CHAPTER 13………………………………………
Hana set the cup down in the sink and returned to the living room. Gunwoo was still looking at his tablet, and she carefully sat on the sofa across from him.
“Um…”
“Yeah.”
He answered briefly without taking his eyes off the screen. Hana clenched and unclenched her hands before speaking cautiously.
“Our company is preparing to expand exports into Southeast Asia right now…”
Only then did Gunwoo lower the tablet and look at her. Hana hesitated. She could see his expression slowly hardening.
“It’s been difficult securing a local distribution network. And… Ilju Group has already built a network across Southeast Asia. I was wondering if there’s any chance you could share it with us, or form a partnership…”
Before she could finish, Gunwoo let out a short laugh. It was a scoff. Leaning back into the sofa, he stared at her.
His gaze held both disbelief and disappointment.
“Hana.”
He called her name, but she couldn’t lift her head.
“Look at me.”
Reluctantly, she did. Gunwoo rested his chin on his hand and studied her with a strange look.
“Do you know how big a deal it is to share a Southeast Asian distribution network?”
“…I do.”
“And you’re still asking me this?”
Irritation edged into his voice.
“This is a multi-hundred-billion-won business. It’s not something that can be handled as a personal favor. It has to go through the board, reviewed by the working teams. You know that.”
“I know. I do, but…”
His eyebrow lifted.
“Did Chairman Seo tell you to? Is that why you came to ask me?”
Hana bit her lip. He was completely right. But she had no choice.
“If you don’t want to… it’s okay.”
she said weakly.
“I’ll explain it to my father.”
Gunwoo gave a dry chuckle.
“You think you can explain it well?”
“……”
“You shake whenever you stand in front of Chairman Seo — what are you going to do?”
“I’ll just… tell him it didn’t work out…”
“You think he’ll let it go at that?”
Gunwoo laughed quietly and rose from the sofa. With every step he took closer, Hana’s shoulders stiffened.
She instinctively moved back, but the sofa backrest stopped her.
“He’ll just take it out on you.”
“……”
“Saying you can’t even handle your own husband.”
Hana swallowed. She couldn’t say anything.
“Am I wrong?”
Gunwoo braced a hand on the armrest and leaned in. The distance between them nearly disappeared.
Hana lowered her gaze, avoiding his eyes. His shadow fell across her face.
“This isn’t the first time.”
His voice dropped.
“You did this last time, and the time before that. Every time Chairman Seo orders something, you come to me.”
Her fingertips turned cold.
It was true.
For the past two years, unable to refuse Gihoon’s demands, she had brought Gunwoo one favor after another — big and small. Each time, he accepted without complaint. She didn’t know why, but he always did.
“Most of the time you act like you don’t even know me,”
he said with a bitter smile.
“But whenever this happens, you’re the first to come looking for me.”
“……”
Hana lowered her head further, clenching her trembling hands, unsure what to say.
“You know that if you ask me, I won’t be able to refuse.”
He slowly lifted a hand and tilted her chin up. Their eyes met directly.
There was anger in his gaze, resignation too — and a trace of sadness.
“Don’t use that.”
His fingertips trembled slightly.
“I have my limits too.”
He quietly dropped his hand and turned away. His heavy footsteps moved down the hallway toward the bedroom.
Soon, the sound of a door closing echoed.
Hana stood there blankly. In the heavy air, his last words kept circling in her head.
You know I can’t refuse you when you ask me.
The words lodged in her chest like a thorn. Gunwoo knew — that she was using him.
And she knew too — that he granted every favor even while knowing it.
She had been relying on that.
While giving him nothing in return.
On the dining table sat a steak that hadn’t gone cold yet and a half-empty bottle of red wine.
It was late evening.
An odd silence lay between the two seated across from each other.
They had exchanged a few words, but the awkwardness still hung thick in the air.
Hana nudged her salad with a fork and spoke first, cautiously.
“About earlier… please don’t worry about it. I’ll talk to my father.”
Gunwoo said nothing, just lifted his wine glass and took a sip. His hand moved unusually slowly as he set it down.
After a short silence, he spoke quietly.
“I’ll review it.”
Hana looked up in surprise.
“…What?”
“I’ll get the materials from the team, check feasibility, and see if it can go to the board.”
She stared at him, as if she couldn’t believe it, then bowed her head.
“…Thank you.”
Instead of answering, he cut into his steak. The metal sound of knife against plate rang softly.
It was the only sound breaking the silence at the table.
After eating half-heartedly for a while, Gunwoo suddenly looked up at her.
“Oh — clear your schedule next Friday.”
“Yes?”
“The Hansung Cultural Foundation gala dinner at the Grand Hotel. You remember?”
His tone remained indifferent.
“Let’s go together.”
“…Me too?”
Her voice trembled slightly.
It was an event with heavy media coverage — where owner families of major groups gathered, swarmed by reporters and photographers.
Appearing there together would send a message.
Slowly swirling his wine glass, Gunwoo continued,
“There’s been a lot of talk about us lately. That we’re divorcing, that I’m getting engaged to someone else…”
A thin smile touched his lips — closer to resignation than amusement.
“Don’t you think it’s time to straighten that out?”
Hana looked at him silently. The wine’s color glinted in his eyes.
He took a sip and added,
“Let’s show up together and make an appearance. It’ll be in the news.”
She drew a small breath.
“…Okay.”
After a brief hesitation, she managed that one word. He nodded and set the glass down.
“Get a new dress made this time. The foundation will be taking lots of photos.”
She lowered her head quietly.
“Yes.”
After that, neither spoke. Gunwoo resumed eating slowly, while Hana found she had no strength in her hands.
The steak remained untouched.
Saturday morning.
Serin checked herself one last time in the mirror. A pearl necklace sat neatly over her white tweed jacket, and small diamond earrings glowed softly at her ears.
Her hair was loosely tied, with a few soft strands framing her face, adding a refined touch.
“Perfect.”
She smiled with satisfaction and picked up her handbag. Today, at Wooil’s invitation, she was visiting the Ilju Group main residence.
Officially, it was just a weekend brunch gathering — but Serin knew it was anything but casual.
Gunwoo’s mother, Bae Misook — it was an open secret in business circles that she disliked Hana. And it was just as well known that Misook had already marked Serin as a suitable daughter-in-law candidate.
