CHAPTER 19…………………………

“Alright, I’m leaving.”

“Huh?! What? You’re leaving already?”

Nayeon’s eyes widened in surprise.

“I have an appointment. I just stopped by for a bit on my way.”

Gunwoo answered briefly and tried to leave the lounge, but Nayeon quickly grabbed his arm.

“Just 30 minutes! Really, only 30 minutes.”

“No.”

“Please! My friends were freaking out that you were coming. You at least have to show your face.”

Nayeon tugged on his arm. Sighing, Gunwoo gave in and followed her.

Inside the lounge, Nayeon’s friends were gathered in small groups. As soon as Gunwoo entered, a small murmur spread among them.

“Is that him?”

“He’s really handsome…”

Whispers floated around. Gunwoo ignored the attention and nodded lightly in greeting.

Then, the door opened, and a woman hurried in. Catching her breath, she carried a neatly wrapped gift box.

Her long hair was slightly disheveled, and her cheeks were flushed from running.

“Hey, why are you so late!”

Nayeon ran over and called out cheerfully.

“Sorry. The line to pick up the gift was longer than I expected.”

She carefully placed the gift on the table.

In that instant, Gunwoo’s gaze froze.

Sunlight fell across her profile, and her smile spread naturally and brilliantly. It was so effortless that Gunwoo momentarily lost his words.

“This is my closest friend, Seo Hana.”

Nayeon approached to introduce her.

“And this is my brother’s friend, Jung Gunwoo, president of Ilju Group.”

Hana turned her head to look at Gunwoo. For a brief moment, their eyes met.

Her gaze was clear and composed. There was no sign of pretense or artifice.

“Hello.”

Hana quietly bowed her head in greeting. Even her soft voice was distinct. Gunwoo was momentarily speechless, simply staring at her before Nayeon called him back to reality.

“Oppa?”

“…Yes. Hello.”

Gunwoo awkwardly responded. Hana smiled and walked toward the other friends.

Watching her laugh, chat, cut the cake, and move gracefully in small gestures, Gunwoo couldn’t look away.

Something about her kept drawing his eyes.

Every time she smiled, or when the light caught her eyes just right, his chest stirred strangely.

A faint smile involuntarily appeared on his lips. It had been a long time since he felt this way. Because it was unfamiliar, it felt even more vivid.

And a year later, fate brought them together again.

“Marry her.”

It was a word from his grandfather, a promise to a deceased friend.

It became a business-wrapped arranged marriage between Seoga Food and Ilju Group. Since Seoga Food had no reason to refuse, the wedding preparations progressed relentlessly.

On the wedding day, she wore a pure white dress and looked more beautiful than ever.

But there was no emotion in her eyes. Gunwoo knew this, yet he reached out his hand.

“I look forward to our future together.”

“…Yes.”

She lowered her head and gave a brief reply.

And just like that, they became husband and wife.

Married life was not what Gunwoo had imagined. Hana was the perfect wife—managing his schedule, keeping the household in order, flawless at social gatherings.

Yet she did not look at him. She did not speak to him. She performed her duties, and nothing more.

Gunwoo tried. He bought flowers she might like, suggested having dinner together, proposed weekend drives, and going to the movies.

“I’m sorry. I’m a bit tired today.”

Her responses were always polite refusals.

Three months passed, then six. Gunwoo’s efforts repeatedly hit a wall. She never came closer. If anything, she seemed to drift further away.

One evening, while Gunwoo was looking over documents in the living room, a phone on the table buzzed.

Hana glanced at the screen, and her expression subtly changed—startled, almost shocked. She hurriedly picked up the phone and went into her room.

“Is something wrong?”

Gunwoo asked, but she shook her head and closed the door.

From that day, things began to change.

Hana started smiling. Every time she looked at her phone, a faint smile appeared on her lips. Sometimes, she even laughed softly.

Gunwoo’s heart dropped. It was a side of her he had never seen in six months. She expressed emotions as if she were alive, texting and reacting to someone—just never to him.

“Lately, you seem happy.”

“…Really?”

Hana put down her phone and returned to her usual expression, like flipping a switch.

In that moment, Gunwoo realized she had emotions too—laughter, excitement, warmth—but not directed at him.

A few days later, while she was away, a phone on the table lit up.

[Do you have time tomorrow? I want to see you.] — Yoo Tae-oh

Gunwoo’s breath caught.

His hand moved on its own. He scrolled through the conversation. Countless messages poured in—mundane chats, greetings, and a growing intimacy in between.

Gunwoo’s hand shook. The tone in the messages was not the Hana he knew.

That night, he could not sleep. Her laughter, the smile she had shown at her phone—it haunted him.

And a few days later, an anonymous message arrived on Gunwoo’s phone, with a photo attached.

It was a hotel lobby. Hana was in it, and next to her stood a man. They walked side by side toward the elevator.

[Your wife is meeting another man.]

Gunwoo immediately jumped into his car. His mind went blank. He tried to think rationally, but something inside him burned.

“No way….”

Yet his unease only grew. When he arrived at the hotel, the elevator doors opened.

Hana stepped out, pale, her eyes red. Her clothes were slightly disheveled, and her damp hair clung to her cheeks.

A man followed behind her, placing his hand casually on her shoulder and whispering something.

Hana flinched and pushed him away, walking quickly with her head down. The man smiled, watching her retreating figure.

At that moment, the phone buzzed again—another photo.

This time, it was the hotel corridor. The man had his arms around Hana’s waist, and she had her hand on his chest. From afar, it looked as if they were embracing.

[Need more proof?]

Gunwoo’s fingertips turned white as he stared at the screen. His phone nearly slipped from his hand. Anger and confusion surged at once.

And deep beneath the flood of emotions, a small doubt crept in.

Who sent this…?

But even that thought lasted only briefly. Gunwoo was already swept away by the wave of feelings.

When he returned home, Hana was already in the bedroom. Gunwoo sat in the living room, stunned, as countless scenes ran through his mind.

Her laughter. Her messages. Her gaze.

All of it had been for another man.