Yuri, about to get into the car without thinking, gently furrowed her brow when she saw the man’s face.

“……Who are you?”

He looked familiar; he was the former secretary for Minwoo until recently. Recognizing her, the man smiled nonchalantly and scratched his head.

“Director Kwon got an overseas assignment, so I’ve come under Executive Kwon.”

“Oh, I see.”

As Yuri got into the car, the male secretary quickly started the car after climbing into the driver’s seat. Entering a major road and not long after, he looked at Yuri through the rearview mirror and said,

“I’ll let you know in advance; we’ll be going a bit far on the highway.”

“How far?”

“He said to pick you up to the villa in Gapyeong. He emphasized it’s a crucial matter, so he chose a place where no word can leak out.”

How crucial could this matter be…?

Although it was unlikely anything bad would happen, Yuri couldn’t shake off a slightly ominous feeling. She fidgeted with the phone she held in her hand, lowering her gaze.

Should she inform Mr. Jeho that she’s going to Gapyeong?

But soon, she changed her mind and tucked the phone into her jacket pocket. It was a bad habit to rely on Mr. Jeho every moment.

Moreover, she had just lied to Mr. Jeho about having dinner with Hyunkyung during their recent phone call.

Yeah, let’s not worry.

No matter how short-tempered Executive Kwon might be, at least he wasn’t as erratic as Minwoo, unable to distinguish between the front and back.

And even if he wanted to do something foolish, he couldn’t recklessly act, especially with Dr. Chae Hyeong-sik standing behind her. Despite being resentful, it was undeniable that her father’s presence served as a solid shield.

Trying to relax her tense body, Yuri leaned back against the seat.

The car Yuri boarded was the one sent by Executive Kwon. Parked next to the company building in a discreet location, Mr. Jeho followed it as soon as Executive Kwon’s car departed.

The man’s face, who opened the car door for her, was also familiar. If her memory served her right, he used to be Minwoo’s secretary. Fortunately, it seemed that the car Yuri was in didn’t notice Mr. Jeho was tailing them.

Since Mr. Jeho had asked if she had plans with Hyunkyung, Yuri knew he figured it out.

Because she had been with Hyunkyung just an hour ago. Mr. Jeho had shopped for a gift for Yuri, seeking Hyunkyung’s help. He hadn’t been able to properly give her a bouquet of flowers until now.

She couldn’t forgive herself, but even so, she wanted to give her a gift before it was too late, before their delicate relationship came to an end. If she told her everything tonight, even if she found out about everything tonight, it would be the end of their relationship.

Hyunkyung had happily and actively helped Mr. Jeho.
Hyunkyung, having finished shopping, hurriedly left, citing an evening appointment with a college friend. Along with advice for Yuri to spend the blazing Friday night together, as she will be absent tonight, she swiftly departed.

From Yuri’s perspective, judging by Hyunkyung’s attitude today, it seemed she hadn’t mentioned anything to her yet. Perhaps Yuri would remain tight-lipped until the end, just as she had hidden whatever family issue existed from Hyunkyung until now.

What kind of trouble was she trying to face alone this time…?

A dark shadow fell on Jeho’s face as he followed the red taillights of the car in front.

Leaning against the window, Director Kwon sipped whiskey and watched Yuri getting out of the car. As she approached the villa building, a slow smile crept onto Director Kwon’s lips.

Ha, saying there’s a hole to escape even when the sky is falling, this saying is appropriate for the current situation.

Without losing focus on the news of his son causing a senseless accident, an even more threatening situation awaited Director Kwon.

Ten years ago, Manager Yoon, who was in charge of overseas construction project management, had passed on a secret ledger containing the corruption of that time to Jeho. This story was revealed by one of the major shareholders Jeho had met before.

―Jeho told me himself. He said the secret ledger is stored in his home library safe.

At the regular board meeting scheduled for early next month, Jeho planned to expose the existence of the secret ledger to everyone.

It was clear that Jeho was in the process of pulling himself down from the position of executive.

“Crazy bastard.”

Director Kwon spat out a curse and downed the whiskey in one go.

He had ordered to get rid of everything, yet Jeho had kept it until now.

Director Kwon felt relieved because when the existence of the secret ledger was revealed, former manager Yoon, who was in a more awkward position than he was, would be in trouble. He didn’t want to go to jail just because of some kind of conscience declaration.

The statute of limitations for embezzlement in business is ten years, but if the Specific Economic Crimes Aggravated Punishment Act is applied, and the amount exceeds 5 billion, the statute of limitations is extended to 15 years.