Kiyonari stepped forward, shoulders tight, voice controlled but tense. "Sir... I understand that you don't want to accept their help or their apology. But doing something like that is honestly overdoing it."
Soo-hyun slowly sat down on his chair, the leather creaking faintly beneath him. He lifted his gaze, cold and sharp, pinning Kiyonari in place.
"Are you scolding me?" His voice was icy—calm enough to be dangerous. "I don't recall giving you permission to speak. Not after what you've done."
The words hit like a blunt force. Kiyonari's breath caught. He flinched, teeth sinking into his lower lip to keep himself together. The silence that followed was suffocating.
Finally, he whispered, "... I'm sorry." His eyes lowered, filled with a raw, visible guilt. Soo-hyun stared at him without blinking. The faintest exhale slipped through his nose.
"Now you're apologizing..."
He shifted slightly in his chair, elbows resting against the armrests with a posture that radiated authority.
"You almost pounced on me back then," he said bluntly. "Then, you failed to inform me about a scandal I was already dragged into. And you didn't bother telling me that the Wang family's secretary had been trying so desperately to meet with me."
Each statement landed like a calculated strike. Kiyonari's throat tightened. But Soo-hyun wasn't finished.
"Not to mention," he continued, "you went into rut right in front of your boss. You triggered my heat—then left me alone."
Kiyonari felt his breath tremble. His hands curled into fists at his sides.
"For everything that happened," Soo-hyun's tone dropped lower, calmer, harsher, "you took absolutely no responsibility. And now you're lecturing me—over a slap I gave someone who wouldn't stop pestering me?"
Kiyonari's composure fully cracked at that point. "I-I'm sorry sir... I—"
"At this point," Soo-hyun cut in, eyes narrowing. "I'm not even sure what you're apologizing for. The list is long. And your sincerity is questionable."
The room felt colder. Kiyonari's chest constricted as he stood there, head bowed so low his bangs nearly shadowed his eyes.
I know... I know I messed up, he thought bitterly. I wanted to be the perfect secretary for him. But all I've done is run away... lie... lose control... and almost devour my own boss. I've been nothing but do stupid things.
Kiyonari thought of himself unprofessional. Suddenly, he bent forward, bowing deeply at the waist—a full apology, voice trembling but honest.
"Forgive me, Director Je. I haven't fulfilled my duties properly. I know I've been really unprofessional... I will—"
"That's enough." Soo-hyun interjected sharply.
Kiyonari's head lifted just a fraction. "Sir...?,,"
"Leave." Soo-hyun's tone was low, exhausted fraying around the edges. "Before I actually consider slapping you next... or worse—fire you, Mr. Soo."
Kiyonari jerked backward slightly, startled.
"U-Understood, sir!" He bowed once more, then all but rushed toward the door.
The moment it clicked shut behind him, Soo-hyun dragged a hand across his face and pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling shakily.
"... Unbelievable," he muttered under his breath—but his voice wasn't cold anymore. He sounded tired.
The hallway was unusually quiet that only the echo of his own footsteps seemed to breathe life into the empty space. Kiyonari walked slowly, shoulders slightly slumped, lost in relentless swirl of his own thoughts. A heavy sigh escaped him.
I feel like an idiot... he thought bitterly. I keep failing at doing my part as a secretary. He raised a hand and pinched the bridge of his nose, eyes squeezing shut for a moment.
I should really get my act together before facing him again.
The more he thought about it, the more pathetic he felt. Every mistake today—every oversight, every moment he let emotion get ahead of reason—piled onto him like invisible bricks. In his mind's eyes, he looked at himself and saw nothing but a mess masquerading as professional.
He halted mid-step, breath catching slightly. What happened earlier... it was all too much. Kiyonari exhaled shakily.
No matter how the Wang family is taking advantage of the situation... slapping someone was still out of bounds, even for a boss like him.
That thought lingered, stubborn and honest, even if he knew he had no right to voice it.
Kiyonari slowly turned his head toward the glass wall beside him. The afternoon light reflected the cityscape in a crisp, gleaming panorama—tall buildings stacked against each other shadows stretching long across the glass. He stood there for a moment, hands sinking into his pockets, while staring at the skyline as if it could offer answers.
"I wonder what's going to happen from now on..." He murmured to himself, ghe words drifting out quietly, almost lost the stillness around him.
It was a question with no answer—not yet. And that uncertainty gnawed at him more than anything else.
*****
It hadn't even been a full day since the scandal erupted, yet the lobby area was already plunged into chaos.
The moment the glass doors slid open, Min-kyung swept inside like a storm. Her heels clicked sharply against the marble floor, each step echoing with fury. The receptionist immediately stood up, startled.
"M-Madame Je—! Please wait!"
But Min-kyung refused for listen. Her expression was tight, eyes sharp with indignation as she pushed past the desk without slowing down.
"Madame, please!" The receptionist called again, scrambling around the counter in a futile attempt to stop her. "You can't go in without an appointment."
Min-kyung ignored her completely. Her brisk steps were borderline aggressive as she stormed toward the elevator, chin raised high like someone used to being obeyed.
"How dare he refused to see his own mother?!" She snapped, voice ringing through the lobby so loudly that several employees froze mid-step.
Gasps and whispers rippled throughout the area. Staff exchanged nervous looks; some instinctively lowered their heads, others discreetly stepped aside to avoid being caught in the crossfire.
"Madame Je, please—the Director is currently busy—"
But Min-kyung jabbed the elevator button repeatedly, irritation practically radiating off her. Protocols meant nothing to her. Not when her son dared to shut her out.
When the elevator dinged open, she marched inside without another word, leaving behind the trembling receptionist and a lobby full of startled employees.
The doors closed.
And the entire room seemed to exhale all at once—knowing very well that whatever awaited upstairs would not be good. When she finally arrived at her destination, Min-kyung burst the door open without a shred of hesitation.
The sharp slam echoed through the office.
Inside, Kiyonari flinched and immediately turned around. His eyes widened the moment he saw Min-kyung standing in the doorway—breath taut, posture commanding, and fury practically radiating off her. He instinctively stepped aside, unsure whether he should intervene or vanish.
Min-kyung didn't spare him a glance. She strode into the room with controlled steps, the click of her heels slicing through ghe tense air. She moved with the indignant composure of someone who believed every space belonged to her.
"So you were here after all," she said, voice coldly triumphant as she approached the desk.
Soo-hyun slowly lifted his gaze from ghe documents in front of him. One eyebrow raised—annoyance flickering across his expression. His irritation was visible, far outweighing confusion.
"What are you doing here, mother?" His tone was icy, the word Mother sounding more like an accusation than an address.
Min-Kyung scoffed faintly, as if she offended by his lack of warmth. "I should be the one asking you that," she countered sharply. "What are you doing here, acting so relaxed, when you should be fixing your relationship with Wang Taehan?!"
Her voice rose, laced with fury. The atmosphere shifted; even Kiyonari stiffened behind her.
Soo-hyun froze—not from fear but from disbelief. The corner of his lips curled faintly, a mockery of a smile, though his eyes darkened with something else entirely—disgust. It was clear that he found her priorities amusing, in the worst way.
"With that being the first thing out of your mouth," he replied slowly, "is that what you're worried about now?"
Min-kyung blinked. Her expression faltered, softening only for a split second as her body shifted realized what she heard.
But Soo-hyun wasn't done.
"No," he said, leaning back in his chair. "That's all you ever cared about." His gaze hardened. "You didn't come here because you were worried about me. You came because of your deal with the Wang family... isn't that right?"
Min-kyung's eyes widened in exaggerated shock. She gasped. "Are you accusing me? Your own mother—?!"
"Since when have I not been accusing you of doing something ridiculous like this?!" Soo-hyun snapped, cutting through her words like a blade. His voice—sharp, and furious. His eyes burned with rage and years of resentment. "You, of all people, would rather sacrifice your own son for business—no matter the offer!"
Min-kyung stiffened, breath caught, but he didn't let up.
"To you, your children are nothing more than products of your greed and selfishness!"
SLAP—!
The sound ricocheted through the room like a whip. Kiyonari flinched violently. Min-kyung's palm remained suspended mid-air for a heartbeat before she pulled it back, her chest rising and falling with wrath.
"How dare you shout at me like that?!" She barked, her voice trembling with a mixture of indignation and defensiveness. "You are nothing but ungrateful for everything I've done for you!"
She pointed a finger at him, her hands shaking—not from weakness, but from a fury she could barely contain.
"You have no idea how hard I worked—what I had to do—to get you where you are now! If it weren't for me and my ways, you would've been gone by now!" She spat. "I built this life for you. I gave you a family, opened doors no one else would! A mother like me—" her voice cracked slightly, "would do anything to protect her child."
Her tone softened for only a fraction of a second before sharpening again.
"Everything I did was to save you. To protect you."
Soo-hyun stood abruptly, the legs of his chair scraping across the floor. His expression, however, was not shaken—it was coldly resolute.
"I am grateful for everything you've done," he said, voice calm but trembling with buried hurt. "But no matter would sell their own child and disguise it as an opportunity."
Min-kyung froze.
For the first time since she entered the room, her feigned composure cracked. Her lips trembled—not with anger, but because of his words hit something deeper. A truth she had never wanted spoken aloud and had always dismissed. She swallowed, her breath hitching ever so slightly. And for a fleeting second, she looked less like the powerful, unshakeable matriarch—and more like someone who had been exposed.
But Min-kyung held her ground firmly. Her voice dropped, cold and resolute. "I don't want to repeat the things I've been telling you for a long time now."
Soo-hyun's brows knit together, irritation flashing across his features. The way she said it—like a command line, like an obligation carved into him since youth, sent a pulse of anger through him. Min-kyung's lips tightened before she continued.
"We will release a public statement," she declared, arms crossing. "We'll tell them it was all a misunderstanding."
Then she jabbed a finger toward his face, sharp and accusatory. "And you will not end your relationship with Taehan."
Her voice echoed in the office like a gavel strike.
Soo-hyun let out a low, frustrated grunt, teeth clenched so tightly hisbjaw twitched. "Mother!"
Min-kyung turned her back on him, already walking toward the door as if her words were final and he was expected to follow blindly.
Infuriated, Soo-hyun took several quick steps after her. "Why won't you listen to me?!" His voice rose, strained with desperation and years of suffocated autonomy.
"No!" Min spun around abruptly, pointing at him with authority of someone who refused to be defied. "You listen to me, Soo-hyun.",
Her voice growled—raw, furious, and laced with the fear of losing something she couldn't bear to. Her eyes blazed.
"Hyuna is already engaged."
The words struck him like a slap.
"Noona... is engaged?" Soo-hyun's eyes widened with disbelief. Shock flickered through him—swift and piercing.
Min-kyung scoffed bitterly. "That's silly girl has no idea what she's getting herself into." Her tone sound into disdain, but her hands trembled slightly at her sides. "If she ever gains the support of her partner's family... then it's all over for us." She swallowed hard before adding. "It's over for you."
The tremor in her voice betrayed something buried beneath her anger—panic, and desperation.
Hyuna noona is already engaged...
Soo-hyun thought quietly, his mind racing. If that's the case, then... he clenched his fist slowly, knuckles whitening. A silent resolve began to form within him, cold and heavy. Yet he said nothing. He simply stood there—silent, simmering, torn between the life he wanted and the one being forced onto him. His eyes lowered, shadowed. And Min-kyung watched with triumphant certainty, never noticing the storm beginning to gather behind his silence.
*****
The car moved swiftly through the city, gliding past towering buildings lined with vibrant city lights. Neon reflections rippled across the windowpane beside Soo-hyun, but he remained silent, his gaze fixed outward yet distant—like he wasn't really seeing anything at all.
Soon, the car turned off the main road and entered a private lane surrounded by manicured hedges and security posts. It finally pulled over in front of a modern mansion—one of those high-end estates known for their architectural precision and quiet extravagance. The exterior was a seamless blend of glass walls, dark stone, and warm accent lighting. Wide terraces overlooked a sculpted garden, and tall columns framed an entrance large enough to dwarf any visitor. Everything about it screamed money, and curated perfection.
The passenger door opened with a soft click. "We've arrived, sir," the chauffeur said in a low, respectful tone.
Soo-hyun stepped out, one polished shoe touching the ground. He tugged at his suit jacket, adjusting it with practiced elegance before heading toward the entrance. As soon as he crossed the threshold, several servants lined up and bent into well-rehearsed bows.
"Welcome home, young master." Their voices blended in perfect sync, echoing faintly through the vast foyer.
But Soo didn't respond. He simply walked past them, heading straight toward a room he knew all too well—one he had walked to countless times growing up.
His pace was steady, almost mechanical.... until a shadow moved in the peripheral of his vision. Someone stepped into the doorframe ahead.
"So, you finally showed up, brother." Her tone dripped with sarcasm—sharp, amused, and clearly waiting to provoke.
Soo-hyun halted mid-step. Slowly, he turned his head toward her. Hyuna leaned casually against the doorframe, arms crossed, wearing an expression that looked like a mix of annoyance and smug satisfaction.
"Well," Soo-hyun said, voice calm yet cool, "I had to."
He shifted slightly, straightening his posture. "After all, I heard you got engaged. I wanted to congratulate you before anything else."
Hyuna let out a short scoff. "That's why you came here personally...?" Her lips curled into a smirk. "You could've just sent your secretary to do it for you."
"Like what you're always doing," she added, voice low and sharp as a needle.
Soo-hyun remained unmoved by the jab. No twitch of irritation. No hint of defensiveness. He simply looked at her for a brief, quiet moment. Then he smiled—gently emotionless.
"I'm sorry if that's what it seems like to you."
Hyuna waved dismissively with a soft sigh. "I understand, Soo-hyun. No need to apologize."
They exchanged miles, the kind that looked pretty of the surface but hollow beneath. A façade they both instinctively maintained.
Soo-hyun spoke again, this time softer, more deliberate.
"Let me say it properly." He approached her slowly. "Congratulations, Hyuna noona."
Hyuna tried to return the smile—she really did. But the corners of her lips trembled ever so slightly... not from joy. Anger and maybe consequences of her engagement.