Chapter 30. The Prison of Your Own Making (2)

Translator: Lili

“I’m not asking you to do anything. I just… I just want someone I can rely on. Just one person.”

“…”

“Can’t that person be you?”

Chief Baek opened his mouth slightly as if to say something, then closed it again. His expression was defensive, but Sera knew. His rational mind was losing to his emotions.

“…What do you want me to do?”

After a long silence, he finally admitted defeat. Lowering her eyes with a sorrowful look, Sera felt a quiet triumph settle in her chest.

“Nothing.”

“…”

“Just continue supporting me like you do now. That’s more than enough.”

Of course, his mere support was worthless. What Sera truly wanted from him was tangible assistance. But there was no need to rush and make him suspicious.

***

Bringing Chief Baek onto her side, even in a passive role, was a good decision. Right now, there was no one more useful to her.

‘I’ve found someone suitable for you to have by your side. Would you like to meet them?’

What Sera had requested from Baek was a personal secretary—someone who would function as her hands and feet. As expected from a competent man, he had brought her a candidate that perfectly fit her needs.

“Hello, my name is Lee Jiyoung.”

Lee Jiyoung was a thirty-four-year-old manager with excellent performance reviews and a strong sense of ambition. However, despite her exceptional skills, she wasn’t particularly political, nor did she have any powerful connections backing her. She had yet to secure any strong allies.

“Technically, you’ll still be part of the Planning Office, but you’ll mostly be handling secretarial duties for me. Sometimes, that might involve work unrelated to the company. Would that be a problem?”

“If it means assisting the Vice President, then that alone is a privilege worth more than anything else.”

In Jiyoung’s gaze, Sera saw clear ambition and determination.

Even if Sera Shin’s reputation was improving, she was still wandering in the depths of rock bottom. But as long as there was room to rise, she was willing to gamble. She liked Lee Jiyoung’s risk-taking spirit.

“If you work hard, I won’t forget to reward you accordingly. I like you, Manager Lee. How about you?”

“I will do my best.”

Mere survival meant nothing. What Sera ultimately wanted was freedom—freedom that no one could infringe upon. To achieve that, she needed to establish herself within Sungwon and carve out her own territory.

‘I can do this.’

The mantra she repeated whenever she felt weak once again gave her strength.

***

Lee Rowoon, walking with his usual upright posture, suddenly paused. An unexpected figure had appeared beyond the chairman’s office doors.

“Oh.”

Sera, stepping out of the office, widened her eyes in surprise. She clearly hadn’t expected to run into Lee Rowoon here either. But the flicker of emotion was brief—without hesitation, she brushed past him coldly.

It was complete and utter disregard.

“…”

Lee Rowoon watched her retreating figure with a displeased expression.

‘Hey, Lee Rowoon.’

‘Salad again today?’

‘Aren’t you exhausted from working overtime all the time?’

‘You could at least say hi back, you know?’

For a while, she had been annoyingly clingy, but now she was blatantly ignoring him. He had no idea what her game was this time.

It wasn’t that he particularly cared about her, but her erratic behavior made it difficult to completely dismiss her. He couldn’t help but wonder what kind of scheme she was plotting now.

That was probably why she was on his mind.

“Vice President?”

Lee Rowoon snapped out of his thoughts. His team members were looking at him curiously. Regaining his composure, he resumed walking.

Regardless of which Sungwon subsidiary was involved, all major government and international projects required Chairman Shin’s approval. The large-scale tourism development bid in Singapore, currently being prepared by Sungwon Construction, was one such project. That was why Lee Rowoon had come to the chairman’s office.

“If you approve this bid, we will proceed accordingly.”

“Many competitors will be coming for it. Make sure we secure it. That’s your job.”

“Yes, Chairman.”

As always, the report was brief and businesslike. Lee Rowoon was about to take his leave when—

“Sera… it seems that girl has finally come to her senses.”

If it had been any other name, he wouldn’t have stopped.

Lee Rowoon turned his gaze to the chairman. The man, still exuding an imposing presence despite his age, lived up to his reputation as the “old tiger.” Even though indoor smoking had long been banned, he took a leisurely drag from his cigarette, exhaling a long stream of smoke.

“I wonder if I might finally enjoy the blessings of having a capable child in my later years.”

“…If she’s finally settled down, that’s fortunate.”

“It would be better for you, too. Managing the entire Sungwon family affairs on your own must be quite burdensome.”

Lee Rowoon kept his face expressionless, but Chairman Shin smiled as if he could see right through him. It was a cunning smile, like that of an ancient serpent.

People believed that the chairman cherished Lee Rowoon, but the truth was only half right. The only thing Chairman Shin truly cared about was Sungwon itself. If Lee Rowoon had been incompetent, he wouldn’t have even been given a chance.

Revealing emotions in front of such a ruthless man was nothing short of foolish. Lee Rowoon masked his irritation with a polite smile.

“If we can support each other from now on, that would be ideal.”

Chairman Shin let out a low chuckle, taking another deep drag of his cigarette.

“I plan to observe you two for the time being.”

Even though Lee Rowoon knew the chairman was provoking him, he couldn’t help but feel irritated. Perhaps it was because Sera had already been lingering in his thoughts.

“Ha… fuck.”

As soon as he stepped out of the chairman’s office, Lee Rowoon ran a hand through his hair in frustration. The strange way she kept getting under his skin was infuriating.

He had been trying to ignore Sera all this time. But now, he realized he needed to find out exactly what she was up to.