chapter 6
Regardless of her or Jeong-hyeok’s wishes, all for Hwang Jun-hee ambition to marry into the Taesan Group?
“They’ll probably be happy about it. It’ll help silence those rumors about their son liking men. Must’ve been a big enough scandal.”
“……”
“Rina.”
Startled, Rina flinched and looked up.
“Why aren’t you answering?”
“Uh… Mom…”
“What, do you not want to?”
If she said no, she’d be dragged to the basement storage.
There, she would receive “correction” all night long.
No water, not even a crumb of bread—she would have to endure Hwang Junhee’s verbal and physical abuse.
If she collapsed, she’d be locked in until Junhee’s anger cooled.
It was hard enough enduring the frigid air and pitch-black darkness.
But the worst part was the thoughts—waves of anxiety and misery crashing down.
What if I’m locked in here forever?
What if no one even notices if I die?
If I die… what will happen to Mom?
The treatment, the nursing care—everything would stop.
So Rina forced out the only answer she could give, the one she had to give.
“…No, I’ll do it, Mom.”
Hwang Junhee gently stroked Rina’s cheek.
“Oh my. My daughter really is such a good girl. I’m looking forward to it.”
“…Yes, Mom.”
“Until we reach our goal, don’t let your guard down. I’ll do everything I can to help you become the daughter-in-law of the Taesan Group.”
The next day.
After getting her hair and makeup done at a salon, Rina headed once again to the Youngseo Hotel.
She was going to meet Junhyuk.
Last night, following Hwang Junhee’s instructions, Rina had contacted him. Pleased by her quick call, he readily agreed to meet.
She hurried her steps. Because the salon director, asked by Hwang Junhee to be extra thorough, had spent more time than usual covering Rina’s swollen cheek, she ended up running late.
During breakfast, Hwang Junhee had briefed her on Junhyuk, saying that he always arrived thirty minutes early to appointments.
Just as the chauffeur opened the car door and Rina rushed through the hotel entrance, turning toward the restaurant—
“Ah…!”
She collided with someone, and her body staggered.
Just as she was about to fall, a firm hand grabbed her arm.
“Th-thank you.”
When she looked up, her eyes widened.
“What are you doing here, Doctor…?”
A warm-looking man wearing glasses and a long cream-colored coat steadied her, then smiled only after making sure she wasn’t hurt.
“I see you here, Rina.”
Seeing her surprised face, Gijun smiled with a fond twinkle in his eyes.
“The world really is big and small, huh? Who would’ve thought I’d run into you in Seoul today?”
Rina agreed.
Gijun worked at a high-end nursing facility in Yeongyo, a suburb of Seoul, and rarely left for anything.
Worry flashed in her eyes.
“What brings you here? Did something happen? Is it…?”
She couldn’t finish her sentence.
But Gijun, seemingly understanding what she was implying, gently patted her shoulder to reassure her.
“No, it’s nothing like that. I’m just on a rare vacation. I had some shopping to do, and…”
Just then—
“Rina.”
The low, firm voice made Gijun instinctively turn his head.
A sharply handsome man, with perfectly defined features from forehead to nose, was staring coldly at them.
“Doctor?”
Doctor? Gijun frowned at the title.
She was in contact with another doctor?
But he was the only one who knew about Lee Youngshin, and the only one aware of Rina’s connection to her.
Rina had said she wouldn’t let anyone else know.
Then… who was this man?
“You’re late. You’re usually punctual.”
“Ah, well… I’m sorry.”
Still not taking his eyes off Gijun, Junhyuk said,
“I didn’t expect you to be chatting so leisurely with someone else despite being late.”
“I’m sorry… did you wait long?”
“Yeah.”
As he replied, Junhyuk noticed the change in the bespectacled man’s eyes.
The warmth he had shown Rina vanished when their eyes met.
All that remained was wariness.
Still, the man kept his smile.
He wanted to appear kind in front of Rina. That was obvious—almost laughably so.
When Junhyuk gave a short chuckle, Gijun’s smile twitched.
With a smile, Junhyuk stepped closer to Rina.
“Why were you so late?”
The warmth of his hand around her shoulder made Rina lower her head, lips moving as if to speak but unable to find the words.
“Sorry… I told the salon I was meeting you, and I think my mom asked them to go all out today.”
Junhyuk chuckled at her excuse and lightly tapped her nose with his finger.
“Still as honest as ever.”
“Don’t tease me.”
“I’m not teasing. That was a compliment.”
Rina bit her lip and glanced up at him, and Junhyuk tilted his head with a “What are you going to do about it?” kind of look.
Watching the two interact so naturally, as if they were long-time lovers, Gijun clenched his fists beneath his coat.
“Ah, Doctor.”
Suddenly remembering Gijun, Rina turned to him with an apologetic look.
“I’m sorry—I had an appointment.”
“Yeah, it looks that way. Then I’ll be going.”
“Take care. And if you have time…”
Her words trailed off. Gijun nodded as if he understood what she meant.
“I’ll contact you. Then.”
With a faint smile, Gijun gave Junhyuk a small nod before heading out the hotel entrance.
“……”
“Shall we go in?”
At Rina’s small voice, Junhyuk finally took his eyes off Gijun’s retreating figure.
“Interesting.”
Why did that bother him?
Trying to shake off the thought, Junhyuk placed his hand around Rina’s shoulder and led her forward.
They entered Serata, the Italian restaurant inside the hotel, heading to the window seat Junhyuk had reserved in advance.
He had gone outside because he saw her enter the front door but never come into the restaurant.
“I’m really sorry for being late. Like I said, the salon took longer, and then I ran into someone…”
As Junhyuk gave no reaction, Rina’s voice trailed off and her head dropped lower.
‘He hates excuses.’
She regretted not simply apologizing. But then, Junhyuk’s heavy voice cut through her thoughts.
“Who was he? That man earlier.”
What should she say?
Gijun was the doctor taking care of her mother.
Not Hwang Junhee, the one who always treated her with fake smiles…
But her real mother, Lee Youngshin.
No one could know about her.
If it got out, it would ruin the images of both popular entertainer Oh Suhwan and the politician-turned-businesswoman Hwang Junhee.
Rina was Oh Suhwan’s illegitimate child.
No one knew this.
Except for “family.”
“Rina.”
His lowered voice pressed heavily on her chest.
She forced a smile and answered.
“Just… a doctor I met a while ago.”
“A doctor?”
“Yes.”
“How did you meet him?”
“Hmm… I think it was when I went for a check-up with my family? I met him then. He was really kind, so I asked a bunch of questions…”
She needed to change the subject—quickly.
As if reading her mind, a server approached.
“You mentioned you’d order once your guest arrived. Would you like to order now?”
The server spoke to Junhyuk, but Rina replied.
“I heard the aglio e olio here is really good? I’ll have that. What about you?”
Junhyuk, still staring at her, finally nodded.
“I’ll have the same.”
“Do you have any other recommendations?”
With a smile, the server began explaining the specials.
Rina nodded and reacted enthusiastically to show she was paying attention.
Watching her, Junhyuk stroked his chin.
‘Why does he bother me?’
The man with glasses—the “doctor”—kept coming to mind.
More precisely, it was the way he had looked at Rina.
Behind the soft kindness in his eyes, there was a sticky red intensity.
As if… he saw her as a woman.
