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Chapter 2…
Inhyuk scratched his ear.
“I have a feeling Chairman Do is talking behind my back again.”
He let out a small chuckle, looking completely unaffected as he adjusted the tablet in his hands.
His secretary, Seungjae, who was driving, looked at him through the rearview mirror.
“Why did the Chairman call for you this time, sir?”
“Marriage.”
“Ah.”
“It seems he wants to go as far as making the granddaughter of his lifesaver his future granddaughter-in-law.”
If that granddaughter had shown any ambition for management, Chairman Do would probably have even offered to hand over the DY Group to her.
That was exactly the kind of man Do Giseop was.
“He’s probably just thinking that way because he’s so grateful.”
“He even said he was going to revise his will.”
From the very beginning, Giseop had made it clear that the successor to DY Group would be chosen solely based on ability.
As a result, DY Group currently had no officially designated heir.
Of course, most people outside the company believed that Executive Director Do Inhyuk was the strongest candidate.
Even so, they couldn’t simply ignore Inhyuk’s aunt, Do Jeongju.
“Then why not at least meet her for a blind date?”
“I don’t know. I’m not that attached to DY Group.”
Despite saying that, Inhyuk continued checking the pile of emails on his tablet.
His eyes moved rapidly across the screen without stopping, even as the car sped down the road.
“What? Is being my secretary not enough? Should I promote you to the Chairman’s secretary instead?”
Inhyuk grinned.
Even though he knew it was a joke, the ever-serious Seungjae waved both hands in denial.
“I didn’t mean it like that, sir.”
“I know. Your reactions are always entertaining, so I like teasing you.”
“…Honestly, sir.”
Seungjae let out a quiet sigh.
Just then, Inhyuk’s phone vibrated.
After checking the caller ID, he glanced at the time.
“Secretary Kim, what’s my schedule this afternoon again?”
“You don’t have any outside appointments.”
“Right.”
The hand tapping on his phone paused.
“Then let’s stop by the office, finish only the urgent approvals, and call it a day.”
“Yes, sir.”
His phone vibrated once more.
Alright, then I’ll wait for you at home. I can’t wait to see you. I love you.
It was a message overflowing with affection.
Inhyuk simply read it without replying.
He slipped the phone back into his jacket.
Then he picked up his tablet again and resumed reading the emails he had left unfinished.
* * *
“Good morning.”
Haeyoon had taken the morning off before coming to work, but the moment she sat down, she stood up again.
“I’m heading over to the team next door!”
“Sure. Good luck.”
Taking only a thick document envelope with her, she headed into the neighboring Management Team office.
Haeyoon belonged to Line Entertainment’s Public Relations Team, but for the time being she had been assigned as a manager.
She would have refused if it had been for any other actor.
But since the request came from actress Hong Siyeon, she had no choice but to accept.
“Good morning, Team Leader.”
“Haeyoon, you’re here? Take this too.”
The Management Team leader handed her another script.
“This is the script the actress looked over before. Tell her she absolutely has to review it today and get back to us. Understood?”
“Yes, of course. By the way… when will her manager be able to return?”
There was a reason Haeyoon had suddenly been asked to work as a manager again.
Siyeon’s regular manager had been hospitalized after a traffic accident.
When Haeyoon first joined Line Entertainment, she had actually started in the Management Team as Siyeon’s manager.
Later, because her father Taesu’s health deteriorated and she needed a schedule that would allow her to care for him, she transferred to the Public Relations Team.
“For now, it’ll probably be about a month…”
“That’s longer than I expected.”
“Yeah, though it could change depending on his condition.”
Siyeon had insisted that she didn’t want a complete stranger filling in during the vacancy and specifically requested that Haeyoon return.
Since Haeyoon owed Siyeon so much, she couldn’t bring herself to refuse.
“He must have been seriously injured.”
“He was hit by a car that ran a red light while he was crossing a crosswalk at dawn.”
The team leader clicked his tongue sympathetically.
“Anyway, I’m counting on you.”
“Of course. Don’t worry. If it’s for Actress Siyeon, I’ll do anything.”
Smiling brightly, Haeyoon carefully packed the script into the envelope.
“Oh, and don’t ring the doorbell. You remember, right?”
Siyeon hated the sound of the doorbell.
That’s why she had shared her front door password with the managers she trusted.
After receiving one last reminder from the team leader not to irritate Siyeon’s sensitive temperament by ringing the bell, Haeyoon headed for her apartment.
The destination was a luxury apartment complex famous for its excellent security.
She had visited this place countless times until a year and a half ago, making the return feel strangely nostalgic.
“This password hasn’t changed either.”
Entering the familiar code, she went inside the building.
She took the elevator to the thirty-fifth floor.
Trying not to think about the dizzying height, she entered the password she had memorized.
The front door unlocked.
Just as she was about to step inside—
“Huh…?”
A pair of unfamiliar shoes sat in the entryway.
Men’s dress shoes.
Haeyoon froze.
She quietly closed the door behind her.
But she wasn’t sure whether she should go any farther.
No one at the company had ever mentioned anything about Siyeon’s private life.
As far as everyone knew, Siyeon wasn’t dating anyone.
Could something troublesome be going on?
Haeyoon squeezed her eyes shut for a moment.
“Um… Actress Siyeon? It’s me, Yoon Haeyoon.”
Determined to avoid accidentally walking in on something she shouldn’t see, she announced her presence first.
There was no response.
No voices.
No movement.
After hesitating briefly, she took off her shoes.
“Actress Siyeon? Are you home?”
Her voice was cautious.
Stretching her neck to look farther inside, she stepped into the living room.
Warm sunlight poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
She had thought exactly the same thing the first time she visited this apartment.
But where was Siyeon?
She couldn’t just wander around someone else’s home.
Maybe she should call her.
Just as Haeyoon reached into her bag for her phone—
“Hm? Who… Oh. Haeyoon?”
At the elegant voice, Haeyoon turned around.
Siyeon had emerged from the bedroom wearing nothing but a comfortable silk nightgown.
Her long, slender bare legs looked especially pale beneath the sunlight.
“Hello, Actress. It’s been a long time.”
“Oh, right. That’s right… You were coming today, weren’t you?”
Apparently she’d forgotten.
Siyeon slowly nodded.
Then, as if suddenly remembering something inside the bedroom, she hurriedly grabbed the doorknob.
For a second it looked like she was about to close the slightly open door.
Instead, it swung open even wider.
“Did you find it? I don’t think it’s in the bedroom—”
The man who stepped out of the bedroom stopped speaking as his eyes landed on Haeyoon.
“…Yoon Haeyoon?”
“Uh… Mr. Do Inhyuk?”
Silence fell between them.
“You two know each other?”
At Siyeon’s question, neither of them could answer.
The encounter was far too unexpected.
She had seen this man barely an hour ago.
Why was he here?
In Actress Hong Siyeon’s apartment.
More specifically—
In her bedroom.
“Haeyoon.”
Siyeon stepped in.
Haeyoon finally tore her eyes away from Inhyuk.
“You’re here because of the script, right?”
“Ah—yes. The team leader said there was a script you needed to review by today.”
“Oh… I completely forgot.”
Looking embarrassed, Siyeon glanced sideways at Inhyuk.
“Can I leave it here?”
Haeyoon pointed toward the coffee table in the living room.
Siyeon nodded.
At last, Haeyoon was able to set down the thick envelope.
“Well then… I should… um…”
She couldn’t finish her sentence.
Should she leave?
Or should she first confirm what kind of relationship these two had?
Considering they were together in her home, they obviously weren’t just acquaintances.
She needed to know in case something happened later.
One was one of South Korea’s most famous actresses.
The other was the executive director of DY Group, someone every Korean knew.
“Inhyuk.”
While Haeyoon’s mind raced, Siyeon gently took hold of Inhyuk’s arm.
The gesture was so natural that it seemed familiar.
“Could you give us a moment? I think I need to explain the situation.”
She glanced toward Haeyoon.
“It wouldn’t be good if rumors about this started spreading.”
Haeyoon unconsciously swallowed.
“We do need to sort this out.”
Inhyuk hesitated.
Haeyoon stood awkwardly in the living room like an unwanted guest, her eyes darting anxiously between the two of them.
“No… I’ll explain.”
Just as Inhyuk was about to continue—
His phone rang.
Siyeon nodded toward it.
“It’s okay. You should answer.”
Unfortunately, it wasn’t a call he could simply ignore.
Looking troubled, Inhyuk finally accepted it.
“Yes, sir. Ah, it’s fine. Go ahead.”
After glancing once more at Haeyoon, he had no choice but to retreat into the bedroom.
Even as the bedroom door closed behind him, the expression on his face remained uneasy.
