"You are the pathetic loser who was desperately trying to dig out my personal details and digital footprints all the way from Italy. Absolute nonsense."
Mr. Kwon stiffened for a fraction of a second, a flicker of genuine shock crossing his features before he quickly masked it. Rolling his eyes slightly, his wicked smile crept back onto his face. "Well... you are sharper than I thought, Miss Francesca."
Siwon crossed her arms, her gaze piercing right through him. "Cut the small talk. Now tell me, why did you do it?"
"Oh, no big reason," Mr. Kwon replied casually, waving his hand in the air. "Just looking for a little detailing on you. It makes connecting and working together much easier, don't you think?"
Siwon let out a cold, sharp chuckle. "So... what if I say that I won't do it?"
Mr. Kwon's brows furrowed in sudden confusion. "What?"
"What if I refuse to cut the deal with Han Sang Enterprises?" Siwon stated, her voice dropping into an unshakeable, freezing tone. "Because frankly, I have absolutely no reason to do so."
"Why?!" Mr. Kwon slammed his hand lightly on the desk, his greed slipping through his calm mask. "Why would you choose to invest your massive fortune into a dead, rotting company like Han Sang? Why not partner with my company, Apex Groups instead?!"
Siwon rolled her eyes, her expression filled with pure, effortless ignorance. "But why on earth should I invest in your company? Mr. Kwon, I choose where my profit lies, and you choose yours. That is exactly why you want me to back off. Your company is already in a perfectly healthy financial situation, so why do you need my money? Don't play dumb with me."
Mr. Kwon's smile completely vanished, replaced by a cold, menacing sneer. "This is my last warning to you in this meeting, Miss Park. Cut the deal with Han Sang Enterprises. Otherwise... get ready for a world of trouble."
Siwon didn't even flinch. Instead, she let out a low, amused chuckle.
BAM!
She brought her clenched fist down heavily onto the mahogany table, the sharp sound echoing like a gunshot through the silence of the office.
"There is absolutely no reason to bring up 'trouble,' 'enemies,' or 'friends' in a simple business transaction," Siwon said, leaning forward, her eyes flashing with a dangerous fire. "I don't know why you are twisting such a simple matter. But well... if you truly want to create a troublesome situation for me, then remember this—I am always ready for a clear, cut-throat, short ending."
With that, Siwon smoothly pushed her chair back and stood up in one elegant motion, ready to leave the lion's den.
Right at that exact second, the heavy doors of the office swung open. The same bulky servant who had forced Siwon into the car stepped into the room. Seeing Siwon standing up, he ignored her completely and started walking past her toward Mr. Kwon's desk to deliver an urgent update.
"Hey," Siwon's voice sliced through the air like a blade. "You. Come here."
The servant paused, blinking in confusion, and turned toward her.
WHACK!!!
Before he could even register her movement, Siwon swung her arm and delivered a devastating, thunderous slap straight across his face! The sheer force of the blow echoed violently through the entire room, sending the heavy man stumbling backward as his cheek turned instantly crimson.
Mr. Kwon's eyes widened in absolute shock. He slammed his hands down and stood up from his chair in pure disbelief, his jaw dropping at her raw audacity. She had just assaulted his top man right in front of his eyes!
Siwon didn't even look at Mr. Kwon. She calmly adjusted her cuffs, looking down at the groaning servant with a freezing, lethal glare.
"Next time," Siwon commanded, her voice dripping with sheer venom, "don't you dare forget to take my permission before entering my space."
Turning her back on a stunned Mr. Kwon and his bleeding servant, the Valkyrie Queen marched out of the apex empire, her heels clicking victoriously.
As the heavy glass doors of Apex Groups swung open, Siwon marched out onto the dimly lit main road, her breathing still heavy from pure rage.
Right at that moment, a car screeched to a halt near the pavement. Mr. Nam and Min-seok practically scrambled out of the vehicle, running toward her with absolute panic and relief written all over their faces.
"Ma'am! You're here! We finally found you!" Min-seok shouted in a happy, breathless voice, holding a plastic bag of groceries and his beloved Soju bottles. "We were so scared when the car and you suddenly vanished! The GPS tracker showed that the vehicle was brought here, but the receptionists inside told us that you were just having an urgent meeting. We were so worried—"
SLAP!!!
A violent, stinging sound sliced through the quiet night air.
Before Min-seok could even finish his sentence, Siwon's hand swung through the air and delivered a brutal, furious slap straight across his face. The impact was so sudden and violent that Min-seok's head snapped to the side, and the happy smile completely froze on his lips.
"If you don't know how to do your damn job properly, then don't do it at all!" Siwon roared in a completely violent mode, her eyes flashing with dangerous, terrifying anger. "Drop this job right now! Otherwise, keep doing nothing but buying groceries for the rest of your pathetic life!"
Min-seok's entire body went rigid. The joy in his eyes instantly shattered, replaced by a deep, suffocating sadness. He stared at the ground, his chest heaving as hot, heavy tears immediately welled up in his eyes and began rolling down his burning cheek. He didn't say a single word.
Mr. Nam's jaw dropped in absolute shock. Seeing the violent outburst, he stepped forward, his voice tight. "Siwon...!"
Siwon didn't even bother to look back at either of them. Still completely consumed by her explosive wrath, she marched away, raised her hand to flag down a passing yellow taxi, and threw herself into the back seat. The taxi instantly sped away into the city traffic, leaving them behind.
The street became deathly quiet. Big, silent tears kept dripping from Min-seok's eyes, splashing onto the pavement. He looked completely heartbroken.
Mr. Nam let out a heavy, painful sigh, looking in the direction where the taxi had disappeared. "This girl... seriously..."
He walked over to the trembling boy, gently placing a comforting hand on Min-seok's slumped shoulder. "Hey... clean your face. Don't cry. Be quiet now... she was just in an extreme fit of rage. She didn't mean it."
Late into the night, the world outside was quiet, but inside the villa, the tension was still lingering.
Siwon was in her room, dressed in her comfortable nightwear, sitting on the edge of the bed. She was quietly eating ice cream straight from the tub, trying to numb the boiling frustration and guilt inside her head.
The bedroom door was already slightly ajar.
Knock, knock.
"Siwon... Siwon?" Mr. Nam called out softly from the hallway. Receiving no answer, he pushed the gate fully open and walked inside.
Siwon didn't even look up at him. She kept staring blankly ahead, silently shoveling another spoonful of ice cream into her mouth.
Seeing her stubborn, indifferent attitude, Mr. Nam lost his patience. He raised his voice, shouting a little louder, "SIWON!"
Siwon flinched slightly and finally snapped her gaze toward him, staring at him with her usual cold, sharp eyes.
Mr. Nam quickly cleared his throat, adjusting his posture, but he didn't back down. "I mean... Ma'am. Why did you do that tonight? You shouldn't have done that to him. That poor boy is still crying downstairs, do you know that?"
Siwon's hand froze mid-air, holding the spoon, but she kept her face deadpan.
"The moment you vanished from the parking lot, he completely lost his mind with worry," Mr. Nam continued, his voice tight with genuine disappointment. "After searching everywhere for you, he even called me in tears. It's a good thing Richard isn't here right now, otherwise, Min-seok would have called him too out of sheer panic! He cares about your safety that much."
He stepped closer, looking down at her with a heavy gaze. "Min-seok is basically still a kid. And you? You might be just a year or two younger than him in age, but you are miles ahead of everyone in terms of status, power, and rank. But being in a higher position doesn't give you the right to just walk around slapping people whenever you lose your temper! What you did today was entirely wrong. I am deeply disappointed and angry with you, Siwon."
Siwon lowered her eyes, staring at the melting ice cream in her lap. The cold mask she wore in front of the world was slowly starting to crack.
"Now that you've eaten your ice cream and your brain has hopefully cooled down, go and make things right," Mr. Nam sighed, his tone softening just a bit before turning around. "Go comfort him. He genuinely respects and looks up to you."
Leaving those heavy words behind, Mr. Nam turned on his heels and walked out of the room, closing the door softly behind him.
Left entirely alone in the dim light of her bedroom, Siwon slowly put the ice cream tub down on the side table. The sweetness felt bitter now. For the first time in a very long time, the fearless Valkyrie Queen looked genuinely sad, her heart heavy with regret as she sat alone in the quiet dark.