CHAPTER 3
“How did you find out?”
“I heard it from Grandpa.”
“The Chairman knew about it? I didn’t tell him I was applying for the internship because I didn’t want people saying I got in because of his connections if I passed.”
“Grandpa cares about you a lot, but he’s not the kind of person who would hire someone for that reason alone.”
“I know. Still.”
The wine left a sweet yet bittersweet taste in her mouth as it slid down her throat.
“This wine is good. It’s exactly my style.”
Seo Jae refilled Ha-eun’s empty glass.
She had already finished two glasses before the food arrived.
“The results come out next week, and I’m so nervous.”
Seo-guk International was the company responsible for Seo-guk Group’s import and export business.
Instead of hiring full-time employees directly, it required candidates to complete a two-year internship, and only those who passed their performance evaluations were offered permanent positions.
However, even interns who were not hired permanently often received offers from other companies with excellent conditions because the company was famous for its demanding workload.
That was why the competition was so fierce.
Ha-eun had worked harder than anyone else over the past four years to get into Seo-guk, so she wanted it desperately.
“You’re going to pass. Seo-guk wants people with good grades, of course, but more importantly, they want people who can work creatively while getting along with everyone else in the organization.”
“Do you really think so?”
She could hardly believe she was hearing such words from Seo Jae, who was usually stingy with compliments.
“You have an easygoing personality, so you become friends with people quickly. You’ll fit right into the company culture. And didn’t you finish at the top of your class all four years? Ha-jun bragged about it so much that my ears nearly bled.”
“Oppa said that?”
It was the first time she had heard that.
She could not tell whether the warmth spreading across her cheeks was because of his praise or the wine.
Under the soft lighting, his chiseled features looked even more handsome than usual, making her heart race wildly.
What’s wrong with me?
Am I already drunk after just two glasses of wine?
Even as she thought that, she took another sip from her third glass.
The food arrived.
Seo Jae took Ha-eun’s plate, cut the steak into bite-sized pieces as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and handed it back to her.
Since Ha-jun had practically raised his sister, who was seven years younger than him, in place of their busy parents, he had always done everything for her.
Having watched Ha-jun since childhood, Seo Jae had become the same way.
“Thank you.”
She chewed the meat diligently and swallowed.
The steak was tender and savory, becoming more delicious with every bite.
She was starving, but with her heart pounding uncontrollably, her face grew redder and redder.
Afraid that Seo Jae might notice her feelings, she focused only on eating.
“I’m not going to steal your food, so slow down.”
Seo Jae refilled her glass again before speaking.
“Your mother’s voice didn’t sound good.”
“She hasn’t been eating properly for days, and all she does is cry.”
“Don’t worry too much. I’ll find Ha-jun no matter what it takes.”
“Okay.”
Finding her brother was only a matter of time now.
With Seo Jae’s wealth and resources, even in America, it would not be difficult.
Feeling much lighter, Ha-eun cleaned her plate and drank every last drop of wine.
After finishing the fruit-topped cream cake for dessert, Seo Jae asked,
“You can really drink. Should we buy another bottle to take with us?”
“Sure.”
He asked the staff to wrap up another bottle of the same wine.
When she stood up, the alcohol made her a little dizzy, but she quickly regained her balance.
The hotel Seo Jae had reserved was one of the oldest and most prestigious in New York, and its luxurious interior, reminiscent of a European palace, immediately caught her eye.
After checking in, Seo Jae gently pulled the dazed Ha-eun, who was busy admiring the grand interior, into the elevator.
A hotel employee followed behind them, pushing their two suitcases.
The suite, with a living room in the center and two bedrooms and bathrooms on either side, was both elegant and extravagant.
“You can use this room.”
Seo Jae gave Ha-eun the larger bedroom and carried her suitcase inside.
Looking at the soft, spotless bed, it felt unreal that only a few hours earlier she had been curled up alone in a cold, dirty hotel room.
The marble bathroom was enormous, and the bathtub was equally spacious.
“Can I take a bath?”
Her body had become stiff from sleeping in the cold room.
She felt that soaking in warm water with fragrant bath salts would wash away all her exhaustion.
“Go ahead.”
While the tub filled with water, she picked one of the bath products provided in the bathroom and poured it in.
Then she opened the bottle of wine Seo Jae had bought.
Sitting in the warm water while drinking wine, she felt as though she had nothing left to envy in the world.
At some point, she must have fallen asleep.
When she opened her eyes again, Seo Jae was standing inside the bathroom.
—
Seo Jae had been working with his laptop and documents spread across the desk.
He took a sip of the tea that had gone cold and frowned.
He had recently discovered that, after one of Seo-guk International’s digital television components had been changed, the product had not been recertified by the FCC.
If the omission was discovered during an FCC investigation, the company could face fines worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The mistake had been made by their long-time American agent.
It was not the first time such an error had occurred, and the company also bore responsibility for routinely renewing the contract every year.
That was why he had been aggressively pursuing a contract with Sterling Commerce.
Still, it had already been more than an hour since Ha-eun had gone in to take a bath.
Checking the time, Seo Jae crossed the living room and knocked on the bathroom door connected to Ha-eun’s room.
“Ha-eun. Are you in there? Jung Ha-eun.”
There was no answer.
She had probably fallen asleep, but if she had slipped and lost consciousness, it could be serious.
The door was unlocked.
When he stepped inside, he found Ha-eun asleep in the bathtub, just as he had expected.
Even though the bubbles covered her chest, her long white neck, soft shoulders, and the upper curve of her chest remained exposed.
Seo Jae froze as if he had been struck by lightning.
He knew he should turn around and leave immediately, but he could not look away.
The Jung Ha-eun before him was no longer the little girl he had always known.
She had become a mature woman who was both innocent and captivating.
Because she was seven years younger than him, he had always thought of her as a child.
Now, however, she had become a complete lady.
And an unbelievably beautiful and lovable one at that.
A dull ache pulsed in his chest.
It was the same strange feeling that had bothered him throughout dinner.
“Oppa?”
Ha-eun’s quiet voice brought him back to his senses.
Clearing his throat awkwardly, Seo Jae turned his head away.
“You weren’t answering, so I came to check whether you’d fallen. Since I know you’re okay, you should get out now.”
More than an hour had passed.
The water had probably gone cold, and she might catch a cold.
Just as he turned to leave the bathroom, Ha-eun suddenly cried out.
“Ah! Oppa!”
“What is it?”
“My leg… a cramp! Ah…!”
Startled by her pained groan, Seo Jae reached into the tub and felt for her leg.
His fingertips touched her smooth, slender leg.
“Which one?”
“M-my left!”
As he lifted her left calf, Ha-eun lost her balance and slipped under the water.
She flailed in panic.
Damn it.
As Seo Jae reached into the water to pull her out, his hand accidentally landed on her chest.
The soft yet firm sensation left his mind completely blank.
Even the first time he had seen an explicit video in high school because of his friends’ jokes, he had never been this flustered.
As if burned, he jerked his hand away and tried to steady himself against the floor, but he lost his balance.
Falling into the water himself, he still managed to support Ha-eun’s head and pull her back up.
Ha-eun coughed and spat out water.
Droplets mixed with foam dripped from her soaked hair and long eyelashes.
Their eyes met, her gaze trembling with moisture.
Even though she was drenched from head to toe and completely disheveled, why did she still look so—
Damn.
What am I even thinking?
“Are you okay?”
“Oppa, my leg…”
“Right. Just bear with it for a moment.”
Pushing aside the chaotic thoughts in his head, Seo Jae knelt beside the tub and began massaging Ha-eun’s calf.
