Kim Seo-yeon woke up to the sound of her phone ringing, the shrill noise disrupting the quiet of the room. It wasn't the default alarm tone she used for business; it was her mother's dedicated line. It was barely 7 AM. She grunted. She had been awake for a few minutes, getting her head together before the phone rang.
She ignored the first call. It rang again, then a third time. Her mother was relentless. Sighing, Kim Seo-yeon grabbed the device.
"Umma," she said, her voice dry with annoyance. "It's seven in the morning."
"Seven o'clock is the middle of the morning, Seo-yeon, not a time for slumber," Kim Ye-sol's sharp voice cut through the line. "But I'll excuse your lateness this one time. Kang Eun-ho was very impressed. His mother called me immediately last night."
"He was impressed by his own monologue," Kim Seo-yeon countered, swinging her legs out of bed. "And I want you to tell him that 'the match' is off." She said emphasizing on 'the match' with her fore and middle fingers. "He's arrogant, ill-mannered, and the rumors about his temper are worse than I thought."
Kim Seo-yeon didn't return to her family house last night, choosing to stay at her private villa instead, to avoid her mother's adolescent whining. Her mother always scolded her for that, claiming she had parents who loved her, why would she sleep outside?
There was a bit of silence after Kim Seo-yeon finished speaking. She stared at her screen, worried. Would her mother make it difficult for her? She didn't like Kang Eun-ho at all.
Her mother spoke, the excitement in her voice, gone. "The match is not 'off.' You are being naive. All wealthy men are arrogant, Seo-yeon. It's called ambition. As for the rumors, they are false. Kang Eun-ho is high caliber and these are attempts to stain his reputation. His status is exactly what Jeongwon Capital needs."
"I'm running the company, not you," Kim Seo-yeon replied calmly, striding into her dressing room. "I make the strategic decisions, personal and corporate. I will not date that man."
"You are making a sentimental, childish decision that affects the entire family legacy!" Kim Ye-sol snapped, her volume rising. "The Kang family's image is flawless. You have no idea what is coming, Seo-yeon."
Kim Seo-yeon scoffed. "I know exactly what is coming. Director Ryu is coming. That's why I need a clear head, not a distraction."
"Well, you are too late," Kim Ye-sol hissed, the satisfaction in her tone evident. "The announcement is already circulating. I let slip to Chairman Min last night that you had 'finally settled down with a respectable heir.' Do you want to be known as the CEO who ruined a high-society engagement because her mother made a mistake, creating a media frenzy that will overshadow your actual work? Or will you endure a few months of Kang Eun-ho until the dust settles?"
"You did what?!" Kim Seo-yeon lowly growled. Trying, but failing to maintain the respect for her mother in her tone.
The phone felt heavy in Kim Seo-yeon's hand. She knew Chairman Min's society column, The Inner Circle, had a reach that could poison public opinion faster than any official press release. Her mother had intentionally tied her hands.
"I did what every mother should do: secured your future. You want me to keep running around looking for men? I especially liked a certain Chinese heir I met recently, Liu Yijian. If you agree to let me manage this, I can suppress the rumors about you and Kang Eun-ho and pivot the announcement to Liu Yijian instead. That will save you some face."
Kim Seo-yeon hung up without a word. She couldn't listen anymore. The air felt thick and confining.
She showered and dressed quickly in a dark, structured suit, her mind racing. The threat of Kang Eun-ho would be managed. First, she had to address the real threat: Director Ryu.
As soon as she stepped into her car, her assistant, Son Ji-woo, presented her tablet. Son Ji-woo's face was a mask of neutrality, but her fingers gripped the edge of the device tighter than usual.
"Good morning, Ms. Kim. I was just about to call you. An emergency alert came in moments ago." Son Ji-woo's voice was low and clipped. "It's from Business Insight."
Kim Seo-yeon took the tablet. The headline burned across the screen in bold, damning red letters:
LUCIDITY OR LIES? DID JEONGWON CAPITAL'S DARK PAST CLAIM A VICTIM? CEO KIM SEO-YEON IMPLICATED IN DECADE-OLD COVER-UP.
Her stomach churned. The article was vague, citing "unnamed sources" and an old, closed case involving an environmental regulatory breach and the subsequent suicide of a young, promising analyst—a former classmate of Kim Seo-yeon's. The details were sparse, but the contents were enough for the internet to be set ablaze.
"Director Ryu," Kim Seo-yeon whispered, her eyes narrowed to slits. What did he hope to achieve with this? This wasn't taking her down, but taking her, himself and the company down. If this scandal was not quickly resolved or at least silenced, the company would lose a lot of investments.
"The file attached is highly sensitive, Ms. Kim. It appears to be an internal memo detailing the original regulatory failure that was sealed ten years ago." Son Ji-woo confirmed, her neutral tone unwavering. "The source is highly placed. And this is being picked up everywhere."
"Ms. Kim I'm also aware of rumors that you might be engaged." Son Ji-woo said.
"Wait until it's night time, then contact the media team to immediately denounce the rumors. Anyone who pushes for the rumor should be charged with misinformation." Kim Seo-yeon said calmly. The engagement seemed to her to be only an after-thought.
"I need the legal team in my office by 10 am. During this time, retrieve the physical files from Gyeongwon archive and get me a latte. The files must come to me directly." Kim Seo-yeon said and closed her eyes.
Son Ji-woo nodded and smirked. This was indeed Kim Seo-yeon, she did not panic at all in the face of two problems.
Kim Seo-yeon stared at her phone for a while, before putting it down. She took a deep breath and stared at the dark road ahead. She had to address the corporate scandal immediately.
Last night, Han Yoo-jin who was on a vacation had called her to inform her of this situation, explaining that Yeon Ji-a had suspiciously requested to see a set of files for the previous fiscal year. Yeon Ji-a was Kim Seo-yeon's foster sister and she was never up to any good. Kim Seo-yeon had immediately asked that Yeon Ji-a's request be denied. She also ordered people to watch Yeon Ji-a closely.
She didn't expect that Director Ryu would be able to strike so fast. Had he been planning this for a while? Hoping that she would deny his investment request, so he'd strike while the iron was hot?
Right now, she couldn't worry about that. She could only think up ways to salvage the situation.
She closed her eyes and her mind drifted to that time, six years ago.
Lee Min-a, a bright eyed 20 year old, was standing at the top of the roof, about to throw herself off.
Kim Seo-yeon grabbed a fire extinguisher and broke the door knob to the rooftop, after repeatedly trying to open it and finding it locked. She pushed open the door and ran towards Lee Min-a.
"Min-a!" She screamed. But she was already too late.
Lee Min-a closed her eyes and leaned back, falling from the 18-floor building. Kim Seo-yeon reached out and grabbed at the air.
She laid sprawled on the ground for a few minutes, gasping for air. When she raised her head and looked down, she saw something she should not have seen. Lee Min-a was on the ground, lifeless in a pool of blood. A lonely rusty iron rod protruded out of her neck. It was gory and horrible to look at.
Fat beads of tears fell out of Kim Seo-yeon's eyes. She cried for a long time and when she stood up to go down, she fainted.
The next day, police had sealed off the area and news of the incident was immediately suppressed.
She woke up on a hospital bed with an IV drip connected to her hand.
She later found out after she joined Jeongwon Capital that Lee Min-a, who was three years her senior then, had killed herself because of her father's friend.
Baek Gu-won had raped Lee Min-a's mother to death a year back and had hidden it away from the media.
Lee Min-a vowed to avenge her mother, but when she found out it was Baek Gu-won who raped her, she had killed herself.
Till this day, Kim Seo-yeon couldn't understand why she killed herself. Was there something other than the rape? Was she threatened? She didn't know.
Baek Gu-won had essentially gotten away with it, as he left for the US with his family a week before Lee Min-a's death.
The case was then closed due to lack of irrefutable and substantial evidence to suggest Baek Gu-won was involved, and was termed a suicide. But deep down, every higher-up at Jeongwon Capital knew Baek Gu-won was guilty. None of them pursued the matter because it would ruin the company. Lee Min-a was just an ordinary employee, she wasn't worth offending an executive for, an by extension, creating huge losses for Jeongwon Capital.
It had been six years since that incident. Kim Seo-yeon was already the CEO (she wasn't as naive) and the company had already witnessed massive growth since then. What was Director Ryu doing by opening up this scar?
Kim Seo-yeon did not believe Director Ryu was foolish enough to do something like this. There had to be another motive and she felt this was definitely bigger than it seemed.
The car halted and Kim Seo-yeon snapped out of her reverie.
The door was pulled open from outside. She stepped out and walked in ignoring the bowing employees that flanked her sides.
Son Ji-woo followed closely behind. Her grim look indicated the seriousness of the matter.
…
In a room in a clubhouse.
Kang Eun-ho lighted a cigar and puffed smoke absentmindedly.
His mind was at last night's date. He furrowed his eyebrows when he thought about it. He had a feeling that woman didn't like him, even almost disliking him. Her gaze last night had zero admiration, and was only filled with slight irritation. He had seen her glancing at her watch. He knew she didn't want to be there any longer, but how could he yield first?
He would never. He mused within himself that she would come around. There wasn't a woman he couldn't conquer. He just needed to be patient and soon he'll have her curled around his finger. It was only a matter of time. That was why he set another date and even exaggerated his meeting with her to his mother.
He didn't expect that her mother, Kim Ye-sol, would even take it a step further and leaked rumors that she was engaged. It didn't mention him, but he was elated. Getting her now looked a lot easier.
Footsteps rang across the silent room. Kang Eun-ho stood up and the first thing he saw was the shiny leather shoes.
He was wearing a perfectly tailored black suit. The black pants wrapped around his long legs and the design of the suit jacket made him look taller and more masculine as he walked with a dominating mature air. Behind him was his assistant and two rows of bodyguards. He was every bit the alpha male, a direct contrast to Kang Eun-ho's playful aura.
Kang Eun-ho reached out for a hug, the cigar in his left hand and a familial smile on his face. "Ahh. Tae-yong, I didn't expect to see you here. How have you been?"
The man, Tae-yong, rejected his hug and sat on the sofa opposite Kang Eun-ho instead.
"What is this about?" Park Tae-yong asked, slightly irritated.
Kang Eun-ho sat down, his smile just as familial, not an ounce of shame, as he kept smoking.
"Let's have a drink first. Even though it's still noon. A single glass." Kang Eun-ho coerced.
"Kang Eun-ho!" Park Tae-yong growled under his breath. He was not in the mood for Kang Eun-ho's nonsense right now.
"My Fifth Brother won't even drink a sip. You've been abstinent lately. Don't tell me you've become an eunuch." Kang Eun-ho said playfully not the least bit afraid of the terrifying aura Park Tae-yong was radiating.
Park Tae-yong pursed his lips as his eyes resting on Kang Eun-ho flashed with a cold light.