Chapter 32
“I told you clearly, didn’t I? Even if the surgery went well, you still have to take care of yourself! Grandpa, I’m really disappointed!”
Her head already hurt because of Kang Yoon and her mother, and now Chairman Han was acting like this too. It was unbelievable.
Sensing that Bora’s expression was no joke, Chairman Han quickly picked up the soju glass he had dropped and quietly set it back on the table.
“No, it’s just… it’s just that…”
“The whole family is worried about your health, and you’re drinking? Really, really, you can’t do this!”
“I… I’m not at ease. I don’t know if I’ll die tomorrow or the day after. My heart feels restless.”
“What are you saying? Why would you die? You said you’d live to see your great-grandchild!”
At Bora’s sharp words, Chairman Han’s eyes widened.
Right. That’s true. I have to see my great-grandchild before I die.
I have to make sure my great-grandchild is perfectly happy before I go.
“Bora.”
“Let me clean this up first.”
Cutting him off, Bora took the soju bottle to the sink and poured out the remaining liquor without hesitation.
“What a waste…”
“Should I throw out the bottles in the display cabinet too?”
“No, no. I didn’t say anything.”
Judging by her expression, she really looked ready to throw out every bottle. Chairman Han quickly shut his mouth.
“Why on earth were you drinking soju alone at this hour?”
After neatly throwing everything away, Bora quickly made two cups of quince tea and placed them on the table.
Chairman Han wrapped both hands around the mug she handed him, feeling the warmth seep into his palms.
“If you do this one more time, I’m really going to have a security guard stand outside your door.”
“Alright. I understand.”
Avoiding Bora’s eyes for no reason, Chairman Han lowered his gaze to the tea and took a sip.
The sweet and slightly sour scent of quince seemed to calm both his body and mind.
A light silence settled between them.
After a long while of quietly sipping his tea, Chairman Han spoke first.
“Bora.”
“Yes?”
“Do you like Kang Yoon?”
“All of a sudden? Um… of course. I married him because I like him.”
“Good. You weren’t disappointed that it wasn’t Kang Moon when you went on that blind date?”
“What? Not at all. I actually liked it better.”
Bora tilted her head at the unexpected question.
“Since Kang Yoon isn’t the legitimate heir or the eldest son of Kangsan Group, quite a few people rejected him at matchmaking meetings.”
“Ah…”
On the day they met, Kang Yoon had said something similar.
An illegitimate son of a chaebol family, born from an affair. A life like a stubborn weed that struggled to survive in the family somehow.
A life that endured countless fingers pointed at him and cold stares, pretending not to notice, forcing himself to ignore his wounded heart.
The many rumors and scandals surrounding him had been a shield he deliberately sharpened.
Bora almost felt wronged that she alone knew the real Kang Yoon—kind, thoughtful, and admirable—so completely different from what she had heard.
“That doesn’t matter. I know that Mr. Kang Yoon… is far more capable than any so-called great company’s eldest son.”
At her words, Chairman Han silently ran his fingers along the now half-cooled teacup.
Now. This felt like his last chance.
If not now, he might carry this secret buried in his heart to his grave.
“Bora.”
“Yes.”
“Listen carefully to me.”
“Pardon?”
“No matter what I say from now on… don’t be too shocked. Listen carefully without missing a single word. This is the first and last time I’m telling this—to you alone.”
Bora realized that Chairman Han was about to say something very important.
The birth secret Kang Yoon had desperately wanted to know—perhaps, at this very moment, Chairman Han would finally reveal it.
Her palms suddenly grew damp with sweat.
“Yes. I’ll listen carefully. Please tell me.”
“I’m not saying this because I’ve been drinking. Alright?”
“Yes. I know.”
“Good. Good… So, our Kang Yoon, hmm? My grandson Kang Yoon…”
As Bora listened closely to Chairman Han’s quiet, gentle confession, her eyes slowly widened.
“Grandpa… what are you saying…? Really? Is that really true?”
She lifted her cup and tried to drink, but it was already empty.
Her throat felt dry.
Bora jumped to her feet, grabbed a bottle of sparkling water from the refrigerator, twisted it open in a hurry, and gulped it down. Her face was filled with confusion.
“Wait… Grandpa… did I hear that right? Kang Yoon… Mr. Kang Yoon…”
“Yes. Bora, for now, you’re the only one who knows this. I feel uneasy, like my time might be near.”
“You’re not going anywhere! I promise—I’ll keep this to myself. Yes…”
“Good. And Bora. Thank you. For coming into this family and becoming Kang Yoon’s partner… truly, truly, thank you.”
Chairman Han’s thick hand tightly held Bora’s small one, warmth spreading between them.
“It’s all my fault. My karma, my greed. I was foolish.”
“No… Grandpa… you just made the best choice you could at the time.”
At her words, Chairman Han’s eyes grew moist.
“I should go to sleep now. You should go upstairs and rest too.”
“Yes… good night. But you promised—you’re never drinking again. Okay?”
“Yes. I will. I promise.”
Even after Chairman Han went into his room, Bora couldn’t bring herself to go upstairs.
“This makes no sense… really… how could something like this…”
There was a reason Kang Yoon had searched his entire life for his biological mother and never found her.
Was this what they called fate’s cruel joke?
Otherwise, there was no explanation.
Bora couldn’t even imagine how shocked Kang Yoon would be if he learned the truth.
A birth secret that seemed like something out of a drama or movie—how could it be her husband’s reality?
After lingering in the kitchen for a long time, Bora finally stood up once she had finished the sparkling water.
It felt like her legs might give out at any moment, but she forced strength into her steps.
Tonight, it seemed impossible that she would be able to fall asleep.
[We have high expectations for this Korean company. In particular, Kangsan Construction’s portfolio is extremely impressive. We look forward to good results.]
“Yes. Thank you for trusting us. We’ll repay you with results that exceed your expectations.”
From the day after he arrived in Dubai, Kang Yoon had been extremely busy with business meetings and site inspections.
Whenever he had a brief break, he spent it looking at photos of Bora or sending her messages.
With a five-hour time difference, it wasn’t easy to chat in real time, but the hearts she sent him somehow gave him strength.
Madam Yoon Bora visited the temple where Ms. Ahn Ji-hye’s memorial tablet is enshrined. Does Madam know everything as well?
The message from Detective Gong broke Kang Yoon’s focus as he reviewed the final design blueprints.
Before leaving for Dubai, he had told Bora the temple’s location at her request—but he hadn’t expected her to go so soon.
Yes. My wife knows everything. If there is any new information, please inform her directly. Because of the time difference, my replies may be delayed.
Ah, I understand. I’ll contact you again.
And in the photo Detective Gong sent, Bora was captured in close-up, standing before Ahn Ji-hye’s memorial tablet with her hands clasped in silent prayer.
It seemed that Jin Hwan, who had visited the temple, spotted Bora and took the photo from a distance.
Kang Yoon stared at her image for a long time before putting down his phone and returning his gaze to the blueprints.
He thought he should finish work as quickly as possible, return to the hotel, and call Bora.
If her clear voice called out, “Mr. Kang Yoon,” it felt like all his fatigue would melt away.
Kang Yoon was observant, but he failed to notice the silhouette held in Bora’s hand in the photo.
It was different from his own—
Yet strangely familiar.
