Chapter 16.1

As Woo-jin spoke, Hae-gang lifted her head as if she were a guilty criminal. His usual dry gaze couldn’t be misinterpreted.

“To be honest, I thought you might be the president’s hidden woman or the next in line for the throne, but what’s even more surprising is that you don’t have to feel embarrassed.”

Hae-gang forgot about how hard things were and yelled without thinking. She felt terrible and didn’t realize it was an impulsive thing to do.

“Where in the world did you hear that?!”

Hae-gang only realized she had shouted after the fact. It wasn’t right for her to raise her voice at Woo-jin, but she couldn’t control her emotion at that moment.

Fortunately, Woo-jin didn’t seem to be particularly annoyed. Instead, he nodded as if he were eager for Hae-gang’s nerves to calm down.

“So, there’s no need for you to apologize. If anyone should apologize, it should be me for having impure thoughts about you.”

Hae-gang was at a loss for words as the conversation continued awkwardly. It wasn’t because she didn’t have anything to say. Hae-gang had a lot she could say – a thank you, a nod of agreement, or even a question about where Woo-jin was going. But as she tried to find the words, she was overwhelmed.

She couldn’t say any of those things because Hae-gang was afraid that if she opened her mouth, tears would come out instead of words. Hae-gang felt like she would cry at the slightest hint of kindness in Woo-jin’s voice, and she didn’t want to burden him with her emotions. That was the entire reason.

Hae-gang was inconsiderate. She scratched her chest nervously and quickly wiped away her red, teary eyes with the sleeve of her shirt before Woo-jin could see.

But unlike her, Woo-jin seized the moment. He took a deep breath and forcibly tried to control his expression, even though it felt heavy and uncomfortable in his chest.

Eight years ago, Seo Hae-gang had said,

“Sometimes it’s easier to be around people who don’t know my circumstances.”

So Woo-jin didn’t act like he knew that they had met before. It was easier to be an ignorant stranger than an uncomfortable one who knew too much.

If she wanted, he could pretend he didn’t know anything and gradually realize it as if he had just figured it out. That was a relatively easy task.

More importantly, he wanted to slowly close the distance between them and make her believe that he was on her side no matter who her opponent was.

“Is this the way to your house?”

“Yes.”

But Hae-gang couldn’t shake off the feeling of unease as they drove down the familiar road. She twitched her fingers nervously to eliminate the thoughts that kept coming back.

Could it be true? It couldn’t be.

The words that represented the slightest possibility repeated in her head. Hae-gang’s nervousness grew in proportion to the approach to Woo-jin’s house.

“Wait, wait. This is…”

Even though she had hoped it wasn’t true, her anxiety turned into reality as the car entered the familiar neighborhood. Hae-gang took a deep breath and held it, trying to steady herself. She couldn’t forget this road, even though she had avoided it for the past two years.

If they just went a little further…

Despite seeing Hae-gang’s frozen expression—he couldn’t even move a muscle, Woo-jin remained calm.

“By the way, I heard that Chairman Yoon’s ancestral home is also in this area.”

“You knew that and still…”

Hae-gang looked at Woo-jin with a worried face. She thought her heart might burst as the car passed the front of Mun Ik’s house, and the robust and fast beating of her heart filled the vehicle. But, unlike her, he kept his cool as he turned the steering wheel slowly while her heart was racing.

She couldn’t even think to turn her stiff neck and look back. It was best to try to relax her tense body as much as possible. After the red gate of Mun Ik’s mansion was no longer visible in the side mirror, she finally let out the breath she had been holding without realizing it. She glanced at Woo-jin in the passenger seat, and he seemed to feel her gaze as he pursed his lips.

“Don’t worry. It’s usually dark under the street lamp.”

And as Hae-gang arrived at Woo-jin’s mansion, she understood his confidence.

Even if they brought a ladder, the high fence around the house wouldn’t be affected by any invasion of privacy.

The garage door opened, and Woo-jin’s sports car smoothly entered. As he parked, he explained what was nearby.

“It’s a rapidly changing neighborhood, so it’s quite different from what you might remember. A few months ago, a Japanese restaurant opened in the Grace Hotel. The food is good.”

“Wait, wait a minute, Mr. Min Woo-jin.”

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