Chapter 3
As if to say she should leave now that she had roughly understood, the man jerked his chin toward the door.
Yet despite his rudeness, Yuri couldn’t bring herself to get angry.
“Just once—just one more time, please reconsider. I’m not asking to stay indefinitely. I just… I’m asking you to give us a little more time to relocate the orphanage.”
Nothing about the situation made sense, but for now, Yuri was trying to buy as much time as possible.
“That’s how three months turns into six, and six turns into a year.”
“……”
“If you stubbornly hold out, you’ll just end up getting dragged out by hired thugs after being beaten. In front of the children.”
“Excuse me, lawyer…!”
“Or what? Planning to put the kids in front again? Like you’re doing now?”
“When did I ever use the children like that—!”
She snapped back indignantly, and he looked at her as if amused, asking in return,
“Then what else are you planning to put forward?”
“That’s…”
“Stop wasting time on useless things and leave.”
“……”
“Or try to make it worth my while.”
Leaning forward, he rested his elbows on his knees.
Then he looked at Yuri with a gaze filled with desire.
At his words crossing the line, Yuri finally stood up—but that was all.
What he said was clearly insulting, and her anger rose to the top of her head, but…
Song Yuri.
As the person responsible for the orphanage, the only thing she could do right now was plead with him.
“I’m also from Hope Orphanage, and I want the children to be happy more than anyone. But something like that…”
However, Yuri’s sincerity did not reach Shinwoo.
Glancing at his watch, he reached for the intercom and immediately instructed his secretary.
“The guest is leaving.”
“W-wait a moment, lawyer, I haven’t finished—”
“I told you. I’d give you ten minutes.”
She didn’t even have time to persuade him. Just then, a male employee who seemed to be his secretary entered and tried to escort Yuri out.
Yuri realized instinctively—if she got thrown out like this, nothing would be resolved.
Driven by desperation, she did something she never wanted to do.
“W-wait! You can’t—!”
She dropped to her knees on the cold floor.
Her small fists, resting on her thighs, turned pale as they trembled.
“What should I do? I’ll do anything you ask… please, just give us more time.”
Looking down at her, Shinwoo let out a scoff.
He had never seen a woman so lacking in dignity. But now, she was finally doing something that piqued his interest.
“That won’t do, sir. I’ll call security—”
“That’s enough. Leave us for now.”
“Excuse me?”
Caught off guard by the unexpected turn of events, the secretary reminded him of his next schedule.
“But sir, your next appointment is with Jinra—”
“I know. Go on. I’ll handle it.”
As if too bothered to respond further, Shinwoo waved his hand dismissively and sent the secretary out.
Once they were alone again, Yuri swallowed nervously. Then—
“You said you’d do anything.”
“……”
“Can you really do anything?”
“…If it’s something I can do, I’ll try.”
Shinwoo liked the determination in her eyes, yet at the same time, he felt an urge to break that resolve.
Not that kind of gaze…
He slowly walked toward Yuri, who was still kneeling.
As she looked up at him, something ominous in his eyes made her lower her head. Then she opened her mouth to plead again.
“Please, have mercy—”
“I prefer deals over mercy. Especially ones where both sides come to an agreement.”
Grabbing her chin roughly, he forced her to meet his gaze.
“…Ah.”
“And as I said before, when you speak, look at me.”
“……”
“I don’t like it when people avoid my eyes.”
He knew she was speaking hastily just to get out of the situation.
That’s why he intended to bind her properly—by forcing an agreement.
“Why? Are you scared?”
“Th-that’s…”
Yuri bit her lip slightly. She felt like she could guess what he wanted, yet at the same time, she couldn’t.
He seemed to be reading her completely, yet she couldn’t read him at all.
“If you’re hoping for some shallow sympathy, it’s not too late. Leave. The door’s open.”
“……”
“If not, then let’s talk. About the deal between you and me, Ms. Song Yuri.”
What did he want from her?
Honestly, fear came first.
She didn’t want to show weakness, but he had already seen through everything about her.
“I prefer deals that benefit me more.”
“……”
“So what can our deputy director offer me?”
At his meaningful words, Yuri felt a growing sense of dread.
Her heart didn’t just pound—it felt as if all the blood in her body rushed to it, threatening to burst.
It was closer to fear.
From the beginning, he was a man who exuded a uniquely dangerous aura, even among the rough-looking men surrounding him.
He was not a gentleman.
In the elevator where they had been left alone, the way his eyes had scanned her worn clothes as if tearing them apart—
Now, that gaze was fixed on her face.
He’s dangerous.
Only then did Yuri realize what kind of trap she had fallen into.
The meaning behind the persistent gaze he had fixed on her since their first meeting wasn’t complicated at all.
And because of that, she couldn’t even move a finger.
“Are you going to stay like that?”
As if her fear meant nothing, he frowned at his watch.
He had said he hated wasting time.
There was no way her hesitation pleased him.
“…N-no.”
Yuri quickly stood up. Shinwoo immediately walked over to the main sofa and gestured for her to sit.
“Good. I’ll give you one more year.”
Before she could even feel relieved, worry overtook her—what kind of deal was he going to demand?
Nothing in this world was free. And wishing for such luck was nothing more than shameless greed.
Regardless of her fear, whatever he wanted—no matter what—it was something she had to do.
“Then please tell me what you want—”
Yuri spoke with determination, but an unexpected name came out of his mouth.
“Song Yuhan.”
At the mention of Yuhan’s name from a stranger, Yuri’s expression hardened.
“Send him abroad for adoption.”
At those words, her face froze completely.
“…What?”
“Or is it possible to place him in a foreign institution?”
“Wait. What are you talking about? Send Yuhan abroad?”
“It’s complicated if he stays in Korea.”
Yuri couldn’t understand what Shinwoo was saying at all.
“No, lawyer—how do you even know Yuhan—”
Ignoring her confusion, he spoke coldly, shaking her to the core.
“He’s my younger brother.”
“What… did you say?”
“Paralyzed from the waist down, and autistic. It’ll be hard for him to be adopted into a normal family. And I have my own circumstances—I can’t take care of him.”
“……”
“Foreign countries are more accepting of disabilities than Korea. Wouldn’t it be better to send him for adoption while he’s still young?”
***
Tae Shinwoo.
Currently, he runs a law firm, but until a few years ago, he held the position of Executive Director of the Strategic Planning Team at Taehwa Construction.
Taehwa Construction, which originated from a loan shark business in Myeongdong, expanded its ventures aggressively based on enormous capital.
As a result, in less than 20 years since its founding, Taehwa Construction rose to become the number one construction company in South Korea.
And Tae Shinwoo, at the age of twenty-seven, had been promoted to Executive Director of Strategic Planning—an unprecedented rise—placing him early at the center of Taehwa Construction’s power.
