“Today’s steak seems especially delicious.”

Il Jun chuckled at Se Ra’s cheerful voice.

“Oh really? Why’s that?”

“Because it’s room service? Because I can cuddle up next to you and feed you cheesily without worrying about others watching?”

“I see.”

“Yes, it was the best, sir.”

“Then what about dessert?”

“We should have the sweetest thing in the world.”

Se Ra flashed a seductive smile and straddled Il Jun’s thigh as he lounged comfortably on the sofa. Il Jun also smiled and gently wrapped his arms around Se Ra’s waist.

As Se Ra naturally draped her arms around Il Jun’s neck, he immediately pressed his lips against hers as if he had been waiting.

Warm breaths and the lovers’ pleasant laughter intermingled between their lips. Along with a light, not-too-deep kiss, Il Jun whispered softly.

“I love you.”

“I love you more, Kim Il Jun. You know that, right?”

“Well… I wonder about that.”

Il Jun grinned and slipped his hands under Se Ra’s back and knees as she sat on his thighs, then suddenly stood up.

“Eek!”

Startled by Il Jun’s sudden action, Se Ra clung tightly to his neck, gripping her arms around it.

“I’ll love you all night long. Look forward to it.”

Carrying Se Ra in his arms, he headed straight for the bed and laid her down.

Slowly unbuttoning his shirt and climbing onto the bed, Il Jun gently caressed Se Ra’s face as if handling a precious treasure.

“I’ve only loved you my whole life and I always will. Oh Se Ra. My wife.”

“I’ve only had one man in my life too. Why else would I be best friends with that jerk Kim Yi Hyun for so long just to get a glimpse of you?”

Il Jun laughed heartily at Se Ra’s playful words.

“I see. I’ve lost then. But thanks to that, I got to see your face too, so I’m glad.”

The two looked at each other and laughed. And soon their lips met. Unlike the light kiss on the sofa, their passionate movements yearning for each other’s everything quickly enveloped the room in a sensual heat.

Without anyone taking the lead, they naturally caressed each other as their bodies intertwined as one.

But then, Il Jun’s phone lying on the table started ringing loudly. The passionately burning lovers flinched for a moment but soon ignored the ringing and focused only on each other.

However, as soon as the persistent ringing stopped, it started again. Only then did Il Jun reluctantly release Se Ra’s lips which he had been ardently kissing.

Il Jun got up from the bed with an irritated look.

“Whoever it is, it better be urgent. I’ll kill them otherwise.”

“Who is it? The chief of staff?”

“…It’s Chief Han?”

“Chief Han? Yi Hyun’s secretary Han Ji Won?”

“Yeah.”

At Han Ji Won’s unexpected call, Il Jun suddenly felt uneasy.

Could it be… that Yi Hyun found out about Ha Jun’s matter and is acting up?

“Hello. Chief Han, what’s the matter? What, what did you say? Where are you? Is Yi Hyun okay?”

Seeing Il Jun’s face suddenly turn pale as he anxiously asked if Yi Hyun was alright, Se Ra sensed something was wrong and quickly got up.

“What is it? Did Yi Hyun get into an accident?”

“A car accident. They’re transporting him to Korea University Hospital now.”

“Oh my God!!”

Se Ra also turned pale at the sudden news of the accident.

Il Jun quickly put on his jacket and called someone.

“It’s me. Have a car ready on the first floor right now. We’re going to Korea University Hospital. Immediately!!”

In front of the VIP operating room at Korea University Hospital. In Hwa, who had rushed there in a panic, collapsed to the ground after confirming the name Kim * Hyun on the electronic board. Chief Han, who had arrived earlier, supported her. Soon after, Il Jun and Se Ra also arrived, looking pale.

“What’s going on? What happened?”

At Il Jun’s urgent question, Ji Won stood up and stepped forward.

Ji Won, who had been checking Yi Hyun’s movements out of concern and following him, rushed over as soon as he heard about the accident and was able to get Yi Hyun into the operating room right away.

“A car that ran a red light at an intersection rear-ended the Director’s car as it was going straight. The other vehicle hit exactly the front of the driver’s side.”

“How is Yi Hyun’s condition?”

“His legs… both are broken and he’s in surgery now. They say other parts weren’t seriously injured so it should be okay, but they need to observe a bit more. The best medical team in the country is performing the surgery.”

“Hah…”

Il Jun slumped down onto a corridor chair. Se Ra firmly held onto Il Jun, who had turned pale. Her face was also full of concern for her best friend and brother-in-law’s accident.

“For now… hah… make sure the accident report doesn’t get out anywhere. When will the surgery end?”

“I’m not sure. It’s been about 30 minutes since they started… They say there are at least five fractures in the left leg alone. So it might take longer than expected…”

“Hah…”

Il Jun rubbed his face with a troubled expression. While it was a huge relief that the accident wasn’t life-threatening, if both legs were broken, he wouldn’t be able to move freely for quite a while.

Il Jun’s gaze turned to In Hwa, who had turned pale.

“Mother. It’s okay. Yi Hyun will be fine.”

He sat down next to In Hwa and firmly held her trembling hand. Se Ra also came over and took the seat on the opposite side of In Hwa, placing her hand on top of the mother and son’s hands.

“Yi Hyun is so healthy, isn’t he? He has such good stamina. He’ll bounce back in no time.”

“Yes… he should…”

In Hwa muttered blankly.

After that, no conversation flowed between the four people. The electronic board still slowly displayed “In Surgery,” and only the numbers on the digital clock on the wall changed once every 60 seconds.

The four people, who seemed to have stopped as if time had frozen, only stood up abruptly after several hours when the letters on the electronic board changed to “Surgery Completed.”

The operating room door opened, and a middle-aged doctor in surgical gowns came out.

“Chairman. This is Dr. Kang.”

“Doctor! How is our Yi Hyun? Is he okay?”

“Yes. The surgery went well. The right leg is broken in just one place, right above the knee, and the left has a total of eight compound fractures. Fortunately, it avoided the nerves well, and although it’s a comminuted fracture, it will heal well if it just bonds properly. It will take some time, but it’s a miracle.”

“Hah…”

In Hwa staggered and held her forehead.

“Mother!”

Il Jun and Ji Won quickly supported In Hwa from both sides. Meanwhile, the doctor, who had bowed lightly, went back into the operating room, and shortly after, the door opened again and a bed with the sleeping Yi Hyun came out.

The doctor standing next to the bed bowed politely.

“We’ll take him straight to the VIP ward.”

The expressions of those watching over the sleeping Yi Hyun were all filled with concern, and some were also complicated.

Even though it wasn’t an accident caused by Yi Hyun but one he suffered, the thought that if he hadn’t been so agitated because of Ha Jun… couldn’t he have avoided it calmly? This same thought was floating in the minds of In Hwa, Il Jun, and Chief Han.

Only Se Ra, who knew nothing, had a purely worried expression for her friend.

“You all should go now. You have to go to work tomorrow.”

“It’s alright. It’s not like we haven’t pulled all-nighters before.”

“I’m not alright. Everyone, go. You need to put Se Ra to bed, don’t you? Il Jun, you go home and sleep too, then go to the company in the morning. I won’t be going to work for a while and will stay here, so unless it absolutely requires my decision, handle things yourself. Chief Han, you’ll be acting as Director from tomorrow. Likewise, anything that can’t be handled at Chief Han’s level, pass it all to CEO Kim.”

At In Hwa’s words, Ji Won quietly nodded, glancing at Il Jun.

“…Yes.”

“Why isn’t CEO Kim answering?”

“Yes… I’ll be going. I’ll come back after work tomorrow.”

“Alright. Do that. Se Ra, you must have been shocked too, go home and rest quickly.”

“Yes, I’ll bring some things tomorrow.”

“What do we have secretaries for? And this VIP room has pretty much everything. Don’t waste your precious time on that when you’re busy with work, just come see Yi Hyun’s face after work.”

At In Hwa’s gentle but firm tone, Se Ra could only quietly nod.

“Yes, I will.”

“Ah, and because it’s upsetting, don’t tell Yu Ha about Yi Hyun getting hurt. If she comes and keeps talking without resting, that guy will probably get angry saying he’s in more pain.”

“Ah… I see. I’ll keep quiet about it.”

“We’ve also blocked any news reports from going out, so don’t worry, Mother.”

“Good. Well done. It’s not good for trivial gossip about chaebol families to be in the media. Go now. When you leave, I can lie down too.”

As In Hwa gestured with her chin towards the guardian bed, the three finally moved their reluctant feet.

“Mother, you must have been the most shocked, please rest.”

“I’m going, Mother.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Madam Chairman.”

After the three greeted her in turn and left, In Hwa, left alone in the quiet hospital room, slowly walked over and leaned back in the guardian chair next to Yi Hyun’s bed.

Her eyes were swollen red and wet as she looked at her son lying still with his eyes closed.

“This silly boy. A guy who used to do car racing as a hobby when he was young, couldn’t even avoid this and ended up lying here?”

Hoo…

A deep, heavy sigh settled in the quiet hospital room.

In the call right before the accident, he was clearly looking for Ha Jun, right? After finding out that child was gone… he must have been out of his mind.

“Naughty boy. I told him all the ways…”