A Bad, Bad Act (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 14

[That worked out well.]

Though oddly enough, something deep in her chest ached, Yeo Eun nodded with a deliberately blank expression and even forced a gentle smile onto her face.

[“Worked out well”? We haven’t even started image training yet, and now there’s a blind date? How does Do Ha even know how to stir up trouble like this?]

Do Ha stirring up trouble?

Could there possibly be a phrase less fitting for him?

He wasn’t the type to cause such chaos.

He simply did exactly what he wanted, nothing more.

[If causing trouble leads to problems, wouldn’t he realize even more clearly that he needs me? I don’t think it’s a bad idea.]

At her words, Cha Hyun burst out laughing as if she were choking.

[Yeo Eun, you really don’t know our Do Ha at all. That’s exactly why I keep saying you need proper training.]

Watching Cha Hyun’s gleeful grin, Yeo Eun gritted her teeth.

She almost blurted out, “If you know him so well, why don’t you do it yourself?”

[Do Ha actually agreed to the blind date willingly?]

Cha Hyun continued regardless of Yeo Eun’s reaction.

[That’s practically a declaration of war—like announcing he’s about to cause serious trouble.]

Do Ha, the public face of Hanju Group, was unpredictable—who knew where he might strike next.

According to Cha Hyun, his acceptance of the blind date could be a bomb thrown straight at his own grandfather—one powerful enough to instantly derail a multi-trillion-won MOU.

[Our goal isn’t just the blind date. It’s marriage. We need to get him safely married.]

So, Yeo Eun, you’ll have to move a little. Figure out a way to quietly make sure the blind date goes smoothly, she urged.

Recalling Cha Hyun’s final words, Yeo Eun let out an involuntary sigh.

“What kind of method could possibly exist?”

Sipping her coffee, Yeo Eun muttered to herself, then exhaled another heavy breath as she glanced toward the executive office.

Beyond the transparent glass wall, Ji Soo was busy on a call.

Judging by her serious expression, it must have been about the promissory notes.

Perhaps sensing Yeo Eun’s gaze, Ji Soo walked over to the glass wall and lowered the blinds.

[You do what you can. I’ll do what I can.]

That had been Ji Soo’s reply to Yeo Eun’s question about the promissory notes.

What I can do…

“So what exactly is that supposed to be?”

Do Ha’s blind date was just around the corner, and she had absolutely no plan.

Just then, her phone rang.

Yeo Eun glanced at the device sitting in the corner of her desk and frowned.

Another unknown number.

“Son Gyu Won. Don’t you ever get tired?”

This was already the fifth call this week.

He kept changing numbers and calling endlessly.

Yeo Eun pressed the red button to reject the call and stood up from her seat.

Tomorrow was Do Ha’s blind date.

She needed to find a solution before everything spiraled further out of control—some way to get Do Ha to calmly go through with it.

***

Saturday, 5:00 p.m.

Namsan HJ Hotel VIP Lounge.

This was the blind date schedule for Do Ha that she’d extracted from Cha Hyun.

Yeo Eun let out a soft sigh and hurried into the HJ Hotel.

Do Ha had arrived in Korea last night and was staying in the hotel’s penthouse.

He’d reportedly woken up at 11 a.m., and his first meal—delivered via room service at 1 p.m.—had consisted solely of coffee and fruit.

Around 2 p.m., he held a video conference with staff from the Strategy Planning Headquarters, followed by a phone call with Cha Hyun at 3:10 p.m.

Now it was 4 p.m.

It was about time he started getting ready for his blind date.

Yeo Eun checked her wristwatch again and stepped into the elevator.

“Honestly, there’s no stalker like this.”

If she kept hovering around a man who’d clearly said no, wasn’t that practically stalking?

Even though it was work, Do Ha must be utterly irritated by now.

Ding.

At that moment, the elevator emitted a dull chime and stopped at the penthouse floor.

Do Ha had stayed exclusively in the hotel penthouse since arriving in Korea—

a clear sign he had no intention of settling down here.

Yet they were forcing a political marriage on him. Even for Chairman Cha Ji Seop, this seemed like a serious misjudgment.

“But I guess if I’m told to bark, I have to bark, right?”

Stepping out of the elevator, Yeo Eun took a deep breath and walked slowly forward.

The deep gray carpet muffled her footsteps completely.

Maybe that was why.

A chilling sense of dread pressed coldly against the back of her neck.

At the end of the hallway—Penthouse Suite 3.

The memory of the man staying there, Do Ha, made her shiver.

A faint fear, icy tension, yet also a strange warmth spreading through her body—and lips even hotter than that.

Standing before the door, Yeo Eun shook off the memory of their last encounter and lifted her finger to the doorbell.

“It’ll be fine. He’s not going to eat me, right?”

At least it was still daytime, with the sun up.

She squeezed her eyes shut, rang the bell, and stepped back to wait for the door to open.

Would Do Ha open it himself?

Or would it be his executive secretary, Team Leader Kim Jung Joo?

Or—could Kim Hae Ri possibly be here?

A whirlwind of thoughts rushed through Yeo Eun’s mind.

She snapped out of it only when she heard movement behind the black metal door.

Her chest tightened sharply.

Without even asking who it was, the door opened.

The air beyond the silently parting door raised every hair on her body.

She didn’t even need to see who’d opened it—the fragrance alone sent shivers down her spine.

Yeo Eun quickly lowered her head.

“I’m sorry. Director Cha Hyun said…”

“Come in.”

At his invitation, Yeo Eun cautiously lifted her gaze.

There stood Do Ha.

Dark gray tailored trousers, a crisp white shirt,

his hair neatly styled, holding a navy blue tie in hand.

He certainly didn’t look like someone about to stir up trouble.

He looked exactly like any ordinary man preparing for a blind date.

Yet for some inexplicable reason, seeing him like this made something inside her chest feel uneasy.

When Yeo Eun just stared at him, Do Ha’s previously expressionless face scrunched slightly in annoyance.

“Aren’t you coming in?”

He stepped aside to clear the way for her and gestured again toward the room’s interior.

“I’m sorry.”

Yeo Eun quickly stepped inside.

For just a moment, her head spun.

The air inside was several times denser than the car’s atmosphere that night—the same one that had made her dizzy.

Her stomach churned.

At that instant, Do Ha brushed past her and walked deeper into the suite.

Yeo Eun swallowed hard and hurried after him.

He didn’t ask why she’d come, so she quickly explained her purpose.

“I heard you have a blind date today. Director Cha Hyun sent me to assist with your styling…”

Yeo Eun trailed off as Do Ha entered the bedroom, and she stopped dead in her tracks.

It felt as if she stood before forbidden territory—her shoulders instinctively hunched inward.

Frozen in place by the doorway, she watched Do Ha inside the bedroom, absentmindedly selecting a tie.

Do Ha—the master of this intimate, forbidden space.

His tightly closed lips, sharp and clean nose bridge, indifferent lowered eyelids, glossy black eyes, and brows furrowed in quiet contemplation.

He was breathtakingly beautiful—anyone would be captivated, their heart racing at the sight.

‘It’s not that I’m strange.’

Even Director Cha Hyun had said it: Do Ha could bewitch absolutely anyone.

What mattered was maintaining boundaries—just keep that line clear, she reminded herself.

At that moment, Do Ha turned his head and looked directly at Yeo Eun.

“What are you doing? Not coming in?”

Yeo Eun flinched, her shoulders stiffening.

A faint smile tugged at the corner of Do Ha’s lips.

“What’s wrong? Afraid I’ll kiss you again?”

His slightly teasing words made Yeo Eun’s shoulders stiffen even more.

Seeing her reaction, his smile deepened.

“Don’t worry. The sun hasn’t set yet.”

Her chest ached tightly, as if someone had gripped her heart.

For her, the past week had felt like drowning in that single kiss—but for him, apparently, it had been nothing more than a joke.

His gaze, his tone, even his gestures—all utterly indifferent, completely casual.

“You wouldn’t seriously throw away your fourth chance like that, would you?”

“No.”

So what if it was a joke? What did it matter?

Right now, she was the one in a hurry.

“I’ll come in.”

She answered quietly and stepped over the invisible threshold between bedroom and living room, holding her breath.

At that moment, Do Ha took a sudden step toward her.

“Why are you just standing there?”

He tilted his head slightly and spoke.

“Didn’t you come to help with my styling?”

Expressionless face, indifferent eyes.

Yeo Eun met his gaze, swallowed hard, and nodded.

“Yes. I also serve as a style manager, so the director specifically…”

She couldn’t finish her sentence.

Do Ha had seized her wrist.

Startled, Yeo Eun tried to pull away—but his hand had already released her.

“Then go ahead.”

He guided her toward his wardrobe, then stepped back, leaving her alone.

“Let’s see what you’ve got.”

That was all he said.

Yet with just that lazy tone, and without moving another muscle—just standing silently behind her—

she could feel his gaze burning into her back, and her wrist still throbbed from where he’d touched it.

Her mouth went dry, parched with thirst.

“The tie…”

Yeo Eun’s fingertips trembled faintly.

She paused briefly, clenched her trembling hands, and took a deep breath.

She was embarrassing even herself—how long would she keep acting like a fool in front of a client?

Composing herself, Yeo Eun slowly turned around.

“I brought one I picked out in advance.”

She reached into the shopper bag slung over her shoulder and pulled out a long box—a tie she’d carefully chosen from a luxury boutique before coming here.

An elegant dark green tie that would perfectly complement Do Ha’s dark eyes.

She opened the box and, already back in professional mode, explained calmly,

“Dark green creates a softer impression than navy, which will leave a positive impression at the blind date—especially considering your eye color…”

One corner of Do Ha’s mouth lifted coldly.

“To look even more elegant, since it matches so well…”

She couldn’t finish.

Do Ha, wearing a cold, mocking smile, had taken the tie from her.

Standing before the mirror, he wrapped it around his neck.

His hands moved skillfully and smoothly as he tied it, his expression icy.

Watching him, Yeo Eun spoke again.

“This blind date is extremely important for your position as well.”

She intended to emphasize just how crucial this meeting was for Do Ha.

These were words she’d prepared all night long, under Cha Hyun’s threat: if he obediently and quietly completed the blind date, she’d block the first Persona promissory note.

“The five-year strategic plan for Hanju Group’s future—which you’re personally spearheading—could move much faster with ST Group’s support…”

“I know.”

Do Ha, now fully dressed, replied with a simple, neutral expression.

Then, slowly, he turned to face her.