The person who entered the grand conference room was none other than Ji Do Jun. Yun Sook’s face turned pale at Do Jun’s sudden appearance.

“How did you come here…”

In response to Yun Sook’s words, Do Jun revealed his identity in an arrogant voice.

“I’m also a shareholder who owns World Group stocks.”

At Do Jun’s words, the moderator quickly checked the list of shareholders. Ji Do Jun’s name was nowhere to be found.

“Your name is not on the list of shareholders.”

Just as Yun Sook was about to open her mouth at the moderator’s words, Do Jun spoke first.

“James.”

The moderator found the name ‘James’ on the list of shareholders who did not attend today. He was known as a major shareholder among the shareholders.

Yun Sook had met James at a previous shareholders’ meeting. It definitely wasn’t Ji Do Jun at that time.

“The James who appeared at the last shareholders’ meeting was certainly not you.”

Yun Sook’s voice trembled with an ominous premonition.

“My friend attended on my behalf.”

At Do Jun’s words, the quiet grand conference room became noisy. Do Jun’s direct attendance at the meeting meant he was taking the side of his wife, Ga Eun.

Messing with Do Jun meant not just dealing with Ga Eun’s husband, but potentially becoming hostile with Shin-O Group. Because of this, shareholders and executives who had been on Yun Sook’s side began to watch Do Jun’s reactions.

“Shall we start the vote?”

At Do Jun’s words, an executive sitting quietly at the far end raised his hand.

“I think dismissing her from the team leader position over this incident is too much.”

The executives of World Group subsidiaries, who were about to enter Shin-O Department Store, all suddenly began to change their attitudes.

“After hearing Yoon Ga Eun team leader’s explanation, it seems that way. Rather, it could be seen that she protected the design from being stolen. It doesn’t seem like she caused any major damage to World Group…”

The executive who was taking Ga Eun’s side quickly trailed off when he met Yun Sook’s eyes. Do Jun casually watched the executives changing their words and spoke again.

“Shall we proceed with the vote?”

Under Do Jun’s pressure, the executives who had been insisting on a vote pressed their lips shut while avoiding Yun Sook’s gaze. As Do Jun gradually tightened the noose on Ga Eun’s side, Yun Sook had no choice but to take a step back.

“Let’s wrap up today’s shareholders’ meeting here.”

Yun Sook hurriedly left the grand conference room first, as if trying to salvage her last bit of pride.

After all the executives and shareholders had left, Ga Eun’s body went limp as the tension finally released. Do Jun firmly grabbed Ga Eun’s arm as she staggered.

“How did you know to come here?”

Ga Eun asked, as if probing his mind, afraid that Do Jun might know about her plan.

“As I said earlier, I’m a proper shareholder with World Group stocks. It’s not strange for me to be here.”

Do Jun didn’t seem inclined to easily give the answer Ga Eun wanted.

“No, that’s not what I mean.”

As Ga Eun persistently questioned again, a relaxed smile spread across Do Jun’s lips.

“I told you. If you want to have World Group, I can make it happen for you.”

As he spoke, Do Jun gradually moved closer to Ga Eun. Ga Eun took a step back to avoid him. The scent of Do Jun’s cologne reached her nose, causing her stomach to churn again.

Ga Eun tried her best not to inhale Do Jun’s scent while figuring out how to escape the current situation.

At that moment, Do Jun suddenly lifted her waist and sat her on the edge of the table.

“If I put World Group in your hands, what will you give me in return?”

Do Jun’s persistent gaze fell on Ga Eun’s face. Ga Eun was on high alert, trying not to fall into Do Jun’s trap.

“You saw it yourself. Everyone at World Group is desperate to get their hands on you.”

Ga Eun knew her situation well, even without Do Jun’s explanation. Even if she had their weaknesses in her hands, if they came at her as a group, Ga Eun would be no match for them.

“It was quite amusing to see them charging like wolves to catch one rabbit.”

Do Jun’s hand cupped Ga Eun’s chin seductively. Ga Eun deliberately avoided Do Jun’s gaze and asked him.

“Then, what are you?”

Ga Eun thought at that moment that Ji Do Jun was no different. She still couldn’t believe that Do Jun was completely on her side in this situation.

“A tiger saving the rabbit.”

Ga Eun quickly got down from the table, no longer able to bear Do Jun’s scent.

“You know too, Do Jun. That the world isn’t so easy.”

Ga Eun tried hard to steady her wavering heart. Forcefully suppressing her churning stomach, she coldly continued her next words to Do Jun.

“Thank you for helping today. But don’t do this anymore. I have no intention of letting you have any leverage over me.”

As Ga Eun was about to leave the conference room to avoid Do Jun, he grabbed her wrist again.

“I have no intention of asking you for something like rice cakes, pretending to be a noble tiger.”

As if determined to receive a reward for saving her today, Do Jun pulled her wrist and suddenly covered her lips with his.

Was it because she was surprised by Do Jun’s sudden action?

Ga Eun felt her churning stomach calm down with Do Jun’s kiss.

Slowly parting his lips, Do Jun revealed his true feelings.

“If you give me your lips instead of rice cakes, who knows. I might not eat you even if you’re by my side.”

Ga Eun was so dazed by the kiss that she couldn’t think of what to say next. At that moment, Do Jun approached again and asked Ga Eun warningly.

“Really, are you hiding anything from me?”

Do Jun asked as if giving Ga Eun one last chance. Ga Eun pretended to be calm and moved her trembling lips with effort.

“No. Nothing like that.”

Do Jun passed by Ga Eun’s side first and asked again as if probing her heart.

“If you have a secret, it’s best not to get caught. If I find out you’re deceiving me, I don’t know what I might do.”

Ga Eun deliberately ignored her trembling heart and looked Do Jun in the eye confidently. At that moment, Do Jun’s phone rang loudly, and he left the conference room first.

Watching Do Jun’s retreating back, Ga Eun couldn’t help but collapse into her seat.

Do Jun, who had left the conference room, quickly answered the phone. The person calling was Secretary Kim.

Secretary Kim had set up an appointment to meet the witness of Yoon Ga Eun’s traffic accident in person, following Do Jun’s instructions.

“I’ll be there right away.”

After hanging up, Do Jun hurriedly left World Group headquarters and got into his car. Ga Eun’s shaken eyes when she heard his warning kept making Do Jun nervous. The words he gave to Ga Eun were not a lie.

If he found out that Ga Eun had deceived him, he didn’t even know what he might do to her.

Throughout the drive to Shin-O Group headquarters, Do Jun hoped and hoped again that Ga Eun was not deceiving him. Eventually, Do Jun’s car stopped in front of the cafe, the meeting place.

He took a deep breath before getting out of the car and entering the cafe. Inside the cafe, a middle-aged man was talking with Secretary Kim.

Secretary Kim, who belatedly noticed Do Jun, explained about him to the man. Upon hearing that Do Jun was the CEO of Shin-O Group, the man stood up from his seat and politely greeted Do Jun.

“I heard you were looking for me.”

Secretary Kim briefly left his seat as if to let Do Jun and the man talk comfortably. Do Jun looked straight into the man’s eyes. The opaque, unfathomable gaze kept raising doubts in his mind.

“You said you witnessed the traffic accident directly.”

Do Jun first asked about Ga Eun’s traffic accident. The man began to explain the situation at that time in detail, as if he had been waiting for Do Jun’s question.

“The place where the accident occurred is in front of my field. These days, wild animals come down and keep digging up the soil and eating the crops, so I go out to the field day and night. But I saw an expensive foreign car I’d never seen in the neighborhood, so I paid more attention.”

Listening to the man’s words, Do Jun felt as if he was vividly seeing the situation of Ga Eun’s traffic accident with his own eyes.

Despite the long time that had passed, the man remembered everything clearly as if he had seen the accident yesterday. That clarity kept irritating Do Jun’s nerves.

Do Jun continued to stare into the man’s eyes as he listened to more explanations about the accident that day.

“The foreign car must have hit the guardrail hard because the bumper was all damaged. There was a young woman inside. Fortunately, a large truck passed by, but if it had hit directly, the driver might have died.”

The man’s eyewitness testimony was flawlessly perfect. His explanation matched the accident scene Secretary Kim had described.

“But why didn’t you call 119 after witnessing the accident scene?”

Do Jun only asked the question after silently listening to the man’s entire eyewitness account. For a very brief moment, Do Jun saw the man’s gaze waver.

“I was about to report it… but someone else already…”

The man’s eyes widened in surprise at his own words that had slipped out due to Do Jun’s sudden question.

“You told Secretary Kim that you were the only witness, but now there’s another witness?”

The moment Do Jun pointed out the flaw in the man’s words, the man pressed his lips shut and couldn’t say anything. At that moment, Do Jun leaned close to the man’s face and asked in a low voice.

“How much were you paid?”