DA 05

“You have a lot to lose.”

“…….”

“That’s why you came to someone like me, proposing a contractual marriage and having a child.”

“…….”

Although the man’s words were true, Su-jeong didn’t answer.

There was a huge difference between the other party guessing and the person in question admitting it, so there was no need to reveal her hand.

“Can you have sex with me right now?”

Su-jeong frowned at his provocative question.

“Have you ever thought about how you’re going to treat me, person to person, aside from all the conditions written in the contract, CEO Cha Su-jeong?”

He leaned forward, clasping his hands together and resting his chin on them. His wide, rebellious eyes were fixed on Su-jeong.

The fact that he spoke so politely while using vulgar language was absurd.

‘Nothing’s going smoothly.’

Su-jeong sighed inwardly.

She understood what he meant.

He was probably annoyed that someone suddenly showed up and acted like they had power over him.

‘But I don’t want to waste time on that.’

That was Su-jeong’s honest feeling.

They weren’t getting married for love, this was just a mutually beneficial relationship based on conditions. Was it really necessary to go through all this trouble?

He talked about manners, but he was just as rude.

If this goes on, it’s either all or nothing.

Thinking about this, Su-jeong asked Seong-chan, “So, are you saying you want to cancel the contract?’

A short silence followed.

Seong-chan chuckled quietly. She thought she heard him scoff, “Wow… you’re something else.”

He stood up abruptly. He walked past Su-jeong to the door and looked back at her.

“If that’s what you want to think, CEO Cha Su-jeong, then so be it.”

He had been speaking informally, almost as if he was talking to himself, but now he used formal language. However, his sarcastic tone made it sound anything but respectful.

“And let’s not see each other again.”

Then he opened the door and left the room.

The contract with the man had fallen through.

***

As if Ju Seong-chan was the only man in the world?

That’s what Su-jeong thought.

Her unpleasant second meeting with the man had ended in a complete failure.

The CEO of the agency The Dragons contacted her later to apologize and asked for a chance to formally apologize together with Seong-chan, but Su-jeong refused.

If he wasn’t going to sign the contract, a meeting with him would be a waste of time and pointless.

She didn’t want to have anything to do with Ju Seong-chan anymore.

No matter how much she needed his help, she didn’t want to deal with such an arrogant and disrespectful person.

Men were a dime a dozen.

If Ju Seong-chan didn’t work out, she could just find another man to replace him.

With the planned contract falling through, Su-jeong was in a tight spot. Everything was going wrong and she was incredibly busy.

This included a dinner meeting with the eldest son of the chairman of Hae-an Group, which her father had arranged without her consent.

“Honestly, I’m not that picky.”

The blind date, disguised as a dinner meeting, took place at an Italian restaurant in a hotel.

Sitting at a round table, Su-jeong watched the man chatter on and on.

“As you know, I am the eldest son, so I have the duty to take care of my parents. Therefore, I believe that my future wife should focus on taking care of the household instead of working outside the home. I’d like to have at least three sons and one daughter. My parents are getting older and feel quite lonely. So, if possible……”

Blah, blah, blah.

This man, the eldest son of the chairman of the Hae-an Group, had been listing his demands since their initial greetings.

“Oh, and since people like us prioritize conditions when it comes to marriage, you know that everyone has a lover or two on the side, right? I hear some of my acquaintance’s wives make a fuss about it because they don’t understand, but let me tell you, I absolutely hate it. It’s so tacky. This isn’t the ’80s. Monogamy is a system created for those who have no skills and need minimal protection. For us, as long as the family line continues, nothing else matters, right? Of course, I’m not saying that I can have a lover and Su-jeong-ssi can’t. But since you’re going to be the eldest daughter-in-law of the Hae-an Group, not just any family, after you fulfill your duties…”

He was casually talking about an affair.

Su-jeong could only think of how to end this meeting.

At that moment, the man asked Su-jeong for her opinion.

“So, what do you think, Su-jeong-ssi?”

“……Excuse me? What do I think about what?”

“About your company. You’ll have to resign as CEO before we can set a date for the wedding.”

“Oh…”

When did the conversation get that far?

While she was lost in thought, the man was already discussing wedding dates.

“Well, I understand. You must be reluctant to give up your position as CEO. You’ve put in a lot of time and effort, even though it’s a small company. If you’re worried, you could always merge it with Hae-an.”

At that moment, the unsuspecting man crossed the line.

“Excuse me.”

“If we merge Wings Apparel with Hae-an at this time… Yes?”

“I’m sorry. I don’t think it will work out.”

Su-jeong couldn’t take it anymore.

Leaving the disastrous blind date, Su-jeong walked listlessly.

‘Am I being punished?’

Su-jeong thought seriously.

Every word she had said to Ju Seong-chan a few days ago, when she had proposed a contract marriage, felt like karma coming back to bite her.

Of course, the man she had just met was much worse, considering his incessant, self-centered ramblings during the entire meal.

But she couldn’t shake the nagging feeling of déjà vu.

‘Honestly, it’s tit for tat.’

Su-jeong engaged in self-reflection and introspection.

Tiredness suddenly washed over her.

For the past few days, she and Hye-mi had been searching for someone to replace Ju Seong-chan.

A few suitable candidates had come up, but it was a bust.

Half of them had problems with the contract itself and the rest couldn’t agree on the conditions.

Were there many men in the world besides Ju Seong-chan?

There were plenty of men to choose from. But there was no one who met the criteria as perfectly as Ju Seong-chan.

Getting into her car, Su-jeong gripped the steering wheel.

‘Can you have sex with me right now? Have you ever thought about how you’re going to treat me, person to person, aside from all the conditions written in the contract, CEO Cha Su-jeong?’

Staring blankly through the windshield, she sighed and rubbed her temples.

She took out her cell phone and called someone.

“……Hello, CEO Na Yong-sik. This is Cha Su-jeong.”

***

Whoosh! The sound of a golf club slicing through the air, followed by the ‘thwack!’ of the golf ball taking flight. Then a dull thud as the ball lands, and the cycle repeats.

This series of sounds could be heard from the entrance of the indoor facility.

As she entered the spacious interior, she saw golfers in the midst of practicing. Among them, Ju Seong-chan immediately caught her eye because of his large frame.

Sensing her presence, Seong-chan turned around and his eyes widened slightly when he saw Su-jeong.

But only for a moment.

When he saw Yong-sik standing next to Su-jeong, he glanced back and forth between the two before scoffing as if he understood the situation.

Annoyance flickered across his face.

“Give me a break…”

Seong-chan muttered.

Su-jeong and Yong-sik couldn’t hear him over the surrounding sounds of golf practice. But his hostile expression and the way he turned his back made his animosity clear.

“That bastard.”

What gives him the right to act like that?

Yong-sik glared at Seong-chan as if he were a troublesome teenage son. Then he turned to Su-jeong and gave an awkward chuckle.