Hee Won looked up at Kang Woo with moist eyes.

Kang Woo reached out and gently rubbed Hee Won’s eyes as he spoke.

“I want to kiss you, Hee Won.”

She was the first.

The first to make him desire someone so desperately.

The feeling of his heart swelling and about to burst just from looking at her, she was the first.

Kang Woo rubbed Hee Won’s lips as he said,

“If you dislike it, you can refuse.”

Kang Woo, looking down at Hee Won, let out a snicker.

“Actually, that’s a lie. I’m hoping you won’t refuse. I’m pretending to be calm, but I’m not.”

Hee Won opened her eyes wide in surprise.

It was the first time she had seen Kang Woo so impatient.

“It’s the first time. You’re the first person to make me unable to control my feelings of wanting to see you, touch you, feel you.”

“Kang Woo.”

“I want you madly, Hee Won.”

Kang Woo’s eyes wavered greatly.

“So I hope you want me too.”

“…”

“Is that selfish of me?”

Hee Won, who had been quietly looking at Kang Woo, shook her head.

“No. I don’t dislike it.”

“…”

“Because I feel the same way about you, Kang Woo.”

When he kissed her lips, her heart beat rapidly. The warm, soft sensation on her lips made her whole body feel hot.

Hee Won unconsciously raised her heels. Then she wrapped her arms around his neck and embraced him.

The woody scent filling her mouth made her feel dizzy.

It felt as if she was floating on a cloud. As he tilted his head and came in deeper, she couldn’t think of anything.

She only wished that this moment would never end.

[This is the timeline separator]

After confirming each other’s feelings, strangely, nothing happened.

It was a Saturday when fears and worries began to fade.

“I’ll be going now. Get some rest.”

Kang Woo, who usually doesn’t schedule work on weekends, set out for an unavoidable appointment.

Contrary to his words, Kang Woo, standing in front of the front door, didn’t seem to want to move. His face clearly showed his reluctance to go.

His unfamiliar appearance made her laugh for some reason.

“Director Kang said he’d be waiting downstairs. Be careful and come back safely. I’ll be waiting.”

When Hee Won gently pushed Kang Woo’s back towards the front door, he hugged her as if he had been waiting for it.

He buried his face in her snow-white nape and took a deep breath.

As her body flinched involuntarily, he chuckled and cupped the back of her head with his large hand.

His lips pressing against hers happened in an instant.

He only let go when they were both out of breath.

“They’ll be waiting.”

At his grumbling, he gently caressed her swollen lips, careful not to hurt her, and said,

“I’ll be back.”

Kang Woo gave her a quick French kiss and then, unlike before, walked out the front door with light steps.

[This is the timeline separator]

After Kang Woo left for work, Hee Won was leisurely reading a book for the first time in a long while.

As lunchtime approached and she started to feel a bit hungry, she was about to enter the kitchen.

Ding dong – the doorbell rang.

When she opened the door, Secretary Ha was standing there, looking pale.

“Secretary?”

She had no plans to go out today. While she was resting at home, Secretary Ha had been given a day off.

“What’s the matter? It’s your day off today, isn’t it?”

Hee Won asked in confusion at the appearance of Secretary Ha, who should have been resting.

“You… didn’t answer your phone…”

Secretary Ha’s face was deathly pale. She spoke while catching her breath.

“Ah, it’s charging in my room… But what’s wrong?”

“There’s no time. Madam, can I explain on the way? Please get ready to go out first.”

“What? What do you mean?”

“Please prepare to go out first.”

Hee Won wanted to ask Secretary Ha more about what was happening. But seeing her pale face, she couldn’t ask anymore and followed her out without a word.

Not long after they departed, Secretary Ha opened her mouth.

“The Chairman has collapsed.”

“…What?”

“I just received a call that the Chairman has collapsed.”

“…Collapsed?”

“Yes. I was told he’s currently in emergency surgery. The Managing Director said he’s heading to the hospital right away.”

“Why did the Chairman suddenly collapse? What illness?”

“I’m afraid I can’t explain further because there’s no more information other than that the Chairman collapsed while clutching his heart.”

“…”

Hee Won was worried about Kang Woo.

Even if his relationship with Chairman Cha wasn’t a good father-son relationship, there was no way he could just brush off the fact that his father had collapsed.

“Maybe I should call first…”

Hee Won muttered to herself, and Secretary Ha responded.

“…Pardon? A call?”

It wasn’t meant for her to hear, but

“The Managing Director won’t answer the phone. He said he’s in front of the operating room.”

At Secretary Ha’s response, Hee Won nodded with an embarrassed expression.

By now, the car was crossing the Han River Bridge. Worried about Kang Woo, Hee Won bit her nails while looking out the window.

Quickly… I want to go quickly.

She was going crazy with worry about Kang Woo being alone.

As soon as they arrived at the hospital, Hee Won burst out of the car and headed for the second floor operating room.

“…”

As she went up to the second floor, there was an operating room with a red light on at the very end. And the only person guarding in front was Kang Woo.

Her heart ached. Because Kang Woo was sitting with his head in his hands, hunched over.

As she walked quickly, he seemed to notice her presence and lifted his head.

“…Kang Woo.”

“You came.”

A very hoarse voice flowed from between his lips. His face had become gaunt in less than half a day.

“What happened?”

She wanted to ask if he was okay, but knowing he wasn’t, she couldn’t.

“Why sudden surgery?”

She didn’t know much about Chairman Cha, having only experienced him for a short time.

But she knew well that Chairman Cha usually exercised regularly and strictly followed his diet.

So the news about Chairman Cha came as an even bigger shock.

Kang Woo rubbed his face dry before opening his mouth.

“Acute myocardial infarction.”

“…Myocardial infarction?”

“Yes.”

“Why? Why suddenly…”

“I’m not sure of the situation either. I heard there was a heated argument while talking with Madam So, and father collapsed clutching his chest while getting angry.”

“…”

“There must have been precursor symptoms… Haa.”

Feeling frustrated, Kang Woo ruffled his own hair.

“I heard they called 119 and moved to the hospital. It’s early, so the chances of successful surgery are high, but even if the surgery is successful, it seems he won’t be able to be active in his current position anymore.”

Hee Won nodded instead of responding.

Chairman Cha of LS Group has collapsed.

Somehow, she felt that the future would be turbulent.

Chairman Cha received emergency coronary angiography and stent insertion surgery before being moved to the intensive care unit.

The attending physician said that because he was elderly and had a history of stomach cancer surgery in the past, they needed to monitor his condition more carefully in the ICU.

Kang Woo and Hee Won looked down at Chairman Cha, who had not yet woken up from anesthesia.

The surgery was successful. The rest was Chairman Cha’s fate, which he had to overcome on his own.

“It’s good that the surgery was successful.”

“Yes.”

It was then, as Kang Woo and Hee Won were talking.

His phone vibrated inside his jacket.

[Managing Director.]

“Yeah.”

He answered the phone in a gruff voice.

[Madam So says she’s calling an interim shareholders’ meeting.]

Kang Woo’s brow furrowed.

“Shareholders’ meeting?”

Hee Won was also surprised at the mention of a shareholders’ meeting.

“What’s the agenda?”

[It’s about the proposal to dismiss Chairman Cha.]

“Ha, they’re really going all out. It’s as if they knew about this situation. Like rats.”

A low voice like scraping the floor flowed from between his lips. His voice was filled with strong anger.

“Alright. I’ll go right away.”

Kang Woo hung up the phone. He turned to her and said,

“I’m sorry. It seems I won’t be able to take you home today.”

Hee Won waved her hands and said in response to Kang Woo’s words,

“What? No. Take me home? Secretary Ha is here too. Not at all. Don’t worry about me and go to the company.”

“…The surgery is over, so let’s go out together.”

Kang Woo took Hee Won’s hand and went outside.

In front of the two cars parked side by side were Secretary Ha and Director Kang.

Kang Woo opened the back seat door of the car where Secretary Ha was standing. After putting Hee Won in first, Kang Woo said to her just before closing the door,

“It would be better for you to go home. I’ll contact you if anything happens.”

“…Okay. Be careful, Kang Woo.”

Instead of answering, he smiled and closed the car door.

The car started, and Hee Won looked back at where Kang Woo was standing.

It’s always when you think nothing will happen that something does happen in human affairs.

Her heart felt like it would burst from anxiety.

Hee Won prayed inwardly.

Please, let no one get hurt…

* * *

The car carrying Kang Woo quickly arrived in front of the company.

“Welcome, sir.”

As he got out of the car, the waiting company executives greeted him.

As he entered the building, numerous people who had been waiting followed behind.

Kang Woo, who had gotten into the elevator, asked Executive Director Yoon,

“What do you mean by a shareholders’ meeting?”

His father’s illness had not yet been made known.

He had heard that no one knew except for a few of his father’s closest confidants, excluding himself.

Yet, as if they had been waiting for it, a shareholders’ meeting was called, and even the stomach cancer surgery that was supposed to have been kept secret was revealed.

No matter how he thought about it, it was strange.