Yuri asked with a dumbfounded expression.

“Are you telling me to be a spy now?”

“Rather than spying, let’s say you’re helping me.”

Director Kwon smiled shamelessly as he brought the whiskey glass to his lips.

“The ledger currently in the safe, that originally belonged to me. But Jeho took it away through dishonest means.”

“Then tell Jeho directly. Don’t ask me to steal it.”

“Yuri, you seem to be greatly mistaken about something. You’re not in a position to tell me what to do right now.”

At those words, Yuri looked over the paternity test results once more before turning her gaze back to Director Kwon.

“No. It’s not me who’s mistaken, but you, Director. First of all, a paternity test conducted without consent is illegal. Also, the results of an illegally conducted test can’t be accurate. And even if by chance the paternity test is true, it’s not me who committed adultery but my father, so why are you threatening me?”

At the word ‘threatening’, Director Kwon’s expression twisted unpleasantly.

Ha, this brazen girl, listen to her talk!

But Yuri’s words weren’t entirely wrong. At first, Director Kwon had planned to blackmail Assemblyman Chae with evidence of the affair. To persuade Chairman Kwon to let Minwoo return to Korea.

But Minwoo had already crossed a river he could never return from. His son who had become a murderer would have to spend his life wandering abroad, unable to even come near Korea, let alone return.

Blood may be thicker than water, but Director Kwon’s heart wasn’t big enough to embrace a good-for-nothing son.

It was the result of a loveless marriage anyway, so there wasn’t much to regret in casting him aside now. While casting him aside, he planned to end his miserable marriage as well.

If so, this card should be used solely for his own benefit, but Assemblyman Chae would be of no help and there was nothing to gain by meddling with him unnecessarily. Only Yuri, who could approach Jeho, could bring him what he wanted.

“Threatening! I’m just giving you a chance to do something for your family.”

“If my stepmother and father had an improper relationship and Yuri is an illegitimate child from that relationship, why should I go this far to protect them? I would be the one who despises them the most.”

“That may be so.”

Director Kwon nodded as if agreeing. Yuri’s words had some logic to them. But the fact that she had kept the secret so thoroughly until now was proof that she cherished her sister more than anyone else.

“Fine. Refuse if you want to refuse.”

Director Kwon gestured with his chin towards the landline phone placed beside him and continued speaking.

“The moment you refuse, I’ll give orders to spread the news of the affair to the media. Don’t think about secretly contacting your father. Ah, I’ll tell you in advance, there’s signal interference here so only the landline phone works.”

At those words, Yuri, who had been taking out her cell phone to send a text message, froze in her movements. As the whipping seemed to be taking effect to some degree, Director Kwon tried to soothe Yuri this time with a gentle voice.

“Let me give you a piece of advice, as someone who was almost your father-in-law once. Jeho, even though he’s my nephew, I can’t say anything good about him. He’s rotten to the core. Do you really think he approached you because he has genuine feelings for you?”

What? He knew about that too?

Knowing she shouldn’t show a surprised reaction, Yuri couldn’t help but furrow her brow. Director Kwon raised the corners of his mouth in a smirk with an expression that said, ‘See?’

“Do you know how displeased he was when the Chairman first ordered him to get engaged to you? And now that guy is dating you? Ha, even a passing dog would laugh. He only approached you to provoke our Minwoo.”

It seems Jeho’s intentions were transparent to everyone. Yuri bit her lip gently, blaming herself for her dullness in not noticing until the end.

“Why are you opposing each other to this extent? Is it to secure the next management rights?”

“Of course. That Jeho brat, he must have grown up thinking KG Group was his, but now that it’s going to Minwoo, he must have gone mad. Even if he’s a world-renowned architect or whatever, it’s nothing compared to being the chairman of KG Group.”

Yuri’s expression gradually hardened as she silently listened to Director Kwon’s words. She probably thought it was a childish and dirty fight over property.

Knowing that there was another reason for Jeho to go this far, Director Kwon kept his mouth shut about that fact.

He thought the unfortunate traffic accident that his older brother, Vice Chairman Kwon, had suffered was regrettable too. Probably for that reason, Jeho had dared to return to Korea.

He must have suspected Minwoo was behind it. Because the person Vice Chairman Kwon met just before the traffic accident was Minwoo. Maybe that traffic accident was also something Minwoo had committed?

Director Kwon was starting to suspect Minwoo. Honestly, even though he was his own son, that guy wasn’t in his right mind.

―That Jeho brat, he must have grown up thinking KG Group was his, but now that it’s going to Minwoo, he must have gone mad.

Is it really just because of that? Just for that reason?

Yuri carefully went over what Director Kwon had just said. It was far from the Jeho she knew. But that was only the Jeho she knew.

Hah, even though I didn’t know with what intentions he approached me…

She shook her head with a self-deprecating smile. But even so, she couldn’t simply accept Director Kwon’s words at face value.

“I can’t decide right now.”

“Fine. I’ll give you time to think. But it would be better not to tell your father. Remember, the birds hear the day’s words and the mice hear the night’s words. Who do you think Minwoo learned how to wiretap from?”

How can he be so shameless…

Yuri looked at Director Kwon, who was mentioning wiretapping, with an incredulous expression. But he sipped his whiskey with a face that showed no concern at all.

“Contact me when you’ve decided. I’ll hand over the fake ledger for the switch. Of course, I wouldn’t ask for this kind of favor without preparing an escape route for myself. What kind of relationship do we have. After all, you and I, we were almost father-in-law and daughter-in-law.”

Fortunately, among the misfortunes, there was a spare ledger left that he had prepared 10 years ago to hand over to Manager Yoon. He also kept a copy, so he just needed to hire an expert to create a fake ledger and then switch it with the one in the safe.

The fake ledger would subtly manipulate the numbers to make it look like he had secretly covered up losses for Vice Chairman Kwon, rather than embezzlement.

Not knowing this, Jeho would go to the regular board meeting with the switched ledger and only end up embarrassing himself.

“Hahaha.”

Just imagining Jeho’s face contorted with embarrassment made Director Kwon unable to hold back his laughter.

Yuri looked at Director Kwon, who suddenly burst into laughter, with perplexed eyes.

Like father, like son.

Director Kwon and Kwon Minwoo. They truly were father and son.

[This is the timeline separator]

It was about an hour after arriving that Yuri left the Gapyeong villa. Although she was so drained that it was hard to take even one step, she forced herself to walk. As she got into the car, Secretary Nam cautiously asked for the destination.

“Where shall I take you?”

Well, where should I go?

Yuri, who had been silently looking out the window, opened her mouth as if muttering.

“…Please go somewhere busy.”

“Pardon?”

“Anywhere is fine. Just take me somewhere with lots of people.”

Secretary Nam made a troubled expression but soon started the car. After driving for a while, the place where the car wheels stopped was near Gwanghwamun. Secretary Nam, who had dropped off Yuri, bowed politely and quickly drove away, disappearing from sight.

Left alone, Yuri slowly looked around. The street was crowded with people who had come out to enjoy Friday night, leaving no room to step.

She plunged into the bustling crowd and walked on and on silently. But a conclusion didn’t come easily.

Asking her to switch the ledger when she doesn’t even know what it contains.

She wanted to get revenge on Jeho, but not like this. But she couldn’t just let the fact that Yuri was an illegitimate child become known to the world.

The last words Director Kwon had said as she was leaving the villa came to mind.

―It’s not something to brag about… but you know well what kind of things Minwoo has been up to until now. So why do you think you’ve been fine and unharmed until now? Because Minwoo loves you terribly?

When Yuri couldn’t give any answer, Director Kwon continued speaking with a cruel smile.

―No, it’s all thanks to your background. If Assemblyman Chae falls with this scandal, he won’t be able to protect you anymore. What will happen if Minwoo comes back then? Think about it carefully.

Just imagining Minwoo coming back made her whole body shiver. Yuri, who had stopped in her tracks, took out her phone with trembling hands.

Sigh, why…

She let out a small sigh as she pressed the call button.

Why do I look for him whenever things get tough?

The dial tone sounded, and the call connected immediately.

[Where are you?]

He asked quietly before she could even speak.

The moment she heard Jeho’s voice, her emotions welled up and her hand gripping the phone tightened.

“I know it’s too late but…”

Yuri steadied her trembling voice and slowly spoke.

“That dinner offer from earlier… Is it still valid?”

[Of course.]

Even knowing it was an act, Yuri wanted to just sit down right there at the other’s gentle voice. She wanted to put down all the heavy burdens on her shoulders and pretend not to know even though she knew, just to be fooled. But…

The reality unfolding before her was too complicated for that.

[This is the timeline separator]

“Of course.”

Yuri had no idea that Jeho was following behind her at a distance.

He had been secretly following her since she left the Gapyeong villa. He thought she would be driven home, but suddenly the car stopped and Yuri got out.

He was taken aback for a moment, but fortunately there was a parking lot right next to it. He quickly parked the car and ran around looking for Yuri. Not long after, he found Yuri walking alone and had been following her ever since.

“I’ll come pick you up now. Tell me your location.”

She started looking around as if she didn’t even know where she was. It was because she had been walking aimlessly, lost in thought.

What on earth did Uncle say to make her look so dazed?

It probably wasn’t because of the incident Minwoo caused in Paris. It hasn’t even been confirmed that he’s the culprit yet, so it might cause trouble later if he says something carelessly. For now, he needs to just watch quietly.

[I’m near Gwanghwamun Square. If you go into the alley behind Sejong Center for the Performing Arts…]

Finally, Yuri, who had been looking around, told him her location.

[There’s a coffee shop called ‘Bitter Moon’ right in front. I’ll wait there.]

“Okay. I’ll be right there.”

He couldn’t follow her in right away, so he lingered outside for about 10 minutes before going in. But even that was quite quick, so Yuri looked at Jeho with a surprised face.

“Were you nearby?”

Jeho nodded and sat down across from her.

“What were you doing without having dinner until this hour?”

“What about you, Jeho? What were you doing without having dinner yet?”

“Well… It just turned out that way.”

Jeho chuckled and looked around as if searching for someone as he asked.

“Didn’t you say you had plans with Hyunkyung?”

“…Ah, that.”

Yuri hesitated to answer and turned her gaze to the mug placed in front of her.

“I mixed up the dates. My dinner plans with Hyunkyung are next week. So I was about to call you again…”

It seems lying becomes more skillful the more you do it. Yuri was only surprised at herself for smoothly telling lies.

But she wasn’t sure if she should hide the fact that she met Director Kwon or just reveal it. Yuri fell into contemplation as she looked down at the coffee that had already gone cold.

After hesitating for a moment, she finally opened her mouth.

“I suddenly got a call from an unexpected place.”

Instead of asking who called, Jeho just looked at Yuri.

“It was Director Kwon Woosik.”

Raising her head from the mug, Yuri looked at Jeho and continued speaking.

“He said he had something urgent to talk about and asked to meet, so I’m on my way back from seeing him.”