Bound by a Ruthless Contract - Chapter 115

“Don’t act frivolously.”

The brake lights of the car ahead cast a red glow on them.

“I’m saying don’t lower my standards.”

Ga-eun spoke with tension in her neck, gripping his jacket tightly.

“I haven’t acted frivolously.”

Yet her voice trembled.

“I haven’t done anything to warrant such accusations.”

“When people see you standing close, intimately alone with a man in an enclosed space—”

Si-heon cut her off mid-sentence.

“Do you think they’ll innocently assume you’re just catching up with a childhood oppa?”

“…..”

“If you don’t want to hear talks about your background, conduct yourself properly.”

The brake lights of the car ahead went out.

The red glow faded.

“Don’t make this a concern. I’m saying don’t let this trivial matter disrupt our momentum.”

Ga-eun deeply inhaled the scent lingering on his jacket.

She was soothing her anxious heart with Si-heon’s fragrance, caused by Si-heon himself.

This absurd situation was both comical and sad. Behind the sadness came resignation.

Her possible responses were limited.

“I understand.”

Ga-eun straightened her posture and tensed her body.

Though her condition had worsened since the party, she was determined not to show it.

She couldn’t waste his time over something so trivial.

Kwon Si-heon’s worst trait was leaving just enough hope at the bottom to keep her hanging on.
***

And so, he returned and lay down beside her, ready to sleep.

She found herself pathetic, unable to discard her futile emotions, yet unable to simply let them go.

She had to acknowledge it.

She liked Kwon Si-heon.

No, “like” was perhaps too inadequate a word.

But she didn’t want to use the word “love” either.

Because if she did, everything might crumble.

If she crumbled, she couldn’t support her aunt.

If this was the first and only love she’d ever felt, how devastatingly sad that would be.

For days, they only confirmed each other’s existence when sleeping, but Ga-eun decided to be satisfied with this much. This was the boundary permitted to her.

“Good morning, Chief.”

“Good morning, Chief Secretary Myung.”

“How is your wrist?”

“It’s much better. Thank you for your concern.”

Ga-eun offered a slight smile.

But Myung Hyun-ju’s expression was filled with worry.

On the contrary to her words about improvement, Ga-eun’s complexion was progressively deteriorating. Her body was gradually wasting away, dark circles forming beneath her eyes, her already pale skin now devoid of any hint of color. She had reached a point where even professional makeup could no longer conceal her condition.

Yet whenever asked about her health, Ga-eun would always smile and say she was fine. This was her clear message to shut down any further discussion about her physical state.

‘I wonder if the executive knows about the chief’s condition.’

Since her first day here, reporting Ga-eun’s daily activities to Si-heon had been part of Hyun-ju’s routine. But recently, Si-heon’s secretary manager, Noh Man-su , had informed her.

“For the time being, he does not wish to receive reports about the chief.”

“And the reason?”

“While not entirely certain, it seems he wants to focus on the upcoming project.”

“Oh… is that so?”

“Still, please continue to update me. So I can be prepared if the executive inquires about the chief at any moment.”

Hyun-ju knew Si-heon well. When a project was in motion, he would pour every ounce of his neural energy and concentration into achieving its goals. Frighteningly so.

But…

She thought his approach might be different from his wife, Ga-eun.

Si-heon was the only one who personally drove her and escorted her with such unwavering attention.

Myung Hyun-ju liked Ga-eun.

She wasn’t the type to look down on others simply because she was from an owner’s family, nor did she carelessly handle or pass off work responsibilities. Most importantly, she had earned the strong respect of her subordinates by consistently and clearly acknowledging and praising their achievements.

Come to think of it, in this regard, she was remarkably similar to her husband, Si-heon.

Another similarity was their ability to draw strict boundaries—lines that absolutely no one was permitted to cross. The only difference was their method. Si-heon drew his lines with an openly cold demeanor, while Ga-eun used a kind smile.