Meanwhile, as Yu Kyung passed through the hotel lobby and came out in front of the main entrance, a driver who had been waiting approached and opened the car door for her.

“How did the investigation I asked for go?”

Yu Kyung said in a haughty voice as she got into the back seat and placed her bag on the seat next to her.

“Here are the materials I investigated about Ms. Jin So Yi, as you instructed.”

Yu Kyung’s secretary, sitting in the passenger seat, turned around and handed over a yellow envelope. As Yu Kyung took out the documents from the envelope, the secretary added:

“Her parents passed away when Ms. Jin So Yi was in high school. She has an elder sister who works as a journalist.”

“A journalist… If we mess with her, things could get noisy.”

Yu Kyung skimmed through So Yi’s personal information and family relationships, then put them back in the envelope and turned her head towards the window.

She thought that romance was just for show.

There was no way Cha Si Heon would engage in something like dating without considering any benefits for himself.

The information she received today about the girl should have been enough to put her mind at ease.

But when she saw Si Heon with So Yi at the hotel, Yu Kyung felt her neck stiffen.

The way he affectionately placed his hand on So Yi’s shoulder without caring about the gazes around them, and how he deliberately held her hand in front of her.

She was overwhelmed with anxiety at the unfamiliar sight of her son, which she had never seen before.

She became even more impatient, knowing that if he really started to give his heart, he would fall head over heels without considering the consequences.

Yu Kyung sighed, thinking that she should try to push forward with the marriage to Yeon Ri Na as soon as possible.

[This is the timeline separator]

So Yi, who had just finished showering, sighed deeply while drying her hair.

She couldn’t even remember how she had eaten.

Even the way he held his fork and knife to cut the steak was like a painting.

‘To think that I spent the night with such a man…’

So Yi bowed her head at the sudden memory of that night. She suddenly felt hot at the realization that they were sitting alone in a private room having dinner.

‘Are you hot?’

‘No.’

‘Your face is quite red, you look hot.’

‘I’m fine.’

So Yi quickly turned her head to look out the window.

‘Let me say this in advance, I hope you can manage your personal feelings well on your own. There shouldn’t be any pathetic situations later where you can’t let go.’

Si Heon said dryly as he wiped his mouth with a napkin.

‘That won’t happen. You’re not my type.’

I should have said I was already smitten, so please dump me. An odd response came out instead.

‘That’s a relief. What kind of person is Jin So Yi’s type?’

‘Choi Ji Wook.’

The male lead from a movie she had seen recently suddenly came to mind.

‘Choi Ji Wook?’

‘Yes. The male lead from the movie “Spring Light”.’

She just said the first person that came to mind, but coincidentally, unlike Si Heon’s intense image, actor Choi Ji Wook had a soft and caring image.

‘Ah… that type?’

‘Yes. I’m a fan.’

‘That’s a relief.’

He seemed to be at ease hearing that her ideal type was completely different from himself.

‘I’ll let you have a meal with actor Choi Ji Wook.’

‘What?’

‘If you play the role of my fake girlfriend well for a month, I’ll even let you take a picture with him. So, keep your thoughts short.’

The image of Si Heon smiling strangely while picking up his water glass was still vivid in her mind.

“Ah… dating Cha Si Heon…”

Even if it’s fake dating for a month. How would she face him at the company after breaking up…

As she was sighing deeply while looking at herself in the mirror, her phone vibrated.

It was Young Hyun.

[I threw away the watch because you told me to.]

So what.

So Yi dropped her phone on the dresser as if it wasn’t even worth responding to.

[But you seem a bit naive and clueless, so I wanted to tell you this.]

So Yi let out a hollow laugh at Young Hyun’s following message.

[That person is just trying to play with you. Why would such a rich son have any reason to date you?]

What on earth is he saying now…?

[It’s true that you’re pretty cute and have a slim figure, so you’re the type to catch the eye. That’s probably why I seduced you. But honestly, you’re not attractive enough for such a rich son to fall for.]

Perhaps he wanted to get revenge for the humiliation he suffered in front of the hotel today, Young Hyun continued the conversation without stopping.

[You seem to have lost your judgment because you’re so angry at me right now. But you probably know the truth. That such a person couldn’t be sincere with you.]

Finally, unable to hold back any longer, So Yi quickly picked up her phone.

[I’m telling you this because I think you’ll get hurt and struggle later.]

So Yi glared at the last message Young Hyun sent and immediately called Si Heon.

If she ended it like this, she might really end up as just a one-night stand for Cha Si Heon, as Park Young Hyun said.

‘I clearly said it would be okay if I ended it first!’

She was planning to agree to the contract when she went to the company tomorrow morning anyway.

Moreover, she had already unintentionally greeted the director.

It seemed better to be seen as a woman who dated Cha Si Heon for a month rather than just a one-night stand.

As she was biting her nails and furrowing her brow, Si Heon answered the phone.

“I’ll do it, the fake dating.”

So Yi blurted out as soon as Si Heon answered the phone.

− Good. Come to my office when you arrive at work tomorrow morning.

“Yes, CEO. But please keep your word that it’s okay if I end it first.”

− By all means.

So Yi’s heart suddenly skipped a beat at Si Heon’s bright voice.

She knew it was fake dating, but why was her heart racing like this?

Get a grip! It’s not real dating!

While So Yi was momentarily flustered and didn’t respond, Si Heon continued.

− Alright.

After hanging up, So Yi lightly tapped her flushed cheeks with a blank expression.

“I don’t know either. It’ll work out somehow.”

Thinking that at least she could definitely put Park Young Hyun in his place, she flopped down onto the bed.

[This is the timeline separator]

Meanwhile, after dropping So Yi off at home and returning to the hotel, Si Heon headed straight for the lounge bar.

“Hyung! Over here!”

Heo Jang Woo and Si Heon’s close friend Choi Ji Wook, who were waiting at a table, greeted Si Heon with bright smiles.

Ji Wook, who had suddenly decided to become an actor after graduating from Korea University’s Business School, was instantly recognized for both his looks and acting skills, becoming a top star in Korea right after his debut.

Befitting a Hallyu star who was starting to receive love calls not only from Southeast Asia but also from Hollywood, his handsome features shone even from a distance.

“Was your first day at work manageable?”

As Si Heon approached and sat down, Ji Wook smiled brightly and filled his glass. Si Heon nodded slightly after downing the glass in front of him in one shot.

“But hyung, why are you meeting Jin So Yi?”

At Jang Woo’s question, Ji Wook’s eyes widened.

“Are you really dating her?”

“That’s what I heard.”

Jang Woo answered instead, even though the question was directed at Si Heon.

Si Heon just kept smiling strangely.

“It’s fake, right hyung? No matter how I think about it, I can’t believe it. You’re not really dating her, just pretending to, right?”

“It’s real.”

Jang Woo’s eyebrows shot up at Si Heon’s nonchalant response.

“Why!?”

“I fell for her at first sight.”

“Hyung!?”

Jang Woo’s mouth fell open at Si Heon’s answer.

To hear the words “fell for her” come out of Cha Si Heon’s mouth.

“Really?”

Ji Wook also asked, as if he couldn’t believe it.

Si Heon spoke as he swirled the whiskey in his glass.

“It’s true. So spread the rumors, Jang Woo. Especially to my mother.”

“I’m telling you, the director didn’t send anyone to spy.”

Just then, someone approached from behind the table where the three were sitting and spoke.

“Our Cha Director. No, CEO Cha, it’s been a while.”

It was Kang Tae Hyun, Si Heon’s maternal cousin and the head of the Management Strategy Division at Cha Han Media.

He was the son of Si Heon’s small maternal uncle who had spectacularly ruined HS Capital, which Si Heon’s maternal grandfather, the first chairman of the HS Group, had left him, and was barely keeping afloat with the leasing business linked to HS Automobiles.

Tae Hyun must have judged early on that his father’s business had no future, or perhaps he had begged his aunt’s husband, Chairman Cha Hyun Seob, for a position at Cha Han Media.

Perhaps because he had grown up being constantly compared to Si Heon since childhood, he had never gotten along well with Si Heon. After Si Heon was appointed as a managing director at Cha Han Media, he became even more resentful and often made sarcastic remarks.

For him, the news of Si Heon’s demotion was nothing short of a festival. Tae Hyun approached Si Heon with a broad smile on his face.

“Right. How did you end up filming such a video? I heard they couldn’t catch the culprit?”

Tae Hyun sat down across from Si Heon with an arrogant expression. Si Heon frowned in annoyance.

Regardless, Tae Hyun grinned and held up an empty glass.

“Give me a drink too. We should celebrate our Si Heon being appointed as the CEO of H Telecom’s customer service center.”

Jang Woo, who had been watching the situation, awkwardly picked up the bottle of alcohol. Si Heon chuckled and snatched the bottle from Jang Woo.

“Celebration? We should offer condolences to our elder brother Kang Tae Hyun.”

“Condolences? What condolences?”

Tae Hyun raised his eyebrows as if to ask what Si Heon meant as he held out his glass.

“I heard that HS Capital’s operating profit for the third quarter this year decreased by about 12 percent compared to the same period last year and recorded another deficit.”

Si Heon chuckled as he poured alcohol into Tae Hyun’s glass with one hand.

“Is that difficult? What will our uncle do when the investment recovery performance is like that every year?”

Tae Hyun’s arrogantly raised eyebrows suddenly furrowed.

Why does he keep making snide remarks when he can’t even recover his initial investment every time?

Si Heon, with a sneer on his lips, raised his own glass and clinked it against Tae Hyun’s.