Long after the building emptied, the lights in the CEO's office still glowed.
Lee Joon-hyuk sat at his desk, papers neatly stacked, his tie loosened slightly. From the outside, he was calm as ever. Unshakable. But inside, tension coiled in his chest.
His phone buzzed. A message from his father, the chairman.
"The board is concerned. A CEO without stability in his personal life is a liability. Find a solution before they force one on you."
Joon-hyuk's grip tightened around the phone. Stability. Marriage. Appearances. All his father ever cared about.
He leaned back in his chair, staring at the glittering skyline of Seoul. Marriage wasn't about love. It was about control. Image. Power.
He didn't need a wife. He needed a partner who would play the role, keep the board satisfied, and not get in the way. Nothing more.
And yet, his thoughts strayed annoyingly, unwillingly to Kang Hye-rin.
The stubborn girl who had once shoved a letter into his hands. The same girl who had stood up to him today with fire in her eyes.
He closed his eyes briefly, pressing a hand to his temple. Ridiculous. She was the last person he should think about.
But even as he told himself that, the image of her standing tall in the conference room refused to leave his mind.
For the first time in years, Lee Joon-hyuk felt unsettled.