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Poison
Eun-jin shook her head at Jae-hee’s question.
“Like a diary or something? I don’t think so. How could you gather all that?”
“Guess that makes sense?”
Jae-hee sighed lightly and smiled, as if she hadn’t expected it.
Jae-hee met Eun-jin again for the weekend. They shared stories about her mother, Mi-ryeong, and she was also hearing about her mother’s past that she didn’t know.
When she had met Eun-jin last time, the conversation flowed naturally like water, but it wasn’t the same now. She was focused on every word, every name, trying to remember them. Especially if it was related to Chairman Cha.
She needed to find out the cause of the accident and clear her mother’s name.
Fortunately, Eun-jin had a penchant for chatting, and Jae-hee had a knack for coaxing her into talking. So she had just asked if there was any diary her mother might have written while she was in the orphanage.
If it still existed, it might mention Chairman Cha’s name. But Eun-jin shook her head, saying there wasn’t. After all, how could they gather everything from all the children who had passed through there?
“But why the sudden interest in a diary?”
“I’m just curious about how my mom lived when she was young. Since I can’t hear her stories now, I wanted to at least touch on them through writing.”
While she did have the intention of digging into Chairman Cha, her current words were also true. Now, they were only facing each other in silence. She wanted to look into the stories her mother had written on paper, longing to meet her mother as she was in her childhood.
“I’ll look for it again, though.”
Eun-jin clicked her tongue as if it were a pity and then clapped her hands as if she had thought of something.
“Right! A letter!”
“A letter?”
Eun-jin’s face lit up with a smile, as if she was proud of her own recollection.
“Yes, a letter. I should have a letter that Mi-ryeong gave me. Should I give you that?”
“Do you still have it?”
“After I left, she sent me a few. I keep all the letters. It should be somewhere in the storage...”
“I’d be grateful if you could give it to me!”
Jae-hee leaned forward and grabbed Eun-jin’s hand eagerly.
“Sure, I’ll give it to you. I promise, Jae-hee.” Eun-jin, smiling back, nodded her head. Jae-hee felt the warmth of Eun-jin’s hand holding hers and repeatedly expressed her gratitude.
Eun-jin, her mother’s friend. After meeting her a few times, she seemed like a good person. She was broad-minded enough to poke into Jae-hee’s painful past without hesitation, and she had a sense of superiority that sometimes belittled Jae-hee and her family. Yet, at the same time, she genuinely wanted to offer kindness without any ulterior motives.
For instance, like now, when she readily nodded to help find her mother’s letter or when she offered to look into Hyojeong’s scholarship.
It was a bit of a struggle to listen to her bragging about her children, but it didn’t bother Jae-hee since she also boasted in retaliation.
“Our daughter just got a job. She went to Yuhwa Group. Everyone says it’s tough to find a job these days, but she did well, right? What about you, Jae-hee? What do you do?”
“I’m at Seonggang now, and I’m a supervisor.”
Unfortunately for Eun-jin, it was a well-known fact that Seonggang was larger than Yuhwa Group.
“...Oh, really? My son is attending university in Seoul, so it’s great that he can commute from home without spending money. Hyojeong went to some dorm, right? Where did she go?”
“Hyojeong is at the Education University. She’ll be a perfect teacher; she’s such a kind and upright girl.”
“Hmm, that’s good to hear...”
At that point, Eun-jin stopped bragging about her children. She seemed a bit hurt, but when Jae-hee smiled as if she didn’t know anything, she laughed again. She was the type to easily poke fun and easily forget.
“Anyway, I’ll definitely bring the letter next time we meet.”
“Yes, thank you, Auntie.”
Jae-hee glanced at her phone. 3 PM. It was time to head back. She wanted to go home and enjoy the weekend afternoon in bed like a lazy bug. Just as she was about to say her goodbyes to Eun-jin, Eun-jin unexpectedly asked a question.
“By the way, Jae-hee, did you say you have a boyfriend?”
“Pardon?”
Jae-hee’s heart skipped a beat. She could brush it off, but her inability to lie properly made her stammer like a fool.
What should she say? She could just say she didn’t have one... But since she lived in the same mansion as her aunt, there was a chance she might run into Kangju. That would make things awkward. But calling him a boyfriend felt too inappropriate. After all, they were in a relationship where she received benefits.
Flustered, her lips just moved. Eun-jin, unaware of Jae-hee’s inner turmoil, smiled naturally and mentioned her daughter’s name.
“Our daughter brought a boy home this time; he’s an acupuncturist. Even though he’s an acupuncturist, he’s very polite and keeps calling me ‘mother-in-law.’ Honestly, I’m not too impressed, but he’s a good person, so I acknowledged him.”
“......”
“Did you say you live with your boyfriend? What kind of guy is he? Come on, tell your aunt. If he’s not good enough, I can introduce you to someone better.”
Finally, the moment had come. Jae-hee awkwardly waved her hands.
“No, um, that is...”
“Are you shy? Next time, you have to bring him along. Can I introduce him to you? Got it?”
Here it comes, Eun-jin’s characteristic meddling. Jae-hee, feeling flustered, tried to change the subject and stood up.
“Then let’s go eat something delicious together next time, Auntie.”
“Sure, sure. I’ll definitely bring the letter.”
“Yes, thank you.”
Jae-hee stood up, politely bowed, and hurriedly left as if to escape the situation. After Jae-hee left, Eun-jin, left alone, took out her compact and turned her face this way and that before snapping the lid shut.
“How did Mi-ryeong give birth to someone so perfect? She’s pretty and polite too. If she hadn’t been living with a boyfriend, I would have introduced her to my second child.”
Muttering to herself, she tilted her head.
“But isn’t living together with a boyfriend? Or is he too old or has some kind of flaw that makes it inappropriate to introduce him? Like a sponsor?”
Just as she was pondering seriously about Jae-hee’s ‘hidden’ boyfriend, someone sat down in the chair opposite her. They took the seat Jae-hee had just vacated, as if it were completely natural, confidently as if they had been part of the group from the start.
“Who...?”
Eun-jin looked up, putting her cosmetics back in her bag.
Her gaze slipped across his face. Eun-jin, unable to criticize the sudden appearance of a stranger, simply stared at him with a mild “Ho…” as she took in his features: his neat attire, the clean nape of his neck, his beautifully shaped hands, and the inherent, almost innate air of dignity and elegance surrounding him.
A man who seemed destined to draw attention from others, and now, Eun-jin’s gaze was fully captured by him as he spoke.
“Hello, I’m Cha Kangju.”
In response to his deep voice, Eun-jin muttered, “Yes?” unable to make sense of it.
“Come in.”
Kangju extended his hand towards Jae-hee. Jae-hee, standing one step behind him, hesitated, tapping the tips of her shoes lightly against the neatly polished stone floor. But soon, she took his hand and entered.
The house of the Chairman of Seongang Group. Who could casually walk into a place like this, as if visiting the neighbor’s house? Unless it were Kangju, holding her hand and leading her inside.
If she hadn’t been holding his hand, she would have just peered over the tall stone wall dividing the outside from the mansion, imagining what was inside. Her mother had been hurt somewhere inside, but she couldn’t enter, only pacing outside in distress.
“No one’s here. You can relax.”
Perhaps he noticed her hesitation. Kangju tightened his grip on her hand and gently guided her inside.
The marble floor under her slippers was firm and slightly cool. It was just as she remembered the mansion.
‘They say rich families have movie theaters, but…’
As Mr. Lim had said, there was no movie theater, but there was a very large fireplace. The house, which had been lived in since the time of the previous chairman, was old, but it was well-maintained, giving it a refined atmosphere.
She had occasionally come here with her mother in the past. She remembered staring up at the chandelier on the ceiling, imagining Kangju on the second floor. She never imagined she would enter like this as a guest.
“Sit down. I’ll bring some tea.”
Kangju guided Jae-hee to the sofa. She looked around, sat down, then stood up again.
“Should I bring it?”
She figured she probably knew the kitchen layout better than the young master of a wealthy family. Kangju gently pressed her shoulder down and made her sit again.
“Guests should rest.”
“...Yes.”
Guest. She really was a guest now. She was no longer the daughter of the housekeeper.
Even though it was an obvious fact, it felt strangely unfamiliar, and Jae-hee gave a faint smile. Habits were scary. Despite being a guest as he said, perhaps because of the habits ingrained in her since childhood, she unconsciously tried to move.
‘This isn’t even modern-day slavery.’
Wasn’t her submissive posture before the manager a result of her childhood?
Concentrating on the sounds coming from the kitchen, Jae-hee cautiously rose from her seat. She began moving around the house quietly and quickly. She thought about taking a look before he returned. It didn’t seem like anything would come up, but still, just in case.
There were no CCTV cameras in the living room, where the private lives were exposed. However, she spotted a round camera on the ceiling at the top of the stairs leading from the second floor to the first. She vaguely remembered seeing cameras in the kitchen as well.
‘If only the footage from that camera by the stairs had been available, I could have tracked my mom’s movements.’
Why had she been so foolish back then, not even suggesting they check the CCTV? Chairman Cha had framed her mother as the culprit, and she had believed it was the truth. Even as her own daughter, she nodded along to the lies and just cried.
It was almost natural. Back then, she had been so ignorant and young, while Chairman Cha had been so sly and proficient. Who would dare to argue with the head of a conglomerate?
Jae-hee gripped the stair railing tightly. Now that she thought about it, who was managing that CCTV? It probably wasn’t a company handling it, since it involved personal privacy…
At that moment, she heard footsteps coming from the kitchen. She quickly returned to the sofa. Kangju, placing a teacup on the table, appeared.
“Flower tea, huh? I’ll enjoy it.”
Instead of answering, Kangju nodded. He picked up the cup and blew on the hot steam as Jae-hee asked.
“Is your office still on the second floor?”
Kangju fell silent for a moment, then set down his cup and slowly spoke as he leaned back against the sofa.
“It feels strangely new, that title ‘Manager’.”
“Yes?”
“Because you were never called that here, Jae-hee.”
Suddenly, he brought up the past, pulling out an old memory from a dusty drawer—memories that had long since faded, covered with the layers of time.
The person in front of her, no longer the coldly staring Manager Cha, felt like the warm-hearted Kangju oppa she once knew.
It wasn’t just the title that had changed. Everything had changed—their relationship, the way he looked at her. If the person in front of her had been Kangju oppa instead of Manager Cha, he would have greeted her with a smile, calling her “Jae-hee” kindly.
Jae-hee, however, couldn’t help but feel a lump in her throat as she gazed at him. Kangju, as if nothing had happened, spoke again in his usual manner.
“Would you like to go to the second floor?”
“The second floor, where?”
“My room.”
“...Okay.”
Jae-hee nodded, her movements stiff.
The mansion was wrapped in a quiet stillness. Jae-hee followed him, walking through the silence. The sound of her slippers on the marble floor seemed unnaturally loud, like noise.
“Wait here for a moment.”
Kangju stopped in front of her room and went into the adjacent dressing room. Was he going to change out of uncomfortable clothes? Jae-hee cautiously opened Kangju’s door. Creak. It seemed that the door had been left unused for a while, as a faint squeak came from the hinges.
“Ah…”
His room was just as it had always been. The sight brought a rush of emotions.
The slightly dry and arid air, the refined scent that naturally filled the space, the long curtains draping over the large windows, and the soft sunlight spilling across them.
A gentle breeze came through the slightly open window. The delicate curtains fluttered in the air, then slowly settled.
Though she hadn’t often been in his room, it was exactly as she remembered. It felt like stepping into a fairytale, a strange sensation.
Almost as if in a trance, she approached the window. She gently pulled the curtain back. Soft sunlight bathed the well-kept garden below, and the leaves, swaying slightly in the spring breeze, were a vibrant green.
“CCTV data is backed up once every quarter.”
A soft voice suddenly filled the room from behind. Surprised, Jae-hee tried to turn around, but she was stopped when Kangju wrapped his arms around her from behind.
His lips brushed against her ear as he whispered, gently nibbling and licking her earlobe.
“The backup files are probably with Director Kwon.”
“Why… what is this all of a sudden? Ah...”
Kangju’s arm tightened around her waist. Jae-hee stumbled forward, leaning against his chest, gripping his arm. The sunlight, half-blocked by the curtain, softly illuminated his face. His eyes, looking down at her, shone with an almost painful clarity.
His hair, still damp from a recent wash, naturally fell forward. A subtle fragrance rose from his body. Her eyes lingered on the white short-sleeved shirt he was wearing, a familiar sight in this room.
The room that connected her to the past. His appearance, reminding her of old memories. The casual clothes he always wore here. The familiar scent.
Jae-hee’s heart began to race again. The man, once seen as mature and distant, now seemed slightly younger. It felt like meeting the old Kangju again.
The Kangju she had once known well. Or at least, the Kangju she had thought she knew well. But looking back now, she realized she hadn’t known him at all.
But as his cold hand slowly slid under her clothes, she immediately recognized that this was not the person she once knew. “Kangju oppa” would never have done something like this.
He had always been quiet, composed, like the son of a wealthy family.
Kangju, who had been slowly tracing her waist, sat by the window. He grabbed Jae-hee’s trembling hand and pulled her between his spread legs.
Jae-hee placed her hand on his shoulder. Kangju, sitting by the window, looked at her with a steady gaze. His face, chiseled and flawless, seemed almost sculpted. Without realizing it, Jae-hee almost reached out to him, but paused near his face, hesitating.
Kangju grabbed her hand and placed it on his cheek.
“Call me like you used to.”
“...What?”
“I said, call me like you used to.”
It wasn’t so much a request as an order. Jae-hee curled her fingers in on themselves. Her breath quickened, and she couldn’t even manage a proper answer. Was he asking her to call him ‘Kangju oppa’ like before?
For some reason, her heart raced. Thumping loudly, her heartbeat echoed in the quiet room.
A bitter smile curled at the corner of Kangju’s lips.
“If you don’t want to, then just call me Kangju.”
“...”
“Not Manager Cha.”
Jae-hee curled her fingers. The warmth and smoothness of Kangju’s skin against her palm was like flawless silk. A soft kiss brushed her hand. Taking a deep breath, Jae-hee hesitated and whispered.
“Kangju.”
“...Once more.”
“Kangju.”
Jae-hee struggled to keep her voice steady, trying not to falter as she called him.
Finally, Kangju smiled with his eyes. He narrowed the corners of his eyes slowly, a languid smile on his face.
“Good. I’ll help you uncover that secret you want to know. What really happened that day. What my father did to your mother.”
“What?”
Jae-hee, shocked, tried to pull back, but Kangju held her tightly and pulled her toward him. Like a bird being guided back into its cage, he forced her to sit on his lap and whispered again.
“Why are you so surprised? Wasn’t that the reason you approached me?”
Thud. Jae-hee’s heart dropped heavily. Unlike before, it began to thump for a different reason. A dry swallow passed down her throat. When had he known?
‘Wasn’t the reason you approached me because of that?’
He said it with such certainty, but half of it was right, and half was wrong. Though his words were true now, that wasn’t the case at the start. In the beginning, all it had been was her feelings, longing, and admiration for him. That’s definitely what it had been.
What answer should she offer him? As she tried to choose one that might be fifty points, at least, Kangju lazily narrowed his eyes.
“I’ve always wondered. Why did Jae-hee come into my house... what was her true intention?”
Kangju let out a short, self-deprecating laugh.
“But now I understand.”
“That is…”
Jae-hee parted her lips but closed them again. Was he thinking that she had tried to use him? Even if that was true, she didn’t want him to misunderstand that the reason she had held his hand was solely for that. Just as she was about to make some kind of defense, Kangju interrupted her.
“So go ahead, use me however you want.”
“No, no, I didn’t try to use you, Mr. Manager…”
Jae-hee’s head, which had been shaking slowly, started moving faster. She struggled to deny it but ended up collapsing. She couldn’t bear to look into his cold eyes. She couldn’t even say that it wasn’t true.
She hadn’t tried to use him—that statement was a lie. The moment she said it, it would only be a deception toward him.
Kangju pulled her tightly toward him as she tried to distance herself.
“Why? You were planning to use me and throw me away, weren’t you?”
A faint flash of anger crossed his eyes. It was an emotion resembling betrayal and resentment. But that passed quickly. He smiled at her in his usual way and kissed her cheek.
Jae-hee flinched slightly. His lips on her skin were soft and warm, but a strange chill ran down her nape. She forced herself to look up and meet his sharp, piercing gaze, and she managed to ask.
“Why are you making such a suggestion?”
“To see the Chairman of Cha stuck in the mud.”
He answered softly with a cold expression.
Jae-hee wanted to open her mouth and say something, but no words came out. Kangju gently tucked her hair behind her ear and slowly traced her jawline with his fingertips.
“Actually, after the stock succession, I wanted to bring down the Chairman of Cha myself... but this way isn’t too bad either.”
Every time his slow warmth passed over her jaw, a cold shiver spread through Jae-hee’s body.
“Since you’ve decided to use me, I’m planning to use you to bring down the Chairman of Cha. It works out well. I’ll avoid the stigma of being the son who kicked his father out.”
Kangju smirked and whispered again. “It’s more convincing to be thrown out over moral issues than a dispute over shares, don’t you think?”
Jae-hee nodded blankly. She knew Kangju’s resentment toward the Chairman of Cha. It had been the Chairman who had mentally abused and dragged Kangju into the mud during his childhood.
Jae-hee had been the one who was closest to Kangju as he suffered. Because of that, she wasn’t going to say anything like how one shouldn’t betray the family bond—it would be a hollow sentiment in this situation.
‘…But.’
But now, it felt like Kangju’s resentment had reached not only the Chairman of Cha but also her. That thought terrified Jae-hee. Even though she had decided to use him, when faced with this moment, she found herself shaking her head and wanting to deny it.
It felt foolish. Foolish enough to almost make her cry.
Kangju’s warm hand cupped Jae-hee’s cheek. His indifferent voice slipped over her, carried by the warmth on her skin.
“Did you think you were just going to dig up the secret behind your mother’s accident and cover it up? Were you planning to chase after the Chairman of Cha’s backside and then walk away saying ‘So that’s the truth’?”
Kangju smiled bitterly.
“Don’t fool around, Yoon Jae-hee. If you didn’t want to roll around in the mud, you shouldn’t have stepped in to begin with.”
The soft-toned beige wallpaper. The floor covered in marble tiles of a similar shade. An elegant yet restrained space. The Chairman of Cha’s secret villa.
Under a grand chandelier, Chairman Cha rose from the bed. The young woman beside him lazily stretched as she got up, her disheveled body still lingering in the bed.
“Would you like to bathe, or would you prefer to stay lying down a bit longer?”
Chairman Cha turned around as he was about to leave the bed. He sharply spoke toward her, who was looking up at him with a respectful gaze.
“The way you speak.”
“…Please let it slide this time, Chairman. I’m just tired.”
The woman quickly changed her tone, smiling faintly. She teasingly stuck out her tongue and shrugged her shoulders. However, Chairman Cha’s face remained stern.
“That expression doesn’t suit you either.”
“……”
The once lively expression of the woman turned calm, as though it was all a lie.
Only then did Chairman Cha smile with a satisfied expression.
Her silky, flowing black hair. Her slightly drooping eyelids and innocent eyes that made one feel a protective instinct.
The woman resembled Jae-hee. To be precise, she looked even more like Jae-hee’s mother, Kang Mi-ryeong. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say she was a spitting image of Mi-ryeong in her youth.
The woman pulled the blanket up to cover herself and then subtly ran her hands over Chairman Cha’s shoulder.
“By the way, Chairman. Didn’t you once say you’d set up a foundation for me…?”
“Wait.”
“But, when I read articles these days, even the chaebols give their beloved women everything… But you keep saying it’s not time yet… I want to have your child…”
The woman muttered with a pout, her tone characteristic of a woman in her mid-20s. Chairman Cha furrowed his brows but did not repeat the request to change her tone.
‘Beloved woman.’ She phrased it like that, but in reality, she was merely the Chairman’s mistress.
Previously, Chairman Cha had promised to set up a foundation for her, to give her a respectable title. But he had never specified when it would happen. Would it be a year from now? Ten years? It was a waiting game with no definite end.
This uncertainty was frustrating for the woman, and the passing of time made her anxious.
How heartless a man can be. She knew that from experience. The whims of rich men, who swallow you up when you’re beautiful and spit you out when they grow tired of you, were all too familiar. Though she was doted on now, she never knew when Chairman Cha might discard her. She wanted to grasp something—anything—before that happened.
“When will it happen? When can you do it? I’ve been waiting every day.”
Chairman Cha took her hand and gently caressed it, comforting her.
“I know you’re feeling left out, Mi-ryeong, and I understand completely. I’ll give you everything you want, just a little longer.”
“What if you get tired of me?”
“Could that happen? There’s no one else but you, Mi-ryeong.”
Chairman Cha caressed the woman’s pouting cheek, shaking his head.
Mi-ryeong. Chairman Cha had given the woman the name of Jae-hee’s mother, Kang Mi-ryeong.
From the moment Chairman Cha first laid eyes on the woman before him. And when he hid her in a villa near Gyeonggi Province, keeping her as a secret lover, he demanded one thing.
Her tone should be soft and gentle. Not hasty, but not slow in action. Her smile should always be subtle. When embarrassed, she should lightly press her lips, and when sad, she should furrow the skin below her eyes, forcing herself to endure.
He made her resemble Mi-ryeong from head to toe, turning her into the perfect doll that reflected Mi-ryeong’s image. In the end, he had grasped the illusion of Kang Mi-ryeong—whom he could never have—right in his hands.
The woman, called Mi-ryeong, pouted her lips. Chairman Cha pulled her into his arms, gently stroking her head as he whispered with force.
“I’ll give you everything, Mi-ryeong.”
No matter how much she wore Mi-ryeong’s disguise, she was not Mi-ryeong. That fact pricked at Chairman Cha’s heart.
Kang Mi-ryeong. Always graceful and aloof. Even if she were to pay off all her debts, she would stubbornly insist on working as a maid and paying it off gradually, and in the end, she would slip out of my grasp forever. If I could control everything with money, by now, I wouldn’t just be holding onto this fake version of her, consumed by longing.
As he gently stroked the woman’s back, Chairman Cha recalled.
The reason he couldn’t create a foundation for the woman in front of him was because of his status as a son-in-law. He was forced to wield only illusory power, constantly looking over his shoulder at his wife.
Cha Si-eun. His daughter, Cha Si-eun, was the answer.
Recently, Cha Kang-joo had begun to significantly improve the company’s performance. Although he was still hiding in the subsidiary’s planning coordination department, if his wife and outside director, Yoo, continued to support him, Kang-joo would eventually become the true successor of the group.
‘In the end, he’ll crush me and take my position.’
People around him were already talking. Director Yoo. If the shares of Seongang Holdings and Hotel Seongang, which his wife controlled, were handed over to Kang-joo, he would stand at the very top of Seongang. With the combined shares, he would likely become the largest shareholder.
‘The chairman’s position I barely secured, he’ll take it in the end.’
Of course, it was premature to discuss a successor. Chairman Cha was still too healthy. The notion of stepping down was too early. But someday, if Cha Kang-joo were to swallow Seongang, it would mean handing over the whole company to someone else’s son who flew into the nest.
Not yet. Not Cha Kang-joo. The time and the target weren’t right.
‘How did I acquire Seongang?’
Every time Chairman Cha stared at the mirror, he saw himself. The son-in-law of Seongang. The puppet of his wife, the daughter of the late chairman. A lowly servant who had stumbled into this position.
The answer was Cha Si-eun. If she inherited the shares and combined them with his own, and before that, if he somehow persuaded his wife, Yoo, to give Cha Si-eun even more of the shares already passed on to Kang-joo, everything would fall into place.
And then...
“......”
Chairman Cha’s eyes gleamed as he imagined the future.
When the time came, the former son-in-law, who once sold dog food, would be able to swallow Seongang whole. And the next person to control Seongang would be his daughter, Cha Si-eun, not Cha Kang-joo. His true bloodline, Cha Si-eun.
One hour later.
Chairman Cha strolled through the villa’s garden.
In the small thicket of bushes, located at some distance from the villa, something began to reveal itself toward Chairman Cha.
Click, an unnatural sound came from the black body. Then, as Chairman Cha stepped on the gravel and passed by the light, the clicking sound continued. When a woman in a cream-colored dress appeared from outside the garden, the shutter of the camera started clicking even faster.
Soon, the camera that had captured Chairman Cha and his mistress in a secret rendezvous returned into the black bag.
Someone secretly moved their body and left the forest, as if no one had ever been there.
Ziiing– Kang-joo trembled as he held his phone.
[20XX Year. May 13th. XX City, Gyeonggi Province. 3rd batch of data acquired.]
After checking the message, he placed the phone back on the table with a soft tap.
Jae-hee, who had been sleeping in his arms, stirred and tried to slip away. Kang-joo pulled her back into his embrace. The cold gaze he had been giving the phone softened into a gentle expression.
Feeling uncomfortable, Jae-hee, in his arms, tried to pull away, but he held her tighter, placing a kiss by her eye.
“Sleep more. You don’t have to worry about anything, Jae-hee.”
Still half asleep, Jae-hee unconsciously nodded in agreement.
Even after that day, Kang-joo didn’t change.
Jae-hee sat at her office desk, applying hand cream, quietly recalling his words.
‘Don’t be foolish, Yoon Jae-hee. If you didn’t want to roll in the mud, you should never have stepped into it.’
The sharp voice that had coldly pierced her heart.
Could it be that this is the mud?
Is he the mud for me?
Even after contemplating, he couldn’t be the mud. In fact, she had used him, thinking she was helping her mother, but perhaps it was she herself who was covered in mud. The thought lingered.
‘So, go ahead and use him as much as you want.’
Since the arrangement had been made between them, Kang-joo still remained outwardly kind. Occasionally, he would watch her with a pensive expression, and when their eyes met, he would immediately smile. He would embrace her, stroke her back, and kiss her cheek.
What did his actions mean? Jae-hee couldn’t even begin to guess what was on Kang-joo’s mind. She felt as though she was slowly being carried away like a leaf drifting in the current.
First, she would use the manager’s help to investigate her mother’s accident. After that, she would figure things out.
Jae-hee moved her hand, which had paused, and rubbed the hand cream thoroughly, then stretched her neck and looked at the monitor. Strategic Marketing Team 2, Yoon Jae-hee, Assistant Manager. It was time to focus on her responsibilities.
How long had she been typing absent-mindedly on the keyboard? With a ring, the internal phone number display began blinking. It was an unfamiliar number, suggesting it wasn’t from the planning or sales team.
“Thank you, this is Yoon Jae-hee from the Marketing Team.”
Hello, this is Kang Bo-ram, the new secretary to Executive Director Cha Kang-joo.
“Ah, yes. Hello. How can I help you?”
Executive Director Cha has requested you. He wants you to come up right now.
Despite the sudden request, Jae-hee nodded without hesitation.
“Understood, I’ll be right there.”
This was the company, not his home. No matter their personal relationship, the hierarchical structure here was clear. She was just an employee who had to follow the orders of the Executive Director.
“Is there anything specific he requested, such as any materials?”
No, nothing in particular.
“Alright, thank you.”
Jae-hee gave a final greeting and ended the call.
A strange question arose in her mind. It was unusual for her to be called up directly to the Executive Director’s office. What could it be about?
After saving the Excel file she had been working on, Jae-hee stood up from her seat. She then took the elevator to Kang-joo’s office, heading towards the 22nd floor, which looked down haughtily.
Jeong Yoo-seon hummed a tune as she walked towards Kang-joo’s office. Although she had been kicked out of the office by Kang-joo before, it was still too early to give up. Since she had already drawn her sword, she intended to wield it. She still had her pride.
Rather than being shameless, it was her confidence that gave her the audacity. Furthermore, the rewards from succeeding in this challenge were so great that her desire kept growing.
Cha Kang-joo. The man she could have.
“Hello, I’m Jeong Yoo-seon from Buyong Group. I assume you’re new here?”
Yoo-seon smiled lightly and greeted the new secretary. The new secretary, who seemed quite stiff, asked her formally.
“Hello, do you have an appointment?”
She checked the calendar with her eyes, making it clear that she wasn’t someone easy to deal with.
“No, I didn’t have an appointment. But could you let Mr. Cha know that Jeong Yoo-seon is here?”
The secretary glanced at the door. She hesitated, considering whether to make up an excuse, but then shook her head inwardly.
The person in front of her was from Buyong Group. When she had taken over from the previous secretary, she had already gathered information about Yoo-seon. Knowing the powerful background behind the visitor, she couldn’t afford to lie.
“I’m sorry, but Mr. Cha is busy right now. If you leave a message, I’ll be sure to pass it along.”
“Oh my, you’re being so strict. I’ll just say hello and leave right away.”
But Yoo-seon paid no mind. Before the secretary could stop her, Yoo-seon marched forward and grabbed the doorknob. The surprised secretary immediately jumped up.
“Ah, please wait!”
Unable to push her hand away, the secretary just fidgeted nervously. A loud argument ensued between them.
“If you barge in like this, I’ll be in trouble!”
“Isn’t it fine to just say hello for a moment?”
“I’m sorry, but this is really difficult.”
Despite the commotion, the office remained quiet as a mouse. However, when Yoo-seon, still smiling, shoved the secretary aside and grabbed the doorknob again, the door on the opposite side opened first.
“What’s going on?”
Kang-joo emerged with an irritated expression.
The secretary bowed her head apologetically, and Yoo-seon smiled brightly. It seemed that even Kang-joo’s cold expression didn’t faze her.
“Hello, Kang-joo. I’ve come for coffee.”
“......”
“Are you really that busy? Don’t you have time for a coffee?”
Kang-joo stared at Yoo-seon’s shameless face as though deep in thought. After a moment, as if having come to some realization, he too smiled quietly.
“Coffee... alright, come in.”
Yoo-seon, with a look of “I knew it,” walked past Kang-joo and entered the office. After letting Yoo-seon in, Kang-joo closed the door and approached the secretary. The nervous secretary immediately bowed her head.
“I’m sorry. I tried to stop her, but...”
“I understand. No need to make excuses.”
Kang-joo cut her off succinctly. It was clear he understood the situation without needing any further explanation.
“Contact Assistant Manager Yoon Jae-hee from the Strategic Marketing Team 2.”
Marketing Assistant Manager Yoon? The secretary blinked in confusion at Kang-joo’s words before quickly nodding.
“Yes, understood. What message should I pass along?”
“Tell her to come up. Right now.”
“Should I tell them to come back in about thirty minutes since there’s a guest?”
Kang-joo smiled lightly.
“I said right now, Manager Kang.”
“Understood, Executive Director.”
Manager Kang hesitated briefly before nodding deeply.
Meanwhile, Yoo-seon, who had entered Kang-joo’s office, sat on the sofa and greeted Kang-joo as he entered, as if she were the host.
“You’re here, Kang-joo?”
Kang-joo immediately walked over to the coffee table. As he pressed the button on the coffee machine, the sound of beans grinding filled the air. Placing his hand on the table, Kang-joo turned around.
“Americano?”
“You remember, even after you kicked me out like that.”
“How could I forget such an intense encounter?”
Kang-joo answered with a smile, holding a coffee cup in his hand as he approached Yoo-seon. She reached for the cup placed on the table and made eye contact with him. “I’ll enjoy it,” she said.
Smiling gently, she continued speaking.
“I know, I was rude. But I was so taken with you, Kang-joo, that I couldn’t help myself. I don’t just act like this with anyone, so don’t misunderstand.”
“Now I’m curious. What exactly do you like about me?”
“Shall I be honest? The more you push me away, the more anxious I get.”
At her words, Kang-joo chuckled slightly. Yoo-seon also smiled as she watched his expression. Seeing his lips curl into a soft smile, the atmosphere didn’t seem bad.
It made sense. Who would reject someone like that? Kang-joo’s mother, Yeong-hyeon, had also repeatedly praised his bold and confident nature. Yoo-seon believed that, just like his mother, Kang-joo would eventually open up to her.
Meanwhile, Jae-hee stood awkwardly in front of Kang-joo’s secretary.
“Hello, I’m Assistant Manager Yoon Jae-hee.”
The secretary, seemingly lost in thought, absentmindedly held a pen. When Jae-hee’s voice rang out from above her, the secretary suddenly looked up, startled.
“Oh, yes! Hello! You’ve arrived!”
“Could you let Mr. Kang know that I’m here?”
“No, you can go right in. He said to let you in.”
The secretary awkwardly gestured toward the door.
Jae-hee nodded her thanks and opened the door.
What could this be about? The question was large in her mind. There hadn’t been any work-related matters for them to discuss, and if it were personal, they could have talked at home.
“Hello, Executive Director. You called for me...”
Jae-hee greeted him lightly as she stepped inside, but she soon faltered and fell silent.
There were two people inside. One was the person she knew well, Cha Kang-joo. The other was Jeong Yoo-seon, who was looking at her with wide, surprised eyes. She was the granddaughter of the Buyong Group’s president, who had been mentioned in a gossip-filled photo that Manager Lim had sent her earlier.
The same woman who had visited Kang-joo before.
“You’ve arrived?”
Kang-joo stood up and walked toward Jae-hee without hesitation. He gently pulled her by the shoulder, causing her to stumble and lean toward him. Surprised, Jae-hee placed her hand on his chest and looked up at him.
“Executive Director?”
Her voice carried a note of confusion. What was going on? This was certainly not the proper greeting between an executive and an employee. And there was someone else sitting on the sofa. Someone who was at the center of the rumors about her meeting with Kang-joo.
Kang-joo lowered his head toward Jae-hee. A light kiss brushed over the skin above her eyes. Jae-hee immediately stiffened completely.
As he gently touched her trembling shoulder, Kang-joo whispered in her ear.
“We need to get married.”
“Excuse me?”
She was so surprised that she couldn’t even get the words out properly. What was this? Suddenly talking about marriage, what was going on? But as if nothing had happened, Kang-joo just smiled gently at Jae-hee.
“I’ve been waiting. Please, have a seat.”
In a daze, Jae-hee sat on the sofa, and across from her was a still more frozen-looking Yuseon.
Yuseon’s gaze followed the two of them. Kang-joo, holding onto Jae-hee’s stiffened hand, and Jae-hee, with a pale face as if she were about to break in half, sitting on the sofa.
Calmly, Kang-joo gestured toward them.
“I apologize for the late introduction. Jae-hee, this is Yuseon Jeong, a friend of my mother. Yuseon, this is Jae-hee Yoon.”
Yuseon ran her hand along the back of her neck and then cupped her chin. Her breath hitched, her chest rising and falling. Usually, Yuseon would smile confidently, but at this moment, it was difficult to do so. Looking up with an embarrassed expression, she saw Kang-joo, who was still holding Jae-hee’s hand tightly.
“Say hello. This is Jae-hee Yoon, a capable team leader in the marketing department, and my girlfriend.”
“...”
“I never expected to introduce her like this. My mother might be upset for not meeting her first, but given the situation...”
“...You should have told me earlier.”
Feeling parched, Yuseon took a sip of coffee and spoke in a thin voice. Kang-joo responded with a firm tone.
“I already informed my mother. It seems you walked here in vain, without hearing it from her.”
Yuseon’s lips pressed together tightly. She raised the cup once more and took another sip. The sweet aroma of coffee filled the air.
After inhaling the scent of coffee for a while, Yuseon set the cup down. As if that were a signal, she stood up.
Carrying her bag, Yuseon flashed a friendly smile at Jae-hee.
“I didn’t realize you had someone. My apologies for the intrusion today.”
She emphasized the word “today” as she gracefully bowed. Kang-joo, rising from his seat, gave his final words of goodbye.
“It was my mother who was the one at fault.”
With a composed gesture, he guided Yuseon out.
“No, Director Yoo, you were not at fault... Not at all.”
Yuseon gave a cryptic response and gracefully disappeared.
After Yuseon left, Kang-joo closed the door and turned around. He saw Jae-hee, who was quietly holding her breath. This time, instead of sitting next to her, Kang-joo took the seat across from her.
Because of that, Jae-hee felt like she had briefly returned to being an employee in front of the executive, even though she had just been “his girlfriend” for a moment.
Jae-hee raised her head and looked at Kang-joo. Kang-joo, like a person preparing for a transaction, clasped his hands together and smiled. Jae-hee nervously bit her lower lip in confusion.
“What is going on here, Mr. Kang? What you said earlier, about... marriage... What on earth does it mean?”
Her thoughts were jumbled, and she couldn’t finish her sentence. She anxiously waited for him to speak, hoping his lips would move.
Kang-joo casually smiled and responded.
“Ah. Marriage, that.”
“Yes, that.”
Jae-hee couldn’t even bring herself to say the word “marriage,” so she just shrugged it off. Kang-joo, with his arms crossed, leaned back comfortably on the sofa.
“It’s nothing. I’m just saying that we should get married as part of a reasonable arrangement.”
“I still don’t quite understand.”
“Nothing much, really.” He chuckled softly. “I just mean, let’s get married as part of an arrangement.”
“That doesn’t sound like ‘nothing’ to me.” Jae-hee’s mind was spinning. Marriage? With Kang-joo? The thought was overwhelming. If his communication skills weren’t severely flawed, it seemed like he was talking about both of them getting married. Kang-joo, Jae-hee, their marriage.
One of the parties was extremely calm, while the other was incredibly flustered. Of course, the latter was herself.
Jae-hee felt like screaming at any moment. The silence that followed the words felt like an eternity. Eventually, Kang-joo responded nonchalantly.
“To catch a spider, don’t you have to jump into its web?”
“A spider?”
A cynical smile curled at the corner of Kang-joo’s mouth.
“Chairman Cha.”
“......”
“You want to know the truth and get back at Chairman Cha, don’t you, Jae-hee?”
Jae-hee slowly nodded her head up and down.
“If you marry me, you’ll be able to see Chairman Cha up close. If you want, you can even move into my family home and set up a honeymoon suite. Go ahead, tear it apart and investigate as much as you want.”
Her heart started pounding. He was right. The reason she had stayed close to Kang-joo all this time was to uncover the truth about her mother. To clear her mother’s name. To bring the wrongful accident her mother had suffered back into the light.
But even so, there wasn’t much she could discover. All she’d managed to do was visit his family home occasionally, searching for the locations of the CCTV cameras. Without a strong connection to Chairman Cha, no matter what she tried, it felt like she was grasping at thin air.
Kang-joo’s wife. She would never have the chance to meet Chairman Cha up close with that status.
Honestly, she was drawn to it. The marriage itself, the proposal to marry Kang-joo. But what puzzled her was...
‘Why him?’
What was Kang-joo’s intention?
He had said that sex and marriage were exchanges. But what would be the cost of falling into his hands through marriage? She could approach the truth, but what about him?
‘The downfall of Chairman Cha?’
But that was something he could easily achieve without marrying her. As she looked at his face, which was quietly smiling, trying to read his thoughts, she shivered.
“Why make it so difficult?”
Kang-joo clicked his tongue lightly, as if he could clearly see her inner thoughts. He then stood up and walked directly toward Jae-hee. Leaning down, he stared intently into her eyes, and Jae-hee looked up at him with a worried expression.
He gently caressed her cheek and whispered in her ear.
“Honestly, I don’t like marriage itself. I can’t understand why anyone would jump into that fire.”
He subtly traced his fingers down her cheek and along her ear, then slowly moved his hand lower.
“I don’t like being tied down to just one person. I don’t like losing my freedom. If I married someone like Yuseon Jeong, I’d definitely have to restrict my actions.”
His hand gradually descended to fiddle with one of her buttons. However, he didn’t unbutton it but just toyed with it teasingly before letting it fall away. Jae-hee touched the button where his hand had been, her upper body tense. The light behind Kang-joo’s face cast an elegant shadow.
Jae-hee couldn’t respond easily. No matter what the goal was or what his intentions were, the proposal felt like an unrealistic fantasy and didn’t seem to reach her.
How could she marry him? How could she dare?
“An arranged marriage. I’m not interested in that sort of thing. But you’re perfect for me, Jae-hee. You’d keep your eyes off my personal life, stay quietly by my side. A relationship where our goals align.”
“......”
“You’ll get back at Chairman Cha, and I’ll keep my freedom. It’s a proposal that benefits us both, don’t you think?”
He tilted his head slowly. What he was really saying was, like a weed growing secretly, stay by my side.
“Of course, there will be material rewards. Bigger than you can imagine. I told you, as long as I can, I’ll give you whatever you want.”
It wasn’t enough to receive compensation through sex, now it seemed she would have to pay through marriage as well.
A gaze demanding an answer pierced through her. Jae-hee, feeling bitter about the situation, quietly asked again.
“But, you won’t get permission, will you?”
Kang-joo’s face showed a hint of boredom, as though he had heard this question a hundred times.
“Chairman Cha will give his approval. He’s someone who wants nothing more than for my foundation to be shaky, so he’ll welcome you with open arms, Jae-hee.”
“And what about Director Yuseon?”
“My mother, I’ll handle that.”
He sharply drew a line. As if to say, it was none of her concern, his tone was cold.
He spoke so casually about such a heavy and difficult issue that it almost made marriage seem insignificant. Suddenly, Jae-hee had the feeling that, swept away by this current, she might inevitably end up at marriage. In the end, she would be left all alone, holding only the tattered remnants of what was once a strong current.
Jae-hee stared at his face. A man so confident and at ease, someone who had never known failure. He was someone she had always known, but today, he seemed strangely unfamiliar.
A chill, cutting through the familiarity, crept up her feet and slowly climbed her body.
This was poison.
A sweet poison that would swallow her whole.
If she closed her eyes and pretended not to notice, it would crush her heart, grind it, trample it, and leave only a shredded, torn heart in the end.
Kang-joo didn’t give Jae-hee the space to think it over. There was no courtesy of letting her “think about it.” He was digging into her gaze, as if to say, if she didn’t answer now, she would lose this opportunity forever.
“So, do you hate it?”
His voice was cold and ruthless, as if he would never ask again if she rejected him here and now.
Jae-hee clenched her hands tightly. She pressed her fingers together, trying to hide the trembling of her hands from him.
If she didn’t take his hand now, she would lose him forever. The clues to uncover her mother’s truth, and the existence of Cha Kang-joo, would vanish.
She tried to say something, but her lips moved without a sound before closing again.
Jae-hee already knew. She would never be able to refuse his proposal. Even if it meant being cast away, wounded and exposed, for desiring something she shouldn’t, she would gladly leap into his arms.
Jae-hee, nervously staring at her fingers, slowly lifted her head. She barely managed to utter a sound, like someone speaking for the first time in their life, her voice trembling with effort.
“...Okay.”
A smile blossomed at the corner of Kang-joo’s lips, like an elegant flower beginning to unfurl its petals.
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