Episode 14
Saehyun turned back to Seo-eun.
“Let’s go. The event isn’t over yet.”
However, Han Kang-sik wasn’t ready to give up. He stopped the two as they tried to walk away.
“Wait, we still need to talk—”
“You’ve said enough.”
Jae-hyun’s cold tone made Han Kang-sik fall silent, though his eyes burned with anger. Feeling humiliated by the younger man’s attitude, his resentment was redirected toward Seo-eun.
“You know what’ll happen if you just walk away from me here, right?”
Jae-hyun’s gaze sharpened instantly. He stepped closer to Han Kang-sik.
“Didn’t you hear me? I said that was enough.”
His voice was icy and threatening.
“Han Seo-eun is my wife before she’s your daughter. I’ll take your behavior today as a direct insult to both me and the Seowon Group.”
Saehyun’s chilling aura made even Han Kang-sik stiffen. It was clear Saehyun no longer intended to be polite.
Until now, he had tolerated the man because publicly disrespecting his father-in-law would only reflect poorly on him.
But seeing Seo-eun threatened right in front of him… that changed everything.
Without sparing another glance, Saehyun pulled Seo-eun along with him. The two of them left Han Kang-sik behind and walked to the parking lot.
They didn’t head back to the venue.
The moment they stepped outside, the sky opened up and rain poured down like a waterfall.
Inside the car, only the sound of the wipers sweeping away the heavy rain filled the air.
Jae-hyun squinted through the downpour, frowning deeply. His hands repeatedly gripped and released the steering wheel.
He didn’t know why he felt so on edge. The emotions bubbling up inside him made no sense.
Beside him, Seo-eun glanced over anxiously.
‘I think this is the first time I’ve seen him this angry…’
His sharp gaze made her heart tighten. It pained her that things had turned out this way because of her.
But she couldn’t say anything. She had to protect Jae-woo. She didn’t want Jae-hyun to hate her.
She hated this contradictory version of herself.
“What the hell is with this rain.”
His gritted voice startled her. She could feel his tension.
Scanning the surroundings with a sharp eye, Jae-hyun suddenly swerved the car.
Startled by the abrupt turn, Seo-eun let out a small scream.
“It’s dangerous to keep driving like this.”
His blunt words carried no emotion.
Eventually, the car stopped in a desolate place.
They had arrived at a run-down parking lot beside an abandoned building. The sign on the building creaked in the wind. Thick fog surrounded them, making the world outside feel far away.
With the engine off, the sound of rain grew even louder.
“We’ll wait out the rain here.”
Jae-hyun’s firm tone left no room for argument.
As the two remained in the car, the tension thickened. The distance between them was close enough that they could hear each other’s breathing.
Seo-eun shifted uncomfortably, occasionally glancing at him. But each time she saw his stern expression, she quickly looked away.
His usual calm demeanor was gone, replaced by a sharp glare. Seo-eun bowed her head.
‘It’s my fault again.’
The rain seemed to pound even louder.
The longer the silence stretched, the heavier the air inside the car felt.
Only the sounds of breathing, rain, and wipers filled the space.
Seo-eun hesitated, unsure whether to speak. His heavy expression made it difficult to start a conversation.
“I have a question.”
Jae-hyun’s voice suddenly broke the silence.
Startled, Seo-eun’s lips trembled as she answered.
“Yes, go ahead…”
“What exactly is your relationship with Han Kang-sik?”
He already knew. This wasn’t idle curiosity.
Jang Tae-soo had already informed him about her connection to Han Kang-sik.
Her biological father, half-sibling… A typical story, not so different from his own upbringing.
Still, something about it made him uneasy.
Especially the smile she had shown at the hospital—a pure, soft smile he had never seen from her before. A smile directed at her younger brother. That smile had branded itself in his memory.
Maybe that’s why, when he saw her crying in front of Han Kang-sik, instinct had taken over before logic.
For the first time, he felt the urge to protect someone.
It was unfamiliar. Every time that foreign emotion surged, it made him uneasy.
Was he angry because he didn’t know enough about his own wife?
Or because the situation was out of his control?
“Han Seo-eun broke off an engagement three years ago with the heir of Hotel Jane. That was just before she married you.”
Suddenly, Jang Tae-soo’s words came to mind, and Jae-hyun’s jaw clenched.
Was this emotional unrest all connected?
But if that were true… then the name of this emotion was far too obvious.
“We’re just… an ordinary father and daughter.”
“You didn’t look very ordinary.”
Jae-hyun continued, watching her anxious reaction.
“Han Seo-eun is struggling as CEO of Haeseobi, isn’t she?”
The deeper he probed, the more her eyes wavered. But she couldn’t escape.
“I heard it’s a tough time. But things will get better soon.”
“Is that so?”
He didn’t look convinced. Seo-eun shrank under his gaze.
“And what about your brother Jae-woo’s illness? I want to know about that too.”
At the mention of Jae-woo, Seo-eun’s face turned pale.
“Was that why you cried on the phone that day?”
“That day, it was—”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
His voice grew louder, his frustration twisting his expression.
“I— I…”
Seo-eun stammered, unable to answer. His questioning only intensified.
“Why did you break off that engagement three years ago?”
It was clear that this was the real question he’d been meaning to ask.
“Was it because of me?”
“H-how do you know that?”
“Answer me. I’m asking you.”
His voice rose with emotion. This was the first time she had seen him so raw.
At first, she thought his anger stemmed from Han Kang-sik or frustration at the situation she had caused.
But the more he questioned her, the more confused she became about what exactly he was angry about.
His intense gaze bore down on her.
“There were… personal reasons.”
“Personal reasons? You know that’s not the kind of answer I was looking for.”
The more he pushed, the more her defenses crumbled.
She feared he might discover the truth about their marriage.
But she wasn’t sure if she was more afraid of ruining her plan—or of being hated by him again.
“Tell me.”
“Or is there something else you’re hiding?”
“Something else…?”
“Well, it depends on how you want to spin it. A woman hiding a man from her past—it usually means he was important, or maybe it’s not over yet.”
“What are you saying—”
“Then say it clearly!”
His patience snapped. His voice was practically a shout now.
“I just…”
Tears welled in Seo-eun’s eyes. She couldn’t hold out anymore.
“Just? You broke off your engagement and got married to me immediately after, and you call that just?”
“Do you really not know why I’m asking all this?”
She lowered her head, avoiding his furious gaze. What could she say?
That her engagement was forced, and she seduced him to fulfill her father’s wishes? That she ended up marrying him because of all that?
“So I can just believe whatever I want, is that it?”
She bit her lip, unable to answer.
At that moment, Jae-hyun suddenly leaned in. The space between them vanished in an instant.
Seo-eun flinched and tried to pull away, but the cramped car left her nowhere to go.
“Then should I say it for you?”
“Jae-hyun, please…”
“You left the man you loved and married me for your family’s gain. Your company was on the brink of collapse and got saved thanks to our group. It all fits, doesn’t it?”
“So even now, are you still clinging to the man you had to leave behind?”
His hot breath brushed her cheek, contrasting with the sharpness of his words.
Jealousy and desire surged inside him. Logic told him to doubt her. The timing of her broken engagement and their marriage was too suspicious.
But at this moment, all he wanted was to make her his.
“Jae-hyun…”
“Why can’t you just deny it?”
His burning gaze bore into her. She tried to look away, but she couldn’t escape his eyes.
“No… it’s not like that…”
