Chairman Lee visited the Cheon Ha Art Gallery out of a guilty conscience for lashing out at Hyun Baek Hap.

Seeing him, Hyun Baek Hap tapped on her calculator. She felt like she could really show her displeasure.

“Honey, I’m here and you won’t even look at me?”

Hyun Baek Hap pressed her lips together tightly and mustered her strength.

“I’m sorry for yelling at you.”

Chairman Lee placed his hand on Hyun Baek Hap’s shoulder.

“Things aren’t going as planned, so I was flustered too.”

At that, she sobbed and hugged him.

“You’re my everything in this world, so when you do that to me. Sob sob.”

“You’re too tenderhearted, what can we do. But I got you the top law firm. They may not be as good as the legal affairs director, but they’re all former prosecutors and judges.”

Hyun Baek Hap was secretly anxious about not being able to receive help from the legal department anymore.

But she knew well there was no other way now that things had come to this.

Then, gaining Chairman Lee’s favor would be the wise choice.

“I don’t need any of those former prosecutor lawyers. I only need you, Chairman.”

Chairman Lee laughed and comforted Hyun Baek Hap.

Hyun Baek Hap laughed inwardly as she listened to his consoling words.

The sense of accomplishment that the Cheon Ha Group chairman was under her thumb was unspeakably thrilling.

“Chairman, I think this happened because I lack virtue. Starting tomorrow, I want to live as I did before.”

“Why, you must be uneasy, what are you trying to do.”

“Volunteer work. It’s what I always did, but I haven’t been able to because I’ve been busy.”

“It’s tough, just rest.”

“No.”

Hyun Baek Hap believed that the more a crisis hits, the more dignified and joyfully she should live. And she wanted to polish her public image too.

Within a few days, Hyun Baek Hap set out for Cheon Ha Group’s rural volunteer activity on a hastily prepared schedule. Of course, the important part was getting photographed without actually doing any work.

“Madam Hyun, please give me your autograph!”

A child approached Hyun Baek Hap asking for an autograph. The child’s mother came and scolded the child.

“Do you even know who this person is!”

The child’s mother pulled the child away with a frightened expression.

Hyun Baek Hap told her not to with an infinitely generous expression.

“It’s okay. So, what’s your name?”

Hyun Baek Hap took the paper and pen from the child and smiled. On one hand, she even felt proud.

“You’re the director of Cheon Ha Art Gallery! I saw it in a book! Aren’t you the great director Yoon Joo Hwa?”

At the child’s innocent words, Hyun Baek Hap’s expression completely crumpled.

“The Mother Teresa of our country’s art world! I want to become an angelic person like you when I grow up.”

Hyun Baek Hap’s hand holding the pen trembled.

It would be ridiculous to sign as Hyun Baek Hap, and weird to write Yoon Joo Hwa too.

Hyun Baek Hap silently handed the pen and paper she was holding to her executive secretary.

The executive secretary returned the pen and paper to the child and quietly shooed them away.

In the car, Hyun Baek Hap sprayed disinfectant alcohol all over her body, unable to hide her displeasure.

“Yoon Joo Hwa! Yoon Joo Hwa! Yoon Joo Hwa! Are you going to haunt me even in death?!”

After returning to Cheon Ha Art Gallery, Hyun Baek Hap ordered all traces of Lady Yoon in the Cheon Ha Group Memorial Hall, which she hadn’t been able to clean up while being mindful of Je Guk, to be completely burned.

The relationship was already as twisted as it could be anyway, so it was a free-for-all now.

* * *

While Ha In was hospitalized, Je Guk received all reports online unless it was a really important meeting.

The most urgent matter right now was Cheon Ha Group’s legal risks, so it was fortunate that the legal affairs director was hospitalized at Sun Hwa Medical Foundation.

The employees all thought Je Guk was staying at Sun Hwa Medical Foundation because he had urgent matters to discuss with the legal affairs director.

For now, the most important thing to Je Guk was Ha In’s recovery. Thanks to that, Ha In had to rest without budging while hospitalized.

Ha In kept glancing at her cell phone, wanting to ask Gang Jun how the situation was proceeding.

Noticing Ha In’s thoughts, Je Guk sat close to her. Ha In flinched and looked at Je Guk.

“Ha In.”

“Yes?”

“Our legal department is very wary of you.”

“Why?”

Ha In asking why was modesty in itself.

Je Guk had previously seen Ha In’s profile and wondered what kind of life she led with her unrealistic win rate.

But the more he saw Ha In up close, the more understandable it became.

“If you lose a case, do you have trouble sleeping and feel devastatingly resentful?”

Je Guk asked out of genuine curiosity. Ha In tilted her head.

“I guess I wouldn’t know? I’ve never lost before.”

Je Guk laughed at how Ha In said such a thing so nonchalantly.

“She doesn’t know how to lose. Then I’ll have to lose to you every day.”

Je Guk hugged Ha In’s shoulders.

He wanted to love her to the brim until new skin grew on her heart that had become callused, until her low self-esteem that she hid so tightly rose again.

“You’re dying to work. Right.”

Je Guk spoke as if seeing right through Ha In.

Ha In made a sullen expression without answering. Still, he didn’t want to just let her work openly.

“I need to go see the legal affairs director for a moment.”

He deliberately left his seat so she could comfortably talk to the prosecutors’ office.

Ha In was really itching to work.

As Je Guk got up to leave, Ha In’s eyes sparkled. Je Guk kept wanting to smile at the sight.

As soon as he vacated his seat, Ha In quickly called Gang Jun.

– Yes, sunbae-nim.

“You must be very busy. How are things proceeding?”

– We banned Hyun Baek Hap’s side from leaving the country. We’re planning to ban Hyun Baek Hap from leaving the country soon too. And the review for arrest warrants of those involved starts today.

“Yes, good work. Could you email me the relevant documents? And if there’s anything work-related to tell me, leave me a text. I’ll reply as soon as I check.”

Even so, Gang Jun was considerate of Ha In and didn’t convey anything unless it was absolutely necessary. It was comfortable to rest because she had such a reliable junior.

While Je Guk was away, Ha In opened the emails from Gang Jun one by one and checked the situation. Gang Jun was meticulous and thorough, so nothing was missed.

Thanks to Gang Jun compactly summarizing the materials, quite some time had passed even though it was such a vast matter.

But for some reason, there was no sign of Je Guk returning.

“Did something happen, why isn’t he coming back.”

She couldn’t ask when he was coming because it would seem like nagging, so she could only wait.

Even when she tried to focus on her own time thinking he would come when the time came, her gaze kept turning towards the door.

* * *

Hyun Baek Hap heard that Yoon Joo Hwa’s traces had not been incinerated yet and headed there.

There, people were divided into those trying to move the paintings and those trying to stop them, in a standoff.

“What are you all doing! How long has it been since I gave the order and you still can’t clean up a single painting!”

When the sharp voice rang out, the situation there paused for a moment.

Hyun Baek Hap pushed through the gap and entered.

“Who the hell is causing trouble! I said I’ll handle my gallery as I see fit, so who!”

Hyun Baek Hap recognized Je Guk’s executive secretary and faltered.

No matter if they were a secretary, they were like Je Guk’s hands and feet, so she couldn’t treat them carelessly.

“What are you doing in my gallery right now?”

Hyun Baek Hap asked Je Guk’s executive secretary.

“There were instructions to protect Lady Yoon’s collection.”

Was there a spy inside?

It was a mystery how Je Guk found out and intervened. But uncovering the spy was secondary.

Right now, the plan to erase Yoon Joo Hwa’s traces was about to fall through.

Previously, Je Guk had warned about this space before leaving. It wasn’t that she didn’t know, but she tried to push ahead with it, blinded by anger.

They were one-of-a-kind paintings, so she thought even Je Guk wouldn’t be able to do anything if she destroyed them.

She just wanted to erase Yoon Joo Hwa’s traces without any planning.

Hyun Baek Hap approached the artwork with the intention of tearing the painting right away. But when she actually tried to ruin the painting, she suddenly became scared.

Dealing with the aftermath was one thing, but she tensed up at the aura flowing from the painting.

Even when she tried to think, ‘A mere painting that can’t say anything,’ she didn’t know why her body wouldn’t move as she wanted.

She was trembling, trying to do as she pleased but unable to proceed.

Hyun Baek Hap knew well that it was something she couldn’t take back, so it was a frightening thing. But she wanted to vent her anger like this.

Hyun Baek Hap reached out her hand towards the painting with determination.

The executive secretary blocked Hyun Baek Hap.

“Director Lee Je Guk said he will not stand by if even the slightest blemish appears on Lady Yoon’s works.”

“Won’t stand by? Ha! What can he do to me! This mere painting!”

Hyun Baek Hap pointed her finger at the Heaven’s Rock piece.

“What can he do! Take it all away right now and burn it! I’m so sick and tired of Yoon Joo Hwa!”

Hyun Baek Hap shouted, veins popping in her neck. It was the first time she felt so scared the more she yelled.

“Right now! What are you all doing standing there!”

Hyun Baek Hap flinched in surprise and stopped breathing as she shifted her gaze to the painting.

Je Guk was standing in front of the painting, watching Hyun Baek Hap.

Everyone there politely greeted Je Guk and stepped back one by one.

Hyun Baek Hap tried to hide her flustered look but her body stiffened. The tips of her fingers were trembling.

Je Guk stared intently at Hyun Baek Hap. Her commanding spirit was a sight to behold.

“Please, go on.”