A soft knock at the door woke Hauen from a restless sleep. Her body felt heavy, a faint soreness lingering, her hands trembling slightly as she rubbed her eyes. She dragged herself up and opened the door.
"Good morning, madam," Kim Bora said, smiling brightly.
"Morning…" Hauen's voice came out low and husky.
"Ma'am, your morning energy drink," Bora said, holding out a glass filled with a warm, pale liquid.
Hauen frowned. "Energy drink?"
"Yes, madam. Your mother-in-law instructed me to give this to you every morning. She said it's for your good health."
Hauen forced a small smile, awkward. "Thank you."
"Please make sure you drink it, ma'am. Otherwise, I'll get scolded," Bora added, concern flickering in her voice.
"Don't worry, I'll drink it," Hauen assured her softly.
Bora smiled and left. Hauen closed the door, staring at the glass for a long moment. Then she sighed and drank it down in one go.
A little later, she stepped into the kitchen, fresh and composed, though her face was pale.
Bora greeted her. "Sir left early for the office today, ma'am. Please, have your breakfast."
Hauen smiled faintly and sat at the table. Bora served her a healthy, delicate breakfast.
At Kim Enterprises, the morning buzzed with quiet urgency.
"Hello, I'm here to meet Mr. Kim," a tall, elegant woman said at the reception desk. She was in her late twenties, radiating confidence and grace.
"Ma'am, do you have an appointment?" the young receptionist asked politely.
The woman removed her sunglasses, looking at her coolly. "Are you new here?"
"Yes, ma'am. I joined two days ago."
"Hm," the woman hummed, glancing at her from head to toe. "That explains it. Call your boss and tell him Seo Yerin is here."
The receptionist quickly dialed. "Sir, Miss Seo Yerin is here, asking to meet you."
"Send her in," came the reply.
The receptionist nodded. "Yes, sir."
Yerin smirked. "Remember my face," she said, before walking gracefully toward Suho's office.
Inside, Suho was immersed in paperwork when the door opened without a knock. He looked up. She was already shrugging off her jacket, tossing it on the couch, and walking straight to him.
Without hesitation, Yerin settled on his lap, cupping his face and kissing him deeply. Suho's arms went around her waist, pulling her closer, kissing her back with equal intensity.
She broke the kiss, breathless, staring at him.
"I love you," he said softly, caressing her cheek.
"I missed you," she murmured, kissing him again.
"I missed you, too, baby."
Her eyes turned wistful. "You know how bad I felt yesterday… seeing you marry another woman, kissing her…"
Suho pecked her lips. "That wasn't a kiss, Yerina... It was just a formality for the media. If I hadn't, they would have created unnecessary rumors."
Still, Yerin's arms tightened around his neck. "It makes me jealous, Suho. That someone else is standing in my place… and that you have to make a baby with that woman."
Suho's eyes fell, darkening. He hugged her tightly, pressing a kiss to her hair. "Shh… don't overthink. I'm always yours. I have to go through this until the baby comes. After that, I'm all yours. Only yours."
She searched his face. "Did you… Do it with her already?"
Suho looked down and nodded, disappointment flickering in his eyes.
Yerin hugged him, and he held her back, his voice low and hard. "Don't worry. It's nothing emotional. It's just mechanical. I'm killing my feelings for a few minutes and doing what's required."
"Whatever you call it, you still touched her," Yerin said bitterly, kissing his neck.
"Baby… don't be upset. It's just a formality."
"Are you going to do it again today?" she asked quietly.
He pressed his lips together. "Maybe. The doctors suggested that at least five or six times are required for successful conception."
Yerin whimpered, her face pressing into his neck. Suho kissed her, his voice trembling. "Don't be sad, baby. If we want to be together, we have to go through this. Do you think I like this? Absolutely not. I'm doing it for you, to keep you. I don't want to lose you, Yerina."
Her eyes glistened. "I wish I could marry you without any hurdles."
"You will, baby. Soon," Suho murmured and kissed her again.
That evening, Suho came home.
Hauen sat in the living room, reading a book. As he entered, she glanced up briefly, but he didn't look at her. He went straight to his room.
Dinner was eaten in silence. Bora served them quietly, watching the tension fill the air.
Later, when Hauen went back to her room, there was a knock, familiar now. She opened the door.
Suho stepped in. Without words, she dimmed the lights, lay on the bed, and stripped her lower body. He did his job, and after ten minutes, he left, wordless, closing the door behind him.
Hauen stayed still, then slowly reached for her pants, slipping them back on. Hugging the pillow, she drifted into a restless sleep.
One Month Ago
"Hauena…"
Her mother's voice pulled her out of her thoughts.
"Yes, Omma?" she asked, seeing the worry etched on her mother's face.
Her mother sat on the edge of the bed, taking her hands. "Hauena… baby, you know how our business is going, right?"
"Omma... Did something bad happen?"
Tears welled up in her mother's eyes. "We're on the verge of bankruptcy. Your Appa is so tense… he's been drinking a lot these days."
Hauen's heart tightened. "Bankrupt? How?"
"Your Oppa had a business deal with a foreign company. They turned out to be frauds."
"What? How could Oppa sign such a deal without verifying?"
"It was a mistake," her mother whispered, crying.
"Don't worry, Omma. We'll find a way," Hauen said, hugging her.
"I hope so. I can't watch your father destroy himself."
Two days later, her brother Hyunwoo came to her. "Hauena…"
"Oppa," she greeted, her voice hard.
"You know our situation, right?"
She nodded. "Yes. But how could you be so careless, Oppa? Appa worked so hard for this company, and you destroyed it with one mistake."
Hyunwoo hung his head low. "I didn't do it intentionally. They seemed trustworthy. I wanted to show Dad how capable I was but…"
Mr. Kang stumbled into the house, drunk. His eyes burned with rage when he saw Hyunwoo. "You bastard! After ruining everything—"
"Appa, please," Hauen stepped between them, shielding her brother. "He didn't do it intentionally. We'll find a way. Please…"
Mr. Kang's eyes filled with tears. "No, baby. There's nothing left. Everything's gone. I'm doomed. Bankrupt. Nothing can be fixed." With that, he left.
Hauen sat on the couch, tears spilling down her cheeks. Hyunwoo held her hand. "I feel disgusted with myself, Hauena. I should have been careful."
"Don't cry, Oppa. There'll be a way."
"There is a way," Hyunwoo said quietly. "But you have to agree, Hauena."
She looked at him warily. "How?"
"Go on a date to this address. You'll understand everything."
Hauen frowned at the card in her hand. "What?"
"Please, Hauena. Don't say no. It'll save everything. I'll never take things for granted again."
"But Oppa…"
"Please." He pleaded.
She exhaled. "Okay."
The next day, Hauen walked into the upscale restaurant her brother had mentioned.
"Umm… Mr. Kim?" she asked a staff member.
"This way, ma'am," the staff said, leading her to a table.
"Thank you," she said softly.
There he was, Kim Suho. Three-piece suit, hair perfectly combed, the very image of a CEO. Reading a magazine, cold and untouchable.
Hauen's heart skipped a beat. What a man.
She walked to the table and extended her hand. "Hello, I'm Kang Hauen."
Suho looked up at her, eyes sharp. "Sit." He ignored her hand.
She smiled awkwardly and sat.
"I'll come straight to the point," he said, his voice clipped. "I'm looking for a contract marriage."
He slid a document toward her.
"The clauses are simple. The marriage will be for the world and for the family's sake. I want a Kim heir within one year, worst case, eighteen months. This contract is confidential. If it leaks, there will be penalties.
Since I'm marrying for an heir, you'll have to cooperate from conception to delivery. Basically, it includes sex. At least five to six times until pregnancy. Once you're pregnant, I'll take responsibility for you until delivery. One week after the baby is born, the contract ends.
In return, I'll support your father's business and help it recover. If you're okay with this, sign. If not, leave."
Hauen sat frozen.
"Why are you doing this?" she asked quietly.
"None of your business," Suho said coldly.
"What if you betray me?"
"Then you can leave." He stood, ready to walk away.
"No, wait." She stopped him. "This is really important for my family. I'm just concerned."
"Look," Suho's eyes bored into hers. "This is a business deal. If you give me what I want, I'll give you what you want."
"How are you going to support my father's business?"
"Of course, by investing."
"I want exact numbers. How much will you invest throughout this process?" she asked firmly.
Suho raised an eyebrow. "How much do you want?"
She exhaled slowly. "Five billion won."
His brow arched higher. "Don't you think you're asking too much?"
"No, I'm not." Her voice was steady. "Because in return, I'm fake marrying you and giving you a child as per your demand. Basically, I'm giving you everything for the contract period. After I deliver the baby, you'll leave me. My future will be hard. In front of that, five billion won is nothing. You'll earn that money in less than a month."
Suho smirked, leaning back in his chair. "Smart."
She said nothing.
"Okay, fine. Let's sign the contract then." Suho said firmly.