“What are you doing, Ms. Han Ji Soo.”

“Senior Director!”

As Ji Soo shouted for the bathroom to go away, she hugged Joo Hyuk’s head with all her might. At Ji Soo’s sudden embrace, he frowned and slowly closed his eyes then opened them. Then he placed his hand on Ji Soo’s arm and pushed it away.

“I asked what you’re doing. Why did you come in here now, Ms. Han Ji Soo.”

“I’m so glad you’re alive, Senior Director.”

Ji Soo’s large eyes sparkled as if she was about to cry at any moment.

“Did you think I was dead or something?”

“Yes, I thought for a moment that it might be possible. That’s why I was so surprised.”

Naturally, she had to think that way when he was lying motionless in the cold water. She was so shocked, wondering if Joo Hyuk might have died. The hiccups that suddenly came up wouldn’t stop.

“I’m really glad, Senior Director.”

“I get that, but I see you’re happy I’m alive… How long are you going to keep watching over my body.”

“What? Oh?”

Ji Soo fixed her gaze on Joo Hyuk’s solid, muscular body. Come to think of it, Joo Hyuk was completely naked. It was only natural since he was in the bathtub filled with water.

“Sorry, I’m sorry, Senior Director. I didn’t do it on purpose, for hide-and-seek.”

Joo Hyuk silently gestured for her to leave. Ji Soo, who kept bowing her head, hurriedly left the bathroom.

As soon as Ji Soo opened the bathroom door and came out, Seo Hoo grabbed Ji Soo while shouting.

“Found you! I found you!”

Seo Hoo’s voice was endlessly loud with the joy of finding Ji Soo. In contrast to Seo Hoo’s thrilled reaction, Ji Soo stood blankly with unfocused eyes.

“Now you have to be it, noona! Hurry and count!”

“……”

Ji Soo, who couldn’t easily escape from the shock a little while ago, was only able to come to her senses after Seo Hoo bit her hand hard.

“Ah! Seo Hoo, don’t bite people.”

“You’re not listening to me, noona!”

“Sorry, sorry.”

Since she couldn’t explain that it was because she saw the shocking appearance of his uncle. Ji Soo had no choice but to apologize with a bitter smile while composing her blank face. Raising her voice while clearing her dazed look, Ji Soo spoke.

“Okay! I’ll count to 30 now, so hide well!”

“Okay!”

Seo Hoo began to run in the opposite direction of Ji Soo, giggling. Thump thump. It seemed like the sound of stomping feet was heading towards the 2nd floor.

Left alone again, Ji Soo naturally recalled Joo Hyuk’s appearance in the bathroom a while ago.

There was an empty bottle of whiskey next to the bathtub, did Senior Director drink it all by himself?

She had to think so anyway. If he drank all that whiskey and soaked his body in cold water for a long time. It could have been a really big deal.

What on earth happened. For him to drink so heavily.

Ji Soo suddenly became curious about the weight of Joo Hyuk’s worries that she couldn’t fathom. Then, the flow of consciousness recalled Joo Hyuk’s body which was like a well-made plaster statue. Unknowingly, both her cheeks grew hot.

This isn’t it, Han Ji Soo. What are you doing like a pervert. Get a grip.

Even though she whipped herself, the eyes that had already seen Joo Hyuk’s body did not try to erase the memory. Feeling pathetic and absurd with herself. Ji Soo let out a long sigh and brushed her hair.

“Why aren’t you finding me!”

“Oh, oh! I’ll go find you now!”

At Seo Hoo’s shout that rivaled a train’s steam engine, she came to her senses with a start.

***

The cell phone that was turned on after a month vibrated. How could there be contact as soon as the power was turned on. The caller was Joo Hyuk. The moment she saw Joo Hyuk’s name on the screen, Se Yoon’s hand trembled slightly.

What should I do, what should I do. If I answer brother-in-law’s call now… I have nothing to say.

After hesitating, Se Yoon eventually pressed the power button for a long time again. Since she wasn’t ready to decide what to do yet. She wanted to avoid talking to Joo Hyuk as much as possible. Feeling unsettled, she lay down on the sofa as it was. All sorts of thoughts filled Se Yoon’s head.

I don’t know, I don’t want to think about anything right now.

She just wanted to clear her head, and she just wanted to be close to Gang Jin. Nothing had been decided yet.

Ding dong.

As the doorbell rang, the intercom screen turned on. Checking the screen after springing up like a spring, Joo Hyuk’s figure filled the screen. Se Yoon almost blurted out a curse.

How on earth did he know and come all the way here?

Goosebumps rose all over her body. Although Min Joo Hyuk was a man who did anything, she didn’t know it would be to this extent, she made a new cell phone for fear of being followed and moved around hotels here and there, and finally settled here, but to think he would find her already.

Se Yoon couldn’t even think of pressing the door open button and just stood frozen.

After that, Joo Hyuk pressed the doorbell several times. As if he knew everything that Se Yoon was inside. But Se Yoon had no intention of facing Joo Hyuk today at all. How much time passed like that. Joo Hyuk, who gave up, moved away from the screen.

Se Yoon lay down on the sofa in comfortable clothes. Only the hand holding the remote control moved slightly. She was minimizing her movements. Various thoughts came to her mind. It had already been over two months since she left home. Sometimes she thought of Seo Hoo, but she wasn’t particularly worried since there were many people who would take care of him like their own child.

Se Yoon jumped up from her seat at the sound of the keypad. It must have been Gang Jin coming in after finishing work.

“You came in early today. Dinner?”

She naturally linked arms with Gang Jin and rubbed her cheek against his arm like a puppy.

“I wasn’t eating to eat with you.”

Gang Jin pressed his temples hard with a dry tone.

“So… Did you make a decision in your heart?”

“Not yet… I haven’t decided.”

Se Yoon slowly untangled her arm around him and lowered her head.

Se Yoon met Gang Jin at the founding anniversary event of ACS Airlines, and the two became close in an instant like magnets attracting each other. Unlike Shin Hyuk, Gang Jin had quick and accurate judgment. And he had great ambitions as a man and actually had the ability. The fact that he became an executive in his 30s without relying on his parents proved his abilities.

So how could she not love Gang Jin.

Meeting Gang Jin was fate. It’s just that the timing wasn’t very good. Since she fell in love with him before Shin Hyuk died.

After her husband Min Shin Hyuk suddenly chose to die, she raised Seo Hoo alone for a year. She said she raised him alone, but she sent him to daycare and hired a babysitter, so there was hardly any time for her and Seo Hoo to be together.

Then suddenly, this life felt so tedious and distant. The husband was dead and gone, but her life was trapped in the title of being the daughter-in-law of the ACS Group. Thinking that this would be her life forever, she felt suffocated. She had Gang Jin as an escape, so why did she have to live like this.

The two sat facing each other at a spacious table. While Gang Jin was at work, Se Yoon diligently made side dishes.

“Honey, try this. It’s seasoned dropwort and it’s very refreshing.”

Se Yoon picked up the dropwort herself and placed it on Gang Jin’s spoon. Gang Jin, with indifferent eyes, only slightly raised the corners of his mouth and smiled.

“You eat a lot too.”

“I have no appetite since I’m only at home all day. I need to go out and about to get an appetite.”

“You have to make a decision in your heart for us to come up with a plan.”

“Hmm…”

Se Yoon let out a sigh, frowning.

“I still don’t know. Anyway, I don’t want to go back into that family. Others may think ACS is a pretty sophisticated and progressive chaebol group. But it’s a conservative family custom where women have to wake up at 4 am to prepare their husbands’ meals and are encouraged to wear hanbok inside the house. You would never imagine it just by looking at the image of ACS Airlines.”

Se Yoon shuddered as she recalled the past.

Anyway, as Se Yoon’s father became in-laws with the ACS Group, he put his failing business back on track. Se Yoon’s mother also greatly benefited from her daughter in the social circles. It was possible because ACS was at the top among Korean chaebol groups.

“And Seo Hoo… It might be better for those people to raise him than for me to raise him anyway.”

“…Yes, whatever it is, your feelings are the most important. I’ll support you no matter what decision you make.”

Gang Jin gently stroked the back of Se Yoon’s hand.

***

‘Senior Director, the location of where the second madam is currently… has been determined.’

An uneasy feeling seeped in at Jae Ho’s somewhat awkward voice.

‘The second madam is in Seoul.’

‘In Seoul?’

‘Yes, we’ve been receiving tips from various places recently.’

‘What is the exact location.’

It seemed like he had to see it with his own eyes no matter the situation.

‘Yeonam-dong. It’s one of the houses in the villa village.’

‘Have the car ready.’

He went straight to the identified address, but couldn’t meet Se Yoon. The feeling of uneasiness grew. The rational suspicion that perhaps the world he knew might not be everything. The thought that Se Yoon might have disappeared on her own.

He was trying to convince himself that it couldn’t be, that there must have been some mistake. But his intuition, which couldn’t be wrong, kept sending signals.

‘The sister-in-law just ran away from home. She didn’t get into any dangerous situation.’

Joo Hyuk, who lowered his head greatly, closed his eyes tightly in front of the shower that poured down like a heavy rain.

At that moment, Han Ji Soo’s unexpected innocent face came to mind. Han Ji Soo, the woman who thought Joo Hyuk was dead and shed tears like chicken droppings.

Her clumsy gesture of thoughtlessly hugging his neck when he opened his eyes kept bothering him. Joo Hyuk rubbed his neck hard with his large hand, feeling strangely bothered.

Why was he thinking of such a woman. Why was he paying unnecessary attention to her.

Joo Hyuk pressed the shampoo container roughly, putting strength into his brows.