ALDA 01

Chapter -1 

 Men and Women

The party was reaching its crescendo.

Under the white-toned interior and the glittering chandelier light, the faces of guests adorned with expensive jewelry gleamed gold.

“Phew…”

Eunhee exhaled a quiet sigh of relief between her red lips.

Only about an hour remained before the private VIP event at the annex of Gallery Heeum would end. It was safe to predict the evening would conclude successfully.

Just by looking at the faces of the guests, excited with the pride of being invited to such an elegant social affair, she could tell. That was the instinct honed from years of devoting herself as Director Song Youngsook’s secretary ever since she graduated high school.

Eunhee stepped back with a few colleagues, standing quietly in the shadowy corner of the hall. The fatigue made the back of her neck ache. Her eyelids trembled uncontrollably, so she closed her eyes tightly.

She saw again the doctor’s dark expression when she’d described her symptoms. The thought of the test results coming in a week made her tense up.

…It’ll be fine.

She forced herself to think positively.

Beside her, the youngest staff member, Lee Seeun, suddenly widened her eyes as if remembering something.

“Did you see it? The director’s shoulders were so high today! I thought she was going to hit the ceiling!”

A moment ago, Seeun had been whining about how everything hurt — but gossip clearly had healing powers. Eunhee smiled faintly; after all, nothing’s more entertaining than other people’s business.

Kim Eunhyeong, the PR manager standing on Eunhee’s other side, joined in.

“You’re telling me. They call it a VIP party, but it’s basically her daughter’s engagement announcement. And yet the director’s been craning her neck all day waiting for one phone call—what’s that about?”

“I know, right? It’s also weird how she’s still so nervous around her future son-in-law. When my sister got married, my parents were like, ‘Our new son!’ and doted on him right away.”

Seeun pouted.

“Come on, he’s a prosecutor. The great man from the Central District Prosecutor’s Office—he’s busy saving the nation!”

Eunhyeong’s voice stretched out, tinged with sarcasm.

“They say he’s in the department that investigates conglomerates, right? Kinda funny, isn’t it? A chaebol going after other chaebols? I hope it’s not one of those pretend investigations.”

“Probably not. Word is, he played a big part in getting the Dae-A Group chairman arrested.”

“For real? Whoa, that’s crazy.”

Eunhyeong frowned and shook her head tiredly.

“Anyway, I couldn’t care less about that. What is shocking is his looks. No wonder there are rumors he’s Seo Kyung Group’s illegitimate son.”

“Yeah, he’s tall—and built like, what, a tank?”

Seeun stretched her arms wide dramatically. Eunhyeong retorted primly.

“A tank? Try aircraft carrier. Total lack of manners, though. Ever notice he never spares us a single glance?”

Eunhee’s soft gaze froze.

All those countless fleeting eye contacts… what were they, really?

And that malicious smirk he’d always wear afterward—

But what unsettled her most wasn’t his attention.

It was that bizarre proposal she’d received not long ago, one that had chilled her to the bone.

“Could you… sleep with him?”

Ever since then, just hearing his name made her chest tighten.

“Anyway, the director’s daughter hit the jackpot. Even her mother treats him like royalty.”

That “proposal” had come from the director’s daughter herself.

She had been strange that day — apologizing immediately, saying to forget what she’d said, before Eunhee could even refuse.

Eunhee’s face turned pale.

“Well, I guess it all comes down to looks.”

The two women laughed, oblivious to what Eunhee was thinking.

Gossiping over another woman’s man — apparently that counted as entertainment.

And there was plenty to gossip about tonight.

Everyone knew the real purpose behind Director Song’s event: to formally introduce her future son-in-law.

His arrival was to be the highlight of the night, followed by an official engagement announcement. Since the man hadn’t shown up yet, of course people whispered.

Eunhee decided she wouldn’t care about the night’s suspicious “main characters.”

Her younger sister was home alone, and it was getting late. She just wanted to finish work and go home.

But she couldn’t relax — not yet. Not someone like her, whose life could easily rival a melodrama.

“Where’s Sa Eunhee! Sa Youngchun’s daughter, Sa Eunhee!”

A furious shout shattered the elegant classical music.

Heads turned like meerkats toward the entrance.

A middle-aged man stormed across the room, ignoring the startled stares. He somehow found Eunhee instantly, eyes blazing — and then, without warning, his hand cracked across her cheek.

Smack!

Her small face snapped to the side.

Her thin frame, light as a feather, crumpled and collapsed helplessly to the cold marble floor.

“Oh my god—what on earth!” gasped the onlookers.

“That bastard Sa Youngchun borrowed fifteen million won three years ago!” the man roared. “Not a single interest payment, no contact — and now the con man’s daughter is here, living the good life?!”

Eunhee almost laughed bitterly. Did he think she was the host of this fancy party? She was nothing more than the director’s overworked secretary.

Pain shot through the back of her head — a sharp, electric ache.

Her headaches had been getting worse lately, and the slap made it feel like her skull might split.

Cold sweat trickled down her spine.

“Last month, what did you say? Just wait till payday, right? That payday was two weeks ago! You’re just like your con-artist father!”

I really did mean to pay you, sir. But someone even faster than you took every bit of money I had left…

Of course, saying that would only make him angrier.

She curled up like discarded wrapping paper, trembling on the floor.

It wasn’t the first time — debt collectors had burst into her life before, but it never hurt less.

And worse, this was her workplace. The only thing standing between her and ruin.

She couldn’t afford to look pitiful here. No one would swoop in to save her from this ugly scene.

Eunhee tugged her skirt down to cover her pale thighs and struggled to sit up.

That was when—

“Let’s take this outside.”

A deep, level voice cut through the noise.

Polished leather shoes stopped beside her.

Blinking through the blur, Eunhee followed the shoes upward. The trousers were perfectly pressed, as if measured with a ruler.

Her gaze traveled slowly up those long legs—

—and then the world went black, as bodyguards in black suits swarmed around them.

The man who’d come for his money was seized by the arms in an instant.

“Let go! That’s my money—my blood, my sweat!”

But his resistance crumbled against the massive men, like a sandcastle facing the tide.

He was dragged away, kicking helplessly.

What’s happening…?

Eunhee stared blankly after him.

Then the man who had intervened knelt down before her. His shadow loomed, heavy and consuming.

When she recognized him, fear flickered in her eyes.

No… please, don’t come any closer…

She feared him more than the man who had struck her.

Yet he ignored her trembling and bent close, his sharp nose casting a line of shadow across her face.

“…”

“…”

Their eyes met — hers wide and frightened, his calm and unyielding.

Under the long lids, his dark pupils tightened. Red threads veined the whites of his eyes, betraying exhaustion, but his stare burned with dangerous heat.

Eunhee could feel his breath against her ear — inexplicably warm.

Ah…

She dropped her gaze, curling up smaller.

Then his dry, quiet voice brushed her ear.

“Take my hand. There are too many eyes on us. Don’t make a scene.”

The true VIP of the night — the man the host’s daughter had once told her to “get close to.”

Prosecutor Cha Younghoon.