It wasn’t that the chill had gone away.

For days after that incident, Yeo Eun had to fight against a fierce cold.

“Do you have a cold?”

Ji Soo asked Yeo Eun as she came to work after the weekend.

The weather had been ambiguously hot for days, making it hard to call it autumn.

Yet Yeo Eun was wearing a twin cardigan and even had a scarf wrapped around her neck.

Ji Soo reached out and touched Yeo Eun’s forehead.

“You seem to have a bit of a fever too?”

“Really?”

Yeo Eun answered nonchalantly while looking at Ji Soo’s face creasing with worry.

“It might be a cold. I’ve been feeling chilly.”

She then poured some coffee and sat down in a chair.

Ji Soo followed her and continued speaking.

“By the way, are you okay?”

“…About what?”

Yeo Eun took a sip of coffee and looked at Ji Soo with wide eyes.

“I mean about Son Gyu Won. I heard he caused a commotion at the company?”

Ah… Son Gyu Won.

Yeo Eun nodded and took another sip of coffee.

“So I heard Memories had to give him your phone number. Didn’t he call you?”

Why didn’t he?

“He did.”

The calls had been pouring in since early Saturday morning.

“He called incessantly all weekend, didn’t he?”

He called and called to the point where one might think he was mentally unstable.

“If I blocked one number, he’d call from another, and another.”

And after all those calls, all he ended up talking about was Cha Do Ha.

[Seo Yeo Eun. What’s your relationship with Cha Do Ha?] [You, do you know Cha Do Ha? No, did you… sleep with that bastard?] [Be careful. That bastard is dangerous.]

In the end, she had to block every number that called just to avoid hearing Cha Do Ha’s name.

While she could handle Son Gyu Won’s nonsense, she couldn’t bear hearing Cha Do Ha’s name tickling her eardrums.

What on earth was Cha Do Ha?

What was that mere kiss?

Once again, her thoughts led back to Cha Do Ha.

In the quiet car, Cha Do Ha’s eyes burning black.

The suffocating air, the tingling palms, the throat tightening painfully.

The languid voice and hot breath.

Cha Do Ha’s sensuality that enveloped her whole body, making her hair stand on end.

Hot lips and a lewd kiss.

Could she really handle someone like Cha Do Ha?

Her head feels hot as if she’s caught a fever.

Shaking her head to dispel the heat, Yeo Eun hurriedly returned to reality.

“Senior, let’s have the meeting quickly and disperse. I think I need to go to the hospital for my mother. She’s making a fuss about paying the hospital bill.”

She doesn’t have the luxury to get excited over a sudden, lewd kiss.

There’s only the endless cycle of debt that never ends no matter how much she repays.

* * *

“A matchmaking meeting?”

Do Ha snorted.

It was a bomb dropped by Chairman Cha as soon as he came to work on Monday.

And of all people, the bomb courier was In Woo, which was also amusing.

Moreover, In Woo even went a step further and recommended the matchmaking.

“ST Group, ranked 8th in the business world, should be good enough for you. At least then we can say, ‘That’s the in-laws of Hanju Group’s Director Cha Do Ha.'”

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying I can’t accept Kim Hae Ri as your marriage partner. And you don’t seem to be thinking of her that seriously either.”

Kim Hae Ri would be hurt if she heard this.

She had praised In Woo highly, saying he was the kind and gentle crown prince of Hanju Group, and how difficult it was for a chaebol to be kind.

She even said it was hard to believe that In Woo was related by blood to Do Ha, who was inherently vicious and cold.

What would Kim Hae Ri say if she knew In Woo was treating him like this?

With that temper of hers, she’d probably throw a fit regardless of the consequences.

Do Ha chuckled and rose from his seat.

“You’re right. I’m not planning to marry her. And I’m not thinking of her seriously either.”

Do Ha leisurely walked to the window and leaned against the frame, looking at In Woo.

“But I don’t think I necessarily have to marry someone either. As you know, I’m a hedonist.”

“Do Ha…”

“Enough.”

Do Ha raised his hand to cut off In Woo’s words and stared at him.

“I’m not interested in anything else. Let’s hear what our CEO Cha In Woo thinks.”

Then he asked more directly.

“What on earth are you thinking to be this cheerful?”

Despite his gentle face, In Woo had always been the one most greedy for Hanju Group.

That’s why In Woo had never once disobeyed his grandfather, Chairman Cha Ji Seop, and had always been obedient.

For fear of falling out of Chairman Cha’s favor and being pushed out of the succession line.

This meant that the position of Hanju Group’s successor was that important to In Woo.

For such an In Woo to smile so comfortably in this situation?

It’s absolutely impossible.

“What am I thinking… to be cheerful?”

In Woo tapped a decorative item on the table with his finger and calmly raised his head.

“Well, if you accept grandfather’s wishes, it means the position of your late father will be restored, that’s why.”

Ha, what nonsense.

Do Ha laughed and slowly walked towards In Woo.

In Woo looked straight at him and slowly rose from his seat.

“So you’re saying you accepted the succession competition for my father’s sake?”

“Yes.”

His smiling face was without a shadow.

This was Cha In Woo’s poker face.

A will to never show his true feelings.

Do Ha stared at such an In Woo and chuckled.

“Really?”

Do Ha had always thought that In Woo’s smile was like a mask.

A mask In Woo puts on when he’s scared, when he has a lot to hide.

But that doesn’t mean he’s a cowardly person.

He’s smart enough to pretend to be scared, hide behind a mask, and look for another way.

The fact that he came to see him with such a bright smile means he’s cornered.

It means he’ll look for a way while using Do Ha as a front to proceed with things.

“You’re saying you’ll do your filial duty even if it means losing the successor position?”

“That’s the best option.”

In Woo, still hiding behind his mask, nodded.

The best option…

Whatever decision he makes, it would be a bad move for In Woo.

Then why is he willing to bear it under the pretext of it being the best option?

When he puts on a mask and proceeds with something against his own interests, there must be a reason.

Do Ha’s lips curved softly.

“Will you be okay?”

If that’s the case, it might be worth playing along from Do Ha’s side.

It could be fun to watch what’s happening behind the mask.

“You know, when I decide to do something, I see it through to the end.”

He might get a step closer to what he’s looking for.

“I’m saying it won’t be easy to defend your succession rights, CEO Cha In Woo.”

At Do Ha’s words, cracks appeared in In Woo’s mask.

The corners of his mouth, which had been gently curled up, trembled ever so slightly.

The pretty wrinkles at the corners of his eyes also stiffened.

Yes. This is more interesting.

“Alright, you can go now.”

“Then…”

“Tell the Chairman I’ll go to the matchmaking meeting. But in my own way.”

After sending In Woo away like that, Do Ha pressed the intercom button.

“Manager Kim Jung Joo.”

– Yes, Director.

“The trend of stock ownership changes for the Chairman and CEO Cha In Woo’s affiliates that I asked you to look into last time. When will it be ready?”

– Since you asked me to look into everything including borrowed-name accounts and friendly shares, it will take a bit more time.

Well, it’s not something that can be figured out overnight.

“Since you’re working on it anyway, just one more thing.”

– Yes, please go ahead.

“The Chairman, CEO Cha, and Vice Chairman Cha Un. Please investigate who they’ve been meeting with recently.”

Kim Jung Joo, who had been answering promptly to Do Ha’s words, fell silent.

After a not-so-short silence, a very cautious question came from the other end of the phone.

– …Are you doing something dangerous?

“Well, a little?”

– I understand. I’ll move carefully.

“And.”

Do Ha paused for a moment, staring at his fingertips as he continued.

“Persona Seo Yeo Eun. You have her phone number, right?”

– Yes, …I do.

“Send it to my mobile phone.”

* * *

Friday already.

A relatively quiet and peaceful week was passing by.

It was almost like life before meeting Cha Do Ha.

Like well-oiled gears quietly turning, meshing well with each other.

That’s how it was on the surface.

But inside, Yeo Eun was not so peaceful.

At first, she was relieved to see Cha Do Ha’s schedule that Cha Hyun had emailed her last Monday.

Business trip to Taiwan from Tuesday to Friday.

The fact that Cha Do Ha wasn’t in Korea had never been so welcome.

At least for this week, it meant she didn’t have to have her mental state shredded by that ridiculous axe-wielding.

It meant she didn’t have to feel humiliation and self-loathing.

But as a Persona image trainer, it was truly a disaster.

A disaster among disasters.

[Are you still in the process of persuading Do Ha?]

Yesterday afternoon, Cha Hyun, who had called her to the gallery, harshly pressed Yeo Eun.

[How long are you going to dawdle like this? Do you have a lot of time, Ms. Yeo Eun?]

Cha Hyun very kindly reminded her of the painful future that awaited her and Persona if she failed to persuade Cha Do Ha.

[If I were you, I would have even followed Do Ha on his Taiwan business trip. I heard your mother’s condition isn’t good.]

Cha Hyun’s face briefly showed concern as she clicked her tongue and swallowed her coffee.

It felt just like a cat pretending to care about a mouse, making her hair stand on end.

She had already received bad news from the attending physician.

He said that her internal organs were deteriorating too quickly, and if she didn’t have surgery soon, he couldn’t guarantee even two months.

She had been prepared, but facing the reality was overwhelming.

Cha Hyun’s words stabbed her like a dagger, twisting in her internal organs.

[Ah, and. Didn’t CEO Yoon Ji Soo say that the promissory note… will be due soon? I don’t think we can block it this time.]

This was also a shock.

The promissory note is due?

What promissory note could Persona possibly have?

[Quickly become Do Ha’s image trainer. That’s the only way for you to survive, Ms. Yeo Eun.]

Knowing that no amount of refusal or excuses had worked so far, Yeo Eun simply kept her mouth shut.

Cha Hyun observed her like this and continued in a slightly softer voice.

[I’m in a hurry too. Do Ha is going to a matchmaking meeting.]

Matchmaking meeting.

It seems Cha Do Ha will finally have a matchmaking meeting with the young lady from ST Group.

Her heart sank with a thud.