* * *

Lately, Jinwoo barely had enough time in the day.

Wonbeom’s preparations had kicked into full gear, drowning him in piles of paperwork, meetings, and keeping an eye on various situations.

It was far more intense than anything he’d experienced before.

Adding to his stress was the fact that Jingyeom’s recent illness had left him on edge.

Though Jingyeom was now fully recovered and desperate to go home, Jinwoo worried that being alone might lead to him falling sick again, so he opposed the discharge.

At least in the hospital, meals prepared by a dietitian were provided three times a day, and Hunil was around, which brought some relief.

Jingyeom’s continued stay in the hospital wasn’t just Jinwoo’s decision—Wonbeom and Soohyuk had also weighed in.

Since the two were already entangled in the situation, it seemed safest to keep Jingyeom in the hospital for now.

‘I should’ve prevented any approach from the start. Damn it.’

Even as he cursed inwardly, Jinwoo’s hands kept busy, organizing a list of bribes and identifying those involved in the corruption.

‘I knew things weren’t ordinary, but… I didn’t expect this.’

The more he sorted through the corruption ledger handed over by Secretary Yang, the more he found himself astonished.

It wasn’t clear how Yang had acquired it, but the content only grew more shocking as Jinwoo delved deeper.

The moment this ledger was exposed, it was sure to cause a political storm.

On the surface, it might seem like a simple power struggle over company control, but the reality was far more sinister.

It wouldn’t be surprising if several people ended up dead—it was entangled with many prominent figures from both politics and the legal world.

‘And to think, this isn’t even the only ledger… Corruption really does exist everywhere.’

If it became known that Jinwoo was in possession of this ledger, his own safety would be at risk.

That’s why he wasn’t at his office; instead, he was working in the director’s office, sorting through the ledger.

No one would think it strange to see secretaries working in the director’s office, and with its vault and secure locks, it provided a basic level of protection.

Of course, moving to a highly secure location would be safer, but Jinwoo couldn’t afford to be away from his other responsibilities for too long.

There were too many new projects underway to focus solely on the ledger.

While compiling the list of corrupt individuals over the past few days, one thing had become clear—Daejeong was no ordinary company.

And Wonbeom, who was trying to seize control of it, was no ordinary man.

‘There’s a reason why everything is so neatly handled.’

Jinwoo had once asked Wonbeom for help in dealing with the people who were sending threatening messages to Jingyeom.

Without asking for anything in return, Wonbeom had agreed to help.

Jinwoo, wary of future strings attached, had asked Wonbeom to name his price then and there, but Wonbeom had simply chuckled, making no demands.

A few days later, Jinwoo heard that the situation had been “taken care of” cleanly.

‘Even back then, he didn’t seem like just another businessman.’

Jinwoo had first met Wonbeom when he worked at a bar.

Back then, Wonbeom had been a VVIP, receiving the finest treatment.

Even the bar owner, who rarely appeared, would show up whenever Wonbeom visited.

At the time, Jinwoo had been a low-level employee, and one day he got into an altercation with some drunk customers.

While they hurled all kinds of nasty insults at him, Jinwoo remained calm, simply listening.

It was a decent job with good pay, and some kitchen staff often shared leftover food with him, cutting down on meal costs.

He couldn’t afford to lose it.

Plus, arguing with drunk people was just exhausting.

As Jinwoo turned his head to avoid their abuse, he locked eyes with Wonbeom, who had been watching him.

‘If the director hadn’t stepped in then…’

At the time, Jinwoo had tuned out the offensive comments, lost in his thoughts.

His composed demeanor had caught Wonbeom’s attention.

Wonbeom had paused to watch, curious about how Jinwoo would handle the situation.

But the scene was soon resolved thanks to the intervention of other staff members.

That incident had put Jinwoo on Wonbeom’s radar, leading to him being offered the position of secretary.

When Jinwoo later asked why Wonbeom had given him the job despite knowing nothing about him, Wonbeom had replied with his usual indifferent expression, “Just because.”

At the time, Jinwoo had thought, ‘What a weirdo,’ but in the end, his quality of life had significantly improved since starting the job.

Jinwoo’s biggest problem, paying for Baek Jingyeom’s medical bills, was resolved far too easily, and his life became more structured.

With a steady paycheck, paying off his debt became much easier.

Still, Jinwoo couldn’t understand what Wonbeom saw in him that made him so willing to hand over money or even hire him as a secretary when he had no experience in office work.

However, at the time, Jinwoo needed the money so badly that he had no choice but to push aside his doubts and accept the secretary position.

As he started working, he found himself naturally feeling fulfilled and giving his best effort.

The problem was…

“Why are we getting dragged into this ridiculous succession battle?”

Of course, as a secretary, Jinwoo’s job was to fully support Wonbeom’s bid for the chairman position.

But he couldn’t shake the discomfort that Jingyeom, who had nothing to do with it, might get caught up and hurt in the process.

Wonbeom and Soohyuk surely knew that anyone close to them could be threatened.

“That’s why they probably didn’t form deep connections until now.”

That means they approached Jingyeom knowing full well he could be in danger.

“While holding onto such a dangerous ledger!”

Nothing had happened yet, but no one knew when or where something might happen.

At first, Jinwoo had simply thought it would be better for Jingyeom to stay in the hospital a bit longer to fully recover.

But after receiving this ledger, Jinwoo’s anxiety grew—what if Jingyeom, left alone at home, faced danger?

Thud!

Unable to contain his frustration, Jinwoo threw the papers he had been reviewing.

“…I miss Jingyeom.”

With his head hung low, Jinwoo ran his hands roughly over his face, letting out a deep sigh.

It felt like he was walking a tightrope every day, physically and mentally, on the verge of collapsing.

---

That night, Jinwoo dragged his exhausted body to the hospital after yet another late night at work. It was 2 a.m., and Jingyeom was likely already asleep.

Jinwoo quietly opened the hospital room door, careful not to make a sound.

The hallway light spilled into the room, but it didn’t reach the bed where Jingyeom lay.

“I’m back.”

Even though he knew speaking out loud wouldn’t wake Jingyeom, Jinwoo still whispered the greeting in his mind.

As he did, he gently stroked Jingyeom’s smooth forehead and planted a light kiss.

“I really… missed you.”

He always did, but tonight, he missed him more than ever.

Just looking at Jingyeom’s peaceful sleeping face melted away the stress of the long day.

“Let’s just hang in there a little longer.”

Until Wonbeom took over as chairman, this cycle of living would continue.

All Jinwoo could do was hope it wouldn’t take too long.

---

Lately, Jingyeom had one more thing on his mind: Jinwoo’s health.

Jinwoo had always worked late nights, but now he was coming home even later, and it was starting to worry him.

He wished Jinwoo could at least rest comfortably, but knowing that Jinwoo was still living in the hospital made Jingyeom uneasy.

He had told Jinwoo to go home and rest, but Jinwoo stubbornly insisted that he was fine.

“Should I get him some herbal medicine? Or maybe some supplements?”

Jingyeom remembered that while he had his own supplements, Jinwoo didn’t take any.

He had offered them to Jinwoo before, but Jinwoo had claimed he was healthy and didn’t need them yet.

But from what Jingyeom had read online, supplements weren’t something to be taken based on age.

It was difficult to get all the necessary nutrients from food alone, and the advice seemed sound.

“How much would herbal medicine cost?”

Most of his money had been returned after purchasing other items, leaving his account nearly empty.

He had used his secretary assistant salary bit by bit, but there wasn’t much left.

“Wow, I’ve spent a lot of money…”

Jingyeom checked his spending history to see where all the money had gone.

“Yeah, it’s all me.”

He had spent a lot on small things, but it added up quickly.

There was no denying it—it was his spending.

“With this, I can’t afford herbal medicine.”

A quick online search showed it would cost at least 300,000 won.

He quickly gave up on the herbal medicine and ordered red ginseng instead with the remaining money.

It would help with energy recovery, so it should be fine.

“Ugh…!”

After placing the order, Jingyeom stretched and flopped onto his bed, lazily swinging his legs as he pondered what to do next.

There was one issue he knew he had to deal with.

“…Dad.”

Baek Jingyeom’s father.

* * *