Chapter 10
At that moment, the bathroom door inside the bedroom opened and a woman came out. She gently patted her wet hair with a towel as she walked over to the bed where Inho was sitting.
She made eye contact with Inho and mouthed silently,
“Who is it?”
‘Shh.’
Inho met her eyes and put his index finger to his lips. On the other end of the line, Seoyeon’s voice flowed through the phone.
—Is there still a spot left for the publishing event? I think I’m free next Friday.
“For you, Seoyeon, there’s always a spot. Then I’ll assume you’re coming and I’ll text you the time and place. Actually, no — I’ll just pick you up myself that day.”
Hearing Inho’s warm, caring tone for the person on the call, the woman in the bathrobe narrowed her eyes. She glared at him, but Inho ignored her completely and kept talking, a playful smile on his lips.
—Oh, no, you don’t need to go through the trouble every time. You even came to pick me up last time.
“I want to do it. If you keep refusing, I might feel hurt, you know?”
—…Alright then. Let me know the time, and I’ll be ready.
“Perfect. I’ll text you as soon as we hang up.”
—Thank you, director Inho. Have a great weekend.
“You too, Seoyeon.”
Inho looked down at the phone screen with a faint smile as the call ended.
With his thumb, he slowly traced the name Oh Seoyeon displayed on the screen.
Seeing that, the woman scoffed sharply, sounding incredulous.
“Who was that? That was a woman’s voice.”
Inho lifted his head to look at her. She was clearly picking a fight, but Inho just tilted his head slightly, the same gentle smile playing at his lips.
“You’re still here?”
“…What?”
“If you’re done showering, dry your hair and go. Didn’t you say you had another schedule?”
Inho hummed a light tune as he got up from the bed. The woman let out a hollow laugh at his brazen attitude. The heat from last night was long gone — now the man looked so cold he almost seemed bored as he yawned.
His striking features were more than enough to catch the eyes of someone from the entertainment industry.
Especially the two beauty marks beneath his right eye — they made him look even more dangerously alluring. Instinctively, the woman grabbed his arm.
Inho sighed, annoyance bleeding into his breath. His brows furrowed as he turned to look at her and jerked his chin.
“What.”
“What? Are you seriously asking me ‘what’ right now?”
“Why are you acting like this? Do you need money? Just say it outright then. Don’t play these games.”
At Inho’s words, the woman’s face turned bright red, as if struck by the insult.
Her name was Lee Hanna. Currently the most popular actress — praised as everyone’s first love. She couldn’t believe he would treat her like this.
“Money? Are you really treating me like some cheap call girl now? You bastard, I only met you because I liked you!”
“Liked? You? Me?”
Inho burst into laughter. He clutched his stomach, laughing so hard that Hanna just stared at him blankly. Wiping tears from the corner of his eye, Inho spoke mockingly.
“Lee Hanna. God, you’re actually kind of funny, you know that?”
“…What?”
Hanna asked back in disbelief, but Inho suddenly stepped closer, closing the distance in an instant. Hanna instinctively shrank back.
Inho grabbed both her arms and yanked her toward him.
He lowered his head to lock eyes with her. He could feel her breathing grow rigid.
“What do I lack that I’d need to like you?”
“You…!”
“What do you have, huh? Besides a decent body and a pretty face — tell me, what do you really have that I’d ever want? Hmm? Tell me.”
The beauty marks beneath his eye only made his wicked smile look more dangerous. Hanna felt a chill run through her at the seductive yet menacing look in his eyes. They glinted with a sharp, predatory glimmer.
Watching her retreat, Inho sneered.
“Know your place and get lost, Hanna. Your fans are waiting outside.”
“…”
“Oh. I wonder if they’d all leave you if they found out about this?”
He turned away, chuckling playfully. Hanna’s sobs echoed behind him.
“You bastard!!”
“So loud until the end.”
Inho clicked his tongue lightly and turned his phone back on. He effortlessly opened his photo album and found a picture. It was Seoyeon, smiling brightly beside him. Seeing her radiant, pale face, all his irritation melted away like snow.
She was his golden ticket — someone who would bring him enormous opportunities. As Inho mentally calculated the benefits already within his reach, his breath grew hot.
He gently stroked Seoyeon’s face in the photo, his lips curling into a smile. Humming to himself, he dialed a number.
“Yes, Chairman. It’s about Oh Seoyeon.”
Hearing the voice on the other end, Inho’s grin deepened.
6:30 p.m.
The publishing event would begin at 8, but the area in front of the hotel was already crowded with cars. Luxury sedans of various brands lined up in a sparkling row, while doormen in black suits busily opened and closed doors.
A few people strained to capture shots of the arriving guests on their phones. The murmur of the growing crowd got louder and louder.
Kang Ryun gazed quietly out the car window.
It was lavish to the point of absurdity. Some might dress it up as a classy gathering of the successful — but to his eyes, it was nothing more than a carefully staged show.
He shifted his gaze to where a few ordinary people were trying to film, only to be blocked by security. A man held his phone high and shouted something, but the bodyguard blocked him expressionlessly.
Seeing this, Kang Ryun frowned slightly and muttered,
“Pointless.”
Secretary Yoon gave a silent nod.
Kang Ryun let out a faint chuckle. Yoon’s expression barely hid his distaste.
No doubt he was already worried about the flood of gossip this would generate.
“You’ll have a rough time. For a while.”
At Kang Ryun’s words, Secretary Yoon pressed his lips tightly together. His silence seemed aimed squarely at the one who had orchestrated all of this.
Kang Ryun lightly tapped the door trim in a steady rhythm.
A publishing reception.
It sounded sophisticated — but in reality, it was just a convenient excuse to funnel political funds. Under the pretense of a single book, hundreds of millions of won would change hands, and someone’s reputation would be carefully polished. It was the perfect setup to gain both money and honor.
Outside the hotel, the people stepping out of cars all wore the same relaxed smiles. Some even forced themselves to smile wider, conscious of the cameras.
How laughable.
Kang Ryun let out a short, amused breath.
Just then, a black sedan slowly pulled away, and a white luxury car rolled to a stop in front of the hotel entrance.
Recognizing the familiar model, Kang Ryun’s eyes narrowed, his gaze locking onto it. He wasn’t pleased.
The door opened — and out stepped Cha Inho.
Exactly as expected.
Wearing a black turtleneck under a dark brown wool suit, he looked like he’d put quite some effort into his appearance. His hair was brushed halfway back, with the rest naturally falling to frame his face.
He looked like he relished the attention. The beauty marks near his eye made his smile even more foxlike — sly and insincere.
Inho reached a hand into the car. A woman grasped it and stepped out.
Kang Ryun assumed she was probably one of the actresses Inho liked to flaunt — Lee Hanna, if he remembered right. She’d just been picked up as the new model for Etoui Cosmetics.
Another round of scandal coming, no doubt.
He thought, scanning the people clustered nearby. It barely made an impression. He’d seen it all before.
But strangely, the woman stepping out with Inho felt oddly familiar.
Kang Ryun, about to look away, found his gaze pulled back to her silhouette.
Her wavy brown hair fluttered in the breeze above a black coat that softly traced her figure. She burst into a laugh as she took Inho’s arm, slipping her hand around it. The loosely tied belt at her waist swayed gently with her movement.
A smile so full of warmth.
Kang Ryun’s fingers froze mid-tap on the door trim.
“Then, have a lovely time tonight.”
A bitter scent lingered at the tip of his nose.
That day — when he’d drained that acrid drink he usually wouldn’t have touched.
The same smile she’d shown him then — so clueless, so sincere.
He watched, unmoving, as the woman and Inho disappeared into the hotel.
Something twisted inside him.
It was Oh Seoyeon.
She had come to the publishing event.
