Chapter 4

“If you accept the proposal I just made, Han Leeyeon, then I will present the second proposal.”

As Leeyeon looked bewildered, Dokyeom leaned forward, closing the distance in an instant.

The faint woody scent emanating from him quickly stimulated Leeyeon’s senses.

The heavy yet alluring fragrance suited Dokyeom perfectly.

Faced with his handsome face so suddenly, Leeyeon froze in place.

“If you’re considering accepting my proposal, contact me through the phone number on the business card I gave you.”

Her gaze was completely captivated by the slow curve of his lips.

***

After Leeyeon left, Dokyeom stared at the piles of documents stacked on his desk.

Though he was clearly looking at work files, the image of Leeyeon’s innocent yet sorrowful eyes floated in front of him.

It was a face that strangely drew people in.

And though it wasn’t obvious, she had a tough streak.

“She’s holding on longer than I thought.”

All of Cha Heeyoung’s previous personal secretaries had quit within days, unable to endure the harsh treatment. Yet, Leeyeon had managed to stay by the notoriously cruel Cha Heeyoung’s side.

The last time Dokyeom had visited the director’s office, Leeyeon had been standing there, covered in spilled food.

The fact that she continued working at Jicheol Gallery despite such humiliation was simply remarkable.

Usually, when subjected to such treatment, people’s faces would betray their displeasure, but Leeyeon’s expression revealed nothing.

She was incredibly composed, as if nothing had happened.

That’s why she caught his attention even more.

To that woman, who pretended to be fine and steadfastly endured despite clearly not being okay.

Dokyeom hadn’t encountered many people who lived with such grit, but even among those he had, Leeyeon was in a league of her own

That’s why he thought Leeyeon was the perfect person for this job.

Recently, Ji Dokyeom’s father, Ji Jungcheol, the Vice President of Jicheol Construction, had confided in him about his suspicions regarding Cha Heeyoung’s management of the gallery.

He asked Ji Dokyeom to secretly investigate, saying that if he took action himself, it might escalate unnecessarily.

He wanted to know what Cha Heeyoung had been interested in lately and what she was doing during the day, to ensure she wasn’t up to anything shady.

Pfft-

As that thought crossed his mind, a faint sound of air escaping came from between Dokyeom’s lips.

“If that’s the case, why not just kick her out altogether?”

He couldn’t understand why Ji Jungcheol kept a woman he didn’t trust in his home.

It only made things more complicated for him, but it wasn’t entirely pointless.

If Cha Heeyoung really was embezzling funds from Jicheol Gallery, all Dokyeom needed was the right weapon to oust her.

He could finally get rid of the detestable Cha Heeyoung.

The woman who played the role of a ridiculous mother.

To do so, he needed Han Leeyeon, who was enduring by Cha Heeyoung’s side.

That strange woman, whose true feelings were impossible to read.

Since she was the one observing Cha Heeyoung up close for the longest time, there was no better person for the task.

And even if that wasn’t the sole reason, Dokyeom needed Leeyeon for other purposes.

While trying to understand Leeyeon’s surroundings and relationships, he discovered something incredibly interesting.

Much to his amusement, his fiancée-to-be, Yerin, and Leeyeon’s boyfriend, Junho, were having an affair.

The tangled web of relationships was endlessly entertaining to Dokyeom.

Just when he was wondering how to best use this critical piece of information, Junho and Yerin had served up the perfect opportunity on a silver platter.

It seemed like he and Leeyeon could establish a mutually beneficial relationship.

As Dokyeom stared at the documents detailing Leeyeon’s background, he recalled the first time they met.

That unforgettable day.

*

The first time Dokyeom saw Leeyeon was at a party hosted by his close friend Hajun, who was celebrating his remarriage to his ex-wife.

Hajun had pleaded earnestly for Dokyeom to attend the masquerade party, so he had made the time to go.

While enduring the boredom of the party, Dokyeom had turned slightly to avoid a child running toward him, only to fall straight into the hotel’s swimming pool.

The water only came up to his chest when he stood up, but his trauma left him unable to regain his composure.

Since it was a private event, Secretary Choi hadn’t accompanied him.

Most of the partygoers were too drunk to help and simply stood around, watching him struggle in the water.

He vaguely heard murmurs about fetching security personnel, but before long, there was a splash.

As his mind teetered on the edge of consciousness, he saw someone cutting through the water toward him.

It wasn’t a security guard—it was a woman.

‘Who is she…?’

“Relax and let me guide you.”

The woman grabbed the collar of his suit and pulled him out of the pool with all her strength.

She had thrown off her mask to dive in, allowing Dokyeom to clearly see her face.

“Are you okay…? Can you hear me?”

She was the same woman who had captivated his attention earlier at the party.

Before he could thank her, an ambulance arrived, and she disappeared without a trace.

It was an unforgettable, vivid memory.

What unsettled him even more was that, after that day, she began appearing in his dreams whenever his mind wandered.

Always in the same drenched state from that day—or, more precisely, completely n*ked.

He found it absurd to be dreaming about a woman he’d only met once, like some lustful fool.

Then, by pure coincidence, he met her again.

As Cha Heeyoung’s personal secretary.

Her name was Han Leeyeon.

A fresh, intriguing connection had begun.

*

“Director.”

The voice of Secretary Choi snapped Dokyeom out of his reverie.

“Do you think Ms. Han Leeyeon will accept your proposal?”

“She will. I’ll make sure of it.”

He was determined to ensure it, by any means necessary.

Leeyeon had become his target.

*

“Junho-oppa, let’s break up.”

During lunch at a café near the office, Leeyeon informed Junho of her decision to end their relationship.

Thanks to what she had witnessed at Jicheol Gallery the day before, she had been able to sort out her feelings overnight.

“W-What? Why all of a sudden, Leeyeon?”

Considering what she had seen and heard the previous night, Leeyeon should have been the one caught off guard.

Yet, it was Junho who looked utterly bewildered.

“Leeyeon, if this is because I’ve been busy and neglecting you lately, then—”

“It’s not that.”

Junho’s mouth hung open.

“Then why? Why are you suddenly breaking up with me? We were fine.”

Watching him act as if nothing had happened made Leeyeon feel sick.

How much had I been fooled by that innocent façade of his?

“I just got tired of you.”

“What?”

“I don’t feel excited when I’m with you anymore.”

Leeyeon rarely said things that might hurt others, but after hearing him insult her late father the night before, she couldn’t bring herself to speak kindly.

Junho’s face turned pale.

“No, if we spend more time together, your feelings will grow. How can you just decide to end things like this?”

Watching Junho cling to her so pathetically, Leeyeon wanted to say it.

That she had seen everything the night before at Jicheol Gallery.

That she had heard every word he said.

But she knew it wouldn’t change anything.

Sometimes, pretending not to know and letting things slide was the wiser choice.

“Oppa, my feelings won’t change. I’ll be going now.”