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When Sehee opened her eyes, it was dawn. Yet, Kang-joon was looking down at her, propping his chin on his arm.
“You didn’t sleep, did you?”
“I did.”
As if telling him not to lie, Sehee lightly punched his firm chest. It probably didn’t hurt him, but it seemed to have an effect, as Kang-joon confessed obediently.
“I slept for about 3 hours.”
“But you’re already awake?”
“Thanks to someone, I slept soundly, so 3 hours is enough.”
Even in the faint darkness, Kang-joon’s eyes, full of warmth, were deep and sticky. As if all the energy he had expended throughout the long night and short dawn still wasn’t enough. Thanks to his gaze, the daring things Sehee had done to Kang-joon vividly came to mind. I must be crazy, how dare I do such daring things... Embarrassed belatedly, Sehee subtly lowered her gaze and asked,
“What time is it now?”
“It’s a little before 5. There’s still plenty of time, so sleep more.”
Since she had skipped her morning exercise after becoming pregnant, her wake-up time was 6:30. Sehee knew there was time, but she strangely couldn’t fall asleep.
“I can’t sleep.”
“Shall I help you sleep?” Kang-joon asked Sehee, who shook her head slightly and burrowed into his arms.
“Then what do you want to do? It’s still early morning...”
Kang-joon trailed off, leaning closer, and a hot wave surged in his eyes. Knowing what that meant, Sehee quickly covered Kang-joon’s lips with her hand.
“Were you always this devious?”
“I’m usually an abstinent man. I only became like this after meeting Joo Sehee. So, take responsibility.”
Was he only abstinent? He used to be cold, ruthless, and even harsh. Comparing the Kang-joon of then to the Kang-joon of now, he was a completely different person. She was grateful and touched, but it felt overwhelming and burdensome to the point of fear. So, after a long detour, she finally decided to love this man freely and stay by his side. Now, she couldn’t even imagine a place other than by his side.
“I’ll take responsibility for life, so let’s just talk now.”
“...Talk? In the middle of the night?”
“Don’t you want to?”
“Talking is good. But rather than talking with words, I prefer doing it with our bodies...!”
Sehee glared and smacked his bare chest, making Kang-joon stop speaking.
“Even if it’s me, we should let Pere sleep, shouldn’t we?”
At the mention of Pere, Kang-joon’s expression finally turned serious.
“Tell me, what kind of conversation does our future bride want to have?”
“Just some small talk.”
Sehee smiled sweetly, whispering, and Kang-joon subtly furrowed his brows. She wouldn’t let him do anything, yet she smiled so prettily. When she tried to seduce him, she was provocative and drove him crazy. When she acted innocent like this, she made him anxious and exasperated. Kang-joon thought it was tiring when his wife was too beautiful and charming. What good was it to have overflowing stamina if he couldn’t hold her as he wished? Sehee, unaware of Kang-joon’s concerns, spoke with a slightly excited voice.
“My mother said she’d buy all the baby products and wanted to go shopping with me. Is that okay?”
“Who do you want to shop with, Sehee?”
“Of course, my mother.”
“Then do that.”
He felt like he wanted to pluck stars from the sky for her, so why wouldn’t he grant such a small request? Kang-joon’s body, ignited by the woman in his arms, was hot, but his heart was even hotter.
“And grandfather and mother want our wedding to be grand.”
“Do as you wish, Sehee. Whatever you want is fine, and they’re understanding people, so they’ll understand.”
“So I’ve thought about it a lot, and I want to have a grand wedding. So grand that all of Korea will buzz about it.”
“Are you really okay with that? Your face will be widely exposed.”
Kang-joon was actually more cautious about the wedding. He knew Sehee’s trauma that had bothered her for a long time and her personality. Her intention to overcome it was good, but he couldn’t help but worry. He was afraid Sehee might struggle if she tried to handle too much. She was a bird that had flown into his arms.
“They say it’s better to take the first hit. And let anyone who wants to poke and prod do so. I have a strong husband and in-laws, what’s there to worry about? If it gets too hard, I’ll lean on them and hide as much as I want. I have every right to do that now, don’t I?”
Even in the faint darkness, Sehee’s eyes, looking up at him, were resolute. Kang-joon’s heart ached at that gaze. Because of his own desires, this small, delicate woman was doing things she had never done before and gathering difficult courage. Kang-joon intended to overprotect Joo Sehee, who had stepped out of her safe fence into the harsh world. But coming out was something Joo Sehee had to do alone. He felt sorry, pity, and gratitude for that. Overwhelmed by the uncontrollable warmth surging through his heart, Kang-joon hugged Sehee tightly.
“Have I ever said thank you?”
“...”
“Thank you for choosing me and staying by my side.”
“...”
“I’ll treat you well for the rest of my life. So you’ll never regret that choice.”
Only then did Sehee also hug Kang-joon tightly around the neck and shyly whisper,
“Thank you too. For loving me, waiting until the end, and not giving up on me.”
Kang-joon felt like he couldn’t hold back anymore. It was the moment he lowered his face, feeling like he would go crazy if he didn’t kiss her.
“Ah!”
As if something had just occurred to her, Sehee pulled away from his embrace.
“Oh, right! Introduce me properly to Jaewoo and Kyeongjin too. And...”
Sehee’s expression was serious, as if the heated Kang-joon wasn’t even there. Eventually, with a resigned heart, Kang-joon listened intently to Sehee’s voice. His body was suffering, but this too was a form of joy and happiness. Sehee’s chatter, like the chirping of a bird, didn’t stop until dawn broke. It was the beginning of a happy and ordinary day.
________________________________________
The firmly locked door opened from outside. As a tall, large man entered, Ms. Jo, who had risen from the bed, hugged him, sobbing.
“Inbeom!”
It was Secretary Jung. Her only trusted subordinate and, for now, her only lifeline. Secretary Jung looked at Ms. Jo, who was clinging to him, with an incredulous expression.
“I didn’t expect to find you here.”
“I wanted to contact you, but they even took my phone. The only things they didn’t take were my necklace and earrings, so I gave those to a nurse and begged her to let me see you for a moment.”
Of course, the nurse had threatened her. She said that her husband had consented, there was evidence, and she had undergone a psychiatric evaluation, so she shouldn’t even dream of leaving.
“That bastard betrayed me and sided with that cunning girl, putting me in here. I should have noticed when he pretended to care and made me get psychiatric counseling and even a gastroscopy.”
Ms. Jo’s eyes reddened again, consumed by rage at the thought of Younguk.
“I told you to divorce him and come to me!”
Ms. Jo felt relieved by the deep, resentful tone in his voice. It was proof that this man still loved her, and that she could use him. In truth, the two were from the same orphanage. Even after being adopted, Ms. Jo visited the orphanage for volunteer work and noticed young Inbeom. He wasn’t particularly bright but had superior physical attributes and was steadfast and stubborn. She looked after him like an older sister whenever she visited the orphanage, and after he became an adult and was living as a gangster, she sponsored him to become a boxer. A trustworthy subordinate doesn’t just fall from the sky. Having secretly put in a lot of effort for a long time, Inbeom became a perfect puppet.
“He threatened to kill you silently if I asked for a divorce, how could I do that? As long as I endure this hellish marriage, you’ll be safe.”
“Why didn’t you tell me Vice President Yoo threatened to kill me?”
Of course, it was a lie fabricated by Ms. Jo. But Secretary Jung’s eyes turned menacing, unaware of the deception.
“Do you think I would have stayed still with your personality? It would be like hitting a rock with an egg! If anything happened to you, I would... hiccup.”
Ms. Jo barely managed to squeeze out tears that weren’t there and hugged Secretary Jung again. Holding her small, trembling body tightly, Secretary Jung said,
“Tell me, Noona. What should I do?”
Ms. Jo, with a tear-stained face, spoke pitifully to Secretary Jung.
“The reason I wanted to meet you was to give you everything I’ve accumulated so far. Find it all and take it before that bastard finds out. You deserve it.”
“What’s the use of that money if you’re not by my side, Noona!”
As expected, seeing Secretary Jung consumed by emotion and rage, Ms. Jo secretly gloated. Ms. Jo knew Secretary Jung well, but unfortunately, Secretary Jung didn’t know her. How cunning and sly she was, and how thoroughly selfish to the core.
________________________________________
As declared to Secretary Kim, Sehee was having dinner with each department in rotation. And this evening, on a blazing Friday, was the dinner for the overseas business division.
“But CEO, you look surprisingly similar to the previous CEO. I guess it’s because you’re both beautiful.”
It would be strange if she didn’t look alike. The previous CEO was also her, and the current CEO was also her. But instead of being flustered, Sehee calmly responded to Manager Kang, who had spoken without any ulterior motive.
“I was very close with CEO Yoo. So when CEO Yoo was struggling with InnoFashion, I helped her as if it were my own business, and Dora Mall received a lot of help from CEO Yoo as well. We were like... real sisters.”
Every time they had a departmental dinner, this remark inevitably came up from the existing employees: “You resemble the previous CEO.” Instead of avoiding the answer, Sehee used it to her advantage, answering and reassuring the employees. The doubts that made existing employees uneasy: Could she be an incompetent parachute? Would she ruin this rapidly growing company after the acquisition?
“I guess it’s true that you start to look alike when you’re very close. Then I want to become close with the CEO and become beautiful too!”
At Manager Kang’s words, who was the most affable in the overseas business division, Manager Yoon next to him laughed and said,
“Manager Kang, if becoming beautiful by being close to the CEO were true, wouldn’t everyone in the world be beautiful? It’s just that beautiful people hang out with beautiful people, handsome people hang out with handsome people, it’s just birds of a feather flock together, isn’t it?”
“CEO, if I want to become as beautiful as you, should I resort to medical help?”
Sehee answered Manager Kang’s serious question seriously.
“I believe all standards should be set by oneself, not by others. In that sense, everyone here looks beautiful and 멋져요 to me. There’s no one more beautiful than someone who manages themselves thoroughly and lives diligently. Isn’t the best life one that satisfies yourself, not others?”
It was one of the things Sehee had realized thanks to Kang-joon. Don’t let others’ standards define your life; live it by your own standards. As long as you’re comfortable within the bounds of the law, and you do what you want and are happy, that’s what matters.
“So you’re saying to live my life confidently without worrying about what others think? You’re so cool, beautiful, and amazing, CEO, please let me pour you a drink!”
“I’ll take the drink later. I have to abstain from alcohol this year.”
Everyone looked at Sehee with questioning eyes at her refusal. But Sehee was looking at the entrance of the restaurant. Kang-joon, who she had told to wait in the car, was deliberately entering the restaurant. Checking her wristwatch, 30 minutes had passed since the dinner started. It was time for her to excuse herself.
“To maximize sales, the overseas business division needs to discover profitable businesses. So I trust that you’ll have confidence in InnoFashion products and carry out global sales. I’ll be leaving now. Manager Kim, don’t worry about it and use the corporate card to your heart’s content.”
Perhaps it was because she wasn’t a rigid, old-fashioned boss. All the department members tried to hold Sehee back as she got up. But Sehee, with her gaze fixed on Kang-joon, who was standing in the middle of the restaurant staring at her, politely refused.
“Let’s do it together again next time. I have a prior engagement today.”
The department members, having spotted Kang-joon, also looked between Sehee and Kang-joon with a ‘no way’ expression. They couldn’t bring themselves to ask but were just trying to gauge the situation when the bolder Manager Kang took the initiative again and asked Sehee,
“CEO, are you, by any chance, acquainted with that handsome man standing over there?”
Sehee momentarily hesitated whether to hide or reveal her relationship with Kang-joon. It was obvious that depending on her answer now, rumors would spread through the company in an instant. Being naturally cautious, her thought that everything should be disclosed only after it was confirmed and processed remained unchanged. People don’t change in an instant. However, Kang-joon’s gaze, fixed on her, oblivious to the surroundings, was arrogant and confident. As if to say, I came to pick up my woman, what does it matter to you? Whenever Sehee saw the always confident Kang-joon, she gained courage. Just like now. A momentary impulse to just blurt something out without thinking. She might face unexpected difficulties because of that impulse, but so what? Then she would just handle it and overcome it. Sehee smiled brightly at Kang-joon and said,
“He’s the man I’m going to marry.”
Simply out of a desire to show off that handsome man as her own.
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