The Lorenz Building, New York. Even on the weekend, the Director of Investments' office wasn't empty.

Emilia set her bag on the desk and turned on her computer.

Sunlight reflecting off the window caught the edge of the monitor. Normally she'd have lowered the blinds against the glare first thing.

Today she left them as they were.

Maybe it was the good night's sleep, but her eyes weren't tired. The heavy ache that always weighed on her shoulders was lighter too.

Since her father died, how many mornings had felt this light?

Once in St Moritz. And today. As it happened, both times Ha Tae-ung had been close by.

"Better than sleeping pills."

Muttering to herself, Emilia let her eyes drift to the end of the desk.

Pink ranunculus and ivory roses. It was the bouquet Ha Tae-ung had brought yesterday.

Her secretary had unwrapped it and moved the flowers into a vase.

Full of water, the petals caught the sunlight, their colors brighter than before.

Looking at the flowers, she remembered what she'd said to Ha Tae-ung at the hotel.

—You could get citizenship, you know, not just a green card.

"……Oh my God."

Emilia buried her face in both hands. Saying it had felt fine at the time.

She'd been sure of herself, too, when she put her arms around his shoulders and moved in close.

When he looked flustered, she'd wanted to tease him a little more.

But now that she was alone and thinking it over, it was a completely different story.

A man asking her, an American citizen, for help getting a green card! And she'd said that to him, of all people.

With both arms around his neck, no less. There was no way Ha Tae-ung had missed what Emilia meant.

"Who said anything about getting married right now?"

There was no one to hear it, but she was already making excuses. When she lowered her hands, her face was reflected in one side of the dark monitor.

She'd left the hotel a good while ago, but her cheeks were still burning.

She'd drunk…