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Chapter 9: An Unwanted Blind Date
“Yes, this is Cha Do-hyeon.”
A-ryeon replied as though she couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
“How did you get my number? I don’t recall ever giving it to you.”
“I’m the head of a company where information is everything. Are you available next week? Let’s have a meal together.”
To A-ryeon, Do-hyeon’s tone still sounded arrogant and rude.
“I haven’t made my decision yet.”
“Make your decision and let me know by next week.”
A-ryeon pulled the phone away from her ear and glared at it as though it were Do-hyeon himself. She took a deep breath, tried to compose herself, and suppressed the emotions threatening to rise before bringing the phone back to her ear.
Ultimately, understanding Do-hyeon’s intentions had to come first. She wanted to refuse, but he was someone who might attack her grandfather. And if Do-hyeon decided to make a move against him, she would be the one facing him anyway.
“Phew… Fine. But I won’t meet you in a hotel room like last time. Let’s meet somewhere professional.”
Rather than being offended by A-ryeon’s firm response, Do-hyeon let out a laugh.
At the sound of his laughter, A-ryeon glared at her phone once more.
Does this man find everything I say and do amusing?
His laughter sounded nothing but mocking to her.
“I’ll text you the time and place.”
“All right. Goodbye.”
Just as A-ryeon was about to hang up, Do-hyeon’s voice came through again.
“How’s your neck?”
At his question, A-ryeon tightened her grip on the phone.
She couldn’t believe how he kept teasing her whenever he got the chance.
In her entire life, she had never met anyone who constantly needled her the way Do-hyeon did.
“Aren’t you overestimating yourself a little? It’s already been a week. Do you really think your mark would still be there?”
A-ryeon spoke with a slight emphasis, raising her chin as she did.
Surprisingly, Do-hyeon answered calmly.
“I was talking about the scratch from last time… But it seems you had something else in mind.”
“Ah…”
A-ryeon’s face turned red, then even redder, until she was practically burning with embarrassment.
She felt as though she had dug her own grave with her own words. Although Do-hyeon wasn’t even standing in front of her, she instinctively lowered her head in shame.
Since he was always saying suggestive things, she had assumed he was doing the same thing again. In the end, she had walked straight into his trap all by herself.
“Anyway, it wasn’t a serious wound. I’m hanging up now.”
Before Do-hyeon could say anything else, A-ryeon ended the call.
Her careless slip of the tongue brought back memories of the night she had spent with him.
The moonlight streaming through the window and the gentle touch of his hands on her body came rushing back to her with startling clarity.
But it would be unfair if she were the only one dwelling on that moment while he felt nothing at all. So she tried her best to forget it.
Perhaps the memory lingered because she had never known what it felt like to be treated as someone precious, with such tenderness and care.
A-ryeon picked up the tumbler on her desk and gulped down the coffee inside. Then she rubbed her face with both hands and returned to the case files spread across her desk, carefully reading through them again.
For the first time in a while, A-ryeon left work right on time.
She had an appointment with Do-hyeon that evening.
As she got into her car and started the engine, her phone rang.
An unexpected name appeared on the screen.
Madam Han.
Madam Han rarely called her unless something urgent needed to be dealt with. That only made A-ryeon more anxious.
What trouble has she gotten herself into this time? Is she going to make me clean up her mess again?
“Yes, Mother.”
“Have you finished work?”
“I just got off.”
“Perfect timing. Come to the café on the second floor of Yeonseong Art Museum right now.”
“Pardon?”
At A-ryeon’s questioning response, the previously relaxed tone of Madam Han’s voice grew more forceful.
“Why do I have to repeat myself? I said to come to the café at Yeonseong Gallery.”
Caught off guard by the unexpected summons, A-ryeon asked hesitantly, “I’m sorry, but is it urgent? I already have plans today.”
“Do you think I’d call you personally if it weren’t urgent? Hurry up and get here!”
Madam Han said what she wanted to say and abruptly hung up.
Rather than feeling offended, A-ryeon felt a growing sense of unease creeping over her.
“Hello? Mother!”
Madam Han responded irritably before ending the call.
Staring at the disconnected phone, A-ryeon’s face quickly turned pale.
What on earth has she done this time, and where?
Yeonseong Art Museum was part of the Hanshin Foundation, which was known for its immense wealth.
The Hanshin Group’s family was notorious for generating one controversy after another, contributing to the public’s negative perception of chaebol families.
A chill ran down A-ryeon’s spine at the thought that Madam Han might have gotten herself involved with Oh Yu-jeong, the matriarch of the Hanshin Group and the director of Yeonseong Art Museum.
A-ryeon closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh.
If she didn’t go now and failed to clean up Madam Han’s mess, her grandfather would unleash his fury on her.
Just thinking about it gave her a headache.
Her grandfather was preparing to run for mayor of Seoul the following year. If a scandal involving Madam Han broke in the media, he would probably go after A-ryeon first for failing to prevent it.
Worse still, whenever Madam Han did something disgraceful, she always used A-ryeon’s name.
As a result, A-ryeon had been summoned for prosecutorial investigations on several occasions because of Madam Han’s misconduct.
As though she had finally made up her mind, A-ryeon opened her eyes and picked up her phone again.
Without a moment’s hesitation, she called Do-hyeon.
“What a surprise. You’re calling me first. But isn’t it a little early? Our appointment is at seven.”
Do-hyeon’s cheerful voice came through the phone, making A-ryeon feel even heavier at heart.
Swallowing a sigh, she sincerely asked him to understand.
“I think I’ll have to postpone our appointment today. I’m sorry.”
As she spoke, A-ryeon started the car and pressed down on the accelerator.
“Postpone it?”
There was a sharp edge to Do-hyeon’s voice as he repeated her words.
It was understandable. Few people would dare to ask to postpone an appointment with the eldest son of the Hayeong Group. She had expected that he wouldn’t be accustomed to being turned down.
“I’m sorry. Something unexpected came up today.”
“You didn’t say anything about having other plans, so I assumed you were free. Or…” His voice took on a sarcastic edge. “Have I been pushed aside for someone else?”
A-ryeon bit her lip at his mocking remark.
She was slightly nervous, unsure of how he might react given his personality.
“I really am sorry. It’s something I absolutely have to take care of. I’ll contact you again as soon as I’m finished.”
Hearing how genuinely troubled she sounded, Do-hyeon did not respond immediately.
“I’m sorry.”
With that final apology, A-ryeon ended the call.
Do-hyeon lowered his phone without the slightest change in his expression.
“Sir, is something wrong?”
Chief Secretary Jeong, who was sitting beside him, asked at the sight of Do-hyeon’s stiff expression.
“Find out where Lee A-ryeon is going right now, and arrange for her to be escorted.”
At his instruction, Chief Secretary Jeong nodded.
“Yes, sir. Understood.”
Although he had no particular reason to expect it, Do-hyeon had assigned someone to keep an eye on A-ryeon in case she tried to make a move of her own.
Do-hyeon placed a cigarette between his lips and lit it.
The moment he heard the urgency in A-ryeon’s voice, he had a feeling that someone in her family had suddenly snatched her away.
The fact that it had happened just as she was on her way to meet him sent his mood plummeting.
“As soon as you find her location, go there immediately. It seems someone has intercepted her along the way.”
Do-hyeon slowly exhaled a stream of cigarette smoke as a thought crossed his mind.
How dare anyone lay a hand on what’s mine?
After parking in the outdoor lot of Yeonseong Art Museum, A-ryeon hurried out of her car and walked briskly toward the entrance.
She had rushed over, but she didn’t want anyone to notice.
Just as Do-hyeon had said, if she looked too eager to obey, she would seem like a loyal little dog.
Refusing to run was the last shred of pride she had left.
She climbed the stairs to the café on the second floor, trying to steady her rapid breathing. Her heart kept pounding with anxiety, leaving her mouth completely dry.
A-ryeon ran her tongue over her lips, straightened her clothes, and slowly surveyed the café.
The spacious café on the second floor was separated by floor-to-ceiling glass from a large terrace covered in grass.
In the middle of the café, she spotted Madam Han.
“Sweetheart, over here!”
At the unexpectedly warm call, A-ryeon blinked repeatedly, utterly bewildered by the situation.
“Mommy’s hand hurts. Hurry over here.”
The daughter Madam Han was calling was none other than A-ryeon herself.
Madam Han was smiling brightly as she beckoned her over, leaving A-ryeon so dumbfounded that she could only walk toward her slowly.
Looking around, A-ryeon saw nothing unusual. It was an ordinary museum café, crowded with visitors who had come to see the exhibitions.
“What on earth is…”
As A-ryeon approached the table where Madam Han was sitting, she finally recognized the people beside her.
Sitting next to Madam Han was Oh Yu-jeong, the director of the Hanshin Group’s art museum. Across from them sat President Lee Hyeong-seo.
A-ryeon tried desperately to make sense of the situation, but she had absolutely no idea what connected these people or why she had been summoned.
