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Chapter 28
The event officially began.
The VIPs invited to the hotel included people from famous corporations whose names alone were widely known, top celebrities, and even the directors of renowned galleries.
As the representative of Seongun Hotel, Bae Seonghun personally greeted each VIP with a warm welcome.
Standing beside him, Joo-young also offered greetings to the guests—an unspoken sign that she would soon become Seonghun’s spouse.
Bae Seongwon and his wife, Min Yuyeong, entered the banquet hall.
“Did you have any trouble getting here?”
“None at all. Everything was smooth, from the airport pickup onward.”
Chairman Bae Seongwon replied.
“That’s a relief.”
“I took a quick look around the banquet hall on the way in, and it’s decorated very well—perfectly suited to the purpose of the event. You must have worked hard.”
“Not at all. This is my job, after all. How was Mother’s trip?”
“It was all good. I was thinking there must have been a reason our son hasn’t shown his face lately.”
Since Seonghun hadn’t visited the main house for two or three weeks, Min Yuyeong expressed her dissatisfaction in her own way.
But it lasted only a moment. Yuyeong then gave Seonghun a look, silently signaling something.
Catching on, Seonghun gently placed a hand on Joo-young’s back.
“Father, Mother. This is Ms. Choi Joo-young. She’s the woman I’m seeing.”
“Nice to meet you, President Choi Joo-young. We’ve met once before—though I’m not sure you remember.”
“Of course I remember, Chairman. We met once at the Taegyeong Art Museum three years ago, didn’t we?”
“It was just a brief encounter, yet you remember. As an old man, I’m honored. Haha.”
“Oh, honestly. What do you mean, an old man?”
Yuyeong lightly tapped Seongwon’s shoulder as she joined the conversation, then held out her hand to Joo-young.
“I’m Min Yuyeong. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Hello, Madam Min Yuyeong. I’m Choi Joo-young from CS Department Store.”
As Joo-young reached out to shake hands, Yuyeong raised her other arm and clasped Joo-young’s hand with both of hers.
Startled by the sudden, unfamiliar warmth, Joo-young’s shoulders twitched.
“I’ve always wanted to meet you, and I’m so happy we finally get to talk face-to-face like this.”
“Ah… I-I’m happy too, Madam.”
“I kept begging that boy to arrange a meeting so I could see you, but he wouldn’t even pretend to listen.”
“I should have arranged something sooner. I’m sorry I didn’t pay attention to the details.”
“Oh, don’t say that. Taking care of details is the man’s job. There’s nothing to apologize for.”
“Mother. I understand being carried away by excitement, but the unveiling of the artist’s new work is about to begin. We should take our seats.”
“Oh, is that so? Then… I suppose it can’t be helped. I really wanted to talk more—what a shame, Joo-young.”
As Yuyeong reluctantly let go of her hand, Seonghun let out a loud sigh—louder than Joo-young had ever heard from him before.
Unsure how to react, Joo-young glanced at Seonghun. He shook his head slightly. It seemed this happened often.
“Our table is right there. We’re not leaving right after the unveiling, and there’s still plenty of time to talk, so please go sit down now.”
“Oh? Is that so?”
Welcome finger foods and a card explaining the day’s schedule would have already been placed in the VIPs’ rooms.
In other words, it made no sense for Min Yuyeong not to know the schedule.
Even so, she put on an expression as though she’d just learned about it—clearly a kind of warning not to steal Joo-young away for conversation.
“Then, Joo-young? Let’s talk as much as we want later.”
“Ah… yes, Madam.”
After that, Joo-young spent a lot of time talking with Bae Seongwon and Min Yuyeong.
At the unveiling of artist Kim Saerok’s new work, Min Yuyeong took the seat next to Joo-young, and the conversation never ceased.
She grew tired from talking so much—something she rarely did—but through it, Joo-young came to understand what kind of people the couple truly were.
As rumored, they were a devoted couple—affectionate, warm-hearted, and capable of sharing love.
They truly cherished and loved Bae Seonghun as if he were their own biological son.
They had spent only about two hours together, but those two hours were enough to be certain.
Bae Seonghun…
Joo-young looked at Seonghun, seated between Bae Seongwon and Min Yuyeong.
He wore the awkward, slightly burdened expression typical of a son, yet showed no irritation or displeasure whatsoever.
It was clear how deeply he loved Chairman Bae and Madam Min.
I envy you.
You, who receive unconditional love from people not even bound to you by blood.
I truly envy you.
The sky gradually darkened.
Bae Seongwon, Min Yuyeong, and some of the VIP guests returned to their rooms, while the remaining guests enjoyed wine and jazz music in small networking groups.
Saying she needed to use the restroom, Joo-young excused herself.
On her way out after washing her hands, she ran into Bae Seokjae.
“President Choi Joo-young?”
Seokjae greeted her first.
“It’s been a while. Do you recognize me?”
“Of course, Executive Director.”
Joo-young put on a professional smile.
Now that she knew Seonghun was adopted, she was well aware of how Bae Seokjae must see her.
An eyesore.
If she married Seonghun and gained the backing of CS Group, Seokjae would have no way to stop him.
“That’s a relief. I was worried you might not recognize me.”
“You’re Seonghun’s uncle—how could I forget? Of course I remember.”
“Seonghun, huh… You must still be very close with our Seonghun?”
Just as Joo-young expected, what appeared to be a normal conversation had subtle points of discord.
There was a faint edge in Seokjae’s voice and in the way he treated her.
“Of course. We’re even considering marriage.”
“Oh?”
The moment she mentioned “marriage,” Seokjae’s attitude changed completely.
He no longer bothered to hide his true feelings.
“…Do you have something you want to say to me, Executive Director?”
“Why do you think that?”
“You were waiting for me here, in front of the restroom, to speak with me alone.”
“Go on.”
From that moment, Seokjae’s eyes gleamed with curiosity.
“There’s nothing here but restrooms, yet you didn’t even glance at them—so it doesn’t seem like we just ran into each other.”
“…”
“And if you were mingling with others, we wouldn’t be alone here. You’re not even checking your phone, so you’re not waiting for anyone else.”
“…”
“Doesn’t that mean you were waiting for the person you wanted to meet?”
“Hah.” Seokjae exhaled sharply. His lips twitched upward.
“You’re sharp. Is that how you made it all the way to president?”
“I’ll take that as a compliment. So, what is it you wanted to say?”
“Since you’re so smart, I’ll tell you something special.”
As if sharing a secret, Seokjae whispered into Joo-young’s ear.
“Our Seonghun is adopted.”
Strictly speaking, it was indeed a secret.
It would have been shocking—if Joo-young hadn’t already known.
Seeing that she didn’t react, Seokjae’s eyes widened instead.
“You knew?”
“Yes.”
“And you still plan to marry him? Why would a smart person make that kind of decision? Don’t you know that blood is thicker than water?”
“I know. Better than anyone.”
Because blood is thicker than water, she remained trapped in the cage called “family” with Choi Kwon-yong, with nothing left but hatred.
That was why Joo-young knew one more truth Seokjae did not.
“Blood being thicker than water makes it harder to cut off—and the thicker it is, the deeper the wounds it leaves.”
“…”
“I’ll be going now, Executive Director. Until next time.”
Smiling, Joo-young gave a small nod and walked back toward the banquet hall.
Left alone, Seokjae let out a baffled sigh—“Huh…”—then suddenly burst into laughter, like a madman.
Soon after, he left as well.
That was when it happened.
From behind a wall, Seonghun stepped out.
He stared quietly at the spot where Joo-young and Seokjae had been standing, then slowly licked the inside of his mouth.
An uneasy sensation crept up the back of his neck.
