Chapter 14. The Third Male Lead (2)

Translator: Lili

Sera pointed to the door once again, her voice firm. But instead of leaving, the man boldly stepped forward and extended a hand as if offering a handshake. Then, with a surprisingly polite demeanor, he introduced himself.

“Nice to meet you, Vice President Shin Sera.”

“…”

‘Did I seriously get tangled up with a psycho?’

This damn world was being unusually cruel to Shin Sera. So really, it wouldn’t be surprising if misfortunes that weren’t even in the original story kept occurring. Sera struggled to keep her fear from showing and firmly reprimanded him for his rudeness.

“You think you can just waltz in here and cause trouble? If you don’t leave right now, I’ll call security—”

“Oh, come on, treating me like a criminal when I’m here on business? That’s a little harsh.”

“…What?”

“I’m here today as a business partner, Vice President Shin.”

The man smirked mischievously and pulled a business card from inside his suit jacket.

“This time, I’ll give you my card. But don’t throw it away. Or actually, maybe just don’t.”

Sera had no interest in accepting anything from him, but curiosity got the better of her. She wanted to know what gave him this ridiculous level of confidence. Reluctantly, she took the card, her eyes widening as she read the text.

—— Sentinex Global, Executive Vice President, JY Seo. ——

Sentinex was the Sungwon Group’s key global consulting firm, responsible for overseeing its system and business solutions.

‘This crazy bastard is an executive at Sentinex?’

As she stared blankly at the business card, unable to believe the reality before her, her expression hardened slightly. The moment she confirmed his initials—JY Seo—a strange, inexplicable sense of unease crept over her.

As if he had read her mind, he kindly added,

“I haven’t received my Korean business cards yet. My Korean name is Seo Jungwon, so call me that.”

At that moment, Sera felt as if lightning had struck the top of her head. A chilling sensation spread through her entire body.

There was only one Seo Jungwon she knew of. A walking time bomb who acted purely on impulse, Lee Seonkyung’s first love, and the biggest landmine in the entire story—a man who used Shin Sera to fulfill his perverted desires.

He was the third male lead of this damn drama.

But why… why has Seo Jungwon appeared already?

In the original storyline, Sera was supposed to meet him much later—only when her marriage to Cha Jaeheon was becoming a reality. And even then, their first meeting was supposed to be a formal introduction through Lee Seonkyung’s engagement party, not some random coincidence.

“Why do you look like you’ve seen a ghost?”

Seo Jungwon teased, watching as Sera turned pale in an instant. If she hadn’t known his identity, she might have brushed it off. But now, her shock had frozen her tongue.

She had been certain that, if nothing else, she could at least avoid Seo Jungwon. She had expected to deal with Lee Rowoon and Cha Jaeheon at some point, but him? This was an entirely different level of trouble.

“Hey, Shin Sera. Vice President?”

He bent down slightly to meet her stiffened gaze, lowering his voice into a gentle whisper.

“You shouldn’t ignore someone standing right in front of you. Don’t you think?”

His tone was soft, yet it sent chills down her spine.

Looking at him, she knew—Seo Jungwon wasn’t going to leave her alone. She had stepped on another landmine.

Her throat tightened, but she knew that showing weakness would only give him more control.

“If you need to discuss business, schedule an official appointment through my secretary. You can also file your compensation claim there. Now, get out.”

Seo Jungwon feigned a disappointed expression. But despite his pitiful act, his words were laced with brazen familiarity.

“You’re kicking me out?”

“Yes. Leave.”

Seo Jungwon pressed his lips together as if contemplating something. Sera pretended to ignore him, clicking her mouse for no reason. They remained at a standoff for a while until he lightly tapped the wooden desk, as if drawing her attention.

“Unfortunately for you, a security camera on site recorded everything. Including your voice. It even caught a nice, clear shot of the business card you threw at me.”

Sera wanted to ignore him, but her head instinctively turned. Seo Jungwon smirked when their eyes met and continued, his tone playfully regretful.

“If that footage gets out, I bet the world will get an even clearer picture of Sungwon Group’s wild-child, Vice President Shin Sera. What do you think?”

Sera’s lips parted slightly in disbelief. A slow, burning heat spread across her cheeks.

“Are you… blackmailing me right now? Did you look into me?”

“Blackmail? Digging up dirt? You say such scary things.”

He replied with mock disappointment and placed both hands on the desk, leaning in.

As the distance between them shrank, his refreshing scent filled her senses, wrapping around her like an invisible net. His dimples deepened as he flashed another infuriating smile.