It was the same question I had received that night.

Ye Rin’s heart pounded violently as if it would burst.

Ye Rin put on a business smile while trying hard to hide her nervousness.

“Before being assigned to this department, I served an executive at Jiseok Electronics. I think we may have crossed paths a few times at the company.”

“Hmm.”

Not getting the answer he wanted, I Hyun continued to tap the desk with his index finger.

‘Does he really recognize me? No. If so, shouldn’t he be asking why I ran away that day instead of probing like this?’

Anxiety enveloped her whole body, feeling like she might explode at any moment.

‘It’s okay. He won’t be able to connect who I was then with who I am now.’

The heavy makeup from that day created a very different impression from Ye Rin’s current appearance.

With the short blonde wig Na Ri lent her, he definitely wouldn’t recognize her.

However, considering the slim possibility, Ye Rin swallowed hard.

‘Even if he recognizes me. Surely he wouldn’t bring up that night’s events at the company?’

Trying to change the atmosphere that had suddenly become tense, Secretary Choi carefully asked.

“Director, may I ask why you’re curious about that…?”

“Never mind.”

I Hyun quickly lost interest and turned his head to the report Secretary Choi had brought.

After flipping through a few pages with an indifferent gaze, he spoke in an even colder tone than before.

“Team Leader Ko has no conscience.”

I Hyun pulled the corners of his mouth into a smirk.

However, anyone in the room could tell that it wasn’t a smile of joy.

“This proposal, wasn’t it rejected once before?”

“Ah, yes. I clearly told him to revise and resubmit it.”

“Secretary Choi.”

“Yes, Director.”

I Hyun stared at Secretary Choi with an even colder gaze than before.

“If you’re going to quit soon, I’d be very disappointed if you slack off like this.”

“…I apologize.”

“How do you expect to properly train your successor this way?”

Secretary Choi could only repeatedly say he was sorry and apologize.

After slamming the proposal shut, I Hyun turned his head back to Ye Rin.

“Secretary Han, come here.”

As Ye Rin approached, I Hyun picked up the problematic proposal and held it out.

Ye Rin reached out with both hands to receive the proposal.

“What do you think is the problem?”

It was a proposal she had never read before.

Although the executive she previously served was from Jiseok Electronics, he was in the mobile business division.

This meant she could no longer use the data she had seen and heard before.

Ye Rin tried her best to quickly flip through the report and grasp its contents.

The report from the product planning team contained information about current trends.

It seemed to be a market survey conducted before launching a new product, but the problem was that it failed to pinpoint the core issues.

Ye Rin carefully offered her opinion.

“It seems the desire to include a lot of content has obscured the main points the report is trying to convey.”

A spark of interest flashed in I Hyun’s eyes, as if impressed.

“If it’s alright with you, would you like me to review the report and create a summary for you?”

“Go ahead.”

I Hyun nodded once and then pointed to the office door, as if telling her to leave.

Ye Rin tightly gripped the report and quickly left his sight.

As the door closed with a thud, Secretary Choi gave a thumbs up.

“Secretary Han, how did you grasp that so quickly?”

“The problems with incoming reports are usually similar, aren’t they?”

The executive she previously served hardly did any work.

He was the type to reject well-prepared reports and proposals without even reading them if they exceeded one A4 page.

Who knew that summarizing reports countless times under such an executive would come in handy like this?

“Secretary Han, please take good care of summarizing the product planning team’s report.”

“Certainly.”

Secretary Choi returned to his desk, quickly searched for something, and started making a phone call.

“Hello, is this Brand Cheto CEO Kim Na Ri?”

Ye Rin stopped typing at the sudden mention of a familiar name.

She stared at Secretary Choi as if entranced.

“I’m Secretary Choi Hyun Jun, serving Director Cha I Hyun of Jiseok Electronics.”

After politely introducing himself, Secretary Choi quickly got to the point.

“I was wondering if we could meet to ask you something.”

Ye Rin’s pupils trembled.

‘Meet Na Ri? Secretary Choi? Why?’

Her heart started beating rapidly.

The next words she heard were quite outrageous.

“Our director threatened me to meet with CEO Kim Na Ri no matter what.”

Realizing his mistake in using the word “threatened,” Secretary Choi quickly corrected himself.

“Ah, not exactly threatened, but he did speak rather forcefully. Anyway, my point is, would you be able to make time today?”

Ye Rin pretended to look at the monitor while perking up her ears.

Meanwhile, Secretary Choi seemed to have set up an appointment with Na Ri, as he ended the call with a cheer.

Secretary Shin clicked his tongue and said to Secretary Choi.

“It’s because of that woman, right?”

The word “that woman” pierced Ye Rin’s ears.

“Sigh. Yeah. I’m really going crazy these days because of the director.”

It was already tough before.

Secretary Choi kept grumbling as he got up from his seat.

“Why is he making me find the woman he fell for at first sight when he’s the one who lost her?”

At those words, Ye Rin dropped the pen she was holding.

The pen Ye Rin dropped rolled across the desk and then fell to the floor with a thud.

Secretary Choi looked at the flustered Ye Rin and asked.

“Secretary Han? I think your pen fell.”

“Ah, yes.”

Ye Rin hurriedly picked up the pen while trying to compose herself.

‘What is Secretary Choi trying to do by meeting Na Ri?’

She felt even more troubled because she knew too well what kind of conversation would take place without having to ask.

Secretary Choi stood up from his seat and spoke to Ye Rin.

“Secretary Han, I have an urgent place to go right now.”

“Where… are you going?”

“I need to take care of something the director has been most concerned about lately.”

As she followed behind Secretary Choi, Ye Rin clasped her hands tightly.

Unaware of Ye Rin’s feelings, Secretary Choi briefly explained what had been happening.

She heard about how I Hyun met a woman at the after-party following Brand Cheto’s charity bazaar, and how he had been obsessed with finding that woman ever since.

“Why is the director trying to find that woman?”

“It seems the director fell in love at first sight that day.”

“Pardon?”

Ye Rin was startled.

Secretary Choi sighed deeply, as if such a reaction was expected.

“For someone who never paid attention to women his entire life to be this captivated, she must be an incredible beauty.”

“……”

Ye Rin could only bite her lip.

Hearing the absurd story that I Hyun had fallen for her at first sight made sweat trickle down her back.

‘Don’t look for me! It was just one night, why are you going to such lengths to find me…?’

Ye Rin carefully voiced her opinion.

“I don’t think that woman would want to be found.”

Secretary Choi nodded gently at Ye Rin’s words.

“I’ve told the director that dozens of times.”

“And?”

“He just keeps repeating to find her anyway.”

Secretary Choi sighed so deeply it seemed the ground might cave in.

At that moment, the director’s office door swung open and I Hyun appeared with an expressionless face.

“Director, we were just about to leave.”

“I’ll go with you.”

“You’re coming too, Director? But you have a meeting soon…”

“Cancel it.”

As if the meeting didn’t matter at all, I Hyun quickly left the office using his long legs.

While following him with Secretary Choi, Ye Rin cautiously asked.

“Are we going to meet the CEO of Brand Cheto now?”

“That’s right. To get the list of people who attended the after-party that day.”

“……”

It was a maddening situation.

She had to prevent her name from being on the party attendance list at all costs.

Ye Rin quickly took out her phone and sent a message to Na Ri.

[Na Ri, I’m heading to your company now, but don’t act like you know me if you see me.]

After getting in the car, Ye Rin glanced at Secretary Choi who was focused on driving and quickly typed another message.

[And later, a man will ask for the list of after-party attendees. Don’t put my name on it no matter what. Okay?]

As soon as Ye Rin sent the message, Na Ri called her.

Unable to answer here, Ye Rin quickly switched her phone to silent mode.

If she had known that one night’s indulgence would have such big repercussions, she wouldn’t have slept with I Hyun that night.

‘Did you know it would turn out like this?’

Ye Rin stared out the window, trying to hide her anxious feelings.

I Hyun, sitting in the back seat, called her softly.

“Secretary Han.”

“Yes, Director.”

“Secretary Choi has no talent for finding people.”

I Hyun leaned deeply into the seat while staring at the back of Ye Rin’s head with cold eyes.

“I hope you’re different.”

“To be honest, this is my first time trying to find someone…”

“You must find her.”

“Pardon?”

Before she could hear the reason for those words, Secretary Choi’s car arrived at the Cheto building.

I Hyun, seemingly in a hurry for some reason, quickly got out of the car and disappeared inside.

It was truly a moment when she wanted to run away.

[This is the timeline separator]

Ye Rin forced her reluctant feet to move and entered the Cheto building.

A large conference room was empty, as if they had been notified in advance of I Hyun’s arrival.

“Welcome.”

Na Ri couldn’t hide her surprised expression upon seeing Ye Rin appear alongside I Hyun.

Standing behind I Hyun, Ye Rin quickly shook her head.

‘Please, if you have any sense, don’t act like you know me.’

Fortunately, as if understanding Ye Rin’s thoughts, Na Ri put on a business smile again and guided the two of them.

“What kind of tea would you like?”

“Never mind that. I’m looking for someone.”

I Hyun got straight to the point.