Chapter 7

Ji-soo let out a low groan at Jae-won’s sudden reaction. She shouldn’t have added that unnecessary comment earlier.

The hotel CEO had probably been contacted already, but there was no one left to smooth things over now.

Unless the CEO came running in person to beg, there was a hundred percent chance they would return to Seoul tonight.

“Ten minutes. That’s as much time as I’ll give.”

Since there was no longer any reason to go upstairs, Jae-won turned to Ji-soo.

“Follow me.”

He headed straight toward the hotel lobby.

“Sir, shouldn’t you at least take a look at the suite?”

The flustered manager spoke carefully to his retreating back.

“Later.”

Left with no choice, Ji-soo followed after him.

The manager stood frozen in the middle of the lobby, wiping the sweat from his forehead, unsure what to do.

When they stepped outside, a cold wind hit them.

Ji-soo shivered and pulled her collar tight around her neck.

“Ten minutes. If the CEO doesn’t show up by then, we’re leaving for Seoul.”

“Yes, sir.”

“This isn’t some cheap project. And he sends a manager to negotiate?”

“Agreed.”

Knowing Jae-won’s personality, Ji-soo could only agree.

Lately, there had been too many companies trying to sign contracts by cutting costs and sacrificing quality.

But Jung Jae-won never accepted those deals.

He insisted on proper fees and fair contracts and always took full responsibility for the results.

Because of that philosophy, he never overlooked anything.

“He’s here.”

“Who?”

“The hotel CEO.”

A car screeched to a halt as the CEO jumped out and rushed toward the entrance.

Jae-won strode forward to meet him.

“Jung Jae-won.”

“Oh dear, President Jung, I’m so sorry. I was tied up with work. My apologies.”

The CEO must have been briefed by the manager on his way here. His attitude was exceedingly polite.

“I’ll decide whether to take the contract after I see it myself.”

“Of course. This way, please.”

Jae-won walked ahead toward the elevator, and the CEO hurried to follow.

The manager trailed behind, catching a glare from his boss.

When they got off the elevator, the manager led them down the hall toward the suite.

“Would you mind staying the night and giving us your thoughts on how best to renovate the space?”

“We’ll see.”

Jae-won stepped inside and scanned the room with a sharp gaze.

“It would help if you experienced the suite firsthand. We’ve staked everything on this project.”

The suite, radiating out from the central lounge, had a typical layout.

“We can meet whatever price you name.”

The CEO’s tone was almost pleading.

After a moment of quiet thought, Jae-won finally spoke.

“Fine. Let’s proceed. The suite is elegant but dated. It needs to reflect a ‘smart luxury’ concept to align with global trends. The open view should also be maximized.”

Relief spread over the CEO’s face.

“Then let’s at least draft a preliminary contract, shall we, President Jung?”

When the CEO hurried him along, Jae-won nodded and stepped back into the corridor.

They were walking toward the elevator when a door beside them suddenly burst open.

The quiet hallway was instantly filled with loud laughter and shouting as a group of people tumbled out.

Jae-won’s sharp eyes narrowed.

One familiar face. Two. And four he didn’t recognize.

Six young men and women in comfortable loungewear stumbled into the hall.

“Cha Dong-hoon, I’m going to kill you today!”

“Come on, Kang I-young, I told you I’d bury you in the snow!”

“Gong Mi-joo, stop right there! I said stop!”

“No way!”

“Hey, where are you guys going? Take me too!”

They were out of control. Totally drunk. How much had they been drinking in such a short time?

I-young didn’t even notice who was standing nearby.

Then another girl wearing the same pajama pants as hers stared openly at Jae-won from head to toe and whispered in I-young’s ear.

“I-young, that guy in the leather jacket is hot.”

Standing by the elevator, Jae-won looked at them with cool indifference.

“Huh?”

Finally noticing him, I-young blinked and pointed with her short finger.

Her dazed eyes curved into half-moons, her short hair tousled like fluffy fleece pajamas.

Her flushed face and pouting lips approached with a faint trace of sweetness.

“Oh? Hello!”

She bowed her head politely.

“Who’s that? Do you know him?”

Her friends crowded around her.

“My blind date. He’s the guy I met today.”

“What? No way!”

Watching her friends’ astonished faces, I-young shrugged proudly.

See? I went on a blind date with a man like that.

To be honest, his looks were flawless.

It wasn’t the alcohol talking. Even sober, he was exactly her type.

The only downside was that he already had a girlfriend.

“Hello. We’re I-young’s friends. Sorry for the disturbance.”

While her friends offered polite greetings, I-young stared at the woman beside Jae-won.

Now that she saw her clearly, she was stunning.

How could a man bring a woman like that to a blind date? Was he mocking her father?

If she were sober, she would never have done what she did next.

“Hey, Mr. Jung Jae-won, that’s not right. You already have a girlfriend, don’t you? How could you show up at a blind date like that? You think my dad’s an easy mark, huh?”

No matter how handsome he was, her slurred accusations were absurd.

Jae-won’s gaze grew icy as he stepped forward.

Sensing the tension, Ji-soo quickly stepped in to stop things from getting worse.

“Excuse me, she’s clearly had too much to drink. We’ll just—”

Jae-won raised his hand slightly, stopping her.

“Enough.”

There was nothing more foolish than arguing with a drunk person.

He suddenly wished he had just gone back to Seoul when the manager first started testing him earlier.

“Mr. CEO.”

“Yes, yes, sir?”

The CEO rushed over.

“About the renovation project…”

“Haha, President Jung, I see you know this young lady. Then we’ll go back down to the office and wait. Manager, let’s go. Quickly.”

The hotel CEO, sharp enough to sense the danger, darted into the elevator before Jae-won could finish, pressing the button repeatedly.

“Team Leader Lee, follow them.”

At his quiet order, Ji-soo nodded quickly and hurried after them.

“Huh? You’re not going? You’re just letting your girlfriend leave alone?”

Watching Ji-soo disappear into the elevator, I-young shouted.

“Be quiet.”

Jae-won muttered through gritted teeth.

Sensing the menace in his tone, her friends started backing away.

With his lips twisted into a crooked line, Jae-won shoved his hands into his pockets and looked down at her.

“Ha…”

I-young suddenly lowered her gaze and sighed deeply.

“Did I… do something wrong to you, Mr. Landlord?”

Her shoulders slumped, eyes squeezed shut. For a second, it almost looked like she’d sobered up.

“Umm…”

She puffed out her cheeks, pouted, and stomped her foot.

Was that supposed to be remorse?

“Hey, come on, let’s go! What are you doing?”

From her friends’ reaction, it was clear she wasn’t sober at all.

Nope, that wasn’t regret. That was drunken stubbornness.

Hopeless.

Jae-won sighed and pulled out his phone.

He dialed a number while keeping his eyes on her.

I-young, her cheeks still puffed up, stared at him curiously.

He waited calmly for the call to connect.

“CEO Kang Ju-sik? This is Jung Jae-won.”

I-young’s eyes widened in horror.