“Thank you.”

The voice was extremely businesslike.

Without mixing in any emotion, Yeo Eun calmly composed herself and quietly continued what she had to say.

“I didn’t bring my phone when I left the house earlier. If you could make one call to the CEO of Persona, he will come.”

Cha Do Ha’s hand that had been on her forehead touched the hand covering her eyelids.

Then he arbitrarily removed her hand.

Yeo Eun, who didn’t want to see Cha Do Ha’s face, squeezed her eyes shut even tighter.

It seems that when vision is blocked, other senses become even more sensitive.

She had to feel everything, not missing even his faint breathing and small movements.

He pressed her clenched hand gently by the pillow and leaned against the bed.

“It would be nice to talk face to face.”

His low voice somehow sounded languid, making her shudder.

“If it’s more comfortable to keep your eyes closed, do so.”

It was a languid voice, but without a hint of warmth.

With that chillingly cold voice, Cha Do Ha quietly pressured her.

“If you keep acting like this, I don’t know what else I might do in the future.”

The words that followed made her unable to keep her eyelids closed.

“I’m the kind of guy who will break the legs of a toy that tries to run away when I haven’t let go of it, to put it back in its place.”

Biting her trembling lips, Yeo Eun stared piercingly at Cha Do Ha’s shadowed face.

His face was tinged with cruel kindness.

“Why did you tempt me in front of me?”

Cha Do Ha’s fingertips calmly brushed her hair.

“I gave you several chances to run away.”

Was it because of the sedative she was given earlier?

Cha Do Ha’s words became dully distant.

“Rest now. You’ll soon be…… out of it.”

A few more words followed after that, but it seems she didn’t hear them to the end.

Her eyelids slowly closed and she fell into a distant sleep.

* * *

2 AM.

That was about the time they left the hospital.

“Excuse me, Director.”

Manager Kim Jung Joo quietly called out to Do Ha as he got into the taxi.

“Should we not contact Seo Yeo Eun’s guardian?”

“Do you think she has a guardian?”

The man who seemed to be her elder brother and the woman who looked like her mother in the family photo.

There was no trace of them in Yeo Eun’s house.

From what he had overheard at a whiskey bar recently, her mother was battling an illness, and her brother had run away.

Could such people really be that woman’s guardians?

She’s making a fuss all by herself, trying to protect those two.

Her fever was over 39 degrees, and her immune system was down, causing high inflammation levels in her body, but she still insisted she was fine, just pretending to be strong.

“She asked to call the CEO of Persona, but don’t call.”

After all that pretending to be tough and strong, the only place she asked to contact was Persona. Even that was frustrating.

“I decided to let her sleep until tomorrow morning, so as soon as she opens her eyes in the morning, show her Manager Kim Jung Joo’s face first.”

He had considered staying himself, but decided against it.

Because that would make Seo Yeo Eun even more shocked. Or maybe even more arrogant.

“And make sure she can’t run away.”

“Yes, understood.”

“And one more thing.”

Do Ha paused for a moment, then spoke after firming his resolve.

“Look into Seo Yeo Eun’s background.”

In fact, he had been curious about Seo Yeo Eun for a while.

But he hadn’t tried to find out on purpose.

Because putting effort into a toy he would eventually throw away would only give him a headache in the end.

But in the end, his curiosity to know overcame his safety-first principle.

“How hard things are for her. Why her living situation is the way it is. What kind of people her family members are. Find out. Also who owns that shabby villa.”

Hearing his words, Manager Kim Jung Joo furrowed his brow and tilted his head slightly.

“By when should I find this out?”

In fact, besides his main job in the Strategic Planning Department, there were quite a few other assignments Do Ha had given him.

After pausing for a moment, he carefully asked again.

“Is this…… a much more urgent matter than the others?”

He thought it was going to be some grand question.

Do Ha ended up chuckling.

“Does it seem that way?”

Manager Kim Jung Joo, still wearing a serious expression, nodded.

“Yes.”

“Then let’s say it is, and bring me results as quickly as it’s urgent.”

“Yes, understood.”

Hearing Manager Kim Jung Joo’s polite response, Do Ha closed the taxi door, and the car headed towards HJ Hotel.

A more urgent matter.

Do Ha, leaning back in the taxi’s rear seat, organized his thoughts.

Was the matter related to Seo Yeo Eun more important than investigating Vice Chairman Cha Un, Cha In Woo, or Chairman Cha Ji Seop?

It’s absolutely not a more important matter.

If we’re comparing importance, it’s really a light and unnecessary matter.

But his heart felt differently. He felt somewhat anxious.

He couldn’t remember the last time he felt this way.

When his father died in an accident, and the circumstances weren’t properly revealed, with truths being buried one by one.

He seemed to have felt a similar feeling then.

It was clearly something that had been in his hands, something he absolutely needed to know, but when it slipped through his fingers, he felt this way. Maybe it’s bothering him more because it resembles that feeling from back then.

“Driver.”

Do Ha, who had been looking out the window, called the taxi driver.

“Yes, sir.”

“Instead of HJ Hotel, please take me to Haeri. I’ll pay you generously for the fare.”

Do Ha handed a few checks to the taxi driver.

The taxi soon reset its destination, and Do Ha lowered his eyelids.

In his retina where no light entered, the afterimage of that woman, Seo Yeo Eun, remained for a long time.

* * *

When she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was a white fluorescent light. And a white ceiling.

When she turned her head slightly, she saw a curtain with the hospital logo printed on it.

‘Ah, that’s right, the hospital.’

After midnight, she had been dragged to the hospital by Cha Do Ha.

She had fallen asleep after being given a sedative, and though she woke up once in the middle, she fell back asleep, unable to overcome the drowsiness.

How strong of a sedative did they give her for her head to still feel foggy?

Yeo Eun, who had been slowly moving her stiff body, reached out towards the curtain.

At that moment, the curtain was suddenly pulled back and a nurse entered.

“Did you sleep well?”

Behind the nurse who greeted her brightly, she saw a familiar face.

It was Manager Kim Jung Joo, Cha Do Ha’s executive assistant.

“Now I’ll remove your IV needle. Your fever has gone down, but if you overexert yourself, it will rise again. Don’t overwork yourself.”

The nurse’s nagging continued at length.

While listening to the nagging with an embarrassed face, Manager Kim Jung Joo approached.

Still wearing his kind smile, he looked somewhat tired.

As she raised her body from the bed, Manager Kim Jung Joo came over and held her arm.

“Don’t move too quickly. They say you might feel dizzy because of the medication.”

Sure enough, she felt even dizzier than yesterday.

After carefully moving her body and putting on her shoes, Manager Kim Jung Joo handed her a bag of medicine.

Along with him, who earnestly asked her to make sure to take the prescribed medicine, she left the emergency room.

“I’ll take you home, Seo Yeo Eun.”

Manager Kim Jung Joo pointed to Cha Do Ha’s car parked in the parking lot.

Now just seeing the car makes her heart race.

Yeo Eun hesitated and habitually looked for traces of Cha Do Ha.

“The director is in Haeri.”

Manager Kim Jung Joo informed her about Cha Do Ha.

“The director went to see his mother. She’s in Haeri.”

“Ah, I see.”

What was she thinking?

Feeling embarrassed for unconsciously thinking that Cha Do Ha would have come to the hospital, Yeo Eun lowered her gaze and nodded.

It was already more than enough that he had sent Manager Kim Jung Joo to take care of her, yet she felt disappointed that he wasn’t here. It seems she still hasn’t come to her senses.

Manager Kim Jung Joo delivered surprising news to her.

“He said to rest well until the weekend, and come to the company starting Monday.”

Yeo Eun’s eyes widened as she quickly raised her head.

“Pardon?”

Come to the company?

“If I relay the message I received this morning word for word.”

Manager Kim Jung Joo smiled gently at the surprised Yeo Eun and continued in a kind voice.

“There’s a groundbreaking ceremony for Hanju Bio’s 3rd factory in Icheon next Friday, so come to the company and work on the image and making to show then, he said to tell you.”

Manager Kim Jung Joo, who had perfectly imitated Cha Do Ha’s haughty tone, also relayed the next message as if finding it amusing.

“He also said to tell you to bring that damn portfolio.”

“Then…”

Could it be that he’s accepting her as an image trainer?

Emotions welled up so much that the center of her chest ached.

“Yes, although it’s temporary, he said it wouldn’t be bad to see your skills at least once.”

Even if it was temporary, it wasn’t bad.

Because he was seeing her as an assistant, not a toy.

“I look forward to working with you, Seo Yeo Eun.”

“I should be the one saying that, Manager.”

Yeo Eun bowed to Manager Kim Jung Joo.

If Cha Do Ha had been in front of her.

If she had heard this news from Cha Do Ha himself.

She might not have been able to overcome her excessive emotions and might have hugged him.

That’s how happy she was.

* * *

“Good news first thing in the morning.”

Cha Hyun, who had received Yeo Eun’s call, replied while drinking coffee.

In her other hand was a photo that Manager Gong had handed her this morning.

The image of Do Ha following Yeo Eun into her house.

The image of him leaving the house with her just minutes later.

Cha Hyun focused on Do Ha’s expression in the two photos.

Although it was Do Ha’s characteristic cold gaze, Do Ha was clearly smiling as he followed Yeo Eun.

And Do Ha leaving the house looked excessively human.

How long has it been since human emotions disappeared from Cha Do Ha, yet the emotions evident in Do Ha’s expression were clear anger, some concern, and scattered sympathy.

It was a complex totality of emotions that couldn’t be described in a single word.

“From now on, it’s up to Yeo Eun.”

Cha Hyun, who had let out a faint sigh, tossed the photo onto the table and continued speaking.

“You know, right? That you need to get rid of Kim Hae Ri first by moving Do Ha?”

She was excited when telling me she had become Do Ha’s image trainer, but now the other end of the phone is quiet.

“Don’t say you can’t do it. I believe you can do it better than anyone.”

Cha Hyun, who tapped the photo on the table with her fingertip, stood up from her seat.

“Yeo Eun, listen to me carefully.”

Long words weren’t necessary.

“You just need to be worth the money.”

Many meanings were implied.

Because Yeo Eun is smarter than anyone, she will see through the hidden meaning, and because she’s a person who knows loyalty, she will definitely keep her promise.

After a moment, Yeo Eun quietly replied.

– Yes. I’ll be worth the money.

Only then did Cha Hyun smile with satisfaction.

“Good. Then I’ll transfer the money right away. Let’s do well from now on, Yeo Eun.”