“Good moning, sajang-nim. Welcome back.”

The moment Ji Chang Wook stepped out from the elevator, his father’s personal assistant was already waiting for him at level 8, where his father’s and his office located.

“Hi, Secretary Han. It has been a while since the last time we met.” Chang Wook said with a polite smile.

“Yes. I was not around when you came here last week.” Secretary Han nodded. “Let me bring you to hwejang-nim first before you go to your room. He is waiting for you already.” The older man said again as he lifted his hand up and gestured Chang Wook to walk in front of him.

Chang Wook smiled slightly before making his way to his father’s room with Secretary Han followed behind him.

“Chang Wook.” Ji Joon Young looked up from his computer and let out a wide smile when he saw his son entered his room.

“Appa.” Chang Wook walked to his father and took a seat in front of him. “I thought I’m early but you are earlier than me. You shouldn’t have work so hard. Eomma is very worried about your health.”

Ji Joon Young smiled and nodded his head. “Yes. She is very restless whenever I’m not feeling well.” He paused and let out a deep sigh. “Appa is not a good husband. Although as a leader of the family, I could give her a wealthy and stable life, but as a husband, I couldn’t give her the peacefulness and the happiness that she needs. Since she married me, I’ve always make her worried of me. When I thought everything has turned better after both of you have grown up, but then… Jin Wook…”

A pang of pain suddenly wrapped around Chang Wook’s heart when he heard Jin Wook’s name. Eight months has passed since Jin Wook left them. Although everything seems to maintain as it is but he knows deep in everyone’s heart, Jin Wook will always be a regret that no one could forget.

Taking a deep breath, Chang Wook looked up at his father again as he regained his composure. “Since I’m back to work now, you can have more time to rest and keep eomma accompanied at home. Don’t worry about the work. I can handle it.” He said, changing the sensitive subject.

Ji Joon Young smiled again. “Of course you can handle. I always have confidence in you. But… are you sure Shin Hye will be alright to stay alone at home? I feel really sorry for forcing you to come back at this time. If I have a choice, I really don’t want to bother you until she deliver the baby.”

“Don’t worry, appa.” Chang Wook assured his father with a warm smile. “She is fine. The ahjuhma I hired will take care of her. But however, I will need to bring her to the hospital two days later for her prenatal check up.”

“Sure. Just let Secretary Han know whenever you need to go. Shin Hye and the baby is your priority.” Although no one have ever say it out loud but everyone is looking forward for the arrival of this little one. This precious life is the only thing that Jin Wook has left for them.

“Hmmm.” Chang Wook nodded. “Okay, back to work. Regarding the project you want me to take over, I’ve read through the files and done some research. If we want to…”

Knock… knock…

Chang Wook’s sentence was stopped mid-sentence when the sound of someone knocking the door interrupted him. He turned around and saw Secretary Han standing at the door, his eyes were giving a small signal to his father.

Understood his secretary’s hint right away, Ji Joon Young gave him a slight nod before Secretary Han left the room again.

“As you know, this is a very big project and it’s very important for our company. It’s a big collaboration between Korea, Japan and China. The future of Ji Corporation, whether we could bring it to another level or not, it depends on this project.” Ji Joon Young said when Chang Wook turned back to look at him again with a questioning gaze.

Chang Wook stared at his father for a moment before he spoke again. “I understand. I know this is not an easy task this time, but I have confidence to make it work.” He won’t let his father down. He will make it possible, he always do.

Ji Joon Young laughed proudly, satisfaction evident on his face. “Since this is a tough job, I have a small surprise for you.”

“Surprise?” Chang Wook raised his brows in confusion. The surprise must have something to do with the secretive eye contact he had with Secretary Han just now. 

Ji Joon Young nodded as he reached out to the phone on the table and pressed the red button. “Send her in.”

Her? Who?

“Appa, who are you sending in?” Chang Wook asked curiously.

“Someone who will make your life easier.” Ji Joon Young smiled. “As I said, this is a big project. You won’t be able to handle everything without any help. Secretary Han’s hand is fully with our current projects and he has to assist me time to time. He only help you whenever he is available. So in order to lighten your workload, I have found an assistant for you. I think she will be a good and helpful partner.”

“Who?” Chang Wook widened his eyes slightly, wondered who will the person be.

And before Ji Joon Young could answer him, another sound of the knocking door filled the room again. The moment the door was opened, Chang Wook already turned his head to the direction of the door and when he saw the person who came in to the room, his eyes grew even wider now as he stood up from his chair.

“Annyeonghaseyo, hwejang-nim.”

Park Min Young walked elegantly towards them as a sweet smile was etched across her face. She stopped in front of the table and slowly turned to Chang Wook, who was still looking surprise.

“Hi, Chang Wook.” She greeted him with her soft voice, her smile widened. It has been almost six months since that night he came to Japan, came to her apartment and broke up with her. She will never forget that night.

“Min Young?” Chang Wook finally found his voice back and looked at her in disbelief.

How long has it been since the last time they met? He can’t really remember the actual time but it has been a while. After they broke up few months ago, before he married Shin Hye, he gave Min Young a choice whether to stay in the Japan’s branch or she can choose to tender her resignation. But at that time, she chose to stay. She said both of them are matured adults. She won’t mix her personal matters with work. So… she stays. But now… she is here, in Seoul, right in front of him. To be honest, although he knows what he did was right, but no matter what, he still feel guilty and sorry for hurting her.  

“What are you doing here?” He asked again, trying to suppress the awkwardness on his face.

“I was transferred to here.” Min Young replied, a smile still curled onto her lips.

“Yes.” Ji Joon Young looked at his son. “She is the assistant that I’ve found for you. Both of you have been working together in Japan for five years. I’m sure you guys have great chemistry. And since the branch in Japan is not very busy now, I think it’s a good idea to bring Min Young over here to help you in this project.”

When Chang Wook just keep quiet and didn’t say anything in reply, Min Young’s smile slowly faded as she stared at him with a cautious gaze. “Are you… not happy to work with me? If you think this is very… awkward or you are not comfortable, I can…”

“No.” Chang Wook quickly cut her off and let out an embarrassed smile. “It’s not like that. Please don’t think that way. I… I’m fine. In fact…. I should be grateful that you are willing to come. You are the best partner I could ever ask for.”

“Thank you.” Min Young smiled again. “I’m glad to hear that.”

Ji Joon Young looked at both of them and laughed. “I’m the happiest one to have both of you to help me in this project.” He paused and shifted his gaze to Min Young. “I’m thankful that you don’t mind to work with Chang Wook again. I mean… with all the past history, I’m glad that you could treat this so maturely. I’ve heard so much positive comments on your work performance from Chang Wook and the staffs in Japan. It would be a big loss if we loose you in Ji Corporation.”

“Please don’t say that, hwejang-nim. I’m just doing my part. I get salary for this job.” Min Young said, her voice full with gentleness. She then turned to Chang Wook again and slowly lifted her hand up to him. “Looking forward to work with you again, sajang-nim.”

There was a brief pause before Chang Wook let out a light smile and held her hand for a soft shake. “Welcome back… Min Young…”

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“This is your room.” Chang Wook turned around and looked at Min Young. “Secretary Han has an appointment outside. My room is the one next to my father and the same floor as yours. You can come to see me directly if you need anything.”

“Thank you.” Min Young glanced around the room and let out a satisfactory smile. “This is the first time I came to the headquarter. This building is so much bigger than the one we used to work in Japan. And the people here is very nice too.”

Chang Wook nodded. “Yes. The staffs are very friendly. Don’t hesitate to ask for their help.” He paused and inhaled a deep breath. “Where are you staying now?”

Min Young turned to look at him. “Secretary Han got me an apartment nearby. It just need fifteen minutes drive to the office. The place is nice and comfortable.”

“I see.” Chang Wook smiled again.

“How are you?”

“Huh?” Chang Wook was dumbfounded for a moment, as he looked at her, confused by her question.

Min Young smiled at his puzzled expression. “I’m asking… how have you been? I heard from hwejang-nim that you just came back to work today. You were on a long leave.”

“Yes.” Chang Wook nodded. “I took a long break to take care of…” He held his tongue and managed to swallow Shin Hye’s name back down his throat. Not that he doesn’t want to mention about Shin Hye, but he just thought that he should at least respect and take care of Min Young’s feeling. She might not be pleased to hear about this yet.

“You mean… Shin Hye?” Min Young narrowed her gaze as she faked a smile. Although it felt like burning her heart to mention Shin Hye’s name but she needs to maintain the generous and matured Min Young in front of them. She can’t show a single negative emotion in front of anyone of them, especially Chang Wook. She has waited so long for this opportunity to come back and stay by his side once again. She has to treasure her second chance.

Chang Wook nodded very softly and let out another weak smile.

“How is she? I hope she is doing fine.” Min Young asked again, wearing another fake smile.

“She is doing great.” He replied and another smile, an honest and natural smile slowly curled onto his lips. This was the first real smile she saw on his face today.

“The mother and the baby are both healthy.” He said, happiness laced in his voice. “Her due date is next month and we are all very excited to wait for the little one’s arrival.” He paused again and chuckled uncontrollably, happy whenever he thought of Shin Hye and their baby. “Although she is going to be a mother very soon, but she still act like a little girl. I can’t imagine how she will take care of our baby in the future.”

Our baby? He already treated Shin Hye and Jin Wook’s baby as his own? The joyfulness, the excitement, the contentment… all those were something that she never seen before on his face when they were together last time. Min Young bit her bottom lip, trying hard not to show the anger on her face.

“Hwejang-nim and eomeonim must be very happy.” She said, smiling forcefully. “Have you… thought of a name for the baby yet?” She asked uninterestedly, simply finding a topic to chat with him, making him to stay longer with her.

With the wide smile still spread across his face, Chang Wook nodded. “Shin Hye wanted eomma to think of the name but it still ended up that all of us prefer Shin Hye’s one.” He paused and looked at her. “Seung Hoon… Ji Seung Hoon.”

“So… it’s a boy.” Min Young’s smile turned stiff.

“Yes. It’s a boy.” He confirmed as another contented smile formed on his face.

Taking a silent, deep and sharp breath, Min Young brought her hand up and looked at him. “Congratulations. You are going to be a father soon.”

Chang Wook laughed as he took her hand and gave her a soft squeeze. “Thank you.”

“Okay.” After he let go of her hand, Min Young hide both her clenched fists inside her pocket and walked to her table. “Let’s get the work started.”

Chang Wook nodded with a warm smile. “I’ll give you a moment to settle down and get used to the environment. We will be having a meeting at 10am. See you at the conference room later.

“See you.” Min Young walked him to the door and after he left, the smile on her face vanished immediately.

“Ji Chang Wook… I’ll not let you go again this time.”

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The moment when Chang Wook entered his room, all the lights were already turned off and only the beautiful ballerina lamp on the bedside table appeared to glow in the gentle light of the bedroom. Closing the door very softly, Chang Wook took his coat off and unfastened his tie before tossing it to the couch.

He slowly walked to the bed and gently took a seat beside the sleeping beauty. A wide smile uncontrollably curled up onto his lips as he reached out to her face and caressed her cheek with a feather light touch. With his eyes slowly travelled down to her huge belly, a sudden pang of guilt hit his chest. She must be very tired and uncomfortable to carry such a big baby in her tiny body. And as her husband, although only in name… he still feel sorry for leaving her alone at this time. It was already almost midnight when he came back and if it’s not because of some problem that arises during the meeting, he will definitely not drag until so late and missed the dinner with her. This was the first night he didn’t have dinner with her since they moved here.

“Uhhh…”

A soft sound escaped Shin Hye’s lips as her hand slowly moved down to hold her leg. She winced softly and her eyes slowly opened at the same time.

“Wae?” Chang Wook asked worriedly when he met her sleepy eyes.

“My leg…” Shin Hye bit her lip hard, trying to endure the pain.

“Your leg? Having a cramp?” He asked as his hand already reached where she was holding and massaged her calf, slowly down to her ankle and foot, trying to soothe the pain away. “Feeling better?” He asked after a while as he looked up at her, his heart ached to see her painful expression.

Shin Hye nodded when the pain slowly subsided. It always feel better under his touch and only he could stop the pain with his magic hand. Looking at him, she let out a warm smile. “Can you help me to sit up?”

Chang Wook stopped massaging her leg as he moved closer to her and gently pulled her up into a sitting position. He quickly put a soft pillow against the headboard and let her leaned comfortably against it.

“You just came home?” Shin Hye asked as she glanced at the clock.

12.05am.

“Yes.” He replied, his hand reached out to hold hers. “Where is ahjuhma? I told her to stay with you until I come back. But I didn’t see her around.”

“I asked her to go back around 10.30pm just now.” Shin Hye said. “It was so late already and I don’t want her to miss the last bus. I know you will send her home if she stay but she still need to come here early in the morning tomorrow. I want her to get some rest. And moreover, I’m fine.”

Chang Wook heaved a deep sigh and looked at her with a helpless gaze. “You don’t know what will happen. Doctor Kim already said that these two months will be the most critical time. It’s very dangerous to stay alone without no one at home to take care of you.”

Shin Hye let out a soft chuckle as her hand reached out to her forehead and gently smoothing out the creases that formed on his brows. “Arasso, arasso. I’ll make sure ahjuhma stay here with me until you come home every night, okay?”

“Okay.” He smiled slightly as his gaze dropped down to their hands and his thumb caressed mindlessly along her knuckles.

“It’s everything okay?” Shin Hye asked, worries laced in her voice. “You look very tired. Is the project very troublesome? Is there anyone there to help you?”

Chang Wook instantly looked up the moment he heard her question.

Min Young…

Should he tell her about Min Young? Will she be unhappy or uncomfortable with Min Young coming back and is now working with him again? He doesn’t want to hide anything from her but with the experience of the yoga trainer few months ago, he felt hesitant and fear. Shin Hye is a very gentle woman but when she is angry or… jealous, she can be very… unreasonable. He went there before and he doesn’t want to try it again. And furthermore, he doesn’t want that kind of unhealthy emotions to affect her health now. So no matter how much he hates to lie, at last he still decided not to tell her… yet.

Chang Wook shook his head and assured her with an unnatural smile. “I’m okay. We… we just face some… problems and that was why the meeting got lengthened.” He paused and pressed his lips into a thin line. “I’m sorry. I promised you that I’ll come back to have dinner with you every night but… I already broke my promise on the first night.” He said guiltily, apologetically.

“Silly.” Shin Hye smiled. “Work comes first. You have already sacrificed your work for so many months because of me. I don’t want to be so selfish and keep you all by myself. Appa need you, your company need you. I’m not a child. I can take care of myself.” She paused and let out a shy smile. “And I’ll become a mother very soon.” She stared down at her rounded stomach before looking back at him again. “You have to give me a chance to learn how to be a good mother.”

Chang Wook held her eyes for a long moment before he slowly exhaled a deep breath and nodded. Maybe he should worry less and have more confidence in her. Averting his gaze down, he slowly moved his hand to her stomach and gave it a soft . He leaned closer until his lips almost touch her stomach.

“Hi, my little son. How are you today? Do you miss appa?” He asked with a bright smile.

Shin Hye couldn’t help but laughed at his cute expression. He looked like a kid whenever he smiled like that and… that smile make her heart raced and fluttered.

A soft gasp escaped her lips when she felt a sudden soft kick inside her stomach. It caught Chang Wook’s attention as he could feel it too. He looked up and met her eyes with a disbelief gaze. “He kick. He is answering me.” He laughed heartily. “He is telling me that he miss me too.”

“Of course he miss you.” She said with her lips pouted. “He was doing some somersault inside for the whole day. I have to keep telling him that appa will be coming home very soon and only then he let me rest and fall asleep.” She gazed down and caressed her stomach. “I think he is awake now after hearing your voice. That soft kick was meant to tell you that he miss you too.”

“Really?” Chang Wook asked happily as he pulled back slightly and looked up. Just then, his breath caught in his throat when he met her eyes. Their gap was suddenly become so close as their face was just inches apart. Her sweet scent swamped his senses and all the fatigues he felt today has gone right away.

Panting softly, Shin Hye could hear her own heartbeat in her ears. The loud thumping of the organ pumping feverishly due to adrenaline and nervousness. She felt the butterflies in her stomach grow as they got closer and closer to each other. That feeling reminds her how much she has missed him and how much she wanted him to always stay by her side.

Averting her gaze down and chewing her lips, she dared not to look at him again. “He missed you.” She repeated again, assuring him in a soft whisper.

“Hmmm…” Chang Wook nodded, doesn’t plan to pull away from her. He continued to gaze at her, braving himself to take a step further. “What… about you?” He inhaled deeply. “Do you… miss me?”

Shin Hye clenched the fabric of her dress tightly in her hand as she slowly looked at him. The moment their eyes locked at each other, she regretted it right away. The intensity in his eyes felt like a magnet, pulling her gaze firmly to his. Her lips slightly parted but no word could form in . The atmosphere suddenly turned intense.

Chang Wook understood when he saw the struggles on her face. As usual, he doesn’t want to force her. He doesn’t mind what her answer is. At this moment, he just want her to know how he feel.

“I miss you…” He said in a deep and hoarse voice. “I miss you as soon as I woke up this morning. I wish… you are always here next to me.”

Like some kind of spell casted on her, Shin Hye completely frozen in place, dazzled by what he said. Her eyes were fixed at him, lips parted slightly but unable to say a single word.

Chang Wook smiled at her shock reaction. “I’m not asking this question to force you for anything.” He explained. “I just want you to know how I feel… and how important you are to me.” Slowly bringing his hand up to cup her face, his eyes that were looking deeply into hers slowly dropped down to her lips.

“I love you…” He uttered the three words with every ounce of sincerity he had in his body. Although this is not the first time he confessed his feeling to her, he just want to continue telling her the same thing until one day… perhaps one day… she will feel the same too.

There was a brief hesitance, a brief pause before Chang Wook slowly leaned forward and pressed his lips softly against hers. He