Lee Hun Tae, who was sitting deeply in his study chair, put down the letter he was reading and sighed.

“Chief Choi. Can we trust the contents of this?”

The man across from him, who appeared to be in his 50s, replied while putting the letter back in the envelope.

“It’s uncertain. But I think it would be good to verify.”

It was a letter someone had secretly left in the crack of the chairman’s office door. Of course, there was no sender.

“Huh.”

Lee Hun Tae frowned and pressed his hand to his forehead. Deep contemplation settled on his face with closed eyes.

“If this is true, it means our second son killed the first! What an absurd claim about an accident that ended 30 years ago!”

The accident in which Lee Jin Woo, the heir to the Taemyung Group and Lee Hun Tae’s eldest son, died at a young age was very famous at the time. Jin Woo lost his life in a rainy road traffic accident while leaving on a business trip to heavy industry.

“It is absurd. If the letter’s tip is true, it means that accident was deliberately staged by President Lee Jin Hyuk, but since it’s an old incident, there’s unlikely to be any evidence left.”

Taemyung Group.

It was one of the top 5 companies responsible for our country’s overall economy. Its scale was enormous as a global conglomerate encompassing food, construction, finance and insurance, and distribution. Recently, it was expanding its scale by extending into the entertainment and culture business.

Lee Hun Tae, who led such a Taemyung, was an excellent businessman recognized not only in our country but worldwide.

“Jin Hyuk killed Jin Woo? If it’s true, we can’t just let it go.”

“I’ll investigate first.”

Chief Choi said, putting the letter back in his breast pocket. Chief Choi was Lee Hun Tae’s closest aide, serving by his side for over 20 years.

“What about Jae Ho?”

Lee Hun Tae first asked about Jae Ho. He cherished Jae Ho, the precious bloodline left by his deceased eldest son Jin Woo and the eldest grandson, like his own body. His affection was even greater because he had lived unaware of his grandson’s existence for 17 years.

“He left on a trip to rest after finishing film shooting.”

“That, that damned movie! Movie! Tell him to quit that right away and take charge of one of our affiliates.”

“He seems to find that work more interesting for now, Chairman.”

“This won’t do anymore. We can’t keep hiding the group’s heir forever, and if by any chance the letter’s contents are true…”

Lee Hun Tae exhaled deeply and continued.

“If he could kill his own brother, what couldn’t he do to his nephew? Before Jin Hyuk starts in earnest, Jae Ho needs to quickly establish his position. Jae Ho needs to build his power base while I still have strength.”

Lee Hun Tae closed his eyes for a moment and thought of his three sons.

Jin Woo. Jin Hyuk. Jin Myung.

The eldest, Jin Woo, was a talented individual with both leadership and inclusiveness. From early on, Lee Hun Tae put forth Jin Woo as his successor, staking Taemyung’s future on his eldest son. But Jin Woo died early in a traffic accident. An ill-fated crown prince who passed away before even turning thirty. That was already 30 years ago. It was a month before his arranged marriage.

After that, Jin Hyuk eagerly vied for power. The second son was originally greedy, but after his brother’s death, he began to openly reveal his dark ambitions.

Lee Hun Tae loved all his sons equally, but passing on the company was a different matter. He had no intention whatsoever of handing Taemyung over to Jin Hyuk, who had a small vessel.

The third son, Jin Myung, was as smart as Jin Woo, but he had no interest in management due to his unambitious personality.

So he poured all support into Jae Ho, making him follow the perfect successor course. But the slippery grandson didn’t listen.

“Chief Choi. Go find Jae Ho and relay my words. See for yourself what kind of travel he’s doing. And check if he’s not sleeping in some strange car while talking about camping or stars.”

The “strange car” Lee Hun Tae referred to was a hundred-million-won camping car. Chief Choi didn’t bother to counter that this was the romance of today’s young people and a luxurious trip no less than a top-class hotel. Because he understood the worry hidden in those words.

“Yes. I’ll go see him. He didn’t take the camping car this time, so he should be staying comfortably at lodgings. What shall I tell him?”

“Tell him to arrive early on my upcoming birthday, before Jin Hyuk’s family, and come up to the study. I have something urgent to tell him.”

“I will do so.”

After Jin Woo’s death, Jae Ho came to Lee Hun Tae like a gift while he was struggling for a long time. Kim Mi Jung, the secretary who had been secretly dating Jin Woo, appeared after 17 years with a grandson whose existence was unknown.

At the time, she was a poor woman Lee Hun Tae strongly opposed. The grandson had eyes exactly like Jin Woo’s sorrowful gaze as he watched his father push for an arranged marriage to the bitter end.

It was as if his son had come back to life.

Lee Hun Tae staked Taemyung’s future on his grandson once again. He intended to pave all flower roads for Jae Ho, adding the share of Jin Woo, whom he had lost in vain.

The contents of the letter came to mind.

It was a case concluded as a simple rainy road traffic accident, and 30 years had already passed. How and where should this truth be investigated…

If the second son Jin Hyuk really was the culprit, what should be prepared for Jae Ho…

The night deepened.

**

Da Jung, seated in the car driven by Jae Ho, lowered the window halfway and breathed in the clear autumn air. Glancing at that clear face, Jae Ho smiled, lifting the corners of his mouth.

“It’s a nice day.”

Da Jung nodded.

The rural national highway on a weekday was so quiet that there were hardly any passing cars. The leisurely paced drive somewhat lightened both their moods.

As Da Jung closed the window and stared ahead, Jae Ho started the conversation again.

“But, can you really end it in exactly a month?”

The desolate road lined with dense pine trees was excellent as a driving course. Da Jung looked at the winding road and trees, then turned her eyes to the side to look at the right hand of the man holding the steering wheel.

It was a solid hand with thick lines that revealed masculinity. The tendons extending from his fingers to his forearm looked indescribably sexy. Suddenly, Da Jung thought about how soft and warm that hand was. Her heart raced uncontrollably as she recalled the subtle trembling that had touched her cheek.

“You’re not listening to me.”

With a low, reproachful voice, the hand on the steering wheel changed. At the same time, his right hand overlapped Da Jung’s left hand. Hot fingers intertwined between the gaps of Da Jung’s hand.

“Did you stare because you wanted to hold it?”

It was just hands, but it felt hot as if touching somewhere else.

“N-no. It’s not like that.”

But Da Jung’s hand was already hot. He laughed softly.

“Your mouth and body are acting so differently. In cases like this, I usually trust the body.”

Unlike the man smiling with overflowing composure, Da Jung couldn’t smile at all. Just holding hands palm to palm, yet she was heating up as if he was touching her entire body.

“It’s not like that.”

“Okay. I wanted to hold it, so I stared.”

They shared body heat silently for a moment. Da Jung gathered courage to open her mouth.

“Lee Jae Ho’s hand is warm.”

“…”

“It’s like a heater.”

At that moment, Jae Ho laughed loudly. As if he had heard something very funny. Da Jung awkwardly laughed along.

“It’s warmer if I hug you. How far is allowed for people who are flirting? If hugging is okay, can I move things along a bit faster?”

Da Jung hesitated a little before quietly asking back.

“Do I decide that?”

“Should I decide then?”

“…”

“If I decide that. Miss Yoon Da Jung.”

The man tapped the steering wheel.

“You can’t go home today.”

Understanding his meaning, Da Jung let go of his hand in surprise. Jae Ho leisurely enjoyed Da Jung’s bewilderment before gently opening his mouth.

“Let’s finish our previous conversation. What happens to us a month later?”

“That…”

Da Jung held her breath for a moment.

Yesterday, she had holed up in the lodgings all day thinking only of Lee Jae Ho. Should she “flirt” with him as Lee Jae Ho suggested? She even consulted tarot cards, which she usually didn’t believe in, due to her troubled mind, but the answer was quite ambiguous. ‘Trust your own decision!’

Decision…

The more she denied it, the more clearly Lee Jae Ho’s smiling face came to mind. In the end, she had fallen under the spell of this wonderland.

Yes. To be honest, Da Jung wanted to try it. Flirting. Isn’t it like a dream come true? Falling in love with your favorite person. She persuaded herself that this much luck could happen once in Yoon Da Jung’s life.

‘Let’s do it.’

But after returning to Seoul, it was different.

She knew better than anyone how popular an actor Lee Jae Ho was, how much wealth he had. Da Jung knew quite a lot about the luxury items Lee Jae Ho owned himself, not sponsored ones, and also knew that each of them was worth an enormous amount.

Moreover, the high-end villa in Hannam-dong where Jae Ho resided was truly otherworldly in price. Their world that Da Jung couldn’t dream of even if she was reborn.

Da Jung tended to believe that people should date or marry those with similar conditions. Even if one side was a bit tilted, there should be some degree of line, but if the difference was as great as heaven and earth, she thought both sides would end up unhappy in the end.

The difference between Lee Jae Ho and Yoon Da Jung was too stark. She thought of her father’s debt that she was still paying off, and her mother’s hospital bills. The money she had saved up as savings was also a measly amount, and even that was scheduled to be used for treatment if her mother’s condition worsened.

Just one month of deviation would be enough. It seemed like she could live happily with those memories for the rest of her life. Da Jung didn’t dare dream of anything more than that.

She and the man living under the brilliant spotlight didn’t match at all.

But to be honest, she avoided answering for now, thinking he might cling more persistently if she spoke frankly.

“Hm? Tell me. What will you do if I say I can’t let you go?”

“Um. Let’s talk about that later.”

Jae Ho’s head tilted slightly. He frowned as if displeased.

“You’re avoiding it.”

Yet he didn’t push further and answered gently.

“What can I do. Let’s do that then.”

“Yes.”

“Okay. We’ll talk again later.”

Jae Ho nodded as he began parking in the market parking lot. He started reversing with smooth handling.

“But, shall we make a bet? Miss Yoon Da Jung.”

“About what?”

With one arm on the seat, he turned the steering wheel and met her gaze intensely.

“I have a feeling you won’t be able to leave easily.”

It was a playful, confident attitude.

“Things probably won’t go as you want. How about betting your entire fortune?”

Does Lee Jae Ho even know how much his entire fortune is? He makes such jokes so easily. Da Jung smiled awkwardly.

It’s a promise she won’t even remember after a month anyway. Does it matter how she answers? Da Jung nodded and halfheartedly went along with the false promise.

“Okay.”

A meaningless promise was made.