ITSN 04

Chapter 4

It was then.

The sunroom door burst open and his older brother, Jungwook, walked in.

“What the hell did you do to Haein?”

Lying stretched out on the sunbed, Taejo casually lifted the book resting on his face and let out a short, derisive laugh.

Just as he expected.

“Spout your nonsense somewhere else and get out. I’m tired.”

He put the book back in place.

At dawn, he had returned to Korea, filed his reports, and finally wrapped up a massive contract that had taken three long months. From today onward, he had a month-long vacation. He had even booked a private pool villa in the South Sea.

But he couldn’t leave. The “Ino Training Center Explosion and Collapse Accident” had shackled him.

When he first saw Juhong’s name on the missing persons list, he had felt strangely calm. It didn’t feel real.

When her name later appeared on the list of the dead, he laughed like a madman. It still didn’t feel real.

That girl, who existed only in his past, should have reappeared in reality through another reunion — not like this, not through death.

In the end, Juhong was forever preserved in his past, a memory turned to stone.

That was why he was devastated, why he couldn’t even mourn her properly.

And yet, everyone kept bringing up Yoo Haein, the survivor of that very accident.

They nagged at him, saying he must fulfill his duty as her fiancé and visit her at the hospital. Then they even checked whether he had properly visited her or not.

When they all knew perfectly well that he and she were not like that.

All of them.

How sickening.

“Is it true you asked for a breakup?”

Seo Taejo, second son of the Seohyun Group.

Yoo Haein, youngest daughter of the Ino Group.

The media had loudly broadcast their engagement as a strategic alliance between two conglomerates, but the hidden truth was far messier.

It all began with an accident.

Six years ago, at a ski resort — the ski lift crash.

Yoo Haein, who lost her sight after injuring her head in that accident, blamed him entirely.

Eventually, she demanded he take responsibility and marry her.

In their world, marriages were always strategic, but Taejo had no intention of that. At the very least, he wanted to marry like a normal man — to someone he loved.

Two years had passed since he parted from Juhong, but he still dreamed of her.

That was when Yoo Haein threatened him.

“I know it wasn’t you who touched the lift switch that day.”

“……”

“It was your friend. That commoner you brought along. He’s the one, isn’t he?”

“Do you have proof?”

“I got the CCTV footage.”

True to her nature, even her threats were petty.

“If you refuse the engagement, I’ll hand the CCTV over to the police. They’ll let it slide if it’s you, but if it was that low-born man who hurt me, it’ll ruin his life completely.”

It wasn’t an empty threat. Yoo Haein was perfectly capable of doing it.

That was why he took the blame. He couldn’t ruin his friend’s future. Unlike him, his friend had a family to protect — a family that included none other than Juhong.

That was how he accepted the engagement. That was how the so-called “strategic alliance” began.

But it didn’t even last three years. His friend ended up dead. While he himself was overseas, under the pretense of studying abroad. With his friend gone, there was no longer any reason to marry Yoo Haein.

And now she could even see again. Wasn’t breaking off the engagement the obvious thing to do?

“Yes, I asked for a breakup. If that’s the answer you came for, then leave.”

Jungwook’s frown deepened.

“Did you just ask for a breakup, or something else too?”

His expression was unusually serious.

Finding that strange, Taejo lowered the book covering his face and sat up.

“Why? What else should I have done?”

His indifferent tone only made Jungwook’s expression harden further.

“She apparently went on a rampage saying she’d kill herself.”

What nonsense was that? Suicide? Yoo Haein?

“Word’s all over the hospital. About ten minutes after you left, she cut her wrists. She stepped on broken glass too, slicing up her foot.”

“……”

“They say her guardian found her quickly, so she survived. But according to the doctor, her hospital room was soaked in blood.”

The words were grave, but Taejo only scoffed.

“Haein tried to kill herself? That’s laughable. Even a stray dog wouldn’t believe that.”

That wasn’t her style at all. If she was humiliated because he proposed the breakup first, she’d sooner try to kill him than herself.

Still smirking, Taejo stood up.

He had a drinking appointment that evening. This was the kind of day where he needed to drown himself in alcohol.

“Enough. I need to wash up and head out.”

Jungwook, still staring at him, spoke again.

“…You know you can’t just break it off on your own.”

Of course he knew.

This wasn’t a matter between individuals. It was a matter between companies.

But the beginning had indeed been personal.

“I get it. I understand where you’re coming from now that she can see again, but…”

Usually easygoing, Jungwook looked every inch a businessman in this moment.

“As you know, we’re collaborating with them on their new business division. Our investment alone is over 30 billion won.”

What he meant was clear: whatever the origin, this engagement was now business. Break it off, and the alliance between companies would crumble too.

But Taejo couldn’t care less.

He let out a cold laugh and slowly walked up to Jungwook.

“Hyung.”

The twisted curve of his lips was sharp as a blade.

“I’m the Vice President.”

Standing right in front of Jungwook, he reached out and gently straightened his brother’s crooked tie.

“Just yesterday, I earned Seohyun Group over 100 billion won. Losing 30 billion? I can make it back in no time.”

“…Still.”

At 192 cm tall, Taejo towered over his 185 cm brother. Jungwook looked up at him helplessly, the droop of his eyes giving him a pitiful look.

“Even if you make that face…”

Displeased by his brother’s hangdog look — like a drenched puppy — Taejo yanked hard on the tie he had just fixed.

“Not a chance!”

Choking, Jungwook coughed and slapped at his younger brother’s shoulder.

Taejo finally let go, and continued coldly:

“So don’t get involved. This time, no matter what it takes, no matter if the sky itself falls, I will break off this engagement.”

With that, he strode toward the sunroom exit.

“If you understand, then leave.”

He raised a hand lazily in farewell just as he was about to step out.

“Don’t forget the family dinner this weekend.”

Jungwook’s tone softened, reminding him of the monthly family gathering.

“You’ve skipped three months in a row.”

Naturally — he had been busy.

“I can’t go. I’m taking a vacation.”

Not that he attended even when he wasn’t busy. Nothing good ever came of it.

“Just pass along my regards for me.”

“You do it yourself. It’s been three months. They need to know the second son is still alive.”

Only then did Taejo glance back, letting out a snort.

“They know I’m alive. The moment I returned, Father was already yelling at me over the phone to visit the hospital.”

“That was Father. I’m talking about Mother. She’s been worried sick.”

His mother? Worried? About what, exactly?

Without answering, Taejo turned away again, walking down the unlit hallway.