One Call to Ruin a Chaebol Heir
Inside the Strategy Planning Director's office at Taesung Group HQ, tucked away in an even more secretive and deeply hidden VVIP nap room. I can't tell if I'm in the heart of a top-tier conglomerate's skyscraper in downtown Seoul or in a seven-star hotel's top suite in Dubai.
"Sleepy, sleepy... my Jinwoo. Time to sleep now."
The faint, premium cypress wood phytoncide scent wafting from every direction. My body sinks into the Hungarian premium duvet like I'm floating on clouds. And atop that duvet, the gentle hand of the Strategy Planning Director—ranked fifth in the business world—pats my chest in a steady, affectionate rhythm.
Seol-ah is seriously cradling my head in her lap, singing me a lullaby. It's the voice that had the executives cornered like rats just moments ago, now dripping with truckloads of honey—unbelievably sweet.
"Jinwoo-ya, can't sleep? Want me to rub your tummy?"
"Huh? No, no. I think I'm getting sleepy. For real."
I jolt awake and squeeze my eyes shut. Honestly, no way I could sleep right now. I'd just gotten a promise from Taesung Group's living legend, Chairman Han Taesoo: 50% stake in the affiliate shopping mall chain.
As I force shallow breaths, desperately trying to drift into dreamland, a crash echoes from outside the soundproofed director's office—something smashing violently.
"No! The director is resting right now—absolutely no disturbances! You can't go in!"
"Out of my way! You think a mere secretary chief can block me?! Do you know who I am?!"
The secretary chief's frantic pleas are drowned out by an arrogant man's bellowing voice right outside the door.
Instantly, Seol-ah's soft patting on my chest stops dead. I crack open my eyes just a sliver. The angelic smile gazing down at me freezes, her eyes turning icy blue in a heartbeat.
Bang! The thick door connecting the nap room to the office flies open. A young man, wrapped head to toe in flashy luxury brands, storms in fuming. The ashen-faced secretary chief trails helplessly behind.
"Han Seol-ah! What the hell are you doing, locking the door in broad daylight—!"
The man starts jabbing a finger and yelling, but spots me on the bed and Seol-ah stroking my hair. His jaw drops.
"Di-Director! I'm so sorry! Daesan Group's Executive Director Choi Minwoo forced his way in—!"
The secretary chief bows, voice trembling.
Daesan Group's second son, Choi Minwoo. The infamous spoiled chaebol third-gen who pops up mosaicked on economic news for drug scandals and power trips.
"Ha! Unbelievable. I heard the rumors flying at the chairmen's meeting earlier—didn't think they were true."
Snapping out of shock, Choi Minwoo scoffs in disbelief, clacking his shoes as he approaches. His eyes rake over me, twisting in disgust.
"Han Seol-ah, this the trashy guy you've been clinging to lately... no, the parachute intern punk?"
"Dragging a man into the sacred executive office in the middle of the day for this crap. Taesung's discipline has hit rock bottom."
"......"
"Next month, our families' elders are announcing our arranged marriage anyway. Better watch your behavior."
"Playing around with some rootless dirt-poor bastard? Hey, you. Get your filthy head off my fiancée's lap now!"
Choi Minwoo barks at me. A chill shoots down my spine; I instinctively start to sit up.
Arranged marriage? Some dark chaebol secret I didn't know about?
As I gauge the situation and rise, Seol-ah presses my shoulder firmly back down.
"Jinwoo-ya, stay lying down."
Her voice is eerily calm. So calm it's like the deep, chilling silence before a storm.
Without taking her eyes off me, she picks up her phone with one hand. A few screen taps, and someone picks up immediately.
"Yeah, Legal Team Chief. It's me."
At Seol-ah's low murmur, Choi Minwoo's smug face stiffens slightly.
"The Yeongjongdo seven-star resort joint development with Daesan Group. Terminate it effective immediately."
"Pardon?! Di-Director! They've already sunk 500 billion in initial capital—construction's half done! Canceling means massive breach penalties on our side!"
"When have you seen me care about money? Cover the penalties from my personal dividends. Rip up the contract now."
"Also, the 1 trillion won project financing loan Daesan took from Taesung Bank. Notify them: full repayment by 9 a.m. tomorrow."
"One won short, and slap liens on all their affiliates."
Choi Minwoo's face drains to flour-white at her words.
"Y-You're insane?! Han Seol-ah! Over one pathetic intern, you're tanking a 1-trillion deal?! You think my dad will let this slide?!"
"One more thing."
Seol-ah ignores his outburst completely, continuing the call.
"The embezzlement report on Daesan Group's Choi Minwoo executive director and his shell companies from Intel Team yesterday? Fax it to every news desk's social affairs section and the Seoul Prosecutors' Special Investigations right now."
"Plaster 'Daesan Second Son Arrest Imminent' across every portal homepage."
Click. Seol-ah ends the call without hesitation, tossing the phone onto the bed.
Suffocating silence fills the nap room. Choi Minwoo—who was just jabbing fingers at me—now kneels trembling on the floor, legs giving out.
Just 30 seconds. One phone call from Seol-ah uproots a pillar of Korea's top-10 group Daesan and sends its second son to prison.
Only then does Seol-ah turn, gazing down at the sprawled Choi Minwoo with cold disgust—like a bug crushed on the roadside.
"Choi Second Son. Who the hell gave you permission to speak his name."
"S-Seol-ah... no, Director! I made a huge mistake—my mouth ran away with me!"
"Arranged marriage? My dad's just senile and talking nonsense! Please, not the embezzlement files...!"
"Secretary Chief."
Seol-ah slices through his begging like a blade.
"Drag this trash out. He's disturbing my Jinwoo's nap with his whining."
"And fire the entire HQ security team effective today."
"Couldn't even filter out a roach like this, letting it crawl into my office?"
"Yes, ma'am! Right away!"
The secretary chief frantically calls security. Burly guards rush in, cuffing Choi Minwoo's arms.
"Han Seol-ah! Spare me! I was wrong! Intern—! No, Jinwoo-nim!! I committed a mortal sin—please!!"
The chaebol heir who treated me like luggage moments ago now sobs snot and tears, pleading desperately at me.
Overwhelmed by this mad capitalist execution, I just gape wordlessly.
Choi Minwoo's screams cut off as the heavy door slams shut.
Perfect peace and quiet return. In the phytoncide-scented nap room, I stare blankly at the ceiling.
"Haa... what an annoyance."
Seol-ah rakes back her hair irritably with a sigh. Then whips her head toward me.
"Jinwoo-ya! You scared? Sorry. Couldn't stop that fly from ruining my baby's nap."
She nuzzles my chest with a pouty, teary-eyed kid face. Impossible to believe this is the woman who just reclaimed a 1-trillion loan and doomed a chaebol heir.
"Uh... no. Not scared. But Seol-ah, is it really okay to let that guy go like that?"
"He mentioned arranged marriage and stuff. What if the chairman gets mad?"
"Mad? About what?"
"You heard earlier. Grandpa gave me 50% of the mall shares just to keep you locked up and pampered forever."
"We're already officially husband and wife—by both families, well, Grandpa's decree."
Seol-ah pinches my cheek lightly, beaming.
"And he dares call my husband a gigolo or trash? A trillion's nothing."
"Should've burned my whole fortune to sew that bastard's mouth shut. I let him off cheap."
Watching her spit brutal lines in that pure, clear voice, I quietly close my eyes.
Yeah. This woman's the epitome of mad pure love—she'd nuke half the planet to protect me.
No use struggling with my puny sense of reality. I can't escape the vast, comfy golden cage she's built.
"Jinwoo-ya, why close your eyes? Still sleepy? Want another lullaby?"
"Yeah... sing it. Hearing you makes me really sleepy."
Feeling her warm embrace around my shoulders, I fully relax and burrow into the duvet.
The world's most beautiful, scariest, richest first love. Living as this woman's perfect possession.
Damn... no, really. It's too perfect to even complain about.
With a happy smile, I drift into sweet capitalist slumber amid her soft lullaby.