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Chairman Choi brought the cigarette back to his lips and blew a puff of smoke directly at Sena.
The acrid smell made her want to wrinkle her nose, but she forced herself to endure it.
No matter what humiliation or offensive words came her way, she was determined to bear it all.
For Joo-Hyuk.
This time, for him, she would endure everything.
“If Joo-Hyuk loses KMS entirely because of you?”
“The Joo-Hyuk I know isn’t someone who would lose KMS completely, and even if he did, he wouldn’t blame me for it.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. And I believe you know that too, Father.”
Her last sentence was a deliberate prod.
You know exactly what kind of person your son is, don’t you?
As Sena intended, Chairman Choi furrowed his brows deeply, clearly aware of Joo-Hyuk’s character.
“You’re probably blinded by love right now, thinking that being together is all that matters. But how long will that last? When the passion fades, do you think Joo-Hyuk won’t resent you?”
“If you don’t go through with what you’re planning, there will be no room for resentment in our relationship.”
“So you’re telling me not to threaten you? Hmph, how amusing.”
“You’ve experienced love before, haven’t you?”
“Yes, and that useless love is why I’m saying this.”
Sena lifted her head and stared intently at Chairman Choi. Under her gaze, anxiety began to creep across his face.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“You know very well that the love you experienced wasn’t useless.”
“What are you talking about…?”
“I believe love takes many forms, but its essence never changes. No matter how much you deny it, the fact remains that you loved Joo-Hyuk’s mother, and you still love Joo-Hyuk as well.”
As the cigarette in Chairman Choi’s hand burned down, Sena’s heart felt like it was smoldering too. She bore the weight of his silent, unblinking stare, growing increasingly uncertain.
Was this plea truly futile after all?
“Do you really believe Joo-Hyuk will be unhappy if he leaves you?”
“Yes.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because my life would become miserable without Joo-Hyuk. As you know, we’ve already been thrown into that misery once. I never want to return to that place.”
When they were torn apart by Kang-Un, both of them had truly been in hell.
Not being able to see each other felt like walking on burning coals, and when they reunited, they vowed never to let anything separate them again.
Returning to a hell they’d already endured was something only fools would do.
Chairman Choi exhaled another long plume of smoke.
At that moment, the office door burst open, and Joo-Hyuk and Joo-Ho entered.
“Sena…”
Joo-Hyuk froze momentarily upon seeing Sena kneeling before Chairman Choi, but then quickly approached her.
“Stand up.”
His voice was low, his face rigid with tension.
“Did you contact him beforehand while coming here?”
Chairman Choi sneered at Sena.
“No, no! Absolutely not.”
Sena waved her hands frantically.
“How did you find out?”
“I contacted him, sister-in-law.”
“Brother-in-law?”
The secretary’s office had informed Joo-Ho, who then relayed the message to Joo-Hyuk.
“Enough! What were you thinking, making her kneel like that?”
Joo-Hyuk shouted at Chairman Choi.
“Who made her kneel? She knelt on her own.”
“How far do you plan to stoop?”
“What?”
“You’re supposed to be the role model for your children! How could you—!”
Joo-Hyuk’s words were cut short. Enraged beyond control, Chairman Choi abruptly stood and swung his hand.
The problem was—
“Se, Sena!”
“Sister-in-law!”
In an instant, Sena had stepped between them and taken the blow meant for Joo-Hyuk.
She staggered, her ears ringing, and nearly collapsed. Joo-Hyuk’s strong arms caught her just in time.
“Father!”
“A-Ah, I didn’t mean to…”
Chairman Choi looked panicked, glancing back and forth between his hand and Sena.
“Are you okay? Sena, let me see.”
Her hair, loosened from the force of the impact, covered her face as she clutched her cheek, obscuring Joo-Hyuk’s view.
Likewise, his trembling hands struggled to brush her hair aside.
“B-Blood…”
Her lip must have split, as she felt a sharp sting and tasted the metallic tang of blood in her mouth.
“Why…?”
Joo-Hyuk’s voice quivered with emotion.
“I’m fine.”
Though she was far from fine, Sena pressed down her feelings and answered in a strained voice.
“Sena.”
“I’m really okay.”
When she finally moved her hand away, the sight of her bruised face made Joo-Hyuk swallow hard.
But despite the pain, Sena turned back to Chairman Choi.
“Please, I beg you. We truly love each other. Please let us stay together.”
She bowed deeply.
Getting slapped was something she hadn’t anticipated, but since it was on Joo-Hyuk’s behalf, it didn’t matter. If he had been the one struck, his heart would have hurt a hundred times more than her throbbing cheek.
So she could endure it.
She had to endure it.
“I also beg you, Father.”
An unexpected voice spoke up.
Joo-Ho, who had been silently observing the situation from behind, bowed just as Sena had before Chairman Choi.
“You brats…!”
“Please… I beg you.”
Finally, Joo-Hyuk joined them, bowing deeply as well.
Tears that Sena had been holding back welled up uncontrollably. Her vision blurred, and soon droplets fell to her feet.
“G-Get out! All of you! I can’t stand the sight of you!”
Chairman Choi exploded in anger, his face a mixture of confusion and rage. He collapsed onto the sofa and violently stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray.
“Let’s go.”
Joo-Hyuk gently pulled Sena up and guided her out. Finally, Joo-Ho closed the office door behind them.
“Let me see.”
“I’m fine.”
“How can you say you’re fine? Your cheek is already starting to bruise.”
Whether it was because his eyes were wet or not, Joo-Hyuk’s face appeared damp as he tenderly touched her cheek.
“Let’s move to my office. We’ll use some ice to bring down the swelling.”
Following Joo-Ho’s lead, the two descended to his office. Amidst the curious gazes of employees wondering what had happened, Joo-Hyuk held Sena close by the shoulders as they walked.
Was this really the end? Would Chairman Choi no longer try to use her to put Joo-Hyuk in a difficult position?
Though they had left for now, Sena still felt uncertain.
She should have gotten a firm promise from Chairman Choi that he wouldn’t interfere anymore. If Joo-Hyuk hadn’t been there, she would have refused to leave until she got an answer.
“Here, use this ice pack.”
Not long after entering the office, an ice pack was handed over.
As she pressed the cold compress against her burning cheek, the heat subsided, and the pain lessened slightly.
Joo-Hyuk sat beside her and gently wiped away her tears with a tissue.
“What were you thinking, coming here alone? Didn’t I tell you to trust me? Why…”
“Enough, stop.”
Sena grabbed Joo-Hyuk’s hand, which was resting on her cheek, to silence him.
“You’ve always protected me and taken care of me. But I couldn’t keep hiding behind you forever.”
“Because I’m stronger, it’s okay for you to rely on me! You can stay behind me for as long as you need to!”
Tears streamed down Joo-Hyuk’s face as he spoke through gritted teeth. So she hadn’t been mistaken earlier.
Sena quickly wiped away his tears with her hand.
“How can you say that? I can protect you too. I have to.”
“But to mar such a delicate face like yours…”
Joo-Hyuk’s voice trembled as he gently stroked her cheek, now beginning to bruise under the ice pack.
“Ahem, excuse me, you two… I’m still here, you know?”
At Joo-Ho’s fake cough, the two finally withdrew their comforting hands from each other.
“Thank you, Brother-in-law. Are you sure you won’t get scolded by Father because of me?”
“Father has never praised me anyway, so don’t worry about it, Sister-in-law.”
What an incredible father-son relationship, Sena thought.
She could vaguely picture Chairman Choi’s usual temperament.
“Let’s go home.”
Joo-Hyuk tightly grasped Sena’s hand, which was trembling slightly.
“Is it really okay to leave like this?”
Had this truly resolved everything?
The fact that they had left without getting a clear answer from Chairman Choi still weighed heavily on her mind.
“We need to hear a definitive answer from Father…”
“Are you still not thinking straight?”
Joo-Hyuk’s voice dropped dangerously low as he furrowed his brows.
“But we came all this way…”
“Are you going to keep ignoring what I say? Didn’t I tell you to trust me?”
“I was the one being threatened, and it’s my fault if anything happens. Of course, I wanted to do everything I could.”
Why can’t you understand how I feel…
Feeling hurt and frustrated, Sena’s voice wavered as she spoke. But all she received in return was a look of incomprehension.
“Sister-in-law, whatever Father said, don’t worry about it.”
“What?”
“It’s clearly something he said out of anger because of Joo-Hyuk.”
“But what if he meant it? What if he really plans to stop Joo-Hyuk from becoming CEO of KMS again?”
“Did Father actually say he’d prevent Joo-Hyuk from becoming CEO of KMS?”
“Yes.”
“Hahaha!”
Suddenly, Joo-Ho burst into laughter.
“Oh, sorry! Haha!”
“What’s so funny, Hyung?”
Even Joo-Hyuk tilted his head, looking at Joo-Ho quizzically.
“The idea that Father would try to stop you from becoming CEO of KMS is absurd.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Of course I’m sure. Do you know how proud Father was when you founded KMS? You didn’t notice because you were always so focused on studying, but he was worried you’d never amount to anything. Then suddenly, you went and started a newspaper company. Sure, it didn’t make any profit—it was a free newspaper—but that’s exactly why he was so proud.”
“Proud…?”
Joo-Hyuk’s face twisted as if he’d heard something preposterous.
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