MIS 17

She knew it too.

Why Tae-jun’s judgement was so twisted.

It happened when Seo-hee joined the company. The senior colleague who had trained Seo-hee was fired overnight.

Tae-jun didn’t keep incompetent employees around.

The fact that the senior had worked with Tae-jun for over three months meant that he was highly competent.

Nevertheless, he was fired.

Rumors spread among the employees that Tae-jun was an arrogant boss who wouldn’t tolerate even minor mistakes. But when Seo-hee returned to the office after work to retrieve her forgotten umbrella, she overheard a conversation from the managing director’s office.

“So you reported my every move to that woman.”

“I-I’m sorry, Managing Director.”

“You also leaked information about the confidential investment deal.”

“…I didn’t know you’d find out so quickly, Managing Director. I must have been blinded by greed for a moment. Mrs. Choi offered me a large sum of money and my judgement was clouded.”

“Do you think this is the first time I’ve caught someone like you?”

There was no trace of surprise or hesitation in his voice. It was a cold voice, as if this was a common occurrence.

She had thought then, maybe the reason why Tae-jun didn’t let others get close to him was because he had experienced such betrayals countless times.

If that was the case, then she wanted to be the one person who would stay by his side, the one person he could trust and rely on, at least on a professional level.

Seo-hee’s cautious voice broke the silence.

“About meeting Yoon-woo today…”

Tae-jun’s eyebrows shot up at the name ‘Yoon-woo’.

He cut her off coldly.

“So what?”

“What?”

“Why do you have to explain yourself to me about who you are meeting with?  It’s none of my business.”

“….”

“Have you ever seen me care about who you meet?”

“…No.”

“Then why are you telling me?”

“Yoon-woo and I are friends, but I am your secretary, managing director.”

It was natural for him to be hostile towards Yoon-woo. Tae-jun was going to be the head of the Jeya Group.

The only variable in his smooth path was Yoon-woo.

Although Yoon-woo’s presence was insignificant, Mrs. Choi worked hard behind the scenes to find fault with Tae-jun.

Therefore, Seo-hee couldn’t take her meeting with Yoon-woo lightly.

Even if Tae-jun pretended not to care, the perfectionist would be subtly provoked.

“You don’t have to worry about me jeopardizing your work, Managing Director.”

Seo-hee wanted him to trust her. But his cold sneer stung her heart.

“Oh, are you worried about me now?”

“….”

“Who’s worried about who?”

“I just…”

“Do I look like I’m worried about losing the management rights to some bastard?”

Her face darkened at his hostility.

He knew she didn’t mean it that way.

She had told herself it didn’t matter if Tae-jun didn’t understand her true feelings.

She had decided to admire him from a distance.

But there was a problem.

The more time she spent at his side, the more her feelings for him grew, unconsciously and beyond her control.

Every day she hoped in vain, was hurt and hoped again.

She was weighed down by her unrequited love. She swallowed the growing lump in her throat. She heard him exhale deeply next to her, as if he was trying to suppress something.

Seo-hee wanted to escape.

She wanted to ask him why he had come to her house so late at night and then go inside.

“Why did you come, Managing Director?”

He didn’t answer.

He just stared at her with his dark eyes.

Seo-hee put her hand on the car door and said, “If you have nothing else to say, I’ll go in. It’s very late.”

Tae-jun remained silent until Seo-hee bowed her head briefly. She tried to guess why he had come to her house so late at night without saying a word, but she couldn’t figure it out.

Besides, he had just returned from a short business trip to Jeju Island with Secretary Kim.

Since he had Secretary Kim with him, there was no reason to call Seo-hee for work-related matters.

Seo-hee opened the passenger side door. When she was about to get out, Tae-jun grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards him.

“Huh...”

She was pushed back into the passenger seat by his firm grip. He closed the door and cupped the back of her head with his big hand. While Seo-hee was startled by his sudden action, his movements were as leisurely as ever.

“What else would it be?”

He tilted his handsome face and looked down at her. His cold words fell upon her.

“I came to do this with you.”

He pulled her closer and bit her lip. The sound of his lips sucking and releasing hers was indecent. Tae-jun moved his face closer.

Seo-hee’s heart ached as she found him beautiful even at this moment, despite his harsh words and his refusal to relinquish control.

“What other reason would I have for coming to see you?”

Tae-jun loosened his tie roughly. There was a flicker of confusion in his eyes.

“Is there another reason… or not?”

His voice was firm, demanding an answer.

“…No.”

Seo-hee’s lips trembled as she reluctantly replied. She thought he was really cruel. She knew that all he wanted out of this relationship was sex, but she had tried not to admit it. She hated him for forcing her to face this truth.

“You think that too, don’t you?”

His jaw clenched, his sharp jawline accentuated.

“But why…”

“….”

“Seeing you with Kang Yoon-woo made me want to go crazy.”

Was it her imagination that his eyes wavered for a moment?

Seo-hee dismissed it as an illusion.

Tae-jun cupped her cheek.

He stroked her flushed cheek with his thumb. It was at that moment that his fingers brushed her soft skin.

“Managing Director…”

As Seo-hee looked up at him, replaying his words in her mind, he looked deep into her eyes and kissed her.

Seo-hee’s eyes fluttered.

He wasn’t the type to warn her before kissing her, so she had experienced many such sudden situations. But today, after the hurtful things he had said, she didn’t want this.

These moments, which felt like a sweet dream to her, were nothing more than a fleeting desire for him.

And he had forced her to face reality with his demand for an answer.

He was telling her to wake up from her sweet dream.

That their relationship was nothing more than a transactional one, between partners in pleasure.

“No, hmph…“

Seo-hee pushed his shoulders hard. Her hands hit his firm chest, but he didn’t budge. As if mocking her resistance, he pushed even harder.

He licked her lips teasingly and pushed his tongue in. He skillfully explored the soft flesh of her mouth, then caught her tongue and pulled.

The act of their tongues intertwining, hot and writhing, felt more erotic than actual intercourse.

She was overwhelmed by his scent and his relentless pace. She felt breathless and weak. 

Inside the silent sedan, the sound of his suit jacket rubbing against her clothes and the sound of him sucking on her lips echoed embarrassingly.

He devoured and explored her mouth as if releasing pent-up desire.

Even in the spacious sedan, Tae-jun’s physique was large.

When he climbed on top of her, their bodies fit together seamlessly. He put his weight on her, not too heavily, and continued the kiss while holding her chin.

Seo-hee’s eyes fluttered at the heavy pressure on her lower body. She could feel his arousal. Unable to hold back any longer, he broke the kiss with a frown.

“Haa…haa…“

But when his eyes met hers, he showered her with kisses again, as if unable to resist.

Their tongues intertwined and clashed relentlessly. Their breathing quickened.

She wanted to resist his rough actions.

But something stirred inside her, making her want him more in the midst of her clouded mind.

Seo-hee clung to his jacket as if she were clinging to him.

It felt as if his warmth was flowing into her. A tingling sensation spread through her stomach. He groaned, unable to hold back any longer, and pulled away from her lips.

“Ha, stop driving me crazy.”

Tae-jun licked his lips. He could still taste the sweetness of her lips on his tongue, the memory of their kiss lingering. 

“It’s no use even if you say no.”

He wiped the saliva from her lips with his fingertip and murmured words she couldn’t understand. He slid his finger between her lips.

His eyes softened as he gently traced her wet, tender flesh with his fingertip.

Seo-hee was speechless, lost in the dizzying sensation. The atmosphere was tense and dangerous, as if it could burst at any moment.

“You are completely mine. So tell me you understand. Now.”

His deep voice, demanding an answer, was thick with possessiveness.