It was clear that Mina's public apology at the press conference, along with her visit to the victims in the hospital, had actually worked. Not long after, Haruna officially resigned from her position as CEO, promising she would no longer take part in any SCJ business activities.
Of course, that was nothing but a lie. Letting her stay involved behind the scenes was actually a smart idea—if she wanted it. After all, Haruna was still the number-one heiress of the Kamakiri family. Her standing was far too high for her to suffer any true humiliation or serious punishment.
Valko, on the other hand, was an outsider—a son-in-law. His punishment had yet to be announced, but whatever it was, it would be brutal. It hung over him like a blade suspended by a string.
Meanwhile, Mina rose like a righteous hero, stepping in exactly when SCJ needed her the most. No one could be more perfect for the CEO position than her. She was gaining favor within the family and even among the public, especially once people learned about Valko and Haruna's affair. And the fact she still walked beside Haruna to apologize to the victims only strengthened her image: a merciful wife, someone who wasn't petty about the past.
SCJ's stock price surged back up immediately after that day. Everyone was anxiously waiting for Mina's official appearance as the new CEO. Some people still disapproved of how lightly Haruna was punished, and protests continued—but it was only a matter of time. Once the Kamakiri family regained control of the media, the narrative would flip in their favor.
As for Valko, punishment was inevitable, but they couldn't just throw him to the police. He was still a son-in-law of the Kamakiri family. A scapegoat had already been arranged—someone willing to take the blame for the tainted pork scandal in exchange for generous financial support for his family and enough money to send his children through college. Everything was wrapped up smoothly—almost unbelievably so.
But there had been sudden changes that affected the company's internal system. For instance, Valko's subsidiary had always been the official supplier for pork imports from Taiwan to SCJ's supermarket chains. Now, it was almost impossible to find a replacement partner quickly with the same favorable terms.
On the very day Mina took office as CEO, an SCJ shareholders meeting was called—and the issue was brought up immediately.
Mina sat beside her aunt, SCJ's vice president, Kamakiri Tomi. Tomi looked unusually serious as everyone debated possible restructuring plans to reassure the shareholders. She turned to Mina with a sharp yet hopeful gaze.
"Mina, I heard you had something you wanted to share with the board today?"
Mina nodded. Her expression was serious, but she radiated confidence. She looked from Tomi to the other executives.
"I understand how crucial it is for us to secure a reliable supplier. And yes, time is tight. Many of you may think it's difficult to find an alternative partner that matches SCJ's standards. I understand this concern well. First, I want to inform everyone that I have already found a suitable partner—one not only trustworthy and high-quality, but with the potential to expand into premium food supplies for middle-class consumers as well."
The room erupted. Curious. Suspicious. But mostly hopeful—because Mina had already proven herself to be trustworthy.
Even Tomi looked startled, unable to hide her excitement.
"Really, Mina? You already found a partner like that?"
Mina nodded gracefully, smiling with elegant confidence.
"And I've invited this partner to our meeting today."
She signaled to a sharply dressed man wearing a Kamakiri gold crest on his suit—Kamakiri Hiroshi, Mina's cousin and Tomi's son. He currently headed the new high-grade food distribution division, replacing Valko's old position.
Hiroshi opened the door. Everyone fell silent.
Standing there was a stunning woman—tall, statuesque like a runway model, with long snow-white hair, grey eyes, and a delicate porcelain-doll face. She looked like a foreign beauty from Eastern Europe. She wore a black skin-tight outfit that was almost too alluring for a corporate meeting. Behind her were several men in full black suits, clearly highly trained bodyguards.
No one had ever seen her before, and the entire room was frozen in awe. Even Tomi looked confused—she had certainly never met this woman.
Hiroshi shared a knowing glance with Mina, then introduced the guest:
"Everyone, this is Miss Jou Liu Yu, from Taiwan. She currently oversees Headriff, a Swiss-origin distributor specializing in high-quality meat imports."
"Jou… Liu Yu!?"
Chaos broke out. They didn't know her face—but her last name alone made everyone pale.
She was a Jou. A member of the telecommunications empire ruling Taiwan and much of Asia.
In other words… she shared blood with Valko.
Some shareholders were instantly displeased, not bothering to hide it.
"So the Kamakiri still prioritize bloodlines?!"
"She's from the Jou family!"
"How can we trust someone related to Valko? His meat company nearly tanked us! And now this girl—"
They complained loudly—even in front of Yu—without shame. But Yu didn't react at all. Her face was unreadable, strangely mechanical. Mina simply kept smiling.
Tomi was deeply unsettled.
"Mina… what is going on here?"
Before Mina could respond, Yu suddenly spoke. Her voice was flat—almost like a chatbot.
"Yes. I am Jou Valko's younger sister. Second daughter of the former chairman of Jou Telecom."
Her statement silenced the entire room—delivered not apologetically, but like a declaration of power. Jou Corporation was still a colossal empire. No one dared insult her openly.
Yu continued, still emotionless
"I understand your concern. However, the subsidiary Valko managed for the Goten supermarkets was never under the Jou family's supervision—nor mine. Valko founded multiple companies without any approval or recognition from our family. Therefore, my distribution company has no involvement with him."
Her Vietnamese-accented foreigner tone made her speech a bit stiff, but still powerful—clearly carrying the authority of the Jou dynasty. Everyone could sense the legitimacy behind her words. Still, someone clicked his tongue.
"Doesn't matter. Blood is blood. Siblings always cover for each other."
Mina shot a cold glance at the man across the table.
He froze. For a brief second, he felt as if he had looked straight into a ghost's eyes.
But when he blinked again, Mina was simply sitting there with her eyes closed calmly.
Had he imagined it…?
A different voice broke the tension
"Ah, Headriff Supply. I've heard of them. They provide meat for many five-star restaurants in Europe, known for extremely strict livestock standards. Only top chefs use them. I'm amazed the head of such a supplier is such a young, beautiful woman."
His flattery shifted the atmosphere instantly. People began looking at Yu with admiration.
Mina only smiled mysteriously. Yu struggled to force out a polite smile and continued, still robotic
"Yes. My mother is actually the original heir of the Headriff farm. Her family has supplied premium meat to royal households across Europe for generations. She now oversees the company headquarters. I am the official spokesperson."
The room was stunned. A second-generation Jou heiress… and the face of a European royal-grade supplier?
No one needed documents to believe her—they could feel the legitimacy in her lineage. Some shareholders even secretly Koogled Headriff under the table, only to be shocked by what they found.
Thanks to a few simple statements, both Yu and Mina gained nearly unanimous trust. The majority voted in favor, and a public signing ceremony would soon take place—sure to restore the Goten supermarket's reputation.
Only Tomi was left uneasy. Something about the girl named Yu… felt off. Strange. Wrong. Impossible.
How—and since when—did Mina become acquainted with someone like this?
She couldn't shake the feeling. But she couldn't explain it either.
---
Dao finally gathered the courage to try again. She called Mina over and over, but Mina still wasn't picking up. Feeling completely helpless, Dao ended up doing the only thing she could—waiting at the café they used to go to together.
Her thumb hovered over the draft message she'd typed but couldn't bring herself to send. Something like:
"Mina, I know you've been really busy lately, so maybe that's why you haven't answered my calls. You know how worried I am about you, right? But I'll respect whatever you decide. If you're free this afternoon, can we meet at our usual café and talk?"
But she just couldn't hit send. Chances were Mina wouldn't read it anyway, and Dao might be stuck waiting here forever. She sighed and poked at the straw in her iced matcha, bored and anxious… when suddenly a familiar silhouette made her freeze.
"No way—Mina…?"
Dao whispered in disbelief. But wait—she didn't send the message. How on earth was Mina here?
Confused and startled, Dao then realized Mina wasn't alone. A very tall woman walked in right behind her, and Dao felt her stomach drop.
The woman was absurdly gorgeous, like some foreign model—skin pale to the point of looking unreal, long white hair flowing down her back, and an all–black skintight outfit that made her look like an assassin straight out of an action movie.
What? Since when did Mina know someone like that? Why had Dao never heard of her before?
And why were they entering through the VIP back door of the café? Well… maybe it made sense. The combined beauty of those two alone was enough to shake the entire café if they'd walked through the front.
Dao squinted, trying to remember if she'd ever seen the tall woman before—but then her heart nearly stopped. The two of them were walking straight toward her.
Pure panic kicked in. Instinctively, Dao yanked her scarf over her head, slapped on her sunglasses, and hunched down in her seat to hide her platinum-blonde hair and face.
Yu and Mina sat down at the table directly behind her. Mina's back was facing Dao's back.
Dao didn't understand why she was trembling this much—she felt like she was doing something illegal, like she was spying on them.
But the moment Yu and Mina sat down, the air around them changed. Thickened. Hardened.
A chilling tension radiated between the two women—so cold and sharp that even Dao, sitting nearby, felt it crawl down her spine.
She crouched under the table a little more and peeked behind her. The expressions on their faces made her freeze.
What was this atmosphere?
Yu spoke first, her face eerily emotionless—almost robotic.
"...Thank you. You and your people speaking for me during the shareholders' meeting—without your help, my brother's scandal would've ruined everything."
Mina smiled gently, beautifully… but her eyes were full of calculation.
"It was nothing. Valko's an asshole, sure. But the Jou family is still a major partner for us. It would be a waste if two families became enemies over such a trivial matter, wouldn't it?"
Yu studied her, clearly suspecting Mina's hidden agenda. After all, Mina wanted to use Yu as leverage to seize leadership of Kamakiri—going so far as to sacrifice her own husband and sister.
Definitely not a simple woman.
Yu rubbed the intricately carved snake-shaped ring coiled around her ring finger.
Mina's gaze followed. Something about that ring bothered her, though she didn't know why. The Jou family crest was a serpent, after all…
Mina spoke softly.
"...I'm very sorry for what happened to the head of the Jou family."
Yu kept turning the ring, looking oddly indifferent to it. Then she turned toward the glass window, watching the sun sink—spilling a fiery red sunset across the sky.
Mina followed her gaze, confused about what Yu was thinking. She had met Yu by pure chance. She never expected Yu to help her so willingly. Yu always said it was revenge for her father's death, caused by her traitorous brother.
But whenever Mina looked into Yu's cold, blank expression—she couldn't find even a shred of hatred.
So why was Yu cooperating with her so deeply?
Still, Mina spoke with conviction, smiling,
"…The command seat of the Jou family will be yours. With our cooperation, Valko will have no way out."
Yu glanced at her, and Mina saw nothing but ruthlessness in those gray eyes. Valko had no escape. Only one final step remained before they could push him out of his vice-president seat at Jou Telecom. Everything was already prepared.
Yu stared at her own reflection in the glass—the sunset painting her gray eyes blood-red. Then she suddenly smiled, a strange one.
"That's certain, Kamakiri Mina…"
Even Mina stiffened. There it was again—that unsettling feeling she could never understand about Yu. In a split second, the woman in front of her felt like someone else entirely.
Her sharp eyes.
Her twisted smile.
Not the emotionless Yu she was used to. Mina kept her professional smile.
"By the way, I heard you're still keeping her with you? Your new little pet?"
"Yu" let out a soft chuckle.
"Ah, her… Well, no point hiding it, right? You almost killed her yourself."
Mina's smile vanished. She glared coldly.
"Kim Nayeon. I wonder why you're keeping her. If she interferes with my plan in any way— even the slightest—"
Her tone was anything but casual. It was a threat.
But "Yu" only burst out laughing. She propped her chin on her hand, staring at Mina like she was a fascinating creature.
"Relax. Nothing she does will get in your way. In fact, she's helping you. Let's be honest—your goal isn't just taking Kamakiri. You want to eliminate someone else too, don't you?"
Mina's brow furrowed. The cryptic words made her uneasy, though she couldn't tell what Yu meant.
"Yu" giggled softly again, twisting the snake ring with a harsh, almost violent motion.
"Now's not the best place to talk about it. Wouldn't want the little mice eavesdropping."
Mina didn't understand what she meant.
But under the table, Dao suddenly felt a wave of icy dread wash over her—without knowing why.
Yu's eyes hardened as she stared into Mina's.
"Consider this a special privilege for you. You'll get the person you want… and I will too. So—shall we seal the deal?"