Noémie awoke the next morning with a serene expression on her face. She practically chatted with her best friend, Anais, until midnight last night. When she learned about her latest antics, she burst out laughing. She's excited to meet Mr. Imbecile. Noémie was perplexed as to why he didn't call her to vent about what she'd done. While taking a refreshing shower, she grins joyously.
Noémie will go meet Kang Tae-Wook at the gallery today to finalize arrangements. In a week, Pierre and the rest of the team will arrive. The featured designer might physically visit the studio in three days to explore it.
She dressed in trendy, designer black business attire—a two-piece suit with golden Cartier drop earrings that rock. Noémie looked as if she had stepped out of a Parisian fashion spread with her Chanel handbag and expensive eyewear.
When she entered the kitchen with a big smile, her aunt raised her eyebrows so high at her striking beauty. "Wow, wow! My girl looks 'fantastique'"
Her sister's only daughter is truly a sight to behold.
Noémie's appearance enthralls her. With a slight bow, she whirls around and greets her aunt with a cheery grin.
"Thank you, thank you. Today I have an appointment with the gallery. Hopefully, we'll be able to complete all of the necessary preparations for the exhibition." Noémie took a seat and tasted the pancakes on your lips.
"So, what have you been up to these last few days?" asks her aunt, pouring her a cup of jasmine tea. "You haven't visited the restaurant in a while. The staff wanted to see the "French princess," she told her unexpectedly, almost making her spit up her tea.
"I've been working on the exhibitions... You know, e-mailing, dealing with the security details—it all takes a lot of time." Noémie smiled a little and inwardly hurled profanities at Jung Ji-seok, who made her lie like that.
"Tell you what, Ajumma, and I'll finish up a little sooner and then come around and help out, all right?" Because their staff is minimal, Noémie enthusiastically suggests and pledges to help out. Noémie started talking about her mom, her aunt's younger, more adventurous sister, as she munched on her pancakes.
Ha-ni walked into the kitchen, yawning. Her eyes were red-rimmed, and Noémie wondered if Ha-ni was still upset by her ex's' engagement news. That is why she avoids love relationships because they can only lead to heartbreak and self-destructive inclinations. No, thank you for dating and marriage.
"Good morning, cuz! You seem to be in a happy mood, don't you?" Noémie gives her a sly grin and slightly scoffs at her. Ha-ni fixes a cup of tea for herself.
"Did you get a good night's sleep, dear?" Her mother had a concerned expression on her face. Ha-ni isn't one to display her emotions lightly. She'll keep her deeply wounded feelings to herself until the wall she's built around her collapses.
"Sure, I did. I guess I'm just exhausted." She murmurs. When she stares at Noémie, her eyes expand as if she's seeing her for the first time.
"Oh my, you look gorgeous. Aren't you going to work at the house?" When she caught Noémie's eyes, signaling to her mother, who was busy at the stove making more pancakes, she cleared her throat. Noémie's uncle arrived late last night and was still sleeping.
"Er, no, I'm going to Kang Gallery this morning. Then I'll come by the restaurant to help, ok?" Noémie says. She sipped her last sip of jasmine tea.
Ha-ni smiles, her light hazel-brown eyes sparking again. "Oh, you're going to meet Kang Tae-Wook, right? Ok, please take a quick photo of him for me. The Elite Maknae is swoon-worthy, according to what I've heard". She dreamily states, Noémie just grins at her, pleased that she appears to be happier right now.
"I'll try. Ok, as long as he doesn't catch me. You know all the embarrassing stuff always happens to me" . She gazes at her aunt, who places some pancakes on a plate, kimchi with eggs, and some jasmine tea to take to her uncle in the bedroom. Ajumma,thank you for the food."
Hani's eyes are fixed on the window. "Your Uber has arrived. Please exercise caution and enjoy the day."
Noémie leaps to her feet and takes her handbag from one of the chairs. She kissed her aunt on the cheek quickly and grabbed Ha-ni's hair.
She shrieked and grabbed her hair strands, giving her the stinky eye. Noémie quietly giggled and walked to the door after her aunt greeted her, telling her to enjoy the day and be safe.
Noémie nodded enthusiastically and exited the house.
She offers a greeting to her old driver and gets him to the desired address. It takes less than 15 minutes to go to the gallery in Seoul's downtown area. She's hoping that the Diamond Exhibition will run smoothly.
Noémie receives a notification on her phone, and as soon as she sees the ID, she can't help but giggle. The small message causes your eyes to widen.
"𝙶𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐, 𝚖𝚢 '𝙵𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚑 𝙿𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚜𝚜.' 𝙸 𝚑𝚘𝚙𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚊 𝚠𝚘𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚏𝚞𝚕 𝚍𝚊𝚢 𝚘𝚏 𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚍 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚔 𝚝𝚘𝚍𝚊𝚢." 𝙼𝚛. 𝙹𝙷𝚂
Noémie furrowed her brows, then shrugged with a grin, unconcerned with his fury. He expects her to be at work when he arrives. It's his fault, and she won't be available to complete a variety of pointless tasks. He's probably furious that you made the entire 40-plus staff on duty go out to an extravagant buffet luncheon.
Noémie grinned to herself as she thought about how his arrogant Swiss chef had gone above and beyond to work extra hard with his kitchen crew to prepare more dishes. It also serves him well. He made her and Heyrin do dishes for the rest of the time. Her feet were hurting. To top things off, he forbade them from using the dishwashers. Probably a command from their spiteful boss. For three hours, they had to scrub dirty pots and pans.
Noémie was in a good mood after her Uber dropped her off. She was standing in front of a gigantic art gallery with dropped jaws. Noémie's eyes widen with surprise. How can a man under the age of 30 own such a magnificent structure? Whoa.
Noémie, take a stroll past the lushly landscaped gardens. A massive steel structure created by a local artist stood in the center. The gallery was still closed to the public. It will be open to the public at 10:00 a.m.
A lady with a name badge brought her upstairs to Mr. Kangs office suites through the exclusive entrance double doors. The rare art pieces on the walls, in nooks, and illuminated by downlights almost bulged her eyes out. It must be pretty expensive. Even her heels dug into the thick carpets. When she knocked on the double doors, Noémie felt her breath catch your throat as you heard a deep, attractive voice beckoning her to enter.
A handsome dark-haired man stood up and walked over to where she was standing; he had a broad, welcome boxy smile, and his friendliness put her at ease right away. In a polite greeting, they both bow slightly. He was very handsome and friendly. Noémie liked his demeanor right away.
"Ms. Seo Noèmie, welcome to South Korea, and thank you for entrusting your exclusive Cartier diamond collection to Kang Contemporary Art Gallery," he says. Noémie grins and thanks him for signing an agreement with the House of Cartier.
He motioned for her to sit in one of his lounge chairs. His office was tastefully decorated and reminded her of Mr. Jung's office. Noémie shook her head at the Imbecile's unpleasant thoughts.
Noémie and Mr. Tae-Wook talked about the exhibition dates, the press conference, the security of the items, the VIP guests, and the South Korean celebrities in attendance. The most sought-after ticket in town for that social event has already sold out.
The entertainment press is buzzing with speculation about who will be in attendance. The event will be formal, and who will be in the best-dressed evening gowns?
They were conversing over a cup of tea and some sweet treats served by his PA. Noémie is confident that she and Tae-wook will get along splendidly.
He took her on a tour of his art gallery and other studios, and they chose one of them to hold the exhibition.
It was almost noon when Noémie left the gallery, armed with everything required to send her back to headquarters. She was ecstatic and relieved that everything was in order. Noémie only needs to meet with the top security detail, and her crew will arrive next week to assist with the studio and glass case setup.
Noémie could feel the exhaustion in her body as she sat with her head tilted back over the seat. Her attention is drawn to her phone that lit up. It was another notification. Her phone was on silent the whole time. Noémie's eyes widen in surprise as she opens the texts. It had been Ha-ni, and she sounded very agitated.
Ha-ni: Oh my goodness! Noémie, this afternoon, something weird happened...
Noémie's eyes widen. What went wrong with her? Noémie was startled.
Noémie: How weird is that?
Ha-ni: In front of our restaurant, there is a line of over 20 homeless people. Eomma is furious because someone handed them flyers with our restaurant's name and address, inviting them to come in for a free meal. Nobody knows what helped cause it.
Noémies' face was flushed with surprise. Oh, Mon Dieu, it's the idiots' doing. After the stunt she pulled yesterday, she should've expected him to retaliate. He spectacularly paid his revenge. It's no surprise he sent her that cryptic text message. Noémie grumbled to herself because the war between the two of them had intensified.
Noémie: Oh, Ha-ni, it might be a misunderstanding.
Ha-Ni: It's not, because my aunt isn't impressed. Eomma, on the other hand, advised them to stand in line. We're in the middle of giving out hot food packages and a glass of juice. How would it look if we sent hungry, homeless people away and we were a restaurant? It seems too cruel.
Oh, my goodness, this is a difficult situation. Her family can't afford to feed 20+ homeless people, and her aunt has such a generous heart that she will never refuse food to anyone in need. Guilt begins to eat away at her conscience. It's all because of her.
Noémie: How are things going for you?
Ha-ni: Now, the queue is becoming longer, Noémie. I believe we will run out of steamed rice, so Appa prepared additional buchimgae, kimchi, and vegetables. Right now, I'm in the kitchen. Eomma, Tae-Ri, and Aera set up a mobile stand outside the restaurant to man the stand a bit further than our entrance. Appa temporarily closed the restaurant for an hour. For us to be able to feed the homeless. Noémie, it's exhausting. I've never worked so hard, even at our churches' soup kitchens.
Noémie: Listen. Tell Ajumma that I'm going to stock up on rice and vegetables and some takeaway plates and cups. I'll be there shortly. Don't be worried, because there's nothing to be concerned about.
Ha-ni: Please work quickly. Mom is helping two servers at the stands. Auntie Ari has volunteered at the clothing store with her two teenage sons. Oh, my goodness, Appa is cooking kimchi and bringing it to the stand. Oh my god! Free food for the poor began gaining momentum. Please come as soon as possible to lend a hand.
She hurriedly left the chat. You groan, caressing your temple with your hands. Ji-seok, what a bloody bully!
Noémie immediately ordered more ingredients and directed the Uber driver to a large "Cash and Carry" store. He'll earn more tips and a five-star rating. Her Uber driver assisted her in loading a crate of vegetables and many packages into the boot, even at the back next to your seat and in the front passenger seat.
Mr. Jung can't possibly be that petty, can he? He can feed 40 employees, but this is a unique situation. Her family can't afford to waste money on things that aren't important to them. However, helping the poor is admirable, but not if they cannot afford it. How many flyers were handed out?
With unjustified rage, Noémie pursed her lips. She took out her phone and sent the imbecile a venomous text message.
Noémie: You're so rèpugnant (disgusting). Why are you so ruthless, vicieux (vicious), and petty? You're a jerk. How can you expect us to feed thousands of homeless people?
Mr. Imbecile: Did you think I'd sit back and relax while you ordered my chef and his staff to work extra hours to serve the entire hotel? No, I don't believe so. So, you're a restaurant, and your mission is to feed the homeless.
Noémie took a deep breath.
Noémie: But it was only a bonus for all your hardworking employees who helped you succeed. Why punish my family? They are already having difficulties with their business. Do you have any idea how much money they'll have to come up with on the spur of the moment?
Mr. Imbecile: Do I look like I care? I've heard the restaurant isn't profitable. It is in the wrong location, nobody actually visits, and your family is forced to rely on orders and delivery. As a result, it may become a charity.
Noémies' afraid she's going to be morte (dead) of heart failure. This evil demon has a lot of nerve. She'd kill him if she could get her hands on him.
Noémie: Even for an insensitive jerk like you, that was a new low.
Mr. Imbecile: What did you expect from an insensitive jerk who lacks empathy? Please delete my phone number. I'll see you bright and early tomorrow from 4 a.m. to 5 p.m., and you'll come in on Saturday to help with administrative duties. You'll be handling all of My PA's filing from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. because you took the initiative to use her computer without permission. And you better be on time and on your best behavior.
After that, he went offline.
Noémie was so infuriated that she sat there, staring at her phone in disbelief. This jerk's audacity! She was fuming. How upset was she? So, to establish inner peace, Noémie had to count up to ten. She does not want her blood pressure to rise. She presses her eyes closed and slowly counts up to ten again to bring calmness to her inner being. Noémie doesn't want to get an aneurysm and be admitted to the hospital.
It's official—She hates him.
Mr. Imbecile: 2 Noèmie.: 2
That afternoon, Noémie had to take off her high heels, set aside her brewing anger, and assist her uncle and aunt. While her aunt went to help her uncle cook, Noémie took her spot in front of the restaurant. Her entire family was amazed by how this situation happened in the first place. Noémie and Ha-ni were unable to come clean. Ha-ni just pretended that the printers had made a mistake.
When it was 4 p.m. and the lines were still long, Noémie wanted to cry. Ha-ni took stock and had the homeless sign their names so that they could count the number of people served. Even if it's the tastiest, Noémie doesn't want to see another slice of buchimgae in front of her.
Someone from Seoul's leading local news channel, SBS, heard about the mobile feeding scheme and wanted to interview the restaurant's owners about this fantastic charity campaign for the city's homeless.
Noémie was taken aback, and Ha-ni was too embarrassed to say anything. When the camera focuses on her face, Noémie smiles broadly in her lovely outfit, adorned with her aunt's floral apron. While handing out the takeouts, Ha-ni was merely beaming brightly next to her. Noémies' make-up, thankfully, was still in excellent condition. Thank God for Maybelline, a foundation that is both fast-wearing and waterproof.
"So, Noèmie, I must say, as a modest establishment, you guys have become quite socially relevant'." The reporter was gobsmacked by the long lines of grateful homeless people, who were so appreciative of a plate of food.
"You're right, Unnie. When God has blessed you with so much l'argent (money), I believe it is vital to give back to society. We must never believe that life does not have a lesson for us all to learn. I feel that if you are endowed with billions, you owe it to society to give back more. Tomorrow, you may lose your money and all of your assets and find yourself in line to be fed like these wonderful people. Noémie flashed a broad smile as you motioned to the grateful homeless people. The reporter was charmed by her French accent.
"There you have it, people. When you are endowed with more, more is required." The reporter smiled as she turned to the cameraman. "Let's hear from some of the lucky people in line. The camera moved to the homeless people.
Noémie smiled and waved to the onlookers as she handed out food boxes. They even recorded her aunt and uncle preparing large pots of kimchi and vegetables in the restaurant kitchen, with Aunty Ari speaking animatedly into the camera. The reporter interviewed every single one of the volunteers.
Well, Mr. Jung. You've just turned a lousy day into a fantastic one. They all received their one minute of fame and free advertising for her family restaurant. Noémie chuckled inwardly.
Mr. Imbecile: 2. Noèmie: 3.
█▓▒░⡷⠂𝙼𝚎𝚊𝚗𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚎⠐⢾░▒▓█,
Mr. Jungs' penthouse's office...
His lovely PA, Saanvi, and he both watch the live news on the SBS news channel. She looked sideways at her employer with a smirk. The report showed footage of volunteers passing out packages to the long line of homeless people in the presence of a gorgeous girl dressed in a whimsical apron.
"Ms. Seo is a fascinating character. That accent," Saanvi chuckled.
Mr. Jung stood with his arms crossed across his torso, watching as the sassy French princess" presented herself with confidence in front of the stunned reporter. She managed to win the hearts of millions with her charm. He smirks and shakes his head.
He mutters, "Ms. Seo Noèmie. You know how to bounce back."
"Please send a huge bouquet to the station manager at SBS—tell him he got a free buffet lunch for a week at our VIP restaurant," he said, turning to Saanvi.
Saanvi nodded and walked out of the boss' office, a soft smile on her face. Mr. Jung's heart is in the right place, even if he can be a tough cookie to crack.
A/N: I hope you enjoyed the lead-to-lead war.
Thanks to all of the new readers and voters. You're incredible. Please leave your comments on the questions. I'd like to hear what you have to say.
Question 1: Did you also believe Mr. Jung was a jerk who was insensitive?
Question 2: Do you believe she and Tae-wook will cross paths again?
Question 3: There was a twist to the revenge. Do you have any idea what that was?
Question 4: How will the restaurant perform following the feeding drive?