“Did you know? General Manager Choi Dan-jung is the CEO’s wife.”

“What? Really?”

“Didn’t you know? It’s all over the grapevine~ That’s why she’s attending the hotel’s opening event this weekend as the CEO’s wife.”

“I knew it... There was just this unexplainable aura about General Manager Choi.”

“And there’s also a rumor that Food and Beverage Manager Lee Si-woo is on the Vice President’s side of the head office.”

“Wow! Why are all the new managers such big shots? It’s making me nervous...”

Rumors about Dan-jung’s identity spread to every corner of the Jeju hotel, and Dan-jung focused on her work while enduring everyone’s whispers.

“These days, the hotel staff seem to have nothing to talk about but you, noona.”

Si-woo sat next to Dan-jung, who was eating in the staff cafeteria.

Si-woo, who had become the Food and Beverage Manager due to Min-hyuk’s instructions, hadn’t had many opportunities to see Dan-jung.

But today, he was lucky enough to meet her in the staff cafeteria.

“Well, it’s not exactly a baseless rumor...”

Dan-jung, who looked much more relaxed than before her marriage, didn’t seem to care about the rumors about her.

She had already experienced so many rumors that she was sick of them, and if they didn’t harm her, Min-hyuk, or the hotel’s reputation, she no longer wanted to waste her energy on useless things.

Besides, she had a mountain of things to worry about regarding the hotel’s operations.

“Noona, you’ve changed a lot too.”

Si-woo looked at Dan-jung and chuckled.

“What’s changed?”

Dan-jung took a big spoonful of rice, put it in her mouth, and chewed thoroughly.

“How should I put it? You seem stronger? It’s like you don’t need protecting anymore.”

“Right, I don’t need your help anymore.”

Dan-jung nodded, acknowledging that she had become stronger.

It was the result of her own efforts to become stronger, so his answer was very satisfying.

“And you don’t seem to smile much these days either.”

“Thanks to you, I don’t even get to show off my wedding ring.”

Dan-jung held out her hand and showed Si-woo her wedding ring.

In fact, this was also an expression of her wariness.

Of course, Si-woo was Min-hyuk’s relative, but Dan-jung felt uncomfortable just by the fact that Si-woo had liked her.

Moreover, he was also the main figure in a scandal involving her before her marriage.

“I feel like taking that ring off.”

Si-woo said nonchalantly and ate his rice, and Dan-jung blinked at him.

‘What? What does that mean? Haven’t you given up on me yet?’

“Pfft.”

“Why are you laughing?”

“No, it’s just your reaction is so funny, noona. So, you still haven’t gotten rid of your princess complex.”

“Hmph. What do you mean I have a princess complex? Anyway, enjoy your meal, General Manager Lee!”

Having finished her meal, Dan-jung stood up abruptly, feeling embarrassed by Si-woo’s words.

“He’s the one who said that, and now he’s saying I have a princess complex~.”

As Dan-jung grumbled and walked away, Si-woo looked at her with a subtle expression.

“It’s going to be much harder than back then, for sure.”

But strangely, apart from Hye-mi’s demands, Si-woo’s competitive spirit began to ignite towards Dan-jung, who was putting up an iron wall against him.

* * *

“So, we need to write a proposal by next week on how to increase the occupancy rate for this winter season. Ugh~ But I’m so sleepy.”

Having spent a busy day, Dan-jung didn’t forget to call Min-hyuk even after coming home.

Except for his night shifts, video calling her husband until she fell asleep was a great pleasure for Dan-jung.

“Then go shower and sleep quickly.”

“I don’t want to. I missed you all day, Min-hyuk-ssi. But I’ll see you the day after tomorrow, so...”

Dan-jung eventually nodded off and slowly closed her eyes.

Min-hyuk looked at Dan-jung on the screen with affection and woke her up.

“Dan-jung! Dan-jung-ah.”

“Yeeeesh~.”

Dan-jung still couldn’t open her eyes and just moved her lips.

“Go wash up quickly.”

“But I’m so tired. I wish Min-hyuk-ssi would wash me...”

Dan-jung in the video call was becoming increasingly explicit, including expressions of affection.

Was it because he wasn’t by her side? Or was it because she wanted to tease Min-hyuk?

Min-hyuk was getting anxious because of Dan-jung, who was becoming bolder.

“Then let’s shower together.”

“Yes?”

“I haven’t showered yet either. Let’s wash up and then sleep while looking at each other’s faces.”

“Oh, I thought it was something else, I was unnecessarily surprised.”

“Why surprised?”

“Hehe~ Min-hyuk-ssi does naughty things after showering. He dries my hair, kisses me here and there~.”

Dan-jung, who had lost her mind in her sleepiness, giggled for no reason.

And she didn’t hesitate to say things she would be embarrassed about when she came to her senses.

“Then let’s do something naughty after we shower.”

“Yes? How?”

“Come after washing up without putting on clothes.”

“Really? Then Min-hyuk-ssi won’t wear anything either?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Then let’s take them off together.”

At Min-hyuk’s words, Dan-jung snapped awake.

And although she was embarrassed, she wanted to do something naughty as he said.

“......”

Min-hyuk silently held the phone in one hand and began to unbutton his dress shirt one by one with the other.

‘He’s really taking them off.’

Dan-jung watched Min-hyuk and then took off her own clothes.

When he took off his pants, Dan-jung also took off her skirt, and when he took off his underwear, Dan-jung also took hers off.

And before they knew it, both of them were naked, their faces flushed as they looked at each other.

They had only taken off their clothes... but why did it feel so tense and sensual?

Dan-jung’s whole body tingled because of Min-hyuk, who looked like he would devour her at any moment.

“Let’s wash up.”

“Yes.”

Min-hyuk and Dan-jung went into the shower room without turning off their phones.

And after some time, Dan-jung, who wasn’t wearing anything, approached the bed.

“Show me.”

Lying on the bed, Dan-jung moved her body backward as Min-hyuk instructed, so that her whole body was visible on the screen.

Was it because of his burning gaze? Dan-jung’s whole body heated up.

“Imagine I’m kissing you and touch your lips.”

At Min-hyuk’s words, Dan-jung closed her eyes and imagined Min-hyuk showering her with kisses.

In her imagination, Min-hyuk’s passionate and sensual kisses numbed her reason.

Haa~ As Dan-jung’s flushed breath escaped, Min-hyuk grabbed his own.

“Touch your breasts too.”

Min-hyuk ordered Dan-jung, who had a sensual look on her face, to touch her breasts.

Dan-jung slowly opened her eyes, looked at Min-hyuk, and did as he told her.

He was only looking at her... but why did she feel so sensual?

Dan-jung was excited as if Min-hyuk’s touch was reaching her, and Min-hyuk wanted to rush to Jeju Island right away and devour Dan-jung madly.

But since he couldn’t do that, he could only feel more and more frustrated.

“Can I touch here too?”

Dan-jung, so excited that she couldn’t bear it any longer, brought her hand down to her lower area and asked Min-hyuk.

“Uh-huh.”

“M-Min-hyuk-ssi.”

Dan-jung called Min-hyuk’s name and touched herself.

The thought that he was watching made her feel embarrassed yet incredibly aroused.

“I think I’m going crazy because of you.”

It felt so good... Min-hyuk felt like he was going crazy because he couldn’t touch her, like he would die if he couldn’t have her.

“Haa, haa, Min-hyuk-ssi, but please don’t hate me. Keep loving me.”

For the first time, Dan-jung begged Min-hyuk for love.

If she broke up with Min-hyuk, she felt like she wouldn’t be able to love again.

While she told Jin-hee that she could love again, she herself didn’t think she could.

“And you?”

Min-hyuk also wanted to confirm their love.

He had learned love for the first time from Dan-jung, and he couldn’t even dare to imagine loving another woman.

“I... I will only love Min-hyuk-ssi until I die.”

“Ugh.”

Min-hyuk was so aroused by Dan-jung’s confession of love that he couldn’t help but reach his climax.

And Dan-jung, who was watching Min-hyuk, was the same.

________________________________________

“Is Ha-yeon doing okay now?”

“Yes, she was sneezing a lot, so I thought she caught a cold, but thankfully it seems she got over it without any problems.”

Jin-hee and Ji-wook had to postpone their plans to see the autumn foliage last weekend because of Ha-yeon’s condition, and they set out to see the colorful leaves on this clear day without a speck of fine dust.

And the place they arrived at was a huge park in the center of Seoul.

“Wow~ I didn’t know there was a place like this in Seoul.”

Jin-hee had been to every nook and cranny of Seoul before her marriage, but parks weren’t her thing back then.

So Jin-hee hadn’t imagined there would be such a large park in the middle of Seoul.

Moreover, the park she came to with Ji-wook was a perfect place to bring families, especially young children.

“I chose a nearby place because Ha-yeon is still young and her condition isn’t perfect.”

Whoosh~ As a cold wind blew, Ji-wook, worried about Ha-yeon, knelt down and tucked in Ha-yeon’s clothes while she sat in the stroller.

“Have you been here before?”

“No, this is my first time too.”

“Then how did you know about this place?”

“I looked it up online. It came up when I searched for ‘autumn foliage with a child’.”

“Ah~.”

Jin-hee suddenly felt overwhelmed with emotion because Ji-wook was so different from her ex-husband.

Others might laugh if they heard, but for her, such an outing was something out of a dream.

In fact, she had never gone out with her husband and Ha-yeon after getting married.

That jerk of a husband would sleep in on his days off because he was tired, or he would go out saying he had plans.

Family was never his concern.

Of course, she could have gone out with just the baby, but Jin-hee somehow felt sad going out without her husband.

So she had lived in isolation, but Ji-wook kept reaching out to her and pushing her to go out into the world.

“Jin-hee-ssi, are you alright?”

Ji-wook looked at Jin-hee, whose eyes had become red, with concern.

He was careful, wondering if he had made some kind of mistake.

“Ji-wook-ssi, why are you so good to me?”

Jin-hee asked, wiping the tears that were welling up in her eyes.

“We decided to be friends, didn’t we?”

“Then are you good to all your friends?”

“Ah... no, that’s not it. I’m good to you because it’s you, Jin-hee-ssi.”

“So why?”

“Well... because I like Jin-hee-ssi.”

Ji-wook confessed his feelings honestly.

Ever since he fell in love with Jin-hee at first sight, he had barely managed to resist the urge to see her when he didn’t, and to ring her doorbell and go to her.

And why did Ha-yeon keep catching his eye so much?

He would worry about the mother and daughter because of Ha-yeon’s crying at night, and he would miss them.

“I’m not trying to do anything with Jin-hee-ssi right now. I’m happy just going for a walk like this or even just eating together. I have the confidence to wait as long as it takes, so please feel comfortable with me.”

Ji-wook didn’t want to put any unnecessary pressure on Jin-hee just because he liked her.

But if he could, he wanted to gently comfort her pain.

“Thank you.”

Jin-hee’s heart warmed at his sincerity.

But then, a woman around Jin-hee’s age stopped walking and turned back to look at Jin-hee’s face.

“I think it’s her...”

“Do you know someone?”

A man who seemed to be her husband asked, and the woman tilted her head.

“I think it’s a college classmate... but it might not be.”

The woman who had even gone to Jin-hee’s wedding was confused because of Ji-wook standing next to Jin-hee.

But the woman who had been staring intently at Jin-hee was convinced it was her and slowly approached.

“It is her! Park Jin-hee~ You’re Park Jin-hee, right?”

“Huh? Eun-joo-ya.”

“Wow~ How do we see each other here? Seoul is a small place after all.”

“I know~ It really is small.”

Jin-hee felt unnecessarily self-conscious because her classmate kept looking at Ji-wook.

“But who is this person?”

“Ah~ a friend.”

“Really? Is he a friend that Senior Tae-joon also knows?”

Jin-hee’s classmate, who also knew Tae-joon, tried to figure out Ji-wook’s identity, being nosy.

She was also excited, wondering if she had witnessed Jin-hee’s affair.

“Uh-huh. I know him.”

“Ah~ I see. Honey, this is my friend. She came to our wedding with her husband too. The person next to her is just a friend.”

Jin-hee’s classmate, convinced of Jin-hee’s affair, introduced Jin-hee to her husband in a sarcastic tone.

“Then we’ll be going now.”

Jin-hee, feeling uncomfortable with her classmate, pulled the stroller and started walking.

“Oh, okay. Bye~ Say hi to Senior Tae-joon for me too.”

The classmate whispered to her husband that she thought she had caught Jin-hee red-handed.

Then, Jin-hee, feeling indignant, stopped walking and approached her classmate again.

“Actually, that person isn’t a friend. He’s my boyfriend.”

“What?”

As her startled classmate’s eyes widened in surprise, Jin-hee mustered her courage once more.

“And I’m divorced from Senior Tae-joon. Senior Tae-joon had an affair with a divorced woman. You should take good care of your husband. See you.”

Jin-hee felt a sense of relief after saying everything that was on her mind.

In fact, there was no reason for her to feel small when she hadn’t done anything wrong.

“Really?”

Ji-wook, who had been silent the whole time, looked at Jin-hee standing next to him and smiled brightly.

“What is?”

“Me being your boyfriend.”

“Well, if you don’t like it, never mind.”

“Why wouldn’t I like it? It’s amazing.”

Feeling like he was on cloud nine, Ji-wook smiled broadly and held Jin-hee’s hand tightly.