TEW 48🔐

Yeonseo told Doheon she was going to the break room for a bit, then left the executive office. She needed some time to cool her head and collect her thoughts.

As soon as the employees in the break room noticed her enter, they exchanged glances and quietly slipped out. Feeling awkward, Yeonseo fiddled with the paper cup in her hands for no reason.

Then, she heard the door open.

She wondered if it was another employee who would take one look at her and then leave again. Without turning toward the sound, she pretended not to care.

“Not even looking at me anymore, huh?”

Her brows furrowed instinctively at the familiar voice.

Kang Jae was standing there with a smirk, a drink in one hand.

Yeonseo gave a half-hearted nod.

“Barely even bothering to greet me now, huh?”

She had just wanted a few quiet minutes alone in the break room, but apparently that wasn’t going to happen. Why did he have to pick a fight about everything?

Those eyes that resembled Geum Seon-ae’s made her feel sick. She didn’t want to appear weak in front of that woman’s son anymore.

“Why do you keep picking fights with me?”

Even if it meant seeing something unpleasant, Yeonseo decided to face him head-on. After all, Geum Seon-ae and everyone connected to her were her enemies. And soon, she’d be leaving Myungseonjae anyway.

“Getting bolder by the day, aren’t we?”

Kang Jae let out a mocking snort.

“You should be polite first if you want me to be polite. Isn’t it the elder’s job to set an example?”

He turned his head aside and let out a short laugh.

“She’s lost it, huh.”

His twisted mouth muttered something under his breath. Yeonseo kept a cold, expressionless face and didn’t back down.

“What’d you do during lunch?”

But instead of continuing to sneer, Kang Jae suddenly whistled and asked casually.

“…What?”

“I said, what did you do at lunch? You’ve been acting all suspicious, like you’re hiding something…”

He stepped closer, bending slightly at the waist. His eyes glinted sharply as he glared at her.

“I followed you earlier.”

A chill ran down Yeonseo’s spine.

No way… Did he spy on me watching that video on the computer?

No—don’t be scared. It’s probably nothing. He’s always desperate to throw around baseless threats.

Yeonseo repeated it to herself like a mantra and decided to fight back instead.

There were no CCTV cameras in the office. There was no physical proof that she’d been watching the hidden video Geum Seon-ae had left behind.

All Kang Jae might have known was that she had used the computer for something.

“So what? Is that supposed to be a problem?”

Yeonseo suddenly realized how close his face was to hers.

From the outside, Kang Jae might have been considered attractive—someone women paid attention to. But knowing what kind of man he really was, Yeonseo could only feel disgust.

She took a sharp step back.

“Whatever,” he said at last.

He looked at her for a long moment, then the tension in his tone shifted back into his usual, lazy playfulness.

He raised a hand in farewell and turned toward the door.

His sly eyes roamed up and down her body, finally stopping on her lower abdomen.

“I heard that time can be tough for women. Take care of yourself.”

That time? Take care of myself?

His words lingered unpleasantly in her mind. Maybe she was overthinking it, but it felt like he knew she was pregnant.

Knowing his character, if he ever found out she was carrying Doheon’s child, he would never let her off easily. And if Geum Seon-ae learned of it through him… she couldn’t even imagine what would happen.

The posture she had been holding firm in defiance wavered slightly.

Go home and rest first. You’re not feeling well.

Doheon had told her to take the rest of the day off.

As usual, he was planning to work late into the night. Yeonseo had thought about staying by his side, but she had too much to do.

She got into the car driven by the family chauffeur and headed for Myungseonjae.

The thought that her days there were numbered made her anxious. Three videos on the USB might not be enough. She needed to collect as much evidence as possible.

“You’re home! How are you feeling today? Should I make you cold bibim naengmyeon again?”

As soon as she stepped inside, Mrs. Paju greeted her warmly.

“Yes, please. Thank you. Is Mother home yet?”

“Oh, no! Not yet. The master and madam still have bottles in their room… Who knows when they’ll come back. You must be worried, young madam, with things so tense around here.”

Yeonseo forced a small smile and went to her bedroom.

The fact that Seon-ae hadn’t returned yet was good news—it meant she hadn’t realized Yeonseo had found the evidence.

But I don’t know when I’ll have to leave. I should pack my things now and keep searching for more proof.

A Boston bag sat in the dressing room. Yeonseo unzipped it and began packing the few belongings she’d brought.

She hadn’t brought much from Yangpyeong, so after about half an hour, she was nearly done.

Then she remembered the feather-shaped brooch.

The same brooch she’d recognized instantly in the video—the one her grandmother had kept until her dying breath. Yeonseo opened the vanity drawer to retrieve it.

Huh?

Did she put it somewhere else? No, she was sure she hadn’t.

The brooch she had hidden was gone.

Yeonseo searched every possible spot in the room—pockets, bags, drawers—turning everything upside down. But all she found was a few clumps of dust.

The brooch was nowhere to be found.

It might be the most important piece of evidence…!

Cold sweat began to form on her forehead.

There was no way she could’ve misplaced it or forgotten where she hid it. She had always kept it in the same spot and checked often to make sure it was safe.

If the brooch was really gone, that meant someone had taken it. It wasn’t as if it had sprouted legs and walked off on its own.

In this situation, the only explanation was—

Who?

Someone had definitely gone through her drawer.

Yeonseo bit her fingertip in thought, hard enough that it almost bled.

Who would steal the brooch?

There were several people who occasionally entered the room she shared with Doheon—Mrs. Paju, or one of the cleaning staff.

But none of them seemed daring enough to steal something. The Seo household was known for treating its employees well, but also for being strict about punishment. Being caught stealing would ruin them.

So they wouldn’t have done it for money. Unless… someone higher up had ordered them to.

Then could it have been Seon-ae herself? Or Kang Jae, who always acted like he knew something? Maybe one of them took it—or sent someone to.

She had thought she’d kept everything secret, but apparently, someone knew. How? The very walls of Myungseonjae were starting to feel threatening.

But there was one crucial person Yeonseo hadn’t considered.

No way… not Seo Doheon.

She shook her head. It couldn’t be him. He was too busy to care about a trinket like that.

Just as she tried to dismiss the thought, memories resurfaced—

“Bad habit, huh? Little thief.”

“You didn’t buy this yourself, did you?”

“Where did you get this from?”

“Jewels like this are easy to come by once you’re in the Seo family. Put it back where it belongs.”

When she had shown the brooch to Doheon, he had looked genuinely startled—as if he’d recognized it immediately.

‘That brooch—Mr. Seo bought it, didn’t he? I always wondered who it was for. So it was you, ma’am.’

‘The feather-shaped one, right? Only two were imported into the country. It’ll suit you perfectly. It’ll go beautifully with that sky-blue silk dress you brought.’

She also recalled what the personal shopper had once told her.

If there was anyone who knew the most about that brooch, it was Seo Doheon himself.

If the brooch had ended up in his hands—and if he had no intention of returning it—then there was no way to get it back. He was too meticulous, too skilled at keeping a straight face.

And that man… he doesn’t want to share anything with me about my mother’s death—or what’s connected to it.