“I’m declaring war now.”

As I whispered lowly into her dainty ear, Joo Se-hee flinched her shoulder and met my gaze. Watching her eyes, holding various shades of light, waver was another pleasure. The thought that only I could sway this woman. Gazing deeply into her eyes, Kang-joon chuckled.

“So, Ms. Joo Se-hee, be nervous and defend yourself.”

So Joo Se-hee, you can do anything. Hate me, push me away, ignore me. Anything is fine, just don’t disappear from in front of me.

“I’ll accept anything, so just pay attention to me and only deal with me.”

In truth, what Kang-joon truly wanted to say was this, more than a declaration of war.

“I’ll take care of everything else.”

If you can’t do it, I will. The headaches, the complicated, difficult things, I’ll sweep them all away and sort them out for you, so you just deal with me. Her soft, tightly closed lips moved as if to say something.

“CEO, I...”

She must have a lot to say. But he didn’t want to hear it yet. He knew only bad things would come out.

“That bag.”

Kang-joon cut her off, gesturing casually towards the briefcase on the passenger seat.

“It makes me happy to see you carrying it around.”

She left the pink diamond ring, worth hundreds of millions, but took the briefcase. She was unique, unlike anyone else. Even that side of her was to his liking.

“I’ll contact you.”

With those last words, Kang-joon closed the car door for her. He didn’t look back, somehow feeling Joo Se-hee might be glaring at him. Getting into the elevator, Kang-joon chuckled to himself and muttered.

“My woman is scary.”

Kang-joon had nothing to fear or be afraid of, but Joo Se-hee getting angry scared him. In fact, he hadn’t followed Se-hee down from the office immediately because he needed a moment. He understood, intellectually, the situation that forced Joo Se-hee to leave. It wasn’t a romance, but a marriage. That alone was complicated enough, but the intertwined story was even more of a drama. It must have been a headache for her. Having received such a cold answer from him, she must have had no choice but to leave. So he thought she left.

‘What is that ‘love’ anyway?’

He remembered Joo Se-hee when she said those words. Her clear, composed, and resolute eyes. Although she was pushed by circumstances, Joo Se-hee had made a choice. Her own life, not love; herself, not Kang-joon. Kang-joon had been pushed down the priority list and completely abandoned. Nevertheless, he respected Joo Se-hee for making such a decision. She was definitely not an ordinary woman, and she was a woman who made him realize things he had never known before. Her tenacious stubbornness, deep resilience, clear conviction, and sharp coolness. Even all of that was perfectly to his taste. In truth, he didn’t know. Whether Joo Se-hee was his type, or if his tastes had been molded to Joo Se-hee. The conclusion was that it would have been strange not to fall in love. So he fell in love, and blinded by that love, he was doing these crazy things. He had decided that even if he had to give up everything, he had to have that woman. The elevator carrying Kang-joon arrived at his office floor. Kang-joon’s expression was relaxed as he stepped out, his hands in his pants pockets. Now, should he go for Round 2?

________________________________________

Ms. Jo’s reason for visiting Hanshin Motors today was her daughter. Her daughter had suddenly resigned and recommended Joo Se-hee as a professional manager. Then she had disappeared and was unreachable. To be precise, it was more accurate to say she was only avoiding her calls. But then, she ran into Joo Se-hee in the Hanshin Motors headquarters restroom. Thinking of that deceitful woman made her body tremble with rage.

“How dare she call me ‘auntie’?”

Thanks to a large investment and consistent care, her smooth skin had not a single wrinkle. Her small frame was slender, and her style was sophisticated. So, in what way was she an ‘auntie’?

“Anyway, what is she doing here?”

Surely, she’s not trying to flirt with Seo Kang-joon like her mother and gain something? Or is there really something going on between them? But even if Seo Kang-joon gave her his heart, Joo Se-hee would only be a second string. Men like him valued power and honor more than emotions. Even if it was Seo Kang-joon, the noble Hanshin family would never accept such a dirty person.

“She still doesn’t know men. Let her get hurt to her heart’s content.”

In fact, Ms. Jo had expected Seo Kang-joon to notice. Unless he was stupid, there was no way he wouldn’t know that the wife he had lived with for several months had changed. Regardless, he wouldn’t divorce immediately. It wasn’t a marriage born of love, and it was even more entangled with Seo Kang-joon’s desire for revenge within a corporate agreement. She just needed her daughter to get pregnant during that time. If it was a son, even better. Since it was a family with few male heirs, the game would be over. After that, whether Seo Kang-joon sought revenge on her daughter or not, it was none of her concern. Ms. Jo’s thoughts drifted back to Joo Se-hee.

“That cunning bitch, she played me well.”

To think that the real owner of Dora Shopping Mall was Joo Se-hee. Unknowing, she had made Inno Fashion acquire Dora for three times the investment. She had completely lulled her into a false sense of security by pretending to be subservient, all while secretly working behind the scenes. And now, she was collaborating with Director Kang and aiming for the CEO position of Inno Fashion under the dirty name Joo Se-hee. If she got what she wanted, she should have left gracefully, but to think she would stab her in the back like this. No wonder she pretended to be subservient, feigning death.

“Hmph, but still, it’s not enough.”

Even if all the shares of the shareholders supporting Director Kang and Joo Se-hee were combined, they wouldn’t surpass hers. With the late acquisition of all Inno Fashion shares and the shareholder with 14% on her side, the probability of them not exceeding a majority was high. That’s why Director Kang’s side was also frantically searching for that shareholder. But they wouldn’t find them. Even the competent Secretary Jung couldn’t find them. If that shareholder’s secretary hadn’t contacted her first, she wouldn’t have found them either. For that reason, Ms. Jo was relaxed. Just then, the door opened, and Kang-joon walked in with long strides. He sat on the opposite sofa, crossing his legs, in a posture as smooth and elegant as flowing water. But his arm, casually draped over the sofa head, was not just arrogant, but downright haughty.

“Would you like to speak first, Madam Jo? Or shall I?”

Seo Kang-joon was always like this. Polite yet arrogant, considerate yet self-willed. It must be the arrogance and composure of someone who had everything since birth. That annoying brat, that disrespectful jerk who doesn’t know how to revere elders. While internally spewing all kinds of curses, Ms. Jo smiled elegantly.

“I’ll speak first. What brought that young lady to see you earlier?”

“What reason would there be to meet at the company? Business.”

Does this brat think I’m a fool? What business could Hanshin Motors and Inno Fashion possibly have together? You know! She’s the one who acted as your wife! Ms. Jo’s eyes twitched as she suppressed the urge to scream. She couldn’t afford to reveal her true feelings to someone whose intentions were completely unreadable, lest she expose a weakness.

“That young lady’s beauty is so exceptional that I worried you might be doing something wrong again. It was just an old woman’s unnecessary concern, so don’t mind it.”

“I don’t mind.”

At Kang-joon’s relaxed reply, which came immediately, Ms. Jo was certain. This brat is definitely ignoring me. She was furious to death, but there was nothing she could do. Kang-joon was not someone she could treat lightly.

“By the way, where is my daughter now? I’m asking because I haven’t been able to reach her since she went to Germany. As her husband, you’d know, wouldn’t you?”

“She’s fine, don’t worry, and wait. Once the divorce is finalized, your daughter will contact you herself, or something.”

At the word ‘divorce,’ the composure she had maintained so well until now faltered. Ms. Jo reflexively stood up abruptly and snapped back fiercely.

“Divorce? By whose permission?”

“Please sit down, Madam, and don’t get excited.”

Kang-joon replied nonchalantly, as if it were nothing. He was clearly looking down at her, but why did it feel like this brat was looking down at him arrogantly? Nevertheless, Ms. Jo had no choice but to sit down.

“You know well that Hanshin Group’s legal team is competent, Madam.”

“...”

“There are two conditions for Hanshin not to sue Inno for fraud.”

To Ms. Jo, Kang-joon in front of her seemed like a completely different person. His subtly changed gaze was like a finely sharpened blade, and his refined face, stripped of its politeness, was chilling.

“First, quietly accept the divorce without alimony. Second, from this moment on, do not meet or touch Joo Se-hee. Will you accept the conditions?”

Only then did Ms. Jo realize. That Seo Kang-joon’s feelings for Joo Se-hee were considerably deep. So, you two fell in love, is that it?

“Let me give you a heads-up. We won’t sue, but depending on future circumstances, Hanshin may pressure Inno. Unfortunately, I don’t hold the right to make that decision, so I can’t give you a definitive answer.”

“If the parties themselves want a divorce because they don’t like each other, what can adults do? We must accept it.”

Ms. Jo, answering with an elegant smile, was now scoffing at the two of them internally. Look at them, playing games. They can’t possibly marry, so they’re going to meet secretly? How touching. In the end, you’re just another man. You think I don’t know you want to play a secret love game? If it had been before, she would have been furious, but not now. It was like finding a ray of light in the distant darkness.

“And I won’t seek Se-hee out first. I don’t particularly want to see her anyway. But I can’t control accidental meetings. Please keep that in mind.”

After finishing her words, Ms. Jo rose, turned, and wore a triumphant smile. Love was truly amusing. They say love is the feeling of cherishing and valuing someone or something dearly. But Ms. Jo’s idea of love was different. It was a weakness, a vulnerability to give to an enemy. That’s why Ms. Jo had never loved anyone other than herself since birth. Not her husband, not the foster parents who took her in, and not even her daughter. So, please let it be love. I can’t attack you right now, but there’s always an opportunity. Just wait and see, I’ll return what I’ve received. I’ll never fall into the abyss alone. *** It was a rare leisurely morning. Her body, pushed to its limits, sent Se-hee a warning, begging for just one day of rest. So, she cleared her schedule entirely for a few days. A complete stay-at-home mode. She wondered if she could actually do it. But in the end, she couldn’t sleep well today either. She felt empty, and strangely cold despite the muggy air. Dragging her languid, heavy body, Se-hee went out to the terrace. A slightly warm breeze blew, gently rustling her hair. Se-hee, raising her hair with a listless hand, sat down on a chair. She sat down to zone out, but her thoughts naturally drifted back to Seo Kang-joon. She kept finding herself looking at her phone without realizing it.

“He shouldn’t have said he’d contact me.”

He just stirs up a person’s heart and then leaves them hanging. A week had passed since the declaration of war in the parking lot, but there was no contact from Kang-joon. No, now she wasn’t even sure. Did she wish he wouldn’t contact her, or did she wish he would? The things she had clearly distinguished because of Seo Kang-joon were blurring again. She wanted Kang-joon to leave her alone, but at the same time, she didn’t want him to. Was it due to lack of sleep? Or perhaps due to heightened nerves? It had been like this lately. Her mood fluctuated like unpredictable, changeable weather.

“What declaration of war? What does he mean he’ll take care of everything?”

A man with so much to lose and so many responsibilities. If he chose her, even if it meant losing everything, would she even be moved? If so, Kang-joon still had a lot to learn about her. What the terribly rational Se-hee wanted was for them to each live well. That was the best and the right thing to do. Just then, Jin-kyung called.

[Joo Se-hee, you haven’t eaten again, have you? Jeonju bibimbap with savory doenjang-jjigae, call? Or, should I pick up a packed lunch from your favorite Gondre-namul rice place?]

Se-hee closed her eyes weakly and thought. Never mind the food, I wish my mind was as empty as my stomach.

“Just come, I don’t feel like eating. I’m sensitive to smells lately, so even just smelling food makes my stomach churn.”

[Joo Se-hee, are you having morning sickness or something? Anyone would think you’re pregnant.]

Jin-kyung’s meaningless grumbling made a thought flash through Se-hee’s mind. ...Morning sickness, and pregnancy. No way, it couldn’t be. Two months had passed since the second night, and she hadn’t had her period for a month. But her period was normally irregular, and there were times it had simply skipped a month. Irregular periods meant she couldn’t calculate ovulation or fertile windows. She had been so busy since returning from Germany that she hadn’t even thought about it.

“Jin-kyung, can you stop by a pharmacy or convenience store?”

[Of course, what do you want me to get? Headache medicine? Or period pain medicine?]

Se-hee slowly opened her closed eyes and said calmly.

“A pregnancy test.”