Chapter 3.2

After a considerably long standoff, it was In-wook who first broke the silence. 

“You’re really upset.” 

In-wook tugged at the knot of the tie constricting his neck. Then, he walked over and sat across from Hae-soo. 

“You call that a statement now?” 

Hae-soo’s retort was quite sharp. The nuance of her anger was abundantly clear. 

For a very brief moment, a flicker of dismay crossed In-wook’s face. 

“I think some explanation is needed.” 

Hae-soo immediately pressed In-wook. Her momentum was quite fierce. 

In-wook subtly took a deep breath. Then, he heightened his focus to see the situation once more from Hae-soo’s perspective. 

“Secretary Yoon, what are you doing over there?” 

“……” 

“Secretary Yoon, can’t you hear me?” 

To him, Henry and his family were exceedingly familiar people, but to Hae-soo, they would be nothing more or less than a foreign family she didn’t know. 

Being suddenly treated as a subordinate in front of such people would, in itself, not feel pleasant. 

And to make matters worse, the situation she had recently found herself in was the worst. 

She might have even felt that he disregarded her by taking her circumstances into account in such a way. 

It might be too much of a leap in assumption. But as the one who made the mistake, it wasn’t a possibility he could simply ignore. 

“…….” 

In-wook faced Hae-soo with a heavy heart. It seemed he had made a bigger mistake than he had thought. 

After much deliberation, he finally spoke with difficulty. 

“I’m really sorry about what happened at lunchtime. I should have asked for your opinion first, but I arbitrarily made you my secretary. Even though there were circumstances, treating you as my subordinate, even for a moment, is inexcusable in any way. I’m sincerely sorry.”

Hae-soo, for a moment, could only blink with a dazed expression on her face. There wasn’t the slightest hint of hesitation in the continuous stream of apologies. 

It was so excessively perfect, without a trace of unnecessary fluff, that it left her stunned. 

According to the scenario she had painted in her mind while waiting for In-wook all day, she was supposed to express some irritation toward him and, further, use that as leverage to claim this house. 

Yet, she was rendered speechless, as if she had swallowed honey. The bewilderment that had filled her entire being, along with the tiniest bit of irritation it caused, completely subsided. 

…Could an apology really be this flawless? 

“…Then? I’m glad you understand, at least.” 

Hae-soo mumbled with an awkward expression. This wasn’t right. According to her calculations, she was supposed to lash out fiercely and say that, in this state, it would be impossible to live together seeing each other every day, so he should hand over the house to her. That’s what she was supposed to say. 

But let alone asking him to give up the house, she couldn’t even muster a proper outburst of anger. 

With an apology this thorough, far from getting angry, if she showed even the slightest irritation, it would surely make her seem overly sensitive. 

Failure wasn’t even a 0.1% possibility in her plans. 

Hae-soo bit her lower lip hard. There was no way to hide the overwhelming sense of frustration washing over her. 

For now, it seemed the best course of action was to escape to the second floor. Otherwise, not only her conflicted feelings but also her failed plan would be completely exposed to him. 

“Then, rest well. I need to rest too.” 

She stood up from her seat, pretending as much as possible that nothing was wrong. Even in the midst of this, she didn’t forget to act aloof, as if she were graciously doing him a favor. 

However, let alone reaching the second floor, she couldn’t even move from where she stood. Suddenly, the gaze In-wook fixed on her carried an unusual sharpness. 

“Wait a moment.” 

“…Huh?” 

In an instant, Hae-soo’s shoulders flinched. She had firmly believed that In-wook would be glad if she gave him space, but there was something unsettling about his expression. 

It was the look of someone facing a difficult situation. It was as if he had something to say to her but was hesitating to speak it out loud. 

Somehow, an ominous premonition crept in. 

“I have a favor to ask.” 

“A… favor?” 

“Yes.” 

Hae-soo asked back with a reluctant expression. A favor? Though she had known In-wook for more than a year or two, this was something that had never happened before. 

“For the time being, could you pretend to be my secretary?” 

In an instant, Hae-soo furrowed her brows. This was far more bewildering and absurd than what had happened at lunchtime. She couldn’t make sense of the situation at all. 

It wasn’t as if he lacked someone to assist him, and he had even brought a perfectly capable employee here, so why suddenly a secretary? 

“You’re not seriously saying that, are you?” 

“Unfortunately, I’m more serious than ever.” 

“No, why? Don’t tell me you don’t have a secretary,Baek In-wook? Then who was that person with you earlier?” 

“You’ve seen him a few times, so you should know. It’s Chief Kim.” 

“Yeah, I know. That’s why I’m saying this. What about Chief Kim, and why are you asking me to be your secretary?” 

Hae-soo let out a sigh. No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t understand the current situation. 

He had a secretary right by his side, and now he was asking her to play the role. Moreover, he wasn’t even denying Chief Kim’s existence. 

Yet, despite Hae-soo’s reaction, In-wook maintained a consistently serious expression. Then, after a long pause, he finally spoke with difficulty. 

“I need help.” 

“So, what kind of help? If you need a secretary, Chief Kim is right there.” 

“This is something even Chief Kim can’t handle.” 

“And you’re asking me to handle something like that?” 

“Yes. No matter how much I think about it, this is a problem only you can help with.” 

Hae-soo’s forehead creased deeply. She couldn’t comprehend it at all. Based on the conversation so far, the ‘matter’ he was referring to was clearly related to company affairs. 

“Stop beating around the bush and speak plainly. What exactly is this matter that’s making you act like this?” 

“I don’t know if you noticed properly earlier, but the father of that little kid you bumped into is Henry Price.” 

“Who?” 

“Henry Price. The CEO of the luxury brand Arno.” 

“So what about it??” 

In an instant, Hae-soo’s eyes widened. A gasp escaped her lips. Arno—wasn’t that the prestigious brand renowned for its exclusivity? 

In Asia, even millionaires with plenty of money couldn’t get a glimpse of it unless they resorted to international shipping or traveled to places like the US or Europe. 

Yet, despite that, everyone admired it for its unique sophistication and style. Hae-soo herself had carried an Arno bag when she went sightseeing in Hallstatt’s bustling district. 

And now, to think that the father of that adorable little girl was Henry Price of Arno. 

“Is that true? Was that kid’s dad really Henry Price?” 

“Yes.” 

“Wow, that’s unbelievable.”

Yoon Hae-soo couldn’t hide her shock. She couldn’t believe it. Her preconceived notions about Arno only made it harder to accept. 

Even upon reflection, the child was undeniably adorable. The gaze of the parents watching such a child was consistently warm and gentle. 

Especially the man who seemed to be the father—Henry Price. Even as the child cried, his gaze remained as sweet as honey, exuding tenderness. He was so affectionate that he seemed almost foolishly doting. 

But to think that the man who left such an impression was the CEO of Arno, the only luxury brand that insisted on closed marketing strategies. 

“Did you check properly? Are you sure that man is Henry Price?” 

“I’m certain.” 

“Wow, is it even possible for someone to be this mismatched?” 

The sound of her tongue clicking was rather intense. It was a moment that clearly revealed her raw impression of Henry. 

Watching her reaction, Baek In-wook let out a small laugh. The man who was so devoted to his daughter was also the CEO of Arno, known for his high standards and aloofness—it was no wonder she was so surprised. 

Seeing Hae-soo’s reaction, In-wook felt somewhat reassured. Her expression might have been peculiar, but her strong reaction meant that she knew something about Henry and, at the very least, had some curiosity about him. 

Finally, he felt a bit lighter. 

To be honest, it hadn’t been easy for him to bring up his request to Hae-soo. 

When he disguised her as his secretary in front of Henry, he had thought that once he established a connection, he could create various opportunities to interact with Henry. 

But he soon realized that this was an arrogant misjudgment, overestimating his own abilities. 

Who was he dealing with, after all? Henry Price—the man who hadn’t responded even once to the countless love calls sent his way. 

This meant that even Taeseon, a global corporation on the rise, was nothing more than one of the many ordinary companies in the Asian market to Henry. 

Would someone like him even consider dealing with someone like himself, who was merely a part of Taeseon? No, it was a baseless expectation and wishful thinking. 

All day long, while going through schedules with Chief Kim, In-wook had been racking his brain, trying to figure out how to create additional points of contact with Henry. 

No matter how much he thought and worried, he couldn’t find an answer. But when he included Yoon Hae-soo in his considerations, things started to change.