The servant stopped what she was doing in surprise after seeing the Empire’s briefing article and looked at the TV.

When she stood in front of the TV as if entranced, the headline “Weight given to the possibility of Hyun Baek Hap appearing for summoning investigation” caught her eye.

Ha In immediately realized that Je Guk had moved to help her.

“Will the impregnable Hyun Baek Hap really show up?”

Gang Jun, who had come to stand next to Ha In at some point, spoke as if doubting it.

“Lee Je Guk is not the kind of person to make empty promises or use tricks to get out of a situation.”

“Let’s just take the stories coming out of the media or securities market rumors as a reference. We have to do the investigation.”

Gang Jun agreed with Ha In’s words, but still had doubts.

“But there are rumors that Director Lee Je Guk has fallen out with the chairman’s office, so how did he persuade Hyun Baek Hap?”

Ha In didn’t know if it was persuasion or a battle that was fought.

“Anyway, if Hyun Baek Hap just shows up, it’s an opportunity for us, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

It was the obvious thing to say just looking at the summoning investigation, but various complicated situations made Ha In’s mind complex.

She was curious about what was happening within the Cheonha Group.

It would be rude to ask Je Guk for detailed stories.

Even if she asked, he had no obligation to answer.

Putting herself in his shoes, it was the same principle that Ha In could not tell Je Guk every little thing that happened inside the prosecution.

Ha In stood there with a troubled expression for a moment before leaving the office. The whole time she went up to the rooftop, she agonized over whether or not to contact Je Guk.

If there was such an important press conference, he should have at least given a hint. She was disappointed but also worried that Je Guk might suffer a disadvantage.

But Je Guk would hate it if she fussed over this kind of thing. However, it seemed like she wouldn’t be able to focus on work without hearing his voice.

Since when had her feelings for Je Guk become so deep? It was a mystery.

Ha In, who had almost reached the stairs leading to the rooftop, let out a deep sigh close to a lament.

Standing close to the railing, Ha In hesitated for a long time, wondering if it would be crossing the line to make the call, then pressed the call button.

As soon as the dial tone ended, she gave herself away by calling out to him with an anxious heart.

“Director.”

– What’s the matter at this hour?

Even Ha In thought it was awkward to contact him at this hour.

– It’s not like something happened, right?

Je Guk said what Ha In wanted to ask.

“It’s not that something happened to me right now.”

Ha In controlled her rising tone of voice.

“If you do a press conference like that. Sigh…”

Ha In couldn’t finish her words and let out a deep sigh.

She felt sorry that Je Guk was making such a strong move in a difficult situation because of her.

– Then how should I do such a press conference? I thought I would at least hear a word of thanks.

How could he be so nonchalant? Je Guk spoke so indifferently that her worries seemed meaningless.

The press conference was excellent. It’s just that she was worried about the aftermath that would come when Je Guk took the lead in making this announcement while his position as CEO was precarious.

“I contacted you because I was worried.”

– Then I’ll have to keep worrying you. Contact me often like this. It’s nice. To hear your voice.

How much had she worried?

At Je Guk’s teasing remark, Ha In closed her eyes tightly and opened them, her temper rising.

“Are you really okay?”

– Of course. Don’t stress over needless worries.

Je Guk urged Ha In instead. Still, hearing Je Guk’s voice gave Ha In some peace of mind.

“Thank you.”

Ha In spoke very difficultly in a drained voice. But laughter could be heard from the other end of the phone.

– You’re standing outside right now, aren’t you? Come in quickly, it’s cold.

Ha In ended the call with Je Guk and let out a deep sigh of relief.

After talking to him and hearing his voice, it seemed like she could relax.

Je Guk had urged her to come in quickly because it was cold, but Ha In wanted to finish clearing her head first.

If she messed up the summoning investigation of Hyun Baek Hap when Je Guk was providing this much support, she wouldn’t be able to forgive herself.

It wasn’t difficult to deduce that Hyun Baek Hap was behind the Cheonha Group stock price manipulation case by combining the information gathered through the investigation with the information Je Guk had provided.

However, the problem was that Hyun Baek Hap was unlikely to easily admit it.

Should she put pressure on her by bringing up the death of Yoon Joo Hwa?

She wanted to be cautious about that part until the very end.

For now, the next step was to bring Hyun Baek Hap in and sit her down, and based on her statement, call in Chairman Lee as well.

And she had to get Chairman Lee to stop helping Hyun Baek Hap.

Just coming down from the huge castle called Cheonha Group would be painful for Hyun Baek Hap, but that was only the beginning.

Simply returning to her original position couldn’t be a punishment.

* * *

Je Guk left the office after finishing his call with Ha In.

He could guess the chairman’s office’s wrath without seeing or hearing it, but he planned to continue doing what he had to do without worrying about it.

Standing in front of the elevator, Je Guk was calculating the remaining schedule for the day in his head.

The elevator doors opened and Je Guk was about to get on, but inside was an unexpected unwelcome guest.

“Oh my, Je Guk. Long time no see?”

It was Hyun Baek Hap.

Je Guk got on the elevator with an expressionless face, not responding to her as if wondering why she was coming and going to the company like it was her own house.

“Father was very angry, why don’t you go and apologize for your mistake now? Summoning investigation? Ha, it’s unbelievable.”

Hyun Baek Hap spoke as if it was ridiculous, smiling brightly.

She seemed to be in high spirits, depending on what she heard in the chairman’s office. Je Guk was not swayed at all by Hyun Baek Hap’s mockery.

“You and that Cheon Ha In, you kids who supposedly learned enough, why are you acting so stupidly? You’ll die that way.”

She shouldn’t have crossed the line. How dare she carelessly say ‘you’ll die that way’ in front of Je Guk. Je Guk unconsciously tensed up.

“That contract that Cheon Ha In girl brought. What can she do to me with that powerless scrap of paper?”

It wasn’t something the person who made Ha In’s childhood hell with that powerless scrap of paper should say.

“Then why are you concerned about it?”

Je Guk asked in a leisurely voice. To Je Guk, it seemed like Hyun Baek Hap was very concerned about that powerless scrap of paper.

If not, he didn’t think there was a need to mention it.

“Concerned? Who? Me?”

Hyun Baek Hap laughed it off.

“Ha, once I become the largest shareholder and my Je Ni inherits this Cheonha Group, then…”

Unlike usual when she would have just taken it, Hyun Baek Hap talked back to Je Guk. Hyun Baek Hap smiled as if she had the whole world.

Je Guk wondered if her liver had popped out of her stomach.

“On the day I preserve my position, you won’t be safe.”

Je Guk spoke clearly in a low, thick voice. At Je Guk’s words, Hyun Baek Hap’s eyes shook and wavered.

“What? Y-you…?”

Je Guk gave Hyun Baek Hap a cold look.

“Did you think I would call you ‘Mother’?”

Je Guk wanted to add the word ‘filthily’.

Hyun Baek Hap glared at Je Guk, unable to hide her rotting expression.

Je Guk wanted to trample on her expression and attitude, but he held back, thinking it wasn’t right to warn an older person to lower their eyes.

“You’re free to come and go to the chairman’s office, but if you cause discomfort to our employees. Or if you catch my eye.”

At Je Guk’s following words, Hyun Baek Hap swallowed her saliva and opened her eyes wide.

“I don’t know what I’ll do.”

Je Guk calmly made a threat.

“Even if you deny it, I am your father’s wife and the person who gave birth to your father’s daughter.”

Hyun Baek Hap frowned and opened her eyes wide. She looked ugly, trying not to break her pride.

“But what can I do? Even if I try not to deny it, I have a weak stomach and can’t get close to filthy things.”

At Je Guk’s words, Hyun Baek Hap was about to flip over, unable to contain her anger.

Just then, the elevator arrived at the floor with the meeting room. Je Guk got off the elevator with a relaxed expression.

The urge to dust off his shoulders to shake off the unpleasantness was rising.

* * *

Ha In noticed the sun had set through the office window and turned around. She didn’t know time had already passed this much.

Seeing the darkness, the fatigue she couldn’t feel while concentrating came over her.

The suggestion to have dinner together every evening was really hard to realize.

It was already night. It was well past dinnertime.

Ha In took out her cell phone to see if there was any contact. She was hoping for a message from Je Guk.

– Working late again today?

Seeing his text, the corners of Ha In’s mouth rose very slightly.

Ha In, who usually had no expression, felt the movement of her facial muscles unfamiliar.

Suddenly, she had the urge to tell him that she missed him. In fact, she had been missing Je Guk the whole time.

– I was just about to leave.

She sent the text without putting her feelings of missing him in it even though she missed him.

Ha In admitted to herself that she was a frustrating person. Even after sending a reply, her shoulders sagged with a gloomy feeling.

– See you.

Ha In’s energy subtly rose at the reply from Je Guk. But it was too late.

Je Guk must be very tired too, so she was pondering whether it was okay to go see him just because she missed him.

When she hesitated without replying, a call came from Je Guk.

Ha In was startled and looked around the office. Gang Jun was still working.

He wasn’t a junior who gave her a hard time, but it was a situation where she had to be mindful.

She couldn’t talk to Je Guk here.