As Si Heon watched So Yi’s earlobe turn red as she turned her head, he let out a chuckle.

After being demoted to the customer service center, Si Heon had left his family home and was in the process of selling a building he owned in Gyeonggi-do while looking for an officetel.

In the meantime, with nowhere else to stay, he decided to stay at the Cha Han Hotel run by his cousin for the time being.

He was also planning to meet Jang Woo and Ji Wook after work, so he headed straight to the hotel.

It was just as he was entering the hotel after handing his car over to the valet parking attendant.

“It’s not that I dated just any man because I was having a hard time because of my elder brother, but Chairman Cha Si Heon approached me first!?”

Si Heon turned around at the spirited voice coming from somewhere.

‘Deputy Manager Jin So Yi?’

He saw So Yi standing in front of the hotel entrance, arguing with some man.

Judging by her telling him never to come back again, he seemed to be an ex-boyfriend.

‘Damn, I shouldn’t have come out like this. This is annoying.’

He overheard the man left behind muttering.

Words he would have normally ignored caught his ear. After all, she was the woman rumored to be in a relationship with him. He couldn’t let her get involved in another scandal.

‘Let’s talk this out, shall we?’

As he removed the man’s arm that had grabbed So Yi’s wrist, he inadvertently ended up helping So Yi who had been in an awkward situation.

Using that as an excuse to ask her to have a meal together, she even blushed to her ears.

“He’s gone now, right?”

So Yi, who had entered the lobby after passing through the hotel entrance, twisted her body to remove Si Heon’s hand resting on her shoulder.

“Let’s stay like this a bit longer.”

But Si Heon didn’t budge at all.

“Pardon?”

“It’s my turn now.”

As So Yi was about to look back at Si Heon with a puzzled expression, a woman who appeared to be in her mid to late 50s approached So Yi.

“Jin So Yi?”

The thought that her clear eyes and fair skin resembled someone was brief, as So Yi quickly opened her eyes wide and bowed her head.

“Hello!”

So Yi hurriedly shook off Si Heon’s hand and bowed her head in greeting.

Kang Yu Kyung.

The CEO and representative director of H Telecom where So Yi works. And Cha Si Heon’s mother.

No wonder the thought that she resembled someone had flashed through her mind, sending chills down her spine.

“Yes. Nice to meet you. I hear you work at our company.”

Yu Kyung looked So Yi up and down with her eyes narrowed sharply.

“Yes! I’m Deputy Manager Jin So Yi from the Compensation Support Team of the Customer Center Operations Support Department at H Telecom!”

Yu Kyung let out a cold laugh at So Yi’s polite greeting.

“I saw the article.”

“Pardon?”

“You met Si Heon in Venice?”

“Ah… Yes, that…”

So Yi quickly looked at Si Heon, seeking help.

Only then did Si Heon open his mouth towards Yu Kyung.

“What brings you here?”

“There was the Information Security Strategy Commercialization Forum hosted by the Korea Information Security Industry Association today. You, did you come to eat?”

Yu Kyung’s eyes, slowly alternating between So Yi and Si Heon, were clouded with displeasure.

As if to emphasize her question about coming to eat, Yu Kyung spoke each word with force, causing Si Heon to chuckle.

“Yes. I came to eat.”

“Did you have to eat here where there are so many eyes watching?”

“Isn’t it better than eating in a room to avoid people’s eyes?”

“You really…”

Clicking her tongue in disapproval, Yu Kyung glanced at So Yi and continued speaking.

“By now, those who should know probably all know, so why don’t you clean up the article a bit?”

“I intend to.”

Sweat formed on the tips of So Yi’s fingers at the conversation between the two, where their relationship had already been determined.

She suddenly found herself in a situation where she had unexpectedly encountered the mother of a boyfriend who didn’t seem to like her.

“I’ll clean up the article right away.”

As So Yi blinked her large eyes, not knowing what to do, Si Heon gently grasped her hand and spoke. He even interlaced their fingers as if soothing a nervous girlfriend.

So Yi’s cheeks turned bright red. Her heart pounded and her body wouldn’t listen. Her pupils shook back and forth and she seemed to hold her breath for a moment.

“How long do you plan to stay here?”

Yu Kyung’s eyes trembled slightly as she glanced at their joined hands. She tried to appear nonchalant as she raised her chin and asked, but her eyebrows were already deeply furrowed.

“Jang Woo is looking into where to go. I was planning to live independently before getting married anyway.”

“Why don’t you just move into the apartment in Cheongdam-dong?”

“I’ll take care of it myself. You should go now. Didn’t you say you had dinner plans tonight?”

“Alright, enjoy your meal. See you again, Jin So Yi.”

Yu Kyung’s gaze turned to So Yi as she slowly closed and opened her eyes.

Only then did So Yi come to her senses, quickly withdrawing her hand and politely greeting her.

“Yes, goodbye, Director.”

Yu Kyung forced a smile and passed by the two, leaving the lobby.

“Let’s go for now. There are many eyes watching.”

Before So Yi could say anything, Si Heon wrapped his arm around her shoulder and moved towards the elevator.

Young Hyun, who was still lingering in the hotel lobby, was covering his mouth with his eyes blinking, convinced that So Yi and Si Heon were indeed in a relationship.

With a ding, the doors of the VIP exclusive elevator opened.

“Get in.”

So Yi had no choice. It was she who had agreed to become a one-month lover in exchange for one night.

Although she had said she would think about it until tomorrow, she knew there was no choice anyway.

As if trying to soothe her bleak feelings, So Yi let out a low sigh and briefly cast her gaze at the night view outside.

The night view of Seoul seen from the VIP exclusive elevator with glass walls was too beautiful.

While So Yi was lost in admiration of Seoul’s night view, momentarily forgetting her worries about her relationship with Si Heon, Si Heon took out his phone from his jacket’s inner pocket and made a call somewhere.

“This is Cha Si Heon. I’m coming up now, please prepare a room for us.”

After briefly ending the call, Si Heon contacted Jang Woo and Ji Wook to have dinner first without him.

As he put his phone back in his jacket pocket, he looked at So Yi who was glued to the window.

“Do you like night views?”

When Si Heon asked, So Yi quickly detached herself from the window and turned her head.

“Yes. I stayed at the Gravity Felix Hotel for the night view too.”

“I saw. You were gazing at the night view on the terrace for a long time. At the Rialto Bridge too.”

“At the Rialto Bridge too?”

He remembers that brief encounter from back then?

“You were peeking at me while I was on the phone. Weren’t you even more pleased when we met at the lounge after that?”

“Rather than pleased…”

“That’s why I thought Jin So Yi approached me first. I guess that wasn’t the case?”

Ah, I shouldn’t have said that…!

So Yi cleared her throat and avoided his gaze.

Just as the blush she had barely suppressed was about to rise again, the elevator doors opened.

“Since we’ve come this far, let’s eat before you go.”

So Yi bit her lip and followed Si Heon out.

“Welcome, I’ll guide you this way.”

As soon as the doors opened, an employee who had been waiting greeted them with a bright smile and led them somewhere.

Asher, a fine dining restaurant located on the 25th floor of the Cha Han Hotel.

The window seats at Asher, with a clear view of Namsan Tower in the distance, were so popular that they had to be reserved a month in advance.

The view from inside the room they were guided to was equally impressive. So Yi thought it might be hard to choose between this and the view she had seen at the Gravity Felix Hotel.

“Wow…”

So Yi approached the window like a person in a trance. With her eyes wide open, she admired the brilliantly shining Namsan Tower and the cityscape.

“I’ve already ordered the food.”

After the server left, Si Heon took off his jacket and hung it on the coat rack in one corner of the room. So Yi pulled out a chair and sat across from Si Heon.

Her gaze fell on the firm forearms visible above his white shirt, and the chest muscles that seemed about to burst through his vest.

“I think we need to talk about meeting my mother earlier.”

Si Heon took a sip of water from the glass in front of him as he spoke.

“Ah…! Why didn’t you tell me in advance? We could have avoided running into the Director.”

“When you see an elder, you should greet them.”

“That’s true, but I haven’t made my decision yet…”

“I didn’t give Jin So Yi time to decide, did I?”

“Pardon? Then?”

“I only gave you time to prepare your heart.”

The corners of his red, distinct lips curved slightly.

“That day, the contract was already made. I gave Jin So Yi what you wanted, and now Jin So Yi just needs to give me what I want. Is this difficult?”

“It’s not difficult, I’m just scared.”

“Afraid I might eat you up?”

“No! It’s not that…”

So Yi trailed off, biting her lip.

She couldn’t bring herself to say that she was afraid of falling even deeper for the Chairman. Even just facing him like this made her heart pound, but to pretend to be his girlfriend for a whole month?

Moreover, the fact that she was dating Cha Si Heon would be made public. She was already afraid of how much her personal information would be dug up everywhere to uncover the identity of the woman dating Cha Si Heon.

So Yi, who had been biting her lip while lowering her gaze to the small vase on the table, adjusted her posture and asked.

“Are you doing this… to show your ex-girlfriend?”

So Yi remembered what Young Hyun had said earlier. That she hadn’t dated just any man because of him. She wondered if Si Heon also needed a fake girlfriend for a similar reason.

“Well, let’s say it’s something like that.”

I see… He’s pretending to have a girlfriend to hold onto his ex-girlfriend. No wonder Young Hyun thought that way.

“Come to the CEO’s office as soon as you arrive at work tomorrow. We’ll sign the contract.”

“A contract?”

“We can’t have you running away again.”

So Yi swallowed hard at his increasingly serious gaze.

“I’ll end it within exactly one month. It’s fine if it ends with me being dumped by Jin So Yi. So.”

Si Heon raised his body from leaning against the chair’s backrest, leaned on the table, and continued speaking.

“Let’s date, Jin So Yi.”