The air inside CoreSync's executive boardroom was thick with smoke — not literal, but the kind born of rage and restraint.
It stank of old money and older fear.
Minho sat at the far end of the table. Alone.
Flanked by thirty years of legacy, leather chairs, power ties and thinning hair.
His suit jacket was unbuttoned.
His phone — off.
His composure? Intact.
But the wolves were circling.
"You went off script."
"You insulted our press partners."
"You exposed internal HR incidents."
"You put your personal life in front of the company—"
"You've embarrassed your own board—"
He didn't blink.
Didn't move.
Didn't even touch the glass of water they'd placed in front of him like bait.
Until one man spoke — trembling with entitlement.
"Do you understand what you've done, Mr. Lee?"
"You've single-handedly dismantled ten years of Nova's neutrality in the media. All for some—"
A pause.
A sneer.
"—woman."
That's when Minho looked up.
Really looked.
His voice didn't rise.
But it cut.
"Say her name. I dare you."
Silence.
"She's not some woman. She's the only person in the last year who's reminded me why any of this is worth it."
He stood, slow and deliberate.
"You want to talk about failures? Let's talk."
"I failed to listen to my team when they told me the Nova+ product wasn't ready."
"I failed to notice the breach in supply chains that cost us two million in Q1."
"I failed to revise our UX licensing model on time, even when the flags were there."
He braced both palms on the table.
"But I didn't fail this company by defending the woman I love.
I redeemed myself."
They didn't like that.
The sharks started again. Barking.
"Your father didn't build this empire for you to turn it into a circus—"
"You think love is a leadership quality now?"
"You threw away years of brand diplomacy for one press conference—"
"What would your father say to this—"
"I'd say," a voice called from the back, "it's about time he finally stood on his own."
Every head turned.
Minho looked past the suits, past the CFO's sweat-slick brow, and locked eyes with the one man seated in the farthest chair:
Lee Hyeonwoo.
His father.
Founder of Nova.
Retired. Still feared. Still revered.
Minho straightened slowly.
His father continued:
"You think this company was built on silence? On letting the press twist our names into what they needed us to be? No. I built it by speaking when no one else would."
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Chasing Perfection || Lee Know
Fiksi PenggemarHe was her first rival, her first love-and the first to walk away. Now, he's her boss, and she's the last person he wants in his kitchen. But old habits die hard... and so do old feelings. ‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡🪐༘⋆ Yoon Hyejin, constantly overshadowed by her hig...
