Chapter : 04
The company Hyunjin Construction, which Eun-woo was adopted into, was one of the companies that Chairman Jung had taken over through a trap while he was still involved in loan sharking during his days as a gangster.
From the start, a lowly gangster who suddenly got control of money tried to settle old scores and used this to climb the social ladder.
But old habits die hard. No matter how many luxury brands he covered himself with, or how many titles he gained, people agreed that his rough gangster nature could not be hidden. Yet, the wealth he built from others’ suffering continued to grow.
During this process, Chairman Jung realized that, despite having enviable wealth, his gangster background would always be a problem. So he decided he needed to build a new network—people who would support him and give him wings to secure his position.
He understood that just having money didn’t make everyone treat you equally. So, despite already having two sons, he adopted Eun-woo, a girl, as a card he could use in the future.
Over time, it was natural for Chairman Jung’s black money to flow into legitimate businesses. Many avoided associating with him because of his vulgar past, but there were plenty who wanted the wealth he scraped together.
The funds he provided through Hyunjin Construction for investment helped create several parliament members. These elected officials then supported Chairman Jung’s business ventures.
But, just as he expected, those who treated him respectfully in public secretly looked down on him.
It was during this time that the Cho Tae-seo family caught his attention. The Tae-seo family, known for producing generations of legal professionals, had a prestige Chairman Jung could not buy.
With a father who was a former Supreme Court judge, a first son Cho Yi-seo who was a member of parliament and a former judge, and a second son Cho Tae-seo who was an investment expert, the family was highly desirable.
In terms of legal tradition, political influence, and economic connections, they had everything. Chairman Jung saw this as the perfect set of wings he lacked.
So he approached Cho Yi-seo, who needed huge funds for reelection.
“You must reach all the way to Bukaksan,”
He suggested arranging a strategic marriage between his adopted daughter Eun-woo and Yi-seo’s younger brother, Tae-seo, in exchange for laying the money path up to the Blue House.
This was the reality of the life Eun-woo tried to escape and why Chairman Jung had worked so hard to find her.
The meeting place with Cho Tae-seo was a restaurant in a five-star hotel in downtown Seoul. The interior was luxurious and sophisticated, with works by famous foreign artists displayed.
This was a members-only restaurant. Its special appeal was the customized menu and services tailored to the preferences and special requests of reserved guests. With a limited number of patrons, it naturally became a place where people could interact. In other words, many eyes were watching, and everyone was connected in some way.
“Is Cho Tae-seo coming today?”
Sure enough, people whispered when they saw Eun-yoo already at the reserved table. Among the members, rumors about the two were already spreading.
To Eun-yoo, it was all unfamiliar, but people who didn’t know she was Eun-woo’s twin thought she was Eun-woo herself.
“If she’s here, don’t you get it? He’s definitely coming today.”
Some visitors came to the restaurant just to try to connect with Cho Tae-seo. That alone showed how much attention he drew even before arriving.
Unlike his father, a former Supreme Court judge, and his brother, a judge-turned-parliament member, Cho Tae-seo did not follow the legal path, which made him even more remarkable. He walked a different path alone, gained recognition for his ability, and quickly climbed the ranks in his field. Many offered him better conditions.
Generally, people who showed interest in him fell into two groups. The first wanted to connect through business—they needed his legal, political, and financial abilities. His background was valuable for their connections.
The second group approached him using their children. They too wanted access to his abilities and his family’s influence, so they tried to tie their children to him.
Then a rumor started: a scandal involving Chairman Jung’s adopted daughter, Eun-woo.
At first, people didn’t believe it. Why would Cho Tae-seo, who had everything, get involved with a gangster’s adopted daughter?
Their meeting seemed impossible. Cho Tae-seo had always drawn attention, while Eun-woo had lived with the label of adoption. He could have easily connected with someone from a better family.
“Cho Tae-seo is always late,”
guessed the other guests, watching Eun-yoo wait. They had also been waiting for him for three months.
“Well, it’s Cho Tae-seo. That makes sense,”
they said. He always made Eun-woo wait. A punctual man in all other circumstances, he acted differently with her.
Just as the uncomfortable attention was growing, the atmosphere changed—Cho Tae-seo arrived.
“No, Raymond doesn’t think that way,”
a deep voice came from behind. Without looking back, everyone’s eyes naturally turned to him.
He sat across from Eun-woo but continued a work call as if she weren’t there.
From photos, Cho Tae-seo looked handsome in real life. With his tall frame, long arms, and legs, he reached the table quickly, and people’s gazes followed his every move.
“Risks cannot be avoided, but what we need to decide is how to control them,”
he said, talking business nonstop without even greeting.
It was strange. If he wanted to ignore someone, he could have avoided the meeting entirely. Why bother showing up and wasting time? The answer wasn’t hard to see.
“I couldn’t sit here, I’d be too embarrassed,”
someone snickered. The mocking words were clearly heard by both Eun-yoo and Cho Tae-seo.
Even though his fiancée was being laughed at, he didn’t care. Ignoring her in front of everyone seemed natural. Continuing the meeting despite the possibility of embarrassment was Cho Tae-seo’s way of giving a subtle insult.
Those in the restaurant gave the direct humiliation instead. Cho Tae-seo never lowered himself but could break the other’s confidence with his presence alone. Eun-woo must have been deeply hurt by this in the past.
Eun-yoo felt anger and pity. She imagined the sadness, fear, and humiliation Eun-woo endured, forced into this situation by Chairman Jung.
“Are you good at it?”
In front of all these eyes, Eun-yoo spoke on Eun-woo’s behalf, mocking the man everyone admired.
“Sex. Are you good at it?”
She continued:
“Can you get a woman pregnant in one go?”
Finally, Cho Tae-seo looked at Eun-yoo. Her bold words drew the attention of a man who never noticed such things. Everyone in the restaurant felt it too.
“You said men can sleep with women they don’t care for,”
his gaze fixed entirely on her. His eyes were sharp enough to pierce.
The tension in the room shifted. His usually indifferent attention was now entirely on Eun-yoo.
“Let’s continue this call later,”
he said, ending his phone conversation in one motion and placing the phone on the table.
To be continued in the next chapter ▶
