The bedroom was immersed in semi-darkness. Cho Se Ra tossed and turned under her covers, unable to fall asleep. Her breathing was light, but her thoughts were still boiling. The door opened softly, and Na Bi appeared, her small silhouette framed by the glow of the hallway lamp.
— Mom?
Her voice was both tender and hesitant, almost a whisper brushing the air.
Se Ra opened her eyes and looked at her for a moment, her heart tightening with affection.
— Can I sleep with you?
Innocence and trust mingled in the little girl's gaze. Without a word, Se Ra pulled back a corner of the blanket, inviting Na Bi to climb in and snuggle against her. The warmth of the child pressed against her stirred something indefinable within her.
— I thought you were already asleep.
— I couldn't fall asleep. Hey?
Se Ra felt her breathing slow for a moment, caught between her role as a mother and the memories flooding her mind.
— Go ahead, I'm listening.
Na Bi lifted her bright little eyes toward her, innocent curiosity in every movement.
— Do you think I could be a painter like Mom?
Se Ra looked at her in silence. Her heart tightening, she suddenly saw images from the past.
A park, a clear day. Sunny, pregnant, was sitting in front of her canvas, focused on her colors. Se Ra had approached, standing behind her, watching her sister's precise movements.
— It's so beautiful… she murmured, admiring.
Sunny gave her a light, serene smile.
— You think so? I believe painting outdoors is more exciting, more natural than in a studio. It's so… pure and… more real.
Se Ra smiled, crossing her arms, a mischievous spark in her eyes.
— I still hope that one day I'll be able to draw a banana.
Sunny burst out laughing, teasing but affectionate.
— I still hope you'll manage.
They shared a burst of laughter, the kind that warms you and leaves bright memories behind.
Back in the present, Se Ra felt her heart warm as she saw Na Bi snuggled against her. The little girl held a drawing in her hands, her fingers gripping the paper with pride and shyness.
— Today, I made a drawing. My teacher asked me to leave it with her to add it to the school's collection. I think it's because she found it pretty. So I thought I could become a painter like Mom.
Se Ra's eyes filled with tenderness. The child shone with a mix of innocence and hope.
— Of course, my sweetheart. You'll be a great artist, just like her. Come here.
Na Bi moved even closer, wrapping her arms around Se Ra, and she felt the child's warmth and trust blend with her own, a suspended moment where everything seemed simple and gentle.
The city of Seoul slowly awakened, bathed in the first light of morning. Buildings stood against a sky tinted pink and orange, traffic gradually resuming its rhythm. A new day was beginning, filled with promises and tensions to come.
Kim Jae Hyun let the hot coffee slide past his lips, never taking his eyes off his phone screen. The bitter taste filled his mouth, but his mind was elsewhere, caught between the day's tight schedule and a dull irritation. Cho Se Ra was late. Again.
As if answering his thought, the door burst open and Se Ra rushed into the apartment, out of breath, her hair slightly messy, her cheeks flushed from running and perhaps also from embarrassment.
— I'm sorry, President Kim. I was stuck in traffic…
He didn't look up. His thumb slid across the screen, as if his emails mattered more than her presence.
— Sir? Say something… she murmured, her voice filled with worry.
— You're late, he replied curtly, taking another sip of coffee.
She immediately lowered her eyes.
— I'm sorry. It won't happen again.
But he didn't seem to be listening. He moved slightly away, still absorbed in his phone. Se Ra, standing on her high heels, shifted her weight nervously from one leg to the other. Her fingers tightened on the strap of her bag.
When he finally looked up, his gaze cut through her like a blade. His eyes slowly traveled down her body: her skirt wrinkled from rushing, her disheveled hair, her cheeks still too flushed. So imperfect. So beautiful.
— What's the schedule for today? he asked, in a cruel tone.
Se Ra blinked, surprised. She stammered, caught off guard:
— Uh… let me check.
She hurriedly rummaged through her bag, her clumsy movements betraying her nervousness, then pulled out a small spiral notebook. She took a deep breath, trying to regain her professional composure.
— At 9:30, you have a meeting with…
— Where is the work tablet? he interrupted without looking up.
She froze.
— I left it at the office. I find it more practical to work with a notebook.
She attempted a fragile smile, almost pleading, but he had already returned to his screen, indifferent.
Se Ra resumed, her throat tight:
— I was saying earlier that at 9:30 you have a meeting with the board of directors until 11. Then, a visit to Global Investments' premises at 12:30 as part of the buyout of the shares on sale… and that will be all for today.
He suddenly lifted his head, his brows slightly furrowed.
— It's Wednesday. Why don't I hear, in your daily schedule, a visit to the gym?
— What? she blurted out, taken aback.
— On all weekly schedules, by default, there is a gym session on Wednesdays, he explained in a cold voice.
She grabbed her pen quickly, writing in silence, her hands trembling.
— Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't pay attention.
— Pay more attention next time, he cut in. And use the planning tablet if you are not capable of fully listing a schedule in your notebook.
His tone left no room for discussion. Se Ra felt her cheeks burn even more, but not only from shame: a part of her, buried deep, wanted to shout that he didn't have to be so harsh. Another, more troubling part, almost savored this power dynamic that always left her off balance.
He continued, impassive:
— Once at the office, prepare the file to be reviewed and make eleven copies for the board members.
He paused, thinking, then added in a firm voice:
— No, twelve. One for you. You will also attend the meeting.
She raised her head, surprised, her heart beating a little faster. He was already turning away, setting his cup down near the coffee machine, as if she no longer existed.
Under his gaze, which left her feeling both slighted and shaken, one certainty imposed itself on Se Ra: working by his side was not only exhausting. It was a silent war, where every sharp word, every silence, became a weapon. And she wasn't sure whether she wanted to flee this battlefield… or stay and challenge him.
The morning was already moving too fast when Cho Se Ra parked her car in front of the imposing Axion Finances building. Her heart was racing; she was already late and every minute counted. She grabbed her bag, nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and hurried toward the entrance, her heels striking sharply against the pavement.
— Excuse me.
A deep, confident male voice made her stop in her tracks. She turned around, slightly annoyed. In front of her, a man with cold elegance approached, his hands in his pockets as if he owned the sidewalk. Lee Ji Hoon, thirty-seven, impeccable suit, self-assured gaze.
He looked her up and down with an appreciative eye before stating with studied ease:
— I saw you… and I thought it would be criminal not to tell you how beautiful you are.
A coldly polite compliment, but his smile betrayed something predatory.
Se Ra sighed, irritated, and replied in a sharp voice:
— Thank you. But I'm not interested.
She immediately turned away, quickening her pace, her heels echoing as if to emphasize her answer. But the man did not see it that way. With a swift motion, he grabbed her arm to stop her.
Se Ra froze, her eyes dropping to that чуж hand on her skin, then slowly she raised her head. The look she gave him was so sharp that he hurried to let go.
— Wait… I just want to talk to you. Maybe I went about it the wrong way. I'd like to invite you to dinner.
This time, her anger rose clearly.
— What is wrong with you? How many times do I have to tell you I'm not interested for you to understand? Let's be clear: I don't care who you are. I want to go to work!
She left him there, speechless, slightly pale with embarrassment. In a gesture betraying his wounded pride, he ran a hand through his carefully styled hair, trying to regain some composure. But Se Ra no longer cared. Her steps carried her, fast and tense, toward Axion's entrance, where other battles awaited her.
***
In the conference room, ten board members were already seated. Along the polished table, their silhouettes were rigid, their faces serious. In front of each of them lay a microphone, a file, and a bottle of water. The main seat, at the end of the table, remained empty. The one just to its right as well.
The door opened, and Kim Jae Hyun entered. His elegant presence immediately imposed silence.
— Good morning, everyone, he said in a calm voice. Please excuse my delay. I had an urgent matter to handle. I assume you have already received the agenda.
He took his seat, unbuttoning the second button of his jacket with studied nonchalance. His eyes swept across the assembly. Not a word came in response, only the weight of their gazes. But this silence, he knew well. What he was looking for, however, was something else.
He slightly turned his head toward the empty seat on his right. And his gaze darkened.
She's not here… he thought, a dull anger tightening his chest. She dared to be late here, in front of his peers. A slap to his authority. But more than that… a void he refused to acknowledge.
Upstairs, in a small poorly lit room, Cho Se Ra struggled with a stubborn photocopier. Her hands trembled slightly as she tapped the buttons, hoping for a miracle. In vain.
— Honestly, life is against me these days… What am I supposed to do? she muttered to herself.
Her phone vibrated in her pocket. A message from Ahn Woo Jin appeared:
" There are photocopiers on the 2nd floor. The one on the 3rd is always broken. "
She pressed her lips together, frustrated.
— And you couldn't have told me that earlier?
With an abrupt motion, she pulled out the jammed copy, gathered her papers, and hurried out, her heels clicking again, unsteady under the rush.