Despite regretting her words, Eun Chae couldn’t take them back. She bit the inside of her lip, and Ki Joo narrowed his eyes, as if asking what she meant.

“Do it if you want to. It’s none of my concern,” he responded coldly.

Eun Chae, worried her words were too harsh, attempted to continue.

“About what I said yesterday…”

Ki Joo frowned and said, “I quit smoking two years ago and haven’t thought about it since.”

As he finished speaking, Ki Joo extended his arm in her direction, making Eun Chae’s heart flutter. But the result was far from her expectations, devastatingly so.

“Go inside,” he said, holding the door open to prevent it from closing. His voice seemed to penetrate her head.

It was cold, emotionless.

Eun Chae hurried inside, fearing she might burst into tears if she stayed any longer. The door closed behind her with a click.

She felt a sudden drop in her heart and tears threatened to spill.

“Aga (young lady)!”

Hearing the familiar voice, Eun Chae’s eyes widened in surprise. Haman, with tears brimming in her eyes, stood there.

“How…”

“The Chairman forgave you, it seems.”

What forgiveness. Who is he to forgive?

Eun Chae wanted to retort but refrained. The important thing was that Haman had returned.

“Come and wash up. I’ve made a healthy juice. Look how thin you’ve become.”

Eun Chae finally smiled brightly.

She had someone to lean on again, her only ally.

Joyfully, she took off her shoes and went up to the living room.

‘Go inside.’

Ki Joo’s voice echoed with every step she took, sounding indifferent.

‘I quit smoking two years ago and haven’t thought about it since.’

Upon entering her room, Eun Chae went to the dresser and opened a drawer. She picked up a lighter that had sprung out.

“…”

When had he started sacrificing for her?

Was it while securing Haman’s return, restoring the greenhouse, or since he quit smoking?

The bedroom was dark. Ki Joo, just entering, chose not to turn on the light but opened his laptop instead. He hung his jacket, took off his titanium watch, unbuttoned his shirt cuffs, and stood at the desk.

The blue light from the laptop bathed his face. A chat window popping up on the black background was quite unexpected.

Ki Joo leaned in, placing his palm on the desk, the shirt tightly outlining his muscular arms. White text appeared in the chat.

skylark: Current status?

Ki Joo’s fingers glided over the keyboard, typing a reply.

c: As per the report. Two more entangled as of today.

He stared at the blinking cursor, waiting for a reply.

skylark: I’m against dragging unrelated people into this.

Ki Joo clenched his neck and stared at the words, but when he typed again, there was no hesitation.
c: I’m making them relevant, so there’s no problem.

True to his word, Ki Joo had been working behind the scenes. He had organized and leaked to Choi, a reporter from National Daily, the incidents involving D-One Group, year by year. The briberies of Congressman Kim and his son’s indulgence in pleasure parties were also true.

All he did was amplify their vulnerabilities a bit.

So what if he used some useless trash for this? If they get the punishment they deserve for their crimes, isn’t that a good thing?

But if skylark continued to oppose, that would be a headache in itself. Ki Joo squinted his eyes, waiting for a response.

skylark: Report even the trivial matters regarding Chairman Song.

This meant not to get too engrossed in being Chairman Song Myung-hwan’s fixer. One could lose their identity and turn traitorous. It was a common mistake among newcomers.

Ki Joo straightened his back and lowered his gaze. Despite it being just a chat, an overwhelming silence filled the space. Suddenly, a new message from skylark appeared.

skylark: Don’t forget why you withdrew from the project two years ago.

Ki Joo’s jaw twisted as he read the text.

The job demanded extreme caution, so at that time, he had to clearly explain his reasons for leaving the project. The same was true when he returned.

Ki Joo’s pupils flickered strangely in the laptop light. His calm hand slowly pressed the keyboard.

c: Understood.

There was no response to his answer, and the chat ended. The chat window disappeared without the usual notification, as it automatically disconnects when the other party logs out. It was a self-developed program for security reasons, leaving no download history or chat logs.

Ki Joo pressed his eye sockets with a tired face.

He couldn’t forget the moment he withdrew from the project two years ago.

As Ki Joo smoothed his complicated and subtle expression, he suddenly heard a knock on the door.

The security team had an evening dinner scheduled. It was suggested by Lee Kwang-il to boost morale among the members, unsettled due to recent unsavory events. Barring an utter lack of sociability, no one would miss such an occasion.

Ki Joo walked towards the door. The intimidating sound of his steps did not scare anyone away. He swung open the door, and his neck stiffened momentarily.

Round and full forehead. The face slowly revealed as she tilted her head back was Eun Chae’s.

Caught off guard by the unexpected visitor, Ki Joo couldn’t react immediately. He just stared at her pale face, like a cold plum blossom on a frosty night.

Eun Chae’s dark, hollow eyes moved over his face, causing his ribs to involuntarily contract.

But only for a moment.

Ki Joo’s slender eyes scanned the hallway and living room as if searching for something.

What is she doing here?

What if someone sees?

At this hour?

After scanning the area, Ki Joo lowered his eyes again. Her clear eyes, seemingly oblivious to deceit or concealment, were frustrating.

The reason for his decision reversal.

The reason for his cowardice and recklessness.

All because of this woman. How could he forget?