‘He said he was my dad!’

‘That man is not your dad. So don’t contact him!’

‘Why….. Why are you preventing me from meeting Yeo Reum’s dad? He finally came to find us.’

Large tears welled up in Yeo Reum’s big eyes and flowed down. Bo Mi’s heart collapsed. She knew the end of her growing feelings.

The moment the meaningless hope burst like a balloon, Jae Kyung would remain as a wound for Bo Mi and Yeo Reum.

Bo Mi’s heart ached, but she had to be firm. This was the way for everyone’s sake.

‘Mi Rae, if you lend your phone to Yeo Reum one more time, I’ll send you back to Garam City.’

‘Uh….. elder sister.’

Caught in the crossfire, Mi Rae made a sullen face. Yeo Reum couldn’t throw any more tantrums at Bo Mi and just went into his room with a gloomy face, fiddling with his Gigatron robot toy.

Ah….. What should I do about Yeo Reum?

Bo Mi thought it was an opportunity to be alone with Jae Kyung to review the project presentation materials.

‘Don’t worry about me or Yeo Reum.’

She had been trying to push away Jae Kyung, who only threw straight balls at Bo Mi, by treating him coldly…..

‘Don’t talk to me or interfere with anything other than work relationships.’

She had said such things, yet now she had a personal favor to ask of Jae Kyung.

Bo Mi sighed heavily, lightly hitting her head against the monitor.

“CEO Han Bo Mi.”

As Su Young, standing next to Bo Mi, touched her mouse, Bo Mi raised her head.

As the monitor brightened, Su Young clicked on the link he had sent, and a portal site popped up.

“Did you see this? It’s an article that came out today.”

Bo Mi’s gaze followed the tip of Su Young’s finger.

[K Party Representative S Congressman’s Second Son Illegally Films Patient Without Consent, Distributes Video.]

K Party Representative S Congressman’s second son, Congressman Shim Young Chul….. Bo Mi blinked at the initials she recognized.

“Did you know that Congressman Shim Young Chul’s second son is an obstetrician?”

“Ah….. yes.”

It was information she couldn’t have missed after seeing the line.

“Apparently he’s been illegally filming patients and leaking them to illegal sites all this time.”

Shim Hae Jun. It was the story of that terrifyingly scary man.

“He’s been arrested.”

Bo Mi muttered as she read the article.

“Don’t you think this will become a big political issue?”

Su Young continued, crossing his arms.

“Something of this magnitude could have been covered up, but seeing how hard they’ve hit with the article coming out immediately and almost specifically identifying him, it seems like someone wants to explicitly shame him, or there’s a huge political issue they’re trying to hide.”

“Surely not…..”

“Don’t you know that scandals are usually smoke screens to cover up issues in the business and political world?”

To think that the man Bo Mi had met for a blind date was such a frightening person. Bo Mi shuddered, rubbing her arms.

“Moreover, I hear his divorced wives are all preparing to sue for domestic violence. Sigh….. Such a guy really shouldn’t be out in society.”

“…..”

Bo Mi let out a sigh of relief, thinking it was incredibly fortunate that Jae Kyung and Yeo Reum had appeared yesterday.

“He must have greatly offended someone powerful. Someone of Congressman Shim Young Chul’s level could have blocked something like this.”

Bo Mi had been worried that Hae Jun might harm Jae Kyung, but now she felt relieved in a way that he had been arrested.

“Shall we go eat lunch?”

Su Young lightly touched his finger to Bo Mi’s pale cheek.

“Huh? Oh. Sure.”

Bo Mi pulled her face away and stood up on the opposite side of Su Young. Su Young’s hand, now awkward, went into his pocket.

“It’s already lunchtime.”

“What should we eat today?”

There were quite a few restaurants near the company, but when they didn’t feel like choosing a menu, they often went to the company cafeteria.

“Let’s just go to the company cafeteria.”

“You’ve gotten lazy again, huh.”

“Well….. yeah.”

Bo Mi and Su Young stepped out into the hallway towards the elevator.

“Wow….. Director. You look cool today too.”

At someone’s words among the employees in the hallway, Bo Mi’s gaze stopped in front of the elevator. Jae Kyung was walking, leading his secretaries and bodyguards.

Jae Kyung, who had been talking seriously with Secretary Kim, raised his head.

For a moment, Jae Kyung and Bo Mi’s eyes met. The surrounding air settled slowly and heavily as if soaked in water, making her heart race.

That fleeting moment seemed to last long, etching itself into Bo Mi’s mind. A neat and clean face with obsidian-like black eyes and a high, straight nose bridge.

If only they could fully look at each other like this for just a moment longer…..

Whose wish was that?

As if everything had been Bo Mi’s imagination, Jae Kyung’s gaze left Bo Mi as if nothing had happened.

“Han Bo Mi.”

“…..”

“Hey. Bo Mi?”

“Oh….. yeah.”

Again. If it wasn’t Bo Mi’s imagination, he was perfectly ignoring her. It would be understandable for him to be angry after being pushed away like that, no matter how nice a person he was.

From the beginning, there weren’t many chances to work directly with Jae Kyung, so it wasn’t easy to run into him.

I don’t like this feeling. What is this after telling him to cut off interest?

She was so disappointed in herself for gradually becoming filled with thoughts of Do Jae Kyung rather than Paradise.

“Bo Mi. Let’s get on the elevator.”

Su Young thought Bo Mi had been spacing out frequently these days.

Is she okay? Is she worried because of what Mi Rae asked? I heard it’s supposed to be a secret from Bo Mi for now…..

A few days ago, Su Young had a phone call with Mi Rae after a long time. Having a long history with Bo Mi, Su Young was also on good terms with Mi Rae. When they visited Garam City, they had gone together, and they had also helped with Bo Mi’s move together.

‘I wish a kind man like Su Young oppa was elder sister Bo Mi’s boyfriend…..’

Perhaps because she had said such things, Su Young found Mi Rae very adorable.

‘I did consult with elder sister too….. But elder sister is a bit stubborn….. It’s partly my fault too. Sigh….. So oppa. Please do me a favor.’

The story Mi Rae hesitantly brought up was shocking to Su Young as well.

For little Yeo Reum to….. Yeo Reum, whom he had watched since he was a baby, was precious to Su Young too.

If this went well, there might even be progress in his relationship with Bo Mi.

Although he couldn’t tell Bo Mi yet, Su Young smiled, imagining her and Yeo Reum’s happy faces when they found out.

[This is the timeline separator]

Bo Mi fidgeted with her overlapped fingers, looking a bit troubled. It was time to go report to the director’s office, but Team Leader Yeon Ga Young didn’t seem to have any intention of giving approval, unsatisfied with something.

“Sigh….. I really don’t know what you’ve changed.”

Ga Young tapped the screen with her nails, making a clicking sound.

“You call yourself an expert, but who do you think will understand if you make a presentation like this? Do you plan to just ramble on and come down?”

“If you could tell me more clearly which points to revise…”

Bo Mi recalled that there wasn’t much time left until the presentation.

“Do I have to spoon-feed you everything? CEO Han Bo Mi. These days, any dog or cow can become a CEO…..”

“That’s going too far.”

“Did I say anything wrong? It’s just a company your college friends made while hanging out, probably created haphazardly through connections.”

“Team Leader Yeon Ga Young. Please stop the personal attacks and point out the exact problems. Any further revisions will just waste time.”

Starting from the font, then moving on to formatting and colors, she had been nitpicking every little thing, and now she was even picking on Nare Creative. Bo Mi couldn’t take it anymore.

“Are you saying I’m deliberately criticizing? CEO Han Bo Mi, you’re really mean-spirited.”

“…. The director said he would do the final review of the presentation materials, so I need to go submit them.”

Bo Mi didn’t want to fight with Ga Young and tried to change the subject.

“Oh my? The director himself?”

“Yes. I heard he would review it personally.”

Ga Young tapped the desk with her nails, then smiled brightly.

“Alright. Good job. It’s not bad in its own way.”

Bo Mi was bewildered by Ga Young’s suddenly changed attitude.

“Come to think of it, you’ve fixed it well. So I’ll show this to him directly. Understood?”

“You want me to….”

Ga Young’s eyes flashed sharply.

“I’ll go, so CEO Han Bo Mi should just wait for the results at your desk.”

At this time when their relationship was strained, it would be better for her to take it rather than CEO Han Bo Mi. Yeon Ga Young, a woman who knows how to seize an opportunity! How cool.

Ga Young smiled as she gathered the file and tablet and headed to the director’s office.

Bo Mi bit her lip as she watched Ga Young’s excited back as she walked away.

There was something she had to say when she met Jae Kyung…..

She didn’t have the courage to call out to Do Jae Kyung, who was cold in front of others.

“Sigh….. What should I do.”

Bo Mi lightly brushed her empty nape and sighed.

The story she heard from Mi Rae a few days ago kept spinning in her head.

‘Elder sister….. Couldn’t we contact Jae Kyung oppa? Yeo Reum is so down….’

It was the night Yeo Reum had indigestion, threw up all his dinner, and fell asleep with a low fever. Was it really because of Do Jae Kyung? The child had been looking weak and lethargic for the past few days.

‘No. That person was never meant to be with us. He’s not even the real dad, and if Yeo Reum opens his heart like this and that person gets married, what about Yeo Reum’s hurt feelings?’

‘He could marry you, elder sister. If you’re so worried, wouldn’t it be better to try seducing him for Yeo Reum’s sake?’

Mi Rae’s eyes sparkled as she pressed close to Bo Mi.

‘The director has someone he’s engaged to. Representative Hwang Min Jun’s niece….’

‘What? What? Does he have a woman but is trying to have an affair with you? I didn’t think Jae Kyung oppa was like that, he’s become useless.’

‘It’s not an affair or anything like that. Director Do Jae Kyung and I are just nothing to each other.’

Bo Mi corrected Mi Rae’s words with a serious expression.

‘Then what should we do. This is a big problem….’

Mi Rae spoke with a troubled expression.

‘Actually, I think there might be a problem with Yeo Reum at the daycare. That might be why he’s been having indigestion more often lately….’

‘What? What kind of problem?’

‘Oh no….. My mouth ran away with me. I’m really really sorry, elder sister.’

Mi Rae put her hands together in prayer and started begging profusely.

‘What’s wrong? What is it?’

‘This morning when I took Yeo Reum, I was invited to the mothers’ gathering. I thought it would be good for Yeo Reum if I became friends with the mothers too….’

It was an unfamiliar neighborhood for both Mi Rae and Bo Mi. They thought it wouldn’t hurt to become friends with the mothers who had been in this neighborhood for a long time.

‘When they asked about Yeo Reum’s dad…. I ended up saying I had the child without a dad.’

‘What?’

Bo Mi wasn’t ashamed of having given birth to and raised Yeo Reum alone without Nakwon.

But it was a neighborhood with many people working at Dowon Group or the Dowon Foundation. As a closed group, it wouldn’t be good for such stories to spread.

‘I went earlier than usual to surprise him, so I went secretly…. But the kids were saying such mean things….’

Tears welled up in Mi Rae’s eyes.

‘They said your mom is a bad person for being an unwed mother and you’re pitiful for not having a dad….’

‘What? Are you saying Yeo Reum is being bullied?’

Bo Mi recalled her own childhood when she was teased for not having a father. Her heart ached as if it was being torn apart, feeling like she was passing on the pain she had experienced to Yeo Reum.