“Please deliver the files directly to me, not via the company email. Company email can be exposed at any time.”

“Understood.”

“It will take about a week to thoroughly review the documents. I’ll contact you as soon as I’m done, Director.”

“Thank you, Director. Next time, let’s meet somewhere other than the office.”

“Yes.”

The Audit Director left the room with the USB Kang Hyun had given him.

The first meeting with Cha Min Woo after the meeting with Audit Director Kim Sa Heon, Cha Min Woo was still arrogant.

It was unclear what he was basing his confidence on.

He barely paid attention to Kang Hyun’s presentation and seemed to only superficially listen to Eun Ji Yeon’s and Kwon Ji Su’s presentations.

Yet, he was smiling throughout, constantly looking at Kang Hyun.

The presentations of the Strategic Planning TF team were over.

“Sales team, do you have any questions regarding today’s presentation?”

The five sales team leaders and department heads present at the meeting had no questions.

Kang Hyun looked at them in disdain for a moment before turning to Cha Min Woo.

“Executive Director Cha Min Woo, do you have any questions? Or perhaps you have some documents to share?”

Cha Min Woo, who had been smiling, looked at Kang Hyun and said,

“I’ve listened to the presentation well, Director. But I have a question I wanted to ask today.”

“Please, go ahead.”

“This writer, Kwon Ji Su, who uses the name SOO, why did you choose to involve them in this project?”

Cha Min Woo asked a fundamental question.

“Director, I believe I have already explained that in several meetings. We started collaborating with the writer on product design, which then extended to advertising. The decision to involve the writer was made jointly by not just the Strategic Planning Office but also the Product Development Team. Don’t you remember?”

“Ah, I see. I asked because it was different from what I knew.”

“What do you mean, ‘different’?”

“I saw something interesting and really wanted to share and discuss it with you, and today seems like the perfect occasion.”

As he said this, Cha Min Woo did something on his phone and continued,

“I’ve just sent an interesting photo to your email, Director. Could you open it so we can view it together?”

Kang Hyun opened the email from Cha Min Woo on his laptop, which was connected to the screen.
Attached to the email was a JPG file of a photo showing two people holding hands affectionately.

“I went into writer Kwon Ji Su’s SNS and found this interesting photo… Could you explain this to me?”

The photo, taken from a social media post updated a few days ago, showed a young-looking Kang Hyun and Kwon Ji Su holding hands affectionately, with several hashtags written underneath.

#LongLostLove#OurYoungDays#StillDeeplyInLove#CanIEverForgetYou?

Hundreds of comments were posted below it.

[Who’s this? The guy is super handsome!] [Is this the writer’s ex?] [Seriously good-looking.] [I wouldn’t be able to forget such a man either.] [He looks like an executive at our company.]

Cha Min Woo, grinning with apparent delight, said, “Director Lee Kang Hyun, I found out that you and the writer were in a romantic relationship until recently. What do you think you’re doing, bringing personal connections into work like this? We are investing so much here. Haven’t you read the company’s code of ethics?”

Eun Ji Yeon was shocked to see the photo.

‘Cha Min Woo! That guy has lost it. He’s finally gone mad!’

She looked at Kang Hyun, wondering if she should turn off the computer immediately, but Kang Hyun gestured for her to stop.

“Don’t you have anything to say, Director Lee Kang Hyun? Or would writer Kwon Ji Su like to comment?”

As Cha Min Woo mentioned Kwon Ji Su’s name, everyone’s eyes turned to her.

Kwon Ji Su, pale-faced and trembling, weakly shook her head in denial.

Instead of Kwon Ji Su, Kang Hyun spoke up.

“While I can’t be exact, this photo looks like it’s from about 7 or 8 years ago. I don’t know why this photo was uploaded to the writer’s recent post, but yes, that’s me in the photo. We had a relationship in the past, but it ended 5 years ago. And until the contract with the writer, I had no idea who SOO was. Do I need to explain in more detail?”

As soon as Kang Hyun finished speaking, Cha Min Woo slammed his hand on the desk.

“Do you expect me to believe that? To anyone, it looks like a contract made through personal connections! I’m going to raise this issue with the company.”

Cha Min Woo responded heatedly.

“Go ahead, Executive Director Cha Min Woo. Just be prepared for the consequences. It’s ridiculous who is accusing whom of what here.”

With that, Kang Hyun sneered for a moment, then sternly looked at Kwon Ji Su.

“Writer Kwon Ji Su, I’m telling you for the last time. Don’t overdo it, and delete that photo immediately. Unless you want to meet my lawyer for unpleasant reasons.”
Kwon Ji Su’s face turned pale at Kang Hyun’s cold words, and she abruptly stood up and left the meeting room.

The Strategic Planning TF team and the Sales team leaders, witnessing the entire situation, were frozen like ice.

“While there’s nothing top-secret here, I would like to conclude the matters of this meeting here. I have no worries about my team, but I’m not sure about the Sales team. If you have to report to your superiors about your boss digging into others’ past without preparing for the meeting or attacking a cooperating department’s executive with baseless evidence in an official meeting, please do so.”

Kang Hyun, having said all he wanted, gathered his belongings.

“An attack based on an unverified social media post… This is not even funny.”

Meanwhile, unable to endure the tense atmosphere, the others quietly left their seats.

Cha Min Woo, unable to hold onto Kang Hyun, was huffing in frustration, breathing heavily.

As Kang Hyun passed by him, he paused and whispered in Cha Min Woo’s ear.

“Do your job, Executive Director Cha Min Woo. The project files you handed over are laughable. I did better when I was just a manager. Looking at you now, you seem like a grade-schooler relying on daddy’s influence.”

“What… what did you say!”

“Oh, and… I’m disappointed that you still haven’t taken my advice to heart after our last conversation. Try not to make it so obvious. What about the parking lot?”

After saying this, Kang Hyun patted Cha Min Woo’s shoulder and walked past him.

Exiting the meeting room, Kang Hyun moved his stiff neck.

It was rare for Kang Hyun to get this angry, but this time, he was furious to the core.