He immediately lifted his head from the chair, his breathing still uneven as he stared toward the person who had just entered the room, while the strange image of Yihan standing alone in the air remained hauntingly vivid inside his mind.

She looked at him carefully and immediately noticed that his entire body was covered in sweat even though the air conditioner was running, and she couldn't understand why he was sweating so heavily or why his pheromones had suddenly begun leaking into the room, especially because she had never seen her boss make this kind of mistake before and had never experienced his pheromones so strongly.

His pheromones carried the scent of cedarwood and smoke with a sharp edge of black pepper, and the moment the scent spread through the room, she felt her body becoming strangely weak, making it difficult for her to remain standing normally as she looked toward her boss, Cha Hyunseok, with an expression of confusion and concern.

She slowly walked closer and stood beside him while holding several files against her chest.

“S-Sir, did something happen?”

“No, nothing. Why did you come here?”

As soon as Hyunseok answered, he realized that his pheromones were still leaking, and when he noticed how much they were affecting her, he immediately pulled them back and regained control of himself.

“S-Sir, these are the files you need to sign.”

Hyunseok glanced toward the files without actually looking at them.

“What are those files?”

She was still slightly shaken even after Hyunseok controlled his pheromones, but she took a slow breath before carefully explaining that the documents contained information regarding increased prices for several of their products and that the new prices could not be implemented until he had reviewed and signed the necessary paperwork.

Hyunseok listened quietly for a few seconds before finally answering.

“Leave them here. I’ll look at them later.”

“Yes, sir.”

She placed the files on his desk before leaving the room without looking back, and the moment she returned to her workstation, she immediately began talking with several of her colleagues about what had happened inside Hyunseok's office.

She told them that his pheromones had carried an unusually strong scent that she had never experienced before, describing it as powerful enough to make her legs feel weak, while her colleagues listened with growing curiosity and began whispering among themselves about why their usually controlled boss had suddenly lost control of his pheromones.

Hyunseok could see them through the transparent glass walls of his office, and although he knew perfectly well that they were gossiping about him, he simply ignored them because he had no interest in wasting his time worrying about what his employees said behind his back.

He eventually stepped out of his office, and the moment his presence became noticeable, the employees quickly stopped talking and returned their attention to their work.

“Now stop gossiping and start preparing for the meeting.”

“Yes, sir.”

The team immediately began preparing the meeting room while Hyunseok returned to his office, although the dream he had experienced earlier still refused to leave his mind.

He wanted to leave the office and go directly to Yihan, hold him tightly, and simply sleep beside him until the strange feeling inside his chest disappeared, but he had already promised himself that he would maintain some distance from Yihan because he knew that allowing himself to become too attached could eventually make things more difficult.

A few minutes later, one of the employees entered his office and quietly informed him that everyone had already arrived in the meeting room and that he was the only person who had not yet taken his seat, so Hyunseok finally stood up and walked toward the meeting room.

The moment Cha Hyunseok entered, the conversations inside the room stopped, and he walked toward his seat with measured steps while his eyes moved across the long conference table, where his younger brother Hyunwoo was seated directly across from him alongside the board of directors, major shareholders, members of the legal counsel, and several senior executives.

Hyunwoo was already slightly nervous, with sweat visible across his face because he had assumed the meeting would simply involve signing a few documents, while Mr. Kim quietly prepared the minutes and checked the paperwork in front of him.

Hyunseok picked up a bottle of water, took a slow drink, and placed it beside him before looking around the room.

“Good afternoon, everyone. Let’s begin the conference.”

He paused briefly before looking directly toward Hyunwoo.

“Today we are here to appoint a new executive director.”

For a moment, Hyunseok remained silent before suddenly correcting himself with a faint smile.

“Oh... sorry, let me correct myself. Today we are here to appoint Hyunwoo as the new executive director.”

The announcement immediately caused several major shareholders to exchange surprised glances, and quiet conversations began spreading around the table as some people questioned the decision while others openly supported Hyunwoo's appointment.

Hyunwoo simply remained seated and listened, still trying to understand why the meeting had suddenly become so serious because he had genuinely believed that his brother had already arranged everything and that all he needed to do was attend and sign the necessary documents.

One of the board members eventually raised his hand and waited until the room became quiet before speaking.

“Sir, I don’t think he is the right choice. I think you should reconsider this decision.”

Hyunseok stared at him for several seconds before suddenly letting out a quiet laugh, and although the sound was calm, there was no warmth in his expression as he lifted his hand and wiped the small trace of water near the corner of his eye.

“I don’t think you should be saying those words.”

Several people laughed awkwardly, but Hyunseok simply turned his attention toward everyone around the table.

“Whoever doesn’t want Hyunwoo as the executive director can leave this room.”

He paused briefly before continuing.

“Before leaving, you...can resign from your seats and leave.”

Several faces immediately became pale because they understood exactly what Hyunseok was implying, and nobody wanted to be the first person to challenge him.

“And don’t think I don’t have the power to do it.”

His gaze slowly moved across the room.

“I have all the power to remove you, and I’ll replace your place with someone else.”

Nobody answered.

Hyunseok leaned back slightly in his chair before looking toward the entire table again.

“Now, does anyone have any questions?”

No one raised a hand, and the meeting continued without further objections.

Meanwhile, Hyunwoo remained stunned as he sat across from his brother because he had entered the meeting expecting something simple, yet Hyunseok had openly defended his appointment in front of the board and major shareholders.

For the first time, Hyunwoo fully understood how much his brother was willing to do for him, and although he still didn't completely understand why Hyunseok had handled the matter so aggressively, a small smile appeared on his face as he promised himself that he would work as hard as possible, remain loyal to his brother, and do everything he could to make him proud.

When Hyunseok confirmed that there were no further questions, Mr. Kim began organizing the legal documentation while the lawyers and members of the board carefully reviewed the necessary paperwork in the presence of the major shareholders.

Hyunwoo quietly signed each required document as the appointment process moved forward, and after everything had been reviewed and confirmed, he finally leaned back slightly in his chair and released a quiet breath, realizing that he had officially become the new executive director.