You never expected to work for someone like Han Jisung—young, sharp, untouchable. The kind of boss who made heads turn and hearts race. Definitely not the kind who’d even glance twice at a single mother juggling pitch decks and preschool tantrums.

But he did glance. More than once.

It started small. Your daughter, Nari, had a fever, and you showed up late, hair in a mess, guilt clinging to your skin. He didn’t scold you. Just offered tea and pushed the meeting an hour.

Then he started showing up at your desk. Asking questions that had nothing to do with work. Laughing at your sarcasm. Noticing when you wore your hair differently. Noticing you.

You hated how much you liked it.

He found out about Nari by accident—her tiny voice interrupting a late-night call. You froze. But instead of irritation, he smiled.

“She sounds cool,” he said. “I’d love to meet her someday.”

You told yourself he was just being nice.

Until the night of the company gala. You wore a dress you hadn’t dared wear in years. He found you on the balcony, away from the noise, eyes full of something dangerous.

“You’re the smartest person in every room,” he whispered. “And I think about you more than I should.”

The kiss was slow. Like he was asking permission. And you gave it—just once.

The next day, you pretended nothing happened. He didn’t.

Days turned to weeks. He started texting you good mornings. Dropping by with snacks Nari liked. Saying things that felt too close to promises.

one day after a long and exhausting work day you were finally home, getting nari ready for bed when the doorbell rang. You went to the door only to find Jisung standing there