As Geon Hak raised the corner of his mouth languidly and spoke, Jae Yi’s heart swelled.

Jae Yi smiled with her eyes at the praise from Cha Geon Hak, the person she wanted to impress the most today, of all people.

“Thank you, Executive Director.”

His gaze lingered openly on her eye smile. It was the same smile she had when sitting on the bench earlier.

Again, she smiles like that.

She was sitting in the passenger seat, fastening her seatbelt with an excited face.

“Is there any particular food you’d like to eat?”

“Anything is fine with me, Executive Director.”

“Saying everything is fine is actually the hardest thing to say.”

“Ah, is that so? Then, what would be good?”

As Jae Yi fell into thought while gently rubbing her small chin, Geon Hak chuckled and gripped the steering wheel.

“We’ll depart now, so think it over slowly and let me know.”

“Yes, Executive Director.”

As they slowly exited the underground parking lot, outside the rain was pouring down heavily as if the sky had been punctured.

The sound of rain when alone at home somehow felt lonely, but the sound of rain she was hearing with him now was so pleasant to listen to.

Even in this moment of pondering what to eat for dinner, Jae Yi’s heart was overflowing.

Jae Yi glanced at his side profile. The sharp jawline and high nose bridge. The lips exuding masculinity. Come to think of it, the slightly upturned corners of the Executive Director’s mouth were even more charming.

Looking at each feature, he’s so handsome.

“Have you decided?”

As their gazes met directly, Jae Yi’s small ears turned bright red as if they were about to burn up from secretly stealing glances at Geon Hak’s face.

“What kind of food were you thinking of that made your face turn so red?”

Ah, that’s right.

She was supposed to choose food to eat with the Executive Director, but she had completely forgotten, entranced by his handsome face.

Seeing a large pasta restaurant across the street, Jae Yi hurriedly spoke.

“Executive Director, how about pasta?”

“That sounds good. Let’s go with pasta then.”

Phew. What a relief.

Jae Yi let out a sigh of relief internally. A smile spread across her face without her realizing.

This moment might be the happiest moment in Jae Yi’s life. She, who was once outside of anyone’s interest, was now receiving everyone’s attention, and on top of that, even got invited to dinner at the Executive Director’s home.

“Let’s stop by the department store briefly and pick up a bottle of wine.”

“Yes, Executive Director.”

* * *

Cha Myeong Department Store

As Geon Hak moved familiarly towards the wine section, Jae Yi followed behind him.

“Director Cha?”

The steps of the two about to go up the escalator stopped and Geon Hak’s head turned. A middle-aged woman looked at Geon Hak with a kind smile.

“What a pleasant surprise to see Director Cha here.”

“Chairman Yoon.”

“Running into you at this hour, it seems the dream I had last night was a good one.”

As Geon Hak gazed at Jae Yi, she nodded her head gently as if to say it was alright and quickly stepped aside.

Jae Yi watched Geon Hak from a short distance away.

“The Executive Director seems to know people wherever he goes.”

Jae Yi muttered softly. She had a feeling their conversation would drag on.

Feeling awkward just standing there, Jae Yi moved her feet.

Her gaze was soon drawn to some strangely shaped crystal glasses.

“Should I buy a gift?”

Feeling bad about going to his house empty-handed, she entered the store. There were glasses made in various designs.

Among them, a pitch-black mug caught her eye. The chic yet calm style seemed to resemble Executive Director Cha Geon Hak.

As Jae Yi smiled while looking at the black mug, a department store employee approached her side.

“This is a new product from a high-end luxury brand. It’s our best-selling item in the store.”

“Then, could you wrap this one for me please?”

“Yes, certainly.”

Although it was quite expensive as a new product, she didn’t mind at all since it was a gift for him.

“The wrapping is complete.”

At the employee’s words, Jae Yi took out her wallet from her purse and pulled out her debit card. As the card was swiped and the receipt printed, the employee handed over the wrapped shopping bag.

“Thank you.”

A smile spread across Jae Yi’s face, pleased with the shopping bag in her hand. I hope the Executive Director likes it.

Jae Yi moved her feet while looking at the shopping bag.

Thud!

Her body staggered as she properly collided with a woman talking on the phone in front of her.

“Ah, sh-”

The woman glared at Jae Yi with a sharp curse, despite being the one who bumped into her first. The woman’s eyes began to widen as she looked at Jae Yi.

“…You.”

Jae Yi quickly bowed her head deeply.

“Han… Jae Yi?”

Then, as if her body reacted first, Jae Yi hurriedly turned around. The woman’s sharp voice burst out from behind her.

“Hey, Han Jae Yi!”

Though her name flowed from behind, Jae Yi did not stop walking.

Jae Yi moved her steps quickly. Even as her ankles wobbled from the fast pace, she did not stop walking.

She had to escape from her.

Don’t get caught… I absolutely can’t get caught.

Thud―

As Jae Yi turned the corner and bumped into a man in front of her, her steps halted.

“Miss Han Jae Yi.”

Jae Yi’s head slowly lifted.

“Haa.”

A sigh of relief flowed from Jae Yi’s lips just from him appearing in front of her. Geon Hak’s brow naturally furrowed at the sight of Han Jae Yi full of fear.

Above all, she looked like she was about to burst into tears at any moment.

“Did something happen?”

“Exe…cutive Director…”

Geon Hak narrowed his brow. Her eyes were filled with tears.

“Is it an awkward situation?”

“…”

“Can I help you?”

At Geon Hak’s question, Jae Yi’s head slowly nodded and the tears pooled in her eyes fell.

At that moment, a deep musk scent spread over Jae Yi’s head and her vision darkened. Cha Geon Hak’s jacket covered Jae Yi’s head.

“Let’s go.”

He grabbed Jae Yi’s shoulder and moved his steps.

Her legs kept losing strength and staggered several times.

Thump, thump, thump. Her pounding heart was almost painful.

“Damn it, it was definitely Han Jae Yi. Where the hell did she disappear to?”

A voice heard right next to her.

Park Ga Yeon’s voice.

The person who was once an elder sister to Jae Yi. The person who made Jae Yi’s childhood the most miserable.

‘Sister, please don’t do this…’

‘Your begging just makes me want to torment you more, Jae Yi.’

The person who pushed Jae Yi around as she pleased and bullied her whenever she felt like it.

Park Tae In’s older sister and someone who was briefly ‘family’.

* * *

“Are you feeling a bit better now?”

“Yes…”

She didn’t cry even when bad rumors about her spread around the company, even when everyone cursed at her, but now she was shedding tears.

Seeing her look like she was about to crumble at any moment, his body moved on its own.

His only thought was that he needed to get this woman out of here as soon as possible. Though she was trembling in fear, Geon Hak looked curiously at the shopping bag she was still tightly gripping.

“What’s that in your hand? It seems you managed to hold onto it even while shaking.”

“Ah, ah.”

Jae Yi carefully handed it to Geon Hak.

“It’s a gift for you, Executive Director.”

“A gift?”

“Yes. You invited me to your home, so I felt bad coming empty-handed. It’s a gift from me to you, Executive Director.”

“May I open it?”

“Yes.”

Jae Yi nodded. He opened the shopping bag and took out the box inside.

“How strange.”

“Pardon?”

“It seems the trend these days is for handles to be half-detached when they come out.”

At his puzzling words, Jae Yi turned her head to look. The handle of the product that was fine just moments ago was now cut in half. She recalled the shopping bag hitting a pillar as she frantically fled.

Ah, it must have broken then.

“If you give it back to me, I’ll exchange it for a new one.”

“That’s alright.”

“What? No, please give it to me, Executive Director.”

As a flustered Jae Yi tried to snatch the box back, not knowing what to do, Geon Hak’s eyes curved into half-moons.

“It’s fine. I think this is actually more comfortable, so I’ll just use it as is.”

“But it’ll be inconvenient.”

“It’s fine. Ah, looking at it again, there’s a chip too. It seems to have become a one-of-a-kind mug. Well, it’s different and nice.”

Jae Yi felt grateful yet sorry for Cha Geon Hak’s positive response.

He smiled while holding the terribly damaged mug. As if he was protecting her despite seeing her own terrible state.

Geon Hak tried to change the mood, even making jokes he normally wouldn’t to comfort Jae Yi. She gradually regained her composure thanks to his efforts.

Geon Hak smiled quite tenderly, his eyes crinkling.

“Thank you for the gift. I’ll use it well.”

“Yes, Executive Director.”

A smile spread across Han Jae Yi’s lips, who earlier had been trembling with a deathly pale face as if about to faint. Though her complexion was much better than before, the image of her trembling in fear lingered in his mind.

The exact same situation as back then.

Just who was that woman that she was searching so desperately for Han Jae Yi?

Geon Hak recalled the earlier situation.

* * *

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen Chairman Yoon Yi Young. I was thinking of arranging a meal together with you and Chairman Kim at a breakfast meeting, but I heard you’ve been busy with business lately.”

“No matter how busy I am, how could I miss a meal with Director Cha? Chairman Kim met with Director Cha alone without telling me.”

Geon Hak said with a smile.

“Did you come shopping with Ri Na?”

“That girl may be my daughter, but she would never come to a place like this with me. By the way, who is that woman you came with? She was pretty.”

“She’s an employee at our company.”

“A company employee? But you’re meeting privately like this? It seems Director Cha must like this woman quite a bit.”

“That’s not the case.”

At his firm tone, Chairman Yoon Yi Young smiled with her eyes, the wrinkles around them looking elegant.

“Oh come now. Would Director Cha bring just any woman? Come to think of it, I may have interrupted the two of you unnecessarily. Don’t mind me and hurry along now. It was nice to see you after so long, Director Cha.”

Geon Hak bowed his head in greeting.

“Then, I’ll be going now.”

He strode off to find Han Jae Yi.

His gaze turned to her smiling while staring intently at a mug.

She was smiling at just a single mug. Was she always someone who smiled so easily?

As she smiled happily while looking at the mug, a smile spread across Geon Hak’s face as well as he watched her from afar. For some reason, he only wanted to see the smile on her face a little longer.

Jae Yi, who had finished paying, came out holding the shopping bag and Geon Hak started walking as well. But he stopped again.

“Han… Jae Yi?”

Jae Yi’s face turned pale as she quickly moved, ignoring the woman calling her name.

“It was definitely Han Jae Yi…”

Geon Hak stared at the woman who had called Han Jae Yi’s name before hurriedly turning to follow Jae Yi.

If he had turned the other way, they would have surely met in the center, so he hurried as well.

Found her.

Seeing her with a deathly pale face, Geon Hak approached her.

His body moved on its own as he quickly took off his jacket and covered Jae Yi’s head with it. Geon Hak’s only thought was that he needed to safely get Han Jae Yi out.

The woman in question approached Geon Hak’s side. As he was moving while gripping Han Jae Yi’s shoulder, he pulled her into his arms.

It was an unconscious action.

“Damn it, it was definitely Han Jae Yi. Where the hell did she disappear to?”

As his gaze met that of the woman searching for Han Jae Yi, Geon Hak looked at her face with a cold gaze and moved on.

* * *

Geon Hak’s sedan, which he drove skillfully, entered a large garage.

Jae Yi, who had finally entered his home, unfastened her seatbelt and got out of the car.

Jae Yi looked around the large garage. Besides the car she had just gotten out of, various types of imported cars could be seen in the large garage.

Collecting cars must be his hobby. She felt like she had learned one more thing about him that others didn’t know.

Geon Hak, who had gotten out holding the gift Jae Yi gave him, pressed a switch and with a clunking sound, the wall began to move like a door.

Surprised, Jae Yi blinked her eyelids as he spoke with his eyes gently crinkled.

“Well then, shall we go inside?”