People at Narae Creative knew that Bo Mi had a child, but employees of Dowon Distribution and Hwangdo Resort were excited to hear this news for the first time.

Bo Mi didn’t intend to hide Yeo Reum’s existence, but she was annoyed that Ga Young had spoken in front of everyone without even asking for her opinion.

“Representative Han has a child?”

“So you’re married. Well, it would be unrealistic for someone with that appearance to be single.”

“I’m shocked… You were a mother?”

“Is it perhaps Ha Su Young’s child?”

People started whispering among themselves. Bo Mi frowned and pretended not to hear.

“He’s six years old.”

“I see. That’s such a cute age. You know you shouldn’t be going out to men’s homes at night, right?”

Especially when that man is someone else’s fiancé.

Ga Young shot Bo Mi an intense look. As she left the office, Ga Young called Chairman Hwang Min Jun’s house.

The housekeeper Kangwon, who had been taking care of household affairs for a long time, answered the phone in a loud voice.

“Oh, auntie. It’s Ga Young.”

-Young lady. What’s the matter?

“Five years ago… Have you ever seen Han Bo Mi?”

-Pardon? Five years ago, when Bo Mi was hospitalized?

“Yes. Do you remember which hospital by any chance?”

-It was Dowon Obstetrics and Gynecology.

“Ah, right! It was an obstetrics clinic!”

Ga Young reacted exaggeratedly, pretending to know. She wanted to draw out a little more information.

“But why was she admitted to an obstetrics clinic?”

-Ah… well…

“Did uncle tell you not to say? I guess it’s understandable when an unmarried woman gets pregnant?”

-You knew about it too, young lady?

Feeling relieved that Ga Young also knew, the housekeeper’s voice rose in tone.

-The chairman strictly forbade us from telling anyone outside. I think there was even talk of an abortion…

“How much does uncle love me? You know he treats me like his own daughter. There are no secrets from me.”

Ga Young hung up the phone with a triumphant smile.

So she ran away to have the child and didn’t contact us for over 5 years. Because if uncle caught her, he would make her get rid of the child.

In Ga Young’s estimation, there was only one person who could be the child’s father.

“Oppa! This is really delicious.”

Ga Young smiled brightly at Ga Jin sitting across from her at the restaurant and asked.

“So you saw that child?”

“Yes. He’s cuter than I expected. He seems to resemble Han Bo Mi.”

Ga Jin didn’t want to admit that Bo Mi’s child resembled Do Jae Kyung, even if it killed him.

Han Bo Mi and Do Jae Kyung! Damn. What a terrible combination!

“So who’s the child’s father?”

Ga Young was desperate to get as much information as possible from Ga Jin.

“It seems there’s no father. Bo Mi says she’s married, but…”

Ga Jin smiled unconsciously, remembering Bo Mi’s cunningness that day.

“The child doesn’t seem to know his father.”

“Hmm… As I thought.”

My guess was right.

Ga Young smiled happily as she cut the meat.

“I think I know who the child’s father is!”

“Wow, really? You noticed too?”

Ga Jin couldn’t understand why Ga Young was in such a good mood. After all, it could be his fiancé’s hidden child…

Whether it was Do Jae Kyung or a man who resembled him, either way, it wasn’t a pleasant situation for Ga Jin.

“So you knew too, oppa? Does he resemble him?”

Ga Young asked excitedly in a thrilled voice.

“Huh? They look extremely alike. But we’d have to do a paternity test to be sure, right?”

“They say blood doesn’t lie.”

“It’s just that there doesn’t seem to be much of a connection between those two.”

“Oppa!”

Ga Young thought Ga Jin didn’t want to acknowledge the child’s father because he wanted to marry Bo Mi himself.

“You’ve been covering for her all this time. Will the truth be easily hidden?”

“Well, that may be true. But just because there’s a child doesn’t mean they’ll necessarily end up together. It could be a past relationship.”

“Oh please! How could those two end up together? How dare that penniless girl.”

After thoroughly finishing her dessert, Ga Young carefully wiped her mouth with a napkin.

“I ate well.”

Now that she had confirmation from Ga Jin, Ga Young had only one thing left to do.

“Hey! If I treated you to a meal, you should grant my request too.”

Ga Jin grabbed Ga Young as she was about to get up.

“What do you want to ask?”

“Set up one more meeting for me with Bo Mi.”

So that’s why you readily bought me an expensive lunch. Ga Young frowned, clicking her tongue.

That girl is busy flirting with Do Jae Kyung right now, and you don’t even know…

Just wait until the child’s father is revealed. Do Jae Kyung will run away screaming. By the way, if the child’s father is revealed, won’t that mess up the family tree with Yeon Ga Jin?

Ah! I don’t know.

“You figure it out, oppa. I set up a meeting, but who missed it!”

“What could I do when Han Bo Mi was already gone by the time I went to the sushi restaurant?”

He clutched his head as if just thinking about it made him angry. Who could understand the despair and emptiness of going somewhere with all sorts of expectations only to find the prey gone?

“Sigh… Oppa. Do you know who took her that day?”

“Who?”

Ah… I feel so sorry for my oppa, even though he’s my brother. Ga Young looked at Ga Jin with downcast eyes.

“I think she spent that night at Do Jae Kyung’s penthouse. There’s a witness who saw her coming down from the private elevator at dawn.”

“What! Really?”

Was the child’s father really Do Jae Kyung? Ga Jin jumped up from his seat. Bo Mi had denied it, but Ga Jin still felt uneasy about something.

What exactly happened between those two several years ago?

The death of Do Jae Kyung’s father, Do Won Il, was famously reported as an accident where he fell off a cliff with his mistress. There were even rumors of a double suicide.

As a result, Jae Kyung extremely abhorred causing scandals over women issues. He avoided women to the point where one might suspect he was obsessive-compulsive or had sexual dysfunction.

It was unimaginable that such a Do Jae Kyung would have fathered a kindergarten-aged child with a woman.

“Isn’t it really outrageous?”

Ga Young sought agreement from Ga Jin, but Ga Jin gave no answer.

Did he get shocked? Ga Young glanced at Ga Jin and shook her head.

Secretly giving birth to uncle’s child despite his opposition… and then shamelessly flirting with Do Jae Kyung? Not as long as I know about it.

There wasn’t a single thing I liked about her from before. If she had just listened well when uncle was sponsoring her and married decently somewhere, her life would have been set… She was either stupid or didn’t know how to do things in moderation.

She studied hard to receive scholarships and attended university, making herself comparable to me.

That dirty, greedy, tenacious girl.

She probably tried to use the child as an excuse to marry uncle and climb the social ladder, but failed and ended up raising the child alone.

It would all be over if Do Jae Kyung just knew these facts.

Ga Young smiled victoriously and rushed to the executive director’s office to find Jae Kyung.

[This is the timeline separator]

Jae Kyung was on his way back from surveying the resort and outlet mall construction site in Nasan City.

The Paradisus project augmented reality team was also scheduled to conduct a local survey before the opening.

Secretary Kim was sitting in the front seat explaining the next schedule.

Jae Kyung, who had been listening to Secretary Kim’s story while flipping through the tablet screen with one hand, suddenly lifted his head.

Secretary Kim’s voice trembled as if he suddenly became nervous.

“And the acquisition of the electric vehicle battery production plant you mentioned before seems to be going well as planned. The recall products also seem to be on schedule without any issues.”

“Good work.”

Secretary Kim exhaled in relief at Jae Kyung’s voice, which was no different from usual.

His boss was flawless in his work and perfect in every aspect, but he was a difficult person to get close to.

Even after working together for 5 years, he still maintained a measured distance as if drawn with a ruler. And while he possessed looks that would make people turn their heads, his tone was as cold as a winter wind.

Because of his prickly personality that put up walls against people, his own role in the middle was very important.

Chairman Hwang Min Jun, Vice Chairman Lee Hae Young, Executive Director Do Jae Kyung. Among the three lines that would lead the company, Secretary Kim was Do Jae Kyung’s man. He desperately hoped that the lifeline he had grabbed would be a golden one.

Even if he swore to support Do Jae Kyung’s victory in this war to the best of his ability, it wouldn’t change the amount deposited in a salaried worker’s bank account.

Anyway, doesn’t the secretary have a hunch that Jae Kyung seems to have something to say?

“By the way…”

As expected, that’s how it is.

“About the merger and acquisition…”

“Yes…”

“Where should we start?”

“Of course, with researching data on the company. Financial status, relationships with surrounding companies…”

“I suppose so.”

Jae Kyung rested his chin on the back of his hand and looked out the window.

Wow. Our director looks like he’s in a photo shoot.

Secretary Kim, who was looking at Jae Kyung as if his neck would twist backwards, smiled contentedly.

“By the way.”

Is the director talkative today because we’ve gotten a bit closer?

“I’d like to get some data on Narae Communication’s CEO Han Bo Mi.”

“Uh… The company overview is uploaded to the database, isn’t it?”

Secretary Kim thought that Jae Kyung might be trying to swallow up Narae Creative into Dowon with this sudden talk.

“… To be honest, Narae Creative needs proper management consulting. They have the technology but aren’t utilizing it properly.”

Jae Kyung stroked his lips and leaned back deeply in his chair, tilting his head back.

Uh… Is this not the answer you wanted?

“Are you planning to merge?”

“It’s not like that. I want to know the data on the executives, not the company, just in case.”

Jae Kyung wasn’t particularly keen on investigating someone for personal emotions other than Hae Young’s work. He recalled Han Bo Mi’s tightly closed lips like a clam. Jae Kyung’s questions were fervently deflected as if hitting a reflector…

“That’s right. Know yourself, know your enemy, and you’ll win every battle.”

“Yeah. I thought I should know something if I want to approach them.”

That woman Han Bo Mi keeps running away.

Showing that I’m dying to catch her would be losing this hunt.

‘What would you do if I pounced on you like this?’

He felt like he would melt at the seductive voice tempting him.

‘Won Il.’

The name he heard after their lips met, at the moment his heart was swelling with the fact that he had connected with her, was not his own.

In the woman’s eyes, it’s not me but you she sees.

If only I had pretended not to know and embraced her as if I were him… That damn pride ultimately prevented me from doing anything.

I wanted to know. What had happened in her past, and where was the man she longed for so desperately.

Is there no way for Han Bo Mi’s eyes to contain me instead of that bastard?

“Haah.”

Secretary Kim flinched as if startled by Jae Kyung’s sigh. Had he done something to upset him again?

“Then I’ll prepare Ha Su Young’s data as well.”

“Do as you see fit.”

He only needed Bo Mi’s data, but he didn’t want to let the secretary know he was interested in Han Bo Mi.

“By the way, Team Leader Yeon Ga Young wants to meet you.”

“I don’t have time.”

“I see…”

Again, it would be the one in the middle who gets crushed. He sighed.

“She says 5 minutes would be enough. She has something she must tell you in person…”

Jae Kyung glanced down at his watch.

5 minutes… Time is such a strange thing. 5 minutes that feel too short with some people feel like a waste with others.

The image of his grandmother scolding him flashed through his mind.

It’s an important time, so I should avoid troublesome things.

“Alright. Set aside 5 minutes appropriately. Without disrupting the schedule.”

“Yes! Thank you.”

Secretary Kim felt like he could cry.

He didn’t know that Jae Kyung, who handled everything businesslike unless he had someone he loved, would dislike a political marriage this much.

Thanks to this, it was Secretary Kim who got crushed between Hae Young and Ga Young. He wanted to beg Jae Kyung to please meet with Team Leader Yeon Ga Young.

Uh… Could it be? Maybe? Is there someone?

“Director, are you dating someone?”

Jae Kyung’s brow furrowed.

“Secretary Kim. Do I look like I have that luxury?”

“Ah… No, sir.”

Secretary Kim realized he had crossed a line, foolishly excited because Jae Kyung was talkative today.

“I overstepped. I apologize.”

Secretary Kim took out his phone and started writing in his memo list.

A message came in with a beep.

“Oh my.”

Secretary Kim unconsciously covered his mouth and made a sound.

“It’s about CEO Han Bo Mi and CEO Ha Su Young that I requested information on earlier.”

Jae Kyung’s ears suddenly perked up at Bo Mi’s name.

“Ah… It’s just a scandal anyway, I’m sorry.”

Secretary Kim trailed off, afraid he might get scolded for leaking unconfirmed information.

“Secretary Kim.”

As expected, frost flew from the low, gravelly voice.

“Finish what you were saying.”

He reacted sensitively whenever Han Bo Mi’s name came up.

Even though he had already been rejected once, it didn’t matter much.

Even though she was a woman who mistook him for another man, he thought it was rather fortunate that he resembled that man.

The thought of her rubbing lips with another guy made his blood boil.

“Ah… Yes… I’m sorry.”

Secretary Kim regretted bringing it up, but it was too late now.

“It’s a message sent by a Dowon Distribution marketing team employee working on the augmented reality team.”

As Secretary Kim hesitated, drawing out the suspense, Jae Kyung rarely felt impatient. What on earth happened?

“Apparently CEO Han Bo Mi has a child, and the child’s father is CEO Ha Su Young. I thought they were both single… Could they be in a de facto marriage?”

“…”

“I thought they were just a campus couple, but to think they’ve already formed a family… We should congratulate them when we get back to headquarters.”

Secretary Kim said with a silly laugh. For a moment, Jae Kyung felt dizzy and felt like his whole body was plummeting into an abyss.