His Daring Wife| GYULISA | Continuation

CHAPTER 178

Lisa learned Mingyu's father had a fondness towards pens and traveled to the other side of the city just to visit a famed engraved pen store. She picked out the finest crafted fountain pen with a black barrel. It had a coiling dragon climbing up the pen with a jade ornament in its mouth. The golden nib had a design of a crest, sharp designs that were woven around the entire metal piece, forming two acute sparrow wings. After paying for it, she had all of her gifts in check.

When the two walked out of the store, Joshua was waiting for them outside. Seeing the woman with bags in tow, he figured his boss probably indulged in her shopping spree, a bad taste on his tongue when he saw the other bags in the trunk of his car. This woman, she really knew how to spend money!

Lisa caught Joshua's dubious glances her way, especially the bags she carried. She could practically envision him branding a "gold digger" sticker on her forehead, the glaring red ink standing out against her fair skin.

She knew he did not like her since their first encounter. Cavalier by nature with the heart of a woman who did not care for the opinions of those insignificant to her, Lisa did not spare him a second glance. So what if he disliked her? It's not like she owed him anything.

However, the little angel on her shoulders scolded her for this behavior. As much as she hated to admit it, having his iceberg of a man on her side would heavily benefit her. He was Mingyu's right-hand man, the most trusted person he knew. Joshua was here to stay. She should not clash with him further one in her life.

Mingyu took the gifts from her hand and placed it into the car. He saw she was deep in thought and decided not to question it. He helped her into the car before shutting the door.

"You're dismissed for today." Mingyu said to Joshua. It was not rare for his secretary to always know where he was, it was part of his job.

Joshua specifically came here to deliver the files that his Boss wanted, but also because he heard an alarming message from Nayeon. "The reports are finished, this is a physical copy—"

"Send it to my email."

Joshua nodded, pulling out his tablet to send it on the spot. Once completed, his eyes trailed to the tinted window where he could not see a single thing. "Boss, are you heading home?"

"It's time to bring her to visit my parents."

At this, Joshua's collected composure cracked. Professionalism tossed aside, his eyes grew wide. He was beyond incredulous upon hearing the news and could not help but blurt out, "You're taking her back to the Kim Main Mansion?"

W-was he going to take her to visit Old Master Kim?! The Elder was a fearsome man whose presence was even more overwhelming than Mingyu.

In Old Master Kim's previous rule over the underworld, the man was a tyrannical dictator. Anyone that went against his words would lose their head. With the people he had slaughtered, it would be enough to create a human mountain of skeletons and skulls. The figurative throne he forged was made of iron and blood, a crimson river flowing from the foot of it. He was not a person that just anyone could visit!

Mingyu glowered Joshua, displeased at his foolish question. He knew what his secretary was implying. Not bothering to answer the question, he was about to get inside the car when Joshua spoke up.

"Boss, it would be dangerous to bring a random woman to visit Old Master Kim, the consequences that would fall on you will be dire—"

"A random woman?" Mingyu snapped his head to Joshua, belittling the man with his eyes.

Joshua flinched, his legs trembling on the spot. He realized his mistake, but in the heat of the moment, he had blurted out the first thing that came into mind. He was so frightened by Mingyu's lethal stare, his soul left his body.

"B-Boss, I-I apologize, it was a slip of the tongue—"

"Will it still slip if I slice it off?"

Joshua resisted the urge to wipe the sweat off of his forehead. "N-No...Wait, I mean yes—"

"Silence."

Joshua's entire body shook like a brittle leaf in the wind, awaiting the wrath of Mingyu.

"First was that foolish rumor; second was Nayeon...now it's you." Mingyu's swift and calm delivery scared his secretary even more. "I wonder what I should do with you fools." He leaned on the car, his arms crossed, his dark eyes looking up towards the sky.

Joshua sucked in an unsteady breath and nearly collapsed onto the floor to beg for his mercy, but could not swallow his pride to accept the position. If it was for his other mistake, he would gladly grovel for forgiveness, but his mistake was just calling Lisa by a suitable nickname! What was wrong with that?!

"Boss, I was wrong—"

"Your days-off for the next three months are revoked. You will start working earlier and end later for the next three months. Handwrite a one hundred page apology letter. I expect to see it on my desk tomorrow morning"

Joshua would rather face a physical punishment than this psychological one. At least the physical one would hurt for a few weeks and he could heal from it, but the latter could not. His relationship with his wife might suffer and he would get less sleep, which meant he would always have to be on his toes.

He wanted to protest, but knew it was one of Mingyu's more lenient punishments. Three months was showing mercy.

Previously, Joshua had made a greater offense and the consequence was dragged out for half a year that drained his entire body and soul. It was absolute torture for him to be sleep-deprived, haggling with an angry wife, while juggling his overly demanding boss. At the least, his pay was not getting cut, but with how much he was overworked, it might as well have been!

Nevertheless, Joshua bowed his head in respect. "Understood."

Mingyu wordlessly turned around and opened the car door where an anxious Lisa was waiting inside. She was wringing her fingers together, her nails digging into her precious flesh while she wrestled the doubtful demon inside of her mind.

"They'll love you, relax my dear." He motioned for Hu Wei to start the car, leaving Joshua in the dust, standing there to repent on his mistakes and regretting every second of it.

"But what if I say the wrong thing or I answer their questions wrong—"

"You won't." He reassured her, patting her head, guiding it to lean on his shoulder, but she was so overly energetic, her nerves skyrocketing out the roof, she refused to rest.

"But there are always what ifs—"

"There are positive ones as well. What if they love you to bits, what if they demand grandchildren, what if they want you to hurry up and set the wedding date, and so on."

Lisa peered at him, a doubtful face. She heard Mrs. and Mr. Kim were hard people to please. With everything they could ever want in this world, there was nothing they lacked. Kicking his son's lover to the curb would be as easy as taking a sip of tea.

"You'll do fine." He continued to soothe her fears, content that she did not object to his talks about their near-future. Perhaps it was because she was too busy overthinking, or perhaps she had finally accepted the idea that he was hers forever, but she was very obedient in the car and she was listening to his every word, not once objecting it.