Chapter 10
* * *
The kitchen of Le Dosage was a battlefield, as always.
The sound of clattering dishes, loud shouts calling out orders, and food sizzling in pans mixed together and filled the air.
Normally, this familiar noise helped Sorim feel calm.
But today was different.
Even as she watched the knife move steadily on the cutting board, Sorim’s mind was a complete mess.
“I’m looking forward to seeing you again.”
The words written on the ribbon of the flower basket echoed in her head, matching the rhythm of her chopping, like a hallucination.
Looking forward to what?
To seeing her shake in fear?
Or to seeing her so-called family celebrate and get ahead of themselves?
“Hey, youngest.”
“……”
“Yoon Sorim!”
“……!”
“Where is your head today? Are you trying to chop up the onion flesh too?”
The sous chef’s shout snapped Sorim back to reality.
Chopped onion pieces were scattered all over the cutting board.
“I’m sorry. I’ll redo it.”
As Sorim quickly bowed her head, Nam Taeyoung, who was stirring sauce nearby, clicked his tongue.
“Are you sick? You look really pale.”
His words sounded casual, but there was real concern in them.
In this kitchen—maybe in her whole life—Nam Taeyoung was the only person who ever paid attention to how Sorim looked.
“…No. I just didn’t sleep well.”
“You’re young. What do you have to lose sleep over? Are you dating or something?”
“It’s not like that.”
Sorim smiled bitterly and grabbed the knife again.
Dating.
Her situation was closer to a thriller than a romantic comedy.
She felt like a small insect caught in the web of a huge predator named Song Taeha, waiting to be eaten.
The fear of not knowing when or how he would show up squeezed her throat all day long.
I wish this were all just my imagination.
If Song Taeha were really interested in Minseo,
if the flowers were truly for Minseo,
how nice would that be?
Sorim tightened her grip on the knife with trembling hands.
Today, the sting of the onion felt especially sharp in her eyes.
* * *
At the same time, on the 35th floor of Yoonsan Group headquarters, in the vice president’s office.
A stack of approval documents was placed on the desk with a soft thud.
Song Taeha leaned back in his chair and rubbed his chin.
“So Park Sangshik contacted the secretary’s office?”
The chief secretary, standing across from him, nodded with an awkward expression.
“Yes, Vice President. It seems they took the flower basket you sent yesterday as a proposal to his daughter, Park Minseo. They’re very eager to set a date to formally meet families as soon as possible.”
The secretary trailed off and watched Taeha’s reaction.
It had already seemed strange when Taeha suddenly ordered flowers to be sent.
He normally paid no attention to subcontractors, so this was unusual.
“A proposal, huh…”
A crooked smile appeared on Taeha’s lips.
“They’re quite imaginative. Except for one person.”
Except for one person?
The secretary was curious, but spoke politely.
“Should we correct the misunderstanding? Say there was a mistake—”
“No need.”
Taeha raised a hand to stop him.
He picked up the tablet lying on the desk.
On the screen was a personal report on Yoon Sorim, obtained through a private investigator.
Yoon Sorim.
After her parents’ deaths, she lived with her aunt Lee Seonga’s family.
Currently supports herself through restaurant work and tutoring.
Known to be treated decently within the family, but in reality, this is far from true…
Her life was laid out plainly in dry, emotionless words.
Taeha’s gaze lingered on the part about “family treatment.”
He tapped the screen lightly with his finger.
“Isn’t it interesting? Being tied together by the name ‘family,’ yet treated worse than a stranger.”
“…Vice President?”
“A woman with nowhere to go and no one to rely on.
But with pride so strong she would refuse even billions.”
Taeha narrowed his eyes.
She had rejected his offer without hesitation.
He remembered her eyes—proud, as if money could never measure her worth.
That look irritated him, but at the same time, it sparked his competitive instinct.
Taming something untamed was Song Taeha’s favorite kind of game.
“Let them do what they want.”
“Pardon? But that could complicate things. If it reaches the Chairman—”
“That’s not a bad thing. My father clearly remembers how hard Park Sangshik tried to lobby him.”
Taeha stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window.
The city spread out below him like a toy model.
“People are free to misunderstand.
And the look on their faces when that misunderstanding breaks will be quite entertaining.”
“……”
“Life’s been boring lately, hasn’t it? This works out well.”
A cold light flashed in Taeha’s dark eyes.
He planned to use this situation completely.
If Sorim wouldn’t come to him on her own,
he would simply destroy the ground she was standing on and force her to come.
He intended to make her realize that the weak fence called “family” was not protecting her—but tightening around her neck.
“Manager Cha.”
“Yes, Vice President.”
“Clear my lunch schedule this weekend. I need to go to Yeonhui-dong.”
“…You’re going personally?”
“Yes. I should check it myself.
See who answers when I call a name.”
Taeha loosened his tie while looking at his reflection in the window.
It was time to shake her again.
* * *
When Song Taeha sent word that he would personally visit the house on the weekend, the Yeonhui-dong mansion turned festive.
Only Sorim felt like she had fallen into a swamp she could never escape.
The weekend approached as fast and terrifying as a guillotine blade falling.
She hadn’t slept properly for days.
When she closed her eyes, she saw Taeha’s cold smile.
When she opened them, the smell of flowers filling the house felt like it was choking her.
He really would come.
And when he did, he would set off a bomb.
She wanted to run away somewhere, but as always, she had nowhere to go.
If she packed up and left right now, her grandmother might collapse from shock.
In the end, like an animal being dragged to a slaughterhouse, she could only endure the passing time helplessly.
And finally, the day arrived.
“Honey, look at this. Isn’t this tie color too flashy?”
Sangshik adjusted his new suit in front of the mirror again and again.
“Oh, it’s perfect. Neat and classy. Our future son-in-law is so stylish—of course you should put in some effort too.”
Seonga was grinning from ear to ear.
She had gone for skin treatments with Minseo for days, and her face practically glowed.
They cleaned the entire house, trimmed the lawn,
and even hired a luxury hotel catering service, preparing for Taeha’s picky taste.
Minseo spread dresses all over her bed, deep in thought.
“Do you think Vice President Song prefers white? Or pastel colors?”
“…I don’t know.”
“You wouldn’t know men’s tastes anyway. You’ve never even dated.”
Minseo clicked her tongue and looked Sorim up and down.
“When he comes today, just stay in your room. Don’t come out and ruin the mood.”
“….”
“Don’t even dream of greeting him. We’re having a private talk, just us. Got it?”
The words felt like knives.
But strangely, Sorim felt relieved.
Yes. It’s better if they treat me like I don’t exist.
She held onto a tiny hope that if she didn’t show herself when Song Taeha arrived, he might just leave.
“…Okay. I’ll stay in my room.”
Sorim nodded quietly toward Minseo, who wasn’t even listening.
And finally, it was time.
The house was spotless, perfectly arranged like a model home.
Sangshik and Seonga sat straight on the sofa, staring only at the front door.
Minseo wore a light pink dress, hands folded, looking pure and delicate.
Ding-dong.
When the doorbell rang, all three of them flinched at the same time.
