Chapter 3
The moment Han Da-yeon’s name left Joo-ah’s lips, Ryu Jin-ha nearly forgot how to breathe.
His back stiffened.
He swallowed hard.
Did she find out?
That was the first thought that crossed his mind.
No.
Impossible.
He knew Han Joo-ah well enough.
If she’d discovered his affair with Han Da-yeon, she would never have agreed to come to today’s family meeting—let alone ride in the same car with him.
She would have called off the engagement long ago.
Besides, she wasn’t the type to throw out meaningless remarks.
“What do you mean by that?”
Masking his unease with a smile, he asked casually.
“I meant exactly what I said.”
Joo-ah smiled back.
“Da-yeon told me she happened to run into you outside the office, and the two of you had lunch together.”
“…Ah.”
Jin-ha’s voice faltered.
Joo-ah could almost hear the frantic gears turning inside his head.
She’s lying.
Han Da-yeon had never said any such thing.
He was scrambling to come up with an answer that wouldn’t expose him.
“We’ve arrived, sir.”
The car stopped in front of Chairman Ryu’s estate.
Joo-ah stepped out first.
A step behind her, Jin-ha walked while furiously typing on his phone.
He’s texting Han Da-yeon.
Trying to get their stories straight.
Too late.
Thinking that, Joo-ah climbed the stone steps toward the house.
“Joo-ah!”
Han Da-yeon was standing in the garden.
“…With Ryu Tae-ha.”
One hour earlier…
Tae-ha’s living room.
“You fucking bastard! Son of a bitch!”
A furious stream of curses blasted from the tablet in Tae-ha’s hand, accompanied by the repeated crash of metal smashing against glass.
The dashcam footage showed his luxury car—the one he’d left in the company car park before departing on his overseas business trip—being mercilessly destroyed.
“So…”
Tae-ha asked lazily,
“Who exactly is this?”
The man swinging an iron pipe wore black from head to toe.
Black cap.
Black mask.
His face was completely hidden.
Secretary Yoon Jung-hoon answered,
“We’re still trying to identify him.”
“Still?”
Still?
The incident had happened barely two hours ago.
After receiving a call from security, they’d rushed down to the underground car park and found only the shattered remains of Tae-ha’s car.
They’d checked every CCTV camera immediately.
But the attacker had concealed his identity perfectly before disappearing.
With an annoyed sigh, Tae-ha tossed the tablet onto the table.
“What are the police doing?”
“They can’t even catch one idiot like this?”
“Actually…”
Secretary Yoon glanced cautiously at him.
“According to the CCTV footage, the suspect ignored every other vehicle in the garage and went straight for yours.”
He hesitated before continuing.
“The police believe it’s highly likely the culprit has a personal grudge against you.”
“They asked whether anyone comes to mind.”
“Secretary Yoon.”
Tae-ha interrupted calmly.
“Do you really think I’ve only got one or two enemies?”
“…No, sir.”
Which was exactly why Secretary Yoon hadn’t known what to tell the police.
Maybe if you’d lived a little more kindly…
He wisely kept that thought to himself.
As Tae-ha stood up, Yoon instinctively flinched.
It wasn’t as though Tae-ha had heard his thoughts.
It was simply impossible not to feel intimidated.
The man was exceptionally tall.
His body, honed through years of training, radiated restrained violence.
More than that…
He possessed the untamed aura of a wild predator.
If Secretary Yoon ever encountered him alone on a dark street—
Even as a fellow man…
He’d cross the road.
Tae-ha picked up his suit jacket.
He’d heard enough.
“Whoever it is…”
“They’re definitely pathetic.”
“If you’ve got a grudge against me, come punch me in the face.”
“Why beat up my car?”
“What did it ever do to you?”
He slipped the jacket over his shoulders.
“Find the bastard.”
“I want to see what his face looks like.”
Secretary Yoon hurried after him.
“Shall I drive you to Chairman Ryu’s residence?”
“I can get there myself.”
“Even so…”
“Until the suspect is caught, I think it would be safer if—”
Ignoring him completely, Tae-ha climbed into his car.
His eyes drifted to the time displayed on his phone.
Don’t be late.
He remembered Joo-ah’s message.
Not content with warning him repeatedly before dawn, she’d even texted him again.
“What does she take me for?”
He had never once been late in his life.
If he wasn’t going…
He simply wouldn’t show up.
Han Joo-ah clearly didn’t know him.
She didn’t know that once he started something, he always saw it through to the bitter end.
Nor that when Chairman Ryu was involved…
Nothing would stop him.
Which meant…
Han Joo-ah had stepped into dangerous territory.
She’d placed herself directly between him…
And Chairman Ryu.
At the thought of his grandfather, the warmth vanished from Tae-ha’s eyes, replaced by naked hostility.
By the time he arrived at the estate, only Chairman Ryu’s car was parked outside.
He was the first guest to arrive for the family meeting.
Just as he crossed the garden steps—
“Oppaa!”
A young woman’s cheerful voice rang out behind him, followed by hurried footsteps.
Turning around, he found a woman with a short bob haircut and large, round eyes.
He recognised her immediately.
She was the girl he’d seen while looking into Joo-ah’s family after she’d visited him.
“Oh.”
“So you’re Han Da-yeon.”
Not understanding the significance behind the emphasis on so, Da-yeon’s cheeks flushed pink.
“Han Joo-ah’s little sister.”
The excitement on her face dimmed ever so slightly.
Interesting.
She liked hearing her own name.
But clearly disliked being introduced merely as Han Joo-ah’s sister.
She was astonishingly transparent.
Tae-ha decided to test something.
He needed to confirm whether Joo-ah had been telling the truth.
“How’s your exhibition coming along?”
“…Huh?”
“I heard you’re preparing one.”
He’d simply repeated information he’d learned during his background check.
Yet Da-yeon’s eyes widened with delight.
A spark of excitement lit up her face.
What’s with her?
Completely captivated, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
“Can I invite you to my exhibition, Oppa?”
“Me?”
“Why?”
As Tae-ha tilted his head slightly, Da-yeon gazed at him as though mesmerised.
She twisted shyly where she stood.
Good grief.
She really does like me.
“We’re going to be family soon…”
“And I’ve always—”
She was only seconds away from confessing to the man who had almost become her brother-in-law.
Fortunately—
Han Joo-ah entered the garden.
Da-yeon’s gaze instinctively followed Tae-ha’s.
She froze.
Then—
“Joo-ah!”
She rushed over like an excited puppy greeting its owner.
Was this fake sweetness something her mother had drilled into her?
Or had she developed it herself?
Perhaps it was a collaborative effort.
“The sisters seem awfully close.”
Tae-ha’s dry comment flew straight over Da-yeon’s head.
She linked arms with Joo-ah affectionately.
“Unnie, you look so beautiful today!”
“I bet you’ll be the prettiest bride in the world when you wear your wedding dress.”
Just then, her eyes met Jin-ha’s as he entered the garden.
She smiled brightly.
“Don’t you think so, Brother-in-law?”
Without a word, Joo-ah gently slipped her arm free.
“Let’s go inside.”
The unusually cold response made Da-yeon tilt her head in confusion before hurrying after her.
I’ve seen enough of her.
Watching Da-yeon cling to Joo-ah’s side, Tae-ha’s gaze shifted to Jin-ha.
As for this one…
I don’t need to see anything else.
“You must be busy.”
“Thanks for coming.”
Just as Tae-ha was about to head inside, Jin-ha stopped him.
Looking down at his cousin, Tae-ha finally understood why someone backed by such a powerful maternal family was still stuck as a mere division director.
The fool had no idea what was about to hit him.
Yet here he was…
Still puffing himself up with meaningless pride.
“Of course I came.”
“Why would I miss a front-row seat to a show worth hundreds of billions?”
Jin-ha smiled politely.
“Come on.”
“Grandfather’s waiting.”
The fact that Jin-ha was only one month older yet still insisted on acting like the elder brother irritated him.
Still…
Since the poor idiot was about to humiliate himself spectacularly—
Tae-ha decided to let it slide.
“Sure.”
“Let’s go.”
Silently wishing that the gift he and Han Joo-ah had prepared would be to Jin-ha’s liking…
Tae-ha stepped into the mansion’s grand entrance hall.
“Welcome.”
Chairman Ryu greeted them with dignified composure.
Does old age simply refuse to touch this old man?
Though elderly, his commanding presence overwhelmed every young person in the room.
His sharp, penetrating eyes swept across his grandsons.
It was the same evaluating gaze he’d worn ever since they were children.
Always comparing them.
Always measuring who was superior.
Back then…
Young Jin-ha had always shrunk under that gaze.
Tae-ha had laughed at him for it.
Glancing sideways now, he saw nothing had changed.
The confidence Jin-ha had displayed outside had completely vanished.
Standing before Chairman Ryu…
He was still that frightened seven-year-old boy.
Pathetic bastard.
Soon afterwards, Joo-ah’s parents arrived, followed by Tae-ha’s eldest uncle and aunt.
Before greeting her own son, Jin-ha’s mother, Lee Jung-hee, walked straight over to Tae-ha.
“Tae-ha.”
“It’s so hard to see you these days.”
“Are you eating properly?”
The concern on her face almost made him laugh.
She’s still an excellent actress.
He knew it was all an act for Chairman Ryu’s benefit.
Still…
Wasn’t it embarrassing?
Everyone present knew the truth.
Even a stray dog wandering the streets knew that if Tae-ha disappeared…
Taesong would belong entirely to Ryu Jin-ha.
Of course he was an eyesore.
The obstacle blocking her son’s path.
“We’ll be seeing each other more often from now on.”
Tae-ha answered with an unusually warm smile.
Startled, Jung-hee quickly forced one of her own.
“Now that everyone’s here…”
“Let’s eat.”
Chairman Ryu took the seat of honour.
The parents of both families sat facing one another.
Joo-ah and Jin-ha sat beside them.
The very last seat…
Belonged to Tae-ha.
Simply because he’d been born a month later.
Ah.
Not exactly my favourite seat.
Then again…
A lot of things are about to change.
