Chapter 8
Many figures from the legal community attended the book launch event. It was the first event held by Han Young-soo, a former Supreme Court justice and current chairman of TS Law Firm, since he entered the political arena.
Back when Ji-an’s grandfather stepped down from the Supreme Court, the leaders of both major parties had each visited Hannam-dong to propose that he join their party. It must have been backed by the famous cases he took on in favor of the people during his tenure as a justice, as well as TS Law Firm’s steady track record of welfare activities.
“Unbroken, Unbending — Han Young-soo”
At the hotel entrance, stacks of her grandfather’s published book were piled up.
His seat in the National Assembly was a given, and he was already being mentioned as a candidate for the next presidential election. As a result, business executives eager to get on his good side flocked to the event like a bustling marketplace.
“Thank you for coming.”
“When did a busy man like you find time to write something like this? The title’s good.”
“It’s nothing compared to your autobiography, Chairman.”
“So, you’ve finally decided to jump into the political arena.”
Han Young-soo had turned down many offers to join a party over the years, but now he was entering politics.
TS Law Firm’s major partner companies would likely be making generous donations today. They’d be watching closely to read Han Young-soo’s intentions.
For the entire time Han Young-soo remained in politics, the information that TS possessed could ultimately become a vulnerability for those companies—especially since they had been through thick and thin with TS for longer than their own in-house legal teams.
“And this is your granddaughter who got married last year, right?”
“Ha ha, yes. Who would’ve thought we’d become in-laws with Se-on? Ji-an, say hello.”
“Hello. I’m Han Ji-an.”
Ji-an stood by her grandfather’s side and greeted the guests as the wife of Seo Do-geon, Vice President of Se-on Electronics.
The fact that the Se-on Group stood behind him would be a powerful source of support for Han Young-soo.
While her grandfather stepped away for a moment to speak with party officials, Ji-an let out a long breath.
She had stopped by a salon since morning to get her makeup and hair done. She hadn’t eaten all day since changing into the dress her mother had picked out for her.
Gently stroking her now-flatter stomach, Ji-an placed a canelé and a financier on a plate. She grabbed a glass of champagne and sat down in the most secluded corner of the hotel.
“Sister-in-law, fancy meeting you here.”
Just as she was about to take a bite of the canelé, someone called out to her from behind. Turning her head, she saw Seo Tae-hyung offering a greeting.
Seo Tae-hyung had attended the book launch on behalf of his father.
Since his father, the son-in-law, couldn’t make it to his father-in-law’s event, they were sending Tae-hyung instead—someone who had once been a candidate for that very son-in-law position himself.
As the face of Se-on Group, Tae-hyung offered his congratulations to Han Young-soo.
After making his appearance, he was about to step out for a smoke when he spotted his sister-in-law sitting in a corner.
Even from photos, he had thought she was strikingly pretty.
She had the kind of delicate, refined features that would charm any older man. But her eyes were full of life—the kind of woman that made any man feel a little flustered when locking eyes with her.
When Han Ji-an had come up as a candidate for his father’s second marriage, Tae-hyung hadn’t objected much either. He’d simply told his father to choose the best woman according to his own judgment.
But of all people, Seo Do-geon…
Was he that hungry for shares? They’d been applying pressure from all directions, so even that steadfast Seo Do-geon must have lost his composure.
“Brother-in-law, I didn’t hear you were coming today.”
“Hey, would you mind giving me that? I had to cancel two dinner plans to be here today.”
“Sure. Please, help yourself.”
Ji-an pushed the plate toward him. On it sat one canelé and one financier.
“I’m just kidding. Go ahead, sister-in-law. You look hungry.”
“Oh…”
“The Vice President has a major electronics event today.”
“He’s always busy. It’s fine.”
She set down her fork and took a sip of champagne, her lips glistening. When he’d seen her at Myeongheonjae with a fresh, makeup-free face, he’d wondered if she had something on her lips—but now that they were moist, he didn’t know where to look.
Could he sway Seo Do-geon by winning over this woman?
If there ever came a moment when that meticulously controlled man let his guard down, wrapped in this woman’s embrace…
“How’s married life treating you?”
“…”
Her cheeks flushed. The woman, whose cheeks were now warm, parted her small lips, then pressed them together, blinking her large eyes. She looked bewildered by the question.
“You’re still sleeping in separate beds, right? That bastard’s picky and sensitive.”
“…Excuse me? Why would you ask that?”
A tiny crease formed between her brows, like a cat baring its claws. But she quickly softened her expression, returning to a puppy-like face.
Tae-hyung had his own people at Myeongheonjae too. He already knew the two of them weren’t sharing a bed.
To Seo Do-geon, Han Ji-an was probably just a piece of equity to secure control over the electronics division—so it was only natural.
“Worried our sister-in-law might get lonely?”
The star-shaped pendant dangling beneath her earlobe sparkled under the hotel lights. Her white, fair neckline was cool, and her collarbones spread out beautifully in a straight line.
Tae-hyung’s gaze traced down to her rounded shoulders, then he clicked his tongue and looked away. Too distracting.
“Ji-an.”
“Han Ji-an, so this is where you were hiding. Huh?”
Husband? Ji-an shook her head at her friends, who mouthed the question.
“Sister-in-law, I’ll see you at home, then.”
“Excuse me? Yes. Yes.”
Leaving a flustered Ji-an behind, Tae-hyung pulled out his chair and stood up.
Several people who couldn’t hide their emotions were staring at Ji-an, mesmerized. The same restless feeling he’d experienced just moments ago—they were probably feeling it too.
As Tae-hyung turned to leave, he spotted Seo Do-geon standing at the entrance.
Damn. Another wasted trip? Why the hell is that bastard here? He’s supposed to be running around busy as hell right now.
The meeting with the founder of Ensum was scheduled for tomorrow. Fortunately, they had secured an exclusive meeting with Se-on first, pushing out Yuseong Electronics and K Motors.
As soon as the founder of Ensum left, Do-geon turned his car toward Han Young-soo’s book launch. When he arrived, his father-in-law and Chairman Han Young-soo came out to greet him.
In an instant, he was surrounded by a crowd, unable to move. He exchanged greetings with key figures from both parties and caught up with old classmates he hadn’t seen in a while.
Leaving behind the endless stream of people trying to get on his good side, Do-geon scanned the hall.
Han Ji-an.
She should still be here.
He’d expected her to be standing right next to Chairman Han Young-soo like a bridesmaid.
His gaze landed on a secluded corner table near the stage. In the shadows of the dark blackout curtains, she was facing Seo Tae-hyung.
Tae-hyung was grinning broadly, while Ji-an shook her head side to side, looking uncomfortable.
With her hair tied up, Ji-an’s delicate features were clearly visible, and her neck and shoulders were elegantly exposed.
Despite the revealing cut, the color of her dress made her look graceful and beautiful—enough to tone down the flashiness of her earrings and rings, which sparkled with the changing light.
The dress hugged her figure, accentuating her curved chest, waist, and smooth legs.
The men nearby were stealing glances at Ji-an even as they conversed, and those who didn’t know who she was subtly inched closer to her while talking.
“I’ll go to my wife for a moment.”
“Ah, right. Your wife is here too, isn’t she? I saw her briefly earlier—she’s quite the beauty. I heard she’s an alumna of Korea University.”
“She’s still a student.”
Do-geon politely cut the conversation short and bowed his head. As soon as he turned around, Seo Tae-hyung sauntered over with a casual gait.
“I heard you were busy today, Vice President. And yet you show up here?”
“I manage my time efficiently, so I had some to spare.”
“Did you have fun chasing after the Ensum chairman?”
At that, Do-geon’s lips curled into a smile. Of course, that’s what he’s curious about. He probably never imagined I’d actually secured a meeting.
“Did you have fun meeting the Ensum chairman on your business trip last month?”
“Me?”
“You seem pretty nervous about Electronics hitting its targets. I have deep ties with Ensum’s founder. And with his daughter, too.”
“From what I heard, she wasn’t too happy about you juggling multiple women on the side, was she?”
So that’s why he leaked that information to the Ensum chairman to get it to the founder’s ears.
What Tae-hyung overlooked was that they’re not Korean. They prioritized the business proposal Do-geon had put forward—more profitable than personal feelings, especially since he had declined marriage.
“You’ve got to tidy things up properly, no matter what.”
Cleanly. Without a mess.
“Unless you want to end up like someone I know.”
Do-geon glanced at Tae-hyung and smiled.
Seo Tae-hyung, who was always getting caught, had even gone through a divorce that inflicted massive losses on his company’s stock. Same pattern when he tanked his business ventures.
“So you’re planning to keep things clean with sister-in-law, too? Tidying up is your specialty, after all, Seo Do-geon.”
