[ 09:00 AM - The Conrad Hotel, Suite 3402 ]
Lee Ji-eun woke up to the sound of typing.
It was a rhythmic, aggressive clatter—like a machine gun firing in bursts.
She groaned, pressing the heels of her hands into her eyes. Her head felt heavy, a dull throb lingering behind her temples. The aftereffects of cheap soju and high-stakes adrenaline were not a kind combination.
She sat up, blinking against the light. She was still in her silk blouse, though her midnight-blue jacket was draped neatly over the back of a chair.
Across the room, sitting at the glass desk with the curtains drawn back to reveal the blinding morning sun, was Kang Jin-woo.
He was wearing a fresh white shirt—no tie, sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He looked annoyingly awake. He looked like a young CEO reviewing an acquisition, which, knowing him, he probably was.
"You snore," Jin-woo said, not looking away from his laptop screen.
Ji-eun froze. Her face flushed a deep, mortified crimson. "I do not."
"You do. It sounds like an angry kitten," Jin-woo said, finally turning to look at her. His eyes were amused, a rare spark of lightness in them. "Coffee is on the table. Drink it. We leave in twenty minutes."
Ji-eun scrambled out of bed, checking her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was a mess. "Leave? To go where? The office?"
"No," Jin-woo said, closing his laptop with a snap. "Today is Wednesday. I have a standing appointment."
He stood up and walked over to the wardrobe, pulling out her jacket. He tossed it to her.
"Get dressed, Director Lee. You're driving."
Ji-eun caught the jacket, frowning. "I'm driving? Why?"
Jin-woo paused. For a split second, the omnipotent Shadow Chairman looked slightly embarrassed.
"Because I'm eighteen," he said flatly. "I don't have a license."
[ 10:15 AM - The Road to Gangbuk ]
Ji-eun drove her Porsche Panamera with the smooth confidence of someone who had grown up in the back of luxury sedans. The engine purred as they crossed the bridge, leaving the wealthy Gangnam district behind.
Jin-woo sat in the passenger seat, tapping his knee. Tap. Tap. Tap.
Ji-eun glanced at him.
"You're nervous," she noted.
"I'm not," Jin-woo lied.
"You are. You only tap your finger when we're talking about amounts over one billion won." She smiled slightly, enjoying seeing a crack in his armor. "Who are we meeting? A secret investor? The Mafia?"
Jin-woo looked at the passing scenery—the transition from the glass towers to the older, grittier brick buildings of the north side.
"We are meeting the real boss," Jin-woo said softly. "The only person who can fire me."
Ji-eun's smile faded. The real boss? She gripped the wheel tighter. If there was a puppeteer controlling Jin-woo, she needed to know. Was he in debt to a loan shark? A larger conglomerate?
"Turn left here," Jin-woo instructed.
Ji-eun turned. She expected a hidden mansion or a private club. Instead, they pulled into the cracked asphalt parking lot of Seoul Municipal Hospital.
Ji-eun blinked, staring at the faded sign. "A hospital?"
"Park in the back," Jin-woo said, unbuckling his seatbelt before the car even stopped. "She hates waiting."
[ Ward 304 - Semi-Private Wing ]
Ji-eun followed Jin-woo down the antiseptic hallway. She noticed the change in him immediately. His shoulders, usually squared with the weight of the world, slumped slightly. The cold, dead look in his eyes—the look that terrified chairmen—melted away, replaced by a desperate, aching warmth.
He stopped at door 304. He took a deep breath, composed his face into a bright smile, and opened the door.
"Pizza delivery!" Jin-woo announced.
"OPPA!"
A squeal of pure delight erupted from the bed by the window.
Ji-eun stepped inside.
Sitting in the hospital bed, surrounded by sketchbooks and plush toys, was a small, pale girl. She couldn't be more than ten. She looked frail, her skin almost translucent under the fluorescent lights, but her smile was blinding.
"You brought it!" the girl cheered, pointing at the flat box in Jin-woo's hand. "With the cheese crust?"
"Double cheese," Jin-woo promised, setting the box down on the bedside table. He sat on the edge of the bed and immediately started fussing. He checked her IV line. He placed his hand on her forehead to check her temperature. He adjusted her pillow.
"Did you sleep? Your eyes look tired. Did you eat the porridge?"
"Aish, stop nagging!" The girl swatted his hand away, giggling. "I'm fine! You act like a grandma!"
Then, she looked past him. Her large, dark eyes landed on Ji-eun.
Ji-eun stood near the door in her 5-million-won suit, clutching her Gucci bag, feeling suddenly very large and very intrusive.
Eun-ji's eyes went wide. She looked at Ji-eun, then at Jin-woo. A sly, delighted grin spread across her face.
"Oppa," Eun-ji whispered loudly. "Who is the pretty Unnie? Is she your girlfriend?"
Jin-woo choked on air. "She is not—"
"I knew it!" Eun-ji clapped her hands, ignoring him. "You smelled like perfume yesterday! I told you! You have a girlfriend!"
Ji-eun felt the tension of the last twenty-four hours evaporate. A genuine smile broke through her "Iron Lady" mask. She walked over to the bed and bowed slightly, treating the ten-year-old with the same respect she would a CEO.
"Hello, Eun-ji," Ji-eun said softly. "I'm Lee Ji-eun. I'm not his girlfriend. I'm his... partner."
"Partner?" Eun-ji tilted her head. "Like... in crime?"
Ji-eun laughed. "Exactly. We work together."
Eun-ji patted the spot on the bed next to her. "Sit, Unnie! Let me see your suit. Is it silk?"
Ji-eun hesitated, then sat down carefully. Eun-ji reached out and touched the sleeve of the midnight-blue jacket.
"Wah... it's so soft," Eun-ji marveled. "Oppa always wears scratchy school uniforms. You have good taste, Unnie."
"I bought her that suit," Jin-woo interjected, handing Eun-ji a slice of pizza. "Eat. Small bites."
Eun-ji rolled her eyes at Ji-eun. "See? He thinks I'm a baby. He cuts the pepperoni into triangles."
"It's easier to digest," Jin-woo insisted, wiping a speck of sauce from her chin with a napkin.
Ji-eun watched them. She saw the way Jin-woo's eyes never left his sister. He wasn't the Predator here. He was just a terrified older brother trying to keep his world from crumbling.
"What were you drawing?" Ji-eun asked, nodding at the sketchbook on Eun-ji's lap.
"Oh! I was drawing Oppa," Eun-ji said. She flipped the book open.
It was a crayon drawing. It showed a boy with spiky black hair holding a sword, standing in front of a castle. But the boy looked grumpy. He had angry eyebrows.
"This is Oppa fighting the monsters," Eun-ji explained. "He looks scary to the monsters, but he's protecting the castle."
She looked at Ji-eun, then picked up a blue crayon.
"I need to add you now," Eun-ji decided. "You can be the Queen."
Ji-eun smiled. "The Queen? What does she do?"
"She makes sure the Knight eats his vegetables," Eun-ji said seriously. "Because he forgets."
Ji-eun laughed. "I can do that."
Jin-woo stood up, checking his watch. He looked uncomfortable with the attention. "I need to speak with Dr. Song about the billing. Director Lee, keep an eye on her? Don't let her eat the crusts, they're too hard."
"Go, go!" Eun-ji waved him away. "Unnie and I have secrets to talk about."
Jin-woo sighed and walked out.
As soon as the door closed, Eun-ji's smile faded slightly. She leaned in closer to Ji-eun, looking around to make sure the door was shut.
"Unnie?"
"Yes?"
"Are you going to stay?" Eun-ji asked. Her voice was small.
"Stay where?"
"With Oppa," Eun-ji whispered. "He's lonely. He thinks I don't know, but he cries in the hallway sometimes when he thinks I'm sleeping. He doesn't have any friends. He just looks at his phone all day."
She looked up at Ji-eun.
"Can you play with him? So he doesn't cry?"
Ji-eun felt a squeeze in her chest. It wasn't a philosophical plea; it was just a little girl worried that her brother had no one to play with.
Ji-eun reached out and took Eun-ji's small hand.
"I'm not going anywhere," Ji-eun promised. "I'll make sure he's not lonely. And I'll make sure he eats his vegetables."
Eun-ji beamed. "Pinky promise?"
"Pinky promise."
[ The Hallway ]
Jin-woo stood at the reception desk. Dr. Song was looking at the computer screen, eyes wide.
"Mr. Kang... a transfer to the VIP Private Wing? That's... that's 200 million won a month. Plus the deposit for the foreign specialists..."
Jin-woo pulled out his phone. He opened the banking app for Apex Investment.
Balance: 12,400,000,000 KRW.
"Do it," Jin-woo ordered. "I want her moved today. I want the best oncologist from Asan Medical Center flown in by Friday."
"Jin-woo-ya," Dr. Song stammered. "Did you rob a bank?"
"I robbed a construction company," Jin-woo corrected coldly. "Is it enough?"
"It's more than enough. She'll have the best care in the country."
"Good."
Jin-woo turned around.
Ji-eun was standing in the doorway of Ward 304. She had quietly stepped out of the room, closing the door softly behind her until it was just a crack open. She had heard everything.
She walked over to the desk.
Jin-woo braced himself. He expected her to ask why he was wasting company capital on a personal expense. He prepared his defense.
Instead, Ji-eun reached into her purse and handed a black business card to the stunned Dr. Song.
"I am Director Lee of Apex Investment," she said, her voice projecting full authority. "Mr. Kang is my CEO. Whatever he asks for, you provide double. If you need equipment imported, call my office. If you need clearance for experimental drugs, call my lawyer."
She turned to Jin-woo. Her eyes were fierce. There was no pity in them, only a shared resolve.
"We need more money," she stated.
Jin-woo blinked. "What?"
"The VIP wing is nice, but the survival rate for her condition is 15% higher in Switzerland," Ji-eun said, checking her watch. "We need a private jet. We need to buy a clinic in Zurich. We need to hire a full-time research team."
She looked at him.
"12 Billion won isn't enough, Jin. We need Trillions."
Jin-woo looked at her. For the first time since his rebirth, the crushing weight on his shoulders felt a little lighter. He wasn't carrying it alone anymore.
He smirked. "You're right. 12 Billion is pocket change."
He turned back toward Ward 304.
Through the glass window of the door, Eun-ji was watching them. She was clutching her sketchbook, looking small in the big bed.
Jin-woo raised his hand and gave her a warm, reassuring wave. He pointed to his phone, mouthing, I'll call you.
Eun-ji beamed. She waved back frantically with both hands, then pointed at Ji-eun and gave a big thumbs up.
Ji-eun couldn't help it. She smiled—a real, soft smile—and gave a small, elegant wave back.
Jin-woo turned to his partner. The warmth vanished from his eyes, replaced by the cold fire of ambition.
"She likes you," Jin-woo noted.
"She has good taste," Ji-eun replied, adjusting her blazer. "Now, let's go. If we're going to buy a clinic in Switzerland, we have a city to loot."
Jin-woo nodded.
"Lead the way, Director."