The boardroom emptied after Min-joon's departure, leaving only the forgotten echo of footsteps and the faint hum of the city far below.
Yeon-hwa remained seated at the head of the table, her fingers resting lightly on the thick file marked:
Project Aurora — Internal Review
Confidential
Do-yoon stood across from her with his arms crossed, watching her. Not suspiciously. Not impatiently.
Observing.
A habit only a man used to reading people in silence would have.
She flipped the first page.
Her eyes sharpened.
Do-yoon noticed.
"You found something."
She didn't look up.
"Your rival company's letter makes no sense."
He approached slowly, the air shifting with his movement.
"How so?"
She tapped the section with a finger.
"Aurora's projected returns were high — too high for Changwoon Group to casually suggest a takeover. They are either extremely confident… or extremely desperate."
"And which is it?" he asked.
"Neither," she answered. "They're playing a psychological game."
Do-yoon paused.
"Explain."
"They're hoping we panic," she said calmly. "The moment we flinch, they win."
His eyes lowered, studying her.
Not the document.
Her.
"You're analyzing like a strategist," he murmured.
Her lips curved faintly.
"I am reading."
"Most people can read," he said. "Not everyone can understand."
She ignored the compliment and turned another page.
Then froze.
A signature line.
A meeting date.
And a name she had been waiting to see.
Her uncle.
Her breath stopped.
Then steadied.
Of course.
She closed the file.
"We need to run a background audit," she said.
"We?" he repeated.
"You. Kang Group. Your data team is faster."
His eyebrows lifted slightly.
"You're asking for cooperation?"
She met his gaze evenly.
"I'm asking for leverage."
A moment of complete silence stretched between them.
Then—
He exhaled slowly.
"As you wish."
She didn't flinch.
Didn't smile.
Just nodded lightly and stood from her seat.
But the moment she rose, her phone buzzed.
A message from the hospital.
Her pulse tightened.
She read quickly.
"Chairman's vitals are stable today. No improvement.
The neurology unit recommends family presence for emotional support."
Her hand froze on the screen.
Do-yoon noticed instantly.
"What happened?"
"Nothing," she said. "Just… father."
She expected him to remain silent.
Instead:
"I'll go with you."
Her head snapped up.
"No."
He didn't blink.
"I wasn't asking."
She stared at him.
"You have work."
"I can work in the car."
"My father isn't conscious."
"I know."
"Then why—"
"Because you can't walk into that hospital wearing the weight of this company alone."
Her heart twisted.
She immediately looked away.
"I've done so until now."
"Not anymore."
His voice wasn't gentle.
It wasn't tender.
It wasn't emotional.
It was a simple fact, spoken with absolute certainty.
And that made it more dangerous.
She inhaled.
"I don't need support."
"I know," he said quietly. "But you deserve it."
She turned away quickly, hiding the small fracture in her expression.
The system chimed softly.
[Emotional Defense Weakening: +2 Awareness]
[Do-yoon Affection +6]
[Hidden Flag Unlocked: Guardian Instinct]
She set her phone down.
"I'm visiting the hospital after finishing these files."
"Then I'm driving," he said.
She opened her mouth to argue.
He simply walked toward the door.
"Get ready," he said without turning. "You have ten minutes."
---
Meanwhile — in the rival company's office
Choi Yerin sat nervously in a glass meeting room, twisting her fingers on her skirt.
Executives stood around her, discussing the failed attempt to shake Seo Yeon-hwa.
"It didn't work."
"She didn't flinch at all."
"That girl is different from the rumors."
Yerin looked down, cheeks warm from embarrassment.
"I… tried to explain I was close with Min-joon…" she whispered.
One executive snorted.
"College friendship means nothing in a chaebol war."
The director leaned forward.
"You're going to need to get closer to her. Understand how she thinks."
Yerin flinched.
"Why me?"
"Because she won't lower her guard for strangers," he said. "But you… you're soft. Innocent. Girls like her underestimate girls like you."
Yerin swallowed.
A strange mix of fear and curiosity flickered in her eyes.
"I'll try," she whispered.
"Good. Because we need to know how much she suspects."
---
Back at Seo Hwa Headquarters
When Yeon-hwa stepped out of her office with her coat, Do-yoon was already waiting by the elevator.
No words exchanged.
Just presence.
As the doors closed, she finally spoke.
"You don't have to do this."
"I know."
"Then why are you?"
A pause.
"Because last night wasn't a mistake to me."
Her breath caught.
The elevator hummed softly.
He didn't touch her.
Didn't crowd her.
Didn't act emotional.
He simply said the truth with the calm certainty of a man who didn't hesitate.
Her hands tightened slightly at her sides.
"I don't need complications," she said quietly.
"I'll handle the complications," he replied.
"And what makes you think you can?"
He turned his head.
His gaze met hers.
Deep. Dark. Steady.
"Because I've already started."
Her pulse skipped once.
The elevator doors opened.
---
Hospital
The hallways smelled of antiseptic and quiet grief.
The monitors beeped softly.
Her father lay still — breathing, alive, but unreachable.
She stood at his bedside, fingers brushing the blanket.
Her voice lowered.
"I'm taking care of everything," she whispered. "I promise."
Beside her, Do-yoon watched silently, hands in his pockets.
But his gaze softened — barely.
A crack in the ice.
He didn't interrupt.
He didn't approach.
He simply stood guard.
Like a quiet shadow.
A silent fortress.
A man who understood the weight she carried without asking for explanations.
When she stepped back, she inhaled shakily.
"I'm done."
"No," he said softly. "You did well."
The words nearly undid her.
She turned away quickly.
"Let's go."
As they walked out, the system chimed again.
[Mission Update: Aurora Investigation — Phase 1 Complete]
[Reward Unlocked: Strategic Insight +5]
[New Skill: Pattern Recognition]
[Hidden Achievement: Father's Promise]
And one more notification:
[Warning:
Rival heroine approaching again
Probability of conflict: 72%]
Yeon-hwa exhaled slowly.
"Trouble…"
Do-yoon glanced at her.
"Don't worry."
She arched a brow.
"Why?"
His eyes lowered to hers, sharper than before.
"Because trouble gets scared when you're the one standing in front of it."
Her breath stilled.
And for the first time today…
She didn't have a response.