ASDR 34

Chapter : 34

The number of photos containing Eunjae was so vast that it made one wonder how on earth they’d managed to obtain so many in such a short period of time.

Among them were photos that didn’t even seem to have been taken of Eunjae deliberately.

They were shots where Song Eunjae merely happened to be a passerby next to the main subject—but the backgrounds made it easy to infer the time and place.

“This is….”

Juhye frowned when she spotted a familiar photograph.

It was from the day she had first discovered her.

Eunjae was wearing a baseball cap pulled low, hurriedly leaving the company parking lot.

The anxiety and restlessness were unmistakable in her eyes as she glanced around.

Why would she keep seeing a married man if she was this uneasy?

A sudden thought crossed Juhye’s mind, and she bit down hard on her lower lip.

She’s not pregnant… right?

That couldn’t be. Not only because of her age, but because Eunjae’s stomach had been completely flat when she’d seen her at the arboretum.

“No. Don’t think like that. It’ll just make me feel worse for no reason….”

She felt rather pitiful, doubting herself like this.

Juhye set the photos down for a moment and pressed a hand to her warming forehead.

She’d thought her head was fine since she’d slept well, but before she knew it, a throbbing headache had set in.

Let’s keep looking. There might be more information.

When she slid the photos aside, a cellphone that had been hidden underneath came into view.

A notification light blinked, signaling an incoming text.

It was another message from Manager Park, sent belatedly.

[Information regarding Seo Woohyun will require more time. I’ll contact you again soon.]

Juhye let out a quiet, involuntary sigh.

In truth, information about Seo Woohyun was what she wanted most right now, so the delay was disappointing.

Still, she’d gained quite a lot about Eunjae alone—it was a significant haul.

There’s still time before the date Seo Woohyun suggested. Before then, I need to find out when Song Eunjae started seeing my husband, and whether anyone else knows about it.

She unfolded the documents inside the envelope and began reading them carefully.

The first piece of information was that Eunjae had been receiving personal living expenses from Seo Daehyun for several years.

Just the money he’d deposited directly into her account—without any stated reason—amounted to tens of millions of won.

At first, Juhye wondered why she would need such a large sum.

She soon found the answer.

Wait—this hospital….

The hospital sign visible in one of the photos of Eunjae looked familiar.

It was a hospital affiliated with the Jinju Group.

According to Manager Park’s investigation, Song Eunjae’s mother was currently hospitalized there.

Suspicion immediately arose—had Daehyun introduced her to that hospital?

His own primary physician was there, so it wouldn’t have been strange at all.

“Song… Bitna.”

It was a name she’d never seen before, yet it sounded familiar.

That meant she’d been famous once.

More precisely, she had been a well-known actress who, for some reason, had since been abandoned by the public and forgotten.

“Song Bitna… I’m sure I’ve heard that name before….”

Juhye searched the name on her phone, but contrary to her expectations, there wasn’t much to find.

Most of the articles were retrospectives on her obscure early days or unverified rumors about her current illness.

Among them was even an article suggesting a romantic relationship with a chaebol chairman.

The man’s name wasn’t mentioned—it was just a sensational piece—but for some reason it caught Juhye’s eye.

It was because of the note Manager Park had scribbled in the margin.

Father: unknown.

Despite extensive investigation, they hadn’t been able to identify Song Eunjae’s father.

Which meant someone had deliberately concealed that information.

Whether through money or influence… by any means necessary.

If Eunjae’s father really was a chaebol chairman, he would have wanted to avoid any stain on his reputation.

All the more so if, like Daehyun, he had a family and assets to protect.

The thought that Eunjae might be following in her mother’s footsteps made Juhye feel strange.

If her mother truly was ill and hospitalized, then the need for a large sum of money made sense.

Had she deliberately become Daehyun’s lover to receive money for that purpose?

Come to think of it, she always received envelopes of cash. Daehyun said it was living expenses, but maybe it was something else.

Even when Eunjae refused, Daehyun would stubbornly press the envelope into her hands.

He must have known her situation very well.

“…You said you needed a woman who would be beneficial to you.”

The words slipped out in a drained voice.

Objectively speaking, Song Eunjae was not someone who would benefit Daehyun in any way.

So why keep the relationship secret and continue seeing her?

Only one explanation came to mind.

‘From the beginning, Seo Daehyun loved another woman. You were simply deceived and used as a tool.’

If what Woohyun said was true—if the woman Seo Daehyun truly loved was Song Eunjae—

Then there was no other way to explain this situation.

It was just around evening.

She had finished a late dinner and was about to have some tea when a text arrived from Jooyoung.

Saying she’d just gotten into her car and grabbed the steering wheel, Jooyoung briefly explained why she was coming.

[Juhye, I’m coming over with Yoonhee. There’s something we need to talk about.]

Juhye had just been considering whether to consult her in more detail, now that she’d obtained information about Eunjae.

It wasn’t something to discuss in front of a child, but once Yoonhee fell asleep, they could talk freely.

“Your husband just got on a plane with Kangil.”

That single piece of news, delivered the moment Jooyoung arrived, wiped away all such plans like dust.

Juhye blinked her wide eyes, unable to process what she’d heard.

Does that mean Daehyun is preparing to return?

When she finally understood, shock crashed over her.

“A plane? It’s not time for him to come back yet.”

This business trip was extremely important to Jinju Construction—something that absolutely couldn’t be canceled.

Yet despite Juhye’s question, Jooyoung nodded, confirming it wasn’t a mistake.

Which meant Daehyun had given up something that important to return to Seoul earlier than planned.

“Looks like he changed his schedule on his own.”

“What do you mean he was with Kangil? Didn’t you say Kangil went on a business trip to Daejeon?”

“That’s the thing—I don’t know why he went to Japan either… I have no idea what he’s thinking.”

Juhye froze in shock, even dropping the phone in her hand.

Seeing her pale face, Jooyoung picked it up for her, telling her not to worry.

“He hasn’t arrived yet! Don’t panic.”

“But… he’ll reach the airport soon.”

“That’s when it really starts. How would Daehyun even find this address?”

Jooyoung scoffed confidently, but Juhye couldn’t laugh.

Considering Daehyun’s capabilities, it wouldn’t have been strange for him to track this place down at any time.

“I think Kangil figured something out.”

“Kangil did?”

“Otherwise, there’d be no reason to secretly go to Japan. He didn’t even tell me.”

As she gently wiped Yoonhee’s drool, Jooyoung whispered seriously.

“He probably talked to your husband about the divorce too.”

“How did you find out?”

“I told my secretary in advance. Just in case—if anything happened, report to me immediately.”

Kangil was her husband, but before that, he was Daehyun’s friend.

And not just any friend—he always said Kangil was his closest one.

So if something like this happened, Jooyoung believed he would help.

“It’s a good thing we moved first.”

Juhye nodded in agreement.

It was fortunate she’d arranged to handle her arboretum work remotely and moved her important belongings here.

This unexpected situation had arisen, but since she had no reason to go outside, the chances of being discovered were low.

“I made sure everyone around Kangil is tight-lipped, so the address won’t leak.”

“Y-Yeah.”

“If your husband keeps suspecting things, he’ll eventually come looking for me. And I’ll pretend I know nothing.”

Jooyoung spoke confidently, but her loud voice startled Yoonhee, who burst into tears.

Juhye hurriedly took Yoonhee into her arms and gently patted her back.

After rocking her softly, the child soon stopped crying and broke into a bright smile.

“You just need to be careful and wait. I’ll set the conditions….”

“Conditions?”

“If he says he’ll agree to a consensual divorce, then I’ll let you meet him.”

Jooyoung’s grin was utterly reassuring.