The screen was filled with Eun Chae sitting crouched down, and his gaze never left her.

He recalled his morning work, looking at Eun Chae’s petite back.

It was a moment when he was dazed due to failed jet lag adjustment. It was rather close to the state of a hangover. Between his consciousness, the mobile phone notification sound poured in incessantly. It was Kim Jin Ho, the secretary and office manager of Chairman Song Myung Hwan of De Won Group.

[There’s a woman with Han Seung Yoon.]

Han Seung Yoon is the prospective soninlaw of Song Myung Hwan. As the third son of Congressman Han Ji Chang, he has an older brother and sister above him. Thanks to his maternal family running a corporation, he has taken a place in the hotel and resort business division, but his position is ridiculously narrow. He was quite infamous as a squanderer who relieved his anxiety through alcohol, women, and gambling.

[Please warn him not to cause any trouble in today’s engagement ceremony.]

He chuckled faintly. Chairman Song would have known by now about his prospective soninlaw being smitten with women. He was just taking action because it seemed to be surfacing above the water surface even though he had tacitly approved it.

[And to not be late for the appointment with Miss Eun Chae.]

Miss. Eun Chae. Miss. Eun Chae.

After rolling those words in his head, he stood up.

The suite for VIPs of Hotel MK was not a room where anyone could stay just because they were wealthy. Only a few individuals selected through strict screening could use it.

An hour later. When he received permission to break into that secret room with just one phone call and stood in front of the room, the employee spoke with a dumbfounded face.

‘Then, I’ll ring the bell.’

The employee raised his trembling index finger and pressed the bell.

Dingdong.

‘Room service.’

There was no sign from inside.

While the desperate employee pressed the bell again, Ki Joo adjusted his leather gloves. Then he swung an ax that he had snatched from a hanger standing right behind him against the door.

Bang! Bang!

After a few axe swings, the door was bashed and collapsed.

From inside, startled mumblings and faint curses flowed out, and soon the face of Han Seung Yoon popped out as the door swung open.

‘What!’

Meanwhile, the face of the employee, whose color had entirely drained, trembled.

‘Well, that, that is……’

He lightly pushed aside the employee with terrible acting skills and opened the room door even wider with one hand. As if pushing aside a screen and peeping inside a coffin.

‘Oh, am I an uninvited guest.’

He boldly pushed his way in and roamed around the room interior like a lion let loose in a cage, and Han Seung Yoon blabbered.

‘Who are you? Who are you?’

The room that was checked in just two hours ago was in a mess. For some reason, the bedsheet was tangled up disorderly, the clothes were scattered around as if a snake had shed its skin, and water was overflowing in the bathtub since it was left open.

The circumstances were very clear that he must have been overexcited by the thrill as an engagement ceremony was just a few hours away.

‘You’re thirty minutes late.’

A careless tone came out imposingly. At the moment when he was about to laugh at the sight of him not daring to rush at the one who broke the door and intruded, Han Seung Yoon, whose face turned embarrassingly red, protested in front of the woman.

‘Who are you? Is this how MK Hotel treats its customers?’

‘Song Eun Chae isn’t that free.’

Song Eun Chae. At that name, Han Seung Yoon’s face instantly turned black. More than the embarrassment of being caught in a vile act, it was clear that he was more confident that the person in front of him would at best be a secretary, even if he treated him well.

‘Ha, did this bastard go crazy. How dare a mere secretary. Did Chairman Song tell you to act like this? Can you handle it if I make this an issue?’

Handle it? There’s nothing I can’t handle.

He twisted Han Seung Yoon’s arm, who was confidently approaching him, in one go. At the same time, he grabbed Han Seung Yoon’s tilted head brutally and slammed it onto the table.

‘Now, go downstairs and start by apologizing politely.’

‘……’

‘Like a gentleman. Hmm?’

Her arm was bent to its limit, Se Ah was being beaten as she was, the woman who was with Han Seung Yoon screamed and threatened to call the police.

It was not funny at all.

Collecting his thoughts, Ki Joo raised his hand to the CCTV monitor and gently pressed her round figure with his thumb.

His long, thick fingertips swept roughly down from her neck to her waist, then fell away.

“……”

Ki Joo, who had been staring at the monitor with lowered eyes, turned around without hesitation.

A poignant fingerprint had clearly taken its place on the monitor.

((())) ((())) ((()))

The chill had subsided. Eun Chae, who had been gazing at the sky full of dark clouds, approached the waiting limousine.

Then, without any sign, a hand reached out from behind and opened the backseat door for her. Eun Chae, who immediately raised her eyes, stared coldly at the calm Ki Joo.

The scar on his cheek was particularly noticeable, it was irritating. As time was delayed, his black eyes moved down.

Sensing his intentions, Eun Chae turned her gaze and bowed her body to get into the limousine before their eyes met.

Ki Joo, who had been shielding her forehead with his hand to prevent it from hitting the ceiling, closed the car door.

She glanced at him stepping back from the vehicle. Eun Chae turned her head to the side.

Chairman Song spoke, his eyes flashing with an icy glint.

“Are you hesitating to send the lucky daughter of the world to a good soninlaw?”

Such a touching filial affection.

Unlike her mother, who was moved by the news that she was going to register a child with no blood relation to her, Eun Chae saw right through Chairman Song’s intentions.

It wasn’t out of filial affection that Chairman Song, who always moved after thorough calculation and planning, had been raising the daughter of his deceased wife.

She was bait and a tool for business expansion. In other words, she was purely a commodity.

So, it was getting impatient about Han Seung Yoon, who was notorious for his antics, and even putting on a good soninlaw’s act.

“You should return the favor if you’re living off me. The kid’s always falling down, this time she was sent to the ER. So, use your smooth talk to apologize properly.”

Experience was something you couldn’t ignore. After realizing that running away and rebelling dozens of times would only lead to the same place, she lost her will.

Is this what it feels like to have no hope? Getting screwed whether you know it or not.

Acknowledging that fact once again, Eun Chae nodded.

Then, Chairman Song continued in a slightly softer voice.

“It seems that family is interested in art. They even built a classic concert hall and sponsored it.”

“……”

“Try to mix your major into the conversation skillfully. They will like it quite a bit.”

She had already rambled on about classical music, which she wasn’t even interested in.

Eun Chae, who had been listening quietly, chuckled and turned her gaze to the window.

It seemed a bit funny considering who had wanted to throw away the viola right after her mother passed away, so she focused on the swiftly passing landscape.