Ga Eun strained her eyes, trying to focus on the fashion show documents.

However, Do Jun’s face kept appearing in her mind, causing her to repeatedly read the same front page. Just as Ga Eun put down the documents, a text message arrived on her phone.

[It seems you like kimchi noodles, so I’ve prepared some fresh kimchi. The chairman is eagerly waiting for you, ma’am.]

After reading Oh Jipsa’s message, Ga Eun’s mind became so cluttered that she couldn’t stay in the office any longer.

Just as she was about to grab her coat and leave the office, her phone rang loudly. Ga Eun answered without hesitation, thinking it was Oh Jipsa calling.

[Your voice sounds very good.]

However, contrary to Ga Eun’s expectation, the caller was Lee Ja Young, Lee Yun Sook’s elder sister. Due to Ga Eun’s revelation, CEO Lee Ja Young was facing imminent arrest. Her voice was filled with deep hatred and a sense of final desperation.

“I thought you wouldn’t have time to pay attention to me, elder sister.”

Ga Eun retorted without showing any sign of being flustered by Ja Young’s words. A leisurely laugh was heard through the receiver.

[Do you think I’ll die alone?]

Although she had anticipated it, Ga Eun’s hand holding the phone trembled as she found herself in this ominous situation.

Lee Ja Young was a person who resembled her stepmother Yun Sook in both appearance and personality. The face of her elder sister, who used to watch and laugh while Yun Sook tormented Ga Eun, remained vivid in her memory.

“What can you do in your current situation, elder sister?”

Ga Eun already knew what Ja Young’s final card was.

[You should have died in that accident.]

Ja Young revealed her true feelings in response to Ga Eun’s provocation. Ga Eun listened quietly to her elder sister’s words, as if accustomed to such behavior.

[I thought you had only lost your memory in the car accident, but it seems you’ve forgotten your place too.]

Ga Eun felt chills run down her spine at Ja Young’s eerie voice.

[Yun Sook will hire the best law firm to get me out of prison. The moment I’m back in the world, I won’t let you off easy.]

It was obvious that Lee Ja Young would be imprisoned due to the perfect evidence Ga Eun had prepared. Knowing this fact, Ja Young had called Ga Eun directly, unable to control her temper one last time.

“Do you want to add threatening charges as well?”

Ga Eun had already pressed the record button from the start of the call with Ja Young, recording the entire conversation.

[What?]

“I’m just repaying the favor.”

Ja Young had tormented young Ga Eun even more cruelly than Yun Sook.

“You should smile more brightly. Unless you want to show that you’re an orphan we brought in.”

As childhood memories resurfaced, Ga Eun bit her lower lip hard.

[Is that so? I’m curious to see how you’ll get out of this situation.]

Ja Young hung up abruptly after saying her piece. As soon as Ja Young’s call ended, Yun Sook called immediately. Ga Eun didn’t answer Yun Sook’s call and hurriedly accessed an internet portal site.

[It has been belatedly revealed that Yoon Ga Eun, the only daughter of World Group, staged a suicide attempt, causing a stir. It is known that Yoon Ga Eun has been suffering from amnesia and delusions as aftereffects of a traffic accident.]

As much attention was focused on the fashion show at World Fashion, this scandal about Ga Eun spread rapidly with great impact in a short time. Yun Sook began inciting netizens by posting false comments.

[Isn’t it all a lie that Yoon Ga Eun’s team copied the clothes design from Ja Young Fashion?] [How can we trust the words of someone with a mental illness?]

Unable to bear reading the internet comments, Ga Eun turned off her laptop.

The fact that such an article was released so close to the fashion show clearly showed her stepmother’s intention to ruin the show until the end. She quickly picked up her phone and called someone.

“Can we do that interview you proposed tomorrow?”

The person who answered the call was a reporter from A Newspaper. Given how quickly rumors about Ga Eun were spreading on the internet, there was nothing to lose by conducting an interview with her. It was rather an opportunity to get an exclusive scoop.

[Is everything posted on the internet true?]

The impatient reporter fired questions at Ga Eun as if interrogating her.

“I’ll tell you everything when we meet in person tomorrow.”

Ga Eun ended the call after speaking as if soothing the reporter. She had anticipated such attacks when staging the car accident. But the timing was so bad that Ga Eun’s mind became cluttered.

Ga Eun’s steps quickened at the thought that reporters might come to the company. As she reached the main entrance of the company, the driver was waiting for her.

He yawned widely, looking tired, then noticed Ga Eun.

“Ma’am!”

The driver greeted Ga Eun as if meeting an old friend. His voice was excited, perhaps at the thought of finally being able to go home.

“Have you been waiting all this time?”

Ga Eun never imagined the driver would wait for her until such a late hour.

“The chairman instructed me to wait until you finished work and drive you home, ma’am.”

Ga Eun’s gaze shifted to her wristwatch. It was close to midnight. Feeling apologetic, she hurriedly got into the car.

“Thank you.”

As soon as they left the company gates, Ga Eun saw reporters loitering in front of World Fashion headquarters, just as she had expected.

It seemed her stepmother had leaked information that she was working overtime to the reporters. The face of one reporter standing at the main gate looked familiar. It was a reporter who had a close relationship with Lee Yun Sook.

As Ga Eun turned her head to look at the headquarters building, the driver glanced at her face through the rearview mirror.

“That was a close call. It’s fortunate I was a bit faster.”

The driver tried to lighten the mood, seeing Ga Eun’s pale face as if she were in pain somewhere.

“If it weren’t for you, I would have been caught by the reporters, wouldn’t I?”

Ga Eun smiled at the driver, forcing a bright voice to show she was fine. Then she closed her eyes, leaning back in her seat.

“Absolutely no stress. And especially no overworking.”

Jung Ah’s words, the obstetrician, echoed in her ears again. Ga Eun had to take several deep breaths to calm her trembling heart.

While Ga Eun was trying to regain her composure, the car arrived at the apartment entrance. After thanking the driver repeatedly for waiting for her, Ga Eun quickly got out of the car.

She breathed a sigh of relief that the reporters hadn’t come to her home yet. She hurriedly entered the apartment lobby and got into the elevator.

She had already obtained a psychiatric evaluation from a psychiatrist in preparation for such attacks. As the elevator stopped, Ga Eun’s steps became heavier.

‘He must be asleep.’

When she opened the front door and entered, all the lights in the living room were on.

After confirming that Do Jun wasn’t in the living room, Ga Eun tried to tiptoe to her room to minimize the sound of her footsteps. At that moment, Do Jun came out of the study and called out to her.

“You’re late.”

Ga Eun replied briefly without looking directly at Do Jun’s face.

“Yes.”

A heavy silence fell between the two. As Ga Eun hurriedly grabbed the handle of her room door, Do Jun’s words quickened.

“I saw the internet. Are you really okay?”

Ga Eun could no longer stand by and watch Do Jun interfere in her affairs. She didn’t want to receive any help from him. She felt that if she accepted his help, she would be tied down to him.

“I’ll handle my own matters. Don’t worry about it.”

Thinking of various ways to persuade Do Jun, Ga Eun unknowingly blurted out cold words, drawing a line. For a brief moment, Do Jun’s gaze wavered.

“I’ve told you before. Now is not the time to avoid me, but to use me.”

Ga Eun deliberately avoided Do Jun’s persistent gaze and retreated into her room.

Do Jun could only watch Ga Eun’s retreating figure, unable to stop her again. As he re-entered the study, his phone rang again.

[It’s confirmed that CEO Lee Yun Sook is behind the article.]

As soon as he came across Ga Eun’s article, he had Secretary Kim find out who had ordered it.

“Tell them to take down all the articles immediately. And don’t forget to mention that we’ll cancel all advertising for newspapers that don’t comply.”

In response to Do Jun’s words, Secretary Kim hesitated before continuing.

[The articles have already spread across all SNS platforms, including comment manipulation.]

Secretary Kim indirectly conveyed that taking down the articles now wouldn’t be of much help. Do Jun recalled Ga Eun’s cold face telling him not to worry about her affairs.

“Find me the fastest newspaper we can do an interview with.”

[Pardon?]

Secretary Kim questioned in response to Do Jun’s instruction. Do Jun had never given a personal interview before.

Many magazines and newspapers had tried to interview Do Jun, but he had never accepted Secretary Kim’s proposals.

“We don’t have time. Move as quickly as possible.”

[Yes, I understand, sir.]

A deep darkness settled on Do Jun’s face after ending the call. The more Ga Eun tried to push him away, the more concerned Do Jun became about her.

After hesitating for a while, Do Jun got up and left the study. He knocked on Ga Eun’s tightly closed door while staring at it.

But there was no response from inside. Do Jun had no choice but to turn the doorknob and enter.

“I knocked several times, but there was no answer.”

Before Do Jun could finish speaking, he saw Ga Eun sweating profusely and quickly approached her.