Episode 17
After listening to the recording, Chairman Seo felt a sharp headache, as if Yeon was blackmailing him.
All the evidence Yeon had brought posed a threat to both Ihyun and Harin. Even if the claims weren’t true, people wouldn’t care. The ones who would be hurt were Ihyun and Harin, not the gossipmongers.
“Both of you, leave for now.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Yes.”
The two, dismissed from the chairman’s office, walked toward the greenhouse where Haran often stayed—as if they had planned it in advance.
Tucked away in a corner of the main mansion, the greenhouse was a gift from Chairman Seo to Haran, who loved tending to plants.
Filled with all kinds of rare plants, the greenhouse was Haran’s favorite place in the mansion. Living with a husband who had no feelings for her, it was the only place where she could find solace.
On most days when there was nothing urgent, Haran spent her time there. And no one was allowed to enter—except for today.
Today, Yeon was granted an exception.
Confirming that no one was inside, the two of them sat face to face in chairs placed inside the greenhouse.
Yeon took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. Lying wasn’t hard—she majored in acting, after all—but Chairman Seo’s piercing eyes had rattled her more than expected.
“If it weren’t for you, I would’ve been completely fooled by that wench, Ju Harin. Thank you.”
“Mother, Ihyun is at S Hospital with Harin right now. It seems they went there straight away last night. I heard she had some tests done… I thought maybe you’d want to check. I’m sure it’s nothing, but just in case Kang Doyoung gave her something… And if rumors about drugs spread, it could be fatal to S Group’s image…”
Yeon deliberately painted what Seha had done as if it was Doyoung’s wrongdoing, pretending to be concerned about the company’s reputation while subtly suggesting what she wanted Haran to do.
And Haran caught on immediately.
“Don’t worry, Yeon. Of course, news like that wouldn’t do the group any good. I’ll take care of it. You just focus on preparing for your wedding with Ihyun. Marrying someone from such a vulgar background? Absolutely not.”
Haran reassured Yeon, then made a call somewhere.
“Oh my~ Director Kim, this is Ihyun’s mother. I heard my dear Ihyun visited your hospital last night… Did he undergo some tests by any chance? I’m worried that if this stirs up news again, our group’s name will be dragged around. That wouldn’t sit well with the Chairman. You understand what I’m saying, right? Yes, I’d appreciate your help~”
The results of the drug tests had already come out, but there was no mention of them in the media. That was thanks to the hands Yeon had moved in advance.
However, if Ihyun brought back the test results and it turned out that Harin was staggering because of drugs—and if it was revealed that Yeon was the one who provided the drugs and lured them to the hotel—then Yeon’s entire plan would collapse.
She had erased the phone that contacted Kang Doyoung, destroyed the CCTV, bought off the detectives and journalists, and made Doyoung disappear—there was no way she could be caught.
‘Ju Harin, you’ll never beat me.’
At that moment, a message arrived on Ihyun’s phone as he was completing Harin’s discharge from the hospital.
Ding—
> “Chairman Seo would like to see you.”
It was a summons from the Chairman. The reason his grandfather wanted to see both him and Harin was obvious.
[Yes.]
He replied briefly, then looked at Harin, who was ready to leave.
“Before going home, we should stop by and see my grandfather. Is that okay?”
“Of course.”
Because of her, Ihyun’s name had already made headlines twice. There was no way the Chairman would be pleased. But Harin no longer wanted to hide behind Ihyun.
She believed that it was right for her to explain and resolve things herself this time.
“I’m the one involved. It wouldn’t make sense if I didn’t go. I’m okay.”
Harin smiled lightly.
When they arrived at the main house, they went straight to Chairman Seo’s room.
They were informed about Ji Yeon’s visit and the recording she had left.
Though Ihyun was stunned by Yeon’s actions, what concerned him more was whether Harin had been hurt.
But Harin remained calmer than expected. With a bit of hesitation, Ihyun asked the Chairman:
“Grandfather… You don’t believe any of it, do you?”
“I know. I know it’s not true. That’s why I called you both here. Whether it’s true or not doesn’t matter to the public. You know that better than anyone, Ihyun.”
Ihyun nodded in silence.
People didn’t care about the truth. Even if it came out later, it would be long forgotten by then.
That was what worried Chairman Seo the most.
Back when the two first came to announce their engagement, and even now, what weighed on him most was how the public would talk about them.
“I’ll take care of the evidence, so don’t worry, Grandpa.”
Though Ihyun assured him he could handle it, Chairman Seo remained troubled by all the obstacles in the way of their marriage.
He felt guilty that all this chaos had begun because Jihoon and Ihyun’s mother—both now gone—were torn apart.
All he could do now was ensure that Ihyun could marry the person he truly loved and live happily.
“Let’s move your wedding up. If we delay, more problems might arise. How about two weeks from now? We’ll do it at my hotel, so there’s no reason to delay.”
“…Me? I’m fine with it, but… Harin…”
Ihyun hesitated and looked at Harin.
“I’m okay with it too, Chairman.”
Harin answered so quickly and confidently that Ihyun was taken aback.
“Ju Harin… Are you really okay?”
“We can’t stay engaged forever. I’ll follow your wishes, sir.”
Her calm voice and sparkling eyes made Ihyun’s heart race.
On the drive home, the car was filled only with the sound of quiet classical music and their breathing.
But Harin couldn’t even hear the melody.
Now that they were alone in the enclosed space, she started thinking about how quickly she had responded to Chairman Seo. The memory embarrassed her.
It felt like she had confessed her feelings to Ihyun in front of someone else. Her face burned with heat.
Whether he knew her thoughts or not, Ihyun looked much happier than before. Nothing had been resolved yet, but he couldn’t stop smiling.
Harin gazed at his profile quietly.
The golden evening sunlight streaming through the car window lit up Ihyun’s face—his sharp eyes, straight nose, and lips, all perfectly aligned.
A man with perfect looks and background, doing all of this for someone like her—it didn’t feel real.
But thanks to Ihyun, who gave her more love than she deserved, she was experiencing the happiest moment of her life.
She didn’t want to let this moment slip away because of fear—of being abandoned, of being alone again.
She didn’t want to make the same mistake and regret it again. One regret had been enough.
Harin gathered her courage and opened her mouth.
“Thank you. And also…”
Her voice cut through the music.
Ihyun turned slightly to look at her.
And then, the words Harin had held back for so long finally burst out of her.
“I love you.”
Startled, Ihyun’s hands trembled on the steering wheel. He quickly pulled the car over to the side of the road.
Looking at her with wide eyes, he asked:
“W-What?”
“I said I love you. I’m sorry for saying it so late.”
“Why now, all of a sudden…”
“Because… I just really wanted to say it right now.”
