Nayoon stood in front of a large mirror, wearing a white dress that subtly accentuated her figure and emphasized the line of her shoulders.
Beside her, her stepmother, Juran, held up various shoes and handbags, trying them out before handing her the ones she liked best.
Then came the earrings, and finally, the necklace—like she was dressing up a doll.
“Today is the most important day of your life. You know that, right?”
It was Nayoon’s matchmaking day. And not just any match—it was with Koo Jaeha, the CEO of the Songseong Group, a match her family had long worked to arrange.
Juran, fiddling with the expensive necklace around Nayoon’s slender neck, slowly met her gaze.
Greed. Desire. Obsession.
All of it was clear in Juran’s eyes.
“More than ever, behave properly—be cautious and agreeable.”
“Yes, I will.”
“They say CEO Koo has a cold personality. Men like that usually fall for gentle, soft-spoken women. No matter what he says, smile. Just like you always do.”
Just as she was told, Nayoon nodded obediently and smiled sweetly.
“You’re beautiful. No matter who else shows up today, you’ll outshine them all.”
On the outside, Juran was elegant and refined, but her crude tone always lingered at the end of her words.
She repeated herself again and again—everything about Koo Jaeha, the eldest son of the Songseong Group and head of JH Investment.
They had spent thousands just to gather private information about him that wasn’t available to the public.
“He may be blunt, but apparently he cherishes people once they become his. So you must catch his eye. It wasn’t easy arranging this meeting.”
Juran brushed Nayoon’s hair with her fingers, then looked her dead in the eye and said,
“Never forget—you need Koo Jaeha. You must be part of that family.”
For a long time, Nayoon’s adoptive parents had been obsessed with Songseong Group, Korea’s most powerful conglomerate.
“It’s time we started looking for a match for Nayoon.”
“I’ve been checking to see if we have any connections to Songseong. I hear CEO Koo’s business acumen is outstanding.”
To her adoptive father Dae-woon’s comment, Juran smiled and naturally brought up Koo Jaeha.
Nayoon was to be the bridge between the Jin family and the Songseong Group.
“All you have to do is smile.”
They had once promised to love the 7-year-old child they brought into their home, offering her smiles in public, only to coldly ignore her the moment she stepped into their mansion.
No one even spared her a glance. Even if she stood alone by the shoe rack for hours.
At just seven, Nayoon learned what a promise really meant.
That promises were lies.
Being abandoned once was enough to feel the chill of the world—being ignored again only confirmed it.
That’s when it started.
The fear that she could be thrown away again if she didn’t prove her usefulness.
And she realized something else.
She had never truly been taken in.
Smile when told, obey when ordered.
She was just their puppet. Their doll.
In that brief moment, memories of how she had survived in that house flashed through her mind.
“I will. I promise.”
Exactly as her mother wanted.
Nayoon’s eyes smiled—but with a cold glint.
As the scheduled time approached, Nayoon walked steadily down the hallway.
She didn’t want this matchmaking meeting—yet she did.
Her goal was clear, and she hated how clearly defined her position was.
“Do you have a reservation?” the hotel restaurant staff asked as she approached.
“Yes.”
“Your name?”
“Jin Nayoon.”
The staff quickly confirmed her reservation and guided her inside.
They walked through the dining area, down a short hallway, and stopped in front of a door.
The staff knocked, then stepped back when a low voice responded from within.
Nayoon took a deep breath and opened the door.
A man, short hair slicked back, turned his head slowly at the sound of the door. He had been staring out the window.
It was CEO Koo Jaeha.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Jin Nayoon.”
As she greeted him, he stood up.
She had expected he’d be broad-shouldered, but up close, she realized just how tall he was. Far taller than her.
He looked like he could tower over her with ease—and he reached out a hand.
“I’m Koo Jaeha.”
They shook hands lightly. The touch was brief and detached.
As they sat, Jaeha spoke.
“I’m not in the mood for a meal. How about coffee?”
“Sure. Whatever’s convenient for you.”
While Jaeha placed the order, Nayoon moved to the seat across from him.
“I hear you’re an executive director at Jinseong Construction.”
“Yes.”
She barely had time to sit before he fired a direct question.
“Jinseong Group hasn’t been publicly listed for very long, has it?”
“Oh, no, but we’re steadily growing. As far as I know, our IPO happened around the same time as your company’s.”
She had heard that Jaeha was always good at calculating things from a young age.
Everyone had expected him to take over a major affiliate of the group—but instead, he started an investment company.
And in just eight years, he built it into a financial powerhouse with control over several companies, including those within the Songseong Group.
“I see.”
A flat, uninterested response. He clearly wasn’t impressed.
Nayoon could already guess his next question.
He was going to ask how she managed to get this meeting.
And sure enough—
“This meeting must’ve cost quite a bit to arrange.”
Of course he knew. It was no secret they had spent thousands to secure this matchmaking opportunity.
Pretending otherwise would only backfire.
Nayoon calmly responded.
“That’s how desperate I was.”
“Which part?”
“The marriage.”
More specifically, marriage to Koo Jaeha.
“As you’ve probably guessed, I need to marry you, CEO Koo.”
Jaeha looked at her blankly, as though he was curious what she’d say next.
Nayoon took advantage of the silence.
“Our company isn’t big enough to be a burden to yours. We’re growing steadily, and last year’s Busan Tower project was very well received.”
He still looked like he was waiting to hear more, so she continued, trying to win him over.
“If you have a preferred type of wife, I can be that. I can fulfill the role of daughter-in-law well. All I’m asking is that you marry me.”
“…”
“What do you think about marrying me?”
Jaeha let out a dry chuckle.
She was talking like she was giving a presentation. And if this were a business pitch, it would be a disaster.
What was she even trying to say?
Nayoon saw the flicker of amusement on his face and was briefly hopeful.
Maybe it worked?
But the smile vanished in the next second, and with it, her hope.
“Miss Jin Nayoon, I can’t tell whether you actually want this marriage or not.”
“…”
“Honestly, I have no idea.”
She didn’t look like someone who wanted it—and yet she kept insisting.
Reading people wasn’t difficult for Jaeha.
When someone wants something, it’s usually obvious in their expressions, movements, or tone.
But this woman gave nothing away.
Or maybe she was giving something—he just wasn’t sure.
“No, I do want this.”
“I don’t think so. You don’t really want this marriage, do you?”
His sharp gaze pierced her, and her lips parted slightly in surprise.
“Let’s end this.”
He stood up. Nayoon lifted her head.
With her face stiffened, she asked,
“I heard this is your seventh matchmaking meeting.”
“Where’d you hear that? …Then again, if you can manipulate matchmaking meetings, that kind of info must be easy to get.”
He muttered, and Nayoon stood, meeting his eyes.
“I’ll make sure you don’t have to sit through any more.”
“That’s not the issue. I just can’t figure out why I should marry you.”
“…”
“What benefit would I get from marrying you?”
His added words silenced her.
He was right.
He had nothing to gain from this marriage.
But Nayoon had to make it happen.
‘That monk was right. Nayoon’s our talisman. It was the right call to adopt her.’
She would make this wretched marriage happen.
And when the time came, she would take the trophy they so desperately wanted—and bring them all down with it.
