Chapter 1

Cha Jae-oh had only been in Korea for three days since returning from the United States when everything blew up.

‘Executive Director Cha Jae-oh. Executive Director Cha Gye-oh is currently being transported to the hospital due to a car accident. There is an important meeting with VOUME at 7. It happened while he was on the way so you must attend in his place.’

It was news about his older brother Cha Gye-oh’s accident.

Still more used to swearing under his breath in English, Jae-oh swallowed down the curse that almost slipped out and let out a long sigh.

He turned the car around and entered the address the secretary texted into the navigation system.

The distance was not that far yet the estimated arrival time kept flashing red. Seoul’s rush hour traffic pissed him off but there was nothing he could do about an accident that happened out of nowhere.

He had only just come back to Korea so he had not even gotten used to the corporate atmosphere yet. Still he knew well that the new product design was an absolute disaster. In one word it was trash.

He wondered if he should be rushing to the hospital instead of a meeting but the secretary begged him saying his brother’s life was not in danger so please come.

J Electronics, the company he belonged to, launched a new product not long ago. Sales were rising but way too slowly.

Executives including Jae-oh believed the problem was the flashy colors.

Thanks to that J Electronics was in panic mode day after day ever since the launch. Since he could not change a design that was already out there he suggested pushing fresh and new marketing to bring sales up.

This meeting was arranged because of that. Production companies fought to join because a major career opportunity was on the line.

The contract involved sending staff from a mid-sized design production company to J Electronics marketing team to produce promotional content. So his team had received a flood of portfolios from some of the best planners in the industry.

VOUME Planning was one of the agencies that survived the final cut. They said VOUME came from Volume and Boom stuck together. The name was odd so it stuck in his memory.

“VOUME, huh.”

Whatever. He already hated that the meeting was set up after work hours. And at a whiskey bar?

He had heard plenty about Korea’s notorious and insane business entertainment culture but it felt very different experiencing it firsthand. Fresh yet uncomfortable.

This was not about evaluating and proving professional capability. It was a battle of sales tactics. He had a strong feeling it would be a complete waste of time.

After struggling through the jammed streets for thirty minutes his car finally stopped in front of a building in Cheongdam. He left his car with the valet and walked into the whiskey bar.

There was not even a moment to notify the meeting partner about the accident.

He did not even know their contact number. He figured it did not matter who represented J Electronics so he kept it casual.

His brother’s secretary was probably too frantic to check messages. With zero information about who he was meeting, Jae-oh scanned the inside of the bar.

Dim lights slowly seeped into his vision. A long wooden counter and couples laughing under soft round lamps.

He could not spot a single person who looked there for business. He took a seat a little apart from the pairs sitting together.

The L-shaped camel brown leather sofa was stylish and to his liking.

He would probably have to handle more meetings like this. His brother who was the designated point of contact was injured so he would have to take his place just like tonight.

He took out his tablet and checked meeting documents. Right then a woman approached and tilted her head slightly.

“Excuse me…”

He glanced at her with only his eyes. She was definitely someone with suspicion written all over her.

Women like her he had seen to death in the States. Back in his Harvard days all he had to do was sit in a bar near campus and classy escorts would swarm over suggesting they go to a hotel.

Disgusting women who spend the night with rich men for money. Even making eye contact with that kind was gross.

Although to be fair this escort was extremely pretty. Pretty enough that even a quick glance could tempt a man.

But that was where it ended. No matter how much she matched his type he hated anyone who sold their body man or woman it made no difference.

He ignored her and looked back at his tablet.

“Hello. I’m Executive Creative Director of VOUME Planning. My name is Kang Chae-eun. By any chance…”

The unexpected company name from her lips made him lower the tablet and look up.

She did not impatiently blurt out something like Are you from J Group. She was cautious. Very unlike her outfit.

He stood up and reached out his hand.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Executive Director Cha Jae-oh.”

Her hand was small and soft, almost too soft. No roughness anywhere. Without realizing it he held on too long and only snapped out of it when he saw her slightly flustered face.

She was beautiful. The word graceful would fail to capture her. She was exactly like the legendary beauty Diao Chan from Romance of the Three Kingdoms reborn.

Her large eyes sparkled under the light. Her makeup was not thick but her features were so striking that her face looked flawless.

Her small nose tilted up like a pretty shoe shape. A clear philtrum stretched down to plump lips and a tiny dimple formed whenever she moved her cheek.

Her overall look was pure but the bold lines of her body revealed through that sexy outfit screamed the opposite. It was impossible to figure her out.

“May I sit?”

“Of course.”

He had stared too much at her face. Then her outfit annoyed him again. Why the hell dress like that to a business meeting?

Then he remembered. This was Korea. Flashing a young pretty woman to close deals was normal. Everyone but him probably understood exactly what was happening.

Still it was odd.

Usually the marketing exec entertains at a place with escorts. But here the executive director herself showed up all dressed like that.

A server arrived and Chae-eun confidently flipped through the menu.

“Did you eat yet?”

His heart skipped after accidentally locking eyes but he calmly nodded.

“Then let’s start light. A Negroni with Tanqueray gin. Slow stirred. And ricotta with figs please.”

“Yes I’ll get that right away.”

She looked like someone who would not be able to drink a drop yet she ordered like a pro.

But the moment he saw her outfit again reality slapped him. A short white dress cut low enough that he could clearly see her cleavage.

Her long legs shined as if polished. Just like the glossy fabric of that dress.

Those sharp high heels belonged in a club not at a meeting.

“It’s an honor to meet you Executive Director Cha.”

Annoying yet somehow he kept getting pulled in.

Maybe it was a designer thing. Freedom became the root of creativity.

Unlike him who was used to numbers and analysis she was the type who spoke with instinct and emotion. Kang Chae-eun was unpredictable.

Once her cocktail was served she raised her glass. He clinked his glass to hers.

“I heard you’re very stressed about the launch design. At VOUME we also believe the poor sales come from the intense color choices.”

“So we need fresh bold marketing.”

“Fresh and bold is exactly what designers hate hearing the most.”

She laughed quietly. He knew the comment sounded cliche the moment it left his mouth.

“Given the situation we have no choice.”

“I understand. I also heard J Electronics has not worked with outside video teams in seven years.”

Before he knew it he had already finished his first drink. She lifted her hand lightly and spoke softly to the server.

“A bottle of Glenlivet eighteen. Water and ice too.”

“Yes right away.”

Once the server stepped away she looked at him with a sly smile. The smile of a fox in disguise ready to enchant a human.

“Wasn’t that a cool order?”

“It looked a little cool, yeah.”

A mix of joke and sincerity left his lips. She covered her mouth with her fist and laughed softly.

“I hope you’ll trust me. I’m not just good at ordering. I won the grand prize at the INNOx Awards. I even wrote it in my portfolio. Did you see it?”

He had not had time to go through portfolios. Scratching his head he looked awkward.

The INNOx Creative Awards was a big deal in advertising. Knowing she won the grand prize instantly changed the way he saw her.

“From your reaction I guess you didn’t check.”

“Sorry. There was too much going on.”

He had only been back for five days so even the jet lag wore him down. But he did not want to make excuses.

She poured whiskey into a glass with a single ice cube. Every time she offered a toast he had no choice but to drink again.

So this was the legendary Korean business drinking culture. It existed because of people like her.

His mood got better and his judgment got dull. He could see right through the cheap tactic of sealing the contract while the target was drunk.