Crushed And Bond

Chapter 26: Reconciliation

Not proof read.

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Lalisa gently kissed Jiyeon on the forehead before dropping her off at school. "Have a great day, sweetie," she said, smiling warmly.

Ji-yeon returned the smile and waved at her mother. "I will, Mama! See you later!" she called out before running into the school compound towards her classroom.

As Jiyeon entered the classroom, her small yellow school bag bounced lightly on her back. She made her way to her designated seat beside Minhyuk, who was engrossed in a children's book. Seeing her, Minhyuk looked up briefly before hurriedly turning back to his bag, rummaging through it with a sense of urgency.

After a moment, he found what he was looking for and placed five sweets wrapped in various colorful wrappers in front of her. "Here," he said with a smile, "my mom was recently back from overseas, and she brought me some sweets. I brought some for you."

Ji-yeon giggled, her eyes lighting up with delight as she took the sweets. "Thank you, Minhyuk," she said sincerely.

Minhyuk said nothing, returning his focus to the book in front of him. However, Jiyeon quickly noticed that he was actually trying to finish the homework assigned the previous day. 

Ji-yeon shook her head at him cutely, her amusement clear. She unwrapped one of the candies and popped it into her mouth, savoring the sweet taste. As she did so, she glanced at Minhyuk's book and homework, contemplating whether to offer her help or simply enjoy the sweets he had so kindly shared.

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Lalisa sat in her office, deep in thought, reflecting on the events of the previous day. Jennie's words echoed in her mind: "We need the file, reconcile with Jungkook." The weight of those sentences hung heavy on her shoulders. Clearing her name was her primary reason for returning, but the thought of reconciling with Jungkook, with his arrogance and ego, was something she was not eager to entertain.

Yet, the key to her innocence lay with him. That fact gnawed at her, conflicting with the resentment she harbored towards him for leaving her when she needed him most seven years ago. She hated him, or so she thought so. But what baffled her the most was his hostility towards her now. He had been willing to divorce her back then, so why did he treat her like she had committed a grave crime? It simply didn't make sense.

"Ugghh, so frustrating," Lalisa muttered to herself, running a hand through her hair in exasperation. "Forget Jungkook."

She glanced up at the clock on the wall and realized she had a meeting with an investor scheduled soon. Packing up her things, Lalisa collected herself and started heading towards the meeting room, pushing aside her personal turmoil to focus on the professional task at hand.

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As Lalisa entered the sleek meeting room, she spotted Hana already waiting for her. She nodded in acknowledgment at Hana before turning her attention to the woman standing to greet her. The woman had pale skin reminiscent of snow, full red lips, a delicate mole just above her lip, a pointed nose, sharp cat-like eyes, and long wavy hair that cascaded down her shoulders. She exuded a striking beauty that hinted at a non-Korean heritage.

Lalisa extended a professional smile and shook hands with her guest. "It's good to meet you, Dr. Lee Hea. Please, take a seat."

"Indeed, pleasure to meet you as well, Ms. Manoban," Lee Hea replied gracefully as she settled into her chair.

Lalisa took the lead, launching into a detailed explanation of the investment proposal from Talix Pharmaceuticals. "Our company is dedicated to developing a new generation painkiller for cancer patients. Unlike morphine, which often has severe side effects, our new painkiller aims to minimize these effects while providing effective pain relief. We believe this product has the potential to revolutionize cancer pain management."

Lee Hea listened attentively, her expression thoughtful yet intrigued. Lalisa could see genuine interest in her eyes as she spoke. When Lalisa finished presenting, Lee Hea's face lit up with a bright smile. "Impressive," she said sincerely. "Your approach and vision are commendable, Ms. Manoban. I am truly impressed by what Talix Pharmaceuticals aims to achieve."

Lalisa felt a surge of relief at the positive reception. "Thank you, Dr. Lee Hea. We are excited about the possibilities this partnership could bring."

Lee Hea nodded, her smile widening. "I believe this partnership could be very beneficial. I'm ready to move forward with the investment."

The deal was swiftly finalized with mutual agreement on terms, and Hana graciously escorted Dr. Lee Hea out of the meeting room once everything was settled.

Alone in the room now, Lalisa leaned back in her chair, her smile fading as she pondered the familiarity of Dr. Lee Hea's face. She couldn't quite place where she had seen her before, and it bothered her. Was she a friend of a friend? A colleague from a past conference? The nagging feeling of recognition lingered.

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Finished with the meeting, Lalisa returned to her office, settled her things, and grabbed her handbag from the couch. Glancing at the time, she realized it was nearly time to pick up Jiyeon from school. Hastily, she made her way out of the office, reminding Hana to come back home early before rushing to her car.

The drive to Jiyeon's school was filled with anticipation and a sense of urgency. Lalisa parked quickly and entered the school compound, heading towards the bench where Jiyeon usually waited for her. However, her steps faltered midway.

There, beside Jiyeon and Minhyuk, was an unexpected figure: Jungkook. Lalisa's hand tightened around her handbag as she watched in disbelief. Jiyeon and Minhyuk were happily enjoying ice cream with Jungkook, who wore a rare smile as he interacted with the children.

What shocked Lalisa the most was Jiyeon's bright smile directed at Jungkook as she savored the cold treat. Lalisa stood rooted to the spot, unable to move or speak, emotions swirling within her.

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Mingyu suddenly received a call wwhile he was working in his office. he looked at the caller ID and curesed under his breath. "Fuck!"

His hands shaked while he picked up the call, and an cold feminine voice flowed out of the other line.

"I am back, Aren't you gonna welcome me, old companion."

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{a/n: I don't know what I wrote, I tried writing the scene that I had pictured in my mind, but it didn't come out such that, I am so not satisfied with this chapter

But, happy that Jin is baaaccck."