“Come to the underground parking lot after it’s over.”

After all the employees left the room, Si Heon said.

“I don’t want to.”

“I have something to talk about.”

So Yi turned her head to look at Si Heon, as if trying to refuse again.

“So just see me for a moment after it’s over.”

“No…”

Just as she was about to argue, the employees started coming back in one by one.

Her heart was pounding.

Just from the fact that Si Heon was sitting next to her.

Just from one word about meeting for a moment later, her heart was racing like this.

Thinking about how much longer she would have to be hurt and sad, she felt hopeless.

“Then, through this business improvement time, let’s review ways to increase the work efficiency of all employees.”

As the meal was nearly over, one by one they began to talk about suggestions or areas that needed improvement, and Si Heon listened attentively with good posture and gave appropriate responses.

“And I’m planning to create a healthcare time so that you all who sit and work all day can take a walk or exercise, even if just for a moment.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful.”

Exclamations poured out from here and there at Si Heon’s words.

There was brief noisy chatter about who would take a walk or do yoga if healthcare time was created.

“Well then, let’s end the meeting here.”

With the team leader’s words, the meeting ended.

So Yi had barely eaten her meal, but her cheeks were flushed red from the rising effects of the one or two beers she had drunk.

“Then, I’ll see you tomorrow!”

Since today’s meeting topic was related to employee welfare, all the employees greeted with equally bright expressions.

“Jin. You’re going in the same direction as me, right? Let’s go together.”

As Team Leader Kwak, standing in front of the elevator, tried to link arms with So Yi, she hesitated.

Annoyingly, Si Heon just stood beside them, pretending not to hear anything and only looking at the elevator numbers.

“Ah, I have plans…”

“Huh? Plans? With who?”

“I’m just meeting someone. You go ahead first, Team Leader.”

So Yi barely managed to shake off Team Leader Kwak and headed to the underground parking lot, avoiding people’s eyes.

“Why did you return the necklace?”

As soon as So Yi got in the car, Si Heon asked.

“I don’t need it anymore.”

“No, I changed my mind. I can’t end it. There’s still time left on the contract.”

So Yi turned her head sharply at Si Heon’s forced words.

“You’ve already achieved your purpose anyway. What more do I need to do?”

“Smile. Like before. And tell me you like me. That’s all I need.”

“What…?”

“I really don’t understand why you’re so angry. There were circumstances for meeting Yeon Ri Na, and it will be resolved soon. The strange rumors on that account were something I could explain if you just waited a little.”

So Yi let out a hollow laugh at Si Heon’s shockingly confident demeanor.

“So stop being angry.”

Si Heon’s low resonating voice started to poke at So Yi’s heart.

Smile, he said. Like before. And tell him I like him.

How can you say such things so casually?

So Yi couldn’t give any answer as she tried hard to swallow the throbbing breath.

While So Yi just pressed her lips tightly without saying anything, Si Heon slowly started the car.

So Yi silently kept looking at Si Heon.

As they went out onto the dark road, every time the streetlights swept through the car, his side profile became clear like a sculpture, and she couldn’t take her eyes off it.

Maybe because of the rising effects of alcohol, her heart kept softening.

Remembering those eyes under the straight eyebrows, with their deep gaze full of heat for me.

Recalling how thrilling it was when those tightly closed lips devoured my lips.

Even if there wasn’t a single ounce of heart, and it was just the desire to hold me.

She wanted to do it.

Even if her heart and body were all given and her heart ended up torn and tattered, if she could be by his side, she wanted to do it.

You’re crazy. Get a grip.

So Yi painfully turned her gaze away and straightened her posture.

Swallowing the tears that had hotly wet the end of her throat, she broke the terrible silence.

“I’ll say it again, it has nothing to do with you meeting Ms. Yeon Ri Na. Whether you two date or get married has nothing to do with me. It was a fake relationship that started with a contract anyway, right?”

So Yi’s coldly settled voice touched the back of Si Heon’s hand gripping the steering wheel.

Fine veins rose up along the back of Si Heon’s hand.

“So there’s nothing to be angry about. Just cleanly wrap things up when the contract period ends. And…”

So Yi’s lips trembled for a moment, then she furrowed her brow slightly and spoke with difficulty.

“You bought me an expensive necklace, clothes, and expensive food. Saying I like you was nothing to me. I can say I like you as much as you want. Until the contract period ends. If you want to hold me again, just say so. I’ll think about it.”

So Yi finished speaking in a calm voice.

Even the way she slightly gripped her bag on her lap and turned her head to look out the window was composed.

With such a pretty face.

Saying that saying she liked him was nothing.

That she could say she liked him as much as he wanted.

Si Heon felt his breath catch and fought against his vision going white.

His head was spinning and it felt like all the blood was draining from his body.

He drove while tightly clenching his eyes and holding back his thundering heart that felt like it would burst.

Only after reaching So Yi’s house did he slowly stop the car and open his mouth heavily.

“Do that.”

So Yi’s hand paused as she was unbuckling her seatbelt.

“Even if it’s just during the contract period, say you like me. And if I say I want to hold you.”

With a chillingly calm expression.

“Let me hold you.”

Si Heon said.

So Yi hesitated, then answered while tightly clenching her fingertips.

“I will.”

So Yi finished unbuckling her belt and opened the car door.

“Then take care, CEO.”

Click, as the door opened, a cold wind instantly devoured his heart.

Thanks to that, his head that had been burning hot felt like it was cooling down.

So Yi swallowed down the welling up breath once more and headed home.

Si Heon’s expression when they met in the elevator on the way to work was as cold as if the dead of winter had been transplanted there.

As other employees were also riding together, So Yi anxiously just stared at the buttons from a distance before getting off.

She quickly got off the elevator and glanced back in case he might call her to talk for a moment, but Si Heon had one hand in his pocket and his gaze fixed on his phone.

Even during the monthly departmental meeting held in the morning, Si Heon continued the meeting with a cold gaze throughout.

Her mouth felt parched to the point where she wondered if all her breath would dry up and wither.

Fortunately, Si Heon never once called So Yi’s name or looked at her.

After the meeting ended, So Yi hurriedly left the conference room in case he might call her name, but Si Heon did not look for So Yi.

Even in the elevator they encountered on the way to the company cafeteria during lunch time, Si Heon did not make eye contact with So Yi.

A day that felt suffocating just from being in the same building as Si Heon had passed.

Fortunately, there was no contact from Si Heon until it was time to leave work.

So Yi hurriedly left the office as soon as she finished work.

As if she had expected him to be waiting for her, an inexplicable feeling of disappointment kept soaking her body.

He had told her to say she liked him even during the contract period.

Now Si Heon’s eyes were full of coldness, as if they had truly become complete strangers.

At the thought that he might really end it like this, her chest ached heavily with no sense of relief.

‘This is good. At this point, the CEO will probably give up too. He wouldn’t act like someone with no pride just to mix bodies a bit more with someone like me.’

So Yi shrank her body tightly against the chill that seemed to have cooled her to her fingertips as she headed home desolately.

“I’m here.”

After work, Si Heon headed to his family home. There had been a summons from his father Hyun Seob an hour before leaving work.

He had called him home to discuss the specific details of the engagement ceremony scheduled for this weekend and the bidding to be held at Infinity Entertainment Resort.

It had been about a month since he last visited home, having left after his demotion to the customer service center was finalized.

“Oh my, our director has gotten even thinner.”

As he entered the living room, Mrs. Yang, who had been preparing food in the dining room, came running out to greet Si Heon.

“Mrs. Yang. It’s been a while since I slipped from the director position, but you’re still calling me director.”

Si Heon smiled faintly as he took off his jacket, and Mrs. Yang reached out to take it as if she had been waiting.

“It’s okay. I’ll be leaving soon. Where’s father?”

He placed his jacket on the chair at the end of the dining table and headed to the water purifier.

“He came in a little while ago and is changing clothes now. By the way, why didn’t you eat properly? Or you could have come by occasionally for a meal. No matter how good hotel food is, it’s on a different level from home-cooked meals.”

“I’m eating well, don’t worry.”

The sound of water pouring from the purifier ended, and he picked up the silver stainless steel cup and approached the table.

Even though the main dish had not been set out yet, all kinds of side dishes were filling the table.

“Why did you prepare so much? Who’s going to eat all this?”

“That’s what I’m saying. Even though our director isn’t here, Sun Young keeps setting a full table.”

Mrs. Yang chattered in an excited voice, seemingly happy that Si Heon was having a meal after a long time.

“Si Heon, you’re here.”

Yu Kyung approached with elegant steps.

“Please prepare the meal, Mrs. Yang.”

“Yes, I’ll bring it out soon. The Korean beef we got this time is very good. Sun Young is grilling steaks now, so please wait a little.”

She must be crazy.

‘Mmm, the steak is really tender. It’s so delicious.’

He never thought that the thoughts of you he had been desperately holding back would come up in such a ridiculous place.