It had been over a week since Jane had received her grandmother's ultimatum, and the weight of it was starting to crush her. The deadline loomed closer with each passing day, and her internal struggle was tearing her apart. It was not because she lacked a viable plan, but because the feasible option she had to consider felt utterly unbearable. Hence, it began to affect her daily life. She could not focus on anything else, and the anxiety was starting to seep into every aspect of her routine.That particular morning, Ryan, dressed casually in jeans and a T-shirt and was heading out to the office. As he strolled past the dining room, he noticed Jane sitting at the table, her head buried in her hands, as if weighed down by the world.“Jane, I’m off to the company,” he said, but she did not respond or look up. He had grown accustomed to her aloofness and her tendency to act as if he were invisible unless she needed something from him. Normally, he would have let it slide, but today he n
"You all are fired," Ryan announced. The clerk scoffed and faced the MD. "Didn't I tell you that he's crazy?" Everyone nodded in affirmation. "You think I'm crazy?" He chuckled. The MD, still leaning against the desk with a cocky smirk, scoffed. "Yeah, that is exactly what I think, including everyone. Just wait till the guard arrives. I bet you are used to being embarrassed by now, so this should not even bother you."Everyone laughed.Ryan did not respond to their mocking right away. Since he had had enough of their games, he sat down in one of the chairs there, their glares following him as he did.When he finally spoke, his voice was so calm that the laughter stopped immediately."You know," he said, barely looking up as he unzipped the briefcase. "It is funny how quickly things can change."The MD chuckled dismissively. "Yeah, right. What is your point?"Ryan smiled and pulled a slim black folder from the briefcase. He opened it, revealing official company documents. His name
Ryan was excited when his uncle explained the plan to him."Thank you, uncle." He smiled. "I'll handle things on my end. Nothing could be more perfect than this," Ryan said confidently."But how do you plan to get it back without revealing who you are?" his uncle asked, concerned.Ryan chuckled. "I don't know yet, but I will figure it out."His uncle had his doubts, as it seemed impossible to retrieve what they had discussed without exposing Ryan's identity."Whatever you decide, make it quick. There might not be another chance after this," his uncle warned.Ryan reassured him, saying, "Just stick to the plan, and I will take care of the rest on my end.""Is that all?" his uncle asked."For now.""For now? Do you think you can keep using me like this in my old age while you hide in the shadows? You don’t even care about my well-being, do you?" His uncle snapped.Ryan chuckled and teased his uncle. "Is that a subtle way of telling me that you miss me and want to see me?"His uncle's v
After a long day sorting paperwork, Ryan finally returned home.He walked into the dining room where Jane and Lauren were chatting over dinner, but they immediately went quiet when he stepped in.The tension in the air was palpable, like stepping into the calm before a storm. Still, he decided to act casual, flashing a smile as he greeted them."Weren't you supposed to be that the office today?" Jane asked him, noticing his casual outfit, despite the briefcase in his hand."I did," he replied.When they questioned how he got back, pointing out that he did not taken his car, he casually told them he took public buses, surprising them."Why put yourself through that?" Jane asked, confused.He just shrugged. "It’s no big deal. I just felt like it. Kinda missed that life."The disbelief was evident on their faces, but he was too hungry to care. As he headed to his room, he asked Lauren to serve his meal and said he would return after freshening up.He joined them later, but they had alre
Ryan was about to leave the mansion, his keys in hand, when Jane suddenly opened the passenger door and slid into his car."Aren't you heading to the bank?" she asked, her eyes fixed ahead. "Lauren convinced me to follow you. Did you think you have the chance of getting the loan without my help?" She didn’t bother looking at him.He didn’t respond, just turned the ignition, and they rolled out of the mansion."Well, we shall find out," he thought inwardly.They arrived at the Galaxy Bank. Jane strutted ahead, her gown hugging her figure perfectly and her designer handbag radiating wealth and class, while Ryan kept it simple in his simple t-shirt and denim jeans. Heads subtly turned in their direction as they walked, most eyes lingering on Jane.He leaned closer and whispered in her ear. “Is this how you turn heads everywhere you go, or am I just overthinking how beautiful you look right now?”She shot him a sideways glance but didn’t say a word, keeping her pace steady as they conti
After Ryan left Brian’s office, Jane pleaded with Brian to approve the loan for Ryan once the guard was gone, but Brian refused.“There’s only one way I’ll change my mind,” Brian said, leaning in to kiss her.But before he could, Jane pressed her hand against his chest and pushed him back slightly, taking a small step away.He smirked. "That is the only way I can make that happen, Jane."He then walked back to his seat."You have my contact. Let me know when you are ready. If you want it done right now, we can do a quickie. What do you say?” He smirked.But Jane did not respond. Instead, she stormed out of the office, silently cursing him under her breath. This was exactly why she had not found a man she truly wanted. Every guy she had met or who had proposed to her was only after her body—none of them checked the boxes she cared about.“If I had known he was the new manager, I wouldn’t have followed Ryan here,” she muttered, frustrated, as she headed outside. She assumed Ryan would
"Someone who gets things done," Ryan smirked. Jane, still shaken by recent events, could not help but ask another question as they drove home."How did you get the cops to show up so quickly without going to the station to file a report?" she inquired, curiosity evident in her voice.He glanced at her with a smile. "Don't you remember someone's been hanging around the police station a lot lately?""As it turns out, a high-ranking officer appreciates how I've been playing hero to stop awful things—unlike you—and we've become acquainted," he added.When she pressed him about the cop's identity, he smirked. "Why are you so eager to know who it is?"Deciding not to push the issue further, she fell silent, her mind racing with unanswered questions. Her thoughts were interrupted when he spoke again."I think it will be better to visit your grandmother tomorrow morning to tell her about this. I think she would be impressed to hear about this. Who would have thought we could pull it off?" he
As Ryan had expected, the rest of Jane's family was gathered in the living room, deep in conversation. Unlike Ryan, Jane was surprised to see her family meeting without her. They were equally shocked to see her and Ryan show up uninvited.“What’s going on here?” Jane demanded, her tone sharp with confusion, though she was not addressing anyone specific.“Why are you here, Jane? Didn’t grandmother already disown you?” Ethan sneered.“Actually—" Jane began, but Ryan cut her off before she could finish.“We thought it would be polite to visit my father-in-law one last time before my wife gets disowned,” he said.Jane's eyes widened in shock as she looked at Ryan, but he didn’t meet her gaze.“Seems like Grandmother has already made her decision before the deadline even hit,” he added with a smirk.Grandmother scoffed, turning her gaze to Jane. “So, you’ve finally decided to spend the rest of your life with this loser who has nothing but a blurry dream? How pathetic.”She continued, “Sin
Ryan had always found a way around every obstacle, but this time, it felt like he had hit a dead end. No amount of thinking or even a smoke break could help him figure out a way forward without exposing his true identity. Frustrated and angry, he decided to leave the house the night after the break-in. Staying any longer meant facing her, and that was something he just could not do without getting annoyed at her.He sat in the car, ready to start the engine, when a knock on the window made him pause. It turned out to be Jane. "What's going on, Ryan? You've been avoiding me since... since yesterday," she said as he rolled the window down. Earlier, Lauren had seen Ryan walking through the living room with a travel bag in hand. Sensing something was off, she went straight to Jane. "It looks like he's leaving for a while," Lauren told her. "With the travel bag, I’m pretty sure he’s not coming back anytime soon.""So why are you asking me when you know I have?" Ryan scoffed, his face
Lauren's face was pale, fear still flickering in her eyes. Her voice trembled as she stammered, "It was some men... they were wearing masks... they broke in and attacked me."But that did not concern Ryan."What did they take?" he asked her swiftly, his mind racing.He was devastated when she broke the news to him that it was a document from his room they took as the implications clawed at his chest. A man who introduced himself as the head of the estate security team stepped forward."Sir, be rest assured that the culprits will be arrested. We are already on it. The gates are locked, and no one’s leaving." He assured Ryan.Ryan scoffed, disbelief etched on his face. "You're assuring me? If your team had done the necessary thing instead of following a useless protocol when I reported it, none of this would have happened!" He scowled."I'm sorry about that. I've been briefed on it, but you can't really blame the person since it's the protocol, and it can't be violated. But don't worr
Two days after Ryan received the proposal, Jane's grandmother unexpectedly invited him and Jane to a family meeting, catching them off guard after everything that had happened the other day. "What about the offer from Hyeom Group? Have you signed it?" the grandmother asked Ryan as soon as the meeting began, after making him and Jane wait for a long time.Ryan chuckled in amusement when she asked him why he was yet to sign it and submit it to the company. "Why are you suddenly concerned about it? Didn't you want me to reject it two days ago?" he replied. She leaned back on her chair. "I need answers, boy. I need to know your decision on it, whether you've chosen this family over the offer or the other way around."He scoffed. "Is this family worth it?"Everyone's eyes widened in shock, including Jane's. She had begged him before they left home to be on his best behaviour, but he was done pretending she had any real say over their lives—especially his. "What are you doing, Ryan?" S
The moment Ryan's uncle stepped into the boardroom, he muttered a brisk "Good morning, ladies and gentlemen," as he acknowledged the board directors and shareholders gathered for the emergency meeting he had called to set things straight. After settling into his chair, he let his gaze sweep across the room, taking in each face one by one. A small smile tugged at his lips seeing that everyone was present, just as he wanted.Mr. Cho, whose face has been scrunched in fury, leaned forward.“Where is he?” he asked, his voice cutting through the room like the crack of a whip. “Where is the chairman? We believe that the reason for this meeting is for you to finally reveal who the chairman is to us, as we've demanded."Murmurs of agreement echoed from several of them, some nodding, and others staring expectantly at Ryan's uncle.With an unreadable expression but a faint smile, he announced, his voice carrying the weight of control. “Yes, part of this meeting is about the chairman."Curiosi
Ryan had arranged to meet his uncle at the unfinished building where he interrogated Chris. To get there, he disguised himself and hired a taxi to prevent being followed.Ryan laughed hysterically, much to his uncle's surprise, when his uncle explained in detail to him how drastic the meeting with the directors and shareholders ended. "What's funny?" His uncle asked him with a furrowed brow. "It is uncle. I'm surprised it is the reason you demanded we meet urgently," he replied.“You know this is all your fault, right?” He added, realising that his uncle's silence was a request for clarification.His uncle's brow furrowing in confusion. “What? How?” Ryan let out a scoff. "How is it your fault?” he repeated mockingly. “It is the way you’ve been handling them with levity, Uncle. From the way you described Director Cho—is that his name?” His uncle nodded in affirmation.“From the way you said he acts and speaks condescendingly to you like you are beneath him says a lot, uncle. it sa
The joint meeting between the board of directors and the shareholders was nearing its end in the boardroom when Mr. Cho suddenly cleared his throat to draw every gaze to him. "Before we round up this meeting,” he began, his lips curling into a smug smile, "I’d like to bring to notice something important that needs to be discussed.” Ryan's uncle, seated at the head of the table, leaned back in his chair, his piercing gaze locking onto Mr. Cho. "Go ahead," he said curtly, motioning for him to continue. Mr. Cho adjusted his tie and straightened his suit jacket like he had all the time in the world before scanning each face in the room. "It is concerning the Managing Director of the construction company,” he declared. "It has been weeks since the position became vacant, and I think it’s time we discuss who should take over the role.” Several shareholders and directors nodded in agreement, some more eager than others, while a few muttered their support under their breaths. Rya
Mr. Grant's sleek, black sedan pulled up in front of a sprawling mansion illuminated by golden lights that belonged to Mr. Alfred Cho, one of the most influential directors of the Hyeon Group.Mr. Grant is a senior manager of the Hyeon Group. "We are here,” Mr. Grant said as the driver stepped out to open the doors. Ethan gave him a curt nod, his mind buzzing with strategy as he adjusted his tie.As they approached the double doors, a maid opened them, bowing politely. “Mr. Cho is expecting you.” Inside, the grandeur was overwhelming—polished floors, an extravagant chandelier, and artwork that screamed wealth and status. Mr. Cho was seated on a leather couch in the living room, flanked by his wife and his daughter.Ethan stepped forward, flashing a polite smile at Mr. Cho after Mr. Grant and Mr. Cho had exchanged greetings."Mr. Cho, it’s an honour to meet you. I’m Ethan Lin, the heir to the Lin Empire."Mr. Cho barely nodded, his expression unreadable."The heir? I thought the fi
The car cruised through the quiet streets, the hum of the engine the only sound between Ryan and Jane. She sat stiffly in the passenger seat, her arms folded tightly as she replayed the heated confrontation between Ryan and her family in her head, her chest tightening at the memory of her grandmother’s words—"You better talk some sense into him, or you will be the one paying most of the prices." A storm was brewing, and she knew it would not take long before it reached them.Ryan broke the silence first. “You’ve been quiet, Jane. What’s on your mind?”“You know… it’s not too late to go back,” she replied.He shot her a quick glance before returning his eyes to the road. “What?!”“We shouldn’t have left like that,” she continued, choosing her words carefully. "We should have stayed, heard her out, and left on better terms. Even if we didn’t agree with her, at least we would not have pissed her off.”He exhaled sharply, gripping the steering wheel a little tighter. “Pissing her off w
Jane’s family remained in silence as Ryan drove away with Jane.The grandmother finally spoke up, calling everyone’s attention."Alright, everyone, I need you all to focus. I think it’s best we talk about this now, while that brat isn’t here, like he suggested," she said firmly."Exactly, Grandmother!" Ethan shot up from the couch, pacing restlessly."We need to do something about this, and fast. I can’t believe this is happening."She ordered him to return to his seat, but he hesitated until she raised her voice at him."How will pacing around solve this? Just sit down, and let's discuss this properly."Even as he sat back down, his nerves would not settle as his legs bounced restlessly, shaking with anxiety. “Does anyone have anything to say about the offer?” the grandmother asked.The room fell into a heavy silence as everyone mulled over it until Noah finally broke it with a chuckle.“I’m still trying to wrap my head around why I’m the only one who doesn’t think this is a big dea