Ransomed Fiancée (Michaeng) ✔️

Summary (Part 20)

Chapter 24:

The next meeting with the GroundUp was scheduled to start soon, and Mina arrived early. She was the first to enter the room. She took a seat at the head of the table, waiting for the others to arrive. One by one, her employees trickled in, exchanging quiet greetings as they found their seats.

Her gaze flicked up when she noticed Chaeyoung enter, her arm in a cast and a smile on her face. Minjeong trailed behind her, plopping down next to her and immediately pulling out a marker. Without asking, Minjeong began doodling on the cast while Chaeyoung, so patient just simply nodded along and focused on the report in her hands.

A curious employee spoke up, breaking the hum of conversation. "What happened to your arm, Ms. Son?"

Chaeyoung glanced up briefly, her tone matter-of-fact. "Uh, I was crossing the road when my legs gave out, and my head started spinning. A motorcycle almost hit me, but it swerved just in time. I ended up falling and broke my arm. Nothing serious, though—it should heal in about three weeks."

There was a murmur of concern among the employees, some offering well-wishes while Minjeong quipped something lighthearted to ease the mood. Chaeyoung laughed softly, her focus returning to her report.

Mina's gaze lingered on the pair for a moment as she observed the exchange then she averted her eyes back to her tablet. Chaeyoung's explanation was casual, almost dismissive, but Mina felt troubled. She couldn't shake the gnawing thought. Had she contributed to this? Chaeyoung had knelt all night at her command and Mina had been relentless, demanding revisions to reports at every meeting. The fatigue, the strain, it wasn't far-fetched to think she had pushed Chaeyoung too far.

For the first time, Mina admitted. Chaeyoung was right. She couldn't separate personal matters from professional ones—not when it came to Chaeyoung. She had always believed she was the type of person who could draw a clear line and keep business strictly business. But with Chaeyoung, everything blurred. She initially thought she could treat this as just business when she signed the contract and return to London once it ended. But she terribly wrong.

But how could she? when the woman sitting there with a polite smile was the same one who had once stolen her heart? The same woman who had cradled it with warmth, filled it with vibrant flowers, only to cruelly pluck them all, stomp on what remained, and disappear. And now, she was back, unknowingly sowing seeds again in the barren soil Mina had long abandoned.

How could she ever be unaffected?

"This is the progress we've made so far," Chaeyoung began as Minjeong handed out copies of the report to the employees and one to Mina. "We've hit all our key performance indicators and are ahead of schedule in several areas."

The report detailed their progress, including Chaeyoung's decision to continue employing ex-convicts despite Mina's suggestion. It also highlighted the team's achievements over the past quarter and projections for the next.

Mina nodded slowly, her gaze distant, not even glancing at the report. "I see," she murmured absentmindedly.

A knot tightened in Chaeyoung's stomach. Anxiety churned as she recalled how she had technically gone against Mina's orders. "I've also included a few strategic suggestions for the next quarter," Chaeyoung added, her tone more cautious. "We're planning to scale up our marketing efforts to expand our reach."

Mina finally picked up the report, flipping through it without much expression. Chaeyoung watched her closely, bracing herself for the usual criticisms. After a moment, Mina lowered the report and set it back on the table. "Overall, this is good work," she said, her tone neutral.