Chapter 16

Dokyeom, who usually treated women as if they were invisible, had chosen Leeyeon, and this fact was truly shocking.  

Cha Heeyoung didn’t know how Leeyeon had managed to seduce Dokyeom, but she was confident that he would soon lose interest.  

“So, what I’m saying is, don’t get carried away just because Dokyeom trusts you.”  

Looking at Heeyoung’s face, an odd sense of defiance began to rise.  

Even though this was a fake relationship for show, what if this relationship somehow turned into something real? How would Heeyoung react?  

But Leeyeon quickly erased the thought, as there was no chance of that happening.  

Their relationship was only formed because they each had clear goals they wanted to achieve.  

There was absolutely no room for emotions to get involved.  

“If I could, I’d fire you right this instant!”  

There were, in truth, many reasons why she couldn’t.  

For one, Dokyeom had sternly warned her not to mess with Leeyeon, and she couldn’t ignore that.  

Also, as a personal secretary, Leeyeon was someone she could boss around to her heart’s content.  

And if she removed her from her sight, wouldn’t that just make it easier for Leeyeon to cozy up to Dokyeom?  

Heeyoung couldn’t bear to see that happen.  

At least by keeping her as a subordinate and working hard, she could keep an eye on her.  

“I’m holding back for Dokyeom’s sake. So don’t delude yourself into thinking I’ll give you special treatment just because you’re dating him.”  

“Yes, Director.”  

“Get out!”  

***  

After finishing one meeting, Dokyeom was in the car, moving to his next schedule, when Secretary Choi gave him a report.  

“Director, it seems my sense was lacking, as Han Leeyeon didn’t accept the clothes.”  

Dokyeom, who had been reviewing documents, slowly lifted his gaze.  

“Are you saying she left without changing into the clothes you bought?”  

“Yes, that’s correct. She said she had something urgent and left. But… I think the clothes I picked weren’t her style, as I’ve never bought women’s clothing before.”  

Secretary Choi, who was explaining his shortcomings in detail, hung his head low.  

“I’ll make sure to be more careful next time.”  

Secretary Choi seemed to believe that it was entirely his fault that Leeyeon hadn’t accepted the clothes.  

As Dokyeom listened to the story, an unfamiliar, faint smile unknowingly appeared on his lips.  

He had instructed Secretary Choi to buy clothes because he thought it would be uncomfortable for Leeyeon to walk around in wet clothes.  

In truth, Dokyeom hadn’t expected Leeyeon to actually change into the clothes.  

And his prediction hit the mark perfectly.  

The only reason he kept finding himself smiling in this situation was just one thing.  

‘At least she’s fair.’  

Ever since he heard that she had readily accepted the cold medicine Secretary Choi had brought last time, he had been strangely bothered.  

He wondered if Leeyeon was rejecting things simply because they came from him.  

But since she had also refused the clothes that Secretary Choi personally picked out today, that didn’t seem to be the case.  

By now, he was genuinely curious.  

Did Leeyeon really dislike acts of kindness with no strings attached?  

Or was she the kind of cunning woman who easily rejected small gestures of help but couldn’t resist temptations she couldn’t turn down?  

She had said that the reason she endured working under Heeyoung was because of the high salary.  

From that, he thought she was an easy and convenient person to deal with, but she always defied his expectations.  

That’s why he was even more intrigued.  

Dokyeom gazed at the ever-changing scenery outside the window and slowly recalled Leeyeon’s face.  

Her eyes, deep and calm like a lake, concealed thoughts that were impossible to grasp.  

And so, they kept drawing his attention.  

If he stared into her eyes for a long time, observing her, she would eventually bite her plump lips slightly as if embarrassed, and look away first.  

He found it amusing to see the occasional flicker of unease on her otherwise serene face.  

After being thoroughly soaked by the water Heeyoung had splashed, her already sorrowful-looking hazel eyes had quivered even more, and that image kept lingering before his eyes.  

Thinking of Leeyeon, Dokyeom rhythmically tapped the car seat with his index finger.  

What kind of reaction would Han Leeyeon show if I laid down an irresistibly alluring trap?  

He wanted to test her.  

Since he would see her almost every day anyway, there would be plenty of opportunities to put her to the test.  

“Director, should we investigate Han Leeyeon further?”  

When it came to business partners, Dokyeom’s tendency was to gather as much information as possible beforehand before starting any work.  

So, under normal circumstances, it would have been natural for him to investigate everything about Leeyeon without leaving out a single detail. But strangely, he didn’t want to do that this time.  

A minimum amount of information was enough.  

If he already knew everything, wouldn’t that take the fun out of it?  

After all, when unwrapping a gift, not knowing what’s inside makes you curious, even if only for a moment.  

That was the only reason he didn’t request further investigation into Leeyeon.  

If there was something he was curious about, he could just ask her directly.  

And honestly, there wasn’t a pressing need to know who Leeyeon was or what kind of life she had lived.  

All she needed to do was keep a close eye on Cha Heeyoung’s every move and deliver only the necessary information.  

But strangely, he found himself curious beyond that.  

“You said you planted someone in the gallery as well.”  

“Yes. Should I tell them to keep a close watch on Director Cha’s activities?”  

“No. Focus on Han Leeyeon instead.”  

“What?”  

Secretary Choi looked at Dokyeom with a puzzled expression.  

“Not Director Cha Heeyoung?”  

It was to the point where he had to confirm again, wondering if he had misheard.  

“Isn’t Han Leeyeon the one who can provide the most information about Cha Heeyoung?”  

“Yes, that’s true, but…”  

Then why had he instructed someone to secretly bribe an employee working at the gallery?  

As if reading Secretary Choi’s curiosity, Dokyeom spoke up.  

“Have them especially watch what Director Cha does to Han Leeyeon.”  

“Ah, understood.”  

Although he had instructed Leeyeon to report any physical aggression from Cha Heeyoung, he knew she wouldn’t do so.

That’s why he had planted another employee in the gallery.  

If Cha Heeyoung became increasingly violent and Leeyeon eventually couldn’t endure it, the entire plan would go back to square one.  

So, whether or not Leeyeon could hold out was directly tied to the success of this operation.  

Even if he replaced her with someone else as Cha Heeyoung’s personal secretary, there was no guarantee that person would last as long as Leeyeon.

And there was no guarantee that Cha Heeyoung would take a liking to that person either.  

Especially if she found out that the person was hired on Dokyeom’s recommendation, Cha Heeyoung would become even more wary.  

To resolve this matter quickly and smoothly, Leeyeon, who could be so effectively utilized like a piece on a chessboard, was absolutely necessary.  

That’s why he recruited one of the gallery employees to specifically monitor what Cha Heeyoung was doing to Leeyeon.  

Although he shifted his gaze back to the documents he was reviewing, Dokyeom found it hard to concentrate.  

It was because he kept recalling the curves of Leeyeon’s body, which he had pulled into his arms to pretend to be lovers in front of Heeyoung.  

The fact that such a simple stimulus could occupy his thoughts to this extent left Dokyeom feeling dumbfounded.  

The only consolation was that, even on Leeyeon’s usually calm face whenever she was by his side, there had been a faint ripple of disturbance.  

Leeyeon’s presence was infiltrating his subconscious more than Dokyeom was aware of.  

***  

Buzz—

Leeyeon’s phone, placed on the desk, vibrated briefly.  

[Today as well, I’ll head to the gallery during lunchtime. Since I’ll be stopping by the site before coming up, I might be a little late, so go ahead and eat first.]  

It was from Dokyeom.  

Whenever they were together, she could distinctly feel that he was a busy man with his schedule planned down to the minute.  

Even in the brief moments when they met to report on Cha Heeyoung’s day, Dokyeom’s phone would ring incessantly.  

On days when he had appointments late into the evening, like today, he would come to the gallery around lunchtime, see Leeyeon’s face, and listen to her report on Cha Heeyoung.  

“Would Director have lunch before coming?”

Since she was already planning to buy a sandwich for herself, Leeyeon hesitated for a moment.  

She wrote and deleted a message several times, repeating the process for quite a while.