With no defense, So Yeon, a culpable sinner, couldn’t face Tae Seo Jun and fled the room.

Hurriedly leaving the cocktail bar, she found herself running through the hotel lobby.

Her blurry eyes now held a deep despair, tears of chaos and misery streaming down as she hurriedly descended the emergency stairs.

“Look over there!”

“Isn’t that So Yeon?”

“What? The actress So Yeon?”

“Where…?”

It was more unusual not to recognize So Yeon, who garnered more attention than the lead actors in a drama smashing viewership records each broadcast. Caught in the gaze of the hotel staff, So Yeon had no choice but to escape through the emergency exit, quickly descending the stairs.

“Phew!”
The provided Korean text has 15 lines. Here is the English translation, maintaining the exact same number of lines as the original:

But her heart raced ahead of her body, causing her to falter on the slender steps. In that moment, her ankle twisted, and she tumbled down the stairs.

Thud!

Rolling down two or three steps, So Yeon collided with the corner wall, but in her pain, she tried to rise again. Perhaps it was too much.

“Ah…”

She collapsed back to the ground, unable to muster any strength. Curling up, she leaned against the wall.

Blood trickled from her forehead.

Despite the pain, So Yeon, huddled in a small heap, buried her face in her knees, sobbing quietly, unable to even let out her sobs fully.

‘Was it so startling to see a picture of your precious son?’

A low voice filled with mockery echoed in her ears again.

Your precious son.

Your son.

Referring to Hyun Woo like that meant he would never accept him as his own. And she would forever be cast out of his heart.

In this moment of sorrow and regret, So Yeon couldn’t let go of Tae Seo Jun.

She couldn’t reverse the direction of her one-sided love.

From the moment she met him, no one else existed for her. So Yeon knew she’d spend her life looking only at Tae Seo Jun, as if blindfolded to see only one man.

Hopelessly devoted to just one man.

What could she do about her nature? Once her heart was stolen by a beautiful man, it could never be turned back. But she never wanted to forcibly entangle herself with the polar opposites, Tae Seo Jun and herself.

Yet, here she was, unable to escape his condemnation.

The consequences of her greed—to keep, to discard, to reclaim, and again to discard—prevented So Yeon from making any excuses.

What should she do now?

Ah… I don’t know.

Nothing else came to mind.

Whether he knew from the start or found out later, it was meant to be this way. Somehow, that thought brought a sense of relief.

She had borne the thorny weight of deceit alone. The fatigue of it all came crashing down at once. Her eyelids grew heavy, and the world spun around her as she closed her tear-soaked eyes.

Whether from the alcohol or the shock of the fall, her tired body felt numb. Without the strength to reopen her eyes, she leaned against the wall, slowly drifting into unconsciousness.

How long had it passed?

“Ah, So Yeon! I wondered where you were…”

A deep voice penetrated her eardrums, but So Yeon’s weary mind and body were too powerless.

Her head, painfully twisted against the wall, was gently cradled by large hands. Then, her frail body was lifted into a broad, warm chest.

Tae Seo Jun’s deep scent filled her senses, but So Yeon refused to wake from her slumber.

Even if it were a dream, it was fine. Just to feel him. To hear his voice. It was enough to calm the turbulent waves, bringing peace to all.

Sinking deeper into unconsciousness, So Yeon fell into a profound sleep.
The provided Korean text has 13 lines. Here is the English translation, maintaining the exact same number of lines as the original:

Unaware of whose arms she was in or where she was being taken.

8 AM.

Perhaps this is what an extreme job feels like. After finishing work at dawn and briefly resting at their respective homes, Manager Bong and Park Seong Ho met again at a restaurant in Nonhyeon-dong. Though there were no specific instructions from Seo Jun yet, the two men were on standby, ready to move if necessary.

As the waitress brought steaming hot seolleongtang, Seong Ho urged, “Manager, let’s eat before it gets cold.”

“Right, let’s eat.”

After a few spoonfuls, Seong Ho hinted at his curiosity.

“What do you think Seo Jun is planning? He asked Ye Do Soon to bring all of So Yeon’s clothes. Are they planning to live together?”

Famous actress So Yeon being rushed to the emergency room in the middle of the night, intoxicated, would have been a scoop for the journalists. So, Seo Jun, who took the injured So Yeon home, tended to her with utmost care and ensured her comfort.

Seeing such a caring side of Seo Jun for the first time, Park Seong Ho couldn’t help but wonder.

“Have you ever seen Seo Jun so sincerely involved with anyone?”

“Only with So Yeon.”

“Exactly. Whatever those two are planning, it’s not something superficial.”

“You seem to know more, Manager. Right?”

“Well…”

Though it was essential for them as his staff to know, it wasn’t yet something to be disclosed openly. The reason he had mentioned it in front of Gu Won Hu and Ye Do Soon was to have someone ready to act immediately if things went wrong and became public.

However, even feeling slightly regretful, Manager Bong subtly hinted enough to not disappoint Park Seong Ho.

“I do know more, but you’ll hear it from Seo Jun himself. A secretary must be tight-lipped, after all.”

“Oh come on! Are we really like this among us?”

“The closer we are, the more important it is to separate personal and professional matters.”

As Manager Bong finished speaking and chuckled, his phone rang.

Ring…

Quickly answering the call, Manager Bong straightened up.

“Yes, Chairman.”

“Has Seo Jun found out?”

“Yes, he has.”

“Ah, I hoped it would take longer, but he was faster than expected. So, is he with her now?”

Chairman Tae was astoundingly well-informed. There must be another source of information. How else could he have known about what happened early this morning and already be asking about it? Though there was nothing to hide, Manager Bong had decided not to conceal anything.

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“That guy, really. Hahaha.”

Chairman Tae laughed heartily, urging Manager Bong to tell more. It was necessary for planning the next steps.

Manager Bong narrated exactly what he had witnessed.

Late last night, Manager Bong and Park Seong Ho parked their car in front of the main building of the Estella Hotel.

So Yeon, who seemed a bit intoxicated, was soundly asleep. It was Seo Jun who placed her in the back seat of the car.

Throughout the drive to Nonhyeon-dong, Seo Jun tenderly held the seemingly comfortably resting So Yeon, gently caressing her injured forehead and head with loving strokes.
The provided Korean text has 9 lines. Here is the English translation, maintaining the exact same number of lines as the original:

Manager Bong, witnessing Seo Jun’s deep gaze as he tenderly held So Yeon in his arms, could feel something he had never seen before in Seo Jun.

To anyone’s eyes, the two’s interaction was clearly ‘love’.

Throughout Manager Bong’s recounting of last night’s events, Chairman Tae listened silently, his voice deep and heavy.

“Hmm… Is that so? Anyway, I’ve heard enough.”

After expressing his gratitude, Chairman Tae ended the call without further instructions.

“Manager…”

Park Seong Ho, who had overheard the entire conversation, looked at Manager Bong with a curious gaze. Manager Bong, lowering his voice, spoke secretly.

“There are things best left unknown. What you don’t know won’t hurt you.”

Both men, connected by the common denominator of Seo Jun, understood each other’s references without needing to specify.

“I don’t know the details, but if Chairman Tae is involved, it must be something serious that Seo Jun has done.”

“Yes.”

Manager Bong, responding casually, began to quietly eat his soup.