TIOAWN Chapter 45

Yang Joo-won, who had been walking slowly as if she hadn’t expected Moo-geon to be there, brightened and quickened her pace.  

 

“You haven’t left for work yet.”  

 

Yang Joo-won forced a smile as she looked at Seo Ha-yoon, who was eating, and Moo-geon, who stood guarding her.  

 

— Doctor Yang. I heard you’ve been coming and going from Cha’s house.  

 

Jin Bo-young’s message, insisting that she absolutely had to administer the shot she prepared and asking her to make time, struck her as odd.  

 

She hadn’t expected to find out what kind of person that woman was because of it.  

 

So she was the daughter of the man who embezzled money using Cha Moo-geon’s name?  

 

Seo Myung-sik’s notoriety was well known in this industry as well. He would do anything as long as it made money.  

 

Cheap women who shamelessly threw themselves at men were better than this. Where did she think she was going with that attitude?  

 

Having resolved to make it clear to her since she lacked both shame and self-awareness, she had come prepared.  

 

“Chief Ji.”  

 

Moo-geon, ignoring Yang Joo-won’s call, checked his wristwatch with cold eyes and called out to Kang-heon, who had approached.  

 

“Yes, President.”  

 

“Didn’t I warn you to properly manage working hours?”  

 

7:55 AM. It was too early. At Moo-geon’s remark, Kang-heon bowed his head in acknowledgment.  

 

“I will make sure this doesn’t happen again.”  

 

Ha-yoon, gauging the situation, slowly chewed her food. Moo-geon, who was watching her out of the corner of his eye, added another remark.  

 

“Is that all that needs to be addressed?”  

 

He was questioning whether Ha-yoon’s meals had been properly taken care of until now.  

 

At every moment, Moo-geon completely ignored Yang Joo-won, treating her as if she didn’t exist.  

 

“I will make sure to accurately report how much she eats, how long her meals take, and even take photos for precise documentation.”  

 

Yang Joo-won, silenced by the strictly directed words towards Kang-heon, bit her lip without saying a word.  

 

It was a perfect disregard. Moo-geon didn’t even spare her a glance, let alone issue a command.  

 

“I don’t tolerate mistakes twice. If you don’t mind losing your medical license, go ahead and do as you please.”  

 

“P-President.”  

 

Yang Joo-won trembled as she recalled the leverage Cha Moo-geon held over her.  

 

Wasn’t this too much just because she hadn’t properly fed the scammer’s daughter?  

 

Seo Ha-yoon was the one who refused to eat, so why was she being blamed for it?  

 

Yang Joo-won glared resentfully at Ha-yoon.  

 

Who did she think she was to subject her to such humiliation?  

 

Her fists trembled in anger.  

 

“It was me who didn’t eat.”  

 

That woman, who could barely speak properly in front of him, was now putting on some kind of act?  

 

Yang Joo-won’s eyes glinted viciously in contempt.  

 

“I’ll eat properly from now on.”  

 

Look at this cunning woman, acting coquettishly in front of Cha Moo-geon?  

 

Yang Joo-won swallowed back the words that nearly left her mouth.  

 

“I mean it.”  

 

Believe me—Ha-yoon shoveled food into her mouth in front of everyone.  

 

Yang Joo-won clenched her fists tightly, trembling with suppressed rage, while Moo-geon, who had been observing with a slightly raised eyebrow, turned and left without another word.  

 

***

 

[Vice President’s Office]

 

Standing in front of a closed door without expression, Moo-geon remained silent as Kang-heon, behind him, knocked on the door in his stead.  

 

“Chief Ji, you can go downstairs.”  

 

“Yes,Sir.”  

 

As Moo-geon entered with a cold expression, Song Woo-jin, waiting inside, simply nodded in greeting.  

 

“I suggested we meet in the conference room.”  

 

“There’s no need for a meeting.”  

 

There wasn’t anything that particularly needed discussion.  

 

Even though Moo-geon curtly dismissed the idea, Song Woo-jin grinned. There was an undeniable excitement in his demeanor.  

 

“I thought you came because you liked the gift I prepared.”  

 

“Oh, that.”  

 

Prosecutor Park.  

 

Understanding what he meant, Moo-geon sat down without being invited. Song Woo-jin raised an eyebrow but wordlessly called for his secretary.  

 

“What would our esteemed CEO like to drink? I brought in some expensive new coffee beans just for my office.”  

 

Without waiting for a response, he ordered coffee as he pleased.  

 

“Smells good, right?”  

 

Moo-geon took a sip and immediately put the cup down. His usual impassive expression remained unchanged.  

 

“Doesn’t it smell nice? I went through a lot of trouble to get these beans. You can’t even buy this stuff with money.”  

 

Song Woo-jin seemed determined to get a word of approval from Cha Moo-geon.  

 

“…The acidity is weak, and the body is too heavy.”  

 

“Hah. There’s no way the acidity is weak. And didn’t you used to like heavy-bodied coffee?”  

 

That can’t be right. Song Woo-jin took a large gulp of his own coffee.  

 

“Ah, damn, hot—shit.”  

 

Unable to finish even two sips, he flinched and set the cup down hastily.  

 

“I thought it would be better if I reported the accident regarding the fat procurement personally, Vice President Song.”  

 

Watching the commotion in silence, Moo-geon finally brought up the real topic at hand.  

 

“Damn it. I got coffee all over me.”  

 

Looking down at the coffee stain spreading across his pristine white shirt, Song Woo-jin irritably loosened his tie, as if his pride had been wounded.  

 

A report on some fat-related issue? As if they wouldn’t spill everything the moment they got to the prosecution anyway.  

 

Still, being called in for a witness interview must have rattled him a little.  

 

Forgetting the spilled coffee in an instant, Song Woo-jin let out a mischievous chuckle.  

 

Since things had come to this, maybe he should shake up Cha Moo-geon a little more.  

 

Leaning back against the sofa almost as if he were lying down, Song Woo-jin stretched out his long legs before crossing them.  

 

“I hear you’ve been keeping a kid around lately. I was told she looked quite young.”  

 

Song Woo-jin cut his words off deliberately, his tone casual.  

 

Cha Moo-geon’s eyebrows twitched subtly as he turned his head to look at Song Woo-jin. In response, Song Woo-jin cleared his throat with a forced cough.  

 

“I didn’t expect to hear such rumors about Our CEO Cha. That you had a woman, and a young one at that.”  

 

His gaze swept upward from below. Then, finally, his eyes locked directly with Cha Moo-geon’s, who was staring back without the slightest tremor.  

 

“Has she asked to follow you on your overseas business trips yet?”  

 

Even as he averted his gaze at a slight angle, as if nervous, Song Woo-jin didn’t stop talking.  

 

“Young girls tend to whine a lot. That kind of thing must be exhausting for someone like you.”  

 

You should play with people your own age. She’d probably be a better match for me.  

 

Cha Moo-geon let out a faint scoff.  

 

“What else would happen when two kids play together? At most, it’s just a game of house, Vice President Song.”  

 

A possessive glint flickered across his eyes, darkening like ink spreading in water.  

 

So he really had put extra people on the task while I was away. Of course.  

 

There was no way Song Woo-jin had actually seen Seo Ha-yoon properly.  

 

At best, he might have caught a glimpse of her getting into or out of a car—when she was discharged from the hospital and returned home, or when they went to Gangwon Province to find Seo Myung-sik.  

 

As expected, the kind of information Song Woo-jin dug up was always predictable.  

 

Why did he go to such lengths for such pointless endeavors?  

 

Normally, it was something Moo-geon found almost endearing. But today, it was especially irritating.  

 

His gaze rested on Song Woo-jin in cold silence.  

 

Whether it was because Song Woo-jin had discovered Seo Ha-yoon’s existence, or because he had the audacity to lump her together with trash like himself, Moo-geon couldn’t tell. But logic seemed to be corroded by something sharp, emotion honed to a fine edge.  

 

Song Woo-jin wagged his index finger.  

 

“You don’t seem to understand.”  

 

He suddenly sprang to his feet and stepped toward Moo-geon. Propping one leg arrogantly on the sofa, he leaned in close.  

 

“Kids’ games of house are a lot raunchier than you’d think.”  

 

The way they pretend to be innocent while sucking and nibbling—it’s different from adults. Pure, untouched, yet so intense.  

 

What would an old man like you know about that? Song Woo-jin sneered, chuckling to himself.  

 

Is that all that goes on inside his disgusting head?  

 

If he’s going to be a pervert, he should at least have some standards.  

 

Talking filth in front of the wrong person without a clue—it was revolting.  

 

Moo-geon ran a hand over his throat. The subtle heat simmering within was unsettling, his brain sizzling with irritation.  

 

He let out a dry chuckle, swallowing his disdain.  

 

“So, you’re saying… it was raunchy.”  

 

From where he sat, Moo-geon merely tilted his head to look up at Woo-jin.  

 

Realizing his sentence had been cut short, Song Woo-jin swallowed hard.  

 

“You should’ve kept it at just ‘appropriately raunchy.’”  

 

Thud.  

 

A stack of photos fell from Moo-geon’s hand, scattering across the table.  

 

They depicted a woman in a tight dress, half-slipping off, exposing her bare upper body—explicit, crude, and countless in number.  

 

“I told you to stay away from minors so many times. Looks like you forgot.”  

 

Short-sighted as always. Moo-geon clicked his tongue.  

 

“What…?”  

 

That’s impossible. Woo-jin flinched, flailing his hands in protest.  

 

“What minor? Hey—no, fuck, CEO Cha.”   

 

Moo-geon slammed the approval folder onto the table and gestured with his chin.  

 

“Who the hell did this? Which sick bastard set this up?”  

 

Song Woo-jin’s face twisted in disbelief.  

 

His gaze flickered with suspicion as he stared at Moo-geon, stepping forward as if ready to grab him by the collar.  

 

“Put your hands down.”  

 

The voice was low, calm, and dry.  

 

Yet, there was undeniable weight behind it.  

 

Feeling a pressure as if his shoulders were being crushed, Song Woo-jin hesitated.  

 

“Approval first.”  

 

As if he had no time to entertain pointless games, Moo-geon casually opened the folder himself.  

 

“This concerns former CEO Kim Moon-sik of Yeocha Industrial Development. Ah, I suppose we should now call him Executive Director Kim of Songhwa Trading.”  

 

Kim Moon-sik, the former head of Yeocha, had been reassigned to the trading division of Songhwa after Song Woo-jin joined the company. He had been Woo-jin’s right-hand man.  

 

“The person responsible for the recent scaffold accident is none other than former CEO Kim. I wanted to discuss it with you.”  

 

What the hell is he talking about?  

 

Song Woo-jin picked up the approval folder.  

 

“Wait, what is this? The timing doesn’t make sense.”  

 

He turned to Moo-geon with a dumbfounded expression.  

 

“It’s thanks to someone that my appointment as CEO of Yeocha Industrial Development was delayed.”  

 

Moo-geon leisurely lit a cigarette.  

 

He was referring to how Song Woo-jin had thrown a fit to block Moo-geon’s appointment.  

 

A mere day’s difference had changed who held full responsibility.  

 

Hoo—  

 

The smoke curled upward in a long trail.  

 

“If any rumors of sexual assault start circulating, it’ll be disastrous for stock prices.”  

 

That’s what you get for playing around with minors.  

 

Leaning back against the sofa, Moo-geon exhaled a stream of smoke toward Woo-jin.