Chapter 69
"I thought you'd already left, Harin," I said calmly, turning around to face her.
Harin stepped closer, stopping a few feet away. "Good evening, Ms. Hwang," she said with a polite bow, though her expression was cold and detached.
I smirked faintly. "No need to act so polite with that kind of face. You're not exactly hiding your feelings well."
Her eyes lifted slightly, and her tone remained polite. "Even so, I was raised to show proper manners, regardless of who I'm speaking to."
"Always knows how to talk back, don't you?" I chuckled, glancing down at my watch. "Almost two hours. My eyes flicked back to her. "Doesn't your neck hurt from sitting in that car for so long? I was upstairs waiting, you know. Expecting you or Yuna to barge in at any moment."
Harin's voice stayed steady. "I didn't want to disturb Mr. Kim. My orders were only to keep watch and report back to Chairwoman, nothing more."
I tilted my head slightly. "Seeing how Yuna never came, I assume you hid the fact that I was here."
"Don't misunderstand, Ms. Hwang," she replied evenly. "I didn't report it because I didn't want to put Mr. Kim in danger. Not because of you."
A quiet chuckle escaped my lips. "Aren't you even a little worried that I might have done something to him while we were alone?"
"I know your feelings toward him," she replied coldly. "You wouldn't do anything that would upset Mr. Kim. But Ms. Hwang, I assume you've already heard from him about what happened earlier today. However, until everything is finalized, Mr. Kim is still legally Chairwoman Seo's husband. I hope you won't do anything that could damage either of their reputations."
This bitch. My jaw tightened.
I let go of my car door handle and closed the distance between us. My hand shot out, gripping her collar tightly.
"You dare talk to me about Yuna's reputation? Her reputation was already in ruins the moment she laid her hands on him. You think that woman still deserves to be protected?"
Harin's face didn't even flinch. Her tone stayed calm. "While I know most of the fault lies with Chairwoman Seo, but let's not pretend you're innocent either, Ms. Hwang. You're partly to blame for what happened to Mr. Kim. You kept approaching him even after knowing he was married, fully aware that Chairwoman Seo wouldn't take it well. I blame myself too, for not stepping in sooner. In the end, we all carry some responsibility for what he went through."
I smirked at her words, released my grip and shoved her lightly.
"Whatever you say," I said quietly. "That's still not a reason for her to treat him like that."
Harin caught her balance.
"Listen carefully, Harin," I said coldly. "I'll still honor our collaboration. But if I ever see even the slightest bruise on Haemin's body again…" I took a step closer, lowering my voice. "…just so you know, I won't hesitate to gets my hands dirty again. And don't misunderstand, the only reason I've held back this long is not because you know my secret."
Harin said nothing, her eyes quietly fixed on mine.
I turned away, walking back toward my car.
"Don't bother him," I said flatly, opening the door. "He's already asleep."
Without waiting for a response, I got inside, started the engine, and drove off.
_____
Haemin's POV
The sunlight hit my face before I even opened my eyes.
It's already morning, huh.
I groaned softly, stretching my arms as my back pressed against the sofa. My whole body felt strangely light. It was the first time this month I'd woken up without feeling completely drained. The dull ache on my temple reminded me of the bruise on my body, but it didn't hurt much anymore. Just a faint sting when I moved too quickly.
For a brief moment, I sat there quietly, staring at the ceiling. Then it hit me.
Sera.
I shot up, glancing around the living room in mild panic. To think I actually fell asleep while she was still here, it felt kind of rude.
The apartment was silent. My eyes fell to the blanket draped neatly over my body. I froze, realizing she must've placed it on me before leaving.
A small, warm smile tugged at my lips.
I reached for my phone on the table and checked the screen. Fortunately, there's no messages or missed calls from Yuna.
For some reason, it felt both strange and relieving. Maybe… she had already accepted it. Maybe this time, she wouldn't try to stop me.
I exhaled slowly, letting out a faint smile. "Maybe it's really over."
I stood up and stretched a little, rolling my shoulders to loosen up the stiffness. The clock on the wall read 11:00 a.m.
"I really slept that long, huh."
I went to the bathroom mirror and carefully unwrapped the bandage Sera had put on me. Peeling the plaster off my temple, I checked the wound. It looked fine now, just a faint mark left behind.
Then I went to take a shower.
When I finished and stepped back into the living room, my phone buzzed softly on the table. I walked over and picked it up. A new message appeared on the screen.
It was from Harin.
[Harin: Chairwoman Seo will meet you at the Grand XXX Hotel at 1 p.m.]
I exhaled slowly, relieved. I was glad Yuna was willing to cooperate. But at the same time, a familiar nervousness settled in my chest. I tried to calm myself, whispering quietly that everything would be alright.
.
.
Later, I realized something I should've known all along.
When it came to Yuna…
It was never that easy.
_____
[12:50 pm]
The moment I stepped into the hotel lobby, my breath caught in my throat.
Isn't this… a little too much?
The place was enormous. Well, I guess that's only to be expected from one of the top five luxury hotels in Seoul. Somehow, that only made me feel even more nervous.
I sighed softly. "Let's just hope today goes smoothly," I muttered under my breath. I just wanted to get this over with and go home.
Pulling out my phone, I checked Harin's message again.
[Private Lounge, Level 20]
Right. Level 20.
I pressed the elevator button, watching the numbers rise one by one. My heart wouldn't stop pounding. I tried to steady my breathing, but my mind refused to quiet down.
Just stay calm, Haemin. Be polite and end things properly.
When the elevator finally chimed, I stepped out and followed the quiet hallway toward the lounge.
Harin was already there, standing in front of the door with her usual composed posture. Her arms were folded, her expression neutral, until she saw me. Her eyes widened slightly.
"Harin-ssi," I greeted, forcing a smile.
"Haemin," she said quickly, walking toward me. Her tone was firm, but her face showed clear concern. "What are you doing here alone? You came by yourself?"
"Yes? Why?" I asked, confused by her reaction.
Her brows furrowed. "Haemin-ssi, are you not taking this meeting seriously? Chairwoman is already inside with her lawyer. How could you come here without anyone representing you?"
"I—"
She didn't even let me finish. "No, this won't do. You should postpone the meeting. It's not in your favor. We can reschedule it for another day." She muttered to herself, frowning. "If I'd known this would happen, I should've found you a lawyer. It's not like I can represent you myself—"
"Harin, Harin," I said quickly, raising my hand slightly. "It's okay. I'm fine."
Her eyes narrowed. "Haemin-ssi, do you even realize what you're walking into? If you go in unprepared, there's a high chance you won't get the agreement you're hoping for."
I gave her a faint, calm smile. "It's fine. I know what to expect. I'm well aware of what she might do."
"Haemin…" she muttered, looking frustrated.
"Don't worry," I said softly. "I just want to end this as soon as possible. Can you open the door?"
Harin exhaled slowly, clearly displeased with my decision. "Alright," she said at last, her tone cold. "I don't know what you're planning to do, but if this starts to go wrong, I won't hesitate to step in and cancel the meeting. Understood?"
"Okay," I said, nodding and smiling faintly.
Her eyes softened slightly, though she still looked worried. She turned to the door, took a deep breath, and opened it.
And I followed her inside.
The private lounge was nothing short of intimidating.
As I followed Harin in, my eyes caught the sight of Yuna sitting gracefully on the long white sofa, legs crossed. Her expression unreadable. But those cold eyes immediately fixed on me the second I stepped inside.
Beside her sat a man in his forties, neatly dressed in a black suit. His presence alone was heavy. He glancing at me for a second with faint confusion, though his face quickly returned to its serious, professional look.
I swallowed hard.
Even though I'd told Harin earlier that I'd be fine, my nerves were starting to eat me alive. Dealing with Yuna was already difficult enough… now she had brought a lawyer, and I could tell he was no ordinary attorney, just to deal with me?
Isn't this overkill?
I took a slow breath, forcing a calm expression. I didn't want to show them how nervous I was.
Harin quietly bowed to Yuna. "Chairwoman."
Yuna didn't respond, only gave her a cold glance before returning her gaze to me. Harin stepped aside and stood behind her. I could tell from her face that she didn't like any of this.
I hesitated for a moment before stepping forward.
The lawyer stood up as I approached, his posture straight and composed. He extended his hand with a polite but firm gesture. "Good afternoon, Mr. Kim. I'm Lawyer Song Yun-jo," he said, his tone courteous yet edged with quiet authority.
I shook his hand briefly before taking my seat across from them.
The air between us was thick, heavy, and suffocating.
"What's the meaning of this, Haemin?" Yuna said coldly, wasting no time. Her tone was calm, yet sharp enough to make my stomach tighten.
"Pardon?" I blinked, confused.
Her gaze hardened. "Where's your representative? Don't tell me you came here alone."
"Yes?" I replied, trying to sound casual.
Mr. Song's brows twitched slightly. His expression somewhere between disbelief and pity. Yuna, on the other hand, leaned back against the sofa, her eyes narrowing. The faint trace of surprise in her face quickly faded, replaced by something much colder.
"What do you think this meeting is for, Haemin?" she asked.
I stayed quiet, not sure how to answer without making things worse.
Then, she smirked faintly, her elbow resting on the armrest. "I thought you were well prepared, considering how eagerly you wanted to divorce me."
The air seemed to thicken again. I could feel her gaze piercing through me, like she was trying to read every thought in my head.
Mr. Song cleared his throat softly before speaking. "Mr. Kim… if I may ask, do you mean to say that you don't have any legal representative with you today?"
I blinked at him, a little awkward. "…Yes, that's right."
He exchanged a brief glance with Yuna before turning back to me, his tone still professional but noticeably firmer this time.
"I see," he said evenly. "Forgive me, Mr. Kim, but are you truly aware of the legal procedures involved in a divorce settlement of this scale? Without representation, you might not fully understand what you're agreeing to or what you're giving up. This isn't a simple matter. And just so we're clear, your age won't change how I handle this case. I don't intend to hold back simply because you're younger."
Yuna didn't say anything. She just sat there, cold and silent, her smirk fading into a hard, expressionless stare that made my throat dry.
I let out a slow sigh. "Yes, I'm fully aware of that," I said quietly. "Can we just… get through this now, so we can finish it quickly?"
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Harin's expression tighten. She looked uneasy, her brows slightly furrowed as if she wanted to stop me.
Mr. Song didn't seem convinced. He adjusted his posture, his gaze steady and probing. "Mr. Kim, one last time," he said firmly. "I'll ask you again, are you absolutely sure you want to proceed without—"
"Okay, that's enough."
Yuna's voice cut through the air, cold enough to make the room fall silent.
Both Mr. Song and Harin froze. Yuna leaned slightly forward, resting her chin on her hand as her gaze locked on me.
"Both of you, out. Now." She gave a brief nod toward the door, her tone leaving no room for argument. "I want to talk to him alone."
My stomach tightened. I swallowed hard, glancing at Harin, but she only looked back at me helplessly before bowing slightly and stepping aside, following Mr. Song out of the room.
As the door closed behind them, the silence thickened. My nerves started to shake again. Somehow, Yuna's calmness felt far more dangerous than her anger ever had.