CHAPTER 7
“You know, right? The Vice President absolutely refuses to hire female assistants. The ones currently working with him have all been there since three years ago.”
“What happened three years ago?”
“I don’t know the full details, but apparently, a female assistant entered his office naked. In the middle of the night. Since then, he only hires male assistants.”
Three years ago… That was when she had met Dohyuk. So the incident must have happened after that.
Was that why the atmosphere around him had grown sharper compared to three years ago?
Kim Miri looked around and lowered her voice.
“And one more thing—apparently the Vice President has zero interest in women. The Chairman seems to be quietly worried about that. I heard he tried setting him up on blind dates several times, but the Vice President turned every one of them down.”
“With someone like the Vice President, I’d think he’d be really popular…”
Jaein muttered without thinking—and was surprised at herself. But Kim Miri didn’t seem to notice and continued speaking.
“They say he’s the most eligible bachelor in the business world. From ladies of prominent families to famous celebrities, they all go crazy whenever he shows up at official events. But the Vice President seems only interested in work.”
Kim Miri spoke with a strangely pitiful look, as if she felt sorrier than anyone.
“Anyway, from the Chairman’s perspective, he’s probably getting anxious about the whole heir issue.”
Jaein felt a strange emotion stir inside her when she heard that Dohyuk wasn’t interested in women.
Back at her desk, she couldn’t stop thinking.
Dohyuk’s sharp gaze from the day before, his questions, and the stories she had just heard—all tangled together in her mind.
But soon, Jaein shook her head firmly.
‘Remember why you’re here. You came to uncover the truth about your brother’s death. You don’t have time for distractions.’
And she made a decision.
She needed a faster route.
A way to definitively uncover the truth about her brother’s death.
Then, a sudden thought struck her.
If she could get into the research lab where her brother had worked…
First, she’d need an employee ID badge. One from someone who worked there.
‘But how am I going to get that?’
Jaein bit her lip in frustration.
‘Im Sera.’
If she could get hold of Im Sera’s ID—the person her brother had mentioned…
But even that wouldn’t be enough. She also needed to know the lab’s precise location and its security details.
Time flew by as she brainstormed her plan to infiltrate the lab.
During lunch break, Jaein headed to the company cafeteria with Kim Miri, still lost in thought.
Then—
“Hey! You splashed mop water on my clothes! What the hell are you going to do about this?”
A loud voice rang out as they passed through the corridor.
Startled, Jaein turned to the source of the voice. A male employee was yelling at an elderly cleaning lady.
“I’m really sorry. I’ll compensate—”
“Compensate? Lady, you couldn’t afford this shirt even if you saved your whole salary.”
The woman trembled as she bowed her head under the man’s harsh finger-pointing.
‘That’s too much.’
As Jaein started to move toward them, Kim Miri grabbed her arm.
“Just ignore it. Don’t get involved in something like this.”
But Jaein shook her off.
“Please go ahead without me, Assistant Manager. I’ll join you soon.”
“Giheon…”
Kim Miri’s voice trailed off as she failed to stop her.
“What’s going on here?”
The man glared at Jaein, who had approached with a calm but firm tone.
Seeing that she looked younger than him, he squared his shoulders and sneered.
“Who are you? This is an internal matter within our department.”
“Internal? Is the cleaning lady part of your department?”
He hesitated for a moment, clearly flustered.
“L-look, you’re just a newbie, right? Don’t get involved.”
“Newbie or not, what’s wrong is still wrong.”
“What… what did you just say?”
“These days, power abuse cases like this are taken very seriously. If word of this got out, don’t you think it could harm the company’s image?”
Jaein’s calm, logical response left the man speechless.
At that moment, someone tapped Jaein on the shoulder.
“What’s going on here?”
It was Manager Kim.
“He was being rude to the cleaning lady, so I stepped in.”
“I’ll handle this. Mr. Seo Giheon, go eat lunch.”
The man shot Jaein a nasty glare but backed off, realizing she was from the Vice President’s office.
Unfazed, Jaein turned to the cleaning lady.
“Are you okay?”
“Thank you. Really, thank you so much.”
Jaein shook her head, embarrassed.
“It’s nothing. It’s just the right thing to do. Where are you headed? I’ll help push the cart.”
She walked alongside the lady toward the elevator, helping her push the cleaning cart.
Once they were alone, the cleaning lady sighed.
“I was so flustered. I’ve done all kinds of jobs, but when someone suddenly lashes out like that… it’s so unfair. Thank you again. Having a young person like you stand up for me—it meant a lot.”
“Anyone would’ve done the same. And… I’ve always had a strong sense of justice.”
They smiled at each other, and then Jaein cautiously asked,
“By the way, do you clean the research lab too?”
“Yes, I go there once a week. They’re more strict over there, so I have to be extra careful.”
Jaein’s eyes sparkled.
“Oh, I see. Makes sense—labs are sensitive places, so cleaning probably needs more attention too.”
A plan was forming rapidly in her mind.
“Yes, exactly.”
The lady gave her a curious look, but Jaein just smiled brightly.
Ding.
When the elevator reached the lobby, Jaein politely bowed and turned away.
“Take care, ma’am.”
As she walked toward the cafeteria, she thought to herself:
‘Disguising myself as a cleaning lady… that could work. Now I just need to get that employee ID.’
When she arrived at the cafeteria, her eyes landed on someone.
Im Sera. She had just received her tray and was scanning the room for a seat.
Jaein’s eyes glinted.
A plan flashed through her mind, and she walked forward naturally.
As she passed behind someone walking in front of Im Sera, she subtly hooked their ankle.
It was quick and precise—child’s play for someone who had once been a special forces major.
“Ah! Whoa—!”
Time seemed to slow.
The bowl of cold soup flew through the air and landed squarely on Im Sera’s clothes.
“Ahh! What is this?!”
Her scream echoed through the room. Fortunately, it was cold broth, but her outfit was drenched.
All eyes turned to the commotion, and the man who had spilled the soup began frantically apologizing.
Jaein felt a twinge of guilt, but kept her face composed.
“Are you alright?”
Im Sera’s irritated face shifted when she saw Jaein—it turned into a shy smile.
‘Wait… is she… crushing on me?’
Jaein was momentarily confused but decided to use it to her advantage.
“If you’re okay with it, would you like to use this?”
She offered her handkerchief.
Im Sera’s hand trembled slightly as she took it.
Jaein watched her try to dab her clothes, then sighed.
“That handkerchief won’t do much.”
“Yeah, I should go to the restroom to clean up.”
“I’ll go with you.”
Im Sera blinked.
“Huh? With me?”
Instead of replying, Jaein pointed at her employee ID.
“Oh, your badge got splashed too. I’ll clean it for you.”
Taking it as a kind gesture, Im Sera handed over her ID without hesitation.
The look in her eyes made it clear—she had a serious crush on “Seo Giheon.”
The two headed to the restroom together.
“I’ll be back soon.”
As soon as Im Sera stepped into the restroom, Jaein moved swiftly.
She took out her phone, snapped photos of both sides of the ID, and used a special app to extract the chip data.
It was done in seconds.
By the time Im Sera emerged, everything was finished.
“Here’s your badge. All clean.”
“Thank you.”
Just as Jaein turned to leave, Im Sera called out.
“Um… I really appreciate it. Can I give you something as thanks?”
A hint of sympathy flickered in Jaein’s eyes as she looked at her bashful smile.
But more interaction would be risky.
“No, I didn’t help you expecting anything in return. Take care.”
She felt Im Sera’s longing gaze behind her as she walked away quickly.
In a quiet corner, Jaein checked to make sure she was alone, then took out her phone and sent a message to Dohee.
JUST SEND THE PHOTOS PLE CHECK
