The Hwan mansion's dining hall glittered under the soft glow of the chandelier, every crystal drop catching the light like stars. But no amount of brilliance could soften the tension that hung thick in the air. Servants moved like shadows, refilling crystal glasses, the faint clink of silverware the only sound in the cavernous room.
At the head of the long mahogany table sat Chairman Hwan, composed and regal, with Mrs. Hwan beside him—serene but watchful. On either side, their three sons faced one another like rivals across a battlefield.
Mrs. Hwan was the first to break the silence, her smile as soft as her voice.
"Isn't it wonderful? Finally, the family together at one table." Still smiling, Mrs. Hwan continued, "You should all come home more often. A family that dines together stays together."
Before the silence returned, Chairman Hwan's voice sliced through like a blade.
"Your mother is right. No matter what family always comes first."
"Yes, Father," Ji-uk answered quickly with a nod, his tone smooth, practiced.
But Chairman Hwan's gaze had already shifted. He cut into his rare steak with precision. "Namjoon. I heard your team was tangled in something… illegal."
Namjoon's jaw tightened. "It's been handled, sir."
"Handled?" His father's eyes lifted, calm but piercing. "Did you truly think you could hide it from me?"
Namjoon lowered his gaze. "I'm sorry, Father. It won't happen again."
"See that it doesn't. You've kept K&H Group successful, and that's the only reason I let this go. Don't mistake success for immunity."
"Yes, sir."
Then, as though turning a page, Chairman Hwan's gaze landed on Min-jae. He paused, savoring the power of silence before speaking.
"And you… What you did in the conference room today was reckless. Foolish. Dangerous."
A short laugh escaped Ji-uk, but it died instantly when their father's eyes snapped to him.
"My apologies, Father," Ji-uk said quickly, bowing his head.
Chairman Hwan leaned back. "Yet… reckless as it was, I am impressed. That spectacle of yours struck exactly where it needed to. Boldness has its place, when controlled, you carved a spot for yourself."
Min-jae straightened. "Thank you, Father."
Min-jae's lips twitched into a smirk, his gaze locking with Namjoon's across the table, victory flashing between them like lightning.
Chairman Hwan rose slowly, adjusting his cufflinks. "Remember this—strength comes not from enmity, but from unity." With that, he strode out, his presence lingering like smoke.
Mrs. Hwan followed with her soft grace, pausing only to stare down at Min-jae."Sleep well, my everyone. And congratulations Min-jae, Your father seems proud."
"Thank you, Mother," he bowed.
As the doors closed behind their parents, Ji-uk exhaled loudly. "God, the air was so heavy in here I could choke. Did you all feel that?"
Namjoon pushed back his chair without a word and strode out.
Ji-uk rose as well, smirking faintly. "Don't get ahead of yourself little brother." Then he followed after Namjoon.
Min-jae grimaced "I'm just getting started".
---
A few moments later, Min-jae returned to his house , freshly showered and dressed down in a hoodie and ash-gray sweatpants, his hair falling loosely across his forehead. He checked his phone — 9:57. With a quick swipe, he opened his messages and typed without hesitation:
I'll be sending the video call link shortly. I trust you're prepared.
Almost instantly, Ga-young's reply lit up his screen.
Whenever you're ready, sir.
Satisfied, he set the phone aside, pulled his laptop closer, and the faint glow of the screen washed over his face as the clock ticked toward ten.
The call connected before the second ring.
"Good evening, Mr. Min-jae," Ga-young greeted politely. Unlike him, she was fully dressed in formal attire, blazer crisp, hair neatly tucked behind her ears. The moment she caught sight of his hoodie, she silently questioned every choice she'd made in the last hour.
"Good evening, Ms. Choi," Min-jae replied, his voice smooth, direct. "So about the meeting today… what's your observation?"
"Mr. Min-jae, I must say I was as surprised as every executive in the room," Ga-young answered, carefully measured. "You had them speechless. I could almost see the defeat in CEO Namjoon's eyes."
Min-jae's lips curved faintly. "That was only the beginning," he said, clicking his tongue in quiet amusement. "Even the chairman mentioned he was impressed."
"Really??" The word slipped out too brightly before she caught herself. She quickly cleared her throat. "Apologies. I just… got a little carried away. But that's huge, sir. You really hit the target."
He smirked, leaning back in his chair. "My intention isn't just to introduce myself as the new CEO of the Fashion & Cosmetics group. I want to carve a permanent mark in the minds of every executive."
"And you achieved even more than that," she admitted.
He nodded once, though his tone darkened. "It might feel exciting now, but this is only the start. Officially, I've placed my hand in the race for the chairman's seat."
"At least you know the chairman favors you. That puts us at an advantage," Ga-young offered.
A low chuckle escaped him, almost bitter. "You really think so? No—what it means is I've painted a larger target on my back. Namjoon will stop at nothing to see me fall."
Ga-young leaned forward, curious. "So… what's your plan?"
"We eliminate the biggest obstacle first."
"You mean CEO Namjoon?" she asked.
"Ji-uk," he said simply.
She blinked, confusion plain on her face. "But isn't Mr. Ji-uk the weakest?"
Just as Min-jae was about to explain, a loud knock rattled through Ga-young's room, followed by her mother's voice:
"CHOI GA-YOUNG!"
Her blood ran cold. She turned slightly, panicked. "Mother, I'm on a call!"
The door swung open anyway. Mrs. Choi marched in, waving an empty sanitary pad pack in the air like a battle flag. "How many times must I tell you? Refill the pad pack when you finish it! Or at least tell me so I can replace it. What am I supposed to use now?"
Time froze. Ga-young wished the earth would open and swallow her whole. The words period and business call did not belong in the same universe. Out of the corner of her eye, Min-jae's face remained maddeningly calm on the screen.
"Mother, please," she hissed in a whisper, mortified beyond reason. "Stop talking about that. I'm on a call."
"Then finish your call quickly and go buy me sanitary pads!" Mrs. Choi snapped before storming out.
Silence.
Ga-young didn't dare look at the camera. Her cheeks burned as she forced herself to face him. "I… I'm so sorry you had to witness that." Her voice cracked with embarrassment.
"It's fine," Min-jae said too casually, as though scenes like this didn't faze him in the slightest. "Attend to your mother. We'll talk tomorrow."
"I—thank you, sir. I'm really sorry again."
"Rest well, Ms. Choi."
"And you too," she murmured before the call ended.
The screen went black.
Ga-young let out a muffled scream and threw herself face-first into her pillow, fists pounding it like it had personally betrayed her. "Why?! Why out of all nights did it have to be tonight?"
She groaned into the fabric, flipping over in despair. "How do I ever look him in the eye again? I couldn't even do it before… and now this?"
Another scream tore out of her, swallowed by the pillow, as the weight of secondhand embarrassment crushed her completely.