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Seo-yeon carefully reviewed the events that had unfolded before her. The things happening right in front of her eyes felt so surreal that she needed a moment to process it all.
About ten minutes earlier...
After finishing the audit team’s investigation, Seo-yeon stepped out of the meeting room with great difficulty. Jin-hyuk grabbed her roughly and said, “We don’t have much time. Hurry.”
Seo-yeon spotted Attorney Jung Seung-min standing behind Jin-hyuk and nearly lost her grip on reality.
When the star lawyer Jung Seung-min—known for appearing on everything from news programs to variety shows and documentaries—referred to her as his “client,” Seo-yeon’s mind went blank. She felt like a screw had come loose somewhere in her brain. Attorney Jung smirked and suggested, “There’s a café on the first floor. Let’s talk there for a bit. You can take half a day off for the rest of your work hours. Don’t worry about it.”
The choice of Café R’amant was purely coincidental. He had simply noticed a spacious café on the way, nothing more. Mobility was the only consideration.
Jin-hyuk secretly tapped Attorney Jung on the shoulder and shot him a cold glare. Feeling wronged, Attorney Jung mouthed, “Why? Why?” but received no answer.
However, as soon as they entered Café R’amant, Attorney Jung found his answer. Jin-hyuk’s arrogant older brother, Shin Jung-hyuk, was pretending to be the café owner while manning the counter.
Curiosity flared up within Attorney Jung, devilish and intense, as he wondered what these two insane brothers were up to.
Seo-yeon also locked eyes with Jung-hyuk at the counter and instinctively bit down on her lip. There was no other option. How could she possibly argue against the suggestion to go to the café just one floor below the office?
She couldn’t brazenly suggest going to a better café outside the company. This wasn’t a blind date, after all.
Attorney Jung introduced himself as “Jin-hyuk’s close friend” and began explaining the lawsuit against the company.
Seo-yeon, abandoning all pretense of dignity, buried her head in her hands in agony. Her smooth jawline and elegant nose were now hidden beneath a mess of tangled black hair.
Attorney Jung observed her suffering as if admiring a painting. He was curious about the woman who had captured the attention of Taesung Group’s two prized creations, even to the point of putting on childish performances.
To be honest, Seo-yeon didn’t feel grateful to Jin-hyuk. If anything, she resented him.
She remembered a line from a movie: “My savior who came to ruin my life.” It fit Shin Jin-hyuk perfectly.
In a cold voice, she asked Attorney Jung, “If several capable lawyers from Gahan Law Firm move on this case, we might have a chance. But what about me? What about my reputation in the industry?”
Attorney Jung chuckled knowingly, prompting her to elaborate further.
“I’m not going to spend my entire career at JB Company, you know. I need a typical career trajectory where I get promoted and then move to another company. Who would hire someone who sued their own company? Everyone in this field knows each other through connections.”
“Yes, which is why we’re not actually filing a lawsuit. We’ll just threaten them with the possibility of litigation. At Gahan, we prioritize our clients’ happiness above all else.”
As Seo-yeon listened to Attorney Jung’s soothing voice, she recalled a recent headline she had read:
Gahan Law Firm Steps into the Spotlight as the Vanguard of the Chaebol Republic – Elmond Group Chairman Released on Bail
The law firm known for defending corrupt chaebols accused of embezzlement, breach of trust, tax evasion, and violations of fair trade laws—essentially acting as thugs in suits.
His statement, “We prioritize our clients’ happiness,” made perfect sense in this context.
Still, it wasn’t as though Seo-yeon could condemn these thug-like lawyers in the name of social justice when she herself was neck-deep in trouble. Trusting that they wouldn’t actually file a lawsuit, she revealed a crucial fact.
“The investigation I underwent wasn’t about assault. I think someone reported an affair. Between me and the HR manager.”
Even as she spoke, Seo-yeon felt a wave of despair tighten her throat. Just then, Ethan arrived with a tray holding three iced Americanos.
The reason he served them personally instead of using the vibrating pager was obvious. One mustn’t forget that Ethan’s real job was as a mole.
Ethan settled at a nearby empty table and pretended to fiddle with his phone, playing the part of a bored part-timer with no customers. Of course, his ears were wide open, tuned directly to Seo-yeon’s conversation.
Jin-hyuk, who had remained silent until now, visibly paled upon hearing the word “affair.”
Attorney Jung stared at him as if observing an alien and asked, “What’s wrong? Do you know something?”
Jin-hyuk replied curtly, “Yes, the affair is real,” and turned to look at the shocked Seo-yeon. “That’s why I caused such a scene earlier about not submitting my laptop. The HR manager really is having an affair—it’s just not with you, Miss Han.”
“What do you mean? I feel like my head is about to explode. I feel like I’m the only one being made a fool of.”
Jin-hyuk had always been particularly sensitive, especially to smells. He could remember the musk scent wafting from Seo-yeon’s black hair and the faint fabric softener smell coming from her collar, even in his dreams.
For someone like him, detecting the HR manager’s affair was child’s play.
Every Tuesday and Thursday, the HR manager’s hair carried the cheap smell of some flowery or aromatic shampoo, and on those same days, the same scent lingered on the head of Kim, the finance team manager. For months, this pattern never wavered—it was meticulous and consistent.
“The HR manager probably intended to frame it as just ‘good feelings’ between him and Miss Han. That way, he could cover up his real affair. But once infidelity gets involved, things get messy.”
Attorney Jung calmly summarized the situation.
“Jin-hyuk is right. It’s better to endure embarrassment from the audit team than to let your family fall apart because of this. In situations like this, it’s usually the beautiful woman who ends up as the scapegoat. Oh, and that’s not sexist—it’s psychological and historical. You’ve heard of witch hunts, right? Most of those witches were stunningly beautiful women.”
Jinhyuk was calmly sipping his coffee, so why did Seo-yeon see a burning rage in his eyes?
When Jinhyuk said indifferently, “There will be a way,” why didn’t Seo-yeon ask what that way was?
For a moment, everything about Jinhyuk felt unfamiliar, and Seo-yeon didn’t know if a feeling akin to terror was overwhelming her.
Attorney Jung had already half risen from his seat.
“Well, I’ll take my leave first. I didn’t expect adultery, so I need to rewrite the scenario. Shin Jinhyuk, get up.”
“…Why me?”
“Ms. Han looks tired, so it’s only polite for you to explain the situation. Get up.”
Jinhyuk wanted to stay by Seo-yeon’s side, but Attorney Jung’s urging was too reasonable to ignore, so he reluctantly got up.
Seo-yeon still had no idea of the terrible tragedy that would befall her the next day.
Her clear mistake was not asking Jinhyuk, “What’s the way?”
Seo-yeon was left in Café Roisman like a lonely island. Her thoughts floated in the café like a small boat adrift at sea.
Jung-hyuk, who had been watching her the whole time, opened his phone at the vibration, and at the same time, Ethan winked at him from afar, signaling, “I heard everything!” with an underlying triumphant look.
The text contained a few short keywords. Jung-hyuk blew air through his mouth, ruffling his bangs.
—Lawsuit, adultery, assault, audit team.
He repeatedly swept back his fallen bangs and plopped down across from Seo-yeon.
“You must be hungry? More rice soup?” he asked, trying to suppress his rising anger. The lawyer he had just seen was someone Jung-hyuk knew.
He was the lawyer who had handled some of the “incidents” Jinhyuk had caused during his school days. He was a capable man who liked the rich and had repeatedly protected Jinhyuk within the bounds of the law.
“…I’m not hungry at all, I want to go home. I miss Biryu.”
Jung-hyuk wanted to send Biryu, who was like Seo-yeon’s little brother, to a distant foreign land, no, to study abroad. He even seriously considered whether the Taesung Scholarship Foundation had such support, even if only for a moment.
Hiding his childish feelings, Jung-hyuk opened his mouth casually. If he were caught, the fierce Seo-yeon might choke him, demanding, “Give Biryu back.”
“Let’s go, to that small, old apartment. I’ll take you.”
After a silent drive, they arrived at the apartment.
“Han Seo-yeon, snap out of it. We’re here.”
Seo-yeon was slumped in the passenger seat like a deflated balloon. Then, impulsively, she put her hand behind Jung-hyuk’s neck and pulled him down.
Seo-yeon roughly forced her way between Jung-hyuk’s lips. The moment she wrapped her tongue around his hesitant one, surprisingly, clear tears streamed down her cheeks.
Seo-yeon poured out countless passions, as if all this was Jung-hyuk’s fault, even sucking in his breath. She pulled herself up further, tightening her arms around his neck. Her skirt rode up revealingly, but she left it as it was.
It was a kiss like torture, and Seo-yeon treated Jung-hyuk like a criminal, constantly shedding tears.
Soon, Jung-hyuk responded by wrapping his arms around her waist. His hand slowly moved down the soft curve below her waist, and before he knew it, Jung-hyuk’s lips were on Seo-yeon’s neck.
He inhaled Seo-yeon’s scent, licking her skin as if parched. The sedan quickly filled with moisture from the damp smell of sweat and sorrowful moans.
The moment Jung-hyuk’s tongue pressed down on Seo-yeon’s smoothly curved collarbone, and at the same time, his right hand slipped inside her blouse.
“Haa, haa… ha.”
A thin moan echoed in the car. It was so pitiful that it was hard to distinguish whether it was a sob or a cry of pleasure, causing considerable ripples in Jung-hyuk’s parched heart.
He placed his hot breath on Seo-yeon’s neck and ran his hand over her panties. The white lace fabric was transparent and glossy with moisture. Rationalizing this as a sign of permission, Jung-hyuk pulled her panties down to her ankles.
Seo-yeon trembled, gripping Jung-hyuk’s broad shoulders hard enough to hurt her fingernails. The scent of musk mixed with sweat rose from his neck.
She filled her lungs with Jung-hyuk’s scent, venting her frustration.
“…I endured not doing it with a man as openly handsome as you, but adultery… everyone seems crazy.”
It was the first time Seo-yeon had fully revealed her true feelings while sober. Jung-hyuk felt a desire to keep her, who seemed as small as a baby bird, in his arms forever. He growled like a beast, whispering in her ear.
“If you wait a little, I’ll bring you an offering.”
Seo-yeon couldn’t ask what that offering meant. His long fingers slipped into her crevice, scraping the soft inner wall with a sticky motion. She struggled to catch her breath, scattering only short exclamations that couldn’t be called words or conversation.
Jung-hyuk, like a beast tormented by thirst, let go of his reason. He quickly unbuckled his belt and pulled out his hardened manhood. By the time Seo-yeon flinched, regretting what she had done, the passenger seat was already reclined.
Jung-hyuk gave her no time to let reason push back instinct, overlapping his body over Seo-yeon’s. At the same time, his hardened manhood hovered over her entrance. A suitable level of pressure followed into her sufficiently lubricated crevice.
“Haa, haa…”
The moment Jung-hyuk forced his way into the narrow opening, a suppressed moan escaped Seo-yeon’s lips. A belated fear swept over her from the dizzying sensation of being penetrated. She tried to close her legs belatedly, but Jung-hyuk had already firmly rooted himself in her center.
“Haa, haa… it hurts, it hurts too much, Shin Jung-hyuk.”
Jung-hyuk, in a leisurely voice, stared at her nipples and made a cruel announcement.
“You’ll have to get used to this size now.”
Seo-yeon instinctively twisted her body, and the movement led to the contraction of her vaginal walls, tightening around Jung-hyuk’s cock. With a groan, Jung-hyuk’s lips curled up.
Jung-hyuk, his eyes narrowed, praised her in a gentle voice, but Seo-yeon couldn’t focus, as if her mind had been bleached white. When he lightly pressed her clit with his index finger, her body twisted again, and her inside began to contract.
Sometime, the “sea” he had promised to show her was rippling blue.