Chapter 53.1

Chapter 53.1

December 31st, 7:00 p.m.

KJ Tower, Grand Conference Hall.

KJ Tower was a newly constructed building where Kwon Jae-heon’s wealth had been concentrated.

Its exterior was impressively extravagant, but the interior was just as jaw-droppingly state-of-the-art. The conference hall inside the building was a venue capable of accommodating hundreds of people at once. In fact, the Korea–U.S. summit that had taken place a few months earlier was also held here. At this point, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that nearly every major event in the country had recently been hosted at KJ Tower.

“This building belongs to Kwon Jae-heon?”

Goyo had only heard about the building before, and now that she was seeing it in person, she was completely mesmerized by its grandeur. She thought she could finally understand why Lee Yi-taek was so desperate to get his hands on Kwon Jae-heon.

“I’m Kwon Jae-heon, CEO of KJ Financial. I’m honored to be able to share this meaningful moment with you through our year-end celebration. First, I want to express my gratitude for all your hard work throughout the past year. Thanks to your dedication and expertise, KJ Financial has achieved steady and sustainable growth. This isn’t just about corporate performance—it’s a significant accomplishment that reflects the values and beliefs we strive for.”

As she watched Kwon Jae-heon deliver his speech from the stage, Goyo realized why he had said he couldn’t miss the event. It was KJ’s year-end party, and as the CEO, it made perfect sense that he had to be there. This was an event with all his employees in attendance.

The problem was that dozens of people seated at round tables throughout the hall were all staring at her—as if they had been told in advance to look.

Among them, one gaze stood out as particularly intense. Seated at the table front and center was a middle-aged man holding a glass of champagne, tilting it as he stared directly at her.

He looked like what Kwon Jae-heon might grow up to look like in a few decades. No one told her who he was, but the moment their eyes met, she instinctively knew.

Kwon Moo-young. Kwon Jae-heon’s father.

Her heart began to pound so violently it felt like it might break through her chest. She hadn’t done anything wrong, yet her brain was flashing warning signals.

The man curled his finger at her, signaling her to come over.

Goyo glanced at the stage. Kwon Jae-heon was looking down at Kwon Moo-young with a face full of displeasure. But Kwon Moo-young paid him no mind—his eyes were fixed solely on Goyo, and he smiled.

He curled his finger again.

When Goyo didn’t move, the burly men standing behind him began to stir. If she didn’t go on her own, they looked ready to drag her there by force.

He wouldn’t do anything to me with Kwon Jae-heon nearby… would he? Goyo forced her trembling legs to move and slowly made her way to his table.

“So you’re the little girl who stole my son’s heart.”

The voice that came out of his mouth was shockingly similar to Kwon Jae-heon’s.

Wasn’t Kwon Moo-young supposed to be over seventy? The man in front of her looked, at most, to be in his early sixties. He had a solid build, a face free of wrinkles, and stood at least 180 centimeters tall.

What was even more surprising was the woman seated next to him—someone Goyo knew very well.

Why is Ji Seo-hyun sitting next to the elder?

Ji Seo-hyun was glaring at her with disapproval from beside Kwon Moo-young. She looked every bit the part of his partner. But hadn’t she been Kwon Jae-heon’s partner just a few days ago?

“….”

“She might’ve been someone else’s lover yesterday, but she could be mine today. Why are you so surprised?”

Kwon Moo-young smiled gently. It was so natural that it didn’t even feel shameless.

What he said wasn’t wrong. Just because there’s a goalkeeper doesn’t mean you can’t score a goal. Even if she was someone else’s partner, there’s no rule saying she can’t be mine now.

The problem was that the “someone else” wasn’t a stranger—but his own son. And the so-called partner wasn’t just a business partner, but a sexual partner.

It’s only natural to be shocked when the woman who was sleeping with your son shows up just days later with his father. Goyo couldn’t hide the flustered look on her face—this kind of situation had never even crossed her mind.

“Congressman Lee had good taste. I didn’t know you’d be this lovely. What a waste.”

What did he just say? It sounded like something horrifying.

His face was all kindness, but his eyes were razor sharp, so piercing it felt like he was scanning her from head to toe.

Now she saw it—Kwon Jae-heon was the spitting image of his father. The sharp gaze, the air about him. It was all just like Kwon Moo-young.