You’re asking if I really came. Does that mean you were hoping I wouldn’t come?

Yeo Eun carefully observed Cha In Woo’s reaction and quietly opened her mouth.

“For me to help Director Cha Do Ha create Han Joo’s image well.”

It was a fundamental statement.

“That’s the purpose for which the chairman hired me. Of course, I have to create the director’s every move at headquarters. Because this is where the director is.”

How Cha In Woo would take that very fundamental statement was not Yeo Eun’s concern.

“Why is CEO Cha In Woo at headquarters instead of Han Joo Trading…?”

“Ah, I come to headquarters twice a week for successor training. Monday and Thursday.”

“Ah, I see.”

Yeo Eun nodded her head.

It seems Cha In Woo is still the officially designated successor of the Han Joo Group.

She became somewhat curious about Chairman Cha Ji Seop’s intentions in inserting Cha Do Ha into that framework.

At that moment, Cha In Woo held out a business card to Yeo Eun.

“You don’t know my contact information, right?”

As Yeo Eun lightly nodded and took Cha In Woo’s card, the corners of his eyes curved into pretty wrinkles.

“Call me anytime if things get difficult.”

“Difficult things?”

Han Joo Trading CEO Cha In Woo.

As she stared blankly at the card with his title clearly printed, Cha In Woo added an explanation.

“Do Ha and the chairman aren’t easy people to deal with.”

They certainly aren’t easy people.

But that’s her job.

Dealing with difficult people and changing them.

Yeo Eun firmly grasped the card with both hands and gave a smile with the same texture as the one Cha In Woo had shown, bowing her head.

“Thank you.”

Now that she imitated it, she understood.

It’s quite a defensive smile.

What exactly is he trying to defend?

As Yeo Eun tried to gauge his inner thoughts, Cha In Woo threw an unexpected question.

“Lunch?”

Cha In Woo, who had dropped his defensive smile, looked a bit more human.

“Do you have someone to eat with?”

When she couldn’t readily answer the unexpected question, Cha In Woo smiled faintly and continued.

“Have lunch with me.”

Then he took out his phone and started searching.

“Around here…”

That’s when it happened.

“Seo Yeo Eun?”

A familiar voice thumped dully against Yeo Eun’s back.

The hair on her spine stood on end.

As she turned her head, Cha Do Ha was standing in front of the entrance gate, looking at her.

The moment she took in Cha Do Ha, she felt her heart start to pound loudly.

A charcoal gray suit that fit his body perfectly and a dark green tie.

Naturally swept back hair and an expressionless face.

Black eyes emitting a cool light.

It was a familiar sight, but surprisingly striking.

With just Kim Jung Joo accompanying him, Cha Do Ha was already filling the Han Joo Group headquarters lobby with his presence alone.

In terms of charisma, he might already be fully developed.

As she stood staring stiffly, Cha Do Ha continued speaking.

“What are you doing? Aren’t you coming?”

His expression showed a hint of irritation.

“Yes, Director.”

Yeo Eun turned her gaze to Cha In Woo and smiled brightly as she put the business card in her bag.

“CEO, I’ll contact you next time then.”

Yeo Eun bowed her head slightly in a quick greeting and quickly turned around.

Cha Do Ha was waiting for her.

Click clack. The sound of her heels hitting the lobby floor sounded just like her own heartbeat.

As Cha Do Ha got closer, Yeo Eun’s heart beat faster and faster.

Last Thursday morning.

He had suddenly come to her house and left saying she should miss him.

She had spent busy days trying to erase him, but her heart was betraying its owner’s will.

“Hello, Director.”

He merely threw a cool gaze at her greeting approach, using it as a substitute for a greeting, and moved his feet again.

Yeo Eun, with a tense face, exchanged eye greetings with Manager Kim Jung Joo and stood in front of the elevator following Cha Do Ha.

That’s when Cha In Woo approached from behind.

“Good morning, Director Cha Do Ha.”

“Yes, it is, CEO Cha In Woo.”

Somehow, the greeting between cousins was dry as could be.

No, to be precise, it was Cha Do Ha’s attitude that was dry.

Smiling brightly at such a Cha Do Ha, Cha In Woo spoke again.

“About lunch today. I was thinking of eating with Seo Yeo Eun, is that okay?”

“No, it’s not.”

As he stepped into the elevator that had just arrived, Cha Do Ha continued his answer.

“Because she’s eating with me.”

The sound of Manager Kim Jung Joo inhaling was heard loudly, and the four people who boarded the elevator together pressed 12 and 11 and continued in silence.

That’s when Cha In Woo was about to get off on the 11th floor.

“Hyung.”

Cha Do Ha called Cha In Woo with a personal title, stopping him.

Cha In Woo who had stopped walking turned to look at Cha Do Ha.

Cha Do Ha, who approached him leisurely, adjusted the slightly crooked collar of his suit with both hands.

“Study well for your successor training.”

After smoothing out even the wrinkles meticulously, he drew an elegant arc with his red lips.

“Now that you have a competitor, you’ll have to study even harder.”

Cha In Woo, who briefly glanced at Cha Do Ha’s hand brushing down his own collar, pointed to Yeo Eun standing behind.

“Then should I take the meaning of having Seo Yeo Eun by your side in that way?”

“That’s why the chairman put her there, isn’t it?”

“Not to tame her quietly and sell her off to ST?”

The atmosphere was turning strange.

It could be a sufficiently unpleasant remark, but Cha Do Ha just smiled playfully, even wrinkling the bridge of his nose.

“What’s wrong?”

Cha Do Ha, who had let go of the collar, uttered in a cool voice.

“Don’t you like seeing Seo Yeo Eun standing next to me? Has the ever-gentlemanly CEO Cha In Woo suddenly developed an interest in my image trainer?”

Slightly twisting his lips, Cha Do Ha warned quietly.

“Turn off that interest.”

With a cool smile, he looked at his cousin brother as if pressing him down and continued speaking.

“And it was you who encouraged me to go on blind dates. Saying that’s how to fulfill a son’s duty.”

A strange light suddenly flickered in his black eyes.

It was a look she had never seen before.

Yeo Eun wanted to dare call it madness – the strange energy in those eyes that were always cold and cool, and thus always bleak.

“Whether it’s ST or Raon or whatever, I just need to step on that to climb up, right? Isn’t that so?”

A chilling sensation spread to the tips of her hair.

“So I’m telling you to work harder. As it stands now, hyung, it’s too easy.”

The two cousins who seemed to get along at first glance were exchanging words that would likely hurt each other the most, hiding them in smiles.

“Easy?”

Cha In Woo, who slowly chewed on Cha Do Ha’s words, let out a soft laugh.

“If it’s easy, I guess I need to work harder.”

But soon regaining his original smile, Cha In Woo adjusted his collar to fix his appearance and looked straight at Do Ha.

“Alright, Director Cha Do Ha. I’ll work hard.”

It was a kind smile and gentle tone, but his eyes were as cool as ever.

“Then Yeo Eun?”

But when calling Yeo Eun, kindness settled in his eyes.

“Since Do Ha is eating with Yeo Eun today, have lunch with me on Thursday. Is that okay?”

“Yes, CEO.”

Cha In Woo, who finally got an answer from Yeo Eun, patted Cha Do Ha’s shoulder once and got off the elevator.

Although she came to work at headquarters, there wasn’t actually anything for her to do.

As soon as he arrived at the Strategic Planning Division, Cha Do Ha entered the conference room with Manager Kim Jung Joo, and Yeo Eun had to just sit idly waiting for him in the seat Manager Kim Jung Joo had guided her to.

Even after the meeting ended, Cha Do Ha was only busy.

Manager Kim Jung Joo returned to where Yeo Eun was, but he was called to various places in the headquarters building and was busy handling work.

The time he returned to his place was 11:32.

It was about 30 minutes before lunchtime.

Cha Do Ha, who opened the door and came in, looked somewhat tired.

As he was about to pass by Manager Kim Jung Joo’s desk, he saw her standing next to it and stopped walking.

Judging by his expression, he seemed to have even forgotten that she was here.

And then he says.

“Have you been there the whole time?”

“You told me to wait here.”

There’s a small table next to Manager Kim Jung Joo’s desk.

It’s a table where documents coming up from various affiliates are placed, and Manager Kim Jung Joo made a place for her here.

That’s because Cha Do Ha had roughly pointed to the inside of the office and told her to wait here.

Cha Do Ha, who had been staring at her, moved his steps again and opened his office door.

Then he looked at her and gestured inside.

“Come in.”

After he said that briefly and disappeared into the office, Manager Kim Jung Joo gestured for her to go quickly.

She nodded and hurriedly entered the office with that ‘damn’ portfolio.

Cha Do Ha, leaning diagonally on the large desk, quietly opened his mouth.

“Close the door.”

“Yes.”

Yeo Eun carefully closed the door and stood still, waiting for the next instruction.

Then a faint smile appeared on Cha Do Ha’s expressionless face.

It was a somewhat empty smile accompanied by a snort.

“Put down that heavy thing.”

Cha Do Ha’s gaze pointed to the sofa table inside the office.

As she quickly walked and put down the portfolio on the table, Cha Do Ha continued speaking.

“You said you’re a walking portfolio, and you really brought that.”

“You told me to bring it…”

Cha Do Ha fell silent again.

He doesn’t seem to remember what he told her to say either.

That’s natural, but somehow it felt a bit bitter.

After keeping silent for a while like that, Cha Do Ha raised his left wrist to check the time.

“I’ll give you 20 minutes. You must have read the speech and studied about Han Joo Bio, so recite it.”

Only 20 minutes.

Did he make her come to work at headquarters just to give her those 20 minutes?

Yeo Eun, slightly taken aback, quickly organized her thoughts and opened her mouth.

“I confirmed that Han Joo Bio’s predecessor was Han Joo Chemical, and before that, it was Yeongdo Pharmaceutical.”

While looking at the documents Manager Kim Jung Joo had handed over, she wondered why he had passed on materials from other companies as well.

“The bankrupt Yeongdo Pharmaceutical was divided into five parts, three of which were taken by Han Joo Chemical, and two by Seongto Chemical. That is, the current ST Chemical.”

“Continue.”

While digging through past articles like that, she learned one fact.

“I understand that Yeongdo Pharmaceutical was the family business of the Director’s mother.”