The restaurant was quiet—too quiet for a place meant to host high-profile business meetings. Soft instrumental music played in the background, barely audible beneath the hum of muted conversations and clinking cutlery.
She walked in with steady, confident steps, each one measured and controlled.
Every movement was controlled.
Every breath measured.
Her heels clicked lightly against the polished floor as she scanned the interior with sharp, observant eyes. It did not take her too long to find that certain person.
He was seated near the window.
Same posture as before.
Same composed exterior.
She felt like time had stopped the moment her eyes landed on him. As if the only color that existed right now was him, standing right in front of her. Her heart raced— even after five long years, he still had the same effect on her heart as before.
She took a deep breath to calm her racing heart and took slow but steady, confident steps toward the table.
She stopped right in front of it.
A faint smile curved her lips upon seeing him.
"Long time no see, Mr. Kim."
The words landed like a thunderbolt.
The man stiffened. This voice felt too familiar to forget. His breath hitched.
Then—slowly—he stood up, the chair scraping loudly against the floor as disbelief flashed across his face.
"Yo… you—!!"
She tilted her head slightly, amusement flickering in her eyes.
"Why are you so shocked, Mr. Kim? Didn't expect to see me again?" She mocked him cruelly.
His brows knitted together, emotions colliding behind his widened dark eyes.
"Why are you calling me like that?" he blurted out. "Call me Joonie—like you did in the past."
Her smile vanished instantly.
Cold.
Detached.
"As you said—that was in the past." She crossed her arms calmly. "And I don't look back at my past mistakes."
His lips parted in disbelief.
"Mistake?"
She exhaled, clearly uninterested.
"Forget it. We're here for business, not nostalgia."
She rolled her eyes slightly, but he remained frozen, confusion clouding his face.
"Business?"
She paused, as if realizing something, then offered a polite nod.
"Oops. Seems like I forgot to introduce myself officially."
"Huh?!" He looked genuinely dumbfounded.
She extended her hand, professional and distant.
"It's nice meeting you, Mr. Kim. This is Ms. Sapphire, from 'Jeon Industry & Co'."
The color drained from his face.
"Ms… Sapphire?"
Her lips twitched.
"Why? Can I not be Ms. Sapphire? What's wrong with that? Or do you think I'm not capable enough to become the famous designer, Ms. Sapphire? "
"I didn't mean that—I just—" He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "Forget it. Where have you been all these five years?"
Her gaze hardened.
"Why does it matter to you, Mr. Kim?" she asked coolly. "As I said before, we're here for business, not for personal discussions."
She picked up the menu, flipping it casually before adding—
"By the way, how is Ri-na? Why didn't you bring her with you today?"
His expression darkened instantly.
"Why would I bring her here with me?!" he snapped. "We don't have anything between—"
"You don't have to explain, Mr. Kim." She cut him off smoothly. "You're not bound to do so. Anyway…"
He studied her in silence for a long moment before letting out a heavy sigh.
"You've changed a lot, Rinrin."
"I know." She smiled faintly. "I will take it as a compliment. Thanks. Now, let's discuss why we're actually here today."
He straightened, switching into business mode immediately.
"We want you to become the main designer of our next project." He spoke carefully.
"We've already discussed it with Mr. Jeon, and he said he has no objection if you agree. So…"
She hummed softly.
"I don't have any problem working with you either— but only if you agree to some of my conditions."
His eyes lit up.
"Really?! Of course, I'll agree to anything you want."
She scoffed.
"Don't promise things you don't understand. First listen, then come to any conclusion. Mr. Kim, you don't understand your past mistake, do you?" Her gaze sharpened. "I don't want broken promises anymore."
"Rinrin—"
"My first condition," she interrupted him firmly, "is that you will never invade my personal life. Our relationship will remain strictly professional. Nothing more than that."
He nodded without any hesitation.
"If that makes you comfortable around me—sure."
She nodded once.
"My second condition is that I won't work overtime, nor will I take work home. And no one from your company is allowed to contact me after office hours."
"That's fine. I'll take care of it personally. You don't have to worry about it."
She took a deep breath.
"My third—and most important—condition…"
She paused and looked straight into his eyes before stating her last condition.
"I want Ri-na out of this project."
She smirked, watching his face turn pale at her last condition.
"What?!"
"Yep." She said calmly.
"But—she's the main designer of our company!" he protested. "This project was offered by her. How can we cut her off like that?!"
She leaned back calmly.
"That sounds like your problem, not mine."
Her tone was ice-cold. "If she's so capable, then why don't you make her the main designer of this project and forget about me? Let her manage this project alone."
She leaned forward slightly.
"You need me because you know she's not up to my standards—and you're well aware of that too. Now decide whether I sign the contract or not. It depends entirely on whether your company can satisfy my conditions."
She smirked at him mockingly.
He swallowed.
"Just...just let her assist you." He said, his voice shaky.
She laughed softly.
"She doesn't have the ability to work with me. I'll bring my own assistant."
"Then where do you want her to be?!"
She shrugged.
"Out of town. At least until I'm done with this project of yours. Let me know if you agree to these conditions, and then I'll tell you my decision."
She stood up.
The meeting was over—just like that.
She walked out of the restaurant with the same confidence, leaving a trail of cold air behind her.
A lot of things were left for him to say. But she didn't let him.
A second later, he followed her from behind.
"Rinrin, it's late. Let me drop you home. Tell me where you live."
"No need, thanks for your offer by the way."
"Don't be stubborn. It's not safe for a woman to wander alone this late at night."
While talking, they came to the parking lot.
She suddenly stopped in her tracks after noticing a familiar car standing right in front of her. She smiled, knowing who was in the car.
"Actually…" She looked ahead. "My car's here."
A black Mercedes pulled up smoothly in front of them just as she spoke. Joon-woo's eyes followed in the direction where Ah-rin was looking.
The window rolled down.
A handsome man sat inside, his eyes soft as they landed on her.
He smiled.
Then—
Two tiny figures popped their heads out from the back window.
"Mommy!!!"
Her heart melted instantly.
She laughed, completely forgetting the man standing right beside her.
"My babies!"
Joon-woo froze.
"Mommy?!" His voice trembled. "Are… are they your kids, Rinrin?"
Her smile faded the moment she realized he had seen them. She didn't want him to know— not now, not like this.
"That's none of your business." She said coldly, more coldly than she intended.
The man in the car spoke gently—
"Honey… we're here to take you home. The kids have been waiting for you—they missed you so much!" the man said softly, his sharp eyes flicking briefly toward Joon-woo.
Joon-woo didn't miss the glance from the man inside the car. The moment his eyes landed on her, they softened instantly. He knew the meaning of that look all too well—it was full of admiration for her. His chest tightened painfully.
Did he really lose her completely?! he whispered in his mind, yet he didn't dare to ask her directly. Maybe he was too afraid to face the truth.
She turned toward the car, ignoring Joon-woo's frozen figure. The moment her eyes met them, she smiled and walked toward the car.
And left Joon-woo standing there—
Shattered.
Broken.
And…
With lots of unanswered questions.
To Be Continued…