Chapter 70
“Oh, I’m sorry. I just got excited seeing you, noona. My name’s Seo Minhyuk.”
“Ah, right. I think I’ve seen your face before. You’re Chairman Samdo’s grandson, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“I heard you were training to be an idol. No wonder—you’ve got the looks for it. Tall and handsome, too.”
Seokhoon’s demeanor completely changed—he treated Minhyuk like a totally different person, full of warmth and politeness.
He was so kind it almost felt fake.
“Thank you! Actually, I debuted recently. Do you know Roxna? I’m the main dancer. There are five other members besides me, and…”
Minhyuk, excited, forgot why he had come here and began chattering endlessly.
Seungtae leaned closer, gesturing subtly toward him.
“How do you know him?”
“…He’s my half-brother.”
Sarah muttered under her breath, her face stiff as if she had bitten into stone.
Running into Minhyuk here—she had never expected that.
Seungtae’s eyes widened slightly.
“If Seo Minhyuk’s your half-brother, that means your father is…”
He didn’t get to finish the sentence.
An elderly man with white hair approached, speaking in a calm, dignified voice.
“Minhyuk, your father’s looking for you.”
“Oh—Grandpa! Dad? Where is he?”
“Go check near the entrance.”
“Okay! Oh, I’ll go see Dad—no, Father—then. See you later, noona.”
Sarah watched as Minhyuk disappeared, her gaze naturally falling upon the old man who remained.
It was her first time seeing her grandfather in person.
He looked different from how she had imagined—shorter than her father, but with a natural air of authority.
Seokhoon greeted him respectfully.
“Chairman Seo. It’s been a while.”
“Ah, age makes me lazy to go anywhere these days. Wasn’t the last time I saw you in the Philippines?”
“Yes, sir. You still look strong as ever.”
“Strong? My knees shake every time I walk.”
The chairman chuckled lightly and continued chatting with Seokhoon.
Before long, Sarah and Seungtae were out of their sight.
Sarah stared at her grandfather for a long moment.
She noticed a few features they shared—and the realization left her with an odd feeling.
Sensing her gaze, Seungtae asked quietly,
“Do you want to say hello?”
“To who?”
“To your grandfather.”
The image of Minhyuk calling him Grandpa so easily flashed through her mind.
Sarah shook her head softly.
“No. Let’s just go.”
To her, he was Seo Minhyuk’s grandfather, not Seo Sarah’s.
Pretending otherwise now would change nothing.
But it seemed her grandfather had other thoughts.
“Sarah, if you were coming today, you could’ve told your grandpa beforehand.”
“…What?”
The chairman’s eyes fixed directly on her.
His tone was so familiar—like someone who’d known her all his life—that Sarah almost thought he was talking to someone else.
The casual warmth in his voice made Seokhoon’s eyebrow twitch slightly.
“Chairman, it seems you know Miss Seo quite well.”
“Haha. Didn’t that kid tell you? She’s my first grandchild. Dongmin’s eldest daughter.”
“What? I thought Minhyuk was—”
“Oh, Sarah’s from Dongmin’s first marriage. Minhyuk came later.”
“I see.”
Seokhoon’s expression shifted immediately as he looked at Sarah.
All eyes were suddenly on her, and she felt a wave of discomfort.
This was the last situation she had ever wanted—to have a man she’d never spoken to suddenly act like family.
“So, Sarah, where’s your seat?”
“She was going to sit with me,” Seungtae answered quickly.
The chairman gave him a brief once-over before clasping his hands behind his back.
“With you? Hmm. Maybe next time. She’ll sit with her family today.”
“Ah…”
Seungtae glanced at Sarah, silently asking if she’d be all right.
For the first time, Sarah regretted pretending to be composed.
With Seokhoon watching, she couldn’t throw a fit and storm out.
She didn’t know exactly what “seat” they were talking about, but she could at least play along.
Forcing a smile, she nodded.
“I’ll sit with my family.”
“Good. Let’s go—your family’s waiting.”
Without giving her a chance to protest, Chairman Seo started walking.
Sarah followed reluctantly, feeling like a cow being led to slaughter.
Everything was happening too fast for her to process.
He led her into a large banquet hall filled with dozens of round tables, each marked with a name card for its assigned guest.
Only then did she realize what “seat” meant.
Without turning back, the chairman asked as they walked,
“What’s your relationship with Director Yoon?”
“That’s what you’re most curious about?”
“It’s the only thing I don’t already know.”
The remark was arrogant—almost cruel.
It meant that he knew who she was, what her life had been like, and had chosen to do nothing.
“So why acknowledge me now?”
“Because you appeared before me.”
Their exchange was cold and sharp, unbefitting of relatives meeting for the first time.
Sarah wanted to lash out at him—but when she opened her mouth, no words came.
“Oh! Noona! Over here!”
Minhyuk, already seated, waved excitedly at her.
Next to him sat her father, staring at her in shock.
At least his wife wasn’t there—that was one relief.
“How did she—did Father bring her here?”
“Dongmin, move one seat over. Sarah will sit next to me.”
“Father.”
“She came with Director Yoon.”
“What? Director Yoon from Altech?”
Chairman Seo waved dismissively, clearly uninterested in explaining further.
Dongmin shot Sarah a brief glance before shifting to another seat.
Sarah sat in the chair labeled President Seo Dongmin, Samdo Group.
It felt like sitting on a bed of nails.
Moments later, a host appeared onstage, announcing the start of a complicated-sounding economic association meeting.
As food was served, Sarah didn’t touch a single bite.
The chairman noticed.
“Eat something. Even if the seat’s uncomfortable.”
“I’m an actress. I have to watch my diet.”
“Is that so?”
He gave a barely audible chuckle and dabbed his mouth with a napkin.
“How long have you been seeing Director Yoon? Judging from this, are you thinking of marriage?”
“I don’t know. His family’s against it—my mom’s a gambling addict with debts, and I don’t even have a father. Our home’s a wreck. So I don’t think marriage is an option.”
“Cough!”
Minhyuk blurted out a sound before hurriedly covering his mouth, embarrassed.
The chairman slowly turned his head toward Sarah, eyes steady.
“Do you want to marry him?”
“We’ll see.”
“If you do, tell me. I’ll take care of things.”
Her father jerked up like a frog struck by a rock.
“Father! What do you mean, ‘take care of things’? You’re not saying you’d accept her into the family, are you?”
“If it’s to form an alliance with RW, why not?”
“Minhyuk’s mother won’t stand for it!”
“When will you stop living in fear of your wife? Pathetic.”
Chairman Seo clicked his tongue in disgust at his anxious, trembling son.
Sarah hadn’t expected sentimental words like “How have you been?”—but she also hadn’t expected this.
Not once had he asked about her life, her mother, or her wellbeing.
He only cared about Yoon Seungtae.
It hit her then: to him, her worth lay only in being a potential wife of Yoon Seungtae.
The realization shattered what little thread of familial sentiment had been left.
I was never truly family to these people.
Accepting that truth felt strangely freeing.
She could finally see how meaningless her silent hope for connection had been.
“If there’s another event like this, let me know beforehand. I’ll reserve your seat.”
“There won’t be a next time.”
“Well, you never know.”
Despite her firm tone, the chairman’s answer was ambiguous—as if leaving the door half-open.
The speaker on stage finally stepped down, and the hall grew slightly restless.
Believing the event was finally over, Sarah seized the moment—quietly lifting herself from the seat.
