Chapter 55.1

Chapter 55.1

20 minutes later.

“Our Director Kwon takes after me—so dignified. He’s just like me in my younger days.”

“Of course, Elder, he takes after you…”

“Hey now, not elder, Chairman! ‘Elder’ makes me sound like an old man.”

“Yes, Chairman.”

Goyo was watching Kwon Moo-young walk around the banquet hall with Ji Seohyun, using well-wishing remarks as an excuse to brag about his son. Whether it was “Chairman” or “Elder,” it didn’t make much difference, but Kwon Moo-young clearly preferred to be called “Chairman.”

Kwon Moo-young was in the process of legitimizing his business through Jae-heon.

Perhaps that’s why. The word “Elder” made him sound old, yes—but more than that, the nuance suggested a gang leader or a head of a syndicate.

“When I was young, it’s not that I was short—it’s that Jae-heon’s tall. He’s 190 cm, you know.”

“Yes, Director Kwon is particularly tall.”

“Even his brains take after me. He’s fantastic. Korea University, Korea U!”

Kwon Jae-heon followed him around with a sulky expression. He was trailing after his father to get him out quickly before he caused any trouble, but from the outside, it looked like a proud dad dragging around his accomplished son, showing him off.

“He’s so impressive, and yet he’s still unmarried. I wonder if I’ll get to see a grandchild next year?”

“If Director Kwon sets his mind to it, he could get married right away. He’s the top bachelor, after all.”

“Wait a minute. Who are you again?”

“I’m Oh, from Oh Foods…”

“Oh right, you’re the one who sells tofu and bean sprouts, right?”

To Kwon Moo-young, even Oh Foods—one of the top three food companies in Korea—might as well have been a neighborhood corner store. President Oh seemed flustered for a moment and muttered, “T-tofu, b-bean sprouts… yes, that’s right. We do sell those.”

His darting pupils were noticeable even to Goyo.

“President Oh, don’t you have a daughter of marrying age?”

“Yes, my eldest is in her final year at university. She’s majoring in cello.”

“Oh, very nice. Jae-heon, did you hear that? President Oh’s eldest daughter is of marrying age. Let’s get you a grandchild by next year.”

Standing behind him, Secretary Ahn kept glancing at his watch in distress, but Kwon Moo-young ignored him and stayed laser-focused on bragging about his son and talking about matchmaking. Unable to watch any longer, Jae-heon stepped in.

“Father, that’s enough.”

“What? What’s wrong with bragging about my son?”

“There’s not a single person here who doesn’t already know everything about me. Did you forget this is my company’s year-end party?”

The attendees here were executives and employees of KJ Finance, along with representatives from companies in which KJ Finance was the major shareholder. They were all people well-acquainted with Kwon Jae-heon.

“Exactly. So pick someone from your side. Your bride.”

Was he senile already, talking about an arranged marriage?

“I’ll handle my marriage myself, so please don’t worry about it.”

“When? When on earth are you going to get married? At my age, I should be bragging about my grandkids. Chairman Yang says his grandson is graduating middle school, and Mayor Joo just gave me his granddaughter’s wedding invitation a few days ago. Even if you started now, by the time your kid gets into college—”

“I didn’t realize you were so eager to have grandkids.”

Jae-heon pressed his fingers to his temples, holding back his irritation.

“You don’t have to get married to have children.”

“What?”

“I didn’t get married, and yet here you are.”

To Kwon Moo-young, a child was like Achilles’ heel. With so many enemies, he saw children as potential hostages and thus major liabilities.

And instead of allowing a weakness to exist, Kwon Moo-young decided he would rather erase it with his own hands.

“I survived thanks to my mother.”

Jae-heon had only been born because his mother escaped while pregnant. She lived in constant fear that Kwon Moo-young would take Jae-heon from her—and in constant dread that Kwon Moo-young’s enemies would learn of her son’s existence.

The anxiety consumed her. She suffered from nervous breakdowns and depression, and eventually took her own life. Jae-heon was ten at the time.

He saw his father for the first time at her funeral.

“He looks just like me.”

He could never forget those cold eyes staring down at him.

In truth, Kwon Moo-young had always known about Jae-heon’s existence. He had simply left him alone—thinking he might one day need an heir. If Jae-heon had turned out to be a liability, he would’ve discarded him without hesitation.

His mother had thought she’d escaped from Kwon Moo-young’s grip completely—but it was all an illusion. She had remained a pawn in his game until the moment she died.

“Just one word would’ve been enough.”

If Kwon Moo-young had just told her not to worry about him and to raise the child well—she wouldn’t have lived in such terror, and wouldn’t have died like that.

Even so, Jae-heon didn’t plan to blame his father. Letting her go despite her defiance had been an uncharacteristic act of mercy on his part.

And yet this man was now talking about grandchildren?