SBC 19

Chapter 19

Jang Jubin pointed at the teacup Lee Soo-ha had brought over to her secretary. After all that fussing about gifts for quite a while, that one gesture was the only thing she did.

“That’s right. I also brought gifts for the other sisters. I think this is the first time we’re all meeting together like this.”

Kang Da-som handed over shopping bags to Jung Hana and Lee Soo-ha. To Jung Hana, she gave a Cavalier French leather paperweight and writing instrument set, and to Lee Soo-ha, a Santier de Flode pouch bag.

“Soo-ha, your makeup suits you so well, so I thought these tones would look good on you. It’s linen from the South of France, so it feels really nice on the skin.”

“T-thank you.”

“Oh my, and I got a writing set?”

“Yes. Sung-hoon oppa told me you like writing. It’s a workshop I personally like, so I picked out a paperweight and a pen. The handwriting it produces is beautiful, and it matches perfectly with someone who writes carefully. It’s just right for someone elegant like you.”

At her gentle words, the two women’s expressions differed. Jang Jubin seemed quite taken with Kang Da-som and kept praising her, while Lee Soo-ha awkwardly smiled and went along with it.

Before long, evening came. Yoon Sung-hoon and Yoon Jin-woo hadn’t come, and only Yoon Ji-hwan, the eldest son and a director at Cheonmyung Group headquarters, attended.

Dinner ended uneventfully, and Jang Jubin retired to her room, saying she was tired.

“Da-som. I heard you had a birthday party recently?”

“Ah, yes. That’s right.”

“I should’ve gone, but I was too busy with work. Sorry about that.”

“No, not at all. It was just something small with acquaintances.”

Kang Da-som brushed her hair back and smiled as if it wasn’t a big deal.

“Come on, who has a birthday party ‘small’ in a hotel? I heard even Mrs. Choi from the Aria Foundation came?”

“Yes, she just stopped by briefly to say hello.”

“If you’d like, why don’t you come to the Aria Club? I can invite you as a guest member. Are you interested?”

Jung Hana, sipping her coffee, glanced sideways at Lee Soo-ha and gave a mocking snort.

The Aria Club.

It was a women-only social club that used an entire building in Seonam-dong exclusively. It was mainly a gathering place for chaebol wives and daughters, where they held events and charity functions. Within high society, being a regular member of the Aria Club or not was a way of drawing social lines.

Lee Soo-ha had desperately wanted to become a member and had even begged Jung Hana several times for help. But Jung Hana always gave excuses to refuse. She herself never brought up the Aria Club—so for her to mention it first now was a blow to Soo-ha’s pride, and her expression froze cold.

“The Aria… Club? What kind of place is that?”

Feigning ignorance, Kang Da-som widened her eyes in innocence. Whether she believed it or not, Jung Hana seized the chance, taking Da-som’s hand.

“It’s nothing much. There’s a little indoor greenhouse with a nice café inside. We just meet there for coffee and such.”

“Sounds nice. But wouldn’t it be a little strange if it were just you and me?”

Da-som cast a subtle glance toward Soo-ha. Clearing her throat, Soo-ha forced an awkward smile.

“Haha, sorry. I’ve been too busy with work lately. I don’t think I can.”

“I see. Then since you’ve invited me, I’ll go.”

“Then I’ll contact you? Should I get your number?”

“Yes, please.”

Jung Hana continued talking quite a lot about the Aria Club afterward, until finally Soo-ha, unable to endure it anymore, excused herself by saying she’d forgotten she had business with Ji-hwan and left.

It was late at night, and Da-som hadn’t planned to stay over either, so she also excused herself. Since she hadn’t told Baek Seong-tae beforehand, he rushed to the parking lot when he heard she was leaving and jumped into the car.

“You should’ve told me in advance if you planned to leave…”

Before he could even start the engine, a document envelope was thrust toward him.

“Take it.”

Seong-tae was forced to accept the envelope.

“You’ll want to open it.”

After hesitating for a while, he pulled out the documents inside. His fingers trembled when he saw them.

/UL2015_Cheonghae_Test_TemporaryStorage/

It was something Seong-tae could never forget—a burden he would have to carry for the rest of his life.

“H… how did you even know about this?”

“I know why Chief Baek is playing lapdog for my brother.”

“Was it the Director’s orders?”

“If it were my brother’s orders, I wouldn’t even have shown this to you. What’s more important—how I found out, or the fact that from the start, you approached my brother with this purpose? I think it’s the former, don’t you?”

“Are you blackmailing me?”

“This isn’t blackmail.”

Taking out cosmetics from her bag, Kang Da-som casually touched up her makeup. She even seemed relaxed.

“I want you on my side, Chief Baek.”

“Director Kang is your young master’s older brother.”

“Who says?”

With red lipstick freshly applied, Da-som lifted her gaze. Through the windshield, her eyes shimmered fiercely.

“You know very well that’s not how it is. You know how I’ve been treated.”

Baek Seong-tae had served Kang Young-jun for seven years. Yet he and Kang Da-som had rarely crossed paths.

But even without contact, they knew each other better than anyone.

“So it was all an act?”

“I want revenge. Even if you don’t join hands with me, I’ll pretend I don’t know what you’re trying to do.”

Seong-tae’s mother had long worked at UL Cables as head of Marine Cable R&D. To meet an overseas contract deadline, she had ordered a risky nighttime pressure chamber test by bypassing safety valves. An accident happened.

It had been less than a month since Kang Young-jun became director. The company blamed her personally instead of admitting negligence during testing and processed it as an industrial accident.

“What do you want me to do?”

Just then, Jung Hana’s car was about to pull out. Da-som pointed at it.

“Can you handle this?”

No sooner were the words spoken than Seong-tae started the engine.

Crash!

The car carrying Jung Hana and Da-som’s car collided. Both cars shook violently, and the startled driver jumped out.

“Are you all right?”

“Oh no, I’m so sorry. It looks like Chief Baek made a mistake.”

“As long as no one’s hurt, it’s fine…”

“I’ll inform Hana-unnie and make sure insurance covers the car. Really, I’m so sorry.”

Da-som apologized as if it were her own fault, pressing her business card into the driver’s hand. Soon Jung Hana herself came over and saw her car had been scraped.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. People make mistakes. Chief Baek is only human too.”

“My apologies. It was my fault.”

“No, well… the car’s a bit scratched, but since no one’s hurt, it’s okay.”

Perhaps because she liked Da-som, Jung Hana let it go surprisingly easily. They agreed to sort out the car later, and the two parted ways.

* * *

“Uh… starting today, I’ll be working as your manager. My name’s Lee Min-jae.”

“I’m Yoon Jin-woo. Please take care of me.”

“Then I think we should start with the film meeting.”

Lee Min-jae gestured toward an empty conference room. Just as Jin-woo was about to enter, Lee Sang-tae approached him.

“Jin-woo, what’s this about suddenly changing managers?”

“It just worked out that way.”

“What? And why are you talking to me so formally? Are you serious right now? After everything I’ve done for you, this is how you stab me in the back?!”

Sang-tae grabbed Jin-woo’s hand tightly, but Jin-woo yanked it away and stared him straight in the eye.