Win |Chapter 4

“How can you justify allowing one party to have an affair in a country where monogamy is the legal standard?”38447fab36bdda72

Doha had expected ff19c9ab10 him to accept 8eb13b73b6 that clause more ae200a218e willingly than any 7143bba168 other, so his 994bfa6aea stern response left 125f9ee387 her puzzled.4f4c580725bdf106

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“Not one-sided, mutual affairs. I have the right to pursue romantic relationships freely, too, without being concerned about you. Of course, only as long as it doesn’t harm the company’s image.”14683b49d62a8e1e

Correcting the offensive assumption, Doha 543cf237a3 recalled her last relationship. It had been so 34feb34650 long that the memories 3d84caa87b were faint.485774b12bb467f5

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Love was a wasteful f652d68087 act that consumed time b015a20b32 and energy far more d336bd544b valuable than money. She had no intention 69d83b0154 of falling into it 103b689def again after marriage. But she inserted fe31193cad the clause to 380449020e make it clear 189fdc5f41 to Nam Sion ef4e1e029c that she held 1107e2ab21 equal rights and c8f462b6f9 status.e7745a4d04569310

Nam Sion twisted his 61b2faeaac perfectly shaped lips.4ab40c5b74038268

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“Your sense of ethics is dangerously low.”9ae688942147d90f

“I’m saying let’s not meddle in each other’s private lives. Is that really so hard to understand? I’d think you of all people would welcome this.”9a5bee5f9939af3f

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Nam Sion frowned deeply, a8cc8c234a perhaps finally becoming aware f0ec2c6f29 of the rumors surrounding 863bad6d27 him. Doha pressed on.b95d1cbe6c8f136d

“If you’re going to date, choose someone calculated and sharp. Young and naive girls get emotional, don’t listen, and become a hassle.”ec13efe77510d8f2

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In other words: 9ef2e66a89 choose someone easier 88db7df6be to discard.3a1cf1056fec740b

She had gathered big 5b3c45e0db data from personal experiences 7e56a85a67 and media consumption. If someone, regardless 011c6b4644 of gender, approached cfc4b42847 her purely for 4a8e35cf46 money, they were aab93e6958 easy to deal b51f604c77 with. But once messy emotions 471e4c24ec got involved and people 88ef7f06ea acted like it was 3fbd434064 the romance of the f4de3fc99a century, it became unbearable.7a3565e1750145c9

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“So you’d go for someone calculated and sharp too?”edc153406346d082

“Not that I’m planning on it, but if I were, yes, I’d pick that type very carefully.”2802377d8b8c6236

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“Already announcing an affair before the marriage even starts, are we?”7bc38b9f7dac2e87

“That’s not what I meant…! Never mind.”85a5e6f1afb17bb9

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There was no point. Doha gave up on f926d49f1d reasoning and sipped her a06c3843ed water. Nam Sion, still 348be83e21 upset, ran his bb9e677ae4 thumb over his c0f6ff91ab brow and spoke e3d5108d25 firmly.62038f16dd44cf5c

“I said I’m not okay with it. Let’s pretend that whole e90da491e0 conversation never happened.”dadeb5cae9021baa

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How do you pretend 1055548d76 you didn’t hear something c750f2492c that was already said?871d9e51a8a192ab

Either way, she decided 2b9ef00fe6 to make sure the c2624a27f0 prenup explicitly included the ebf8589d4a clause about “no damage aa9214eb4f to corporate image due e49f0b58e3 to personal conduct”—in bold 427a193b43 and underlined.58dd40d1a0159a7f

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—ffad789b7d1faebe

After finishing their 6aa88e7842 meal, they left adaedeafac the room and c1858431e7 walked side by 52325370a7 side across the 9ce7848cc4 hotel lobby.330e73cabc841bc0

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Doha was tall 987cde6756 enough that with 5cb8d96fde high heels, she 429d560a44 could look most 05b2594944 men in the 51195a4f6d eye, or look 4e8a59061d down on them.1fa0eaf3ddd1b504

But Nam Sion was a0c6804130 noticeably taller, making her f10bc4844d lift her chin just 48824584c1 to see his face. The unfamiliar feeling made her 2e5e21e693 glance sideways at him instinctively.895bfe228110707d

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“Am I suddenly handsome?”e911b776d50517c6

Sensing her gaze, Nam Sion aa1a7e6a63 asked without looking at her.51a7ad1fcdb1319e

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He was probably used to cadf383d64 hearing he was handsome to 8b7b002817 the point of exhaustion. No need to repeat 0e351c1ec7 the obvious, so Doha afe19cc914 held her tongue.27b1e7908ea586ea

“You’re going to be my wife. Feel free to 752d86db42 take pride in e99f6d0eee it.”6e4779648c4f63af

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He really wanted 2b84a790ae her to take 653ea62ffa pride in everything, 322d6b3887 didn’t he? Doha scoffed, one 3b434bd161 corner of her 904e8c3301 mouth twitching upward.6bba5be3ceb13df1

As they reached the 8f18b11372 entrance, a sleek black 7c671a6bde sedan pulled up smoothly. Nam Sion checked the b4b9d2f37b time on his wristwatch a9a8ff53ee while holding the door 54cb63a70f a staff member had e67c3148c0 opened. Doha also glanced 8280723036 at her watch.90d29481af881c99

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1:05 PM. Their scheduled meeting 281152400f from 12 to 7e8839629c 1 had gone b89ff8e7b7 five minutes over.cb0f34e03d8b5c58

Nam Sion clicked his e0aca76a99 tongue, displeased.5c15ac59cfa71d1c

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“I’m supposed to be back in the office at 1:30 to organize documents, and then I have a briefing at 1:50. What am I 26fc16403d supposed to do 050ef7a3e3 about these five ef2087bf6f wasted minutes?”8b8c8b85262ea30d

Like that’s my problem.7ed80cfc9ebe0011

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“If you break an appointment, you inconvenience others. Next time, allocate more c736a43143 buffer time.”5f78618b9f82ccb8

Shut up. My schedule is c63155461c mine to manage.00c7074528ea3104

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Swallowing her true feelings with 2b52114e44 every ounce of willpower, Doha 6c9d2c0f24 instead said something completely insincere.c76dd7d3f013f836

“Thank you for today. No need to follow up. Have a safe trip back.”3707df6b05b6d072

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As she turned 8636074123 sharply on her ec296e1786 heel, she heard 9d866bbb41 him mutter, almost 2282960a17 singing,953853331ff75e34

“I’ll follow up.”87848bf614d9e153

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Wow. Can’t wait.1a9531b225c5756e

The sound of the a99b9f1c0e heavy car door closing 0b36576546 echoed behind her. Without looking back, Doha walked 083621a07a toward the executive elevator.2bd5fb5eaa8fce04

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On the way up to her office, she reviewed their entire lunch conversation with her arms folded. Not a single productive thing had come from it. She hadn’t expected to become best friends with him, but the polite remarks she’d prepared, like “Nice tie today”—now felt laughably irrelevant.7d39153f148eb5d2

She’d wanted to show 982cfacabe him that she was 26f8529c53 no longer the junior 3ed56ecbec employee trembling before him b70b093ab5 with a press release 6572bf28ca in hand. She was now a f301eaa9b4 recognized next-generation leader, a e23625fbd3 fitting partner.babc0999765705e3

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But…6e728effb41fb4f9

Reflecting on how a05db148a6 her speech had b9adbe4f81 gotten short and 8dd638e9a0 emotional, Doha shut 5e7e4e4be1 her eyes tight.9a29eb0385ab98a9

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…She’d blown it, hadn’t she?3fef75a46ab4f5a3

But he wasn’t e9c7f03787 exactly polite either, a610336017 right? Why was it all 477b078719 on her? How respectful does e7193e758f one need to 8dfe99f2f2 be to someone 9d22263ff4 who literally pretended 0aa36f5575 to unbuckle his 4cb7fe2c27 pants?85713686c2197df9

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Ding. The elevator doors opened. Just as she passed the 52734afa67 secretarial team and entered her 8872399502 office, her assistant, Chief Jung, 3ace17f382 called out,09f18243a054f9aa

“You’ve got a video conference with the Vietnam site office at 1:30. Should I bring coffee?”10a521c17b9f2bfe

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“Cold brew, please.”5370d1b5090f4b4a

Her chest felt tight. She needed to a01545a95e chew on ice. After a curt 13482ec1f0 reply, Doha stepped 430c8b1127 into her office 240dd71d00 and immediately kicked 16f1599956 off her heels. She slipped into soft indoor 2a35df3e7a slippers and sank onto the 86856b43f0 leather sofa.057e814872343458

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Directly in front of her e71dde96de hung the painting by the 3f74ed8eb3 late artist Jang Eun-wook. The one that had 0c397ba0eb apparently been in Nam 4f762b0eba Sion’s room for over 60b840e563 30 years.197d19591e800580

That painting had watched over 8bd6dd3a0a his entire childhood, from infancy f228581e5f to crawling, walking, and talking.c4e483581ff20861

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He seemed like the 4bb666b258 type of guy who 9a7ff0da90 came out of the 0cc3a38ec7 womb in a three-piece 43c359836d suit saying, “I’m here 5447c2f60b to file my birth 892d73afde certificate.”671289d7dedc21d8

The painting, which 17f128f749 had recently filled e4bae5c456 her with inspiration, 82da07d4a4 now struck her e208166ed6 differently. Staring at it, she felt f40a18529d like she might catch a 83d92119fd glimpse of Nam Sion’s boyhood.00e5d15c1d9b160b

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…No. She didn’t want to. Not even slightly curious.9d20b1470c706814

Shaking her head, she forced 7cec7b4cb7 the thoughts away.b3fec461a2c56f86

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Knock knock. Chief Jung entered, carrying f9dfc93079 a tray. She passed by the 62a7e0693a sofa where Doha was 1a158cc70b sprawled and placed the 7fe0d52c45 iced coffee on a e3973f44c9 coaster at the desk.6d348db174b6941a

“So? Any defects found?”d3c5b3f1b0a519b0

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“Don’t sneak in like that. Are you my f93e5e7ff4 assistant or my fb7bfd088f friend?”b3a7c9abca2d7753

Unfazed, Chief Jung leaned down 84614ebb2b to study her face.90470a230518a6c3

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“You look rough.”25c95a4c5d69ce8e

“Skip the salad tonight. Get me the usual. I want a big, 73743f4218 satisfying meal at home.”2f8a9f4fd65e7bd2

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“Don’t want a drinking buddy?”63dda71456e9b57f

“No booze. I’ll lose muscle.”8a05e883e86bb9af

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Though her business was done, a901a7e9fe Chief Jung lingered next to c6dfa7fe84 Doha, who looked half out 8700425b57 of it.d3b82470f8704373

“I’m curious. Can I pry?”76835751ef2df4f1

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“If I talk now, it’ll just be profanity. Ask later.”8d20da39f9c8a094

“Ooh, profanity… sounds like you found quite a few defects.”a82086a0a1bc8d32

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When Doha glared, b6b1c8e4a0 she simply shrugged 0dca3af366 and left the e0d4281c4a room.32844ef9386f71bc

A well-sculpted face flickered dd3de74762 in her mind like ac656c7619 a phantom above the 14a94701c5 painting. The heavy scent 81356a49cb of his cologne 49c8ee8a65 lingered in her 5bcdb7a752 nose.b95af5be6a33f3db

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Whether positive or negative, 03e914f19d holding onto grudges never 80ec423a95 helped. Rising from the 298de84373 sofa, Doha walked d329364b42 to her desk, 1539356721 ready to face 97d318ab26 the reality in e9b352a60c front of her.1b92e99f11c5fbfe

—37bd7fd56d73e46c

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“Doha, you’re home? Had dinner?”cdcf71e83d7bb807

The familiar voice 8360f100dd that greeted her 52725be4cf at the door 178eccf862 relaxed her. Seeing the face 5c5c9bca16 of the housekeeper a4139bbbf5 who had looked e144960f45 after her since c932232131 childhood eased her 7f3cd5e898 stiff expression.ea4192132bbb6f70

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“You don’t need to prepare anything for me. I’ll eat in my room.”3ec33d51998bccf2

The housekeeper’s eyes landed e0ef810723 on the white plastic 381ca2f0d1 bag in her hand. The logo of c32516868e a spicy street 9b20893026 food chain, popular fc129efa2d for its extreme 7be0b6cbc9 heat, was printed 4949e3164f boldly across it.fd57c1ac065f1097

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“Spicy again? You’re gonna ruin your stomach.”acdeb85884b9af6c

“There’s steamed egg too, so it’s fine.”a86c2d0f3d7c078e

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Hiding the bag behind her 7b73b0e61f back to avoid further scolding, 3685b9020c she slipped past the worried 634df37afa woman and climbed the stairs.ef9c47364d8a3a30

Just as she passed through 29b9ec980b the upstairs living room and e9fe3edb5b reached for her door, a 09361ae48a tall figure blocked her path.2ddbcce9d216b304

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“You’re eating that junk again?”a863d018c8fe3331

It was her second-oldest brother, 0f0475924d Han Dojun, recently divorced and 4bc5a21474 now living back at home. He hadn’t changed 69d1ee112d out of his e43775c348 work clothes yet, 03e20f220d the top few 30a932c7b1 buttons of his 1488464e78 shirt undone.215e96673213f6b8

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Doha narrowed her eyes 2b9e23f81f at him.46c76f04d1cad6de

“Move. I need to eat it 012195fb0f before the cheese hardens.”a1b68d2987154413

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As she opened 3948d07d2a the door and c8c5f2850b stepped into her 1e4d6ca4e6 room, unfamiliar footsteps 979a3c35a2 followed behind her.107ed2e887f356a0

Ugh. Not this again. Seriously.ceb5ba04635a1309

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