Chapter 4. Child's Play

After two hours, Yonghwa was ushered inside the Chairman’s office.

“I am about to go home but my secretary said it’s urgent,” the old man straightened on his seat.

“I’m sorry to bother you, Chairman,” he carefully placed the folder in front of him and opened the other copy, “This was brought to my attention a few hours ago.” Yonghwa studied the changes on the old man’s face. Then fidgeted when he took his phone and dialed, “Uhm, Chairman, do you want me to leave?”

“No. Stay here,” Chairman Seo sternly uttered then spoke over the phone, “Where are you? Go home now.”

Yonghwa looked down as the Chairman ended the call then focused on the documents in front of him. After a few minutes, he turned his attention to him, “That would be all, Yonghwa. See me first thing tomorrow.”

“Y… yes, Chairman…” he stood and bowed.

~~~

“Who was that?” Changmin studied her pale face as if blood got drained from her body.

“Appa…” she managed to say as she pursed her lips, “I need to go home now.”

“Something happened to him?” He suddenly felt nervous as well.

“N… no… I need to go now, oppa,” Joohyun started to stand but he took her hand.

“You look pale. What was it all about?”

“No… nothing…” she gave him a guilty smile but he frowned, “I’ll tell you tomorrow.”

“No, tell me now.”

“Oppa, please…” she begged, “I promise I’ll tell you tomorrow.”

“Joohyun-ah—“ he dismissed the thought knowing she’s as hard-headed as he is, “Call me if anything happens…”

“I will…”

He knows she is in trouble judging by how she moved restlessly to get her stuff, “You can stay in my place… you know…”

“Yes, thank you…” she cupped his cheeks and kissed his forehead, “But no need to worry about me, oppa, I am Joohyun, remember?”

“Arasso… he won’t be able to resist you…” then he watched her take off.

~~~

He was in his library when she arrived. She walked over to him and pecked on his cheek, “Hi, daddy!”

“Don’t act cute, Joohyun. Tell me right now where you used the money.”

She knows that tone very well, she should give him a convincing answer if she knows what’s right for her, “I’m sorry but I can’t…”

“Joohyunyah!!!” He raised his voice as he watched his daughter’s bowed head, “Look at me and tell me the truth… I told you, you just need to ask me if you needed money for your business…”

“I did not use it for the gallery,” she continued to look down.

“Then tell me!!! That amount could feed and shelter hundreds of people for a year! You better tell me that you did not waste that huge amount!”

“I did not waste it…” she sat slowly on the couch while he paced in front of her.

“Then, what happened to it??? Tell me, Seo Joohyun, are you in trouble?”

She shook her head. She knows how angry he already is and she knows him well. Somehow she has prepared herself for this confrontation but she was shaking with fear, “I’m sorry, I can’t.”

“Then give it back to me.”

Joohyun looked up when he uttered those words calmly. She did not expect that, “I-I can’t, Appa…”

“What you can’t?”

“I—I just can’t…”

“Then report to work tomorrow morning.”

“What?”

“You heard me.” Chairman Seo walked back behind his desk. Slumping on his seat he stared at his daughter, “Starting tomorrow you will be working for me until you pay every cent of that money you stole from me…”

“Appa!” She stood thoroughly surprised by her father’s accusations but he only lifted a finger.

“You have two options, Seo Joohyun: work for me until you pay the three million dollars or tell me where you used the money.”

“But—“

“No buts, Seo Joohyun,” he sighed and spoke calmly, “Go to sleep. You will have a long day tomorrow.”

~~~

He was having a weird feeling when he was called to the Office of the Chairman and when he entered his enormous office, the old man didn’t even notice him despite knowing that his secretary informed him of his arrival ahead of time. Yonghwa finally greeted him but was only answered with a gesture for him to take a seat and he resumed reading through the documents on his table.

Chairman Seo only lifted his head up to acknowledge his presence after a few minutes and he asked him about the account he needed reviewing. The discussion went on until he started with a grim look before talking about the ‘mess’ his daughter made. He felt sorry for the old man somehow, he seemed to be more disappointed and upset rather than thinking of the huge amount he was trying to recover. The thought of Euna crossed his mind; he can never even start to think of how he would react if his little girl would create trouble to some extent, probably not about money matters, and displease him.

His thoughts went spiraling back to reality when the Chairman said something he was not sure he heard right, “I beg your pardon, Chairman?”

“Yes, you heard me right, Director Jung. Starting this afternoon my daughter will be working for you,” he spoke seriously then glanced down on his table, “I want to teach her a lesson and she better learn it the hard way…”

Yonghwa swallowed back his opposition to the ridiculous idea because nobody opposes the Chairman. He could only nod his head and sigh softly, “Until when sir?”

“Till she tells me where she used the money.”

“What if she doesn’t?”

“If that would be the case, until she pays every single cent of that amount,” the old man said with determination yet obvious resignation. Then he gave Yonghwa a challenging stare, “But if you can find out yourself it would be better.”

~~~

So he is on a mission? Being reminded of her personality he decided it was more like a mission-impossible thing. Yonghwa was not sure if the Chairman is punishing his daughter or him. The cards were laid, he knew that he is in big trouble baby-sitting the Chairman’s daughter. He happened to condition his brainwaves that he doesn’t like her and it will be hard having her there beside him ALWAYS – as the Chairman, himself stressed. To add up to his burden, he found the little space inside HIS OWN OFFICE built for the ‘little darling.’ So he will be sharing the whole space wit