MHD - 40

Chapter 40: Deliberate Gossip Material

Beloved, yet resented.  

No matter how hard he tried to forget, Seo Hee-soo remained etched in his mind.  

Jae-hyuk stood still, gazing down at Hee-soo.  

A few strands of hair had fallen loose, brushing across her forehead. Carefully, Jae-hyuk tucked the stray strands behind her ear.  

Hee-soo didn’t stir—she was deeply asleep.  

Thud. Something she had been holding slipped from her hand and fell to the floor.  

“Working Title — My Beloved, Whom I Despise / Kang Jae-min”  

The title on the cover caught his eye. Jae-hyuk picked up the script and placed it gently on the table in front of the sofa. Then, with utmost care, he slid his hands beneath her back and knees and lifted her into his arms.  

Her warm breath brushed against his cheek.  

Was it because of the alcohol he had consumed while entertaining Kwon Chae-won, or was it the heat radiating from her body that made his own breath feel so hot? He couldn’t tell.  

Gently, he laid Hee-soo down on the bed and gazed at her as she rested in his arms. His hands and arms still supported her body.  

As he carefully tried to withdraw his arms, Hee-soo rolled over, turning to face him. His gaze was drawn to her moist, slightly parted lips.  

If you still harbor feelings for me…  

Jae-hyuk thought. If Hee-soo still harbored any affection for him, it was an opportunity—a chance for revenge, to make her suffer as much as she had made him suffer.  

“…Will you give me a chance?”  

Staring at her face, Jae-hyuk muttered to himself.  

Seeing Seo Hee-soo reject him while sensing that her feelings for him hadn’t completely vanished felt wrong. Yet, she didn’t outright refuse him either, which only drove him mad.  

For Hee-soo, who kept him dangling in limbo, Jae-hyuk had prepared a small play.  

If Seo Hee-soo left him in this ambiguous state, he would deal with her in his own way.  

He decided it was time to remove the mask she wore and uncover the expression hidden beneath. Even if she accused him of being petty or despicable, he didn’t care. With a bitter smile, Jae-hyuk’s eyes returned to Hee-soo.  

Her peaceful, sleeping face betrayed no hint of the turmoil within.  

“…Since you won’t reveal your true self, I had no choice but to do this. Don’t resent me too much.”  

Bringing his face close to hers, Jae-hyuk whispered softly.  

And tomorrow morning, I wonder what kind of face you’ll make. Will it bring me a sense of victory, or will it wound me further? I don’t know. One thing is certain—you won’t look as calm as you do now.  

Or perhaps… you’ll act as if nothing happened, tearing my heart apart with indifference, feigning anger just to fulfill the formality.  

How would Seo Hee-soo react to the surprise he had prepared?  

His anticipation brimmed with excitement, yet at the same time, it felt like watching a storm approach from afar. He couldn’t predict her reaction.  

“Hee-soo, I hope you’re having sweet dreams. If you still like me, please don’t let it show.”  

At his low whisper, Hee-soo murmured incoherently in her sleep but didn’t wake. Jae-hyuk swallowed the rest of his thoughts and gazed silently at her face.  

Then I won’t leave you alone. I’ll make sure you pay the price for playing with my heart.  

His tongue tasted bitterness.  

Throughout his life, Jae-hyuk had never acted without careful consideration. Like pieces on a chessboard, everything had always gone according to plan—he had never failed or lost control.  

Except with Seo Hee-soo.  

She was the one exception in his life, the joker card that defied all his rules, the unpredictable dice roll.  

An unpredictable opponent who created infinite variables simply by existing. The only person who could drive him to frustration and madness.  

“…Because of you, I’m losing my mind.”  

The alcohol was catching up with him; his body burned with heat. The rising fever threatened to overwhelm him if he didn’t find release soon. His entire body felt aflame.  

Jae-hyuk abruptly stood, shrugging off his jacket. He circled the bed and headed toward the other side. Loosening his tie, he paused at the bedroom door and turned back to look at Hee-soo lying on the bed.  

Her shoulders rose and fell subtly with each breath. Her soft breathing sounded sweet, like honey melting in his ears.  

As he stared at her back, memories of a night when their bodies had intertwined flooded his mind. The night when his hands had traced the curve of her slender waist, making her shiver and exhale heated breaths.  

Jae-hyuk climbed onto the bed beside her and lay down quietly.  

The mere thought was maddening.  

He wanted to seize her fragile waist, pin her beneath him, and crumple her composed, indifferent expression. He wanted to see her beg with tears in her eyes.  

His heated hand hovered above the nape of her neck before stopping. Clenching his fist tightly, he lowered it and turned to stare at the ceiling.

Seo Hee-soo. Whatever is in your heart, whatever you think of me—it doesn’t matter anymore.  

If even a speck of emotion remains for me, I’ll tear it apart completely, leaving you in shambles and unable to resist me any longer. I want to expose your true self, your bare face, so you can never defy me again. I want to break you entirely.  

I can no longer endure being bound to you by your mere existence.  

Jae-hyuk clenched his fist so tightly he thought his bones might shatter. The sensation of his nails digging into his palm brought a sharp sting that somehow helped him regain clarity.  

Amid the haze of intoxication, Jae-hyuk drifted off to sleep.  

---

A familiar scent.  

Hee-soo half-opened her eyes, then jolted upright in surprise. She had thought the spot where she rested her head felt warm and comforting.  

When she came to her senses, she saw Jae-hyuk lying beside her.  

His tie was loosely undone but still hung around his neck, and he was fully dressed in a shirt and pants, as if he had simply collapsed onto the bed upon entering the room.  

Beneath his neatly drawn, thick eyebrows lay long lashes. Between them, his straight nose and closed eyes gave him an almost sculpted beauty.  

His sleeping face was so exquisite that her hand instinctively reached out. Her fingers lightly brushed through his hair, grazing over his forehead.  

“…Jae-hyuk, Lee Jae-hyuk.”  

She whispered his name softly, almost inaudibly.  

It felt like a morning after a night of lovemaking, with sunlight streaming through the window and illuminating his peaceful face.  

As she gazed at him, Hee-soo’s cheeks flushed.  

The image of his childhood face seemed to overlap with his sleeping one. The tranquil morning atmosphere made her feel as though she were dreaming.  

“…Just for a moment. Even if it’s just a fleeting moment…”  

If Jae-hyuk were to wake up, she would bolt out of the bed and pretend nothing happened, facing him with her usual composure. But for now, even if it was just an instant—a dream—she cherished this moment of having him by her side.  

It was perfect.  

The quiet morning was filled only with the sound of Jae-hyuk’s steady breathing and her own soft breaths as she watched him.  

How long had she stayed like that? Ding-dong. The sound of the doorbell startled her, and she practically leapt off the bed.  

Standing by the door, she asked who it was. The response came: room service for breakfast.  

Glancing briefly at the silent bedroom to check if he was still asleep, Hee-soo told them to leave it and opened the door some time later.  

Outside were two large trays placed on a trolley. The trays were laden with steaming omelets, various types of bread, salads, soups, and more.  

Carefully pulling the trolley inside without making a sound, Hee-soo transferred the trays to a table in the corner of the living room. At the bottom of the trolley, she noticed several newspapers.  

Among them were three major dailies, an English-language economic journal, and a tabloid filled with gossip.  

Without much thought, she picked up the stack of newspapers and placed them on the table, but the tabloid at the bottom slipped and fell to the floor with a soft thud.  

Bending down to pick it up, Hee-soo froze upon seeing the front-page photo.  

“The Imminent Marriage of Lee Jae-hyuk of Kanglim Group and the Kwon Family of the ruling party?”  

Under the bold headline was a photo of Jae-hyuk handing over a bouquet to a woman, who was happily accepting it.  

“The eldest daughter of influential lawmaker Kwon Sam-soo, Miss Kwon Chae-won, was spotted on a date with Lee Jae-hyuk last night at around 8 PM. The two were seen at the lobby lounge of Yeonwoon-am Hotel, a subsidiary of Kanglim Group...”  

The words blurred before her eyes as she tried to read the article.  

Her gaze darted back and forth between the text and the photograph. Both Jae-hyuk handing over the bouquet and the woman receiving it radiated the unmistakable aura of a blissful couple.  

Hee-soo collapsed into a chair and grabbed her phone, opening a portal site.  

Online, higher-resolution photos were available. And in those photos, the bouquet was unmistakably familiar—a pristine white lisianthus adorned with delicate wildflowers.  

“You’re up early.”  

Turning her head, she saw Jae-hyuk emerge silently from the bedroom, watching her.  

“What are you doing? Sorry I was late last night.”  

With a calm tone, Jae-hyuk offered a casual apology as he sat across from her. After adjusting his slightly disheveled attire, he looked at her as if asking what was wrong.  

“…There’s an article in the gossip section.”  

Hee-soo barely managed to steady her trembling voice as she looked at him.  

“Really? I expected as much. I asked them to send any articles to the room if they appeared in the morning edition. Looks like it made the early papers.”  

“…”  

At his admission that he already knew, Hee-soo was left speechless, unsure how to respond.