“Executive Director Min Ha Yeon.”

Yu Hyun’s gaze fell upon Ha Yeon. Ha Yeon felt like she was sinking deeper into a quagmire under the pressure of Yu Hyun pressing her name.

Ha Yeon grabbed Madam Jung’s arm and pulled while saying,

“Let’s go now.”

“Director Min, let go of my hand. I told you I have something to say to her!”

“Let’s go. Nothing will change even if you stay here longer.”

That was meant for both Madam Jung and Ha Yeon herself.

“You go first.”

Madam Jung stubbornly insisted. Ha Yeon was frustrated with Madam Jung who stood still like a statue.

It was then.

“Shall I inform Vice Chairman Ban Jae Hyuk?”

At Yu Hyun’s voice, Madam Jung’s fierce gaze, which had been fixed on A Rin, turned to him.

“You, are you threatening to tell my son now?”

“Yes. Since it seems you have no intention of leaving on your own, I’ll tell your son…”

“Y-you brat, what kind of trick are you trying to pull on me!”

It was a vulgar curse unbefitting the noble VAN Group’s matriarch. Madam Jung glared at Yu Hyun with blazing eyes.

“If you don’t want me to tell him, leave now. No one here welcomes you.”

Seeing Yu Hyun threatening her with Jae Hyuk, Madam Jung had no choice but to back down. Given what had happened this morning, it was obvious what would happen if Jae Hyuk found out about this situation.

But Madam Jung felt too angry and wronged to just leave like this. Before leaving, she hurled curses at A Rin.

“Choi A Rin, listen carefully! Don’t even think about standing beside my son Jae Hyuk. This is your last warning. I’m letting it slide this time because of your mother. Next time, it won’t end with just words!”

After finishing, Madam Jung glared at Yu Hyun with all her might.

“I won’t let you off either. How dare you, to whom!”

Ha Yeon couldn’t bear to watch and turned her back.

“Do as you please. No one will touch A Rin in front of me.”

Ha Yeon could tell just from Yu Hyun’s voice.

How much he cared for A Rin, and also that Min Ha Yeon meant nothing to the current Seo Yu Hyun.

“Get out.”

Yu Hyun shouted.

“Y-you…”

Before Madam Jung could add another word, Ha Yeon dragged her away.

Just before going out the door, Ha Yeon turned back. What she saw was Yu Hyun’s back embracing A Rin.

Ha Yeon looked at Yu Hyun weakly and opened the door. Even though the sound of her leaving was heard, no one came to see her off.

Seething and dripping with lingering attachment, Madam Jung was eventually led out of the store by Ha Yeon’s hand at the very last moment.

“Haah.”

As soon as Madam Jung and Ha Yeon left the store, Yu Hyun turned to look at A Rin whom he had been hiding tightly behind his back.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine, elder brother.”

“Lift your head a bit. Your hair is a mess again. Sigh. Are you hurt anywhere? Should we go to the hospital?”

“Elder brother, I’m really fine.”

With trembling hands, Yu Hyun tidied A Rin’s disheveled hair. She weakly lifted her head to look up at him.

There was a scratch on her cheek, as if scratched by Madam Jung’s nails. Yu Hyun’s heart crumbled.

[This is the timeline separator]

The next day, A Rin was pestered by Yu Hyun all morning.

[Why on earth did that woman come looking for you and cause such a scene? What did your ex-husband do?]

Though she knew he was guessing it was because of Jae Hyuk, A Rin had no intention of giving him the answer he wanted.

This was strictly a matter between Jae Hyuk and herself. Yu Hyun was a good elder brother, but in this matter, he was merely a third party.

“Today is the day I decided to make a decision. I have to tell him now.”

A Rin fiddled with her innocent phone before finally sending a message.

−Let’s meet today.

Not long after sending the text, Su Han came into the store, fuming.

“Wow, this is unbelievable.”

“What’s the matter?”

A Rin asked, looking at Su Han.

“Hah. Have you seen it, boss?”

“No, what?”

“Isn’t this against business ethics?”

“Why, what’s the problem?”

As Su Han fumed, A Rin tilted her head and asked.

“The building next to us. You know they were doing interior construction on the first floor of the next building, right? Turns out it’s opening tomorrow.”

Right next to Memoria was an alley leading to a public parking lot. There was a building next to that alley, which was the building Su Han was talking about now.

“Ah, yes. That’s right.”

“Do you know what’s going in there?”

“No? I couldn’t see clearly because it was covered, but from what I glimpsed of the interior, it looked like a cafe?”

“I’m really dumbfounded. They say it’s a dessert cafe. And it’s that famous bakery from France, coming right next to our store. I didn’t know either because they didn’t put up any banners outside, but apparently they’ve been advertising like crazy on social media.”

“Is that really true?”

“Yes. I heard from the flower shop owner on my way here that the woman who’s the owner there came to order flowers for the store interior recently. The owner asked what kind. Turns out it’s exactly the same dessert types we handle.”

“…Is that really true? Couldn’t it be a coincidence?”

At A Rin’s words, Su Han shook his head firmly.

“Boss, our main products now are scones and langue de chat cookies, right? They’re the same, apparently. But I know that store Yu Hyun hyung, Cheol Yong, and I visited before? It’s not a scone and langue de chat specialty shop. In our country’s terms, it’s a bakery, and while they do sell scones and cookies, their fruit tarts and kugelhopf are really famous. But the fact that they’re focusing on scones and langue de chat cookies instead… isn’t that targeting us?”

“…”

“Moreover, after hearing that, I checked social media and it was already flooded with comments saying they’re really looking forward to it, that they ate it in France and it was so delicious. Of course, they could be real customers, but I think they’re probably part-timers.”

She became lost in thought.

Of course, there’s no law saying you can’t open a store selling the same products right next to another building.

In these days when it’s not uncommon to see coffee shops of different brands next to each other, even expecting business ethics seems to have lost its meaning.

But should she think it’s just a coincidence that not just an ordinary cafe, but a bakery cafe selling the same main products is opening right next to them?

“Surely they didn’t really target us…?”

Despite her words, A Rin found herself biting her nails without realizing it. It was her habit when she felt anxious.

‘Still, we’re quite famous in Yeonnam-dong, and even if they didn’t know, they would have found out the main products are the same with just a little market research, so why come right next to us?’

An inexplicable anxiety enveloped her. At that time, she didn’t know it wouldn’t take long for that anxiety to become reality.

Just as Su Han went into the kitchen, still fuming, a reply came from Jae Hyuk.

−Can you come to the company by any chance? It’ll take me longer to move.

−Okay. I’ll come to the company after I finish.

[This is the timeline separator]

After finishing work, A Rin headed to VAN Group headquarters.

“We’ve arrived.”

“Ah, yes. Thank you.”

At the taxi driver’s words that they had arrived, she took out a card from her wallet and held it out.

“Have a good day.”

“Thank you.”

A Rin got out of the taxi and stood in front of the most eye-catching building in Gangnam.

She took out her phone and called someone.

Click.

[Yes.]

“I’ve arrived.”

[I’ll come down right away.]

Jae Hyuk’s slightly excited voice came through the speaker.

‘I said I’d be clear, but if these things keep happening, maybe it’s because I’m not truly cutting ties.’

A Rin had thought and worried all night long.

The period she loved Jae Hyuk was a long time in her life, and it was true that Ban Jae Hyuk was Choi A Rin’s first and last love.

Though she had drawn a firm line with Jae Hyuk, she thought she might have unconsciously shown him an opening.

No?

She couldn’t shake the thought that even if she had been firm, Jae Hyuk wouldn’t back down, and Madam Jung would also come to harass her like yesterday.

She could harm Yu Hyun and the store might be affected. In the past, Madam Jung cared about others’ eyes and only harassed and oppressed in places where others couldn’t see.

The current Madam Jung was different. She was greatly shocked by the sight of Madam Jung charging in recklessly. A Rin feared that someday, she might show an undesirable side to Memoria’s employees or customers.

‘Then there’s only one thing I can do. Rather, it’s better to accept elder brother’s proposal. Madam seems to still be wary of elder brother. Let’s just be by elder brother’s side formally until things calm down. It’ll be fine since I won’t give my heart anymore anyway.’

Madam Jung’s appearance last night completely erased the last hesitation in her heart.

A large shadow fell over her as she was lost in thought.

“Huff huff. A Rin.”

He stood before her, breathing heavily.

A Rin checked the time. It hadn’t even been 3 minutes since she hung up the phone. She saw beads of sweat on his forehead.

‘No way… did he run here? After taking my call?’

She knew well that it took at least 5 minutes from his office to here even if you took the elevator right away.

‘He must have come down the emergency stairs.’

His appearance looked as if he had tried to come to her as quickly as possible. Somehow her heart felt hot and her feelings were strange.

The emotions rushing in as she looked at him once again disturbed her heart.

A Rin bit the tender flesh inside her mouth hard to get a grip on herself.

‘Get it together, Choi A Rin. From now on, you’re going to thoroughly use elder brother. You’ve already been hurt once anyway. Just accept elder brother’s proposal with the mindset of letting them see how their son begs for you, don’t forget that.’

A Rin wanted to hurt Madam Jung. She wanted to make it so she couldn’t shake her anymore. That was all.

A Rin thought she would like the family who used her and then treated her like an old shoe to feel the same pain.

And she didn’t want to destroy the precious things she had now because of them anymore.

“You’re here?”

“Yes.”

A Rin looked at Jae Hyuk, hiding her inner thoughts. He silently gazed at her with a warm smile.

One corner of her heart ached at the warm smile he had never shown before.

‘It’s too late to smile like that now, I won’t fall for it.’

A Rin turned her head away from Jae Hyuk.

“Is there anywhere you want to go?”

“I don’t have much to say, so anywhere nearby is fine.”

“Okay. Then shall we go to that cafe in front?”

Despite her sharp words, his voice was still warm.

She felt like she was constantly being put to the test.