It's been three days since that ‘night of almosts.’ That's what Minyoung has dubbed the night she and Changwook kissed.

They did skip dinner, ended up at his house, drank and made out. But that was it.

They both passed out on his bed, clothes unravelled but not discarded without going further than a heavy makeout session.

They woke up with a mean hangover, despite which he arranged for a driver to drop her home. While she made it to work in a cab, her car that was in JCW's parking lot was waiting at her designated parking spot at work.

She hasn't heard from him since. A little online stalking revealing he's in France for work.

It's almost as if that night of almosts didn't happen.

The only signs of it are the marks on her neck. Without clothing options with high collars, she resorted to makeup and wearing chokers that didn't go with her usual clothes. They're mostly faded now but the memories of his touch linger.

At times like this, when she is taking a break and work isn't occupying her mind, she remembers his eyes in his darkened office looking at her as if he was the one captivated by her.

What about her? He's barely trying anything and she's hooked.

Even sitting in a coffee shop like now, a different one near work she hasn't checked out yet, she's picturing Ji Changwook sitting in front of her, arrogant smirk in place and coffee in front of him.

When the waiter places her order of tea and chocolate chip muffins, she decides she has to give Ji Changwook a break from running in her thoughts as if her mind is a marathon course. She pulls her book out from her bag and groans mentally.

Minyoung still has the book Changwook ruined the ending of. She had been debating whether to read it till the end or switch to another book. But it sure as hell won't make it easy distracting herself from Ji Changwook. But her only other option is the work thing he gave her.

To make things easy on herself Minyoung decides to look for an ebook on her phone while eating her muffin. But it only takes five minutes for curiosity to get the better of her.

In a huff, she looks up the synopsis of the book online. As she reads there's a voice inside her screaming to turn back. But she has to do this. It's about ethics of calling spoiler alert and scientific curiosity.

She powers through and reads it till the end. And now she knows.

Minyoung gently puts her phone down. Takes a long dignified sip of her tea. Savours the minty hint in the background. Takes three deep breaths. Then sends a furious text to that troll!

To: Puffy-Mouth Puffer Fish

You unethical ending ruining mola! The girl didn't die!

She gets a response pretty quickly.

From: Puffy-Mouth Puffer Fish

I'm going to need more context than that. But I'm going to take a guess and say you read the book.

I googled mola and wtf I know I don't look like that ridiculous fish. Not my fault you can't tell it's a prank. Do I look like I have time to read a book?

 Another text arrives making Minyoung marvel at his quick typing skills.

Where are you? Did you take a look at the chemical patent job I gave you?

So he was serious about that. She texts him back, reading her text twice to affirm she sounds professional.

To: Puffy-Mouth Puffer Fish

I'm working on it right now.

She glances at the file peeking out of her bag, wincing at her little fib. Her phone beeps again with another text.

To: Puffy-Mouth Puffer Fish

You're not in your office. Where are you?

Is he at her office? Did he come back? Is he waiting for her?

Hurriedly she texts him the place she is. She flinches when he texts back that he's coming there. Hurriedly she gets the file out to at least check a few details in case he wants to discuss something related to work. Well he just said he wanted to. Not like he's here to see her. Even if they're meeting at a coffee shop. A public place far from ideal to discuss patents.

She'll keep it brief and move the meeting to her office once he arrives. He just needs to know she looked into it even if it's the 15 minutes it will take for him to walk from the building to the cafe. Thank goodness for her superior skimming skills. She's making notes as she proceeds, not noticing a trio of guys enter the shop.

One goes straight for the counter, asking for three drinks to go. The other two notice her and approach her table, absolutely unsolicited.

"Oh hey! If it isn't the Boss Babe."

Minyoung's reflexive response to that term in that tone was to cringe. When she was promoted few months ago, the paralegal she worked with, Song Chaerin, and a few of the other staff she was friends with got her a cake with the words ‘Boss Babe’ on it. They meant well, to knight her with a fun nickname in endearment. Yoochun even teases her with it.

But the other senior associates picked it up and use it in two different ways. Either as sarcasm for being promoted over them, or to address her with lascivious undertones, dragging out that Babe as if it's an invitation. From Choi Sejoon, it's both.

An associate who had been a frontrunner to make partner since day 1, he had been making moves on her since Yoochun hired her. He failed to see her as competition, unaware she had outdone him until she was promoted over him.

Now he just likes to demean her authority, hint at his vile intentions in dating her, and make no secret that he wants to make her submissive to him. Sejoon is as bad as it gets.

Yoochun has an inkling about it but can't act on it until Minyoung or anyone else take it up with him. But she won't go to Yoochun for as long as she can ignore him. Which is not long if he continues this.

"Attorney Choi, Attorney Kang..." Minyoung acknowledges them, chanting 'Stay Cool' in her head. The third guy, Han Munsook finds them drinks in hand that he hands over to his colleagues after giving Minyoung a polite nod in greeting.

Munsook is one of her gentlemen colleagues who has been nothing but respectful to her. The only flaw is his friendship with the insufferable Choi Sejoon.

"Attorney Han, congratulations on winning the TW Group case." Minyoung tells the other lawyer. "Thank you for giving me the case Attorney Park."

The other two bristle beside Munsook, particularly because a lot of associates were eyeing this case of a fallout from a major client’s botched acquisition. It would give them a leg up over the others. But Minyoung thought Munsook, who has handled similar cases in the past is the perfect fit. Of course, she's getting more hate for it.

"Say Attorney Park," Minyoung doesn't miss the forced respectful tone Sejoon puts on to play nice, "You don't suppose there are any better cases lying around? You know, something more challenging. It's been quite dull lately."

Minyoung feels a twitchy prick in her face at his direct demand. It honestly won't be hard to be professional and giving him an assignment over what he already is handling. But she already has people in mind for them who would do a better job. She's aware Yoochun has some major cases lined up that could use an associate or two. But she has no authority in that matter.

"I'm afraid my box of 'challenging' cases is empty. You are welcome to draft a couple of contract renewals or you could ask to be on one of Big Boss Park's cases." Both unlikely options. Yoochun is more keen on and capable of going at it solo, everyone knows that.

Of course, her polite refusal won't be accepted as easily by someone like Choi Sejoon. "Let's not beat around the bush here. Or does the Boss Babe want to keep all the fun to herself."

She catches his eyes dart at her file that she had closed but not kept away when she was pseudo-cordially accosted during her break. JCW's logo features prominently on the translucent blue file.

JCW is not their official client, just a party their client Cassiopeia is dealing with. But she'd be damned if she's giving her man's work to this douche. And hold up a second there! Her man?!

She better turn down Sejoon before he gets any ideas so she can go focus on important things like why is she staking claim on Ji Changwook in her head.

"A friend asked a favour. It's not like it's a