"As you all know, CHN's firm needs a lot of attention recently, and I cannot divide myself among all the companies I'm meant to handle. Therefore, I shall place someone who will represent me, just as I've done in the others," Minjae said.
Everyone glanced around, uncertain of what she meant.
"Sarang," she called, turning her sharp gaze toward the intern.
Sarang jerked at the sound of her name.
"Step forward," Minjae ordered.
With trembling steps, Sarang obeyed.
"You've been an intern assistant for four years, serving different higher-ups," Minjae said.
Sarang nodded nervously.
"I believe that makes you one of the most experienced here. Therefore, I will place this company in your hands."
The room froze. Eyes widened in disbelief—including Sarang's. Tears welled in her eyes, her shock painted across her face.
To everyone's surprise, the executives didn't object. They simply nodded their agreement.
Minjae continued, "Everything that goes on here—you will report directly to me. Not a single detail is to be left out."
"Y-yes, Ma'am," Sarang's voice shook as her tears threatened to fall.
"Good." Minjae turned back to the crowd.
"Your paychecks will be increased."
A murmur of relief spread through the staff. Smiles flickered. But regret was written all over Jin-young's face, her eyes brimming with tears as if she wanted to undo the past. Still, many of the staff remained skeptical of Minjae's sudden generosity.
"Of course, nothing good comes free," Minjae added, her tone sharpening. "All I demand is good work and real effort."
Her eyes swept across their faces.
"It has come to my attention that the company has grown quite unstable since the terrible incident. Unlike other branches, this place was deeply tied to its head—my sister, Min-sol. But lately, I see the spirit here fading."
Her words softened the room. Staff lowered their heads, some with tears glistening as they remembered Min-sol.
"Rival companies see this as their chance to surpass us. Do not give them the chance. Give your best, just as you did before. All hope is not lost—because I know my sister will return. Until then, you will do what needs to be done."
She turned to Sarang once more.
"From now on, you will follow everything she says. Her words are mine. She is no longer your errand intern. Disrespecting her is the same as disrespecting me."
"I look forward to seeing a difference," Minjae concluded, turning to leave.
But just then, Jin-young's voice rang out.
"Please, Miss Choi!" She dropped to her knees, tears falling. "I didn't mean what I said!"
Na-ra quickly followed, kneeling beside her. "Please don't fire us," she sobbed.
Minjae paused, glancing over her shoulder.
"What's done is already done. The rest… you can discuss with your new boss."
And with that, she walked away, the executives following behind. The two women remained on their knees, while Sarang bowed her head in silence.
The room fell still. Staff quietly returned to their seats, though whispers lingered. From the other end, those who had been watching drifted away. Na-ra shot Mrs. Wang a glare, but Mrs. Wang turned quickly, guilt tightening her chest.
---
After completing her tour of the company, Minjae found herself on the rooftop.
She leaned on the railing, staring at the city below—the tall buildings, the endless stream of cars, the scattered rhythm of people. For a moment, she felt oddly at peace.
Footsteps approached. Someone joined her at the edge.
She exhaled sharply. "Sang-tae."
He said nothing, his gaze fixed on the skyline.
"You once said you detested the sight of me. Now you're calling my name—is that a good sign?" he asked casually.
"No. Actually, it has me wondering." She turned toward him. "Why are you here? You keep following me wherever I go. This isn't CHN."
"Have you forgotten? I'm your personal assistant. My job is to assist you wherever you go—not just at CHN," he replied. "I try to keep up with you, but you always push me away."
She smirked. "You can't blame me. I have trust issues."
"That only makes my job harder than it needs to be."
"You want a raise too?" she teased.
He chuckled. She found herself laughing softly with him.
"I won't complain anymore," he said. "I only wish you'd stop pushing me away—at least until you're certain I'm the black sheep you keep speaking of."
Minjae turned back to the view. Sang-tae smiled faintly and did the same.
"The executives must trust you a lot," he said. "To let you place someone above them so easily."
"Not everyone is like CHN's scheming executives," she replied. "Here, they share the same goal—keeping the company alive until Min-sol returns."
"They have such deep trust in her. She was practically CEO even before your father made it official. He was preparing her."
Silence fell. Sadness crept over Sang-tae. Memories of assisting Min-sol weighed heavily on him.
Minjae too felt a sting. Her father had given her sister love, patience, and preparation. All she could remember of her own relationship with him was anger, frustration, and shouting. Envy struck her.
"When she wakes… you'll stop being my assistant, won't you?" she asked.
"At this point, I think that would be best. At least then I won't always be judged wrongly," he answered with a small smile.
"You do have a gentle way of slapping someone in the face," she muttered with a smirk. "That'll be good riddance for me. No one sticking their nose in my business anymore."
"I'm your personal assistant. It's my job."
"Yeah, yeah—whatever," she said, brushing the hair from her face.
Silence lingered between them, broken when Sang-tae asked, "That girl… Do you really believe she can handle the job you gave her? She's only ever been an intern."
"She's been an intern so long her colleagues mocked her for it. That makes her desperate."
Sang-tae considered this, then smirked. "So you're using her vulnerability."
"The best time to use someone is when they're vulnerable. That's when they give their all. But that's not the only reason I chose her."
"Then why?"
"She'll lead well. She won't be easily tricked into bad deals. She won't scheme. And when Min-sol returns, she'll know to step back—because she'll have earned enough reward to secure her future. That's why."
"You don't really know that," he said.
"No," Minjae admitted. "But I can tell"
_ _ _
In the restroom, Jinyoung sat in tears, her voice trembling as she spoke to Mrs. Wang.
"Please… can't you do something about it? You're the team manager," she pleaded desperately.
"I'm the team manager, not the CEO," Mrs. Wang sighed, gently taking Jinyoung's hand. "Jinyoung, you know I can't do anything about this."
"All my friends will look down on me now…" Jinyoung's voice broke as she choked on her words.
"You can always find another job," Mrs. Wang offered softly. "I can even help you with that."
But Jinyoung jerked her hand away from her light grip, almost aggressively.
"You know it's not easy to get hired in a Choi company," she said through clenched teeth.
"There are other jobs out there…" Mrs. Wang tried again.
"I don't want other jobs! I want a Choi company!" Jinyoung sobbed, her voice raw with pride and despair. "You can't imagine how proud my family was when I first got hired here."