“So, I was wondering if Han’s secretary could fill in for Kim’s secretary for a few days?”

Winter hesitated to answer Tae Wook’s request immediately.

“Is it because you think the work will be difficult?”

“It’s not that, but…”

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to help Tae Wook.

She felt uneasy and skeptical about the claim that Secretary Kim took sick leave.

It’s not like Tae Wook would lie and pretend Secretary Kim was sick.

“I thought about asking the secretaries from J Chemical. But it seemed like it would take more time for them to understand the work.”

“I suppose that’s true.”

“I’m asking for a favor. If there weren’t urgent matters to handle, I could manage alone somehow…”

Tae Wook trailed off, looking at Winter with an apologetic expression.

Winter’s heart softened at his plea for help.

“Alright. I’ll help you.”

“Thank you, Secretary Han.”

Tae Wook and Winter left the apartment and got into the waiting car.

“Go to the hospital.”

When Tae Wook told Driver Choi, Winter turned her head to look at him.

“Weren’t you going straight to work?”

“I got a call from Director Sung saying grandfather was asking for me.”

“The Chairman?”

Winter’s eyes widened in surprise.

“He’s just calling because he wants to see me, so there’s no need to be so surprised.”

“Really…?”

Still feeling uneasy, Winter asked cautiously.

“That’s what I heard.”

Only then did Winter exhale the breath she’d been holding and feel relieved.

.

.

.

Chairman Kang, who had been waiting for Tae Wook and Winter to arrive, was sitting neatly on the bed.

“Being in the hospital is nice. I get to see your faces often.”

Chairman Kang seemed to be in a very good mood.

“Shall I prepare some tea?”

The caregiver asked Tae Wook and Winter.

“I’m fine.”

“Coffee please. Freshly brewed if possible.”

Unlike Winter, Tae Wook asked for coffee.

The caregiver looked a bit troubled before saying “Yes, understood” and left.

“Winter.”

Winter, who had been watching the caregiver leave, turned her head at Chairman Kang’s call.

“Yes, grandfather.”

“Still no news of a child?”

Seeing Chairman Kang’s eyes sparkling brightly as he asked casually, it seemed he was quite eager for news of a great-grandchild.

“Well…”

Winter’s heart sank at the mention of a child.

Surely he wasn’t asking because he knew something?

She glanced quickly at Tae Wook, trying not to show her surprise.

“How long has it been since we got married for you to ask about a child?”

Thankfully, Tae Wook stepped in to address the awkward question.

“Oh you rascal. Other people manage to have children even before marriage.”

Chairman Kang frowned, clearly displeased with Tae Wook’s response.

“If I said I’d give you my entire fortune if you have a great-grandchild before I die, would you have one quickly?”

“Don’t say such things, even as a joke.”

“Why not? Look how Winter jumped at the chance when I said I’d take away the company. Who knows? You might work hard at it.”

Chairman Kang smiled mischievously.

But unlike Chairman Kang, Tae Wook’s eyes grew heavy.

Hadn’t he suffered the humiliation of falling into the abyss because of that promise?

As he struggled with all his might to regain his place, he had vowed.

That he would never again let someone else control his life.

But.

Chairman Kang had still gone back to the past, and once again held his leash.

“Winter, you’re always on this old man’s side, so you’ll grant my wish, won’t you?”

Chairman Kang wanted to hear Winter’s answer.

But before she could respond, Tae Wook quickly interjected.

“There’s no law saying you have to have a child just because you’re married, right? They say it’s best to enjoy the newlywed phase for a long time to avoid regrets.”

“I’ll do whatever the CEO wants.”

“You heard that? Secretary Han is on my side. Give up and focus on staying healthy and living a long life.”

But even with Tae Wook’s words, Chairman Kang didn’t seem willing to give up.

“Winter, whether you have a girl or a boy, this grandfather will give you a generous gift.”

“I don’t need any gifts, grandfather.”

“What do you mean you don’t need them? This grandfather already has something prepared to give you.”

At that moment, the caregiver approached with a flustered expression.

“What should I do? I wanted to make coffee, but I’m not very skilled at operating the coffee machine.”

So this was why she had left earlier looking troubled.

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll go buy some from the cafe on the first floor.”

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Tae Wook grabbed Winter’s arm as she was about to stand up.

“It’s fine if it’s late, so could you please try operating the machine slowly?”

“Pardon? Well…”

It wasn’t just the caregiver who was flustered by Tae Wook’s words.

Winter couldn’t understand why he was acting as if he absolutely had to drink coffee made by the caregiver.

“Please.”

“I want to make it for you, but…”

Winter couldn’t stand by and watch the caregiver looking troubled and perplexed.

“I’ll show you how to operate it.”

It was a good opportunity to prepare coffee for Tae Wook and escape the sensitive conversation.

“Would you really?”

The caregiver smiled brightly, as if she had gained a powerful ally, and led the way.

“Secretary Han, please bring some fruit too.”

Winter, who was following the caregiver out, turned back at Tae Wook’s request.

He’s really strange today.

Winter didn’t realize that Tae Wook was deliberately trying to delay their return to the company.

If they went back early, Winter would try to find work to do.

“It seems like strength I didn’t have before wells up when Winter is here.”

Chairman Kang watched contentedly as Winter operated the coffee machine.

Then, as if he had suddenly remembered something, he called out to Tae Wook.

“Oh, Tae Wook.”

“Yes. What is it?”

“Have you two still not sorted out how you address each other?”

“Address each other?”

Tae Wook tensed up, his face hardening as he realized his mistake.

He hadn’t paid attention to how they were addressing each other.

“Last time you told Winter not to call you ‘CEO’, but today you called her ‘Secretary Han’.”

“It’s not every time, but occasionally both of us slip into old habits.”

“Calling each other ‘this person’ and ‘that person’ doesn’t sound good either.”

Tae Wook’s lips tightened, perhaps feeling awkward.

If neither option was acceptable, how should they address each other?

“Why use those when you have good names? Look at this old man. I’ve been calling Winter by her name since the day she came to greet me about becoming part of the family.”

“We’ll change it gradually.”

“Gradually? You should change it right away.”

“Understood.”

This time, Tae Wook agreed readily.

Then he turned his head to look in Winter’s direction.

The caregiver, who had learned how to operate the coffee machine from Winter, was making coffee, and Winter was peeling fruit.

‘Winter…’

Tae Wook silently moved his lips and tongue to call Winter’s name.

Strangely, his heart fluttered.

He found himself trying to suppress a smile.

At that moment, Winter turned her head and her gaze met Tae Wook’s directly.

As if she had somehow heard him silently call her name.

As Tae Wook and Winter were about to leave the hospital, Chairman Kang expressed his disappointment.

“Do you have to take Winter with you?”

“The company is a bit busy.”

Tae Wook came up with a suitable excuse, intending to take Winter with him.

“Isn’t it enough that you worked her hard in Jeju? Are you going to overwork Winter again?”

“That’s not it…”

“I’ll send Winter later, so you go to the company first, Tae Wook.”

When Chairman Kang gave an order, there was no way around it. They had no choice but to follow his wishes.

Tae Wook asked Winter with his eyes if she would be alright.

She responded with an expression that said there was no other option and said,

“You go ahead.”

“Please don’t keep her too long and send her back.”

Tae Wook, seemingly worried about leaving Winter alone, looked back at her with concerned eyes before leaving the room.

“Tae Wook has changed a lot.”

Chairman Kang’s gaze, which had been following Tae Wook as he left, shifted to Winter.

“To your eyes, Tae Wook might still seem cold and brusque, not quite satisfactory, but there are times when I’m shocked, wondering if this is really my grandson Kang Tae Wook.”

Winter saw Chairman Kang’s eyes reddening with emotion.

“It’s nice to see him return to how he used to be.”

“How he used to be? What was he like before?”

Winter became curious.

What kind of person was the Tae Wook that Chairman Kang remembered?

“How common is it for someone to have such a cold personality from the start? He was cheerful and overflowing with affection.”

Winter slightly furrowed her brow, unable to believe Chairman Kang’s words.

It was something she couldn’t imagine at all.

“He changed and became so difficult when he entered middle school. It’s all because of his father. You know your father-in-law has been married several times, right?”

“Yes.”

“He didn’t know that the mother who gave birth to him had abandoned him, and he grew up thinking the second woman was his mother until problems arose.”

“Did he… perhaps suffer abuse?”

Winter recalled scenes she had often seen in dramas.

Chairman Kang shook his head with a sigh.

“It was the opposite. Unlike a typical stepmother, that woman was devoted to Tae Wook. She was so dedicated to raising Tae Wook well that she didn’t even have children of her own.”

“Then why…”

“She left without a word. I guess as she lost all affection for her husband, she gradually came to hate Tae Wook too.”

As if just recalling the past was painful, Chairman Kang stared into space for a long time with a sad expression.

“The wound of being betrayed by someone he trusted changed even his personality.”

Winter’s heart ached terribly.

It felt like it was being torn to shreds.

Being abandoned by someone.

Not having experienced it herself, she didn’t know exactly what that pain was like.

But what was certain was that Winter had inflicted that painful wound on Tae Wook.

“I worried that he might never change for the rest of his life, but it seems this old man’s concerns were unfounded. The old saying that wounds inflicted by people can be healed by people seems to be true.”

Chairman Kang took Winter’s hand and held it.

“He might still be clumsy at expressing his feelings as he breaks out of his hard shell, but at least he’s showing some human warmth now. This is all thanks to you, Winter.”

“What have I done?”

“Please continue to take good care of Tae Wook until the end.”

Chairman Kang patted the back of Winter’s hand gently with his rough palm for a long time.