“I had fun too. Be careful on your way.”
Seo Yeon couldn’t bear to step away, but with an awkward smile, she slowly turned around.
She had thought about turning back after about ten steps, but decided to save it for Saturday.
Until Seo Yeon’s figure disappeared, Kwon Yool was blankly staring at her.
((()))((()))((()))
From Thursday night, Seo Yeon felt as if she was flying in the sky.
If someone asked her if she was overreacting to Kwon Yool’s contact, Seo Yeon would answer like this.
“I didn’t know I’d be like this.”
What’s with the phone call before bed and the morning greetings of big white and cute emoticons that don’t match at all.
She really didn’t know why she was chattering like an idiot from the morning.
‘Ha. It’s all because of that man with unexpected charms.’
Maybe that’s why. From Friday morning, Seo Yeon was not herself.
While looking at the design to be revised, reading the sales report, and talking to the home shopping MD, she kept giggling to the point where her cheeks hurt.
On a lazy Friday afternoon, Seo Yeon entered a promotional meeting for Yenny Black and tried to stop her giggling by deliberately keeping a stern face.
But soon she was preoccupied with Kwon Yool again.
‘Ha. I mean, I need to work. Could you please leave my head for a while?’
She unwittingly looked at her hand while blaming someone innocent.
‘What should I do if I hold his hand tomorrow? Should I get some care?’
Seo Yeon started to worry as if she had already agreed to hold hands with him. Not only the nail design, but also the rough back of her hand.
While looking at both her fingernails and the back of her hands alternately, Seo Yeon was thinking about visiting a nail shop on her way home from work.
Knock Knock.
Before she could answer, Secretary Choi rushed into the meeting room.
As Seo Yeon looked at him with questioning eyes, Secretary Choi handed her the tablet he was holding.
Seo Yeon’s pupils became large as saucers as she looked down at the screen.
Her busy fingers enlarged and scrolled through the photos, then enlarged and scrolled through other photos.
“What is all this?”
“These are new products that were posted on other shopping malls today.”
She didn’t ask because she didn’t know. She was asking why the new Honey Black products were blatantly posted on other shopping malls.
“I will go to the Design Team 1 led by Manager Kim. Ah… No. I will go myself.”
As Seo Yeon abruptly stood up, the planning and promotion team members only glanced at her as they sensed the unusual atmosphere. Seo Yeon’s expression was unspeakably fierce now.
“Tell Design Team 2 to be on standby. And tell Attorney Park to come to the office, and stop production at the factory.”
“Yes. CEO.”
Seo Yeon looked around at the employees in the meeting room and said.
“Please redo the promotion plan for Yeonie Black and report it by Monday. This is not going to work.”
The sharp sound of her heels echoed, and Seo Yeon left the meeting room.
Then, without waiting for the elevator, she went down the stairs and headed for the office of Design Team 1.
The door swung open and as Seo Yeon entered, the heads of the employees, who had been solely staring at their computer screens, began to turn one by one.
“My beloved ones. All of you, come out front.”
Although she said she loved them, her voice was anything but loving. It was a cold tone that wouldn’t leave anyone alone.
“I have found something strange. Who will explain this to me?”
Seo Yeon held up her tablet so that it was clearly visible.
A screen showed that Honey Black’s new product was brazenly posted on another shopping mall with a new product mark.
“My baby, why has it become someone else’s baby and acting like this?”
Team Leader Kim, who usually wasn’t easily flustered, couldn’t take his eyes off the screen.
A design leak. It was something that could not possibly happen.
“Until we find out who did this, no one can leave the company.”
The words spit out by Seo Yeon were not empty.
None of the design team members were allowed to step a foot outside of the company until Saturday night. The same went for Seo Yeon.
Seo Yeon first instructed all employees of the design team to gather in one place.
Then she turned off all the computers in the company and collected the employees’ cell phones. Everyone was merely glancing at each other, it was deathly quiet.
When there weren’t enough IT team members to investigate the design leak, Seo Yeon outsourced experts on the spot.
Before they arrived, Seo Yeon called Team Leader Kim aside to discuss the matter. Of course, everyone was under suspicion, but the only person to discuss it with was Team Leader Kim.
“What are you going to do?”
“Perpetual expulsion. Such a person should not be in design.”
There was no mercy to be found in Seo Yeon’s sharp gaze.
Upon hearing that Lawyer Park and the law firm staff had arrived, Seo Yeon got up abruptly. Then they discussed the countermeasures for quite some time.
Seo Yeon returned to the meeting room at 9 PM.
Of course, in the meantime, she had treated the employees to expensive packed dinners. Even when things are bad, she couldn’t starve her employees.
Then she asked each of them to call home and inform them that they couldn’t go home due to work.
In front of Seo Yeon, and using the company phone at that. If a family member wanted to speak to Seo Yeon, she didn’t hesitate to take the call herself.
When things began to take an unexpected turn, everyone silently followed Seo Yeon’s words. That’s how serious the situation was.
Once all the calls were over, Seo Yeon stood in the center of the conference room.
Whether it was from skipping dinner, or from the nervewracking situation, it felt as if someone was clawing at an empty stomach with sharp nails.
With a deeply furrowed brow, Seo Yeon looked around at the employees, waiting for the unsettling feeling to subside.
“My dear colleagues.”
Her soft voice carried an aura of authority.
“I do not wish to express disappointment in this place.”
Neither the employees who met her gaze, nor those who looked down, could avoid Seo Yeon’s gaze.
“Neither do I wish to speak of forgiveness.”
The atmosphere in the conference room was so chilly it was beyond words.
“Of course, there will be no mercy. I intend to enforce the harshest penalty possible and make sure punishment is served.”
Only the sound of Seo Yeon’s heels clicking echoed clearly in the silent conference room.
“And even if there were unavoidable circumstances, I have no intention of offering any absolution.”
Seo Yeon raised the phone that was lying on the table.
“So… let me tell you what could happen next.”
Seo Yeon continued, her lips slightly curling at one corner.
“A violation of the law on prevention of unfair competition and protection of trade secrets. Those who transfer or rent out a product created by someone else are subject to imprisonment of up to 3 years or a fine of up to 30 million won…”
Seo Yeon started to read out the complex law, just as Lawyer Park had instructed.
“In addition, since it’s Hannibal Black’s design, I’ll also add a violation of copyright law.”
Seo Yeon had not yet revealed her claws, but her eyes held the gaze of a predator fully prepared to pounce.
“If I were to spill our future response, we plan to sue the shopping malls that stole our designs and take civil actions against all parties involved in the leak of the designs.”
Her resolute tone revealing firm determination. A cold gaze that pierced everyone.
Even those who weren’t guilty felt their limbs trembling, Seo Yeon’s presence was overwhelming.
“Well, shall we each take a moment to prove our innocence?”
When male lead is the homewrecker
“I know she doesn’t love him.”
I’ve read the novel below twice already. Girls, I’m highly recommending it to you!
The female lead? Not a good person.
The second male lead? Not a good person.
The male lead? Willingly plays the third party, breaking up the female and second male lead’s relationship despite all the warnings from his friends—so yeah, he’s definitely not a good person either.
Basically, nobody in this novel is simple-minded or without scheming.
The female lead starts off as the male lead’s secretary, but don’t worry—later on, she takes over the company while the male lead steps back to support her. He won’t steal her spotlight, overshadow her, or dull her shine.
I love novels where men are out here snatching wigs, tearing each other down, and going to war just to win the female lead’s affection. And this is exactly that kind of novel. Most of Hai Dai Ran’s works have this dynamic. You’ll see the male characters’ emotions being pushed to the absolute extreme.
There’s even a scene where the second male lead exposes the male lead online for being a homewrecker. The brotherhood immediately gangs up on him, dragging him through the mud. I find it compelling —it completely flips reality on its head, where usually, women are the ones fighting over a man and getting torn apart by the sisterhood.
For me, female leads in the novels I read should only struggle in their careers, not in love. But if the brainless romantics in the story are all men? I have zero complaints.
I’ve pretty much read all of Hai Dai Ran’s novels and even translated all of them—her works are just my thing. I’ll slowly upload everything here. One day, when my website is official, I hope I can invite her to join as one of the star authors.
Here’s the story synopsis:
One-line summary: She is his lifelong obsession, to the point where he was willing to be a third wheel, scorned by society, just to wedge his way into her relationship with her fiancé.
Cold-hearted and indifferent female lead + Scheming and subservient CEO male lead
Intro 1:
“I know she doesn’t love him.”
With blood trickling from his clenched fist, Rong Xiu gazed at the woman before him, his eyes clouded with anguish. Hidden in the wardrobe, he had witnessed Fan Xia – the woman he desperately loved – in an intimate embrace with her fiancé. Yet his heart still yearned for her, defying all reason.
Fan Xia, the elegant and composed assistant, carried something mysterious in her eyes whenever she looked at her fiancé, Wen Lan Sheng. Strange occurrences began to surface – secret meetings with the young Gu Jin Yi, an unexplained withdrawal of 5,000 yuan… Then suddenly, her fiancé’s sister, Wen Jing, violently attacked her.
In this matriarchal society, Rong Xiu had risen to become the chairman of a powerful healthcare conglomerate, breaking through gender prejudices. But for the first time, he willingly stepped into the shadows as the other man, disregarding his friends’ warnings to become her secret lover.
Because he had discovered the truth – Fan Xia wasn’t the pure angel everyone believed her to be. And perhaps, he was the only one capable of helping her execute her mysterious plan…
Intro 2:
Rong Xiu’s biggest regret in life was missing out on Fan Xia.
He secretly loved Fan Xia for 7 years.
Watched her go public with her boyfriend.
Watched her kiss her boyfriend at their wedding.
Until that man blissfully nestled in Fan Xia’s arms, obtaining everything he could only dream of.
The crazy jealousy stripped away his hidden secret love, layer by layer, burning like wildfire.
Fan Xia, how can I have you!
【Reading and Trigger Warning Guide】
1. Female dominant, male submissive, male pregnancy
2. Male lead schemes his way to the top, male competition
_____
Please help me, I want to bring you the best possible things.
If you find any chapter or novel with poor translation and editing quality, let me know by commenting directly under that novel or chapter. I will retranslate it as soon as possible.
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