Shuun had rules.

  Strict ones.

  One reply a day.

  No attachments.

  No familiarity.

  And yet—somehow, those rules had completely collapsed.

  Now, Minra was texting him every day.

  And he?

  He was replying.

  Every time.

  Not just once.

  Not just briefly.

  But fully engaging.

  He didn’t know when it started.

  Didn’t know why he let himself fall into it.

  All he knew was—

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  Minra’s messages became the part of his day he looked forward to the most.

  And despite telling himself he should stop—

  He didn’t.

  Not even once.

  .

  Something had changed.

  HyunSeong—the CEO everyone feared—

  Was…

  Tolerant.

  Less picky.

  Less strict.

  He was still professional.

  Still intimidating.

  But now, he was actively listening.

  Actively understanding.

  When an employee made a mistake—

  Instead of a sharp scolding, he gave calm corrections.

  When presentations weren’t up to his usual standard,

  Instead of outright rejecting them, he gave actual feedback.

  And the office?

  The office was suspicious.

  People whispered.

  "Did something happen to Mr. Hwa?"

  "Did he… find inner peace?"

  "Is he secretly dying?"

  "Did he get a girlfriend?"

  Shuun ignored them all.

  Because none of them needed to know.

  .

  Shuun—the faceless singer.

  The one whose music saved her on bad days.

  The one she admired.

  But Hwa HyunSeong?

  Her CEO?

  She had never respected him.

  Not truly.

  Not before.

  But now?

  Now, she saw it.

  The way he paid attention to his employees.

  The way he tried—actually tried—to be better.

  The way he wasn’t just a cold, untouchable boss, but someone who actually cared.

  And that—

  That changed everything.

  So, for the first time—the very first time—

  She spoke his name.

  "HyunSeong-ssi."

  And Shuun—

  Shuun, who never reacted to anything,

  Felt something warm in his chest.

  Something he wasn’t supposed to feel.

  Because that name, coming from her lips—

  It sounded better than he ever expected.

  .

  Shuun told himself this was fine.

  That it was just natural progress.

  That she was just an employee, and he was just being a better CEO.

  And yet—

  When he heard his name in her voice—

  Something inside him shifted.

  And for the first time,

  He realized.

  He was in trouble.

  .

  Chapter 24: "The Flight That Changed Everything"