* * *
Her slender arms, contrary to their appearance, were firm, and her body hidden under the slender dress was likely full of muscle rather than soft flesh.
The woman, who also served as an executive director at QK Capital, was a famous figure who had clawed her way up from the bottom.
Some people who valued pedigree looked down on Jeong Gayun and tried to stab her in the back, but they all got what was coming to them. Here, “got what was coming” wasn’t a metaphor; they were literally crushed.
CEO Han dismissed the news with a short, unsurprised comment.
“People with nothing to lose are inherently fearless.”
In that sense, Jeong Gayun was undoubtedly a scary person.
I’d been watching the two stick together for the past two years, but knowing CEO Han’s promiscuity, I wondered what he had to discuss so much with a woman like Jeong Gayun.
Of course, I had no right to interfere in CEO Han’s private life, so I could only speculate about the nature of their relationship.
As his secretary, I needed to know everything about CEO Han, but that didn’t mean I could pry into all his private affairs.
I glanced at the two directors conversing with CEO Han while Jeong Gayun handed me a glass. Although I wouldn’t drink it, holding a glass was part of the tiresome etiquette.
“Are you seeing someone these days?”
“Regarding if I am seeing someone, I believe it is not something I should disclose about.”
“Seonbi, you’re so boring. Do you think I’ll give up if you answer like that?”
Jeong Gayun pouted her red lips and shook my arm. It looked like a light shake, but it felt like my whole body was being shaken by an earthquake.
Shaking along with her, I awkwardly laughed and looked to the side. Standing behind her was Director Jang. He looked thinner than the last time I saw him, suggesting his situation wasn’t much different from mine.
When our sympathetic gazes met, he gave a weak smile and bowed slightly. I nodded back, though I wasn’t sure if it was because Jeong Gayun was shaking me or my own will.
“Ms. Gayun.”
“Yes?”
“I’m dizzy. I feel like I might vomit.”
“Oh my, is our Seonbi pregnant?”
What nonsense. I barely managed to suppress a grim expression.
Pregnancy from a wet dream?
And isn’t it supposed to be seeing the rim before picking the berry?
Moreover, I was publicly known as a Beta, making pregnancy impossible.
Regardless of the details, I was just an average adult male.
“I’m sorry, but I’m not married yet, and I don’t have a wife.”
“That’s why I’m saying it.”
She murmured and leaned closer to whisper in my ear.
“If we work hard, can’t I get a baby in Seonbi’s body?”
“Even if Ms. Gayun, an Alpha, tries her best, there’s no way I can get pregnant. No one in the world has heard of a Beta male getting pregnant.”
“My secretary gave a friendly warning, but if you didn’t understand, back off, Jeong Gayun.”
When their conversation ended, CEO Han grabbed Jeong Gayun by the nape and pulled her away.
Needless to say, her face turned even sulkier.
“Seonbi, come to me. I’ll treat you really well. You know I like smart people, right? I’ll give you regular vacations and double your current salary.”
“That’s quite tempting. But if it’s double my current salary, Ms. Gayun, wouldn’t your back break from the strain?”
Vacation and money.
It sounded good, but I knew the man behind her was her twenty-third secretary replacement this year alone.
Despite the title of director, his job was mainly to cater to her whims. And I wasn’t good at such tasks.
“However, I’m quite content with my current situation. I appreciate your offer of double my current salary, which means our next negotiation could be for 2.5 times. Also, my name is not Seonbi, but Seonyul.”
“Ah, Seonbi.”
There was no getting through to him. Instead of saying more, I gave a slight nod and took a step back, noticing someone approaching.
It was CEO Han, who usually ignored the second wife, walking with the chairman.
As I glanced at CEO Han, I noticed his smile growing more pronounced.
It was more intense than the smile he usually showed to Jeong Gayun.
I knew exactly what that expression meant—it was utter disdain.
“Doha, you rarely visit home. How can we see you unless it’s for events like this?”
“How kind of the second wife who couldn’t even register her marriage to worry about me. It’s a joyous occasion indeed. Have you been well? I was concerned when you missed the last family dinner, but it seems I worried for nothing. You look healthy.”
The second wife smiled elegantly at his veiled insult, the corners of her mouth twitching as she grasped the meaning.
Behind the chairman, his secretary with a dark expression caught my eye, and I nodded a greeting. The secretary acknowledged it with a nod.
Watching the tense conversation, I shifted my gaze, spotting one of my targets, Kim Jungha of KG Group, approaching from the 2 o’clock direction.
Leaning slightly towards CEO Han, I whispered, “Kim Jungha from KG Group is coming our way from the 2 o’clock direction.”
“Always knows how to make a dramatic entrance,” CEO Han muttered quietly, keeping his smile but glancing sideways as if he wanted to leave immediately.
I stepped back, letting him handle the approaching young man from the 2 o’clock direction.
KG Group was once a family the chairman wanted to link with through marriage.
The simplest way to shift from rivalry to cooperation was marriage, and with CEO Han being single, he was a prime candidate.
Moreover, Kim Jungha was an omega—a perfect match for producing offspring.
Rumor had it that Kim Jungha was meticulously raised by KG Group for marriage, making him seem gentle and adorable—on the surface.
Approaching in a white suit, Kim Jungha blushed, looking overly young for his age of twenty-two due to his omega traits.
He greeted us with a small voice, “Hello, Chairman, and Madam…”
“Ah, Jungha, it’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
“Jungha, how have you been?”
It was a farce. The actual subject of the marriage discussion, CEO Han, remained silent while the chairman and his wife warmly welcomed Jungha.
Watching this black comedy unfold, I set my glass down anywhere, feeling a sudden wave of irritation. Not knowing the cause, I kept my mouth shut and looked at the floor.
CEO Han had declared his preference for male betas, breaking off the marriage talks initiated without his consent.
Despite this, Jungha still hadn’t given up on CEO Han, consistently appearing at events like this to speak with him, though CEO Han had zero interest. He’d rather spend that time on more paperwork.
Standing awkwardly amid this farce, I turned my head at Director Jang’s quiet call, “Secretary Seonyul.”
“Yes?”
“Were you invited to this party a month ago too?”
Yes. For such grand events, invitations were usually sent out early.
I started to realize the chairman’s motive for this party—to irritate CEO Han.
How petty.
* * *
👍
Thanks for the chapter
Thank you
I just do love this novel
Family conflict…wonder how it’ll play out
Thanku
familial drama