“HE DID WHAT?!” The elderly chairman bellowed, slamming his fists onto his desk. 

It hadn’t been long since he had warned Min to stay away from that singer. So how could he think of hiring that good-for-nothing entertainer as the new face of H’Ommage?! Just thinking about it made the chairman’s blood boil.

“If I may speak, sir?”

“What is it?”

“There’s been quite a stir amongst various online forums about ASH’s first love–”

“What?! Did that boy mention my grandson?!”

“Well, not explicitly. ASH dedicated his new title track to his best friend and first love during an interview….”

“My God… Does that entertainer know the truth? Did Min tell him?” The chairman’s eyes grew wide with worry, his heart palpitating against his ribcage. 

“I don’t believe so. The Young Master has been staying at the office late into the night so–” 

“You can never be too sure about that. Have someone tail Joon-woo too.”

“Yes, sir.”

“What about the media reports about Min?”

“Fortunately, no one knows of the Young Master’s identity. I also heard the entire marketing division interacts only with Joon-woo... But I find it odd that the vice chairman is staying quiet about this. I thought he would immediately call out the Young Master.”

“Hmph, he’s probably waiting for Min to make a mistake.” Chairman Yoon clasped his hands together, mulling over the situation before glancing back at his secretary, “Tell the marketing team to look for a new model for H’Ommage. ASH is out of the question!”

“But, sir, won’t it be better if the Young Master stays close to him? It’ll be easier for us to monitor the situation if they meet–” 

“No, my brother is waiting for a chance to put his son onto the board. What do you think will happen to Min if they discover his… weakness?” The chairman whispered the last bit as he clenched his teeth shut. He didn’t even want to think about the possibility that his grandson was in love with ASH. It was preposterous!

“...Then, should we have them take down ASH’s interview?”

The chairman didn’t respond as he weighed all the options he could think of. What did he have to do if he wanted to protect the company and his grandson? Wasn’t there a way to shake off his brother from Min?

“Invite Chairman Park and his eldest granddaughter to tonight’s dinner. By the way, is Reporter Kang still with YS News?”

“Yes, he is.”

“Hmm. It’s time for that singer to look for a different career, don’t you think?”

“...”

Waving his secretary away, the businessman turned his chair, facing the large window of his office. Although he was willing to go to extreme lengths to shield his grandson from harm, Chairman Yoon couldn’t help but feel conflicted with his decision. As much as he wished for Min to be happy, the chairman also had to protect the future of this company and the livelihood of 200,000 employees. 

“Ha… This is all for the best….”

~~~

~~Few Hours Later… Onjisu~~

Min straightened his tie as he waited for the gleaming elevators to open up to the top floor of the high-end Korean restaurant. The heir rolled his eyes at how extravagant the restaurant was– what was this, the palace of Versailles? The elevator doors finally dinged open to a spacious corridor that fanned out to a large, private area.

Min froze as soon as he stepped into the private dining area, his tired gaze hardening into a look of contempt. Then, swallowing the bitter bile bubbling up his throat, the heir sauntered toward the group with a pleasant smile as he greeted Chairman Park of HOSUNG Group.

“Chairman Park, it’s nice to see you again. How have you been?”

“My, how you’ve grown! Chairman Yoon, I’m envious that you have such a capable, dashing young man as your grandson.”

“Haha, what are you saying? If all goes well, he’ll be your grandson too.” Chairman Yoon heartily chuckled, fixing his cloudy, beady eyes on Min. Hmph. That rascal, he’s holding up better than I thought.

“Ah, this is my eldest granddaughter, Park So-hee. So-hee, this is Yoon Min, the heir to S&H Group.”

The elegant lady smoothly rose from her seat, her soft, pink lips curling into a shy smile. Her doe-like eyes glimmered with genuine happiness as she reached for a handshake. Min lightly took her hand with a small, reluctant smile. 

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Yoon. I’ve heard a lot about you from my grandfather.”

“Did you? I hope he only said good things about me. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Park.”

With a content grin on his lips, Chairman Park nudged Min’s grandfather, “Chairman Yoon, why don’t we old folk leave these younger ones alone so they can get to know one another?”

“Yes, that’s a splendid idea. Min, treat So-hee well, understand?” Narrowing his eyes at his grandson as he passed, Chairman Yoon leaned closer to him, “Don’t disappoint me any further. This is my last warning.”

“...”

Min silently watched his grandfather walk away while heartily chuckling with Chairman Park. He knew his grandfather was desperate to have him widen his social circle… But an arranged marriage in this day and age? Who would have thought that his grandfather would go this far to intervene in his personal life now? 

Giving a curt nod to the poised heiress, Min was about to leave when he felt a slight tug on his sleeve.

“Mr. Yoon! We barely greeted each other; why don’t we sit down and–”

“Ms. Park, I’m sorry. But I cannot continue this meeting.”

“Pardon? Why not...?”

“Because…” Min started as he glanced at her with a slight grin, “There’s someone else I’m already interested in.”