Hae-in's night was a long, restless blur. The hours ticked by, marked not by sleep but by the relentless replay of Hyun-woo's messages in her mind. His words, 'I'm missing you,' were a soft melody, a stark contrast to the sharp, teasing jabs that had preceded them. The ache of loneliness was now a tangible thing, a hollow space in her heart that his absence had created. She tossed and turned, the silence of the large house pressing in on her, and somewhere between the past and the present, a quiet, almost desperate longing took hold.
By the time the first rays of dawn pierced through her bedroom curtains, she had made a decision. It was impulsive, emotional, and completely out of character for the meticulously planned life of Hong Hae-in. She would go to Yongdu-ri. Not as the formidable CEO of Queens Group, but as the quiet, lost woman who desperately wanted to feel a sense of home she hadn't known in years.
She dressed in a simple, elegant outfit—a stark contrast to her usual power suits—and informed her driver of the new destination. The drive was long, giving her ample time to reconsider, but her resolve only strengthened. The thought of seeing Hyun-woo's family, of breathing the same air as the people who had given him the unconditional love she had struggled to provide, was a siren's call she couldn't ignore.
When her car pulled up to the modest Baek family home, she felt a wave of nerves. What if they thought she was too grand, too out of place? But the moment she stepped out, Jeon Bong-ae, Hyun-woo's mother, spotted her and her face broke into a wide, joyous smile.
"Hae-in-ah! Oh, my goodness!" Bong-ae exclaimed, rushing towards her with open arms. The hug was warm and genuine, a world away from the stiff, formal embraces of her own family. "Why didn't you tell us you were coming? I would have prepared more food! Come, come inside!"
Hae-in felt a rare, genuine smile grace her lips. "I'm sorry, Eomeoni. It was a last-minute decision. I just… I missed you." The words were so true, they felt like a confession.
Hyun-woo, who had been helping his father tend to the garden, looked up at the sound of his mother's voice. His eyes widened slightly in surprise when he saw Hae-in. A flash of shock, quickly replaced by that familiar, mischievous glint, crossed his face. He walked towards her, his smile a study in controlled amusement.
Bong-ae, seeing her son, immediately shifted her attention. "Look at you! You didn't even tell your wife you were coming. And you told her to stay at the office and work alone? Tsk, tsk. I raised you better than this, Baek Hyun-woo."
Hae-in, feeling a delicious sense of vindication, felt a small, triumphant smirk form on her face. This was it. Her turn. She looked at Hyun-woo, whose amused expression didn't falter, and took her chance.
"It's true, Eomeoni," Hae-in said, her voice a little softer, a little more vulnerable than usual. "He never tells me when he visits. And he always leaves me with so much work to do at the office. I was just so tired." She even managed to give a small, subtle pout. "And… I miss your cooking so much. The food at home is good, but it's not the same."
Bong-ae's gaze hardened as she turned back to her son. "Aigoo! How can you be so selfish, Hyun-woo? Your wife is the CEO of a huge company, and you leave her to work late at night while you come here alone to eat my food? You should have brought her with you! Look how tired she is!"
Hyun-woo, standing with his hands in his pockets, watched the scene unfold. His eyes never left Hae-in. He saw through her act immediately. The subtle pout, the soft voice, the perfectly timed complaints—it was all a brilliant, calculated move. She was using his mother's genuine affection for her to gain a small, petty victory. It was a masterstroke of emotional manipulation.
He let out a low, barely audible chuckle that only Hae-in could hear. She shot him a glare, daring him to challenge her. But he didn't. He just stood there, letting his mother scold him more fiercely than she had in years. The satisfaction on Hae-in's face was almost too much for him to bear. He let her have this moment. This small, sweet victory. It was the first time she had truly opened up and shown him a glimpse of her vulnerability in months, and it was a trade he was willing to make.
He waited for his mother's tirade to end, and when she finally stopped to catch her breath, Hyun-woo just smiled at Hae-in. His eyes held a promise, a challenge that only she could see. If this is how you want to play, my dear wife, then the game is on. He felt a surge of exhilaration. This was more than just winning; it was about getting her to engage, to fight for him, to show him that the fire inside her still burned for him. He was no longer just her husband; he was her adversary, her confidante, and her greatest challenge. The game had truly begun.