked out for her, held a special place in her heart.

“Baek Daeri?”

Having distributed all the coffees, I-jun approached his wife.

With his hands now free, he casually draped his arm over her shoulder and pulled her close. He was oblivious to everything except the warm exchange between his wife and Baek Daeri.

“Vice President. You look good today too.”

“So I looked strange before?”

He didn’t take the joke lightly.

She found his serious, growling reaction adorable—utterly lovable.

“No, you didn’t know? We’ve all noticed.”

“Bae Daeri is right. We’ve all felt it. Your expression has subtly brightened.”

“If you were an ice cube before, you’re now warm water—like this café latte.”

The team burst into laughter as they backed up Baek’s comment.

I-ryeong couldn’t help but laugh along with them. She realized how much he had changed—he no longer maintained rigid formality with his team.

The atmosphere in the marketing department had shifted too. Once dominated by the oppressive silence of performance pressure, it had transformed completely in just six months.

To I-jun, it all felt like I-ryeong’s magic. After all, she had completely changed him as well.

“There are five minutes left until work starts. I’ll borrow I-ryeong until then.”

Before marriage, they had agreed to strictly separate work and personal life.

But he had broken that promise almost immediately, and without hesitation.

“Oh my, you’re so openly affectionate!”

“We’re jealous, Vice President! Jealous of you and I-ryeong!”

The team’s cheers reignited the warmth that had briefly subsided.

I-ryeong’s heart fluttered with an indescribable emotion. Her face and skin burned red, as if scorched by the sun.

“Why are you doing this…”

“This is for Secretary Kim. Didn’t I say I’d make mine separately?”

Whispering in her ear to hide her embarrassment, he led her out of the office. They decided to take the emergency exit and head up to the executive suite.

“I’ve never been to the emergency exit before.”

The morning sunlight poured through the slanted glass windows, creating a kaleidoscope of colors. The fragmented light illuminated her, making her glow even more beautifully.

I-ryeong raised her palms to catch the cascading sunlight.

“You’re so beautiful.”

“You’re even more beautiful.”

Her excitement radiated visibly, making her breathtakingly gorgeous—a beauty incomparable to anything else.

“Did you know something?”

“What?”

Distracted by the light dancing on her palms, I-ryeong barely registered his question.

“Employees rarely use the emergency exit, especially during rush hour.”

At the deep resonance of his voice, she looked up.

“You’ll need to hold on tight from now on.”

His rough, raspy voice sent involuntary shivers down her spine.

Without missing a beat, he set the coffee carrier she was holding onto the floor.

Sensing the shift in atmosphere, I-ryeong tried to gauge his expression—but it was too late.

“What—mmph!”

His lips silenced her before she could finish.

The emergency exit filled with the raw sound of his fervent kiss.

Though nervous about someone walking in, I-ryeong fully surrendered to his kiss. Her mind knew she should avoid the pressing flesh, but her instincts greedily accepted it.

In an instant, she was consumed by desire.

Just as she craved something deeper, more intense, his lips finally parted from hers.

“Haa, haa... It left a mark...”

The trace of her lingered on his lips.

“You’re burning up here.”

His lips brushed against her flushed cheek, doing nothing to cool her down but instead plunging her further into the throes of passion.

“I love you.”

The serenade she had longed for spilled into her ear.

---

Every day, I-ryeong carried Hanna’s phone like it was an extension of herself, everywhere except when she slept. Whether at home or at work, she kept it close, constantly vigilant.

Though no contact had come yet, she waited anxiously, unsure when the message would arrive.

Time had passed since their meeting, but still, there was no word.

Nevertheless, she diligently kept the phone charged, just as she did today.

Even now, after returning home and settling in the annex, she leaned against the headboard, lost in thought as she watched the phone charge.

“It’s worn out... just here.”

Upon closer inspection, she noticed something odd about the phone.

While the screen remained pristine, the edges were unusually worn—precisely where one would grip it.

I-ryeong felt uneasy.

She couldn’t shake the feeling that Hanna might have clung to this phone just as she was doing now, waiting for a call that never came.

“Why did she give this to me?”

The purpose behind the phone seemed suspicious. After all, Hanna already had her number and could have contacted her daily if she wanted.

“Why… why would she do this?”

No matter how hard she racked her brain, no clear answer came, and her unease only grew.

By accident, the screen lit up, and the photo gallery opened—a completely unintentional mishap.

“What is all this…”

She had been careful with the unlocked phone, fearing she might inadvertently invade Hanna’s privacy.

“Damn bastard. Filthy scum.”

Muttering curses under her breath, she quickly scrolled through the stored photos.

There were countless pictures of Kang Suk-tae and a woman presumed to be his mistress. The photos appeared to have been taken secretly, without his knowledge.

“Did she send these on purpose?”

Even to her own eyes, the intent behind the photos was glaringly obvious.

One showed Suk-tae shirtless and asleep, while an unfamiliar woman posed beside him, flashing a peace sign and smiling.

I-ryeong didn’t want to imagine how Hanna must have felt receiving such photos. She didn’t want to think of Hanna as a victim either.

After all, she was the one who had suffered for nearly two years.

If Hanna had known who Suk-tae’s lover was and still acted deliberately, then Ju Hanna was nothing short of malicious toward her.

“Haa…”

Finally, with a deep sigh, she let her hand holding the phone drop limply to her side. A wave of nausea rose within her.

There were hundreds of photos. Clearly, Hanna had given her the phone with deliberate intent—purposeful and calculated.

Her mind spun, and for a moment, dizziness overtook her.

I-ryeong slid off the headboard, pulled the blanket over her head, and curled up inside.

She squeezed her eyes shut and swallowed hard, trying to suppress the bile rising in her throat. Still, the disgust was overwhelming.

“I-ryeong? Are you already asleep?”

I-jun emerged from the bathroom, calling her name affectionately, as he often did in the annex.

He spotted her curled up under the blanket.

“Are you feeling unwell?”

She didn’t move, even when he called out to her, which worried him.

With damp hair from not drying properly, he climbed onto the bed and sat beside her.

Carefully stroking her curled-up form, he felt her stir slightly before finally peeking her head out from under the blanket.

“I-jun.”

“What could have happened...?”

It had only been a few moments since he stepped out for a shower, yet her complexion had changed so drastically that it troubled him deeply.

“Take a look at this.”

She handed him the phone.

“After you’ve seen it, we’ll talk.”

Placing the phone in his hand, she retreated back under the covers.

He wondered why she wanted him to see it, but before he could ask, he realized the problem likely lay with the phone Hanna had given her.

“What on earth is in here...?”

As he swiped through the screen, his words caught in his throat. Bitterness welled up, and he couldn’t help but grimace.

He had known Kang Suk-tae was dirty, but he hadn’t expected the stench of infidelity to be this foul.

Seeing the reality of the affair firsthand made him nauseous.

“I-ryeong.”

But when he called her name, his voice was gentle.

“Have you seen all of this?”

To comfort her, still hidden under the blanket, he moved from the headboard and lay down beside her.