9

9.

She realizes that the desperate urge to sleep has left her and she feels a little disappointed.

She decides not to return to bed, but to get ready for the day already. She walks to the bathroom and takes a shower.

There is a bathtub in the bathroom, but she decides to say the treatment for another time. Right now, she has to prepare herself to meet this Kim Soo family and make sure that they fall in love with her father-in-law.

After the shower, she picks up her phone and rings Kim, her secretary. She doesn't know why she is not here yet.

The phone rings for some time before Kim answers her phone.

"Kim, I swear to God you can't do this to me. " Edna sighs. " You can't just leave me like this, where the hell are you?"

"I'm sorry, ma'am. I will get to you as soon as I can. Mister Malik sent me to get you something. " She sighs over the phone.

She sounds like someone in a hurry and of the fact that she can't lie to Edna, Edna believes her.

But screw Malik. Why didn't he bring one of his many assistants? Why has he chosen to inconvenience hers?

"Well, you are MY secretary and not his. " Edna reminds her. " Get here soon, you know I don't know anything about makeup. "

"Don't worry, ma'am. I am on my way. "

Edna ends the call. She can't just sit around, waiting for her, so she gets started.

She rubs her lotion on her body and puts on her underwear.

The tea green lacy materials look so good on her that one would have thought that it was engraved on her.

She then moves to her luggage that is sitting in one corner of the room.

She goes through her luggage, which she packed herself, but she can't find what to wear.

She sighs as she drops the blue dress back into the luggage. This happens all the time and in the end, she always has to go on a shopping spree.

She decides to go through her clothes again and that's when her eyes catch an off-shoulder jumper, that is red.

It's one of those kinds of clothes that fit into formality and still manages to be casual at the same time and it's exactly what she is looking for.

She lays it on the bed and thanks her stars. This seems to be the only thing that is going to work for her today.

She doesn't know if they are going to just have casual dinners and introductions today, or if they are going to be diving straight into meetings, but she is getting prepared for whatever it is.

She hears a knock on her door and she sighs in relief. Finally, Kim is here.

She walks. t the door and unlocks it, but to her disappointment, Kim is not the one who is at the door, it's Anna, the lady from yesterday.

Edna can recognize the beautiful face from anywhere and unlike yesterday, she is very formally dressed.

She is putting on a suit that is gray in color and the trousers match the color too. She has a white turtle neck on the inside and the sleeves of the jacket have been pulled up to her elbows. She looks like a fashion icon right now.

"Hello, good morning!" She grins like a teenager.

"Hi!" Edna says.

Anna, just like she did yesterday, pulls her into a hug and holds her tightly. Edna hugs her back and she hears Anna even chuckle.

"I knew your spoiled ass wouldn't spend the night in that hotel. " She smirks.

"Turns out you were right. " Edna smiles.

"I'm so sorry, I am about to get ready. " Edna apologizes and looks back into her room. " I am having a little problem, but I am getting ready, I promise. "

"What seems to be the problem?" Anna's face shows concern.

"Makeup. " Edna rolls her eyes and gestures circularly around her face.

"That's okay, I can get it done for you. " Anna shrugs and gets into the room before Edna can stop her.

Edna is in shock right now. He has been around rich business associates, but none of them have been this casual with her.

She is scared because Anna might just be an inexperienced intern who doesn't know the know-how and might end up losing her job.

She walks back into the room and looks at Anna. She has sat on the bed and is examining Edna's outfit.

"Wow, this is sleek. " She comments.

" Yeah, I guess. " Edna chuckles nervously. She doesn't know the best way to react to this.

"Are you planning on putting this on today? You should put it on today. " Anna advises.

"Yeah, that's in fact my outfit of the day. "

" Then you are ready to go. " Anna smiles.

"Let's get to work then. " She walks to the table and Edna grabs the makeup kit and hands it to her.

She sits in front of the dresser and Anna gets to work. Her hands picked this and applied before picking up the next.

" I am not going to do much. " Anna confesses. " You are beautiful enough, there is no need. "

Edna unexpectedly blushes. It's not every day you get a compliment from a woman and it's even much more flattering.

"Married?" Anna points at her ring.

Edna looks at it as if she is just noticing it for the first time. She runs her hand over it and stares at her reflection in the mirror.

She doesn't consider herself to be married, but she is going to give her the reply that she gives everyone.

"Yes. " She nods. " I have been married for five years. "

"Wow, that's awesome. " Anna sounds truly impressed. " You look so young. "

"If twenty-six is young to you. "

"Well, I am twenty one and my Dad wants me to get married so badly. " Anna shakes her head.

Edna laughs.

"I get that. It happens to everyone. "

"I don't want to rush things though. I want to find a guy who will love me so much. I want that fairy tale marriage. " Anna sounds so dreamy and Edna feels for her.

Too bad that she doesn't know that the world is not such a Rosy place, but who knows? She might just get lucky and find someone who would make her happy.

"You must love him right?" She asks.

"Who?" Edna asks, cluelessly.

"Your husband, of course. " Anna laughs.

Of course, Edna forgot. Who else is she supposed to love?

"Well, I do. Very much. " She forces a smile. " We met in high school, so..."

"That's so nice!" Anna is blown away. " I wish I could have that. I could if I wasn't homeschooled. "

"That's sad. " Edna comments.

They would have gone on talking, but a soft knock comes on the door, and they both turn.

Malik walks into the room bearing roses in one hand and a bowl of noodles in the other.

He seems to be caught by surprise when he notices that there are two people in the room.

"Oh, Miss Kim Soo?" His eyes are wide in surprise.

But Edna's eyes are even wider. What did he just call the lady?

She watches as Malik offers his hand to Anna and she takes it.

"Hi!" Anna beams. " Mister Jackson, nice to meet you again. "

"Please, call me Malik. " He flashes her his killer smile. " The pleasure is all mine. "

Edna is so confused right now, and she can't help but sort for answers right now.

" Miss Kim Soo?" She looks from Anna to Malik.

"Yeah. " Malik casually answers as he hands her the bowl of noodles and the. Flowers. " Her dad is the great Mister Kim Soo. "

"What?!" She turns to Anna, who tries to keep a straight face.

"Gosh, I wish he wasn't. " Anna tries not to laugh. " I hate when people act like this. "

But somehow, she should have known! Anna wasn't acting like an assistant or intern at all. From the very beginning, she was acting so casually and she should have known.

" I didn't even know. " Edna says. " I thought you were an intern or something. "

" Technically, I am. " Anna heaves. " My Dad makes me work so hard for him. "

Edna laughs. She is so happy, now that she knows that Anna won't get in trouble because of her. They can get to really be friends now.

" Well, I will leave you two to finish up. " Malik turns to leave. " Later ladies. "

"Thanks for the meal and flowers. " Edna calls after him.

"No problem, sweetheart. " Malik answers.

Sweetheart? Edna scoffs, but not loud enough to be heard by her new friend.

"That's Malik Jackson?" Anna says in a low voice.

"Yeah. I'm married to his brother Keith Jackson. " Edna explains.

"Wow, he is single?" Anna sounds excited. " He is so handsome. "

Edna sighs. She can't deny that he is, but she also doesn't care at all.

Anna's phone rings and apologizes before taking the call.

She walks to a corner of the room and speaks to the caller in Korean. She groans and slaps her face in tiredness.

Edna looks at her in puzzlement. She has no idea what she is talking about and for the first time in her life, she wishes that she understands Korean.

Anna drops the call and returns with her face drooping from sadness.

"Is everything ok?" Edna asks.

"Yeah, that was my Dad. " Anna pockets her phone.

" He isn't in the office right now and he wants to meet you guys personally. " She explains. " Since he now considers you guys as family, he is insisting that you guys be flown down to Suwon to spend your visit with him and my family. "