When uber dropped you off at your mom's wonton shop, you were exhausted. You hope your mother took a break from standing for the entire day. Even though she tragically lost the love of her life, your mother is so optimistic and full of life. She was leaving everything behind in America to return to her homeland and take over your late grandmother's shop. Your mother has been waiting for your father's estate to pay out for three years.

The estate continues to be a source of conflict among the Bolton family. Your father was a successful musician and a savvy investor. His songwriting and composing abilities brought in a lot of profit, but his ex-wife is still fighting over the will. He left everything to his devoted Korean wife and daughter, but just a tiny portion to his adulterous ex-wife and her self-centered daughter from her prior relationship.

You walk into the business and open the door.

When you opened the shop door, you noticed your mother's face light up at the sight of you. As she looked into your tired eyes, her brow furrowed. Finding a good job is nearly impossible, especially if you are considered a foreigner.

Your mother appears depressed as she recalls how you were uprooted from your home in the United States and relocated to your mother's home country to begin new life due to your dad's death and now your grandmother.

You don't want your mother to feel terrible. At the very least, you'll have a degree from one of South Korea's best universities. Her  American in-laws never fully acknowledged your foreign mother. But she loved your father and continued to be a wonderful wife for him, despite your biased grandmother's preference for your older "stepsister."

You hope that your mom's lawyers will win the case this time.

"Hi mom, I'm back from my executive office job," you exclaimed as you embraced her on the back. She smiled at her lovely daughter. She made it her duty to speak to you in Korean.

"Hey, baby. You appear extra tired today. Ms. Hwan was back on your case. "

She took out a plate and gestured for you to take a seat while serving you a few hot cocktail pastries and a cup of Jasmine tea. As you take a seat at one of the tables, you smile and thank your mom.

The shop was empty inside, but a few customers waited outside for their orders. At the cash register, a cute Y3 girl was assisting them. Your mother recruits young students on a part-time basis during the mid-term breaks.

You nod, savoring your mother's new recipe.

"Mom, this is very good and spicy. I think you're far superior to Grandma. Ah...Ms. Hwan is always involved in theatrics. She reprimanded me today because the floors were dirty... Pok was meant to clean it up after the Soo-Wooks' party yesterday. I can't wait for my contract to end in two weeks so I can leave that toxic environment."You scrunched up your nose as you reflected on the arrogant and unreasonable management and administrative staff.

"It's been a difficult year for you, my baby, living in your grandparents' small apartment after growing up in a double-story house in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The betrayal that surrounds you. However, after the payout, we have the option of relocating to Seoul or Ulsan. The majority of your Korean cousins live there. And they can't wait to see you." 

She looked saddened by the fact."It's a shame we're not popular with our wealthy family in Seoul," your mom says, her face conflicted. 

Your mom left for America when she turned twenty-one. Her family disapproved of her marrying a foreigner.  She wishes for your well-being following the untimely death.

"I don't want to be associated with the wealthy Parks mom. Why didn't you change my surname to his when you married him? When you decided to marry, I was only a month old." You appeared puzzled. You've never understood the logic. You are a legitimate Bolton.

"Simply because I knew we'd be back after a few years. Your father wanted to come to our Korea and settle here with me before his death, and it was just easier to get you into Korean universities with scholarships. You had your Korean name and surname, and you were well-liked in your social circles." Your mother smiles.

"Yes, with a strong American accent. When I speak with an accent, they always look at me strangely. I always speak slowly at work. Perhaps my command of the English language made top management feel insecure." You shook your head as you considered your working conditions. You're already planning your exit strategy. You're looking for other entertainment companies that will accept your resume and composing skills.

You just hope Ms. Hwan will give you a good recommendation letter, but her behavior and attitude toward you make you wonder if you'll get one. You can't recall anything you did to her. She may still regard you as an unwelcome foreigner among them even if you can assist them with translation when foreign investors show up. You've already sent out resumes to various entertainment companies.

You were exhausted and told your mother that you were going upstairs to rest while reminiscing about the day's events.

You walked sluggishly up the stairs, oblivious to your mother's concerned look. Her heart tightens as she realizes you are still missing and struggling to accept your father's untimely death. She truly wishes you to find love and settle down with a good husband.

With a deep sigh, you entered your bedroom and threw yourself on the bed, your hands wrapped around your torso, thinking about the day.

You enjoy working with your coworkers. They are the most enjoyable people to be around. You will undoubtedly miss them when your year-long contract expires in two weeks. You take a good look around your room. As a teenager, it was your mother's old room. She did, however, upgrade the decor and furnishings. She adores plants, and your room was overflowing with them...four vases filled with various flowers. According to her logic, Flowers bring happiness, peace, and freshness into a room.

It brings a room to life. You snort...like a nursery. Some of the adorable mirror tables and wall mirrors were kept. You, on the other hand, adore the heart table. Your mother sold most of the furniture in Wisconsin and only kept the most family heirlooms to serve as a reminder of her previous home. You do, however, miss your childhood and high school friends.

You were curious about your new colleague at work, Suga. He appears cold and rigid from the outside, but you smile when you consider his thank you gift for your mother. From the inside, He is a marshmallow. Suga is not like the other guys you've met. He spoke as if he were a student at a private academy. He is calm, but there is a commanding aura around him. He will go far in life with that focused attitude if he works himself up. Your heart began to flutter just thinking about him. Oh my goodness, he is so enticing, with a bad boy exterior but a softie on the inside. You brushed off such forbidden emotions. You just can't have feelings for s guy who isn't interested in the girls at work. You saw the admin staff's admiring glances...you're done with relationships, or the lack thereof. But you shook your head when you remembered your little row after cleaning Soo, office. Suga was not impressed with your attitude toward your superiors. Perhaps you were a little insulting to the executive. However, he always rubs you the wrong way. 

He was always flirting with you and wanting to be in a relationship with you a few months ago. He broke up with his long-term girlfriend before turning his attention to the new interns. Your beauty immediately captivated him, and he was always overly friendly with you, which irritated the other girls at the office. He never looked at them, and then a little intern, no taller than a dwarf, took his full attention. He was madly in love with you, but you didn't want to date anyone, especially the high-ranking staff.

But this guy was so good-looking, and he didn't take no for an answer. You made a terrible mistake by agreeing to go on at least three dates with him against your better judgment. He was a gentleman towards you and treated you with care. It turned the other interns green with envy. His interest in you was unparalleled, which irritated Ms. Hwan, and you then told him not to pursue you any longer because dating at work is unethical and inappropriate.

Although there was no ban against office romance, when it comes to job placement, the majority of the girls believe that you will be given an unfair advantage. Your mother even advises you to stop going on dates with the guy and not give him any hope of a relationship with you.

Let's say your admirer wasn't expecting a rejection. It was time for the fifteen interns to find out what happened to them two months later. Will they be employed at the new Min Entertainment Company's headquarters? The company's CEO is known for only hiring the most skilled, talented, and people who have graduated from SKY universities with the highest graduate scores. He would not compromise with unskilled people who lack talent, creativity, and innovation. His employees must think on their feet or not even dare to apply.

You've always wanted to work for a major label and use your music degree to its full potential. So, when your old employer informed the interns that Min Entertainment had an exciting project to test and sift the strong from the weak to gain a coveted position at the Head office as part of the most creative team, you jumped at the chance to be part of the most innovative staff in Seoul – working with the idols daily – or placement with their Production office in Ulsan – primarily where the leading record producers and composers are stationed – the Agust D-Labels.

 When you and your team (three interns) had to give a presentation on how to market the company's idols and bring in more exciting investors, such as endorsements, the commercial appeal of the artist/idols, and so on, it was a way to get the company on the right track to increase the appeal for selling their stock to Min Entertainment.

This was the most exciting project you'd ever been a part of. You are very talented in the creative field, and you put your heart and soul into the project. Your team performed impressively. You were divided into five teams of three, and your presentation dates were set. A representative would come in and oversee and review each team's presentation or pitch before selecting the winning groups. The winning team will be offered a high-paying position with Min Entertainment in Seoul right away. Your ideal destination. Runners-up and hard workers will be placed in any division of the new Min Entertainment branch—your current office here in Busan—of their choice.

Then, two of the best interns with music production skills will be placed with South Korea's most coveted label... Agust D Labels collaborates with the industry's top music producers and composers. Agust D labels won numerous Record and Best Engineering Albums of the Year awards in most Music Awards show. Min Yoongi, the acclaimed cold CEO, was the head executive producer. 

One of Seoul's most eligible bachelors, he's currently dating a supermodel. He only showcased his wealth if the sneaky press or financial publications accidentally revealed it. Numerous CEO, Financial, and other Business and Celebrity magazines featured him on their covers. That CEO is exceptionally wealthy and well-off in the entertainment industry. He is regarded as one of the "new billionaires."

The teams began to prepare their presentations. The race to the top was a rat race. There was a lot of backstabbing and sabotaging going on. You and your team worked extremely hard. Because you are too shy to speak your mind and people in power make you nervous, you were in charge of the research and design that the others had to present.

But, as fate would have it, a week before your much-anticipated pitch..., you shook your head, refusing to dwell on past spilled milk. You overcome and conquer while maintaining your character.

As you stood up and closed your open windows, you sighed deeply. The weather appears to have changed. You examine your tired eyes in the mirror. You're completely exhausted by life. How many times have you wanted to give up and just take over your mother's wonton shop, forgetting about your dreams of becoming the best songwriter and composer? You and your father worked hard to perfect your song until he died.

You lacked the motivation to finish the song. You look down at your locket, your prized possession, and smile warily as your eyes begin to water. Why did you leave so early, Dad? With an inward monologue, you lament wordlessly. You had so many ideas for things to do in Seoul. The management of SM Entertainment approached him to write lyrics for one of their most famous groups. But then the unthinkable happened.

You opened your cupboard and took your lyrics book from a memory box on top of your shelves. After your father died, your mother gave you the memory box. Inside were numerous music sheets of the songs he composed, as well as the song's copyrights and the pieces your father left unfinished for you to finish as life teaches you valuable lessons.

He even compiled a book containing the sheet music to his songs he never released. You crack a grin. Life is so unfair. He left you dozens of new letters addressed to his only daughter. Implore you to never give up on your dreams that you are the music pearl, still in the making and waiting to be discovered when your time comes. He told you that you must always believe and recognize that you are still making. It's now or never. Your time to shine will come.

 You smile when you see one of his famous songs, which he wrote a few years ago for a singer named Amy Winehouse, who died unexpectedly. "To know him is to love him," a reworking of a well-known song.

You sigh as you flip through the songbook, but when you get to the last page, a note is printed on the left, almost like a poem or letter. Your brow furrows. You never got to the last few pages. You only go through the pages at random. As you turned the last few pages of the book and looked at the poem, your eyes welled up. You are never giving up. You've lost your way and aren't sure if you'll ever find it again. Will you be able to retrace the path, and where does your father leave the footprints? The cold wind appears to be blowing. It seems that the winds of life have blown it to a bit of blob of sand.

You smile through your tears as you look at the music sheet piece of one of his final works. It's so lovely. The words spoke to you through the pages. "When you're gone..." it's as if he had a premonition of his impending death. Then you sigh and frown as you reach the end of the song...unfinished...what!!! What happened to the remaining lyrics? You quickly turn the page...nothing...but then you notice a lovely script at the bottom.

...Composed by Park  Yeon- ra....and dad wrote it to its fullest potential.

What!!! Did your genius father expect you to finish such a beautiful song? How? You are perplexed by the unfinished sheet music. It has already been printed for you. You turn the page and see more unfinished song lyrics.

Oh my goodness, your father wanted you to finish all the "dad and me" songs. Where will you get the inspiration to write such a beautiful song? You wrote a new anthem and chants for your high school cheerleading team, original music for your marching band, and two pieces for your high school pop band. After high school, a few of the group members were signed, resulting in a massive controversy over song rights.

The music label stole the song and reworked it. You were so upset and disillusioned with the music industry's conniving that you didn't want to write anymore. Still, your father, a famous songwriter, foresaw this and copyrighted all of your songs. He learned the hard way when producers stole his uncopyrighted songs and claimed them as their own when he was still a music geek. He hired an excellent entertainment lawyer, and you won the case. You were paid a large sum, especially after discovering your famous singer/songwriter's father. The agency lost all industry creditability and went bankrupt.

Your father left you a legacy, and you will retrace your steps. You've taken the book. Look for some blank sheets of paper to jot down some notes. You were suddenly inspired to play the piano again. You haven't touched the piano in almost three years. You just couldn't.

As you stood quietly, almost in awe, in front of the old dark wood piano, a light was lit in your soul. It's your father's. Your mother gave it to you because it was a gift to his love. And it is now yours—a gift you will cherish for the rest of your life.

You place the sheet in front of you and examine the music notes in the book next to you. After playing some of the chords, you began to rewrite them on your blank music sheet. It's a piano arrangement. You smiled through your tears as you played until the end...song lyrics broke through as the words flowed into a beautiful melody...you began to sing quietly...first pressing a few chords and pausing...

You grin as you write line by line, gaining confidence and your sweet husky voice filling the air. Tears roll down your cheek. You come to a complete halt, wiping your tears away with the back of your hand...ponder...shake your head and delete some of the words that didn't speak to your heart...then it begins again...you play the few new chords and smile triumphantly. This will be your father's final goodbye. You never had time to grieve properly.

a/n, please play the audio clip of the song 

 your dad's lyrics...

I always needed time on my own

I never thought I'd
Need you there when I cry
And the days feel like years when I'm alone
And the bed where you lie
It is made up of your side

When you walk away

I count the steps that you take
Do you see how much I need you right now?

 Your lyrics ...

When you're gone

The pieces of my heart are missin' you
When you're gone
The face I came to know is missin', too
When you're gone
The words I need to hear
To always get me through the day
And make it okay
I miss you...

You abruptly came to a halt, and you couldn't write any further...spent all of the emotional overloads. You began to miss your father so much that you sobbed in your hands. The agony is unbearable. Your hero, a best friend, and a co-writer. Your heart was filled with anguish. You didn't even begin to cry for him. You couldn't bear the thought of his death. You were angry and sorrowful all at the same time.

https://youtu.be/kBw0GmdjgxM

You felt a presence beside you...you look up into your mother's moist eyes, her hands intertwined in prayer mode in front of her mouth. At the same time, she appears to be both impressed and sorrowful. As you sat looking into her eyes, you smiled as she gave you a back hug.

She smiled softly as she kissed your wet cheeks, "It was his goodbye song for you, my baby...he wants you to find your safe place when he is no longer here...now you will complete another piece of your father's legacy..."

You nod in silence...deep down, you realize that healing and restoration are beginning...

You've found your safe haven...you can now dream again in music.

a/n :Her past was partly revealed. She is a talented singer and songwriter who is also dealing with much-unresolved pain.

Thank you for taking the time to read the CEO series and giving it a chance to shine. Please vote, leave a comment, and share your thoughts.

Question 1: What motivates you to pick up the piano again?

Question 2: Why was your mother overjoyed to see you singing and writing again?

Question 3: How do you feel about the song she and her father "wrote"?

Question 4: What do you believe happened during the pitch?

Question 5: Do you think you are starting to fall for Suga?