Chapter 50

Fortuitously, a department head initiated a conversation with him just in the nick of time. Otherwise, he would have undoubtedly turned away without a word. This time, everything seemed to be falling into place quite smoothly.

Hae-gang’s eyelids trembled beneath the shield of her sunglasses. Despite the significant passage of time, the voice’s owner remained vividly etched in her memory. She was none other than Mrs. Choi, the gracious hostess of Moon -ik and the mother of Yoon Geon-ho.

She attempted to transition her steps as naturally as possible, but her entire being was involuntarily focused on what lay behind her. The thought that she might follow her and reach out to turn her around loomed, causing Hae-gang’s heart to beat erratically. Had she misjudged her presence here? Thankfully, no audible footsteps were trailing behind her..

It wasn’t until she stepped outside that he finally allowed herself to exhale. Only then did she realize she had been holding her breath? Drawing in a deep breath, she managed to quell her tumultuous emotions and raise her head.

“Oh?”

What captured Hae-gang’s attention wasn’t the vehicle she had arrived in, but a glossy black sports car. It had no business being here when it should have been safely nestled in the mansion’s garage. She blinked, utterly perplexed.

“I apologize, Madam. It appears that the secretary who left for an errand may have made a mistake. I believe I should investigate. This secretary will see you home.”

The director Han bowed apologetically, leaving Hae-gang momentarily stunned before she graciously responded.

“No, there’s no need to apologize. If anything, I should be the one apologizing. People from the company are wasting their time because of me.”

Her smile, accompanied by a hint of lowered brows that seemed to convey an apology, softened her features as she glanced at the secretary busy organizing her belongings in the car’s trunk.

“I’m perfectly fine, so let the secretary accompany you.”

“No need, Madam. There’s no obligation,” the secretary politely declined.

“I thought I might enjoy a drive while I’m out.”

In truth, she preferred not to share a car in these circumstances. Displaying displeasure would only heighten her concern, but maintaining a stoic expression felt like too great an effort.

Before the Director Han could decline once more, Hae-gang promptly expressed her gratitude.

“Thank you for your assistance today, Director Han, and to you, dear secretary.”

Amid a meeting, Geon-ho raised his phone, which had been incessantly buzzing. This particular meeting was quite significant. It marked the first gathering of the head office executives since Yoon Seon-woo’s demise, and at this point, there was no doubt about Moon-ik’s next chairman.

It was rather amusing to observe those who had been closely aligned with Yoon Seon-woo sneaking glances at him now.

While the executives exited one by one, giving him a perfunctory nod, Geon-ho maintained a nonchalant expression and dialed a number that appeared as “unavailable.”

“Mother, you called?”

“Why aren’t you answering your phone?”

Even though Mrs. Choi rarely displayed irritability, Geon-ho’s expression remained unmoved. He simply inquired about the reason for her call.

“What’s the matter?”

“Do you know who I saw today?”

He wasn’t particularly interested in whom she had seen. For it to make any impact, it would have to involve his father meeting a new woman, or, taking it further, engaging in a passionate display of affection with her. But such indifferent thoughts were soon shattered.

“It’s Hae-gang, Hae-gang!”

A momentary flash of something crossed Geon-ho’s gaze. He adjusted his tie, attempting to concentrate on the conversation. However, Mrs. Choi, who had just mentioned that name, seemed to contradict her own statement with a bewildered tone.

“No, it can’t be. She’s already dead. But can someone look so much like her?”

Geon-ho was also skeptical. The likelihood of mistaken identity was high. Regardless of Hae-gang’s current status, she wouldn’t boldly wander the streets.

“If you’re suspicious, why don’t you call her?”

“I did call her! But there was no response. However, her style was completely different—short hair, an unkempt hair color. Hae-gang always preferred a neater appearance.”

However, as Mrs. Choi continued to speak, Geon-ho’s inclination leaned toward the possibility that she had indeed encountered Hae-gang.

His first encounter with Hae-gang had been just like that. She had sported short hair, so short that it could be considered awkward, with vibrant hair color. Her attire didn’t set her apart from the average university student you might see on the streets.

According to Mrs. Choi’s standards, Hae-gang’s appearance was far from neat, rather flamboyant and untidy. She had greeted him with a fist bump when they first met in this flashy attire.

“Hello, the boyfriend I mentioned before. Mr. Yoon Geon-ho.”

Thinking back to the audacious Hae-gang from that day brought a faint smile to Geon-ho’s lips. However, that fleeting smile disappeared without a trace as Mrs. Choi continued speaking.

“My staff told me she’s Charlie Min’s wife.”

The call continued afterward. Geon-ho ended it at an appropriate moment and replayed the conversation with Mrs. Choi in his mind several times. The conversation had been lengthy, filled with unnecessary details, but one phrase, “Charlie Min’s wife,” lingered in his thoughts.

“Charlie Min’s wife…”

Geon-ho’s face turned chillingly cold. Hae-gang had to be “Yoon Geon-ho’s wife” until her death. It seemed he had let it go on for too long. It was probably because he had dealt with Seon-woo’s situation first, contrary to his initial plan.

Of course, there was no regret. That wretched child had touched Hae-gang without understanding his limits.

He put down the elegant pen and leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes. A wry smile tugged at the corner of his lips and finally emerged. It was undoubtedly Min Woo-jin’s doing, along with Seo Haegang.

“Should I call this audacious or just brave?”

For a while, it seemed like not a single hair of her head would be seen, and then she managed to come out. Min Woo-jin and Hae-gang must have swollen livers.

There was nothing wrong with their perspective. It seemed that crossing the threshold had become considerably easier, and that could be used to his advantage.

After organizing his thoughts in this manner and picking up the pen again, a knock at the door interrupted him.

“Yoon Jiwoo, the CEO, has arrived.”

“Send her away.”

There was no need to confront that repulsive face, especially when it had served its purpose. Geon-ho issued a firm command as if there was no value in hesitation. The secretary, who received the command, left with a polite bow. He thought that was the end of the matter, but it wasn’t.

“Isn’t this enough? Do you want to grab me with those dirty hands? Do you all want to sit on the pavement?!”

The resounding voice of Ji-woo echoed beyond the heavy wooden door, accompanied by the rough sound of footsteps and the voices of others trying to restrain her. The secretaries who followed her inside stood in a rigid posture, their gazes fixed on the floor. Geon-ho knew they couldn’t afford to confront J-iwoo, yet he couldn’t help but feel contemptuous.

“You were the one who said it, that Seon-woo…”

“Everyone, leave.”

Geon-ho’s firm voice pierced through Ji-woo’s outburst as it reverberated in the office. As if these secretaries were thorns on a cushion, they promptly exited one by one. The door closed quietly and seamlessly, leaving Geon-ho to regard Ji-woo with a cold gaze.

“Seems like someone barged in uninvited, making such a fuss.”

However, Ji-woo was immune to Geon-ho’s words as her eyes were already fixed on him.

“Shut up! Seon-woo oppa couldn’t have committed suicide. He wouldn’t die like this after striving so hard to become Moon-ik’s leader. You killed him. You’re the one who killed him!”

She yelled and raved incessantly, devoid of any semblance of reason, but her words were not entirely untrue. Yoon Seon-woo had not been so fragile as to take his own life, and in reality, it had been Geon-ho who had ordered his death.

However, the phrase “striving so hard” grated on him a bit.

“Striving so hard? Like, trying to kill his wife?”

Among all of Seon-woo’s actions, his inability to comprehend how someone could ruthlessly murder their beloved was the most puzzling. If there was one thing he feared in the world, it was the threat to Hae-gang’s safety and well-being. That fear had driven him to confine her in a suite to avoid any potential danger.

Of course, their relationship had grown increasingly complex since that day, but he had never regretted it. Without a doubt, it had been necessary for his peace of mind.

Geon-ho’s thoughts drifted briefly, but Ji-woo’s voice, filled with anger, snapped him back to reality.

“You promised to let it go!”

Gunho turned his gaze back to Ji-woo. Her face turned red, and her forehead veins bulged as she shouted loudly. What’s the big deal about feeling unfairly treated? 

“You told me that if I did as you said, you would protect Sun-woo oppa’s secret! That’s why I installed a listening device on oppa’s phone, and…” 

“You also revealed the existence of Hae-gang to Yoon Sunwoo.” Jiwoo, who had been making noise all along, closed her lips abruptly. Gun-ho looked at her as if mocking her. 

“You shared information that Haegang was still alive with Yoon Sunwoo too, remember?” 

“Well, that…” 

When Yoon Jiwoo had told her older brother about it, she probably didn’t think too much about it. She just happily blurted it out because it seemed like favorable information for her older brother. The reason Yoon Sunwoo had kept it a secret for two years, even after knowing, was clear. He intended to use it as a defense when information about Lim Seyoung came up. And he succeeded in shutting her mouth with it. Unfortunately. 

“Don’t think I believed only you knew the secret.” 

Furthermore, she hadn’t shown any signs of knowing it until he mentioned Lim Seyoung. She had been holding back her mouth, waiting for the right moment to strike him as hard as she could. But Jiwoo, the one who should have kept quiet, teased him so lightly. Without even realizing that it was leading to his older brother’s downfall. 

“I overestimated you. I got a much lower level of response than I expected.”

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