The afternoon sun skimmed across the chrome skyline, catching the glass of K&H company until the tower itself seemed to burn with light. Down below, the low hum of engines broke into a throaty purr as a scarlet Ferrari — sleek, sharp, the very newest of its kind — glided into the underground car park. Its tires whispered over the polished floor, a predator arriving in silence.
A precise click echoed. The driver's door unfolded like a scene pulled straight from a reel. First appeared the unmistakable glint of shoes — liquid-gold heels, each step scattering light like shards of a star.
Then she emerged in full. The woman was elegance sharpened to a blade: a cream tweed mini-dress hugged her frame, its pearl buttons catching the light. Draped over her shoulders was a cropped blazer, worn not for warmth but as a statement. A quilted designer handbag dangled from her wrist like it belonged in a museum. Her posture, her stride, her very presence — all spoke of someone untouchable, born to command.
Two suited men broke from their posts and hurried over, bowing low.
"Welcome back, Ma'am."
Her voice, when it came, was smooth enough to cut glass.
"Is he here?"
"Yes, Ma'am," Hanbin replied quickly.
She handed the car key to Chan without sparing a glance. "Take care of her."
Chan blinked. "Her? You mean—"
"The car, you idiot," Hanbin hissed, smacking his arm as she strode away. "But why is she here?"
All Chan could do was stare after her, awe mixing with dread.
---
Meanwhile, in the quiet luxury of the top floor office, Ga-young leaned forward across the polished desk, her brows furrowed.
"So you're saying Ji-uk is actually more dangerous than Namjoon?" she asked, her voice edged with disbelief. "Because people assume he's too foolish to mastermind anything serious?"
"If you want to put it that way," Min-jae said, twirling his pen between long fingers, his gaze half-distant. "But there's still something off… like a piece of the puzzle that doesn't fit."
Ga-young opened her mouth to press further—
The door flung wide with a flourish.
A ripple of air seemed to follow her in, her perfume subtle but commanding. Her oversized sunglasses hid her eyes, her smile curving with dangerous ease.
"Did you miss me?"
"Ye-seul!" Min-jae shot to his feet, surprise breaking through his usual coolness.
Ga-young froze, her eyes darting between them, confusion tightening in her chest.
Ye-seul removed her sunglasses, eyes gleaming. "I called you so many times, Oppa. You didn't answer once. Am I not your first love anymore?" Her words were light, teasing, but the bite beneath them was impossible to miss.
Ga-young's gaze snapped to Min-jae, then back to the striking woman before her. The room felt suddenly too small, too suffocating.
"I'll… leave you two to talk," she murmured, her voice faint. With a quiet bow, she slipped out, her footsteps echoing in the silence she left behind.
Ye-seul's smile deepened as she turned back to Min-jae. "So? Aren't you going to say it? That you missed me too?"
Their voices faded as the door clicked shut behind her. The silence should have been comforting, but instead it left Ga-young with a restless ache. She hated being curious—yet the further she walked, the more it gnawed at her until she suddenly froze mid-step.
"Is she really his first love?" she muttered under her breath, the words slipping out before she could snatch them back.
"Boo!"
"Jesus Christ!!" Ga-young flinched so hard her hand flew to her chest. Ji-hye popped up from behind with a mischievous grin plastered across her face.
"What are you scheming about?" Ji-hye asked, her eyes sparkling with suspicion.
"Nothing," Ga-young snapped quickly, trying to hide her fluster. "And aren't you supposed to be on duty right now?"
Ji-hye shrugged as the two of them headed into the staff lounge. She collapsed dramatically onto the couch, kicking her heels off.
"Relax. It's not like I actually do much. I'm just there to supervise," she said with mock seriousness.
"Yah! Are you slacking off just because you're friends with the boss?" Ga-young scolded, narrowing her eyes.
Ji-hye suddenly shot upright, leaning so close that Ga-young instinctively pulled back. Their faces were only inches apart.
"I would never do something so unprofessional…" Ji-hye said, lowering her voice before breaking into a wicked smile. "Or maybe I would."
Ga-young groaned. "Ji-hye, you know you should be diligent so your good energy can rub off on the oth—"
But her words were cut off when Ji-hye pressed a finger against her lips.
"Shhh. I don't need your motivational speech right now," she teased, flopping back onto the couch with an exaggerated sigh. "I'll go back soon."
Ga-young could only shake her head, muttering under her breath.
"By the way!" Ji-hye suddenly sat up again, her voice bubbling with excitement. "Did you see that woman who walked in earlier? The one with insane charisma?"
Ga-young raised a brow. "What about her?" she asked flatly.
"Who is she?" Ji-hye pressed, eyes wide with curiosity.
"How should I know? She just came in unannounced."
Ji-hye gasped dramatically, flinging her hand over her chest.
"Don't tell me you didn't notice she went to see Min-jae? Ugh, but her aura, her confidence—she looked like she walked straight out of a chaebol drama."
"Shouldn't you be heading back to work?" Ga-young muttered, clearly uninterested.
"I'm just trying to dig up some juicy details!" Ji-hye whined. "If she came unannounced, then she's probably close to him. Maybe even his secret fiancée. Ooooh, plot twist!"
Ga-young's lips moved before she realized. "I don't know… they seemed pretty close."
Ji-hye's head whipped toward her, her grin sly. "Are you jealous?"
"Jealous? Me?" Ga-young scoffed, her tone a little too sharp. "Why would I be?"
"You totally sound jealous," Ji-hye teased, her smirk widening.
"Yah!!" Ga-young burst out, throwing her hands up before exhaling heavily. "It's useless trying to explain to you. But let me be clear—I'm not jealous, and I don't have feelings for Min-jae anymore." With that, she spun on her heel and stormed out.
Only to stomp back in a second later.
"And just for the record—we didn't fight. This was just a conversation."
Then she left again, slamming the door.
Ji-hye chuckled to herself, shaking her head. "First stage of jealousy: denial," she whispered with a grin. But then her smile faltered into a thoughtful frown. "Still… what's Min-jae really up to?" She tapped her chin, her excitement bubbling again. "Oh my God, this is so much fun!" She squealed, hugging a pillow to her chest.
Before she could revel in her theory, Mira suddenly burst into the lounge, breathless.
"Mrs. Hyun-woo! You need to see this—right now!"
Ji-hye sighed dramatically, dragging herself to her feet. "One minute I'm gone and you all throw the place into chaos," she muttered before rushing after her.