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Psst! We're moving!
A feeling that couldn’t be expressed in words lingered in Jinhan’s empty pupils.
Still, the hope he might have had became less than a speck of dust.
Dojun and Haejoo were leaving in the distance. Hyunseong, who was about to chase after them, stopped in his tracks.
At this, the agency staff also ran, then stopped and watched Jinhan’s reaction.
“Excuse me, Director?”
“Just block the reporters.”
“Ah, yes!”
Reporters, already carrying cameras, were leaving the press conference hall at will.
They were frantic to photograph Haejoo and Dojun.
The security guards and agency staff desperately managed to control the reporters.
The general affairs manager turned on the mic he had switched off and raised his voice.
“The press conference is over. Reporters, please exit through the main entrance.”
“Where does a press conference end without a Q&A?”
“Are you still saying that after seeing Haejoo collapse?”
“If not, then Director Yoo Jinhan should come out and do the Q&A...”
“Is this situation fun for you, reporter?”
“Excuse me?”
“Someone just collapsed and left; is that Q&A so important?!”
The agitated general affairs manager spewed harsh words.
Because of that, the noisy hall instantly quieted down.
“Will you only be satisfied if someone dies? Aren’t you, the media, the ones who created this situation?!”
The reporters grumbled and one by one left the building.
The general affairs manager, who had seen Haejoo struggling up close throughout the press conference, couldn’t hide his bitterness.
“Let’s quickly clean up and leave too.”
It was then that Han Jintae was leaving the building, blending in with the reporters.
Jinhan turned around and grabbed him.
“Let’s talk.”
Jinhan led Han Jintae to a quiet area.
The man, who had been posing as a reporter, now revealed his true self.
“Why are you here?”
“It was the Chairman’s order.”
“What did you tell Haejoo?”
“Nothing special.”
“That can’t be true!”
“I don’t know about anything else, but this is certain.”
“What is it?”
“Actress Lee Haejoo must take responsibility for the statements she made today.”
“Don’t interfere in my affairs anymore.”
Han Jintae raised his lowered gaze.
He was merely Chairman Yoo’s man; Jinhan was not someone he had to obey.
“Don’t forget that where there’s money, there’s also power.”
“What?”
“The Chairman values results and practicality above all else.”
“...”
“Currently, Director, you haven’t shown any tangible results compared to the Chairman’s two sons.”
“Are you saying that growing this company is nothing?”
“You know yourself that it was only possible with the Chairman’s full support.”
Chairman Yoo’s three sons were pushed into competition from a young age. He didn’t hesitate to say that just as wild beasts drop their young off cliffs and only save the survivors, he would only recognize the strongest.
Chairman Yoo, who prioritized power and authority even with his children, was nothing short of a tyrant. Jinhan, who was also a late-born child, found such a father overwhelming.
Annoyingly, his ambition to grow the company by receiving investment from GN became a double-edged sword, targeting Jinhan himself.
“The Chairman still believes in you, Director.”
“...”
“However, given how things have turned out, I must tell you that the Chairman’s interference will be unavoidable.”
“So, what are you going to do?”
“If the financial losses and the company’s image are not restored, Lee Haejoo will find it difficult to avoid responsibility.”
“Responsibility?”
A cold, bloodless smile played on Han Jintae’s lips.
It was a unique expression that, just by looking at it, intimidated the other person.
“Of course, Director, you are not entirely free from responsibility either.”
“What?”
“If the handling of affairs doesn’t satisfy the Chairman, the management rights of GN Entertainment will be transferred to another manager.”
“My father said he’d do that?”
“Is that all?”
“...”
“Lee Haejoo will face enormous compensation for damages, and she will find it difficult to escape the shadow of GN Entertainment for the rest of her life.”
Using Chairman Yoo’s capital was the root of the problem.
Despite the achievements made so far, this incident was being judged by an excessive standard.
“Today’s press conference is a very uncomfortable matter for the Chairman to witness.”
“This whole mess happened because you tried to cover the sky with your hand.”
“You just need to do well from now on.”
Han Jintae gave a brief bow and walked past Jinhan.
Outside was still chaotic, and news about Haejoo dominated the headlines in online newspapers.
________________________________________
There was a reason why Hyunseong deliberately didn’t follow Dojun to the very end.
He worried that if Haejoo’s pregnancy became known, the agency or Chairman Yoo might use it as an excuse to cause problems.
It was clear that if Jinhan knew where Haejoo was, he would relentlessly probe.
Under the assumption that Dojun would move to another location, he decided to move separately.
“Alright, reporters! Please leave now.”
It was when he was busy helping with the cleanup, pushing past the staff.
There was a message from Dojun on his phone, which he quickly checked.
“He sent two messages.”
[Hyunseong, help me get into the press conference hall.]
[Haejoo was threatened by Chairman Yoo. If there’s a CCTV camera in the waiting room, please secure the footage.]
Hyunseong’s mind flashed.
This building was mainly used for external events, so CCTV cameras were installed everywhere.
Hyunseong quietly slipped away.
Taking advantage of the chaos, he went to the control room in the basement.
“Hello! I’m an employee of GN Entertainment.”
Hyunseong first showed his business card to confirm his identity to the control room staff.
“What can I do for you?”
“Our director wants the CCTV footage from the waiting room where actress Lee Haejoo was.”
He used Jinhan’s name, thinking they wouldn’t give it to him if he just asked.
The employee, who had been tilting his head, gave a reluctant answer.
“We don’t provide CCTV footage unless it’s a police request for evidence.”
“This is an urgent matter. Please, just this once.”
“I’ll ask the team leader.”
It was dirty and petty, but Hyunseong maintained a polite posture to the end.
After about 10 minutes of anxious waiting, the employee finally came out.
“What time range do you want?”
“From 9 AM to 10 AM.”
“Just a moment.”
The employee first checked the time of the CCTV footage recorded in the waiting room.
He checked the video files for the time period Hyunseong requested and copied them to a USB drive.
“Please fill out a confirmation form before you go.”
“Oh, yes.”
It would be better not to leave any traces if possible, but he couldn’t help it. In the end, Hyunseong wrote his name, date, and signature on the confirmation form the employee requested.
“Good luck!”
Hyunseong, who had left the control room, patted his pounding chest.
He went to his van, took out his personal laptop, and sent the video file from the USB to Dojun.
At that moment, Han Jintae entered the control room in the basement of the building by a hair’s breadth. He exuded considerable intimidation, leading security guards.
“How can I help you?”
“I’m Han Jintae, the chief secretary who serves Chairman Yoo Jinho at GN.”
The control room employee froze upon hearing Chairman Yoo’s name.
“What can I do...”
“There was CCTV in Lee Haejoo’s waiting room. Was it recorded?”
“Of course. This place records 24-hour surveillance CCTV.”
“Delete the waiting room CCTV footage.”
“What? No, we can’t do that.”
The team leader, who had heard the employees’ conversation from a distance, came out.
Seeing Han Jintae’s chilling expression, the team leader unconsciously swallowed dry.
“We cannot fulfill a request to delete footage.”
“You’ll have to.”
“No, excuse me!”
Just then, the phone on the team leader’s desk rang loudly.
At this, Han Jintae gestured for him to answer.
When the team leader picked up the receiver, the owner of the building spoke in a hushed voice.
-It’s me.
“Oh, yes.”
-Who came from GN?
“Yes.”
-Give them what they want.
“What?”
-Don’t talk back; just give them what they want quickly and send them away.
“Understood.”
The team leader’s expression, as he hung up the receiver, hardened like a stone.
He went over to Han Jintae and asked what he wanted.
“Do I just delete the waiting room footage?”
-Delete everything recorded today.
“Please wait a moment.”
The team leader personally went into the CCTV video folder.
At this, an employee whispered to him.
“Someone copied the video earlier.”
“Shhh.”
“...”
The team leader deleted all backup videos as well and confirmed it.
Han Jintae, confirming the cleanly disappeared video files, drew his characteristic smile and left the control room.
________________________________________
Choi Inho, who had been thoroughly ambushed by Jinhan yesterday, suffered all night.
He couldn’t even go to the hospital and had to hide in a motel for fear that dark figures would come for him.
Eventually, due to the excruciating pain, he went to the emergency room in the early hours of the morning. The doctor, seeing his swollen ankle and bruised shoulder, asked seriously.
“Were you subjected to violence?”
“No, well... something like that happened.”
“I’ll call the police for you.”
“No, just treat me quickly.”
An X-ray showed a sprained left ankle ligament, requiring a cast. His shoulder was bruised, but there was no bone damage.
Choi Inho, who left the hospital after a long time, grabbed the steering wheel.
“It’s a good thing it was my left foot that got hurt.”
Today was Haejoo’s press conference.
He was secretly looking forward to what she would say and hurried to the company.
Seon-gyu frowned at Choi Inho’s battered appearance.
“What happened to you?”
“Don’t ask. I almost died yesterday.”
Choi Inho complained about the incident he suffered at the hands of Dojun and Jinhan.
Seon-gyu trembled the entire time he listened.
“Senior, I think we chose the wrong target.”
“I don’t know. Something will work out.”
Just then, the editor-in-chief motioned for him to come. Choi Inho limped over, making an awkward expression.
“Why?”
“Reporter Choi, hand in your resignation.”
“Resignation?”
“It’s the director’s order. Things have gotten too big because of you, Reporter Choi.”
“Is that even possible?”
“Don’t you know everyone’s clamoring for our company to shut down?”
The national petition to shut down Real Fact had already surpassed 200,000 and was heading towards 300,000. The lawsuits the company faced were not just one or two.
“How are we going to fix all this?”
“No, are you saying that when you see my condition?”
“Hey!”
“Instead of protecting an employee who risked his life for the company, you’re asking for a resignation!”
“Consider yourself lucky I intervened and it only ended with a resignation.”
“So, you’re telling me to go to jail?”
“Then why kidnap someone in the first place?”
There was no point in arguing further. The director had already cut ties with Choi Inho.
“It’s better to turn yourself in and apologize officially. That’s your only way out, Reporter Choi.”
“No, I can’t do that.”
Back at his desk, Choi Inho watched Haejoo’s press conference live.
Her statements, where she seemed to have given up everything to a disheartening extent, had nothing to be problematic about.
“Does Lee Haejoo not want to be an actress anymore?”
Contrary to this sneer, Haejoo ultimately turned the public’s closed hearts. Although there were still mocking malicious comments, they were no match.
Media companies also wrote articles based as much as possible on facts.
However, they left a question mark on how Haejoo and Dojun would resolve the massive losses incurred from this incident.
“This can’t stand! Do you think I’ll just leave them alone?”
Driven to madness by what happened yesterday, Choi Inho wrote an article blaming both Jinhan and Dojun.
He tried to upload it for online approval, but he couldn’t log into the company’s intranet.
“Seon-gyu, why isn’t this working?”
“Senior, I think your ID got cut off.”
“What?”
“And right now, under the editor-in-chief’s directive, all the articles you’ve uploaded are being deleted.”
Choi Inho was abandoned by Real Fact.
As he stared blankly, lost in thought, his company car key and employee card were even taken away.
Finally, only a resignation letter lay before him.
________________________________________
For several days, Haejoo was out of contact with everyone. She stayed at a villa near Seoul with Dojun, focusing only on recovering her health.
In the meantime, Real Fact published an official apology.
They apologized for the incident involving Haejoo and Dojun and announced that the problematic reporter had been fired.
This did not compensate for the pain she had endured. With only a bitter aftertaste remaining, Haejoo quietly prepared to go out.
“You stay here.”
“I want to go too.”
Countless messages from Jinhan accumulated on her phone, but she didn’t reply to any of them.
Nevertheless, the agency told reporters asking about Haejoo’s whereabouts that she was unwell and recuperating.
“What if people recognize you?”
“It doesn’t matter anymore.”
“Stubborn.”
Today was Lee Jun’s memorial day.
President Park, who had left the nursing home the day before to see his eldest son, was full of excitement.
“Are we there yet? What’s taking so long?”
“I’m done!”
“I’m going to stretch my neck waiting.”
Even with his fading memory, he packed the snacks his eldest son had liked when he was alive.
Among them was the drink Lee Jun bought daily from Gyeongae’s coffee shop.
Lee Jun was buried under a sunny tree.
Dojun personally drove for him, who must have been waiting for his family with longing.
________________________________________
“We’ll leave now, Father.”
Haejoo sat next to President Park.
As they set out with a picnic-like mood, Dojun’s phone screen lit up.
It was a desperate message from Hyunseong.
[I think I’m going to get fired from this company.]
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