Chapter 36.1

Her lips quivered, rendering her unable to utter a word. The tears that had teetered on the brink finally cascaded down, and the reappearance of the forgotten sorrow right behind her left Hae-gang disheartened.

“You’re not in your right mind,” she muttered.

She took a cautious step backward, attempting to distance herself from Sun-woo, but he firmly clasped her arm once again. This time, there was no spilled coffee to distract them.

Sun-woo’s eyes widened with a peculiar delight, as if he couldn’t fathom what he was witnessing.

“The person who informed me about my sister-in-law—it’s CEO Min.”

Hae-gang, attempting to free his captured arm, gazed up at Sunwoo with disbelief, his mouth still agape. Sun-woo’s dilated pupils seemed to relish Hae-gang’s incredulity.

“Don’t lie,” Hae-gang pleaded.

“I’m sorry, but it’s the truth. Why would I lie about something like this?”

Hae-gang’s eyes flickered toward the cell phone that had slipped from his grasp upon hearing Sunwoo’s words. Why? Sunwoo tilted his head slightly, perhaps trying to gauge if suspicion had etched itself on Hae-gang’s face.

“From what I gather, CEO Min didn’t seem inclined to keep it a secret,” Sun-woo continued calmly.

“I don’t believe it.”

“He keeps telling me everything as if he met Yoon Geon-ho and did it all for me.”

The revelation that the two of them were in cahoots left Hae-gang reeling. Yet, as Sunwoo scrutinized his face, Hae-gang shook his head, signaling that he didn’t want to engage further.

“I don’t believe it.”

“Whether you trust me or not, I’m determined to be with my sister-in-law. You may not realize it, but you’re still valuable to Yoon Geon-ho.”

Hae-gang’s mind failed to register Sun-woo’s words. Instead, he yearned to uncover whether Woo-jin had truly betrayed him and, if so, why.

“No one in the world sells their spouse. You said that yourself.”

Observing Hae-gang’s blank expression, Sun-woo released his grip on his arm, almost as if he knew Hae-gang wouldn’t attempt to escape. Or perhaps the pain from the burn he was trying to ignore had become too much to bear.

Sun-woo, releasing his grip on her arm, seemed to understand that she wouldn’t make an immediate escape. Or perhaps the searing pain of her disregarded burn was resurfacing.

Regardless, seizing the opportunity, Hae-gang embarked on her run once more. With her mind now focused on confronting Woo-jin directly, she vividly traced the path leading back to her home.

“Why do you persist in actions that belie your inability to escape?”

She pretended not to hear the relaxed voice coming from behind and swiftly turned the corner, only to collide with something big. The object, lacking the solidity of a wall, as Sunwoo had suggested, shouldn’t have been there.

“What are you doing here, Ms. Dawn?” a calm voice inquired.

She looked up to find the source of the voice. “Min Woo-jin.”

No matter how she scrutinized his face, she couldn’t detect the coldness that would suggest he had abandoned her. In fact, she only noticed it after his gaze shifted away from her. He stood at a distance, observing Sunwoo, and spoke in his usual tone.

“It seems like your walk wasn’t particularly enjoyable, was it?”

***

Woo-jin arrived at the office early in the morning and immediately summoned Han, the department head. After two knocks, despite the early hour, a neatly dressed manager entered the room without a single wrinkle.

“You called for me, sir?” Han inquired.

“I remember having a lunch appointment with CEO Yoon Geon-ho today.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Cancel it. Apologize politely. If they inquire about rescheduling, we’ll arrange it again.”

“Understood. Do you have any other appointments? Let me know, and I’ll prepare accordingly.”

“It’s a personal schedule, so you don’t need to worry about it.”

With those words, the manager left, and Woo-jin unfolded one of the neatly arranged files on his desk. However, his once-sharp focus quickly drifted elsewhere.

“It’s going to be surprising, isn’t it?” he muttered. Perhaps he should have given a heads-up earlier. A belated concern caused a small crease to appear on his otherwise smooth forehead.

Today, Yoon Sunwoo would take action. He must have placed someone to deliver the news to CEO Yoon Geon-ho, and if that’s the case, the moment when they both would be in the same place would be a perfect opportunity for him.

He felt a twinge of guilt toward Hae-gang. He should have given her a warning after all.

Lost in a repetitive loop of thoughts, Woo-jin let out a short sigh. Determined to break free from the ceaseless contemplation, he adjusted his pen for signing approvals. Just then, the ringing of the phone interrupted his concentration—a call from the secretary’s office.

“Yes?” Woo-jin answered.

“CEO, Moon Ik Motors would like to speak with you. Should I connect the call?” the secretary informed him.

It was undoubtedly Yoon Geon-ho. Woo-jin glanced at the stack of paperwork on his desk, untouched since his arrival at the office, and let out a small sigh. After unilaterally canceling their appointment, he couldn’t simply ignore the call.

“Connect the call.”

Two beeps followed, and a low, stern voice reverberated through the receiver.

“Greetings, CEO Min.”

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