ABMC 07

CHAPTER 07……………………….

Seoyoung had been thinking that Cha Hyukjin’s secretary looked familiar, and then suddenly remembered the day she went to Itaewon with her foreign friend a few days earlier.

Unlike other clubs, that place didn’t have a hookup culture between men and women, which was why she sometimes visited.

And no matter how she thought about it, the man her friend had been eyeing really did seem to be him.

The problem was—that place was a queer bar.

Then…

Thinking about Hyukjin and the people around him, she once again began doubting his intentions.

It wasn’t written anywhere in his official profile, but because he was so popular, there were plenty of rumors floating around about him.

He acted all refined and gentlemanly in front of people but secretly had multiple women at the same time; he was the sponsor of some actress; he secretly ran a private club—things like that.

Every single one of them was a nasty rumor meant to smear him.

So she hadn’t thought much about the rumor that he was too close with the male secretary he brought from the U.S.

She assumed it was the kind of gossip that clings to any famous or high-profile person.

But seeing his secretary in person suddenly made her suspicious.

What if he really did have a secret he didn’t want exposed, and this was how he hid it?

If so, her contract marriage proposal might have been incredibly convenient for him.

Her imagination ran a little wild, but then Seoyoung wrinkled her nose and shook her head.

No way.

She let out a small laugh, thinking her imagination was getting ahead of her.

Besides, remembering how he kissed her made the idea that he doesn’t like women completely absurd.

If anything, the rumor that he has a dozen women behind the scenes makes more sense.

He was the type of man who could make sly jokes without even a hint of embarrassment. Thinking about him like that, it seemed far more believable.

Honestly, it’d be better if that were true.

On the surface, she pretended not to care and even snapped at him, but secretly she hoped he did have someone he was seeing.

Because it really had nothing to do with her.

Of course, she’d never say any of this out loud.

She’d already told him earlier that he could sleep with other women, and he glared at her like she’d deeply offended him.

He seemed pretty prideful, too—so if he did have a secret, she had no intention of provoking him with careless words.

Anyway, I got nervous for nothing.

Thinking she had worried over something pointless, Seoyoung suddenly felt foolish.

He does kiss… surprisingly well though…

Her fingers brushed lightly over the lips he had kissed—but then she quickly pulled her hand away.

Just then, the elevator chimed and the doors opened.

She steadied her breath, tightened her hold on the envelope, and straightened her back.

This is the beginning.

A path was opening again in a situation she had thought was a dead end.

* * *

A few days later, on a weekend afternoon.

Seoyoung dressed more carefully than usual before leaving home.

After signing the contract at the hotel, they had agreed that on the weekend she would meet Hyukjin’s family first.

Not only Chairman Cha but even his parents were eager to meet their future daughter-in-law.

It was only a contract marriage, yet the fact that they were already hoping for grandchildren made her feel strangely guilty.

But in the end, this too was simply part of what came with marriage.

His family is his responsibility. I don’t have the luxury to worry about that right now.

Leaving the elevator, Seoyoung walked toward the underground parking lot.

Hyukjin was waiting for her there—having personally come to pick her up.

Watching her approach, he let a faint smile appear on his lips.

“Your hair looks quite different when you wear it down.”

“Does it look strange? Should I tie it up again?”

Because she usually kept her hair tied for work, Seoyoung felt awkward with the change and fiddled with it.

She had kept her hair long mostly because her late father liked it that way, even though it was inconvenient.

“No. I prefer it. It makes you look softer instead of cold.”

After opening the door for her, Hyukjin got inside and gave an instruction to the driver seated in front.

“Let’s go.”

It was the same secretary they had seen at the hotel.

He nodded briefly to Seoyoung in the rearview mirror before starting the car.

“Have you been well?” Hyukjin asked.

“Yes. Thanks to you. But now that I’m actually going to meet your family, I’m really nervous.”

At her answer, Hyukjin let out a low chuckle.

“They’re strict and sharp when it comes to work, but they’ll be very generous with their future daughter-in-law. Anyone—literally anyone—I marry will make them happy.”

“That’s a relief.”

As they chatted, Seoyoung relaxed a little, then suddenly turned to him with a curious look.

“By the way, how did you explain how we met?”

“I told them I saw you at a café and fell in love at first sight, so I proposed first.”

“…What?”

Her eyes widened at the completely unexpected answer.

“Why would you lie about something like that…?”

“Because that way, even if we divorce later, they won’t question anything. It’s easier if everything looks like it started from me.”

“Well… I guess that’s not bad.”

Relieved that she didn’t have to face the powerful Hanho Group family directly, Seoyoung felt her nerves settle.

Even if it was a fake marriage, she intended to treat his family with full sincerity during the time she was legally their daughter-in-law.

It was the least she could do to repay the deception.

And knowing Chairman Cha was hoping for a great-grandchild made her feel even guiltier.

But she also knew Hyukjin wouldn’t let her feel too burdened by any of that.

After hesitating briefly, she opened her mouth.

“You probably already know this, but my parents passed away in a car accident a few years ago. Other than my grandmother and some relatives, I don’t have anyone.”

“I’m aware. We’ll keep the family meeting simple, so don’t worry.”

“Thank you.”

She smiled faintly and turned her gaze forward again.

The fact that he didn’t pry further about her parents made her think there was no need to explain more.

He had likely already completed his background check on her.

Until her parents died in the accident, Seoyoung had thought they were both orphans.

She was the only grandchild of Park Bokja—her mother’s mother—but the elderly woman had never once sought out her daughter, who had run away from home to marry the man she loved.

Still, she must have kept track of her daughter’s life somehow.

Because as soon as she heard of her daughter’s death, she arrived at the funeral.

“You’re Jinhee’s daughter, aren’t you?
If I’d known she would leave us so early, I would have come sooner.”

Crying as she looked at the portraits of her daughter and son-in-law, Chairman Park finally brought her only grandchild into the family.