Chapter 2: The Five Billion Proposal

It wasn’t just the amount of 5 billion won that left her flustered.

She struggled to hide her expression and asked back calmly.

She had no desire to look like an amateur who was easily led by his pace.

“Did you run a background check on me?”

“It’s basic procedure.”

Dumbfounded by his shamelessly firm answer, she brushed back her flowing hair to mask her embarrassment.

There weren’t many people who knew that Cha Hyeonseo—the youngest partner at Cheongsong and its reputed ace—was actually broke, inheriting a massive debt from her late father that resulted in most of her salary being seized.

At most, it was only Junhan, a senior colleague she’d been close with since university, and her secretary, Sol.

“Why?”

She didn’t think she had behaved carelessly enough to have her weakness exposed to a man she was meeting for the first time today.

So how, and why?

“Why do you need me?”

Hyeonseo pressed him.

She tried to steady her heart to remain calm, but her voice was rising despite herself.

“Yes. Of course, I understand that you evaluated the Beauty Cube case impressively, Director.

After all, I did do a simple, clean, and excellent job.”

The man let out a short laugh and buried himself deeper into his chair, observing her with an even more blatant gaze.

It was as if he were telling her to keep talking.

“So, I understand why you’d covet my skills, but on the other hand, I wonder why it has to be me.

If you wanted to, you could put together a far more illustrious legal team.

If you look around, the world is crawling with former high-ranking lawyers who would come running at a single beckon from Goldstone.”

“I simply chose someone recognizable.

I am, after all, a sentimental Korean.”

It was a sly load of bullsh*t.

“Well, since you insist on hearing a reason.”

When she fell silent and stared him down, he laughed soundlessly and lightly scratched the bridge of his straight nose.

Then, he slightly shifted his posture and continued.

“When I was young, I worked a part-time job washing dishes in America.

It was a very high-end restaurant frequented by former presidents, famous celebrities, and even athletes.

Of course, I was stuck in the corner of the kitchen scrubbing plates, so I never really saw who was out in the hall.”

She glanced down at her wristwatch.

She had promised to send the materials requested by the JK Secretary’s Office soon.

She began to wonder if she should keep listening to this man’s out-of-the-blue story.

Cha Hyeonseo was not foolish enough to fall for the vague temptations of a stranger.

Unfortunately, she was a bitter realist.

“Then one day, I happened to have a chance to run an errand in the hall, and the private room was in an uproar.

It was a private room occupied by a wealthy couple who supposedly owned several hotels in Manhattan.

Curious about what was happening, I peeked inside.

I saw the restaurant manager picking up the food their son had vomited on the floor with his bare hands, and then he received a tip.

A handful of hundred-dollar bills, just like this.”

“What is the point you’re trying to make, Director?”

“Nothing much.”

He let out a smirk and laughed.

“I just remembered that moment.

I thought it would be nice to have someone who could handle the dirty things for me.”

Her round, black pupils were asking what he meant.

The fact that her face looked so incredibly innocent felt absurdly contradictory to him, so he pulled the corners of his mouth into a wide grin.

“I heard you’re good at handling those things, Lawyer Cha.

The dirty things.”

Her cheeks flushed slightly, and a faint frown creased her brow.

The man continued, looking quite satisfied with the crack he had created in her composure.

“It’s fckng shitty, isn’t it?”

Hyeonseo swallowed hard.

His gaze turned crooked as he observed her agitation.

She began to feel confused about whether he was testing her while knowing everything, or testing her to find out more.

“But what can you do?

That’s just how this fckng world works.”

Suddenly, fear washed over her.

The source of her fear was ignorance.

She knew nothing about this man who had grasped her deepest weakness.

What kind of person he was, what his intentions were, or why he had suddenly appeared to make such a blatant threat.

“That sounds like a threat. Am I mistaken?”

“How could I?

To a lawyer who is so busy cleaning up after the high and mighty of South Korea, how could I dare to threaten you?

I told you.

Who would be stupid enough to flip the board when they’ve just started their business?”

His lethargic and seductive voice continued calmly.

“I’m just making a proposal.

A 5-billion-won proposal.”

He stood up and approached her.

“You like money, Lawyer Cha.

I came here believing that was the case.”

He pulled a business card case from his suit pocket and flicked a card onto the table in front of her.

“For some reason, I think we’re going to get along quite well.”

With one hand tucked carelessly into his pocket, he looked down at her.

Just the fact that his gaze was pouring over her head made her feel like her whole body was freezing.

She felt stifled, as if her limbs were bound.

Or perhaps it was the man’s distinct, heavy cologne.

“Ah. Because my favorite thing is also money.”

A chillingly low whisper poured over her forehead.

The overwhelming pressure was becoming unbearable.

“Is this… the reason you sought me out?”

He nodded lightly.

Accompanied by an arrogant smile that seemed to dare her to refuse if she could.

A surge of extreme unpleasantness rose within her.

“I’m sorry. I must politely decline.”

She answered in a sharper voice, not avoiding his gaze.

For a moment, the corners of his eyes crinkled upward.

“Then I will take my leave first. Please, see yourself out.”

She pushed back her chair and turned around immediately.

She felt that if she faced him any longer, she might get caught in his web.

He was strange, unusual, and dangerous.

She wanted to run away.

“Lawyer Cha.”

His low voice spun around and hit the back of her head.

“You should probably change those stockings.”

The man spoke flippantly, gesturing with his eyes.

He was so annoying she wanted to hurl a string of curses at his smug face.

Hyeonseo checked her calf, let out a silent sigh, and bit her lip.

She pulled the door handle open, and the Hispanic secretary with a buzz cut waiting outside gave her a nod.

She went straight back to her office and gulped down cold water.

For no reason, her throat felt parched and her face felt hot.

Only then did the breath she had been holding rush out deeply.

Thud.

Looking at the bundle of bright yellow cash tossed before her like luggage, Hyeonseo fell into a daze.

She wondered what the meaning of those pieces of paper with numbers on them was to people like this.

Her mouth felt bitter at the realization that something someone chases their entire life could be so common and easy for someone else.

She tucked the envelope into her bag and was heading out when a familiar housekeeper approached.

“The Madam asked if you could see her for a moment before you go.”

Yang Jaesuk, the mistress of JK Group and Chairman Jang’s second wife, was also the employer who had hired Hyeonseo.

She left the annex and crossed over to the main house where the woman was waiting.

When the large door opened, the woman, who was sitting at a table arranging flowers, glanced at Hyeonseo as she entered.

“You look a bit tired. Isn’t a bride-to-be getting too busy with work?”

“How have you been, Madam?”

“Of course. I’ve been well. Always, thanks to Lawyer Cha.”

While saying she was grateful, Yang Jaesuk’s eyes remained entirely on the flowers.

It was a level of rudeness that didn’t even treat the person standing in front of her as a human being.

“Manager Kim didn’t put in too little, did he?”

“No. It is plenty.”

“That’s a relief.”

It was familiar and expected.

To these people, she was just a cleanup crew—someone who, as that man said, handled the dirty things in their stead.

Therefore, she could simply view them as vending machines that spat out money.

She did what they wanted, and pushed the button whenever she needed.

No matter how dirty the job was.

“It seems the surgery costs were very urgent. Fortunately, the Executive Director was completely unaware, so things went smoothly. She said she wants to go back to the US herself, so there won’t be any after-effects.”

“Right. Well, I’m sure Lawyer Cha handled it well.”

She knew well that it wasn’t people these individuals trusted.

Hyeonseo switched her heavy handbag to her other hand and asked for the purpose of the summons.

“Why did you call for me?”

“It’s about my youngest.”

A sigh mixed with her words.

“You’ve seen our youngest once before, haven’t you, Lawyer Cha?”

“Yes. I have.”

“It seems something happened while he was out with friends last night. Manager Kim handled it roughly for now, but I’m anxious. Just check and see if there will be any legal issues, Lawyer Cha.”

It seemed the problematic youngest son, who had recently returned from studying in the US, had finally caused trouble.

“Yes, I understand. I will contact Manager Kim separately.”

Yang Jaesuk nodded quietly.

“Oh, by the way. I heard you met Ryan from Goldstone.”

It was the moment she was about to leave after a light bow.

She stopped in her tracks and turned back at the unexpected name mentioned without warning.

“I introduced you. He was looking for a lawyer, so I told him you were a talented individual. Well, he already knew about you anyway, saying the recent acquisition was your masterpiece.”

Only then did she understand.

How he had found her and what his intentions were.

“What did he say? Did he tell you to work under him? Said he’d give you lots of money?”

The woman asked with a smirk, as if the answer was obvious.

“When I told him you wouldn’t even join our JK legal team so why would you go there, he said this: ‘Isn’t the treatment too stingy for someone doing such rough work?’ It’s hilarious, really. It’s not easy to brag about money in front of me.”

Yang Jaesuk laughed as if it were ridiculous, grabbed a handful of trimmed peonies, and stuffed them into a glass vase.

“What are you going to do?”

“I’m thinking about it.”

“You’ve already been swayed.”

She was firmly convinced.

“That money ghost… just how much did he offer?”

If she answered 5 billion, how much would she laugh?

How much would she humiliate her, asking if she mistakenly thought her value was truly that high?

Yang Jaesuk slowly picked up the glass vase and stood up.

“Anyway. Even if you move, don’t even think about cutting ties with me. It would be unfair for me to let someone else reap all the benefits. I haven’t even received a proper referral fee yet.”

Leaving the mansion, she immediately called Goldstone’s Branch Manager, Kim Youngjin.

“Branch Manager, this is Cha Hyeonseo. Is there any way I could contact the Director directly?”

She deeply regretted throwing his business card into the trash can last night.