Chapter 37
Lee Han led Haru to the CEO’s private meeting room.
He gestured for her to sit on the sofa, but Haru stubbornly remained standing.
Watching her bristle with sharp edges, Lee Han spoke in a soothing tone.
“I didn’t tell you… because I thought this would make you uncomfortable.”
What he called consideration felt to Haru like nothing more than an excuse.
Suddenly, she remembered the rumors Tae-in had spread about her—that she had seduced someone to land her contract job.
Back then, she had laughed it off, thinking, As if I have someone powerful backing me here.
But now, she wondered if there were things she didn’t know after all.
“Me getting this contract job here… did you put in a word for me, Mr. Taeihan?”
Her hands trembled as she clenched them tightly, waiting for his answer.
Lee Han raked his hair back, sounding exasperated.
“That was right when we first signed the contract. Don’t you remember?”
Retracing her memory, Haru realized—yes. She had received the acceptance call right after signing the contract.
Back then, they weren’t close. There was no reason for him to meddle in her hiring.
“Even if you had been my girlfriend at the time, I would never use my authority for personal matters.”
His low voice brushed against her like a caress.
“Do you really underestimate yourself that much? Enough to doubt a job you earned on your own?”
Regret pricked her—had it been some kind of inferiority complex that made her blurt out that question?
Keeping her head bowed, she listened to him quietly. Then, in a low voice, she murmured,
“Fine. Say it’s the same mistake—I went on that proxy blind date too. But if you are the company CEO, it changes everything.”
Letting out a small sigh, she finally lifted her head, her tone sharp.
“So what now? Am I supposed to quit?”
“Why would you quit? You got in here fairly, with your own ability.”
“And how am I supposed to keep working here? Outside, we pretend to be lovers, and inside, I have to act like a stranger?”
Everyone already thought of them as a couple, even her friends.
He was her boyfriend outside—but inside the company, she had to ignore him completely?
It was absurd.
“Let’s cancel the contract. That would be better.”
“There’s no valid reason to terminate it.”
“What reason could be more valid than this?”
“Inside or outside, the fact remains—we’re in a relationship.”
At his words, Haru let out a disbelieving laugh.
“I know this is outrageous. I know you’re angry. But Haru…”
He exhaled softly before continuing.
“Every word, every action I’ve shown you—I did them all as Taeihan. The name and job may have changed, but nothing else has.”
Indeed, only his name and position were different. The person she had been with all this time was still the same.
And yet, her feelings didn’t shift so easily.
The sense of betrayal clung stubbornly.
“Just like I offered a contract relationship knowing you weren’t Bae Dain but Haru… can’t you accept me simply as Taeihan?”
His voice, sincere and steady, burrowed deep into her heart.
Those eyes—unchanged from the first moment—looked straight into hers.
He hadn’t changed at all.
Conflicted, Haru looked at him for a long while before sighing.
“Give me time to think.”
Her voice came out slowly.
“I need space to sort myself out too, don’t I?”
Her softened tone made Lee Han nod.
“Alright. Just… don’t take too long.”
“……”
“And don’t forget—our contract isn’t over yet.”
Lee Han’s day rushed by busily as always.
A mountain of files awaited his approval, and stacks of reports demanded review.
But in his cluttered mind, one person kept slipping in like a bookmark wedged between the pages.
Dan Haru.
Her name, her face—they surfaced at every moment, making it impossible to focus.
Finally, with a dull thunk, he tossed the proposal in his hands onto the desk and spun his chair around.
The view outside the window looked no different from yesterday, yet he felt increasingly parched inside.
No amount of water could quench it. Loosening his tie didn’t help either.
Restless, he picked up his phone and scrolled through his notifications.
There were countless messages, emails, and missed calls—but not from the one person he wanted to hear from.
Since the night she had asked for time, Haru hadn’t contacted him once—for three whole days.
He had promised to give her space, so he restrained himself. But his chest ached with impatience.
Pulling up her number, saved under the nickname Baby, he typed:
[How have you been?]
His finger hovered over send—but then he abruptly locked the screen and tossed the phone onto the desk.
He couldn’t even send a simple greeting. How pathetic.
He let out a bitter laugh. But he had made a promise, so he had to keep it.
Dragging his tie loose, he closed his eyes.
His mind drifted back to that night at the hotel.
By now, he had gotten used to her calling him Cha Seung-jae. But when she murmured another man’s name in his arms—he couldn’t bear it.
It was like a fuse blowing.
An eruption of rejection, of disgust, had pushed him to blurt out the truth.
Why had it rattled him so badly? Why was it unbearable to hear her call out someone else?
And why, after only three days without her, did it feel so suffocating?
Turning the thought over, he admitted the truth.
At first, this fake relationship had been nothing more than a way to get rid of Yubyeol, who clung to him endlessly, and to avoid his mother’s arranged blind dates.
That was the reason he had proposed it.
But now—was that really all? Or was it because he wanted to keep Haru by his side?
“…Crazy.”
He muttered to himself with a bitter smile.
Contract or not, he couldn’t end things with her now.
He didn’t yet know exactly what his feelings were, but he was certain of one thing—he didn’t want to let her go.
“Just waiting quietly really isn’t my style.”
He had to do something—call her, or see her in person, anything to ease this ache.
He stood abruptly—just as a knock sounded and the door opened.
“You’re just in time, sir. Let’s go.”
Arching an eyebrow, Lee Han asked silently what this was about.
“Weren’t you heading to the hotel? You need to attend the content forum.”
He exhaled in realization. Of course—that was on this morning’s briefing.
He had lost all track of time.
“Is there some other appointment, sir?”
“No. Let’s go.”
Tightening his tie once more, he stepped forward, his secretary trailing behind.
At least Haru’s fears proved unfounded—she hadn’t run into Lee Han at work.
After all, why would a regular employee like her often cross paths with the company’s CEO?
It had been a needless worry.
And yet, the resentment lingered. The fact that he had hidden the truth from her still stung.
So, she avoided contacting him for several days.
Not that her heart felt any lighter. But she had no desire to reach out first.
Immersing herself in translation work at the office, she tried to drive away her restless thoughts.
Focusing on the monitor, line after line, until fatigue crept in.
Her coffee was long gone. She thought about fetching cold water instead and set her headphones down.
That was when she caught Dal-rae’s voice floating across the room.
“Oh? There’s an article about our CEO.”
“What? The CEO got into an accident!”
Haru froze mid-step. Setting her tumbler back down, she turned toward the glowing monitor.
[GN Media CEO Taeihan hospitalized after accident at content forum]
Her face drained of all color. Her heart plummeted.
