Chapter 7 [7]

The Seoul sky was beginning to darken, and the city lights flickered on, casting a soft glow across the streets. Their reflections danced along the sleek surface of a black car cruising toward Gangnam. Inside, Josh leaned back in the rear seat, a wireless earbud tucked neatly in his ear. Jack's voice came through the call, smooth and familiar.

"So, how's Seoul?"

"Do I really need to answer that?" Josh replied with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

His brother chuckled on the other end. "Well, I haven't heard you complain since day one, so I'll take that as a sign you're settling in."

Josh let out a long breath. "You wouldn't be calling unless it was important. Just tell me-what is it?"

"I heard you're attending a dinner party tonight?"

"Something like that."

Once again, Jackson Miller laughed-carefree, as always. "Sounds like little brother is starting to understand the game. These dinners tell you who's loyal and who's quietly planning the downfall of the company Dad built."

Josh didn't respond to that.

"I heard it's at a restaurant in Cheongdam?"

"Yeah. Mr. Jung recommended the place. Dylan said it's popular with the exec crowd. Not exactly my scene."

"Well, if Dylan said it's worth it, you might as well enjoy it-even if it's reluctantly. After a week of reading reports, you deserve something decent to eat."

Josh offered a faint smile. "It's more than just reports. I've been studying the habits of the board members here. Some of them are way too comfortable... too powerful."

Jack chuckled again. "I figured. Each branch has its own culture. But MaC Korea has always had a reputation for being... a little closed off, hasn't it?"

"Closed off, and riddled with internal compromises. Too many decisions are made for political reasons. I want a system that's transparent, performance-based-not built on favoritism."

Josh heard Jack clear his throat briefly. "You're the CEO now. If you want to change the ship's direction, I'm behind you. Don't hesitate."

"Since when have I ever hesitated? But I won't move too fast. No need to stir the pot before I understand how deep it goes."

"When you're trying to fix a broken system like MaC Korea's, the ones who resist the hardest are usually the ones who've been feeding off the chaos. Don't overthink it."

Josh let out a short laugh. "Still the brute force type, huh?"

"I work at HQ. With Dad breathing down my neck, I don't have the luxury of playing nice. If I don't push hard, I get crushed."

The car slowed, then pulled to a stop in front of a restaurant marked by a sleek wooden sign that read Mingles.

"I've got to go," Josh said. "I'll keep you posted if anything comes up."

"Good luck, CEO."

The call ended.

Josh stared at the restaurant façade for a moment, already arranging the next steps in his mind.

"This way, sir," Dylan said, holding the door open.

The moment Josh stepped into Mingles, the chill of the evening melted away, replaced by the warm ambiance of wood-accented interiors and soft, golden lighting. The high ceilings were adorned with minimalist geometric chandeliers-elegant in their simplicity. A gentle stream of instrumental jazz floated through the air, subtle enough not to overpower conversation, yet present enough to ease the formality of the room.

A long dining table had been arranged in the private area of the restaurant. Around it, a mix of sharply dressed executives in tailored suits and women in graceful evening gowns began to rise as soon as Josh appeared at the entrance. Some of them had already been standing, waiting.

"Good evening, Mr. Miller."

"It's an honor to have you with us tonight."

"I've been looking forward to meeting you in person, Mr. Josh Miller."

Greetings poured in one by one.

With a faint, polite smile that barely curved his lips, Josh returned each of them with brief but courteous nods. Behind him, Dylan followed half a step behind, eyes scanning the room-marking who smiled too eagerly, who stared too long, and who looked just a bit too anxious.

As Josh made his way to the central seat at the long side of the table-the one clearly reserved for him-he noticed Rico and Clara were already there, seated across from each other, Clara's chair subtly angled toward Rico.

Clara stood quickly, offering a smile that was a shade too warm to be purely professional. "It's such a pleasure to finally have you join us, Mr. Miller. We've all been looking forward to this evening."

Josh gave a slight nod, his expression neutral-pleasant, but distant.

Rico quickly chimed in, raising his voice just enough to make sure those nearby could hear. "We're truly honored by your presence, Mr. Josh. Hopefully, this dinner marks the start of an even stronger collaboration."

"Let's hope so." Josh's reply was polite but detached, much like the way he glanced at Rico-briefly, without emotion-before turning his attention back to the wine glass in front of him.

A server appeared with the appetizers: delicate jeon filled with fresh oysters, paired with chilled mulkimchi elegantly plated in handcrafted ceramic bowls. The tang of fermentation and traditional spices filled the room, rich and unmistakably Korean.

"This is the finest hanjeongsik in Seoul, Mr. Josh. We thought you might miss the authentic flavors of home, considering you grew up overseas," said Commissioner Jaeyoon with an affable tone.

Josh simply nodded, disinterested. He had a feeling this dinner would drag on longer than he'd like.

"If I'm not mistaken, your mother is from Busan, isn't she? A daughter of the Choi family, if my memory serves me right?" This time, it was Commissioner Kwon speaking-his gaze sharp, as if what he'd just shared was some rare gem of insider knowledge.

"That's true. But I don't use that family name anymore," Josh replied flatly.

"Ah, what a shame. The Choi name is still quite respected-especially the branch from Busan," said Jaeyoon, quickly chiming in. "I actually knew one of your uncles back when I was studying at KAIST."

Josh resisted the urge to sigh. If there was one thing he hated, it was people bringing up his family. "A lot changed after our parents' generation," he said coolly.

The waiter returned just in time, placing the main course in front of them: slow-braised galbijjim, beef so tender it practically fell apart at the touch, and grilled deodeok drizzled with a sweet-spicy gochujang sauce.

Rico seized the moment.

"Mr. Josh, I hope you enjoy the galbijjim. Clara and I tried it yesterday and immediately thought you had to taste it."

"If it doesn't suit your palate, we can recommend someplace more authentic," Clara added with a carefully practiced smile.

Josh turned his head slightly, casting them a fleeting look that carried just the faintest hint of fatigue. Then he turned back to his plate. "Thank you. I'll give it a try."

There was no shortage of small talk-none of it meaningful. But for the sake of his position here in Korea, Josh kept his composure. He allowed himself to be the magnetic center of the table, receiving dishes and drinks as they came, politely engaging just enough to maintain appearances.

Until his phone rang.

The sudden sound broke the rhythm of the dinner, and to everyone's surprise, Josh actually smiled-genuinely, widely. It caught attention. Was it someone special? A lover, perhaps?

"Hey, sweetheart," Josh said brightly into the phone, rising from his seat. Then he gave the others a polite nod as he spoke, "I have to take this. Please, go ahead with dinner. Dylan will handle the bills. Good night."

There was a brief, stunned silence. By the time they remembered to respond with their own "Good night," Josh was already halfway out the door. Dylan quickly stepped in to take his place, wordlessly falling into the role of handling things in his boss's absence.

"Damn," Jaeyoon muttered under his breath. "Our CEO doesn't seem too fond of traditional Korean cuisine."

"You're right," added Kwon In-Hyuk, frowning slightly. "I thought he'd appreciate it more."

"Don't worry too much," Rico said smoothly. "There will be plenty more opportunities-especially with Mr. Jung and Mr. Kwon. I doubt Mr. Josh will turn those down."

Both Jaeyoon and Kwon exchanged knowing glances and chuckled in agreement.

"Your future son-in-law's quite sharp," Kwon commented with a nod of approval toward Rico, who responded with a humble smile.

"I wouldn't surround myself with fools, Mr. Kwon."

Their laughter returned, and the dinner carried on.

Meanwhile, outside the restaurant, Josh strolled casually, phone still at his ear.

"Would you quit starting conversations like that?" Ivy snapped on the other end. "I'm not your girlfriend."

Josh just chuckled, letting the sound roll off his lips as he walked, not bothering to speak until he was far enough from the sycophants still milling around inside the dinner party.

"So... what you call me?" he asked casually.

"Am I bothering you?" Ivy's voice came through the line, a little anxious.

"Not at all," Josh replied, loosening the knot of his tie with a relaxed motion.

"I made dinner. Will you... be home soon?"

His steps slowed. The cold night air in Seoul brushed against his face, but oddly enough, it felt warm-comforting. No one had ever called him just to say something like that. Not in his entire life.

"Yes," he murmured. "I'll be home soon."

A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "Want me to bring you anything?"

"No need. I've already bought plenty of things using your card. That thing buys a lot, Josh," Ivy teased from the other end.

"Ouch. That answer wounds me."

"What do you mean by that?" Ivy asked, genuinely confused. "Could you just hurry up? It's best served hot."

"Do you miss me that much?" he asked playfully. "So much you can't wait to see me?"

A soft laugh slipped through the line. "Not even a little."

"You're sure you don't need anything else?"

"No, Josh."

That light, easy conversation lingered with him all the way to the black car waiting in the lobby. Dylan stood nearby, silently observing the exchange between Josh and whoever was on the other end of that call.

It was strange-no, it was borderline unsettling.

Since when did Josh speak with that kind of tenderness?

And since when did Josh Miller have someone in his life like that?