I couldn't help but smile at the infectious atmosphere of the park. After weeks of arduous planning and countless hours dedicated to the Lee Chul Busan project, it was finally over. I stood a safe distance away from our little celebration party headed by yours truly, Keziah. I had to admit, everything had gone off without so much as a hitch in our plans even the weather had chosen to cooperate with us. All our sponsors picked up their stands with smiles on their faces. It was clearly a success, but the question was would Mr. Chul think so as well. I would have to wait and see later tonight or tomorrow during our final meeting with the board on which Mr. Chul would be present. I followed Keziah as she did a little dance and convinced Eun to follow along and soon the entire team was doing her little dance.

Behind them, a sleek black sedan which had been sitting in the parking spot for a while opened its doors to reveal a man I knew by name and by face. Nothing... Just like the night at Hart and Goldfield's fundraising event, I felt nothing when I saw that man who was responsible for my family's greatest economic decline, Hezekiah Mills. All eyes rightfully turned to him, the man commanded a kind of presence that could be felt even on the front page of a magazine.

The laughter drained from Keziah's face the moment she saw who it was that had stepped out of the vehicle. Like me, she wondered what in the world her father was doing here in Busan.

'Daddy, Sir,' Keziah stammered suddenly acutely aware of her appearance. 'You didn't tell me you were coming to Busan.'

Mr. Mills smiled at Eun and the others, 'I didn't have to tell you I was.'

His hand found the small of her back and excused both of them into the auditorium. It was none of my business what happened between father and daughter and yet for some reason another memory from the fundraiser plagued my mind; the look nervous look on Keziah's face was identical to the one she carried home when she had to leave with her father at the fundraising event. Back then he had wanted to rescue her from her father's stony expression.

'I see you are glad you took this chance and listened to me.' he patted her shoulder. The credit for Keziah's being here was his. I assumed it was either Lizzy or Anne's handiwork.

'I came to make sure that you did not sabotage this opportunity as you have all the others.'

Keziah attempted to laugh but it came out as a cough, 'Daddy, I was locked in a cold storage, that was not my fault.'

'I beg to differ,' his tone turned hard as iron. 'I have warned you not to jump at finding friends at work. You must create a vivid distinction between friends and colleagues. If you had taken my advice that stupid girl would not have dared to play a prank on you during a would-be televised event.'

This was a rare opportunity to look inside the head of Hezekiah Mills, the ruthless businessman who had easily betrayed his lifelong friend and business partner. Hearing all that he was saying to Keziah gave me some clarity into the working mind of this man. This further proved that my father should have known better when he decided to do business with this man. That was why when I saw Mills, I felt nothing. No anger, no rage nothing my mother wanted me to hoar in my heart. Why should I be angry at a man who took everything from my father if my father just sat on the sidelines watching it all happen?

Keziah wanted to say something else and I saw the moment she stopped herself. 'And thinking you would have learned your lesson by now, I came here to find you dancing and making the same mistakes as before.'

She kept her hands at her back nervously wringing them with her head lowered taking his words in stride. She turned her head in my direction, her eyes widened slightly when she saw me just standing in earshot pretending to be busy.

'You should learn to be more like Welsh's boy.'

The inference could not come at a wronger time. Keziah's hands clenched and unclenched behind her and she returned her gaze back to the ground.

'He is resilient and persistent. He doesn't let one challenges deter him. You won't hear foolish talks about resigning from his mouth. I will say this once more: learn from him.'

'Yes, daddy.' she softly replied.

'If you are done here we can grab lunch together.'

'Yes, daddy.'

I expected her to come up with a flimsy excuse not to go with him after the scolding she just received. Keziah pulled out her phone no doubt to text the team. Her father was halfway to the door, I reached for her hand stopping her from taking another step.
'Keziah...'
'Leave me alone.'
It was then I saw the sheen in her eyes. She pulled her hand away and brushed past me.
This man had no right to belittle his daughter's progress when he obviously had no idea just how hard she worked to be where she was.
I knew what I had to do.
I waited for Mr. Mills to drop Keziah off at the house.
Before his driver drove him away, I stopped the car.
'May I have a word with you.'
I ignored the mildly irritated look on his face and waited for his reply.
I only got a bid and that was enough.
'I couldn't help but overhear the conversation with your daughter.'
'You should have tried harder.' He drily said.
'I will next time.' I said not caring what exactly it was that I just admitted to. This father had to be aware of how far his daughter had come without his help or name.
'You should cut her some slack and stop being too hard on her.'
I registered the setting of his jaws and glazing of his brown eyes.
'She got here without your name or your help, she had made rational decisions and worked exceptionally hard in her own way. I'm afraid if she took all your advice she might not have made it this far.'
'Was I wrong about you? It's uncharacteristic of you to poke your nose where it doesn't belong.' That was true. I was surprising myself. Again I had to wonder how this man knew about me. 
'You don't know a lot about me it seems.'
'I would like you to practice what you preach and make a clear distinction between work and family. Your coming here in and of itself contradicts your advice to her. So don't make this a habit.'

'And are you saying this as her boss or a friend?' He raised his furry brow.
'I'm saying this as me. Do not come to our place of work to discourage my assistant. I need her in the right frame of mind to do good work. And you are not helping. I hope you understand. Sorry for taking so much of your time.'
I opened the door ready to take my leave, all I had to say had been said.
'I will decide what my daughter needs.' His time was calm conflicting with the stiffness on his upper lip.
'Of course, when she's at home. Besides the last time I checked she is an adult now.'
Then I sat back and looked at him.
'I'm surprised that as her father you still tried to blame her for the freezer incident. I'm starting to see why my mother dislikes you.'

'And what of your father?'
The question made me pause, the hidden question in his face more reason to make me think before answering.
'He understands a leopard can never change its spots.'
I locked the gate only when I was sure he was gone.
'Miss. Mills.' I was surprised to find her glowering embers at me from the front door.
'What did you speak to my father about?'
She didn't stop for my response walking up to me and poking my chest.
'We're you two happily discussing my many failures and flaws? Was he telling you how great you are, feeding your oversized ego?'

'No.' I stuttered getting angry that she was jumping to such wild conclusions.
'If you'll listen.'
'No! I won't. I see the two of you are perfect for each other.'
She rushed into the house and rushed back out before I even had time to think.
'Where the hell do you think you're going?'
'None of your business.'
She turned to wave her pocketbook in my face, 'From now in stay out of my business- all the way out.'
She yelled over her shoulder, 'You and my business shouldn't even be seen in the same zip code.'

I wanted to tell her where she could shove her business but she was out of sight. Cripes my anger was getting a little out of control. I breathed pulling myself together.
She could fall off the face of the earth and see if I cared.

My alarm clock flashed at 11:59 pm. I groaned and flopped on my side away from the clock. So what if it was midnight and Keziah wasn't home. I left my cares at the gate. I pulled up my covers over my face. The next beep announced the turn of the hour.
I growled and sat up grabbing my phone it was only then I saw the string of text messages from Keziah.
They were rants directly insulting me.
'You are an ugly ice monster.' One read.
'Yeti.'
'Ice king.'
'Slimy bastard.'
'Arrogant snowman.'
'Go back to where you came from.'
'I'm going to tell everyone your secret.'
What the hell was she going on about?
The last text 'Jump of a cliff n see you fly into red ice. Bastar...'
I automatically dialed her number. She was really going to hear it from me. This was totally unacceptable.
'Do you not realize your actions are affecting more than just you?'
'Yobuseyo?' That wasn't Keziah's voice.
I quickly switched to Korean and found out where the little spitfire was.
As I grabbed a sweatshirt I angrily mumble to myself.
I should just leave her to sleep there since this wasn't any of my business. I caught a glimpse of my dumb self in the glass on my way to make it my business.
This will be the last time I say to myself.