The eyes and ears of the employees all turned towards the wide-open door.

Gyeo Wool sprang up and rushed out of the hall.

She had clearly heard it.

The sound of Eun Young saying ‘Kang Tae Wook’.

Gyeo Wool’s hurried steps came to an abrupt halt.

Tae Wook was indeed standing face to face with Eun Young.

Behind him stood Director Seok and people who appeared to be executives from Flore Resort.

“Hah……”

A rough breath involuntarily escaped her lips.

Something that absolutely should not happen was unfolding.

“I asked you! Why are you here?!”

Eun Young raised her voice again, her face flushed red with barely contained anger.

In contrast, Tae Wook turned his head back with an impassive expression and said,

“Let’s postpone our dinner together for next time.”

At Tae Wook’s words, Director Seok and the executives, who had been at a loss for what to do, turned around and left the restaurant.

“Lady Bang, it might be better if you calm your emotions a bit.”

“Do I look like I can calm my emotions right now?”

Eun Young’s gaze, which had been on the departing executives, shot back sharply at Tae Wook.

She clearly remembered the faces of the executives she had seen during the briefing at the resort not long ago.

“Elder sister……”

Gyeo Wool went to Eun Young and gently grabbed her arm.

There were too many eyes watching.

Moreover, she had to think about the employees.

“Gyeo Wool, you knew about all this, didn’t you? Isn’t that right?”

Gyeo Wool bit her lip, unable to say anything, let alone explain.

.

.

.

It fell to Gyeo Wool to see off the employees.

“Who is that person that made the boss so angry?”

“His presence was no joke. Who is he, team leader?”

The employees, showing interest in Tae Wook’s existence, persistently asked who he was.

However, Gyeo Wool only responded with a smile and didn’t answer.

“Be careful on your way home.”

“See you tomorrow, team leader.”

Realizing that no information would come from Gyeo Wool’s lips, the employees all left.

Gyeo Wool entered the restaurant with a heavy heart.

The food left uneaten by the employees remained in the hall.

And Tae Wook was sitting in the seat where Gyeo Wool had been.

“Did you do this knowing that Gyeo Wool absolutely couldn’t refuse this time?”

Eun Young didn’t raise her voice like before. However, her angry emotions were fully conveyed in her voice.

“Why can’t you answer?”

“It’s not like that, elder sister. I asked for it. I asked him to let our company take on the resort construction. I asked for a chance.”

Gyeo Wool told Eun Young the truth.

However, Eun Young didn’t seem to believe Gyeo Wool’s words.

“That’s right. I persuaded one secretary on the condition of giving the resort construction contract.”

“Sir!”

Gyeo Wool looked at Tae Wook with a surprised and perplexed gaze.

“What are you doing? What you just said, it’s not true.”

However, Tae Wook didn’t seem to have any intention of correcting what he had said.

“Were you such a cunning and evil person to this extent? I told you to never appear in front of Gyeo Wool again!”

Harsh words continued to spill from Eun Young’s mouth.

“Elder sister. The President is lying.”

“You want to take his side even after being treated like that?”

“Elder sister…… I really did ask the President. Please believe me.”

“Don’t lie.”

Eun Young glared at Tae Wook even more fiercely.

“How severely did you silence Gyeo Wool…… We won’t take on the resort construction. So look elsewhere.”

“Elder sister!”

Gyeo Wool looked at Eun Young with surprised eyes, shaking her head vigorously.

However, Eun Young didn’t seem to see Gyeo Wool’s actions.

“Now that I know you, Kang Tae Wook, are the CEO of Flore Resort, I won’t do anything, contract or whatever, so do as you please.”

“Lady Bang Eun Young.”

Tae Wook called Eun Young in a heavy voice.

“Business is not done with personal emotions, but with cold reason.”

“Who are you to lecture someone who’s just making threats?”

Eun Young snorted, ignoring Tae Wook’s words.

“I heard that rumors are already spreading that ‘The Space’ won the Flore Resort construction contract. Thanks to that rumor, I know that the payment deadlines for overdue construction fees have been extended.”

Gyeo Wool was surprised that Tae Wook knew about ‘The Space’s current situation.

In fact, most of the companies that had been urging payment of construction fees almost daily had postponed the payment date until after the resort construction.

“If the fact that Lady Bang gave up on the resort construction becomes known, will you be able to pay all those fees at once?”

“Do you think I can’t pay if they ask?”

At Eun Young’s words, Tae Wook let out a mocking laugh.

“I know you don’t have that much funds.”

“I’ll manage to pull it together somehow!”

Perhaps due to heightened emotions, informal speech slipped out of Eun Young.

But Tae Wook didn’t mind at all.

“Do you know what Lady Bang is missing right now? The heart of a secretary who cares for Lady Bang and the company.”

At his words, Eun Young’s eyes trembled greatly.

“It’s something that one secretary made happen by accepting my proposal. I hope Lady Bang will realize that seeing it through to the end is the way to care for that secretary.”

“How dare you say you know until the end……”

Eun Young trailed off, clenching her fist.

She could no longer refute.

“I’ll be going now. I look forward to seeing Lady Bang sitting at the contract signing tomorrow.”

Tae Wook stood up. Then he turned his gaze to Gyeo Wool.

“Secretary Han, you’re going home, right?”

“What? Well……”

Gyeo Wool hesitated, looking back and forth between Tae Wook and Eun Young.

She wondered if it was okay to leave Eun Young alone like this.

“I’ll give you a ride home.”

“You don’t have to.”

“I have something to say to Secretary Han on the way.”

She could no longer refuse.

“I’m sorry, elder sister. I’ll see you at the company tomorrow.”

Gyeo Wool greeted Eun Young and followed Tae Wook out.

The car carrying Gyeo Wool and Tae Wook stopped in front of a multi-family house.

Gyeo Wool quickly opened the door and got out of the car without saying goodbye to Tae Wook.

“Wait!”

It was when Gyeo Wool had walked a few steps forward.

Tae Wook grabbed her arm from behind.

“Are you angry because I brought you out saying I had something to say but didn’t say anything?”

“I’m not angry.”

A business-like tone flowed from Gyeo Wool’s mouth.

“How would I know why you’re angry if you don’t say it?”

“I told you I’m not angry.”

Gyeo Wool really wasn’t angry.

It seemed Tae Wook had misunderstood because she hadn’t said a word the entire way from the restaurant to her home.

“Okay. I’ll believe you’re not angry. But you have something you want to say to me, don’t you? I’ll listen to everything, so speak.”

“No. I don’t want to say anything right now. So please go back.”

Her heart was too heavy.

She was worried about Eun Young, and sorry to Tae Wook.

She resented herself for not being able to do anything between the two of them.

Tae Wook let go of Gyeo Wool’s arm, then gently took her hand and pulled her.

“Let’s walk along the beach for a bit. It seems impolite to make a scene here in front of people.”

Tae Wook had learned that the beach was just a short walk down the road when he had visited here last time.

As Tae Wook took the lead, Gyeo Wool reluctantly followed, led by his hand.

The wind blowing from the sea was cold as it hit their faces.

However, Gyeo Wool’s heart, where emotions were swirling, was so painful that it felt hot as if fire was burning.

Gyeo Wool stopped walking.

Tae Wook also stopped and turned around, letting go of her hand.

Their gazes met in a straight line in the empty air.

“I didn’t want to let elder sister know like this.”

She had wanted to hide who Tae Wook was until the contract was signed.

She thought that although Eun Young would be surprised and angry, she wouldn’t return empty-handed after going to sign the contract.

“I didn’t know the company dinner was at that restaurant when I went there.”

Tae Wook was worried that Gyeo Wool might misunderstand that he had gone there on purpose.

He had been in a meeting with executives at the resort until late.

After finishing the meeting, Director Seok had chosen the restaurant for dinner, that was all.

“Why!”

Gyeo Wool only uttered a single word.

The tip of her nose stung and the corners of her eyes felt like they were burning.

Her eyes were already filling with moisture.

“Why did you lie to elder sister?”

Her voice trembled greatly as she asked.

“I thought it would be better for Lady Bang that way.”

“For elder sister’s sake?”

“If I had told the truth, Lady Bang would have been more distressed thinking that Secretary Han had walked into her own grave because of her.”

Perhaps Tae Wook’s words were right.

But……

“You know elder sister will think worse of you, don’t you?”

“I’m already out of Lady Bang’s good graces, so what does it matter.”

Tae Wook didn’t mind.

Just like how a villain is still a villain whether they appear once or several times in a movie.

“Elder sister…… will say she’s giving up on the contract.”

Gyeo Wool said, choking up.

Her throat felt so hot it was as if tears would burst out at any moment.

“I don’t think that will happen. She’ll know that if she gives up this time too, the company will be in even more trouble.”

“Sir, you don’t know what kind of person elder sister is.”

“She might have given up once. But there’s no one who would give up twice.”

“Elder sister is someone who would do that and more.”

At Gyeo Wool’s certainty, Tae Wook looked at her with an unfamiliar gaze.

“People tend to become ruthless in the face of their own interests.”

“No. Elder sister isn’t that kind of person. She’s someone who sacrifices for me and even comforts me… hic!”

Gyeo Wool finally burst into tears, remembering the time when Eun Young had given up on the training center construction.

She hadn’t wanted to show herself crying in front of Tae Wook.

But the tears wouldn’t stop easily. Her slender shoulders began to shake with sobbing sounds.

“Hoo……”

Tae Wook exhaled roughly.

His heartbeat quickened and ached at the sound of Gyeo Wool’s sobbing.

He felt he should comfort her but didn’t know what words to say, feeling frustrated.

Tae Wook’s arms twitched slightly before suddenly embracing Gyeo Wool.

“Hic! Let go.”

Gyeo Wool twisted her upper body in surprise, trying to get out of his arms.

But Tae Wook didn’t let her go.

Instead, he put more strength into the arm across her back.

“Cry. Until you feel better.”

This was all Tae Wook could say.

A thin and frail body to the point of being pitiful.

A woman who could shed tears thinking about her elder sister.

How could he have thought of someone with such a tender heart and so many tears as a person without emotions?

The company people called her the ‘Ice Witch’, saying they had never seen Gyeo Wool shed a single tear.

Tae Wook felt very sorry for not having properly known Gyeo Wool.

“I’m not crying. I said I won’t cry.”

“Okay. Do that.”

But contrary to her words, Gyeo Wool’s slender shoulders were shaking with sobbing sounds.